2010 Year in Review: Charlotte Stone Crabs (Hitting)

This week we will continue our look back at the 2010 season by taking a look at the offensive leaders of each affiliate. Today we will focus on the offensive stats of the Charlotte Stone Crabs.

Batting Average:
1. Carlos Pena (.667)
2. Matt Joyce (.379)
3. Stephen Vogt (.345, first in FSL)
4. Shawn O’Malley (.320)*
5. Shawn Williams (.294)
6. Henry Wrigley (.292)
7. Isaias Velasquez (.289, eighth in FSL)
8. Rocco Baldelli (.283)
9. Greg Sexton (.272)
10. Reid Fronk (.267)

Slugging:
1. Matt Joyce (.759)
2. Carlos Pena (.667)
3. Shawn O’Malley (.560)*
4. Stephen Vogt (.511, first in FSL)
5. Henry Wrigley (.504)
6. Matt Sweeney (.488)*
7. Matt Spring (.408)
8. Leslie Anderson (.405)
9. Reid Fronk (.403)
10. Tyler Bortnick (.382)*

On Base Pct:
1. Carlos Pena (.667)
2. Matt Joyce (.525)
3. Shawn O’Malley (.469)*
4. Brad Hawpe (.444)
5. Stephen Vogt (.399, second in FSL)
6. Reid Fronk (.382, fourth in FSL)
7. Shawn Williams (.368)
8. Isaias Velasquez (.356, seventh in FSL)
9. Tim Beckham (.346)*
10. Matt Sweeney (.345)*
10. Greg Sexton (.345)

Hits:
1. Isaias Velasquez (132, eighth in FSL)
2. Stephen Vogt (127, tenth in FSL)
3. Tim Beckham (119)*
4. Reid Fronk (102)
4. Michael Sheridan (102)
6. Greg Sexton (97)
7. Jake Jefferies (78)*
8. Henry Wrigley (76)
9. Kyeong Kang (65)*
9. Anthony Scelfo (65)

Doubles:
1. Stephen Vogt (31, eighth in FSL)
2. Reid Fronk (30, ninth in FSL)
3. Tim Beckham (23)*
4. Isaias Velasquez (17)
4. Michael Sheridan (17)
6. Jake Jefferies (15)*
6. Anthony Scelfo (15)
6. Kyeong Kang (15)*
9. Greg Sexton (14)
10. Henry Wrigley (13)

Triples:
1. Reid Fronk (5)
1. Tim Beckham (5)*
3. Isaias Velasquez (4)
3. Anthony Scelfo (4)
5. Stephen Vogt (3)
5. Michael Sheridan (3)
5. Henry Wrigley (3)
5. Matt Hall (3)
9. Jake Jefferies (2)*
9. Shawn O’Malley (2)*

Home Runs:
1. Henry Wrigley (12, ninth in FSL)
2. Stephen Vogt (8)
3. Matt Sweeney (6)*
4. Tim Beckham (5)*
5. Reid Fronk (4)
5. Anthony Scelfo (4)
5. Matt Spring (4)
8. Michael Sheridan (3)
8. Matt Hall (3)
8. Leslie Anderson (3)

RBI’s:
1. Tim Beckham (57)*
2. Reid Fronk (49)
3. Stephen Vogt (47)
4. Henry Wrigley (46)
5. Michael Sheridan (42)
6. Greg Sexton (38)
7. Isaias Velasquez (36)
8. Anthony Scelfo (30)
8. Jake Jefferies (30)*
10. Kyeong Kang (22)*

Stolen Bases:
1. Isaias Velasquez (41, fourth in FSL)
2. Tim Beckham (22)*
3. Reid Fronk (10)
4. Chris Murrill (9)
5. Henry Wrigley (5)
5. Greg Sexton (5)
5. Matt Hall (5)
8. Shawn O’Malley (4)*
9. Stephen Vogt (3)
9. Michael Sheridan (3)
9. Anthony Scelfo (3)

* denotes 2010 Rays Prospect Top Prospect

2010 Year in Review: Bowling Green Hot Rods (Hitting)

This week we will continue our look back at the 2010 season by taking a look at the offensive leaders of each affiliate. Today we will focus on the offensive stats of the Bowling Green Hot Rods.

Batting Average:
1. Tyler Bortnick (.303, tenth in MID)*
2. Gabe Cohen (.293)
3. Chris Murrill (.292)
4. Mark Thomas (.264)
5. Brett Nommensen (.263)
6. Julio Cedeno (.261)
7. Ty Morrison (.250)*
7. Ryan Wiegand (.250)
9. Tomas Francisco (.247)
9. Dustin Biell (.247)

Slugging:
1. Tyler Bortnick (.451)*
2. Brett Nommensen (.408)
3. Gabe Cohen (.401)
4. Ty Morrison (.394)*
5. Cody Rogers (.391)*
6. Mark Thomas (.382)
7. Chris Murrill (.375)
8. Ryan Wiegand (.374)
9. Julio Cedeno (.356)
10. Dustin Biell (.346)
10. Bennett Davis (.346)

On Base Pct:
1. Tyler Bortnick (.408, fifth in MID)*
2. Bennett Davis (.372)
3. Brett Nommensen (.360)
4. Chris Murrill (.351)
5. Robi Estrada (.341)
6. Ryan Wiegand (.339)
7. Mark Thomas (.330)
8. Gabe Cohen (.329)
9. Ty Morrison (.324)*
10. Julio Cedeno (.317)
10. Kyle Spraker (.317)

Hits:
1. Tyler Bortnick (123)*
2. Ty Morrison (113)*
3. Ryan Wiegand (107)
4. Brett Nommensen (104)
5. Julio Cedeno (97)
6. Mark Thomas (92)
7. Dustin Biell (90)
8. Chris Murrill (81)
9. Robi Estrada (76)
10. Kyle Spraker (59)

Doubles:
1. Tyler Bortnick (32)*
2. Julio Cedeno (22)
3. Ty Morrison (21)*
3. Mark Thomas (21)
5. Ryan Wiegand (20)
6. Brett Nommensen (19)
7. Dustin Biell (14)
7. Gabe Cohen (14)
9. Robi Estrada (13)
10. Chris Murrill (11)

Triples:
1. Ty Morrison (13, third in MID)*
2. Brett Nommensen (4)
3. Ryan Wiegand (3)
3. Chris Murrill (3)
5. Tyler Bortnick (2)*
5. Julio Cedeno (2)
5. Dustin Biell (2)
5. Cody Rogers (2)*
9. Mark Thomas (1)
9. Mayobanex Acosta (1)

Home Runs:
1. Brett Nommensen (10)
2. Ryan Wiegand (9)
3. Tyler Bortnick (8)*
4. Cody Rogers (7)*
5. Ty Morrison (6)*
5. Dustin Biell (6)
5. Mark Thomas (6)
8. Kyle Spraker (5)
9. Julio Cedeno (3)
9. Bennett Davis (3)

RBI’s:
1. Brett Nommensen (68)
2. Ryan Wiegand (67)
3. Ty Morrison (56)*
4. Tyler Bortnick (45)*
5. Mark Thomas (44)
6. Julio Cedeno (40)
7. Dustin Biell (32)
7. Kyle Spraker (32)
9. Robi Estrada (27)
10. Chris Murrill (22)

Stolen Bases:
1. Ty Morrison (58, second in MID)*
2. Tyler Bortnick (39, seventh in MID)*
3. Brett Nommensen (35, tenth in MID)
4. Chris Murrill (28)
5. Robi Estrada (14)
6. Dustin Biell (13)
7. Mark Thomas (10)
7. Kyle Spraker (10)
9. Cody Rogers (8)*
10. Bennett Davis (7)

* denotes 2010 Rays Prospect Top Prospect

2010 Year in Review: Hudson Valley Renegades (Hitting)

This week we will continue our look back at the 2010 season by taking a look at the offensive leaders of each affiliate. Today we will focus on the offensive stats of the Hudson Valley Renegades.

Batting Average:
1. David Wendt (.400)
2. Philip Wunderlich (.330, tied second in NYP)
3. Scott Lawson (.316)
4. Kyle Holloway (.300)
5. Robby Price (.294)
6. Felix Gonzalez (.286)
7. Nicholas Schwaner (.280)
8. Derek Dietrich (.279)
9. Steven Tinoco (.274)
10. Mayobanex Acosta (.271)

Slugging:
1. David Wendt (.800)
2. Felix Gonzalez (.571)
3. Philip Wunderlich (.478, tenth in NYP)
4. Mayobanex Acosta (.447)
5. Kyle Holloway (.433)
6. Nicholas Schwaner (.425)
7. Robby Price (.423)
8. Derek Dietrich (.419)
9. Junior Rodriguez (.375)
10. Burt Reynolds (.370)

On Base Pct:
1. Robby Price (.437, first in NYP)
2. Kyle Holloway (.417)
3. David Wendt (.400)
4. Felix Gonzalez (.375)
5. Philip Wunderlich (.372)
6. Steven Tinoco (.370)
7. Scott Lawson (.350)
8. Derek Dietrich (.340)
9. Mayobanex Acosta (.335)
10. Brian Bryles (.330)

Hits:
1. Nicholas Schwaner (75, ninth in NYP)
2. Steven Tinoco (71)
3. Philip Wunderlich (69)
4. Robby Price (57)
5. Mayobanex Acosta (51)
5. Diogenes Luis (51)
7. Derek Dietrich (50)
8. Burt Reynolds (47)
9. Brian Bryles (43)
10. Elias Otero (41)

Doubles:
1. Philip Wunderlich (19, tied third in NYP)
2. Robby Price (17, tied tenth in NYP)
2. Burt Reynolds (17, tied tenth in NYP)
4. Nicholas Schwaner (16)
5. Mayobanex Acosta (12)
5. Derek Dietrich (12)
5. Elias Otero (12)
8. Steven Tinoco (10)
9. Brian Bryles (9)
10. Diogenes Luis (6)

Triples:
1. Burt Reynolds (4)
2. Brian Bryles (3)
2. Diogenes Luis (3)
4. Derek Dietrich (2)
4. Elias Otero (2)
4. Chris Winder (2)
7. Robby Price (1)
7. Nicholas Schwaner (1)
7. Steven Tinoco (1)
7. Kyle Lusson (1)
7. David Wendt (1)
7. Felix Gonzalez (1)

Home Runs:
1. Nicholas Schwaner (7)
2. Mayobanex Acosta (7)
3. Philip Wunderlich (4)
4. Derek Dietrich (3)
5. Burt Reynolds (2)
5. Robby Price (2)
7. Diogenes Luis (1)
7. Elias Otero (1)
7. Steven Tinoco (1)
7. Junior Rodriguez (1)

RBI’s:
1. Nicholas Schwaner (53, fourth in NYP)
2. Philip Wunderlich (36)
3. Steven Tinoco (35)
4. Burt Reynolds (28)
5. Mayobanex Acosta (27)
5. Diogenes Luis (27)
7. Robby Price (23)
8. Derek Dietrich (20)
9. Brian Bryles (18)
10. Elias Otero (17)

Stolen Bases:
1. Nicholas Schwaner (14, tied tenth in NYP)
2. Robby Price (13)
2. Chris Winder (13)
4. Burt Reynolds (12)
4. Brian Bryles (12)
6. Diogenes Luis (10)
7. Steven Tinoco (8)
8. Derek Dietrich (2)
8. Elias Otero (2)
8. Bennett Davis (2)

2010 Year in Review: Princeton Rays (Hitting)

This week we will continue our look back at the 2010 season by taking a look at the offensive leaders of each affiliate. Today we will focus on the offensive stats of the Princeton Rays.

Batting Average:
1. Kevin Kiermaier (.303, ninth in APP)
2. Cesar Guillen (.297)
3. Leonardo Reginatto (.279)
3. Kyle Holloway (.279)
5. Alejandro Segovia (.268)
6. Bryan Fogle (.260)
7. Scott Lawson (.257)
8. Felix Gonzalez (.253)
9. Hector Guevara (.251)
10. Ruben Contreras (.250)

Slugging:
1. Cesar Guillen (.465)
2. Kevin Kiermaier (.431)
2. Bryan Fogle (.431)
4. Kyle Holloway (.419)
5. Ruben Contreras (.415)
6. Todd Glaesmann (.398)*
7. Scott Lawson (.395)
8. Hector Guevara (.363)*
9. Leonardo Reginatto (.344)
10. Gerardo Olivares (.336)

On Base Pct:
1. Cesar Guillen (.380)
1. Kevin Kiermaier (.380, fifth in APP)
3. Scott Lawson (.365. seventh in APP)
4. Kyle Holloway (.347)
5. Leonardo Reginatto (.323)
6. Ruben Contreras (.311)
7. Hector Guevara (.308)*
8. Bryan Fogle (.304)
9. Brian Harris (.304)
10. Todd Glaesmann (.297)*

Hits:
1. Kevin Kiermaier (66, tied ninth in APP)
2. Hector Guevara (56)*
3. Todd Glaesmann (55)*
4. Scott Lawson (54)
5. Ruben Contreras (50)
6. Bryan Fogle (47)
7. Cesar Guillen (46)
8. Jeff Malm (44)*
9. Felix Gonzalez (38)
10. Alejandro Segovia (30)

Doubles:
1. Todd Glaesmann (17, tied fifth in APP)*
2. Bryan Fogle (16, tied ninth in APP)
3. Ruben Contreras (14)
4. Hector Guevara (13)*
5. Scott Lawson (11)
6. Jeff Malm (9)*
7. Kevin Kiermaier (8)
7. Cesar Guillen (8)
9. Felix Gonzalez (7)
9. Alejandro Segovia (7)
9. Gerardo Olivares (7)

Triples:
1. Kevin Kiermaier (7)
2. Todd Glaesmann (5)*
3. Hector Guevara (3)*
3. Scott Lawson (3)
3. Cesar Guillen (3)
6. Ruben Contreras (2)
7. Felix Gonzalez (1)

Home Runs:
1. Ruben Contreras (5)
1. Bryan Fogle (5)
3. Todd Glaesmann (4)*
3. Scott Lawson (4)
3. Cesar Guillen (4)
6. Jeff Malm (3)*
7. Kevin Kiermaier (2)
7. Hector Guevara (2)*
7. Gerardo Olivares (2)
10. Felix Gonzalez (1)
10. Kyle Holloway (1)
10. Brian Harris (1)

RBI’s:
1. Bryan Fogle (35)
2. Scott Lawson (34)
3. Hector Guevara (26)*
4. Jeff Malm (25)*
5. Todd Glaesmann (24)*
6. Ruben Contreras (23)
7. Cesar Guillen (19)
8. Kevin Kiermaier (16)
9. Felix Gonzalez (12)
10. Alejandro Segovia (10)

Stolen Bases:
1. Kevin Kiermaier (17, tied fourth in APP)
2. Scott Lawson (16, sixth in APP)
3. Todd Glaesmann (13, tied tenth in APP)*
4. Hector Guevara (9)*
5. Felix Gonzalez (6)
6. Cesar Guillen (5)
7. Ruben Contreras (4)
8. Leonardo Reginatto (2)
8. Jeff Malm (2)*
8. Brian Harris (2)

* denotes 2010 Rays Prospect Top Prospect

2010 Year in Review: GCL Rays (Hitting)

This week we will continue our look back at the 2010 season by taking a look at the offensive leaders of each affiliate. Today we will focus on the offensive stats of the GCL Rays.

Batting Average:
1. Ryan Royster (.381)
2. Shawn O’Malley (.375)*
3. Alex Diaz (.304)
4. Ryan Brett (.303)
5. Ryan McCrann (.285)
6. Jake Depew (.273)
7. Joel Caminero (.251)
7. Juniel Querecuto (.251)
9. Cody Rogers (.250)*
10. Tanner Biagini (.235)

Slugging:
1. Ryan Royster (.524)
2. Cody Rogers (.500)*
2. Matt Fields (.500)
4. Ryan Brett (.404)
5. Alex Diaz (.393)
6. Shawn O’Malley (.375)*
7. Lucas Bailey (.350)*
8. Justin O’Conner (.348)
9. Seth Henry (.341)
10. Deshun Dixon (.340)

On Base Pct:
1. Ryan Royster (.409)
2. Kyle Lusson (.407)
3. Cody Rogers (.400)*
3. Shawn O’Malley (.400)*
5. Alex Diaz (.390)
6. Ryan Brett (.364)
7. Travis Flores (.357)
8. Seth Henry (.347)
9. Matt Fields (.346)
10. Ryan McCrann (.340)

Hits:
1. Joel Caminero (47)
2. Juniel Querecuto (42)
3. Alex Diaz (41)
4. Ryan McCrann (39)
5. Justin O’Conner (34)
6. Edward Dorville (31)
7. Ryan Brett (27)
7. Julian Morillo (27)
9. Lucas Bailey (25)*
9. Cesar Perez (25)

Doubles:
1. Justin O’Conner (13)
2. Joel Caminero (8)
2. Alex Diaz (8)
2. Lucas Bailey (8)*
5. Ryan Brett (5)
5. Tanner Biagini (5)
5. Jhonatan Gomez (5)
8. Juniel Querecuto (4)
8. Ryan McCrann (4)
8. Edward Dorville (4)
8. Cesar Perez (4)

Triples:
1. Joel Caminero (4, tied eighth in GCL)
1. Edward Dorville (4, tied eighth in GCL)
3. Alex Diaz (2)
3. Ryan Brett (2)
5. Jhonatan Gomez (1)
5. Juniel Querecuto (1)
5. Craige Lyerly (1)
5. Deshun Dixon (1)
5. Ryan Royster (1)
5. Cody Rogers (1)*

Home Runs:
1. Lucas Bailey (5, tied eighth in GCL)*
2. Justin O’Conner (3)
3. Edward Dorville (2)
3. Craige Lyerly (2)
3. Matt Fields (2)
6. Jhonatan Gomez (1)
6. Deshun Dixon (1)
6. Cody Rogers (1)*
6. Ryan McCrann (1)
6. Cesar Perez (1)
6. Seth Henry (1)

RBI’s:
1. Justin O’ Conner (29, tied eighth in GCL)
2. Joel Caminero (20)
3. Julian Morillo (16)
4. Edward Dorville (14)
4. Lucas Bailey (14)*
6. Ryan McCrann (12)
7. Alex Diaz (11)
7. Juniel Querecuto (11)
7. Tanner Biagini (11)
7. Craige Lyerly (11)
7. Cesar Perez (11)

Stolen Bases:
1. Ryan Brett (12)
2. Juniel Querecuto (11)
3. Craige Lyerly (9)
4. Edward Dorville (7)
4. Ryan McCrann (7)
6. Seth Henry (5)
7. Julian Morillo (4)
7. Deshun Dixon (4)
7. Kyle Lusson (4)
10. Matt Fields (3)

* denotes 2010 Rays Prospect Top Prospect

2010 Year in Review: Durham Bulls (Overall)

Over the next few weeks I will recap the 2010 season of each affiliate. This week will focus on the overall season, next week will cover the hitting leaders and the final week will be pitching leaders. Like the week in reviews earlier in the season, each day will bring attention to a different affiliate as we work our way through the franchise. Today we take a look at the overall team stats of the Durham Bulls.

The Durham Bulls set the franchise record for AAA wins by winning 88 games this season and finishing the season with a commanding 16 game lead in the division. The Bulls clinched the division for fourth consecutive season. The Bulls defeated the Louisville Bats to advance to the Governors Cup Finals where they fell to the Columbus Clippers. The 2010 Bulls were led by the International League’s Most Valuable Player (Dan Johnson), Most Valuable Pitcher (Jeremy Hellickson) and Manager of the Year (Charlie Montoya). They also had three players on the midseason all-star team (Joe Dillon, Dan Johnson and Elliot Johnson) as well as three on the post season all-star team (Jeremy Hellickson, Dan Johnson and Elliot Johnson). The accolades continued for the Bulls when the Rays released their minor league awards. Dan Johnson was named the Minor League Player of the Year, Jeremy Hellickson was the Minor League Pitcher of the Year, Elliot Johnson was the Bulls MVP and Desmond Jennings was the organizations Best Defensive Player.

Final Standings:
International League South Division
1. Durham Bulls (88-55)
2. Gwinnett Braves (72-71)
3. Charlotte Knights (67-77)
3. Norfolk Tides (67-77)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .277 (2 of 14)
Slugging: .431 (4 of 14)
On Base Pct: .353 (2 of 14)
Hits: 1363 (2 of 14)
Doubles: 288 (5 of 14)
Triples: 22 (11 of 14)
Home Runs: 142 (4 of 14)
Runs Scored: 757 (1 of 14)
Stolen Bases: 150 (2 of 14)

Team Pitching Stats (league rank):
ERA: 3.56 (1 of 14)
Runs Allowed: 562 (1 of 14)
Strikeouts: 1051 (tied 3 of 14)
Walks: 445 (tied 6 of 14)

Attendance:
8th best in International League
500,073 total in 71 games for 7,043 average per game (70% capacity)
Durham Bulls Athletic Park Total Seating: 10,000

2010 Durham Bulls Roster:
Pitchers
Winston Abreu
Brian Baker
Joe Bateman
Jeff Bennett
Joaquin Benoit
Alex Cobb*
Jason Cromer
Richard De Los Santos
Darin Downs
Mike Ekstrom
Justin Garcia
Jeremy Hellickson*
Carlos Hernandez
Bobby Livingston
Jake McGee*
Ramon Ortiz
Heath Phillips
Paul Phillips
Aneury Rodriguez*
Heath Rollins
Brian Shouse
RJ Swindle
Dale Thayer
Virgil Vasquez

Catchers
Craig Albernaz
Nevin Ashley
Alvin Colina
Kyle Holloway
John Jaso*
Jose Lobaton
Dioner Navarro
Kelly Shoppach

Infielders
Jason Bartlett
Hank Blalock
Angel Chavez
Joe Dillon
JJ Furmaniak
Dan Johnson
Elliot Johnson
Omar Luna
Chris Richard
Ryan Shealy

Outfielders
Leslie Anderson
Rocco Baldelli
Rashad Eldridge
Desmond Jennings*
Matt Joyce
Fernando Perez
Justin Ruggiano
Emeel Salem

Coaching Staff
Manager: Charlie Montoyo
Hitting Coach: Dave Myers
Pitching Coach: Xavier Hernandez

General Manager: Mike Birling

*denotes 2010 Rays Prospects Top Prospect

2010 Year in Review: Mongtomery Biscuits (Overall)

Over the next few weeks I will recap the 2010 season of each affiliate. This week will focus on the overall season, next week will cover the hitting leaders and the final week will be pitching leaders. Like the week in reviews earlier in the season, each day will bring attention to a different affiliate as we work our way through the franchise. Today we take a look at the overall team stats of the Montgomery Biscuits.

The 2010 Montgomery Biscuits had a strong first half of the season, falling short of the playoffs by just one game. However the second half was not as good, finishing in third place in the division and missing out on the postseason. The Biscuits were 72-66 overall on the year which was good for third place in the Southern League. The Biscuits placed five players on the All-Star team; Drew Anderson, Darin Downs, Matt Gorgen, Jeremy Hall and Alex Torres were nominated to the midseason game. Alex Cobb was named the Biscuits MVP by the Tampa Bay Rays for his performance during the season.

Final Standings:
Southern League South Division (Overall)
1. Jacksonville Suns (81-59)
2. Mobile Bay Bears (75-62)
3. Montgomery Biscuits (72-66)
4. Mississippi Braves (63-74)
5. Birmingham Barons (53-87)

Southern League South Division (First Half)
1. Jacksonville Suns (40-30)
2. Montgomery Biscuits (38-30)
3. Mobile Bay Bears (36-32)
4. Mississippi Braves (30-38)
5. Birmingham Barons (24-46)

Southern League South Division (Second Half)
1. Jacksonville Suns (41-29)
2. Mobile Bay Bears (39-30)
3. Montgomery Biscuits (34-36)
4. Mississippi Braves (33-36)
5. Birmingham Barons (29-41)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .248 (10 of 10)
Slugging: .364 (10 of 10)
On Base Pct: .325 (10 of 10)
Hits: 1145 (10 of 10)
Doubles: 201 (10 of 10)
Triples: 44 (2 of 10)
Home Runs: 81 (6 of 10)
Runs Scored: 585 (8 of 10)
Stolen Bases: 86 (8 of 10)

Team Pitching Stats (league rank):
ERA: 3.83 (4 of 10)
Runs Allowed: 600 (3 of 10)
Strikeouts: 1047 (2 of 10)
Walks: 480 (7 of 10)

Attendance:
3rd best in Southern League
269,840 total in 67 games for 4,027 average per game (89% capacity)
Riverwalk Stadium Total Seating: 4,500

2010 Montgomery Biscuits Roster:
Pitchers
Alex Cobb*
Dane De La Rosa
Richard De Los Santos
Justin Dowdy
Darin Downs
Sergio Espinosa
Justin Garcia
Matt Gorgen*
Jeremy Hall
Jake McGee*
Eddie Morlan
David Newmann*
Rayner Oliveros
Paul Phillips
Ryan Reid
Aneury Rodriguez*
Heath Rollins
Josh Satow
Alex Torres*

Catchers
Craig Albernaz
Nevin Ashley
Jose Lobaton
Ian Paxton
Matt Spring

Infielders
Drew Anderson
Cody Cipriano
Chris De La Cruz
Matt Fields
Mike Folli
JJ Furmaniak
Omar Luna
Chris Nowak
Shawn O’Malley*
Jose Ruiz
Greg Sexton
Matt Sweeney*
Henry Wrigley

Outfielders
Leslie Anderson
Rashad Eldridge
John Matulia
Ryan Royster
Emeel Salem
Cody Strait

Coaching Staff
Manager: Billy Gardner
Hitting Coach: Ozzie Timmons
Pitching Coach: Bill Moloney

General Manager: Greg Rauch

*denotes 2010 Rays Prospects Top Prospect

Four Rays On Appy Top 20

Enny Romero (#2), Braulio Lara (#13), Todd Glaesmann (#15), and Hector Guevara (#20). Here are some snippets:

Romero:

Romero could do no wrong in the Appy League, winning the ERA title (1.95) and ranking second in WHIP (0.94), third in strikeouts per nine innings (9.4) and fourth in opponent average (.204). He has the stuff to back those numbers up: a 92-96 mph four-seam fastball with armside run and a 12-to-6 curveball with short, quick spin.

Lara:

Batters seemed unprepared for Lara's 92-96 mph fastball, which comes from an easy pitching motion. While he relied on his two- and four-seam fastballs to retire batters, he also improved the consistency of his curveball and changeup. Both of his secondary pitches have the potential to become average or better.

Glaesmann:

He runs well and can handle center field now, but as his body matures, Glaesmann probably will outgrow the position and take his strong arm to right field. If his power develops into a plus tool, the Rays will accept that tradeoff.

Guevara:

Guevara showed a feel for hitting, a patient approach, average speed and a modicum of pop. His performance perked up in August, when he batted .295/.336/.410 with nine extra-base hits and five steals. He could develop into a .280 hitter with average power.

Defensively, he has good hands and nimble feet, which help him turn double plays. Guevara's arm rates as above-average for second base but might be a bit short to handle shortstop on an everyday basis.

Here's the schedule for top 20 lists of leagues the Rays have teams in:
Sept. 28 - New York-Penn League (Hudson Valley)
Oct. 1 - Midwest League (Bowling Green)
Oct. 6 - Florida State League (Charlotte)
Oct. 7 - Southern League (Montgomery)
Oct. 12 - International League (Durham)

Pair Of Catchers On GCL Top 20 List

The Rays Gulf Coast League catching duo of Justin O'Conner (#3) and Luke Bailey (#11) ranked on BaseballAmerica's GCL Top 20 Prospects list. Ryan Brett also was ranked, at #18. The insider-only scouting reports are pretty much what we already knew:

On O'Conner:

O'Conner's two best tools are his above-average power potential and his plus-plus arm strength. He may not hit for a high average, because he gets pull-happy and hasn't hit quality pitching, and he didn't make consistent contact in the GCL. He moves well and has quick feet behind the plate, though he needs to slow down a tick to better synchronize his throwing mechanics.

On Bailey:

Despite an underwhelming pro debut, Bailey displayed above-average power. He needs to works on controlling the strike zone and using the whole field. His arm bounced back well from his surgery, as he threw out 31 percent of basestealers, and he has the soft hands and athleticism to become a good receiver.

On Brett:

Brett has a quick, line-drive stroke that will allow him to hit for a solid average. He has a good knowledge of the strike zone as well. His above-average speed makes him a factor on the bases.

Defensively, Brett needs to iron out his actions at second base. His range and speed could make him an effective center fielder if he can't stick in the infield.

Here's the schedule for top 20 lists of leagues the Rays have teams in:
Sept. 24 - Appalachian League (Princeton)
Sept. 28 - New York-Penn League (Hudson Valley)
Oct. 1 - Midwest League (Bowling Green)
Oct. 6 - Florida State League (Charlotte)
Oct. 7 - Southern League (Montgomery)
Oct. 12 - International League (Durham)

2010 Year in Review: Charlotte Stone Crabs (Overall)

Over the next few weeks I will recap the 2010 season of each affiliate. This week will focus on the overall season, next week will cover the hitting leaders and the final week will be pitching leaders. Like the week in reviews earlier in the season, each day will bring attention to a different affiliate as we work our way through the franchise. Today we take a look at the overall team stats of the Charlotte Stone Crabs.

The Charlotte Stone Crabs followed up on their inaugural season success with an even better season, setting the franchise record in wins (80) and finishing with the best overall record in the Florida State League with a 80-59 season. They made the playoffs for the second straight year, clinching early on in the first half. The Stone Crabs defeated Bradenton in the first round and advanced to face Tampa in the second round. Despite falling to the Yankees in game four of the best of five series, the Stone Crabs set many milestones along the way. Matt Moore led the minors in strikeouts with 208 and became the first FSL pitcher to surpass the 200 K mark since 1971 while falling just six strikeout short of the minor league record of 214. The Stone Crabs sent a league high nine players to the All-Star Game; Chris Andujar, Nick Barnese, Marquis Fleming, Zach Quate, Josh Satow, Neil Schenk, Isaias Velasquez, Stephen Vogt, Henry Wrigley and the entire Stone Crabs field staff. Following the season Joe Cruz, Moore, Jim Morrison, Quate and Vogt were named to the post season all-star team while Morrison was named the Manager of the Year in the FSL. The Rays then awarded Quate the award for Best Reliever and named Moore the Stone Crabs MVP.

Final Standings:
Florida State League South Division (Overall)
1. Charlotte Stone Crabs (80-59)
2. Bradenton Marauders (76-62)
3. Palm Beach Cardinals (75-65)
4. Fort Myers Miracle (64-74)
5. St. Lucie Mets (62-76)
6. Jupiter Hammerheads (46-92)

Florida State League South Division (First Half)
1. Charlotte Stone Crabs (43-26)
2. Bradenton Marauders (39-31)
2. Palm Beach Cardinals (39-31)
4. St. Lucie Mets (33-35)
5. Fort Myers Miracle (28-42)
6. Jupiter Hammerheads (22-46)

Florida State League South Division (Second Half)
1. Bradenton Marauders (37-31)
2. Fort Myers Miracle (36-32)
3. Charlotte Stone Crabs (37-33)
4. Palm Beach Cardinals (36-34)
5. St. Lucie Mets (29-41)
6. Jupiter Hammerheads (24-46)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .259 (7 of 12)
Slugging: .366 (8 of 12)
On Base Pct: .332 (tied 3 of 12)
Hits: 1191 (7 of 12)
Doubles: 235 (tied 6 of 12)
Triples: 36 (tied 3 of 12)
Home Runs: 62 (9 of 12)
Runs Scored: 558 (9 of 12)
Stolen Bases: 117 (8 of 12)

Team Pitching Stats (league rank):
ERA: 3.06 (1 of 12)
Runs Allowed: 495 (1 of 12)
Strikeouts: 1189 (1 of 12)
Walks: 389 (tied 5 of 12)

Attendance:
Best in Florida State League
171,450 total in 64 games for 2,678 average per game (53% capacity)
Charlotte Sports Park Total Seating: 5,028

2010 Charlotte Stone Crabs Roster:
Pitchers
Chris Andujar
Grant Balfour
Nick Barnese*
Matt Bush
Kevin Chavez
Alex Colome*
Joe Cruz*
Dane De La Rosa
Frank De Los Santos
Shane Dyer
Sergio Espinosa
Marquis Fleming
Justin Garcia
Jeremy Hellickson*
Michael Jarman
Deivis Mavarez
Matt Moore*
Rayner Oliveros
Zach Quate
Tommy Rafferty
Josh Satow
Neil Schenk
Brian Shouse
Scott Shuman
Andy Sonnanstine
Jake Thompson
Kirby Yates

Catchers
Jake Jefferies*
Matt Spring
Mark Thomas
Stephen Vogt

Infielders
Tim Beckham*
Tyler Bortnick*
Matt Fields
Matt Hall
Omar Luna
Shawn O’Malley*
Carlos Pena
Anthony Scelfo
Greg Sexton
Michael Sheridan
Matt Sweeney*
Shawn Williams

Outfielders
Leslie Anderson
Rocco Baldelli
Reid Fronk
Brad Hawpe
Matt Joyce
Kyeong Kang*
Gabe Kapler
Chris Murrill
Ryan Royster
Isaias Velasquez
Henry Wrigley

Coaching Staff
Manager: Jim Morrison
Hitting Coach: Joe Szekely
Pitching Coach: Neil Allen

General Manager: Joe Hart

*denotes 2010 Rays Prospects Top Prospect

2010 Year in Review: Bowling Green Hot Rods (Overall)

Over the next few weeks I will recap the 2010 season of each affiliate. This week will focus on the overall season, next week will cover the hitting leaders and the final week will be pitching leaders. Like the week in reviews earlier in the season, each day will bring attention to a different affiliate as we work our way through the franchise. Today we take a look at the overall team stats of the Bowling Green Hot Rods.

The Bowling Green Hot Rods struggled in their inaugural year in the Midwest League. They finished with an overall record below .500 at 61-78 which left them in sixth place in the division. The Hot Rods were in the bottom half of the league in most team stats with the lone bright spot being stolen bases which they led the league. Alex Colome, Chris Murrill and Wilking Rodriguez represented the Hot Rods in the Midwest League All-Star Game. The Rays organization also recognized Ty Morrison as the best baserunner in the organization while Tyler Bortnick was named the Hot Rods MVP.

Final Standings:
Midwest League Eastern Division (Overall)
1. Great Lakes Loon (90-49)
2. Lake County Captains (77-62)
3. Fort Wayne Tin Caps (77-63)
4. Lansing Lugnuts (70-69)
5. West Michigan White Caps (62-77)
6. Bowling Green Hot Rods (61-78)
7. South Bend Silver Hawks (59-78)
8. Dayton Dragons (53-85)

Midwest League Eastern Division (First Half)
1. Lake County Captains (44-25)
2. Great Lakes Loons (43-26)
3. Lansing Lugnuts (36-33)
4. Fort Wayne Tin Caps (36-34)
5. Bowling Green Hot Rods (31-38)
6. South Bend Silver Hawks (30-38)
7. Dayton Dragons (30-39)
8. West Michigan White Caps (26-43)

Midwest League Eastern Division (Second Half)
1. Great Lakes Loons (47-23)
2. Fort Wayne Tin Caps (41-29)
3. West Michigan White Caps (36-34)
4. Lansing Lugnuts (34-36)
5. Lake County Captains (33-37)
6. Bowling Green Hot Rods (30-40)
7. South Bend Silver Hawks (29-40)
8. Dayton Dragons (23-46)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .254 (tied 11 of 16)
Slugging: .361 (15 of 16)
On Base Pct: .334 (tied 8 of 16)
Hits: 1170 (11 of 16)
Doubles: 221 (14 of 16)
Triples: 33 (tied 14 of 16)
Home Runs: 68 (12 of 16)
Runs Scored: 607 (13 of 16)
Stolen Bases: 249 (1 of 16)

Team Pitching Stats (league rank):
ERA: 4.20 (11 of 16)
Runs Allowed: 692 (13 of 16)
Strikeouts: 1133 (5 of 16)
Walks: 512 (12 of 16)

Attendance:
9th best in Midwest League
235,412 total in 67 games for 3,513 average per game (78% capacity)
Bowling Green Ballpark Total Seating: 4,500

2010 Bowling Green Hot Rods Roster:
Pitchers
Alexander Colome*
Jairo De La Rosa
Aaron Dott
Shane Dyer
Tyree Hayes
Merrill Kelly
Alex Koronis
Kyle Lobstein*
Deivis Mavarez
Yorman Mayora
Jason McEachern*
Shane Minks
CJ Riefenhauser
Wilking Rodriguez*
Scott Shuman
Matthew Stabelfeld
Albert Suarez
Jake Sullivan
Kirby Yates

Catchers
Mayobanex Acosta
Tomas Francisco
Mark Thomas
David Wendt

Infielders
Tyler Bortnick*
Julio Cedeno
Bennett Davis
Robi Estrada
Diogenes Luis
Eli Sonoqui
Kyle Spraker
Ryan Wiegand

Outfielders
Dustin Biell
Gabe Cohen
Ty Morrison*
Chris Murrill
Brett Nommensen
Burt Reynolds
Cody Rogers*

Coaching Staff
Manager: Brady Williams
Hitting Coach: Manny Castillo
Pitching Coach: RC Lichtenstein

General Manager: Brad Taylor

*denotes 2010 Rays Prospects Top Prospect

2010 Year in Review: Hudson Valley Renegades (Overall)

Over the next few weeks I will recap the 2010 season of each affiliate. This week will focus on the overall season, next week will cover the hitting leaders and the final week will be pitching leaders. Like the week in reviews earlier in the season, each day will bring attention to a different affiliate as we work our way through the franchise. Today we take a look at the overall team stats of the Hudson Valley Renegades.

The Hudson Valley Renegades finished the 2010 season with a 39-36 record which left them in second place of the division. Several Renegades were selected for the New York-Penn League All-Star team; Wilmer Almonte, Derek Dietrich, Austin Hubbard, Robby Price, Jake Thompson and Phil Wunderlich. Wunderlich was also named the team MVP by the Rays organization. Following the season, the Rays and Renegades renewed their player development contract through the 2012 season.

Final Standings:
New York-Penn League McNamara Division
1. Brooklyn Cyclones (51-24)
2. Hudson Valley Renegades (39-36)
3. Aberdeen Iron Birds (34-40)
3. Staten Island Yankees (34-40)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .258 (4 of 14)
Slugging: .367 (5 of 14)
On Base Pct: .332 (5 of 14)
Hits: 659 (4 of 14)
Doubles: 147 (2 of 14)
Triples: 22 (8 of 14)
Home Runs: 29 (10 of 14)
Runs Scored: 358 (tied 5 of 14)
Stolen Bases: 90 (1 of 14)

Team Pitching Stats (league rank):
ERA: 3.44 (4 of 14)
Runs Allowed: 312 (5 of 14)
Strikeouts: 566 (5 of 14)
Walks: 204 (1 of 14)

Attendance:
5th best in New York-Penn League
154,619 total in 35 games for 4,417 average per game (98% capacity)
Dutchess Stadium Total Seating: 4,494

2010 Hudson Valley Renegades Roster:
Pitchers
Wilmer Almonte
Kyle Ayers
Omar Bencomo
JR Betts-Robinson
Wade Broyles
Kevin Chavez
Julius Dettrich
Robert Dickmann
Devin Fuller
Nate Garcia
Hunter Hill
Steve Hiscock
Austin Hubbard
Merrill Kelly
Adam Liberatore
James Patterson
Enny Romero
Zachary Rosscup
Miguel Sierra
Jacob Thompson

Catchers
Mayobanex Acosta
Kyle Holloway
Alejandro Torres
David Wendt

Infielders
Bennett Davis
Derek Dietrich
Geno Glynn
Felix Gonzalez
Scott Lawson
Diogenes Luis
Elias Otero
Robby Price
Junior Rodriguez
Nicholas Schwaner
Steven Tinoco
Philip Wunderlich

Outfielders
Brian Bryles
Cesar Guillen
Kyle Lusson
Craige Lyerly
Burt Reynolds
Chris Winder

Coaching Staff
Manager: Jared Sandberg
Hitting Coach: Reinaldo Ruiz
Pitching Coach: Jack Giese

General Manager: Eben Yager

2010 Year in Review: Princeton Rays (Overall)

Over the next few weeks I will recap the 2010 season of each affiliate. This week will focus on the overall season, next week will cover the hitting leaders and the final week will be pitching leaders. Like the week in reviews earlier in the season, each day will bring attention to a different affiliate as we work our way through the franchise. Today we take a look at the overall team stats of the Princeton Rays.

The Princeton Rays ended the season in fourth place of the Appalachian League East Division with a 33-35 record. The P-Rays repeated as the Mercer Cup Champion for 2010, this was the sixth Mercer Cup for the Rays in the last eight years.

Final Standings:
Appalachian League East Division
1. Pulaski Mariners (37-28)
2. Burlington Royals (34-34)
2. Danville Braves (34-34)
4. Princeton Rays (33-35)
5. Bluefield Orioles (23-45)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .249 (7 of 10)
Slugging: .370 (7 of 10)
On Base Pct: .316 (tied 6 of 10)
Hits: 563 (6 of 10)
Doubles: 126 (5 of 10)
Triples: 24 (3 of 10)
Home Runs: 34 (8 of 10)
Runs Scored: 297 (tied 6 of 10)
Stolen Bases: 79 (3 of 10)

Team Pitching Stats (league rank):
ERA: 3.23 (2 of 10)
Runs Allowed: 280 (3 of 10)
Strikeouts: 522 (6 of 10)
Walks: 167 (5 of 10)

Attendance:
6th best in Appalachian League
26,946 total in 31 games for 869 average per game (45% capacity)
Hunnicutt Field Total Seating: 1,950

2010 Princeton Rays Roster:
Pitchers
Andrew Bellatti
JR Betts-Robinson
Wade Broyles
Garret Carruth
Bradley Furdal
Matt Gilson
Justin Hall
Mickey Jannis
George Jensen
Braulio Lara
Victor Mateo
Shane Minks
Jacob Partridge
Chris Rearick
CJ Riefenhauser
Enny Romero
Eliazer Suero

Catchers
Kyle Holloway
Gerardo Olivares
Alejandro Segovia
Zane Williams

Infielders
Geno Glynn
Felix Gonzalez
Hector Guevara*
Brian Harris
Scott Lawson
Jeff Malm*
Leonardo Reginatto

Outfielders
Ruben Contreras
Bryan Fogle
Todd Glaesmann*
Cesar Guillen
Kevin Kiermaier

Coaching Staff
Manager: Mike Johns
Hitting Coach: Wuarnner Rincones
Pitching Coach: Marty DeMerritt

General Manager: Jim Holland

*denotes 2010 Rays Prospects Top Prospect

2010 Year in Review: GCL Rays (Overall)

Over the next few weeks I will recap the 2010 season of each affiliate. This week will focus on the overall season, next week will cover the hitting leaders and the final week will be pitching leaders. Like the week in reviews earlier in the season, each day will bring attention to a different affiliate as we work our way through the franchise. Today we take a look at the overall team stats of the GCL Rays.

The GCL Rays rebounded from a difficult season last year by winning the South Division this season. They defeated the GCL Marlins in the first round of the playoff then fell to the GCL Phillies 2-1 in the Gulf Coast League Championship Series. The Rays finished the season with a 34-26 record

Final Standings:
GCL South Division
1. GCL Rays (34-26)
2. GCL Red Sox (31-28)
3. GCL Twins (29-31)
4. GCL Orioles (25-34)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .228 (16 of 16)
Slugging: .318 (13 of 16)
On Base Pct: .309 (12 of 16)
Hits: 449 (10 of 16)
Doubles: 80 (tied 10 of 16)
Triples: 18 (tied 6 of 16)
Home Runs: 20 (9 of 16)
Runs Scored: 203 (9 of 16)
Stolen Bases: 74 (tied 4 of 16)

Team Pitching Stats (league rank):
ERA: 3.44 (6 of 16)
Runs Allowed: 249 (8 of 16)
Strikeouts: 426 (9 of 16)
Walks: 180 (10 of 16)

2010 GCL Rays Roster :
Pitchers
Matt Bush
Jason Cromer
Ryan Fleckenstein
Genero Galan
Justin Hall
Stepan Havlicek
Tyree Hayes
Brandon Henderson
Kevin James
Marcus Jensen
Daniel Johnson
Ian Kendall
Reinaldo Lopez
Parker Markel
Shane Minks
Jose Molina
Eduar Quinonez
Robinson Reyes
Zach Rosscup
Brian Shouse
Pedro Silvestre
Matt Spann
Albert Suarez
Matt Swilley
Virgil Vasquez
Cristian Vasquez
Peter Woodworth

Catchers
Lucas Bailey*
Jake DePew
Justin O’Conner
Marcos Torres

Infielders
Tanner Biagini
Ryan Brett
Matt Fields
Travis Flores
Jhonatan Gomez
Seth Henry
Ryan McCrann
Julian Morillo
Shawn O’Malley*
Cesar Perez
Juniel Querecuto

Outfielders
Joel Caminero
Alexander Diaz
Deshun Dixon
Edward Dorville
Kyle Lusson
Craige Lyerly
Cody Rogers*
Ryan Royster

Coaching Staff
Manager: Joe Alvarez
Hitting Coach: Hector Torres
Pitching Coach: Darwin Peguero
Coach: Dan DeMent

* denotes 2010 Rays Prospect Top Prospect

Vogt Wins 2010 Erik Walker Community Champion Award

Stephen Vogt was awarded the 2010 Erik Walker Community Champion Award. The award is given out by the Rays annually for teamwork, sportsmanship and community involvement. Vogt was awarded a trophy and $2,500 to the charity of his choice for winning the award.

Also nominated for the award was Joe Bateman, Paul Phillips, Chris Murrill, Robby Price, Victor Mateo and Eduar Quinonez. Vogt joins the list of recipients that include Ryan Wiegand (2009), Matt Spring (2008) and Pat Cottrell (2007).

The Erik Walker Community Champion Award is in memory of the late Erik Walker who's life was tragically cut short by a canoeing accident after his first professional season with Hudson Valley.

2010 Rays Minor League Awards

The Rays released their end of season award winners for the 2010 season on Friday. The winners were honored before Friday nights Rays game against the Angles at Tropicana Field. The 2010 winners are:

Minor League Player of the Year: Dan Johnson
Minor League Pitcher of the Year: Jeremy Hellickson

Durham Bulls Most Valuable Player: Elliot Johnson
Montgomery Biscuits Most Valuable Player: Alex Cobb
Charlotte Stone Crabs Most Valuable Player: Matt Moore
Bowling Green Hot Rods Most Valuable Player: Tyler Bortnick
Hudson Valley Renegades Most Valuable Player: Phil Wunderlich
Princeton Rays Most Valuable Player: Enny Romero
GCL Rays Most Valuable Player: Pedro Silvestre
DSL Rays Most Valuable Player: Ariel Soriano
VSL Rays Most Valuable Player: Nahum Hernandez

Best Defensive Player: Desmond Jennings
Best Baserunner: Ty Morrison
Best Reliever: Zach Quate

Friday's Scores and Highlights

Columbus Clippers 13, Durham Bulls 2
Bulls drop championship series 1-3. Chris Richard was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Rashad Eldridge was 2 for 4. JJ Furmaniak was 2 for 5 with an RBI. The Bulls stranded 10 runners on base. Bull pitching staff only recorded one strikeout on the nigh while walking while walking 3 and giving up 20 base hits, including a cycle for Jason Kipnis. Paul Phillips suffered his first career AAA loss, surrendering 4 runs in 1 1/3 innings. The Bulls season ended with a record 92 victories to set the franchise record for AAA wins.

Arpy Nominations Now Open

Well, things are just about wound down on the minor-league season, so it's time to wrapping it all up. We'll review our pre-season predictions and pre-season top prospect lists, but first it's time to hand out the Arpy Awards (RaysProspects... RP... Arpy). This year we're turning over the nomination process to you guys, then we'll narrow it down to 5 or so finalists, and then announce a winner. This year's award categories are:

*Best Lead Actor, Pitching Division: Simply put, who had the best season by a Rays pitching prospect? This category is for pitchers who would be in the mix for top prospect discussion.

*Best Supporting Actor, Pitching Division: This is for best season by a pitcher who probably won't be in the discussion for top prospects. It's a tricky line, but I'll sort out who goes in which spot.

*Best Lead Actor, Hitting Division: The hitting version of the award for best season by a Rays prospect.

*Best Supporting Actor, Hitting Division: Same thing as for pitchers, but for guys who swing the bat.

*Best Team Season: Which Rays affiliate had the best year?

*Most Improved Stock: Who raised their prospect stock the most from a year ago to now?

*Best 2010 Debut: Which 2010 draftee had the best pro debut?

*Best Under-The-Radar Season: Which Rays prospect had the best season that no one seems to be noticing?

I'll post my nominations in the comments section, and encourage you to help out too!

Thursday's Scores and Highlights

Columbus Clippers 2, Durham Bulls 3
Bulls trail 1-2 in best of five series. The walk-off win was Durham's 16th of the season. Leslie Anderson hit a sac fly to score Elliot Johnson in the ninth for the win. Rashad Eldridge and Fernando Perez also had RBI's on the night. Alex Cobb pitched 4 scoreless frames. Winston Abreu had a no-hit ninth, striking out all three batters faced to record the win. The Bulls look to tie the series and force a game five on Friday night, Paul Phillips will start game four for the Bulls.

Wednesday Scores and Highlights

Durham Bulls 0, Columbus Clippers 4
Bulls fall to 0-2 in the best of five championship series. Craig Albernaz was 2 for 3 with a double. JJ Furmaniak was 2 for 4. Leslie Anderson 2 for 4. The Bulls were 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position and stranded seven runners on the night. Anuery Rodriguez suffered the loss. The series moves to Durham on Thursday with Alex Cobb starting game three.

Tuesday's Scores and Highlights

Durham Bulls 5, Columbus Clippers 18
Bulls trail 0-1 in series. Justin Ruggiano had a grand slam. Fernando Perez was the only starter not to record a hit. The Bulls pitching staff gave up a season high four home runs. Richard De Los Santos was charged with the loss. The Bulls send Anuery Rodriguez to the mound to start game two on Wednesday night.

Minor Moves: McGee

The Tampa Bay Rays have called up Durham's Jake McGee to work from the Rays bullpen. McGee who has split the 2010 season between Montgomery and Durham pitching a combined 4-8 with a 3.07 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 105 2/3 innings. He was an amazing 0.52 ERA in 11 appearances with the Bulls in August.

McGee was drafted by Tampa Bay in the fifth round of the 2004 Draft. He has made the all-star squad in the Midwest League and the Florida State League as well as named player of the week twice (2007/2010) in the Southern League as well as led the organization in strikeouts in 2006 and 2007. McGee returned to the mound in 2009 after having Tommy John surgery in July 2008.

Monday's Scores and Highlights

Durham Bulls (day off)
The Bulls begin play in the game one of the Governor's Cup Finals against Columbus on Tuesday.


Charlotte Stone Crabs 0, Tampa Yankees 9
Stone Crabs lose series 1-3. Matt Hall was the only Stone Crab with multiple hits, going 2 for 4 with a double. Stephen Vogt also had a double. Alex Colome, Michael Jarman and Scott Shuman provided shut-out relief. The Stone Crabs managed eight hits on the night but were unable to push any runners across the plate. They were 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position and stranded 8 men on base. Joe Cruz was tagged for 7 runs on 9 hits to take the loss. Marquis Fleming surrendered the other two runs. The Stone Crabs fell to the Yankees in the championship series for the second consecutive year.

2010 International League Playoffs Preview: Championship

The Durham Bulls defeated the Louisville Bats in game five of the semi-finals to advance to the Governor’s Cup Finals. The Bulls make their second straight appearance in the finals, this year facing the Columbus Clippers.

The Bulls and Clippers faced off eight times this season with the overall series tied 4-4. Here is how the clubs match up:



Starters for the series have not been named yet.

The best of five series begins on Tuesday. Games one and two will be played at Huntington Park. Then the series heads to Durham for the final three games on Thursday.

Sunday's Scores and Highlights

Louisville Bats 2, Durham Bulls 4
Bulls win series 3-2 to advance to Championship. Leslie Anderson was 2 for 4 with 2 doubles. JJ Furmaniak had a solo home run. Angel Chavez also drove home a run. Bobby Livingston earned the win. Winston Abreu threw 1 1/3 no-hit innings for the save. The Bulls begin the Championship Series on the road on Tuesday against Columbus.

Charlotte Stone Crabs 2, Tampa Yankees 1
Stone Crabs trail series 1-2. Stone Crabs picked up a win in game three to avoid elimination. Matt Hall was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Isaias Velasquez was 2 for 4. Jake Jefferies drove home the game winning run. Matt Moore struck out 10 hitters in 6 innings. Neil Schenk earned the win and Zach Quate the save. The Stone Crabs look to tie the series in game four on Monday night, Joe Cruz will make the start.

Saturday's Scores and Highlights

Louisville Bats 1, Durham Bulls 8
Series tied 2-2. Chris Richard was 2 for 4 with a home run, 5 RBI's and 2 runs scored. Angel Chavez was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Elliot Johnson was 2 for 5 with a run scored. Justin Ruggiano also drove home a run. Jake McGee pitched 1 inning of relief, striking out 2 of the 3 hitters he faced. The Bulls pitching staff combined for a shut-out until the ninth inning. Paul Phillips earned the victory. The series heads to the crucial game five with the winner advancing to play in the finals.

Tampa Yankees 7, Charlotte Stone Crabs 2
The Stone Crabs trail 0-2 in the series. Stephen Vogt was the only Stone Crab with multiple hits, going 2 for 4 with a triple and a run scored. Greg Sexton and Michael Sheridan drove home the two Charlotte runs. Jake Thompson suffered the loss, his first since his promotion to the Stone Crabs. The Stone Crabs send Matt Moore to the mound as they try to avoid elimination on Sunday in Tampa.

Rays Extend PDC With Bowling Green Hot Rods Through 2012

The Bowling Green Hot Rods have announced a two-year extension of the Player Development Contract with the Tampa Bay Rays.

“We want to thank all of our fans as well as our non-profit and business partners for all of their tremendous support,” stated Hot Rods Owner Art Solomon. “Now we have the chance to reflect on another great year while putting together a blueprint to make a bigger impact in 2011. Our affiliation with the Rays has increased our credibility in the community while also putting an exciting group of Major League prospects on the field. We know our next two years will be exciting ones with an organization that is becoming a perennial American League pennant contender. I also want to thank our dedicated staff for their continued efforts.”

All the above factors, from stadium to community involvement, made it an easy decision for the Rays to renew the PDC. “We are very pleased to extend our relationship with the Hot Rods for another two years,” said Rays Director of Minor League Operations Mitch Lukevics. “The Hot Rods are a first-class organization with a beautiful ballpark and a great community. We look forward to sending our players to Bowling Green to further their development on and off the field.”

Friday's Scores and Highlights

Louisville Bat 2, Durham Bulls 1
Bulls trail Bats 2-1 in the series. JJ Furmaniak was 3 for 4 with a run scored. Chris Richard had a double. RJ Swindle pitched provided 2 1/3 innings on no-hit relief with 4 strikeouts. The Bulls were just 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 runners on base. Alex Cobb was charged with the loss despite striking out 10 hitters in 6 2/3 innings. The Bulls try to battle off elimination in game four Saturday, Paul Phillips will get the start.

Tampa Yankees 5, Charlotte Stone Crabs 2
The Stone Crabs trail 1-0 in series. Jake Jefferies was 2 for 3 with a double and a home run. Matt Hall also had a solo home run. Stone Crabs pitchers gave up a combined 11 walks, 5 of them issued by starter Deivis Mavarez who was charged with the loss. Jake Thompson will start game two on Saturday.

Biscuits Week in Review: September 2 to September 9

The Biscuits finished the season by going 2-3 in the final week of the season. They finished the season with a 72-66 record overall and failed to make the postseason.

Hitting Leaders:
Average: Cody Cipriano (.275)
Slugging: Henry Wrigley (.409)
On Base Pct: Cody Cipriano (.371)
Hits: Emeel Salem (138)
Doubles: John Matulia (23)
Triples: Drew Anderson (11, tied second in SOU)
Home Runs: Matt Fields (12)
RBI’s: John Matulia (59)
Stolen Bases: Emeel Salem (23)

Pitching Leaders:
ERA Starters: Alex Torres (3.47, seventh in SOU)
ERA Overall: Matt Gorgen (1.65)
Wins: Alex Torres (11, tied fourth in SOU)
Saves: Matt Gorgen (22, tied first in SOU)
Strikeouts: Alexander Torres (150, first in SOU)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .248 (10 of 10)
Slugging: .364 (10 of 10)
On Base Pct: .325 (10 of 10)
Hits: 1145 (10 of 10)
Doubles: 201 (10 of 10)
Triples: 44 (2 of 10)
Home Runs: 81 (6 of 10)
Runs Scored: 585 (8 of 10)
Stolen Bases: 86 (8 of 10)

Team Pitching Stats (rank):
ERA: 3.83 (4 of 10)
Runs Allowed: 600 (3 of 10)
Strikeouts: 1047 (2 of 10)
Walks: 480 (7 of 10)

Transactions: Paul Phillips promoted to Durham (9/6/10). David Newmann activated from disabled list (9/6/10). Craig Albernaz promoted to Durham (9/7/10). Alex Cobb promoted to Durham (9/7/10). Rashad Eldridge promoted to Durham (9/7/10).

Disabled List: Cody Cipriano, Justin Garcia and Matt Sweeney.

The Week Ahead: End of the Season.

2010 Draft Picks - Pitchers

Today we'll take a look at how the pitchers taken in the 2010 draft did this season. Only 2 pitchers who signed did not play: Jesse Hahn (6th round) and Justin Woodall (25th round). Here are the final stats, sorted by ERA.

Pitcher             Rd Age Team(s) W L   ERA  G GS SV   IP  WHIP  H/9 HR/9 BB/9 SO/9
Austin Hubbard    14th  22     HDV 3 1  0.39 19  0 12 23.1 1.071  6.2  0.4  3.5  9.6
Jake Thompson      2nd  20 HDV/CHA 4 1  1.06 12  9  0 51.0 0.745  5.3  0.0  1.4  6.9
Matthew Spann     25th  19     GCL 1 1  1.48 10  1  0 24.1 1.068  8.1  0.4  1.5  8.1
Brandon Henderson 15th  18     GCL 3 0  1.59  9  2  1 22.2 0.706  5.2  0.8  1.2 11.1
Parker Markel     39th  19     GCL 2 0  1.74  7  0  0 10.1 1.065  7.0  0.0  2.6 11.3
C.J. Riefenhauser 20th  20 PRI/BWG 2 0  2.25 13  2  1 28.0 1.000  6.8  0.3  2.2  6.4
Robert Dickmann   36th  23     HDV 4 2  2.41 16  2  1 41.0 1.317  8.3  0.4  3.5  6.8
Mickey Jannis     44th  22     PRI 3 1  2.52 14  0  3 35.2 1.654 12.1  0.3  2.8  7.3
Jimmy Patterson   18th  21     HDV 3 3  2.55  9  6  0 35.1 0.934  6.4  0.5  2.0  7.1
Wade Broyles      40th  23 PRI/HDV 0 2  2.63 12  0  2 27.1 1.098  5.3  0.0  4.6  9.9
Adam Liberatore   21st  23     HDV 2 1  2.63 17  0  2 27.1 1.610 10.5  0.3  4.0 10.9
Nate Garcia       16th  22     HDV 3 2  2.88 16  6  2 50.0 1.100  6.7  0.9  3.2  8.1
George Jensen     46th  20     PRI 1 2  2.97 12  1  1 36.1 1.211  9.4  1.2  1.5  7.4
Merrill Kelly      8th  21 HDV/BWG 1 2  4.30 12  3  0 37.2 1.168  7.4  0.2  3.1  6.9
Chris Rearick     41st  22     PRI 3 1  4.72 13  1  0 40.0 1.650 13.3  0.0  1.6  6.5
Ian Kendall        5th  18     GCL 0 1 12.46  4  0  0  4.1 2.538 18.7  2.1  4.2  6.2

Jake Thompson's season isn't over yet, he's scheduled to start tomorrow night for Charlotte in game 2 of the Florida State League championship series. I wonder how high he will rank in our next Top 15 pitching prospects list? Overall, a pretty impressive start to their professional careers with 13 of 16 picks having an ERA below 3.00.

Florida State League Playoff Preview: Championship Series

The Charlotte Stone Crabs advanced to the Florida State League Championship Series for the second consecutive year. They defeated the Bradenton Marauders 2-1 to advance to the finals.

The 2010 Championship will be a repeat of last year’s league finals as the Stone Crabs look to reverse last year’s fate against the Tampa Yankees. This year the season series is tied 4-4 with each club winning two at home and two on the road. The Stone Crabs and Yankees met last year in the finals with the Yankees winning the series 3-2.

Here is how the teams match-up:



Here are the starters for the series:
Game One: Deivis Mavarez (1-1, 1.42) vs Josh Romanski (0-1, 4.50)
Game Two: Jake Thompson (2-0, 0.00) vs Brett Marshall (0-0, 4.50)
Game Three: Matt Moore (6-11, 3.36) vs TBD
Game Four (if necessary): TBD vs TBD
Game Five(if necessary): TBD vs TBD


Game One and Two will be played at Charlotte Sports Park. The series wraps up with games three through five being played at Steinbrenner Field.

Thursday's Scores and Highlights

Durham Bulls 6, Louisville Bats 1
Series tied 1-1. Justin Ruggiano was 3 for 5 with a double and an RBI. Joe Dillon was 2 for 4 with 2 RBI’s. Leslie Anderson was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Angel Chavez also plated a run. Aneury Rodriguez gave up a run on 2 hits with 5 walks in 2 2/3 innings. Darin Downs picked up the win. Jake McGee, Joe Bateman and Winston Abreu combined for 4 no-hit innings out of the bullpen. The series moves to Durham on Friday with Alex Cobb starting game three.

Bradenton Marauders 1, Charlotte Stone Crabs 2
Stone Crabs win series 2-1, repeat as South Division Champs. Kyeong Kang was 2 for 3 with a double. Matt Hall and Chris Murrill drove home the runs. Alex Colome made the start allowed 1 run in 1 1/3 innings and was replaced following the lengthy rain delay. Frank De Los Santos pitched 4 shut-out innings with 2 strikeouts to earn the win. Zach Quate recorded the save. The Stone Crabs host game one of the FSL Championship Series against Tampa on Friday.

Minor Moves: Gorgen

The Tampa Bay Rays have traded Matt Gorgen to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Gorgen was the closer for the Biscuits in the 2010 season, finishing the season with 22 saves, 47 strikeouts and a 1.65 ERA in 42 games.

Gorgen was drafted by the Rays in the 16th round of the 2008 draft from University of California. He has been named to the all-star squad in all three seasons of his pro career; New York-Penn League (2008), Florida State League (2009) and Southern League (2010). He was the reliever of the year for the Rays minor league organization in 2009 as well as a rising star in the Arizona Fall League the same year.

Gorgen was sent to the Diamondbacks as the player to be named later that completed the July 31 trade that sent Chad Qualls to Tampa Bay.

2010 Draft Picks - Batters

All of the position players from the 2010 draft played this season except for Josh Sale (1st round) and Drew Vettleson (supplemental 1st round). Here are their final stats, sorted by OPS.

Player               Rd Age Team(s)  AB  H 2B 3B HR SB CS BB SO   BA  OBP  SLG  OPS
Robby Price        13th  22     HDV 194 57 17  1  2 13  1 36 25 .294 .437 .423 .860
Phillip Wunderlich 12th  21     HDV 209 69 19  0  4  0  1  9 40 .330 .372 .478 .850
Kevin Kiermaier    31st  20     PRI 218 66  8  7  2 17  5 24 54 .303 .380 .431 .811
Ryan Brett          3rd  18     GCL  89 27  5  2  0 12  3  8 17 .303 .364 .404 .768
Derek Dietrich      2nd  20     HDV 179 50 12  2  3  2  2 11 42 .279 .340 .419 .759
Scott Lawson       29th  22 PRI/HDV 229 60 12  3  4 16  5 32 33 .262 .364 .393 .757
Nicholas Schwaner  30th  22     HDV 268 75 16  1  7 14  5 19 57 .280 .323 .425 .749
Bryan Fogle        32nd  22     PRI 181 47 16  0  5  1  0 11 61 .260 .304 .431 .735
Steven Tinoco      34th  22     HDV 259 71 10  1  1  8  7 30 34 .274 .370 .332 .702
Justin O'Conner     1st  18     GCL 161 34 13  0  3  1  0 18 46 .211 .301 .348 .649
Deshun Dixon       10th  18     GCL  50 11  1  1  1  4  0  3 13 .220 .259 .340 .599
Craige Lyerly      19th  21 GCL/HDV 135 26  4  1  2 10  2 15 40 .193 .297 .281 .578
Chris Winder       27th  20     HDV 173 39  4  2  0 13  1 13 59 .225 .306 .272 .577
Jake DePew          9th  18     GCL  11  3  0  0  0  0  0  0  1 .273 .273 .273 .545
Travis Flores      11th  17     GCL  11  2  0  0  0  0  0  3  1 .182 .357 .182 .539

Stone Crabs Week in Review: September 2 to September 8

The Stone Crabs rounded out the 2010 regular season by going 3-1 in the final week of the season. They completed the year with an overall record of 80-59 which was best in the FSL this season. They face off against Bradenton in the Divisional Series and the best of three series is tied 1-1 going into the decisive game three on Thursday night. Should the Stone Crabs win, they will face Tampa in the league championship series to begin on Friday.

Hitting Leaders:
Average: Stephen Vogt (.345, first in FSL)
Slugging: Stephen Vogt (.511, first in FSL)
On Base Pct: Stephen Vogt (.399, second in FSL)
Hits: Isaias Velasquez (132, eighth in FSL)
Doubles: Stephen Vogt (31, tied sixth in FSL)
Triples: Tim Beckham and Reid Fronk (5)
Home Runs: Stephen Vogt (8)
RBI’s: Tim Beckham (57)
Stolen Bases: Isaias Velasquez (41, fourth in FSL)

Pitching Leaders:
ERA Starters: Joe Cruz (2.85, second in FSL)
ERA Overall: Zach Quate (1.49)
Wins: Joe Cruz (13, first in FSL)
Saves: Zach Quate (25, third in FSL)
Strikeouts: Matt Moore (208, first in FSL)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .259 (7 of 12)
Slugging: .366 (8 of 12)
On Base Pct: .332 (tied 3 of 12)
Hits: 1191 (7 of 12)
Doubles: 235 (tied 6 of 12)
Triples: 36 (tied 3 of 12)
Home Runs: 62 (9 of 12)
Runs Scored: 558 (9 of 12)
Stolen Bases: 117 (8 of 12)

Team Pitching Stats (rank):
ERA: 3.06 (1 of 12)
Runs Allowed: 495 (1 of 12)
Strikeouts: 1189 (1 of 12)
Walks: 389 (tied 5 of 12)

Transactions: Mark Thomas added to roster from Bowling Green (9/4/10). Scott Shuman added to roster from Bowling Green (9/4/10). Chris Andujar placed on 7-day disabled list (9/4/10).

Disabled List: Chris Andujar, Nick Barnese, Matt Bush, Anthony Scelfo and Kirby Yates.

FSL Divisional Series: 9/9/10: vs Bradenton Marauders.

FSL Championships Series: 9/10/10-9/11/10: vs Tampa Yankees. 9/12/10-9/14/10: at Tampa Yankees.

Wednesday's Scores and Highlights

Louisville Bats 4, Durham Bulls 8
Bulls trail 1-0. Leslie Anderson was 2 for 3 with a home run and 3 RBI's. JJ Furmaniak was 2 for 4. Nevin Ashley drove home a run. Joe Dillon scored 3 of the 4 runs. Dale Thayer provided 1 2/3 innings of no-hit relief with 3 strikeouts. Richard De Los Santos suffered the loss. Aneury Rodriguez will start game two of the series on Thursday night.

Bradenton Marauders 2, Charlotte Stone Crabs 10
Series tied 1-1. Stephen Vogt was 2 for 5 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI's. Tim Beckham was 2 for 3 with a triple and an RBI. Greg Sexton was 2 for 3 with 2 RBI's. Matt Hall was 2 for 4 with 2 RBI's. Reid Fronk and Jake Jefferies also drove home a run each. Joe Cruz picked up the win, pitching 6 2/3 innings and striking out 7. Shane Dyer recorded the save, providing 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief with 2 strikeouts. The series wraps up on Thurday, Alex Colome will start the decisive game three on Thursday night.

Rays 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).

Team, actual wins, actual losses, runs scored, runs allowed, pythagorean wins, pythagorean losses, difference between actual and pythagorean ("luck").

Team                     W   L   RS   RA  pW  pL  Dif
Tampa Bay Rays          84  54  693  551  83  55   +1
Durham Bulls            88  55  757  562  91  52   -3
Montgomery Biscuits     72  66  585  600  67  71   +5
Charlotte Stone Crabs   80  59  558  495  77  62   +3
Bowling Green Hot Rods  61  78  607  692  61  78    0
Hudson Valley Renegades 39  36  358  312  42  33   -3
Princeton Rays          33  35  297  280  36  32   -3
GCL Rays                34  26  242  249  29  31   +5
VSL Rays                37  33  378  310  41  29   -4
DSL Rays                42  30  315  289  39  33   +3

Hot Rods Week in Review: September 1 to September 7

The Bowling Green Hot Rods concluded the final week of the 2010 season by going 6-2 on the week and finishing the year with a 61-78 record overall.

Hitting Leaders:
Average: Gabe Cohen (.293)
Slugging: Brett Nommensen (.408)
On Base Pct: Bennett Davis (.372)
Hits: Ty Morrison (113)
Doubles: Julio Cedeno (22)
Triples: Ty Morrison (13)
Home Runs: Brett Nommensen (10)
RBI’s: Brett Nommensen (68)
Stolen Bases: Ty Morrison (58)

Pitching Leaders:
ERA Starters: Albert Suarez (3.89)
ERA Overall: Shane Minks (0.00)
Wins: Kyle Lobstein (9)
Saves: Scott Shuman (14)
Strikeouts: Kyle Lobstein (128)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .254 (tied 11 of 16)
Slugging: .361 (15 of 16)
On Base Pct: .334 (tied 8 of 16)
Hits: 1170 (11 of 16)
Doubles: 221 (14 of 16)
Triples: 33 (tied 14 of 16)
Home Runs: 68 (12 of 16)
Runs Scored: 607 (13 of 16)
Stolen Bases: 249 (1 of 16)

Team Pitching Stats (rank):
ERA: 4.20 (11 of 16)
Runs Allowed: 692 (13 of 16)
Strikeouts: 1133 (5 of 16)
Walks: 512 (12 of 16)

Transactions: Wilking Rodriguez transferred to Hudson Valley (9/1/10). CJ Riefenhauser added to roster from Princeton (9/1/10). Alex Colome promoted to Charlotte (9/1/10). Scott Shuman promoted to Charlotte (9/1/10). Mark Thomas promoted to Charlotte (9/4/10).

Disabled List: Gabe Cohen, Jairo De La Rosa, Will Kline and Cody Rogers.

The Week Ahead: 2010 season complete.

Rays Organization Attendance

Team, league, number of home games, average attendance, rank in league, stadium capacity, attendance as a percentage of capacity.

Team           League           G     Avg    LgRank  Capacity  %Cap
Tampa Bay      American        69  22,679    9th/14    36,048   63%
Durham         International   71   7,043    8th/14    10,000   70%
Montgomery     Southern        67   4,027    3rd/10     7,000   58%
Charlotte      Florida State   64   2,678    1st/12     6,823   39%
Bowling Green  Midwest         67   3,513    9th/16     4,559   77%
Hudson Valley  New York-Penn   35   4,178    6th/14     4,494   93%
Princeton      Appalachian     31     869    6th/10     3,000   29%

For comparison, here were the final figures from 2009:

Team           League           G     Avg    LgRank  Capacity  %Cap
Tampa Bay      American        81  23,148   11th/14    36,048   64%
Durham         International   72   6,783    8th/14    10,000   68%
Montgomery     Southern        66   4,043    3rd/10     7,000   58%
Charlotte      Florida State   60   2,855    1st/12     6,823   42%
Bowling Green  South Atlantic  66   3,530    8th/16     4,559   77%
Hudson Valley  New York-Penn   35   4,609    5th/14     4,494  103%
Princeton      Appalachian     28     926    7th/10     3,000   31%

Tuesday's Scores and Highlights

Durham Bulls (day off)
The Bulls begin their quest for the championship in game one of the semifinal series on Wednesday against Louisville. Richard De Los Santos will be on the hill for the series opener.

Charlotte Stone Crabs 0, Bradenton Marauders 5
Stone Crabs trail 0-1 in the best of three series. Reid Fronk was the only hitter with multiple hits, going 2 for 4 on the night. Matt Moore threw 6 1/3 innings, allowing a hit with 10 strikeouts and taking a shut-out into the seventh inning, however he gave up 6 walks and was charged with 2 earned runs to take the loss. Marquis Fleming surrendered 3 runs on 5 hits in 1 2/3 innings. The series shifts to Charlotte Sports Park on Wednesday with Joe Cruz starting game two.

2010 International League Playoffs Preview: Semi Finals

The International League Playoffs begin on Wednesday night. The first round of the playoffs is a best of five series that puts the South Division Winner against the West Division Winner in one match up and the North Division Winner against the Wild Card Winner in the other. The winners of both series will face off in the best of five Governors' Cup Finals. The match ups for the semifinal series are:

Durham Bulls (88-55) vs Louisville Bats (79-64)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (87-56) vs Columbus Clippers (79-65)

The Bulls have made the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year and the ninth time in the franchise AAA history dating back to 1998. They have won the league title in 2002, 2003 and 2009 as well as the AAA Championship in 2009. They finished the 2010 season with the best record in the league. The Bulls will face Louisville in the first round of the playoffs. The Bulls hold a 5-3 advantage in the eight meetings this season between the two clubs. They also outscored Louisville 40-29 in those contests. Historically, these two teams have faced off four times in the playoffs with the Bulls winning all four of the meetings.

Here is how the two clubs match up:



The probable pitching matchups are:

• Game One: Richard De Los Santos vs Chad Reineke
• Game Two: Anuery Rodriguez vs Tom Cochran
• Game Three: Alex Cobb vs TBD
• Game Four (if necessary): TBD vs TBD
• Game Five (if necessary): TBD vs TBD
  

Games one and two will be played on Wednesday and Thursday at Louisville Slugger Field. The series moves to Durham Bulls Athletic Park for games three through five on Friday through Sunday.