The affiliates won just three of eight games that included a couple of one-run losses and three two-run losses Tuesday. However, there were some promising developments on the pitching front as three rehabbing pitchers made their way back to the mound in Dunedin.
Buffalo 15 Rochester 1
Rochester, NY - The Bisons finally gave Daniel Norris (2-8, 3.62) some run support. An Oswaldo Arcia solo home run and three other hits were all Norris gave up in seven innings against the Twins affiliate. After retiring the first eight hitters in a row, the lefty struck out eight, walked nobody and seven of his nine outs in play were on the grass. He threw 62 of 92 pitches for strikes to post a Game Score of 73. Jeff Francis tossed a one-hitter and struck out three over the final two frames.
Now to the offence as the Herd hounded the Red Wings pitching staff for 21 hits. Sean Ochinko put the Bisons on the board with a solo home run in the second inning and Ochinko doubled home another run in the third after a Matt Hague solo blast. Ochinko, Andy Burns and Jonathan Diaz had RBI singles and Munenori Kawasaki added a sacrifice fly as part of a five-run fifth. Melky Mesa had a three-run double in the seventh and scored on a single by Caleb Gindl. Consecutive doubles by Ochinko and Alex Hassan tacked on a run in the eighth. A bases-loaded walk by Hague and a Luke Scott ground out rounded out the scoring in the ninth. Ochinko was a triple short of the cycle as he finished with a 4-for-6 evening. Mesa, Gindl, Hassan and Diaz entered the clubhouse just one hit shy of Ochinko. Hague and Burns were two back of the leaders while Kawasaki had a hit and a base on balls. Only Scott did not record a hit.
Trenton 8 New Hampshire 6
Manchester, NH - The Fisher Cats stay above .500 was short-lived as the Yankees affiliate scored in five different innings for the win. Austin Bibens-Dirkx only stayed around for 1-1/3 innings as he allowed four runs in the second on four hits and three wild pitches but also struck out four. Cory Burns lasted twice as long but coughed up two runs on four hits and two walks while whiffing two. The Thunder struck Scott Barnes for a home run among two hits but he posted a K-BB total of 4-0 over three innings. Jimmy Cordero was jilted for a run on a hit and a walk in the eighth but Danny Barnes pitched a perfect ninth.
The Fisher Cats actually led this one briefly with a pair of runs in the first. Jon Berti was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a Kevin Nolan triple. Nolan would score on a Ryan Schimpf base hit. Jorge Flores hit a deep-enough fly ball to score a K.C. Hobson walk in the fourth. Dwight Smith Jr. drove home a Berti triple in the seventh and Schimpf followed with an RBI double that led to another run on an error. Nolan drew a walk to go along with his two hits. Pierce Rankin, Ian Parmley and Shane Opitz also had base knocks. Flores and Dalton Pompey reached base once with a walk.
Daytona 3 Dunedin 1
Daytona Beach, FL - Jeff Hoffman (2-3, 3.47) pitched well in the early going, setting down nine men in a row at one point but he was jolted for two runs on a single, a double and a wild pitch in the fourth. He overcame a single, a wild pitch and a walk in the fifth to wind up with a line of two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out five. Four of his six outs did not reach the outfield. Brad Allen allowed just one run despite two hits and five walks. He struck out a pair and induced four ground ball outs over his three innings of work.
Dunedin managed to score their only run in the first when Anthony Alford singled, stole second and moved to third on a Richard Urena single before tagging up and scoring on a Mitch Nay sacrifice fly. Alford and Urena had two hits apiece at the top of the order but Urena outdid Alford on the basepaths with two stolen bases. Emilio Guerrero and Christian Lopes added the other knocks. Rowdy Tellez and Derrick Loveless heard ball four once. Dickie Joe Thon and Martin Medina were a combined 0-for-6 at the bottom of the order.
Lansing 5 Great Lakes 3
Lansing, MI - The Lugnuts rallied from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits to beat the Dodgers affiliate, bunching up their runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Chris Carlson cranked out a two-run home run to get Lansing on the board and Boomer Collins tied things up again with a sacrifice fly. Carlson drew a walk and scored the winning run when D.J. Davis put one over the fence for a two-run bomb. Carlson had a two-hit game while Ryan McBroom added a double and a walk. Alexis Maldonado had the other base hit. Jason Leblebijian walked twice and stole a base. Mike Reeves drew a walk but Michael De La Cruz was 0-for-3 and Dawel Lugo came up empty in his two at-bats. Christian Vazquez was 0-for-1 as a pinch-hitter.
Chase Mallard could only duck the Loons for 4-2/3 innings as he permitted two runs on five hits and uncorked two wild pitches but had a 5-0 K/BB total and a 5-3 GO/FO tally. Dusty Isaacs (1-0) bailed out Mallard by stranding two runners but he was dinged for a run on three hits over 3-1/3 innings and also threw a couple of pitches to the backstop. Isaacs struck out four and walked nobody. Carlos Ramirez gave up a hit but got a strikeout in the ninth to collect his second save.
Eugene 6 Vancouver 4
Daniel Lietz struck out six in Eugene Tuesday night.
Eugene, OR - Danny Young (0-1, 36.00) had a pro debut to forget. The Jays 8th round pick in this year's draft yielded four runs on three hits and two walks in his one-inning start. Like Young, Brandon Hinkle allowed three hits and two walks that led to a run but Hinkle lasted three innings and struck out a pair. Daniel Lietz went the rest of the way, giving up a run on two hits and whiffing six over four frames.
Rolando Segovia had two hits and two stolen bases for the C's.
The C's got to the Cubs affiliate for two runs in the first inning with an RBI triple from Sean Hurley, who would score on a passed ball. Rolando Segovia scored a Kevin Garcia double with a base hit in the second. Segovia would score the third Vancouver run on an error in the fifth after starting the frame with a single. Segovia added two stolen bases to go with his two-hit effort. Hurley walked twice to get on base three times. Carl Wise, Austin Davis and Kevin Garcia also added base hits. Connor Panas was 0-for-4, Gabriel Cenas was 0-for-3 and Juan Kelly was 0-for-1 pinch-hitting. Gunnar Heidt had a night to forget by striking out three times in a 0-for-5 night. Earl Burl III was 0-for-3.
Bluefield 5 Burlington 1
Bluefield, WV - Nick Sinay did it with the bat and his legs to lead the Bluef-Jays to victory. He poked one over the wall for a two-run home run to score Yeltsin Gudino, who got aboard on a base hit. Sinay led off the fifth with a single, stole second and third base and proceeded to scamper home on a throwing error by the Royals catcher. Deiferson Barreto drove in the other two runs with a base hit in the seventh. Sinay drew a walk to reach base three times. Barreto, Rodrigo Orozco and Christian Williams joined Sinay in the two-hit club with Orozco swiping a base. Matt Morgan and Mattingly Romanin both went 1-for-4 with Romanin pilfering a base. Andrew Guillotte walked and added an SB. Juan Tejada was 0-for-4.
Juliandry Higuera (2-0, 0.60) hindered the Royals to just one run on six hits while striking out five in five innings. The Venezuelan lefty induced two outs on the ground out of his six outs in play to earn a Game Score of 56. Fellow lefty Tayler Saucedo slammed the door shut with a four-inning save, surrendering just one hit and striking out four.
GCL Phillies 5 GCL Blue Jays 4 (11 Innings)
Clearwater, FL - The Blue Jays came back from a 4-1 deficit only to lose in overtime. The Phillies got to the rehabbing Aaron Sanchez for two runs over two innings and three hits and a walk. He struck out one and got three ground ball outs. Rehabbing Ryan Borucki gave up a hit but struck out one in a scoreless inning and the rehabbing Tom Robson matched Borucki's line except he struck out two and uncorked a wild pitch. Hansel Rodriguez was handcuffed for two runs (one earned after a Levi Scott error at first.) on five hits and a walk but racked up three K's. Seven of his nine outs in play stayed on the diamond. Griffin Glaude gave up a hit and hit a batter but struck out three in two shutout innings. Ryan Cook (1-1) was unable to get the final out of the 11th inning, coughing up an unearned run on a hit, a wild pitch and an error by Andrew Florides at short.
Javier Hernandez plated the first run with a single in the fourth inning before launching a two-run homer to tie the game in the sixth. He could have had a three-run homer but a wild pitch scored a run before he went deep. That was the last Jays hit until Lance Jones had a one-out single that was eventually stranded. Hernandez and Jones both collected a pair of hits with Jones stealing a base. Kalik May had a one-out triple in the third that was not cashed in. Scott singled, Jake Thomas walked and Edward Olivares was hit by a pitch and they all stole a base. Reggie Pruitt made his pro debut but went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts. Nash Knight was 0-for-5, Andrew Florides and Miguel Almonte did not have a hit in four at-bats and Owen Spiwak was 0-for-1.
DSL White Sox 3 DSL Blue Jays 2
San Pedro de Macoris, DR - One bad inning was all it took to do the Blue Jays in. Yennsy Diaz (1-2, 2.13) put up zeros in the first five innings but ran into trouble in the sixth. He could only get one out and left two men for Tommy Henriquez, who allowed both runners to score on a double and a two-run error by Sterling Guzman at third. Diaz pitched 5-1/3 innings and was dinged for two runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks. He struck out five and got six ground ball outs. Henriquez also had an unearned run on his ledger on two hits but struck out three in 2-2/3 innings.
Jesus Navarro was responsible for both Blue Jay runs by singling home Enmanuel Moreta, who started the second inning with a base hit, and bringing in an Antony Fuentes base rap by grounding out in the seventh. Moreta and Fuentes had two-hit games while Kevin Vicuna and Norberto Obeso reached twice with a hit and a walk. Christian Peguero had the other base hit and Manuel Herazo walked once. Guzman and Francisco Rodriguez were both 0-for-4. Andres Guerra and Yorman Rodriguez were unsuccessful pinch-hitting.
*** 3 Stars!!! ***
3. Chris Carlson, Lansing
2. Sean Ochinko, Buffalo
1. Daniel Norris, Buffalo
Tuesday's Linescores
Wednesday's Schedule / Probable Starters
DSL White Sox @ DSL Blue Jays, 10:30 am ET - TBA
GCL Blue Jays @ GCL Pirates, 12:00 pm ET (DH) - Regular game and completion of suspended game June 23 tied at 3-3 with two outs and a runner on second in the bottom of the 7th.
Dunedin @ Daytona, 12:05 pm ET - Luis Santos (5-6, 5.08)
Bluefield @ Danville, 7:00 pm ET - TBA
Buffalo @ Rochester, 7:05 pm ET - TBA
Trenton @ New Hampshire, 7:05 pm ET - TBA
Great Lakes @ Lansing, 7:05 pm ET - Justin Shafer (3-0, 1.65)
Vancouver @ Eugene, 10:05 pm ET - Clinton Hollon (1-0, 3.15)
Extra Innings
MiLB.com shines the spotlight on Sean Reid-Foley in its Midwest League notebook.
CanadiansBaseball.com reviews the disappointing first quarter of Vancouver's season.
C's Extra Innings has a list of the players entrance songs. Daniel Lietz wins this category with Andrew Case a close second.
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20150707114127249