Despite overall scoring deficit just 4 runs (45 to 41) only the AAA and DCL Blue Jays affiliates, came out victorious on a Saturday night.  2 and 6 makes for a tough Saturday night. 

Nearly every game by the affiliates featured runs by one team or both in the first inning. Many of the games settled down after that and, aside from a 28-hit affair in Nevada and Lansing’s pitching allowing double-digit runs, most the games were relatively closely and not large-scoring affairs. Las Vegas, New Hampshire and Dunedin won, but then you have to go down to Bluefield to see another victory. The victories in Double and High-A saw strong pitching performances by prospects continuing to improve their ranking.

Three games against the team with the best record in the major leagues. Who have some pitchers you're probably familiar with....

Five wins in eight tries for the affiliates. Not a ton of notable offensive performances put two of the organization's top pitchers brought their good stuff.

A necessarily brief update; plus Lansing ties a Midwest League record, and not in a good way.

A 5-3 night on the farm where the bats were smoking on the West Coast and Ohio.

Chad Jenkins had been promoted to New Hampshire just over a week before I talked with him in Erie last week.  He has now made three starts and has a 4.05 ERA in AA. 

Mike McDade is part of the outstanding New Hampshire Fisher Cats squad.  McDade is playing very well for a 22 year old in AA, he has 36 extra base hits, including 11 home runs, and his defense is reportedly the best of any first baseman within the Jays system.  I spoke with McDade a week ago in Erie.

Brett Cecil is back! Accordingly, Zach Stewart has been optioned back to New Hampshire.

The full-season affiliates didn't win a game, but a couple short-season clubs scored a bunch of runs to somewhat salvage the night for the farm.

Not a challenge, but certainly trivia. Just in case there's one person out there who ever wondered about this. (I mean, I wondered about it, and I'm not that weird.)

Pete Walker is the pitching coach for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.  Walker pitched for the Blue Jays from 2002 through 2006, primarily in relief.  The Jays had claimed Walker on waivers from the New York Mets.  A couple of years ago one of Walker's daughter's had a a form of bone cancer in her leg at a young age.  Walker told me that the doctors initially recommended amputation but they eventually found a doctor who removed part of the leg bone and inserted an artifical bone that can extend as the child grows.  Eventually, when she is fully grown, the girl will need another operation to remove this artificial bone and replace it with a permanent one.  Walker hopes to raise awareness of this soon through a website. 

With the Pirates in town for the first time since 2003, here are some shots of the Bucs from May 2010 with a dash of Cub and a pinch of former Blue Jay in the POTD recipe.

Lastings Milledge (not on the left) and the Pirate Parrot (opposite of right) bump together in mid-air.  Milledge is now in the Chicago White Sox organization.

We all love AA around here, right? Okay, maybe not all of us love him enough to write a tribute song. But some of us do. Hope you enjoy!

And I won't let you choke
On the noose around your neck.

The Jays finish their 10 game road trip tonight in Dee-troit, a 6.05 start, making up for an earlier rain out. The Jays then get 6 at home (Pirates, Halladay's) and 7 on the road (Red Sox, Cleveland's) before the All-Star Break. Let's ruminate.