Double-A Southern League: Montgomery Biscuits 2, Pensacola Blue Wahoos (CIN) 1

Jake Thompson was due. After a rousing 2013 debut (6 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 7 K), Thompson got destroyed in his subsequent two starts, allowing 7 runs each. He only allowed 2 unearned runs in his fourth start, but got his pitch count up and only lasted 4 innings. After beginning the season with what had appeared to be a breakthrough performance, Thompson needed to find a way to flash that same type of ability again. It wasn’t quite pristine, but Thompson did just that for the Biscuits to lead them to victory over the Blue Wahoos. Thompson went 6 innings allowing no runs on 2 hits, striking out 3 while walking 4 but managing an incredible 11-2 groundout to flyout ratio. Thompson’s command has been a major question for him the past couple of years, but he has begun to make progress in that regard and get back on the path to the major leagues. Hopefully this time Thompson can build on his 6 shutout innings in his coming starts.

Behind Thompson, C.J. Riefenhauser worked 2 shutout innings allowing 2 hits while striking out 1 and getting 3 more outs on the ground. Riefenhauser’s ERA on the season now stands at a minuscule 0.48 in 18.2 IP to go along with a 15-3 strikeout to walk ratio.Riefenhauser seems to have found his niche out of the bullpen and we’ll have to see whether he could become a bullpen option for the Rays over the next couple of years.

In terms of the run support, Mikie Mahtook had an RBI single in the 6th before Shawn O’Malley brought home a second run in the 7th on a groundout to give the Biscuits just enough to win. Robby Price and Mayo Acosta also went 2 for 4 for Montgomery. Thompson and Riefenhauser stole the show for the Biscuits in this one, and while the offense gave them little, their were more than willing to live up to the task.

Low-A Midwest League: Kane County Cougars (CHC) 5, Bowling Green Hot Rods 4

The Hot Rods entered the 9th inning down 4-1. Former Rays draft pick Pierce Johnson had shut them down for 6.2 innings, allowing just 1 run on 4 hits, striking out 4 while walking 1 and managing an 11-2 groundout to flyout ratio, and Bowling Green had been equally feeble against the Kane County bullpen. But in the 9th everything changed. Luke Maile singled to begin the inning off Jeffry Antigua, and two batters later, Patrick Leonard added a single of his own. Marty Gantt‘s infield baseball loaded the bases and put the tying runs on base for the Hot Rods, And Leonardo Reginatto got 1 in on his single to make it 4-2 before Joey Rickard‘s scored two more, and suddenly the game was tied at 4. That was all Bowling Green would get, but Nick Sawyer tossed a hitless 9th and the game went into extra innings. However, the Hot Rods went down in order and then Lake County made quick work of Marcus Jensen, getting a Pin-Chieh Chen double, a sac bunt, and a Dan Vogelbach walk-off single as the Cougars won 5-4. It has been an outstanding comeback in the 9th, but it had been entirely for nought as the Hot Rods lost the following inning.

Blake Snell got the start for Bowling Green in this one and failed to complete 5 innings for the 4th time time in 5 starts. Snell went 3.1 innings allowing 3 unearned runs on 5 hits, striking out 5 while walking 3 and forcing a 4-0 groundout to flyout ratio. Snell’s ERA stands at 2.75, but he has just a 24-16 strikeout to walk ratio in 19.2 innings on the season and has to find a way to limit the walks a lot better than that. Following Snell was Jose Alberto Molina, not to be confused with the Rays catcher, and if Molina keeps pitching the way he did on Wednesday, the confusion will disappear before long. Molina went 3.2 innings allowing just 1 run on 2 hits, striking out 6 while walking none and forcing a 4-1 groundout to flyout ratio. On the season, Molina’s ERA is just 5.06, but his strikeout to walk ratio is 16-3 in 16 innings pitched. Then there was Sawyer, who went 2 no-hit innings striking out 2 while walking 1. Sawyer hasn’t allowed an earned run since his first appearance of the season, a stretch of 7 appearances and 13 IP, but he needs work figuring out where his mid-90′s fastball and sharp slider are going as his strikeout to walk ratio has been just 19-12 over that stretch, just under a walk an inning. Hot Rods fans got to see some electric performances on Wednesday, but what does overpowering batters mean if you can’t throw strikes?

On offense for the Hot Rods, Leonardo Reginatto went 2 for 4 with a stolen base and an RBI, keeping his clutch gene going with his big RBI single in the 9th. Reginatto was huge for Short Season-A Hudson Valley in the playoffs last season and Brazil in the World Baseball Classic, and he’s not much a prospect but tantalizes you by just coming up with hit after hit when it matters most. Marty Gantt also went 2 for 4 with a run scored, Luke Maile went 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored, and Rickard went 1 for 5 with a stolen base and his critical 2-run single. Tyler Goeddel also went 1 for 5 to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. There were certainly plenty of positives for Bowling Green in this one, but it had to be frustrating that they came all the way back only to lose an inning later.

Triple-A International League: Charlotte Knights (CHW) 5, Durham Bulls 4

The Bulls blew a 4-2 lead after five and a half innings as they lost their second straight game after a four-game winning streak. Jake Odorizzi took the hill for Durham and was great overall but allowed a 2-run homer to Brent Morel in the 6th inning to knot the game up at 4. Odorizzi went 5.1 innings allowing 4 runs on 5 hits, but most impressively, he struck out 9 while walking none, improving his strikeout-to-walk ratio to a ridiculous 17-2 for the season. But even as Odorizzi racks up the strikeouts, he has to do a much better job keeping the ball down in the zone before he can unleash his potential at the MLB level for the Rays. The Bulls did have a decent offensive day in the loss, with Jason Bourgeois going 3 for 5 with an RBI, Rich Thompson going 2 for 5 with a stolen base, Brandon Guyer going 1 for 3 with a hit-by-pitch, an RBI, and a run scored, and most impressively, Hak-Ju Lee slamming a solo home run in 4 trips.

Double-A Southern League: Jackson Generals (SEA) 10, Montgomery Biscuits 9 (10 innings)

This one really stung. The Generals jumped out to a 9-3 lead after 5 innings before the Biscuits came all the way back to tie the game at 9 in the 9th on a 2-out, bases-clearing 3-run double by Mark Thomas, but they lost in walk-off fashion in the 10th. Enny Romero got hit hard for the Biscuits, going 4.1 innings allowing 7 runs, 6 earned, on 6 hits, striking out 3, walking 3, and allowing 3 home runs, but it was three shutout innings by C.J. Riefenhauser and Neil Schenk that allowed Montgomery to rally. The Biscuits offense did everything in their power to win this game, with Thomas going 2 for 5 with his huge hit, Riccio Torrez going 3 for 5 with a homer, 2 doubles, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored, and Todd Glaesmann homering while Ty Morrison and Shawn O’Malley laced triples, but it wasn’t enough as the Biscuits’ bullpen could only keep Jackson off the board for so long.

High-A Florida State League: Fort Myers Miracle (MIN) 8, Charlotte Stone Crabs 7

The Stone Crabs fought valiantly, but a 4-run 8th wasn’t enough to overcome the fact that they gave Fort Myers this game on a silver platter with 5 errors and 3 passed balls. Roberto Gomez continued his early-season struggles after blowing by Low-A, allowing 5 runs on 5 hits in 5 innings, striking out 4 while walking 3. Eliazer Suero and Lenny Linsky couldn’t do much better, allowing 3 runs in 4 innings. The bats did show a good deal of promise, with Alejandro Segovia going 2 for 4 with a homer, a double, 3 RBI, and 2 runs scored, and Kyeong Kang, Jake Hager, and Drew Vettleson also having multi-hit games, but the Stone Crabs have to be hitting themselves for letting this one get away with their defensive miscues.

Low-A Midwest League: Bowling Green Hot Rods 4, West Michigan Whitecaps (DET) 2

There is hope for the future as at least the Hot Rods found a way to win. Of course it’s all about the pitching. Sean Bierman breezed by the Whitecaps, going 6 shutout innings allowing just 5 hits, striking out 4 while walking none. Bowling Green manager Jared Sandberg loved the way he “pounded the zone on both sides of the plate with all his pitches,” and after Bierman has thrown 11 shutout frames to begin his season, the 24 year old Bierman may be ticketed for High-A if he keeps impressing as the Rays try to make up for his advanced age for the level. Bierman was followed by Nick Sawyer, who struggled in his first two outings of the season but was right back to the domination that pervaded his 2012 pro debut on Saturday, going 2 no-hit innings striking out 4 while walking 1. Control has been an issue at times for Sawyer, but his stuff is electric and he was locked in against the Whitecaps. In terms of the lineup, Joey Rickard, Justin O’Conner, and Leonardo Reginatto all had multi-hit games with a double and Tyler Goeddel encouragingly went 1 for 3 with a walk and an RBI as the Hot Rods offense was far from prolific but got plenty given the quality of their pitching. Hopefully the Rays can take the same queue.

“I’m gonna keep tuning myself and I’m gonna be one of the best pitchers in the game. If it doesn’t happen [in camp], if it doesn’t happen right then, then it just wasn’t in the cards right there. I don’t know when, but it’s gonna happen. It’s gonna happen, where everything’s just gonna click and I’m gonna take off.”

Kazmir’s last bold prediction turned out to shock the world. It’s going to be tough for Kazmir after making just 1 major league start the last two years, but Rays fans can wish him only the best as he looks to turn that dream into reality.

The whole situation around Fernando Rodney in the past couple of days has been pretty crazy, but now we finally know what he was trying to say. Rodney told Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com that he did not have an agreement for an extension in place for the Rays, but he expects a deal to be finalized over the next month. Rodney’s value is seemingly at an all-time high right now- he is, after all, coming off a record-setting 0.60 ERA season- but his season was so good that the Rays and other teams would have to point to the fact that the season could have very well been a fluke, and if the Rays really think that Rodney has broken through and Rodney is willing to settle for a reasonable rate, now may be the perfect time for a deal. It might have to be a situation like Joel Peralta where he turns down money to stay in Tampa Bay, but if Rodney wants to stay with the Rays that much and is willing to accept a team-friendly deal to do so, expect that a real announcement of a Rodney extension will be forthcoming.

Long-time MLB starter Kevin Millwood announced that he is retiring from baseball. That’s sad, but how does that relate to the Rays? As it turned out, Millwood told Richard Walker of the Shelby Star that he was only willing to keep playing for one of the two teams closest to his Georgia home, the Atlanta Braves and the Tampa Bay Rays, and when neither of them showed interest, he decided to retire. Unfortunately for Millwood, the two teams closest to home for him happen to be two of the teams with the best pitching depth in baseball- but if injuries strike the Rays’ pitching staff, it could be interesting to see if they call Millwood and see if he’s interested in giving the major leagues one more go. Millwood pitched solidly for the Mariners in 2012, managing just a 6-12 record but a 4.25 ERA in 28 starts and 161 innings pitched, and if that’s how his career ends, he could certainly say that he went out on top.

To close, Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs discussed a pair of Rays prospects that he saw in Instructional League, and he made clear that a player to watch this coming season is going to be right-hander Nick Sawyer. According to McDaniel, Sawyer may be only 5’11″, 175, but he can really bring it, coming in at 93-96 MPH with his fastball and pairing it with a sharp high-70′s to low-80′s curveball and even a mid-80′s changeup that shows potential. McDaniel commented that Sawyer’s arm action is a lot cleaner than he thought that it would be, although a sharp recoil in his delivery will still likely keep him in relief. However, McDaniel concluded that Sawyer has a chance to move quickly through the minor leagues with closer potential, and it will be interesting to see how far he can go in his first full season, which will probably begin at Low-A Bowling Green.

The other player McDaniel discussed was right-hander Parker Markel, who he praised for his mid-90′s sinker a slider and changeup that show potential. However, the issue with Markel is an inability to repeat his delivery exacerbated by a lack of athleticism. Markel is a big guy at 6’4″, 220, and maybe by turning more of that into muscle he could be primed for a breakout, but until then, his future is up in the air. Nevertheless, pitchers with mid-90′s velocity and secondary pitches with potential don’t exactly grow on trees, and it would be far from a bad thing if Markel joins Sawyer as another fireballing relief prospect.