ALAN RODEN HOME RUN!
Minor League Report: Alan Roden hit his 15th home run of the season
Photo credit: © Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 13, 2024, 15:00 EDT
There’s just over a week left of minor league baseball in 2024.
On Thursday, only two teams were in action as the Vancouver Canadians travelled the long seven-hour journey to Spokane for their Championship Series. Both the Buffalo Bisons and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats won their games, while we’ll also preview the next two games (potentially three) for the Vancouver Canadians.
Let’s dig into all of that in the latest Minor League Report!
Buffalo outlasted Gwinnett
On Thursday, the Buffalo Bisons defeated the Gwinnett Stripers 3-2 to bring their second-half record to 28-37. Moreover, they are 7-3 in their last ten games, and if they win their remaining nine games, they will reach the .500 mark.
Alan Roden’s power development is one positive to take away from this awful 2024 season. In 2023, he hit 10 home runs, but is now sitting at 15 in 503 plate appearances, along with a .318/.405/.507 slash line in 259 Triple-A plate appearances. Last night, he hit his eighth of the season with the Bisons. Roden also had a single, and could impact the 2025 Blue Jays in some way.
Catcher Phil Clarke also had a multi-hit game, as he had two singes. Jonatan Clase had a single, while the rehabbing Bo Bichette also had a single. There wasn’t a whole lot of offence, but they didn’t really need it thanks to pitching.
Paolo Espino made the start for the Bisons, pitching a quality start thanks to giving up just two solo home runs in six innings pitched. Eric Pardinho threw a clean inning with a strikeout, making it eight straight appearances since he last gave up an earned run. In that time frame, he had a 34.4 K% and a 3.1 BB%, along with a 1.38 FIP in 8.2 innings pitched. Brandon Eisert picked up the save, pitching two innings while allowing a hit, a walk, and a strikeout.
New Hampshire ended their losing skid
Coming into Thursday’s game, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats were on a six-game losing streak. However, they snapped that thanks to a 5-3 win over the Somerset Patriots, bringing their second-half record to 22-43 with three games remaining.
Eddinson Paulino had his best game in the Jays organization so far, hitting his 17th double of the season as well as a single. He also struck out three times, a common theme for Fisher Cats’ hitters in this game (16 strikeouts). Rainer Nuñez was undoubtedly the team’s player of the game, as he hit his 14th double of the season, along with two singles and a walk. The pinch hitting Ryan McCarty had the other hit.
Rainer Nuñez with a big rip to put the Cats in front! His @PDRestoration double plates @SchreckRJ! Gabby Martinez then brings Rainer home with a sac fly! Bot 6 | NH 3, SOM 1 📺: bit.ly/3K994iH 📻: bit.ly/3TYJH7D #ScratchingtheSurface
Like the Bisons, the Fisher Cats had strong pitching, as Devereaux Harrison pitched a quality start, finishing with a line of 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K to bring his season ERA to 4.65. Anders Tolhurst struck out two batters in two innings of work, while CJ Van Eyk struck out two and gave up an earned run in an inning of work for his second save of the year.
What’s next for Vancouver
The two games on Canadian soil are finish and the five-game series now shifts to Spokane with the two teams knotted at one.
Game 3 comes at 9:35 PM ET on Friday, with Kendry Rojas starting the game for the Canadians. The left-handed pitcher has been nothing short of terrific this season, as he has a 2.43 ERA and a 3.02 FIP in 55.2 innings pitched, along with a 27 K% and a 5.3 BB%.
Since July 26, the 21-year-old has a 2.13 ERA and a 3.03 FIP in 42.1 innings pitched, along with a 28.5 K% and a 4.2 BB%. Half his earned runs came in August 30th’s start, but has gone six or more innings pitched with two or less runs given up in six of his last seven starts.
Game 4 is on Saturday at 9:35 PM ET, with Grant Rogers expected to start that game. Rogers has made six starts in High-A, where he has a 3.11 ERA and a 2.68 FIP in 37.2 innings pitched, along with a 24.3 K% and a 4.1 BB%.
Rogers is one of six pitchers in the Jays’ organization with 100 or more innings pitched thanks to his tenure in Dunedin, as he has a 3.87 ERA and a 3.70 FIP in 111.2 innings pitched this season, second most in the organization.
If Game 5 is forced by either team and the Canadians’ rotation stays the same, you can expect Pat Gallagher to start the decisive game for the only Canadian minor league team. This season, the 24-year-old righty has a 4.15 ERA and a 3.81 FIP in 91 innings pitched, along with a 21.3 K% and an 8 BB%.
As always, you can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.