Blue Jays Minor League Recap: Buffalo Continues To Fight With .500, While Stanifer, King, and Perry Take the Mound

Blue Jays Affiliate Overview (April 23-April 24)

Triple-A Buffalo Bisons
Series vs. Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians): 2-2
Season Record: 12-13

Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats 
Series vs. Reading Fightin Phils (Philadelphia Phillies): 2-2
Season Record: 10-7

High-A Vancouver Canadians
Series vs. Tri-City Dust Devils (Los Angeles Angels): 3-1
Season Record: 9-10

Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays
Series vs. Fort Myers Mighty Mussels(Minnesota Twins): 1-3
Season Record: 9-10

Triple-A Buffalo Bisons

• Season Record: 12-13
• Series Opponent: Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians)

April 23: Grant Rogers toed the rubber to start the game for Buffalo against Columbus, and he twirled a gem by his standards. He made it through five innings, not allowing a single run, walking one, and striking out three. He put Buffalo in a great position to grab a win and get back to the .500 mark. The Bisons' bats took on the task head-on; they were led by three-hit games from Josh Kasevich and William Simoneit. Kasevich would kick off the scoring in the third inning with an RBI single that scored Simoneit. Josh Rivera added to the lead the next inning, when he unloaded on a middle-up changeup and smoked it 104.4 mph off the bat for a 411-foot solo home run. Yohendrick Pinango didn't want to be left out of the fun, as he shot a ball the opposite way for a two-run double in the seventh. With Buffalo holding a 4-1 lead going into the top of the ninth inning, Hayden Juenger came on to close it out for the Bisons. Unfortunately, he imploded in epic fashion. After getting the lead-off hitter to fly out for the first out of the inning, Juenger let the next three batters reach with a single and two walks. He was replaced by Adam Macko, who didn't fare any better, as he gave up the lead on a three-RBI, bases-clearing triple. In the bottom of the ninth, Charles McAdoo picked up the bullpen, with a sacrifice fly to tie the game and send it to extra innings. In the 10th, Simoneit would again come up clutch for the Bisons, singling to center and bringing home the winning run. The Bisons won 6-5 and reached the .500 mark once again.  

April 24: In a high-scoring game on Friday night, Chad Dallas finally got roughed up, in what would be his worst outing of the season. After giving up a run in the top of the first inning, Dallas coughed up five more runs in the second inning. The scoring barrage was highlighted by Travis Bazzana's two-RBI double to right field. Despite the terrible start, Dallas was able to end on a high note, striking out the side in the third inning, all swinging. The bullpen didn't do much better, as Tanner Andrews and Jesse Hahn combined to give up six runs. The bats tried to keep pace with Columbus. They tallied 11 hits, and everyone in the lineup recorded at least one. Charles McAdoo hit his fourth home run of the season, a 413-foot blast for a solo shot in the fourth inning. The Bisons could have used some of his juice, as they totaled seven doubles on the night, but could only get six runs across home plate. Buffalo fell 12-6 and yet again couldn't cross the .500 mark, falling to a game below it on the season. 

Double-A New Hampshire

• Season Record: 10-7
• Series vs. Reading Fightin Phils (Philadelphia Phillies)

April 23: The Thursday night game between New Hampshire and Reading had a back-and-forth feel for much of the night. Gage Stanifer got the start for the Fisher Cats, and his command was very much out of control from the start. He walked three of the first four batters, but really settled in after that. He went four innings, allowing just four hits and one earned run, while walking three and striking out four. Only six of his first 21 pitches went for strikes, but he figured it out, as he finished the rest of his innings with a 74% strike rate. Sean Keys stepped up big for New Hampshire on the day. He opened up the scoring with a solo home run in the second inning. Also, after Ismael Munguia homered to give the Fisher Cats a two-run lead, Keys launched his eighth home run of the year in the fourth. Up four runs, Bryan Rincon cut into the lead with a solo shot off of Stanifer. Aaron Parker added an RBI single, and New Hampshire would hold on to win 6-4. 

April 24: The Friday night contest was a close game for much of it. Richard Gallardo and Alex Amalfi split the game for New Hampshire, combined for all nine innings, and only gave up six hits, walked just two, and struck out five combined. They held the Fightin Phils to no runs on the night. On offense for the Fisher Cats, Sean Keys once again took center stage. This time launching his ninth home run of the season. A 110.5 mph low line drive missile. In the seventh inning, New Hampshire took charge as Jay Harry drove in a run on an RBI single, Ismael Munguia had a sacrifice fly, and Jace Bohrofen doubled in three runs. Harry would add an RBI triple the next inning, and the Fisher Cats won big, this time 9-0. 

High-A Vancouver 

• Season Record: 9-10
• Series vs. Tri-City Dust Devils (Los Angeles Angels)

April 23: Danny Thompson Jr. is making a name for himself, as he’s now pitched 15 innings this season without giving up a single earned run, striking out 42.9% of the batters he’s faced and walking a little under nine percent. Since getting drafted in the eighth round in the 2025 draft for just $5,000, he’s only given up a single earned run. Peyton Olejnik also pitched well, keeping the Canadians scoreless until the fourth inning, where Carter Cunningham hit a triple to lead off the inning. After an Arjun Nimmala walk, Peyton Williams knocked Cunningham in with a single, and Alexis Hernandez got hit by a pitch immediately after to load the bases. A Jacob Sharp sac fly and a Dub Gleed single scored two more runs. The Dust Devils struck back after Thompson came off the mound, as Jonathan Todd gave up a two-run shot to Anthony Scull. Nimmala gave the Canadians an insurance run on a sac fly, which came in clutch as Carson Pierce gave up a run the inning after. Sharp got his second RBI in the eighth to add another run for the Canadians, and Eminen Flores got his second save with two scoreless innings to guarantee the Canadians’ fifth win in a row.

April 24: The Canadians and Dust Devils had a pitching duel. Top prospect Johnny King walked the first two batters but was able to lock in after that, striking out four in three no-hit innings. The Canadians' offense couldn’t get it going, despite Arjun Nimmala getting on base a few times, including a double, but he was one of only three Canadians to get a hit. Holden Wilkerson continues to pitch well, piggybacking off of King, with four scoreless innings of his own. Jay Schueler went another two innings without allowing a single hit, with the Canadians carrying a one-hitter into extra innings. Unfortunately, Trace Baker struggled once again, raising his season ERA to 23.14 as he gave up three runs in extras to break the winning streak for Vancouver. 

Single-A Dunedin

• Season Record: 9-10
• Series vs. Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (Minnesota Twins)

April 23: In Thursday's afternoon game, the Dunedin Blue Jays got another start from Nolan Perry, who’s been nothing but excellent since returning from Tommy John. His strong stuff showed once again, as he struck out seven of the first nine batters he saw. Enmanuel Bonilla had a strong night, with his second homer of the season and driving in four runs, despite striking out three times. Juan Rosas made his debut for Dunedin, and his first hit for the D-Jays was a three-run homer to give the team a big early lead. Things fell apart after that, as no more Jays crossed the plate after Bonilla drove in two on a single, and the Jays’ bullpen struggled, with Reece Wissinger and Austin Smith giving up two runs each to bring the game to within one, and Noah Palmese blew the save, giving up six runs, including two homers.

April 24: The Jays tried to get above .500 after a frustrating loss the day before, and Blaine Bullard tried his best to get them there. The young outfielder went 4-for-5 with a triple and a homer, scoring three of the Jays' four runs, along with two stolen bases. Dayne Pengelly also had a strong start, with just under four innings of scoreless pitching. Luis Victorino's poor outing spoiled the strong performances from those two, as he gave up five runs in relief. Mason Davenport and Jack Eshleman kept the score close, but the Jays offense couldn’t get over the hump, dropping the team under .500.

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