Minor League Update: April 23

Friday, April 23 2004 @ 09:34 AM EDT

Contributed by: Gerry

Charleston were the only minor league team to win last night and they now have the best record in baseball. The Jays are considering a new method for calling up players from Syracuse. Chad Hermanson was called up after hitting .350 at Syracuse and went o-fer the major leagues. Howie Clark was hitting a buck eighty at Syracuse and had four hits last night.

Ottawa 5 Syracuse 4

Chris Baker started for Syracuse as the Chief's hottest pitcher so far this season. However when I pointed out his hot start in yesterday's minor league thread I must have jinxed him. Ottawa scored in each of the first three innings and Baker was done after three. Some familiar names to Toronto Blue Jays fans helped Ottawa to the win. In the first a Chad Mottola hit scored Mike Fontenot. Mottola scored on an error by Alexis Rios. In the second Pedro Swann hit a home run. Later that inning, Robert Machado doubled and scored. Pedro Swann had a run scoring double in the third.

The Chiefs did get one run back in the first when Jorge Sequea led off with a double and scored on a Glenn Williams hit. Williams homered in the third to make the score 5-2. In the home half of the fifth Alex Rios tripled home Williams who had reached on an error. Simon Pond doubled Rios home to make it 5-4. Another familiar player, Darwin Cubillan, recorded the save.

Mike Nakamura was strong in relief pitching four shutout innings, recording six strikeouts and allowing only two hits. Gabe Gross had a tough night. Gross had a hit but struck out his other four trips.

The Syracuse Post has a very nice feature on Pedro Swann.

New Hampshire - Travel Day

Kevin Grey has a feature on the first week of baseball in New Hampshire.

Dunedin 0 Clearwater 2

Dunedin have had a number of excellent pitching performances this season so I guess turnaround is fair play. Layne Dawson shutout the Jays on two hits over seven innings to get the win. Dawson is not listed as a prospect by either Baseball America or John Sickels. He entered the game with an ERA of 4.00 in two starts, but he fooled the Jays all night. Neomar Flores started and gave up a home run in the first. Dawson meanwhile retired the first sixteen hitters. Brad Hassey singled in the sixth to break up the perfect game. However he was immediately retired on a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play. Flores pitched six strong innings with the home run the only score allowed. Carlo Cota doubled with one out in the seventh but Dawson got Jason Waugh and Vito Chiaravalloti to strike out swinging. Tracey Thorpe pitched two innings and allowed a two run home run.

Greensboro 0 Charleston 10

The Alley Cats scored in each of the first five innings and with Shawn Marcum on the mound this was no contest. Marcum pitched the first nine inning complete game of the season for any of the Jays minor league teams. Marcum retired the first nine hitters he faced. Greensboro had back to back hits to start the fourth but Marcum then retired another 11 in a row. Marcum allowed four hits and one walk while striking out eight. Marcum had a pitch count of ninety on the night. He recorded eleven first pitch out and needed only eighty four or eighty six pitches depending which newspaper you believe.

The Greenboro starter picked a bad night to have some control problems. In the first he walked Ryan Roberts and Robinson Diaz. Clint Johnston knew the pitcher had to throw a strike and he launched it for a three run homerun. Roberts has been so hot to start the year that he succeeds even when he messes up. Roberts hit into a double play in the second to score Christian Snavely who had walked to lead off the inning. Morrin Davis hit a two run home run in the third. Willie Rivera doubled and scored on a groundout by Roberts in the fourth. The Alley Cats added three more in the fifth. Roberts and Rivera each had two hits for the Cats.

The Charleston Daily Mail points out that Charleston has the best record in the minor leagues. The Gazette also praises Marcum.

Our Three-Star Selection

The 3rd Star: Glenn Williams, 2-5 with a two run home run, two runs scored, and reached on an error
The 2nd Star: Ryan Roberts, 2-3 with a walk, a run and an RBI
The 1st Star: Shawn Marcum, the first nine inning complete game shutout of the year


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