Rays down on the farm July 27: Smyly starts long road back

If the Rays are looking to temporarily replace Matt Moore while he gets his game together, Drew Smyly certainly is not ready to be the guy, if anyone thought he would be ready immediately.

Triple-A Durham Bulls (51-51)

Drew Smyly pitched like someone who has not pitched lately in Durham's 11-1 loss to Norfolk. It took just three batters for the Tides to build a 2-0 lead thanks to Christian Walker's home run, and Smyly would finish with four runs allowed  on three hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings with three strikeouts. Just 29 of his 51 pitches were strikes. The game got out of hand when scheduled starter Scott Diamond entered and allowed seven runs on 10 hits.

Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (18-11)

Montgomery used a pair of four-run innings late to blow open an 11-2 win over Jackson. Up 3-1 in the seventh, Justin O'Conner cleared the bases with a triple and scored himself on a throwing error. In the ninth, Tommy Coyle's RBI single was followed by run-scoring doubles from Leonardo Reginatto and Dayron Varona. Starter Jaime Schultz allowed a run in two-plus innings, and Jeff Ames picked up his first Double-A win by retiring all nine he faced in relief.

Class A-Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (12-17)

Charlotte finally returned to action late in its 10-inning, 2-1 win over Dunedin. Down 1-0 in the ninth, Kean Wong led off with a triple and came home on Willy Adames' sacrifice fly. Maxx Tissenbaum led off with a single an inning later, and Marty Gantt came on to pinch-run and steal second base. He then scored on Jace Conrad's single to right field. Starter Buddy Borden allowed Dunedin's run in five innings with five strikeouts, and Kyle McKenzie and Isaac Gil combined to fire five scoreless frames.

Class A Bowling Green Hot Rods (16-15)

Alec Sole's walkoff home run lifted Bowling Green to a 3-2 win over Fort Wayne. Sole's blast to lead off the ninth was his first career home run. Jose Mujica was solid in his second start for the Hot Rods, allowing both TinCaps runs on six hits in six innings with two strikeouts and no walks.

Short-Season Hudson Valley Renegades (18-17)

Hudson Valley went up 3-0 in the first but failed to build on that lead in its 5-3 loss to State College. Michael Russell and Joe McCarthy singled with one out, and both scored after a double steal and error. The Spikes had the third out of the inning, but Manny Sanchez was able to reach base after striking out on a wild pitch. They again had the third out when Angel Moreno struck out, but he also reached while the third run came across. Starter Cameron Varga allowed three runs -- two earned -- on nine hits in five innings, and Diego Castillo allowed two runs in the ninth.

Rookie Princeton Rays (18-13)

Princeton allowed nine unanswered runs in its 9-4 loss to Johnson City. Angel Perez drove in two with a single in the fourth, Blake Butera drove in another, and Peter Maris later made it a 4-0 game with a sacrifice fly. Starter Blake Bivens fared well, striking out four and allowing just a hit and two walks in 4 1/3 innings, but Bryan Bonnell and Andrew Woeck each allowed four earned runs.

Rookie Gulf Coast League Rays (6-20)

The GCL Rays were off.

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Notable performances

AAA OF Mikie Mahtook: 3-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 3B
AA OF Joey Rickard: 3-for-5, 1 R, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
AA IF Leonardo Reginatto: 4-for-6, 2 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 RBI
AA OF Dayron Varona: 3-for-6, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI
AA 1B Jake Bauers: 2-for-3, 3 R, 1 2B, 2 BB
AA 2B Tommy Coyle: 3-for-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB
A IF Grant Kay: 3-for-4, 1 R, 1 K
AA RHP Jeff Ames: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
A+ RHP Buddy Borden: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
A+ RHP Isaac Gil: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

AAA OF Corey Brown: 0-for-4, 3 K
A+ IF Andrew Velazquez: 0-for-4, 2 K
A+ 1B Mike Marjama: 0-for-4, 2 K
A- OF Jose Paez: 0-for-5, 2 K
A- 3B Hec Montes: 0-for-4, 2 K
R+ OF Zacrey Law: 0-for-5, 1 K
AAA LHP Scott Diamond: 5 IP, 10 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
A- RHP Diego Castillo: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
R+ RHP Bryan Bonnell: 2 2/3 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
R+ RHP Andrew Woeck: 2 IP, 4 H, 5 R (4 ER), 0 BB, 3 K

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

Durham @ Gwinnett 6:35 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
TBA v. Tyrell Jenkins (1-1, 3.18)

Montgomery is off

Charlotte v. Dunedin 7 PM (radio stream)
Brent Honeywell (2-2, 4.85) v. TBA

Bowling Green is off

Hudson Valley is off

Princeton v. Bluefield 7 PM (radio stream)
TBA v. TBA

GCL Rays/GCL Twins 11 AM DOUBLEHEADER

Both games will be seven innings

*Listed as TBA on milb.com

Scouting the opposition

Gwinnett Braves (updated through 7/25)
51-50 (3rd in IL South)
Offense: 386 R (11th) .642 OPS (14th)
Pitching: 3.18 ERA (4th) 1.27 WHIP (3rd)
Top 30 Prospects: 2B Jose Peraza (1), C Christian Bethancourt (3), OF Mallex Smith (16), RHP Williams Perez (19),OF Todd Cunningham (23), IF Elmer Reyes (29), RHP Mike Foltynewicz, RHP Tyrell Jenkins

Dunedin Blue Jays (updated through 7/24)
11-18 (5th in FSL North)
Offense: 368 R (6th) .649 OPS (7th)
Pitching: 3.91 ERA (12th) 1.38 WHIP (12th)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Jeff Hoffman (3), SS Richard Urena (8), RHP Sean Reid-Foley (10), LHP Jairo Labourt (13), 3B Mitch Nay (16), OF Anthony Alford (18), RHP Alberto Tirado (22), 1B Rowdy Tellez (30)

Bluefield Blue Jays (updated through 7/25)
15-17 (4th in APP East)
Offense: 164 R (1st) .718 OPS (4th)
Pitching: 3.61 ERA (4th) 1.31 WHIP (3rd)
Top 30 Prospects: LHP Matt Smoral (11), LHP Nick Wells (28)

GCL Twins (updated through 7/25)
14-12 (2nd in GCL South)
Offense: 96 R (14th) .614 OPS 13th)
Pitching: 2.54 ERA (3rd) 1.14 WHIP (4th)
Top 30 Prospects: 1B Lewin Diaz (18)