Jay Blue: Cole, Diaz, Schimpf
Sept. 7 Minor League Report
by Jay Blue
Blue Jays from Away
And then there was one. With the conclusion of the minor league baseball season on Monday, the Lansing Lugnuts, first half winners of the Midwest League Eastern Division, are the last Blue Jays’ affiliate left standing. Stay tuned for in depth coverage of the Lugnuts’ opening round series against the Great Lakes Loons, beginning Wednesday.
Buffalo Bisons 2, Pawtucket Red Sox 10
Marcus Stroman did not have his “A game” as he made his final rehab start before rejoining the Toronto Blue Jays. Stroman struggled with his control through three innings of four-run, eight-hit, four-walk ball, striking out five. John Anderson had the best outing of any of the Bisons, allowing just one hit and one walk through two innings. Greg Burke had an anomalous day, allowing five runs on 1 three hits and two walks over 1 2/3 innings after Chad Girodo allowed all three inherited runners to score as well as one of his own in 1 1/3 innings.
Ryan Schimpf improved his Buffalo batting average to .200 with a 2/3 game that included a walk and a run although his overall average is a nice, round .250 thanks to tremendous work in New Hampshire. League MVP Matt Hague was 1/4 with a double and clinched the league batting title (although that was in the bag long ago) while Andy Burns hit a double and drove in a run. Jonathan Diaz was 2/4 with a double and a run.
Roster Notes: The Blue Jays called up Steve Delabar, Matt Hague and Marcus Stroman following the game yesterday.
Player of the Game: Schimpf and Diaz
New Hampshire Fisher Cats 8, Trenton Thunder 1
New Hampshire finished the season with a couple of strong games, defeating Trenton by a score of 8-1 and getting their record to two games under .500 at 69-71. Taylor Cole picked up his seventh win of the season with seven one-run innings, allowing five hits and no walks while striking out four. Chris Smith pitched the final two innings with two hits and one walk against.
The Fisher Cats were compiling stats on Monday as Roemon Fields (3/5, R), Kevin Nolan (3/4, BB, SB, 2 RBI, R) and K.C. Hobson (3/5, 2B, RBI, R) all had three hits. Derrick Chung (2/5, RBI) and Matt Newman (2/5, R) aded two each while Emilio Guerrero was 1/5 with a solo home run.
Player of the Game: Cole
Lansing Lugnuts 2, Dayton Dragons 7
The Lugnuts went into the postseason with a loss after the pitching staff allowed Dayton to drop a six-spot on them in the fifth inning. Starter Chase Mallard had battled through four innings, allowing four hits and three walks at that point but, returning to the mound in the fifth, couldn’t get anyone out, allowing six consecutive runners to get on base on a single, single, double, error, a walk and a double. Mallard’s final line wasn’t pretty with four innings pitched, six runs (five earned) on eight hits and four walks with three strikeouts. Colton Turner came on to relieve Mallard and allowed both inherited runs to score and gave up one more of his own in the sixth inning. Phil Kish struck out two in his inning while Carlos Ramirez struck out the side in the eighth.
The offense only had seven hits including a double from Alex Maldonado and a triple from D.J. Davis who was 1/3 with a triple, a walk and two strikeouts. Michael De La Cruz was 2/4 with an RBI.
Player of the Game: None
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