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The 2016 draft is coming up on Thursday, and we're starting our previews later Monday.
Triple-A Durham Bulls (26-32)
Blake Snell tossed his third scoreless start in his last four outings in Durham's 9-0 win over Gwinnett. He walked three in six innings, but he punched out nine and allowed five hits on 104 pitches (65 strikes). Already up 1-0, Kyle Roller doubled home a pair in the third, and Dayron Varona followed him with a two-run home run. Johnny Field hit his first Triple-A home run an inning later, and Jake Goebbert capped the scoring in the fifth with a single.
Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (28-28)
Just one poor inning cost Montgomery in its 4-2 loss to Biloxi. The game was still scoreless when Chris Kirsch walked the first two batters of the inning. A sacrifice fly opened the scoring, and Jacob Nottingham's two-run homer gave the Shuckers a 3-0 edge. Kean Wong and Casey Gillaspie immediately responded with RBI hits in the bottom half of the inning, but that was all the offense they could muster. Kirsch allowed four runs on five hits and five walks in six innings.
Class-A Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (29-29)
Charlotte didn't get quite enough offense in its 3-2 loss to Tampa. The game was scoreless through 5 1/2 innings and a rain delay before Tampa finally got a run on the board against Ian Gibaut in long relief. Grant Kay and Thomas Milone tied the game in the eighth with back-to-back doubles, but Tampa immediately answered with a pair of runs off Edwin Fierro. The Stone Crabs' ninth-inning run on a wild pitch was not enough. Henry Centeno threw three innings before the delay.
Class-A Bowling Green Hot Rods (29-27)
The plan to get Taylor Hawkins through a seventh inning backfired in Bowling Green's 6-2 loss to Lansing. Joe McCarthy tied the game with a single in the seventh and came around to score the go-ahead run, but Hawkins promptly walked the leadoff hitter, allowed a home run and left an inherited runner, who later scored, for Tyler Brashears. The knuckleballing starter was charged with four runs in six-plus innings with three strikeouts and four walks.
Notable Performances
AAA OF Johnny Field: 2-for-5, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 K
AAA SS Daniel Robertson: 0-for-3, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K
AAA 3B Richie Shaffer: 0-for-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
AAA OF Dayron Varona: 3-for-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
AAA LHP Blake Snell: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 9 K
AA OF Jake Bauers: 1-for-3, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 K
AA 1B Casey Gillaspie: 1-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 K
AA SS Willy Adames: 0-for-4, 1 K
AA LHP Chris Kirsch: 6 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 3 K
A+ 2B Riley Unroe: 0-for-4, 2 K
A+ OF Justin Williams: 1-for-4, 1 K
A+ OF Thomas Milone: 1-for-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K
A+ RHP Henry Centeno: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
A+ RHP Ian Gibaut: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
A+ RHP Edwin Fierro: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
A 1B Joe McCarthy: 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 K, 1 SB
A 3B Kevin Padlo: 0-for-4
A 2B Brandon Lowe: 0-for-4, 3 K
A RHP Taylor Hawkins: 6 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
A RHP Tyler Brashears: 2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Today's games (probables courtesy milb.com)
Durham v. Gwinnett 6:35 PM ET (MiLB.tv, radio stream)
Justin Marks (2-4, 4.20) v. John Gant (3-0, 3.14)
Montgomery @ Jacksonville 6:05 PM ET (MiLB.tv, radio stream)
Ryne Stanek (1-6, 4.97) v. Patrick Johnson (2-1, 4.72)
Charlotte @ Tampa 6 PM ET (radio stream)
TBA v. Ian Clarkin (4-4, 3.62)
Bowling Green is off
Scouting the opposition
Norfolk Tides (Baltimore)
19-38 (4th in IL South)
Offense: 188 R (13th) .676 OPS (13th)
Pitching: 3.94 ERA (13th) 1.38 WHIP (12th)
Top 30 Prospects: 1B Trey Mancini (8), OF Dariel Alvarez (13), 1B/OF Christian Walker (14), RHP Oliver Drake (21), LHP Ariel Miranda (23), OF Mike Yastrzemski (25)
Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee)
31-24 (2nd in SL South)
Offense: 201 R (9th) .667 OPS (9th)
Pitching: 3.70 ERA (5th) 1.24 WHIP (2nd)
Top 30 Prospects: OF Brett Phillips (4), OF Tyrone Taylor (7), C Jacob Nottingham (11), RHP Adrian Houser (20), OF Victor Roache (24), LHP Hobbs Johnson (25), RHP Brandon Woodruff (31)