Rays Minor League Report: Tough Week for Bulls and Hot Rods

The four Rays’ minor league teams combined to win seven of eight games the first two days of the week. It was pretty much downhill from there. Here is a look at how the Rays’ minor league teams did this week through Tuesday. The overall record is in parenthesis.

Durham Bulls (AAA)

Record: 2-5 (24-21)

The Bulls started the week by winning two games against the Louisville Bats before dropping the third. They moved on to Columbus, who like their parent club in Cleveland, dominated at home. The Bulls were swept in four straight.

Game of the Week: May 19–Durham Bulls 12, Louisville Bats 6

Top Performance (Hitter): Leslie Anderson (May 19)–4 for 5, 2 homers, 6 RBI

Top Performance (Pitcher): Alex Cobb (May 18)–7 IP, 7 hits, 1 ER, 7 K’s

Montgomery Biscuits (AA)

Record: 3-3 (23-21)

The Biscuits had an up and down week that saw him them stage a big comeback, but also blow a huge lead. On May 20, the Biscuits had a 5-1 lead over the Huntsville Stars but allowed three runs in the bottom of the ninth to lose 6-5.

Game of the Week: May 18–Montgomery Biscuits 8, Birmingham Barons 7. The Biscuits erased a 5-0 deficit in the eighth inning by scoring four in the eighth and four in the ninth to win 8-7.

Top Performance (Hitter): Shawn O’Malley (May 19)–3 for 5, double, triple, 2 runs scored

Top Performance (Pitcher): Matthew Moore (May 20)–6 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 9 K’s

Charlotte Stone Crabs (A Adv.)

Record: 5-2 (18-28)

The Stone Crabs started the week by splitting a four game series with the Clearwater Threshers and then they swept the Dunedin Blue Jays

Game of the Week: May 22–Charlotte Stone Crabs 5, Dunedin Blue Jays 3 (11 innings)

Top Performance (Hitter): Brett Nommensen (May 19)–3 for 4, homer

Top Performance (Pitcher): Alexander Colome (May 20)–7 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 9 K’s

Bowling Green Hot Rods (A)
Record: 2-5 (25-21)

As the record indicates, the Hot Rods didn’t do a lot right over the past week. The Lansing Lugnuts swept Bowling Green in a four game series in which Hot Rod pitchers allowed 44 runs.

Game of the Week: May 24–Bowling Green Hot Rods 10, West Michigan Whitecaps 2. Even this blowout win was kind of ugly. George Jensen and Eliazer Suero combined to allow 12 hits over nine innings even though they only allowed two runs.

Top Performance (Hitter): Cody Rogers (May 21)–2 for 5, HR, 2 RBI. Everyone in the lineup had at least one hit and seven of the nine had two hits. It didn’t help, as they lost 13-9, but at least the offense did their job.

Top Performance (Pitcher): James Patterson (May 19)–Patterson got a save the old fashion way, throwing four innings, allowing one hit and striking out six in the Hot Rods’ 5-4 win over the West Michigan White Caps.

Other news:

Dan Johnson was sent down to Triple A after hitting .115/.179/.167 with the Rays in favor Justin Ruggiano. Felipe Lopez was brought up to the Rays after tearing up Triple A when Reid Brignac was put on the bereavement list. We’ll see how long he stays up with the Rays.