Despite overall scoring deficit just 4 runs (45 to 41) only the AAA and DCL Blue Jays affiliates, came out victorious on a Saturday night.  2 and 6 makes for a tough Saturday night. 

Nearly every game by the affiliates featured runs by one team or both in the first inning. Many of the games settled down after that and, aside from a 28-hit affair in Nevada and Lansing’s pitching allowing double-digit runs, most the games were relatively closely and not large-scoring affairs. Las Vegas, New Hampshire and Dunedin won, but then you have to go down to Bluefield to see another victory. The victories in Double and High-A saw strong pitching performances by prospects continuing to improve their ranking.

Five wins in eight tries for the affiliates. Not a ton of notable offensive performances put two of the organization's top pitchers brought their good stuff.

A necessarily brief update; plus Lansing ties a Midwest League record, and not in a good way.

A 5-3 night on the farm where the bats were smoking on the West Coast and Ohio.

The full-season affiliates didn't win a game, but a couple short-season clubs scored a bunch of runs to somewhat salvage the night for the farm.

Pitching prospects dominated on a night that saw the affiliates go 3-3.

Lansing and Bluefield had different results in their 10-inning affairs. New Hampshire won, while Dunedin lost. Vancouver was victorious in a high-scoring affair, while Las Vegas lost a blowout.

Some bright flashes on offence, but some heavy K action from the mound (except for Las Vegas) put the night in the win column for Toronto’s farm club teams.  Drabek stumbled mightily in a short-lived appearance.

Las Vegas lost a squeaker in the late innings in a game that received top billing on MILB.com thanks to Brett Cecil squaring off against the Reno Aces. The rest of the affiliates went 2-4.

There were two off-days, one scheduled and one not, and an extra game from yesterday. Meanwhile Dunedin wrapped up the first half of their season, and Griffin Murphy dazzled in his pro debut.

I spent last weekend in Erie, Pa. to see the Fisher Cats win two of three games from the Erie Seawolves.  This thread covers my observations from the games.  Over the next week I will follow up with interviews of Sal Fasano, pitching coach Pete Walker, hitting coach Justin Mashore, pitcher Chad Jenkins and first baseman Mike McDade.

There was a tie game after nine innings which will be completed today.  There was an awful pitching performance, a good pitching performance, a grand slam, a victory in our home and native land, an All-Star Game that featured a Canadian All-Star, a promising start by one of the Jays prominent international signees and a game that had similarities to the parent club's Tuesday night.  It was a 3-4 night on the farm with one game pending.

Alternate title: The Showchinko. The Showchinkshow?

Justin Nicolino, the Jays' second round pick out of high school in 2010, had a pro debut to remember, as did reliever Blake McFarland.