Rays prospects and minor leagues: Franklin pitches career outing

Austin Franklin is one of the team’s best pitching prospects, but since it took until June for his season to start, he probably didn’t get as much attention as some others. He has three consecutive quality starts, including a pair of scoreless outings his last two times out. He has a 24.6 percent strikeout rate and 4.6 percent walk rate in 18 innings.

If you missed it Tuesday, Arizona Fall League rosters were announced.

Triple-A Durham Bulls (82-53)

A close game didn’t go Durham’s way in a 2-1 loss to Charlotte. The Bulls finally got on the board in the eighth on Willy Adames’ RBI single, but strikeouts by Jake Bauers and Trevor Plouffe stranded a runner in scoring position. In the bottom half of the inning, the Knights staged a two-out rally aided by two Justin O’Conner passed balls. This wasted a nice start from Ryan Yarbrough, who struck out eight and only allowed a run in six innings.

2B Willy Adames: 2-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 K
DH Jake Bauers: 0-for-4, 1 K
CF Mallex Smith: 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RF Patrick Leonard: 0-for-4, 2 K
OF Shane Peterson: 0-for-4, 2 K

LHP Ryan Yarbrough: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K
RHP Chih-Wei Hu: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (38-26)

Montgomery erased an early deficit but couldn’t hold its lead in a 5-4 loss to Mobile. After falling behind 2-0 through half an inning, the Biscuits answered with one in the first, and RBI hits from Jake Cronenworth, Michael Russell and Brandon Lowe totaled three more runs in the second. The Biscuits wouldn’t have another hit until the ninth. Logan Darnell allowed all five runs — four earned — in five innings.

SS Jake Cronenworth: 2-for-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI

LHP Logan Darnell: 5 IP, 8 H, 5 R (4 ER), 4 BB, 4 K

Class A-Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (36-26)

Charlotte went up early and cruised to a Game 1, 8-2 win over Clearwater. The scoring started early with three first-inning runs, including a couple on Ryan Boldt’s RBI triple. In the fifth, Peter Maris added insurance with a two-run homer. Aside from back-to-back homers allowed in the sixth, Brandon Lawson pitched well in a six-inning outing.

The Stone Crabs did not get the same kind of offense in their Game 2, 3-2 loss. Boldt had another RBI hit in the first, but they didn’t get another hit until the fifth. Eduar Lopez allowed three runs in 4 1/3 innings.

SS Lucius Fox (1): 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K
SS Lucius Fox (2): 1-for-3, 1 BB, 1 K
OF Ryan Boldt (1): 2-for-3, 2 R, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
OF Ryan Boldt (2): 1-for-3, 1 RBI, 2 K
3B Kevin Padlo (1): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 K
3B Kevin Padlo (2): 0-for-2, 1 BB
C David Rodriguez (1): 2-for-3
IF Peter Maris (1): 3-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI

RHP Brandon Lawson (1): 6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Eduar Lopez (2): 4 ¹⁄₃ IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K

Class-A Bowling Green Hot Rods (36-28)

Bowling Green was off.

Short-Season Hudson Valley Renegades (39-28)

Hudson Valley’s two hits were not nearly enough in its Game 1, 2-0 loss to Tri-City in 12 innings. In addition to the pair of singles, the Renegades only drew four walks. That wasted a strong start from Austin Franklin, who struck out seven in six scoreless innings. Hunter Schryver had three out of the bullpen.

Brendan McKay was the hero in the Renegades’ 10-inning, 4-3 win in Game 2 of the doubleheader. The ValleyCats scored two in the top half of the 10th, and Deion Tansel’s RBI single reduced the margin to one. With one out, McKay’s single scored the tying and winning runs. Starter Nicholas Padilla allowed a run in three innings, and Ivan Pelaez struck out five in four scoreless innings of relief.

2B Vidal Brujan (1): 0-for-3, 2 BB, 1 K
2B Vidal Brujan (2): 0-for-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
1B Brendan McKay (1): 0-for-2, 1 K
1B Brendan McKay (2): 3-for-5, 1 2B, 3 RBI
OF Isaac Bernard (1): 0-for-4, 2 K
C Zacrey Law (2): 0-for-4, 2 K
C Rafelin Lorenzo (2): 0-for-4, 2 K

RHP Austin Franklin (1): 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K
RHP Nicholas Padilla (2): 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
LHP Hunter Schryver (1): 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
LHP Ivan Pelaez (2): 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K

Rookie Princeton Rays (29-36)

A wild pitch gave Princeton a walkoff 3-2 win over Greeneville. Moises Gomez, who singled in the tying run earlier, led off with a single and moved up on Bryce Brown’s sacrifice bunt. After a passed ball, he scored on a wild pitch with Andrew Miller at the plate. Starter Easton McGee allowed two runs in five innings.

C Ronaldo Hernandez: 1-for-3, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 K

RHP Easton McGee: 5 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Rookie Gulf Coast League Rays (26-29)

The GCL Rays came up short in their Game 1, 3-2 loss to the GCL Twins. In the sixth, rehabber Jake Fraley doubled and scored the tying run on Carlos Vargas’ single, but the GCL Twins immediately answered against reliever Reynier Montero. Both catcher Chris Betts and pitcher Armando Bastardo made their 2017 debuts.

They got more good pitching in their 1-0 win in Game 2. The GCL Rays were outhit by a 4-2 margin, but Michael Mercado and Angel Rodriguez kept the GCL Twins off the scoreboard. Mercado struck out five in three scoreless innings, and Rodriguez took over and fired the final four innings. The only run of the game scored on a wild pitch in the third inning.

OF Jake Fraley (1): 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 2B, 1 K, 1 SB
DH Chris Betts (1): 1-for-2, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 K
3B Carlos Vargas (1): 1-for-3, 1 RBI, 2 K
SS Carlos Vargas (2): 0-for-3, 2 K

RHP Armando Bastardo (1): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Michael Mercado (2): 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
RHP Paul Campbell (1): 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 5 K
RHP Angel Rodriguez (2): 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 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)
TBA v. Tyler Danish (4-13, 5.18)

Montgomery v. Mobile 8:05 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Jose Mujica (12-8, 2.97) v. Luis Pena (1-1, 0.87)

Charlotte v. Clearwater 10:05 AM (radio stream)
Brock Burke (4-6, 4.95) v. Seranthony Dominguez (4-3, 2.97)

Bowling Green @ Dayton 7 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Mikey York (0-1, 1.64) v. Matt Blandino (4-4, 5.62)

Hudson Valley v. Tri-City 7:05 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
TBA v. Hunter Martin (2-0, 2.73)

Princeton v. Greeneville 7 PM (radio stream)
TBA v. Yhoan Acosta (

GCL Rays v. GCL Twins 12 PM

*Listed as TBA on milb.com

Scouting the opposition

Charlotte Knights (White Sox)
58-78
Offense: 584 R (7th) .723 OPS (5th)
Pitching: 4.81 ERA (13th) 1.47 WHIP (12th)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Michael Kopech (5), RHP Zack Burdi (6), RHP Carson Fulmer (7), RHP Tyler Danish (18), RHP Connor Walsh (27), 1B Casey Gillaspie

Mobile BayBears (Angels)
33-31 (2nd in SL South)
Offense: 506 R (5th) .679 OPS (6th)
Pitching: 3.78 ERA (7th) 1.28 WHIP (4th)
Top 30 Prospects: 1B Matt Thaiss (2), C Taylor Ward (6), RHP Grayson Long (7), RHP Adam Hofacket (21), RHP Jesus Castillo (23), RHP Justin Anderson (25), RHP Tyler Carpenter (27), OF Brennon Lund (28), RHP Jake Jewell (29), OF Troy Montgomery (31)

Clearwater Threshers (Philadelphia)
28-35
Offense: 478 R (9th) .695 OPS (6th)
Pitching: 3.12 ERA (4th) 1.25 WHIP (4th)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Sixto Sanchez (5), OF Cornelius Randolph (15)

Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati)
26-38
Offense: 614 R (6th) .700 OPS (9th)
Pitching: 4.13 ERA (12th) 1.25 WHIP (4th)
Top 30 Prospects: OF Taylor Trammell (5), C Tyler Stephenson (10), RHP Tony Santillan (11), OF Michael Beltre (23), OF Jose Siri (31)

Tri-City ValleyCats (Houston)
32-35 (3rd in NYPL Stedler)
Offense: 261 R (9th) .666 OPS (6th)
Pitching: 3.52 ERA (8th) 1.31 WHIP (8th)
Top 30 Prospects: SS Miguelangel Sierra (11), SS Jonathan Arauz (17), RHP J.B. Bukauskas, RHP Corbin Martin, RHP Tyler Ivey

Greeneville Astros
33-32 (T-2nd in AL West)
Offense: 315 R (6th) .684 OPS (10th)
Pitching: 4.29 ERA (5th) 1.43 WHIP (6th)
Top 30 Prospects: OF Gilberto Celestino (19)

GCL Twins
32-22
Offense: 272 R (3rd) .714 OPS (3rd)
Pitching: 3.92 ERA (9th) 1.38 WHIP (9th)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Blayne Enlow, RHP Landon Leach