It was a 2-2 night for the affiliates as the Lugnuts and D-Jays put one in the win column.

A week after complaining that the affiliates never play well on Mondays, and threatening to fact-check that claim, the affiliates threw a wrench in my plans by going 3-0. The evening featured excellent starting pitching at all 3 levels, and one player went 5-5 with a home run. Who was it? Guess you'll just have to click through!

I was in Lansing over the weekend and I saw two games, both Lansing wins.  I had the opportunity to talk with the Lansing manager, Clayton McCullough, the Jays roving pitching instructor, Dane Johnson, the Jays roving hitting instructor, Chad Mottola, and another roving instructor, Mel Queen, as well as several players.  Look for these interviews on Batters Box over the next week or so.  We will start with what I saw in the two games I attended.  Here is a quick scouting report as well as some comments on the Dunedin Jays from a scout I was talking to.

A fairly uneventful day on the farm as the affiliates went just 1-3.  Highlights included a couple of strong starting performances and some big power from the usual suspects in New Hampshire.

Only one win, by Lansing, in a come from behind victory.  Dunedin and New Hampshire were blown out even though New Hampshire hitters had four home runs and Jesus Gonzalez hit a grand slam.  Several good starters had bad days, Marc Rzepczynski, Chuck Huggins and Henderson Alvarez each struggled.  Las Vegas lost in extra innings when Davis Romero ran out of gas.  Brett Cecil started.

It was a rather uninspiring night on the farm with the late Las Vegas result still pending. The other three clubs went 1-2. UPDATE: Am I ever glad I didn't wait up... Las Vegas lost in 16 innings.

Mistakes in the field, struggles with runners in scoring position and mediocre starting pitching all led to losses in the minors as the affiliates won one of five games. Brad Mills’s rough start to the year continued, as he remains winless, although on the positive side Travis Snider went 2 for 4. The Fisher Cats had a rough day in the field and Dunedin could muster little offence. Top first base prospects helped do the affiliates in, as Lars Anderson was 3-5 and Eric Hosmer was 2-4 with a pair of doubles in the first game of Lansing’s doubleheader.

Sorry, folks;  Life and work got in the way of a full minor league recap.  Here's an abbreviated look at Wednesday which was actually a good night.  3 games, 3 wins, all in the final at-bat.  Too bad the big club blew it.

Three affiliates managed five runs in their three losses.  The other scored ten and won in a 1-3 night on the farm.

And so do Jays' affiliates, apparently. Sometime I need to compile their collective record on Mondays. I don't expect it to be good. Though considering how the affiliates have been doing, the other days of the week probably aren't much better.

Las Vegas scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth to win their game.  Tim Collins gave up a solo home run in the ninth inning of a tied game and took the loss for Dunedin.  New Hampshire had a man thrown out at the plate in the bottom of the ninth and lost by a run.  

Things started off well at the top with Las Vegas creaming Oklahoma, but the other affiliates dropped the ball and went 0-for-3.

There was a lot of late inning scoring in the three games on Thursday.  Adam Calderone hit a grand slam in the eighth for New Hampshire to give them a two run lead but the bullpen gave up eight runs in the eighth.  Las Vegas fought back to tie a game they had been behind in all night but Bill Murphy and his defense blew it in the ninth.  The bright spot was Lansing whose bullpen has been somewhat unreliable early in the season.  The Lugnuts led 6-2 but the bullpen coughed up three runs in the eighth and it was worry time, but the offense bailed them out with four more in the ninth to seal the win.

Just two games for the affiliates last night.  Both starters threw nearly identical lines.  One suffered a loss while the other was saved by some late game heroics.

One win at the higher levels thanks to outstanding pitching and one win at the lower levels despite a Bad News Bears impersonation with the leather.  Total it all up and the four affiliates split things right down the middle with a 2-2 evening.