While one affiliate sang Rain, Rain, Go Away for umpteenth time today, another affiliate blasted its way into the record books. The Buffalo Bisons today recorded 27 runs on 29 hits, both records for the International League. Second basemen Jim Negrych’s cycle was one of many noteworthy performances for Buffalo on the day. Casey Lawrence also had a day to remember, pitching nine and two-thirds of shutout, four-hit ball down in Dunedin. Two of three affiliates went home happy tonight.
Buffalo 27 Syracuse 9
Well just about everyone got in on the act today in Syracuse. Negrych, as mentioned, hit for the cycle. Moises Sierra went for 6/6 and was a HR shy himself of a cycle, Luis Jimenez had 8 RBIs, Ryan Langerhans had two HRs, the list goes on here. Check out the boxscore. Negrych, it should be noted, is hitting to the tune of a 1.446 OPS. Buffalo is twelve games into their season, nine of which Negrych has played. Nonetheless, those are gaudy numbers. Just about every pitcher had a game to forget, save for Alex Hinshaw who worked a clean ninth. The Bisons are 8 and 4 on this young season, placing them a game behind the North Division leading Boston affiliate—the Pawtucket Red Sox.
Binghamton 4 New Hampshire 3
Ryan Tepera took the mound for the Fisher Cats on the night and he was so-so. He yielded three runs on eight hits over five and third innings. The sixth inning was his and the Fisher Cats undoing—he allowed a leadoff double and a hit batter before being relieved with runners on second and third with one out. His relief, a Chorye Spoone, then promptly gave up a double to score those two “ducks.” Before all was said and done, Spoone was touched for another double and run. The Fisher Cats were unable to makeup the run difference and fell on the night 4-3.
Joel Carreno pitched a clean inning, while Ricardo Nanita was a bright spot at the plate, homering and doubling. Kenny Wilson and Kevin Pillar have cooled a bit since their respective hot starts. We’ll start to get a better understanding of who these guys are in the coming months as they settle into the daily grind. They say the jump from A-Ball to Double-A is the hardest and it would be nice if the Jays could get a season out of one of these guys, perhaps make them look like legit prospects and get something in return for them at the deadline. The Fisher Cats are 1.5 back of the Eastern League Eastern leading Binghamton Mets.
Dunedin 1 Lakeland 0
Casey Lawrence was Halladay-esque down in Dunedin tonight. He pitched nine and two-thirds shutout innings, giving up only four hits. He was never really in trouble as well. In the sixth he managed to work around runners on second and third with one out, and then had Blake McFarland clean up runners on first and second with two out in the tenth. Most of his outs were by contact, 13 by groundball, and 9 by flyout. Lawrence was good and probably deserves an extended look at New Hampshire.
Lawrence’s relievers followed precedent and kept it clean until the thirteenth where an Andy Burns triple scored Peter Mooney who had just been hit by a pitch. Burns also walked twice on the night, but outside of that there were no outstanding offensive performances on the night and it should be noted the Baby Jays squandered bases loaded with none out in the first. K.C. Hobson also made his triumphant return to the lineup and needs to put it together soon. In the viewings I’ve had of Hobson I’ve quite liked his tools. He has an eye, power and average potential, and plays a really good first base. Tools are tools and he, much like a number of projectable draft picks of recent years, need to put it together before they’re ultimately passed by. Hobson had a nice year last year, but he’ll need to put up some big numbers at his position to be considered a prospect. Dunedin leads the way in the Florida League North Division by a game.
Lansing’s doubleheader with West Michigan was rained out. The games will be made up in June.
Three Stars
1. Jim Negrych
2. Casey Lawrence
3. Everyone else with a bat in a Buffalo Bison uniform
