Rays prospects and minor leagues: Chirinos dominates Toledo

Friend of the site Steve Kinsella mentioned this on Twitter recently, but I also wanted to highlight the recent improved play of Lucius Fox. Since his first multi-hit game on Apr. 22, he's batting .371 with an 11.3 percent walk rate and 22.5 percent strikeout rate. In the 12 games before that, he was striking out 29.5 percent of his plate appearances. He only has three extra-base hits in the hot stretch. I wonder if there's been an emphasis on just making contact lately.

Triple-A Durham Bulls (22-12)

Yonny Chirinos shut out Toledo in Durham's 5-0 win Saturday. He only needed 100 pitches to fire the three-hit complete game with nine strikeouts. It was his first career complete game. Mike Marjama earned an RBI with a bases-loaded hit by pitch for the only run the Bulls needed in the fourth, but Patrick Leonard added insurance with a two-run homer three innings later.

SS Willy Adames: 0-for-3, 2 BB, 1 K
OF Jake Bauers: 0-for-3, 1 R, 2 BB
1B Casey Gillaspie: 0-for-4, 1 K
3B Patrick Leonard: 1-for-3, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB
C Curt Casali: 2-for-2, 2 BB

RHP Yonny Chirinos: 9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 K

Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (19-16)

Hunter Wood was in fine form in Montgomery's 3-1 win over Tennessee. The righty entered the game having allowed 11 runs over 9 2/3 innings in his last two starts combined, but he turned in maybe his top performance of the season so far Saturday. He struck out six in six scoreless innings, only allowing a hit and two walks. Justin O'Conner hit his third home run of the season to give the Biscuits a 1-0 lead in the second, and RBI doubles from O'Conner and Grant Kay in the ninth proved to be crucial.

OF Joe McCarthy: 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 K
IF Grant Kay: 2-for-4, 1 R, 2 2B, 1 RBI
C Justin O'Conner: 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 K

RHP Hunter Wood: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K

Class A-Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (18-18)

Charlotte's bullpen blew up in a 7-6 loss to Fort Myers. Ryan Brett's home run in the fifth broke a 1-1 tie, and the Stone Crabs added two more later in the inning. In the seventh, Jake Cronenworth tripled in a run and scored, but it was all downhill from there. Jairo Munoz's debut in the organization did not go so well, getting charged with four runs while only recording an out. The Miracle added two more in the ninth off Brandon Lawson. This wasted a strong start from Blake Bivens, who struck out six and only allowed a run in seven innings. Matt Duffy went 0-for-2.

SS Matt Duffy: 0-for-2
RF Ryan Brett: 2-for-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI
OF Ryan Boldt: 0-for-4
OF Jake Fraley: 1-for-3, 1 2B, 1 SB
C David Rodriguez: 0-for-3, 2 K
IF Jake Cronenworth: 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
C Brett Sullivan: 0-for-5, 2 K
2B Brandon Lowe: 2-for-2, 1 R, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB

RHP Blake Bivens: 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
RHP Jairo Munoz: one-third IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Brandon Lawson: 1 1/3 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 0 K

Class-A Bowling Green Hot Rods (16-18)

Bowling Green fell behind 7-0 and couldn't quite make it back in a 7-5 loss to Cedar Rapids. Navas allowed all seven runs in the first two innings, but Ethan Clark, Brian McAfee and Spencer Jones held the Kernels scoreless over the final seven innings. Jonah Heim homered twice, and Lucius Fox hit his first home run in the organization.

SS Lucius Fox: 2-for-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K
OF Jesus Sanchez: 0-for-5, 1 K
3B Adrian Rondon: 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 K
C Jonah Heim: 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 1 K

RHP Adrian Navas: 2 IP, 6 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
RHP Ethan Clark: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
RHP Spencer Jones: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K

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

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

Durham v. Toledo 5:05 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
TBA v. Anthony Vasquez (1-0, 4.50)

Montgomery @ Tennessee 2 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Greg Harris (1-2, 3.31) v. Trevor Clifton (3-1, 2.25)

Charlotte is off

Bowling Green is off

*Listed as TBA on milb.com

Scouting the opposition

Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit)
17-16 (1st in IL West)
Offense: 111 R (14th) .636 OPS (14th)
Pitching: 3.59 ERA (7th) 1.37 WHIP (9th)
Top 30 Prospects: CF JaCoby Jones (6), OF Steven Moya (9), RHP Joe Jimenez (11), RHP Logan Kensing

Tennessee Smokies (Cubs)
22-14 (1st in SL North)
Offense: 147 R (3rd) .744 OPS (3rd)
Pitching: 3.50 ERA (6th) 1.18 WHIP (3rd)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Trevor Clifton (8), RHP Duane Underwood (15), OF Jacob Hannemann (23), 2B David Bote (26)