Despite not practicing for three weeks, the Blue Jays put together an excellent performance in their game with the Baseball Factory Sunday, May 19, at Fleming Park.
This was a seesaw affair that could have gone either way.
The final score was Baseball Factory 9, Blue Jays 7.
May 19 Game Report
Jack Raymond enjoyed a flawless day at the plate. After drawing a walk in the second inning, he bounced a grounder through the infield for a base hit in the fourth. Jack subsequently gave his team the lead when he slid into home and scored a run. Jack was effective with the glove, as well, collecting a bouncing ball in left field and returning it to the infield to hold the runner to a single.
Chris Pernie demonstrated his toughness when he used his body to knock down a hot shot at 2nd base. He played well defensively throughout the game. Chris's patience and sound judgment at the plate paid off when he drew a walk in the second inning. He is now tied for the team lead with six free passes this season.
Jaden Smith led off the game with a quality at bat in the top of the first inning. Hitting with two strikes, he fouled off multiple good pitches, worked the count, and drew a walk. He would later score the game's first run, his eighth of the year. Jaden continues to show tremendous progress at catcher, demonstrating increased velocity and accuracy on throws to 2nd and 3rd on attempted steals.
Gavin Ferguson saw some very good pitching from the Baseball Factory and swung aggressively in two trips to the plate. Defensively, Gavin continued to show good awareness in the outfield, fielding solid hits and quickly getting the ball back to the infielders to prevent runners from scoring.
Charlie Knowles is compiling some impressive offensive numbers this season. In Sunday's game, he went 3-for-3 with a double, two singles, a run scored and two RBI. He leads the team in on base percentage and is tied for team honors for balls in play and slugging percentage. Defensively, Charlie put in his typical sound work at 1st base and took a turn at pitcher in the fourth inning.
Ethan Yu didn't get many pitches to hit in the game with the Baseball Factory, but he still enjoyed a productive day, drawing three walks and scoring a run. Ethan boosted his season on base percentage to .714, the third best mark on the team. Defensively, he continued to make great strides behind the plate, blocking balls in the dirt and delivering good throws on stolen base attempts.
Jake Lang proved that there is such a thing as a productive ground out. He drove in two runs despite being thrown out on good plays by the opposing infielders. It was his second consecutive multiple RBI game. Jake also displayed a good batting eye, drawing a walk in the top of the fifth. Defensively, he played well at 3rd base and in center field.
John Wyatt has given the Blue Jays another reliable arm in the bullpen. Sunday, he pitched two quality innings, allowing just two hits and three walks while striking out a season high five batters. John made a big defensive play in the top of the first, nabbing a high fly ball for an out in center field. Offensively, he added his seventh RBI of the season when he grounded out to the 2nd baseman in the third inning.
Dylan Edwards took a shot for the team in the top of the third when he was hit by a pitch for the first time in his baseball career. Dylan showed his mettle by shaking off the pain, rounding the bases, and scoring a run, his fifth of the season. Defensively, Dylan played his usual heads-up baseball, backing up throws on attempted steals at 2nd base.
Sam Berman is a stalwart on the mound, in the field and at the plate. In Sunday's game, he ripped a double and a single, scored a run, and collected an RBI. Sam moved into a tie for team high honors with five extra base hits on the year. Defensively, he added two more infield assists to bring his team leading mark to 16. On the mound, Sam pitched a scoreless fourth inning, giving up just one hit and striking out two. His season WHIP of 1.94 paces the Blue Jays' pitching staff.
Rayan Nair put in another solid pitching performance, striking out two batters in the first inning. He also played well defensively at 2nd base and at shortstop. Rayan used his keen batting eye to draw walks in the first and third innings, improving his on base percentage to .611. He also scored a run, his fourth of the season.
George Roggie has proven to be a very tough out, putting the ball in play in 100 percent of his at bats and generating an on base percentage of .857. In Sunday's game, George smacked an RBI single and a double, his first extra base hit of the year. He also collected two infield assists, increasing his season total to 15.
With one game remaining in the spring season, the Blue Jays are looking to add a power bat to the lineup for the fall. We have one possible free agent acquisition in mind. Rumor has it that he attended the game last week!
Coaches
Tom Yu interpreted the lineup, helped the team warm up, assisted with equipment, and coached 1st base. Aside from that, he had an uneventful afternoon.
Chris Pernie proved to be an aggressive 3rd base coach. Every run came at a premium in this game.
Brian Ferguson returned the the staff by handling bench coaching duties. The job isn't as difficult as in past years, but Brian's in-game counsel is always appreciated.
Steve Berman has caught the score keeping bug! After the game, he sent an email to the coach and questioned one of his own scoring decisions. That's the kind of dedication we want!
Great game, Blue Jays!
Amazingly, we have just one game remaining this spring. Let's have fun and finish strong in our finale with the Nationals June 2.
Coach Steve
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