Batter's Box Interactive Magazine

Maximo Castillo pitched six excellent innings and Jordan Groshans doubled twice in New Hampshire's win. Kevin Smith and Tyler White hit back to back jacks in the eighth to get Buffalo the sweep. Vancouver and Dunedin's pitchers were hit around for two losses.

Syracuse 2 Buffalo 3

Reading 1 New Hampshire 3

Everett 10 Vancouver 1

Lakeland 17 Dunedin 5

This is what I noted from yesterday's games.

Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth, Kevin Smith hit his 18th home run of the season to tie the game, and then Tyler White hit his eighth to give Buffalo the lead. Buffalo swept the six game series against Syracuse.

Bowden Francis made his second start of the week against Syracuse, always a tough ask. He went 5.2 innings and was charged with two runs on four hits. Tyler Chatwood loaded the bases in the seventh with a single and two walks but got a double play ball to escape. Jacob Waguespack, who has been the Bisons best starter, pitched the last two innings for the win. The Bisons must be running short of pitchers with the promotions and waiver losses.

New Hampshire scored three runs in the first inning and that was enough. Austin Martin walked, Otto Lopez singled, LJ Talley singled in a run, Jordan Groshans doubled in another, and Samad Taylor singled in the third. New Hampshire had just three more hits the rest of the way. Groshans finished with two doubles, Lopez with two singles.

Maximo Castillo went six innings with just one run allowed on three hits.

Everett put up a seven spot in the fourth. Paxton Schultz gave up all seven and they were all unearned thanks to an error.

Ryan Gold scored the only C's run. He doubled and tripled.

Dunedin's pitchers were taken to the woodshed, 17 runs allowed on 17 hits. Throw in 7 walks for good measure.

Dasan Brown homered, his second of the season. Miguel Hiraldo had an RBI triple. Orelvis is slumping, 0-4 with two strikeouts and his average is under .300.

Three Stars

Third Star - Jordan Groshans

Second Star - Tyler White

First Star - Maximo Castillo

Boxes

Posted by Gerry on Sunday, July 25 2021 @ 08:04 PM EDT.

Maximo Effort | 12 comments | Create New Account

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John Northey - Sunday, July 25 2021 @ 08:50 PM EDT (#403409) #

Smith now up to 290/383/598 - if it wasn't for the backlog in the infield (and outfield) he'd have a callup this year I'd suspect, but instead has to push those stats further (ideally to 300/400/600 magic numbers) to try to force the issue when 3B or 2B is opened up a crack in 2022 (assuming Semien is gone via free agency), or to hope the Jays trade Biggio for pitching so the super-utility slot is opened up.

Gotta figure Chatwood is near the end here in Toronto with his continuing to be a walk machine.

bpoz - Monday, July 26 2021 @ 07:59 AM EDT (#403414) #

K Smith is doing V well this year. Ranked #26 on our prospect list. Probably going up the list. For tools the evaluation is 60 arm. Hit 40 but he seems better. Run and power both 50 but has pretty good power and steals bases well. Could develop into a 20hr/20sb player, he did that in 2018 and may do that this year. Defense 55.

If he comes up then he should play as a regular to see what he has got. But do contenders do that? Maybe he can handle 3B and OF.

hypobole - Monday, July 26 2021 @ 09:04 AM EDT (#403417) #

The Astros are a much reviled organization as everyone knows. On the other hand the Angels elicit a lot of sympathy because they have had the best player for years and can't get into the playoffs.

But here are 2 stories of the way they treat their minor league players.

Houston first.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/31433955/houston-astros-provide-furnished-housing-minor-league-players

Now the Angels.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/31870740/some-players-say-los-angeles-angels-failing-treatment-minor-league-level-gm-vows-address-it

92-93 - Monday, July 26 2021 @ 10:10 AM EDT (#403420) #

Good piece on how the Jays found Kirk for $30,000.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/longform/never-know-whos-looking-blue-jays-found-alejandro-kirk/

Mike Green - Monday, July 26 2021 @ 10:34 AM EDT (#403422) #

Thanks, 92-93. That is a good story.

Didn't Barnes effectively replace Payamps in the bullpen? I know the club wasn't keen on using Payamps in high leverage situations, but I'd rather him out there than Barnes. Experience can be overrated.

bpoz - Monday, July 26 2021 @ 11:05 AM EDT (#403423) #

Very nice story. I rechecked Kirks transactions record. I don't know how accurate it is but he was signed as a RHP Sept 2016. Did not play in 2017 due to injury. 2018 was DHing if I remember correctly at Bluefield until injuries gave him a chance to catch. Don't know how well he caught but he kept on hitting well.

ramone - Monday, July 26 2021 @ 11:16 AM EDT (#403424) #

Baseball America's new top 100 just came out. 7 Jays in the top 100:
12. Moreno, 13. Manoah, 21. Martin, 55. Pearson, 58. Orelvis, 83. Groshans, 85. Kirk

SK in NJ - Monday, July 26 2021 @ 11:26 AM EDT (#403425) #

What the Jays end up doing with Kevin Smith will be interesting to see. Do they use him in a trade for controllable pitching or do they like him enough to use him as a big league starter/utility player? If his defense can stick at short then he's a decent lottery ticket for a rebuilding team, but if the Jays feel his bat is for real, then having him in a utility type of role where he covers 2B/SS/3B would have value as well. They will have to make a decision on him at some point since he's Rule 5 eligible. If the team didn't care about optics (they do, too much) then trading Semien and putting Smith/Espinal at 3B for the rest of season would be one way to go, but that would be conceding the rest of the year, which they won't do even if it might make sense to do so at this point.

uglyone - Monday, July 26 2021 @ 12:11 PM EDT (#403429) #

BA's new top 100 prospects just dropped, Jays (7 Jays on the top 100!): 12. Moreno, 13. Manoah, 21. Martin, 55. Pearson, 58. Orelvis, 83. Groshans, 85. Kirk
— Clint (@_ClintB_) July 26, 2021

1. Kirk is a catcher with a 139wrc+ so far in MLB, 141 in AAA, 153in A+, is younger than Manoah and Pearson and the same age as Martin. 2. Jays could trade two great prospects and still have one of the best systems in baseball.

hypobole - Monday, July 26 2021 @ 02:23 PM EDT (#403434) #

Interesting story on Kirk. Shi wrote something similar last year and Atkins also told the story to Dave Laurila at Fangraphs. But I enjoyed the fact this piece went in depth on Decillis, who I'd never heard of beyond the Kirk discovery.

One thing Shi pointed out about the the $30,000 bonus. His team kept $22,500. Kirk's share was only $7,500.

Gerry - Monday, July 26 2021 @ 02:40 PM EDT (#403435) #

I discussed the FCL Jays hitters a few days ago. They racked up 17 more hits today. Catcher JJ D'Orazio went 4-4. Amell Brazoban had two doubles and a triple.

Spifficus - Tuesday, July 27 2021 @ 07:46 PM EDT (#403549) #

For those with milb.tv who forgot (myself included), Dunedin has a game on tonight. I'm putting it on from the start, and so far the video looks really damned crisp.

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