Rays prospects and minor leagues: Smith dominates in latest rehab outing

Brendan McKay seems to be in the midst of his best stretch at the plate as a professional. On Aug. 29, he had his first three-hit game. Friday, he reached base for times for the second time in his career. He’s reached base in 10 of his 11 games, but his only extra-base hits in that stretch are a pair of doubles.

Triple-A Durham Bulls (84-54)

Burch Smith was sharp in Durham’s 5-2 win over Gwinnett. Smith retired the first six batters and faced just the minimum through four innings. In 5 ²⁄₃ scoreless innings, he struck out six and gave up just two hits and two walks. Willy Adames doubled in the first run of the game in the fourth and later scored on a wild pitch.

SS Willy Adames: 2-for-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K
1B Jake Bauers: 0-for-4, 1 K
OF Mallex Smith: 0-for-2, 3 BB, 3 SB
2B Daniel Robertson: 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K

RHP Burch Smith: 5 ²⁄₃ IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
LHP Jose Alvarado: two-thirds IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
RHP Jaime Schultz: one-third IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (39-28)

Montgomery lost a 2-1 lead before eventually falling to Chattanooga, 3-2, in 11 innings. After two runs scored on Jake Cronenworth’s fifth-inning single, the Biscuits only had two hits the remainder of the game. Genesis Cabrera struck out five and only allowed a run in five innings. The Lookouts eventually won the game off Kyle Winkler.

OF Joe McCarthy: 0-for-5, 1 K
OF Justin Williams: 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
2B Brandon Lowe: 0-for-4, 2 K
1B Dalton Kelly: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Grant Kay: 0-for-5, 4 K

LHP Genesis Cabrera: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
LHP Kyle Bird: 2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Class A-Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (38-26)

Charlotte’s game was suspended due to lightning.

Class-A Bowling Green Hot Rods (38-29)

Bowling Green rolled to a 12-4 win over Dayton. Already leading 3-1, the Hot Rods opened up a five-run lead in the fourth. Garrett Whitley drove in two runs, but in the five-run sixth, he made the first and last outs. Starter Adrian Navas struck out nine and allowed two runs in six innings.

OF Garrett Whitley: 2-for-5, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K
CF Josh Lowe: 1-for-5, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K
OF Jesus Sanchez: 2-for-5, 1 R, 2 RBI
SS Luis Rengifo: 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 BB
IF Miles Mastrobuoni: 2-for-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB
C Rene Pinto: 3-for-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI
1B Bobby Melley: 2-for-4, 3 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB

RHP Adrian Navas: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K

Short-Season Hudson Valley Renegades (40-30)

Just one poor inning sunk Hudson Valley in its 6-3 loss to Vermont. After starter Jhonleider Salinas struck out seven in four one-run innings, Matt Vogel threw a scoreless fifth. However, the Lake Monsters rallied for four in the sixth, including three with two outs.

2B Vidal Brujan: 1-for-5, 1 R, 1 3B, 1 K
1B Brendan McKay: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB

RHP Jhonleider Salinas: 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
RHP Zack Mozingo: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

Rookie Princeton Rays (31-36)

Princeton’s season is over.

Rookie Gulf Coast League Rays (28-31)

The GCL Rays took advantage of the new extra-innings rules in their Game 1, eight-inning 11-7 win over the GCL Orioles. With a runner starting on second, Luis Leon laid down a bunt hint, and a walk loaded the bases. Allen Smoot singled, Tony Pena drew a bases-loaded walk, and Jake Stone drove in two more with a single. The rehabbing Chris Betts went 2-for-3 with a double, and starter Wanderson Linares allowed three runs — two earned -- in five innings.

The GCL Rays rolled to a 10-4 win in Game 2. After falling behind 1-0, the GCL Rays got on the board in the third on a successfully executed double steal, and Carlos Vargas later doubled in two in the four-run inning. They blew the game open with six runs in the seventh. Starter Jesus Ortiz allowed a run over four innings.

C Chris Betts (1): 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI
3B Carlos Vargas (1): 1-for-4, 1 BB, 2 K
DH Carlos Vargas (2): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB
OF Jake Stone (1): 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB
OF Jake Stone (2): 2-for-3, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 SB
OF Pedro Diaz (1): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K
2B Jonathan Aranda (2): 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI

RHP Wanderson Linares (1): 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 2 K
RHP Jesus Ortiz (2): 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Chris Carden (2): 1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 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 @ Gwinnett 5:05 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream) DOUBLEHEADER
Jacob Faria (6-1, 3.07) v. Kris Medlen (2-7, 5.85)
TBA v. TBA

Both games will be seven innings

Montgomery @ Chattanooga 8:05 PM (radio stream)
Anthony Misiewicz (3-1, 3.63) v. TBA

Charlotte @ Bradenton 6:30 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream) DOUBLEHEADER
TBA v. TBA
TBA v. Bret Helton (8-3, 3.49)

Completion of suspended game followed by nine-inning game

Bowling Green v. South Bend 7:35 PM (radio stream)
Willy Ortiz (7-3, 3.25) v. Tyson Miller (6-6, 4.47)

Hudson Valley v. Vermont 7:05 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
TBA v. Jean Ruiz (1-0, 1.33)

GCL Rays v. GCL Orioles 10 AM

Both games will be seven innings

*Listed as TBA on milb.com

Scouting the opposition

Gwinnett Braves
69-69
Offense: 613 R (4th) .724 OPS (5th)
Pitching: 4.04 ERA (9th) 1.35 WHIP (8th)
Top 30 Prospects: OF Ronald Acuna (6), LHP Sean Newcomb (8), RHP Patrick Weigel (9), OF Dustin Peterson (16), LHP A.J. Minter (18), 3B Rio Ruiz (20), 2B Micah Johnson (23), LHP Luiz Gohara

Chattanooga Lookouts (Minnesota)
46-21
Offense: 634 R (2nd) .723 OPS (3rd)
Pitching: 3.17 ERA (2nd) 1.27 WHIP (3rd)
Top 30 Prospects: SS Nick Gordon (1), RHP Fernando Romero (4), RHP Kohl Stewart (7), RHP Nick Burdi (15), OF LaMonte Wade (21), LHP Randy Rosario (31), RHP Zack Littell

Bradenton Marauders (Pittsburgh)
30-32
Offense: 568 R (2nd) .721 OPS (1st)
Pitching: 3.63 ERA (7th) 1.25 WHIP (4th)
Top 30 Prospects: 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes (6), 3B Will Craig (9), RHP Gage Hinsz (12), LHP Taylor Hearn (20), SS Stephen Alemais (29)

South Bend Cubs
36-31
Offense: 674 R (2nd) .720 OPS (4th)
Pitching: 3.85 ERA (9th) 1.36 WHIP (13th)
Top 30 Prospects: OF D.J. Wilson (9), 3B Wladimir Galindo (18), RHP Erling Moreno (20), LHP Jose Paulino (21), LHP Bryan Hudson (25), RHP Bailey Clark (28), OF Chris Pieters (30)

Vermont Lake Monsters (Oakland)
40-30 (1st in NYPL Stedler)
Offense: 293 R (4th) .657 OPS (8th)
Pitching: 3.09 ERA (4th) 1.21 WHIP (5th)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Oscar Tovar (25), LHP Jesus Luzardo, SS Kevin Merrell, OF Greg Deichmann

GCL Orioles
27-32
Offense: 269 R (5th) .702 OPS (6th)
Pitching: 4.47 ERA (15th) 1.39 WHIP (11th)
Top 30 Prospects: LHP DL Hall, SS Adam Hall