Batter's Box Interactive Magazine - Anthony Alford and Justin Shafer Star in Wins

Anthony Alford and Justin Shafer Star in Wins

Justin Shafer pitched seven shutout innings as Lansing won with a rare 1-0 score. New Hampshire and Dunedin stayed hot with Dalton Pompey, Anthony Alford, Rowdy Tellez, Christian Lopes and Mitch Nay recording multi-hit games. The GCL Jays split a pair of extra inning games. The Jays fifth round pick, Jose Espada pitched well again.

Buffalo took a lead to the ninth but Gregory Infante blew it. Bluefield lost, Nick Wells had a rough start. Vancouver also lost but the Dominicans did what the parent club did not.

Buffalo 5 Rochester 6

Buffalo took a 5-4 lead to the ninth but Gregory Infante was terrible - double, walk, single, out, walk, single led to two runs and the loss. Todd Redmond made the start and went five innings with two runs scored off him. Miguel Castro had an interesting sixth inning, his first 11 pitches were balls. His next 14 pitches were strikes, one of which was an RBI double but he escaped that inning with one run allowed. Castro gave up an infield single leading off the seventh and was pulled. That runner later scored.

The Bisons scored all their runs in the sixth with four doubles and two walks. The doubles came from Melky Mesa, Matt Hague, Luke Scott and Sean Ochinko. The Bisons had ten hits.

Trenton 3 New Hampshire 7

A 7 run, bat around, third inning was all the Fisher Cats needed. Ian Parmley got it going with a double, Shane Opitz and Dalton Pompey singled, and then Dwight Smith doubled. Trenton also contributed three errors in the inning. Kevin Nolan and Matt Newman also chipped in with RBI singles. Pompey and Nolan each had two hits

Casey Lawrence pitched seven innings. As usual Lawrence gave up his share of hits, seven in this game, but he was hurt by a couple of errors. Only one of the three runs he allowed was earned. Colt Hynes pitched the last two innings with just one walk, no hits.

Dunedin 6 Daytona 1

Dunedin went down 1-0 in the first but bounced back for the win. Alonzo Gonzalez made the spot start and went four innings. Alberto Tirado relieved and went three innings of one hit ball. Tirado has got back on track this season. He was effectively promoted two levels to start this season and has been striking out a hitter per inning, while giving up less than a hit per inning. His walks are reasonable for a 20 year old in high A. It will be interesting to see if the Jays use him as a starter next year. Arik Sikula pitched well over the last two innings. As Sikula works his way back from injury he could get back to AA before too long.

Four hitters provided the offense for the Jays today. Anthony Alford was 2-3 with 2 walks and 3 runs scored. Christian Lopes had three hits, with a home run, scored two and drove in two. Rowdy Tellez was 2-4 with 2 RBI. Mitch Nay had 3 hits. Nay had a poor first half but has been hitting much better over the last two weeks, including a 3-4 day on Wednesday.

Lansing 1 Great Lakes 0

Reid-Foley took the loss in this game, that would be David Reid-Foley, Sean's brother. The only run came in the seventh, David Harris led off with a single, stole second, was bunted to third and scored on a single by Alex Maldonado. Maldonado was the only Lugnut with a couple of hits.

Justin Shafer was the star of the game, he pitched a three hitter over seven innings. Shafer had a tough time in Dunedin but has dominated the Midwest League. Colton Turner and Carlos Ramirez split the final two innings.

Vancouver 4 Eugene 8

The C's led 1-0 until the 6th but it all came crashing down as the Emeralds rolled a hard eight. Starter Clinton Hollon went 5-plus innings and gave up three runs on four hits and two runs but struck out 9. Michael Kraft gave up the other five runs in two-thirds of an inning but they were all unearned because of a couple of errors. Turner Lee and Bobby Wheatley finished up.

Lane Thomas had two hits and an RBI and Gunnar Heidt drove in a pair with a single. Justin Atkinson singled in his first game back with Vancouver. Carl Wise and James Lynch had the other hits.

Bluefield 4 Danville 7

The pitching let the Jays down. Nick Wells has been very up and down in his results this season. In this game he was down, four runs on six hits in 3.2 innings. Danville tacked on three more runs off two relievers.

Yeltsin Gudino drove in Edwin Fuentes with the first run. Matt Morgan hit a two run home run in the fifth and three Danville errors gave the fourth run to the Jays. The Jays were outhit 12-5.

GCL Jays 4 GCL Pirates 3 - 15 innings - game 1

This was a continuation of a game suspended due to weather two weeks ago. Today's run came in the 15th when Lance Jones led off with a double. He was sacrificed to third and scored on a fielder's choice from Jesus Severino. Ryan Cook and Mike Estevez closed it out.

GCL Jays 3 GCL Pirates 4 - 12 innings - game 2

The starting pitcher was Jose Espada, the Jays 5th round pick in this years draft from a high school in Puerto Rico. This was his third start and he has yet to give up a run. In 8 innings he has 4 hits allowed and 11 K's. Espada was followed by Juan Meza, a 17 year old from Venezuela. Meza has been less successful than Espada and on this day the Pirates scored three runs off him in three innings.

Ryan Hissey got the scoring started with an inside the park home run. Reggie Pruitt got his first hit in the fifth, stole a base and scored. Kalik May added another in that inning to give the Jays a 3-0 lead. After the Pirates tied the score in the sixth, the game remained tied until the 12th inning. Jonathan Torres walked the lead-off hitter who came around to score. Hissey had four hits, Pruitt and May had two each.

DSL Blue Jays 9 DSL White Sox 0

The Jays got some help from the Pale Hose as three wild pitches accounted for three runs. A Francisco Rodriguez sacrifice fly, an Enmanuel Moreta two-run single, a Christian Peguero two-run triple and a Kevin Vicuna RBI single turned this one into a laugher. Norberto Obeso had two hits, a walk, a hit by pitch and a stolen base. Peguero and Vicuna also put two in the hit column.

Guadalupe Chavez whiffed 7 over 5 innings of one-hit ball. Joel Espinal only walked a man and struck out three over three innings. Alvaro Galindo took care of the ninth.

3 Stars

3rd star: Christian Lopes

2nd star: Anthony Alford

1st star: Justin Shafer

Boxes

Posted by Gerry on Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 01:02 AM EDT.

Anthony Alford and Justin Shafer Star in Wins | 32 comments | Create New Account

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.

JB21 - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 01:06 AM EDT (#304700) #

Thanks as always for this Gerry.

FYI, I think you forgot to finish this sentence, "Colton Turner and Carlos Ramirez..."

ayjackson - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 07:30 AM EDT (#304701) #

Further to Mitch Nay, his second half splits are .391/.420/.522 in 12 games. Hopefully he's turned it around.

finch - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 08:49 AM EDT (#304703) #

Dear AA,

Please do not trade the following players in a deal for a stud pitcher:

Anthony Alford
Jeff Hoffman
Daniel Norris
Clinton Hollon
Marcus Stroman
Roberto Osuna
Rowdy Tellez
Richard Urena
Aaron Sanchez

I think we can get Cueto for a packing including, but not all: Max Pentecost, Dewal Lugo, Miguel Castro, Matt Boyd, Drew Hutchison and Dalton Pompey.

JB21 - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 10:04 AM EDT (#304710) #

Those are some pretty big sell low candidates.

Beyonder - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 10:14 AM EDT (#304711) #

Agreed. I'd hate to give up on Pentecost before we've even had a chance to find out what we've got. But he seems to be at the top of everyone's list of disposable assets.

greenfrog - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 10:16 AM EDT (#304712) #

Ken Rosenthal is reporting that due to payroll limitations, the Jays may need to receive cash in addition to any veteran players they acquire this month - which means that the Jays are more likely to have to include elite prospects like Norris and/or Hoffman in the trade. Lots of scouts have reportedly been scouting Jays prospects of late.

hypobole - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 10:31 AM EDT (#304715) #

Gerry mentioned Chris Kings comments on the Sanchez rehab start. Caught some of his interview on the FAN yesterday.

Sanchez was throwing pretty easy 93-95 and was much better in his 2nd inning.

Thomas Robson, who was making his 1st rehab star since his TJ, was snapping off some knee buckling curves.

When asked about unsung Jays who have impressed him in the GCL, the names he mentioned were Jose Espada (5th round pick this year) and Lane Thomas from last year.

As far as this years draft, what the heck is going on with 2nd rounder Brady Singer?

From a month ago - �I�m going to sign with the Blue Jays,� Singer said. �They were one of the first teams to show an interest in me and to come to my house. They knew what my number (dollar figure) was and they hit it by taking me where they did."

Haven't heard a thing since. Only about a week till the deadline, no?

Ryan Day - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 10:36 AM EDT (#304717) #

The Jays made Pentecost expendable when they signed Martin to a 5-year deal. Even if you assume age or injuries will prevent him from being the full-time catcher for the whole deal, there aren't a lot of opportunities for Pentecost in the medium-term future. (Unless you move him off catcher, in which case he loses some value anyway.)

That said, Pentecost's value is probably at a low point, coming off shoulder surgery & having little pro experience. If you gave him some time to establish himself as a top prospect, he might be a bigger trade asset next year.

uglyone - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 10:41 AM EDT (#304718) #

that's a pretty long list, finch. so long that it seems that we could easily afford to trade a name or two from it withoout hurting our system much.

but i'm not sure how hutch and pompey make your tradeable list when they're MUCH better performers than guys on your untouchable list.

Mike Green - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 10:48 AM EDT (#304720) #

I generally don't pay too much attention to trade rumours, but I do find Andrew Cashner's name interesting. He's 3-10 with an ERA of 4.10 in PETCO and coming up to the final year of arbitration. I wonder how much you would need to give up to acquire him.

Lylemcr - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 11:19 AM EDT (#304728) #

We should create a movement for Rogers to sell the Blue Jays. Over and over again, I see teams(in all sports) that are perennial winners and it starts on top with good owners.

Part of the problem, is that I can't stand the company.

As a side note, I really hope we don't trade Alford. The walks he takes is so outstanding. It tells me he really sees the ball well. With his speed, he could be something.

finch - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 11:20 AM EDT (#304729) #

Uglyone, I always go back to when AA first took over and he stated he needs high ceiling arms or the equivalent first division regular. Is Hutchison more established and has had better results? Yes. But, IMO, Hutchison isn't the high ceiling arm that AA has in mind. At best, I believe he is a 3rd or 4th starter. He's young and established, the type of player I would want to move that has perceived value around the league. You might think more of Hutch than me but that's my opinion. I would be quicker to trade Harris than any of the other guys I've mentioned, perhaps in the PTBNL variety a la Trea Turner.

Ryan Day - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 11:22 AM EDT (#304730) #

Make up a list of prospects you absolutely don't want to trade. Then, assume other teams will be asking for those prospects.

dalimon5 - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 11:56 AM EDT (#304735) #

Other teams will be asking for those players IF we're getting a stud pitcher and for more than the stretch run. People look at Addison Russell for Jeff Samardzija, but the A's also got Hammel in the deal. That's a stud pitcher for the stretch run AND the entire next year, plus a solid #2 starter...and the main piece was Addison Russell who was a stud prospect mostly because he played a good shortstop.

Norris and Hoffman are both top 10 caliber prospects. Other GM's won't be expecting to get a Norris//Hoffman for a rental, that's crazy talk. These guys are all around the same perceived value of Syndergaard or Matz or Harvey. For fans they are just prospects, then after a few starts in MLB they are untouchable...GMs and their vast amount of scouts are smarter than most of us. They see someone like Norris as already being very close to value as those Mets pitchers.

I think some of us think Norris is the pitcher we saw in the majors. He is not, he's a top SP prospect, a lefty who throws 96 MPH and has other plus offerings, with comparables to Matt Harvey when he's at his best. You don't trade that for a rental.

Is it because he pitched through bone chips last season with decreased velocity or the fact that he lost command of his fastball this year that has people like Stoeten pushing for his inclusion for a rental?

JB21 - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 12:34 PM EDT (#304745) #

Don't forget the Cubs also got Billy McKinney (and Dan Straily).

greenfrog - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 01:56 PM EDT (#304750) #

One of the best ways to land a useful player without giving up too much prospect talent is to be willing to take on salary (the Yankees did this last July). Unfortunately, the Jays are in the opposite situation: they apparently need the *other* team to take on salary to make a deal happen.

JB21 - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 02:16 PM EDT (#304753) #

The frustrating part is AA said that ownership has his back and is willing to take on salary. His reasoning is that winning helps their brand. That was on Tim & Sid this week (for the record, I don't want those clowns, but I saw highlights of the interview).

whiterasta80 - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 02:20 PM EDT (#304754) #

I disagree on Hutchison, I think he's a #1 or #2. That said he's killing us right now with his 5 inning outings and I think he's going to need a bit of the Halladay treatment before he comes good.

Cashner is very interesting to me as well. Not sure the price, but he'd be a target of mine along with Shark (and Chapman for the bullpen if the Reds decide to move him)

jerjapan - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 02:30 PM EDT (#304755) #

Don't forget that the A's then trade Shark for a nice package - Seimen, Phegley, depth pitcher Bassitt and 1b prospect Rengel. none are top end prospects like the 2 the A's gave up, but still good value.

uglyone - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 03:03 PM EDT (#304758) #

"Make up a list of prospects you absolutely don't want to trade. Then, assume other teams will be asking for those prospects."

well said.

that being said, i don't trade stroman or osuna.

and i only give up one of the other top guys, not two.

ayjackson - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 05:17 PM EDT (#304776) #

I think Latos would be cheaper and just as effective as Shark or Cueto.

greenfrog - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 06:47 PM EDT (#304782) #

By the end of the month, the Jays might end up being more of a seller than a buyer. They have a tough schedule over the next 3-4 weeks and they're starting (emphasis on starting) to fall back in both the divisional race and the WC race. I also wonder if some of their star veterans like Bautista and Reyes are starting to get a bit beat up. I don't see how trading excellent prospects like Norris or Alford for a rental makes much sense if the team is at .500 or worse. It might be better to make moves that, while not precluding a run this year, stay focused on 2016 and beyond (when Stroman will be back and Norris/Pompey/Sanchez/Osuna/Castro/Boyd and others will be better positioned to contribute).

As a side note, the Jays are lucky that in their upcoming seven games against the Royals, KC is going to be without Gordon.

hypobole - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 07:51 PM EDT (#304784) #

Will the Jays become sellers no matter how far back they fall? Attendance and TV ratings will both suffer once the Jays are seen as giving up the season. Will Rogers allow that to happen or would they want AA to do some low cost Happ/Lyon pickup in an attempt to fool the casual fanbase into thinking they're still trying?

PeterG - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 07:55 PM EDT (#304785) #

I do see a good possibility of the Jays falling back in which case it would make absolutely no sense to buy with prospects although a straight up trade of a hitter like EE for a pitcher with at least another year of control might make sense.

I doubt that AA would sell either, unless there is a complete collapse. Good year to be a seller though as Buerhle might bring a good return . I am just thinking out loud here and not advocating selling unless a total collapse.

Even now, with current standings there is a less than 25% chance of winning the AL East.....not worth trading a top prospect for a rental imo. We simply should not deal Norris or Hoffman. 3 of the current starters may not be here next year. Due to the play of Pillar and the emergence of Alford as a top prospect, Pompey may be a guy we can give up....but not for a rental. I think AA may be thinking that way and Dalton is being kept in NH to look good with gaudy numbers.

jerjapan - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 08:45 PM EDT (#304786) #

????????????

this team, this season, is our best chance at contending in 20 years and you guys are talking about selling?

yeeesh.

hypobole - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 08:53 PM EDT (#304787) #

A .500 ball club is our best chance at contending in 20 years.

That cheers me up.

greenfrog - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 09:44 PM EDT (#304790) #

It remains to be seen what happens this year, but the Jays also had a pretty good chance of making the playoffs last year. The team was in first place by six games on June 6, still had sole possession of first place on July 2, and was only 1.5 GB on July 31 (remember how upset the players were at the front office's inactivity at the trade deadline?).

The 2008 team (rotation of Doc, Burnett, Marcum, McGowan and Litsch) was pretty good, too (Pyth record of 93-69).

I'm not advocating throwing in the towel. I'm just saying that the team could end up as a seller in a few weeks (or as a team that theoretically could be a seller - doubt it actually happens).

These days I'm more inclined towards a patient approach that focuses on strategic moves that don't require gutting the farm, unless the Jays can get the equivalent of someone like Donaldson for the rotation (Chris Sale, maybe?). The Jays have a good roster and a promising farm system. Maybe we don't need to force another trade of the Mets/Marlins magnitude right now.

PeterG - Thursday, July 09 2015 @ 09:59 PM EDT (#304791) #

We are now in a 5 team race and a little short of the middle.....so elementary math suggests that there is only a 20% chance of winning AL East. If the chance of winning falls further, it would be foolish to trade any high end prospects for rentals. Some are being fooled by seeing the GBL. There are now 5 teams in the race, Only one can win. Too soon to make a call imo. And we are more than one player away... again imo.

jerjapan - Friday, July 10 2015 @ 08:31 AM EDT (#304796) #

well, baseball prospectus has our playoff odds at 37% - with the wildcard and relative parity of the league, lots of teams are still in it. Pythagoras likes us, the offense is smoking, the D is improved and the pen has solidified lately, while injured players and demoted rookies should start contributing soon. any of saunders, sanchez, norris, castro and pompey could be contributing by the end of the month, and we can still cross our fingers on stroman.

really, an ace rental is exactly the sort of move that could push us over the top. i frankly feel our odds are even better than 37%, and I'm no optimist.

the players certainly were disappointed last year by the lack of a deadline deal. not that that should be the driving force, but both the players and the fanbase could use some reasons for optimism.

bpoz - Friday, July 10 2015 @ 09:10 AM EDT (#304797) #

Everyone's standards are different, which is to be expected. Bauxites are then voicing opinions based on these standards/beliefs.

How about this... Imagine that you got your trade at last years July 31 deadline. You can pick one of A Miller or D Betances. Now give up a similar package as the Miller trade. Name your players. Remember that it may take 3 years for a prospect to pay off. Also Miller was a rental so consider Betances to also be a rental. FA at the end of the year.

For those that can do it, analyse the outcome game by game and produce your W/L record. I do not have the ability to perform this task.

But my attempt in general would be... C Janssen was the main problem due to his bout of food poisoning. If you replace him immediately after the trade as the closer you should win some games that he could not save. Janssen was replaced as closer by Sanchez who did very well, but maybe not as well as your chosen closer, based on your opinion.

Your record would indicate if you made the playoffs or not and where.

Mike Green - Friday, July 10 2015 @ 09:34 AM EDT (#304798) #

John Sickels had a piece yesterday on Rowdy Tellez with an informative spray chart.

scottt - Thursday, July 23 2015 @ 06:32 PM EDT (#305735) #

Really, an ace rental is exactly the sort of move that could push us over the top. i frankly feel our odds are even better than 37%, and I'm no optimist.

Doesn't winning a series on the road and falling back one game put those odds in perspectives?

Anthony Alford and Justin Shafer Star in Wins | 32 comments | Create New Account

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.