Sanchez moves up to Toronto Blue Jays Class A team
NILES, Ohio • Aaron Sanchez made his first start for his new team on Monday.
Sanchez, a former Barstow High School pitcher, threw three innings for the Auburn Doubledays, a Short-Season A classification affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, when they faced the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. He had been playing for the rookie level Gulf Coast Blue Jays prior to last weekend. Sanchez had a 1.42 ERA during his eight games and 19 innings for the Gulf Coast Blue Jays.
Sanchez’s dad Mike Shipley said he was happy to be moving up.
“He’s excited,” Shipley said. “We haven’t talked much. He’s been getting settled in for the last little bit. He’ll be up there for the next week or so until they finish their season and then he’ll head to the instructional league. After that it’s done till spring training.”
Sanchez had a mixed day in his first outing for the Doubledays. He had four strikeouts, but allowed two walks, two hits and three earned runs.
Sanchez started the game on the mound and struck out three batters in the first inning. He gave up his first hit to Jesus Aguilar on a fly ball to left field to start the second inning. Sanchez walked a batter, and a sacrifice bunt by the Scrappers put runners on second and third bases. Diego Seastrunk brought Aguilar home on a sacrifice fly to give Sanchez his first run of the game.
Sanchez rebounded in the third inning and ended the inning on a strikeout after two ground outs. However, he was pulled from the game after putting Giovanny Urshela and Aguilar on first and second with a walk and hit in the fourth inning. The Doubledays relievers Zach Outman and Zach Anderson allowed Urshela and Aguilar to score pushing Sanchez’s ERA for the game to 9.00.
