A dominant doubleheader sweep and two great season debuts were the highlights of a 4-1 Monday night on the farm.
Durham 5 Buffalo 0
Buffalo, NY - John Anderson's (0-1, 7.50) Triple-A debut started with a triple to the first batter he faced and it didn't get much better from there. He was annihilated for three doubles, two triples and a J.P. Arencibia home run among the 10 hits he allowed to the Rays affiliate. It resulted in five runs allowed over six innings in which he compiled a 2-1 K/BB total. Ben Rowen pitched two-hit ball and struck out two over two innings. Dustin Antolin walked one and plunked one in a shutout ninth.
The Bisons mustered just three hits on doubles by Jesus Montero and Junior Lake and a single by Alexi Casilla. Dalton Pompey was 0-for-4 and A.J. Jimenez was 0-for-3.
Dunedin 4 Charlotte 1
Port Charlotte, FL - Two swings of the bat helped Dunedin upend the Rays affiliate. A three-run home run by Ryan McBroom in the seventh was the difference in this one. His ninth dinger of the year scored a Gunnar Heidt double, his first hit as a D-Jay, and a Richard Urena walk. Emilio Guerrero got Dunedin on the board with his fourth homer of 2016. McBroom, Urena, Guerrero and D.J. Davis all had two-hit nights with McBroom and Urena also drawing walks. D.J. Davis stole two bases while J.D. Davis had a single and swipe.
Conner Greene (3-4, 2.97) sat down the first eight hitters in a row and only an error by D.J. Davis in center field prevented a perfect first three innings. Greene ran into trouble in the fourth when he gave up a double and a run-scoring triple but he limited the damage to that single run by stranding two runners in scoring position. He stranded a walk in the fifth and a single in the sixth to allow just one run on three hits and a walk over six frames. Greene rung up six batters and totaled seven groundball outs. Tim Mayza gave up just one hit and struck out one in two shutout innings. Carlos Ramirez also struck out one in a perfect ninth to get his seventh save.
Lansing 4 Great Lakes 1 (Game 1 - 7 Innings)
Lansing, MI - Markham, Ontario's Jordan Romano (1-0, 1.29) was outstanding in his 2016 debut. He retired the first 10 hitters and the last 10 hitters he faced to toss a complete-game two hitter against the Dodgers affiliate. The lone hiccups came in the fourth on a bunt single and a home run but that homer was only a solo shot after Ryan Hissey threw out a runner trying to steal second. Romano's strikeout and groundball totals were seven apiece to help him compile a Game Score of 76.
The Lugnuts scored runs in their last three at-bats to pull away from the Loons. The tie-breaking run came in the fourth when Juan Kelly singled, advanced to second on a John La Prise walk, got to third on an error and then scored on a Connor Panas sacrifice fly. Kelly drove in the insurance run in the fifth with a single to score a walk and stolen base by Andrew Guillotte. J.C. Cardenas' RBI single to score La Prise after he was hit by a pitch in the sixth. It was La Prise who scored the first Lansing run after his double was driven in by a Josh Almonte base hit. La Prise was 1-for-1 in his 2016 debut and reached base on a walk and HBP. Almonte was on twice by adding a walk. Hissey and Jake Thomas had the other Lugnut hits.
Lansing 11 Great Lakes 1 (Game 2 - 7 Innings)
Lansing, MI - The Loons scored the first run of the game but the Lugnuts scored in five of their six at-bats to complete the doubleheader sweep. Lansing scored a run in each of the first three innings with the highlights being a Jake Thomas RBI single and a Juan Kelly home run. They put the game well out of reach with four-run innings in the fifth and sixth. Connor Panas connected for a three-run homer and Thomas added another RBI base hit. Panas opened up the scoring in the sixth with a bases-loaded walk. Austin Davis singled in another run and Thomas lifted a sac fly. Thomas and Kelly contributed more than half of Lansing's 11 hits with three apiece. Davis had a two-hit night and John La Prise recorded another 1-for-1 performance with a single and three walks.
Jon Harris (5-1, 2.30) conceded just one run on two hits and three walks over five-plus frames. He rung up seven batters to put up a Game Score of 63. Ryan Cook stranded two inherited runners and struck out four over two scoreless frames in which he issued just one press.
DSL Blue Jays 5 DSL Reds 4
Boca Chica, DR - The bat and arm of Andres Guerra helped the Blue Jays knock off the Reds and improve to 5-3 on the season. Guerra - pinch-hitting for Jonelvy Molina - knocked home a McGregory Contreras single and Yorman Rodriguez hit by pitch to start a four-run rally in the sixth. The other two runs came on a passed ball that scored a Yorgheny Kelly base on balls and a wild pitch that plated Guerra. The Jays started the game with three singles as Anderson Green's leadoff knock and stolen base were moved the other 180 feet by Jesus Navarro and Contreras.
Elio Silva surrendered two runs on eight hits over four innings but struck out four with zero walks. He also recorded five outs on the ground. Meliton Reyes (2-0) was the winning pitcher despite being ripped for two runs on three hits and a walk. Jesus Colman earned his first save of the year with 2-1/3 shutout innings, stranding a runner and overcoming two walks with two whiffs. Colman's walks came in the ninth but his batterymate Guerra threw out a runner trying to steal third before Colman's game-ending strikeout.
Monday's Linescores
*** 3 Stars!!! ***
3. John La Prise, Lansing
2. Conner Greene, Dunedin
1. Jordan Romano, Lansing
Tuesday's Schedule / Probable Starters
DSL White Sox @ DSL Blue Jays, 10:30 am ET - TBA
Dunedin @ Charlotte, 6:35 pm ET - TBA
Durham @ Buffalo, 7:05 pm ET - Wade LeBlanc (6-2, 1.67)
New Hampshire @ Altoona, 7:05 pm ET - Casey Lawrence (2-4, 5.44)
Great Lakes @ Lansing, 7:05 pm ET - Angel Perdomo (2-1, 1.66)
Extra Innings...
Durham 5 Buffalo 0
Buffalo, NY - John Anderson's (0-1, 7.50) Triple-A debut started with a triple to the first batter he faced and it didn't get much better from there. He was annihilated for three doubles, two triples and a J.P. Arencibia home run among the 10 hits he allowed to the Rays affiliate. It resulted in five runs allowed over six innings in which he compiled a 2-1 K/BB total. Ben Rowen pitched two-hit ball and struck out two over two innings. Dustin Antolin walked one and plunked one in a shutout ninth.
The Bisons mustered just three hits on doubles by Jesus Montero and Junior Lake and a single by Alexi Casilla. Dalton Pompey was 0-for-4 and A.J. Jimenez was 0-for-3.
Dunedin 4 Charlotte 1
Port Charlotte, FL - Two swings of the bat helped Dunedin upend the Rays affiliate. A three-run home run by Ryan McBroom in the seventh was the difference in this one. His ninth dinger of the year scored a Gunnar Heidt double, his first hit as a D-Jay, and a Richard Urena walk. Emilio Guerrero got Dunedin on the board with his fourth homer of 2016. McBroom, Urena, Guerrero and D.J. Davis all had two-hit nights with McBroom and Urena also drawing walks. D.J. Davis stole two bases while J.D. Davis had a single and swipe.Conner Greene (3-4, 2.97) sat down the first eight hitters in a row and only an error by D.J. Davis in center field prevented a perfect first three innings. Greene ran into trouble in the fourth when he gave up a double and a run-scoring triple but he limited the damage to that single run by stranding two runners in scoring position. He stranded a walk in the fifth and a single in the sixth to allow just one run on three hits and a walk over six frames. Greene rung up six batters and totaled seven groundball outs. Tim Mayza gave up just one hit and struck out one in two shutout innings. Carlos Ramirez also struck out one in a perfect ninth to get his seventh save.
Lansing 4 Great Lakes 1 (Game 1 - 7 Innings)
Lansing, MI - Markham, Ontario's Jordan Romano (1-0, 1.29) was outstanding in his 2016 debut. He retired the first 10 hitters and the last 10 hitters he faced to toss a complete-game two hitter against the Dodgers affiliate. The lone hiccups came in the fourth on a bunt single and a home run but that homer was only a solo shot after Ryan Hissey threw out a runner trying to steal second. Romano's strikeout and groundball totals were seven apiece to help him compile a Game Score of 76.The Lugnuts scored runs in their last three at-bats to pull away from the Loons. The tie-breaking run came in the fourth when Juan Kelly singled, advanced to second on a John La Prise walk, got to third on an error and then scored on a Connor Panas sacrifice fly. Kelly drove in the insurance run in the fifth with a single to score a walk and stolen base by Andrew Guillotte. J.C. Cardenas' RBI single to score La Prise after he was hit by a pitch in the sixth. It was La Prise who scored the first Lansing run after his double was driven in by a Josh Almonte base hit. La Prise was 1-for-1 in his 2016 debut and reached base on a walk and HBP. Almonte was on twice by adding a walk. Hissey and Jake Thomas had the other Lugnut hits.
Lansing 11 Great Lakes 1 (Game 2 - 7 Innings)
Lansing, MI - The Loons scored the first run of the game but the Lugnuts scored in five of their six at-bats to complete the doubleheader sweep. Lansing scored a run in each of the first three innings with the highlights being a Jake Thomas RBI single and a Juan Kelly home run. They put the game well out of reach with four-run innings in the fifth and sixth. Connor Panas connected for a three-run homer and Thomas added another RBI base hit. Panas opened up the scoring in the sixth with a bases-loaded walk. Austin Davis singled in another run and Thomas lifted a sac fly. Thomas and Kelly contributed more than half of Lansing's 11 hits with three apiece. Davis had a two-hit night and John La Prise recorded another 1-for-1 performance with a single and three walks.Jon Harris (5-1, 2.30) conceded just one run on two hits and three walks over five-plus frames. He rung up seven batters to put up a Game Score of 63. Ryan Cook stranded two inherited runners and struck out four over two scoreless frames in which he issued just one press.
DSL Blue Jays 5 DSL Reds 4
Boca Chica, DR - The bat and arm of Andres Guerra helped the Blue Jays knock off the Reds and improve to 5-3 on the season. Guerra - pinch-hitting for Jonelvy Molina - knocked home a McGregory Contreras single and Yorman Rodriguez hit by pitch to start a four-run rally in the sixth. The other two runs came on a passed ball that scored a Yorgheny Kelly base on balls and a wild pitch that plated Guerra. The Jays started the game with three singles as Anderson Green's leadoff knock and stolen base were moved the other 180 feet by Jesus Navarro and Contreras. Elio Silva surrendered two runs on eight hits over four innings but struck out four with zero walks. He also recorded five outs on the ground. Meliton Reyes (2-0) was the winning pitcher despite being ripped for two runs on three hits and a walk. Jesus Colman earned his first save of the year with 2-1/3 shutout innings, stranding a runner and overcoming two walks with two whiffs. Colman's walks came in the ninth but his batterymate Guerra threw out a runner trying to steal third before Colman's game-ending strikeout.
Monday's Linescores
*** 3 Stars!!! ***
3. John La Prise, Lansing
2. Conner Greene, Dunedin
1. Jordan Romano, Lansing
Tuesday's Schedule / Probable Starters
DSL White Sox @ DSL Blue Jays, 10:30 am ET - TBA
Dunedin @ Charlotte, 6:35 pm ET - TBA
Durham @ Buffalo, 7:05 pm ET - Wade LeBlanc (6-2, 1.67)
New Hampshire @ Altoona, 7:05 pm ET - Casey Lawrence (2-4, 5.44)
Great Lakes @ Lansing, 7:05 pm ET - Angel Perdomo (2-1, 1.66)
Extra Innings...
- Time Warner Cable Buffalo airs a piece on the Keep Brady Suspended promotion held by the Bisons this weekend
- The New Hampshire Union Leader says the city of Manchester has approved ballpark upgrades for the Fisher Cats stadium, including a new playing surface
- Sportsnet has a feature on Jon Harris
- The Bluefield Daily Telegraph says the Blue Jays promotions schedule has a Gilligan's Island theme to it
And finally...
Your Random Blast From The Past Blue Jays minor leaguer.
