Gift Giving Buffalo A Victory

Gift Ngoepe accomplished the toughest half of the cycle with a two-run home run to cap off a four-run rally in the second and a run-scoring triple in the seventh to help the Bisons remain over .500. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. also went deep for a two-run dinger. Danny Jansen and Jason Lebiebijian both doubled and Reese McGuire singled. The trio of Richard Urena, Anthony Alford and Rowdy Tellez were a combined 0-for-12. Roemon Fields struck out all three times at the dish.

Luis Santos surrendered two runs over three innings but struck out three. Conor Fisk pitched four no-hit innings, overcoming his own throwing error and one walk while whiffing three. Fisk also induced five groundball outs to get the win. Sam Moll was victimized for two unearned runs over two-thirds of an inning. Justin Shafer got the final four outs for the save, stranding a runner while giving up just a hit and striking out one.

A converted touchdown in the seventh led the Fisher Cats to victory. A Cavan Biggio walk, a Harold Ramirez single, a Max Pentecost sacrifice fly and run-scoring base hits by Connor Panas and Andrew Guillotte were the key knocks. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had two hits and a walk. Biggio walked three times and Pentecost heard ball four twice. Guillotte also got a free pass. Patrick Cantwell had a two-hit performance. Panas stole a base. Bo Bichette was 0-for-5 with three strikeouts to drop his batting average to .250.

Jordan Romano ran his record to 8-0 with 6-2/3 innings of two-run ball on four hits and a plunk. One of the runs was unearned as the Markham native struck out seven. White Rock, BC native Brayden Bouchey got the final out of the seventh to strand a runner and got three more outs while striking out one and walking one in his Double-A debut. Nick Hartman issued one free pass in a shutout ninth for his maiden voyage in Double-A.

The D-Jays had a no-hitter going for the first six innings before everything went horribly awry. Angel Perdomo overcame four walks to toss five innings of no-hit baseball. The big lefty struck out three and kept his infielders from getting bored as they handled nine of his 11 outs in play. The Braves affiliate made Jake Fishman throw 30 pitches but the lefthander got the last laugh by striking out the side. Jackson McClelland was mauled for all five runs in 1-1/3 innings. Connor Eller got the last two outs but could not prevent his two inherited runners from scoring.

Josh Palacios doubled to score a Rodrigo Orozco walk with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to force the extra frame. The rehabbing Randal Grichuk was 0-for-2 with two walks before D.J. Davis came in to pinch-run.  Palacios was the only Jay with two hits and Orozco reached twice with a base hit. Bradley Jones, Nash Knight, Riley Adams and Ivan Castillo also put a '1' in the hit column.

Patrick Murphy gave up two runs in four innings to take the loss. He had a game WHIP of two after five hits and three walks but he did strike out six. Jonathan Cheshire was scratched and clawed for the other four runs in the sixth. Connor Law matched two hits with two strikeouts over two scoreless frames in his season debut.

Ivan Castillo knocked home both runs for Dunedin as he went 1-for-3. Nash Knight reached twice with a single and a walk. Eduard PInto and Bradley Jones had the other hits. Josh Palacios and Alberto Mineo drew a base on balls. Kacy Clemens took one for the team. D.J. Davis and John La Prise went 0-for-3.

The Cubs scored eight unanswered runs to give the Lugnuts a beatdown in the land of the Golden Domers. Turner Larkins took the brunt of it by allowing five runs in 4-1/3 innings on seven hits and four walks while striking out three. Brody Rodning gave up a run in 1-2/3 innings but struck out three. Kyle Weatherly was clipped for a run in one inning as the umpire picked on him for three (three!) balks.  Matt Shannon surrendered two more runs in the eighth.

Kevin Smith had a double, a triple and the only run scored. Ryan Noda had a two-hit game as well. Kevin Vicuna, Chavez Young, Brandon Grudzielanek, Matt Morgan and Brandon Polizzi all recorded base hits.

The Buffalo Bisons will become the Buffalo Wings later this season.

C's Plus Baseball checks in with Dunedin Blue Jays first baseman Kacy Clemens.