Blue Jays Minor League Recap: Cook Stays Hot In Dunedin, New Hampshire Struggles, Keys Powers Buffalo

Blue Jays Affiliate Overview (August 22-24)

Triple-A Buffalo Bisons
Series vs Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Philadelphia Phillies): 2-3
Season Record: 62-63

Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats 
Series vs Erie SeaWolves (Detroit Tigers): 2-4
Season Record: 54-64

High-A Vancouver Canadians
Series vs Eugene Emeralds (San Francisco Giants): 3-3
Season Record: 57-63

Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays
Series vs Clearwater Threshers (Philadelphia Phillies): 4-2
Season Record: 56-60

FCL Blue Jays: Season Complete

DSL Blue Jays Blue
Week Record: 0-1 (Season Complete)
Season Record: 20-35

DSL Blue Jays Red
Week Record: 2-1 (Season Complete)
Season Record: 34-18

Triple-A Buffalo Bisons

• Season Record: 62-63
• Series vs Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Philadelphia Phillies)

August 23: After a rainout on Saturday, Buffalo had an offensive explosion on Sunday. Five of the nine batters in the starting lineup had multiple hits, including Sean Keys, who continued to display his skills as he pushes for a promotion back to the big leagues. For the game, Keys went 4-for-5, with four singles, two RBI, and two runs scored. C.J. Stubbs launched his eighth home run of the season, a two-run blast in the second inning; it had an exit velocity of 108.1 mph and went 402 feet to center. Rudy Martin Jr. followed the Stubbs long ball with one of his own, a solo shot to center. In the third, it was Peyton Williams who continued to stay hot after his promotion to Triple A, ripping an RBI single to center that scored Keys and increased the Buffalo lead to 5-2. In the fourth, Jay Harry and Keys added to the lead with RBI singles, and Yohendrick Piñango provided a two-RBI single to break the game open for Buffalo. Williams would cap off the scoring with another RBI single in the sixth. Ricky Tiedemann pitched out of the bullpen, throwing just one inning, but did walk two before he escaped the self-made jam. Buffalo cruised to a 10-2 win. 

Double-A New Hampshire

• Season Record: 54-64
• Series vs Erie SeaWolves (Detroit Tigers)

August 22: It was a rough day on Saturday for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats against the Erie SeaWolves. Jackson Wentworth got the start for the Fisher Cats and was hit around early and often. He gave up runs in the first and second innings on solo home runs. In the fifth and sixth innings, Erie launched two more home runs to take command of the game for good. Peyton Graham hit his second home run of the game. On the offensive side, Alexis Hernandez had a double, and Aaron Parker added a single in the game. Those two hits were all the team could get out of the Erie pitchers. Kenny Serwa shut them down over seven innings himself. New Hampshire lost this one 7-0. 

August 23: Nolan Perry got the start in the Sunday game between New Hampshire and Erie. It was a rough day for Perry, who pitched 3.2 innings but gave up four hits and three runs. The damage was done by giving up two home runs in the second and fourth innings. Down by three, Dub Gleed launched his 10th Double-A home run in the sixth inning, a solo shot to put New Hampshire in the scoring column. A passed ball later in the inning scored Alexis Hernandez. Erie would push out in front with a two-run single and an RBI groundout in the eighth inning. Cutter Coffey brought in the last Fisher Cats run in the ninth inning on a sacrifice fly. New Hampshire lost this one 6-3. 

High-A Vancouver 

• Season Record: 57-63
• Series vs Eugene Emeralds (San Francisco Giants)

August 22: The Canadians threatened early, and with runners at the corners, Ryan Sprock hit a sac fly to make it a 1-0 ballgame. Troy Guthrie once again took the mound and gave five innings of work, tying his season high of eight strikeouts and allowing two runs to score. The Canadians had a big third inning to take the lead for good, as Maddox Latta broke the tie with an RBI single, then Max Viera hit yet another grand slam to make it five runs scored that inning. The Canadians added another run as Latta hit his eighth homer of the season, and despite Gilberto Batista giving up a homer of his own, the Canadians were able to win handily, 9-3. 

August 23: The game remained even as both starters went into the sixth inning without allowing a run. Landen Maroudis went into the sixth inning for the second time this season before getting taken out for Reece Wissinger, who ended up allowing four earned runs. The Canadians were down five runs, and although Gable Mitchell and David Calabrese both hit homers in the ninth inning, they could not fully catch up, as they lost 6-4. 

Single-A Dunedin

• Season Record: 56-60
• Series vs Clearwater Threshers (Philadelphia Phillies)

August 22: Red-hot Jake Cook started this game with his fifth homer of the year. Ryan Cooney drove in a run on a single that inning to make it a two-run lead. Brandon Barriera continued his scoreless streak, as he went four innings without allowing a single run to make it 13 ⅓ innings without allowing a run. That earned him a promotion to Vancouver. Raimundo De Los Santos knocked in two runs in two innings to make it a four-run lead, but the rehabbing Joe Mantiply gave up five runs and four hits in the fifth inning. Jake Bennett continued to hit for power, as he hit his first triple of the season to take the lead right back in the sixth, then Cooney had his second RBI of the night with a sac fly for some insurance. Aldo Gaxiola had homer number 14 on the season to make it a three-run game, and De Los Santos had his third RBI to make it nine runs scored for Dunedin. Brayden Heidel struck out four despite walking four in nearly three innings to keep the Threshers from scoring, and Reese Bassinger got the save as the Jays won 9-6. 

August 23: Cancelled

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)

August 22: Saturday was the final game of the DSL playoff pool play, with BJR starting the day 2-0 in their prior games. It would be a pitchers' duel for much of the game. BJR got quality performances from Abrahan Diaz and Cristhian Espinosa, who combined to throw 5.2 scoreless innings. The Royals Fortuna (ROF) team took the lead in the bottom seventh with an RBI single, but BJR answered right back with a sacrifice fly by Frelian Flores in the top half of the eighth. ROF answered with a sacrifice fly of their own in the bottom of the eighth inning. Down one with one out in the ninth, Gabriel Porras tripled, then Samuel Orellana singled to left and tied the game. Later in the inning, Elian Reyes singled, scoring Orellana, but Darwin Nuñez was thrown out on a play at the plate. BJR went into the bottom of the ninth with a one-run lead. After the first two batters for ROF walked, Jaider Suarez laid down a sacrifice bunt, but BJR catcher Diego Arce made an errant throw to first base, allowing both runners to score. BJR lost 4-3 on the walk-off error. To pour salt on the fresh wound, BJR finished pool play 2-1, tying ROF. Unfortunately for BJR, the tiebreaker to move on was the head-to-head matchup (which they just lost on the error). As a result of the tiebreaker, BJR was eliminated from the playoffs, and their season ended in heartbreaking fashion. 

Interested in learning more about the Toronto Blue Jays' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!