Reggie Pruitt showed off some extra-base power in Lansing Tuesday.
A 2017 Vancouver Canadian known more for his speed showed some power instead for the Lansing Lugnuts Tuesday.
Reggie Pruitt doubled home the Lugnuts first run of the game and belted a solo home run but the Lugnuts fell a run short against West Michigan at Cooley Law School Stadium.
2018 C’s first baseman Jake Brodt (2018) contributed a hit and two walks and is batting .316 in the early going while his fellow C’s teammates Nick Podkul drew a pair of walks and McGregory Contreras had a base hit and an assist as he threw out a runner in left field.
That assist from Contreras helped out Josh Winckowski as he laboured through two innings in which he threw 50 pitches. West Michigan got to him for five hits and a walk but it only led to one run. The 2018 Northwest League Pitcher of the Year struck out two but FutureBlueJays.com noted the pitch count may not have been the only reason for his early exit.
218 C’s reliever Joey Pulido saw a streak of 16 appearances without an unearned run come to an unceremonious end as he was roughed up for six runs in two innings. Will McAffer had to navigate around two hits and three walks in 2-2/3 innings and he did that with six strikeouts and some help from his 2018 C’s teammate Connor Law. All the Lawman did was strand the bases loaded with the first of five strikeouts in 2-1/3 innings in which he walked just one batter.
Early Exit for Pearson
Winckowski was not the only one to make an early exit Tuesday. 2017 C’s righthander Nate Pearson got through two innings and struck out two but gave way to fellow 2017 C’s righty Graham Spraker. He scattered two hits and a walk and struck out three over 3-2/3 innings. Matt Shannon (2017) suffered the walk-off loss in Fort Myers when he surrendered a Royce Lewis single. The number one pick of the 2018 draft went to second on a wild pitch and would come around to score on two more base hits.
2017 C’s catcher Riley Adams reached base three times on a walk and two hit-by-pitches. Again, Adams is a black belt in karate. He may need to pay a visit to the mound to not-so-gently remind an opposing pitcher not to plunk him. Kevin Vicuna (2017) had a pair of hits and Christian Williams (2016) had a hit and a walk. Logan Warmoth (2017) had a tough time at the dish by going 0-for-4 and grounded into a double play.
Burns Stays Hot
In Buffalo, 2011 Vancouver Canadian Andy Burns had two hits and a walk while Cavan Biggio (2016) and Roemon Fields (2014) also added base hits but the Bisons lost to Pawtucket Tuesday. Both Burns and Biggio are batting .400 and Fields is up to .409 but Fields has yet to attempt a stolen base this season.
Zach Jackson (2016) had a 1-2-3 eighth inning by inducing a couple of groundouts and a foul pop behind home plate,
C-Notes
2013 Vancouver Canadians righthander Chase De Jong made his 2019 MLB debut for the Minnesota Twins Tuesday. The 25 year-old—who was recalled Saturday—laboured through the ninth inning of the Twins 14-8 win over the host New York Mets. He was dinged for four runs on three hits and three walks but he retired the last three men he faced, throwing 46 pitches in the process. With Twins starter Kyle Gibson getting through just 4-2/3 innings, De Jong was the seventh pitcher on the night for Minnesota and manager Rocco Baldelli really did not want to use anyone else even though there was activity in the bullpen.
2011 C’s outfielder Kevin Pillar is settling in with San Francisco. After a grand slam Monday, Pillar had a bases-clearing double and a sacrifice fly to help the Giants dump San Diego 7-2. Pillar became the first Giant to have back-to-back four RBI games since Barry Bonds.
C-Tweets
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