Toronto prospect pitchers strike out 24 batters in single, Single-A contest

Tampa managed by ex-Lobo Balkovec

DUNEDIN, Fla. — Prospects on the Class A Dunedin Blue Jays struck out 24 batters in a 1-0 win over the New York Yankees’ Tampa Tarpons in the Florida State League on Saturday night, the most in a nine-inning minor league game since at least 2005.

Nick Frasso, a 24-year-old right-hander, struck out eight over three innings. Dahian Santos, a 19-year-old right-hander, struck out 10 over four innings. Braden Scott, a 24-year-old lefthander, struck out six over two innings. They combined on a two-hitter.

The Tampa team is managed by Rachel Balkovec, former University of New Mexico softball player, who made history this season as the first female manager in affiliated professional baseball. The Tarpons lost again Sunday to Dunedin 5-3 and are 14-18.

The highest previous nine-inning total since MLB Advanced Media became the minors’ official statistician in 2005 was 22 by Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Aug. 28, 2016 and matched by the Florida Complex League Astros last Sept. 8 and Class A Clearwater this April 23.

Alexander Vargas, Jasson Dominguez and Marcos Cabrera struck out four times each, and Alan Mejia and Connor Cannon struck out three times apiece. Anthony Garcia and Robinson Chirinos struck out twice each, and Anthony Seigler and Grant Richardson once apiece.

The only outs not on strikeouts were Richardson’s flyout ending the second, Seigler’s flyout ending the fourth and Mejia’s groundout for the second out in the seventh.

Chirinos singled in the third and Seigler leading off the seventh. Tampa also walked five times and had one batter reach when hit by a pitch.