In the other games the Jays played in the middle of the night, the affiliates compiled a 3-4 record with one postponement.  Two of the top performers from Tuesday were pretty card sharp to cut into the MLU 3 Stars, do you believe it?

Update 7/6/2011 @ 12:05pm:  More stories on Extra Innings on K.C. Hobson, Lance Durham, Sean Henn, Chris Woodward and Kevin Howard.


Salt Lake 7 Las Vegas 6

Salt Lake City, UT - The 51s led 2-0 after the top of the second but the Angels affiliate responded with a run in their half of the second and delivered the knockout blow with six runs in the fourth.

Batting - Ricardo Nanita (3/3) had a perfect day at the dish by hitting his first homer of the season as well as doubling, singling, walking and driving in three runs.  Ramon Vazquez (4/5) also got on four times with singles and knocked home a couple of runs.  Adam Loewen (1/4) singled, walked and collected an RBI while Darin Mastroianni (1/4) and Chris Woodward (1/4) also got on board with a base on balls.  Yan Gomes (1/4) and Manny Mayorson (1/4) had the other hits for Las Vegas.  Dan Perales (0/3) had a walk as did Ryan Shealy (0/0) in a pinch-hitting appearance.  Jason Lane (0/1) failed in his pinch-hitting appearance and  David Cooper (0/5) had a rare night off with the stick.

Running -  Nanita stole his first base of the season.  Kevin Howard pinch-ran for Shealy but did not score.

Pitching - Rei Gonzalez was gonged for seven runs over 3 2/3 innings.  The damage came in the form of nine hits and five walks while uncorking a wild pitch.  He did have four Ks and five groundouts.  Winston Abreu allowed one of Gonzalez's runners to score but pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief on two hits while striking out a batter.  Lefty Wil Ledezma only walked a hitter over two shutout frames while getting 3 Ks and two groundouts.  Fellow southpaw Rommie Lewis struck out a batter in his perfect inning of work.

Defence - Perales threw out a runner at the plate from left field.  Gomes was 0-for-2 in stopping the Bees running game from behind the plate.


New Hampshire 7 New Britain 2

Manchester, NH - The Fisher Cats were kings of the Britains by laying a four spot on the Twins affiliate in the fifth inning to improve on a 3-1 lead.

Batting - Anthony Gose (2/4), Travis d'Arnaud (1/3) and Adeiny Hechavarria (1/5) all homered to spark New Hampshire's 12-hit attack.  Gose and d'Arnaud hit home runs of the two-run variety while Hechavarria drove only himself home.   In addition to his homer, d'Arnaud also got a walk.  John Tolisano (2/4) was the on-base leader by earning a base on balls and Justin Jackson (2/4) had a double and a single.  Mike McDade (1/3) added a BB while Moises Sierra (1/4), Mark Sobolewski (1/4) and Jonathan Diaz (1/4) made sure every Fisher Cat made the hit column.

Running - Gose is up to 39 stolen bases on the year after swiping second base.  Diaz was thrown out at home.

Pitching - Robert Ray earned his first W of the season with six solid innings of two-run, four-hit ball.  His K-BB total was 5-3 and his groundout/flyout numbers were 6-3.  Yohan Pino allowed just one hit and threw a wild pitch in a shutout seventh, lefty Frank Gailey plunked a man but also struck one out in a scoreless eighth and B.J. LaMura allowed just one hit and rung up a pair of batters in a no-run ninth.

Defence - A passed ball by d'Arnaud puts his season total to eight.  Jackson threw out a runner at second from left field.


Dunedin 4 Lakeland 2

Lakeland, FL - The D-Jays broke a 2-all tie with a run in the seventh and scored once more in the ninth to beat the Tigers affiliate.  Their other two runs came in the fourth.

Batting - Brian Van Kirk (2/4) had 33.3% of Dunedin's hit total with the only multi-hit game but Kevin Ahrens (1/4) and Sean Ochinko (1/4) each put a ball over the fence.  Ochinko hit a two-run shot in the fourth and Ahrens' blast was the game winner in the seventh.  A.J. Jimenez (1/3) reached base three times by hearing ball four a couple of times.  Kevin Nolan (1/4) had the other hit and run batted in.  Brad McElroy (0/3) and Ryan Schimpf (0/3) each earned a base on balls.  Brad Glenn (0/4) whiffed three times and Ivan Contreras (0/4) had nothing to add.

Running - McElroy pilfered second for his 11th stolen base of the year.

Pitching - Deck McGuire was dealing!  How about he came up aces as he trumped the Flying Tigers and sent them down the river?   He mixed Lakeland up with the curly shuffle!   That wouldn't be a bad name for his breaking ball, actually.  Anyways, the Jays first round pick of 2010 allowed just a baserunner an inning over seven frames to improve his record to 6-3.  He gave up two runs on five hits (one HR) and two walks to go along with three Ks and nine groundouts.  Lefty Matt Wright struck one out and collected two outs on the ground in a perfect eighth inning for his 10th hold and Wes Etheridge closed the window on Lakeland with three worm killers in the ninth to earn his 30th save.

Defence - Lots of good stuff here!  Dunedin turned three double plays in this one.  McGuire helped himself out by turning a 1-6-3 double play, McElroy began an 8-4-3 DP and the trio of Nolan, Contreras and Ochinko converted a 6-4-3 twin killing.  Jimenez threw out a runner trying to steal second.


Lansing 6 Lake County 3

Lansing, MI - After scoring three times in the second, the Lugnuts snapped a 3-3 tie against the Indians affiliate with two runs in the fifth and added an insurance marker after the seventh inning stretch.

Batting - Carlos Perez (2/4), Marcus Knecht (2/4) and Matt Nuzzo (2/3) each had two singles and a walk.  K.C. Hobson (1/1) doubled, drew three walks and picked up an RBI.  Oliver Dominguez (1/3) singled, walked and knocked home two runs and Jake Marisnick (1/5) had the other Lansing extra-base hit with a double.  Gari Pena (1/3) singled, Michael Crouse (0/4) walked but whiffed three times and Lance Durham (0/4) managed to collect an RBI.

Running - Crouse was nailed trying to steal second.

Pitching - Despite a game WHIP of 1.8, lefty Egan Smith got the win.  He lasted five innings in which he surrendered three runs on eight hits and a walk.  He collected four Ks and seven of his eight outs in play were on the grass.  Shawn Griffith walked two hitters but he pitched two scoreless frames by allowing zero hits while striking out a batter and inducing three groundball outs to earn the hold.  Brandon Berl continued the Lugnuts tradition of keeping the ball down with four outs via the ground ball.  He gave up just one hit over two shutout innings to earn the save.

Defence - Hobson and Dominguez both kicked one around at the infield corners.  However, Nuzzo and Pena combined with Hobson to convert a pair of 6-4-3 double plays.


Eugene 9 Vancouver 3

Eugene, OR - The Cs led this game 1-0 after a half-inning but the Padres affiliates put up nine runs by the time Vancouver scored again in the sixth.

Batting - Balbino Fuenmayor (3/5) and Randy Schwartz (3/4) managed to accumulate just over half of the Vancouver hit total and drove in a run apiece.  Shane Opitz (2/5) had the other multi-hit game and had the other RBI.  Jonathon Berti (1/3) singled and took one for the team and Bryan Kervin (1/4) had the lone extra-base hit with a double.  Nicholas Baligod (1/3) and Matt Newman (0/3) drew the Canadians walks.  Steve McQuail (0/5), Pierce Rankin (0/4) and Garrett Maines (0/1), pinch-hitting for Berti, were the hitless trio.

Running - Berti stole second base.

Pitching - Blake McFarland was ripped for seven runs in just 3 1/3 innings.  He allowed eight hits (one HR) and four walks but racked up 5 Ks.  Eric Brown was burned for two runs on four hits (one HR) in 1 2/3 innings with a pair of strikeouts.  Lefty Shane Davis was almost perfect for two innings by giving up just one hit while whiffing four.  Cobourg, Ontario's Nicholas Purdy overcame a couple of hits and a hit by pitch to deliver a scoreless frame.

Defence - Kervin, Opitz and Schwartz teamed up for a 4-6-3 double paly.


Johnson City 7 Bluefield 6

Bluefield, WV - The B-Jays scored twice in the second but the Cardinals scored seven times from the fifth inning to the eighth.  The Jays responded with four runs in the ninth to come up a run short.

Batting - Chris Schaeffer (2/4) had the only multi-hit game for Bluefield and had a double and an RBI.  Art Charles (1/3) gave Bluefield the early lead with a two-run homer, was hit by a pitch and drove in three runs.  Chris Hawkins (1/3) hit a triple and drew a walk.  Daniel Arcila (1/4) and Gustavo Pierre (1/4) singled.  Andy Fermin (0/3) earned a stroll to first base.  Melvin Garcia (0/4) plated a run.  Carlos Ramirez (0/4), Aaron Munoz (0/3) and Yudelmis Hernandez (0/1) had nothing to contribute with the stick.

Running - No SBs here.

Pitching - The aptly named Ajay Meyer lasted 5 1/3 innings yielded five runs on seven hits (one HR) and a walk.  He struck out only one but got seven groundball outs.  Milciades Santana stranded two runners for Meyer but allowed two runs of his own on three hits over 2 2/3 innings while getting one K.  Jonathan Lucas had two ground ball outs in a perfect ninth inning.

Defence - Santana's pickoff throw went horribly askew.  Pierre booted one at short.  However, Pierre started a 6-3 double play while Fermin and Arcila teamed with Charles to finish a 5-4-3 twin killing.


GCL Yankees 12 GCL Blue Jays 7

Tampa, FL - The Yankees built up a 12-2 before the Jays made the score respectable with a five-run ninth.  The Jays other two runs were in the fifth.

Batting - Seth Conner (2/4) had a home run, a double and a walk, Kevin Patterson (2/3) also homered and drew a walk, Jorge Vega-Rosado (2/5) knocked home a run and Angel Gomez (2/3) doubled and walked.  Dickie Thon Jr. (1/3) singled and walked.  Santiago Nessy (1/4) singled and Christian Frias (0/3) walked.  Dalton Pompey (0/5) and Eric Arce (0/5) had days to forget, especially Arce, who struck out four times.

Running - Vega-Rosada stole second and third while Frias, Patterson and Conner also stole a base.  Frias and Gomez were caught once.

Pitching - Lefty Griffin Murphy took the loss after allowing five runs on seven hits and a walk over four innings.  He gave up two homers, struck out two and got four groundouts.  Randal Thompson gave up three runs on five hits over three innings.  He gave up a homer but whiffed a couple.  Luis Mendez was torched for four runs on a hit and three walks in 2/3 of an inning while striking out one.  Lefty Jorge Navarette allowed an inherited runner to score on one hit over 1/3 of a scoreless frame.

Defence - Nessy was 1-for-2 in throwing out basestealers behind the dish.


DSL Blue Jays vs. DSL Angels - PPD.


*** 3 Stars!!! ***


3.  Anthony Gose, New Hampshire

2.  Ricardo Nanita, Las Vegas

1.  Deck McGuire, Dunedin


Extra Innings...

• As Gerry referred to in a previous thread, Baseball America has a feature on Adam Loewen.
• The Toronto Sun's Bob Elliott speaks with Lansing Lugnuts and sons of former big leaguers, K.C. Hobson and Lance Durham.
• The Las Vegas Review-Journal catches up with organizational soldier Manny Mayorson.
  

"Sometimes it's hard. I feel bad because I'm doing good and never get an opportunity, but I never put my head down. I just think all the time 'I can, I can, I can.' "

• The LV Review Journal also catches up with lefty Sean Henn.  51s manager Marty Brown had this to say on the former Yankees, Orioles, Padres and Twins hurler.
  

"Early in the season, he had one good outing and one mediocre outing, and then he'd turn around and have one good one and one bad one.  I think that's been Sean's issue in his career, is his inconsistency. He's put a very good stretch of games together."

• The LVRJ also talks to infielder Chris Woodward on his return to the organization.  He recalls how minor league co-ordinator Doug Davis offered him the job of returning to the Jays nest.

"At first, I thought he was asking me to scout or coach...It caught me off guard. I didn't expect that. I said, 'Heck, yeah, I want to play. I just didn't have an offer.' "

• Finally, The LVRJ takes a closer look at infielder Kevin Howard.
  

"There was a point around when I was 24, 25, 26, I stopped looking at success as getting to the big leagues. I just looked at it more as playing baseball and doing what you want to do.  If you look at it like that, you're having fun and you're happy about yourself and where your life's at, it's a lot easier to relax and go out there and play."

• The FAN 590 has a chat with 51s play-by-play man Russ Langer.