Rays down on the farm August 3: Snell throws no-hitter*

In addition to Blake Snell's memorable start, Jake Faria was impressive a level lower, and Kean Wong hit his first professional home run.

One interesting name finally made his 2014 debut for the GCL Rays.  Jose Castillo has the entire season to this point with an injury, but it looks like he'll be able to squeeze some innings in before the year is over.  He entered the year in the bottom third of our writers top 30 prospect poll, and that's probably where he'll remain.  Just based on talent, he would be much higher, but he's still very young and doesn't have many innings under his belt.

Triple-A Durham Bulls (59-54)

Matt Andriese struggled early in Durham's 4-1 loss to Lehigh Valley.  He allowed all four BaconCap runs in the first three innings, but two of them were unearned due to a pair of Ray Olmedo errors at third base.  He finally settled in over the final three innings and only allowed two more batters to reach over his final three innings, one of which was because of Jeremy Moore losing a ball in the lights.  Andriese finished with four runs (two earned) allowed on 10 hits and a walk in six innings with three strikeouts.

The Bulls' only run of the game came in the seventh inning on a Vince Belnome double.  Born just an hour and a half away in Coatesville, he may have been playing in front of family and friends.  Mikie Mahtook had three hits to put his average back above .300, and Nick Franklin was 0/4 with three strikeouts.

Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (22-21)

A pair of two run homers was enough in Montgomery's 4-3 win over Jackson.  Once again, it was Cameron Seitzer and Richie Shaffer delivering the blows, just days after they each hit three run dingers in a blowout Biscuits win over Jackson.  Seitzer's came in the first, and Shaffer's was in the fourth, and they were two of just five hits for the Biscuits.

With the early run support, Albert Suarez posted his second straight solid start.  He allowed just one run in the fourth inning, and he finished with that run allowed on two hits and two walks in five innings with four strikeouts.  It was his second start in a row allowing just one run in five innings.  Bryce Stowell struck out three in an inning of work.

Class-A Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (21-21)

Blake Snell threw a rain-shorted no-hitter in Charlotte's 10-0 win over Daytona.  He walked three batters, and the final batter of the game reached base on an error before it was called for rain.  Snell struck out nine in 5.1 innings, including getting Dan Vogelbach once.

The Stone Crabs scored three first inning runs, and the rout was on.  Ryan Hanigan walked and scored in that inning, and he finished 1/3 with two runs scored.  They really blew the game open in the fourth inning with five runs, capped off by a bases clearing triple from Granden Goetzman.  Goetzman drove in four runs, and in addition to catching the no-hitter, Maxx Tissenbaum had two hits and reached base three times.

Class A Bowling Green Hot Rods (17-24)

Jake Faria's start was just a little off Snell's pace in Bowling Green's 6-0 win over Lake County.  Faria cruised through seven innings with six strikeouts and no walks, allowing just a two out single in the fourth for the Captains' only baserunner of the game.  Willie Gabay pitched the final two innings to complete the dominant pitching performance.

That wasn't the only big accomplishment in the game though.  After Willy Adames led off with a walk in his first Rays organization plate appearance, Kean Wong hit his first professional home run.  In a 3-0 game in the eighth, Elias singled home two more runs, and he scored himself on a Spencer Edwards single.  Adames had two hits in his Hot Rods debut, and Oscar Hernandez had three hits, two of which were for extra bases.

Short-Season Hudson Valley Renegades (34-15)

Three late runs backed Enderson Franco's season-long start in Hudson Valley's 5-2 win over State College.  In the eighth, Coty Blanchard and Bralin Jackson had RBI hits to put the Renegades up 4-2.  With those two on the corners, they successfully executed a double steal to score their fifth run.  Braxton Lee reached base four times and stole two of Hudson Valley's five bases.

After he allowed two first inning runs on a two out double, Franco settled in and pitched very well.  He only allowed three more batters to reach base over his final six innings, and he finished with the two runs allowed on four hits and two walks in seven innings with four strikeouts.  Edgar Gomez finished the game with two strikeouts in two scoreless innings.

Rookie Princeton Rays (22-19)

Princeton was suspended.

Rookie Gulf Coast League Rays (24-14)

A late GCL Orioles run broke a 3-3 tie in the GCL Rays' 4-3 loss.  In the eighth, a one out infield single got the inning started, and a sac bunt was executed to get the runner into scoring position with two outs.  However, for some reason, first baseman Isias Alcantar committed a throwing error that allowed the runner to score.  Roberto Gomez made a rehab appearance, allowing the first three Oriole runs, two of which were earned.  Jose Castillo followed him with 1.1 scoreless innings in his 2014 debut.  Deivy Mendez took the loss with the unearned run despite four strikeouts in four innings.

All three Rays runs came in the fourth inning.  Two runs scored on a Bill Pujols single with the bases loaded, and Jamie Mitchell later singled home the third run.  Mitchell finished with two hits.  Rays batters struck out 13 times and walked just twice.

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Star of the day- Not sure here

Goat of the day- I'm really not sure how Alcantar's error happened.

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

Durham v. Lehigh Valley 5:35 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Nathan Karns (8-5, 4.76) v. Brad Lincoln (5-7, 4.73)

Montgomery @ Jackson 7:05 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Grayson Garvin (0-5, 3.46) v. Victor Sanchez (5-4, 3.59)

Charlotte v. Daytona 5 PM (Radio stream)
Reinaldo Lopez (6-4, 3.40) v. Rob Zastryzny* (2-6, 5.10)

Bowling Green @ Lake County 1:30 PM (Radio stream)
Bruedlin Suero (2-3, 4.58) v. Caleb Hamrick (3-6, 6.95)

Hudson Valley @ State College 6:05 PM (Radio stream)
Nolan Gannon* (4-1, 3.16) v. Trey Nielsen (3-1, 1.52)

Princeton @ Danville 4 PM (Radio stream)
Brent Honeywell (0-0, 0.57) v. Max Povse* (0-2, 5.71)

GCL Rays are off

*Listed as TBA on milb.com

Scouting the opposition

Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Philadelphia)
53-62 (6th in IL North)
Offense: 457 R (14th) .687 OPS (14th)
Pitching: 4.51 ERA (11th) 1.42 WHIP (9th)
Top 30 Prospects: 3B Maikel Franco (1), RHP Miguel Gonzalez (6), RHP Ethan Martin (10), OF Cameron Perkins (11), C Cameron Rupp (13), RHP Ken Giles (18)

Jackson Generals (Seattle)
18-24 (4th in SL North)
Offense: 477 R (7th) .715 OPS (3rd)
Pitching: 4.13 ERA (8th) 1.35 WHIP (6th)
Top 30 Prospects: 3B D.J. Peterson (2), RHP Victor Sanchez (7), 3B Patrick Kivlehan (12), LHP Tyler Pike (16), SS Ketel Marte (20)

Daytona Cubs
25-16 (1st in FSL North)
Offense: 480 R (5th) .700 OPS (7th)
Pitching: 4.40 ERA (11th) 1.44 WHIP (11th)
Top 30 Prospects: 1B Dan Vogelbach (9), OF Jacob Hannemann (17), LHP Rob Zastryzny (20), OF Billy McKinney, LF Kyle Schwarber

Lake County Captains (Cleveland)
19-21 (4th in MWL East)
Offense: 455 R (13th) .688 OPS (10th)
Pitching: 4.36 ERA (14th) 1.37 WHIP (11th)
Top 30 Prospects: OF Clint Frazier (2), OF Dorssys Paulino (6), RHP Dace Kime (16), OF Anthony Santander (20), LHP Luis Lugo (21), RHP Mitch Brown (24), 1B Nellie Rodriguez (27), 1B Mike Papi

State College Spikes (St. Louis)
32-17 (1st in Pinckney)
Offense: 267 R (1st) .750 OPS (2nd)
Pitching: 3.23 ERA (3rd) 1.21 WHIP (3rd)
Top 30 Prospects: OF Kenny Peoples-Walls (18), 3B Danny Diekroeger

Danville Braves
25-16 (1st in APP East)
Offense: 207 R (3rd) .730 OPS (1st)
Pitching: 3.33 ERA (3rd) 1.19 WHIP (2nd)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Carlos Salazar (17), C Tanner Murphy (21)