Jay Blue: Case, Conine, Daniels, Groshans, Gunter, Jansen, Kirwer, Romano

Danny Jansen had two hits - including a home run - for the triple-A Buffalo Bisons on Friday. Photo Credit: Jay Blue

July 6, 2018 Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Report
By Jay Blue
Blue Jays from Away

The Dunedin Blue Jays were rained out but the rest of the Blue Jays' minor league clubs went 5-2 in seven games on Friday night as I headed down to Buffalo to see some fireworks both during the game and afterwards.

Buffalo Bisons 6, Syracuse Chiefs 4

The triple-A Buffalo Bisons got a strong outing from Sean Reid-Foley and a home run from Futures Game-bound Danny Jansen on their way to a 6-4 victory over the Syracuse Chiefs.

Reid-Foley was dominant through four innings but struggled to find his control in the fifth, hitting two batters (including Jacob Wilson in the head who had to come out of the game), walking one and giving up three runs. He recovered to get out of the inning and pitched a strong sixth to finish his game, leaving him with six hits and a walk and eight strikeouts. Tim Mayza struck out three in the seventh but gave up a double to the first batter he faced in the eighth and he was relieved by Conor Fisk who struck out three batters to get out of the inning but not before surrendering two hits that brought the double in to score. Justin Shafer pitched a clean ninth for his seventh save.

Danny Jansen had a pair of hits including his seventh home run of the season, driving in two, taking a walk and scoring twice. Gio Urshela was welcomed to the Bisons by hitting a double in the second inning to drive in two runs and give the Herd a lead and Dwight Smith Jr. was 1-for-2 with a double and a run before being pulled for Andrew Guillotte in the seventh.

W: Sean Reid-Foley (5-2)
S: Justin Shafer (7)
HR: Danny Jansen (7)

Player of the Game: Danny Jansen

New Hampshire Fisher Cats 1, Reading Fightin Phils 2

Locked in a 1-1 tie since the third inning, it was the Reading Fightin Phils who broke it open, scoring a run in the top of the ninth that the double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats had no answer for in a 2-1 loss for the Fisher Cats.

Harold Ramirez was 2-for-4 with an RBI while Gunnar Heidt was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk. Cavan Biggio was 0-for-2 but walked twice and Bo Bichette was 1-for-5 with a run.

Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) had a strong start, going 6 1/3 innings, allowing a run on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Travis Bergen followed, allowing just a walk in 1 1/3 innings, striking out two and Andrew Case (Saint John, N.B.) took the loss, giving up a run on two hits with two strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings.

L: Andrew Case (1-2)

Player of the Game: Jordan Romano

Dunedin Blue Jays , St. Lucie Mets

Game postponed due to rain.

Roster Notes: Claudio Custodio and Maverik Buffo were promoted from Lansing to Dunedin.

Lansing Lugnuts 3, South Bend Cubs 1

The low-A Lansing Lugnuts got some strong pitching and just enough offence to beat the South Bend Cubs for their 54th win of the season. Matt Gunter allowed just a run on six hits and a walk with four strikeouts in six innings and Kyle Weatherly threw the final three innings, getting the win, with three innings of scoreless ball, allowing two hits and striking out three.

Chavez Young was 2-for-4 with a double and Ryan Noda hit a solo home run in the eighth inning, going 1-for-4. Freddy Rodriguez was also 2-for-4 with a double.

W: Kyle Weatherly (2-0)
HR: Ryan Noda (11)

Roster Notes: Claudio Custodio and Maverik Buffo were promoted to Dunedin.

Player of the Game: Matthew Gunter

Vancouver Canadians 9, Everett AquaSox 0

The class-A Short-Season Vancouver Canadians brought their big guns but also had their pitching working well as they blanked the Everett AquaSox 9-0, hitting four home runs as a team. Griffin Conine led the charge, going 3-for-4 with a walk, a double, two home runs and three RBI, scoring twice. Bryan Lizardo also had a huge game, going 3-for-5 with two doubles and a home run, driving in two. Tanner Kirwer (Sherwood Park, Alta.) hit a home run, going 2-for-4 with a double and Sterling Guzman went deep, going 2-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base. Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.) was on base three times, going 1-for-3 with two walks, a double and a stolen base, scoring a run and Hunter Steinmetz stole three bases, going 25 with a double, a walk and two runs.

Josh Winckowski got the win, going five shutout innings, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out seven. Mitch McKown gave up two hits and struck out one in two innings and Justin Watts struck out three in two perfect innings.

W: Josh Winckowski (2-2)
HR: Griffin Conine 2 (4), Bryan Lizardo (2), Tanner Kirwer (2)

Player of the Game: Griffin Conine

Bluefield Blue Jays 6, Pulaski Yankees 5

The rookie-class Bluefield Blue Jays scored a run in the 10th inning, giving them a walk-off, 6-5 win over the Pulaski Yankees, after a wild pitch with a runner on third.

The bottom of the order was very productive for Bluefield, with Luis De Los Santos (seventh) going 2-for-4 with a RBI, Rafael Lantigua (eighth) going 2-for-4 with a run and D.J. Daniels (ninth) going 2-for-3 with a walk. Cal Stevenson and D.J. Neal each hit a double, drove in a run and scored a run while John Aiello (1-for-5, RBI) and Patrick Morris (1-for-5, 2B, R) also had a double each.

Nathanael Perez started, giving up four runs on seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts in five innings. Fitz Stadler allowed an unearned run, striking out six and walking one with one hit allowed in 2 2/3 innings and Brad Wilson got the win, walking one and striking out two over 2 1/3 innings.

W: Brad Wilson (1-0)

Player of the Game: D.J. Daniels

GCL Blue Jays 2, GCL Yankees West 4

Both clubs had seven hits but the GCL Yankees West made the most of them, beating the Blue Jays 4-2. Joseph Reyes had the only extra-base hit, going 1-for-3 with a double and a walk. Jordan Groshans was 1-for-3 with an RBI on a sacrifice fly.

Alvery De Los Santos walked three and gave up three hits leading to one run in four innings. Gaudy Ramirez tossed two frames, allowing a hit and a walk and Williams Moreno, making his GCL debut, gave up three runs on three hits in two innings with one strikeout and Jackson Rees struck out two in the ninth.

L; Williams Moreno (0-1)

Roster Notes: Williams Moreno was promoted from the DSL.

Player of the Game: None

DSL Blue Jays 6, DSL Orioles 2

The DSL Blue Jays turned things around with a 6-2 win over the DSL Orioles. Alberto Rodriguez, the club leader in home runs, was hitting lead off, going 2-for-4 with a walk and a run and Jose Zepeda was 2-for-5 wtih two runs. Miguel Hiraldo drove in a pair of runs, going 2-for-4. Kenny Mauricio and Hanley Acevedo were each 1-for-3 with a walk with Acevedo stealing two bases and scoring once.

Ronald Govea went five strong innings, allowing just an unearned run on five hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Adrian Hernandez earned the save, going four innings, allowing a run on four hits and two walks with six strikeouts.

W: Ronald Govea (1-0)
S: Adrian Hernandez (1)

Roster Notes: Williams Moreno was promoted to the GCL Blue Jays.

Player of the Game: Ronald Govea

Jay's Jay of the Day: Griffin Conine

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