Rays down on the farm August 29: Biscuits win on balk

Two more affiliates clinched divisions Thursday night.  Hudson Valley and Princeton already secured playoff spots, but now they know they'll go in as division winners.  Today is the last day of the Appy League regular season, and the New York-Penn League ends next week with just about everyone else.

On a similar note from yesterday, I have two questions: Who is the biggest breakout hitter, and who is the biggest breakout pitcher?

Triple-A Durham Bulls (72-67- clinched division)

Mikie Mahtook's two home runs helped Durham get back on track with a 5-3 win over Norfolk.  His three run home run in the third inning erased a 2-1 deficit, and he followed that up with a solo homer in the fifth to extend the lead.  Mahtook also added a double later in the game.  The two dingers helped him extend a career high which he set just a day earlier.

For the eighth straight start, Mike Montgomery allowed three or more runs.  He allowed all three Tides runs in the first two innings, but after that, he settled in and retired 10 of the last 11 he faced.  He allowed three runs on five hits and two walks in five innings with four strikeouts.

Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (30-36- eliminated)

It took 10 innings, but Montgomery finally broke a scoreless tie to top Jackson 1-0.  In the bottom of the 10th, Alejandro Segovia hit a two out double, and Willie Argo came on to pinch run.  After two consecutive balks, Argo scored.  Each team had just three hits, and Jake Hager and Taylor Motter had the other two.

Mike Colla threw seven scoreless innings, but he came away with nothing to show for it.  He allowed just two hits and two walks with four strikeouts, but he had to make way for the bullpen.  Matt Lollis struck out one in a scoreless inning, and Bryce Stowell got credit for the win by pitching the final two innings.

Class-A Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (32-31- eliminated)

Charlotte lost another late lead in their 5-3 loss to Bradenton.  They allowed a 3-0 lead to slip away, but most of the damage came up 3-2 in the ninth.  Zach Cooper was called on for the save, but the Marauders had taken the lead before he finally recorded an out.  If not for a pair of runners caught stealing, the inning probably could have been worse.  This spoiled a nice start for Jaime Schultz who left with a 3-1 lead.  He allowed just that run on three hits and two walks in five innings with seven strikeouts.

The Stone Crabs got on the board first with an unearned run in the second inning, but they got a big hit two innings later.  With one out, Tyler Goeddel hit a two run home run, his sixth of the season.  Granden Goetzman had a two hit game as he's slowly made a transition to his new level.

Class A Bowling Green Hot Rods (29-36- eliminated)

A seven run sixth doomed Bowling Green in their 8-1 loss to South Bend.  In a 1-1 tie, the first four batters picked up hits against Bruedlin Suero, and errors charged against both Hot Rod middle infielders didn't help matters.  Suero exited after 5.2 innings, charged with seven runs (four earned) on 10 hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

Bowling Green scored their only run of the game in the first inning.  Willy Adames led off the game with a double, and Alexander Simon's one out double scored Adames.  Kean Wong made an out between them in the first inning, but he did finish with two hits, as did Julian Ridings.

Short-Season Hudson Valley Renegades (46-26- clinched division)

A three run first inning helped Hudson Valley clinch the division with a 5-3 win over Connecticut.  Two batters into the game, Coty Blanchard tripled home the first run of the game, and he scored on Casey Gillaspie's sac fly.  Two extra base hits later, it was a 3-0 lead.  Leadoff triples in the fifth and seventh innings led to two more Renegade runs.  Leopoldo Correa had three hits, and Blanchard and Grant Kay each had two.

Enderson Franco wasn't at his best, but he was still credited with a win.  He allowed all three Connecticut runs on six hits and a walk in five innings with three strikeouts.  Edgar Gomez was able to provide solid long relief with three scoreless innings, and Edwin Fierro wrapped up the game with a scoreless innings.

Rookie Princeton Rays (39-28- clinched division)

Princeton used some late rates to top Burlington by a 4-3 score.  Using four extra base hits in a span of three innings, the Rays were able to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 4-2 lead.  Angel Moreno led off the eighth with a solo home run to take a 3-2 lead, and an error helped them add a crucial insurance run later that inning.  Nick Wilson and David Garcia had two hit games.

Yonny Chirinos had a very good start before turning the game over to the bullpen.  He allowed one Royals run and left trailing, but he held them to four hits in five innings with five strikeouts and no walks.  After two relievers allowed a run each, Steve Ascher finished the game with three strikeouts in 1.2 scoreless innings.

With this win and Pulaski's loss, the Rays clinched the division with one game to go.

Rookie Gulf Coast League Rays (32-28- eliminated)

Matt Reida's big day helped the GCL Rays end their season on a high note with a 3-1 win over the Twins.  He homered in the first inning to give the Rays a 1-0 lead, and he homered again two innings later to break a 1-1 tie.  A pair of errors in the fifth allowed the Rays to add an insurance run.  Reida later singled to complete a three hit game.

Jose Mujica was able to squeeze in a second appearance before the season ended.  This time out, he pitched two innings, but he did allow the unearned Twins run on two hits with a strikeout and no walks.  Angel Yepez, Junior Feliz and Alberto Casanas all struck out three in relief.

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Star of the day- Argo came up big for Montgomery.

Goat of the day- Suero's poor inning really hurt Bowling Green.

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

Durham @ Norfolk 7:05 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream) DOUBLEHEADER
Enny Romero* (5-11, 4.76) v. Mike Wright (5-11, 4.88)
Merrill Kelly* (8-4, 2.92) v. Josh Stinson (5-4, 5.74)

Both games will be seven innings

Montgomery v. Jackson 8:05 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Dylan Floro (10-13, 3.62) v. Cam Hobson (8-10, 4.43)

Charlotte v. Bradenton 6:30 PM (Radio stream)
Jared Mortensen* (2-1, 3.14) v. Shane Carle (2-3, 3.74)

Bowling Green @ South Bend 7:35 PM (Radio stream)
Isaac Gil (1-1, 4.57) v. Anthony Banda (8-6, 3.09)

Hudson Valley v. Connecticut 7:05 PM (Radio stream)
Nolan Gannon* (6-2, 2.77) v. Spencer Turnbull* (0-2, 3.91)

Princeton @ Burlington 7 PM (Radio stream)
TBA v. TBA

GCL Rays season is over

*Listed as TBA on milb.com

Scouting the opposition

Norfolk Tides (Baltimore)
63-76 (2nd in IL South)
Offense: 621 R (7th) .710 OPS (11th)
Pitching: 4.48 ERA (12th) 1.41 WHIP (9th)
Top 30 Prospects: DH Henry Urrutia (7), RHP Mike Wright (8), OF Dariel Alvarez (15), 1B Christian Walker (18), LHP Chris Jones (27), RHP Josh Stinson (28)

Jackson Generals (Seattle)
29-37 (T-4th in SL North)
Offense: 578 R (8th) .718 OPS (4th)
Pitching: 4.12 ERA (9th) 1.35 WHIP (6th)
Top 30 Prospects: 3B D.J. Peterson (2), RHP Victor Sanchez (7), C Tyler Marlette (8), 3B Patrick Kivlehan (12), LHP Tyler Pike (16), OF Jabari Blash (19)

Bradenton Marauders (Pittsburgh)
40-27 (1st in FSL South)
Offense: 547 R (8th) .671 OPS (10th)
Pitching: 3.29 ERA (2nd) 1.24 WHIP (2nd)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Tyler Glasnow (3), OF Barrett Barnes (13), C Jin-De Jhang (24)

South Bend Silver Hawks (Arizona)
39-27 (T-1st in MWL East)
Offense: 667 R (1st) .719 OPS (2nd)
Pitching: 3.52 ERA (4th) 1.26 WHIP (4th)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Jose Martinez (6), OF Justin Williams (14), 1B Daniel Palka (17), C Michael Perez (20), RHP Geordy Parra (22), SS Joe Munoz (26), 2B Jamie Westbrook (27), 2B Andrew Velasquez (28), LHP Anthony Banda

Connecticut Tigers
38-34 (2nd in Stedler)
Offense: 324 R (3rd) .680 OPS (6th)
Pitching: 3.12 ERA (4th) 1.21 WHIP (4th)
Top 30 Prospects: 3B Steven Fuentes (28), OF Derek Hill, 3B Joey Pankake

Burlington Royals
28-39 (5th in APP East)
Offense: 263 R (10th) .643 OPS (10th)
Pitching: 4.02 ERA (8th) 1.42 WHIP (8th)
Top 30 Prospects: SS Marten Gasparini (20), LHP Foster Griffin, C Chase Vallot, RHP Scott Blewett