Aug. 28 Minor League Report
By Jay Blue
Blue Jays from Away
Friday was a relatively good day for the Blue Jays’ affiliates with a 4-4 record as the Lugnuts and the GCL Blue Jays wind down their seasons heading into the playoffs. The GCL Jays have one more regular season game before they play the GCL Tigers in a one-game semi-final.

Buffalo Bisons 6, Pawtucket Red Sox 7
With four runs in the bottom of eighth, the Bisons staged a rally but weren’t able to close the gap and had to settle for a one-run loss to Pawtucket on Friday. Dalton Pompey was 2/3 with a walk and an RBI while Alex Hassan (2/4, 2B, RBI, 2 R) and George Kottaras (2/4, 2 RBI, R) each had two hits. Ty Kelly, DFAed shortly after the game, was 1/2 with an RBI and two walks.

Starter Andrew Albers wasn’t sharp, allowing seven hits and three runs over two innings before Colt Hynes took over, allowing a run in two innings. Donn Roach, newly claimed on waivers allowed another three runs (two earned) over four innings and Bobby Korecky struck out two in his scoreless inning of relief.

Roster Notes: Todd Redmond was placed on the temporarily inactive list and Donn Roach was activated. The Blue Jays will also promote Drew Hutchison and assign Josh Thole to Bluefield, which will allow him to be recalled before the 10-day window, in time for R.A. Dickey’s next start.

Player of the Game: Pompey, Hassan and Kottaras

New Hampshire Fisher Cats 0, Binghamton Mets 1
Despite seven shutout innings from Taylor Cole, the Fisher Cats lost 1-0 in the 11th inning to Binghamton. Cole allowed just four hits and four walks over seven while striking out five batters. Greg Infante went two scoreless innings and struck out three with two walks. John Anderson took the loss, allowing a run over 1 2/3 innings. The Fisher Cats only managed to get five hits including three from Ryan Schimpf, including a double.

Player of the Game: Schimpf and Cole

Dunedin Blue Jays 4, Lakeland Flying Tigers 1
With solid pitching and timely hitting, the Blue Jays snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-1 win. Conor Fisk allowed just one run on six hits and a walk with four strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings while Chris Smith (1 2/3 IP, 1 K), Arik Sikula (1 IP, 1 BB) and Wil Browning (S, 1 IP) finished the game without allowing a hit.

Anthony Alford continues his hot streak, going 2/4 with a triple, an RBI and two runs while Christian Lopes was 2/4 with an RBI.

Roster Notes: Chris Schaeffer was placed on the DL.

Player of the Game: Alford, Lopes and Fisk

Lansing Lugnuts 7, West Michigan Whitecaps 5
The Lansing offense got into gear, scoring seven runs on 10 hits and held off West Michigan to pick up their first win in five games. Josh Almonte led the way with three hits including a triple, a stolen base, a run and an RBI. Danny Jansen broke out with a 2/3 game that included a double, a walk, three RBI and a run. Chris Carlson also had two hits, going 2/5 with a stolen base and two runs. David Harris was 2/3 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored.

Starlyn Suriel returned from the DL and pitched 3 1/3 innings with three hits and a walk, totaling one run against. Tim Mayza allowed another run in 3 2/3 innings, strikin gout four and walking two. Jose Fernandez gave up three runs over an inning and Carlos Ramirez picked up his eighth save with a scoreless ninth.

Roster Notes: Starlyn Suriel was activated from the DL.

Player of the Game: Almonte and Jansen

Vancouver Canadians 8, Spokane Indians 7
Vancouver also saw an offensive outburst in Game 1 of a double header, scoring eight times on 13 hits and finally getting a leg up on the Spokane Indians in the top of the 10th inning and holding on for the win. Ryan Metzler had three hits, including a double, for the Cs and added two walks, an RBI and scored three times. Rolando Segovia also had three hits, including a triple, a walk, an RBI and a run. Justin Atkinson (2/5, BB, RBI) and Connor Panas (2/5, 2B, R) had two hits each and Gunnar Heidt was on base three times with a single and two RBI, adding a stolen base and two runs.

Tayler Saucedo was bailed out by his offense after allowing six of the Indians’ seven runs. Saucedo gave up five runs in the first four innings and proceeded to allow another run on the fifth before leaving the bases loaded without retiring anyone. Stuart Holmes came into the game and completely shut down the Indians, getting three outs to strand all three runners and then proceeded to pitch a scoreless sixth. Andrew Case was charged with the seventh Spokane run, pitching two innings while Turner Lee earned the win with two scoreless innings of relief.

Player of the Game: Metzler and Segovia

Vancouver Canadians 0, Spokane Indians 4
The Vancouver offense went silent, however in the second game of the twin bill, getting only one hit, from Juan Kelly, in the 4-0 loss. Francisco Rios allowed the first two runs over five innings, giving up seven hits and a walk while Michael Kraft allowed two runs in the sixth to finish the game for the Cs.

Player of the Game: None

Bluefield Blue Jays 1, Danville Braves 4
The struggling Blue Jays lost again to Danville but got three hits from Rodrigo Orozco (3/4) and two from Christian Williams (2/3, BB, R). Geno Encina was touched for two home runs among 11 hits over five innings and was charged with four runs despite walking only one batter and striking out five. Zak Wasilewski allowed a hit and a walk over two innings, stranding two inherited runners from Encina and Jackson Lowery struck out one in his perfect inning.

Roster Notes: Josh Thole was optioned to Bluefield and Matt Smoral was placed on the DL retroactive to August 25 after getting hit by a line drive.

Player of the Game: Orozco and Williams

GCL Blue Jays 7, GCL Phillies 4
The GCL Blue Jays continue to roll over their opponents as they head towards the playoffs. Four Blue Jays had two-hit games including Lance Jones (2/4, 3B, R), Levi Scott (2/4, BB, RBI, R), Owen Spiwak (2/4, RBI) and Robert Lucido (2/4, 2B, BB, RBI, 2 R). Edward Olivares was 1/3 with a walk, two stolen bases, a run and an RBI.

Guadalupe Chavez had another strong outing, going five innings and allowing one run on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts. Denis Diaz, Osman Gutierrez and Mike Estevez each provided an inning of scoreless relief and Griffin Glaude allowed three runs over just 2/3 of an inning. Nate Abel picked up the save, getting an out from the only batter he faced.

Player of the Game: Chavez and Lucido

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