Jay Blue: Biggio, Lopez, Pearson, Waguespack, Winckowski

Cavan Biggio clubbed a home run for the triple-A Buffalo Bisons in the club’s season opener on Thursday. Photo: Jay Blue (file photo)

By Jay Blue

Blue Jays from Away

It's the first minor league report of the 2019 season! We saw great pitching in Dunedin and some big bats in Buffalo. Keep reading for all the details of the first day of the Toronto Blue Jays' 2019 minor league season!

Buffalo Bisons 8, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 3

In Opening Day action, the triple-A Buffalo Bisons, whose roster has been in a sense of flux since just before the MLB season opened last week, didn't let anything phase them as they demolished the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 8-3. On the mound, Jacob Waguespack got the start and looked dominating, striking out eight batters in six innings, giving up just one run on six hits to earn the win. Corey Copping allowed a two-run home run among three hits in the seventh, striking out one while Danny Barnes finished it off with two perfect innings, striking out a pair.

On the offensive side, the Bisons scratched out three runs thanks to a double by Eric Sogard, an RBI single by Anthony Alford and an RBI groundout by Andy Burns but in the third, Cavan Biggio added a two-run home run as well. The Bisons struck again for three more in the fourth getting a Roemon Fields RBI single as well as an error that scored Andrew Guillotte and a sacrifice fly from Eric Sogard. Biggio's first triple-A home run was part of a 3/4 day with two RBI, a stolen base and a run while Anthony Alford was 2/4 with an RBI and a run. Bo Bichette walked, scored and drove in a run despite not getting a hit while Eric Sogard drove in two, going 1/2 with the double, two runs and a walk. Andy Burns was 1/4 with an RBI and Roemon Fields was 1/3 with a walk, an RBI and a run. Both Andrew Guillotte and Reese McGuire were 1/4 with a run.

W: Jacob Waguespack (1-0)
HR: Cavan Biggio (1)

Player of the Game: Jacob Waguespack and Cavan Biggio

New Hampshire Fisher Cats 2, Binghamton Rumble Ponies 5

Starter Patrick Murphy struggled to find the feel of his offspeed pitches and the double-A New Hamspshire Fisher Cats fell 5-2 to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in their season opener.

The Fisher Cat offence struggled to put anything together, getting just four hits: singles from Alberto Mineo, Joshua Palacios and Santiago Espinal and a double from Kevin Smith, all of whom were 1/4 with Espinal and Palacios adding a walk each. Forrest Wall was 0/3 with a walk and a stolen base while Nash Knight was 0/2 with two walks. Kacy Clemens also took a walk and scored one of the two Fisher Cats runs. Both Fisher Cat runs scored on errors and thus there were no RBI nor were either of the runs earned against Binghamton pitchers.

Patrick Murphy tossed four innings, and things started out well as he struck out the side in the first inning. A leadoff walk in the second got him in trouble and, after giving up two hits and getting an error, Murphy got through the inning with two runs in for Binghamton. Murphy lost his command in the third, giving up a double and walking two batters followed by a hit batter, giving the Rumble Ponies their third run. Murphy struck out a batter to end the inning and got a 1-2-3 fourth before his night was over. Murphy was charged with two earned runs (of three total) with three hits and three walks and five strikeouts over four innings. Tayler Saucedo had a strong outing coming on in relief, giving up two hits and a walk in three innings, striking out one.

Ty Tice struggled in the eighth, retiring the first batter but making an error and the next batter reached because of an error by Brock Lundquist in left field. The next batter walked and then two runners came in on a single before Tice got a fly out and strikeout to end the eighth. Jackson McClelland came on for the ninth and was also victimized by bad defense with the leadoff man reaching on an error by Santiago Espinal. He walked the next batter before finding himself and getting the next three batters to finish off the 'Ponies.

L: Patrick Murphy (0-1)

Player of the Game: None

Dunedin Blue Jays 11, Clearwater Threshers 2

The class-A Advanced Dunedin Blue Jays brought the lumber, supporting starter Nate Pearson and thrashing the Clearwater Threshers 11-2.

Cal Stevenson led the charge, going 3/4 in his first game above Rookie ball, hitting a home run, driving in three, adding a walk and scoring once. Christian Williams was 2/5 with a double and two runs while Ryan Noda was 2/5 with two RBI, a run and two stolen bases. Demi Orimoloye reached base three times, going 1/1 with two walks, two runs and was caught stealing and Chavez Young was 2/5 with an RBI and a run. Riley Adams was 1/4 with two RBI and two runs, hitting a home run while Kevin Vicuna was 1/4 with an RBI and a run. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Montreal, Que.) was 1/4 with a run and Logan Warmoth was 1/4 with two RBI and a walk.

Nate Pearson was fearsome on the mound, striking out six in five innings, allowing just four hits including a solo home run that accounted for the only run against him and he walked just one. Graham Spraker came on in the sixth and tossed three scoreless innings, striking out four and allowing two hits. Turner Larkins gave up a run in the ninth, allowing three hits and striking out one.

W: Nate Pearson (1-0)
HR: Cal Stevenson (1), Riley Adams (1)

Player of the Game: Cal Stevenson

Lansing Lugnuts 0, Fort Wayne TinCaps 3

The low-A Lansing Lugnuts couldn't mount a sustained attack in a 3-0 loss on a rainy night in Fort Wayne, Indiana, facing the TinCaps.

The Lugnuts had eight hits, with all but one of the starting nine getting one hit each as Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.) had the best night, going 1/2 with two walks. Jordan Groshans was 1/3 with a double and a walk while Reggie Pruitt, Dom Abbadessa, Alejandro Kirk, John Aiello, Jake Brodt and D.J. Neal each had a single.

Josh Winckowski had a strong season debut, tossing five scoreless innings, giving up just two hits and three walks with seven strikeouts. Mike Pascoe allowed two unearned runs in 2/3 of an inning, allowing two hits and a walk with one strikeout and Marcus Reyes, coming in with the bases loaded, allowed one of Pascoe's runners to score and one of his own in 1 1/3 innings, allowing four hits with one strikeout. Sean Rackoski walked one in an otherwise clean ninth.

L: Mike Pascoe (0-1)

Player of the Game: Josh Winckowski

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The 2019 Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Handbook is available now! Visit the Handbook page for more information!