Jay Blue: Espinal, Groshans, Knight, Warmoth, Winckowski

Nash Knight went 3-for-4 with a home run for the double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Saturday. Photo: Jay Blue (file photo)

April 20, 2019 Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Report

By Jay Blue

Blue Jays from Away

With three games completed on Saturday, the Blue Jays' minor league affiliates went 2-1 with a game in Buffalo suspended and another one postponed.

Buffalo Bisons, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (NYY)

Game suspended due to rain with Buffalo up 1-0. The second game of the doubleheader was postponed.

Roster Notes: Andy Burns was activated from the IL.

New Hampshire Fisher Cats 4, Hartford Yard Goats (COL) 12

The double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats lost their second game in a row to the Hartford Yard Goats, falling 12-4 on Saturday.

Patrick Murphy was hit hard, giving up six runs (five earned) on seven hits, including two home runs, with one walk and two strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. Francisco Rios followed and allowed a run on two hits in 2 1/3 innings with two strikeouts and Jackson McClelland allowed two solo home runs but struck out five batters in just two innings. Jake Fishman was touched for three runs on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts in one innings and Bryan Baker allowed a hit and a walk but no runs with one strikeouts in the ninth.

Nash Knight had himself a day, falling short of the cycle by a triple, going 3/4 with a solo home run and two runs scored. Santiago Espinal also had three hits, going 3/5 with a run. Vinny Capra was 2/4 with a walk, an RBI and a stolen base while Gunnar Heidt was 2/5 with an RBI and Forrest Wall was 2/4. Chad Spanberger was 1/4 and Kevin Smith was 1/5.

L: Patrick Murphy (0-3)

HR: Nash Knight (1)

Player of the Game: Nash Knight

Dunedin Blue Jays 6, Lakeland Flying Tigers (DET) 4

The class-A Advanced Dunedin Blue Jays scored six runs over the fourth and fifth innings and held on to beat the Lakeland Flying Tigers 6-4.

Riley Adams and Logan Warmoth had two hits apiece with both driving in two runs and scoring once and Adams hitting a double. Ryan Noda came out of the game after being hit by a pitch in the fourth and he was replaced with Cullen Large who was 1/2 with a double, an RBI and two runs and got hit by a pitch. Demi Orimoloye (Orleans, Ont.) was 1/4 with a double and a stolen base and Samad Taylor was 1/4 with a stolen base. Cal Stevenson was 0/1 but walked twice and drove in a run, stealing a base and was caught stealing. Playing in his first game of the season, Jonathan Davis was 0/3 but walked twice and scored.

Nate Pearson went just two innings, giving up a solo home run among three hits, striking out three without walking anyone. Graham Spraker took over, getting the win but giving up three runs on six hits and three walks with five strikeouts in four innings. Kyle Weather (1 IP, 1 H, 1 K), Connor Law (1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K) and Matt Shannon (S, 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K) finished it off for the D-Jays.

W: Graham Spraker (1-0)

S: Matt Shannon (3)

Player of the Game: Riley Adams and Logan Warmoth

Lansing Lugnuts 4, Dayton Dragons (CIN) 0

Righty Josh Winckowski shone as the Lansing Lugnuts shut out the Dayton Dragons 4-0 on Saturday.

Winckowski got his first win of the season, lowering his ERA to 1.42 with two hits and three walks against, striking out four over six shutout innings. Marcus Reyes gave up a hit in the seventh while Will McAffer (North Vancouver, B.C.) struck out one in the eighth and Jackson Rees struck out two in the ninth.

Jordan Groshans pushed his batting average to .375 with a 2/4 game and scored two runs and was caught stealing. John Aiello was 2/2 with two walks, and an RBI while Reggie Pruitt (1/5, R, SB), Alejandro Kirk (1/3, BB, R) and Mc Gregory Contreras (1/3, BB) all had a hit each. Jake Brodt was 0/2 but walked twice and stole a base for the Lugnuts. Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.) drove two runs, going 1/3 with a sac fly.

W: Josh Winckowski (1-0)

Player of the Game: Josh Winckowski

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