Rays prospects and minor leagues: Velazquez leads Montgomery to win

Lately, it seems like I've been highlighting some players who have been getting good results in recent games. A blast from the past that fits that bill is Andrew Velazquez. Acquired from Arizona in the Jeremy Hellickson trade, he hasn't really played well with the organization, likely in part due to injuries.

Over his last 11 games, Velazquez is batting .344 with a .462 on-base percentage. Clearly, a nice week and a half doesn't make up for the last couple seasons or even just this season, but maybe he's turned a corner.

Triple-A Durham Bulls (23-13)

Home runs from Mallex Smith and Jake Bauers weren't enough in Durham's 6-4 loss to Charlotte. Smith led off the game with his second homer of the year, but the Knights quickly responded with three off Jacob Faria in their half of the inning. After Casey Gillaspie doubled in a run in the fourth, Charlotte scored three more in the bottom half. Faria allowed six runs -- four earned -- in five innings. Bauers' two-run shot in the sixth was his fourth of the season.

SS Willy Adames: 3-for-4, 2 R, 1 K
OF Jake Bauers: 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
1B Casey Gillaspie: 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI
2B Ryan Brett: 1-for-4, 2 K
OF Mallex Smith: 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K
OF Johnny Field: 0-for-4, 2 K

RHP Jacob Faria: 5 IP, 8 H, 6 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 4 K
RHP Chih-Wei Hu: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (21-16)

Despite walking six and striking out none, Mike Franco earned the win in Montgomery's 7-3 victory over Tennessee. According to the Baseball Reference Play Index, Jeff Locke was the last pitcher to do this in the majors on Aug. 22, 2014. He finished with two runs allowed in five innings. Nathan Lukes doubled and scored in the first inning, and Riley Unroe added an RBI single an inning later. Unroe drove in another run in the two-run fourth.

IF Kean Wong: 1-for-5, 1 RBI, 2 K, 1 SB
SS Andrew Velazquez: 1-for-1, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 1 SB

RHP Mike Franco: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 6 BB, 0 K
RHP Edwin Fierro: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K

Class A-Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (18-19)

Charlotte kept the game close despite only having four hits, but it eventually fell to Dunedin by a 6-5 score. The Stone Crabs scored in the first without the benefit of a hit, and they found themselves down 5-1 before getting on the scoreboard again. Peter Maris' double was the only hit in their three-run seventh, and David Olmedo-Barrera tied the game in the ninth with a home run. However, Noel Rodriguez could only get one out in the home half of the ninth before Dunedin scored the winning run. Starter Michael Santos was roughed up to the tune of five runs allowed in four-plus innings.

OF Ryan Boldt: 0-for-4, 2 K
C David Rodriguez: 0-for-1, 1 R, 3 BB
OF Jake Fraley: 0-for-3, 1 R, 1 BB
OF David Olmedo-Barrera: 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI

RHP Michael Santos: 4+ IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
RHP Roel Ramirez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
RHP Drew Smith: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Class-A Bowling Green Hot Rods (16-19)

Bowling Green had a tough time with former first-rounder Kyle Funkhouser in a 2-0 loss to West Michigan. The Hot Rods' best chance to score probably came when they loaded the bases in the third inning, but Nathaniel Lowe's groundout ended the threat. J.D. Busfield allowed two runs in six innings of work, and Lucius Fox had three of Bowling Green's eight hits.

SS Lucius Fox: 3-for-4, 1 2B, 1 K
OF Jesus Sanchez: 1-for-4, 1 K
CF Josh Lowe: 1-for-4, 3 K
2B Miles Mastrobuoni: 0-for-4, 2 K

RHP J.D. Busfield: 6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 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 @ Charlotte 7:05 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Brent Honeywell (2-3, 4.05) v. Reynaldo Lopez (4-1, 3.55)

Montgomery @ Tennessee 11:30 AM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Jose Mujica (2-2, 1.87) v. Trevor Clifton (3-1, 2.25)

Charlotte @ Dunedin 11 AM (radio stream)
TBA v. Angel Perdomo (3-2, 3.38)

Bowling Green @ West Michigan 6:35 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Brock Burke* (4-0, 1.15) v. Eudis Idrogo (2-1, 2.23)

*Listed as TBA on milb.com

Scouting the opposition

Charlotte Knights (White Sox)
19-17 (3rd in IL South)
Offense: 154 R (3rd) .753 OPS (2nd)
Pitching: 3.64 ERA (8th) 1.35 WHIP (8th)
Top 30 Prospects: IF Yoan Moncada (1), RHP Lucas Giolito (2), RHP Reynaldo Lopez (3), RHP Zack Burdi (6), RHP Carson Fulmer (7), RHP Tyler Danish (18), OF Adam Engel (19), OF Jacob May (20)

Tennessee Smokies (Cubs)
22-16 (T-2nd 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)

Dunedin Blue Jays
21-17 (2nd in FSL North)
Offense: 182 R (3rd) .729 OPS (4th)
Pitching: 3.36 ERA (5th) 1.37 WHIP (8th)
Top 30 Prospects: IF Lourdes Gurriel (3), RHP T.J. Zeuch (8), C Max Pentecost (12), LHP Ryan Borucki (16), LHP Angel Perdomo (18), RHP Jordan Romano (24), 2B Cavan Biggio (25)

West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit)
25-12 (2nd in MWL East)
Offense: 156 R (5th) .683 OPS (9th)
Pitching: 2.55 ERA (2nd) 1.11 WHIP (2nd)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Kyle Funkhouser (5), LHP Austin Sodders (16), RHP Bryan Garcia (22), RHP Zac Houston (23), OF Jacob Robson (25), LHP Gregory Soto (30)