Mistakes in the field, struggles with runners in scoring position and mediocre starting pitching all led to losses in the minors as the affiliates won one of five games. Brad Mills’s rough start to the year continued, as he remains winless, although on the positive side Travis Snider went 2 for 4. The Fisher Cats had a rough day in the field and Dunedin could muster little offence. Top first base prospects helped do the affiliates in, as Lars Anderson was 3-5 and Eric Hosmer was 2-4 with a pair of doubles in the first game of Lansing’s doubleheader.

Sorry, folks;  Life and work got in the way of a full minor league recap.  Here's an abbreviated look at Wednesday which was actually a good night.  3 games, 3 wins, all in the final at-bat.  Too bad the big club blew it.

Three affiliates managed five runs in their three losses.  The other scored ten and won in a 1-3 night on the farm.

And so do Jays' affiliates, apparently. Sometime I need to compile their collective record on Mondays. I don't expect it to be good. Though considering how the affiliates have been doing, the other days of the week probably aren't much better.

Las Vegas scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth to win their game.  Tim Collins gave up a solo home run in the ninth inning of a tied game and took the loss for Dunedin.  New Hampshire had a man thrown out at the plate in the bottom of the ninth and lost by a run.  

Things started off well at the top with Las Vegas creaming Oklahoma, but the other affiliates dropped the ball and went 0-for-3.

There was a lot of late inning scoring in the three games on Thursday.  Adam Calderone hit a grand slam in the eighth for New Hampshire to give them a two run lead but the bullpen gave up eight runs in the eighth.  Las Vegas fought back to tie a game they had been behind in all night but Bill Murphy and his defense blew it in the ninth.  The bright spot was Lansing whose bullpen has been somewhat unreliable early in the season.  The Lugnuts led 6-2 but the bullpen coughed up three runs in the eighth and it was worry time, but the offense bailed them out with four more in the ninth to seal the win.

Just two games for the affiliates last night.  Both starters threw nearly identical lines.  One suffered a loss while the other was saved by some late game heroics.

One win at the higher levels thanks to outstanding pitching and one win at the lower levels despite a Bad News Bears impersonation with the leather.  Total it all up and the four affiliates split things right down the middle with a 2-2 evening. 

I'll just cut to the chase, since this is really what you want to hear: J.P. Arencibia had a huge night, going 3-3 with 2 homers, a double and 2 walks. No matter what else happened, it was a good night for the affiliates.

Strong pitching and weak hitting was a theme in the minors on Sunday, as the four affiliates allowed just 10 runs in five games yet still only won two of 'em.

Only one win for the affiliates, a big come from behind, ninth inning, win by Dunedin.  Justin Jackson was 2-3 with three RBI's.  It's a very small sample but in the three games since coming off the DL Jackson is 7-9 with no strikeouts.  

Sorry for the lateness of the report, but some of us had to work early, early on the first official day of the long weekend. Las Vegas and New Hampshire won, while Dunedin took two losses in a double-header. Lansing was rained out.

Las Vegas finally get good pitching from the starter and the relievers in the same game and win a game in the land of the delta blues.  New Hampshire lost despite two more hits by Brad Emaus.  Lansing split a doubleheader with the win coming on another good start by Henderson Alvarez.

Winning in Memphis
Winning with my feet ten feet off of Beale
Winning in Memphis
But do I really feel the way I feel

Only two games on Wednesday night thanks to the rain.  But the two teams that did play both featured starts by pitchers who began the year in the Blue Jays rotation.  One was great while the other struggled with command.