Jays avoid no-hitter, but fall 4-2
Four Johnson City pitchers held the Baby Birds without a hit for eight and two-thirds innings. Starter Cory Jones pitched the first three frames and struck out five while walking two. Mike Aldrete (W, 1-0) worked the fourth, fifth and sixth innings and walked one. Jeffrey Rauh kept it going through the eighth while walking two and closer Ronald Shaban came in to close it out.
Art Charles drew a walk to start the ninth, but Shaban recovered with a strikeout of Jacob Anderson and a lineout to first by Eric Arce before Conner's big hit.
With starting backstop Santiago Nessy on the seven-day disabled list with a hamstring injury, Conner was called up from the Gulf Coast League. He arrived at the ballpark just as the game was starting and entered in the fifth inning. His bouncer set off a raucous ovation from the Bowen Field crowd.
Carlos Ramirez followed with a double to put Bluefield on the board with two runs. Representing the tying run, Christian Lopes struck out swinging to end the game.
Jays starter Daniel Norris had a tougher time in his second career start than he did in his scintillating debut. The lefty threw four perfect innings to get the win in Bristol in Tuesday's season opener, but he gave up four runs in four innings in this one.
After a 1-2-3 first inning in which he whiffed two, Norris (L, 0-1) allowed three consecutive run-scoring plays in the second. Carson Kelly's RBI single, Gerwuins Velazco's sacrifice fly and Cesar Valera's RBI double staked the visitors to an early 3-0 lead. Michael Knox led off the fourth with his second homer of the year to make it 4-0.
Joe Musgrove piggybacked on Norris's start and pitched four shutout innings of three-hit ball. He kept the Jays in the game, but the Johnson City mound quartet dominated. After Jones loaded the bases with one out in the first, Cardinals pitching set down 21 of the next 22 hitters.
Bluefield has now lost two out of three in both of their series so far in 2012.
The Jays embark on a six-game road trip on Monday to Burlington and Kingsport. The first of three games against the Royals will be on Monday night at 7:00 p.m., with left-hander Deivy Estrada getting the start for Bluefield.
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The Baby Birds return to Bowen Field on Sunday, July 1 to begin a six-game homestand. Tickets for all Blue Jays home games are available at the Bowen Field box office, the Tickets page on BluefieldJays.com, and by phone at 304-324-1326.