Rays down on the farm April 15: Mahtook hammers Charlotte

For the second straight day, rain cost Bowling Green a game, but this one will be made up with today's doubleheader.

Triple-A Durham Bulls (9-3)

Despite the absence of Enny Romero, Durham received great pitching in their 6-0 win over Charlotte. Using five relievers, the Bulls limited the Knights to just four hits and three walks. Juan Sandoval got the game started with three scoreless innings, and Juan Carlos Oviedo was credited with the win with a scoreless fourth. Steve Geltz fired three innings, and Adam Liberatore and Kirby Yates finished the game with one each.

Of course, the Bulls pitchers enjoyed some early run support to take the pressure off. Three batters into the game, Jerry Sands drove in what proved to be the winning run with an RBI single that scored Kevin Kiermaier. Mikie Mahtook, Mike Fontenot and Ali Solis all had consecutive two out hits to put Durham up four before Charlotte even batted. That was just the first of five hits for Mahtook Monday night. In the fifth, Durham extended their lead with a two run inning that included a solo home run from Vince Belnome, his first of the season.

Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (6-5)

Montgomery struck first and held on with great pitching in their rain shortened 3-1 win over Pensacola. After Ryan Brett singled to open the game, Taylor Motter doubled him home to give the Biscuits a 1-0 lead two batters into the game. He would come around to score himself on a Cameron Seitzer single. In the fourth, Richie Shaffer led off with a double and eventually came in to score on a wild pitch.

Thanks to the rain, Victor Mateo got a cheap complete game win. After four smooth innings, Mateo finally ran into some one out trouble in the sixth. After walking Yorman Rodriguez, Donald Lutz tripled him home before the rain delay began. That would prove to be the final batter of the game. Mateo finished with the one run allowed on three hits and two walks in 5.1 innings with four strikeouts.

Class-A Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (3-8)

Charlotte fell behind early and ran out of time for a rally in their 7-3 loss to Fort Myers. Leonel Santiago got out of the first inning unscathed despite some early trouble, but he wouldn't be so fortunate the rest of his start. An inning later, Santiago retired the leadoff man, but five straight Miracle batters collected hits to put Fort Myers up 3-0. He would give up another run in the fourth, and he was charged with two more in the fifth, including an inherited runner allowed to score by newcomer reliever D.J. Slaton. Santiago was charged with six runs on 13 hits and a walk in 4.2 innings with four strikeouts.

After Tommy Coyle led off the game with a double, the Stone Crabs didn't get another baserunner until the seventh inning, and they wouldn't get a third until the ninth. With one out, Jonathan Quinonez reached base on a passed ball strikeout, and after Coyle followed that with a single, Justin O'Conner hit a three run home run, his first of the year. The next two batters would strike out to end the game. Coyle and O'Conner each had two hits, accounting for all four of Charlotte's.

Class A Bowling Green Hot Rods (2-4)

Bowling Green was postponed.

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Star of the day- Mahtook remained hot with his big game.

Goat of the day- Thanks to Santiago, Charlotte found themselves in another big hole early in a game.

Today's games (probables courtesy of milb.com)

Durham @ Charlotte 7:05 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Matt Andriese (1-1, 5.40) v. Eric Surkamp (0-1, 3.60)

Montgomery @ Pensacola 7:30 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Dylan Floro (0-0, 7.71) v. Daniel Corcino (0-2, 5.40)

Charlotte v. Fort Myers 6:30 PM (Radio stream)
Roberto Gomez* (0-1, 4.91) v. Jason Wheeler (1-0, 1.74)

Bowling Green v. Kane County 6 PM (Radio stream) DOUBLEHEADER
German Marquez (0-0 2.08) v. Jen-Ho Tseng (0-0, 5.40)
Jake Faria* (0-1, 3.24) v. Paul Blackburn (0-0, 6.00)

Both games will be seven innings

*Listed as TBA on milb.com

Scouting the opposition

Charlotte Knights (White Sox)
6-6 (2nd in IL South)
Offense: 38 R (10th) .653 OPS (11th)
Pitching: 3.20 ERA (3rd) 1.36 WHIP (6th)
Top 30 Prospects: 3B Matt Davidson (4), 2B Carlos Sanchez (12), OF Jared Mitchell (13), RHP Jake Petricka (21)

Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Cincinnati)
6-5 (T-2nd in SL South)
Offense: 38 R (5th) .695 OPS (6th)
Pitching: 3.03 ERA (4th) 1.10 WHIP (3rd)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Robert Stephenson (1), OF Yorman Rodriguez (5), RHP Michael Lorenzen (6), RHP Carlos Contreras (7), RHP Daniel Corcino (13), OF Donald Lutz (16), RHP Jon Moscot (23)

Fort Myers Miracle (Minnesota)
7-4 (1st in FSL South)
Offense: 63 R (1st) .711 OPS (3rd)
Pitching: 2.80 ERA (5th) 1.31 WHIP (7th)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP J.O. Berrios (5), 2B Jorge Polanco (10), OF Max Kepler (11), OF Adam Brett Walker (16), LHP Mason Melotakis (18), 3B Travis Harrison (25), SS Niko Goodrum (26)

Kane County Cougars (Cubs)
7-3 (T-1st in MWL West)
Offense: 53 R (2nd) .623 OPS (14th)
Pitching: 4.03 ERA (11th) 1.42 WHIP (12th)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Paul Blackburn (12), OF Jacob Hannemann (17), RHP Tyler Skulina (19), 2B Danny Lockhart (30)