Baby Jays Update - Samad Taylor stays hot with 2 more HR’s

Buffalo (18-18) - Loss 2-0 to Rochester

Nate Pearson started on Wednesday night and was a hard luck loser in this one, as Buffalo was only able to must 2 hits and 2 walks against Rochester. Pearson allowed 2 hits and 2 doubles in his 6 innings of work. One of the hits was a solo HR, the other a double, but it led to both runs. This was the first time Pearson has been able to pitch into, and get through, 6 innings, which is a positive step. Hobie Harris & Kirby Snead each had a scoreless inning of relief.

On offense the Herd probably wish they had saved a couple of runs from Tuesday nights blow out, as they got a hit from Christian Colon and another from George Springer. Colon was quickly picked off and caught stealing. Springer DH’d in this game, so it will be interesting to see when he plays two straight in the field. Springer had a flyout to CF in the 1st, another in the 3rd, a strike out in the 6th and then a single in the 9th. Tyler White & Cullen Large added walks, but that was all the offense on this night.

New Hampshire (14-23) - Loss 6-4 & Loss 8-7 in 9 innings to Hartford

In the continuation of Tuesday’s game, Troy Miller took over from Simeon Woods Richardson and allowed 6 runs on 10 hits over 5 innings. Miller did strike out 6, but all 6 of his hits allowed were extra bases - 5 doubles and a 2-run HR. Fitz Stadler pitched 2 scoreless, allowing a hit and striking out 2. Mike Ellenbest also had a scoreless inning, recording a K.

At the plate, New Hampshire had 1 in the 4th on a Gabriel Moreno single, LJ Talley walked an out later, Demi Orimoloye was hit by a pitch and then Brock Lundquist had a sac fly to score Moreno. In the 5th, the Cats scored 1 more, on an Austin Martin single, followed by an Otto Lopez single and a Moreno forceout to score Martin. NH added 2 runs in the 7th. Lopez had a one-out double, Moreno walked and Jordan Groshans doubled in both. Vinny Capra had 2 hits, including a double. Groshans had a single in addition to the double. Samad Taylor doubled. Talley had a walk as well.

Game 2 was a see-saw battle, as Hartford scored 4 in the top of 1. New Hampshire chipped away and took a 7-4 lead after 4. Hartford scored 3 in the 6th to tie the game, and then scored 1 run in the 2nd extra inning.

Curtis Taylor started and had a rough first inning, getting a strikeout before allowing a triple, a double, a walk and a 3-run HR. Taylor went 3-up, 3-down in the 2nd inning, but that was his day. Kyle Johnston went 3 shutout innings, giving up 2 hits and 2 walks. Brody Rodning had a rough game, allowing 3 earned on 4 hits and a walk while only retiring one batter. Jon Harris pitched 2.2 scoreless, allowing 3 walks and 2 K’s. Andrew McInvale pitched the 2nd extra inning, allowing the extra runner to score, while giving up a hit, a walk, a wild pitch and striking out 3.

On Offence, the Fisher Cats scored in each of the first 4 innings, and then were shutout, including not being able to score the runner from 2nd in either extra inning. Samad Taylor didn’t like being tied with Kevin Smith for the HR lead amongst Baby Jays, so he had 2 2-run HR’s (11) to reach double digits. Taylor also walked in this one. Otto Lopez had 3 hits, including a double, scoring twice. Jordan Groshans had 2 hits, including a double, and a walk in 4 plate appearances. Nick Podkul had 2 singles. Reggie Pruitt & Chris Bec each singled, stole a base and scored a run.

In the first extra frame, Bec flew out, moving Kevin Vicuna to 3rd, but Podkul & pinch hitter Gabriel Moreno each grounded out. In the 9th inning, Taylor walked, Austin Martin flew out to CF and then Otto Lopez lined out to 2nd, while Demi Orimoloye was doubled off 2nd as the extra runner, to end the game.

Vancouver (22-16) - Win 4-3 over Everett

CJ Van Eyk started for the C’s and was pretty good in this one. Van Eyk pitched 5 innings, allowing a run on 3 hits and 2 walks to pick up the win. Van Eyk struck out 7 and was only really in trouble in the 1st inning. Brandon Eisert had 2.1 innings of relief, giving up a run on 6 hits. Eisert had 4 K’s. Parker Caracci picked up the save, throwing the final 1.2 innings. Caracci gave up an unearned run on a hit and a Sebastian Espino error.

Vancouver got 2 in the 2nd inning on 3 straight doubles with two outs. Espino doubled, Ryan Gold doubled him in, and then Luis De Los Santos doubled in Gold. In the 3rd, Tanner Kirwer walked, stole 2nd, moved to 3rd on a ground out and then scored on another ground out by Spencer Horwitz. In the 4th, Vancouver added 1 more, as Espino & Gold singled, De Los Santos grounded out to move both up, and then DJ Neal singled in Espino. That was all the scoring Vancouver needed in this one.

Espino & Gold both had the 2 hits. Horwitz had a double on top of his RBI ground out. Cameron Eden & Tanner Morris each had a single. Eden & Neal both added a walk to their totals in this one. Neal also had 2 stolen bases, while Eden had 1.

Dunedin (15-22) - Win 6-3 against Clearwater

Dunedin sent Nathanael Perez to the mound, and he gave up a 2-run HR with 2 out in the 1st inning. Perez ended up going 2 innings, allowing the 2 runs on 2 hits and striking out 3. Alex Nolan was next up and went 5 innings, allowing 1 earned on 6 hits and 2 walks to pick up the win. Elixon Caballero gave up a single and struck out 3 in his inning of work. Roither Hernandez got the save with a scoreless inning, recording 1 K.

At the plate Dunedin got a lead off HR from Zac Cook in the bottom of the first. It was Cook’s 3rd HR of the year, and have come in his last 3 games. Cook is showing the ability to get on base and a little pop recently, but also still swings and misses quite a bit. After falling behind 3-1 in the top of 7, Dunedin exploded for 5 runs to take the lead. Miguel Hiraldo led off with a walk. Orelvis Martinez followed with a walk. PK Morris singled to load the bases. Harrison Ray grounded out to score Hiraldo. MacKenzie Mueller followed with a 3-run HR (2). Jose Ferrer was hit by a pitch, Jhon Solarte walked and then Addison Barger singled to load the bases again for Hiraldo. The Clearwater pitcher helped out with a wild pitch to score Ferrer and then Hiraldo popped out to end the inning. Ray had a single earlier in the game. Solarte also added a single. Martinez & Morris each added a walk to their totals, as most of the Dunedin offense came in the one inning.

Today’s Probables

Buffalo sends Thomas Hatch (0-1, 1.29 ERA, 4.70 FIP, 4.65 xFIP) to the mound in an afternoon affair with Rochester

New Hampshire takes on Hartford again today. No starter announced.

Vancouver will start Luis Quinones (1-1, 1.93 ERA, 3.50 FIP, 3.84 xFIP) against Everett.

Dunedin has not named their starter for today’s game.