Rays prospects and minor leagues: Benton Moss retires

I missed this Thursday, but Benton Moss announced his retirement on Twitter:

The 2015 sixth-round pick reached Double A and had a career 3.18 ERA in 405 innings, mostly as a starter.

Triple-A Durham Bulls (28-18)

Durham’s comeback fell short in a 6-4 loss to Charlotte. With two runs in the first and three more in the third, the Knights built an early 5-0 lead. Nathan Lukes’ sacrifice fly in the fifth got the Bulls on the board, and after home runs by Jake Cronenworth and Jake Smolinski, it was a 5-4 game. However, Charlotte added an insurance run in the seventh. Ryan Merritt was charged with five runs — four earned — in 2 ¹⁄₃ innings.

2B Nick Solak: 0-for-5, 2 K (.840)
DH Nate Lowe: 0-for-4, 1 BB (.831)
SS Jake Cronenworth: 2-for-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 K, 1 SB (1.006)
1B Mike Brosseau: 2-for-3, 1 2B, 2 BB, 1 SB (1.004)
RF Jake Smolinski: 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB (.764)

LHP Ryan Merritt: 2 ¹⁄₃ IP, 8 H, 5 R (4 ER), 1 BB, 4 K (8.24)

Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (29-18)

Montgomery was edged by Jackson, 3-2. The Generals took a 1-0 lead in the first, but the Biscuits answered with two in the second. The first run scored on an error, and Kevin Padlo later hit a sacrifice fly. However, they only had four hits over the final seven innings. Sam McWilliams allowed all three runs in 6 ¹⁄₃ innings.

CF Josh Lowe: 0-for-4, 2 K (.737)
RF Jesus Sanchez: 1-for-4, 1 R (.752)
SS Lucius Fox: 1-for-4, 1 K (.631)

RHP Sam McWilliams: 6 ¹⁄₃ IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (3.10)

Class A-Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (26-22)

Michael Plassmeyer had his best start with Charlotte yet in its 2-0 win over Palm Beach. He fired seven scoreless innings, striking out a pair and giving up just three hits and two walks. Ryan Thompson completed the shutout. Ronaldo Hernandez’s two-run homer in the sixth accounted for all the offense.

SS Taylor Walls: 1-for-3, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 CS (.723)
C Ronaldo Hernandez: 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI (.695)
RF Moises Gomez: 0-for-2, 1 BB, 1 K (.681)
LF Garrett Whitley: 0-for-3, 1 K (.741)

LHP Michael Plassmeyer: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K (1.83)

Class-A Bowling Green Hot Rods (28-20)

Bowling Green scored early and often in an 8-2 win over Dayton. Grant Witherspoon and Roberto Alvarez had RBIs in the second inning, starting a stretch of four straight innings with runs for the Hot Rods. Wander Franco’s RBI single capped the three-run fifth that gave them an 8-1 lead. Alan Strong allowed two solo homers in seven innings of work.

SS Wander Franco: 2-for-5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 K (.844)
DH Chris Betts: 1-for-2, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP (.797)
LF Grant Witherspoon: 4-for-5, 1 R, 2 RBI (.763)
RF Beau Brundage: 2-for-3, 1 R, 2 2B, 1 K, 1 HBP (.718)

RHP Alan Strong: 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K (1.94)

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Saturday’s games (probables courtesy of milb.com)

Durham @ Charlotte 7:04 p.m. ET (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
TBA vs. TBA

Montgomery vs. Jackson 7:05 p.m. ET (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Kenny Rosenberg (3-1, 1.88) vs. TBA

Charlotte vs. Palm Beach 6 p.m. ET (radio stream)
Joe Ryan (1-1, 5.00) vs. Edgar Gonzalez (3-6, 3.18)

Bowling Green vs. Dayton 7:35 p.m. ET (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Easton McGee (3-0, 2.29) vs. Jhon De Jesus (1-3, 4.96)

*Listed as TBA on milb.com

Scouting the opposition

Charlotte Knights (White Sox)
26-19 (3rd in IL South)
Offense: 271 R (1st) .840 OPS (2nd)
Pitching: 5.87 ERA (14th) 1.68 WHIP (14th)
Top-30 prospects: RHP Dylan Cease (3), C Zack Collins (12), RHP Ian Hamilton (13), C Seby Zavala (15), RHP Jordan Stephens (19), RHP Spencer Adams (20), OF Joel Booker (27), RHP Zach Thompson (28)

Jackson Generals (Arizona)
26-20 (2nd in SL North)
Offense: 195 R (T-1st) .730 OPS (1st)
Pitching: 3.45 ERA (5th) 1.25 WHIP (6th)
Top-30 prospects: SS Jazz Chisholm (1), C Daulton Varsho (3), 2B Andy Young (12), 1B Pavin Smith (17), 3B Drew Ellis (21), C Dominic Miroglio (23), RHP Emilio Vargas (25)

Palm Beach Cardinals
29-18 (1st in FSL South)
Offense: 191 R (5th) .687 OPS (4th)
Pitching: 2.38 ERA (1st) 1.15 WHIP (1st)
Top-30 prospects: RHP Griffin Roberts (18), 1B Luken Baker (23)

Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati)
15-33 (8th in MWL East)
Offense: 174 R (15th) .627 OPS (15th)
Pitching: 4.96 ERA (16th) 1.55 WHIP (16th)
Top-30 prospects: OF Mike Siani (8), OF Mariel Bautista (13), RHP Lyon Richardson (14), RHP James Marinan (16), 3B Juan Martinez (19), LHP Jacob Heatherly (20)

Daily news and links

MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo is the latest to produce a new mock draft, and it comes with a new pick for the Rays — high school shortstop Gunnar Henderson.

It’s a common refrain that the draft is a crapshoot, but Baseball America argues teams have gotten better at it.