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Things were not overly fun on Friday night with the affiliates compiling a 1-4 record. Pitching continues to be an area of disappointment - but some of the bigger-named hitting prospects need to step things up a notch too.


Salt Lake 9 Las Vegas 8

Reliever-turned-starter Dirk Hayhurst's struggles continued last night as he allowed nine runs in 3.2 innings of work, although just three were earned. Davis Romero threw and encouraging 3.1 shutout innings with just one hit and two walks allowed. Greinke, who? Jonah Bayliss tossed a shutout inning and has allowed just one unearned run this season in 16 innings (nine games). OF Aaron Mathews, 2B Howie Clark, and OF Buck Coats each had three hits. Shortstop Angel Sanchez went 2-for-3 with a triple, two runs scored and two RBI. OF Jason Lane was 2-for-4 with two doubles and 1B Randy Ruiz added a solo homer.

Binghamton 8 New Hampshire 2

The weather mercifully called the end to this contest after six innings. LHP Luis Perez had a rare bad outing and allowed five runs in 3.2 innings. He allowed six hits and three walks. Perez also struck out four batters. Celson Polanco was hit up for three runs on four hits in 2.1 innings, but he did not walk a batter and the right-hander struck out four batters. The Fisher Cats managed just four hits and DH Brian Dopirak had two of those, including his fifth homer. 1B David Cooper had a double and OF Nick Gorneault had a triple.

Dunedin 4 Tampa 3

Hey, a win - and some pitching! Kenny Rodriguez received the start but was kept on a short leash and allowed just one run in 3.2 innings. He allowed four hits and no walks, while striking out three batters. Chris Michalak helped fill in with 1.1 innings of work, while the club also debuted a few pitchers picked up to help fill the pitching void: Dumas Garcia (formerly of the Cubs org, 25 yrs old), and Vincent Bongiovanni (Arizona, 26). OF Moises Sierra, fresh off being mentioned as a helium pick by Baseball America, had three hits - including a double. 2B John Tolisano and OF Darin Mastroianni each had two hits and the second baseman popped one out of the park. OF Eric Thames was 0 for 2 with three walks. SS Justin Jackson was 0 for 4 with a run scored and three strikeouts. He also stole a base.

Kane County 4 Lansing 1 (Game 1 - seven innings)

Ryan Koch had perhaps his best start of the year by allowing three runs in 6.1 innings, with six hits, two walks and four Ks. SS Tyler Pastornicky was 1 for 2 with a walk and a stolen base. 3B Mark Sobolewski was 1 for 3. OF Markus Brisker went 1 for 3 with a double and threw a runner out at the plate. 1B Michael McDade was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts.

Kane County 4 Lansing 3 (Game 2 - seven innings)

Jonas Cuotto received the start and allowed two runs in four innings. He walked just one batter and three hits. Cuotto struck out six batters. Jared Potts allowed one run in two innings and the winning run scored against Matt Daly. 1B Michael McDade went 3 for 3 with a double and a solo homer. OF Kenny Wilson went 1 for 4 with a triple but he struck out three times. C A.J. Jimenez and 3B Balbino Fuenmayor each had two hits. OF Johermyn Chavez was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts.

The Three Stars:
3. Jonah Bayliss for extending his scoreless streak to 16 innings this season
2. Moises Sierra for a three-hit night, including a double - and a BA mention
1. Michael McDade for a 3 for 3 night with a double and a homer

Another Tough Night on the Farm | 16 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
ramone - Saturday, May 02 2009 @ 10:29 AM EDT (#199262) #

Does anyone have any kind of scouting report on Bayliss?  I don't really know anything about him, could he be another Riccardi find for the bullpen down the road?

Also it was nice to see Arencibia get his first home run of the season and his second walk of the year!  I hope that Arencibia can improve on throwing runners out as the season goes on though, base stealers have been running wild on him to start the year.

Maldoff - Saturday, May 02 2009 @ 11:20 AM EDT (#199263) #
I always thought being in the "Helium Watch" section was a bad thing, sort of implying that they are too hot and eventually will come back down to earth?
Mike Green - Saturday, May 02 2009 @ 02:49 PM EDT (#199269) #
Casey Janssen threw 4 no-hit innings with 3 strikeouts this afternoon for Dunedin.  The club is smartly trying to work him up to a starting role slowly.  He may not be ready until June, but this time he may be able to sustain it. 
TamRa - Saturday, May 02 2009 @ 05:13 PM EDT (#199281) #
He may not be ready until June

Why?

The initial report suggested no more than 4 rehab starts.

That would suggest no later than may 18.



China fan - Saturday, May 02 2009 @ 05:31 PM EDT (#199282) #
I hope and assume that today was Janssen's last game for Dunedin.  Give him one or two outings in Vegas and he should be ready to replace Tallet (or Cecil or Ray) in the rotation.  Even with a limited pitch count, he'd be a valuable member of the rotation at this point.
CeeBee - Saturday, May 02 2009 @ 05:40 PM EDT (#199283) #
So far today a couple of blow-outs for the good guys on the farm. 14-4 for Hew Hampshire and 11-1 for Dunedin.
Mike Green - Saturday, May 02 2009 @ 06:09 PM EDT (#199284) #
Janssen is coming off a missing year due to a shoulder injury.  The idea that he would rejoin the major league rotation straight off after a few spring training outings was pretty silly.  In today's rehab outing, he went 4 innings at single A.  He ought to have a couple of higher minor starts, and then join the bullpen at the big-league level for a while before they move him to the rotation. 

By rushing him the first time, the organization did themselves no favours.  Hopefully, they'll be a little more patient this time. 

Mike Green - Saturday, May 02 2009 @ 06:19 PM EDT (#199285) #
The D-Jays brought on Tim Collins to pitch the 9th with an 11-1 lead.  His leverage for the season is probably under .7. I don't get it.

The F-Cats have brought back a couple of old friends- Cody Haerther and Bubbie Buzachero.  Bubbie is a favourite of mine for his name.  I am waiting for a batter named Zaidy Zapata to come up so Bubbie and Zaidy can have an epic match-up...

R Billie - Saturday, May 02 2009 @ 07:27 PM EDT (#199288) #
The Jays have a very noteable track record in rushing pitchers back early from injury.  The irrational desire to have Janssen starting games out of spring training is just the latest in a long line of moves that leave you wondering why an organization plays it so risky with valuable commodities.  One, Janssen's history, albeit short, and stuff seem to point to him performing much better out of the pen.  His first time around in the rotation resulted in injury.  He was injured after a season of relief work and had shoulder surgery.  At best they could have hoped for long relief to start the year, in 3 or 4 inning stints, particularly since they were looking for long men near the end of spring training and Janssen seemed to fill that niche perfectly.

Putting Romero on the DL might be one instance of a more cautionary approach going forward as it seemed he was able to throw 7 shutout innings pitching through the injury although dealing with pain.  Hopefully he's back 100% but it's the type of thing that can linger.  Litsch though seems more serious...forearm and elbow pain are the signs of arm strain; I think they're hoping to have him back around the same time as Romero but I worry about him...it looked like he was trying to heave the ball through a brick wall against Minnesotta.

R Billie - Saturday, May 02 2009 @ 07:30 PM EDT (#199289) #
It seems for whatever reason they're afraid Collins will explode if exposed to important situations.  He's a few inches shorter than most pitchers, that doesn't mean he's made of glass.  He's still plenty young though so I suppose there's lots of time for that.
Gerry - Saturday, May 02 2009 @ 07:32 PM EDT (#199291) #
There are a couple of other things to note from yesterdays Vegas game.  Arencibia hit his first home run of the season and Davis Romero pitched 3.1 innings of 1 hit ball.  Hopefully, in both cases, a sign of things to come.
TamRa - Saturday, May 02 2009 @ 07:58 PM EDT (#199292) #
I don't get the hand wringing about Janssen at all. i disagree with what I'm reading here in the STRONGEST terms.

He's been a starter his whole career except for one season, the notion that pitching him in the rotation causes injury has no support beyond sheer speculation.

Likewise the idea that having a pitcher who has many years as a starter join the rotation after a full (long) spring training is "rushing" him is nonsense.

Witness Brian Tallet stepping into the rotation and going 5+ quality innings not once but twice without having started even a single game in YEARS.

There is NOTHING to suggest that Janssen can't handle starting. Does he have injuries in his history? Yeah. So does Dustin McGowan and few if any are proposing he be shoved into the pen. Ricky Romero battled injuries on several occasions coming through the minors and there's no assumption he can't handle starting afoot in the land.

Janssen is on a perfectly normal re-hab schedulenot unlike any other pitcher might have and likely longer than the one Listch and Romero will do. There's no "rushing" going on. He's NOT rehabbing the shoulder surgery this time around.

Heck, I also question that the Jays have a noticeable track record of rushing pitchers back from injury. i see no pattern of that. Supporting such a claim with circumstantial evidence based on assumption (i.e. "Janssen got hurt during ST his first year back from surgery so that injury MUST have been caused by his being rushed" - that my friends is nothing but an ASSUMPTION that there is a relationship)


Mike Green - Saturday, May 02 2009 @ 08:33 PM EDT (#199293) #
Everyone has their own theory of reasonable injury rehab, I guess.  You would think that, in the case of Janssen, "once bitten, twice shy" might be a consideration. But, yes, I am one of those who believes that if McGowan comes back, he ought to be in the bullpen, at least  in the beginning, but more likely permanently.  I don't think that he's likely to have much of a career as a starter, but I do believe that if they moved him to the pen, he might be very, very good for quite a few years.
TamRa - Sunday, May 03 2009 @ 12:50 AM EDT (#199299) #
I can see "once bitten twice shy" telling a trainer or coach or decision maker "pay attention to this, look extra hard here"

But as a fan, I think it is only reasonable to default to the reality that professional medical and baseball personnel are in a better position to judge these things than you or I.

IF in fact Janssens injury was a result of being pushed to hard in ST and there was substantial risk of repeating such a mistake, i just find it to hard to believe that all the highly paid professionals around him did not catch it but posters on an internet site with no first hand access to the player did.



Ryan Day - Sunday, May 03 2009 @ 10:32 PM EDT (#199322) #
One, Janssen's history ....  His first time around in the rotation resulted in injury.

He had a bad back, which isn't necessarily related to, or caused by, pitching.
92-93 - Sunday, May 03 2009 @ 10:57 PM EDT (#199327) #
McGowan as the closer (post-BJ) sounds like a GREAT idea, and might especially work for someone with his medical condition.
Another Tough Night on the Farm | 16 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.