Rays prospects and minor leagues: Faria, Franco dominate Friday

Ryne Stanek has been pitching much better lately. He allowed two runs in two of his first three appearances, but since then, he has a streak of six scoreless games. He's totaled 8 1/3 innings in those appearances and struck out eight of the 30 batters he faced and walked two. Those kind of results make more sense with his stuff compared to some of his early struggles with Durham dating back to last season.

Triple-A Durham Bulls (15-6)

Jacob Faria was as good as he's ever been in Durham's 3-0 win over Buffalo. In what was easily his best start of the season, Faria struck out a season-high 11 batters, pitched a season-long six innings and did not allow a run on just three hits and a walk. Ryne Stanek, Neil Wagner and Diego Moreno each pitched an inning the rest of the way. Jake Hager led off the game with a single and scored the only run the Bulls needed, and Patrick Leonard remained hot by reaching base three more times.

Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (12-9)

Mike Franco did it again in Montgomery's 6-1 win over Birmingham. He allowed a double to open the game and a single that scored the Barons' run, but they wouldn't get another hit over the final eight innings. Franco struck out five and walked two in seven innings. The Biscuits did most of their scoring early. Justin O'Conner tied the game with an RBI single in the first, and Nick Ciuffo followed with a sacrifice fly. In the second, they scored three more times on RBI hits from Andrew Velazquez, Michael Russell and Justin Williams.

Class A-Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (8-13)

Charlotte's offense fizzled after early success in its 6-3 loss to Bradenton Friday. The game was tied at three after two innings, but it was only the Marauders who continued to add on. Starter Blake Bivens allowed a solo home run in the third inning, and Joe Serrapica, making his 2017 debut after not allowing a run in his pro debut last season with Hudson Valley, later allowed a two-run homer. Bivens allowed four runs -- one earned -- in five innings with six strikeouts. Jake Cronenworth went 1-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to 22 games.

Class A Bowling Green Hot Rods (10-11)

Bowling Green ran out of steam late in its 11-inning, 8-5 loss to Lansing. After the Hot Rods scored a run in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to tie the game at five, they were unable to get on the board again. For the remainder of the game, they would not get more than one runner on base at any time. With the bases loaded and one out in the 11th, the Lugnuts scored the go-ahead run on Rene Pinto's throwing error on a pickoff attempt and then added two more. Ethan Clark allowed five runs in three innings, but Peter Bayer struck out eight in five scoreless innings of relief.

The preceding stories were not generated by the Associated Press computer using data from, and in cooperation with, MLBAM.

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Notable performances

Triple-A

OF Jake Bauers: 0-for-3, 1 BB, 2 K
1B Casey Gillaspie: 1-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 K
C Michael McKenry: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Patrick Leonard: 2-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K

RHP Jacob Faria: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 11 K
RHP Ryne Stanek: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Double-A

OF Justin Williams: 1-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K
C Nick Ciuffo: 1-for-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K
OF Nathan Lukes: 0-for-4, 2 K
SS Andrew Velazquez: 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 BB

RHP Mike Franco: 7 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Class A-Advanced

OF Ryan Boldt: 1-for-4, 1 K

RHP Blake Bivens: 5 IP, 5 H, 4 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 6 K
RHP Joe Serrapica: 1 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K

Class-A

OF Jesus Sanchez: 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K
3B Adrian Rondon: 0-for-4, 1 BB, 1 K
CF Josh Lowe: 0-for-4, 1 BB, 2 K
IF Miles Mastrobuoni: 2-for-5, 2 R, 1 BB
C Rene Pinto: 3-for-5, 1 RBI, 2 K

RHP Ethan Clark: 3 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
RHP Peter Bayer: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K
RHP Spencer Jones: 3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

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

Durham v. Buffalo 6:35 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Jeff Ames* (0-0, 3.18) v. Brett Oberholtzer (0-0, 2.25)

Montgomery v. Birmingham 7:35 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Hunter Wood (1-1, 3.38) v. Spencer Adams (0-4, 3.65)

Charlotte v. Bradenton 6:05 PM (radio stream)
Michael Santos (1-0, 4.26) v. Pedro Vasquez (1-1, 1.83)

Bowling Green v. Lansing 7:35 PM (radio stream)
TBA v. Patrick Murphy (1-0, 5.74)

*Listed as TBA on milb.com

Scouting the opposition

Buffalo Bisons (Toronto)
13-7 (1st in IL North)
Offense: 79 R (7th) .715 OPS (6th)
Pitching: 2.81 ERA (1st) 1.18 WHIP (1st)
Top 30 Prospects: 1B Rowdy Tellez (7), LHP Matt Darmody (29), LHP Jeff Beliveau, IF Jake Elmore, C Luke Maile, OF Jose Tabata

Birmingham Barons (White Sox)
8-14 (5th in SL North)
Offense: 67 R (T-7th) .615 OPS (7th)
Pitching: 4.80 ERA (10th) 1.47 WHIP (10th)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Michael Kopech (5), RHP Spencer Adams (9), 3B Trey Michalczewski (13), 2B Jake Peter (16), RHP Connor Walsh (27), 1B Cameron Seitzer

Bradenton Marauders (Pittsburgh)
12-10 (1st in FSL South)
Offense: 100 R (3rd) .765 OPS (2nd)
Pitching: 3.39 ERA (6th) 1.18 WHIP (2nd)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Mitch Keller (2), 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes (6), SS Cole Tucker (8), 3B Will Craig (9), RHP Gage Hinsz (12), LHP Taylor Hearn (20)

Lansing Lugnuts (Toronto)
12-10 (4th in MWL East)
Offense: 121 R (1st) .796 OPS (1st)
Pitching: 5.43 ERA (16th) 1.60 WHIP (16th)
Top 30 Prospects: 3B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1), SS Bo Bichette (9), RHP Justin Maese (11), OF J.B. Woodman (15), OF Josh Palacios (19), RHP Patrick Murphy (20), RHP Zach Johnson (21), RHP Osman Gutierrez (26), SS Yeltsin Gudino (27)