The Undercards: Brandon Guyer Has 4-Hit Rehab Game

Brandon Guyer is nearing a return to the major leagues. After the way he has played in his rehab games–and the amount of time he has spent with the team in years past–the Durham Bulls are going to miss him.

Triple-A International League: Louisville Bats (CIN) 12, Durham Bulls 8

Congratulations to the Louisville Bats. True to their name, they gave two very good Bulls pitchers in Nate Karns and Merrill Kelly outings to forget. Their pitching, though, did not have a great game either as every player in the Bulls lineup had at least one hit. Leading the way was the rehabbing Brandon Guyer, who went 4 for 4 with 2 triples, an RBI, and a run scored. He’s a big leaguer playing at Triple-A, but great job by Guyer nonetheless and clearly he is just about ready to return to the Rays. He’s hitting .400 (8 for 20) in his rehab stint, drilling 2 doubles and 2 triples and walking 6 times against only 4 strikeouts. Ray Olmedo also went 2 for 3 with 2 doubles, an RBI, and a run scored while Wilson Betemit went 2 for 5 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. A couple more veteran guys came up big for the Bulls, but the pitching struggles were just too much to overcome.

Short Season-A New York-Penn League: Brooklyn Cyclones (NYM) 4, Hudson Valley Renegades 3 (10 innings)

Since winning four straight to open 2014, the Hudson Valley Renegades have lost two games consecutively. This game was especially frustrating as the Cyclones got a run each in the 8th, 9th, and 10th innings to come away with the victory. Hunter Wood did have a strong start for the Renegades, going 5.2 innings allowing just 1 run on 2 hits. Then on the offensive side, Wilmer Dominguez went 2 for 4 with an RBI, Coty Blanchard went 3 for 4, and Hunter Lockwood went 2 for 4 with a run scored. Blanchard, the Rays’ 15th round pick in 2013, is off to a great start to 2014, hitting .400 (8 for 20) and already reeling off two 3-hit games.