It’s a good week for prospect watchers in the Southern League. Wade Davis earned a promotion from high Class A Vero Beach to Double-A Montgomery, and the Devil Rays righthander didn’t disappoint in his debut Wednesday night. Davis struck out nine and didn’t walk a batter in 6 1/3 innings against Mobile, giving up seven hits and two runs (one earned) in his first start outside of A-ball. Montgomery rallied for a 4-3 victory to keep Davis from being the hard-luck loser. The Montgomery Advertiser reports that Davis’ fastball touched 97 mph and averaged 94.

“That was the first time I saw him and he was a pleasure to watch,” pitching coach Neil Allen told the Advertiser. “He has some improvement to make in a few areas, but the raw talent is there to be something special one day.”

Mobile, after being swept by the Biscuits in three games, will try to get back on a winning track with two new high-profile pitchers. Righthanders Max Scherzer and Brooks Brown, both first-round picks in 2006 (Scherzer 11th overall, Brown 34th), joined the BayBears from high Class A Visalia. Scherzer, a Missouri product signed to much fanfare in late May for a $4.3 million major league deal, was unhittable in Visalia in his pro debut, striking out 30 and walking just two in 17 innings. He gave up five hits and posted a 0.53 ERA. Brown, out of Georgia, was less overpowering but had been effective in his first full season. He was 6-3, 2.81 and had allowed just two home runs in 80 innings while posting a 74-23 strikeout-walk ratio.