NOTEBOOK: Riley Adams finds his groove on the road

To say Riley Adams had a tough start to his season would be an understatement. The 18th ranked Blue Jays’ prospect started the year with the major league club, but didn’t get a chance to make his big league debut before being optioned back to the Herd.

Then in his first two series with the Bisons, he struggled at the plate, getting just two hits on 26 at-bats, for a .077 batting average. The young slugger was able to showcase his power a little bit, homering twice in his second game, but ultimately didn’t hit another throughout the homestand.

The club’s trip to Worcester was a fresh start for Adams. The power-hitting catcher turned it around, getting 6 hits on 16 at-bats, including a triple and his third home run of the year, good for an impressive .375 batting average.

The difference between those two splits is night and day for Adams, who appeared to be much more patient at the plate. His selectiveness was apparent, as he also collected five walks in the six games against the WooSox.

Perhaps Adams’ most impressive display came on Friday night in Polar Park when he was sprung into action after the Herds’ only other catcher, Juan Graterol, was injured. Entering the game in the sixth inning, Adams singled and scored in the seventh to start a rally for the Herd that was trailing by two. Then with the score 4-3 in the ninth inning, the young slugger smacked a home run to deep centerfield to tie the game..

That homerun jolted the club with energy and they rallied back to beat the WooSox 6-4.

Riley Adams will look to keep that momentum going into their next series as the Herd travels to Scranton Wilkes-Barre to take on the RailRiders.

***

The upcoming series between the Bisons and RailRiders is certainly one that fans of the Triple-A baseball will be paying attention to. The Herd is in a three-way tie for 2nd place in the Triple-A East Northeast division at 11-7, right behind the 13-5, first place RailRiders.

Both teams have seen early-season success, but the two clubs get it done in different ways.

The RailRiders’ offense has been impressive, scoring 111 runs in 18 games. In comparison, the Bisons have scored 84 runs. The rival club is fueled by their power, hitting 27 home runs, which is tied for second in the Triple-A East. Opposing pitchers appear to fear their power, as the RailRiders have a league-leading 103 walks, as well.

The Herds’ pitching has little to fear though as they are quite impressive in their own right. Their attack-style pitching currently stands atop Triple-A baseball, with a 2.77 earned run average. Opposing hitters also only have a .214 batting average against the club’s pitching.

***

The Bisons’ starters have shined through the early portion of the season, but the club’s bullpen has been equally as notable.

When the Herd gets a lead, the team tends to hold it. The club leads Triple-A baseball with a 1.15 ERA when the team is ahead. The next closest club has a 3.18 ERA when ahead.

Tayler Saucedo has been one of the Bisons’ best relief pitchers. The southpaw has pitched 10.1 innings, not allowing a single earned run, and has only walked one batter. Opposing hitters only have a .182 average when Saucedo is on the mound.

Bryan Baker has overwhelmed opposing clubs too, pitching 7.2 innings of relief, allowing just three hits and zero earned runs. The big right-hander has tormented opposing clubs with his fierce velocity and ability to change speeds. The Herds’ opponents have a .115 batting average when Baker is on the bump.

Both pitchers will be put to the test in the team’s next series against the powerful Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.