Oscar Hernandez hit two of Bowling Green's four home runs Sunday
Curt Casali did not play yesterday, so I'd imagine his Durham debut is coming tonight.
Triple-A Durham Bulls (20-11)
Durham staged a late comeback to top Columbus by a 6-2 score. The two teams traded runs in the first inning, but spot starter Doug Mathis was able to settle down for a little bit. He finished allowing both Clipper runs on five hits and a walk in four innings with a strikeout. In his Durham debut, Jim Patterson struck out two in three scoreless innings, and he would be later credited with the win.
Cole Figueroa tied the game in the sixth inning on a run-scoring groundout after Kevin Kiermaier led off the inning with a walk, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. The big blow for Durham would come an inning later. Mike Fontenot led off the sixth with a double, and with two outs, Ali Solis hit a two run home run to break the tie and give the Bulls their first lead of the game. Fontenot singled home two more runs an inning later to add insurance. Fontenot had three hits.
Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (17-13)
Montgomery was off.
Class-A Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (15-15)
St. Lucie scored their first run four batters into the game, and that was all they needed in Charlotte's 5-0 loss to the Mets. After allowing a second run that inning, Jeff Ames had consecutive 1-2-3 innings before running into bigger trouble in the fourth. An error and passed ball didn't help matters, but he was charged with three more runs that inning and finished with all five allowed (two earned) on five hits and four walks in 3.2 innings with two strikeouts. Maxx Tissenbaum and Tyler Goeddel each had two hits.
Class A Bowling Green Hot Rods (12-17)
Bowling Green got out to a 6-0 lead with the help of three home runs but barely held on for a 6-4 win over Great Lakes. Oscar Hernandez led off the second inning with a solo home run, and that was later followed by a Pat Blair RBI single. Neither would be finished doing damage to Loons pitching. First though, Granden Goetzman hit a solo home run in the third, and then Blair hit a two run shot an inning later. Hernandez would hit his second leadoff home run of the game in the fifth. As the leadoff hitter, Blair reached base four times.
Starter Blake Snell rebounded from his worst outing of the year last time out to pitch well, allowing five hits and two walks in six scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Andrew Hanse pitched well for two innings after that, but it was Colton Reavis who struggled in the ninth. He allowed two hits and two walks, and all four of those runners came around to score. With two outs, the tying run did come to the plate, but Reavis managed to preserve the game.
Star of the day- After a brutal stretch to start the season, Hernandez is hot.
Goat of the day- Charlotte's bats seemed to be missing.
Today's games (probables courtesy of milb.com)
Durham @ Syracuse 7 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Matt Andriese* (1-2, 4.22) v. Josh Roenicke (0-2, 6.08)
Montgomery v. Jacksonville 8:05 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Victor Mateo (3-3, 4.05) v. Anthony DeSclafini (3-3, 4.50)
Charlotte v. St. Lucie 6:30 PM (Radio stream)
Austin Pruitt* (2-1, 5.61) v. Gabriel Ynoa (2-2, 6.93)
Bowling Green @ South Bend 7:05 PM (Radio stream)
Jake Faria (1-1, 1.98) v. Braden Shipley (1-2, 2.76)
*Listed as TBA on milb.com
Scouting the opposition
Syracuse Chiefs (Washington)
14-15 (5th in IL North)
Offense: 106 R (13th) .686 OPS (11th)
Pitching: 3.40 ERA (5th) 1.17 WHIP (2nd)
Top 30 Prospects: OF Brian Goodwin (3), OF Eury Perez (20), RHP Blake Treinen (23), RHP Christian Garcia (24)
Jacksonville Suns (Miami)
13-16 (T-3rd in SL South)
Offense: 118 R (6th) .673 OPS (7th)
Pitching: 4.13 ERA (9th) 1.39 WHIP (8th)
Top 30 Prospects: LHP Andrew Heaney (1), LHP Justin Nicolino (4), RHP Anthony DeSclafani (5), RHP Jose Urena (7), C J.T. Realmuto (10), RHP Angel Sanchez (16), RHP Nick Wittgren (18), LHP Grant Dayton (21), LHP Edgar Olmos (23), RHP Tyler Higgins (25)
St. Lucie Mets
17-13 (1st in FSL South)
Offense: 169 R (1st) .778 OPS (1st)
Pitching: 4.37 ERA (10th) 1.39 WHIP (8th)
Top 30 Prospects: OF Brandon Nimmo (8), LHP Steve Matz (12), 2B Dilson Herrera (13), RHP Michael Fulmer (14), RHP Gabriel Ynoa (15), RHP Domingo Tapia (19), RHP Matt Koch (24)
South Bend Silver Hawks (Arizona)
17-13 (T-2nd in MWL East)
Offense: 143 R (5th) .682 OPS (10th)
Pitching: 3.92 ERA (8th) 1.30 WHIP (6th)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Braden Shipley (2), RHP Aaron Blair (5), OF Stryker Trahan (8), 1B Daniel Palka (17), C Michael Perez (20), LHP Daniel Gibson (21), RHP Geordy Parra (22), SS Joe Munoz (26), 2B Jamie Westbrook (27), 2B Andrew Velasquez (28)