Jay Blue: Espinal, Groshans, Guerrero Jr., Stevenson, Urena

Santiago Espinal had two hits - including a grand slam - and six RBIs for the double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Wednesday. Photo: Jay Blue

April 17, 2019 Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Report

By Jay Blue

Blue Jays from Away

The Toronto Blue Jays had an organizational sweep on Tuesday night, winning the major league game and all five of their minor league games.

Buffalo Bisons 8, Pawtucket Red Sox (BOS) 11

A day after the triple-A Buffalo Bisons swept a doubleheader, the Pawtucket Red Sox overcame an early Buffalo lead to beat The Herd 11-8 despite a powerful attack from the Bisons led by a trio of prospects.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Montreal, Que.) hit a monstrous home run in the fourth inning, leaving the park completely for his second dinger of the year and he was 2/4 with a walk and two runs on the day. Bo Bichette was 2/4 with a triple, a walk, three RBI and a run while Richard Urena was 3/5 with three RBI, a triple and a run. Reese McGuire was 2/5 with a double, an RBI and a run and Roemon Fields was 2/4 with a double, a walk and a run. Cavan Biggio also had two hits and a walk, bringing his average to .439 and his OPS to 1.188.

Sean Reid-Foley continued his early season struggles but seemed to find some improvement with four runs on four hits and three walks and six strikeouts in five innings. Dusty Isaacs threw a scoreless sixth, allowing a hit but Conor Fisk allowed two runs on two hits (including a home run) in the seventh. Danny Barnes took the loss, giving up five runs on five hits and a walk in 2/3 of an inning and Corey Copping, coming on with the bases loaded, allowed two inherited runs to score before finishing the eighth.

L: Danny Barnes (0-1)

HR: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (2)

Player of the Game: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Richard Urena

New Hampshire Fisher Cats 10, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (COL) 4

Santiago Espinal had a career game for the double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats as they thumped the Binghamton Rumble Ponies 10-4 on Wednesday.

Espinal was 2/5 with six RBI as he hit a grand slam in the eighth inning for his first home run of the year. Joshua Palacios drove in two runs and scored twice but didn't get a hit while Kacy Clemens and Ryan Hissey were each 2/4 with a walk and Clemens scored twice and Hissey scored three times. Forrest Wall was 1/2 with a double, two walks and two runs.

Zach Logue started for the Fisher Cats and, while he may not have been at his sharpest, giving up four runs on eight hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings, he was good enough to get the win. Jackson McClelland stranded two runners in the sixth but struggled with his control, walking three and throwing a wild pitch, allowing a hit but no runs in 1 2/3 innings. Bryan Baker struck out two in the eighth, giving up a hit and a walk and Francisco Rios pitched a clean ninth.

W: Zach Logue (1-0)

HR: Santiago Espinal (1)

Player of the Game: Santiago Espinal

Dunedin Blue Jays 3, Charlotte Stone Crabs (TB) 4

The class-A Advanced Dunedin Blue Jays were locked in a tie game after the Charlotte Stone Crabs scored a run in the bottom of the fifth and then the game fell away after Charlotte scored in the bottom of the ninth to walk off with a 4-3 win.

The D-Jays had just seven hits with two coming from Cal Stevenson (2/4, 3B, 2 RBI) and two coming from Christian Williams (2/4). Chavez Young was 1/3 with a walk and a run, stealing two bases while Kevin Vicuna also stole a base, going 0/3 with a walk. Logan Warmoth was 1/4 with a run and Samad Taylor was 1/2. Christopher Bec was 0/3 but walked, stole a base and scored.

Justin Dillon started, giving up three runs on four hits (including a home run) and two walks with five strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings, needing 86 pitches to get that far. William Ouellette stranded one of the two batters he inherited and he allowed a hit and struck out two in 2 2/3 innings. Emerson Jimenez took the loss, giving up a run on a hit and a walk in 1 2/3 innings.

L: Emerson Jimenez (0-1)

Player of the Game: Cal Stevenson and Christian Williams

Lansing Lugnuts 8, West Michigan Whitecaps (DET) 2

First-round draftee Jordan Groshans went off for three hits while John Aiello hit his first home run of the year as the low-A Lansing Lugnuts beat the West Michigan Whitecaps 8-2.

Groshans was 3/5 with an RBI but also committed an error at shortstop while Aiello was 2/5 with a solo home run. Mc Gregory Contreras was 1/4 with a double, a walk, two RBI and two runs and D.J. Neal was 2/4 with a walk, an RBI and a run, stealing a base. Hagen Danner was 1/4 with a double, a sac fly, an RBI and a run and Ryan Gold was 1/4 with a walk, and an RBI. Reggie Pruitt was 1/4 with a run and Nick Podkul was 2/4 with a double, a walk, an RBI and a run. Dom Abbadessa was 1/4 with a run.

Newly-acquired Juan De Paula had his best start with the Blue Jays' organization, showing much more control and giving up just a run on five hits and a walk with six strikeouts in five innings. Josh Hiatt followed and earned a four-inning save, giving up a run on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

W: Juan De Paula (1-1)

S: Josh Hiatt (1)

HR: John Aiello (1)

Player of the Game: John Aiello and Jordan Groshans

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