The Undercards: Ryne Stanek, Colton Reavis Combine For 16 K’s

Sometimes pitchers can dominate for most of an outing, but just one or two little slipups can lead to a loss. That was the case for the Bowling Green Hot Rods on Wednesday, as Ryne Stanek and Colton Reavis combined to strike out 16 hitters in just 8.0 innings, but the Hot Rods still lost their game 4-2.

Triple-A International League: Durham Bulls 5, Gwinnett Braves 3

Alex Colome had yet another dominant start in this game, going 7.0 innings and giving up just 1 run while striking out 6. Colome has allowed more than 1 run just once in 6 starts this year for the Bulls. Adam Liberatore threw a scoreless 8th behind Colome, but gave up two runs in the 9th, forcing Steve Geltz to come on for the final out of the game. Offensively, veteran Justin Christian had a great day, going 3-3 with a home run, a double, a walk, and two runs scored. Robby Price would also go 3-3 with a walk. Mikie Mahtook had just one hit, but it his 3-run homer was the difference maker in this game.

Double-A Southern League: Tennessee Smokies (CHC) 7, Montgomery Biscuits 0

Victor Mateo had a rough go of things in this game, allowing 7 runs on 10 in 5.0 innings. Mateo has had a decent season for the Biscuits, carrying a 3.26 ERA into this game (it now sits at 3.73) and being named a Southern League All-Star. But, this is the kind of performance you never want to see from a pitcher. Cory Burns, recently claimed off of the waivers from the Texas Rangers, had a nice first outing as a Biscuit, throwing two perfect innings in relief and striking out 2. Burns has performed well in the minor leagues until struggling at Triple-A this year, and the Rays are hoping that they can get him back on track. Braulio Lara would then add a scoreless inning of his own. Jake Hager was the only bright spot for the Biscuits offense, smacking 2 of the club’s 3 hits as the Biscuits were shut out.

High-A Florida State League: St. Lucie Mets 7, Charlotte Stone Crabs 6

Leonel Santiago struggled in his start for the Stone Crabs, allowing 4 runs in 2.2 innings of work. 3 of the runs were unearned, but they were unearned thanks to an error from Santiago himself. Kevin Brandt tried to hold things down in relief, throwing 3.1 innings and giving up 1 run. Jose Molina did a good job in his outing, throwing 2.0 shutout innings. The Stone Crabs carried the lead into the 9th, but Casey Weathers would blow the save and give up the go-ahead run, and the Stone Crabs were unable to answer in the bottom of the inning. A former 8th overall pick, Weathers has struggled with the Rays organization this year, putting up a 9.72 ERA in 5 outings in what has been his first game action since 2012.

Offensively, the Stone Crabs deserved to win this game. Led by a 3-5 day from Patrick Leonard, the team smacked out 13 hits and drew 4 walks en route to 6 runs. Maxx Tissenbaum also had a nice day, going 2-4 with a walk and a pair of RBIs. Tommy Coyle and Leonardo Reginatto also added multi-hit performances, and Josh Sale smacked his 3rd home run of the season. But, the offense could not make up for the pitching staff’s woes.

Low-A Midwest League: Lake County Captains 4, Bowling Green Hot Rods 2

This game was a start full of mixed results for Ryne Stanek. On one hand, he allowed 4 runs. On the other hand, he still went 6.0 innings, and struck out an amazing 12 batters while only ceding 6 hits. Stanek showcased his great stuff, dominating hitters, but also proved that he still has quite a ways to go in honing in his consistency. Colton Reavis had a nice outing behind him, going 2.0 innings and striking out 4 batters while not allowing a run. Reavis and his power fastball have been a great addition to the Hot Rods bullpen this year, as he has pitched to a 2.90 ERA so far. Reavis and Stanek struck out a great 16 combined hitters, but the Hot Rods still lose. The offense couldn’t do much, managing just 4 hits and needing some help from a Captains error to score one of their two runs. Juniel Querecuto went 2-4, but was the only player with multiple hits.

Short Season-A Hudson Valley Renegades were suspended in the 2nd inning with the Renegades leading the Brooklyn Cyclones (NYM) 2-0

Advanced Rookie Princeton Rays were off

Rookie Gulf Coast League: GCL Rays 4, GCL Twins 3

Jose Alvarado struggled in his start, allowing 3 runs while not even getting out of the 1st inning. The good news for the GCL Rays was that the bullpen was magnificent. Joselito Cano threw 5.1 scoreless innings in relief and was followed by 2.0 shutout innings from Mike Franco, the Rays 2014 9th rounder who was making his pro debut. Tommy Lawerence would then finish things off with a shutout inning of his own to earn the save. The offense managed just 4 hits, but they drew 7 walks and had some timely hitting to score 4 runs. Oscar Sanay was the only player with multiple hits, going 2-5 with a pair of doubles. But, Bill Pujols, Jeremy Hadley, and Jaime Ayende were all on base multiple times as the GCL squad pulled out the win.