Three affiliates gave up runs in the ninth inning.  For Las Vegas and Bluefield it lost them the game, for Lansing it extended the game until the tenth where they lost.  Dunedin had their game go to twelve innings and they won.  New Hampshire also had a nice win.  Vancouver and the GCL Jays lost.  With so many losses there were few standout performances.  Jon Talley led Dunedin, Jorge Vega-Rosado keyed the Bluefield comeback that was in vain and Nick Baligod looked like he had driven in the winning run for Lansing before the melt-down.

Among the more notable players, Roberto Osuna pitched reasonably well.  Marcus Stroman's first pitch was "outahere".  Anthony DeSclafani pitched well for Lansing.

Even though two affiliates had the night off, two other clubs made up for it by having doubleheaders.  The highlight of a 4-4 Monday was the continued dominance of a Vancouver hurler, who continues to make Northwest League hitters more nervous than Josh Brolin.

Vancouver came out on the winning end of an impressive pitching performance by both teams and scored four runs in the 11th inning to win 4-0. Taylor Cole started that game and lowered his ERA to 0.26 in seven starts.

The affiliates went 4-2 on an extremely boring night on the farm.

While the 51s seemed to be reeling from the loss of talent promoted to Toronto, they nonetheless showed they could win with what they had left on Friday night.  And with Adeiny Hechavarria getting the call to Toronto, the 51s seem to be ready to keep the offence going with Mike McDade who brings a big bat to the plate and a great glove to first base.  Time will tell if they can stay close to Sacramento in their division race in the Pacific Coast League.  Let’s not slash our wrists just yet.

It was a 3-5 Thursday on the farm, featuring nearly two games for the price of one and the Canadian soil debut of a Mexican youngster.

To me this season doesn't feel like a great season for the Jays minor league system.  I have been trying to think about it, to make sense of this feeling of mine.  Dunedin and Lansing won their first half titles.  Las Vegas are challenging for the title of their league, something a Jays AAA team hasn't done for a long time.  The system has promoted several players to the major leagues this year.  2011 prospects and near-prospects such as Drew Hutchison, Anthony Gose, Moises Sierra, Yan Gomes, Aaron Loup and Sam Dyson have been called up.  These players have obviously improved enough to be promoted.  So is it a good year or a bad year for the minor leagues?

I think I know the answer.

...and call it one.

the most remarkable thing to happen on Thursday was that New Hampshire fans - those who endured - got a whole 'nother ball game for free.

It was a 4-3 night on the farm even though no affiliate could get more than seven hits. Two of the affiliates who won were outhit by their opponents and one had the same number of hits.  It was timely hitting that won games for the affiliates.  New Hampshire won 3-2, Ryan Goins scored two and drove in a third run.  For Bluefield Seth Conner drove in four runs with two of the Jays six hits.  Kevin Ahrens hit a three run home run for Dunedin.

Pitching also was key in the wins, Ryan Tepera, Marcus Walden, Taylor Cole and Kevin Comer all pitched well.  Cole was the best with six shutout innings.  Cole was followed by Marcus Stroman who pitched two perfect innings.  For the losing teams Noah Syndergaard was hit around a bit, while Bill Murphy and Jairo Labourt had forgettable days.

Monday night was a saw-off for the affiliates as they split their six games down the middle.

The good Chad Jenkins made a rare appearance in New Hampshire. The bullpens struggled in both Las Vegas and Vancouver, which lead to late-game meltdowns totalling 16 runs in four innings.

Five wins in eight tries for the affiliates. Deck McGuire threw seven shutout innings and didn't have a prayer at the first star.

The affiliates managed to win six out of nine Friday night.  With any luck, it could have been eight out of nine but one slipped away in the late going and the offence was mosty absent during a doubleheader sweep.

Editor's Note - The original thread linked the wrong Dunedin game.  It has been corrected.

In three of Thursday's six games, the Jays affiliate scored but a single run, and in one of those three that was all they would need.

Lansing lost a wild game and Las Vegas lost a blowout but the other affiliates won with some strong performances at the plate for New Hampshire and Lansing.