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.

Triple-A International League: Durham Bulls 6, Toledo Mud Hens (DET) 3

Reid Brignac hit a grand slam! It took some crazy things to happen for that not to be this article’s headline. But it did. Brignac’s slam came part of a 5-run second inning that turned around a 3-0 deficit and proved to be the margin in the game. Lance Pendleton was not good, allowing 3 runs, 2 earned, in 4 innings, striking out 3 while walking 2 and throwing 93 pitches, but the bullpen was sharp with Ryan Reid (who earned the win), Brad Augenstein, and Brandon Gomes allowing just 2 hits and nothing else in 5 innings, striking out 7 in the process. Brignac went 1 for 3 on the day with his slam while Rich Thompson went 2 for 4 from the leadoff spot with a double, a stolen base, an RBI, and a run scored.  It was a nice all-around game for the Bulls, now 26-38 on the year.

Double-A Southern League: Montgomery Biscuits 6, Chattanooga Lookouts (LAD) 4 (7 innings)

It has been raining like crazy in Montgomery and the Biscuits have wanted to play a doubleheader each of the last 3 days. At least they squeezed one in on Monday- and it was a win. Matt Buschmann got completely pushed under the bus by the defense in this game, going 5 innings allowing 5 hits, striking out 6 while walking 2, and forcing a 9-2 groundout to flyout ratio, but allowing 4 runs, all unearned, and exiting down 4-0 in this game. Then the Biscuits rallied for 6 runs in the bottom of the 6th, and Merrill Kelly stole the win with a scoreless relief inning. Brad Coon went 2 for 3 with a double, 3 RBI, and a run scored, and Omar Luna went 2 for 2 with a walk, a double, and a run scored. The Biscuits improve to 33-30 on the season.

High-A Florida State League: St. Lucie Mets 3, Charlotte Stone Crabs 2 (12 innings)

This was a game to remember for the Stone Crabs faithful. And they still lost. Farnsworth started the game for Charlotte to begin his rehab appearance and it did not last very long. Farnsworth allowed a hit, forced a double play, and allowed a flyball out in a 5-pitch span and that was it. Grayson Garvin then entered the game for Charlotte but allowed 2 runs in the 2nd inning and went just 2 innings, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits, striking out 2 while walking 1. Whether he was scheduled to go 2 innings or knocked out early is something I do not know. But in any event, the Stone Crabs relieved him with their third starter in the game, Enny Romero (Farnsworht actually started the game and Garvin and Romero are actually starting pitchers). And Romero was dominant- at least in one stat, hits. Romero tossed shutout ball from the 4th inning until the 10th, not allowing a singel hit. Wow. He did strike out just 6 while walking to 4 and his groundout to flyout ratio was a pedestrian 7-6, but again, no hits. Wow. Francisco Pena drilled a go-ahead homer in the 12th for St. Lucie all of Nate Garcia (no coincidence- he’s not a starting pitcher). Hector Guevara went 2 for 6 with 2 runs scored from the leadoff spot for the Stone Crabs, and Robi Estrada went 2 for 5 with a double and an RBI. The Stone Crabs fall to 26-35 on the year.

Low-A Midwest League: Dayton Dragons (CIN) 9, Bowling Green Hot Rods 5

Ryan Carpenter got hit hard, going just 4.2 innings allowing 7 runs on 9 hits, striking out 4 while walking 3. That was enough for the Hot Rods to fall in this game despite 11 hits as they went just 4 for 17 with runners in scoring position, which still could have been enough on another night. Todd Glaesmann went 2 for 5 with a homer, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Drew Vettleson went 3 for 4 with a double, a walk, an RBI, and a run scored. And Tyler Goeddel went 1 for 4 with a double and an RBI while Josh Sale went 1 for 5 with an RBI and also had an outfield assist. The Hot Rods are now 34-30 on the season after the loss.

Brad Coon was a 15th round pick by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim back in 2005 out of Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee. The Angels sent the 22 year old centerfielder to the Rookie level Orem Owlz and started his career well, posting a .300/.381/.359 line with 7 doubles, 3 triples, 18 RBI, and 19 stolen bases in 28 tries. He walked a solid 28 times compared to 48 strikeouts. Coon’s average slipped to .278 in 2006 at Low-A Cedar Rapids, but his OBP stayed at .382 as he drew 75 walks and he took advantage to steal 55 bases, most in the Midwest League by a wide margin, although he was caught 22 times as well. Coon then stole 56 out of 77 stolen bases in 2007 between High-A and Double-A, also smacking his first 4 professional home runs, but his average and OBP slipped t0 .276 and .337 respectively.

Coon spent 2008 primarily at Triple-A, and he upped his average up to .301 and .400 respectively. However, he stole just 17 bases in 28 tries. He was back at Triple-A in 2009, posting a .276 average, a .369 OBP, and 23 stolen bases in 31 tries, but it was the beginning of the end of his time in the Angels organization. He was released after just 5 games in 2010. Coon spent most of the season at Double-A Harrisburg in the Nationals organization, but on the year he posted just a .255 average, .319 OBP, and just 12 stolen bases in 19 tries, although he did hit a career-high 6 home home runs. In 2011, Coon split the season between Double-A and Triple-A with the Dodgers organization, and he played well. He posted a .269 batting average, a .390 OBP, and 14 bases in 17 tries. He struck out just 56 times compared to 54 walks.

The Rays love Coon's basestealing ability. (Credit: Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE)

Coon, now 29, signed with the Rays in the 2011 offseason, and the Rays assigned him to Double-A Montgomery. Thus far this season, Coon has played relatively well for the Biscuits, posting a .266/.398/.376 line with 2 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, 15 RBI, and 10 stolen bases in 12 tries in 34 tries. He has a 25-22 strikeout to walk ratio and already has 4 outfield assists from centerfield.

Coon is 6’0″, 175 and gets by through his scrappy style of play. He’s difficult to strike out and works tough at-bats. He bunts and he steals bases. And he plays good defense in centerfield. Coon is a typical Rays player, especially in the upper levels of their system. Coon is currently at Double-A, two levels away from the majors. But especially in September, the Rays could give Coon a chance to make his major league debut. He’s the type of player that they can’t get enough of. Coon knew that when he signed with the Rays. And after playing well to begin 2012, it might just happen.