The Florida State League is one of the toughest circuits for hitters in the minor-league chain. So it makes complete sense that Toronto’s FSL affiliate scored a dozen runs last night while their colleagues elsewhere in the system struggled to plate 4 in 3 games, right? Read on to find out why everything’s dandy in Dunedin.
Scranton 3-5 Syracuse 0-1
The power outage in Syracuse is getting troublesome. Glenn Williams’ solo home run (his 7th of the campaign) in the final inning of yesterday’s doubleheader loss to Scranton-Wilkes-Barre was the Skychiefs’ first in 21 innings. It’s a little mystifying how a team with the kind of talent Syracuse has on hand can be struggling so badly, but then, the same could be (and is being) said about the parent club as well. Russ Adams, Jorge Sequea, Alex Rios and Gabe Gross went a combined 2-for-24 in the twinbill. In fairness, these were two seven-inning games, and Scranton’s Brian Powell and David Coggin pitched very well. But the way Syracuse has been swinging the lumber lately, nine-inning affairs could well have simply extended the malaise. It’s basically a team-wide hitting slump, and like all such slumps, it will end sooner or later – there’s too much talent here for this to continue.
The pitchers weren’t all that bad for Syracuse, but they weren’t all that great either. Chris Baker had a decent game, throwing a complete six-inning game and allowing 3 runs on 5 hits; he walked no one and struck out 4. But he was done in largely on the strength of home runs by Chase Utley and Michel Hernandez. In the nightcap, waiver-wire acquisition Sean Douglass is continuing his reversion to a starting role, pitching 4 2/3 decent innings, allowing 2 runs but giving up 9 baserunners (7 hits, 2 walks) along the way. On the bright side, he struck out 6 batters as well. Vinny Chulk was tagged for 3 runs in his single frame of work, kicking his ERA up to 5.40.
Akron 4 New Hampshire 3
When you’re losing a lot, it seems that you’re often losing ugly. The Fisher Cats, in a mini-tailspin of their own lately, dropped another morning contest in far-off Akron before hitting the road for the 11-hour bus trip back to New Hampshire (think about that haul the next time you’re stuck in traffic for 15 minutes). Yesterday’s game got off to an inauspicious start for the Cats, when starter Gustavo Chacin walked in a run with the bases loaded – an unearned run, thanks to the first of shortstop Aaron Hill’s two errors on the day. That foreshadowed the 7th inning when, with the game knotted at three, reliever Dan Jackson unleashed (who says they all have to be uncorked?) a wild pitch, also with the bases loaded, that scored what turned out to be the winning run.
Chacin pitched decently enough, giving up 3 runs (though only 1 earned) in 5 innings on 4 hits (including a home run) and 2 walks, whiffing just 3. Jackson took the loss, surrendering the go-ahead marker at the end of his 2-inning, 2-hit, 2-walk, 2-strikeout stint. No Fisher Cat batter had more than one hit, and the team’s 7 safeties were all singles. Kevin Gray points out that the fledgling Fisher Cats, after a rousing start to their franchise, are hitting their first real rough patch of the year, as many batters labour to reach .200. We knew going into the season that New Hampshire’s offence was its weak spot; with leading prospects like Hill, John-Ford Griffin and Tyrell Godwin all struggling, the rest of the lineup can’t generate any heat. The Jays’ AA franchise needs to break out of a rut too.
Dunedin 12 Jupiter 5
If you ever need a smile when reviewing the minor-league results, just wait for Josh Banks’ name to show up. The young right-hander must be rapidly moving up the organization’s depth chart with his remarkable start in Dunedin, following his latest gem, 5 shutout innings of 4-hit ball, striking out 7 batters and walking nobody. Banks’ April totals: 5 GS, 22 IP, 12 H, 5 BB, 27 K. Remember Banks’ first start of the season, where he appeared to some people to have struggled? Neither do I. Banks seems to be on a fairly tight pitch count, since he’s averaging less than 5 innings a start, but that’s just smart managing of a prized commodity: I expect to see his IP totals hit the 6- and 7-frame range before long. The bullpen was tagged for 5 runs in the remaining 4 innings of the contest, but the D-Jays had a 7-0 lead by the time Banks departed and scored a 5-spot in the 8th, so a lot of these runs were in garbage-time. Santo Valdez had his first rough outing of the season, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits in an inning; Chad Pleiness and Bubbie Buzachero also got knocked around a little in mop-up duty.
Offensively, Dunedin scored more than enough runs to satisfy offence-starved prospect-watchers, as the D-Jays broke out of a small slump of their own. Centerfielder Jason Waugh, recently returned from injury layoff, led the hit parade with 3 singles, a stolen base, a run scored and 2 RBIs. Compact leadoff man extraordinaire Jayce Tingler doubled, singled, walked and scored twice (driving in 2 as well), punching his OBP up to .457 and leaving him with an amazing 16/3 BB/K rate in 72 at-bats. Vito Chiaravalotti was one of 5 D-Jays who had 2 hits in the game. The juggernaut Charleston Alley-Cats had the day off.
Our Three-Star Selection
It should come as no surprise that all three of our stars come from the Sunshine State today.
The Third Star: Jason Waugh, CF, Dunedin, who had 3 hits to pace the D-Jays offence.
The Second Star: Jayce Tingler, LF, Dunedin, who reached base 3 times, scored twice and drove in 2 runs.
The First Star: Josh Banks, RHP, Dunedin, who is fast becoming one of the organization’s brightest prospects (5 IP, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K).
Scranton 3-5 Syracuse 0-1
The power outage in Syracuse is getting troublesome. Glenn Williams’ solo home run (his 7th of the campaign) in the final inning of yesterday’s doubleheader loss to Scranton-Wilkes-Barre was the Skychiefs’ first in 21 innings. It’s a little mystifying how a team with the kind of talent Syracuse has on hand can be struggling so badly, but then, the same could be (and is being) said about the parent club as well. Russ Adams, Jorge Sequea, Alex Rios and Gabe Gross went a combined 2-for-24 in the twinbill. In fairness, these were two seven-inning games, and Scranton’s Brian Powell and David Coggin pitched very well. But the way Syracuse has been swinging the lumber lately, nine-inning affairs could well have simply extended the malaise. It’s basically a team-wide hitting slump, and like all such slumps, it will end sooner or later – there’s too much talent here for this to continue.
The pitchers weren’t all that bad for Syracuse, but they weren’t all that great either. Chris Baker had a decent game, throwing a complete six-inning game and allowing 3 runs on 5 hits; he walked no one and struck out 4. But he was done in largely on the strength of home runs by Chase Utley and Michel Hernandez. In the nightcap, waiver-wire acquisition Sean Douglass is continuing his reversion to a starting role, pitching 4 2/3 decent innings, allowing 2 runs but giving up 9 baserunners (7 hits, 2 walks) along the way. On the bright side, he struck out 6 batters as well. Vinny Chulk was tagged for 3 runs in his single frame of work, kicking his ERA up to 5.40.
Akron 4 New Hampshire 3
When you’re losing a lot, it seems that you’re often losing ugly. The Fisher Cats, in a mini-tailspin of their own lately, dropped another morning contest in far-off Akron before hitting the road for the 11-hour bus trip back to New Hampshire (think about that haul the next time you’re stuck in traffic for 15 minutes). Yesterday’s game got off to an inauspicious start for the Cats, when starter Gustavo Chacin walked in a run with the bases loaded – an unearned run, thanks to the first of shortstop Aaron Hill’s two errors on the day. That foreshadowed the 7th inning when, with the game knotted at three, reliever Dan Jackson unleashed (who says they all have to be uncorked?) a wild pitch, also with the bases loaded, that scored what turned out to be the winning run.
Chacin pitched decently enough, giving up 3 runs (though only 1 earned) in 5 innings on 4 hits (including a home run) and 2 walks, whiffing just 3. Jackson took the loss, surrendering the go-ahead marker at the end of his 2-inning, 2-hit, 2-walk, 2-strikeout stint. No Fisher Cat batter had more than one hit, and the team’s 7 safeties were all singles. Kevin Gray points out that the fledgling Fisher Cats, after a rousing start to their franchise, are hitting their first real rough patch of the year, as many batters labour to reach .200. We knew going into the season that New Hampshire’s offence was its weak spot; with leading prospects like Hill, John-Ford Griffin and Tyrell Godwin all struggling, the rest of the lineup can’t generate any heat. The Jays’ AA franchise needs to break out of a rut too.
Dunedin 12 Jupiter 5
If you ever need a smile when reviewing the minor-league results, just wait for Josh Banks’ name to show up. The young right-hander must be rapidly moving up the organization’s depth chart with his remarkable start in Dunedin, following his latest gem, 5 shutout innings of 4-hit ball, striking out 7 batters and walking nobody. Banks’ April totals: 5 GS, 22 IP, 12 H, 5 BB, 27 K. Remember Banks’ first start of the season, where he appeared to some people to have struggled? Neither do I. Banks seems to be on a fairly tight pitch count, since he’s averaging less than 5 innings a start, but that’s just smart managing of a prized commodity: I expect to see his IP totals hit the 6- and 7-frame range before long. The bullpen was tagged for 5 runs in the remaining 4 innings of the contest, but the D-Jays had a 7-0 lead by the time Banks departed and scored a 5-spot in the 8th, so a lot of these runs were in garbage-time. Santo Valdez had his first rough outing of the season, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits in an inning; Chad Pleiness and Bubbie Buzachero also got knocked around a little in mop-up duty.
Offensively, Dunedin scored more than enough runs to satisfy offence-starved prospect-watchers, as the D-Jays broke out of a small slump of their own. Centerfielder Jason Waugh, recently returned from injury layoff, led the hit parade with 3 singles, a stolen base, a run scored and 2 RBIs. Compact leadoff man extraordinaire Jayce Tingler doubled, singled, walked and scored twice (driving in 2 as well), punching his OBP up to .457 and leaving him with an amazing 16/3 BB/K rate in 72 at-bats. Vito Chiaravalotti was one of 5 D-Jays who had 2 hits in the game. The juggernaut Charleston Alley-Cats had the day off.
Our Three-Star Selection
It should come as no surprise that all three of our stars come from the Sunshine State today.
The Third Star: Jason Waugh, CF, Dunedin, who had 3 hits to pace the D-Jays offence.
The Second Star: Jayce Tingler, LF, Dunedin, who reached base 3 times, scored twice and drove in 2 runs.
The First Star: Josh Banks, RHP, Dunedin, who is fast becoming one of the organization’s brightest prospects (5 IP, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K).
