Five Stone Crabs Recognized by FSL

The Florida State League has released their end of the year awards and postseason all-star team today. The Stone Crabs had a league leading five members being named to the post season squad.

Jim Morrison was named the Manager of the Year. Morrison managed the club into the playoffs for the second straight season by winning the first half.

Joe Cruz, Matt Moore, Jim Morrison, Zach Quate and Stephen Vogt were named to the Post Season All-Star Team.

Cruz lead the FSL in wins with 12 and has a 2.98 ERA in 24 starts this season. He has struck out 121 hitters in 136 innings pitched.

Moore leads the minors in strikeouts with 208 and was named the FSL Pitcher of the Week four times this season. He has a 3.36 ERA in 144 2/3 innings on the mound this season.

Morrison led the Stone Crabs to a first half win and playoff berth for the second consecutive season. He was also named the top FSL manager by Baseball America.

Quate leads the club in saves and is third in the league with 23. He has only given up 10 earned runs and only 1 home run on the season. He has a 1.34 ERA in 45 appearances.

Vogt missed the majority of the season last year with an injury but has more then made up for the missed time this year. He is .336/.489/.390 with 27 doubles, 3 triples, 7 home runs and 44 RBI's in 354 at bats this season.

Four Bulls Recognized with Postseason Awards

The International League released its 2011 postseason all-star team and award winners this season. Several Bulls were recognized by the league.

Dan Johnson was named the Most Valuable Player. Johnson leads the league with 30 home runs and 95 RBI's and .624 slugging pct despite being promoted to Tampa Bay in the beginning of the month.

Jeremy Hellickson was named the Most Valuable Pitcher. Hellickson leads the league with a 2.45 ERA and has 12 wins on the season. He has struck out 123 hitters on the season and opposing hitters have a .238 average against him.

Charlie Montoya was named the Manager of the Year. He led the Bulls to their fourth straight division title was grabbing the best record in the league at 84-52. He is the first manager in Bulls AAA history to win the award.

Jeremy Hellickson, Dan Johnson and Elliot Johnson were named to the Postseason All-Star Team. Hellickson was 12-3 with a 2.45 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 21 games. Dan Johnson was hitting .303 with 19 doubles, 30 home runs and 95 RBI's in 340 at-bats. Elliot Johnson has a .314 average with 22 doubles, 4, triples, 10 homers, 53 RBI's and 30 stolen bases in 401 at-bats.

Hot Rods Release 2011 Schedule

The Bowling Green Hot Rods have released their 2011 season. The 140 game schedule begins on the road against Dayton on April 7. The home opener is set from Aprill against Fort Wayne. Game times and promotional schedules will be released at a later date.

Renegades Week in Review: August 24 to August 30

The Hudson Valley Renegades were 4-2 on the week and have improved to a game over .500 on the year at 34-33. The Renegades enter the last week of the season still in the hunt for the wildcard spot. They are in third place in the wildcard standings, 4 games back from Jamestown. Their elimination number is currently 4.

Hitting Leaders:
Average: Philip Wunderlich (.330, third in NYP)
Slugging: Junior Rodriguez (.615)
On Base Pct: Robby Price (.435, first in NYP)
Hits: Nick Schwaner and Philip Wunderlich (69, tied ninth in NYP)
Doubles: Philip Wunderlich (19, tied second in NYP)
Triples: Diogenes Luis (3)
Home Runs: Mayo Acosta (7)
RBI’s: Nick Schwaner (47, fourth in NYP)
Stolen Bases: Nick Schwaner (14, tied ninth in NYP)

Pitching Leaders:
ERA Starters: James Patterson (2.76)
ERA Overall: Austin Hubbard (0.42)
Wins: Wilmer Almonte, Robert Dickmann, Nate Garcia, Steve Hiscock, Austin Hubbard. James Patterson and Miguel Sierra (3)
Saves: Austin Hubbard (10, tied fifth in NYP)
Strikeouts: Wilmer Almonte (56, tied ninth in NYP)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .261 (4 of 14)
Slugging: .370 (4 of 14)
On Base Pct: .334 (5 of 14)
Hits: 605 (3 of 14)
Doubles: 133 (3 of 14)
Triples: 18 (9 of 14)
Home Runs: 28 (tied 9 of 14)
Runs Scored: 322 (6 of 14)
Stolen Bases: 86 (1 of 14)

Team Pitching Stats (rank):
ERA: 3.51 (4 of 14)
Runs Allowed: 290 (tied 5 of 14)
Strikeouts: 509 (9 of 14)
Walks: 192 (1 of 14)

Transactions: Geno Glynn added to roster from Princeton (8/24/10). Jake Thompson promoted to Charlotte (8/26/10). Omar Luna added to roster from Durham (8/27/10).

Injuries: None.

The Week Ahead: 8/31/10-9/2/10: vs Staten Island Yankees (30-35). 9/3/10-9/6/10: vs Lowell Spinners (23-45).

Hitting Prospects Discussion Thread

It's getting to be about that time. This year's hitters list will, I think, be very interesting. I think there will be a LOT of variance in opinions because there's still a lack of top-tier talent at the upper levels. So here are pretty much all the names I think would be in the discussion for the top 15, going from Durham's roster on down:

C Nevin Ashley
1B/OF Leslie Anderson
OF Desmond Jennings

1B J.J. Ruiz
3B Matt Sweeney
3B Henry Wrigley

2B Tyler Bortnick
SS Tim Beckham
OF Kyeong Kang
OF Chris Murrill

OF Ty Morrison
OF Cody Rogers

1B Phil Wunderlich
SS Derek Dietrich

1B Jeff Malm
2B Hector Guevara
OF Todd Glaesmann

C Luke Bailey
C Jake DePew
C Justin O'Connor
1B Travis Flores
2B/SS Ryan Brett
SS Juniel Querecuto
3B Cesar Perez
OF Deshun Dixon
OF Josh Sale
OF Drew Vettleson

There's 27 names, and it's entirely possible I skipped over a name or two.

By the way, I'll be writing a review of this past season's top 15 within the next few weeks. Also look for the pitching version of this post, probably coming next week. I may sketch out a rough top 10 or 15 of my own in the comments, but what do you guys think? Very interested to hear everyone's opinions.

Monday's Scores and Highlights

Charlotte, Knights 8, Durham Bulls 4
The Bulls have lost 5 of their last 6 games. Justin Ruggiano was 2 for 4 with a home run. Leslie Anderson was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Brian Shouse was charged with a bad save and took the loss. The Bulls face Charlotte again on Tuesday with Brian Baker getting the start.

Montgomery Biscuits (day off)
The Biscuits host Huntsville on Tuesday.



Charlotte Stone Crabs 2, Bradenton Marauders 3
The Stone Crabs were swept by the Marauders. Greg Sexton was 3 for 4 with an RBI. Isaias Velasquez was 2 for 4. Tyler Bortnick drove home the other Stone Crabs run. Grant Balfour made his second rehab outing, pitching a no-hit inning. Shane Dyer suffered the loss. The Stone Crabs begin a road series against Jupiter on Tuesday.

Fort Wayne Tin Caps 1, Bowling Green Hot Rods 4
Mark Thomas was 2 for 4 with a double and 2 RBI's. Julio Cedeno was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Burt Reynolds also drove home a run. Alex Koronis took the win and Scott Shuman earned the save. The Hot Rods and Tin Caps play again on Tuesday.

Hudson Valley Renegades 4, Tri-City Valley Cats 5 (14 innings)
Elias Otero was 4 for 7 with a double, home run and 2 RBI's. Chris Winder was 3 for 6. Alejandro Torres was 2 for 5. Brian Bryles was 2 for 7 with a triple and an RBI. Nick Schwaner also drove home a run. The Renegades were 2 for 15 with runners in scoring position and struck out 18 times in the game. Robert Dickmann took the loss. The Renegades host Staten Island on Tuesday, wrapping up a suspended game from 6/22 before playing the regularly scheduled contest.

Princeton Rays 2, Elizabethton Twins 7
The P-Rays have been eliminated from the playoff race. Gerardo Olivares had a two run homer. P-Rays managed just three hits on the night. Cesar Guillen and Jeff Malm had the other two. Eliazer Suero gave up 6 runs in 2 2/3 innings to take the loss. The P-Rays conclude the regular season with a doubleheader against Bluefield.

GCL Rays 1, GCL Marlins 0 (10 innings)
Pitching led the Rays to victory and advanced them to the GCL Championship Series. Brandon Henderson made his third professional start, pitching 6 shut-out innings with 5 strikeouts and only surrendered one hit. Pedro Silvestre pitched 2 shut-out innings. Ryan Fleckenstein earned the win, pitching 2 no-hit innings with 2 strikeouts. Ryan Brett was 2 for 5 with a double. Luke Bailey was 2 for 4 with a double. Craige Lyerly scored the winning run on a wild pitch. The GCL Rays will face the GCL Phillies in game one of the finals on Tuesday.

Gulf Coast League Playoff Preview: Championship Series

The GCL Rays defeated the GCL Marlins 1-0 in the tenth inning of Monday’s semi-final game to advance to the GCL Championship Series on Tuesday. Craige Lyerly scored on a wild pitch with two outs in the top of the tenth inning to give the Rays the victory.

They will play the GCL Phillies in the Championship Series. Here is how the teams matchup:



The series will be a rematch of the 2008 World Series, GCL style. The Phillies have home field advantage and will host games one and three. Game Two will be played in Port Charlotte.

Matt Moore Named Florida State League Pitcher of the Week

Matt Moore was named the Florida State League Pitcher of the Week for the week of August 23 through August 29. Moore pitched a gem on August 26 against Jupiter in which he threw six shut-out innings and recorded 10 strikeouts. He now has 197 strikeouts on the season and is 4 away from the league record.

Moore was drafted by the Rays in the eighth round of the 2007 draft out of Moriarty High School. This is his fourth player of the week award this season.

Alex Torres Named Southern League Pitcher of the Week

Alex Torres was named the Southern League Pitcher of the Week for the week ending in August 29. Torres was 2-0 on the week and picked up 17 strikeouts in the two starts. The first was a six inning shut-out against Huntsville on August 24. Then on Sunday he followed up with a seven inning outing in which he only surrendered one run. Alex is now 11-6 on the season with a 3.33 ERA in 26 starts.

Torres joined the Rays organization in 2009 as part of the trade that sent Scott Kazmir to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He was originally signed by the Angels as an undrafted free agent in 2005.

P-Rays Week in Review: August 23 to August 29

The Princeton Rays was 4-3 on the week and 31-34 on the season. With just three games remaining on the season, the P-Rays hold a slim chance at making the playoffs, they are 1 1/2 games back from a playoff spot as they trail both Burlington and Danville for the final playoff spot. Kevin Kiermaier was voted the 2010 Most Popular Player voted by the fans through a ballot at the ballpark.

Hitting Leaders:
Average: Kevin Kiermaier (.307, eighth in APP)
Slugging: Cesar Guillen (.480)
On Base Pct: Kevin Kiermaier (.388, fourth in APP)
Hits: Kevin Kiermaier (63)
Doubles: Bryan Fogle and Todd Glaesmann (16, tied seventh in APP)
Triples: Kevin Kiermaier (7, tied first in APP)
Home Runs: Ruben Contreras and Bryan Fogle (5)
RBI’s: Bryan Fogle (34)
Stolen Bases: Kevin Kiermaier and Scott Lawson (13, tied sixth in APP)

Pitching Leaders:
ERA Starters: Enny Romero (1.95, second in APP)
ERA Overall: Matt Gilson (1.57)
Wins: Braulio Lara (6, tied fourth in APP)
Saves: Matthew Gilson and Mickey Jannis (3)
Strikeouts: Enny Romero (72, third in APP)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .249 (7 of 10)
Slugging: .372 (7 of 10)
On Base Pct: .316 (6 of 10)
Hits: 542 (6 of 10)
Doubles: 123 (5 of 10)
Triples: 24 (3 of 10)
Home Runs: 32 (8 of 10)
Runs Scored: 280 (7 of 10)
Stolen Bases: 68 (3 of 10)

Team Pitching Stats (rank):
ERA: 3.19 (2 of 10)
Runs Allowed: 269 (3 of 10)
Strikeouts: 500 (7 of 10)
Walks: 163 (6 of 10)

Transactions: Geno Glynn promoted to Hudson Valley (8/24/10).

Injuries: None

The Week Ahead: 8/30/10: at Elizabethton Twins (39-25). 8/31/10: at Bluefield Orioles (22-43).

Sunday's Scores and Highlights

Charlotte Knights 5, Durham Bulls 8
The Bulls sent their franchise record with their 84th win of the season. Chris Richard was 4 for 5 with a double, home run and 4 RBI's. Nevin Ashley drove home 2 runs while Rocco Baldelli knocked home one. Justin Ruggiano was 2 for 3 with a double and 3 runs scored. Mike Ekstrom got the win while Winston Abreu notched his 22nd save. The Bulls return home on Monday for their final homestand of the regular season with Ramon Ortiz making the start.

West Tenn Diamond Jaxx 1, Montgomery Biscuits 10
John Matulia was 3 for 4 with a double and 3 RBI's. Emeel Salem was 3 for 5 with a double. Drew Anderson was 2 for 3 with a double, home run and 5 RBI's. Henry Wrigley was 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored. Alex Torres picked up the win, striking out 10 in 7 innings. The Biscuits begin a series against Huntsville on Monday, Alex Cobb will get the start.

Charlotte Stone Crabs (day off)
The Stone Crabs return to action Monday to conclude the series with Bradenton, Shane Dyer will start the finale.


Fort Wayne Tin Caps 5, Bowling Green Hot Rods 7
Ty Morrison was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Tomas Francisco was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Brett Nommensen drove home two runs while Julio Cedeno and Kyle Spraker knocked home one a piece. Albert Suarez earned the win and Tyree Hayes the save. The Hot Rods face Fort Wayne again Monday with Wilking Rodriguez making the start.

Hudson Valley Renegades 5, Tri-City Valley Cats 4 (12 innings)
Steve Tinoco was 4 for 5 with a double and an RBI. Nick Schwaner was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Derek Dietrich was 2 for 6 with an drove home the game winning run. Diogenes Luis drove home two runs. Steve Hiscock got the win and Austin Hubbard the save. The Renegades and Valley Cats do it all over again on Monday.

Princeton Rays 6, Elizabethton Twins 0
Cesar Guillen was 3 for 3 with a double and 2 RBI's. Alejandro Segovia was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Kevin Kiermaier was 2 for 5. Hector Guevara was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored. Scott Lawson also picked up an RBI. Braulio Lara pitched 5 no-hit innings for the win. George Jensen and Matt Gilson combined to take the shut-out to the end. The P-Rays match up against the E-Twins again on Monday.

GCL Rays (day off)
The GCL Rays begin the GCL Playoffs on Monday with a road game against the GCL Marlins.

Minor Moves: Ashley

The Tampa Bay Rays have promoted C Nevin Ashley to the Durham Bulls.

Ashley has spent the 2010 with the Biscuits. He was hitting .255/.375/.333 with 14 doubles, 3 triples, 7 home runs and 45 RBI's for the Biscuits this season. He has also gunned down 41% of runners who tried to steal on him this season.

Ashley was drafted by the Rays in the sixth round of the 2006 draft out of Indiana State. He is a three times all-star (2006-Appalachian, 2007-Midwest and 2009- Florida State) as well as a member of the 2009 Arizona Fall League's All-Prospect Team.

Gulf Coast League Playoff Preview: Semi-Finals

The GCL Rays begin play in the 2010 Gulf Coast League Playoffs on Monday. The playoff format features four teams, one from each of the three division and the final team is a wild card. Round One is a one game series and the winner of each games move on to the best of three championship series. Below are the matchups for round one of the playoffs:

GCL Mets (30-25) vs GCL Phillies (32-24)
GCL Rays (34-26) vs GCL Marlins (36-19)

The Rays round one match up features their MLB cross-state rivals in the Marlins. The Marlins finished the season with the best record in the GCL. Here is how the teams stack up against each other:

This will be the first trip to the playoffs for the Rays and the fourth for the Marlins. The game is scheduled for noon on Monday in Jupiter, Florida.

GCL Rays Week in Review: August 22 to August 28

The GCL Rays finished the final week of the season with a 3-3 record on the week. They have concluded the 2010 regular season by finishing 34-26 and winning the GCL South Division. The Rays have advanced into the league playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

Hitting Leaders:
Average: Alex Diaz (.304)
Slugging: Ryan Brett (.404)
On Base Pct: Alex Diaz (.390)
Hits: Joel Caminero (47)
Doubles: Justin O’Conner (13)
Triples: Joel Caminero and Edward Dorville (4, tied eighth in GCL)
Home Runs: Luke Bailey (5, tied eighth in GCL)
RBI’s: Justin O’Conner (29, tied eighth in GCL)
Stolen Bases: Ryan Brett (12)

Pitching Leaders:
ERA Starters: Pedro Silvestre (2.29, sixth in GCL)
ERA Overall: Stepan Havlicek (0.00)
Wins: Pedro Silvestre (6, tied first in GCL)
Saves: Ryan Fleckenstein (9, tied third in GCL)
Strikeouts: Eduar Quinonez (43)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .228 (15 of 15)
Slugging: .318 (13 of 15)
On Base Pct: .309 (12 of 15)
Hits: 449 (10 of 15)
Doubles: 80 (10 of 15)
Triples: 18 (tied 5 of 15)
Home Runs: 20 (9 of 15)
Runs Scored: 242 (tied 10 of 15)
Stolen Bases: 74 (tied 4 of 15)

Team Pitching Stats (rank):
ERA: 3.44 (6 of 15)
Runs Allowed: 249 (8 of 15)
Strikeouts: 426 (8 of 15)
Walks: 180 (11 of 15)

Transactions: none.

Injuries: none.

Restricted List: Marcos Torres.

The Week Ahead: 8/29/10: Day Off. 8/30/10: GCL Semi-Finals (at GCL Marlins). 8/31/10-9/2/10: GCL Championship Series (TBD)

Saturday's Scores and Highlights

Durham Bulls 1, Charlotte Knights 3 (11 innings)
The Bulls have now dropped four straight. Justin Ruggiano was 2 for 5. Angel Chavez was 2 for 5. Joe Dillon drove home the lone run. Joe Bateman pitched 1 1/3 no-hit innings with 2 strikeouts. The Bulls were just 2 for 15 with runners in scoring position. Darin Downs took the loss. The Bulls play their last road game of the regular season on Sunday with Richard De Los Santos making the start.

West Tenn Diamond Jaxx 3, Montgomery Biscuits 6
Biscuits playoff hopes stay alive with win, now 3 1/2 game back in the wildcard. Jose Ruiz was 2 for 4 with a home run and 3 RBI's. Henry Wrigley and Matt Fields also picked up RBI's. Jeremy Hall pitched a six inning shut-out to get the win. Heath Rollins earned the save. The Biscuits look to sweep the series on Sunday with Alex Torres getting the start.

Charlotte Stone Crabs 0, Bradenton Marauders 6 (Game One)
The game was the conclusion of Friday's game that was suspended in the first inning. The Stone Crabs managed just three hits; a double by Reid Fronk and singles by Tim Beckham and Isaias Velasquez. Brad Hawpe made his debut, going 0 for 2 with a walk. Frank De Los Santos struck out 7 hitters in 6 1/3 innings. The Stone Crabs were only able to put a runner in scoring position twice in the game. Grant Balfour made a rehab starts, getting hit up for 3 runs in 2/3 innings to take the loss.

Charlotte Stone Crabs 1, Bradenton Marauders 10 (Game Two)
The Stone Crabs offense continued to struggle in game two. Stephen Vogt was 2 for 3. Kyeong Kang was 2 for 3 and drove home the lone RBI. Isaias Velasquez had the only other hit as well as a stolen base. Chris Andujar suffered the loss, giving up 6 earned runs in 3 1/3 innings. The Stone Crabs are off on Sunday before concluding the series with Bradenton on Monday, Shane Dyer will make the start.

Fort Wayne Tin Caps 3, Bowling Green Hot Rods 2
Ty Morrison joined the 50/50 club, being the first Midwest League player since 2007 to have 50 steals and 50 RBI's in the same season. The Hot Rods picked up seven hits from seven different players. Tomas Francisco had the only extra base hit with double. David Wendt picked up an RBI. The bullpen combination of Matt Stabelfeld and Jake Sullivan pitched 5 innings of shut-out relief. Kyle Lobstein suffered the loss. Albert Suarez starts for the Hot Rods in Sunday's game against Fort Wayne.

Hudson Valley Renegades 1, Tri-City Valley Cats 2
The Renegades picked up five hits from five players. Alejandro Torres and Brian Bryles each had a double. Nick Schwaner drove home the Renegades only run. Zach Rosscup suffered the loss, both runs came while he was in the mound however they were both unearned. The Renegades play Tri-City again on Sunday.

Princeton Rays 4, Elizabethton Twins 1
Ruben Contreras was 2 for 4 with a triple and an RBI. Hector Guevara was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Jeff Malm was 2 for 4 with a double and 2 runs scored. Gerardo Olivares was 2 for 4. Kevin Kiermaier and Felix Gonzalez provided an RBI each. Enny Romero earned the win by pitching 5 shut-out innings allowing just 2 hits with 9 strikeouts and lowering his ERA to 1.95 on the season. Mickey Jannis got the save. The P-Rays play Elizabethton again on Sunday.

GCL Orioles 3, GCL Rays 6
Ryan McCrann was 2 for 3 with an RBI. Craige Lyerly had a home run and RBI's. Julian Morillo also had an RBI. Marcus Jensen picked up the win, throwing 5 shut-out innings with 6 strikeouts. In preparation for the playoffs on Monday, the Rays used 21 players in Saturday's game. The GCL Rays are off on Sunday then play the first round of the GCL Playoffs on Monday.

Rays Sign Hawpe to Minor League Contract

The Tampa Bay Rays have signed outfielder Brad Hawpe to a minor league contract on Friday.

Hawpe was desginated for assignment by the Colorado Rockies last week and cleared waivers on Thursday. Hawpe has spent his entire career in the Rockies organization. He was drafted in the 11th round of the 2000 draft and made his MLB debut on May 1, 2004. He was a minor league All-Star in 2000 (Northwest League) and 2003 (Texas League) as well as a major league all-star in 2009.

Hawpe will begin his career with the Rays organization as a member of the Charlotte Stone Crabs.

Rays Extend Player Development Contract with Stone Crabs

The Tampa Bay Rays have extended the player development contract with the Charlotte Stone Crabs. The deal released on Thursday will keep the Ripken Baseball operated Stone Crabs affiliated with the Rays through the end of the 2012 season. The Stone Crabs began their inagural season in the Florida State League last season and has made the FSL playoffs in each of the seasons.

Game Pictures from 8/26: Stone Crabs vs Hammerheads

Click on the photo below to view a few pictures from Thursday's Stone Crabs game against Jupiter. The game featured Jeremy Hellickson pitching out of the bullpen. There are only a few pictures in the gallery, it was a work night so I only went out for Hellickson's time on the mound. Despite what the box score shows, Jeremy was effective on the mound. A post game interview in one of the local papers reported that they were working on his off-speed stuff regardless of the outcome on the scoreboard. When he reverted back to his original arsenal, he was dominate.

Sorry for the quality of the photos, it was much later in the game then most of my photos and my camera does not perform that well when it gets dark at the ballpark.

Thursday's Scores and Highlights

Durham Bulls 4, Gwinnett Braves 11
Leslie Anderson was 3 for 5 with a double and an RBI. Desmond Jennings was 2 for 5. Dioner Navarro was 2 for 5 with 2 RBI's. Fernando Perez was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Brian Baker took the loss. The Bulls face Gwinnett again on Friday with Bobby Livingston on the mound.

West Tenn Diamond Jaxx 0, Montgomery Biscuits 2
Biscuits get 15th shut-out of season. Jose Ruiz was 4 for 4 with a run scored. Henry Wrigley was 2 for 4 with a run scored. Mike Folli drove home both Biscuits runs. Heath Rollins earned the win and Dane De La Rosa the save. Paul Phillips will start Friday's game against West Tenn.

Jupiter Hammerheads 0, Charlotte Stone Crabs 4 (Game One)
Stone Crabs 12th shut-out of the year. Tyler Bortnick's first hit as a Stone Crabs was a three run homer. Tim Beckham was 2 for 3 with a double and a run scored. Matt Moore picked up the win with 6 shut-out innings and 10 strikeouts, he is now 3 shy of 200 on the year. Zach Quate got his 23rd save of the season.

Jupiter Hammerheads 4, Charlotte Stone Crabs 5 (Game Two)
Isaias Velasquez was 2 for 2 with 2 runs scored. Tyler Bortnick, Tim Beckham and Michael Sheridan knocked home runs. Joe Cruz pitched 4 shut-out innings with 6 strikeouts. Jeremy Hellickson made his debut from the bullpen, struck out the side in the first inning he pitched, gave up 4 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks in his second inning. Marquis Fleming took earned the win. The Stone Crabs head to Bradenton with Jake Thompson making his Stone Crabs debut.

Lake County Captains 4, Bowling Green Hot Rods 0
Julio Cedeno was 2 for 4 with a double. Tomas Francisco had a double. The Hot Rods were 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position while striking out 15 times. Yorman Mayora suffered the loss. Alex Colome starts Friday's game.

Tri-City Valley Cats 3, Hudson Valley Renegades 6
Robby Price was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Chris Winder was 2 for 2 with 2 runs scored. Mayo Acosta had a home run. Diogenes Luis, Phil Wunderlich and Steve Tinoco had an RBI. Robert Dickmann earned the win. Austin Hubbard pitched a no-hit inning in getting the save. The Renegades face Tri-City again Friday.

Princeton Rays 1, Johnson City Cardinals 6
Alejandro Segovia was 2 for 4. Kevin Kiermaier was 2 for 2 and drove home the lone RBI. The P-Rays stranded 7 runners on the night. Andrew Bellatti took the loss. Victor Mateo takes the mound when the P-Rays face Johnson City on Friday.

GCL Rays 1, GCL Red Sox 7
Deshun Dixon was 2 for 4 with a home run. The Rays were 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position and stranded 7 on the afternoon. Reinaldo Lopez suffered his first loss of the season. The GCL Rays head to Sarasota to face the GCL Orioles on Friday.

Organizational Playoff Picture

Here is an updated look at the playoff picture for the organization.

Durham Bulls: The Bulls have clinched their third consecutive division title. They will host games three through five at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Montgomery Biscuits: The Biscuits are tied for fourth in the division, seven games back with 11 games remaining. With Jacksonville winning the first half and currently leading the second half, the Biscuits are second in the wildcard race, 3 1/2 games behind Mobile. The Biscuits elimination number is 5.

Charlotte Stone Crabs: The Stone Crabs have clinched playoff berth by winning the first half of the season. The Stone Crabs will host game two and three (if necessary) at Charlotte Sports Park.

Bowling Green Hot Rods: Eliminated.

Hudson Valley Renegades: The Renegades remain in second place in the division, 10 game back with 11 games remaining. Their elimination number has been reduced to four games.

Princeton Rays: The P-Rays have dropped to fourth in the division, 7 games back from first place and 3 1/2 games back from the second playoff spot. There are games 7 remaining and their elimination number is 4.

GCL Rays: The G-Rays won the division. They will begin the GCL playoffs on Monday August 30 with an opponent to be determined, possibly the GCL Phillies.

Wednesday's Scores and Highlights

Norfolk Tides 6, Durham Bulls 2
Loss snapped nine game winning streak. Elliot Johnson was 2 for 5. Dioner Navarro was 2 for 4. Chris Richard had a two run homer. Ramon Ortiz suffered the loss. The Bulls begin a series against Gwinnett on Thursday, Brian Baker will start the opener.

Montgomery Biscuits 3, Huntsville Stars 5
Rashad Eldridge was 3 for 4 with a run scored. Jose Ruiz was 2 for 5. Drew Anderson, Matt Spring and Mike Folli drove home the runs. The Biscuits were just 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position. Alex Cobb suffered the loss but struck out 13 hitters in the six innings he pitched. The Biscuits send Rayner Oliveros to the mound as they open a series against West Tenn on Thursday.

Jupiter Hammerheads, Charlotte Stone Crabs (Game One/Two, postponed)
The Stone Crabs will try a doubleheader against Jupiter again on Thursday. Jeremy Hellickson was originally scheduled to throw 3 frames out of the bullpen, unknown if the schedule has changed due to the doubleheader and the back-to-back rainouts.


Lake County Captains 3, Bowling Green Hot Rods 1
Hot Rods managed just two hits on the night, a home run by Dustin Biell and a single by Tomas Francisco. They did not have a runner past first all night. Wilking Rodriguez took the loss. The series against Lake County continues on Thursday, Yorman Mayora will make his first Hot Rods start.

Tri-City Valley Cats 3, Hudson Valley Renegades 10
Nick Schwaner was 4 for 5 with a triple and 5 RBI's. Brian Bryles was 3 for 5. Robby Price was 2 for 4 with a double. Derek Dietrich was 2 for 3 with 2 RBI's. Mayo Acosta was 2 for 5 with a home run and 2 RBI's. Steve Tinoco also had an RBI. Miguel Sierra earned the win. Adam Liberatore and JR Betts-Robinson provided a no-hit inning of relief each. The Renegades face Tri-City again on Thursday.

Princeton Rays 3, Johnson City Cardinals 6
Todd Glaesmann was 2 for 4 with 2 doubles and an RBI. Kyle Holloway and Brian Harris each had solo home runs. Eliazer Suero took the loss. Andrew Bellatti takes the mound for Thursday's game against Johnson City.


GCL Red Sox 3, GCL Rays 7
Joel Caminero went 2 for 3 with a triple and 3 RBI's. Ryan McCrann was 2 for 4. Justin O'Conner had 2 RBI's. Tanner Biagini also drove home a run. Pedro Silvestre improved to 6-0 with the win. The GCL Rays play the GCL Red Sox again on Thursday.