Rays down on the farm July 23: Shaffer home run not enough for Durham

Jeff Ames was apparently promoted to the Double-A bullpen. He wasn't pitching particularly well for Charlotte, but it's still another step forward for a member of that 2011 draft class.

Triple-A Durham Bulls (49-48)

A 4-0 lead is not enough in Charlotte's new ballpark, and Durham found that out in its 6-4 loss to the Knights. Richie Shaffer's solo home run in the second opened the scoring, and J.P. Arencibia's two-run shot highlighted a three-run third. Starter Bradin Hagens exited after five scoreless innings with nine strikeouts and three hits and four walks allowed, but Jose Dominguez was hit four four runs in one-plus innings, and Kirby Yates took the loss.

Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (14-11)

Montgomery allowed three runs in the first and three runs in the ninth in its 6-5 loss to Jackson. Chris Kirsch settled in and left with a lead, finishing with three runs allowed on five hits and two walks in six innings with five strikeouts. Jake Bauers and Leonardo Reginatto hit RBI singles in the second, and the Biscuits scored individual runs in the next three innings. After Jeff Ames made his Double-A debut with two strikeouts in a scoreless inning, Parker Markel allowed three runs while only recording two outs in the ninth to lose the game.

Class A-Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (11-16)

A pair of runs in the ninth were not enough in Charlotte's 5-2 loss to Daytona. After allowing two runs in the first, German Marquez settled in for a quality start, eventually finishing with three runs allowed on seven hits in six innings with four strikeouts and no walks, but the Stone Crabs could not get anything going against Tortugas starter Amir Garrett, a Futures Game participant. Daytona conceded Charlotte's second run to turn a double play.

Class A Bowling Green Hot Rods (14-13)

Bowling Green was unable to climb out of a 4-0 hole in its 4-2 loss to Lansing. The Lugnuts took a 1-0 lead just two batters into the game, and starter Hyrum Formo finished with four runs allowed on six hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings. The Hot Rods scored on a passed ball in the sixth and got another run on Alec Sole's single an inning later.

Short-Season Hudson Valley Renegades (18-13)

Joe McCarthy drove in three runs in Hudson Valley's 5-3 win over Williamsport. After the Crosscutters struck first in the top of the fifth, McCarthy's two-run single put the Renegades up 2-1. Williamsport again found itself up an inning later, but McCarthy tied the game with an RBI single before Manny Sanchez's sacrifice fly put Hudson Valley up for good. Starter Roel Ramirez allowed three runs -- two earned -- in six innings with four strikeouts, and the win was credited to Reece Karalus with two scoreless innings of relief.

Rookie Princeton Rays (17-10)

Princeton pitching limited Elizabethton to eight hits and did not issue a walk in its 3-0 win over the Twins. Starter Brock Burke only pitched four innings, but he struck out five batters. Bryan Bonnell was credited with the win for three scoreless innings of relief. Princeton scored its first run without the benefit of a hit in the third inning, and back-to-back doubles by Landon Cray and Brett Sullivan in the sixth added an insurance run.

Rookie Gulf Coast League Rays (5-20)

Instead of holding onto a 2-1 lead, the GCL Rays instead gave up a seven-run inning in their 8-2 loss to the GCL Red Sox. Starter Orlando Romero was replaced after allowing the first three batters to reach base, but Matt LeVert provided no relief. He walked in a pair of runs, and after getting two outs, balked in a run and allowed a two-run homer. Romero allowed four runs on three hits and five walks in three-plus innings, and LeVert was charged with four runs in one frame.

Mercifully, the game was called for rain after 6 1/2 innings.

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Notable performances

AAA 3B Richie Shaffer: 2-for-2, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB
AA OF Joey Rickard: 2-for-3, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 SB
A OF Justin Williams: 3-for-4
A- SS Michael Russell: 3-for-4, 2 R, 2 SB
A- OF Joe McCarthy: 3-for-4, 3 RBI, 1 SB
A- 3B Alex Schmidt: 3-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 K
R 3B Juan Carlos Arias: 3-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI

A OF Hunter Lockwood: 0-for-4, 2 K
A IF Cristian Toribio: 0-for-4, 2 K
A- C Taylor Hawkins: 0-for-4, 3 K
AAA RHP Jose Dominguez: 1+ IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
AAA RHP Kirby Yates: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
AA RHP Parker Markel: two-thirds IP, 1 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
A RHP Hyrum Formo: 4 2/3 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
R RHP Orlando Romero: 3+ IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 1 K
R RHP Matt LeVert: 1 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 K

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

Durham @ Charlotte 7:05 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Matt Andriese (1-1, 2.19) v. Hector Noesi (0-0, 1.29)

Montgomery @ Jackson 8:05 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Jared Mortensen (5-3, 3.43) v. Edwin Diaz (3-7, 4.57)

Charlotte @ Daytona 7:05 PM (radio stream)
TBA v. Jackson Stephens (8-5, 3.16)

Bowling Green @ Lansing 7:05 PM (radio stream)
Brad Wallace (1-1, 4.35) v. Chase Mallard (3-3, 5.45)

Hudson Valley v. Williamsport 7:05 PM (radio stream)
Travis Ott (3-1, 2.84) v. Jose Taveras (3-1, 1.88)

Princeton @ Elizabethton 7 PM (radio stream)
Garrett Fulenchek (1-1, 4.50) v. Andro Cutura (1-1, 1.23)

GCL Rays @ GCL Red Sox 12 PM

*Listed as TBA on milb.com

Scouting the opposition

Charlotte Knights (White Sox) (updated through 7/18)
57-42 (1st in IL South)
Offense: 426 R (1st) .729 OPS (1st)
Pitching: 3.54 ERA (7th) 1.27 WHIP (4th)
Top 30 Prospects: 2B Micah Johnson (4), RHP Chris Beck (11), 3B Matt Davidson (14), C Kevan Smith (15), OF Trayce Thompson (18), IF Tyler Saladino (19), LHP Onelki Garcia (27)

Jackson Generals (Seattle) (updated through 7/20)
8-17 (5th in SL North)
Offense: 346 R (7th) .683 OPS (7th)
Pitching: 4.54 ERA (10th) 1.48 WHIP (10th)
Top 30 Prospects: 3B D.J. Peterson (3), RHP Edwin Diaz (6), C Tyler Marlette (14), 1B Jordy Lara (15), RHP Trey Cochran-Gill (20), OF Julio Morban (25), LHP Danny Hultzen (30)

Daytona Tortugas (Cincinnati) (updated through 7/20)
15-11 (2nd in FSL North)
Offense: 368 R (5th) .657 OPS (5th)
Pitching: 3.39 ERA (8th) 1.36 WHIP (11th)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Nick Howard (5), LHP Amir Garrett (7), RHP Nick Travieso (8), SS Alex Blandino (11), OF Phil Ervin (14), RHP Sal Romano (15), RHP Jonathon Crawford (16), 3B Taylor Sparks (18), OF Junior Arias (24), OF Sebastian Elizalde (25), C Chad Wallach (27)

Lansing Lugnuts (Toronto) (updated through 7/19)
13-14
Offense: 472 R (1st) .731 OPS (1st)
Pitching: 3.78 ERA (11th) 1.36 WHIP (13th)
Top 30 Prospects: SS Dawel Lugo (15), C Dan Jansen (20), OF D.J. Davis (21), RHP Jesus Tinoco (26)

Williamsport Crosscutters (Philadelphia) (updated through 7/19)
21-11 (1st in Pinckney)
Offense: 121 R (8th) .673 OPS (7th)
Pitching: 2.44 ERA (2nd) 1.13 WHIP (2nd)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Franklyn Kilome (15), OF Jose Pujols (30)

Elizabethton Twins (updated through 7/19)
12-15 (4th in APP West)
Offense: 100 R (9th) .692 OPS (7th)
Pitching: 3.55 ERA (4th) 1.43 WHIP (8th)
Top 30 Prospects: OF Amaurys Minier (26), OF Chris Paul

GCL Red Sox (updated through 7/18)
19-7 (1st in GCL South)
Offense: 106 R (6th) .631 OPS (12th)
Pitching: 2.05 ERA (1st) 1.22 WHIP (5th)
Top 30 Prospects: OF Yoan Aybar (31)