Tuesday’s game were split by the Blue Jays affiliates as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and the Lansing Lugnuts both won. For the Lugnuts, it was a series sweep over Fort Wayne before continuing their road trip back north to visit the Great Lakes Loons in Midland, Michigan while the Fisher Cats won their series opener against the Reading Fighting Phils.
Buffalo Bisons 2, Pawtucket Red Sox 0
The Buffalo Bisons finally managed to get a couple of games in, defeating the Pawtucket Red sox in Game 1 of their double header. Jeff Francis made his Buffalo debut and kept the Paw Sox off the board by throwing five shutout innings, allowing two walks and two hits with five strikeouts. He was followed by Bo Schultz who, reportedly, was fantastic, hitting 97 mph and retiring all six batters he faced, striking out three. The hitters were quiet but Ryan Goins provided the offense, going 2/3 with both RBI.
Player of the Game: Jeff Francis and Ryan Goins
Buffalo Bisons 2, Pawtucket Red Sox 0
It was so nice, the Buffalo Bisons did it twice, winning the second half of the double header by an identical 2-0 score. This time, another Canadian hurler whitewashed the Paw Sox as Andrew Albers fanned five over six innings with just four hits and one walk against. Bobby Korecky picked up his second save of the season with a perfect seventh. In Game 2, Brad Glenn drove the offense, going 2/3 with a double and both RBI while Andy Wilkins was also 2/3.
Player of the Game: Brad Glenn and Andrew Albers
New Hampshire Fisher Cats 1, Reading Fighting Phils 4
Matt Boyd took to the hill for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and put up another outstanding start, going five innings and striking out nine batters with one unearned run on one hit and two walks. So far this season, Boyd has yet to give up an earned run and has allowed just four hits and four walks with 18 strikeouts through 9 1/3 innings. Boyd was followed by Greg Burke who allowed a run on three hits in his inning of work, Dustin Antolin who allowed two runs in two innings while Luis Perez threw a scoreless ninth. The batters couldn’t support their starting pitcher but Andy Burns was 2/4 with a solo home run to account for the Fisher Cats’ only run.
Player of the Game: Matt Boyd
Dunedin Blue Jays 6, Bradenton Marauders 5
The Dunedin Blue Jays found some offense on Wednesday night, getting multi-hit games from four different hitters as they generated just enough offense to beat the Bradenton Marauders, walking off with another victory thanks to a Roemon Fields single to score Christian Lopes in the bottom of the ninth. Fields and Lopes each had two hits (with Fields also hitting a triple) while Mike Reeves drove in three runs with a double and a walk. Dawel Lugo and Mitch Nay each had two hits including a triple for Lugo.
Brad Allen got the start and held things together despite giving up nine hits and two walks over 5 2/3 innings. Allen was victimized by a David Harris error and only two of his three runs allowed were unearned. Murphy Smith made his Blue Jays debut, allowing a run over 1 1/3 innings while Wil Browning blew the save but got the win after allowing a solo home run in the ninth to tie the game. Still, Browning struck out three.
Roster Notes: Dusty Isaacs was reassigned to extended spring training after the Blue Jays signed Murphy Smith to a minor league contract and sent him to Dunedin.
Player of the Game: Roemon Fields and Mike Reeves
Lansing Lugnuts 2, Great Lakes Loons 1
The Lansing Lugnuts continued their win streak after a sweep of the Fort Wayne TinCaps, getting their winning run in the top of the ninth against the Great Lakes Loons in a 2-1 victory at Dow Diamond. The Lugnuts had another fairly quiet day for the bats as the hitters only had 6 hits. While the team struck out 11 times (including three each by Dan Jansen and D.J. Davis), they still managed to put the two runs together. Dickie Joe Thon had an RBI and two walks while Rowdy Tellez had two hits and Gunnar Heidt had the only extra-base hit of the game.
The pitching staff did a great job, getting another excellent start from Chase De Jong who went five innings, allowing just three hits and one walk (and the only run that Great Lakes got) while striking out five. Lefty Jose Fernandez got another four strikeouts in 2 2/3 hitless innings while Andrew Case picked up the win, stranding two inherited runners. Phil Kish earned his third save of the season, pitching a scoreless ninth.
Player of the Game: Chase De Jong and Dickie Joe Thon
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