Wondering who some of the Blue Jays minor league players are? You can find out with The 2018 Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Handbook and the Blue Jays from Away Premium Content Section! Both are available now!
With a full slate of eight games, the Blue Jays’ minor leaguers won just three as the system saw some movement with a couple of prospects moving up.
Buffalo Bisons 8, Gwinnett Stripers 0
While they didn’t have as many Smiths on the club as they did at one point last year, the Smiths led the Buffalo Bisons to an 8-0 shutout of the Gwinnett Stripers on Friday night. Murphy Smith was on the mound and he went five scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and a walk with three strikeouts. Conor Fisk threw the next two, giving up three hits and striking out one and Taylor Guerrieri allowed just two hits with one strikeout in his two innings to finish the game.
Dwight Smith Jr. was 3/4 with a single, double, and home run, adding a walk and driving in three runs with two runs scored. Rowdy Tellez was 2/5 with an RBI and Jonathan Davis was 1/3 with two walks and two runs. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was 1/4 with a walk and Anthony Alford was 1/4 with a walk, a double, two RBI and a run. Gunnar Heidt hit his first Triple-A home run, going 1/3 with a walk and the solo blast.
W: Murphy Smith (3-4)
HR: Dwight Smith Jr. (6), Gunnar Heidt (1)
Roster Notes: Billy McKinney was promoted to the Toronto Blue Jays and Claudio Custodio was sent down to Dunedin.
Player of the Game
Dwight Smith Jr.
New Hampshire Fisher Cats 1, Trenton Thunder 3
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats had just six hits as a team as they lost 3-1 to the Trenton Thunder. Cavan Biggio continued his hot streak, going 2/3 with a walk while Andrew Guillotte was 2/2 with a walk and a double.
Tayler Saucedo went six innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on seven hits and four walks with four strikeouts. Kirby Snead threw a scoreless seventh, striking out one and Jackson McClelland, making his Double-A debut, threw a perfect eighth, striking out one.
L: Tayler Saucedo (3-3)
Roster Notes: Jackson McClelland was promoted to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and Danny Young was placed on the 7-day DL.
Player of the Game
Cavan Biggio and Andrew Guillotte
Dunedin Blue Jays 1, St. Lucie Mets 2
Patrick Murphy had a strong start but the Dunedin Blue Jays’ offense couldn’t provide him with enough help as the Jays lost 2-1 to the St. Lucie Mets. Murphy went seven innings, allowing just two runs on six hits with five strikeouts and Ty Tice finished the game, getting two strikeouts with one walk in two innings.
The Blue Jays had just six hits including two from Ivan Castillo while Logan Warmoth was 1/3 with a walk. Riley Adams was 0/2 but walked twice and Brock Lundquist was 1/4 with an RBI.
L: Patrick Murphy (9-5)
Roster Notes: Claudio Custodio was sent back to Dunedin from Buffalo and Jackson McClelland was promoted to New Hampshire.
Player of the Game
Patrick Murphy
Lansing Lugnuts 0, West Michigan Whitecaps 5
A couple of errors led to a couple of unearned runs but even had those runs not scored, the Lansing Lugnuts couldn’t get on the board, getting shut out 5-0 by the West Michigan Whitecaps. Donnie Sellers allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits with three strikeouts in four innings and Kyle Weatherly finished off, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits with one strikeout in four innings.
The Lugnuts had just four hits including doubles from Samad Taylor (1/3, BB, SB) and Bryan Lizardo (1/3). Vinny Capra and Ryan Gold each had a single.
L: Donnie Sellers (6-3)
Roster Notes: Donnie Sellers was activated off the DL.
Player of the Game
None
Vancouver Canadians 1, Spokane Indians 4
The Vancouver Canadians scored a run in the eighth inning to avoid being shut out but still lost 4-1 as they opened their series against the Spokane Indians. Canadian Tanner Kirwer provided the only run, going 1/4 with a solo home run while Christopher Bec was 2/4 with a double. Griffin Conine was 1/4 and Jake Brodt was 1/3 with a walk.
Jose Espada took the loss, giving up all four runs in the first inning, allowing four hits and two walks with two strikeouts. Justin Watts three three scoreless innings afterwards, giving up two hits and striking out three and Will McAffer provided another two innings of relief without giving up a run, surrendering a hit and striking out three. Denis Diaz (1 IP, 1 K), Marcus Reyes (1 IP, 1 H, 1 K) and Orlando Pascual (1 IP, 1 K) all combined to finish the game.
L: Jose Espada (3-5)
HR: Tanner Kirwer (4)
Player of the Game
Tanner Kirwer and Christopher Bec
Bluefield Blue Jays 2, Elizabethton Twins 1
The Blue Jays’ 2018 first-round draft pick Jordan Groshans made his Appalachian League debut, in a 2-1 win for the Bluefield Blue Jays. Groshans was 1/4 while Cal Stevenson was 2/4 with a run and Luis De Los Santos was 1/3 with a double and a run. Andres Guerra drove in a run, going 1/3.
Nathanael Perez went six innings and allowed just a solo home run to score, allowing six hits with six strikeouts. Josh Almonte gave up just a hit and a walk with two strikeouts in one inning and Andy McGuire got his first professional win, tossing a scoreless inning despite allowing two hits and a walk with two strikeouts and Brad Wilson got his fifth save, striking out two in the ninth.
W: Andy McGuire (1-1)
S: Brad Wilson (5)
Roster Notes: Jordan Groshans and Matt Harris moved up to the Bluefield Blue Jays.
Player of the Game
Nathanael Perez
GCL Blue Jays 3, GCL Braves 8
The GCL Braves scored five in the sixth inning and went on to beat the GCL Blue Jays 8-3. Steward Berroa was on base three times, going 1/3 with two walks and a run, stealing a base and getting caught sealing. Miguel Hiraldo drove in a run, going 0/4 and Jose Rivas was 1/3 with a double, an RBI and a run. Joseph Reyes was 1/4 but had a horrible day in the field, committing four errors which led to all but one of the Braves’ runs being unearned.
Alvery De Los Santos allowed three runs (one earned) on three hits in one inning, striking out one. Elixon Caballero gave up a hit in two innings and Franniel Polanco gave up two unearned run on two hits and a walk with three strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. Yunior Hinjosa allowed the last three runs (all unearned) on two hits (including a home run) and a walk with a strikeout in 2 1/3 innings.
L: Franniel Polanco (1-1)
Roster Notes: Matt Harris was sent back to the Bluefield Blue Jays from the GCL while Jose Ferrer, Kenny Mauricio and Jose Rivas were promoted from the DSL to the GCL. Jordan Groshans was promoted to the Bluefield Blue Jays.
Player of the Game
Steward Berroa
DSL Blue Jays 2, DSL White Sox 1
Alexis Carmona went five innings in a 2-1 victory for the DSL Blue Jays over the DSL White Sox. Carmona allowed just a solo home run to score among five hits while striking out six but didn’t get the win as the Jays scored the go-ahead run in the sixth inning. Christian Reyes struck out one in the sixth and Juan Acosta picked up the save, giving up a hit with two strikeouts in three innings.
Alberto Rodriguez went 2/3 with a triple, an RBI and a run. Erickvi Celedonio was 1/3 with a walk and a run and Pedro Hurtado was 1/2 with an RBI on a sacrifice fly.
W: Christian Reyes (1-2)
S: Juan Acosta (1)
Roster Notes: Kenny Mauricio, Jose Rivas and Jose Ferrer were promoted to the GCL Blue Jays from the DSL.
Player of the Game
Alberto Rodriguez and Alexis Carmona
Jay’s Jay of the Day
Dwight Smith Jr.
If you like us here, like us on Facebook!
The 2018 Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Handbook is now available!
Visit the Handbook page for more information! Now is a great time to subscribe to the Blue Jays from Away Premium Content Section!
All photos are copyright Blue Jays from Away (2013-2018) and may not be used without permission.