A 4-1 night on the farm featured some good starting pitching, including the professional debut of a 2010 draft pick, and a standout offensive performance from yet another catcher.
Las Vegas didn't play because the AAA All-Star Game will take place on Wednesday, Bastille Day. J.P. Arencibia and Brett Wallace will take part.
New Hampshire 6 at Binghamton 5
It's the bottom of the 6th and the Fisher Cats are holding on to a 5-3 lead, when the wheels start to come off for Clint Everts. The first batter, Michael Fisher, perhaps inspired by his namesake's newfound matrimony, belts a solo homer to bring Binghamton within one. A single follows and two walks around a fly-out load the bases with just one out. Manager Luis Rivera has seen enough and brings in the veteran Adrian Martin to get out of the jam. It works; Martin faces one batter, induces a double play, and the threat is erased. Randy Boone, in line for the win after five innings of three-run ball, breathes a sigh of relief.
Martin stays in for the seventh, and is perfect.
The eighth rolls around, and out goes bullpen hero Adrian Martin for a third inning of work, though it's really more like his second after facing just a single batter in the 6th. He gets two quick outs on a strikeout and a fly ball. But the third batter, Sean Ratliff, crushes one into the seats to tie this one up. Randy Boone's heart sinks.
Top of the ninth, New Hampshire at bat needing a run to re-take the lead. Adeiny Hechavarria puts it in play, but it's a routine grounder to the third baseman. But Hech's teammates were watching his at bat, and they saw something. The next two hitters, Brian Jeroloman and Callix Crabbe, single, and Rivera inserts pinch-runner Jonathan Diaz. This proves prescient when the next batter, Darin Mastroianni, follows with a third consecutive single which might not have scored a catcher (Jeroloman) from second base. The next two Cats go down in order, but Vincent Bongiovanni comes out for the ninth, and Binghamton knows what that means: Game Over.
Lakeland 2 at Dunedin 5
Lakeland starter and Tigers' prospect Jacob Turner absolutely dominated the D-Jays over the first five innings. They promptly celebrated his removal from the game by scoring five runs before the next pitcher could record two outs, and that was all they would need. Brian Van Kirk did the vast majority of the damage (80% to be exact) with a grand slam that cashed in Mark Sobolewski, Travis d'Arnaud and Brad McElroy. The three aforementioned grandslamees each had a hit and a walk, while nobody else in the line-up reached more than once.
Five runs was plenty sufficient only because of the fine pitching performance turned in by Ryan Page, who allowed just two solo homers and a walk in his six innings of work. Ross Buckwalter, Frank Gailey and Matt Daly finished the game for Dunedin.
Bowling Green 0 at Lansing 1
This game shouldn't have been this close. Lansing banged out ten hits and drew three walks, but could only cash in one run, a single by Ryan Goins that scored leadoff hitter Kenny Wilson. Fortunately, that proved to be enough - Ryan Shopshire had a fabulous start, striking out seven in five innings while only allowing a single hit and three walks.
Brad Glenn, Eric Eiland and A.J. Jimenez had notable days at the plate; they each reached base twice and stole a base.
Auburn 2 at Aberdeen 8
If it weren't for Auburn, we'd be talking about a perfect night. As it is, it was only 80% perfect - somewhere between perfe and perfec. Oh well.
Sam Strickland was the goat, not just for Auburn, but for the entire evening of Jays' minor league coverage. What a jerk, allowing seven runs in two innings. The bullpen was excellent behind him; particularly the Zachs, Outman and Anderson, who pitched 4.1 shutout innings between them. Unfortunately, that didn't make a whiff of a difference, since the offense came nowhere near catching up. Carlos Perez doubled and walked, and that was about it.
GCL Pirates 1 at GCL Jays 9
That's more like it. The GCL Jays were like "Dave, sorry to hear that Auburn was so bad. We can't make those guys better baseball players, but at least we can pummel these Pirate jerks for you. Also, Auburn plays (played?) after us chronologically, so this conversation doesn't make sense." That's probably what they said.
Anyway, Noah "aaaaaa" Syndergaard made his professional debut, and was perfect, facing and retiring six batters in two innings of work. Deivy Estrada got the "start", going five innings out of the bullpen, allowing just an unearned run while striking out six.
Lots to talk about offensively. Catcher Pierce Rankin led the way with a pair of homers and a single. K.C. Hobson, Jake Marisnick and Carlos Ramirez each added homers of their own. Whoa, that's a lot of homers! Who are these guys, the Blue Jays?
Three Stars!
3. Ryan Page - 6 innings, 2 runs
2. Ryan Shopshire - 5 shut-out innings, 7 Ks
1. Pierce Rankin - 1B, 2 HRs
No Jays were among the Hitters or Pitchers of the Week. Notable winners included Peter Bourjos of the Angels, Kirk Nieuwenhuis (Mets), Christian Friedrich (Rockies) and some guy who looks like Brandon League (Vance Worley).
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20100712201803765