Rays prospects and minor leagues: Snell strikes out career high

While the draft truly heats up with 30 rounds Saturday, our coverage cools down for now. Soon we'll review all 40 picks the Rays made, and the signings will start trickling in.

Triple-A Durham Bulls (28-35)

Blake Snell's career-high 13 strikeouts were not enough in Durham's 4-0 loss to Lehigh Valley. Snell recorded Ks for nine of his first 10 outs, but back-to-back doubles in the fourth gave the IronPigs the only run they needed. Snell finished with three runs allowed on seven hits and a walk in 5 2/3 innings. Meanwhile, the Bulls were shut down by another prospect, Jake Thompson. Only Jaff Decker and Dayron Varona reached base more than once.

Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (30-31)

In his return to the Rays organization, Kyle Winkler was tagged with a loss and blown save in Montgomery's 2-1 defeat at the hands of Pensacola. After being traded for Marc Krauss in 2015, Winkler began 2016 in an independent league. He was greeted by a leadoff double but got two outs before another two-base hit tied the game. Willy Adames then committed a throwing error that lost the game. The Biscuits wasted a strong start from Chris Kirsch, who struck out seven in seven scoreless innings.

Class-A Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (30-30)

Charlotte was postponed.

Class-A Bowling Green Hot Rods (29-31)

Bowling Green could not get out of a five-run hole in its 6-4 loss to South Bend. It only took three batters for South Bend to take a 1-0 lead, and starter Blake Bivens would exit after five innings, having allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Bryan Bonnell allowed another run before the Hot Rods finally got on the board. Michael Russell's double ended the shutout, and Joe McCarthy followed with a two-run single.

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Notable Performances

AAA SS Daniel Robertson: 1-for-4, 1 2B
AAA 3B Richie Shaffer: 0-for-4, 1 K

AAA LHP Blake Snell: 5 2/3 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 13 K

AA 1B Casey Gillaspie: 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K
AA SS Willy Adames: 0-for-4, 2 K
AA OF Jake Bauers: 0-for-4, 2 K

AA LHP Chris Kirsch: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K
AA RHP Kyle Winkler: two-thirds IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 1 K

A 1B Joe McCarthy: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, 1 BB
A 3B Kevin Padlo: 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 K
A OF Manny Sanchez: 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 SB

A RHP Blake Bivens: 5 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
A RHP Bryan Bonnell: 2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

Today's games (probables courtesy milb.com)

Durham @ Lehigh Valley 6:35 PM ET (MiLB.tv, radio stream)
Jaime Schultz (5-2, 2.57) v. Ben Lively (2-0, 2.37)

Montgomery @ Pensacola 7:30 PM ET (MiLB.tv, radio stream)
Chih-Wei Hu (2-3, 2.13) v. Amir Garrett (5-3, 1.63)

Charlotte v Clearwater 4:35 PM ET (radio stream) DOUBLEHEADER
TBA v. Tom Eshelman (3-2, 3.54)
TBA v. TBA

Both games will be seven innings

Bowling Green v. South Bend 7:35 PM ET (radio stream)
TBA v. TBA

*Listed TBA on MiLB.com

Scouting the opposition

Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Philadelphia)
33-28 (3rd in IL North)
Offense: 248 R (3rd) .733 OPS (2nd)
Pitching: 3.68 ERA (9th) 1.23 WHIP (3rd)
Top 30 Prospects: SS J.P. Crawford (1), OF Nick Williams (2), RHP Jake Thompson (3), C Andrew Knapp (4), RHP Mark Appel (8), RHP Zach Eflin (13), RHP Edubray Ramos (17), 2B/OF Darnell Sweeney (26), RHP Ben Lively (27)