Rays prospects and minor leagues: Shut down pitching duo in Hudson Valley

The 2017 fourth overall draft pick Brendan McKay continues to dominate New York Penn League hitters on any given Sunday. However, with an apparent 3.0 inning limit per game, most hitters are only getting one look at him per game. If that inning limit sticks, we won’t see how he holds up against line ups as they see him multiple times and make adjustments. This is something to consider when looking at his so-far pristine pitching statistics.

Triple-A Durham Bulls (77-49)

Yonny Chirinos appeared to be in control of the game, allowing 7 singles across 5 innings on just 64 pitches, but the one run he allowed was enough to earn the loss as the Durham bats could not get anything going. Focusing on the positives, Chirinos dropped his season ERA back below the 3.00 threshold to 2.98 and currently holds an incredible 1.68 DRA, according to his Baseball Prospectus profile. The Rays clearly have Chirinos on an innings limit and/or pitch count now that he is well over his 2016 total with 157.1 IP.

Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (69-56)

Jose Mujica led the Biscuits through 7 great innings, but as soon as he was lifted Birmingham came roaring back with 6 runs to take the game. Rehabbing Jonny Venters was responsible for half of the runs, while the other half, along with the blown save and loss, came from Mike Franco. Mujica needed just 86 pitches to complete 7.0 IP because he induced plenty of weak contact and allowed just 4 base runners. Joe McCarthy reached base 3 times, including his 31st double of the season.

Class A-Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (63-61)

The Stone Crabs needed only 3 pitchers to take a 12 inning overtime game from the Clearwater Threshers on a Peter Maris walk off single. Brock Burke’s 6.1 innings of 1 run ball gave him his third straight quality start and it looks like he’s starting to figure out the Florida State League now after dominating the Midwest League earlier this season. The hitters reached base 16 times, but Lucius Fox contributed the only extra base hit with his 5th inning double, his first in the FSL.

Class-A Bowling Green Hot Rods (67-56)

Fact: A position player was the only player to not give up a run while pitching for Bowling Green on Sunday. It wasn’t pretty. The pitching side was a complete mess, but there were some bright spots on offense. Josh Lowe reached base 4 times and collected his 23rd double and 22nd stolen base of the year. Newly acquired Luis Rengifo reached base twice while leading off and playing short stop. Catcher Rene Pinto went 2-4 with a double, and Jim Haley went 3-4 with a double as well.

Short-Season Hudson Valley Renegades (32-25)

Brendan McKay and Jhonleider Salinas didn’t give Aberdeen a chance in their 7-0 victory. McKay completed 3.0 innings of 1 hit baseball on just 38 pitches, then Salinas pitched the rest of the game with 6.0 innings, allowing just 2 hits and a walk. The bats contributed 5 extra base hits and 10 overall, with enough clustered in the 3rd, 5th and 8th innings to put 7 runs on the board.

Rookie Princeton Rays (20-34)

The Princeton bats contributed only 2 extra base hits on Sunday, but one of them came when they really needed it, in the top of the 14th inning to drive in the winning run. Devin Davis provided the RBI with his 18th double of the season while going 3-7 on the night. Catcher Ronaldo Hernandez reached base 4 times and knocked his 4th home run of the season.

Click here to see all of yesterday’s minor league box scores, and then go to this milb page to see today’s match ups.