The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Minor League Baseball made its official return to the playing field last night and several Bahamians were in action for their respective clubs.

Chavez Young and Warren Saunders both helped their clubs to opening night wins to begin the 2021 campaign. Young and his New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays Double-A affiliate) dominated with an 11-2 win over the Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox Double-A affiliate) at Hadlock Field in Portland, Maine.

The No.29 prospect in the Blue Jays pipeline, Young went 2-4 with three RBI, one stolen base, scored one run and drew two walks.

In the third inning, Young singled with a line drive to score Jordan Groshans and give the Fisher Cats a 3-0 lead.

His hit was one of five consecutive by the New Hampshire lineup in the inning as they took a 4-0 advantage.

New Hampshire followed with a four-run seventh-inning rally. Young again came through with an RBI single to left field to again score Groshans.

New Hampshire continues the season-opening road trip at Hadlock Field through Sunday.

In his last full season of baseball, Young appeared in 111 games in 2019 with the Lansing Lugnuts in Single A-Advanced baseball and was named a Midwest League All-Star.

Saunders, the New York Mets prospect, began his season with the Low-A affiliate - St Lucie Mets.

The Mets’ offence exploded for 18 hits and 13 runs in a 13-3 win over the Jupiter Hammerheads on opening night at Clover Park in Port St Lucie, Florida, on May 4.

All nine Mets players in the lineup collected a hit and scored a run.

Saunders started at first base and singled on a fly ball to right field to score Pete Crow-Armstrong in the fourth inning. He finished 1-4 with one RBI.

The St Lucie Mets feature five of the Mets top 15 prospects in its farm system. Saunders last appeared with the GCL Mets in the 2019 season. In 33 games, he hit .323 with a .783 OPS, 41 hits, 56 total bases, 20 RBI and scored 25 runs.

Keithron Moss and the Texas Rangers’ Low-A affiliate - the Down East Wood Ducks - rallied for an 8-4 win against the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers on Tuesday night.

The Ducks finished with a six-run seventh inning, but Moss was 0-4 on the night in Kannapolis, North Carolina.

Moss is the No.28 prospect in the Rangers organisation.

The Ducks’ home opener is scheduled for May 11 against the Carolina Mudcats.

In 34 AZL games in 2019, he hit .308 with a .425 OBP, .442 slugging percentage, and an .866 OPS.