CBN Co-Players of the Week - Otto Lopez, Trevor Brigden, plus Canuck moves
New Hampshire INF Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.) is the co CBN Player of the Week.
May 21, 2021
By George Farelli
Canadian Baseball Network
It’s still early and the dog days of summer are a long way off.
Yet, a couple of Canadians heated up quickly.
INF Otto Lopez of the double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats had a week to remember going 14-for-24 (.582). Lopez (Montreal, Que.), a Blue Jay farmhand, who splits his time between playing second base and centre field, knocked in four runs.
RP Trevor Brigden (Toronto, Ont.) gained a win and a save pitching four scoreless innings for Charleston recording strike outs on 10 of the 12 outs he recorded.
Meanwhile, at the class-A level reliever Trevor Brigden pitched four scoreless innings for the Charleston River Dogs in two outings picking up a win and a save. Brigden (Toronto, Ont.) a 17th round pick of the Tampa Bay Rays from Okanagan College in Kelowna, BC.
Lopez and Brigden share Canadian Baseball Network minor league co-Players of the Week for Week II, as the best of the 40 Canadians in the minors.
How the week that was for Lopez as
_ Batting second and playing second, he doubled in a run in a 7-2 New Hampshire win over the Somerset Patriots before 1,005 fans at Delta Dental. DH Demi Orimoloye (Orleans, Ont.) was hitless in three at-bats.
_ Playing second and hitting third, he doubled, singled and plated a run in a 6-1 loss to Somerset in front of 1,406 fans in Concord, NH. RF Orimoloye was hitless in four at-bats.
_ Hitting third and playing centre, he went 4-for-4 with two doubles and two singles as the Fisher Cats won 7-3 in front of 1,844 fans at Double D (Delta Dental).
_ Hitting third and playing centre, Lopez had a pair of hits in a 5-3 loss to Somerset in front of 1,722. Orimoloye was 1-for-4 with a single.
_ Playing centre field and hitting second, Lopez doubled, singled and drove in a run in a 6-0 win against Somerset before 1,653 fans. Orimoloye was 1-for-4 with a double.
_ Hitting third and playing second, Lopez went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI in a 12-6 loss to the Portland Sea Dawgs before 1,198 fans at Delta Dental. Orimoloye was 1-for-5 with a single.
And how the week went for reliever Bridgen as he ...
_ Took over in the seventh with a 2-0 lead over Columbia Fireflies in front of 2,783 fans at Segara Park. And then it went like this
Seventh inning
Jake Means swung and missed a 2-2 pitch.
Kyle Emshoff flew out to left on a 2-2 pitch.
Tucker Bradley went after an 0-2 pitch, swung and missed to end the inning.
Eighth
Matthew Schmidt struck out swinging at a 2-2 pitch.
Herard Gonalez was hit with a 1-0 pitch and Maikel Garcia walked on four pitches.
Darryl Collins didn’t take the bat off his shoulder on the 0-2 pitch and was called out.
Brady McConnell flew out to left.
He threw 35 pitches -- 21 for strikes (60%) -- fanning four of the six outs he recorded.
_ And two nights later came on in the eighth to protect an 8-5 lead over the Columbia before 3,220 fans at Segra Park.
Eighth inning
Herard Gonzalez swung and missed a 2-2 pitch
After a Maikel Garcia walk Tyler Tolbert swing and missed a 2-2 pitch.
And Brady McConnell was caught looking to end the inning.
And in the ninth
Juan Carlos Negret swung and missed at a 1-2 pitch.
Kale Emshoff hacked at an 0-2 pitch and missed.
Felix Familia swung and missed a 1-2 pitch.
So Bridgen threw 33 pitches -- 23 for strikes (70%) -- fanning all six outs. In the two outings and 68 pitches, he threw 46 strikes (67.6%).
Interesting to note, in 2021 for the first time since 2006 there are no Canadians active in Japanese leagues.
Best Offensive Performances
Player/Class/Team AB R H HR RBI AVG.
Otto Lopez Dbl A New Hampshire 24 5 14 - 4 .583
Kole Cottam Hi A Greenville 10 3 5 1 1 .500
Charles Leblanc AAA Round Rock 13 3 6 - 1 .462
Edouard Julien Low A Fort Myers 19 4 8 - 4 .421
Jacob Robson Double A Erie 18 5 7 1 2 .389
Tanner Kirwer Hi A Vancouver 21 5 7 1 5 .333
Billy Germaine FGN Stuttgart 13 11 6 4 9 .462
Jake MacDonald FGN Solingen 11 3 3 - 3 .455
Will Thorpe FGN Munchen-Haar 12 5 4 1 4 .333
(Minimum 10 ABs)
Best Pitching Performances
Trevor Brigden RP - Low A Charleston River Dogs
APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA
2 4.0 - - - 1 10 1 1 0.25 0.00
Trevor Brigden was a 17th Round Draft Pick in 2019 by the Tampa Bay Rays, and is beginning his second season in the pro ranks. This week he made two excellent relief appearances for the Charleston River Dogs, first on May 13th in a 2-0 win over Columbia Fireflies when he threw two scoreless, gave up zero hits and while striking out four Columbia batters, to earn his first win of the season. On May 16 in an 8-5 win over Columbia he pitched two scoreless again without giving up a hit while striking out six batters, and secured his first save of the year. His overall record with Charleston in four 2021 relief appearances now stands at 1-0, with one save and a 3.86 ERA.
R. J. Freure RHP - High A Ashville Tourists
APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA
1 5.0 1 - - 1 6 - - 0.40 0.00
Similar to Trevor Brigden above, R,J. Freure is a product of the 2019 draft having been a sixth round selection by the Houston Astros. He had a very good start this week on May 14th in a 1-0 loss to the Bowling Green Hot Rods, pitching five scoreless innings surrendering only one hit while striking out six. He was removed from the game with the score 0-0, and was not involved in the decision. His record with Ashville in two starts for 2021 is 1-0 with a 1.23 ERA.
Moves & Transactions
Manager Gary Van Tol, Calgary, Alta. - Named Manager of Boise Hawks IND Pioneer League.
RHP Eric Hegadoren, Victoria, BC - Free Agent signed by Equipe Quebec IND Frontier League.
1B Brenden Dadson, Bowmanville, Ont. - Free Agent signed by Tri City Valley Cats IND Frontier League, subsequently was released.
OF Myles Miller, Windsor, Ont. - Free Agent signed by East Side Diamond Hoppers IND United Shore Pro League.
OF Tristan Pompey, Mississauga, Ont. - Moved by Miami Marlins from Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp their affiliate in Triple A-East, to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos their affiliate in Double A-South.
RHP Brayden Bouchey, Vancouver, BC - Activated by the Toronto Blue Jays at Vancouver Canadians their affiliate at High A-West.
OF Dane Tofteland, Grand Prairie, Alta. - Free Agent signed by Equipe Quebec IND Frontier League.
RHP Curtis Taylor, Port Coquitlam, BC - Moved by Toronto Blue Jays to Buffalo Bisons Triple A–East League, from New Hampshire Fisher Cats Double A-Northeast.
RHP Dany Paradis-Giroux, Levis, Que. - Free Agent signed by Equipe Quebec.
OF Connor Panas, Toronto, Ont. - Free Agent signed by Equipe Quebec.
Canadian Baseball Network
Player of the Week
Week I _ Noah Skirrow (Stoney Creek, Ont.) Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Phillies).