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The GCL Jays registered the only win of the day.  Your intrepid correspondent was on hand in Binghamton, New York, to see JP Arencibia walk twice.  There was a charge to the early showers in the Syracuse game, the umpire must have developed a sore thumb from the ejections.  

Syracuse 5  Pawtucket 8

Brian Wolfe started and pitched 3.1 innings.  He left the bases loaded and Chris George gave up a sac fly, the only run charged to Wolfe.  The Chiefs took the lead with two runs in the fifth, Russ Adams doubled, Hector Luna singled him to third and Travis Snider drove in Adams with a double.  Luna scored on a sac fly.

The lead was short lived, in the fifth George allowed two hits, two walks then a home run for a total of five runs, the Chiefs were down 6-2.  Sean Stidfole gave up two runs in the sixth, an inning featuring the ejection of both Danny Sandoval and Robinzon Diaz, with manager Doug Davis joining them for an early shower in the next half inning.  In the seventh the Chiefs scored two more to reduce the deficit to 8-4.  Again Adams and Luna were involved, Adams singled and Luna drove him in with a double.  Luna scored on a double by Brian Jeroloman who had replaced Diaz.  The final run in the ninth came when Luna and Snider singled, Jeroloman walked and Curtis Thigpen hit a sac fly. 

Coats, Snider and Adams had two hits each. Luna was 3-4 with three runs scored.


New Hampshire 2  Binghamton 4

Brandon Magee threw 27 pitches in the first inning and did not allow a run, he threw 15 pitches in the second and gave up three runs.  With two out a broken bat bloop and a seeing-eye infield single, were followed by a blast off the centre-field wall by Fernando Martinez to make it 2-0.  Luis Castillo followed with a single to make it 3-0.

Mets starter, Dylan Owen, making his AA debut, faced the minimum number of hitters threw three innings but he walked a couple of batters in the fourth, one of whom scored on a David Smith single.  Magee walked a couple in the fifth and Martinez drove in one with another hit.  The Fisher Cats added their second run in the eighth, Eric Nielsen singled, JP Arencibia walked, Brian Dopirak singled to load the bases and a run scored on a ground out.

Arencibia walked twice in the game, once on four pitches and the second time by taking a couple of close pitches from a 2-2 count.  Dopirak had three hits, Nielsen two.  Magee gave up nine hits and three walks in 6.2 innings.


Dunedin 1 Tampa 2

Kenny Rodriguez pitched six innings giving up one run on two hits.  Brad Emaus homered to tie the game in the sixth.  Chad Blackwell came on in the seventh and gave up a couple of singles, with a Jesus Gonzalez error putting the lead run on third.  Blackwell did get a double play ball but the run scored.  Dunedin had only five hits.   


Fort Wayne 8  Lansing 1

Brian Letko gave up five runs in the second inning and Lansing could not get back in the game.  Letko allowed seven runs in 5.2 innings.  Lansing scored their run in the second, CJ Ebarb doubled and later scored on a sac fly.  Lansing had seven hits, Ebarb and Yohermyn Chavez had two each.


Auburn - All Star Break


GCL Braves 2  GCL Jays 6 - game 1

The Jays scored first, in the first, Tyler Pastornicky walked, stole second and scored on a single from Balbino Fuenmayor.  The Jays scored twice in the fourth, Kenny Wilson and Pastornicky walked; Kyle Gilligan singled in a run and Pastornicky scored on an error.  In the fifth Welinton Ramirez walked, Justin McClanahan doubled him to third, a wild pitch scored a run, Yensy Perez doubled in the second run of the inning and the third run scored on a passed ball.  Chris Holquin pitched six innings of three hit ball with one run allowed.  Fuenmayor and McClanahan had two hits each.


GCL Jays 3  GCL Braves 4 - game 2

Henderson Alvarez gave up four runs in the fourth and the Jays scored single runs in three innings which left them a run short.  Kenny Wilson was involved in the first two runs, he singled and scored the first run and he singled to drive in the second run.  Down 4-2 in the seventh the Jays had a run and the bases loaded with one out but this time Wilson struck out.  Luis Fernandez then singled but some how Tyler Pastornicky was thrown out at home trying to score from third on a single to end the game.

 

3 star selection

3rd star - Hector Luna and Kenny Rodriguez
2nd star - Kenny Wilson
1st star - Chris Holquin

Arencibia walks, twice; Chiefs walk to the Showers. | 11 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Mylegacy - Thursday, August 21 2008 @ 03:09 AM EDT (#191031) #

Gerry - good work.

Two questions: JP how does he look, carry himself, swing, throw to second? Dopirak - a hitter, a keeper, a prospect, a could be guy?

raptorsaddict - Thursday, August 21 2008 @ 08:58 AM EDT (#191039) #
Good to see The Great Balbino swinging a much bigger stick this year than last. Does anybody have any links or other info about him?
Gerry - Thursday, August 21 2008 @ 09:40 AM EDT (#191041) #

I will have a complete road trip report in a few days.  Reports on Arencibia, and my observations, are that he does not lack in confidence, he has had a history of success including breaking or tying (I forget which) Alex Rodriguez high school home run record.  Arencibia is a bit of a free swinger, he doesn't swing at everything but he hasn't met a strike he didn't like.  The coaches say they have talked to him about it but it will probably take some initial failure for Arencibia at AAA or in the majors to force him to change.

Defensively Arencibia's arm is average, his throwing is fine but it is his blocking and receiving that need work.  I saw two games and two wild pitches that Arencibia could have blocked but he didn't, allowing the runners to move up. 

But again his coaches do point out that this is his first full season as a pro so we shouldn't expect too much.  The Jays minor-league roving catching instructor, Mike Basso, has been working with JP and JP will be in the AFL this fall to continue his development.

John Northey - Thursday, August 21 2008 @ 10:13 AM EDT (#191043) #
From the sounds of it I'd suspect JP's future is somewhere other than behind the plate.  Given that we have Lind/Wells/Rios/Snider here until 2013/2014 at least (I think Lind reaches free agency in the 2013/2014 off season) and Cooper charging hard at first with Overbay signed through 2010 I suspect third base will be the slot they shoot at shifting him to (catchers normally shift to LF/RF/1B/3B depending on their skill set - Biggio was a bit odd going to 2B/CF).  If he doesn't work out at third they can easily move him to first should Cooper not pan out.
Ryan Day - Thursday, August 21 2008 @ 10:29 AM EDT (#191046) #
BA had some good things to say about Arencibia's catching:
... a scout contacted this season was quite impressed with Arencibia's catching tools. Early in the season, he liked his defense better than his bat, in fact.

Pistol - Thursday, August 21 2008 @ 10:32 AM EDT (#191047) #
So, who from the Box called about Tiny Tim?  Glad to hear JP at least knows the name :)

Collins is from Worcester, just like JP so he would certainly know him from that.

I'd like to see them try Collins as a starter next year in Lansing and see what happens.
Ryan Day - Thursday, August 21 2008 @ 10:46 AM EDT (#191048) #
Emaus seems to be establishing himself as a prospect: He's been on fire in August, hitting 400/482/657, bringing his season up to 297/373/454, with a tidy 55/52 bb/k rate. Particularly nice if he stays at second, but not too shabby at third, either.
Lugnut Fan - Thursday, August 21 2008 @ 10:49 AM EDT (#191049) #

JP is actually the one that signed "Tiny Tim".

I agree with you Pistol, I would like to see what Collins could do as a starter as well.

MatO - Thursday, August 21 2008 @ 10:59 AM EDT (#191050) #

Everything I've heard suggests that JP is capable of staying at catcher and that's where he would be his most valuable.

R Billie - Thursday, August 21 2008 @ 12:18 PM EDT (#191055) #

I keep forgetting this is JPA's first full year.  He should really get another full season of catching in the minors to polish his skills.  Even then he might be somewhat raw for a year or two at the big league level.

If he brings an Alfonso Soriano-type offensive game (minus the speed of course) from the catcher position though, it will be easier to overlook the occasional wild pitch.

Kelekin - Thursday, August 21 2008 @ 04:23 PM EDT (#191080) #
Just to reply to the comment about Tim Collins, J.P.'s dad was the one who was watching Collins and tipped him off about the guy. 
Arencibia walks, twice; Chiefs walk to the Showers. | 11 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.