Bierman lands on Bowling Green DL

Left-handed pitcher Sean Bierman, after starting the season with a fine April, has gone on Bowling Green's disabled list with a hip injury. Left-hander Jordan Harrison has been added from extended spring training.

Harrison, a 25th-round draft pick a year ago from Louisiana-Lafayette, was a combined 1-3 with a 2.09 ERA in 14 games between the GCL and Hudson Valley.

So, who were the best minor league April Rays?

Who was the best Tampa Bay Rays minor league hitter and pitcher in the month of April? Where the BCS/RPI rewards those who had several good days, who had the most-complete month? A few ideas below, though further nominations are welcome.

HITTERS
Vince Belnome, DUR: .333, 17 RBIs, 17 runs, .443 obp, .597 slug
Kevin Kiermaier, MGM: .306, 6 RBIs, 16 runs, .385 obp, .385 slug
Cameron Seitzer, MGM: .304, 10 RBIs, 11 runs, .407 obp, .435 slug
Alejandro Segovia, CHA: .289, 15 RBIs, 10 runs, .325 obp, .554 slug
Tommy Coyle, BWG: .349, 11 RBIs, 20 runs, .471 obp, .566 slug
Andrew Toles, BWG: .368, 21 RBIs, 14 runs, .406 obp, .600 slug

It's a choice between Toles, Belnome and Coyle.


PITCHERS
Alex Torres, DUR: 2-0, 1.29 ERA in 4 starts, 10 hits, 6 walks, 29 Ks in 21 innings
C.J. Riefenhauser, MGM: 1-0, 2 saves, 0.54 ERA in 10 games, 7 hits, 3 walks, 14 Ks in 16 2/3 innings
Jesse Hahn, CHA: 0.60 ERA in 5 starts, 10 hits, 4 walks, 16 Ks in 15 innings
Jeff Ames, BWG: 3-0, 1.80 ERA in 5 starts, 13 hits, 2 walks, 22 Ks in 25 innings

I say Ames.

(Yet again, the skill escapes me to put this into a table that actually lines up. Every year, I try and, after about 30 minutes, give up, my mind swimming in all the coding.)

Coyle, Hot Rods lap field in initial BCS/RPI

Not surprisingly, the Bowling Green Hot Rods dominated April's Biscuit Crumbs Standings/Rays Player Indicator standings, the first BCS/RPI of the season.

Second baseman Tommy Coyle, despite nary a first-place finish in any of the daily Ranking the Rays, ran away from the pack with 24 points. Coyle was in the daily top 5 eight times, including second or third three times each.

Hot Rods outfielder Marty Gantt and Durham infielder Vince Belnome finished tied for second with 15 points. The next three spots were all Hot Rods, including the top pitcher: Bowling Green left-hander Sean Bierman.

There were 25 days in April that warranted having players ranked. (Three of Tampa Bay's four minor league teams have to play.) There were four players who drew two first-place days: Belnome, Bierman, Bowling Green's Tyler Goeddel and Durham's Jason Bourgeois.

There were 62 players who drew a vote.

24: Tommy Coyle, BWG (top right)
15: Marty Gantt, BWG (middle right)
15: Vince Belnome, DUR (lower right)
14: Andrew Toles, BWG
14: Sean Bierman, BWG
13: Tyler Goeddel, BWG
12: Alex Torres, DUR
11: Cameron Seitzer, MGM
11. Jesse Hahn, CHA
10: Jason Bourgeois, DUR

Today's Rays pitchers

Blake Snell, the only Bowling Green starter with a losing record, tries to get to .500 today. The Hot Rods only played .750 ball in the month of April. In four starts, Snell has allowed only 15 hits in 16 1/3 innings, but he's issued 13 walks.

DUR off
MGM (Jake Thompson 1-2, 6.50) at Pensacola (Chad Rogers 2-0, 1.82), 7
CHA (Parker Markel 0-3, 8.61) vs. Lakeland (Jeff Ferrell 0-2, 5.52, 5:30
BWG (Blake Snell 1-2, 3.31) at Kane County (Lendy Castillo 1-1, 3.50), 6:30

Ranking the Rays ... Maile, Archer, Goeddel

For Tuesday ...

1. Luke Maile, BWG: 3-run HR, 2 2b's, 4 RBIs
2. Chris Archer, DUR: 6 shutout, 4 hits, 2 walks, 7 Ks, 7 GBO
3. Tyler Goeddel, BWG: 3b, 2 walks, 2 RBIs, 2 runs
4. Jeff Ames, BWG: 5 shutout, 1 hit, 1 walk, 5 Ks
5. Hector Guevara, CHA: 3-run HR, 1b, 2 runs