With one month to go in the minor league year, we turn our attention back to the hitters. It won't be long until we sharpen our pencils and replace the batteries in our wireless mice to prepare for the annual end of year prospect review.

Meanwhile, the farm affiliates went 2-2 on Thursday with 2 Florida rainouts. An encouraging performance from Ricky Romero highlighted the day's events.

Great performances, mainly from the pitchers, were the key to a 4-2 day for the farm affiliates.

And he got the start in Syracuse.

It was a night from hell for the top 4 affiliates but the short-season affiliates saved the day.   

Three wins, one loss and two days off.  The Chiefs won with good pitching and the Fisher Cats won by scoring ten runs.  Lansing won by shutting out the opposition.  Auburn took the only loss but had two runners thrown out at home.  Adam Lind hit a home run but left the game.

John-Ford Griffin had five RBI's and Lee Gronkiewicz had six strikeouts in three shutout innings to lead Syracuse to victory.  Gustavo Chacin struggled.  The Fisher Cats dropped a doubleheader, The GCL Jays lost in 13 innings.  Dunedin and Lansing emerged victorious.

We couldn't really do the 13th installment of the minor league summary on Friday, least of all for pitchers, unless we wanted to give extra work to Dr. Andrews. So, it was postponed until Saturday.

The minor league affiliates went 4-2 yesterday, with nice performances from Joel Collins and Brett Cecil setting the tone.

Mike Green’s minor league report will run tomorrow. In the meantime, prepare to be enthralled with the accounts of four one-run games and 5 victories on the farm.

Syracuse was the only winner among the farm affiliates who went 1-4.

A 2-4 night in the minors.

The affiliates located in New York State ruined what would've been a perfect night on the farm.  At least Auburn had an excuse, they had the night off.  Syracuse could only wish they had one after getting swept in a doubleheader by Buffalo but at least a rehabbing Venezuelan lefty got some work in.   Lansing wound up playing more than a doubleheader's worth of baseball but not by design and New Hampshire picked up an important win in a 4-and-2 night for the affiliates.

Hitting was in short supply for the affiliates yesterday, in five games only two hitters had more than one hit.  Sal Fasano had two for the Chiefs and Manny Rodriguez had three for the Doubledays.  The affiliates managed to squeeze out two wins, Auburn won 2-1 on a solo home run by Rodriguez and the Cheifs won game two of a twin-bill with Fasano hitting a solo shot in that game.  Josh Banks and Ricky Romero had good starts.

A couple of Gonzalez's produced star-worthy performances on Saturday as the affiliates went 4-1.  Reidier Gonzalez pitched a complete game shutout for Lansing.  Jesus Gonzalez went 4-5 as Dunedin won easily.  Joel Collins hit two home runs to power the GCL Jays's offense.  Brett Cecil got back on track as Auburn won in extras.  New Hampshire took the lone loss as Syracuse were flood victims.

The GCL Blue Jays had their game suspended by rain while New Hampshire made up for a rainout by splitting a doubleheader. Auburn lost convincingly and Syracuse was dominated by Sowers. However, the bright and noteworthy occurred in full-season A-ball, where Lansing pitchers put on a dazzling display and Dunedin staged a late-inning comeback.

It is a hitter's summary week. The farm affiliates went 3-2.