Triple-A International League: Durham Bulls 4, Rochester Red Wings (MIN) 0

Monday’s game was a bullpen game for the Bulls as they didn’t have a starter available to pitch. That was of no matter as the four reliever stepped up to throw a combined gem. Ryan Reid got the start and threw 2 shutout innings, allowing 2 hits and a walk while striking out 2. Josh Lueke followed with another outstanding performance, allowing just 1 hit and striking out 4 while walking none and posting a 4-0 groundout to flyout ratio. Then Adam Liberatore and Dane De La Rosa closed out the game striking out 3 each in 2 shutout innings, allowing 3 hits and a walk. Overall, Bulls pitchers went 9 innings allowing no runs on 6 hits, striking out 12 while walking 2. Doesn’t get too much better than that. In his first game back with the Bulls after a long rehab stint, Nevin Ashley slammed a 2-run homer, and Tim Beckham went 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored.

High-A Florida State League: Ft. Myers Miracle (MIN) 5, Charlotte Stone Crabs 4

The Stone Crabs scored two in the 8th, but an unearned run in the 9th clinched the win for the Miracle. Braulio Lara got the start for Charlotte and wasn’t very good, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits in 5 innings, striking out 4 while walking 2 but posting a 3-5 groundout to flyout ratio. Theron Geith followed with 2 shutout frames before Lenny Linsky was penalized by a Luke Bailey walk-off passed ball in the 9th after a scoreless 8th. Hector Guevara went 4 for 5 with a solo home run for the Stone Crabs, while Kevin Kiermaier and Phil Wunderlich each went 2 for 4 with a double, with Kiermaier driving in 2.

Low-A Midwest League: Clinton LumberKings (SEA) 6, Bowling Green Hot Rods 2

Both teams had shoddy relief work in this one, but the Hot Rods’ was worse as they fell 6-2. Jacob Partridge had a pretty nice start, going 6 innings allowing 2 runs on 6 hits, striking out 7 while walking 3 and posting a 5-5 groundout to flyout ratio. But Justin Woodall allowed 4 runs in the 8th and that would be the difference. Trevor Miller (not the ex-Ray) tossed 6 shutout innings for Clinton before the Hot Rods scored 2 in the 7th on a Tyler Goeddel RBI double and a Alejandro Segovia RBI single. Segovia, Cameron Seitzer, Taylor Motter, and Juniel Querecuto all had multi-hit games in the loss for the Hot Rods.

A comeback like that left Shaffer and everyone pumped. (Credit: John Reed-US PRESSWIRE)

Short Season-A New York-Penn League: Hudson Valley Renegades 9, Staten Island Yankees 8

It was 2012 Rays first round pick Richie Shaffer’s debut, and boy did the Renegades make it memorable. Matthew Spann got the start for Hudson Valley and had a rough night, going 3 innings allowing 6 runs, 5 earned, on 6 hits, striking out 1 while walking 3. He did post a 5-1 groundout to flyout ratio. This one just got away from him. Brandon Henderson followed with 3 relief innings with 3 strikeouts, but he allowed 2 runs to put the Renegades in a 8-0 hole after 4 innings. That remained the score after 6 and a half as Ryan Garton tossed a shutout relief innings. But then, the game completely turned around. Luke Maile singled to begin the inning before Marty Gantt reached on an error. Then Deshun Dixon singled in a run before Michael Williams did the same. A Joey Rickard single loaded the bases, and then Leonardo Reginatto and Tommy Coyle each delivered an RBI single. Maile and Gantt each singled a run before the inning was through as the Renegades turned an 8-0 blowout into an 8-7 nail-biter. Garton tossed a scoreless 8th for the Renegades, and after Hudson Valley failed to score, Shay Crawford pitched a hitless 9th as the Renegades were down 1 entering the final frame with Maile and Gantt due up second and third in the inning. They had already done their damage in the game, but they weren’t done. Maile hit a 1-out single before Gantt drilled an RBI triple to tie the game at 8. And after a pair of intentional walks, Joey Rickard ended it with a walk-off single as the Renegades won 9-8 in what of the greatest comebacks you’ll see. Shaffer went 1 for 3 in his debut, and his teammates helped make sure it was an even more unforgettable night. Maile went 5 for 5, Rickard went 3 for 5, and Gantt went 2 for 5 with all three coming up with huge hits to lead the Renegades to victory.

Advanced Rookie Appalachian League: Johnson City Cardinals 9, Princeton Rays 8 (11 innings)

Always tough when your bullpen blows a game. Eli Echarry started and had a tough outing, allowing 5 runs on 5 hits in 4 innings, striking out 3 while walking 2 and posting a 6-3 groundout to flyout ratio. But he was better than Johnson City starter Juan Bautista, who allowed 7 runs, 5 earned, in 3.1 innings. The P-Rays tallied 6 runs in the 4th inning to take an 8-5 lead. But it came apart as Daniel Bream allowed a 3-run 8th to tie the game, and an unearned run was the difference as the P-Rays lost 9-8. Jon Weaver took the loss in the game, but that was completely undeserved as he delivered a ridiculous relief appearance, going 4 innings allowing just the unearned run on 3 hits, and here’s the kicker: he struck out 8, and the other 4 outs were all groundouts. 8 strikeouts in relief! On offense, John Alexander slammed a 3-run homer, Alvin Toles went 3 for 5 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI, and Reid Redman went 2 for 5 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.

Rookie Gulf Coast League: GCL Red Sox 3, GCL Rays 0

The story of this game: the GCL Rays could not get a single runner into scoring position, managing just 4 hits and no walks in the game as Matt Spalding and Ellis Jimenez dominated for the Red Sox. Sheesh. Matthew Ramsey allowed a run in his one-inning start, just his second since Tommy John Surgery, before Jorge Rodriguez allowed just 1 hit in 5 innings, striking out 3 and posting a 5-5 groundout to flyout ratio. Kyle Pelchy allowed 2 runs in 3 relief innings as the Red Sox gave themselves a cushion if they had possibly needed it. Kes Carter, Bralin Jackson, Johnny Eierman, and Leopoldo Correa had the hits for the GCL Rays.

Triple-A International League: Game 1: Rochester Red Wings (MIN) 5, Durham Bulls 1 (7 innings)

Jim Paduch did the Bulls bullpen a huge favor by going the 7-inning complete game in this one, but the Red Wings went 3 for 6 with runners in scoring position and stranded just 3 as they put together 5 runs to win this game. Paduch went 7 innings allowing 5 runs, 4 earned, on 8 hits, striking out 5 while walking 1. His groundout to flyout ratio was 5-7. He didn’t pitch that bad, but he was victimized by the sequencing in which he allowed his hits, allowing 2 hits after a second inning error and 3 hits, including the only extra-base hits he allowed in the game, in the 5th. The Bulls got very little offense, with Stephen Vogt needing to do everything by himself, going 2 for 3 with a solo home run. Jesus Feliciano and Leslie Anderson had the only other Durham hits.

Game 2: Durham Bulls 4, Rochester Red Wings 3

Henry Wrigley slammed a 7th inning walk-off single to lead the Bulls to a doubleheader split. Chris Archer got the start for the Bulls but was on a strict 45-pitch limit coming off an oblique injury. He tossed 2.2 innings allowing 1 run on 4 hits, striking out 1 while walking none and posting a 4-1 groundout to flyout ratio. Frank De Los Santos followed with a scoreless inning before Ryan Reid managed one of the most bizarre pitching lines you’ll ever see: 1 inning pitched, 0 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, and 2 earned runs allowed. He also hit a batter and Adam Liberatore and Bryan Augenstein allowed the runners they inherited from Reid to score. Sorry, Ryan. Liberatore allowed a run without recording an out while Augenstein tossed 2.1 shutout innings allowing just a hit while striking out 2 and posting a 4-1 groundout to flyout ratio. Augenstein, 26, appeared in brief big league stints with the Diamondbacks and Cardinals, throws in the high-80′s with a sinker-slider arsenal that forces a ton of groundballs and he could make an appearance with the Rays before the season is through. Leslie Anderson slammed a 3-run homer in the second inning to give the Bulls a 3-0 lead, but the bullpen gave it back, requiring Wrigley’s heroics. Wrigley and Cole Figueroa each had 2 hits in the game.

Double-A Southern League: Montgomery Biscuits 5, Birmingham Barons (CHW) 4 (10 innings)

The Biscuits rallied back from a 3-1 deficit to take a 4-3 lead, and they managed to come away with a win in extra innings. Nick Barnese got the start and pitched OK, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits in 5 innings, striking out 3, walking 3 as well, and posting a 2-5 groundout to flyout ratio. He allowed all his hits and runs in the third inning. Marquis Fleming and Chris Rearick combined for 3 shutout relief innings behind him. Kyeong slammed a solo homer and Ty Morrison laced an RBI single to pull the Biscuits within 3-2 before the Biscuits stole 2 runs in the 8th thanks to a pair of unearned runs but Luis Sierra lined a game-tying RBI single in the bottom of the 9th for Birmingham against Kirby Yates to send the game into extras. Brad Coon gave the Biscuits a 5-4 lead with a 2-out RBI single in the 10th, and Yates tossed a scoreless 10th as the Biscuits won 5-4. The Biscuits scored their 5 runs on just 6 hits, with only Morrison (2 for 4) having a multi-hit day.

Low-A Midwest League: Clinton LumberKings (SEA) 10, Bowling Green Hot Rods 9

The Hot Rods fell behind 5-0 and 10-4 in this game before battling back, but it wasn’t enough as they came up just short. Trevor Shull and Jason McEachern allowed all 10 runs over the first 7 innings, although half of them were unearned as the Hot Rods’ defense collapsed. Stayton Thomas tossed 2 scoreless innings to end the game for Bowling Green and give them a chance to come back. The Hot Rods scored 3 in the 8th before a Drew Vettleson 2-run shot brought the Hot Rods within a run, but that was all they could get. Vettleson had a huge game for Bowling Green, going 3 for 5 with a homer, a stolen base, and 2 runs scored, Cameron Seitzer went 3 for 5 with a homer short of the cycle, driving in 1 and scoring 3 more, and Jake Hager went 2 for 3 with a triple and 2 walks.

Short Season-A New York-Penn League: Hudson Valley Renegades 8, Aberdeen Ironbirds (BAL) 2

The surging Renegades came up huge again to pull off a 4-game sweep of the Ironbirds. Jesse Hahn delivered his second good start in a row, going 4 innings allowing 1 run on 3 hits, striking out 3 while walking 1 and posting a 6-2 groundout to flyout ratio. Eduar Quinonez and later Dylan Floro each threw 2 shutout relief innings for the Renegades, and they posted a 15-3 groundout to flyout ratio as a team, a very good sign. The offense delivered two 4-run innings, with Ryan Dunn having the big blow with a 3-run home run in the first inning. Luke Maile also went 2 for 3 with a double, 3 RBI, and run scored for the Renegades, while Joey Rickard went 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and Charles Epperson went 2 for 4 with a stolen base and a run scored.

The Rays have to love everything they have seen from their third rounder Toles. (Credit: Matt Rice, Wicked Local)

Advanced Rookie Appalachian League: Princeton Rays 13, Johnson City Cardinals 3

The P-Rays offense clicked on all cylinders as they rolled over the Cardinals. Alex Keudell, who was the University of Oregon’s ace this past season, made his first professional start following 6 relief appearances and pitched well, going 3 shutout innings allowing 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4 and posting a 4-1 groundout to flyout ratio. After Randy Davis allowed 2 runs in 2.2 innings, Hugo Duarte tossed 2.2 one-run frames, striking out 5, before Willie Gabay and Nick Sawyer tossed a scoreless inning each, with Sawyer striking out 2, to close out the game. The offense? They went 6 for 14 with runners in scoring position and stranded just 5 runners all game. Alvin Toles went 3 for 4 with a double, a homer, a stolen base, 4 RBI, and 2 runs scored, Reid Redman went 3 for 5 with 2 doubles, 3 RBI, and 2 runs scored, Ariel Soriano went 3 for 4 with a double, a stolen base, and 2 RBI, moving from right field to shortstop in the game as he showcased his incredible versatility, Julian Morillo had a pinch-hit 2-run home run, and finally Oscar Hernandez had a breakout game, going 2 for 4 with a run scored to hopefully break his slump.

Double-A Southern League: Montgomery Biscuits 5, Birmingham Barons (CHW) 1

Matt Buschmann pitched well and Hak-Ju Lee had a huge hit as the Biscuits came away with a nice win. Buschmann went 6 innings allowing just 1 run on 3 hits, striking out 6 while walking 3 and posting a 5-3 groundout to flyout ratio. The game was tied at 1 after 6 innings, with the only Biscuits run coming on a Greg Sexton RBI double, but the Biscuits’ offense came alive in the 7th. The Biscuits strung together three consecutive singles, with Brett Nommensen‘s single giving Montgomery a 2-1 lead. A few batters later, Lee came to the plate with the bases loaded and 2 outs and came up huge in the clutch, drilling a bases-clearing triple to extend the lead to 5-1 and that was the final margin. The Biscuits managed just 7 hits and only Sexton (2 for 4) had a multi-hit game, but they came up huge in the clutch, especially in the 4-run 7th.

High-A Florida State League: Clearwater Threshers (PHI) 9, Charlotte Stone Crabs 2

C.J. Riefenhauser got off to an incredible start in 2012, but his season has gone the other way of late as he hasn’t managed an ERA below 4.50 in a start since June 22nd. Unfortunately, Saturday was no exception. Reifenhauser did throw 5 innings for the first time since June 29th, but he allowed 6 runs on 5 hits, striking out 5 while walking 3 and allowing 2 home runs. His groundout to flyout ratio was 4-4. You have to hope that Riefenhauser can get back on track soon. Steven Tinoco did go 3 for 4 for Charlotte, while Hector Guevara went 2 for 3 with a double, a walk, and a run scored, and David Wendt went 2 for 4 with an RBI. Derek Dietrich had the other RBI for the Stone Crabs.

The Hot Rods had a lot of fun with Goeddel following his walk-off walk. (Credit: Starter

Low-A Midwest League: Bowling Green Hot Rods 5, Clinton LumberKings (SEA) 4 (11 innings)

The Hot Rods had a 4-0 lead and a no-hitter going before everything fell apart in the 8th, but they rallied in extra-innings to win the game albeit in less graceful fashion. Starters Felipe Rivero and Roberto Gomez each tossed 3 innings in the game as the Rays are trying to limit their innings the rest of the year, and their line was the same: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K.  Through 6 innings, Hot Rods pitchers had a no-hitter going while striking out 10. An Alejandro Segovia solo home run in the second inning gave the Hot Rods a 1-0 lead and was still the margin in the game. But after Charlie Cononie worked around a walk and a hit batsman to pitch a scoreless 7th with the no-hitter intact, Tyler Goeddel had an RBI single and Jake Hager had a 2-run single in the bottom of the inning to give Bowling Green a 4-1 lead. But in the 8th, Cononie allowed 2 singles and a walk before walking in a run and allowing a Michael Dowd 2-run single to tie the game. The game went into extra-innings and kept going until the 11th, where a hit-by-pitch, a walk, an intentional walk, and finally a Tyler Goeddel walk plated the winning run as the Hot Rods won on a walk-off walk. Austin Hubbard tossed two 1-hit innings, striking out 3 while walking just 1 for the win, and the offensive heroes were Segovia, who went 2 for 4 with his homer and 2 runs scored, Drew Vettleson, who went 2 for 5 with a double and a run scored, Hager, who had a 2-run single, and finally Goeddel, who went 1 for 4 with a walk and 2 RBI.

Short Season-A New York Penn League: Hudson Valley Renegades 4, Aberdeen Ironbirds (BAL) 3

The Renegades overcame an inconsistent start with great bullpen and an outstanding late rally that was reminiscent of some of the Rays’ great wins this year. And to top it off, the win brought them into a tie with the Brooklyn Cyclones for first in the New York-Penn League’s McNamara Division. Jeff Ames got the start for Hudson Valley and had a tough day, going 5 innings allowing 3 runs on 4 hits, striking out 2 while walking 4 and managing just a 3-5 groundout to flyout ratio. He left with the Renegades trailing 3-1, with the only run coming on a 3rd inning Tommy Coyle RBI triple. But in relief of Ames, Jose Alberto Molina tossed 2 shutout frames and Kris Carlson chipped in another to keep it a 2-run game heading to the 9th. The Renegades were in striking distance, and they were lucky enough to put something together. Joel Caminero led off with a single and a Jake DePew single two batters later gave Hudson Valley first and second with 1 out. That brought up Deshun Dixon, who had come on of late. And in this spot, Dixon came up big drilling a 2-run double to tie the game. Two batters later, Marty Gantt singled in Dixon for the go-ahead run and the Renegades had come all the way back. Marcus Jensen tossed a perfect 9th with 2 strikeouts for the save as the Renegades won 4-3 in exciting fashion. Tommy Coyle went 3 for 5 with his RBI triple and DePew went 2 for 4 with a double, but the difference was the clutch hits of Dixon and Gantt.

Rookie Appalachian League: Game 1: Bluefield Blue Jays 2, Princeton Rays 0 (7 innings)

7 innings, the minor league prerequisite for doubleheaders, is certainly shorter than 9, but it is never enjoyable to get 1-hit by the opposition. Blake Snell delivered another incredible start for the P-Rays, going 5 shutout innings allowing just 3 hits, striking out 6 while walking none and posting a 5-1 groundout to flyout ratio. But Tucker Jensen was a little better for Bluefield allowing just an Alvin Toles single and a John Alexander walk in 6 innings, striking out 5 while walking 1 and posting an 11-1 groundout to flyout ratio. But Jon Weaver allowed a pair of runs in the bottom of the 6th, and Brandon Dorsett tossed a perfect 9th for the save as the Blue Jays won 2-0. Toles was the only one with a game that he could possibly write home about, going 1 for 3.

Game 2: Princeton Rays 4, Bluefield Blue Jays 2 (7 innings)

This game went a lot better for the P-Rays. Bruedlin Suero continued the P-Rays’ great pitching of the day with his second straight strong outing following 5 disaster appearances to begin the season. He tossed 5 innings allowing just an unearned run on 2 hits, striking out 5 while walking 2 and posting a 5-3 groundout to flyout ratio. Nice to see Suero turning his season around. And the offense was able to deliver for him as well to help the P-Rays earn a split in the twin bill. Willie Argo had a great game, going 2 for 2 with a homer and 3 RBI, and Brandon Martin went 1 for 3 with a solo homer.

Rookie Gulf Coast League: GCL Rays 5, GCL Orioles 3

The Rays 6th rounder in 2012, Damion Carroll, made his first professional start following four relief appearances, and he showed some encouraging signs. He went 2.2 innings allowing 1 run on just 1 hit but striking out 1 while walking 4. The walks aren’t good, but his groundout to flyout ratio was great 6-0. Carroll has experienced control problems earlier in his career, and hopefully those can be smoothed out. Nolan Gannon, the Rays’ 4th round selection made the other half of the start for the GCL Rays, going 3.1 innings of shutout ball allowing just 2 hits and a walk, but he couldn’t strike out a batter and his groundout to flyout ratio was a ghastly 2-8, a far cry from his previous performance. Gannon was off on Saturday, but he was able to survive without his best command. In terms of the offense, Spencer Edwards went 2 for 4 with a double and 2 RBI, Cesar Perez went 2 for 4 with a double, an RBI, and 2 runs scored, and Adderly Rosa went 2 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.