Blue Jays Minor League Recap: Hill, Messina, Pantoja, and King Were All on the Mound

[Brian Labude]

Blue Jays Affiliate Overview (August 27-28)

Triple-A Buffalo Bisons
Series vs Rochester Red Wings (Washington Nationals): 1-1
Season Record: 63-64

Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats 
Series vs Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies): 1-1
Season Record: 55-65

High-A Vancouver Canadians
Series vs Spokane (Colorado Rockies): 1-1
Season Record: 58-64

Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays
Series vs Palm Beach Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals): 1-1
Season Record: 57-61

FCL Blue Jays: Season Complete

DSL Blue Jays Blue: Season Complete

DSL Blue Jays Red: Season Complete

Triple-A Buffalo Bisons

• Season Record: 63-64
• Series vs Rochester Red Wings (Washington Nationals)

August 27: Rochester took the early lead against Buffalo on Thursday, scoring three runs in the bottom of the third inning. The Bisons answered Rochester, scoring two runs on an error in the top of the fifth inning and adding a third run on Josh Smith's bases-loaded walk. The game wasn't tied at three long, as Rochester countered with Trey Lipscomb ripping a ball to right for a three-run home run. Buffalo kept fighting though, getting three runs in the sixth, one on a fielder's choice and two on two RBI groundouts. Buffalo ultimately could not keep the game tied through nine, coughing up a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning to Phillip Glasser. The Bisons fell 7-6 in a game they scored six runs without a single RBI base knock. 

August 28: Buffalo turned to Jameson Taillon to give their arms a boost, as he made a rehab start on Friday. For the first three innings, he was nearly perfect, only allowing a single in the bottom of the third inning. The fourth inning, however, would be a problem for Taillon. After a walk and a single, Cayden Wallace doubled off of Taillon and brought home one run. Following another walk that would load the bases, Taillon was removed for Sam Gardner, who promptly gave up a bases-clearing three-run double to the first batter he faced. The troubling frame for Buffalo surrendered the lead they had gained the prior half inning. In the top of the fourth, Jay Harry doubled home Yohendrick Piñango and Lenyn Sosa plated Harry on a single to left. In the fifth, with Buffalo down 4-3, Sean Keys ripped a 104.5 mph triple that scored Josh Smith and cut the Rochester lead to one. Rochester would answer the RBI triple with an RBI groundout in the bottom of the fifth inning. As the score sat 5-3, the second half of the game featured a few walks and just a single base-hit by both teams in what became a pitchers' duel by the respective bullpens. Buffalo lost this one 5-3, only managing to get five base knocks on the day.

Double-A New Hampshire

• Season Record: 55-65
• Series vs Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies)

August 27: Thursday night saw Johnny King take the mound for New Hampshire against Hartford. King was again masterful on the mound. Despite some baserunners in a few innings, he managed to work through the innings without allowing a run, while getting outs in the strike zone mixed with six strikeouts. He allowed just one hit, an infield single on a soft groundball. He did give up three walks in his four innings pitched, but they were on close pitches that could have gone either way. It was probably his most complete start at Double A. Aaron Parker gave the offense a boost in the first inning, when he launched a mammoth home run to put New Hampshire up three. In the third inning, Carter Cunningham added an RBI double and Mathieu Vallee drove in two runs with a single. New Hampshire held on and won this one 7-3. 

August 28: Friday night was a rough one for New Hampshire. They jumped out to a 4-1 lead over Hartford in the fourth inning, but things went south from there. Tucker Toman and Eric Snow had RBI singles, and Edward Duran added a sacrifice fly. From there it was almost all Hartford. They put up two runs in the fifth, one in the sixth, and three in the seventh inning. They capped their unanswered run with another one in the ninth inning. Hartford outhit New Hampshire 14-6 on the day, but New Hampshire did add 11 walks; they just couldn't drive them home. New Hampshire lost this one 8-4. 

High-A Vancouver 

• Season Record: 58-63
• Series vs Spokane (Colorado Rockies)

August 27: Dasan Hill pitched into the fifth inning for the first time this season, as the lefty that was acquired in the Jeff Hoffman trade struck out six batters, only walking one batter and allowing a single unearned run in the first. The Canadians tied it up with a Jake Casey triple in the second inning, then Casey came up again in the fifth inning with two runners on with no outs, but struck out. In the seventh, Casey came up again with a runner on first and second, but drove in a run to take the lead with his second XBH of the night. That started a big inning, as Ryan Sprock drove in two runs on a single, then Jean Joseph drove in two more on a triple of his own. Casey had his third hit and third RBI of the night with a single in the eighth. Holden Wilkerson was awesome in relief, as he pitched 4.1 two-hit innings, striking out six batters with no runs allowed, allowing the Canadians to win this one handedly 8-1. 

August 28: This game was an absolute roller coaster, as it seemed like the Canadians would easily cruise to a victory, as they tacked on eight runs in the second inning, with Jaxson West blowing the game open with a grand slam. Spokane did not quit, however, as they halved the lead down to just four against Canadians starter Troy Guthrie. The Canadians' offense kept it pouring in the fourth inning, with another big inning, as they tallied five more runs, with West raising his RBI count to six in just this one game. Troy Guthrie was sent out in the fifth inning and struggled, allowing Spokane to score three runs, knocking him out of the game for Carson Myers, who was able to get out of it. Brandon Barriera’s debut in Vancouver did not go well, as his command lost him; he walked three batters and hit two of them. That resulted in a five-run seventh inning, and Spokane was within just one. Gilberto Batista allowed an RBI double in the eighth, and the game was tied, which resulted in the game going to extra innings. Game stayed even until the 10th inning, when Jack Eshleman allowed the automatic runner to score on a wild pitch, but in the bottom of the 10th, a throwing error from Parker Coddou allowed the ghost runner to score for the Canadians, then Bryce Chance laid down a sac bunt to put Austin Smith on third. This gave Max Viera the opportunity to walk it off, and he did it in absurd fashion, as Justin Loer committed a walk-off balk, for a 15-14 extra innings win. 

Single-A Dunedin

• Season Record: 57-61
• Series vs Palm Beach Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals)

August 27: The D-Jays jumped out to an early lead with a three-run second inning, thanks to Dean West’s RBI single and Rhylan Thomas’s two-RBI double. The pitching could not withstand the Cardinals’ offense, however, as they tied it up with a three-run homer off the starter Miguel Pantoja. The Jays took the lead right back in the bottom of the second, as Brayden Martin drove in a run on a single and Jake Cook grounded out to score another run. Josbel Garcia got five straight batters out after replacing Pantoja, but then walked the leadoff hitter in the sixth, then allowed three runs to score as he threw a wild pitch, allowed a stolen base, and a couple of doubles. Nolan Higgins replaced him and allowed a homer in the eighth to make it a two-run lead for the Cardinals. That ended up being the final run as the Jays lost 5-7.

August 28: Carson Messina was effectively wild, walking three batters in four innings, but only allowing a single run as Giaconino Lasaracina allowed a passed ball in the third inning. Messina’s fastball was great, with a 47.4% whiff rate on the night, as the righty struck out five batters with 14 whiffs total. Lasaracina had his second miscue in the fifth with a throwing error to allow the second unearned run to cross the plate. Rhylan Thomas drove in the first run for Dunedin with a double to bring it within one, but the Jays yet again gave up an unearned run thanks to a Juan Sanchez throwing error, his 27th error of the season, then Brayden Heidel walked in a run which put the Cardinals up three. Jake Bennett came up to the plate with runners on second and third and brought the game within one with a clutch two-RBI single, and Ryan Franden won the game with a two-run blast for his first homer as a professional, as the Jays won this one 5-4. 

FCL Blue Jays

• Season Record: 38-20

Season Completed

DSL Blue Jays Blue

• Season Record: 20-35

Season Completed

DSL Blue Jays Red

• Season Record: 33-18
• Playoffs (2-1)

Season Completed

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