Baby Jays Recap - Vinny Capra keeps raking

But since we don’t have a picture for Vinny Capra, you get Jordan Groshans. And I am not trying to demean you, the players or Buffalo BSF, but that is just the article name I run with. Basically every one of the guys playing in the minor leagues is trying to make the big leagues, so in essence they are the kids trying to make it big, and most want to make it with the Jays because that’s where they are playing right now. I enjoy my visits to Buffalo, and can’t wait to make one again when the border opens.

Buffalo (34-24) - Win 2-1 over Lehigh Valley

Buffalo continued to get solid pitching and a little timely hitting as they picked up a 2-1 win on Tuesday night. Both Herd runs came in the 7th, as Cullen Large singled and then after an out, Logan Warmoth & Nash Knight had back-to-back doubles to score twice. At the plate, both Large & Warmoth had two hits. Knight added a walk to his double. Kevin Smith & Tyler White each had a hit, while Riley Adams had a walk.

Thomas Hatch took the ball and threw 5 innings, allowing 1 earned on 3 hits. The 3 hits were a single, a double and a triple, but his 6 strikeouts helped limit the damage. Hatch only needed 68 pitches to get through 5 innings, which makes me think he would be up first if the Jays needed a starter. Ryan Borucki & Travis Bergen both had a scoreless inning, giving up a single and getting a strikeout. Curtis Taylor pitched a clean 8th, allowing a single. Hobie Harris pitched a perfect 9th for his 5th save, striking out 1.

New Hampshire (25-32) - Win 11-5 over Hartford

It was a come from behind victory for New Hampshire on Tuesday, as they scored 4 in the 7th to take the lead, 2 in the 8th & 1 more in the 9th to make the game look like a blowout. Elvis Luciano started and had a rough go. Luciano finished with 3 earned (5 total runs) scored in 5 innings, allowing 7 hits and 2 walks. 4 of the hits were for extra bases, including 3 HR’s which accounted for 4 of the runs. Luciano threw 48 strikes among his 80 pitches. Johnny Barbato pitched a scoreless inning, walking 2 and striking out 3. Jon Harris pitched a scoreless inning, allowing a walk and striking out 2. Graham Spraker had a similar out, no runs allowed on 2 walks and 2 K’s. Kyle Johnston pitched the 9th and was the only reliever not to walk a batter, though he did strike out 2.

The Fisher Cats hammered out 16 hits and 4 walks in this one. Vinny Capra had a big game, going 4-5 with 5 RBI’s. Capra had 2 singles, a double and a triple. Jordan Groshans had a 3-hit game, with a double and 2 singles, while also walking. Otto Lopez had 3 singles and scored 3 runs. LJ Talley had a double and his 5th HR of the year, a solo shot. Kevin Vicuna had a single and a double. Austin Martin was 1-3, but got on base 4 times, adding 2 walks and was hit by a pitch. Chavez Young had a single and was walked.

Vancouver (31-30) - Win 3-2 over Hillsboro

Vancouver got a run in the top of the 8th that was the difference in this one. Vancouver scored twice in the 5th to go up 2-1, on a Davis Schneider HR (5) and a Sebastian Espino bases loaded infield single to score another run. After giving up the lead in the 6th, the C’s scored in the 8th on back-to-back one-out walks to Ronny Brito & DJ Neal. Eric Rivera singled in Brito to put the Canadians ahead. Spencer Horwitz had 3 hits in this one. Brito had a single, a double and a walk. Rivera & Luis De Los Santos each had a hit and a walk. Tanner Morris had a single and 2 walks. Ryan Gold had a single and also picked two base runners off of 2nd in the game.

Luis Quinones started and was his normal wild self. Quinones allowed 1 earned run on 4 hits and 5 walks in 4 innings, striking out 5. Brandon Eisert threw 3 innings of one-run relief, allowing 3 hits, a walk and hitting a batter, while striking out 3. Justin Maese threw 2 perfect innings of relief, recording a strikeout.

Dunedin (24-36) - Win 9-1 over Clearwater

Dunedin picked up 11 hits and 8 walks in this one, also going 7 for 8 stealing bases. Addison Barger had a first inning solo HR (9) and a single, adding a walk and a stolen base. Harrison Ray had 2 singles and a stolen base. Steward Berroa had 2 singles, a walk and stole 2 bases. Dasan Brown had a single and a walk, stealing a base. Miguel Hiraldo had a double and 2 walks, picking up a steal and scoring 2 runs. Mackenzie Mueller had a single and a walk. Orelvis Martinez finished up the scoring in this one, as he caught up to Barger in HR’s, hitting a 2-run shot in the 8th inning, his 9th.

On the hill, Nathanael Perez started and allowed a run on 2 hits and 2 walks in 3 innings. The run scored on a one-out solo HR in the first inning. Elixon Caballero pitched 2 scoreless innings, allowing a double and a walk, strikingo ut 2. Rafael Monsion had a scoreless inning. Julian Valdez allowed a double and a walk in 2 innings, but no runs. Gabriel Ponce pitched the 9th, allowing a single and striking out 1.

FCL (5-4) - Win 10-1 over FCL Tigers West

The FCL Jays pounded out 10 hits and 5 walks in their big win. Rikelin De Castro had his first multi-hit game as a pro, picking up 2 singles and a triple, scoring 2 runs. JJ D’Orazio had a single and a triple. Adriel Sotolongo had a 3-run HR in the 3rd, his 2nd. Willfrann Astudillo added a solo HR, his 1st of the year in the 8th. Luis Rivas had a double. Adrian Montero had an RBI single. Rainer Nunez had a single and a walk, scoring a run. Peniel Brito picked up 2 walks and a run. Jhon Solarte & Amell Brazoban each had a walk and a run.

Yaifer Perdomo started and allowed 1 earned run in 4 innings on 3 hits and a hit batter. Perdomo struck out 8. Kelvin Perez threw 2 perfect innings, striking out 1. Elieser Medrano pitched 2 scoreless innings, allowing a single, a double and a walk, striking out 1. Jeury Hiciano pitched the 9th and allowed a walk and struck out 2 in his shutout inning.

DSL (1-1) - Loss 4-3 to the DSL Padres

The Jays scored 3 in the top of the 1st, but were then shut down for the rest of the game. Yhoangel Aponte walked with one-out, moving to 3rd on a throwing error, which allowed Cristian Feliz to reach 2nd. Yeuni Munoz doubled in both runs. After a Luis Garcia walk, Victor Arias singled in Munoz, but that was the extent of the scoring. Aponte & Munoz both added a walk. Arias added a second single later in the game. Endri Garcia singled in his first pro game. Manuel Beltre and Luis Garcia each had a walk.

Darwin Cruz started this one, throwing 3.2 scoreless innings. Cruz allowed 3 singles and 3 walks, while striking out 3. Brahiam Jimenez allowed an unearned run on 3 hits in 2 innings. Jimenez walked 1 and struck out 3. Francis Mercedes followed, allowing 2 earned runs on a hit, a walk, a hit batter and a wild pitch.

Aponte has had a solid first 2 games to his pro career, as he is 2-4 with 4 walks. Aponte was a 2020 J2 guy (singed in January 2021) who was born in 2004 in Venezuela. Munoz is off to a 3-6 start, with 2 walks. Munoz is a 2003 born 2020 J2 signee from the Dominican. Beltre was the Jays prize of the 2020 J2 period. Beltre is 2-7 with a HR and a walk through 2 games. He is a 2004 Dominican signee making his pro debut. Angel Santana allowed a run on a hit in 1.2 innings to take the loss.

Today’s Probables

Buffalo takes on Lehigh Valley at home in Trenton. The starter is currently a TBD to take on ex-friend Chase Anderson who is on a rehab assignment

Maximo Castillo (6-2, 5.25 ERA, 5.01 FIP, 5.23 xFIP) takes the ball for New Hampshire as they look to beat Hartford again

Paxton Schultz (3-1, 4.47 ERA, 4.17 FIP, 4.11 xFIP) gets the start for Vancouver as they continue their series with Hillsboro

Dunedin sends Trent Palmer (0-1, 5.65 ERA, 5.34 FIP, 6.40 xFIP) to the mound against their old stadium mates, Clearwater.

Jonatan Bernal got the start today for the FCL Jays as they took on the FCL Tigers East