Twins Minor League Report (8/9): Stephen Gonsalves Strikes Out Nine

RED WINGS REPORT
Toledo 3 @ Rochester 14
Box Score

The Red Wings scored four in the first, three in the second, and four more in the third, racing off to a 11-1 lead, and then put a few more runs on the board over the next several innings to win the game 14-3. As a team the Red wings had just 11 hits but FIVE of them were home runs. The Red Wings were led by a 3-for-5 night from Tyler Austin. Austin had a triple, a home run, three RBIs, and three runs scored. Taylor Motter, Kennys Vargas, Jon Kemmer and Jeremy Hazelbaker also added long balls of their own. Nick Gordon continues his rough stretch, going 0-for-3 with a pair of walks.

On the bump, Stephen Gonsalves went 6.0 innings, gave up just three hits and three walks, striking out nine. He gave up three runs, all earned, and picked up his eighth victory of the year. Jake Reed pitched 2.0 hitless innings, keeping the Mud Hens off of the board and striking out four of the seven batters he faced. Ryne Harper pitched the ninth, he gave up one hit, no runs, and struck out a batter.

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER
Jackson 2 @ Chattanooga 1
Box Score

Down 2-0 in the bottom of the ninth inning the Lookouts pushed one run across on a Mitchell Kranson double and left the tying run on second base. The Lookouts managed just five hits, two of them doubles, one each from Mitchell Kranson (1-for-4) and Brian Navarreto (1-for-4). Overall the Lookouts were pretty well shut down by Jackson starter Taylor Widener who struck out nine batters and didn’t walk anyone. Lookouts pitching wasn’t bad, giving up just a pair of runs, one each from Tyler Wells (6.0 IP) and one from Ryan Eades (2.0 IP). Devin Smeltzer pitched the ninth, keeping the game within reach with a scoreless frame.

MIRACLE MATTERS
Fort Myers 4 @ Florida 3
Box Score

Fort Myers needed a run in the top of the ninth inning to keep the game alive, down 2-3. Caleb Hamilton singled to start the inning, was pinch-run for by Aaron Whitefield, who took second on a throwing error on a pickoff attempt and advanced to third on a wild pitch before eventually scoring on a Royce Lewis triple to tie the game and send things to extra innings. In the top of the 10th, with Taylor Grzlelakowski as the free runner on second base to start the frame, Jose Miranda was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second. Alex Kirilloff gounded into a double play but Grzlelakowski advanced to third base and eventually scored on a wild pitch, enough to give the Lookouts the win after Ryan Mason kept Florida off the board in the bottom of the frame.

Royce Lewis was 3-for-4, including that game-tying triple, with an RBI, a run scored, a walk, a stolen base and a strikeout. Jose Miranda had a 2-for-4 night and Travis Blankenhorn was 2-for-4 with a double. Brusdar Graterol went 5 2/3 innings and left with a no-decision, giving up two runs on six hits, walking one and striking out four. Anthony Marzi turned in 2 1/3 innings giving up a run on one hit, and Ryan Mason picked up a victory with two innings of scoreless baseball.

KERNELS NUGGETS
Cedar Rapids 9 @ Clinton 4
Box Score

Cedar Rapids used a five-run fifth inning to put Thursday night’s game away. Michael Helmen was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a double. Ben Rodriguez was 2-5 with a run scored, a double, two RBIs and two Ks. Lastly, Jacob Pearson was 2-4 with two runs scored, a double, a walk and a strikeout, capping off the list of Kernels with multiple hits. Ryan Jeffers’ only hit was a solo home run.

The Kernels starter Randy Dobnak went 6.0 innings, gave up six hits, three runs, a walk and five strikeouts. He earned a win to move to 8-4 on the year. Derek Molin earned his first save of the year with 3.0 innings of one-run baseball. He gave up two hits and struck out five.

ELIZABETHTON TWINS TALK
Bluefield 0 @ Elizabethton 3
Box Score
Elizabethton pitched a four-hit shutout on Thursday night with Andrew Cabezas kicking things off with 6.0 innings of two-hit baseball. He walked two and struck out four. Jacob Blank earned a hold for his 2.0 scoreless innings and Jach Neff closed off the game with a scoreless ninth.

The Twins picked up just four hits, but Ricky De La Torre had half of them, going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs. The other Twins run came from a solo home run from Colton Burns, part of a 1-for-1 night that included the home run, two runs scored, and two walks.

GCL TWINS TAKES
GCL Twins 5 @ GCL Rays 2
Box Score
The GCL Twins rode a strong start from Kai-Wei Teng to a 5-2 victory on Thursday afternoon. Teng pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up a pair of runs and stuck out nine batters while walking none. Frandy Torres went 1 1/3 innings, gave up no hits, walked one and struck out a pair. Erik Cha earned his second save of the year, this one the six-out version, with 2.0 innings of scoreless pitching. He gave up a hit, a walk, and struck out four.

The Twins spread their seven hits around and just Austin Hale (2-for-4) had more than one. All five runs came from the bottom of the Twins order with Alberoni Nunez, Austin Hale, Charles Mack and Samuel Vasquez accounting for all of the runs scored from the 6-7-8-9 spots. Charles Mack was 1-for-2 with two runs scored and a pair of walks.

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Stephen Gonsalves, Rochester Red Wings
Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Tyler Austin, Rochester Red Wings

TOP 20 PROSPECT PERFORMANCE
1. Royce Lewis (FM): 1. 3-4, 1 R, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
2. Alex Kirilloff (FM): 1-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 K
3. Brusdar Graterol (FM): Did not play
4. Nick Gordon (ROC): 0-3, 1 R, 2 BB
5. Stephen Gonsalves (ROC): 6.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 9 K
6. Trevor Larnach (CR): 0-5, 1 K
7. Brent Rooker (CHAT): 0-4, 1 K
8. Akil Baddoo (CR): 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
9. Wander Javier: Out of for the season
10. Zack Littell (ROC): Did not play
11. Blayne Enlow (CR): Did not play
12. LaMonte Wade (ROC): Did not play
13. Travis Blankenhorn (FM): 2-4, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 K
14. Lewis Thorpe (CHAT): Did not play
15. Ben Rortvedt (FM): 0-1
16. Yunior Severino (ET): Did not play
17. Lewin Diaz (FM): Did not play
18. Ryan Jeffers (CR): 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, 1 R, K
19. Jacob Pearson (CR): 2-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 K
20. Luis Arraez (CHAT): 1-3

FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
Rochester (6:05pm) – Kohl Stewart (0-3, 3.98)
Chattanooga (6:15pm) – Dietrich Enns (1-5, 5.45)
Fort Myers (5:31pm) – Andro Cutura (3-6, 4.44)
Cedar Rapids (6:30pm) – Blayne Enlow (2-4, 3.65)
Elizabethton (6:00pm) - TBD

Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Thursday's games.