The Vancouver Canadians won a home opener for the first time since 2011 as they beat the defending Northwest League champion Hillsboro Hops, an affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Four years ago, the C's beat the Yakima Bears in their first game as a Blue Jays affiliate. Yakima relocated to Hillsboro in 2013.


Blue Jays 2015 first round pick Jon Harris throws his first strike on his second pitch of the game at 93 miles per hour.

Your affiliates were 3-5 on the night as the full minor league roster is underway.  Anthony Alford and Rowdy Tellez made debuts at High A and Richard Urena continues to hit homeruns.  Brad Glenn collected five RBIs in Buffalo.

Seven games on the schedule on Wednesday, the affiliates won four and lost three. KC Hobson homered behind good pitching from Joel Pineiro in the New Hampshire win. Dunedin split a double header with no hitting in a game one loss and lots of hits in the game two win. Bluefield scored late for a walk off win. Jacob Brentz had a good start. The GCL Jays won a pitching duel 1-0, just like the big club.

Daniel Norris didn't like facing Russ Canzler and he lost, despite nine punch-outs. Vancouver had bad defense and bad baserunning in their loss. lansing are on their all star break.

Just one win out of six for the affiliates on Tuesday night. However, the Lansing Lugnuts made an impact on this year's Midwest League All-Star Game. Dunedin's game was rained out.

The affiliates won three of out five with two of the affiliates scoring five runs on five hits. Another affiliate scored five but they lost by five. Buffalo and Lansing took five, they had the night off.

Lansing delivered the only win with a complete performance, lots of hitting and shutdown pitching, a good way to begin the all-star break. Jeff Francis shut out Syracuse through eight innings but the Bisons offense were also shut down. Buffalo lost in the tenth. Lane Thomas had two hits, including a home run, for Vancouver but they lost 2-1. Two Canadians were almost perfect over four relief innings. Nw Hampshire were rained out while Dunedin are still on their all-star break.

Vancouver begins with a romp and Lansing clinches. Your affiliates were 3-2 on the night.

Buffalo and New Hampshire suffered bad losses with multiple blown leads. The Bisons took a lead to the bottom of the ninth and lost. New Hampshire also took a lead to the bottom of he ninth and lost, in thirteen innings. Dunedin won as Matt Dean and Mitch Nay had good games. Lansing won a rain shortened affair and are now two games ahead of Bowling Green for a playoff spot with four games to play.

The Lansing Lugnut Lumber Company provided the majority of the highlights as the affiliates won two of out six Tuesday night.

The affiliates won three of the four games completed on Monday with one game suspended due to rain.

Extended spring training is finished for 2015 and I have a copy of the final stats. Lets see who and what stands out.

Matt Boyd's first start in AAA went well but Buffalo lost. His replacements in New Hampshire did not pitch well and lost. Dunedin has suddenly found the lumber, they put up seven in the first inning and cruised to the affiliates only win. Lansing lost, as their playoff chase enters its final week.

Your brief minor league update....

Buffalo had the day off.

New Hampshire won 14-1

The affiliates were 3-2. The night featured a Jeff Hoffman start in Dunedin, a near no-hitter (for the ad guys), and J.D. Davis getting awfully close to Ted Williams.

Lansing was the only bright spot on Wednesday. Lansing hammered the first place Quad Cities with twelve hits and twelve runs including home runs from Anthony Alford and Richard Urena. Rowdy Tellez had three RBI. Elsewhere none of the games were close. Fekix Doubront had a rough start while Matt Hague picked up his usual two hits. Dalton Pompey had two hits for New Hampshire. Dunedin got some hits but their pitching was shellacked.