Top Prospects Make Noise In C's Loss

EUGENE, OR – The top two Blue Jays prospects contributed in big ways, but the Canadians dropped their season-worst fifth consecutive game Tuesday night at PK Park, a 6-4 loss to the Emeralds [SF] to start their six-game series.

It was the High-A debut for MLB Pipeline’s #2 Blue Jays prospect Trey Yesavage. His outing started with a four-pitch walk and a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the first, but the right-hander settled in and delivered a strong first installment to his Canadians career. In four complete, Yesavage allowed those two runs on a total of two hits, walked three and K’ed 10, including seven of his last eight batters faced.

Not to be outdone by his fellow top prospect, the #1 overall farmhand for Toronto Arjun Nimmala continued his terrific start to the year with a towering three-run homer in the third that put the C’s in front 3-2. It was his league-best eighth bomb of the season and the first of three hits on his night. He finished a double shy of the cycle and drove in four runs.

After Yesavage’s departure and with the C’s leading 4-2, newcomer Gage Stanifer (L, 0-1) came on to begin the fifth. He retired the first two batters then walked three in a row before giving up a bases-clearing bloop double that made it 5-4 Eugene and put them in front for good. The Ems added an unearned run in the eighth and went on to win 6-4.

Vancouver had at least one runner reach base in all nine innings but managed only five hits and left 14 men on base. They went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Nimmala’s three hits and Aaron Parker’s two singles were the only contributions in the hit column.

With the loss, the C’s have now fallen to a season-worst six games below .500 at 17-23. They’ll look to right the ship tomorrow night at 6:35 p.m.

The Canadians return home Tuesday, May 27 for a six-game series with Hillsboro [AZ]. Tickets are available at CanadiansBaseball.com.