It’s a few days old at this point, but according to Marc Topkin, right-handed pitcher Jose Mujica underwent Tommy John surgery. He only threw 57 2⁄3 innings this season. It’s a testament to the organization’s depth that Durham had the success it has despite losing Mujica, Anthony Banda, Jose De Leon, and Brent Honeywell.
Triple-A Durham Bulls (5-3)
Durham was unable to clinch the International League Championship, losing Game 4 to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 5-2. A solo home run in the first inning gave the RailRiders a quick lead, and a three-run homer in the fifth extended their lead to 5-0. Starter Zach Lee allowed two runs in 3 1⁄3 innings. The Bulls scored once in the seventh and again in the eighth, but they stranded two runners on base that inning, ending their best opportunity to get back in the game.
CF Austin Meadows: 0-for-5, 1 K
LF Joe McCarthy: 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 K, 1 HBP
1B Nate Lowe: 1-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K
SS Jake Cronenworth: 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 3B
PH Nick Solak: 1-for-1
RHP Zach Lee: 3 1⁄3 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Andrew Moore: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Durham’s site offers this recap.
Class-A Bowling Green Hot Rods (5-1)
Bowling Green was off.
Friday’s games (probables courtesy of milb.com)
Durham vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 4:05 p.m. ET (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
TBA vs. TBA
Best-of-five championship in Moosic, Pa. (Series tied, 2-2)
Bowling Green vs. Peoria 7:35 p.m. ET (radio stream)
TBA vs. Jake Dahlberg (4-3, 2.87)
Best-of-five championship (Series tied, 1-1)
*Listed as TBA on milb.com
Scouting the opposition
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Yankees)
5-3
Offense: 578 R (7th) .729 OPS (3rd)
Pitching: 3.71 ERA (5th) 1.26 WHIP (4th)
Top-30 prospects: LHP Justus Sheffield (3), RHP Chance Adams (5), SS Thairo Estrada (8), RHP Domingo German (16)
Peoria Chiefs (St. Louis)
5-1
Offense: 601 R (5th) .725 OPS (4th)
Pitching: 3.73 ERA (8th) 1.36 WHIP (9th)
Top-30 prospects: RHP Alvaro Seijas (21), RHP Johan Oviedo (23), 3B Nolan Gorman, 1B Luken Baker
Daily news and links
Baseball America posted the Rays’ instructional league roster, and it includes a couple position players now listed as pitchers — Vincent Byrd and Eleardo Cabrera.
The Rays are well-represented on Baseball America’s classification All-Star rosters.
Jeff Fletcher wrote about the Angels’ search for more two-way players.