Biscuits Week in Review: 4/23 to 4/29

The Montgomery Biscuits finished the week with a 4-3 record. They are currently in second place of the Southern League’ south division with a 11-10 record, 3 1/2 games back. The Biscuits look to make some ground on the leader when they face Jacksonville later this week.

Hitting Leaders:
Average: Chris De La Cruz (.364, fifth in SOU)
Slugging: Ian Paxton (.571)
On Base Pct: Emeel Salem (.412)
Hits: Emeel Salem (26, tied ninth in SOU)
Doubles: Cody Strait (9, tied second in SOU)
Triples: John Matulia (2, tied fourth in SOU)
Home Runs: Matt Fields (5, fifth in SOU)
RBI’s: Matt Fields (17, seventh in SOU)
Stolen Bases: Emeel Salem and Cody Strait (4, tied ninth in SOU)

Pitching Leaders:
ERA Starters: David Newmann (1.90, tenth in SOU)
ERA Overall: Dane De La Rosa (0.00)
Wins: Darin Downs and Alexander Torres (2, tied sixth in SOU)
Saves: Matt Gorgen (4, tied second in SOU)
Strikeouts: Alexander Torres (23, tied sixth in SOU)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .251 (6 of 10)
Slugging: .367 (7 of 10)
On Base Pct: .330 (6 of 10)
Hits: 178 (7 of 10)
Doubles: 46 (2 of 10)
Triples: 6 (tied 4 of 10)
Home Runs: 9 (tied 8 of 10)
Runs Scored: 88 (7 of 10)
Stolen Bases: 17 (6 of 10)

Team Pitching Stats (rank):
ERA: 3.81 (5 of 10)
Runs Allowed: 90 (3 of 10)
Strikeouts: 143 (9 of 10)
Walks: 68 (3 of 10)

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Alex Cobb: disabled list
Matt Gorgen: 1-1, 4 saves, 3.72 ERA, 9.2 IP, 10 K’s, 4 BB’s, 1.55 WHIP
Jake McGee: 0-1, 4.63 ERA, 11.2 IP, 9 K’s, 7 BB’s, 1.37 WHIP
David Newmann: 1-0, 1.90 ERA, 23.2 IP, 14 K’s, 5 BB’s, 1.06 WHIP
Shawn O’Malley: .172 AVG, .172 SLG, .294 OBP, 2 RBI, 3 SB’s
Alexander Torres: 2-1, 2.84 ERA, 19.0 IP, 23 K’s, 9 BB’s, 1.21 WHIP

Transactions: Richard De Los Santos promoted to Durham (4/24/10). Dane De La Rosa added to roster from Charlotte (4/24/10). Chris Nowak added to roster from Durham (4/25/10). Ian Paxton transferred to Charlotte (4/25/10). Nevin Ashley activated from temporary inactive list (4/25/10).

Disabled List: Alex Cobb

The Week Ahead: 4/30/10-5/3/10: at West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (11-10). 5/4/10-5/6/10: vs Jacksonville Suns (14-6).

Durham Bulls shut-out by Buffalo Bisons 4-0

The Game: The Durham Bulls were shut-out 4-0 by Buffalo Bisons on Thursday at Coca Cola Field. The Bulls offense was unable to get a read off Buffalo’s knuckleball pitching RA Dickey, only recording one hit in the contest which came off the bat of Fernando Perez to lead off the game.

Buffalo broke the scoreless tie in the fourth inning. Jesus Feliciano singled to second to lead off the inning. Feliciano later scored in a ground out by Mike Hessman to take a 1-0 lead.

The Bisons added two more runs in the seventh inning. Mike Jacobs singled to center followed by a double for Mike Hessman. Chris Carter struck an RBI single to score Jacobs. Hessman then scored on a ground out to increase the lead 3-0.

Buffalo picked up their final run of the game in the eighth inning on a solo home run by Ruben Tejada to earn a 4-0 win.

Heath Phillips pitched a complete game, allowing 4 runs on 8 hits with 3 strikeouts.

Bulls Player of the Game: Heath Phillip; threw a complete game.

RP Top Prospect Watch: n/a

A Look Ahead: The Bulls (15-7) will conclude the series against Buffalo (12-9) on Friday. Aneury Rodriguez (2-0, 0.00) will be making the start against Pat Misch (1-0, 3.09).

Montgomery Biscuits fall to West Tennessee 8-4

The Game: The Montgomery Biscuits lost to the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx 8-4 on Thursday at Pringles Park.

The Biscuits took the lead in the first inning. Emeel Salem drew a walk to lead off the game. Salem advanced to second on a ground out by Chris De La Cruz and then later stole third. Chris Nowak knocked in the run with a single to right to score Salem and give the Biscuits a 1-0 lead.

West Tenn answered with four runs of their own in the bottom of the first. Carlos Peguero and Jeffery Dominquez led off the inning with back to back singles. Johan Limonta advanced the runners with a sac bunt. Mike Wilson singled to short to push across a run. Then Guillermo Quiroz drew a walk to load the bases. Dustin Ackley doubled to left to score two runs. Quiroz later scored on a ground out by Alex Liddi to give them a 4-1 lead.

West Tenn added another run in the second. Carlos Peguero doubled to center. Johan Limonta drove him home with an RBI single to increase the lead to 5-1.

The Biscuits added a run in the fourth inning. Cody Cipriano drew a two out walk to put a runner on the bases. Cipriano advanced on a wild pitch and then later scored on an RBI single by Matt Fields to give the Biscuits their second run of the game.

The Diamond Jaxx answered with another run of their own in the fifth. Johan Limonta homered to right to increase the lead to 6-2.

The Biscuits then struck for two more runs in the sixth inning. Matt Fields doubled to right and later scored on a single by Greg Sexton. Cody Strait drove Sexton home to pull the Biscuits to within two runs of the lead 6-4.

But West Tenn matched the runs in the bottom of the sixth with a two run homer to hand the Biscuits an 8-4 loss.

Rayner Oliveros was the losing pitcher, allowing 5 runs on 6 hits with a strikeout and 2 walks in 4 innings. Justin Garcia followed surrendering 3 runs on 4 hits with 2 strikeouts. Ryan Reid pitched a scoreless 2 innings with a hit and a strikeout to end the game.

Biscuits Player of the Game: Matt Fields; 2 for 4 with a double, RBI and a run scored.

RP Top Prospect Watch: n/s

A Look Ahead: The Biscuits and Diamond Jaxx do it again on Friday night at Pringles Park. Alex Torres (2-1, 2.84) will start against Steve Bray.

Bowling Green Hot Rods lose to Great Lakes 2-1

The Game: The Bowling Green Hot Rods fell to the Great Lakes Loons 2-1 on Thursday at Bowling Green Ballpark. The loss game despite a dazzling season high strikeout performance by Alex Colome.

Great Lakes took the lead in the first inning. Christian Lara singled to right to lead off the game. Lara advanced through the bases with the help of Rafael Ynoa and Brian Cavazos-Galvez. Lara then scored on a passed ball to give them a 1-0 lead.

The Hot Rods tied the game in the sixth inning. Chris Murrill got things going with a triple to right. Murrill later scored on a balk to tie the game 1-1.

Great Lakes picked up the game winning run in the eighth inning. Blake Smith delivered a solo home run to left to give the Loons the 2-1 margin of victory.

Alex Colome was charged with the loss, pitching 8 innings and allowing 2 runs on 5 hits with 9 strikeouts and a walk. Alex Koronis pitched a no-hit ninth with a strikeout.

Hot Rods Player of the Game: Alex Colome; recorded a season high nine strikeouts.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Tyler Bortnick: 0 for 4.
Alex Colome: 2 runs on 5 hits with 9 strikeouts and a walk in 8 innings.
Ty Morrison: 0 for 3.

A Look Ahead: The Hot Rods (5-16) kick off a four game series against the Dayton Dragons (10-11) on Friday night. Shane Dyer (1-1, 1.57) will start against Josh Ravin.

Charlotte Stone Crabs defeat St. Lucie Mets 4-2

The Game: The Charlotte Stone Crabs defeated the St. Lucie Mets 4-2 on Thursday night at Charlotte Sports Park. The win secured a series victory for the Stone Crabs.

The Stone Crabs took the lead in the first inning. Tim Beckham drew a walk to put a runner on the bases. Beckham advanced to third on a double by Stephen Vogt. Henry Wrigley plated the run with a single to score Beckham and give the Stone Crabs a 1-0 lead.

The Stone Crabs increased their lead in the fourth inning. Matt Sweeney opened the inning with a double to left. Jake Jefferies advanced Sweeney to third on a bunt single. Michael Sheridan drove home the run with a sac fly to increase the lead to 2-0.

Charlotte added to their total in the seventh inning. Stephen Vogt delivered his first homer of 2010 to give the Stone Crabs a 3-0 lead.

The Mets reached the scoreboard in the eighth inning. Eric Campbell his a solo home run for their first run of the contest.

Michael Sheridan answered back with a solo home run to give the Stone Crabs an insurance run and a 4-1 lead.

St. Lucie added another run in the ninth inning when Richard Lucas scored on a wild pitch. But Josh Satow rallied to get out of the inning and secure the 4-2 Stone Crabs victory.

Chris Andujar earned the victory, pitching 5 1/3 innings shut-out innings and allowed 2 hits with 2 strikeouts and 3 walks. Neil Schenk pitched 1 2/3 scoreless inning with a hit and 3 strikeouts. Matt Bush made his Stone Crabs debut by pitching an inning and allowing 1 run on 1 hit with 2 strikeouts. Josh Satow recorded the save with 1 run on 2 hits with a strikeout in the final frame.

Stone Crabs Player of the Game: Henry Wrigley continued to be hot at the plate, going 3 for 4 with an RBI.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Tim Beckham: 0 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Jake Jefferies: 2 for 4.
Matt Sweeney: 1 for 4 with a double and a run scored.

A Look Ahead: The Stone Crabs (11-8) head to McKechnie Field to open a three game set against the division leading Bradenton Marauders (13-7). Matt Moore (0-1, 4.41) will get the start against Brian Morris (1-0, 1.31).

4/30: The Rundown

Buffalo Bisons 4, Durham Bulls 0
Box | Recap
Notes: Durham fell to 15-7... After a Fernando Perez single to lead off the game, Bisons pitcher R.A. Dickey retired 27 in a row... Heath Phillips pitched an 8-inning complete game, getting the loss...
The Leftovers: Guess we know the Durham offense's kryptonite: knuckleballs...

West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx 8, Montgomery Biscuits 4
Box | Recap
Notes: Montgomery fell to 11-10... Rayner Oliveros started and allowed 5 earned runs over 4 innings... Justin Garcia allowed 3 runs in relief... Matt Fields and Cody Strait had 2 RBIs each...
The Leftovers:

Charlotte Stone Crabs 4, St. Lucie Mets 2
Box | Recap
Notes: Charlotte improved to 11-8... Chris Andujar threw 5.1 scoreless innings... Neil Schenk struck out three in 1.2 innings of relief... Matt Bush made his Charlotte debut, allowing a solo home run. He struck out 2... Henry Wrigley had three hits, while Stephen Vogt, Jake Jefferies, and Mike Sheridan each had 2... Tim Beckham was 0-3 with a walk... Matt Sweeney was 1-4 with a double...
The Leftovers: Don't have a report on Bush's stuff, but he was a power arm pre-surgery, and 2 strikeouts are nice to see... Tim Beckham didn't strike out in a game for the first time this season...

Great Lakes Loons 2, Bowling Green Hot Rods 1
Box | Recap
Notes: Bowling Green fell to 5-16... Alexander Colome got the tough luck loss: he allowed 2 runs(1 earned) over 8 innings, striking out 9 and walking 1... The Hot Rods only run came on a balk...
The Leftovers: On the season, Colome has a 2.93 ERA over 27.2 innings. He's struck out 23 and walked 5...

Charlotte Stone Crabs Week in Review: 4/22 to 4/28

The Charlotte Stone Crabs finished the week with a 4-3 record and are 10-8 on the season. They are currently tied for second in the division, 2 1/2 games out of first. The Stone Crabs pitching staff leads the league in most stats. Despite having individual players in the top 10 of almost all offensive categories, the team over is struggling and lie in the bottom half of the league in the team offensive categories. The Stone Crabs lead the league in keeping the runs off the scoreboard, but have had difficulty scoring themselves, resulting in close losses.

Hitting Leaders:
Average: Isaias Velasquez (.368, second in FSL)
Slugging: Henry Wrigley (.642, first in FSL)
On Base Pct: Isaias Velasquez (.427, sixth in FSL)
Hits: Isaias Velasquez (25, tied second in FSL)
Doubles: Henry Wrigley and Matt Sweeney (5)
Triples: Isaias Velasquez (3, tied second in FSL)
Home Runs: Henry Wrigley (4, tied first in FSL)
RBI’s: Henry Wrigley (13, tied eighth in FSL)
Stolen Bases: Isaias Velasquez (10, second in FSL)

Pitching Leaders:
ERA Starters: Frank De Los Santos (2.12)
ERA Overall: Marquis Fleming (0.00)
Wins: Frank De Los Santos (3, tied third in FSL)
Saves: Zach Quate (3, tied seventh in FSL)
Strikeouts: Nick Barnese, Matt Moore and Marquis Fleming (23, tied seventh in FSL)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .250 (7 of 12)
Slugging: .387 (4 of 12)
On Base Pct: .318 (6 of 12)
Hits: 144 (11 of 12)
Doubles: 27 (10 of 12)
Triples: 11 (1 of 12)
Home Runs: 10 (4 of 12)
Runs Scored: 66 (11 of 12)
Stolen Bases: 16 (tied 8 of 12)

Team Pitching Stats (rank):
ERA: 2.61 (1 of 12)
Runs Allowed: 51 (1 of 12)
Strikeouts: 164 (tied 1 of 12)
Walks: 57 (7 of 12)

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Nick Barnese: 2-0, 3.33 ERA, 24.1 IP, 23 K’s, 4 BB, 0.90 WHIP
Tim Beckham: .156 AVG, .333 SLG, .255 OBP, 1 double, 2 triples, 1 home run, 8 RBI’s, 2 SB
Joseph Cruz: 0-1, 3.60 ERA, 20.0 IP, 17 K’s, 11 BB’s, 1.45 WHIP
Jake Jefferies .226 AVG, .321 SLG, .263 OBP, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 5 RBI’s
Kyeong Kang: .267 AVG, .350 SLG, .333 OBP, 3 double, 1 triple, 3 RBI’s
Matt Moore: 0-1, 4.41 ERA, 16.1 IP, 23 K’s, 13 BB’s, 1.65 WHIP
Matt Sweeney: .265 AVG, .492 SLG, .361 OBP, 5 doubles, 3 HR’s, 8 RBI’s

Transaction: Dane De La Rosa activated from disabled list (4/22/10). Shawn Williams transferred to extended spring training (4/22/10). Dane De La Rosa promoted to Montgomery (4/24/10). Ian Paxton added to roster from Montgomery (4/25/10).

Disabled List: none

The Week Ahead: 4/29/10: vs St. Lucie Mets (8-11). 4/30/10-5/2/10: at Bradenton Marauders (13-6). 5/3/10-5/5/10: at St. Lucie Mets (8-11).

4/29: Today's Games

Durham Bulls at Buffalo Bisons (NYM) 6:05 ET
Starting for Durham: LHP Heath Phillips
Notes: Phillips is 1-1 with a 3.42 ERA... Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (2-1, 3.03 ERA) is scheduled to start for Buffalo... Former Bull Jason Pridie is with Buffalo...

Montgomery Biscuits at West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (SEA) 8:05 ET
Starting for Montgomery: LHP Rayner Oliveros
Notes: Oliveros is 0-2 with a 6.94 ERA on the season... RHP Dan Cortes (1-1, 7.36 ERA) will start for the Jaxx... 2009 #2 overall pick Dustin Ackley is the West Tennessee 2nd baseman... Other notable prospects: SS Carlos Truinfel, RHRP Josh Fields, 3B Alex Liddi, and OF Carlos Peguero...

Charlotte Stone Crabs vs. St. Lucie Mets (NYM) 7:05 ET
Starting for Charlotte: RHP Chris Andujar
Notes: Cruz is 0-1 with a 4.20 ERA on the year...

Bowling Green Hot Rods vs. Great Lakes Loons (LAD) 7:35 ET
Starting for Bowling Green: RHP Alexander Colome
Notes: Rodriguez is 0-1 with a 3.66 ERA...

Durham Bulls win big against Buffalo 9-2

The Game: The Durham Bulls defeated the Buffalo Bisons 9-2 on Wednesday at Coca-Cola Field. Durham went deep three times to help secure the win.

Durham took the lead in the third inning. Chris Richard delivered a solo home run to right to give them a 1-0 lead.

The Bulls added to their lead in the fifth. This time is was Angel Chavez going deep to increase the lead to 2-0.

Durham’s offense struck again in the sixth inning. Rashad Eldridge delivered a solo home run to start the inning. Justin Ruggiano followed with a double to right and then later scored on an RBI double by Hank Blalock to take a 4-0 lead.

Buffalo reached the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth. Jason Pridie and Jesus Feliciano led off the inning with back to back singles. Mike Hessman drove home the first run with a single to left to score Pridie. Later Chris Carter plated Feliciano to cut the lead in half 4-2.

The Bulls added two more runs in the eighth inning. Rashad Eldridge drew a walk to get things started. Justin Ruggiano followed with a single to right. Hank Blalock drove home a run with a single to right to score Eldridge. Ruggiano then scored on a double by Dan Johnson to increase the lead to 7-2

Durham kept producing runs into the ninth inning, adding three more to their total. The Bulls loaded the bases on walks issued to Angel Chavez, Rashad Eldridge and Justin Ruggiano. Hank Blalock drew a bases loaded walk to push across a run. Then Dan Johnson knocked in two with a single to right to give the Bulls a 9-2 win.

Jeremy Hellickson recorded his fourth victory by pitching 5 1/3 innings and allowing 2 runs on 6 hits with 5 strikeouts and a walk. Mike Ekstrom followed with 1 2/3 innings and allowed a hit with a strikeout. Winston Abreu and Dale Thayer pitched a scoreless frame each to finish the game.

Bulls Player of the Game: Justin Ruggiano; 3 for 4 with a double, 3 runs scored and a walk.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Jeremy Hellickson: 2 runs on 6 hits with 5 strikeouts and a walk in 5 1/3 innings.

A Look Ahead: The Bulls and Bisons do it all again on Thursday night at Coca-Cola Field. Heath Phillips will get the start against RA Dickey.

Montgomery Biscuits beat Mississippi Braves 6-3

The Game: The Montgomery Biscuits defeated the Mississippi Braves 6-3 on Wednesday night at Riverwalk Field. Matt Fields helped fuel the offense by going 3 for 4 on the night with driving in three runs.

The Biscuits took the lead in the second inning. Matt Fields singled with two outs to get things started. Greg Sexton followed with a walk to move Fields to second. Cody Strait drove home the run with a single to left to score Fields and take a 1-0 lead.

The Biscuits added another run in the fourth. Matt Fields doubled to center then later scored on an RBI single by Greg Sexton to take a 2-0 lead.

Mississippi tied the game in the sixth inning. Orlando Mercado led off the inning with a double to right. Travis Jones reached base after being hit by a pitch. Alex Romero then singled to load the bases. Willie Cabrera drove home two with a line drive to center to tie the game 2-2.

The Braves took the lead in the seventh on a solo home run by Cody Johnson. The long ball gave them a 3-2 lead.

The Biscuits battled back to regain the lead in the seventh. Cody Strait and John Matulia drew walks to get the inning going. Then Emeel Slam drove them both home with a two run triple to take a 4-3 lead.

The Biscuits added some insurance in the form of two more runs in the eighth inning. Nevin Ashley reached on a single to center. Then Matt Fields cleared the bases with a two run homer to give the Biscuits a 6-3 win.

Jeremy Hall pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits with 5 strikeouts and a walk. Eduardo Morlan earned the victory with 2 1/3 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits with a strikeout. Paul Phillips recorded his third saves with 1 1/3 scoreless inning allowing a hit with a strikeout.

Biscuits Player of the Game: Matt Fields; 3 for 4 with a double, home run, 2 RBI’s and 3 runs scored.

RP Top Prospect Watch: n/a

A Look Ahead: The Biscuits hit the road to take on the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx on Thursday at Pringles Park. Rayner Oliveros will start for Montgomery against Dan Cortes.

Charlotte Stone Crabs defeat St. Lucie Mets 6-3

The Game: The Charlotte Stone Crabs defeated the St. Lucie Mets 6-3 on Wednesday night at Charlotte Sports Park. Tim Beckham was the offensive powerhouse of the game as he was responsible for all six of the Stone Crabs runs, driving in five and scoring himself for the sixth.

St. Lucie jumped out to an early lead in the first inning. Richard Lucas singled to short followed by a single by Sean Ratliff. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Joshua Satin drove home the first run with a ground out to the mound. Stefan Welch then drove home another run with a single to right to give the Mets a 2-0 lead.

The Stone Crabs rallied back to take the lead in the bottom of the second. Reid Fronk singled to left. Matt Hall and Isaias Velasquez each drew a walk to load the bases. Tim Beckham drove home three runs with a triple to center to give the Stone Crabs a 3-2 lead.

The Mets tied the game in the top of the fourth. Eric Campbell drew a walk to get things started. Raul Reyes then drove home the run with a double to tie the game 3-3.

The Stone Crabs regained the lead in the fourth inning. Matt Hall led of with a free pass after getting hit by a pitch. Isaias Velasquez singled to right to move Hall to third. Tim Beckham then drove home two runs with his second triple of the game. Beckham later scored on a sac fly by Henry Wrigley to take a 6-3 lead.

Marquis Fleming and Zach Quate combined to keep the Mets off the board and secure the 6-4 victory.

Stone Crabs Player of the Game: Tim Beckham; 2 for 3 with 2 triples and accounted for all runs either by RBI or scoring himself.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Tim Beckham; 2 for 3 with 2 triples, 5 RBI’s and a run scored.
Jake Jefferies: 1 for 3 with a walk.
Kyeong Kang: 0 for 4 with 3 strikeouts.
Matt Sweeney: 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts and a walk.

A Look Ahead: The Stone Crabs and Mets wrap up the series on Thursday night at Charlotte Sports Park. Chris Andujar will start against Eric Beaulac.

Bowling Green Hot Rods lose to Great Lakes 7-4

The Game: The Bowling Green Hot Rods fell to the Great Lakes Loons 7-4 on Wednesday night at Bowling Green Ballpark.

Great Lakes posted the first run of the game in the fourth inning. Angelo Songco walked to get things started. JT Wise followed with an RBI double to take a 1-0 lead.

The Loons added to their total in the sixth inning. Rafael Ynoa led off with a single to third. Angelo Songco drove him home with a single to center to increase the lead 2-0.

The Hot Rods battled back to take the lead in the eighth inning. Dustin Biell was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Tyler Bortnick moved Biell to third with a double to center. Both runners scored on a two run double by Brett Nommensen. Eli Sonoqui then singled to right to score Nommensen. Chris Murrill replaced Sonoqui as a pinch runner and stole second and later third. Murrill would then score on a single by Ryan Wiegand to take a 4-2 lead.

The Loons would then strike for five runs in the ninth inning as the Hot Rods fell 7-4.

Kyle Lobstein pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits with 3 strikeouts and 3 walks. Mavares pitched 2 1/3 innings and allowed no runs on a hit with 3 strikeouts. Scott Shuman was charged with a bad save and eventually the loss for allowing 5 runs on 4 hits with 2 strikeouts and 2 walks.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Tyler Bortnick: 1 for 4 with a double and a run scored.
Kyle Lobstein: 2 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits with 3 strikeouts and 3 walks in 5 2/3 innings.
Ty Morrison: 0 for 4

4/29: The Rundown

Durham Bulls 9, Buffalo Bisons 2
Box | Recap
Notes: Durham improved to 15-6... Jeremy Hellickson recovered from a rough outing last start to go 5.2 innings, allow 2 runs on 6 hits, and strike out 5... Mike Ekstrom followed with his Durham debut, and Winston Abreu and Dale Thayer each threw scoreless frames... Chris Richard, Angel Chavez, and Rashad Eldridge all homered for Durham... Justin Ruggiano went 3 for 4 with a double and a walk... Hank Blalock and Dan Johnson each had 2 hits and 3 RBIs...
The Leftovers: Hellickson recovered nicely for sure. After struggling with his command and striking out only 1 last time out, he was much better. He threw 68 of his 96 pitches for strikes, including 17 of the swinging variety... Hank Blalock is hitting .404 for the Bulls...

Montgomery Biscuits 6, Mississippi Braves 3
Box | Recap
Notes: Montgomery improved to 11-9... Jeremy Hall started and allowed 2 runs over 5.1 innings, but it was Eduardo Morlan who got the win in relief thanks to the Montgomery offense coming alive... Matt Fields went 3-4 with a home run... Emeel Salem was 2-3 with a triple and 2 RBIs...
The Leftovers:

Charlotte Stone Crabs 6, St. Lucie Mets 3
Box | Recap
Notes: Charlotte improved to 10-8... Frank De Los Santos started and allowed 3 runs over 6 innings to improve to 3-0. He struck out 7 and walked 3... The bullpen flexed it muscle once again, with Marquis Fleming and Zach Quate combining for 3 perfect innings, striking out 4... Tim Beckham was the offensive star, driving in 5 of Charlotte's runs on two triples. He also drew a walk... Isiais Velasquez reached base four times(two hits and two walks) and stole two bases...
The Leftovers: I'm going to be a broken record on the Marquis Fleming thing until he either gets promoted or stops dominating: 12 innings, 3 hits, 0 runs, 4 walks, 23 strikeouts. Zach Quate too has been great: 11 innings, 5 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 15 strikeouts.

Great Lakes Loons 7, Bowling Green Hot Rods 4
Box | Recap
Notes: Bowling Green fell to 5-15... Scott Shuman got hit hard in the 9th inning, allowing 5 runs and turning a 4-2 lead into a 7-4 deficit... Kyle Lobstein allowed 2 runs(1 earned) over 5.2 innings. He struck out 3 and walked 3... Brett Nommensen was 3-4 with a double and 2 RBIs...
The Leftovers: Bowling Green certainly leads the way in disappointing starts: Ty Morrison hasn't gotten anything going at the plate, Kyle Lobstein hasn't been as good as I thought he'd be so far, and Scott Shuman's going to have to do some work to burn the effects of this game off his ERA...

Bowling Green Hot Rods Week in Review: 4/21 to 4/27

The Bowling Green Hot Rods finished the week 2-4 and are in last place of the Midwest League Eastern Division. The Hot Rods offense has struggled so far this season, ranking near the bottom of all offensive categories. They did show improvement towards the end of the week as they picked up their first winning streak of the year, recording back to back wins to close out the week.

Hitting Leaders:
Average: Mark Thomas (.328)
Slugging: Mark Thomas (.465)
On Base Pct: Mark Thomas (.356)
Hits: Chris Murrill (20)
Doubles: Tyler Bortnick (5)
Triples: Brett Nommensen, Dustin Biell and Julio Cedeno (1)
Home Runs: Mark Thomas (2)
RBI’s: Mark Thomas (7)
Stolen Bases: Brett Nommensen (7, tied eighth in MID)

Pitching Leaders:
ERA Starters: Wilking Rodriguez (2.74)
ERA Overall: Scott Shuman (1.08)
Wins: Alex Koronis (2)
Saves: Scott Shuman and Kirby Yates (2)
Strikeouts: Alex Colome and Wilking Rodriguez (23, tied tenth in MID)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .230 (16 of 16)
Slugging: .299 (16 of 16)
On Base Pct: .296 (14 of 16)
Hits: 140 (16 of 16)
Doubles: 21 (16 of 16)
Triples: 3 (tied 12 of 16)
Home Runs: 5 (15 of 16)
Runs Scored: 55 (16 of 16)
Stolen Bases: 31 (tied 2 of 16)

Team Pitching Stats (rank):
ERA: 4.36 (14 of 16)
Runs Allowed: 89 (10 of 16)
Strikeouts: 157 (10 of 16)
Walks: 52 (2 of 16)

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Tyler Bortnick: .222 AVG, .302 SLG, .279 OBP, 2 RBI, 4 SB
Alex Colome: 0-1, 3.66 ERA, 19.2 IP, 23 K’s, 4 BB, 0.97 WHIP
Kyle Lobstein: 0-2, 6.00 ERA, 12.0 IP, 9 K’s, 2, BB, 1.58 WHIP
Jason McEachern: 0-3, 5.79 ERA, 18.2 IP, 12 K’s, 4 BB, 1.71 WHIP
Ty Morrison: .135 AVG, .173 SLG, .151 OBP, 2 doubles, 3 SB
Wilking Rodriguez: 1-1, 2.74 ERA, 23.0 IP, 23 K’s, 5 BB, 0.96 WHIP

Transactions: None.

Disabled List: Wood Fines, Tyree Hayes and Will Kline.

The Week Ahead: 4/28/10-4/29/10: vs Great Lakes Loons (11-7). 4/30/10-5/3/10: at Dayton Dragons (10-10). 5/5/10: vs Fort Wayne Tin Caps (9-10).

Pythagorean Records

As we have in past seasons, throughout the year we will track how the teams are doing in relation to their pythagorean expected records. Pythagorean winning percentage is an estimate of a team's winning percentage based on their runs scored and runs allowed. It can tell you whether the teams are a bit lucky or unlucky. It is calculated with this formula: (Runs Scored)^1.83/((Runs Scored)^1.83 + (Runs Allowed)^1.83). It's still early in the season, but so far everyone is about where they should be.

Team, actual wins, actual losses, runs scored, runs allowed, pythagorean wins, pythagorean losses, difference between actual and pythagorean.

Team                     W   L   RS   RA  pW  pL  Dif
Tampa Bay Rays          15   5  121   69  15   5    0
Durham Bulls            14   6  127   78  14   6    0
Montgomery Biscuits     10   9   78   79   9  10   +1
Charlotte Stone Crabs    9   8   60   48  10   7   -1
Bowling Green Hot Rods   5  14   55   89   6  13   -1
Hudson Valley Renegades  0   0    0    0   0   0    0
Princeton Rays           0   0    0    0   0   0    0
GCL Rays                 0   0    0    0   0   0    0
VSL Rays                 0   0    0    0   0   0    0
DSL Rays                 0   0    0    0   0   0    0

Affiliate Attendance

Team, league, number of home games, average attendance, rank in league.

Team           League           G     Avg    LgRank
Durham         International   10   6,435    4th/14
Montgomery     Southern         8   4,213    3rd/10
Charlotte      Florida State   10   3,455    1st/12
Bowling Green  Midwest          9   3,405    4th/16
Hudson Valley  New York-Penn    0       0    -th/14
Princeton      Appalachian      0       0    -th/10

For comparison, here were the final figures from 2009:

Team           League           G     Avg    LgRank
Durham         International   72   6,783    8th/14
Montgomery     Southern        66   4,042    3rd/10
Charlotte      Florida State   60   2,855    1st/12
Bowling Green  South Atlantic  66   3,530    8th/16
Hudson Valley  New York-Penn   35   4,609    5th/14
Princeton      Appalachian     28     926    7th/10

Charlotte Stone Crabs fall to St. Lucie Mets 5-3

The Game: The Charlotte Stone Crabs fell to the St. Lucie Mets 5-3 on Tuesday night at Charlotte Sports Park.

St. Lucie took an early lead in the third inning. Joshua Satin homered to right to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.

The Stone Crabs battled to take the lead in the home half of the inning. Isaias Velasquez got things started with a single to left. Velasquez then advanced to third on a single by Tim Beckham. Beckham stole second to put another runner in scoring position. Henry Wrigley drove home two runs with a triple to right field that scored Velasquez and Beckham. Wrigley later score on an RBI single by Matt Sweeney to take a 3-1 lead.

St. Lucie pulled to within a run of the lead in the fourth inning on a solo home run by Eric Campbell.

The Mets took the led in the seventh inning. Richard Lucas singled to short with one out to put a runner on. Sean Ratliff the homered to right. Stefan Welch followed with a double to right then later scored on an RBI single by Eric Campbell to take a 5-3 lead.

The Stone Crabs could not push across a run in the final frames and lost 5-3.

Joseph Cruz pitched 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits with 6 strikeouts and 2 walks in the no decision. Michael Jarman suffered the loss, surrendering 3 runs on 5 hits with a walk in 2 innings. Tommy Rafferty pitched 2 no-hit frames with 3 strikeouts and a walk.

Stone Crabs Player of the Game: Tommy Rafferty; pitched two no-hit innings to keep the Stone Crabs in the game while the offense tried to catch up.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Tim Beckham: 1 for 3 with a run scored, stolen base, walk and a strikeout.
Joseph Cruz: 2 runs on 5 hits with 6 strikeouts and 2 walks in 5 innings.
Kyeong Kang: 0 for 4.
Matt Sweeney: 1 for 3 with an RBI and a walk.

A Look Ahead: The Stone Crabs (9-8) and Mets (8-10) face off for game two of the series on Wednesday night at Charlotte Sports Park. Frank De Los Santos (2-0, 0.82) starts for the Stone Crabs against Kyle Allen (2-0, 3.60).

Bowling Green Hot Rods win 4-2 against Great Lakes Loons

The Game: The Bowling Green Hot Rods defeated the Great Lakes Loons 4-2 on Tuesday night at Bowling Green Ballpark. The win was the first time this season the Hot Rods put together back to back wins.

Great Lakes took the lead in the first inning. Christian Lara led off the game with a solo home run to right field to give the Loons a 1-0 lead.

The Hot Rods tied the game in the third inning. Mayobanex doubled to left to lead off the inning. Acosta advanced to third on a ground out by Robi Estrada. Dustin Biell then singled home the runs with a single to center to tie the game 1-1.

The Loons regained the lead in the fourth inning. Jerry Sands singled to lead off the inning. Sands later advanced to third on an error. JT Side drove home the run with a sac fly to give them a 2-1 lead.

But the Hot Rods fought back to tie the game an inning later. Brett Nommensen doubled to center then advanced to third on a bal. Mayobanex Acosta drove home the run with a ground out to tie the game 2-2.

Bowling Green took their first lead of the game in the sixth inning. Chris Murrill drew a walk to get things started. Tyler Bortnick doubled to left to advance Murrill to third. Then Murrill scored and Bortnick advanced to third on a balk. Bortnick would later score on an error to give the Hot Rods a 4-2 win.

Wilking Rodriguez recorded the win, pitching 6 innings and allowing 2 runs on 2 hits with 6 strikeouts and 2 walks. Matt Stabelfeld followed with a no-hit inning with a strikeout. Kirby Yates got the save with 2 shut-out innings with 3 strikeouts and a walk while allowing 1 hit.

Hot Rods Player of the Game: Wilking Rodriguez; picked up his first win of the season by pitching 6 innings and allowing 2 runs on 2 hits with 6 strikeouts.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Tyler Bortnick: 1 for 4 with a double and a run scored.
Wilking Rodriguez: 2 runs on 2 hits with 6 strikeouts and 2 walks in 6 innings.

A Look Ahead: The Hot Rods will play Great Lake again on Wednesday night at Bowling Green Ballpark. Kyle Lobstein (0-2, 6.00) will make the start for Bowling Green against Will Savage (1-1, 2.55) for Great Lakes.

Durham Bulls fall to Buffalo Bisons 9-5

The Game: The Durham Bulls kicked off the road trip with a 9-5 loss to the Buffalo Bisons on Tuesday night at Coca-Cola Field.

The Bulls broke the scoreless tie in the fourth inning. Justin Ruggiano and Hank Blalock got things started with back to back singles. Dan Johnson then drove home Ruggiano with a single to right. Joe Dillon drove home the second run by hitting into a double play with Blalock scoring on the play. Chris Richard followed with a solo home run to give the Bulls a 3-0 lead.

Buffalo battled back to take the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Ruben Tejada and Jason Pridie singled to put runners on the bases. Jesus Feliciano was then struck by a pitch to load the bases. Mike Jacobs drove home three runs with a double to left field. Then Mike Hessman cleared the bases with a home run to give the Bisons a 5-3 lead.

The Bulls came back to tie the game in the fifth inning. Elliot Johnson singled to left then scored on a double by Hank Blalock. Blalock later scored on a single by Dan Johnson to tie the game 5-5.

The Bisons regained the lead in the home half of the fifth. Omir Santos drew a walk to get things started. Andy Green advanced the runner to third with a double to left. Santos would then score on a ground out by Ruben Tejada to take a 6-5 lead.

The Bisons added three more runs in the eighth inning. Ruben Tejada singled to lead off the inning. Jesus Feliciano double home the run with a double to right. Mike Hessman cleared the bases with his second home run of the night to hand Buffalo a 9-5 win.

Carlos Hernandez pitched 4 innings and allowed 5 runs on 7 hits with a strikeout and 3 walks. Joaquin Benoit was charged with the loss, allowing 1 run on 1 hit with a walk and a strikeout. Joe Bateman pitched 2 no-hit innings in relief. Brian Baker allowed 3 runs on 3 hits in the final frame.

Bulls Player of the Game: Hank Blalock; 2 for 5 with a double, RBI and 2 runs scored.

RP Top Prospect Watch: n/a

A Look Ahead: The Bulls will play Buffalo in game two of the series on Wednesday night. Jeremy Hellickson (3-0, 2.38) will start for Durham.

Montgomery Biscuits shut-out Mississippi Braves 4-0

The Game: The Montgomery Biscuits shut-out the Mississippi Braves 4-0 on Tuesday at Riverwalk Stadium. David Newmann kept the Braves offense at bay by throwing 7 2/3 shut-out innings to lead the Biscuits to victory.

The Biscuits broke the scoreless tie in the fifth inning. Chris Nowak drew a walk to lead off the inning. Nowak then advanced to third on a double by Matt Fields. Greg Sexton drove home both runners with a double to left that gave the Biscuits a 2-0 lead.

The Biscuits increased their lead in the seventh inning. Craig Albernaz reached on an error with two outs to put a runner on the bases. John Matulia then drove him home with an RBI triple to increase the lead to 3-0.

Montgomery added an insurance run in the eighth inning. Matt Fields and Greg Sexton picked up back to back walks to get things going. Cody Cipriano drove home Fields to secure a 4-0 win.

David Newmann picked up his first win of the season by pitching 7 2/3 scoreless innings and allowed only 4 hits with 7 strikeouts and a walk. Matt Gorgen recorded his fourth save by pitching 1 1/3 innings with a hit and a strikeout.

Biscuits Player of the Game: David Newmann; 7 2/3 shut-out innings with 7 strikeouts.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Matt Gorgen: no runs on 1 hit with a strikeout in 1 1/3 inning.
David Newmann: no runs on 4 hits with 7 strikeouts and walk in 7 2/3 innings.

A Look Ahead: The Biscuits (10-9) wrap up the series against Mississippi Braves (10-9) on Wednesday night. Jeremy Hall (0-1, 2.25) will start against Erik Cordier (1-1, 3.21).

The Case for Marquis Fleming

If you look at minor league boxscores for the Rays on a daily (or in my case-nightly) basis, one thing that you'll notice when you scroll down and see Marquis Fleming's name in the Port Charlotte Stone Crabs boxscore is that he'll have zeros under most categories(runs, walks and hits) and he'll have a couple of strikeouts. For the year, in 10 innings of relief work for the Crabs, Marquis has 21 Ks, 4 walks and 3 hits. He's yet to even give up an earned run(0.51 FIP).

He's currently 23 and in High A, which is a bit "old" for the league. In the same breath, the Rays aren't a team who normally fast-track prospects anyways. He's a reliever showing dominance, but I'm sure the Rays are being cautious after promoting another relief ace, Matt Gorgen, to Montgomery midseason and watching his dominance stop. In 47.2 IP for Charlotte, Gorgen struck out 59 batters and only walked 16. His ERA was sub-1(0.59) and had a 4-0 W-L record before his promotion. While in Montgomery, he went 3-1 but his ERA sky-rocketed to 2.38, he walked 13 batters and his Ks were few and far between(18 in his 22.2 IP there). Also, he did this while being almost a full year younger than Marquis.

Is there reason for worry that, like Matt Gorgen, a promotion would pretty much end a dominant run and his stats would level out? Sure, but that comes with any pitching prospect. However, they're so early into the season, a promotion right now would be foolish. If he's as dominant as he is now with 40+ innings under his belt and Mitch Lukevics & company believe him to be ready, he'll be in Montgomery by June or July. With Matt Gorgen's ascension and then collapse, I think our player development staff now has a better understanding on handling relief prospects who are dominating their leagues early on and how to prevent such a collapse from happening again.

Just think, the Rays may have to face this situation again next year with Zachary Quate or Alexis Koronis.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

4/27: Today's Games

Durham Bulls at Buffalo Bisons (NYM) 6:05 ET
Starting for Durham: LHP Carlos Hernandez
Notes: Hernandez is 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA... Dillon Gee (3-0, 1.00 ERA) is scheduled to start for Buffalo... Former Bull Jason Pridie is with Buffalo...

Montgomery Biscuits vs. Mississippi Braves (ATL) 11:35 AM ET
Starting for Montgomery: LHP David Newmann
Notes: Newmann is 0-2 with a 2.81 ERA on the season... LHP Scott Diamond will start for Mississippi...

Charlotte Stone Crabs vs. St. Lucie Mets (NYM) 7:05 ET
Starting for Charlotte: RHP Joe Cruz
Notes: Cruz is 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA on the year...

Bowling Green Hot Rods vs. Great Lakes Loons (LAD) 7:35 ET
Starting for Bowling Green: RHP Wilking Rodriguez
Notes: Rodriguez is 0-1 with a 3.18 ERA... Loons outfielder Jerry Sands is hitting .443/.500/.967 in 61 ABs...

Montgomery Biscuits defeat Mississippi Braves 2-1

The Game: The Montgomery Biscuits defeated the Mississippi Braves 2-1 on Monday night. The Biscuits earned the win thanks in part to a dazzling 2 hit performance by starting pitcher Darin Downs.

The Biscuits took the lead in the home half of the first inning. Emeel Salem led off the inning with a line drive double to right. Salem would later score on a ground ball by Matt Fields to take a 1-0 lead.

The Biscuits added to their lead in the fourth inning. Greg Sexton singled to left to get things started. Cody Cipriano followed with a single to move Sexton to second. John Matulia then drove home Sexton with an RBI single to left, increasing the lead to 2-0.

Mississippi posted their only run in the ninth inning. Mauro Gomez drew a walk to put a runner on base with two outs. Cody Johnson then singled to center, moving Gomez to third. Orlando Mercado singled home the run with a line drive to center. But Paul Phillips rallied to get the third out to secure the 2-1 Biscuits win.

Darin Downs improved to 2-0 with a 5 2/3 shut-out appearance recording 5 strikeouts and 2 walks. Dane De La Rosa followed 1 1/3 no hit innings of relief with a strikeout. Paul Phillips pitched the final 2 frames allowing 1 run on 3 hits with 4 strikeouts and a walk, recording his second save of the season.

Biscuits Player of the Game: Darin Downs; 5 2/3 shut-out innings.

RP Top Prospect Watch: n/a

A Look Ahead: The Biscuits (9-9) conclude the series against Mississippi Braves (10-8) on Tuesday morning at Riverwalk Stadium. David Newmann (0-0, 2.81) will make the start for Montgomery against Scott Diamond (0-1, 6.75) for Mississippi.

Charlotte Stone Crabs earn 5-3 comeback victory against Jupiter Hammerheads

The Game: The Charlotte Stone Crabs rallied in the late innings to defeat the Jupiter Hammerheads 5-3 on Monday night at Roger Dean Stadium.

Jupiter struck first in the second inning. Ryan Keedy tripled to right to lead off the inning. Keedy then scored on a wild pitch by Nick Barnese to give them a 1-0 lead.

The Hammerheads added to their lead in the fifth inning. Jeremy Synan drew a walk to start the inning. Synan advanced to second on a passed ball. Robert Taylor then doubled to score Synan. Taylor would later score on a ground ball by Emilio Ontiveros to increase the lead 3-0.

The Stone Crabs battled back to tie the game in the eighth inning. Henry Wrigley and Matt Sweeney delivered back to back singles to lead off the inning. Matt Spring then drew a walk to load the bases. Jake Jefferies plated the first run with a sac fly to score Wrigley. Reid Fronk then tied the game with a pinch hit double to score Sweeney and Spring to tie the game 3-3.

The Stone Crabs comeback rally continued into the ninth inning. Isaias Velasquez singled to center then stole second base. Tim Beckham followed with a walk. Henry Wrigley drove home the go ahead run with an RBI single to center that scored Velasquez. Kyeong Kong drove home an insurance run with a ground ball that scored Beckman from third to increase the lead. Josh Satow entered the game in the ninth to secure the Stone Crabs 5-3 victory.

Nick Barnese pitched 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits with 5 strikeouts and a walk. Neil Schenk earned the win, pitching 2 shut-out innings and allowing 1 hit with 4 strikeouts. Josh Satow recorded the save with 1 shut-out inning with 2 strikeouts and a hit.

Stone Crabs Player of the Game: Isaias Velasquez; 4 for 5 with a run scored and three stolen bases.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Nick Barnese: 3 runs on 3 hits with 5 strikeouts and a walk in 6 innings.
Tim Beckham: 0 for 3 with 2 walks and a strikeout.
Jake Jefferies: 0 for 3 with an RBI, strikeout and a walk.
Kyeong Kang: 2 for 5 with an RBI, 2 strikeouts and a walk.
Matt Sweeney: 2 for 4 with a run scored and a strikeout.

A Look Ahead: The Stone Crabs (9-7) return home to Charlotte Sports Park to kick off a three game series against the St. Lucie Mets (7-10). Joseph Cruz (0-1, 3.60) will start for Charlotte vs Scott Moviel (0-2, 10.29) for St. Lucie.

4/27: The Rundown

Gwinnett Braves 4, Durham Bulls 3
Box | Recap
Notes: Durham fell to 14-5... Heath Rollins got the spot start and allowed all 4 runs on 7 hits in 4 innings. He struck out 1 and walked 2... Richard De Los Santos shut Gwinnett down for 5 innings, allowing only one hit... Dan Johnson hit his 8th home run of the season and drove in 2 runs... Hank Blalock, Joe Dillon, and Chris Richard each had two hits...
The Leftovers: Heath Rollins really hasn't found his groove yet this season. He's struck out 8 and walked 7 on the year... Dan Johnson is hitting .323/.386/.742 on the season...

Montgomery Biscuits 2, Mississippi Braves 1
Box | Recap
Notes: Montgomery evened up their record at 9-9... Darin Downs was strong in his first start of the season, shutting the Braves out on 2 hits over 5.2 innings. He walked 5 and struck out 2, leaving in the 6th after being hit on the leg with a batted ball... Dane De La Rosa and Paul Phillips finished it off... Matt Fields and John Matulia each drove in a run... Chris De La Cruz and Cody Cipriano had two hits apiece...
The Leftovers: Stacy Long reports that Downs left with a noticable limp, but he did walk off under his own power. Hopefully the injury isn't serious because Downs has been great this year: 3 ER in 17 innings, bolstered by a sparkling 18-to-3 K-BB ratio...

Charlotte Stone Crabs 5, Jupiter Hammerheads 3
Box | Recap
Notes: Charlotte improved to 9-7... Charlotte scored 3 runs in the 8th and 2 in the 9th to steal the victory... Nick Barnese started and allowed 3 runs over 6 innings, striking out 5 and walking 1... Neil Schenk and Josh Satow combined for 3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen... Reid Fronk delivered a pinch-hit 2-out 2-RBI double in the 8th... Henry Wrigley, Matt Sweeney, and Kyeong Kang each picked up two hits... Tim Beckham went 0-3 but walked twice...
The Leftovers: Tim Beckham struck out once, extending his dubious streak of games with a strikeout to 10 to begin the year. He's hitting just .103...

Bowling Green Hot Rods off
Notes:
The Leftovers:

Aneury Rodriguez named International League Pitcher of the Week

The International League announced today that Aneury Rodriguez has been named the League's Pitcher of the Week for the period from April 19-25. Rodriguez joins Jeremy Hellickson (April 12-18) to make Durham the first team in the IL to win multiple weekly awards in 2010.

In his first two starts at the Triple-A level, Rodriguez could hardly have been more impressive. After looking sharp in two starts at Double-A Montgomery, Rodriguez was promoted to Durham where he was given the ball for Tuesday's game at Charlotte. In 7.0 innings, Rodriguez did not allow a runner past second base. He gave up just a walk and four hits while striking out six as Durham cruised to an 11-0 victory. Last night against Gwinnett, he was just as dominant. Once again going 7.0 innings, Rodriguez surrendered just one hit and two walks while striking out four.

In two starts so far at the Triple-A level, Rodriguez has allowed five hits and three walks in 14.0 innings for an amazing WHIP of 0.57. Opposing batters are hitting just .109 against him. Rodriguez and teammate Jeremy Hellickson are the first ever pair of Durham Bulls to bring home IL Pitcher of the Week awards in consecutive weeks. The last team to accomplish the feat was Indianapolis with Eric Hacker and Daniel McCutchen in August of 2009.

22-year-old Rodriguez is in his sixth year as a professional pitcher. Originally signed by the Rockies, Rodriguez was dealt to Tampa Bay last April in exchange for pitcher Jason Hammel. He spent all of 2009 with Double-A Montgomery, going 9-11 with a 4.50 ERA. Rodriguez is a native of Higuey, Dominican Republic.

Durham Bulls fall to Gwinnett Braves 4-3

The Game: The Durham Bulls rally falls short as they lose to the Gwinnett Braves 4-3 on Monday afternoon at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Gwinnett took the lead in the second inning, Mitch Jones doubled to center to put a runner on base. Brandon Hicks singled to left to move Jones to third. Jones then scored on an RBI single by Joe Thurston to give the Braves a 1-0 lead.

The Braves increased their lead in the third inning. Freddie Freeman struck a two run homer to give them a 3-0 lead.

Gwinnett’s offense added another run in the fourth inning. Brandon Hicks singled to left to get things started. Hicks then stole second and scored on a single by Joe Thurston to take a 4-0 lead.

The Bulls posted their first run in the fifth inning. Jose Lobaton singled to right then advanced to second on a single by Fernando Perez. Hank Blalock then plated a run with a single to right to score Lobaton and pull the Bulls to within three.

The Bulls continues to rally in the eighth inning. Hank Blalock singled to center followed by a two run homer by Dan Johnson to pull the Bulls within a run of the lead. But the Bulls could not produce another run and took a 4-3 loss.

Heath Rollins fell to 0-2 with the loss, allowing 4 runs on 7 hits with a strikeout and 2 walks in 4 innings. Richard De Los Santos pitched 5 no hit innings in relief with a strikeout.

Bulls Player of the Game: Richard De Los Santos; 5 no hit innings.

RP Top Prospect Watch: n/a

A Look Ahead: The Bulls (14-5) hit the road to begin a four game series against the Buffalo Bisons (10-8) at Coca-Cola Field. Carlos Hernandez (2-0, 2.00) will start for Durham against Dillon Gee (3-0, 1.00) for Buffalo.

Stone Crabs Return with Concessions Specials for Three-Game Homestand

[Via email from the Charlotte Stone Crabs' Marketing Manager Jonathan Gantt.]

The Charlotte Stone Crabs return to Charlotte Sports Park for a three-game series against the St. Lucie Mets (New York) that starts Tuesday, April 27 and runs through Thursday, April 29.

Fans can enjoy several budget-friendly concessions deals during the three-game set including Seniors Eat Free Tuesday presented by Ruhl Law Group, Chick-fil-A Winning Wednesday and Thursty Thursday presented by The Ice House Pub.

The Stone Crabs begin the series against the Mets on Tuesday, April 27 with Seniors Eat Free Tuesday presented by Ruhl Law Group. All fans 55 and over will receive a free hot dog, bag of chips and soft drink with the purchase of a game ticket, which starts at just $6 for general admission. Tuesday also marks KRAFT Singles Tuesday Night tickets where fans can receive a buy-one, get-one-free ticket offer if they present a KRAFT Singles wrapper to the box office at the time or purchase. Visit KraftSingles.com for more info. Gates open at 6:00 p.m. and first pitch is 7:05 p.m.

The series continues at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday, April 28 with a Chick-fil-A Winning Wednesday against St. Lucie. If the Stone Crabs win, everyone in attendance will receive a coupon for a free sandwich from the Chick-fil-A in Port Charlotte as they exit the stadium. Gates open at 6:00 p.m.

Charlotte will wrap up the homestand on Thursday, April 29 with gates opening at 6:00 p.m. for Thursty Thursday presented by The Ice House Pub. Thursty Thursday drink specials include $1 domestic drafts and $2 domestic bottles through the fifth inning of the game. First pitch is 7:05 p.m.

Tickets start at just $6 for all home games and are available three ways: visiting the Charlotte Sports Park box office, calling 941-206-HITS (4487), or visiting StoneCrabsBaseball.com. For a full promotional schedule with descriptions of each event, please visit StoneCrabsBaseball.com or call 941-206-HITS (4487).

4/26: Today's Games

Durham Bulls vs. Gwinnett Braves (ATL) 11:05 ET
Starting for Durham: RHP Heath Rollins
Notes: Virgil Vasquez, the original schedule starter, fractured his wrist in a car accident. There is no timetable on his return... Rollins is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in 6 relief appearances... RHP Ryne Reynoso is scheduled to start for Gwinnett... The Bulls open up a series in Buffalo beginning tomorrow...

Montgomery Biscuits vs. Mississippi Braves (ATL) 8:05 ET
Starting for Montgomery: LHP Darin Downs
Notes: Downs is making his first start of the season. In 11.1 innings out of the bullpen, he's allowed 3 earned runs nad has a 13-1 K-BB rate... This was originally Jake McGee's spot in the rotation. He left his last start after injuring his left knee...

Charlotte Stone Crabs at Jupiter Hammerheads (FLA) 7:05 ET
Starting for Charlotte: RHP Nick Barnese
Notes: Barnese is 2-1 with a 2.95 ERA on the season... LHP Brad Hand is scheduled to start for Jupiter... Charlotte comes home tomorrow for a 3-game series with St. Lucie...

Bowling Green Hot Rods off
Starting for Bowling Green:
Notes: Bowling Green opens a series at home with Great Lakes tomorrow...

4/26: The Rundown

Durham Bulls 9, Gwinnett Braves 1
Box | Recap
Notes: Durham improved to 14-4... Aneury Rodriguez pitched 7 scoreless innings, allowing just 1 hit while walking 2 and striking out 4... Dale Thayer allowed a hit and a run in relief... Chris Richard, Justin Ruggiano, Joe Dillon, and Alvin Colina all homered... Dillon and Colina were perfect at the dish: Dillon went 4 for 4 and Colina was 3 for 3 with a walk...
The Leftovers: Aneury Rodriguez: 14 scoreless innings, 10 strikeouts, 3 walks so far with Durham. The 22-year old is off to a great start this season... Desmond Jennings didn't start again. He pinch ran yesterday, so his legs must be okay. Perhaps his wrist is acting up some, but I really don't know...

Montgomery Biscuits 8, Mississippi Braves 0 (7 innings)
Mississippi Braves 7, Montgomery Biscuits 3 (7 innings)
Box 1 | Box 2 | Recap
Notes: Montgomery split the doubleheader and sits at 8-9... Alex Torres shut the Braves down in game 1, allowing no runs on 2 hits over 6 innings. He walked 4 and struck out 7 before Dane De La Rosa finished the game... Nevin Ashley, Greg Sexton, and John Matulia each drove in 2 runs... Rayner Oliveros allowed 4 runs in 4 innings in game 2, and Ryan Reid allowed 3 more in an inning of relief... Emeel Salem went 2-4 with an RBI in game 2...
The Leftovers: Torres' control slipped later in the game(2 walks in the 5th and another in the 6th) but his stuff remained sharp, striking out the side in his final frame... 1st round pick(and former Rays draftee) Mike Minor was ineffective for Mississippi in the first game, allowing 7 runs and walking 4 in 4.2 innings. His defense didn't do him any favors, though, and the result was that all 7 runs were unearned...

Jupiter Hammerheads 2, Charlotte Stone Crabs 1
Box | Recap
Notes: Charlotte fell to 8-7... Matt Moore struck out a season-high 8 batters, allowing a run on 2 hits and 4 walks over 5 innings... Marquis Fleming pitched two scoreless innings of relief, striking out 4... Zach Quate got the loss, allowing a run in the bottom of the 8th... The Crabs only run came on a groundout in the 2nd inning... Jake Jefferies had 2 of Charlotte's 5 hits... Matt Sweeney went 0-4...
The Leftovers: Marquis Fleming's numbers are officially ridiculous: 10 innings, 3 hits, 0 runs, 4 walks, 21 strikeouts...

Lake County Captains 1, Bowling Green Hot Rods 0 (7 innings)
Bowling Green Hot Rods 3, Lake County Captains 0 (7 innings)
Box 1 | Box 2 | Recap
Notes: Bowling Green split the double-header but got a much-needed win. They're now 4-14... Jason McEachern shut the Captains out for 6 innings in game 1. He struck out 2 and walked 2... Scott Shuman got the loss, allowing a run in the 7th... Dustin Biell had two hits in game 1... Shane Dyer did McEachern one better, shutting the Captains out for 7 innings in game 2. He struck out 6 and didn't walk a batter... Brett Nommensen and Ty Morrison had RBIs in game 2...
The Leftovers: Shane Dyer has been fantastic this year, with a 1.57 ERA and 18 strikeouts to 3 walks... Jason McEachern kept the Captains off the board, obviously a nice thing to see, but his K-BB rate hasn't been great. Still, it'd be nice to see McEachern use this start as a springboard to success in the Midwest League...

Montgomery Biscuits split doubleheader with 7-3 loss in game two

The Game: The Montgomery Biscuits split the doubleheader by losing to the Mississippi Braves 7-3 in game two on Sunday.

Mississippi took the lead in the first inning. Eric Duncan singled to right field. Duncan later scored on a double by Mauro Gomez to take a 1-0 lead.

The Biscuits battled back to take the lead in the third inning. Emeel Salem singled to short to get things started. Salem advanced to third on a single by Chris De La Cruz. Salem would later score on a wild pitch. Matt Fields then drove home De LA Cruz to give the Biscuits a 2-1 lead.

Mississippi regained the lead in the fourth inning. Eric Duncan led off the inning with a walk. Mauro Gomez followed with a home run to right to clear the bases. Then Cody Johnson went deep to give the Braves a 4-2 lead.

The Braves added to their lead in the fifth inning. Randy Gress and Alex Romero singled back to back to lead off the inning. Willie Cabrera then drew a walk to load the bases. Eric Duncan drove home two runs with a single to right. Later in the inning, Cody Johnson would single to score Cabrera and give the Braves a 7-2 lead.

The Biscuits would push across another run in the seventh. Drew Anderson reached on an error to lead off the inning. Anderson advanced to third on a double by John Matulia. Emeel Salem drove home the run with a single to left. But the Biscuits could not pick up another run as they lost 7-3.

Rayner Oliveros suffered the loss, allowing 4 runs on 5 hits with 2 strikeouts and a walk in 4 innings. Ryan Reid followed with 3 runs on 4 hits with 2 walks in 1 inning. Justin Garcia pitched a scoreless inning with a hit and a strikeout with 2 walks. Matt Gorgen pitched the final inning allowing no runs on 1 hit.

Biscuits Player of the Game: Chris De La Cruz; 2 for 3 with a run scored and a walk.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Matt Gorgen; no runs, 1 hit in 1 inning.

A Look Ahead: The Biscuits and Braves will tee off again on Monday night with Darin Downs getting the start for Montgomery.

Bowling Green Hot Rods end losing streak with 3-0 win in game two of doubleheader

The Game: The Bowling Green Hot Rods split the doubleheader by shutting out Lake County 3-0 in game two on Sunday evening. Shane Dyer was lights out in the contest, pitching a complete game shut-out to end the Hot Rods nine game losing streak.

The Hot Rods took the lead in the second inning. Julio Cedeno and Kyle Spraker delivered back to back singles to lead off the inning. Ty Morrison drove home the first run with a ground out to second to score Cedeno. Mayobanex Acosta then reached on a fielder’s choice with Spraker called out at the plate. Diogenes Luis drew a walk and advanced Acosta to second. Brett Nommensen then drove home the second run of the inning with an RBI single to score Acosta and give the Hot Rods a 2-0 lead.

Bowling Green would get an insurance run in the sixth inning. Kyle Spraker drew a two out walk to put a runner on. Spraker then stole second and advanced to third on the errant throw. Spraker would then score on a wild pitch to give the Hot Rods the 3-0 margin of victory.

Shane Dyer would earn the victory, pitching a complete game shut-out only allowing 4 hits while striking out 6.

Hot Rods Player of the Game: Shane Dyer; complete game shut-out.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Tyler Bortnick: 1 for 3 with a double.
Ty Morrison: 0 for 3 with an RBI.

A Look Ahead: The Hot Rods are off on Monday and return to action at home on Tuesday night against the Great Lakes Loons. Wilking Rodriguez (0-1, 3.18) will start for Bowling Green.

Durham Bulls blow out Gwinnett Braves 9-1

The Game: The Durham Bulls used the long ball to help defeat the Gwinnett Braves 9-1 on Sunday at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The Bulls went deep four times in the game.

The Bulls struck first in the first inning. Fernando Perez singled to center to lead off the inning. Elliot Johnson drew a walk to follow. Justin Ruggiano advanced the runners with a ground out to second. Dan Johnson plated the first run with a sac fly to score Perez. Joe Dillon then drove home Elliot Johnson with a single to right. Chris Richard cleared the bases with a two run homer to give the Bulls a 4-0 lead.

The Bulls added to their lead in the third inning. Justin Ruggiano and Joe Dillon each hit solo home runs in the inning to increase the lead to 6-0.

Durham used the long ball yet again in the sixth inning to post more runs to the scoreboard. Joe Dillon singled to left and Ryan Shealy drew a walk to put two runners on the bases. They would not stay there long as Alvin Colina struck a three run home run to up the lead to 9-0.

Gwinnett posted their only run of the contest in the ninth inning. Matt Young double to open up the frame. Young would then score on a ground ball by Freddie Freeman. They could not cross any more runs and the Bulls picked up the 9-1 win.

Aneury Rodriguez was the winning pitcher, pitching 7 shut-out innings and only allowing 1 hit while striking out 4 and walking 2. Dale Thayer pitched the last 2 innings and allowed 1 run on 1 hits with a strikeout and a walk.

Bulls Player of the Game: Joe Dillon; 4 for 4 with a double, home run, 2 RBI’s and 3 runs scored.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Aneury Rodriguez: no runs on 1 hit with 4 strikeouts and 2 walks in 7 innings.

A Look Ahead: The Bulls conclude the series against the Gwinnett Braves on Monday afternoon at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Heath Rollins (0-1, 3.86) will be on the mound for Durham against Ryne Reynoso (0-3, 6.60) for Gwinnett).

Montgomery Biscuits shut-out Mississippi Braves 8-0 in game one of doubleheader

The Game: The Montgomery Biscuits offense heated up in the late innings to defeat the Mississippi Braves 8-0 in game one of a double header on Sunday at Riverwalk Stadium. Alex Torres helped secure the win by throwing 6 shut-out innings.

The Biscuits took the lead in the third inning. Cody Strait doubled to left to lead off the inning. John Matulia hit into a fielder’s choice with Strait out at third. Matulia then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. Chris De La Cruz drove home Matulia to take a 1-0 lead.

The Biscuits posted a seven run fifth inning to ensure the win. John Matulia singled to lead off the inning. Emeel Salem reached on an error to follow. Chris De La Cruz laid down a sac bunt to move both runners into scoring position. Chris Nowak then drew an intentional walk to load the bases. Nevin Ashley doubled to left to score Matulia and Salem. Greg Sexton followed with a two run single to score Nowak and Ashley. Sexton the advanced to second on a Cody Cipriano single. Cody Strait doubled to left, scoring Sexton and moving Cipriano to third. John Matulia then singled home Cipriano and Strait to give the Biscuits the 8-0 margin of victory.

Alex Torres picked up the win by pitching 6 shut-out innings and allowing only 2 hits with 7 strikeouts and 4 walks. Dane De La Rosa pitched a scoreless inning with 1 hit, 2 strikeouts and a walk.

Biscuits Player of the Game: Alex Torres; 6 shut-out innings with 7 strikeouts.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Alex Torres: no runs, 2 hits, 7 strikeouts and 4 walks in 6 innings.

A Look Ahead: The Biscuits and Braves compete in game two of the doubleheader on Sunday.

Charlotte Stone Crabs fall late to Jupiter Hammerheads 2-1

The Game: The Charlotte Stone Crabs gave up a run late in the game to fall to the Jupiter Hammerheads 2-1 on Sunday evening at Roger Dean Stadium.

The Stone Crabs took to an early lead in the second inning. Jake Jefferies and Michael Sheridan hit back to back singles to lead off the inning. Omar Luna laid down a sac bunt to move both runners closer to home. Reid Fronk was then intentionally walked to load the bases. Matt Hall drove home a run with a ground ball to short that gave the Stone Crabs a 1-0 lead.

Jupiter tied the game in the bottom of the third inning. Jose Ceballos drew a walk to lead off the inning. Ceballos advanced to second on a sac bunt by Emilio Ontiveros. Daniel Pertuasti doubled to center to score Ceballos and tie the game 1-1.

Both pitching staffs dueled though the eighth inning when Jupiter struck. Jake Smolinksi drew a walk and then moved to second on a single by Ben Lasater. Paul Gran singled to right and Smolinksi beat the throw by Reid Fronk to win the game for Jupiter.

Matt Moore pitched 5 innings and allowed 1 run on 2 hits with 8 strikeouts and 4 walks. Marquis Fleming followed with 2 scoreless innings allowing 1 hits with 4 strikeouts. Zach Quate suffered the loss, allowing 1 run on 2 hits with a walk. The run surrendered by Quate was his first earned run of the season.

Stone Crabs Player of the Game: Marquis Fleming; 2 shutout innings with 4 strikeouts and has yet to surrender an earned run in 2010.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Jake Jefferies: 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Matt Moore: 1 run on 2 hits with 8 strikeouts and 4 walks in 5 innings.
Matt Sweeney: 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

A Look Ahead: The Stone Crabs (8-7) and Hammerheads (8-8) conclude the series on Monday night at Roger Dean Stadium. Nick Barnese (2-1, 2.95) will start against Brad Hand (1-1, 4.80)

Bowling Green drops game one of doubleheader against Lake County

The Game: The Bowling Green Hot Rods lost to Lake County 1-0 in game one of a double header on Sunday at Bowling Green Ballpark. An error in the final frame broke the tie and led to defeat.

The game remained tied until the final inning of the game when Lake County scored a run. Gregory Folgia double to right to get things started. Scott Shuman then threw away the pickoff attempt and the winning run scored.

Jason McEachern pitched 6 shut-out innings in the no decision, giving up 3 hits with 2 strikeouts and 2 walks. Scott Shuman suffered the loss, allowing an unearned run on 2 hits in an inning on the mound.

Hot Rods Player of the Game: Jason McEachern; 6 shut-out innings.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Jason McEachern: no runs on 2 hits with 2 strikeouts and 2 walks in 6 innings.
Ty Morrison: 1 for 3 with a strikeout.

A Look Ahead: The Hot Rods will conclude the doubleheader against Lake County on Sunday evening. Shane Dyer will start for Bowling Green.

Charlotte Stone Crabs 6, Jupiter Hammerheads 4

[Via email from Grant McAuley, Stone Crabs Broadcaster.]

JUPITER, Fla. -- The Charlotte Stone Crabs launched a three-run ninth inning rally to escape with a 6-4 win over the Jupiter Hammerheads on Saturday at Roger Dean Stadium.

A lead-off walk to Jake Jefferies may have set the stage for the wild ninth inning, but the rally came thanks to the most modest weapon in the offensive arsenal. The bunt.

Trailing 4-3, Charlotte manager Jim Morrison opted to play for the run his team needed to tie. After Omar Luna checked in to pinch-run for Jefferies, Mike Sheridan laid down a sacrifice bunt attempt that was fielded by Jupiter reliever Cory Madden (1-1), who threw late to second base in an attempt to force out Luna.

The bunts did not stop there. Reid Fronk followed with another picture-perfect sacrifice attempt, pushing the ball toward third base. Madden pounced off the mound only to bobble the ball and then throw wildy to first, sending the ball up the right field line.

Madden's throwing error gave Charlotte a 5-4 lead as both runners scored and Fronk ended up at third. Stephen Vogt followed with a pinch-hit single past the drawn-in infield to make a 6-4 game.

That unorthodox rally salvaged a game in which Charlotte took an early lead and then fought a seesaw battle with Jupiter throughout the night.

Third baseman Henry Wrigley continued his torrid hitting to open the season. Wrigley belted his fourth homer of the year in the first inning, a towering blast that tied him atop the Florida State league home run leaderboard. He finished the night 2-for-4 and raised his league-leading average to .385 through 14 games.

Charlotte starter Chris Andujar battled wildness and a pair of throwing errors to give his club five innings of work. He allowed four runs - three earned - on seven hits but did not figure in the decision.

Tommy Rafferty (2-1) picked up the win with a scoreless eighth inning. He combined with Mike Jarman and Jash Satow, who notched his first save, to provide four shut-out innings of relief. That lowers the Stone Crabs bullpen ERA to 1.03 over their 52 2/3 combined innings of work this season.

The series continues tomorrow as the Stone Crabs send left-hander Matt Moore (0-1) to the mound in search of his first win of the season. Jupiter will counter with righty Johnny Dorn (1-1). First pitch is set for 5:05 p.m.

Gwinnett Braves 8, Durham Bulls 7, 8-game win streak ends

[Via email from Matt DeMargel/Andrew Zelinsky of the Durham Bulls.]

Durham, NC - The Bulls eight-game win streak came to an end as they were defeated by Gwinnett, 8-7 Saturday night at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. For the second consecutive night Durham’s offense mounted a late rally, but this time it was not enough as they fall to 12-4 on the season.

Durham got on the board in the first inning against Gwinnett starter Chris Resop, as Justin Ruggiano connected for his second home run in as many games with a solo shot over the Blue Monster in left. The hit extended Ruggiano’s hitting streak to 10 games with a hefty .391 batting average during that stretch.

Gwinnett mounted a comfortable advantage against Bulls starter Heath Phillips, notching a pair of runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings. Brandon Hicks and Gregor Blanco had solo shots for the G-Braves in the third, while Hicks also had a two-run single in the fourth. Freddie Freeman had an RBI-triple and scored on a sacrifice fly in the fifth, extending the Braves advantage to 6-2 after five.

The Bulls stormed back in the sixth as Hank Blalock, Joe Dillon and Ryan Shealy walked to begin the inning against Braves reliever Jeff Lyman. Gwinnett went to sidearmer Cory Gearrin, but he tossed a wild pitch to plate a run before allowing an RBI-single to Angel Chavez. One batter later, Alvin Colina singled home a run and put the go-ahead run on first with one man out, but Gearrin induced Fernando Perez to ground into an inning-ending double play to end the threat.

A pair of runs in the seventh and eighth innings extended the lead back to three for the Braves, as Joe Bateman struggled in relief for the Bulls. He allowed four hits, two runs and a walk in 2.0 innings of work, snapping a string of five consecutive scoreless appearances for the right-hander.

The Bulls added two in the eighth inning to bring the deficit to one, as Jose Lobaton had an RBI double and Craig Kimbrell threw a wild pitch which brought home Chavez to make the score 8-7.

The Bulls put the tying run on second in the ninth, as Hank Blalock laced a one-out double to left off southpaw Mariano Gomez. Desmond Jennings came in to pinch run for Blalock, but was caught trying to steal third for the second out of the inning. Joe Dillon singled with two outs, but Gomez got Shealy to ground out softly back to the mound to end the threat and the Bulls win streak.

The two teams continue their series tomorrow as RHP Aneury Rodriguez (1-0, 0.00) takes the mound in his home debut for the Bulls. He will be paired against Todd Redmond (2-1 1.69) for the Bulls. Game time is set for 5:05 p.m. and kids are encouraged to take part in Pepsi’s Kids Run The Bases after the game.