It was the second #OrgSweep this week in the Blue Jays system. Pitching has been a mainstay in the organization, and today was no different.
AA
New Hampshire 6 Somerset 0
They say the mark of a good pitcher is how well he fares on days when he doesn’t have his best stuff. Simeon Woods Richardson showed his ability to do that – and then some – as he threw five shutout innings despite pitching much of the time from the stretch.
The Fisher Cats scored in each of the first four innings to give SWR a healthy lead to work with. Otto Lopez doubled in a run in the 1st to extend his hitting streak to ten games, and Samad Taylor homered and scored three times to lead the attack.
2015 1st round pick Jon Harris continued his promising bullpen conversion by throwing a pair of scoreless innings in relief. He needed only 15 pitches to retire all six hitters he faced.
SWR finished with a flourish, recording his strikeout of the game, and stranding runners on the corners.
Samad Taylor goes deep. https://twitter.com/fishercats/status/1394000986616782848?s=21
AAA
Buffalo 2 Rochester 1
It was bullpen day in Trenton, as a sextet of relievers led the Bisons/Thunder to victory over the Red Wings.
Kirby Snead tossed two scoreless innings as the Opener. Jackson McClelland followed with three strong innings, allowing only a 5th inning homer, then Tayler Saucedo, newcomer Carl Edwards Jr, Bryan Baker, and Hobie Harris finished the job.
The Bisons/Thunder were blanked by Rochester pitching until the 7th, when Dilson Herrera drove in a pair of runs with a two out single.
…..and an update from the Bisons this morning https://twitter.com/buffalobisons/status/1394282481004728320?s=21
Low A
Dunedin 6 Bradenton 3
Dunedin exploded for four runs in the 2nd en route to a W over the Pirates’ affiliate.
Starter Rafael Oshani was unable to duplicate his scintillating pro debut in his last outing, surrendering three runs (two earned) on three hits and five walks. His velo was down from his last start, which is not unexpected.
Willy Gaston threw three shutout innings to continue his strong start to the season. Gabriel Ponce and Roither Hernandez fanned four each in two innings of work to preserve the win. Mackenzie Mueller and Orelvis Martinez both had two hits and an RBI to lead the D-Jays.
High A
Vancouver 7 Spokane 6
It was up to the C’s once again to clinch the OrgSweep, and they did so in dramatic style, winning a wild 7-6 contest in 11 innings. It was Vancouver’s fifth win in a row.
The two teams traded the lead several times until the game headed to the 9th with the C’s up 5-4. Spokane scored twice off of closer Hagen Danner, but Vancouver responded with a run in the bottom half to tie the game at 6 and send it to extras.
Cameron Eden singled home placed runner Eric Rivera in the bottom half of the 11th for the win. Eden had a huge day at the plate, going 4-6. Tanner Kirwer, Ronnie Brito, Spencer Horwitz, and Andres Guerra had a pair of hits – Brito launched his first homer of the season.
We had a chance to speak with Jon Harris about his bullpen conversion. The former starter had risen as high as AA in that role, and was a rotation mainstay for the memorable 2018 Fisher Cats squad that captured an Eastern League title. Since then, he’s had some issues with injuries and inconsistency, and now finds himself in a relief role with the depth of starting pitching in the system.
On making the move to the bullpen:
Th bullpen is definitely a new transition for me. Trying to figure out a routine to get me ready quicker is something I’m continuing to work on and striving to get better at considering all the years as a starter.
On pitching to super prospect Gabriel Moreno:
Moreno is a great guy to have behind the plate. He’s getting better at calling games and continuing to learn about our tendencies from both starting staff and bullpen staff. By far one of the best offensive catchers I’ve played with.
On playing for New Hampshire skipper Cesar Martin:
Cesar is a great manager to have around the young guys. The roster this year – he’s had the pleasure of coaching a lot of them, so he has a great feel for all these players.
