A 2-2 Monday night on the farm was highlighted by strong performances from two recent former Jays.
Buffalo 9 Durham 4
Buffalo, NY — The Herd were able to keep their heads above the .500 mark by beating the Rays affiliate. It didn't look good early when Daniel Norris (1-1, 2.25) was dinged for a home run to lead off the game but he pitched 6/1-3 innings of four-run ball on five hits and three walks. Two of the runs were unearned on a throwing error by Jonathan Diaz at short and an errant pickoff throw by Norris in the seventh. He struck out seven and six of his 10 outs in play were on the ground for a Game Score was 55. Chad Jenkins allowed both inherited runners to score but pitched 1-2/3 innings of one-hit ball. Luis Perez finished up with a one-hit, one-strikeout ninth.
Back-to-back, two-out doubles by Brad Glenn and Caleb Gindl in the first inning lifted the Bisons to a 3-1 lead. Gindl drove in his third run of the night with an RBI single in the third and Andy Burns doubled home another in the fourth. Sean Ochinko doubled home two more in the seventh to give the Bisons breathing room in the seventh. Two more runs came in on a Dalton Pompey single and a Chris Dickerson double in the eighth.
All nine Buffalo hitters had at least one hit, led by Pompey's 4-for-5 effort that included a stolen base. Gindl had a three-hit night while Glenn, Chris Dickerson and Matt Hague (.336) had two apiece. Dickerson drew a walk to reach base three times. Diaz and Ryan Schimpf also joined the hit parade with singles.
New Britain 5 New Hampshire 4
Manchester, NH — The Rockies affiliate scored four runs against Austin Bibens-Dirkx (1-2, 16.50) in the second and held on for the victory. Bibens-Dirkx got through just two innings and gave up four hits and two walks while striking out four. His line would have been worse if Jon Berti had not started a 7-6-2 play to cut down a runner at the plate to end the second. Cory Burns was burned (see what I did...oh never mind!) for the eventual winning run in his two innings on two hits and three walks while whiffing two. Danny Barnes was barned (sorry, couldn't resist!) for just one hit and struck out five in 2-2/3 shutout innings. Greg Burke also pitched one-hit ball and struck out two in 1-1/3 innings. Blake McFarland struck out one in the ninth.
The Fisher Cats needed Pierce Rankin to stay in a rundown after being picked off second to give Kevin Nolan enough time to score their first run in the fourth inning. Berti singled home another in the fifth to make it a 5-2 game. A Shane Opitz single and a Jack Murphy groundout in the ninth drew New Hampshire to within one but Berti hit a chopper back to the mound with runners on second and third to end the game. Of note, former Jays farmhand Tyler Ybarra was charged with the two runs in the ninth after getting just one out.
Rankin had two hits and a walk and Jorge Flores (.350) had the other two-hit night. Kevin Nolan had a double and Matt Newman had a pinch-hit single. Dwight Smith Jr. was 0-for-4.
Dunedin 5 Fort Myers 2
Fort Myers, FL — Sloppy defence in the form of a throwing error at third by the Twins affiliate gave Dunedin a pair of runs in the third. A Mitch Nay groundout and a Derrick Loveless capped off the four-run rally. L.B. Dantzler singled home the final run in the seventh. Dantzler had the lone two-hit game and was hit by a pitch. Roemon Fields and Jorge Saez had the other hits. Mitch Nay and Dickie Joe Thon drew walks with Thon scoring twice.
Murphy Smith (1-2, 6.14) reached the requisite five innings for the win by limiting the Miracle to two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out four. Alberto Tirado gave up a hit an inning but struck out two over three scoreless frames. Wil Browning plunked a batter but pitched a scoreless ninth to bag save number nine.
South Bend 5 Lansing 4
South Bend, IN — The Lugnuts bunched up their runs in two-run outbursts in the first and third innings. A Richard Urena single and a D.J. Davis sacrifice fly gave Lansing a 2-0 lead but Rowdy Tellez was thrown out at home trying to score from second base on a Gunnar Heidt single to end the first. Heidt would get some RBI's on a two-run double in the third. J.D. Davis - the player formerly known as Jonathan - joined Heidt in the two-hit club. Tellez and Anthony Alford were the on-base leaders with a hit and two walks with Alford getting a double. However, he was caught stealing for the first time this season in five tries. D.J. Davis was also caught trying to swipe a base for the third time in nine attempts but he did throw out a runner at the plate. Tim Locastro and Ryan McBroom were hit by pitches and Locastro swiped his 11th bag of the season.
Chase De Jong (2-3, 4.62) was clubbed by the Cubs for two home runs among six runs and 10 hits and a walk over 6-2/3 innings. Five of those runs came in the first two innings. He got help from D.J. Davis, who threw out a runner at the plate from center field. De Jong struck out five and induced eight groundball outs. Carlos Ramirez was clipped for another run in 1-1/3 innings on a hit and two walks.
Monday's Linescores
*** 3 Stars!!! ***
3. Daniel Norris, Buffalo
2. Caleb Gindl, Buffalo
1. Dalton Pompey, Buffalo
Tuesday's Schedule/Probable Starters
Lansing @ South Bend, 10:30 am ET — Jesus Tinoco (0-0, 0.00)
New Britain @ New Hampshire, 5:35 pm ET — Matt Boyd (2-1, 1.39)
Durham @ Buffalo, 6:05 pm ET — Miguel Castro (0-0, 18.00)
Dunedin @ Fort Myers, 6:35 pm ET — Jairo Labourt (1-2, 4.60)
Extra Innings
The National Post says Jeff Hoffman will begin his pro career in Dunedin next week.
The Buffalo News looks at how bad the Bisons have been in May.
Buffalo 9 Durham 4
Buffalo, NY — The Herd were able to keep their heads above the .500 mark by beating the Rays affiliate. It didn't look good early when Daniel Norris (1-1, 2.25) was dinged for a home run to lead off the game but he pitched 6/1-3 innings of four-run ball on five hits and three walks. Two of the runs were unearned on a throwing error by Jonathan Diaz at short and an errant pickoff throw by Norris in the seventh. He struck out seven and six of his 10 outs in play were on the ground for a Game Score was 55. Chad Jenkins allowed both inherited runners to score but pitched 1-2/3 innings of one-hit ball. Luis Perez finished up with a one-hit, one-strikeout ninth.Back-to-back, two-out doubles by Brad Glenn and Caleb Gindl in the first inning lifted the Bisons to a 3-1 lead. Gindl drove in his third run of the night with an RBI single in the third and Andy Burns doubled home another in the fourth. Sean Ochinko doubled home two more in the seventh to give the Bisons breathing room in the seventh. Two more runs came in on a Dalton Pompey single and a Chris Dickerson double in the eighth.
All nine Buffalo hitters had at least one hit, led by Pompey's 4-for-5 effort that included a stolen base. Gindl had a three-hit night while Glenn, Chris Dickerson and Matt Hague (.336) had two apiece. Dickerson drew a walk to reach base three times. Diaz and Ryan Schimpf also joined the hit parade with singles.
New Britain 5 New Hampshire 4
Manchester, NH — The Rockies affiliate scored four runs against Austin Bibens-Dirkx (1-2, 16.50) in the second and held on for the victory. Bibens-Dirkx got through just two innings and gave up four hits and two walks while striking out four. His line would have been worse if Jon Berti had not started a 7-6-2 play to cut down a runner at the plate to end the second. Cory Burns was burned (see what I did...oh never mind!) for the eventual winning run in his two innings on two hits and three walks while whiffing two. Danny Barnes was barned (sorry, couldn't resist!) for just one hit and struck out five in 2-2/3 shutout innings. Greg Burke also pitched one-hit ball and struck out two in 1-1/3 innings. Blake McFarland struck out one in the ninth.
The Fisher Cats needed Pierce Rankin to stay in a rundown after being picked off second to give Kevin Nolan enough time to score their first run in the fourth inning. Berti singled home another in the fifth to make it a 5-2 game. A Shane Opitz single and a Jack Murphy groundout in the ninth drew New Hampshire to within one but Berti hit a chopper back to the mound with runners on second and third to end the game. Of note, former Jays farmhand Tyler Ybarra was charged with the two runs in the ninth after getting just one out.
Rankin had two hits and a walk and Jorge Flores (.350) had the other two-hit night. Kevin Nolan had a double and Matt Newman had a pinch-hit single. Dwight Smith Jr. was 0-for-4.
Dunedin 5 Fort Myers 2
Fort Myers, FL — Sloppy defence in the form of a throwing error at third by the Twins affiliate gave Dunedin a pair of runs in the third. A Mitch Nay groundout and a Derrick Loveless capped off the four-run rally. L.B. Dantzler singled home the final run in the seventh. Dantzler had the lone two-hit game and was hit by a pitch. Roemon Fields and Jorge Saez had the other hits. Mitch Nay and Dickie Joe Thon drew walks with Thon scoring twice.Murphy Smith (1-2, 6.14) reached the requisite five innings for the win by limiting the Miracle to two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out four. Alberto Tirado gave up a hit an inning but struck out two over three scoreless frames. Wil Browning plunked a batter but pitched a scoreless ninth to bag save number nine.
South Bend 5 Lansing 4
South Bend, IN — The Lugnuts bunched up their runs in two-run outbursts in the first and third innings. A Richard Urena single and a D.J. Davis sacrifice fly gave Lansing a 2-0 lead but Rowdy Tellez was thrown out at home trying to score from second base on a Gunnar Heidt single to end the first. Heidt would get some RBI's on a two-run double in the third. J.D. Davis - the player formerly known as Jonathan - joined Heidt in the two-hit club. Tellez and Anthony Alford were the on-base leaders with a hit and two walks with Alford getting a double. However, he was caught stealing for the first time this season in five tries. D.J. Davis was also caught trying to swipe a base for the third time in nine attempts but he did throw out a runner at the plate. Tim Locastro and Ryan McBroom were hit by pitches and Locastro swiped his 11th bag of the season.
Chase De Jong (2-3, 4.62) was clubbed by the Cubs for two home runs among six runs and 10 hits and a walk over 6-2/3 innings. Five of those runs came in the first two innings. He got help from D.J. Davis, who threw out a runner at the plate from center field. De Jong struck out five and induced eight groundball outs. Carlos Ramirez was clipped for another run in 1-1/3 innings on a hit and two walks.
Monday's Linescores
*** 3 Stars!!! ***
3. Daniel Norris, Buffalo
2. Caleb Gindl, Buffalo
1. Dalton Pompey, Buffalo
Tuesday's Schedule/Probable Starters
Lansing @ South Bend, 10:30 am ET — Jesus Tinoco (0-0, 0.00)
New Britain @ New Hampshire, 5:35 pm ET — Matt Boyd (2-1, 1.39)
Durham @ Buffalo, 6:05 pm ET — Miguel Castro (0-0, 18.00)
Dunedin @ Fort Myers, 6:35 pm ET — Jairo Labourt (1-2, 4.60)
Extra Innings
The National Post says Jeff Hoffman will begin his pro career in Dunedin next week.
The Buffalo News looks at how bad the Bisons have been in May.
