You have to go all the way down to Charleston before you get a dominant pitching performance from a Jays' minor leaguer, in what was a slugfest-kind of day. But what a performance it was.
AAA
Pawtucket 10, Syracuse 9
Hitting: Whole lotta hittin’ going’ on. Everyone in the lineup either had a hit or scored a run. Playing shortstop for the first time was Jimmy Alvarez, who had two hits and two runs scored. Alvarez is in his first season at AAA, having spent 2002 at second base at AA Tennessee, where he posted a .278/.383/.402 line with 20 steals (but 11 CS) and a 79/121 BB/K rate. He’s off to a decent start with the Chiefs, .286/.310/.429 in 28 ABs. If the walks come along as expected, Alvarez could get a cup of Skydome coffee in September. With Alvarez, Adams and Rich behind him, the O-Dog should rent, not buy.
Pitching: Batter’s Box fave Corey Thurman had his second consecutive rocky outing, allowing 5 runs on 9 hits (2 HRs) in 5 innings. No walks, at least. Possibly Thurman’s been working on developing that curve. Dan Reichert also allowed a HR and three hits in an inning and a third, and was followed by the equally ineffective Scott Wiggins, Brian Bowles and losing pitcher Scott Cassidy. Bowles’ ERA is 0.90 in 10 IP, but he’s walked 9 and struck out just 6 in those frames.
AA
Trenton 8, New Haven 5 (Game 1)
Hitting: Doubleheader action! Third baseman Simon Pond continued his hot streak with a single, two walks, two runs and an RBI. Pond, who ran up a .284/.357/.479 line last season at Dunedin, is at .345/.500/.564 this season. But at 26, his upside is likely to be Patrick Lennon. John-Ford Griffin drove in two runs with a double. More hitting heroics in the second game of the doubleheader, below.
Pitching: First he lost his wallet to Pasqual Coco, then Diegomar Markwell lost his touch to the Trenton Thunder. Markwell was ripped for 6 runs in 5 innings on 7 hits (including 3 HRs) and 3 walks, striking out 4.
New Haven 4, Trenton 3 (Game 2)
Hitting: Shortstop Kurt Keene went 5-for-8 on the day with three doubles, two runs and an RBI; he’s now hitting a sparkling .318, but his prospect status is dimmed by his solitary walk in 44 at-bats. Centrefielder Alexis Rios went 4-for-9 with two ribbies and a run. In his first 27 ABs, Rios has a gaudy .519/.552/.704. Previously white-hot Gabe Gross cooled off with an 0-for-6 day, dropping his average to .322.
Pitching: Cameron Reimers continued to find success, allowing 3 runs in 4 innings, but striking out5 against just one walk. His young-season totals are now 17 IP, 14 H, 3 BB and 15 K.
High-A
Dunedin 4, Lakeland 3
Hitting: First baseman Mike Snyder continued to emerge from his slump with two hits, a run scored and an RBI. Nobody else did anything particularly interesting.
Pitching: Bright-line prospect Dustin McGowan won again, allowing 5 hits and 2 runs in 5 innings, walking one and striking out three. His ERA now stands at a sterling 2.08, with 26 IP, 18 H, 7 BB and 19 K. Jordan DeJong saved his sixth game. Woo-hoo!
Low-A
Hickory 2, Charleston 1
Hitting: Catcher Jason Schneider had two hits, raising his season’s line to a scintillating .143/.211/.171 in 35 at-bats. On a happier note, right fielder Mikail Jova had two hits, and his numbers now stand at .323/.377/.403 in 62 ABs.
Pitching: The pride of Victoria, B.C., Vince Perkins fired the game of the night for Charleston: 6 shutout innings, three hits, two walks and 9 whiffs. Perkins, whose season totals now stand at 23 IP, 8 H, 11 BB, 34 K and an ERA of precisely 0.00, is gaining a name for himself in a hurry. Reliever Eric Stephenson, who blew the game in the last two innings, is not.
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