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It is tough to win a double header at the best of times but Dunedin had to win one to win the Co-Championship of the FSL. They did indeed sweep the doubleheader for their first championship in team history. In game one Vlad Jr and Cavaan Biggio carried the load. In game two Bo and Vladdy were hitless but Connor Panas hit two home runs. The pitching was excellent in both games.

Vancouver won game one of their series. Again pitching dominated with each team having just six hits. Nate Pearson dominated early before fading a little in the fourth. The C's used three other pitchers to get home. The game was scoreless until the eighth when Logan Warmoth hit a two run home run, that was the difference in a 2-1 game.



Dunedin had lost game one on Tuesday so their proverbial backs were against the wall in this best of three series. They took care of business 4-1 in game one. Cavan Biggio singled in the fourth inning to drive in two runs. He came to the plate again in the seventh and homered to give the Jays a 3-0 lead. Tampa hit a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh but Vlad Jr answered that with a home run in the top of the eighth. The Jays had five hits, Biggio was 2-3 with a walk and Vlad Jr was 3-4. The other seven hitters were hitless.

Jordan Romano started, pitched 6.2 innings, and unusually for him had zero strikeouts. The only blemish was the solo home run. He gave up five hits and walked one. Kirby Snead took it the rest of the way getting the last seven outs.


The Jays did not have many hits in game two, they had four through eight innings before "exploding" for three hits in the ninth. Connor Panas homered in the second to give Dunedin a 1-0 lead and he homered again in the seventh to tie the game.

TJ Zeuch started and pitched four innings as he is still working his way back from injury. He did allow one run but it was unearned after a two base error by Bo Bichette. He was followed by Conor Fisk. Fisk gave up a solo home run in his first inning.

The game was tied headed to the ninth. The Jays had just escaped a bases loaded jam. Juan Kelly walked with one out. With two outs, Edward Olivares singled, then Jake Thomads also singled to drive in the go ahead run. DJ Davis then doubled in both runners to make it a 5-2 game. Zach Jackson had recorded two outs in the eighth. He continued in the ninth and did allow a run on two hits but closed it out for the win.

With the impending hurricane the Jays were declared the co-champions of the FSL. This has happened before as hurricanes in Florida in September are not unusual. In the final game, the clinching game, Bo and Vladdy were hitless although they both walked. Panas had his two hits while Olivares and DJ Davis also had two hits each.


The Vancouver game is summarized in the comments below. Pearson dominated early, both teams had chances to score but failed until the eighth when Warmoth went deep. Zach Logue starts in game two today.


Shi Davidi has a farm report up. He talks with various front office personnel. Vince Horsman thinks Ryan Borucki is ready for the major leagues. Among the pitchers in AA he thinks Sean Reid-Foley has made excellent progress.

We are the (Co) Champions Of the World | 17 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
bpoz - Wednesday, September 06 2017 @ 10:27 PM EDT (#348373) #
Thanks Gerry. Too late to celebrate with a beer.
eldarion - Wednesday, September 06 2017 @ 10:47 PM EDT (#348375) #
Congratulations to Dunedin!

In other news, Pearson has struck out the first six batters he's faced in the opening game for Vancouver in the playoffs. Is anyone watching this game? I'd love to hear whether he looks as dominant as he sounds.
Gerry - Wednesday, September 06 2017 @ 10:57 PM EDT (#348376) #
Nine K's through 3 innings.
eldarion - Wednesday, September 06 2017 @ 11:15 PM EDT (#348377) #
I see that Chavez Young was also promoted to Vancouver for its playoffs. That has to be nice for him; he had a solid, if unspectacular, season for Bluefield.
Gerry - Wednesday, September 06 2017 @ 11:16 PM EDT (#348378) #
Pearson gets an out via a line drive after ten strikeouts. That seems to unnerve him, he throws 12 straight balls to load the bases on walks.

I thought Pearson would be pulled but the manager left him in and his faith was rewarded, the hitter grounded out to end the inning.
dan gordon - Thursday, September 07 2017 @ 12:59 AM EDT (#348380) #
Pearson's final line was 4 IP, 1 H, 4 BB, 10 K, 0 ER. Brayden Bouchey pitched a clean inning with 2 K's, then Travis Bergen was great, with 3 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 3 K's. Tied 0-0 in the 8th inning, Logan Warmoth hit a 2-run HR to put Van in the lead. Closer William Ouellette, who had an excellent season, came in for the save in the bottom of the 9th, and surrendered a run on 3 hits, but managed to get the final out for the 2-1 win.
jerjapan - Thursday, September 07 2017 @ 12:18 PM EDT (#348404) #
Bergen continues to intrigue me.  His numbers are excellent, but the injury struggles have badly delayed his development.  I could see him moving quickly through the org as a lefty reliever if he stays healthy.  Has anyone seen him play, or otherwise have thoughts on the kid?
Gerry - Friday, September 08 2017 @ 09:03 AM EDT (#348460) #
Congratulations to the Van C's who won 2-1 and are off to the championship final against Eugene.
Mike Green - Friday, September 08 2017 @ 10:47 AM EDT (#348474) #
Baseball America named Vladimir Guerrero Jr,  Bo Bichette and Danny Jansen (over Francisco Mejia!) first team minor league All-Stars.    Fringe Five candidate no longer!
uglyone - Friday, September 08 2017 @ 11:07 AM EDT (#348479) #
Nice.

Here are the best total milb wrc+ this year across all full season levels:

1.B.Bichette (19): 181
2.J.Rodriguez (27): 169
3.R.Hoskins (24): 166
4.N.Senzel (22): 164
5.A.Hays (21): 164
6.V.Guerrero (18): 162
7.J.Barfield (28): 161
8.O.Arcia (26): 161
9.R.McMahon (22): 157
10.P.Alonso (22): 156
11.R.Acuna (19): 155
12.H.Owen (23): 155
13.D.Kelly (22): 153
14.B.Cumberland (22): 152
15.B.Lowe (22): 152
16.E.Haase (24): 152
17.C.Benedetti (22): 151
18.B.Rodgers (20): 151
19.D.Jansen (22): 150
20.J.Luplow (23): 150
Hodgie - Friday, September 08 2017 @ 01:25 PM EDT (#348498) #
Not only is it nice to see 3 baby Jays on the first-team, but for two of them to finish their respective seasons with more walks than strikeouts. Given the strikeout scourge plaguing the game today, the accomplishment is even more impressive in my opinion.
Gerry - Sunday, September 10 2017 @ 08:31 AM EDT (#348558) #
Vancouver win game one of their series 7-5. They outhit Eugene 12-3 and Eugene made 4 errors.
85bluejay - Sunday, September 10 2017 @ 11:45 AM EDT (#348561) #
Baseball America named Ronald Acuna their POY - Vlad seems to have the better bat but Acuna's speed and defense may make him the better all round player.Will be fun to watch their development.
ISLAND BOY - Sunday, September 10 2017 @ 12:12 PM EDT (#348562) #
Vlad Jr. is over a year younger. He'll be number 1 next year !
PeterG - Monday, September 11 2017 @ 01:33 PM EDT (#348607) #
JGS speaking on the last Around the Nest podcast was impressed with the GCL players that played for Lansing against Michigan State. He took particular note of Otto Lopez, Davis Schneider and Luis De Los Santos. Lopez apparently can play all positions though is best are 2b and CF.
bpoz - Thursday, October 12 2017 @ 10:59 AM EDT (#350043) #
The AFL has started. Anyone interested. So far nothing much has happened.
hypobole - Thursday, October 12 2017 @ 07:14 PM EDT (#350067) #
thanks for the heads-up bpoz. Peoria is stacked - probably the favourite to win it all.

Gurriel pinch ran in the 3rd and played SS. Had a couple of PA's including an RBI double. Andrew Case got the save.
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