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With two double headers, the Blue Jays’ affiliates played nine games on Tuesday with a 7-2 record including a win from the Bluefield Blue Jays to open their season.
Buffalo Bisons 4, Pawtucket Red Sox 0
Ryan Borucki and the Buffalo Bisons shut down the Pawtucket Red Sox 4-0 in the first of their two games. Borucki tossed a complete-game shutout, allowing just three hits and one walk with four strikeouts.
Steve Pearce, continuing his rehab, was 1/3 with a three-run home run in the first inning while Danny Jansen was 2/3 with a walk, a double and a run. Richard Urena was 2/4 with a run and Rowdy Tellez was 1/3 with Dwight Smith Jr. walking twice.
W: Ryan Borucki (6-5)
HR: Steve Pearce (1)
Roster Notes: Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was recalled by the Blue Jays.
Player of the Game
Ryan Borucki
Buffalo Bisons 0, Pawtucket Red Sox 6
The Pawtucket Red Sox turned the tables in the second half of their double header with the Buffalo Bisons, winning 6-0. The hitters combined for four singles, one each from Richard Urena, Rowdy Tellez, Jason Leblebijian and Reese McGuire.
Murphy Smith gave up five runs on seven hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings while Conor Fisk gave up an unearned run on two hits and a walk with one strikeout in 2 2/3 innings.
L: Murphy Smith (0-3)
Player of the Game
None
New Hampshire Fisher Cats 5, Erie SeaWolves 3
Eager to join in the twin bill action, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats also won their first game in their double header against the Erie SeaWolves, needing an extra, eighth inning to do so with a 5-3 victory. In the top of the eighth inning, with Andrew Guillotte on second base, Jonathan Davis and Jon Berti both bunted for singles, loading the bases. Cavan Biggio drove in Guillotte and Davis with a single to give the club a two-run lead that they wouldn’t surrender. Biggio was 1/4 with two RBI and Berti was 3/4 with two RBI. Gunnar Heidt was 2/3 with a double and an RBI.
Jordan Romano started, giving up two runs on five hits with five strikeouts over five innings. Danny Young got the win, allowing a run on three hits and a walk with three strikeouts in two innings. Dusty Isaacs earned a save with a scoreless eighth, striking out two.
W: Danny Young (2-0)
S: Dusty Isaacs (1)
Player of the Game
Jon Berti
New Hampshire Fisher Cats 5, Erie SeaWolves 4
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats completed the sweep, needing extra innings again to defeat the Erie SeaWolves 5-4 in 10 innings. In Game 2, it was a Gunnar Heidt sacrifice fly scoring Cavan Biggio that gave the Fisher Cats the edge. Andrew Guillotte hit his first home run of the seeaons, going 1/4 with the solo blast in the sixth and two runs. The Fisher Cats had just two other hits including a double from Jonathan Davis (who also scored) and a single and a walk from Bo Bichtte who drove in a run.
T.J. Zeuch started and threw seven innings, giving up just seven hits and two unearned runs, striking out seven. Travis Bergen relieved him, allowing two more unearned runs on on hit and two walks with one strikeout over two innings. Kirby Snead got the save, walking one in his inning of relief, adding a strikeout.
W: Travis Bergen (1-0)
S: Kirby Snead (1)
HR: Andrew Guillotte (1)
Player of the Game
T.J. Zeuch
Dunedin Blue Jays 7, St. Lucie Mets 4
With “just” a single game on the docket, the Dunedin Blue Jays handled the St. Lucie Mets, winning 7-4 on the backs of three home runs by the bluebirds. Kevin Smith drove in two runs, going 1/3 with a walk and two runs scored while Kacy Clemens was 1/3 with his second home run with Dunedin and a walk. John La Prise hit his first home run of the season, a solo blast, going 1/4. Riley Adams was 1/4 with a double, as was Joshua Palacios who also took a walk and Eduard Pinto was on base three times, going 1/3 with two walks and two runs. Rodrigo Orozco was 1/3 with a walk and a run.
Patrick Murphy struggled to find his control, walking six over four innings but only giving up two runs on one hit with five strikeouts. Andy Ravel surrendered another two runs on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts over two innings. Jonathan Cheshire went 2 1/3 innings, allowing two hits and striking out four and Jake Fishman earned the save, striking out the only two batters he faced.
W: Jonathan Cheshire (4-0)
S: Jake Fishman (2)
HR: Kacy Clemens (2), John La Prise (1), Kevin Smith (4)
Roster Notes: John La Prise was activated off the DL and Bradley Jones retired. Jonelvy Molina was promoted to Dunedin from the GCL Blue Jays.
Player of the Game
Kevin Smith
Lansing Lugnuts
Off for the All-Star Break
Vancouver Canadians 4, Eugene Emeralds 1
The Vancouver Canadians crept back within a game of .500 with a 4-1 win over the Eugene Emeralds to close out their season-opening series. Elio Silva got the start for the Canadians, logging five innings of one-hit ball, striking out one and getting five ground outs to just two fly outs. Juan Nunez followed him, allowing a solo home run among three hits for one run allowed, striking out two in two innings. Cobi Johnson was the third Vancouver pitcher, flirting with danger in the ninth after a scoreless eighth, but he got out of it, finishing the game and allowing two hits with two strikeouts over the final two innings.
Christopher Bec continues to wield a hot bat, going 2/3 with a double, an RBI, a run and a stolen base. Sterling Guzman and Mc Gregory Contreras each had a double and an RBI while Bryan Lizardo was 1/3 with a walk but he was caught stealing. Vinny Capra walked three times and added a hit, stealing two bases but not scoring any runs.
W: Elio Silva (1-0)
S: Cobi Johnson (1)
Player of the Game
Elio Silva
Bluefield Blue Jays 8, Johnson City Cardinals 7
The Bluefield Blue Jays scrapped tooth and nail and finally, in the end, took home a walk-off victory to open their 2018 season, beating the Johnson City Cardinals 8-7. With singles from Luis De La Santos and Alejandro Kirk to open the ninth inning, John Aiello added another single, bringing De La Santos home when, with two outs, D.J. Daniels hit another single to score Dominic Abbadessa to score the winning run. De Los Santos was 3/5 with a home run, three RBI and two runs while D.J. Neal was 2/4 with a walk, a double, two RBI, a run, an outfield assist and a stolen base. Kirk, playing DH was 2/5 and Hagen Danner, the catcher was 0/3 but walked twice. Patrick Morris also walked twice, going 1/3 with a run and Jose Theran was 1/4 with a double and a walk. Daniels was 2/5 with with the RBI and a run.
Alvaro Galindo had the start and allowed five runs on eight hits (including two home runs) and a walk with three strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. Joe DiBenedetto finished the fifth, striking out two batters. Josh Almonte, in his debut as a pitcher, went one inning, striking out one and Adams Cuevas allowed two hits with two strikeouts over on inning. Mike Pascoe gave up a solo home run but struck out three batters in the eighth and Sean Rackoski allowed a run on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts in his pro debut, getting the win.
W: Sean Rackoski (1-0)
HR: Luis De La Santos (1)
Player of the Game
Luis De La Santos
GCL Blue Jays 11, GCL Tigers West 12
The GCL Blue Jays scored 11 runs but still it wasn’t enough to beat the GCL Tigers West who, on the fourth home run from Brock Deatherage (possibly the best name in baseball), scored 12 runs to beat the Jays. Cal Stevenson walked three times and had two hits as he went 2/3 with three runs. Troy Squires was 2/4 with two walks and an RBI and Hector Guerrero was 2/4 with a walk, two RBI and a run, stealing home. Steward Berroa was 1/4 with a walk but three strikeouts and Jordan Groshans was 1/4 with a double, two walks, a run and an RBI. Joseph Reyes walked three times, going 1/3 with three walks, an RBI and a run.
Matt Tracy started, going one inning and giving up a run on three hits with two strikeouts. He was followed by Emanuel Vizcaino who gave up five runs on four hits and four walks with four strikeouts in three innings. Brennan Price allowed four more runs on two hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings and Luis Alvarez allowed two hits and a walk with no runs over 2 1/3 innings. Gage Burland took the loss, walking three and allowing a hit, leading to two runs in 2/3 of an inning.
L: Gage Burland (0-1)
Roster Notes: Matt Tracy was sent to the GCL for a rehab assignment and Jonelvy Molina was sent to Dunedin while D.J. Daniels was sent to Bluefield.
Player of the Game
Cal Stevenson
DSL Blue Jays 3, DSL White Sox 2
The DSL Blue Jays won their ninth game against the hapless DSL White Sox who moved to 2-13 with the 3-2 loss. Ronald Govea provided four scoreless innings, giving up just three hits with three strikeouts. Franniel Polanco allowed a run on two hits with two strikeouts over 2 2/3 innings and Christian Reyes struck out three in 1 1/3 innings. Miguel Olivo got the save, despite giving up a run on three hits in the ninth.
Miguel Hiraldo was 2/3 with an RBI but also committed an error and stole a base (while getting caught stealing). Alberto Rodriguez was 1/2 with two walks and a stolen base and Jhon Solarte was 1/3 with a walk and a run, adding a stolen base and an outfield assist. Jose Rivas walked and stole three bases, scoring a run.
W: Franniel Polanco (1-0)
S: Miguel Olivo (3)
Player of the Game
Ronald Govea and Miguel Hiraldo
Jay’s Jay of the Day
Luis De Los Santos
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