Alonzo Gonzalez Bluefield bound after call up

The following are updates on local baseball players at the minor league level.

Alonzo Gonzalez (Glendale Community College, 2012) Bluefield Blue Jays pitcher: Gonzalez started his climb up the minor-league ladder Wednesday when he was assigned to the Bluefield Blue Jays, the Toronto Blue Jays rookie affiliate in the Appalachian League.

Gonzalez got the call after he logged his seventh start with another of Toronto’s rookie affiliates in the Gulf Coast League Tuesday. He threw five innings of three-run ball and picked up a no-decision against the visiting Gulf Coast Phillies.

Bluefield called up the 6-foot-5 left-hander after its game with the Elizabethton Twins was rained out Wednesday, which put it in a doubleheader with the Twins on Thursday.

Gonzalez gave up single runs in the first, third and fifth innings to the Phillies, while scattering eight hits, two walks and striking out four before being pulled at the start of the sixth inning.

The game gave Gonzalez a four-game unbeaten streak, but snapped his winning streak at three starts. He posted a 3-3 record and a 5.15 earned-run average in 10 appearances and seven starts in the Gulf Coast League. He struck out 22 batters, walked 12 and gave up 37 hits through 36 2/3 innings.

Bluefield (22-28) sat in fourth and second to last place in the Appalachian League East Division heading into Thursday’s doubleheader with the Twins.

Christian Bergman (St. Francis High, 2006) starting pitcher, Modesto Nuts: Bergman’s struggles continued Tuesday in his worst start of the year. The former All-Area Baseball Player of the Year hadn’t given up more than five runs in a start until July 27 when he surrendered six. The Visalia Rawhide hung seven runs on the Nuts ace Tuesday.

Modesto picked up the slack and saved Bergman — who gave up nine hits, a home run, a walk and struck out two through five innings — from the loss with a four-run seventh inning for a 10-7 win.

Bergman looked to have recovered Tuesday from a minor bump in the second inning, when he gave up three straight hits for two runs, by retiring the side in order in the third and fourth. Then he gave up five straight base knocks, including a three-run homer to Jonathan Griffin, for five runs in the fifth.

The rough outing came after Bergman appeared to have returned to form with a strong outing against the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Aug. 8. He pitched six scoreless innings, scattering six hits, two walks and striking out three in a no-decision performance in the Nuts 3-2 walk-off win.

The former Golden Knight’s record of 14-5 is still the best in the California League and his 3.33 earned-run average is third-best through 24 starts in a league-high 146 innings. He has walked 33, given up 12 home runs — four coming in his past three starts — and struck out 110 this season. His WHIP is also tied for fourth-best in the league (1.21).

The Nuts (62-59) were in first place by one game in the second half of the California League North Division season with a 28-23 record coming into Thursday’s game with the Rawhide after it took third in the first half with a 34-36 record.

Bryan Longpre (Crescenta Valley High, 2005), relief pitcher, Vancouver Canadians: Longpre has bounced all around the Toronto Blue Jays farm system this season, most recently landing back with the Vancouver Canadians — their class-A short season affiliate — from the Lansing Lugnuts, Toronto’s class-A partner.

The former Falcon was assigned to the Canadians July 26 after he spent 44 days with the Dunedin Blue Jays, Toronto’s class-A advanced affiliate in the Florida State League.

Longpre has struggled through six appearances this season with Vancouver, which is where he posted a 4-3 record, 2.85 ERA in 22 games last year. He hasn’t picked up a decision yet, but has given up nine hits, five earned runs, three walks and struck out seven through 7 1/3 innings with the Canadians so far.

The right hander was 0-2 with a 7.08 ERA, giving up 30 hits, walking nine and striking out 10 through 20 1/3 innings with the Lugnuts. He excelled with Dunedin, as he was 1-0 with a 1.04 ERA, seven strikeouts, five hits and two walks through 8.2 innings.

Most recently, he gave up two hits and a run, while recording a strikeout, in the top of the eighth inning against the Yakima Bears Wednesday. Shaun Cooper’s run-scoring double off Longpre gave the Bears an insurance run and allowed them to hold on for the 3-2 win.

It was his first appearance in a week after he gave up three hits, two runs, a walk and notched another strikeout in a 9-3 loss to the Tri-City Dust Devils Aug. 8.

Longpre was called on against the Dust Devils with runners at first and second and two outs in the top of the seventh. He struggled to get the final out, giving up three singles and a walk before inducing a 6-4 ground out. He bounced back in the eighth, though, as he retired the side in order.

Vancouver was in first place in the second half of the Northwest League West Division season coming into Thursday’s game with the Everett Aquasox. The Canadians are 14-9 in the second half and 36-24 overall this season.