Jay Blue: Aiello, Clemens, Hiraldo, Lopez, Nolan, Romano, Smith

Kevin Smith had two home runs and a double for the double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Thursday. Photo: Jay Blue

August 22, 2019 Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Report

By Jay Blue

Blue Jays from Away

The Blue Jays' affiliates were 4-5 on Thursday with the Bisons getting blown out but with the Bluefield Blue Jays sweeping their two-game series in Princeton and winning the Mercer Cup for 2019.

Buffalo Bisons 3, Rochester Red Wings 20

The Buffalo Bisons' string of strong starts was snapped as the Rochester Red Wings hammered the Bisons 20-3.

Tayler Saucedo lasted just 1 2/3 innings, allowing nine runs (five earned) on eight hits (including a home run) and three walks, hitting two batters. Matt Dermody went 3 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits with five strikeouts and Jackson McClelland was treated to the same welcome as Saucedo, allowing six runs on three hits and three walks with a strikeout in 1/3 of an inning. Kirby Snead allowed three more runs on three hits (including a home run) with a strikeout in 1 2/3 innings and Roemon Fields finished it off, walking two with one strikeout in the eighth.

The Bisons had just three hits, getting singles from Jonathan Davis, who stole a base, Patrick Kivelhan and Michael De La Cruz who drove in two runs.

L: Tayler Saucedo (6-1)

Player of the Game: None

Roster Notes: Jordan Romano was recalled by the Toronto Blue Jays.

New Hampshire Fisher Cats 9, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (NYM) 4

Kevin Smith went deep twice as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats defeated the Binghamton Rumble Ponies 9-4.

Smith was 3/4 with two solo blasts, a double and a walk while Chad Spanberger was 2/3 with two walks, a home run, three RBI and two runs. Riley Adams also hit a home run, going 2/4 with two RBI and a run. Cullen Large was 2/4 with a triple, an RBI, two runs and a stolen base while Logan Warmoth was 2/4 with a double and a run. Joshua Palacios was 0/3 but walked twice and scored while Alberto Mineo was 1/4.

Hector Perez started, tossing four innings of one-run ball, striking out three and allowing four hits. William Ouellette tossed three innings, giving up a run on four hits with a walk and three strikeouts to get the win and Corey Copping allowed two runs on three hits (including a home run) in the eighth. Dany Jimenez finished it off, hitting a batter and striking out one.

W: William Ouellette (2-2)

HR: Riley Adams (9), Kevin Smith 2 (19), Chad Spanberger (12)

Player of the Game: Kevin Smith

Roster Notes: Jake Brodt was assigned to the Fisher Cats from the Lansing Lugnuts.

Dunedin Blue Jays 11, Daytona Tortugas (CIN) 14

The Dunedin Blue Jays lost a high-scoring battle, giving up the lead and falling 14-11 to the Daytona Tortugas.

Josh Winckowski started, giving up six runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks with just one strikeout in 4 1/3 innings. Maverik Buffo finished off the fifth, but allowed four consecutive batters to reach in the sixth, getting charged with four runs on three hits, two walks and a hit batter, striking out one in 2/3 of an inning. Kyle Weatherly allowed four runs on four hits with three walks and a strikeout in 1 2/3 innings and Connor Law gave up three hits with four strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings.

Chavez Young did what he could to keep the Blue Jays in the game, going 1/3 with three walks, two runs and two outfield assists but the offensive star was Kacy Clemens (whose batting average inches towards .200), going 4/5 with a walk, a home run, a double, three RBI and three runs. Ryan Noda was 2/4 with a sac fly and two RBI while Christopher Bec was 2/4 with two walks and a double, driving in a run. Norberto Obeso was 3/4 with a triple, two walks, three RBI and three runs and Demi Orimoloye (Orleans, Ont.) was 1/6 with an RBI. Samad Taylor was 1/5 with a walk and Jesus Navarro was 1/3 with a walk, an RBI and a run. Hugo Cardona was 0/3 but walked and was hit by a pitch, scoring twice.

L: Kyle Weatherly (3-4)

HR: Kacy Clemens (10)

Player of the Game: Kacy Clemens

Lansing Lugnuts 1, South Bend Cubs (CHC) 8

The Lansing Lugnuts were beating soundly by the South Bend Cubs, losing 8-1.

John Aiello was 3/4 with a home run, driving in the Lugnuts' only run while Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.) was 2/5. Yorman Rodriguez was 1/4 and Griffin Conine was 1/3 with a walk.

Cobi Johnson lasted just 1/3 of an inning, allowing five runs on two hits (including a home run) and three walks with two wild pitches. Andy McGuire went 3 1/3 innings, allowing a run on three hits with three walks and Randy Pondler allowed a run as well as an inherited runner to score, giving up four hits (including a home run) and striking out three in 2 1/3 innings. Jose Espada allowed a run on a solo home run among two hits with two strikeouts in the final two innings.

L: Cobi Johnson (2-8)

HR: John Aiello (7)

Player of the Game: John Aiello

Roster Notes: Jake Brodt was promoted to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

Vancouver Canadians 0, Tri-City Dust Devils (SD) 2

The Vancouver Canadians out hit the Tri-City Dust Devils three hits to two but didn't score any runs and lost 2-0.

The C's had singles form Tanner Morris, Jesus Lopez and Dom Abbadessa in the loss.

Alex Nolan (Burlington, Ont.) had a strong start, going six innings and giving up just an unearned run on a hit and a walk with six strikeouts. Mike Pascoe allowed a run on a hit and two walks, hitting a batter and striking one out in 1/3 of an inning while Grayson Huffman finished it off, stranding the bases loaded, striking out two and hitting a batter in 1 2/3 innings.

L: Alex Nolan (1-3)

Player of the Game: Alex Nolan

Bluefield Blue Jays 9, Princeton Rays (TB) 6

The Bluefield Blue Jays rallied on the road to beat the Princeton Rays 9-6 and win the Mercer Cup, breaking the tie in the final game of the intra-county competition.

Miguel Hiraldo was 3/5 with a double, a walk, three RBI and a run while Spencer Horwitz was 2/4 with two walks, a double and three RBI. Davis Schneider had another multi-hit game, going 2/5 with a home run, an RBI and a run while D.J. Daniels was 2/4 with a home run, a walk, an RBI and a run. Ryan Slongier hit another home run (in his second consecutive game), going 1/5 with a solo shot and two runs. Eric Rivera was 1/5 with a run and an outfield assist and Patrick Morris was 1/5 with a walk. Justin Ammons was 1/5 with a walk and two runs and Leonardo Jimenez was 1/5 with a double.

Roither Hernandez started but allowed six runs (three earned) on seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts in two innings before Luis Alvarez took over, giving up two hits and striking out one over the next three innings. Adams Cuevas got the win, throwing three one-hit innings, striking out six and Kyle Huckaby saved it, striking out two in the ninth.

W: Adams Cuevas (2-2)

S: Kyle Huckaby (3)

HR: Ryan Sloniger (9), Davis Schneider (6), D.J. Daniels (7)

Player of the Game: Miguel Hiraldo and Spencer Horwitz

GCL Blue Jays 4, GCL Yankees West 3

In Game 1 of a doubleheader, the GCL Blue Jays scored one in the top of the eighth (the first extra inning) to beat the GCL Yankees West 4-3.

Jose Rivas drove in two runs, going 1/3 with a double, a walk, a run and a stolen base but was caught stealing once. Yhon Perez was 2/3 with a double, a walk, an RBI but was caught stealing. Orelvis Martinez was 1/4 while Jhon Solarte 1/2 with a walk. Rainer Nunez hit a double, going 1/3 with a run and Jose Zepeda was 1/3 with a run. Erickvi Celedonio was 0/1 with two walks and a run.

Santos Moreno started, allowing three runs on six hits with five strikeouts in five innings and Miguel Olivo allowd just two hits and a walk with three strikeouts in two innings. Adrian Hernandez allowed a hit and struck out one getting the save in the eighth.

W: Miguel Olivo (1-0)

S: Adrian Hernandez (1)

Player of the Game: Yhon Perez

GCL Blue Jays 0, GCL Yankees West 3

Game 2 of their doubleheader with the GCL Yankees West didn't go as well as Game 1 as the Blue Jays were one-hit, losing 3-0.

Jose Zepeda had the Blue Jays' only hit, going 1/2 with the only walk as well.

Sem Robberse started for the Blue Jays, allowing two hits and striking out a batter before coming out of the game after 1/3 of an inning. Jiorgeny Casimiri took over, striking out six in 3 1/3 innings, allowing just two hits. Oscar Brito allowed a run on a hit and a walk with one strikeout in 1 1/3 innings while Eliezer Bellow walked four and gave up a run in the sixth, striking out two. Yhon Perez made his pitching debut, allowing a run on two hits and a walk with a strikeout in the seventh.

L: Oscar Brito (0-2)

Player of the Game: Jose Zepeda and Jiorgeny Casimiri

DSL Blue Jays 5, DSL Reds 4

Another day, and another win against the DSL Reds as the Blue Jays won 5-4.

Marcos De La Rosa was 2/4 with a triple, a walk, an RBI and a run while adding a stolen base while Gabriel Martinez had a pair of hits including a double, an RBI and a run. Juan Pizarro was 1/4 with an RBI, a run, a stolen base and an outfield assist, and Amell Brazoban was 1/3 with a run and a hit by pitch. Leonel Callez was 1/3 with a walk and was picked off while Willfrann Astudillo was 1/4 with an RBI and a stolen base. Gustavo Ruiz was 1/3 with a walk.

Jonatan Bernal went four hitless innings, giving up just a walk and striking out one before Jorman Gonzalez walked four and allowed a run in 1/3 of an inning. Andres Garcia got the win with 3 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and a walk while Raudy Sanchez surrendered three runs (two earned) on two hits and two walks with Joneivy Polonia striking out one batter to end the game.

W: Andres Garcia (2-0)

S: Joneivy Polonia (3)

Player of the Game: Marcos De La Rosa, Gabriel Martinez and Jonatan Bernal

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