Dunedin, FL - The Jays won this one despite blowing a 9-4 lead to the Flying Tigers. Nick Baligod worked the count to ball four with the bases loaded to bring in the winning run in the eighth inning. It was Baligod who opened the scoring with a solo home run in the first. Shane Opitz singled in a run and L.B. Dantzler doubled home a pair in the third inning. Dwight Smith Jr. doubled home another run in the fifth. Baligod, Opitz and Emilio Guerrero each singled in a run in the eighth along with a Marcus Knecht RBI double. Christian Lopes was the Dunedin hit leader with three. Baligod, Smith Jr., Opitz, Knecht, Dantzler and Jorge Saez all had two apiece with Dantzler and Saez drawing a base on balls.Jesse Hernandez surrendered only a double over the first three innings but gave up a three-run homer in the fourth. Those three runs were unearned due to an Opitz error at short. Hernandez lasted five-plus innings, giving up four runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out four. Tony Davis allowed one of two inherited runners to score, walking three and giving up a hit but he managed a scoreless line in his 1.1 innings. Danny Barnes stranded two runners and struck out a pair of hitters but he was dinged for five runs on four hits and a walk in his one-inning stint. Arik Sikula (2-1) could not strand his two inherited runners and could not convert the save as he gave up three hits. However, he struck out three to get the win over 1.2 scoreless innings.
West Michigan 7 Lansing 5
Comstock Park, MI - Brent Powers (4-5) was powerless to stop the Tigers affiliate as they roughed him up for seven runs on seven hits and two walks in 4.2 innings. He struck out three and had five ground ball outs. Jimmy Cordero stranded two of three Powers runners while pitching 1.1 shutout innings with a hit and a walk allowed. Joe Lovecchio walked one in a scoreless eighth and Scott Silverstein worked around a pair of hits for a shutout ninth.
The Lugnuts could only score once in the first seven innings and that run came when David Harris grounded into a double play in the second. They made things more interesting in the eighth with a three-run outburst that included a two-run double by Derrick Loveless. Harris hit one over the wall for his sixth homer of the season for a solo shot in the ninth but the Lugnuts comeback came up two runs short. Jason Leblebijian was the only Lugnut with two hits. Chaz Frank singled and walked. D.J. Davis drew a walk and stole his 15th base of the year. Mitch Nay was 0-for-3 with a walk while Matt Dean was 0-for-3 with a hit by pitch.
Everett 8 Vancouver 6
Everett, WA - Chase Mallard (3-3) allowed just three hits and two walks in 5.2 innings but the Mariners affiliate got to him for five runs in 5.2 innings. One of the runs was unearned but that was a result of his own throwing error. Mallard gave up a homer and struck out three. Adaric Kelly stranded a runner over one-third of an inning but walked three batters, two of them coming around to score when Mark Biggs could not strand them. Biggs allowed a run of his own on two hits and a walk but struck out two in 1.1 innings. Jose Fernandez struck out one of the two batters he faced to pitch two-thirds of a scoreless frame.
Mike Reeves had one of two Vancouver home runs but it was not enough as the Canadians lost their series finale in Everett Monday night.
The C's led 4-1 at one point thanks to a couple of two-run homers by Ryan McBroom and Mike Reeves in the fourth and fifth innings. RBI doubles by Tim Locastro and Franklin Barreto in the eighth accounted for the other Vancouver runs. Locastro had a walk, a hit by pitch and a stolen base. Alexis Maldonado doubled while Chris Carlson and Boomer Collins singled. Roemon Fields and Gunnar Heidt were 0-for-4.
Burlington 5 Bluefield 0
Burlington, NC - Two runs in the first inning against Grayson Huffman (0-1) turned out to be all the Royals would need. Huffman pitched three innings of four-hit ball with a 4-3 K/BB total. Carlos Ramirez worked the next three innings and was victimized for an unearned run after a Sean Hurley error in right field. He allowed a hit, walked a batter, plunked one and struck out one. Alberto Guzman gave up the other two runs on five hits and a walk in two innings but struck out two. Austin Davis threw out a runner at home plate from left field to prevent another run on Guzman's line.
Richard Urena and Lane Thomas accounted for four of the six Bluefield hits. Rowdy Tellez singled and walked twice while Aaron Attaway had a base hit and a base on balls. Hurley walked and Davis was hit by a pitch.
GCL Blue Jays 4 GCL Tigers 2
Dunedin, FL - The Jays won this one with the two Juans. Juan Tejada belted his fifth home run of the season in the sixth inning to snap a 2-2 tie. Juan Kelly was responsible for the other three runs with a fielder's choice ground ball in the first inning and singles in the third and seventh. Kelly only received one run batted in as only his single in the third was not accompanied by an error. Kelly had three hits while Angel Gomez doubled twice and stole a base. Yeltsin Gudino walked and scored a run. Matt Morgan was 0-for-4 with two whiffs.Kramer Champlin started this one and pitched a one-hitter in his one-inning stint that also included a strikeout. Nick Wells (1-2) earned his first professional victory despite giving up two runs on five hits and a walk with one strikeout over four frames. Sean Reid-Foley scattered three hits and a walk with four punchouts over three shutout innings. Francis Eduardo overcame a couple of hits and struck out one in a scoreless ninth for his third save.
DSL Blue Jays 7 DSL Braves 4
San Pedro de Macoris, DR - The Jays overcame 1-0 and 4-2 deficits to win this one. An error and a passed ball gave the Jays two runs in the first inning. A Jesus Severino single brought in a run in the fourth before the Jays pulled ahead for good with a four-run fifth. Base hits by Enmanuel Moreta and Francisco Rodriguez accounted for the first two runs. A wild pitch and a Bryan Lizardo ground ball brought in the last two. Lizardo had three hits, including two doubles. Edward Olivares walked three times and Rodrigo Orozco walked twice.Kelyn Jose lasted 3.1 innings and gave up four runs, two of them earned because of a Javier Hernandez passed ball and a Miguel Almonte error at second. The four runs came on five hits and two walks but Jose struck out four. Wilfri Aleton (2-2) chopped the Braves down to size by limiting them to a hit and a walk over 4.2 scoreless frames which included four K's. Pedro Diaz was nicked for a hit in the ninth but he struck out the side to earn his fifth save.
Monday's Linescores
*** 3 Stars!!! ***
3. Tim Locastro, Vancouver - 28 hit by pitches and 25 stolen bases on the season.
2. L.B. Dantzler, Dunedin - 4-for-7 with a walk in his last two games.
1. Nick Baligod, Dunedin - 17 extra-base hits and a 32-32 BB-K ratio in 314 at-bats.
3 Stars images from MiLB.com.
Tuesday's Schedule & Probable Starters
DSL Blue Jays @ DSL Braves, 10:30 am ET - TBA.
GCL Blue Jays @ GCL Braves, 12:00 pm ET - TBA.
Lakeland @ Dunedin, 6:30 pm ET - Taylor Cole (8-6, 2.87).
Lansing @ West Michigan, 7:00 pm ET - Brad Allen (4-5, 3.55).
Bluefield @ Burlington, 7:00 pm ET - TBA.
Rochester @ Buffalo, 7:05 pm ET - Sean Nolin (4-4, 2.89).
New Hampshire @ Trenton, 7:05 pm ET - TBA.
Boise @ Vancouver, 10:05 pm ET - TBA.