The Midwest League All-Star Game was... not quite as good for the Hot Rods.
Triple-A Durham Bulls (43-31)
Jeremy Hellickson struggled again in Durham's 10-5 loss to Louisville. After being handed a 3-0 first inning lead that included a two run homer from Mikie Mahtook, Hellickson gave two runs right back in the bottom half of the inning, and he never really settled in. The Bats tied the game against him with a two out run in the second inning, and the wheels came off in the third. Three of the runs were unearned because of a Wilson Betemit error, but Hellickson would be charged with four more runs in the third, including three with two outs. He finished with seven runs (four earned) allowed on 12 hits and a walk in 2.2 innings with two strikeouts.
Despite piling up 14 hits, the Bulls never got back in it even though Doug Mathis provided some nice long relief. They would score individual runs in the sixth and ninth innings, but they ended up leaving 10 men on base. Mahtook had two singles in addition to his home run, and Brandon Guyer reached base four times in his rehab appearance.
Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (35-35)
Taylor Motter took home MVP honors in the SL South's 6-4 win. He had a three hit game that included a solo home run that gave his side an insurance run in the sixth, and he also scored a second run. Other Biscuit bats got in on the action too. Ryan Brett reached base twice, and Luke Maile hit a double and scored a run. Victor Mateo allowed a hit in a scoreless inning, and Santiago Garrido was charged with a run while recording two outs.
Class-A Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (31-36)
A 3-0 lead for Charlotte also quickly turned problematic in their 10-5 loss to St. Lucie. After one and a half innings, they led by three and chased the Mets starter out before he could finish the second, but the game went south from there. A two run second inning against Blake Snell is tolerable, but the league's number one offense jumped on Charlotte for seven runs in the third. With five hits, two walks, two wild pitches and two errors, St. Lucie sent Snell to an early exit with seven runs (four earned) allowed on seven hits and two walks in 2.1 innings with a strikeout.
Bruedlin Suero wasn't much better in long relief, allowing three runs in 4.2 innings, while St. Lucie long relief settled the game down for the most part. Justin O'Conner's two run homer in the seventh would be the only time Charlotte would score after the second inning, and he also hit an RBI triple in the first inning to go along with a runner thrown out on a stolen base attempt.
Class A Bowling Green Hot Rods (32-37)
The MWL East All-Stars were nearly no-hit in a 7-0 loss. It took until the eighth for them to pick up their first hit, and they only ended up with two in the blowout. Neither of those hits came off the bat of Kean Wong as he finished with an 0/2 game. Jake Faria allowed two hits and struck out a batter in one inning of work.
Short-Season Hudson Valley Renegades (4-1)
Hudson Valley is undefeated no more after dropping a 5-1 game to Brooklyn. The Cyclones got off to a fast start with three runs in the first inning against starter D.J. Slaton, and that would be all they needed. Two of the runs were unearned due to a Douglas Duran error, and Slaton finished with four runs (two earned) allowed on four hits and two walks in five innings with four strikeouts.
The Renegades struck out 12 times and only had six hits and a walk. Their only run of the game came with two outs on the ninth on a Brooklyn error that briefly extended the inning. Hunter Lockwood had two of their six hits, all of which were singles.
Star of the day- Good for Motter.
Goat of the day- All players that did not have good individual performances.
Today's games (probables courtesy of milb.com)
Durham @ Louisville 11:45 AM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Nathan Karns (3-3, 4.73) v. Jair Jurrjens (1-2, 4.76)
Montgomery is at the All-Star break
Charlotte @ St. Lucie 6:30 PM (Radio stream)
Austin Pruitt (3-3, 4.52) v. Gabriel Ynoa (7-2, 4.28)
Bowling Green is at the All-Star break
Hudson Valley @ Brooklyn 7 PM
Hunter Wood (0-0, 0.00) v. TBA
*Listed as TBA on milb.com
Scouting the opposition
Louisville Bats (Cincinnati)
37-36 (3rd in IL West)
Offense: 319 R (5th) .715 OPS (9th)
Pitching: 4.80 ERA (14th) 1.58 WHIP (14th)
Top 30 Prospects: LHP David Holmberg (7), C Tucker Barnhart (10), RHP Chad Rogers (15), OF Donald Lutz (16), RHP Brett Marshall (27), RHP Curtis Partch (28)
St. Lucie Mets
40-29 (2nd in FSL South)
Offense: 351 R (1st) .758 OPS (1st)
Pitching: 3.92 ERA (8th) 1.37 WHIP (9th)
Top 30 Prospects: OF Brandon Nimmo (8), LHP Steve Matz (12), 2B Dilson Herrera (13), RHP Michael Fulmer (14), RHP Gabriel Ynoa (15), RHP Domingo Tapia (19), RHP Matt Koch (24)
Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets)
3-2 (T-2nd in McNamara)
Offense: 19 R (5th) .700 OPS (3rd)
Pitching: 1.48 ERA (2nd) 1.20 WHIP (9th)
Top 30 Prospects: SS Amed Rosario (7)