Triple-A International League: Norfolk Tides (BAL) 3, Durham Bulls 2 (7 innings- rain)

For the second straight day, the Bulls-Tides game was shortened by rain and lasted just 7 innings. This time, though, it was the Bulls that were on the wrong end of a 3-2 score–but a couple minutes later and it easily could have ended differently. The game was ludicrously called with the Bulls have two on, nobody out and one run already across in the 7th inning, so if this game goes nine innings, the Bulls very well could have won. J.D. Martin got the start for Durham and tossed a rain-assisted complete game, going 7 innings allowing 3 runs, 2 earned on 9 hits, striking out 7 while walking just 1. Martin is the “other guy” in a Bulls rotation laden with prospects, but he has pitched very well, going 5-2 with a 3.48 ERA and a 36-9 strikeout to walk ratio in 9 starts and 51.2 innings pitched. On the offensive side, Wil Myers had an encouraging game, going 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored without striking out. Myers hasn’t gotten his power stroke going all season, but he’s showing improved plate discipline and you have to hope that he’s on the cusp of breaking out.

Double-A Southern League: Montgomery Biscuits 3, Huntsville Stars (MIL) 0

In 2012, Matt Moore had a 3.81 ERA, showing promise but plenty of inconsistency. Merrill Kelly is not nearly as talented as Moore, but the same can be said of his ERA and his performance. This game was one of the good ones. Kelly went 6.2 innings allowing no runs on 3 hits, striking out 5 while walking 2. In three of his nine appearances (eight starts), Kelly has a 2-0 record, a 0.90 ERA, and a 16-6 strikeout to walk ratio in 20 innings pitched. In the other six, he is just 1-4 with a 5.76 ERA and a 16-16 strikeout to walk ratio in 29.2 IP. Kelly’s low-90′s fastball is a solid pitch, but maybe it’s the effectiveness of his changeup and curveball that fluctuates, leading to his inconsistent results. C.J. Riefenhauser and Juan Sandoval tossed perfect ball in the final 2.1 innings to seal the 3-hitter. On the offensive side, the Biscuits didn’t get much themselves but went an outstanding 3 for 4 with runners in scoring position. Cameron Seitzer went 1 for 3 with a double and a hit-by-pitch and Mikie Mahtook and Todd Glaesmann had the other RBIs for Montgomery. Seitzer has been in an extended slump, but he’s now 5 of his last 14 (.357) and hopefully he’s getting himself back on track.

High-A Florida State League: Charlotte Stone Crabs 2, Fort Myers Miracle (MIN) 0

It wasn’t pretty but it somehow all worked out for Stone Crabs pitching as they stranded 8 hits and 6 walks on their way to victory despite striking out just 5. Felipe Rivero took the ball for Charlotte and was able to escape several jams, going 5.2 innings allowing no runs on 6 hits, striking out 4 while walking 3. Jake Partridge worked around 2 walks to pitch scoreless ball for the next 1.1 innings before Lenny Linsky got past 2 hits and a walk to nail down the save in the final 2 frames. In terms of the run support, Richie Shaffer went 2 for 4 with an RBI while Willie Argo, batting third now after hitting extremely well to begin the year, went 1 for 4 with 2 stolen bases and a run scored. Shaffer is doing great in his last ten games, going 15 for 44  (.341) as he’s beginning to erase his early-season struggles from his numbers.

Low-A Midwest League: Bowling Green Hot Rods 8, West Michigan Whitecaps (DET) 0 (7 innings)

Just seems like there is no way to stop Taylor Guerrieri. Guerrieri got the start and was dominant once again, going 6 innings allowing no runs on just 1 hit, striking out 3 while walking 1 and managing an 11-2 groundout to flyout ratio. Guerrieri tossed shutout 1-hit ball for the second straight outing, and while he wasn’t able to overpower hitters in this one, his command is just uncanny for Low-A and he is just able to force groundball after groundball. He threw just 59 pitches and could have easily gone the complete game, but the offense gave him plenty of run support and made sure this game was out of reach and the Hot Rods coaching staff decided to play it safe with the Rays’ prized right-handed pitching prospect. Leonardo Reginatto went 2 for 3 with a double, a stolen base, and 2 runs scored, Joey Rickard went 2 for 2 with a double, a walk, an RBI, and a run scored, and Tyler Goeddel and Luke Maile drove in 2 runs each.

Whitecaps 5, Hot Rods 1 (completion of suspended game)

This suspended game did not go nearly as well. Reinaldo Lopez has been surprisingly good all season for Bowling Green managing a 1.64 ERA in 33.1 IP entering Sunday, but this was simply not his game. Lopez went 5.1 innings (on May 10th) allowing 4 runs on 7 hits, striking out 3 while walking 2. He forced a ton of groundballs, managing a 9-2 groundout to flyout ratio, but his results were not nearly as good this time around. Marcus Jensen went the final 3.2 innings allowing 1 run on 5 hits, striking out 3 while walking none. In terms of the offense, there wasn’t much going on as Tommy Coyle went 1 for 4 with an RBI triple and Graden Goetzman went 1 for 3 with a run scored as they teamed to account for the only Bowling Green run.

Triple-A International League: Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 9, Durham Bulls 3

This game was kind of a pity because the Bulls scored the final three runs in this game…but only after Lehigh Valley tagged Will Inman for a scary 7 runs in the 7th. Maybe the Bulls don’t score those runs if the IronPigs don’t rally like that but you never know. Chris Archer started this game for the Bulls after missing a start with a calf bruise,  and he was on a strict pitch count. Archer wound up going 3 innings allowing 1 run on 3 hits, striking out 4 while walking 3 as he was off, but hopefully he can build himself back up and resume dominating Triple-A hitters and pushing for a big league spot. Jim Paduch made up for Archer’s shortened start and pulled a Houdini act to only allow 1 run in his 3 frames, somehow working around 3 walks and 6 hits, striking out 3 in the process. Then, after Inman’s implosion, Adam Liberatore allowed just 1 hit over the final 2 innings, striking out 2. Everyone but Inman was great for the Bulls, but you need a complete team effort to win (or at least no one completely messing up), and the Bulls didn’t get that. On the offensive side, Mike Fontenot slammed his first homer of the season for the Bulls as he went 2 for 3 with that homer, a double, and 2 RBI, and Shelley Duncan went 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI.

Double-A Southern League: Mississippi Braves 5, Montgomery Biscuits 4 (11 innings)

The emphasis on getting complete team play is even more incisive here in this closer game as a top-heavy lineup and a bottom-heavy pitching effort wasn’t enough for the Biscuits to come away with a victory. Victor Mateo has gotten off to a terrible start for the Biscuits this season but had arguably his best start in this game–but that was setting the bar pretty low. Mateo went 5.2 innings allowing 4 runs on 11 hits, striking out 6 while walking 2. Mateo wasn’t on the hook for the loss when he departed because the Biscuits rallied for 3 runs in the 5th, with the top three players in their lineup, Kevin Kiermaier, Robby Price, and Mikie Mahtook, all notching consecutive RBIs on a single, a groundout, and a triple. After Mateo, the Biscuits bullpen went into lockdown. Marquis Fleming tossed 2.1 one-hit innings with 4 strikeouts to lower his ERA to 1.13, Juan Sandoval tossed a 5-pitch perfect frame with 3 groundouts to lower his ERA to 3.32, and C.J. Riefenhauser tossed a hitless inning to lower his ERA to 0.79 to get Montgomery through 10 innings. But someone had to come apart eventually, and that was Matt Nevarez, who finally allowed a run for the first time all season in his 7th appearance (raising his ERA to 0.93), and that proved to be the decider as the Braves won 5-4. Great bullpen work only means so much when your starter struggles, but the even larger disparity may have been between the top three in the Biscuits lineup and everyone else. Kiermaier, Price, and Mahtook went 5 for 14 (.357) with 2 walks between them and an RBI each. The rest of the lineup went just 3 for 26, and take out Mayo Acosta, who notched 2 hits, and they were only 1 for 22. Finding better starting pitching and more well-rounded offense wil be key for the Biscuits as they try to get back on the winning track.

High-A Florida State League: Charlotte Stone Crabs 4, Bradenton Marauders (PIT) 1

Speaking of the need for starting pitching, Ryan Carpenter certainly gave Charlotte as good of a starting as they could have hoped on Saturday and that was the key to the Stone Crabs’ 4-1. Carpenter went 7 innings allowing just 1 run on 5 hits, striking out 6 while walking 1, throwing just 90 pitches in the process. He could have gone 8 innings! Carpenter’s great start broke a string of a couple poor performances, but his ERA still stands at 2.85 as he has gotten off to a fabulous start to the season, striking out 43 while walking just 7 in 41 innings. Also impressing was Lenny Linsky, who worked around a hit for a scoreless 8th, striking out 2 and getting his other out on a groundout. Finally healthy after shoulder problems plagued him last season, Linsky has a 3.10 ERA and a 19-6 strikeout to walk ratio in 20.1 innings pitched. On the offensive side, the entire Stone Crabs offense consisted of home runs, with Drew Vettleson and Hector Guevara both slamming 2-run shots. Richie Shaffer and Jeff Malm both went 2 for 5 for Charlotte as well, with Malm lacing a double. Shaffer is slowly but surely breaking out, going 12 for his last 41 (.293) to get his average up to .240 on the season.

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

Not much to see here as the Hot Rods were thoroughly outplayed. Eduar Quinonez‘s defense didn’t do him any favors as he went 6 innings allowing 4 runs, just 1 earned, on 4 hits, striking out 3 while walking 1. He came blame his defense all he wants, but he would have been better served not allowing a 3-run home run following the error. In terms of the offense, the Hot Rods were held to just 2 hits on the day as Dylan Baker and a pair of relievers shut them down. They didn’t manage a single hit from 2 outs in the 2nd all the way to 1 out in the 8th. Ryan Dunn went 1 for 3 with a double and the only RBI while Andrew Toles went 1 for 4 with 2 stolen bases.

Triple-A International League: Syracuse Chiefs (WSN) 5, Durham Bulls 3

Quite impressive to strike out 17 batters in a nine-inning game. It’s arguably even more impressive to do that and lose, and that’s exactly what the Bulls pulled off on Wednesday. Alex Colome got the start for Durham and had an up-and-down outing, but when he was on, boy was he impressive. Colome went 5.2 innings allowing 4 runs, 3 earned, on 6 hits, striking out 10 while walking just 1. Colome rebounded nicely from allowing 3 runs between the 2nd and 3rd to toss shutout ball in the 4th and 5th, but Jeff Beliveau allowed his inherited runner to score in the 6th to end his outing on a sour note. This game was as good of a showcase as any that Colome still has a long way to go in getting his command up to major league quality, but he has the stuff to dominate when he’s right, and with plenty of starting depth in front of him, the Rays will give him as much time as he needs to find a way to do that on a more consistent basis. Beliveau allowed 3 hits in just 1.1 innings in relief of Colome, but he recorded 3 of his 4 outs via the strikeout, and Kirby Yates finished the game with 2 perfect innings striking out 4 more to give the Bulls 17 for the game. On the offensive side, the Bulls didn’t get much as Daniel Rosenbaum outdueled Colome with 7 innings allowing just 2 runs, 1 earned, on 4 hits, striking out 7 while walking 1. Chris Gimenez did go 2 for 4 with a run scored, Cole Figueroa and Leslie Anderson both went 1 for 4 with an RBI, and Wil Myers went 1 for 3 with a walk for Durham. Tough loss for the Bulls when their pitching was so overpowering, but good things are ahead if Colome continues to look as electric as this.

Double-A Southern League: Montgomery Biscuits 8, Mississippi Braves 4

Matt Buschmann pitched well and the Biscuits had a diversified attack of five different players with multiple hits as they eased by the Braves 8-4. Buschmann allowed 3 runs but had a strong outing in every sense of the word, going 7 innings allowing 3 runs on 5 hits, striking out 8 while walking 1 and managing a 9-3 groundout to flyout ratio. Buschmann was extremely efficient, throwing just 96 pitches, 63 strikes, and gave the Biscuits about as good of an outing as they could have hoped for. Buschmann has allowed just 4 runs on 14 hits in 20 innings over his last three starts, a 1.80 ERA, striking out 22 while walking just 4 in the process. Buschmann is trending in the exact opposite direction of his former Vanderbilt roommate, David Price, and we’ll have to see whether this is the spurt that finally gets him to Triple-A for an extended period of time after he spent almost all of last year at Double-A. With an intriguing sinker-slider combination, Buschmann has some potential in a relief role. Now to the run support. Robby Price went 2 for 4 with a double, 3 RBI, and a run scored, Cameron Seitzer went 2 for 3 with a double and 2 RBI, Shawn O’Malley went 2 for 4 with a triple, an RBI, and 2 runs scored, and Kevin Kiermaier and Riccio Torrez also registered 2 hits. The Biscuits went 5 for 10 with runners in scoring position and stranded just 5 while scoring 8 runs. 8-4 isn’t the prettiest score, but Montgomery had almost everything go right on their way to a nice win.

High-A Florida State League: Charlotte Stone Crabs 7, Brevard County Manatees (MIL) 6

Wild game in this one, but the Stone Crabs rode late-inning heroics on their way to victory. Felipe Rivero got the start for the Stone Crabs and had good stuff but looked enigmatic, and the results were not too good as he went 4.1 innings allowing 4 runs on 5 hits, striking out 7 while walking 3 and allowing 2 home runs. Rivero left with the game tied at 4 after the Stone Crabs had rallied for 3 in the 5th. Then Jacob Partridge let up a run in the 7th, and suddenly the Stone Crabs were down 5-4. But the following inning, Richie Shaffer came through with a 2-run home run to make it 6-5 Charlotte. The bottom of the inning was scary as Eliazer Suero got into a bases-loaded jam and Lenny Linsky had to come in to escape it, which he did successfully but not before allowing the game-tying run. But in the top of the 9th, Jake DePew could not have picked a better time for his first home run of the season as he hit a game-winning home run to send the Stone Crabs to a 7-6 win. Shaffer has hit in 9 of his last 10 games as he slowly but surely is righting himself after a tough start to the season, while DePew went 2 for 4  with his homer and 2 runs scored as he’s now hitting .273 on the season. The homer was his first extra-base hit, but DePew has some potential as a defense-first backup. Other strong performers were Willie Argo, who continued his hot start since joining the Stone Crabs by going 2 for 4 with a triple, 2 RBI, and a run scored, and Kes Carter, who went 2 for 5 with a home run to lead off the game and a double. Amazing job by the Stone Crabs stepping up in the clutch as their pitching sputtered, and the result was a satisfying win.

Low-A Midwest League: West Michigan Whitecaps (DET) 2, Bowling Green Hot Rods 0

Blake Snell was dominant, but 2 first inning runs accounted for all the scoring in the game as the Hot Rods fell 2-0. Snell allowed a Jeff Holm 2-run home run in the first inning but that was hit only real mistake as he went 6 innings allowing just 2 runs on 3 hits, striking out 10 while walking none. Not too often do you see a pitcher deliver that good of an effort and lose. Snell has been inconsistent this year, managing a 2.81 ERA but just a 4.21 run average (counting unearned runs) as he has managed a strikeout to walk ratio of 2-to-1 or better in just two of his six starts. In both of those starts, though, Snell struck out 9 or more while walking none, so he still has flashed plenty of dominance. Now he has to work to sustain that. Jordan Harrison and Matt Ramsey allowed just 2 hits in the final 3 innings while striking out 3 to end the game, but the Hot Rods just could not push a run across. Joey Rickard went 2 for 3 with a double while Marty Gantt went 2 for 4, but the Hot Rods failed to score despite getting at least one baserunner in 7 of 9 innings and that just won’t do the job. Sad to see Snell deliver his best outing of the season yet be saddled with the lost as the Bowling Green offense got him nothing.