Jay Blue: Alford, House, Jones, Zeuch

T.J. House allowed a run on three hits and two walks in 6 2/3 innings while striking out seven for triple-A Buffalo. Photo: Jay Blue.  

April 15, 2017 Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Report
By Jay Blue
Blue Jays from Away

The Blue Jays’ minor leaguers had another 3-1 day, getting wins from Buffalo, New Hampshire and Dunedin and are able to boast that all four of their full-season affiliates have records above .500.

Buffalo Bisons 10, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 2
The Bisons’ offensive train wasn’t warmed up at the start of the game, but once it got rolling it was unstoppable as the Bisons cruised to a 10-2 win over the RailRiders. Despite only eight hits, the Bisons used four home runs and seven walks to come out on top with Jason Leblebijian leading the way. Leblebijian hit his team-leading third home run to go along with a single, two walks and four RBI. Alex Monsalve also had two hits, going 2/4 with a solo home run in the seventh inning, driving in two runs. Dwight Smith, Jr. was on base three times, going 1/3 with two walks and his first Triple-A home run, driving in three and scoring three. Mike Ohlman had the Bisons’ fourth home run, going 1/4 with a walk and two runs. Rowdy Tellez was also 1/4 with a walk and two runs but also make a fielding error at first base.

T.J. House raised his ERA to 0.77 by allowing a run on three hits and two walks through 6 2/3 innings while striking out seven to earn his second win of the year. Jeff Believau tossed 1 1/3 innings of scoreless ball and Leonel Campos finished by allowing a run in the ninth.

Player of the Game: Jason Leblebijian and T.J. House

New Hampshire Fisher Cats 8, Hartford Yard Goats 5
The Fisher Cats jumped out to an early lead with five runs in the second inning and didn’t look back, holding on to beat the Hartford Yard Goats 8-5 in Saturday’s action. The ball was flying with Anthony Alford hitting a ninth-inning home run to give him his first in Double-A and was 2/4 with a double, a stolen base, two RBI and two runs on the day. No one started quicker than Raffy Lopez who hit a triple, then a home run in his first two at bats. Lopez finished 2/4 with three RBI and two runs. Jonathan Davis was on base four times with a single, a double, two walks, an RBI, a run and a stolen base. Ryan McBroom also contributed with two singles and an RBI.

Jon Harris earned his first Double-A win but it wasn’t the prettiest he’s had. Harris gave up four runs on six hits (including two home runs) and three walks with six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. He was followed by Tim Mayza who walked one in 1 2/3 innings and Jose Fernandez, who picked up his second save of the season, with two innings of one-run ball, giving up three hits and a walk while striking out four.

Player of the Game: Raffy Lopez and Anthony Alford

Dunedin Blue Jays 1, Jupiter Hammerheads 0
T.J. Zeuch made his return to action in his second start, throwing the first leg of a shutout for Dunedin as it edged the Hammerheads 1-0. Zeuch needed 70 pitches to get through four innings of work, allowing only one hit and walking two while striking out seven. Adonys Cardona tossed an inning of relief, playing with fire a bit by giving up two hits and a walk but didn’t give up any runs. Conor Fisk earned a four-inning save, holding the Hammerheads to two hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

The offense was quiet, scoring just one run on a Matt Dean RBI single, scoring Derrick Loveless who was 2/4 with a double and a run. Cavan Biggio was on base twice with a hit and a walk, adding a stolen base.

Player of the Game: T.J. Zeuch and Conor Fisk

Lansing Lugnuts 5, Lake County Captains 17
A 10-run inning for the Captains did the Lugnuts in as they couldn’t recover on their way to a 17-5 loss on Saturday. Osman Gutierrez had given up two runs in the first two innings and got three ground outs in the third before the wheels fell off in the fourth inning. Gutierrez hit the first batter and gave up a home run to the next before walking two in a row and surrendering a double and a triple before manager Cesar Martin pulled him from the game. Geno Encina relieved Gutierrez after allowing six consecutive batters to reach and the defense let him down by immediately making two consecutive errors. Encina didn’t get out of the inning until 10 runs had scored, with all four of his being unearned. Gutierrez was charged with eight runs on five hits and three walks with a hit batter while Encina was charged with four unearned runs over two innings with three strikeouts and three hits allowed. Zach Jackson gave up another two runs in two innings despite striking out four batters. Daniel Lietz pitched a scoreless eighth and Tayler Saucedo surrendered another three runs in the ninth.

Bradley Jones led the offense, hitting a two-run home run in the first inning and going 1/3 with a walk and two RBI. Michael De La Cruz was 2/3 with a double, a run and an RBI while Ryan Hissey (1/3, 2B, BB, RBI) and Yeltsin Gudino (0/4, RBI) also drove in a run each. Vladimir Guerrero scored twice, going 1/3 with a walk and Bo Bichette was conspicuously absent from the lineup for the second game in a row.

Player of the Game: Bradley Jones

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