Hellickson to start for Rays on Monday

Jeremy Hellickson will make a spot start for the Rays on Monday at home against the Minnesota Twins, the St. Petersburg Times and Tampa Tribune report.

Hellickson would No. 44 on the Biscuits-to-bigs list, the second off the 2009 team (Rhyne Hughes) and the fourth to debut this year.

Jeff Niemann was scheduled to start Monday. Update: The Rays are giving their other starters an extra day's rest, so says St. Pete.

System check

TRIPLE-A, DURHAM BULLS
International League South
(66-40, first place, 15 GA)
RHP Richard De Los Santos won his third straight start Friday, giving up two runs over seven innings. De Los Santos, who threw six shutout innings in each of his two previous starts, is 10-5 with a 3.78 ERA.
OF Justin Ruggiano was 2-for-2 with three RBIs and three runs scored Friday. He’s hitting .285 with 12 home runs and 53 RBIs.
3B Dan Johnson has five homers in his last 13 games. He has a .303 average and leads the league with 29 homers and 94 RBIs.
RHP Jeremy Hellickson threw three shutout innings Thursday in his shortest outing of the season. He’s 12-3 with a league-best 2.45 ERA.

HIGH-CLASS A, CHARLOTTE STONE CRABS
Florida State League South
(15-20, fifth place, 4 GB)
RHP Zach Quate surrendered three runs in an inning Wednesday for his first multiple-run appearance this season. A scoreless inning Friday left him with a 2-2 record, 17 saves and a 1.17 ERA. His 53.2 innings have featured 36 hits and 67 strikeouts.
LHP Matt Moore allowed one hit and struck out 10 over seven shutout innings of a no-decision Wednesday. Hitters have a .149 average and 79 strikeouts in his last nine starts/56.2 innings.
SS Tim Beckham, who was 4-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored Friday, has a .340 average in July. He’s hitting .247 this season.
C Stephen Vogt, after amassing enough at-bats to qualify, has a league-best .337 average.

LOW-CLASS A, BOWLING GREEN HOT RODS
Midwest League Eastern
(16-17, fourth place, 10 GB)
SS Tyler Bortnick, who has a .462 on-base percentage in July, is hitting .305 with 50 walks and 56 strikeouts.
LHP Kyle Lobstein gave up three runs in seven innings of a win Wednesday. He’s 7-5 with a 4.49 ERA.
RHP Scott Shuman, in 52.2 innings, has 35 hits allowed, 26 walks and 79 strikeouts.

SHORT-SEASON A, HUDSON VALLEY RENEGADES
New York-Penn League McNamara
(18-20, fourth place, 8.5 GB)
RHP Jake Thompson allowed his first earned run Thursday. He worked five innings in a no-decision and has an 0.43 ERA.
RHP Wilmer Almonte struck out a season-high nine over five innings in a win Wednesday.
RHP Austin Hubbard has not allowed a run in nine appearances.

ROOKIE, PRINCETON RAYS
Appalachian League East
(19-19, third place, 2 GB)
LHP Enny Romero’s 1.69 ERA is fourth in the league. He’s 1-1 with 29 hits allowed in 42.2 innings.
LHP Jacob Partridge, with wins in his last two starts, is 4-2 with a 2.12 ERA.
1B Jeff Malm is 8-for-22 in a current five-game hitting streak that has pushed his average to .178.

ROOKIE, GCL RAYS
Gulf Coast League South
(18-17, second place, 1 GB)
RHP Reinaldo Lopez allowed an unearned run over five innings in a no-decision Wednesday. He’s 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA.
RHP Pete Woodworth has given up one run and 10 hits in 15 innings.

WAYWARD BISCUITS
Those who strayed from the Rays
LF Delmon Young has a .431 average, six home runs and 28 RBIs in July. He’s hitting .333 with 79 RBIs this year.
RHP Jason Hammel has lost three straight starts for the Colorado Rockies. He’s 7-6 with a 4.34 ERA.
RHP Travis Minix, with a six-hit shutout in his regular-season finale, finished 8-8 with a 5.50 ERA with Saltillo of the Mexican League.
RHP Eduardo Morlan has a 3.27 ERA in 23 games for Double-A Huntsville (Brewers).
RF Rhyne Hughes is hitting .275 at Triple-A Norfolk (Orioles).
C Josh Arhart is hitting .354 with 14 home runs at independent Victoria.
LHP Jeff Ridgway has a 3.50 ERA in 25 games at independent Southern Maryland.
LHP Mike Wlodarczyk is 6-3 with a 3.79 ERA for independent Brockton.
IF Cesar Suarez has been traded from independent Camden to independent Wichita.
LHP Ryan Morse is 4-2 with a 4.92 ERA with independent St. Paul.

Rays add reliever Qualls in trade

Relief pitcher Chad Qualls is headed to the Rays from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for a player to be named. The right-hander, who had a career-high 24 saves last year, is 1-4 with 12 saves and an 8.29 ERA in 43 games this year.

Tampa Bay will make a corresponding roster move today.

Sweeney, Cipriano land on DL; Newmann active

Biscuits infielders Cody Cipriano (shoulder) and Matt Sweeney (elbow) went on the disabled list today. Since July 19, Sweeney hasn't played and Cipriano has only one at-bat.

Pitcher David Newmann (hamstring) came off the DL and is scheduled to start Sunday at Mobile. He missed one start.

Rodriguez off Rods' DL; Nommensen off roster

Pitcher Wilking Rodriguez has been activated from Bowling Green's disabled list and outfielder Brett Nommensen has been deactivated by the Hot Rods. Nommensen will miss three days due to his sister's wedding in Chicago.

Quate has one of (very) few bad outings

Zach Quate's ERA soared to new heights tonight. He gave up three runs in Charlotte's 3-0 loss at Tampa to send his ERA into the rarified air above the 1 mark. Quate, a favorite for Tampa Bay's minor league reliever of the year award, now has a 1.20 ERA.

Starter Matt Moore had an OK night. He allowed one hit and had 10 strikeouts over seven shutout innings.

Gardner: Near-brawl was over bunt single

Just finished writing the game story and I'll share that the near-brawl was over Kris Negron bunting for a single in the eighth in a seven-run game.

"I think some things were said there with Negron bunting,” Biscuits manager Billy Gardner said. “That’s not the style of play I would have incorporated with my club.

“I don’t think that’s the way to play it, and I know we play the game the right way here.”

Carolina manager David Bell was not immediately available for comment. He wasn't in his office or the open area of the visiting clubhouse after I talked to Gardner. I checked the field to see if he was there and checked his office again to no avail.

The Mudcats also sent a runner in the ninth inning. He reached second on defensive indifference.

"Doing that type of stuff and sending runners when we're playing behind them, I don't know if that's the right approach," Gardner said. "I know it's not the way we play."

Monday: Biscuits 11, Mudcats 4

The Biscuits hit three home runs in an eight-run second inning that propelled them to an 11-4 win over the Carolina Mudcats on Monday.

Chris De La Cruz, Drew Anderson and Leslie Anderson each homered in the inning. The Biscuits sent 11 men to the plate and totaled five of their nine hits. Montgomery added three runs in the fourth, highlighted by Henry Wrigley’s two-run double.

Justin Garcia (3-2) threw 3 1/3 shutout innings of relief for the win.

Biscuits bench clears in middle of eighth

Carolina second baseman Jake Kahaulelio and shortstop Kris Negron had words with Biscuits first-base coach Ozzie Timmons in the middle of the eighth.

Pure speculation here: Negron hit a bunt single in the top of the eighth with the Mudcats down 11-4 and Timmons voiced his displeasure.

Mudcats manager David Bell came out once his infielders started in Timmons' direction and headed for Timmons, but was kept away. Eventually, Biscuits manager Billy Gardner and Bell were also engaged, though it may have been to keep Bell away from Timmons.

No ejections (that we can tell). Both benches have been issued a warning (there have been five hit batsmen already).

The entire Biscuits bench and bullpen headed toward the confrontation, which took place around first base. Most of the Mudcats also poured out.

Garza throws no-hitter for Rays

Rays pitcher Matt Garza threw a no-hitter in a 5-0 win over the Detroit Tigers tonight. He walked one and struck out six. It's the first no-hitter in Tampa Bay history.

After delay, Biscuits post season's best inning

Following a 19-minute rain delay, the Biscuits recorded their most fruitful inning of the season.

They scored eight runs behind homers by Chris De La Cruz (two-run shot), Drew Anderson (two-run) and Leslie Anderson (three-run). Montgomery's previous best was a seven-spot in the fifth inning April 25 against Mississippi.

Rain follows what should've been a Spring triple

Matt Spring, in his first at-bat back with the Biscuits, hit a ball off the wall at the 395 mark. It should've been a triple, but such things are surprising when it comes to Spring. He pulled up with a double and the sky, in mourning, opened up. So, we'll blame Spring for the rain delay.

Spring does have five triples in 425 career games.

Monday lineups -- lineup change

It's the finale of a five-game series between the Biscuits and Mudcats.

LINEUP CHANGE: Carolina's Jose Castro was hit on the wrist by a batting-practice line drive and is out. Future status day-to-day, manager David Bell said.

BISCUITS
Emeel Salem lf
Drew Anderson 2b
Nevin Ashley dh
Henry Wrigley 3b
Leslie Anderson 1b
Rashad Eldridge cf
Matt Spring c
Chris De La Cruz ss
John Matulia rf
Heath Rollins rhp

MUDCATS
Kris Negron ss
Felix Perez lf
Luis Terrero dh
Devin Mesoraco c
Dave Sappelt cf
Mike Coastanzo 1b 3b
Sean Henry rf
Jake Kahaulelio 2b -- couldn't resist
Jose Castro 3b Carlos Mendez 1b
Tom Cochran lhp

Archer hits target for Southern League honor

With help from the Biscuits, Tennessee's Chris Archer won the Southern League's weekly pitching award. On July 19, he allowed two unearned runs over 5 1/3 innings to beat Montgomery and followed with six shutout innings against Mississippi on Saturday. Archer is 4-1 with an 0.00 ERA in 28 1/3 innings for the Smokies.

West Tenn first baseman Alex Liddi, after a five-home run, 12-RBI week, won the hitting honor. He was 9-for-25 with seven runs scored and the Jaxx were 6-1 for the week. Liddi now has two weekly awards this year.

Moore wins Florida State league honor

Charlotte's Matt Moore, behind his overpowering start Thursday, won the Florida State League's weekly pitching award today.

Moore threw seven shutout innings, allowed four hits and totaled 10 strikeouts in a no-decision.

The left-hander is 4-9 with a 4.33 ERA this season, but he's done very well of late. In his last eight starts, he's 4-2 with a 1.81 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 49 2/3 innings. Moore has double-figure strikeouts in four of his last six games.

Torre wanted to be Harvey's last ejection

With Doug Harvey entering the Hall of Fame today, the Associated Press sent out a story about Harvey's first and last ejections. It confirms at least part of what my feeble mind remembered in December.

Sunday: Mudcats 5, Biscuits 1

Dave Sappelt, the Southern League’s leading hitter, was 2-for-4 with three RBIs to lead the Carolina Mudcats in a 5-1 victory over the Biscuits on Sunday.

Sappelt hit an RBI single in the third to make it 3-0 and a two-run single in the seventh to cap the scoring. He entered Sunday with a .349 average.

Felix Perez also had three hits and scored twice for Carolina, which clinched a series win at Riverwalk. The series ends Monday night.

The Biscuits scored in the sixth when Leslie Anderson singled home Shawn O’Malley. Carolina starter Scott Carroll (3-5) gave up four hits in six innings.

Report: Cubs give Golden a $720K bonus

Wetumpka's Reggie Golden got a $720,000 signing bonus from the Chicago Cubs, Baseball America reports. That's above the slot recommendations from Major League Baseball. In fact, it's the most above-slot bonus this year, the magazine says.

Sweeney out with ailing elbow; Gorgen close

Biscuits third baseman Matt Sweeney is out of the lineup for a fifth straight game today with an ailing elbow. Manager Billy Gardner called it "a little case of inflamed elbow" and was hopeful he'll be OK by Wednesday when Montgomery starts a series at Mobile.

"It's feeling a little better," Sweeney said. "I hope it's not too long before I'm back."

Also, reliever Matt Gorgen threw a 25-pitch bullpen session and is expected back Wednesday, too. He's on the DL with biceps tendinitis. Today's bullpen was his second.

Sunday lineups

It's Day 4 of a five-game series between the Biscuits and Carolina Mudcats.

BISCUITS
Emeel Salem lf
Rashad Eldridge cf
Leslie Anderson 1b
Henry Wrigley 3b
Nevin Ashley dh
John Matulia rf
Chris De La Cruz ss
Craig Albernaz c
Shawn O'Malley 2b
Alex Cobb rhp

MUDCATS
Felix Perez cf
Jake Kahaulelio 2b -- no pronunciation guide available (but I'd guess Ka-ha-lay-e-oh)
Luis Terrero rf
Mike Costanzo 3b
Dave Sappelt lf
Sean Henry dh
Brandon Yarbrough c
Carlos Mendez 1b
Jose Castro ss
Scott Carroll rhp

UPDATE: Decent shower just ended and the tarp is on the field. The sun is out, so it should be a steamy one.

Price wins Biscuit Showdown with Talbot

David Price outdueled Mitch Talbot tonight in Tampa Bay's 6-3 win at Cleveland. Price allowed three runs over seven innings to improve to 13-5. Talbot surrendered five runs in 5 2/3 innings and fell to 8-9. The Rays had lost 18 straight games at Cleveland, dating to Sept. 29, 2005.

It's Biscuit vs. Biscuit when Rays face Tribe

Just noticed that the Rays-Indians game tonight includes some Biscuit-vs.-Biscuit action. David Price starts for Tampa Bay against Mitch Talbot.

Golden, after Wrigley appearance, going to AZL

Wetumpka's Reggie Golden said he and the Cubs finalized their contract within the last hour and he'll make an appearance Wrigley Field on Sunday before flying to join Chicago's Rookie-level team in the Arizona League.

His Wrigley Field appearance includes batting practice with the Cubs.

"I think they're putting me in the group with all the home run hitters. I'll let you know how that goes," Golden said. "I'll be the one with the base hits. Everybody else will be dropping bombs."

Golden, who went in the second round with the 65th overall pick, declined to specify the monetary offer the Cubs made to woo him from the University of Alabama. According to Baseball America, a high school pitcher picked seven spots before Golden received $655,000 and a prep shortstop taken six spots after Golden received $514,000. Last year, the 65th overall pick was a high school pitcher who got $900,000.

"I'll just say I'm very happy with what I got," Golden said.

Golden, Cubs agree to contract

Wetumpka's Reggie Golden and the Chicago Cubs have agreed on a contract, according to the Cubs. Golden was a second-round draft pick this year.

Gorgen to DL; Garcia back with Biscuits

All-Star stopper Matt Gorgen, who leads the Southern League in saves, landed on Montgomery's disabled list today with biceps tendinitis, a week after he last appeared. Pitcher Justin Garcia returns to the Biscuits. He moved up to Durham a month ago and was later sent to high-Class A Charlotte.

Longoria bobbleheads hit eBay

Evan Longoria bobbleheads, handed out Friday night at Riverwalk Stadium, are already available on eBay. One seller has three available for $69.99, another is selling it for $64.99 or -- of course -- you can make a bid.

System check

Some repeats from earlier posts, but you know the drill.

TRIPLE-A, DURHAM BULLS
International League South
(59-40, first place, 9 GA)
CF Desmond Jennings has reached base eight times in his last five games and hit his second home run Friday. He has a .362 on-base percentage, has scored 54 times and is 26-of-28 on steals.
RHP Brian Baker allowed one run on two hits in six innings of a no-decision Friday. Baker, who picked up a loss last weekend, walked two and struck out a season-high eight. He’s 7-1 with a 2.48 ERA.
3B Dan Johnson, with three homers and seven RBIs in his last six games, has 27 homers and 87 RBIs. He’s hitting .304.
RHP Jeremy Hellickson surrendered a season-high six runs, five earned, and walked five over 3.1 innings in a loss Monday. Hellickson is 11-3 with a 2.56 ERA.

HIGH-CLASS A, CHARLOTTE STONE CRABS
Florida State League South
(11-18, fifth place, 6 GB)
LHP Matt Moore threw seven shutout innings and struck out 10 in a no-decision Thursday. He allowed four hits, walked one and hit one with a pitch. Moore has quality starts in six of his last seven games.
RHP Nick Barnese, after a seven-inning, three-run no-decision Monday, is 4-1 with a 1.83 ERA in his last nine starts.
RHP Zach Quate gave up a run and suffered his second blown save Thursday. He has an 0.71 ERA.
1B-C Stephen Vogt was 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs on Friday. He’s hitting .341.

LOW-CLASS A, BOWLING GREEN HOT RODS
Midwest League Eastern
(12-15, fifth place, 10 GB)
C Mark Thomas has a .329 average since June 1 and is hitting .297 this year. His ninth-inning single Friday lifted the Hot Rods to a one-run win.
RHP Deivis Mavarez, in his last four appearances, has allowed one hit in eight shutout innings. He has a 3.68 ERA.
OF Gabe Cohen hit his first home run Thursday, is 7-for-15 in his last four games and has a .288 average.


SHORT-SEASON A, HUDSON VALLEY RENEGADES
New York-Penn League McNamara
(16-16, fourth place, 6.5 GB)
RHP Jake Thompson, with five shutout innings, picked up his first win Friday. He has an 0.00 ERA, nine hits allowed and 16 strikeouts in 16 innings.
LHP Zach Rosscup, promoted from the GCL Rays, threw three shutout innings in his debut Tuesday.

ROOKIE, PRINCETON RAYS
Appalachian League East
(15-16, fourth place, 2 GB)
CF Todd Glaesmann was 4-for-4 with two home runs, a triple, four runs scored and three RBIs Thursday. He homered again Friday and has nine RBIs in his last four games, but is hitting .198.
LHP Matt Gilson has an 0.47 ERA and has allowed 10 hits in 19 innings.

ROOKIE, GCL RAYS
Gulf Coast League South
(15-13, second place, 3 GB)
C Justin O’Connor is 9-for-26 with seven RBIs in his last seven games. He’s hitting .197 with a team-leading 14 RBIs in 21 games this year.
LHP Ryan Fleckenstein has allowed nine hits and struck out 19 in 16.1 innings.

WAYWARD BISCUITS
Those who strayed from the Rays
1B Gabriel Martinez finished the regular season with a .320 average, 15 home runs and 62 RBIs for playoff-bound Saltillo of the Mexican League.
C Iker Franco hit .259 with 11 homers and 69 RBIs with playoff-bound Quintana Roo of the Mexican League.
RHP Evan Meek, after giving up two runs Thursday, has a 1.34 ERA for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
IF Fernando Cortez is hitting .333 at Triple-A Charlotte (White Sox).
1B Chris Nowak has a .290 average, five runs and nine RBIs in eight games with Double-A Huntsville (Brewers).
RHP Mitch Talbot is 8-8 with a 3.89 ERA for the Cleveland Indians.
CF Joey Gathright was released after hitting .185 in 61 games at Triple-A Norfolk (Orioles).
OF Shaun Cumberland is hitting .256 with independent Southern Maryland.
RHP Wade Townsend has signed with the Laredo Broncos of the independent United League.
IF Vince Harrison has a .272 average at independent Winnipeg.
C Alex Jamieson is hitting .286 in 14 games with independent Orange County.
RHP Jason Standridge is 6-1 with a 3.51 ERA for Hanshin in the Japanese Central League.

Heat too hot to handle, so Bulls change game time

If there's anybody heading to Durham's home game Sunday against Syracuse, you can show up a little later. Because of expected excessive heat, the Bulls have moved the game from 5:05 p.m. Eastern to 7:05 Eastern.

Thompson notches first win

Jake Thompson, a second-round draft pick this year, picked up his first win tonight, throwing five shutout innings for the Hudson Valley Renegades. Thompson has allowed one run -- and it was unearned -- and nine hits in 16 innings.

Baker gives up a run ... tsk, tsk

Shutout Maker Brian Baker didn't live up to his name tonight, allowing one run in six innings of Durham's 5-4 win over Syracuse. He allowed two hits, didn't factor in the decision and chopped his ERA to a tidy 2.48. The Bulls won with two runs in the eighth.

Senor Slow Desmond Jennings homered, his second of the season, in the fifth. Any ideas for a good Crumbs-style nickname for D.J. out there? I'm taking recommendations. All in good fun, of course. Sarcasm welcome, obviously.

Since he's a big Alabama fan, maybe Tide Tornado? Red Flash? Using his hometown, the Pinson Valley Varmint?

Newmann to DL; Spring promoted

Biscuits pitcher David Newmann, who left Tuesday's start after three innings with a hamstring injury, went on the disabled list today.

Catcher Matt Spring was promoted from Charlotte to take his roster spot.

The Biscuits also were down a catcher after Nevin Ashley was hurt in Thursday's game. Ashley remains on the active roster, though his status -- like everyone's -- is day-to-day.

Newmann will miss Monday's scheduled start.

Moore continues strikeout surge

Charlotte's Matt Moore threw seven shutout innings tonight and totaled 10 strikeouts, giving him a Florida State League-leading 143 whiffs this season. Moore didn't factor in tonight's decision -- a 2-1, 11-inning Stone Crabs win at Clearwater -- but he has 57 Ks in his last 37 1/3 innings.

Minor leaguers face HGH testing

Minor league players will be subject to blood tests for human growth hormone effective immediately, baseball commissioner Bud Selig announced today.

The same organization that runs the current drug program using urine testing will perform the blood tests, the first in a U.S. professional sports league.

Samples will be taken after a game from the "non-dominant arms" of randomly selected players not on a major league team's 40-man roster.

Why not 40-man players? Because they're members of the Players Association and such testing would be subject to the collective bargaining agreement. Non-40 man guys have no such protections. In other words, all Biscuits not named Jake McGee, Alexander Torres or Leslie Anderson have to provide a vein on demand.

A rugby player in England earlier this year became the first to test positive for HGH. Before that, there was no known HGH test -- and the players union has said it's not convinced how accurate the test is.

Rays' pick a Cape Cod All-Star; Troy pitcher to start

Austin Wood, Tampa Bay's fourth-round draft pick last month from St. Petersburg Junior College, has been named to the Cape Cod League's All-Star Game. He's 3-0 with an 0.58 ERA and 24 strikeouts for Cotuit.

Four other players have ties to the state of Alabama.

Pitcher Tyler Ray of Troy University will be the starting pitcher for the West team. Catcher Tony Caldwell and infielder Casey McElroy represent Auburn as West reserves. Alabama pitcher Adam Morgan will be in the East's bullpen. Huntsville native Jed Bradley, who plays at Georgia Tech, is a West reliever.

The game is Wednesday at Boston's Fenway Park.

Newmann leaves due to hamstring; Gorgen hurt, too

Biscuits starter David Newmann left tonight's 4-3 loss at Tennessee after three shutout innings due to a strained right hamstring, manager Billy Gardner said.

Newmann committed a throwing error in the third, but he first felt hamstring pain on a pitch. The Biscuits, with Wednesday's off day, will evaluate him Thursday.

Biscuits stopper Matt Gorgen missed a fifth straight game tonight due to biceps soreness. He likely won't pitch again until Saturday.

Former Rays minor leaguer suspended for drugs

Jon Weber, a former Tampa Bay minor leaguer who was with Triple-A Toledo when he retired this month, drew a 100-game suspension after testing positive for a drug of abuse, according to the Major League Baseball release.

The suspension becomes effective if/when he returns to a major league organization. It was Weber's third positive test, according to the release.

The 32-year-old started the year with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the Yankees' organization, was released and signed with the Detroit Tigers, who sent him to Toledo. He was hitting a combined .257 in 68 games.

Weber played for the Durham Bulls from 2007-09. He had a .302 average and 14 home runs last season to help the Bulls win the International League championship.

Piniella has ties to Biscuits, area

Cubs manager Lou Piniella, who said today that he's retiring at the end of the year, remains a minority owner in the Biscuits and also started his professional playing career in the area.

Piniella made his pro debut in 1962 for the Selma Cloverleafs of the Class D Alabama Florida-League. In 70 games with Selma, the 18-year-old Piniella hit .270 with eight home runs and 44 RBIs.

AU: Tampa Bay pick won't sign

Kevin Patterson, Tampa Bay's 23rd-round draft pick last month, won't sign and will return to Auburn for his senior season, AU has announced.

“I am coming back because Auburn is a great place to play. Even though I did get drafted, after looking at all my options I felt that coming back to Auburn and playing every day and being in a full-time role would help me from a baseball standpoint,” Patterson said in a release. “More importantly I am two semesters away from finishing my degree.

"I just had to take a step back and look at the whole big picture. One more year of school in the long run will probably be more beneficial for me.”

Shouse joins Stone Crabs

Former Tampa Bay pitcher Brian Shouse, who re-signed with the Rays this summer, has been activated from the disabled list at high-Class A Charlotte.

Shouse gave up two runs in six innings for the GCL Rays from July 6 through Monday. The Stone Crabs deactivated former Biscuit Rayner Oliveros to make roster space for Shouse, a 41-year-old left-hander who appeared in 45 games last year for Tampa Bay.

Stone Crabs, Daytona play 19 innings

Former Auburn infielder Matt Hall was the losing pitcher for the Charlotte Stone Crabs tonight in a 4-3, 19-inning loss to the Daytona Cubs.

Yep, 19 innings.

There were 134 combined at-bats and each team used six pitchers, including infielder Hall and Daytona player-coach Matt Matulia. Matulia, the older brother of Montgomery's John Matulia, worked five shutout innings for the win.

The game began at 7:06 p.m. Eastern and lasted a War and Peace-like 5 hours, 13 minutes.

Kyler Burke doubled home Ryan Flaherty with the go-ahead run for Daytona, which scored three times in the first inning and went 17 straight scoreless from there. Freshly signed former major leaguer Rocco Baldelli -- shown at left -- was 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in his Charlotte debut. He left after nine innings. (Photo from the Crabs and Nick Martinez.)

Your oh-my-goodness night goes to Daytona designated hitter Jake Opitz. He rolled a Magic-8 ball and was 0-for-8, dropping his average a tidy 16 points to .246.

I guess this makes up for the teams' Double-A brethren. The Smokies beat the Biscuits 4-2 tonight and only worked six innings because of rain.

Their low-Class A brethren also faced off Monday and finished in regulation with the Bowling Green Hot Rods taking a 7-5 victory over the Peoria Chiefs.

So, in 34 innings of play, Chicago Cubs minor leaguers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 13-12.

Lee grad headed to Continental League

Robert E. Lee High graduate Jerome Dunning has signed to play for the Desert Valley Mountain Lions of the independent Continental Baseball League.

Dunning is scheduled to make his debut tonight, his agent, Demetrius Mitchell, said. Dunning, who graduated from Lee in 2006, hit .318 with 36 RBIs and 25 runs scored in 38 games as a senior this spring at UAH.

Hall of Famer Gwynn to appear in Durham

Hall of Fame outfielder Tony Gwynn will appear at Durham's home game July 26, sign autographs and take pictures, the Bulls announced today. Gwynn is currently the coach at San Diego State.

Baldelli back with Rays as player

Rocco Baldelli has re-signed with the Rays as a player and is headed to the high-Class A Charlotte Stone Crabs.

The 28-year-old outfielder signed a minor league contract. He was part of the Tampa Bay organization as a player through 2008 and played for Boston in 2009. Baldelli has been a special instructor for the Rays this year.

Chirinos, Cody collect league citation

Tennessee catcher Robinson Chirinos and Huntsville left-hander Chris Cody were the Southern League's weekly award winners.

Chirinos is 7-for-15 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in four games since the All-Star break, including a five-RBI game Thursday. He walked three times Saturday and had three RBIs Sunday against the Biscuits. Chirinos has a 1.027 on-base-plus-slugging percentage this year.

Cody allowed three runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings of a win Saturday. He struck out a season-high nine and is 5-7 with a 5.10 ERA this year. (There must be extenuating circumstances or it must not have been a strong week in the league.)

Pitcher Jo-Jo Reyes, after being traded from the Atlanta organization to Toronto, made the most of his debut with Double-A New Hampshire. He allowed one hit in eight shutout innings Friday and won the Eastern League's pitching award. Reyes was at Triple-A Gwinnett when he was traded.

Princeton's Suero wins Appy honor

Princeton right-hander Eliazer Suero, with his seven shutout innings Friday, won the Appalachian League's pitcher of the week award today. Suero, 21, allowed three hits, walked none and struck out nine. George Jensen followed Suero with two perfect innings. Suero is 1-1 with a 1.78 ERA in five starts.

Wright set for first major league start

Left-handed pitcher/Grady native Wesley Wright will make his first major league start Tuesday when the Houston Astros visit the Chicago Cubs.

Wright was a reliever for Houston the last two years before the Astros decided to convert him into a starter. They used him in a relief role earlier this season, but Wright has been a starter for Triple-A Round Rock.

Matt Moore does well in loss

Charlotte left-hander Matt Moore tied a season high with 11 strikeouts and gave up just three hits in six innings tonight -- but also allowed three runs and took the loss in the Stone Crabs' 8-5 setback at Brevard County.

System check

TRIPLE-A, DURHAM BULLS
International League South
(55-37, first place, 7 GA)
RHP Brian Baker is 7-0 with a 2.56 ERA. He allowed one run in two innings Friday.
C Jose Lobaton has a .273 average, six home runs and 24 RBIs.
IF Elliot Johnson is hitting .300, is 21-of-24 on steals and has scored 41 runs.
RHP Aneury Rodriguez, with two shutout innings Thursday, is 4-5 with a 3.99 ERA.
LHP Darin Downs has an 8.38 ERA in eight games.

HIGH-CLASS A, CHARLOTTE STONE CRABS
Florida State League South
(9-13, fifth place, 5 GB)
RHP Zach Quate had a 23-inning scoreless streak snapped Wednesday in winning his second straight appearance. He’s 2-1 with 15 saves and an 0.58 ERA.
SS Tim Beckham, hitting .319 in July, has a .229 average this season with five home runs, 42 RBIs and 80 strikeouts.
RHP Nick Barnese threw six shutout innings Wednesday and has a 2.83 ERA.

LOW-CLASS A, BOWLING GREEN HOT RODS
Midwest League Eastern
(10-11, fifth place, 7 GB)
RHP Kirby Yates threw seven shutout innings Thursday for his first win since joining the starting rotation a month ago. This year, he has a 1.97 ERA and a .179 average against.
1B Ryan Wiegand is hitting .359 with 10 RBIs in July, giving him a .279 average and 43 RBIs this year.
LHP Aaron Dott allowed an unearned run and one hit in four innings Wednesday.

SHORT-SEASON A, HUDSON VALLEY RENEGADES
New York-Penn League McNamara
(11-16, fourth place, 6.5 GB)
SS Derek Dietrich had a three-game home run streak snapped Friday. They were his first three homers. He’s hitting .258 with 18 runs scored and 11 RBIs.
RHP Wilmer Almonte allowed one run over eight innings in a no-decision Friday.

ROOKIE, PRINCETON RAYS
Appalachian League East
(11-13, fourth place, 2 GB)
RHP Eliazer Suero threw seven shutout innings Friday, giving up three hits, walking none and striking out nine for his first win. He has a 1.78 ERA and an 18-inning scoreless streak.

ROOKIE, GCL RAYS
Gulf Coast League South
(11-12, tied for second, 5 GB)
C Justin O’Connor, a first-round draft pick in June, hit his first home run Wednesday. He’s hitting .173 in 16 games.
RHP Marcus Jensen has allowed 10 hits and one earned run in 18 innings.

WAYWARD BISCUITS
Those who strayed from the Rays
1B Chris Nowak homered in his first game at Double-A Huntsville on Thursday.
LF Delmon Young has a .303 average, 10 home runs and 59 RBIs for the Minnesota Twins. He’s hitting .364 in July.
LHP Chris Seddon was promoted from Triple-A Tacoma to the Seattle Mariners on Thursday. He first reached the majors in 2007 with the Florida Marlins.
RHP Jean Machi is 5-2 with 12 saves and a 3.58 ERA for Triple-A Indianapolis (Pirates).
RHP Eduardo Morlan has a 4.01 ERA in 17 games with Double-A Huntsville (Brewers).
2B Johnny Raburn has a .231 average at Triple-A (Brewers).
RHP Ruddy Lugo was released by Triple-A Toledo (Tigers). He was 2-4 with an 8.16 ERA.
C Josh Arhart has a .328 average at independent Victoria. He has a .428 on-base percentage and a .599 slugging percentage.
RHP Carlos Hines is 2-0 with a 3.25 ERA for independent Somerset.
OF Francisco Leandro is hitting .283 at independent Pensacola.
OF Elijah Dukes has a .233 average in nine games with independent Newark.

Yates lays waste, leads Rods over Bees

Kirby Yates took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and totaled seven tonight in Bowling Green's 7-0 win at the Burlington Bees. He gave up both Burlington hits -- the first a "weak" infield single, according to the Hot Rods -- before Deivis Mavarez threw the final two innings.

Hot Rods gear up for charitable nights

For those in the Bowling Green area, the Hot Rods will have two fundraisers next week for charities. For Wednesday's game, fans using the promotional code "BUS" to buy box seats at bghotrods.com will have $3 of their $10 go to Stuff the Bus, which provides classroom supplies to schools in the Bowling Green area. For Thursday's game, the promotional code "DREAMHOME" sends $3 of the $10 for a box seat to the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway, part of the children's hospital in Memphis.

Seddon called up by Mariners

Chris Seddon has been promoted to the major leagues by the Seattle Mariners. The left-handed pitcher has previous major league experience, so he won't be No. 44 on the big league Biscuit list.

Elliot J. knocks in go-ahead run

Elliot Johnson singled home the go-ahead run in the International League's 2-1 win in the Triple-A All-Star Game. He capped a two-run sixth for the IL.

Dickson posts shutout inning in Triple-A ASG

Marbury native Brandon Dickson threw a shutout inning tonight in the Triple-A All-Star Game in Allentown, Pa.

Dickson pitched the fifth for the Pacific Coast League. He gave up a hit, struck out one and threw a wild pitch.

Braves sweep Southern League awards

Mississippi outfielder Willie Cabrera and pitcher Brandon Beachy won the Southern Leagues weekly awards, which were announced today. Cabrera was 11-for-21 with nine RBIs and Beach threw eight shutout innings and struck out 13 from July 5 through Sunday.

Dan Johnson starting in Triple-A game

Durham's Dan Johnson is the starting designated hitter and is hitting cleanup in tonight's Triple-A All-Star Game. The International League squad is being managed by Durham's Charlie Montoyo.

Marbury's Brandon Dickson of the Memphis Redbirds is in the bullpen for the Pacific Coast League.

Seddon in Triple-A All-Star Game, too

Chris Seddon, a two-time Opening Day starter for the Biscuits, is in the Triple-A All-Star Game, according to this report in the Seattle Times. He's still not on the roster, which was last updated July 6. The game is tonight on the MLB Network.

Seddon is 10-4 with a 3.39 ERA and is tied for the Pacific Coast League lead in wins for the Tacoma Rainiers.

Southern League names '12 and '13 All-Star sites

The Tennessee Smokies will host the 2012 Southern League All-Star Game and the Jacksonville Suns will have it in 2013, the league announced today.

The league is also saying that Monday's announced attendance of 7,782 was a league record for its All-Star Game. (The league also says it started an All-Star Game in 1972 when they first had one in 1964.)

Lugo out with Tigers; Feliciano down from Mets

Some former Biscuits news on the day after the major league All-Star Game ...

rPitcher Ruddy Lugo has been released by the Detroit Tigers. Hit on the head by a line drive in April, Lugo returned but was 2-4 with an 8.16 ERA this year at Triple-A Toledo. His 43 innings included 63 hits and 19 walks.

rOutfielder Jesus Feliciano has been demoted from the New York Mets to Triple-A Buffalo. He was hitting .291 in 21 games for the Mets.

Sad day for baseball

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner died today of a massive heart attack. He was 80.

Monday: North 3, South 2

Jacksonville’s Matt Dominguez homered twice and was the most valuable player in Monday’s Southern League All-Star Game, though his South Division team lost 3-2 to the North.

Dominguez homered in the fifth and seventh innings. He has 10 homers this year for the Suns.

Biscuits infielder Drew Anderson was 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and outfielder Emeel Salem was 0-for-2. Montgomery pitchers Jeremy Hall and Matt Gorgen did not appear.

Mobile pitcher Josh Collmenter started for the North -- though his team is in the South Division -- and threw two shutout innings for the win. Collmenter switched sides after three North pitchers were unable to throw and left the team short of pitching.

All-Star attendance astounding

Color me surprised. Tonight's announced attendance: 7,782. Prepared to write that the attendance would be the smallest All-Star crowd of the Biscuits era, it is instead the largest All-Star attendance since the Biscuits entered the league in 2004. It's the biggest since at least 1999.

Mobile's Collmenter swaps sides

Mobile right-hander Josh Collmenter is the turncoat. Despite being from the South Division, he's starting for the North, which is short of pitching.

There could be a traitorous pitcher

Treachery is in the air at Joe Davis Stadium. The South Division team has just nine pitchers. The North has 10, but at least one is injured. There is the possibility that a pitcher may go all Benedict Arnold tonight and take the mound against his own teammates.

Nowak signs with Brewers, to join Stars

Former Biscuits infielder Chris Nowak will join Southern League rival Huntsville after the All-Star break.

Pool: Guess attendance in Huntsville

Since there will surely be a robust throng of people at the Southern League's worst -- and least-attended -- stadium tonight for the league's All-Star Game, let's have a contest.

What will be the announced attendance at Joe Davis Stadium?

Let's reverse the "Price is Right" rules. If you go under, you can't win the bevy of prizes listed.

Longoria will hit sixth for AL

Evan Longoria, a Biscuit in 2006-07, will hit sixth for the American League in Tuesday's All-Star Game.

Price to start for American League

Former Biscuits pitcher David Price will start for the American League in Tuesday's All-Star Game. That's a first for the Rays.

Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez takes the ball for the National League.

Ruggiano, Schwaner top hitters for week

Durham outfielder Justin Ruggiano and Hudson Valley third baseman Nick Schwaner won their leagues' hitter of the week awards.

Ruggiano was 11-for-31 with a hit in every game from July 5 through Sunday to take International League honors. He hit three home runs, scored six times and had 11 RBIs.

This year, he has a .289 average, 50 runs and 40 RBIs in 68 games with the Bulls.

Schwaner was 11-for-23 over the last week with eight RBIs and seven runs scored. He has an eight-game hitting streak and a .343 average in 19 games with 18 runs and 18 RBIs.

Schwaner was a 30th-round draft pick this year from the University of New Orleans.

Former University of Alabama star Austin Hyatt won the Florida State League's pitching award. He's now with the Clearwater Threshers of the Philadelphia organization.

Biscuits star in Futures Game

Two former Biscuits and one current Biscuit had good days Sunday in the Futures Game in Anaheim, Calif.

Desmond Jennings scored three runs and Jeremy Hellickson was the winning pitcher for the United States in a 9-1 victory over the World team.

Hellickson was the starter and gave up one run on two hits in two innings.

Current Biscuits pitcher Alex Torres worked the third inning for the World. He gave up a hit.

Jennings and Hellickson are currently with Triple-A Durham.

Jennings, who was 0-for-3, was hit by a pitch and scored in the first inning, struck out in the fourth, walked and scored in the sixth and reached on an error and scored in the eighth.

Hellickson, Jennings start for U.S. team

Former Biscuits Jeremy Hellickson and Desmond Jennings started today for the U.S. team in the Futures Game. Hellickson has already improved on his Southern League All-Star appearance of a year ago when he surrendered three runs and recorded one out. Then-Biscuits reliever Eduardo Morlan also gave up three runs in an inning and cracked later: "At least I got three outs." It may have been the hardest I've seen Hellickson laugh.

Now that that's over

Just some tidbits from tonight's extravagantly long, like the NBA playoffs and LeBron James hype, 19-inning doubleheader ...

rThe teams threw a combined 571 pitches with the BayBears winning by a nose at 286-285. There were 350 strikes and advantage Biscuits, 179-171.

rWith the promise of fireworks, there was still a good portion of the 7,101 announced crowd still on hand.

rThis is not the first -- or second -- time the BayBears and Biscuits have went long before starting an All-Star break.

In 2007, the two played in Mobile the night before the All-Star break started. There was a 2 1/2-hour rain and a 3:21, 10-inning game that ended at 12:55 a.m. The Biscuits exited as quickly as possible but didn't get home until 4. Manager Billy Gardner basically drove straight to the airport because he had a 6 a.m. flight home.

In 2008 at Riverwalk, the two also played a doubleheader before starting the break. They kept both games to the seven-inning minimum and the action ended at 10:17 p.m.

And, yes, they're shooting the planned fireworks

Outstanding. Though not quite to the level of July 4, 1985, at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium where a 19-inning game that included a lengthy rain delay led to fireworks at 4 a.m.

Saturday, Game 2: BayBears 4, Biscuits 3 (12)

Collin Cowgill singled home Evan Frey with the go-ahead run in the Mobile BayBears’ 4-3, 12-inning win over the Biscuits in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader.

Montgomery posted just one hit over the final 5 2/3 innings, a bloop single by Craig Albernaz in the eighth. Mobile’s Daniel Stange threw 2 1/3 no-hit innings for the win.

The Biscuits scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings. Montgomery had four hits, including three infield singles. Henry Wrigley’s swinging bunt brought home Shawn O’Malley with the first run. Rashad Eldridge’s flyout scored Emeel Salem to tie it.

Rogers fitting in well with Hot Rods

Cody Rogers reached base five times and tied a Bowling Green record with four runs scored in the Hot Rods' 11-5 win at Lansing tonight. Rogers, who joined the team Monday, homered to lead off the game for a second time this week.

Scott Shuman, after getting hit on the hand with a ball Tuesday, returned tonight and gave up two runs in the ninth.

Baker's shutout streak ends

Brian Baker finally gave up a run tonight in Durham's 5-3 victory at Norfolk. The Tides struck in the second against Baker, snapping the right-hander's 16 1/3-inning scoreless streak. It was the only run allowed by Baker in his four innings so he didn't qualify for the win. However, Baker lowered his ERA to 2.48.

Game 2 Biscuits lineup

Shawn O'Malley 2b
Emeel Salem lf
Leslie Anderson dh
Henry Wrigley 1b
Rashad Eldridge cf
Matt Sweeney 3b
John Matulia rf
Chris De La Cruz ss
Craig Albernaz c
Jeremy Hall rhp

One change on the Mobile lineup posted before the opener. Kyle Greene is at third and hitting third in place of Kory Casto.

Saturday, Game 1: Biscuits 3, BayBears 0

Henry Wrigley and Drew Anderson homered, David Newmann and Matt Gorgen combined on a seven-hitter, and the Biscuits beat the Mobile BayBears 3-0 in the opener of a doubleheader Saturday.

Wrigley hit a two-run, opposite-field homer in the first inning, his fifth homer in 12 games with Montgomery. Anderson homered in the fifth, his second of the season.

Newmann (3-6) allowed four hits in five innings for his first win in a month. Gorgen registered his Southern League-leading 17th save.

Stand-in anthem was available

Since there was no national anthem before the opener of today's doubleheader, here's one for everybody to enjoy. They apparently will do an anthem before Game 2.

Saturday lineups

The Biscuits and BayBears finish their series with a doubleheader starting at 6:05 p.m. WSFA is webcasting. As a bonus, Mobile already has both of its lineups ready.

BISCUITS, Game 1
Shawn O'Malley ss
Rashad Eldridge cf
Nevin Ashley c
Henry Wrigley 3b
Leslie Anderson 1b
Cody Cipriano 2b
Matt Sweeney dh
John Matulia rf
Drew Anderson lf
David Newmann lhp

BAYBEARS, Game 1
Evan Frey rf
Collin Cowgill lf
Kory Casto 3b
Konrad Schmidt c
Cyle Hankerd 1b
Taylor Harbin 2b
Kyle Greene dh
Jake Wald ss
Ollie Linton cf
Wade Miley lhp

BAYBEARS, Game 2
Evan Frey rf
Collin Cowgill lf
Kory Casto 3b
Konrad Schmidt dh
Cyle Hankerd 1b
Taylor Harbin 2b
Ed Easley c
Jake Elmore ss
Ollie Linton cf
Bryan Henry rhp

With Montoyo away, who takes credit for Bulls?

Since Durham manager Charlie Montoyo will miss games today and Sunday while away at the MLB Futures Game, we here at Biscuit crumbs wonder how to count the wins or losses. Who gets credit: pitching coach Xavier Hernandez or hitting coach Dave Myers?

After careful consideration, meditation and consultation, we can only come to one conclusion. If Durham wins, Myers gets a win. If Durham loses, Hernandez takes the blame.

If there is no objection, so ordered.

Report: Mariners wanted Jennings from Rays

Had Seattle dealt with Tampa Bay instead of sending Cliff Lee to Texas, the Mariners wanted Desmond Jennings as part of the return haul, according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman.

System check

TRIPLE-A, DURHAM BULLS
International League South
(54-34, first place, 10 GA)
3B Dan Johnson hit his league-leading 24th home run Friday and has 17 RBIs in his last 10 games. He’s hitting .304 with a league-best 80 RBIs.
IF Elliot Johnson is 7-for-12 with five RBIs and four runs scored in his last two games. He has a .295 average.
RHP Jeremy Hellickson threw six shutout innings in his last start to improve to 11-2 with a 2.21 ERA.
CF Desmond Jennings has a .375 on-base percentage, is 21-of-23 on steals and has scored 51 runs in 64 games.
OF Justin Ruggiano has a .292 average, 36 RBIs and 49 runs scored.

HIGH-CLASS A, CHARLOTTE STONE CRABS
Florida State League South
(7-9, third place, 3 GB)
RHP Zach Quate has a 20-inning scoreless streak and an 0.42 ERA.
RHP Nick Barnese threw seven shutout innings Thursday and is 7-4 with a 3.01 ERA.
C Matt Spring hit his fourth home run Friday and has a .242 average in 25 games.
3B Greg Sexton is 12-for-24 in his last six games, pushing his average to .309.
DH Stephen Vogt has a .352 average.

LOW-CLASS A, BOWLING GREEN HOT RODS
Midwest League Eastern
(7-8, tied for fifth, 5 GB)
LF Cody Rogers was 4-for-5 with two home runs and four RBIs in his debut Monday.
LHP Kyle Lobstein struck out a season-high eight Tuesday, giving up two runs in 6.1 innings in a no-decision.
RF Brett Nommensen has three homers and eight RBIs in his last six games. He’s hitting .297.
SS Robi Estrada is hitting .405 in a 10-game hitting streak.

SHORT-SEASON A, HUDSON VALLEY RENEGADES
New York-Penn League McNamara
(8-12, fourth place, 4 GB)
3B Nick Schwaner is 11-for-21 with seven runs and 13 RBIs in his last six games. He’s hitting .344 with 17 RBIs and 16 runs scored in 17 games.
RHP Austin Hubbard is 3-0 with two saves and 7.2 shutout innings.

ROOKIE, PRINCETON RAYS
Appalachian League East
(8-10, fourth place, 2 GB)
LHP Enny Romero threw four shutout innings Wednesday and has a 1.31 ERA in four starts.
RHP Mickey Jannis picked up his first pro win Tuesday with three shutout innings.

ROOKIE, GCL RAYS
Gulf Coast League South
(8-9, second place, 4.5 GB)
RHP Pete Woodworth worked three perfect innings Friday for his first pro win. He signed as a non-drafted free agent from Florida Gulf Coast University.
RHP Eduar Quinonez allowed three hits in six shutout innings Wednesday.

WAYWARD BISCUITS
Those who strayed from the Rays
RHP Jose Veras has thrown nine shutout innings over seven appearances since returning to the Florida Marlins.
IF Fernando Cortez has a .321 average in eight games at Triple-A Charlotte (White Sox).
LHP Chris Seddon is 10-4 with a 3.53 ERA at Triple-A Tacoma (Mariners). He’s tied for the Pacific Coast League lead in wins.
C Iker Franco was 4-for-5 with three RBIs Friday for Quintana Roo of the Mexican League. He’s hitting .254 with 62 RBIs.
RHP Mitch Talbot is 1-4 in his last five starts and is 8-8 with a 3.99 ERA for the Cleveland Indians.
OF Jesus Feliciano is hitting .283 for the New York Mets.
RHP Travis Minix is 6-8 with a 6.06 ERA for Saltillo of the Mexican League.
LHP Brandon Mann has a 3-0 record and a 3.79 ERA at Class A Inland Empire (Dodgers).
LHP Scott Kazmir has lost three straight starts and is 7-8 with a 5.98 ERA for the Los Angeles Angels.
IF Rico Washington has a .267 average with independent Kansas City.
RHP Jim Magrane is 5-5 with a 3.28 ERA for the Brother Elephants in Taiwan.
LHP Brian Henderson is 4-3 with a 4.01 ERA at independent Somerset.

Nowak asks for release, which Rays grant

Infielder Chris Nowak, deactivated by the Biscuits on Monday, was released today. Nowak asked for his release and the Tampa Bay organization granted it, Montgomery manager Billy Gardner said.

Nowak was in his seventh season with the Rays and his fourth with the Biscuits. He was Montgomery's player of the year in 2008 after hitting .295 with 15 home runs and 77 RBIs.

This year, the 27-year-old had a .248 average in 64 games. He also had seven home runs, which led active Biscuits, and 33 RBIs.

Bang: Rainout tonight; doubleheader Saturday

Rainout. Doubleheader at 6:05 p.m. Saturday.

Tonight's scheduled postgame concert will be before the Aug. 27 game. Saturday's on-field autograph session has been postponed, too. Makeup date to be announced.

Bright cheered winning team in Congressional game

Talked to U.S. Rep. Bobby Bright (D-Montgomery), the former mayor, today for a story running Sunday on the Biscuits' operating revenue from 2004-09 compared to the projections used in 2002 by the City Council when it voted to build Riverwalk Stadium.

Bright did share that he sat out the recent Congressional Baseball Game due to a "partially pulled hamstring." He sat in the stands with his staff and cheered the Democrats to a 13-5 victory over the Republicans at Nationals Park.

"They didn't need me," Bright said. "I was on injured reserve. It was fortunate that they led the entire game to such a degree that they didn't have to pull me up."

Bright said he had already arranged to have a full Biscuits uniform before he went down with the injury. Depending on the November elections, his next shot will be in 2011.

"Next year, I hope to be fully mended," he said.

It's raining

Decent shower, but the nice wind that is accompanying it is playing havoc with an untethered tarp. The field wasn't lined when they covered it, so a likely delay to start tonight.

6:22: We'll upgrade the shower to a gullywasher. (Next stage: toad strangler.)
7:02: Toad strangler.
7:32: The power went down for a moment ... twice. Lightning really close, too.

Friday lineups

It's Family Faith Night for the third of four games between the Biscuits and BayBears, with a postgame concert to boot.

BISCUITS
Shawn O'Malley ss
Rashad Eldridge cf
Nevin Ashley c
Henry Wrigley 3b
Leslie Anderson 1b
Cody Cipriano 2b
Matt Sweeney dh
John Matulia rf
Drew Anderson lf
David Newmann lhp

BAYBEARS
Evan Frey rf
Collin Cowgill lf
Kory Casto 3b
Konrad Schmidt c
Cyle Hankerd 1b
Taylor Harbin 2b
Ed Easley dh
Jake Elmore ss
Ollie Linton cf
Wade Miley lhp

Barnese baffles Marauding band of Bradenton baseballers

Nick Barnese had a decent night for the Charlotte Stone Crabs. He threw seven shutout innings in a 2-1 win over the Bradenton Marauders, allowed four hits, walked none and struck out seven.

Thursday: Biscuits 9, BayBears 6

The Biscuits scored five runs in the eighth inning to beat the Mobile BayBears 9-6 on Thursday.

Matt Sweeney singled home the tying run and Cody Cipriano came home on a wild pitch to give Montgomery the lead. A Drew Anderson flyout and a two-run Rashad Eldridge single accounted for the other runs to make it 9-5.

Henry Wrigley hit a solo home run in the sixth inning for his third homer in two days. After doubling in the eighth, Wrigley has nine extra-base hits in 11 games with the Biscuits.

Singleton an All-Star in American Association

Nick Singleton, the pride of Lee High and AUM, has been named an All-Star in the independent American Association. He's with the Wichita Wingnuts and is 4-3 with a league-best 2.29 ERA.

Beau Torbert, the pride of Faulkner, will start in the game. He's with the Sioux Falls Pheasants and is hitting .412 with 11 home runs and 50 RBIs.

Torres limit extended

Pitcher Alex Torres' limit tonight has been upped to four innings or 60 pitches.

Thursday lineups

Second of four between the Biscuits and BayBears. Montgomery starter Alex Torres is on a three-inning/45-pitch limit because he's headed to Sunday's Futures Game.

BISCUITS
Emeel Salem rf
Drew Anderson 2b
Rashad Eldridge cf
Henry Wrigley lf
Leslie Anderson 1b
Cody Cipriano dh
Matt Sweeney 3b
Chris De La Cruz ss
Craig Albernaz c
Alex Torres p

BAYBEARS
Ollie Linton lf
Jake Elmore 2b
Collin Cowgill cf
Konrad Schmidt dh
Cyle Hankerd 1b
Taylor Harbin 3b
Ed Easley c
Kyle Greene rf
Jake Wald ss
Tom Layne lhp

Wednesday: Biscuits 10, BayBears 6

Henry Wrigley homered twice and had five RBIs to lead the Biscuits in a 10-6 win over the Mobile BayBears on Wednesday.

Wrigley hit a three-run homer in the first inning and a solo shot in the sixth. He added an RBI single in the seventh.

Rashad Eldridge added a two-run homer in the first to give the Biscuits a 5-2 lead. Chris De La Cruz’s two-run triple in the third made it 7-4.

Alex Cobb (4-2) gave up six runs in 5 1/3 innings. Reliever Ryan Reid totaled six strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. Matt Gorgen pitched a perfect ninth.

Wrigley hits Montgomery multi-HR list

Henry Wrigley hit his second home run in the sixth inning tonight and it's the 24th time a Biscuit has had a two-homer game. Here's the list.

Dan DeMent, June 3, 2004
Brian Martin, July 22, 2004
Delmon Young, May 8, 2005
Delmon Young, May 23, 2005
Delmon Young, June 19, 2005
Delmon Young, June 27, 2005
Shawn Riggans, July 5, 2005
Scott Neuberger, July 22, 2005
Wes Bankston, July 27, 2005
Gabriel Martinez, Aug. 13, 2005
Elijah Dukes, Aug. 13, 2005
Elliot Johnson, April 18, 2006
Ryan Christianson, April 25, 2006
Ryan Christianson, May 4, 2006
Gabriel Martinez, Aug. 9, 2006
Evan Longoria, Aug. 13, 2006
Jeremy Owens, Aug. 20, 2006
Gabriel Martinez, Aug. 21, 2007
Gabriel Martinez, May 9, 2008
Chris Nowak, July 26, 2008
Rhyne Hughes, April 14, 2009
J.T. Hall, Sept. 7, 2009
Chris Nowak, May 31, 2010
Henry Wrigley, July 7, 2010

Torres will be limited in Thursday start

In his last appearance before going to Sunday's MLB All-Star Futures Game, Biscuits pitcher Alex Torres will throw just three innings or 45 pitches.

Wednesday lineups

Lineups for Wednesday's opener of a four-game series between the Biscuits and the Mobile BayBears. Since I had to talk about football today, I included relevant fight songs for the visitors.

BISCUITS
Shawn O'Malley 2b -- Biscuits debut at 2B
Emeel Salem lf
Nevin Ashley c
Henry Wrigley 3b
Leslie Anderson 1b
Rashad Eldridge cf -- first time in 6 hole
John Matulia rf
Chris De La Cruz ss
Drew Anderson dh
Alex Cobb rhp

BAYBEARS
Evan Frey rf -- out of U. Missouri
Collin Cowgill lf -- on, on U of K
Kory Casto 3b -- former major leaguer with Nationals, from U. Portland
Konrad Schmidt c -- Nevado-Reno Wolfpack
Cyle Hankerd 1b -- his college's band starred in "Naked Gun"
Jake Elmore 2b -- from Pleasant Grove and, well, this college
Ed Easley dh -- clang your cowbells
Jake Wald ss -- GW song tough to find, really tough
Ollie Linton cf -- too small? (UC Irvine fight song unavailable, dang Anteaters)
Pat McAnaney lhp -- a fav of Thomas Jefferson's

Salem to Southern League game

Biscuits outfielder Emeel Salem has been named a replacement for the Southern League All-Star Game, which is Monday in Huntsville.

Torres a late add to Futures Game

Biscuits pitcher Alex Torres has been named a late addition to the World roster for Sunday's All-Star Futures Game. Torres, who can hopefully keep former Biscuits Desmond Jennings and Jeremy Hellickson of the USA in check at the game, is still scheduled to make his start Thursday.

Tuesday: Barons 3, Biscuits 2 (11)

Justin Greene singled home Jason Bour with the go-ahead run in the 11th inning, lifting the Birmingham Barons to a 3-2 victory over the Biscuits on Tuesday.

Bour singled with one out and went to second on a John Shelby III single. A Greg Paiml groundball left the Barons with runners on first and third with two outs.

Greene hit a stinging single up the middle off Sergio Espinosa (0-2), who lost for a second straight night, and gave Birmingham a three-game series sweep of Montgomery.

Barons relievers held the Biscuits hitless for the final five innings.

Rods' Shuman takes liner off hand, leaves game

Bowling Green stopper Scott Shuman was hit on the hand with a ninth-inning single and had to leave two pitches later. The Hot Rods beat Fort Wayne 3-2 in 11 innings on Tyler Bortnick's RBI double. Brett Nommensen homered in the first.

Rain, rain, go away

A little rain, a pulled tarp and it doesn't look like they'll start on time.

6:55 update: They've announced a 7:40 start time.

Tuesday lineups

The Barons show their ugly faces at Riverwalk today for the last time this season. It's the final game of a three-game series.

BISCUITS
Shawn O'Malley ss
Emeel Salem dh -- fourth game as dh
Rashad Eldridge cf
Nevin Ashley c
Leslie Anderson lf
Henry Wrigley 1b
Matt Sweeney 3b
Cody Cipriano 2b
John Matulia rf
Jake McGee lhp -- team 7-7 in his starts

BARONS
Miguel Negron cf
C.J. Retherford 3b
Jim Gallagher dh -- 7-for-9, 2 2bs, 3 runs, 3 RBIs this series
Christian Marrero 1b
Tyler Kuhn 2b
Jason Bour c
John Shelby III lf -- off last two days; 1-for-12 in last series
Greg Paiml ss
Justin Greene rf
Brandon Hynick rhp

Crabs' Cruz tops in Florida State League

Charlotte's Joe Cruz, with two wins and 14 shutout innings, won the Florida State League's pitcher of the week award. Cruz allowed nine hits, walked four and struck out 10. This year, the right-hander is 6-5 with a 3.61 ERA for the Stone Crabs.

Mississippi first baseman Mauro Gomez and Tennessee right-hander Austin Bibens-Dirkx drew Southern League honors. Bibens-Dirkz didn't factor in a decision, despite allowing just one run in 11 innings. Gomez was 7-for-26 with three home runs and seven RBIs from June 28-Sunday.

The weekly awards came out Tuesday, a day later than usual, because of the July 4 holiday.

Monday: Barons 10, Biscuits 7

Christian Marrero’s two-run, ninth-inning triple gave the Birmingham Barons the lead in a 10-7 win over the Biscuits on Monday.

Marrero scored on a Cole Armstrong single to make it a three-run game against Sergio Espinosa. Montgomery left the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth.

The Barons scored three times in the eighth off Biscuits stopper Matt Gorgen, the Southern League saves leader, to take a 7-6 lead. Montgomery tied it in the eighth when Emeel Salem homered off Barons closer Anthony Carter.

Salem finished with three hits, two walks and three runs scored. Leslie Anderson reached base four times.

J.T. Hall a Frontier League All-Star

Outfielder J.T. Hall, formerly of the Biscuits, has been named an All-Star in the independent Frontier League. He's with the Traverse City Beach Bums.

Hellickson rebounds with six shutout

Jeremy Hellickson, after taking a five-inning, three-run shelling in his last start, threw six innings in Durham's 11-0 win over Gwinnett today. Hellickson is 11-2 with a 2.21 ERA.

Brian Baker, shutout maker, did his part with two shutout innings and ran his streak to 15 1/3 scoreless innings. Dale Thayer, just off the DL, finished it off in the ninth.

Rogers excels in Bowling Green debut

Outfielder Cody Rogers made an impression today in his debut with the Bowling Green Hot Rods. He was 4-for-5 with two home runs and four RBIs in an 8-7 win at Fort Wayne. Rogers led off the game with a homer, hit an RBI single in the second inning and added a two-run homer in the fourth.

Monday lineups

Second game of a three-game series.

BISCUITS
Shawn O'Malley ss
Emeel Salem rf
Rashad Eldridge cf
Nevin Ashley c
Leslie Anderson lf
Henry Wrigley 1b
Matt Sweeney 3b
Cody Cipriano 2b
John Matulia dh
Heath Rollins rhp

BARONS
Miguel Negron dh
C.J. Retherford 2b
Jim Gallagher rf
Christian Marrero 1b
Cole Armstrong c
Tyler Kuhn lf
Dale Mollenhauer 3b
Greg Paiml ss
Justin Greene cf
Jacob Rasner rhp

Nowak deactivated by Biscuits

The Biscuits deactivated infielder Chris Nowak to make roster space for Shawn O'Malley.

Tampa Bay affiliates slay attendance marks

The Biscuits weren't the only team in the Tampa Bay organization to set a record crowd this weekend. The Triple-A Durham Bulls drew 11,674 tonight for a 6-4 win over the Gwinnett Braves. The high-Class A Charlotte Stone Crabs had 7,492 pile in Saturday for a 6-1 victory over the Brandenton Marauders.

Sunday: Barons 11, Biscuits 5

Miguel Negron knocked in four runs, including a three-run home run, to lead the Birmingham Barons in an 11-5 win over the Biscuits on Sunday.

The Barons lashed out eight doubles to set a season high. It was also the most doubles allowed by the Biscuits this year.

Montgomery’s Henry Wrigley homered and doubled in his Riverwalk Stadium debut. Nevin Ashley and John Matulia also homered for the Biscuits.

New attendance record for Biscuits

Tonight's crowd of 7,591 is a Riverwalk Stadium record, breaking the 7,560 set on July 4, 2009, against the Birmingham Barons.

Riverwalk in-game proposals hit double digits

We just had the 10th successful wedding proposal in 10 known attempts in Riverwalk Stadium history.

Owens, Perry All-Stars in Atlantic League

Jeremy Owens and Jason Perry, both with Biscuits lineage, have been named All-Stars in the independent Atlantic League. Perry leads the league with 16 homers and is second with 50 RBIs for the Lancaster Barnstormers. Owens has a .214 average and is a player-coach for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.

O'Malley has travel day, won't be on roster

Shortstop Shawn O'Malley is traveling today and will not be on the active roster for tonight's game. No word yet on how the Biscuits will make space on their roster.

Sunday lineups; Rollins to make spot start Monday

The Biscuits and Birmingham Barons start a three-game series with postgame fireworks today at Riverwalk. Why, you may wonder, after playing all five-game series in the first half, does the Southern League play two six-game series followed by a three-gamer and four-gamer? That's so every team can pop firecrackers July 3 or 4 and start the All-Star break after the July 10 games.

One news item right now: Pitcher Heath Rollins is scheduled to make a spot start Monday. That means, after Jeremy Hall goes tonight, all of Montgomery's regular starters have one start left before the break.

BISCUITS
Emeel Salem lf
Rashad Eldridge cf
Nevin Ashley c
Chris Nowak 1b
Cody Cipriano 2b
Henry Wrigley dh -- Riverwalk debut
Matt Sweeney 3b
John Matulia rf
Chris De La Cruz ss
Jeremy Hall rhp

BARONS
Miguel Negron dh -- Barons MVP in '08
C.J. Retherford 2b -- .226 in 30 games since demotion from Triple-A
Jim Gallagher 1b -- 5 HRs, 36 RBIs lead team
Christian Marrero rf -- 8-for-30 in nine games vs. Biscuits
Cole Armstrong c -- Triple-A International League All-Star in '09
Tyler Kuhn lf -- third year out of West Virginia U.
Dale Mollenhauer 3b -- .222 average
Greg Paiml ss -- former Hoover Buc, U. Alabama Tide
Justin Greene cf -- joined Barons on June 29; hit .309 with 10 HRs, 45 RBIs at high-A
Justin Edwards lhp -- 1-5, 5.70 ERA

O'Malley returning to Biscuits

Shortstop Shawn O'Malley has returned to the Biscuits after going on the Montgomery DL in April.

O'Malley went on the shelf with a shoulder injury less than two weeks into the season. In mid-May, he went to Tampa Bay's extended spring training program to finish rehabbing the shoulder, but he hurt a hamstring there.

The 22-year-old started a rehab assignment with the high-Class A Charlotte Stone Crabs last month. He hit .320 in eight games through Friday.

Delmon up for final spot on AL roster

With your vote, there could be four Biscuits in Anaheim. Minnesota Twins outfielder Delmon Young is one of the five players up for the final AL roster spot. His competition in fan voting: White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko, Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher, Rangers third baseman Michael Young and Red Sox infielder Kevin Youkilis. Cast vote here.

Price headed to Anaheim

AL wins and ERA leader David Price gives the Biscuits three former players in the major league All-Star Game.

Price is with the Rays and it's his first All-Star pick as a professional. The game is July 13 in Anaheim, Calif.

Meek part of NL All-Star bullpen

Evan Meek, who helped Montgomery to a Southern League title in 2007 and is now with the Pittsburgh Pirates, has been picked to his first All-Star Game.

Former Auburn All-American and native Alabamian Tim Hudson of the Atlanta Braves will also be part of the NL pitching staff.

Longoria to start All-Star Game

Former Biscuits most valuable player Evan Longoria has been voted to start at third base for the American League in the major league All-Star Game.

Tampa Bay teammate Carl Crawford also was voted a starter in the outfield.

Murrill lifted from Rods to Crabs

Outfielder Chris Murrill has been promoted from Bowling Green to Charlotte. The Hot Rods added outfielder Cody Rogers from the GCL Rays.

Braves bid adieu to Brooks; Pelicans let Wilson fly

You can expunge two players from the list of locals in pro baseball. Enterprise's Robert Brooks has been released by the Atlanta Braves after going 1-for-13 in his first four games. Andalusia's Tyler Wilson, a left-handed pitcher, has been released by the independent Pensacola Pelicans after posting a 4.15 ERA in 21 2/3 innings.

Drew Anderson to start for South Division

Montgomery's Drew Anderson will start at second base and hit ninth for the South Division team in the July 12 Southern League All-Star Game.

Rays delve into international pool

Friday started baseball's international signing period, where 16-year-olds not from the U.S., Puerto Rico or Canada could sign pro contracts. The Rays just announced signing outfielder Yoel Araujo, a Dominican outfielder of that age.

Rays release Hot Rods' Sonoqui

The Rays have released infielder Eli Sonoqui, who was with Bowling Green. Also, Hot Rods infielder Julio Cedeno went on the disabled list with vertigo. Sonoqui was hitting .238 in 24 games. Cedeno, who has a .208 average in 57 games, hasn't played since Wednesday.

System check

Stats through Friday, etc.

TRIPLE-A, DURHAM BULLS
International League South
(49-32, first place, 8 GA)
RHP Brian Baker is 3-0 with 13.1 shutout innings in his last three appearances. He’s 7-0 with a 2.61 ERA.
CF Desmond Jennings, after hitting .353 and scoring 28 runs in 25 June games, has a .296 average with 44 runs in 57 games.
RHP Richard De Los Santos is 6-3 with a 4.35 ERA after a no-decision Monday where he allowed one earned run in 7.1 innings.
3B Dan Johnson, with two two-run home runs Friday, has a .306 average, 20 homers and 69 RBIs.
RHP Winston Abreu hasn’t allowed a run in his last 14 appearances, covering 15 innings.

HIGH-CLASS A, CHARLOTTE STONE CRABS
Florida State League South
(2-7, sixth place, 4 GB)
RHP Zach Quate, with an 18-inning scoreless streak, has an 0.44 ERA. His 40.2 innings have featured 20 hits, eight walks and 55 strikeouts.
LHP Matt Moore allowed an unearned run on one hit in 6.1 innings to win Friday. He’s 4-1 with a 1.14 ERA in his last five starts.
SS Shawn O’Malley is 8-for-25 with eight runs scored in eight games.
RHP Joe Cruz threw seven shutout innings in a win Tuesday.

LOW-CLASS A, BOWLING GREEN HOT RODS
Midwest League Eastern
(4-4, tied for fifth, 1.5 GB)
2B Tyler Bortnick hit .329 in June with 19 runs and 11 RBIs. He has a .395 on-base percentage this year.
RHP Alex Colome threw 6.2 shutout innings in a win Wednesday. He’s 5-5 with a 2.81 ERA.
RHP Scott Shuman gave up two runs Monday to snap a 16-inning scoreless streak. He has a 2.03 ERA, 26 hits allowed and 59 strikeouts in 40 innings.

SHORT-SEASON A, HUDSON VALLEY RENEGADES
New York-Penn League McNamara
(6-8, third place, 2.5 GB)
RHP Austin Hubbard is 2-0 with a save and an 0.00 ERA in three appearances.
RHP Jake Thompson threw two shutout innings in his pro debut Thursday.

ROOKIE, PRINCETON RAYS
Appalachian League East
(6-5, tied for first)
OF Ruben Contreras has seven RBIs and six runs scored in 10 games.
RHP Andrew Bellatti threw six shutout innings Monday.

ROOKIE, GCL RAYS
Gulf Coast League South
(5-6, second place, 3.5 GB)
RHP Albert Suarez threw three no-hit innings Thursday and hasn’t allowed a hit in his last seven innings.
OF Joel Caminero has a .354 average with at least one hit in every game.

WAYWARD BISCUITS
Those who strayed from the Rays
OF Elijah Dukes signed with independent Newark last week and was 0-for-5 in his first two games.
IF Gabriel Martinez is hitting .315 with 12 home runs and 50 RBIs with Saltillo of the Mexican League.
CF Jason Pridie came off the disabled list at Triple-A Buffalo (Mets) and reinjured himself in his first game.
LHP James Houser, after being designated for assignment by the Florida Marlins, cleared waivers and was sent to Double-A Jacksonville.
LHP Brandon Mann has a 2.43 ERA in 26 games for Class A Inland Empire (Dodgers).
RF Rhyne Hughes has a .262 average at Triple-A Norfolk (Orioles).
RHP Willie Glen had won three straight starts before a Friday no-decision at independent Gary SouthShore. He’s 4-2 with a 3.79 ERA.
OF Joe Gaetti has a .196 average for independent Lancaster.
LHP Jeff Ridgway has a 4.95 ERA at independent Southern Maryland.

My raysprospects.com All-Star vote

Here's my vote for the raysprospects.com midseason All-Star team for just the Tampa Bay system. Cast yours here. Voting continues through noon (EDT, almost surely) Monday.

5 starting pitchers
1. Jeremy Hellickson
2. Alex Colome
3. Shane Dyer
4. Nick Barnese
5. Joe Cruz
(Tough, in a good way, after No. 1.)

5 relievers
1. Scott Shuman
2. Mike Ekstrom
3. Zach Quate
4. Winston Abreu
5. R.J. Swindle
(First three went quickly.)

C: Mark Thomas
1B: Chris Richard
2B: Tyler Bortnick
SS: Elliot Johnson
3B: Dan Johnson (Easiest vote.)

3 outfielders
1. Henry Wrigley
2. Desmond Jennings
3. Reid Fronk
(To me, Matt Joyce didn't play enough games.)

if I could have voted DH: Stephen Vogt (Just 12 games at catcher.)

Rauschenberger back in baseball

Marbury's Cory Rauschenberger, after quitting the game two years ago, is back in baseball. He's returned to the St. Louis Cardinals and is with high-Class A Palm Beach. The right-handed pitcher made his season debut Thursday and allowed two unearned runs in two innings.

Rauschenberger was with Double-A Springfield -- and had reached Triple-A Memphis earlier that season -- when he retired in May 2008. He spent all of 2007 at Springfield.

Brian Baker, shutout maker

Brian Baker, back in the bullpen after two starts netted him and Triple-A Durham 10 shutout innings, did more tonight.

He threw 3 1/3 innings to pick up the victory in the Bulls' 6-0 win over Louisville. Baker is now 7-0, has a 2.61 ERA and a streak of 13 1/3 scoreless innings.

Dukes headed to Atlantic League's Bears

Former Biscuits outfielder Elijah Dukes has signed with the Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League. Dukes has had a troubled career, to say the least. (MLBtraderumors.com was the first place I saw reports of the signing, after being pointed there by a trusted reader.)

Sanders' further cuts to come with Nuts

Joseph Sanders, the pride of Stanhope Elmore High, has been promoted from the low-Class A Asheville Tourists to the Modesto Nuts of the high-Class A California League by the Colorado Rockies. Sanders, a 22-year-old third baseman, was hitting .267 with nine home runs and 40 RBIs and was a South Atlantic League All-Star for the Tourists.

Garcia shuffled from Bulls to Stone Crabs

Pitcher Justin Garcia, with the Biscuits until a June 20 promotion to Triple-A Durham, has been sent to high-Class A Charlotte.

Garcia wasn't on Montgomery's active roster when he moved up and had last appeared in a game June 2. With the Bulls, the right-hander made two appearances, allowing three runs in 4 2/3 innings. He was 2-2 with a 5.14 ERA in 13 games for the Biscuits.

Marbury's Dickson a Triple-A All-Star

Brandon Dickson, a right-handed pitcher for the Memphis Redbirds and a Marbury native, is also a Triple-A All-Star. The Pacific Coast League named Dickson to its All-Star team today. The game is July 14 in Allentown, Pa.

Dickson is 8-4 and ranks sixth in the PCL with a 2.94 ERA.

The 25-year-old is 6-1 with a 2.09 ERA in his last eight starts. In the loss, he threw seven innings of two-run ball. In the no-decision, he allowed an unearned run in six innings.

Who deserves Rays' laurels for June?

It's that time again. Who deserves Tampa Bay's player of the month awards for June? I've listed a few players whose numbers jumped out, but you can feel free to add one.

DUR Desmond Jennings .353, 28 runs, 15 RBIs in 25 games
MGM Chris Nowak .323, 16 runs, 18 RBIs in 26 games
CHA Stephen Vogt .365, 14 runs, 8 RBIs in 22 games
BWG Tyler Bortnick .329, 19 runs, 11 RBIs in 24 games

DUR Brian Baker 2-0, 1.56 ERA, 10 hits allowed, 17.1 innings
MGM Alex Cobb 3-1, 1.84 ERA, 24 hits, 26-8 K-BB, 29.1 innings
CHA Joe Cruz 3-1, 2.38 ERA, 33 hits, 30-9 K-BB, 34 innings
BWG Scott Shuman 1-0, 1.29 ERA, 5 saves, 26-3 K-BB, 6 hits, 14 innings

To balance the Alabama and Auburn sycophants, I'll go with Jennings and Shuman.