Triple-A International League: Durham Bulls 8, Lehigh Valley Ironpigs (PHI) 2

Control and command remain ongoing concerns for Alex Colome. His four-pitch arsenal of a fastball, a curveball, a slider, and a changeup has the ability to overpower hitters, but it’s his ability to locate his pitches that will determine how far he will go. On Monday, Colome walked 4 batters, and limiting the bases on balls will be critical for him moving forward. But the 4 walks didn’t by any means indicate that he had a bad outing. Colome delivered his best outing of the season, going 7 innings allowing just 2 runs, 1 earned, on 3 hits, striking out 11 while walking 4. It shows how with just average control, Colome has the ability to be one heck of a pitcher, and if he keeps improving, the Rays might have another topflight young starting pitcher on their hands. Behind Colome, Steve Geltz worked a scoreless inning followed by the return of former Durham Bull Cory Wade, who worked around a walk to toss a hitless 9th. As we discussed yesterday, Wade has had himself a roller coaster of a journey the past few years, going from Bulls reliever to pitching great for the Yankees and now back to Durham after the Yankees (and Blue Jays and Cubs) let him go. We’ll have to see if he can catch lightning in a bottle again. On the offensive side, Jason Bourgeois had a big game, going 3 for 5 with a triple, a double, an RBI, and a run scored and Vince Belnome went 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored for the only multi-hit games in the Durham lineup. But even if only Bourgeois and Belnome really impressed, the Bulls got contributions across the board, with all nine players in the lineup recording a hit, 7 of 9 driving in a run, and a different 7 of 9 scoring a run. Wil Myers went 1 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored but most encouragingly drew a walk and Brandon Guyer went 1 for 2 with a pair of hit-by-pitches, an RBI, and a run scored. Outstanding individual effort by Colome and great to see the Bulls lineup churning on all cylinders.

Double-A Southern League: Montgomery Biscuits 2, Birmingham Barons (CHW) 1

Thanks to Matt Buschmann, the Rays could have an interesting quandary on their hands. Buschmann, at 29 years old, isn’t really a prospect and the Rays don’t need starting depth because they have way too much of that. With that being the case, do they convert him to relief to see if he can provide major league value in that role? If the Rays believe that Buschmann is a major league quality arm, the answer to that question will probably be yes. However, do you really want to take Buschmann away from his starting role considering just how well he’s pitching? Buschmann was incredible again versus Birmingham as he nailed down his fourth straight quality start, going 6 innings allowing no runs on 2 hits, striking out 7 while walking 3 and posting a 9-1 groundout to flyout ratio. In his last four starts, Buschmann has a 1.33 ERA and a 29-7 strikeout to walk ratio in 27 innings pitched, and he has a 2.70 ERA and a 48-16 strike to walk ratio in 46.2 IP on the season. Triple-A Durham’s rotation is so good that it will be hard for Buschmann to crack it and we will have to see what the Rays decide to do if Buschmann comes pitching well. Riccio Torrez went 2 for 4 with an RBI while Kyeong Kang drove in a run and Robby Price went 2 for 4 with a run scored to give Buschmann and the Biscuits the run support they needed.

High-A Florida State League: Charlotte Stone Crabs 3, Daytona Cubs 0

Mike Montgomery has fallen a long way. A top prospect for years in the Royals organization, you have to go back to 2010 for the lefty Montgomery’s last good year. This season, Montgomery had one iffy start at Triple-A Durham before going on the DL with a forearm strain and now he finds himself down at High-A on a rehab assignment. Montgomery was facing hitters he was far more advanced then on Monday, but after all his struggles, it was a good step in the right direction. Montgomery went 4 innings allowing just 2 hits, striking out 6 while walking 1, dominating as he should and hopefully building some confidence. Parker Markel, Charlotte’s regularly scheduled starter, went the rest of the way and was encouraging for the second straight time out, allowing just 3 hits in 5 innings, striking out 5 while walking 1 to complete the shutout. Markel got off to a terrible start to the year (his ERA is still 7.71), but he is finding his way back and the Rays know that he has the stuff to be another quality prospect. On the offensive side, Hector Guevara went 2 for 3 with a double, a walk, and 2 RBI, Drew Vettleson went 2 for 4 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored, and Taylor Motter and Jeff Malm also had multi-hit games. Great to see the tag-team of Montgomery and Markel breezing, and the offense was able to have itself a solid day as well.

Low-A Midwest League: Bowling Green Hot Rods 6, Lake County Captains (CLE) 1

And to cap off the great pitching performances, there was Jeff Ames, who twirled another gem as he has done all season for Bowling Green. Ames went 6 innings allowing just 2 hits, striking out 5 while walking 1. Ames’ ERA now stands at 1.22 to go along with a 31-4 strikeout to walk ratio in 37 innings. Ames has command issues (even as he throws a lot of strikes) that might be exposed at upper levels and he will probably be in Bowling Green for at least a couple more months, but he has just been unbelievable for the Hot Rods start after start, not allowing more than 3 runs in any of his starts this season and allowing 1 or less in 6 of 7. In the 9th inning with the Hot Rods ahead 6-0, Nick Sawyer allowed a solo home run but was able to finish the game. The only reason that Sawyer’s outing is worth nothing was that he struck out 1 while walking none, marking the first time all year that he hasn’t walked a batter in 11 appearances. Sawyer has struck out an unbelievable 28 batters in 17.1 innings (14.5 per 9), but he has walked a scary 16 (8.3 BB/9) and he will have to improve that significantly. In terms of the offense, Andrew Toles had another huge game, going 3 for 4 with a triple, a double, and 3 runs scored, Joey Rickard paired with him at the top of the lineup with a 3-hit game of his own, going 3 for 4 with a double, 4 RBI, and a run scored, and Luke Maile went 2 for 3 with a walk. Absolutely incredible what Ames has done, and a nice showing by the Hot Rods lineup got him to 5-0 on the season.

In sharp contrast to all the games we have been discussing was the Opening Day game played by the VSL Rays, the Rays’ Venezuelan Summer League affiliate. Brace yourself for this score.

Foreign Rookie Venezuelan Summer League: VSL Rays 22, VSL Mariners 11

What? 22-11? The VSL Rays scored more runs than the other four Rays affiliates combined and allowed double as many as well! In case you’re wondering, there was actually one pitcher in the game who tossed shutout ball. Lefty Jose Alvarado, soon to turn 18, started for the VSL Rays and allowed just 1 hit in the first 2.2 innings, striking out 2 and walking 2 as well but forcing a 4-0 groundout to flyout ratio for what it’s worth. Every other pitcher in the game allowed at least 2 runs. In any event, let’s get to the offense. First baseman Iago Januario hit for the cycle (!) going 5 for 5 with a homer, a triple, a double, two singles, 4 RBI, and 3 runs scored. Of course Januario is old for the league at 20 years old, but that’s awfully impressive. Januario appeared for Brazil in the World Baseball Classic. A prospect who also really impressed, though, was 17 year old catcher David Rodriguez, a relatively high-profile signing by the Rays last international signing period. Rodriguez went 4 for 6 with a homer, 2 doubles, 6 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Enneider Torres, 16, also went 2 for 6 with 2 RBI, and 3 runs scored. The quality of play in the VSL is not very good (and there are only four teams as most teams have vacated their academies there and just take their Venezuelan prospects to the Dominican Republic to begin play), but it’s always nice to see some ridiculously young Rays prospects doing well, even as far away from the major leagues as you can get within affiliated ball.

Triple-A International League: Syracuse Chiefs (WSN) 5, Durham Bulls 0

Yunesky Maya entered Monday with just a 7.45 ERA in 5 starts for Syracuse. But that was no matter in this one as Maya dominated the Bulls, going 7.2 innings allowing no runs on just 6 hits, striking out 9 while walking 1. His ERA stands at just 5.89 right now, but he certainly made a big dent in it with his shutout performance. Jim Paduch allowed 5 runs, 3 earned, on 5 hits in 5 innings in a spot-start to take the loss for Durham. The Bulls relief corps, in sharp contrast to the Rays, was dominant in this one, with Steve Geltz and Adam Liberatore each striking out 3 in 2 innings of work, with the only baserunner being a single of Liberatore. Since allowing 3 runs in his second appearance of the season, Geltz has a 1.32 ERA and a 20-1 strikeout to walk ratio in his last 7 appearances across 13.2 innings pitched. The lefty Liberatore, meanwhile, only has an 11-4 strikeout to walk ratio in 11.2 IP, but he has allowed runs in just two of his nine appearances on the year. Leslie Anderson went 1 for 3 with a double and a walk, Wil Myers went 1 for 4 with a stolen base, and Shelley Duncan went 0 for 4 in his first Triple-A game of the season in the loss for the Bulls.

High-A Florida State League: Brevard County Manatees (MIL) 4, Charlotte Stone Crabs 2

Ryan Carpenter survived a rocky start to his outing to survive and the Stone Crabs got good bullpen work, but the offense was silent and it all went for nought. Carpenter went 5 innings allowing 4 runs on 5 hits, striking out 4 while walking 2. He retired 8 of the last 9 he faced to end his outing. Nate Garcia followed with 2 innings with a pair of strikeouts and Lenny Linsky tossed a scoreless 9th, but the Stone Crabs offense was able to muster only two 3rd inning runs. Jake Hager went 2 for 4 with a double and Richie Shaffer and Hector Guevara both went 1 for 3 with an RBI as the Stone Crabs lost their 11th straight.

Low-A Midwest League: Bowling Green Hot Rods 4, Clinton LumberKings (SEA) 2

Jeff Ames was great and the Hot Rods got not only 2 first-inning runs but also two key insurance runs in the 5th and 6th on their way to a 4-2 win. Ames went 6 innings allowing just 3 hits and a walk while striking out 4 in 6 shutout frames. His ERA stands at just 1.45 to go along with a 26-3 strikeout to walk ratio in 6 starts and 31 IP as he has been excellent all season. No win in the Rays organization is complete without a bullpen collapse these days, and sure enough Ryan Garton allowed a 2-run homer to Jordy Lara in the 9th, but in this one, the Hot Rods got a sac fly by Justin O’Conner in the 5th and an RBI single by Ryan Dunn in the 6th to negate the importance of that and nail down their win. The Rods offense had a nice effort with contributions across the board. Andrew Toles went 2 for 3 with a triple, a double, an RBI, and a run scored, Dunn, Leonardo Reginatto, and Marty Gantt all went 2 for 4, and Justin O’Conner having an encouraging game as he went 1 f0r 3 with 2 big RBI. The Hot Rods’ record now stands at 20-10 as they have combined great starting pitching with solid offense on their way to an outstanding season so far.

Triple-A International League: Durham Bulls 7, Syracuse Chiefs (WSN) 1

After seeing just how good he was last season for the Rays, everyone knows how talented Chris Archer. But early on the season for Durham, Archer’s performance lagged far behind what you would have expected for a pitcher who was supposedly big league-ready as his ERA was just 6.84. But after the way Archer pitched on Tuesday, any concerns are gone. Archer dominated the Chiefs for 6 sharp innings, allowing no runs on 4 hits, striking out 7 while walking 2. He also managed a 7-3 groundout to flyout ratio, showing great command of his fastball and slider and blowing hitters away. It had to be nice for Archer to get some run support right from the start, with the Bulls getting him 1 run in the top of the 1st and another in the 4th before they broke they game open with 4 runs in the 6th. Central to that offensive effort was Wil Myers, who ignited the 6th inning rally with a leadoff home run, his third of the season. Leslie Anderson also went 3 for 5 with a double, 2 RBI, and a run scored, Brandon Guyer went 2 for 5 with a triple, an RBI, and a run scored, and Craig Albernaz had a double and 2 RBI. Great all-around effort for the Bulls, the exact opposite of what the Rays did on Tuesday.

High-A Florida State League: Lakeland Flying Tigers 7, Charlotte Stone Crabs 5 (10 innings)

Devastating loss for Charlotte as they went from leading 4-3 after 8 innings to allowing 2 runs each in the 9th and 10th to lose the game. Ryan Carpenter got the start for the Stone Crabs and was OK, going 6 innings allowing 3 runs on 5 hits, striking out 5 while walking 2. He allowed a homer each in the 1st and 2nd but did a nice job limiting the damage from there. Behind him, Lenny Linsky was great, going 2 shutout innings allowing 2 hits while striking out 1. He got 3 of his outs on the ground. Linsky has a 3.68 ERA and an 11-3 strikeout to walk ratio to begin the season, and maybe he’s finally making progress after his career got derailed by a shoulder injury. Austin Hubbard and Eliazer Suero, though, blew the game in the 9th and 10th to lead to the Charlotte loss. Hector Guevara had a huge game for the Stone Crabs, going 2 for 4 with a homer, a double, 3 RBI, and 2 runs scored, Jake Hager went 2 for 5 with a stolen base, and Brett Nommensen and Richie Shaffer also has multiple hits. Shaffer has not hit in 4 straight games and collected multiple hits in 2 straight as he appears to finally be breaking out after he started slowly in his first full year as a professional.

Low-A Midwest League: Bowling Green Hot Rods 8, Peoria Chiefs (STL) 0

Dominant effort by the Hot Rods as this one was never close. The Hot Rods 3-hit Peoria in the game, and that was started by Jeff Ames, who went five 1-hit innings striking out 5 while walking 1. Ames has been unbelievable all season, going 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA and a 22-2 strikeout to walk ratio in 5 starts and 25 innings pitched, and he’s emerging as another interesting pitching prospect for the Rays. Brandon Henderson followed Ames with 2.2 perfect innings before Ryan Garton allowed 2 hits over the final 1.1 IP as he finished the shutout. On the offensive side, Tuesday’s game marked Tyler Goeddel‘s first game since going down with a hamstring injury, and he looked as good as ever despite missing five days, going 1 for 2 with a triple, 2 walks, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Goeddel has been huge to begin the year, managing a .286/.378/.443 line with 3 doubles, 4 triples, 9 RBI, and 7 stolen bases in 8 attempts. Goeddel also was great to begin 2012 with Bowling Green, but this time his plate discipline is vastly improved as his strikeout to walk ratio is 10-10, and a promotion to High-A should come relatively soon if he keeps this up. The only question should that happen will be where Goeddel fits in as Shaffer currently slots in as Charlotte’s third baseman. Which one would move off of third base first? Goeddel had a great game, but the star of this one was Luke Maile, who went 3 for 5 with 2 doubles, a homer, 4 RBI, and a run scored–quite a game for a player who hadn’t hit a homer entering Tuesday. Ryan Dunn and Granden Goetzman also had multiple hits for the Hot Rods, who stand at 18-6, the best record in the Midwest League’s Eastern Division.