Morris strong on mound for juniors in loss to Jays
Carter Morris (Vernon, B.C.) didn't allow an earned run in six innings against the Toronto Blue Jays DSL squad on Tuesday. Photo Credit: Baseball Canada
May 22, 2018
JNT DSL: Juniors fall to Dominican Jays
By Adam Morissette
Baseball Canada
BOCA CHICA, Dominican Republic – A four-run second inning that included a bases clearing double proved to be the difference as the Toronto Blue Jays Dominican prospects handed the Junior National Team an 8-2 loss.
Canadian starter Carter Morris (Vernon, BC) turned in a solid performance on the mound working six innings without giving up an earned run and struck out two batters.
SCORING
-The Blue Jays opened the scoring in the second and it was a one-out error and a hit batter from starter Carter Morris that put runners on first and second before a base hit to left plated the first run of the ballgame. Morris then plunked another batter to load the bases and the Jays took advantage in the form of a double to left that cleared the bases and put them in front by four.
-The juniors got one of the runs back in the third and it came on a Blue Jays' miscue as Daniel Carinci (Ajax, Ont.) reached on a two-out error that brought in Dasan Brown (Oakville, Ont.) from third. Brown had doubled down the left field line and advanced to third on a wild pitch.
-Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.) got things going in the fifth with a leadoff double to left and was cashed in from third when Martin Vincelli-Simard (Boisbriand, Que.) grounded out to shortstop.
-With two out and the bases loaded in the eighth, the Blue Jays used back-to-back singles off reliever Viktor Bergeron (Terrebonne, Que.) to score four runs to increase their lead to 8-2.
QUICK HITS
-Prior to the game, Canada’s Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Shauna Hemingway, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Blue Jays scouting legend Pablo Cruz.
-Morris was stellar after the four-run second inning throwing four scoreless innings. His six-inning outing provides value to the Canadian pitching staff moving forward with six games remaining on the tour.
-The juniors had a chance to cut into the Blue Jays’ lead in the seventh loading the bases on a Cesar Valero (Calgary, Alta.) double, a Noah Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) walk and LaRon Smith (Spruce Grove, Alta.) single but the Jays managed to get Blake Buckle (Milton, Ont.) to ground into a 4-6-3 double play to end the threat.
UP NEXT
The Junior National Team will play a doubleheader tomorrow beginning with a match-up against the DSL Mariners in Boca Chica at 10:30 a.m. E.T. to be followed by a contest against the DSL Astros in Guerra...RHP Griffin Hassall (Newmarket, Ont.) will start on the mound against the Mariners while RHP Olivier Morin-Larocque (L'Ancienne-Lorette, Que.) will get the nod against the Astros.