Archive for the 'Rhyne Hughes' Category

Apr 25

[DOWN ON THE FARM] Ruggiano Joins Medlock, DiFelice Back In Durham

Calvin Medlock, Desmond Jennings, Justin Ruggiano, Matt Spring, Mike DiFelice, Rhyne Hughes, Scott Kazmir No Comments »

Durham: Off

Montgomery 5, Birmingham 4. Jake McGee improved to 2-1 after holding Birmingham to 3 runs in 6 innings. He struck out 5 and walked 2. He did give up a solo home run in the 3rd…Erold Andrus and Sergio Pedroza had 2 hits apiece. Andrus added his 8th double and Pedroza drove in 2.

Palm Beach 3, Vero Beach 0. Matt Walker dropped to 0-3 after allowing 3 runs in 4.1 innings…The offense didn’t help matters, as the D-Rays managed only 2 hits, a Garret Groce single in the 4th and a Chase Fontaine triple in the 9th.

Charleston 5, Columbus 3. Brian Flores got his first start in place of Jeremy Hall. He worked 3 innings and gave up 1 run on 4 hits…Henry Wrigley hit his second home run of the season a solo shot…The Catfish managed only 3 other hits, all singles.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

  • Scott Kazmir’s next rehab start will come on Monday for the Durham Bulls. [Our Sports Central]
  • Rays of Light takes a look at Desmond Jennings. [Rays of Light]
  • Calvin Medlock and Mike DiFelice both cleared waivers and will be assigned to Durham. [Rays Report]
  • Justin Ruggiano will be joining them, as he was demoted to make room for Matt Garza at the major league level. [MLB]
  • Rhyne Hughes will have a CAT scan today after missing his 10th straight game after receiving a concussion as a result of a collision with Matt Spring. [Montgomery Advertiser]
Apr 22

[DOWN ON THE FARM] Jeremy Hellickson Might Not Be Long For The FSL

Jake McGee, Jeremy Hellickson, Matt Fields, Rhyne Hughes No Comments »

Durham @ Norfolk, Double-Header (ppd. rain).

Jacksonville 5, Montgomery 4. James Houser shut down the Suns on 2 hits in 6.2 shutout innings. He struck out 5 and walked 2. He was never in any real danger as only one runner reached 3rd base…The bullpen blew the lead allowing 5 runs in the 8th and 9th innings combined…The Biscuits did score 2 in the bottom of the 9th and had a runner on third with only 1 out but failed to push the tying run home…Erold Andrus and John Raburn had 3 hits apiece…Pat Cottrell drove in 2 runs.

Brevard Co. 2, Vero Beach 0. It will be interesting to see how patient the Rays will be with Jeremy Hellickson as he is absolutely dominating the FSL right now. Hellickson ran his consecutive scoreless innnings streak to 16 after last night’s 5 shutout innings. He struck out 7 and walked 1, with 4 hits. In 23 innings this year, he has allowed 2 runs (0.78 ERA) and struck out 30 while only walking 2…Vero Beach hitters managed only 5 hits.

Charleston 7, Columbus 2. Glenn Gibson dropped to 0-3 but looked stronger this time out. In 5 innings, Gibson struck out 5 and walked 1, allowing 3 runs. The big blow was a 2-run home run in the 2nd inning…Mike McCormick hit his first home run of the season to account for both runs.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

  • Jake McGee who was held out from his last start with a sore forearm, had a bullpen session yesterday and felt fine. He should be good to go for his next start…Rhyne Hughes, who has missed more than week after colliding with a teammate and suffering a concussion, is expected back in the lineup tomorrow. [Montgomery Advertiser]
  • Jeremy Hellickson and Matt Fields were named the FSLs pitcher and player of the week repespectively. [Basil's Blog]
Apr 20

[DOWN ON THE FARM] Minor League Pitchers Fear Dioner Navarro

Dioner Navarro, Jake McGee, Matt Garza, Rhyne Hughes 2 Comments »

Durham 2, Norfolk 0.

Jacksonville 11, Montgomery 7.

Vero Beach 10. St. Lucie 5. Dioner Navarro had a double and 4 walks in 5 plate appearances as the DH. Geez. Navi goes to Vero Beach and suddenly transforms into Barry Bonds. In 2 games he has walked 6 times…Matt Garzagoes today for the DEVIL Rays with Navi behind the plate.

Charleston 6, Columbus 0.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

  • Jake McGee was scratched from his start last night due to a sore forearm. The move was precautionary as McGee says he could have pitched. [Biscuit Batter]
  • Rhyne Hughes is scheduled to see a doctor concerning headaches he is experiencing since a collision with teammate Matt Spring. [Montgomery Advertiser]
Sep 04

Down On The Farm: Three Minor League Affiliates Set To Begin Championship Runs

Chris Mason, Desmond Jennings, Evan Longoria, Fernando Perez, Heath Rollins, Jeff Niemann, JP Howell, Michael Ross, Mitch Talbot, Reid Brignac, Rhyne Hughes, Ryan Royster, Sergio Pedroza No Comments »

Durham 2, Charlotte 1. Mitch Talbot finished the regular season by picking up his 13th win. He went 6.2 innings, allowing 6 hits, 1 walk and 1 run. Chad Orvella picked up his 20th save. Evan Longoria was 0-3 with a walk and 3 strikeouts. He finished the regular season hitting .269-5-19 in 31 AAA games. JP Howell led the IL with 145 strikeouts, while Mitch Talbot and Jeff Niemann were tied for the second most wins (12).

Montgomery 7, Jacksonville 3 (13 innings). The Biscuits head into the playoffs having won 15 of their final 16 regular season games to finish with the top mark in the SL at 81-59. Fernando Perez went 3-7 in the finale to finish the season with a .309 batting average, a .423 OBP and .908 OPS. John Jaso was second in the SL with a .316 average. Reid Brignac finished 2nd with 81 RBI. The Biscuits had three of the top four OPS marks with Evan Longoria leading the league at .930. Chris Mason led the league with 15 wins and was 4th with 136 strikeouts.

Vero Beach concluded their regular season on Sunday. After finishing 3rd in the division for the first half, the Rays fell to last place with a 25-44 second half record. Rhyne Hughes led the FSL with a .329 average. Sergio Pedroza was 2nd in the FSL with 22 home runs and both players were tied with the second best OPS (.907).

Columbus had their final seven games rained out. They will begin their best-of-3 first round playoff series on Wednesday against Augusta. Ryan Royster finished the regular season hitting .329-30-98 and has firmly established himself as one of the top hitting prospects in the Rays system. He was 4th in the SAL in hitting, tops in home runs, 2nd in RBI and lead the league with a .982 OPS. Desmond Jennings hit .315 with 45 steals in only 99 games, good for 4th in the SAL. Heath Rollinsled the league with 17 wins and was 2nd with 149 strikeouts.

Hudson Valley 10, Aberdeen 3.

Princeton concluded their regular season at 33-35, third in the AL East division. Michael Ross led the league with 36 stolen bases.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

  • Chris Mason was named the top pitcher in the Southern League while Evan Longoria took home the honor as the league’s MVP. [Montgomery Advertiser]
  • Winning championships at the minor league level does not mean much when the parent club loses 90+ games every season, but the winning attitude must start some place and with the Montgomery Biscuits winning the Southern League championship in 2006, they are joined by Durham and Columbus in the playoffs this season. [TBO]
  • The first round of the International League playoffs will begin on Wednesday with the Bulls facing Toledo. These two teams have won the last four IL titles. JP Howell will pitch the opening game, and will be followed by Jeff Niemann and Jae Seo. [Durham Bulls]
  • The Devil Rays have announced their fall instructional league roster and it is a who’s who of the system’s top prospects, including David Price, Jake McGee and Ryan Royster. [Rays Digest]
  • In their final regular season game, the Durham Bulls set a single-game attendance record (11,071) and broke the team’s single-season attendance mark (520,952). [OurSportsCentral]
Aug 07

Down On The Farm: Dale Thayer Named SL’s Pitcher-Of-The-Week

Charlie Hayes, Dale Thayer, JT Hall, Rhyne Hughes, Tyree Hayes No Comments »

Tennessee 6, Montgomery 2. Erold Andrus was 2-4 and hit his 10th double and 1st home run since being promoted from Vero Beach. Reid Brignac was 0-4, and Fernando Perez was 2-4.

Clearwater 9, Vero Beach 8. Sergio Pedroza was 4-4 and hit his 18th home run. It was his third straight game with a home run and he is 8-10 over that span, with 3 doubles, 3 home runs and 10 RBI. He is 17-36 (.472) with 5 home runs and 5 doubles and a triple in the last 10 games.

Columbus 6, Lexington 4. This year’s 2nd round pick, Will Kline, had his longest outing yet as a pro, striking out 3 in 4 innings. He gave up 1 run in 4 hits and a walk. Ryan Royster hit his 19th home run.

Staten Island 5, Hudson Valley 4. Alex Cobb, the Rays 4th round pick last year made his 10th start of the season, allowing 3 runs in 5 innings. He has a 3.18 ERA on the season.

Danville 7, Princeton 6 (10 innings). After scoring 3 in the top of the 10th to break the 3-3 tie, Danville came back with 4 in the bottom half of the frame for the victory. Two errors did in the P-Rays in the bottom of the 10th with the final run being scored on a 1-out single. Another 2006 draftee, Jeremy Hall, struck out 8 in 6 scoreless innings.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

  • The Durham Bulls had a scheduled off day yesterday.
  • Dale Thayer was named the Southern League’s pitcher of the week. During the week he picked up 1 win and 3 saves. [Stacy Long's Riverwalk Talk]
  • Jed Lockett takes a look at Tyree Hayes, the son of former major leaguer Charlie Hayes. Being around the game his entire life made his career choice somewhat inevitable, but his path to becoming a pitcher did not develop until much later. [Bluefield Daily Telegraph]
  • With the promotion of Rhyne Hughes to AA, JT Hall has been working at first base, a position that he is familiar with. [TCPalm]
  • The P-Rays have made an effort this season to visit as man of the local little leagues as possible. [Princeton Rays]
Aug 01

Down On The Farm: The Dirtbag Is One Step Closer To The Majors

Aaron Sisk, Evan Longoria, Evan Longoria is a Dirt Bag, Jeff Niemann, Jeremy Owens, Rhyne Hughes, Wade Townsend 1 Comment »


Evan Longoria has been promoted to AAA Durham. He hit .307-21-76 with a .930 OPS in 105 games. He is tied with for the lead league in home runs and leads the SL in RBI and Runs (78). Despite a stellar glove, Joel Guzman will be moved permanently to first base to make room for Longoria. Guzman started at first base for the Bulls on Tuesday night. It will be interesting to see if a strong month at AAA will tempt the Devil Rays front office to bring The Dirtbag to the Trop for a September call-up. [Montgomery Advertiser]

Indianapolis 5, Durham 3. JP Howell was masterful for the Bulls, striking out 12 and allowing only 1 walk and 2 hits in 7 shutout innings. Howell left the game with a 3-0 lead but the bullpen was unable to protect it as Chad Orvella and newly acquired Brian Shackelford combined to allow 5 runs in the 9th inning on 3 home runs. Shackelford allowed a walk-off 2-run home run to the only batter he faced. Jason Pridie was 0-3 and Joel Guzman was 0-4.

Montgomery 6, Birmingham 2. Reid Brignac was 1-4 with his 14th home run. He also committed his 20th error of the season.

Columbus 4, West Virginia 0. Heath Rollins moved to 12-4 with 7 shutout innings. He allowed 3 hits and 1 walk while striking out 5. Ryan Royster hit his 16th home run, a 3-run shot in the first.

Vermont 6, Hudson Valley 1.

Princeton 6, Elizabethton 3.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

  • Rhyne Hughes (.329-12-57) and infielder Aaron Sisk were promoted to AA Montgomery. Sisk was recently named the FSL offensive player of the week when he hit 6 home runs in the week ending July 15.
  • Both Jeff Niemann and Wade Townsend are currently sidelined but neither injury is considered serious. [TBO]
  • Evan Longoria was named the top prospect in the “MLN FAB50 Baseball 2007 Rankings”, a mid-season look at minor league talent. [The Raw Feed]
  • Jeremy Owens was named the IL’s batter-of-the-week. He is the 5th Bull to win a weekly award. [Our Sports Central]
  • Behind the Dugout takes a look at three of the Devil Rays’ top pitching prospects. [Behind the Dugout]
  • Vero Beach and Jupiter were postponed due to rain.
Jun 01

Down On The Farm: When Andy Sonnanstine Is Hittable, He is Very Hittable

Andy Sonnanstine, Christian Lopez, Eduardo DeLaCruz, Evan Longoria, Jake McGee, Rhyne Hughes, Wade Davis No Comments »

Ottawa 4, Durham 3. Huh? Andy Sonnanstine lost? That’s weird. Sonny got knocked around for 10 hits and 4 runs in 6 innings. He surrendered 2 home runs. We don’t mean to pile on Sonnanstine after one bad outing, because it is rare, but this is what we need to worry about. Remember he does not have the best “stuff”. A lot of people think that is refreshing. And believe us we are rooting for Sonny. The problem is, when a pitcher is dependent on “tricking” the batter with every pitch he has to be on top of his game every night out. On nights when a pitcher like Sonnanstine is not on top of their game, he will be very hittable…Wes Bankston hit his 7th home run. Jonny Gomes played left field and batted clean up. He went 1-2 with 2 walks in his first game since being demoted.

Huntsville 11, Montgomery 4. Jonathon Barratt only gave up 2 hits in 4 innings, but he walked 6 and allowed 3 runs. Reid Brignac was 0-3 and Evan Longoria was 1-4. John Jaso went 3-4 and is now hitting .329.

Vero Beach 9, St. Lucie 7. Wade Davis struck out 9 in 6 innings, but gave up 4 runs (3 earned) on 7 hits and 2 walks. He had a wild pitch and surrendered a home run. Garrett Groce was 2-5 and now has multi-hit games in 3 of 4 starts since returning from the DL.

Charleston 6, Columbus 2. Ryan Morse also struck out 9 in 6 innings. And like Wade Davis, he gave up 4 runs (3 earned). Nevin Ashley was 2-4 to raise his average to .281.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

  • The Vero Beach Devil Rays have 5 players that were named to the FSL All-Star team. Starting pitchers Wade Davis and Jake McGee will be joined by relief pitcher Eduardo DeLaCruz, catcher Christian Lopez and first baseman Rhyne Hughes.
  • When Evan Longoria makes his major league debut, he will become the first player in Major League history to go by the name “Evan”. Well, that’s what we were told and who are we to doubt. We would rather go to the fridge and grab another beer than go verify the info. Be right back.
  • Evan Longoria was one of only four of the top 20 prospects to receive a letter grade of A for the first one-fourth of the season.
May 21

Down On The Farm: James Houser Wins 14th Straight

Derek Feldkamp, Evan Longoria, James Houser, Reid Brignac, Rhyne Hughes, Shawn Riggans No Comments »


Durham 10, Syracuse 3. Andy Sonnanstine picked up his 6th win of the season after allowing 3 runs on 7 hits and 3 walks in 6 innings. He was supported by 3 home runs including Joel Guzman’s 5th. He was 2-4 with 3 RBI and picked up his 4th stolen base.

Montgomery 5, Birmingham 1. James Houser had his second straight strong start after returning from the disabled list. This time he allowed only 2 hits and 1 walk in 5 scoreless innings. He has now only given up 4 hits and 2 walks in 11.1 innings since being activated. Evan Longoria had 2 singles in 4 at bats, and picked up an RBI. Reid Brignac was 1-4. John Jaso hit his 4th home run and is now hitting .339.

Vero Beach 6, Lakeland 2. Jacob McGee struck out 8 in 6 innings and allowed 3hits, 3 walks and 2 runs. He struck out 5 of the first 7 batters he faced.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

  • James Houser’s victory on Sunday was his 14th straight. The 2003 2nd round pick, had not lost a games since May 12, of last season, covering 27 starts.
  • Derek Feldkamp was removed from the rotation in Montgomery and made his first relief appearance on Sunday. In 2 innings, only 1 batter reached base via a throwing error.
  • Rhyne Hughes is just as surprised as everybody else by his emergence this year after struggling last season. He is 4th in the FSL in hitting at .329.
  • Evan Longoria and Reid Brignac top the OTB’s list of “Prospects You Need To Keep An Eye On.“
  • Shawn Riggans was placed on the DL and Josh Johnson was promoted to take his place.
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