Rays down on the farm September 13: Charlotte unable to put away Daytona

On the plus side, Montgomery was able to even its series. In the other Southern League semifinal, Biloxi easily dispatched Pensacola in three games, so the Shuckers could have quite a bit of time off before returning to the field.

Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (1-1)

Montgomery blew a lead but rebounded for an 11-inning, 6-5 win over Chattanooga in Game 2. After erasing a 3-0 deficit early in the game, the Biscuits went up for the first time in the 10th on Daniel Robertson's two-run triple. Robertson was then cut down at the plate on Leonardo Reginatto's groundout back to the pitcher. Mark Sappington could not even record an out before allowing a game-tying homer. After he got out of the inning, Dayron Varona singled home another run in the 11th, and Jeff Ames recorded a 1-2-3 frame to finally end the game.

Jacob Faria allowed three runs in the first inning, but he kept the Lookouts off the board after that, finishing with three runs allowed on four hits and three walks in five innings with eight strikeouts. Ryan Garton and Matt Lollis picked him up with a pair of scoreless innings each.

Class A-Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (4-1)

Charlotte failed to put away Daytona in the Stone Crabs' 6-1 loss in Game 3 of the Florida State League championship. Hunter Wood struck out the side in the first and held the Tortougas scoreless through five innings, but they broke the game open in the sixth. Wood was replaced by Mike Franco after the first two runners reached base. With one out, Charlotte got an out at the plate, but a two-out home run put Daytona up, 3-0.

The Tortugas added three insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Down to its last out, Charlotte got a run on Justin Williams' RBI single, but that rally fell well short. Wood was charged with two runs on three hits and two walks in five-plus innings with eight strikeouts.

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Notable performances

AA OF Tyler Goeddel: 1-for-4, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K
AA OF Dayron Varona: 3-for-6, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 K
AA 1B Jake Bauers: 1-for-3, 1 R, 2 BB
A+ RHP Hunter Wood: 5+ IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

AA 1B Cameron Seitzer: 0-for-5, 4 K
A+ RHP Josh Kimborowicz: one-third IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

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

Montgomery v. Chattanooga 6:35 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Austin Pruitt (10-7, 3.09) v. David Hurlbut* (11-6, 3.59)

Game three of a best-of-five series (Series tied, 1-1)

Charlotte v. Daytona 6 PM (radio stream)
Brent Honeywell (5-2, 3.44) v. TBA

Game four of a best-of-five championship (Charlotte leads, 2-1)

*Listed as TBA on milb.com

Scouting the opposition

Chattanooga Lookouts (Minnesota)
1-1
Offense: 697 R (1st) .750 OPS (1st)
Pitching: 4.04 ERA (8th) 1.36 WHIP (6th)
Top 30 Prospects: SS Jorge Polanco (8), OF Max Kepler (12), C Stuart Turner (13), OF Adam Walker (17), RHP Jake Reed (19), RHP J.T. Chargois (21), 3B Niko Goodrum (29), OF Travis Harrison (30)

Daytona Tortugas (Cincinnati)
3-2
Offense: 532 R (5th) .656 OPS (5th)
Pitching: 3.11 ERA (5th) 1.28 WHIP (7th)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Nick Howard (5), LHP Amir Garrett (7), RHP Nick Travieso (8), SS Alex Blandino (11), OF Phil Ervin (14), RHP Jonathon Crawford (16), 3B Taylor Sparks (18), OF Junior Arias (24), OF Sebastian Elizalde (25), C Chad Wallach (27), RHP Keury Mella