Rays prospects and minor leagues: Schnell doubles twice

Nick Schnell has been solid for Princeton in his first full pro season. A wrist injury cut his debut short last year, and maybe that’s why he’s in the Appalachian League this season. His strikeout rate is too high right now, but his .760 OPS is quite a bit higher than the league average of .717.

Triple-A Durham Bulls (63-50)

Peter Fairbanks wasn’t great in his first chance at being an opener in Durham’s 3-2 loss to Norfolk. After issuing a leadoff walk, he allowed a two-run homer, and the following two batters then reached base. He allowed all three Tides runs while recording two outs. The Bulls only had two hits.

1B Nate Lowe: 1-for-2, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 BB, 1 K (.940)
SS Lucius Fox: 0-for-3, 1 BB, 1 K (.440)
RF Jason Coats: 1-for-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB, 1 HBP (.778)

RHP Peter Fairbanks: two-thirds IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 K (5.40)
RHP Aaron Slegers: 6 ¹⁄₃ IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K (5.68)

Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (28-15)

Montgomery lost to Chattanooga, 8-2. Tristan Gray homered in the second to give the Biscuits a 1-0 lead, but that was their last lead. The Lookouts scored the next three runs, and they also closed the game with five unanswered runs. Paul Campbell allowed three runs in five innings.

2B Vidal Brujan: 0-for-4, 1 K (.738)
SS Taylor Walls: 0-for-4, 2 K (.749)
CF Josh Lowe: 1-for-4, 3 K (.731)
1B Tristan Gray: 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI (.667)

RHP Paul Campbell: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K (3.14)

Class A-Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (31-12)

Charlotte fell late to Palm Beach, 6-5. The Cardinals tied the game at three in the top of the eighth, but Kaleo Johnson’s two-run homer in the bottom half of the inning returned the lead to the Stone Crabs. However, in the top of the ninth, three straight one-out hits — culminating in a three-run homer — put Palm Beach back ahead. Drew Strotman was activated and made his Charlotte debut, allowing a run in three innings.

SS Wander Franco: 1-for-5, 1 3B, 1 RBI (.950)
C Ronaldo Hernandez: 2-for-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI (.721)
LF Moises Gomez: 1-for-2, 1 R, 2 BB (.700)
RF Garrett Whitley: 0-for-4, 3 K (.718)
DH Kaleo Johnson: 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB (.721)

RHP Drew Strotman: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (3.00)

Class-A Bowling Green Hot Rods (24-17)

Bowling Green needed more offense in its 3-1 loss to Lansing. Seaver Whalen singled in the first, and he scored on Grant Witherspoon’s single. The Hot Rods didn’t have another hit. Easton McGee took the loss despite only allowing two runs in 6 ²⁄₃ innings.

RF Ruben Cardenas: 0-for-3, 1 BB (.811)

RHP Easton McGee: 6 ²⁄₃ IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K (3.68)

Short-Season Hudson Valley Renegades (27-19)

Hudson Valley allowed five unanswered runs in a 5-4 loss to West Virginia. In the second, the Renegades scored three times, two on run-scoring outs and also a Pedro Diaz double. However, they only had four hits over the final seven innings. Evan McKendry was good, striking out six and allowing just an unearned run in five innings, but Jose Roca was charged with four runs while only recording one out.

DH Pedro Diaz: 2-for-4, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K (.471)

RHP Evan McKendry: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 6 K (1.40)

Rookie Princeton Rays (20-23)

Princeton was edged by Danville, 4-3. Nick Schnell hit two RBI doubles, and Brett Wisely homered. Schnell’s second RBI double gave the Rays a 3-2 lead, but the Braves scored twice in the eighth to go back ahead. Christian Fernandez struck out seven and allowed two runs in six innings.

CF Nick Schnell: 2-for-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K (.760)
2B Brett Wisely: 1-for-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI (.849)
1B Jake Guenther: 3-for-4 (.844)
DH Nate Soria: 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K (.746)

RHP Christian Fernandez: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K (5.82)

Rookie Gulf Coast League Rays (14-16)

The GCL Rays’ game was postponed.

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

Durham @ Norfolk 4:05 p.m. ET (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
TBA vs. TBA

Montgomery vs. Chattanooga 6:05 p.m. ET (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Kenny Rosenberg (11-1, 2.72) vs. TBA

Charlotte vs. Palm Beach 12:30 p.m. ET (radio stream)
Tommy Romero (9-3, 1.87) vs. TBA

Bowling Green vs. Lansing 3:05 p.m. ET (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
TBA vs. Troy Watson (5-2, 3.72)

Hudson Valley vs. West Virginia 4:35 p.m. ET (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
TBA vs. TBA

Princeton @ Danville 4 p.m. ET (radio stream)
TBA vs. Tyler Owens (0-1, 3.00)

The GCL Rays are off.

*Listed as TBA on milb.com

Scouting the opposition

Norfolk Tides (Baltimore)
44-68 (4th in IL South)
Offense: 543 R (9th) .765 OPS (12th)
Pitching: 6.00 ERA (14th) 1.57 WHIP (14th)
Top-30 prospects: 3B Ryan Mountcastle (3), OF Austin Hays (4), LHP Keegan Akin (6), RHP Hunter Harvey (8), RHP Luis Ortiz (13), OF DJ Stewart (15), LHP Bruce Zimmermann (17), RHP Branden Kline (22)

Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati)
14-28 (5th in SL North)
Offense: 479 R (1st) .719 OPS (1st)
Pitching: 4.39 ERA (10th) 1.40 WHIP (10th)
Top-30 prospects: 3B Jonathan India (3), RHP Tony Santillan (5), C Tyler Stephenson (6), OF Jose Siri (9), OF T.J. Friedl (12), SS Alfredo Rodriguez (22), LHP Packy Naughton (24), RHP Ryan Hendrix (27), 1B Ibandel Isabel (29), C Nick Ciuffo

Palm Beach Cardinals
14-30 (6th in FSL South)
Offense: 382 R (9th) .648 OPS (10th)
Pitching: 3.49 ERA (6th) 1.30 WHIP (9th)
Top-30 prospects: 3B Nolan Gorman (4), LHP Zack Thompson (8), C Ivan Herrera (9), RHP Griffin Roberts (18), RHP Edgar Gonzalez (21), 1B Luken Baker (23), OF Scott Hurst (27)

Lansing Lugnuts (Toronto)
20-21 (5th in MWL East)
Offense: 481 R (6th) .720 OPS (2nd)
Pitching: 4.29 ERA (13th) 1.42 WHIP (12th)
Top-30 prospects: SS Jordan Groshans (5), OF Griffin Conine (15), C Gabriel Moreno (20), RHP Sean Wymer (26)

West Virginia Black Bears (Pittsburgh)
24-22 (2nd in NYPL Pinckney)
Offense: 181 R (8th) .646 OPS (9th)
Pitching: 3.72 ERA (9th) 1.33 WHIP (9th)
Top-30 prospects: RHP Braxton Ashcraft (16), RHP Michael Burrows (18), OF Matt Gorski (26)

Danville Braves
17-27 (5th in AL East)
Offense: 188 R (8th) .663 OPS (10th)
Pitching: 4.89 ERA (10th) 1.44 WHIP (10th)
Top-30 prospects: SS Beau Philip

Daily news and links

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