Triple A Durham Bulls (6-8)
BULLS 5, Columbus 4-Andy Sonnanstine was not on the top of his game, but the Bulls produced a late rally and the beleaguered bullpen held on as Durham finished off the Columbus Clippers, 5-4. Sonnanstine, making his third start of the season for the Bulls, surrendered three runs (only one earned) over four innings of work while throwing 85 pitches. He gave up five hits and walked two, while striking out four. The Durham bullpen combined to surrender but one run over five innings total, with Steve Andrade pitching two scoreless innings, Chad Orvella giving up one run in his two innings, and Jeff Ridgway pitching a scoreless ninth for his first save of the season. Offensively the Bulls pounded out nine hits, six of which belonged to three players with two hits each, Justin Ruggiano, Raul Casanova, and Jorge Velandia. Velandia (a double) and Casanova (a home run) had Durham's only two extra base hits on the day.
BULLS Up Next-at Columbus, 8:05 ET (RH Mitch Talbot)
Double A Montgomery Biscuits (7-6)
BISCUITS 6, Birmingham 4-Gaby Martinez and Brooks Badeaux each had three hits, Badeaux singled home the winning run in the ninth, and Montgomery finished off a 6-4 win over the Birmingham Barons. Jason Pridie added two hits on the day, while the Biscuits' lineup was backed by six strong inning from starter James Houser Jr. Both of Pridie's hits went for extra bases, a double and a triple, while Martinez had a double among his three hits. Reid Brignac and Evan Longoria each had one hit for Montgomery, a double in Longoria's case, and had three RBIs collectively. Chris Nowak also doubled for the Biscuits. On the mound, Houser gave up but two runs in six innings of work, striking out four and walking none while giving up four hits. He gave up two runs on the day, one of which was a solo home run by Birmingham RF Thomas Collaro in the sixth. The Biscuits ultimately ended up scoring all of their runs after Houser's departure, though the Biscuits' bullpen did their best to blow the lead that was acquired in the eighth when they gave up two Birmingham runs in the bottom of the inning. The runs were charged to Richard De Los Santos and Dale Thayer. Thayer would ultimately get the blown save for giving up the tying run, but was the pitcher of record when the Biscuits rallied in the ninth, and so he got the win. To his credit, however, he did close down the ballgame with a scoreless ninth.
BISCUITS Up Next-at Birmingham, 8:05 ET (RH Chris Mason)
High A Vero Beach Devil Rays (4-8)
V-RAYS 6, Daytona 4-Vero starter Wade Davis battled with Jeff Samardzija in a matchup of two of the FSL's top pitching prospects in the early innings, but it was the V-Rays who took the lead late en route to a 6-4 win over the Daytona Cubs. Davis, making the start for the V-Rays, gave up four runs (only two earned) on five hits in 4.1 innings of work, walking two and striking out six. The Vero Beach bullpen held the lead tremendously after his departure, as Jino Gonzalez, Aaron Walker, and Greg Dupas combined to throw 4.2 innings in relief of Davis. The unit combined to allow only one baserunner while striking out four. Offensively the V-Rays had three players with multiple hits, though only 1B Rhyne Hughes had three. He also had the only extra base hit for Vero Beach on the day. SS Neil Walton and 3B Patrick Cottrell were the other two players with multiple hits; Walton drove in two runs.
V-RAYS Up Next-vs Jupiter, 7:05 ET (LH Mike Wlodarczyk)
Low A Columbus Catfish (7-7)
Augusta 1, CATFISH 0-Josh Butler pitched six very strong innings for the Catfish, but the Columbus offense failed to score a run and Augusta scored one in the ninth off of Neal Frontz as the Augusta GreenJackets topped Columbus, 1-0. Butler made a very strong effort for the win, as he shut out Augusta over six innings, surrendering only three hits while walking none and striking out four. Even Frontz did an excellent job in relief, surrendering only the ninth inning run in three innings of work. Offensively, however, Columbus just fell flat. CF Desmond Jennings picked up a hit, as did 3B Cesar Suarez, but the Catfish could muster just four total on the day in the loss.
CATFISH Up Next-vs Augusta, 7:00 ET (RH Heath Rollins)