Rays down on the farm August 12: Durham on wrong end of no-hitter

Mike Montgomery has been pitching poorly lately, and that continued with his start last night.  In his first 17 starts of the season (arbitrary endpoint alert), he had a 3.21 ERA with a 20.5% strikeout rate and 7.8% walk rate.  In his last five, he's lasted just 16.1 innings, posting a 9.92 ERA with a 10.2% strikeout and walk rate.  Not good.

Triple-A Durham Bulls (63-60)

Durham's lack of offense spilled over into game one of their doubleheader when they were no-hit by Rochester in a 3-0 loss.  In the resumption of a game suspended after three and a half innings, Red Wings starter Logan Darnell pitched the final six innings to pick up for Trevor May, promoted to the big leagues since the original start of the game.  In that original segment, Alex Colome struck out four and allowed a run in four innings.  Doug Mathis allowed the other two runs.

In game two, the Bulls got a big swing from Wil Myers, but it wasn't enough in a 5-4 loss.  Down 5-0 in the fifth, the rehabbing Myers socked a grand slam to pull Durham within one, but they would only get one more baserunner over the final two innings.  Myers finished the day with two hits and a stolen base.  2013 Mike Montgomery was back for another start, allowing three runs on three hits and four walks in 2.2 innings with two strikeouts.  He's allowed at least three earned runs in his last five starts.

Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (22-28)

Montgomery was off.

Class-A Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (25-23)

A four run eighth inning was just enough in Charlotte's 5-4 win over Jupiter.  Four straight singles opened the inning to pull the Stone Crabs within two runs with the bases loaded, and Josh Sale's sac fly made it a one run game.  Tyler Goeddel's double tied it up, and Granden Goetzman's infield hit with two outs gave Charlotte the lead.  Tommy Coyle and Maxx Tissenbaum each had two hits, and Coyle also stole two bases.

Jaime Schultz had a bit more control than his Charlotte debut, but he only lasted three innings.  He allowed a first inning run and finished with that run allowed on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts.  Jose Alberto Molina allowed a run in an inning of relief but got credited with the win, and Kevin Brandt threw three scoreless innings of relief.

Class A Bowling Green Hot Rods (22-27)

Bowling Green was off.

Short-Season Hudson Valley Renegades (39-18)

Hudson Valley's offense took a night off in their 2-0 loss to Tri-City.  Oscar Armenta went pitch-for-pitch with Tri-City's staff, but the ValleyCats ended up getting two runs against Edwin Fierro out of the bullpen.  Armenta exited with six strikeouts in six scoreless innings, only allowing five hits and a walk.  The Renegades only had four hits, but at least Hunter Lockwood and Daniel Miles hit doubles.

Rookie Princeton Rays (28-21)

It took 11 innings, but Princeton finally beat Pulaski in game one by a 3-2 score.  With one out in the 11th, Cristian Toribio doubled, and Carter Burgess singled him home to end the game.  That was one of three hits for Burgess, and Thomas Milone reached base three times.  Three Rays combined to generally shut down the Pulaski offense, led by Rafael Cordova finishing the game with three scoreless innings.  Greg Maisto and Yonny Chirinos each allowed a run in four innings.

Princeton's offense left between games which resulted in a game two 3-0 loss.  It only took one batter for Pulaski to get all the offense they needed as Cameron Varga allowed a home run to lead off the game.  Varga allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk in 4.2 innings with three strikeouts.  Damion Carroll relieved him and struck out five in 2.1 scoreless innings.  Princeton only had four hits.

Rookie Gulf Coast League Rays (25-20)

A rare GCL slugfest broke out in the GCL Rays' 14-9 loss to the GCL Twins.  The Twins held a 5-2 lead going into the bottom of the eighth, but the Rays sent 10 men to the plate and scored six runs.  Matt Ford doubled home a pair of runs, and Oscar Sanay later singled home two.  Matt Reida foolishly made two outs in the inning.  Ford and David Rodriguez led the Rays with three hits, and four players had two hits.

With an 8-5 lead and three outs to go, the Rays had a good chance to win.  Allowing nine runs in the ninth did not help.  Luis Nunez allowed six batters to reach base and the Twins to take the lead before he finally got the first out, and he would end up being charged with seven runs while only recording two outs.  Michael Velasquez allowed three inherited runners to score, and he was hit with two of his own when he allowed a home run.  All six Rays pitchers were charged with at least a run.

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Star of the day- Myers has three hits through two games in his rehab assignment.

Goat of the day- Getting no hit was bad, but the ninth inning atrocity in the GCL game is worse.

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

Durham @ Rochester 7:05 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Enny Romero (5-11, 5.01) v. Sean Gilmartin (2-3, 3.57)

Montgomery @ Mississippi 8 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Mike Colla (7-10, 4.35) v. Jason Hursh (10-6, 3.42)

Charlotte v. Palm Beach 6:30 PM (Radio stream)
Jared Mortensen (0-1, 3.27) v. Corey Littrell (0-1, 3.86)

Bowling Green @ Great Lakes 7:05 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Chris Kirsch (8-6, 2.58) v. Zach Bird (5-13, 3.93)

Hudson Valley @ Tri-City 7 PM (Radio stream)
Chris Pike* (2-1, 3.93) v. Luis Ordosgoitti* (2-4, 4.69)

Princeton v. Pulaski 7:05 PM
Trevor Lubking* (1-3, 3.31) v. TBA

GCL Rays @ GCL Twins 12 PM
TBA v. TBA

*Listed as TBA on milb.com

Scouting the opposition

Rochester Red Wings (Minnesota)
67-56 (3rd in IL North)
Offense: 545 R (7th) .726 OPS (5th)
Pitching: 3.44 ERA (1st) 1.29 WHIP (3rd)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Alex Meyer (3), LHP Sean Gilmartin (10), C Josmil Pinto (14), RHP Mike Tonkin (15)

Mississippi Braves
29-21 (3rd in SL South)
Offense: 515 R (6th) .704 OPS (7th)
Pitching: 3.53 ERA (3rd) 1.25 WHIP (3rd)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP J.R. Graham (3), RHP Jason Hursh (4), 2B Jose Peraza (6), OF Kyle Wren (18), 3B Kyle Kubitza (22), OF Matt Lipka (24), OF Robby Hefflinger (29)

Palm Beach Cardinals
30-20 (2nd in FSL South)
Offense: 546 R (2nd) .710 OPS (4th)
Pitching: 3.48 ERA (6th) 1.29 WHIP (5th)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Tyrell Jenkins (17), RHP Luke Weaver

Great Lakes Loons (Los Angeles)
24-25 (T-4th in MWL East)
Offense: 488 R (13th) .667 OPS (14th)
Pitching: 3.55 ERA (6th) 1.27 WHIP (5th)
Top 30 Prospects: OF Jacob Scavuzzo (15), RHP Zach Bird (21), SS Jesmuel Valentin (22), RHP Victor Arano (29)

Tri-City ValleyCats (Houston)
38-19 (1st in Stedler)
Offense: 299 R (1st) .751 OPS (1st)
Pitching: 3.56 ERA (8th) 1.27 WHIP (5th)
Top 30 Prospects: OF Derek Fisher

Pulaski Mariners
27-21 (3rd in APP East)
Offense: 230 R (5th) .684 OPS (5th)
Pitching: 3.70 ERA (6th) 1.32 WHIP (4th)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Ugueth Urbina

GCL Twins
16-28 (4th in GCL South)
Offense: 153 R (15th) .597 OPS (15th)
Pitching: 3.72 ERA (9th) 1.35 WHIP (9th)
Top 30 Prospects: 3B Amaurys Minier (24)