It hasn't been a stellar start to the minor league season in the Jays system. But Sunday brought three wins, some good pitching and hitting. Dunedin were most impressive. Down 7-1 after Alek Manoah dug them a hole, they rallied for a walk off win. Buffalo and New Hampshire also had nice wins and although Vancouver lost, they scored six runs. Also while we wait to hear about Brandon Barriera, a new pitching prospect made a dazzling debut today.
Buffalo 10 Worcester 5
New Hampshire 8 Binghamton 4
Vancouver 6 Spokane 7
Lakeland 7 Dunedin 8
Three Stars
Third Star - Landen Maroudis
Second Star - Josh Kasevich
First Star - Manuel Beltre
NOTES
Yariel Rodriguez started for Buffalo. He went 2.1 innings and was pulled at 47 pitches. Last time out he threw over 50 pitches so I am not sure of the Jays were being careful or if he had some problem. He struck out four while allowing one hit. Five relievers followed but the win went to Mason Fluharty with two shutout innings. Fluharty has appeared three times this season, he has thrown five innings without allowing a hit. He has seven K's. He doesn't throw hard but is effective, at least at the AAA level.
Offensively Cam Eden and Addison Barger hit their first home runs of the season. Barger was 2-3 with two walks and three RBI. Orelvis was 3-5 and Spencer Horwitz picked up his normal two hits.
Adam Macko had a tough introduction to AA. In his first inning two hits, two walks, a hit batter and two wild pitches led to three Binghamton runs. But he was left in and over his next three innings he had no baserunners with six strikeouts. Hunter Gregory followed and he had five K's in three shutout innings.
The offense was led by Josh Kasevich who went 4-5 with four RBI. Alan Roden, Andres Sosa and Gabriel Martinez had two hits each. It has been a good start in AA for Martinez who impressed in spring training after a disappointing 2023.
Pat Gallagher could not get out of the first inning for Vancouver. Actually he didn't record an out. Chay Yeager, a 2023 12th rounder, took the loss with four runs allowed. Ryan McCarty had three hits, Jean Arnaez had two doubles.
After Alek Manoah spotted Lakeland a 7-1 lead, the D Jays started chipping away and Manuel Beltre capped it with a two run walk off home run in the ninth. Earlier Arjun Nimmala had also homered. The start of the game was Landen Maroudis making his pro debut. The 19 year old from nearby Clearwater went four perfect innings with five K's. Maroudis was the talk of minor league spring training and now we see why.
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