The Blue Jays fell just short of an organizational sweep after the Lansing Lugnuts were the only Blue Jays minor league team to lose on Saturday.
Buffalo Bisons 8, Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 5
Jordan Romano was hit hard by the Lehigh Valley IronPigs but the Buffalo Bisons’ bullpen was outstanding, providing five scoreless innings of relief that allowed the hitters, Lourdes Gurriel in particular, to overcome a small deficit and win 8-5.
Romano allowed five runs on nine hits (including two home runs) over four innings, walking two and striking out five. He was let off the hook by the offense and Zach Jackson got the win, pitching two innings with a hit and a walk against. Javy Guerra was also very good, allowing a hit with two strikeouts in two innings and Derek Law struck out two in the ninth to earn his second save.
Gurriel has been on fire since his demotion to Buffalo and he continued to mash, hitting a double and a home run and driving in five runs with a 2/4 day, scoring twice and bringing his OPS to 1.158 in just eight games with the Bisons. Andy Burns added a double, going 2/4 with a walk, an RBI and a run while Andrew Guillotte was 1/4 with a triple and a run. Jonathan Davis was 2/3 with two walks, two runs, a stolen base and was caught stealing while Anthony Alford was 0/2 but walked three times. Patrick Cantwell was 1/5 with an RBI and Jordan Patterson was 1/5 with a run.
W: Zach Jackson (1-0)
S: Derek Law (2)
HR: Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (3)
Player of the Game: Lourdes Gurriel
New Hampshire Fisher Cats 8, Reading Fightin Phils (PHI) 5
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats scored early, getting seven of their eight runs over the first four innings to beat the Reading Fightin Phils 8-5 on Saturday.
Forrest Wall hit his first home run of the year, going 1/4 with a walk, two RBI and two runs while Brock Lundquist was 2/4 with a triple, an RBI and two runs and Gunnar Heidt was 2/4 with two runs, a double and a stolen base. Vinny Capra was on base three times, going 2/4 with a walk, an RBI and a stolen base. Chad Spanberger drove in two, going 1/4 with a double and Santiago Espinal was 1/4 with an RBI and a run. Kevin Smith‘s struggles continue as he was 0/4 with a run and two strikeouts.
Andrew Sopko started, going 5 2/3 innings and allowing three runs on four hits (including two home runs) and two walks with three strikeouts to get the win. Jake Fishman stranded an inherited runner and walked one, striking out three over 1 1/3 innings. Danny Young allowed two unearned runs but just one walk and hit a batter, striking out one. Bryan Baker finished the game, earning the save, striking out one batter in the ninth.
W: Andrew Sopko (1-2)
S: Bryan Baker (1)
HR: Forrest Wall (1)
Player of the Game: Vinny Capra and Forrest Wall
Dunedin Blue Jays 3, Jupiter Hammerheads (MIA) 0
The Dunedin Blue Jays continued to dominate the Jupiter Hammerheads and pushed their record to 14-8 and with a 3-0 win thanks to some dominating pitching by Maximo Castillo.
Castillo threw six innings of one-hit ball, walking one and striking out seven in an economical 75 pitches. Dany Jimenez walked three in two innings, striking out two but didn’t allow a run and Brad Wilson earned the save, striking out the side in the ninth.
The offense played small ball, making the most of their five hits, including doubles from Samad Taylor (1/3, 2B, BB, RBI, SB), Norberto Obeso (1/4, 2B, RBI, R) and Logan Warmoth (1/4, 2B, R). Ryan Noda was 1/4 with an RBI, a run and a stolen base while Chavez Young was 1/4 and was caught stealing. Cal Stevenson was 0/2 but walked and stole a base and Cullen Large was 0/3 but walked and stole a base.
W: Maximo Castillo (1-2)
S: Brad Wilson (1)
Player of the Game: Maximo Castillo
Lansing Lugnuts 3, Bowling Green Hot Rods (TB) 5
The Lugnuts couldn’t match the Bowling Green Hot Rods on Saturday, falling 5-3.
Otto Lopez was at the top of the lineup and was 3/5 for the Lugnuts while Nick Podkul hit his first home run of the season, going 2/4 with the solo blast. Ryan Gold (1/4), Jake Brodt (1/3, BB), D.J. Neal (1/3, 2B, BB, RBI, R), Mc Gregory Contreras (1/3) and Dom Abbadessa (1/4, RBI) also had hits for the Lugnuts. Jordan Groshans was 0/2 with two walks, a stolen base and a run but came out of the game early with Reggie Pruitt pinch running with two outs in the eighth.
Joey Murray was solid on the mound but must have burned through too many pitches early, going just four innings with a run on a solo home run among five hits, two walks and four strikeouts, needing 82 pitches. Joey Pulido allowed a run on a solo home run among three hits in two innings and Will McAffer took the loss, giving up just one hit (a home run) and three walks, totaling three runs, with one strikeout. Sean Rackoski walked two in the ninth but he didn’t give up any runs.
L: Will McAffer (1-1)
HR: Nick Podkul (1)
Player of the Game: Otto Lopez and Nick Podkul
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