April 5, 2018 Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Report
By Jay Blue
Blue Jays from Away

The Toronto Blue Jays' minor league affiliates opened their season with a clean sweep, going 3-0 in their three games on Opening Night.

New Hampshire Fisher Cats 6, Hartford Yard Goats 0

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats got their season off to a roaring start although the club's top two newsmakers were mostly quiet in a 6-0 win over the Hartford Yard Goats. Lourdes Gurriel led the offense with two doubles and two RBI, going 2-for-4 with a sacrifice fly while Cavan Biggio, making his double-A debut while playing first base for the first time as a pro also had two hits, including a double, and two RBI. Connor Panas (Toronto, Ont.) made his double-A debut with a pair of singles and an RBI. Bo Bichette was 0-for-4 with a walk and a run while Vladimir Guerrero was 1-for-4 with a double, a walk and two runs.

Francisco Rios got the start and tossed four scoreless innings, giving up only four hits and striking out five. Justin Shafer gave up two hits in 1 1/3 innings, striking out three and Craig Breslow tidied up the sixth with two strikeouts. Dusty Isaacs tossed another 1 2/3 innings, walking three and striking out one and Jose Fernandez finished it off with 1 1/3 innings, walking one and striking out one.

W: Justin Shafer (1-0)

Player of the Game

Jay Blue: Lourdes Gurriel and Francisco Rios
Wesley James: Lourdes Gurriel

Dunedin Blue Jays 5, Clearwater Threshers 4

The Dunedin Blue Jays staked T.J. Zeuch to an early lead but he let the Clearwater Threshers tie it up before the Jays went ahead for good in the seventh in a 5-4 win to open their season. Zeuch went six innings, throwing just 76 pitches (50 for strikes) but gave up four runs on four hits (including two home runs) while walking two and striking out five in his season debut. Justin Dillon came on for 1 1/3 innings, walking one and Travis Bergen finished the eighth, striking out both batters he faced. Kirby Snead saved the game, throwing a scoreless ninth, striking out one.

While Nash Knight launched a home run in the second inning, it was a wild pitch with Ivan Castillo on third after hitting a triple that gave the Blue Jays the lead in the top of the seventh inning. Castillo was 2-for-4 with a double and a triple while John LaPrise was 2-for-4 with an RBI and Joshua Palacios was 2-for-3 with two walks and a stolen base. In his class- Advanced debut, Logan Warmoth was 1-for-5 with a stolen base and a run while Riley Adams was 1-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run.

W: T.J. Zeuch (1-0)
S: Kirby Snead (1)
HR: Nash Knight (1)

Player of the Game

Jay Blue: Joshua Palacios
Wesley James: Joshua Palacios

Lansing Lugnuts 11, Great Lakes Loons 1

The Lansing Lugnuts excelled in all parts of the game, convincingly defeating the Great Lakes Loons by an 11-1 score, rapping 13 hits to just two for Great Lakes. Samad Taylor led the hit parade with four, going 4-for-6 with two runs and two RBI. Catcher Ridge Smith was 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs while Reggie Pruitt was 3-for-5 with a double and a run. Ryan Noda drove in three runs, going 1-for-4 iwth a walk and Kevin Vicuna was 1-for-5 with a double, a walk and two runs.

Yennsy Diaz was utterly dominant in his season debut, going 5 2/3 innings, needing just 81 pitches, and striking out 10 batters with only one hit allowed and no walks. Andy Ravel finished the sixth while Maximo Castillo (in a tune up before he starts later in the rotation) struck out three batters (with one of them getting on via a wild pitch). Donnie Sellers tossed an inning, giving up a run on a hit and a walk with two strikeouts while Kyle Weatherly finished the game, retiring all three batters he faced on two ground outs and a pop out.

W: Yennsy Diaz (1-0)

Player of the Game

Jay Blue: Yennsy Diaz
Wesley James: Yennsy Diaz

Jay's Jay of the Day: Yennsy Diaz

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The 2018 Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Handbook is now available! Visit the Handbook page for more information!