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Buffalo (25-18) - Win 8-5 & 5-4 against Syracuse
Game one saw Buffalo use a 6-run 6th inning to blow open a 2-2 tie and finish with an 8-5 win. Thomas Hatch started for Buffalo and throw 4 innings. Hatch allowed 1 run on 3 hits and 4 walks over his 4 innings. Hatch threw 77 pitches and struck out 4, as he gets closer to being available to join the Jays rotation. Casey Lawrence came in hoping to finish the game off, and allowed a solo HR in the 5th and then 3 more in the bottom of 7, before giving way to Bryan Baker. Lawrence threw 2.2 innings, allowing 4 runs (3 earned) in 2.2 innings. Lawrence struck out 3 to pick up the win. Baker needed 5 pitches to get the final out and his 5th save.
In that 6-run 6th, Kevin Smith started with a walk, Rowdy Tellez hit a ground-rule double to put runners on 2nd & 3rd with no one out. Christian Colon grounded out, before Cullen Large doubled in Smith & Tellez, and then Dilson Herrera homered (3) to score 2 more. After a ground out, Logan Warmoth doubled with 2 outs, scoring on a Jonathan Davis single. Davis himself then scored on a Breyvic Valera double to be the sixth run of the inning. For the game, Smith had a single & a double to go with the walk. Herrera had a single to go with his HR. Warmoth also had a single.
Game 2 saw Buffalo send Nick Allgeyer to the hill, and he struggled to start. Allgeyer gave up 4 runs in the first 2 innings (3 earned), but then settled in to give the Herd a chance to come back. All told Allgeyer threw 5 innings, allowing 6 hits and 3 walks, while striking out 6. 4 of the 5 hits given up by Allgeyer were extra base hits, including 3 doubles and a solo HR. Curtis Taylor came in with a scoreless inning of relief before Dany Jimenez pitched the 7th to pick up his first save of the year. Jimenez worked around 2 walks to finish it up, as he threw 20 pitches, but only 8 strikes.
Down 4-0 after 2, Buffalo got 1 in the 3rd as Kevin Vicuna had an infield single, stole second and then scored on a Cullen Large single. In the 4th, Tyler White reached on an error before a groundout and a strikeout. Nash Knight & Rodrigo Vigil both worked 2-out walks to load the bases and Vicuna singled to score White & Knight, cutting the lead to 1. In the 5th inning, White walked with one-out and then Richard Urena hit his 6th HR of the year to put Buffalo on top. Urena added a double, as he and Vicuna were the only Buffalo hitters with 2 hits in this one. Breyvic Valera had a walk and a single. Urena is on a 5-game hitting streak, putting up 5 doubles & 2 HR’s in a 9-22 stretch over the past week.
New Hampshire (20-24) - Win 10-2 over Bowie
New Hampshire used a 6-run 6th inning to put Bowie down on Thursday. Elvis Luciano took the ball to start and was pretty solid as he continues to build back up from his injury break. Luciano went 3 shutout innings, allowing only a hit, a walk, a wild pitch and striking out 2. Fitz Stadler followed and allowed 2 unearned runs on 2 hits and 3 walks in 2 innings. The runs scored after Stadler loaded the bases on 2 walks and a single, and LJ Talley threw away a groundball. Kyle Johnston followed with 3 innings of shutout relief, walking 1 and striking out 1. Brody Rodning pitched the 9th, striking out 1.
The 6th inning started with an LJ Talley single. Vinny Capra popped out before Brock Lundquist walked. Nick Podkul doubled in Talley. Chris Bec singled scoring Lundquist & Podkul. Bec then stole 2nd, but was put out at 3rd when Reggie Pruitt hit a ground ball to short. Pruitt stole 2nd and scored on a Samad Taylor single. Austin Martin was hit by a pitch and then Taylor & Martin pulled off a double steal. Otto Lopez singled in both, and the game went from a 1-run game to a laugher. Every Fisher Cat starter reached base at least twice with the exception of Martin, who was hit by a pitch and had a sac fly. Capra added his 4th HR, a solo shot in the 9th, and also had a single. Taylor had 2 singles. Lopez had 2 singles and a walk, driving in 2. Talley & Bec both had singles and scored a run. Pruitt had a single and a walk, scoring 2 runs. Lundquist had a single and took 2 walks. New Hampshire finished with 13 hits and 5 walks, plus the Martin hit-by-pitch.
Vancouver (25-20) - Win 13-9 over Eugene
In a slightly familiar theme, Vancouver had a 6-run inning on Thursday night, as they won a high scoring slog over Eugene. Every Canadian starter reached base in this one. In the 6-run 7th inning, it started with a Tanner Morris walk. Cameron Eden was hit by a pitch and then Spencer Horwitz singled to load the bases. Back-to-back walks to Sebastian Espino & Ryan Gold scored 2. After a pitching change, Luis De Los Santos had a sac fly to drive in Horwitz. Eric Rivera walked to load the bases again. After a Davis Schneider strike out, a wild pitch scored Espino. Rafael Lantigua then hit a ground-rule double to score 2 more and put Vancouver up 12-5.
On the day Gold had 2 doubles and the walk, driving in 3 and scoring twice. Horwitz had an earlier 3-run HR (2) to go with his single. Espino had 2 singles and 2 walks. De Los Santos had 2 singles to go with his sac fly. Schneider had a double and a walk. Eden had a single and 2 walks, scoring 4 runs. Eden also stole his 26th base of the year to take the organization lead.
On the mound, Adam Kloffenstein started and struggled, giving up 4 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks in 3 innings. Kloff gave up 3 doubles and a solo HR to the lead off hitting in the bottom of 1, while striking out 4. Brandon Eisert followed with 3 innings of 1-run relief, allowing 4 hits and striking out 6. Conner Law threw a scoreless inning, with a walk and a strike out. Willy Gaston came in to pitch the 8th and allowed 4 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks in 0.2 innings. Parker Caracci came in and got the final out of the 8th, stranding 2. Caracci then pitched the 9th, allowing a double.
Dunedin (19-24) - Win 12-11 & 16-7 over St. Lucie
In the early game, which was a continuation of Wednesday’s game, was mostly reviewed yesterday, as Dunedin & St. Lucie were tied 10-10 with 1 out in the bottom of 6. Geison Urbaez had just walked a batter on Wednesday, but was brought back out to pitch Thursday. He allowed the run to score, and put Dunedin down by 1. In the top of the 7th inning, MacKenzie Mueller singled, Jhon Solarte was hit by a pitch and Zac Cook walked to load the bases. Leo Jimenez singled to tie the ball game, scoring Mueller. Zach Britton then walked to plate the go-ahead run. Dunedin should have had more, but Orelvis Martinez hit a ball to 3B and an out was made at the plate. Two strikeouts and that was the end of the threat. Roither Hernandez came in to pitch the bottom of the 7th and worked around 2 singles to pick up his 3rd save of the year. Not too often does a team allow 16 hits and 5 walks in 7 innings and come out with a W.
Game 2 saw Dunedin try their mightiest to put up a 6-run inning, but had to settle for 2 different 5-run innings. Though after the first 5-run inning, they turned right around and allowed 5 runs to score. For the game, the two teams combined for 23 hits and 24 walks. Every D-Jay hitter reached base at least twice, with 6 getting on at least 3 times. Addison Barger had a 2-run HR (7) in the 2nd, walked 2 times, was hit by a pitch, scored 3 runs, stole a base and drove in 3. Harrison Ray had a 2-out 2-run HR in the 3rd, and also added 3 walks, a stolen base and scored twice. Leo Jimenez had a single, a double and 2 walks, scoring 3 runs. Orelvis Martinez had a single, a double and a walk. Zach Britton had a single & a double. Miguel Hiraldo had a single, 3 walks and a stolen base, scoring 2 runs. Zac Cook had a single, 2 walks and was hit by a pitch, scoring twice. Steward Berroa had a single and walked, driving in 2. Jose Ferrer was the only hitter without a hit, but he walked twice and drove in 2.
Andrew Bash made his Blue Jays debut allowing 6 earned runs on 9 hits and a walk over 4.2 innings. Elixon Caballero came in and got the final out of the 5th and came back out for the 6th, but was only able to get 1 more out, as he walked 4 guys, hit a batter and allowed a run. Jefferson Herrera came out and got out of the 6th, allowing 1 of his 3 inherited runners to score. Herrera threw 2 innings of relief, allowing 2 hits and a walk, but no runs of his own. Julian Valdez then threw the final 1.2 innings, allowing a hit and 2 walks, but shutting down St. Lucie to accomplish the win. St. Lucie pitchers gave up 16 walks and hit 3 batters in this one, as the best controlled pitcher had 2 walks and a hit batter in 2.1 innings.
Today’s Probables
Buffalo sends Zach Logue (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.10 FIP, 1.90 xFIP in AAA) to the mound to take on Syracuse. Logue’s first start was also last week on Friday night, so hopefully the Friday night lights are good. Buffalo is currently on a 7-game winning streak
New Hampshire takes on Bowie again, looking to extend their 6-game winning streak. No starter has been named yet. My guess is that Maximo Castillo will get the start tonight
Vancouver is starting Luis Quinones (1-2, 2.55 ERA, 4.38 FIP, 4.75 xFIP) to the hill Friday night against Eugene. Quinones didn’t get out of the 4th inning of his last start, as he has struggled with his control in his last 2 outings. Over his last 7.2 innings, Quinones has allowed just 4 runs, but that has come on 12 walks and 2 hit batters, though also striking out 14. It will be important for Quinones to get back into the strike zone to have success.
Dunedin will look to continue their winning ways from Thursday, as they play another double header with St. Lucie. No starters have been announced for the D-Jays. My guess is Sem Robberse & Rafael Ohashi will start the games today, but there will be lots of bullpen arms as well.