Batter's Box Interactive Magazine Batter's Box Interactive Magazine Batter's Box Interactive Magazine
Some rough games on the farm tonight. Our High-A affiliate lost 6-2 and went 1-11 with RISP. Brett Lawrie went 2-3 and Kyle Drabek pitched two innings. Our GCL team lost 9-0. Our Low-A affiliate lost 8-1 and Roberto Osuna was outpitched by another prospect. Our AAA affiliate lost, but managed to put up a gallant fight at the end. Bluefield eked out a win and New Hampshire came from behind to win on a night where Sean Nolin was OK. Vancouver won in the late one.

Buffalo 5 Gwinnett 7

Buffalo made this one close late. A run scoring double by Ryan Goins and back-to-back homeruns by Mauro Gomez and Luis Jimenez in the ninth closed a six run gap to two, that was all the Bisons could muster though. Ryan Goins had four hits and Kevin Pillar continues his torrid ways by stroking a single and a double. Munenori Kawasaki also had two hits in his return to the Minors. On the not so good side of things, Anthony Gose was hitless and Moises Sierra had a hit in five trips to the plate. On the mound, Chad Jenkins left after two innings with an undisclosed injury.

Portland 4 New Hampshire 5

New Hampshire pushed two runs across in the eighth to top the Portland Sea Dogs. Sean Nolin had a so-so outing. He pitched six innings and yielded three runs on eight hits and a walk. He struck out five. The other notables were quiet. A.J. Jimenez marked his selection to the Futures Game by going hitless and Andy Burns went hitless as well and has struggled since his call-up.

Lakeland 6 Dunedin 2

Another Kyle Drabek sighting down in Florida. Drabek, who is working his way back from his second Tommy John elbow surgery, pitched for the second time this year. He went two innings and gave up two earned runs. Starter Jesse Hernandez, who has been solid this year in Dunedin, went four innings and gave up four earned runs. The Dunedin squad couldn’t cash the runner in from second or third. The team was 1-11 with RISP. Brett Lawrie was 2-3 with a double as he “slowly” makes his way back to Toronto.

Fort Wayne 8 Lansing 1

Roberto Osuna lost a bit of pitching matchup tonight. Osuna faced off against Zach Eflin who was a highly regarded high school pitcher out of Florida in last year’s draft. Eflin allowed a run in five innings while Osuna struggled, pitching four and a third innings, giving up four earned runs. Not too much shaking with the bats. Chris Hawkins homered, which was the lone extra base hit on the night.

Vancouver 5 Spokane 2

The no-name Canadians continue to win. They topped a Texas affiliate tonight. Canadian Mike Reeves had three hits, as did Andy Fermin. Bobby Brosnahan pitched five shut out innings and struck out seven.

Burlington 0 Bluefield 2

Some mighty-fine pitching down in Bluefield tonight. Jairo Labourt pitched five shutout innings, giving up just the three hits. His piggy-backer Tom Robson then threw four hitless innings. Labourt recorded all his outs by way of groundball or strikeout and Robson allowed just the one flyball out. The two pitchers were helped out by solid defense again as the Bluefield Blue Jays turned four double plays behind them. Bluefield hitters weren’t all too impressive on the night—recording just two hits—but they got the one hit that counted as Jonathan Davis doubled in the seventh, scoring both runs on the evening.

GCL Yankees1 9 GCL Blue Jays 0

When you strike out eleven times and kick the ball around four times you usually don’t win. The GCL squad learned this very important lesson today as they lost to one of the Yankees GCL affiliates. Franklin Barreto is hitting the baseball to start his pro career. He had two more hits today, but committed one of the four errors. He has four errors now in six games. Anthony Alford was hitless, but walked. Andres Sotillo had two hits.

Three Stars

3. Kevin Pillar

2. Ryan Goins

1. Jairo Labourt and Tom Robson

Box Scores

Labourt and Robson Sparkle, Pillar and Goins Shine | 15 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Lugnut Fan - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 08:33 AM EDT (#275293) #

I was at the game last night and Osuna's FB looked good.  He hit 97 a couple of times and was consistently at 94-95 (velo readings courtsey of the Fort Wayne pitchers that were charting in front of me).  I would like to see a bit more bite on his slider and his change up looked a little flat and straight.  That being said, command was the issue.  He walked a couple and hit a couple (One of the FW hitters was knocked out of the game after he took a 94 mph FB to the helmet).

WIth him having been shut down with the UCL concern, I'm wondering if they are tinkering with something in his delivery to try and make sure that his UCL is protected.  I can't honestly say for sure because I only saw him throw one other time this season and it was very early on.

Mike Green - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 08:50 AM EDT (#275297) #
Thanks, sam, for a fine minor league update, and LF  for the first person observations on Osuna. 
92-93 - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 10:37 AM EDT (#275318) #
Interesting that Drabek came in as a reliever for his two innings as opposed to starting, as he did in his first rehab appearance.
Mike Green - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 10:42 AM EDT (#275320) #
Gerry asked the question a couple of days ago, but it bears repeating.  Why is Tyler Ybarra still in Dunedin?
Richard S.S. - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 11:07 AM EDT (#275321) #
Hutchison is of more interest right now than Drabek. Drew Hutchison may be a solid Major League Starter, Kyle Drabek is a work in progress. I highly doubt either of the two make the Team this season. If they do this Team is having major problems.

Aren't Minor League Relievers a forgotten group? Was Tyler Ybarra hurt in the Offseason? Otherwise I have no idea, because it's not reasonable he's not being promoted (or maybe will never be promoted),
Nigel - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 12:39 PM EDT (#275322) #
That scouting report on Osuna last night is interesting.  When I saw him pitch last year in Vancouver he sat at 92-93 but did hit 96 once or twice.  His change-up was really good the day I saw him with lots of deception and really good fade and sink into righthanders.  His slider did lack bite. 
Gerry - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 02:02 PM EDT (#275324) #
Matt Smoral sighting in the GCL today......hit batter, walk, walk, walk.   It can only get better from here.
China fan - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 02:59 PM EDT (#275328) #
Marc Hulet chatted about prospects on Fangraphs today. Not much about the Jays, but he did make a general comment on the Jays system, plus a specific comment on Kevin Pillar.

On the Jays system: "With both Sanchez and Osuna getting hurt, Toronto’s system is looking even thinner these days… Add in a blah draft and, well, you get the idea…."

On Pillar: "I’ve been given a modest projection for him from some talent evaluators that know him really well. I suggested a Reed Johnson comp to them and they said it wasn’t a terrible comp… His defense in center is just OK, he’s more of a solid base runner than a burner and he possesses gap power at best…"
JB21 - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 03:10 PM EDT (#275329) #
Marc Hulet tweets and writes like he wanted to work for the Jays but was never given a shot, or something like that anyway.

There's a tone almost every instance like he has a bone to pick with the organization. Just my opinion of course.
85bluejay - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 03:40 PM EDT (#275334) #
Marc Hulet is usually very fair & measured in his comments regarding the jays system imo - after the trading of prospects in the last year & the slow starts of the high school prospects of the last few drafts, I would expect most rankings to have the Jays in the 20's - I think his comments today are what I would expect. If the high upside prospects take a step forward in the next year, then the system would look much better - it's a boom/bust kinda system.
China fan - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 04:04 PM EDT (#275337) #
I don't mind seeing Pillar compared to Reed Johnson if it means anything like the season that Johnson had for the Jays in 2006....
JB21 - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 09:30 PM EDT (#275346) #
Read his timeline, its full of snarky remarks about any decision AA makes.
Paul D - Saturday, June 29 2013 @ 09:56 AM EDT (#275362) #
I agree - that's not my reading of Hulet on the Jays. 
jerjapan - Saturday, June 29 2013 @ 02:13 PM EDT (#275365) #
Personally, I find Marc Hullet to be one of the most informed voices out their on baseball and the Jays specifically.  Are we back to the idea that the media is biased against the Jays?
Oceanbound - Saturday, June 29 2013 @ 02:31 PM EDT (#275366) #
Hulet used to be part of the staff of Da Box. I wouldn't be surprised if he disagreed with AA's management of the team, but that doesn't mean he's somehow biased against the Jays.
Labourt and Robson Sparkle, Pillar and Goins Shine | 15 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.