The Twins were lifeless for the entire game against Rangers starter Nick Tepesch, before Twins Daily’s #8 prospect Jorge Polanco made a big splash in the ninth inning with a two-RBI triple off closer Joakim Soria to make the score 5-4. Unfortunately, a Brian Dozier strikeout and Kurt Suzuki groundout would prevent him from becoming the Miracle ninth-inning hero.

In the minors it was a very eventful night, including two walk-off games and near history among the affiliates. I apologize in advance for the let-down after that remark, however…

TRANSACTIONS

The Twins placed Danny Santana on the 15-day disabled list after he tweaked his knee in yesterday’s game. They recalled SP Yohan Pino to take his place, who hopefully didn’t fly back to New York only to get right back on a plane to Texas!

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 6, Lehigh Valley 5

Box score

The Red Wings found themselves in a 4-0 hole going into the seventh inning, after Lehigh Valley starter, and former Twin, Jason Marquis blanked them for six innings. Rochester’s lineup managed only three hits and a walk against him, but would come alive when he left the game after giving up a leadoff single to Chris Colabello to start the seventh inning.

Marquis was replaced by Jeremy Horst, who quickly gave up an inherited run on a Chris Herrmann triple. Herrmann would score the second run of the game for the Red Wings on a Brad Nelson groundout to put two on the board in the seventh.

In the eighth, Rochester completed the comeback with a furious two-out rally. Eric Farris doubled with one out to put the first runner of the inning on base, which was followed by a “productive” groundout that moved him to third. Deibinson Romero then drew a walk to put runners on the corners, and Colabello brought Fryer home with another single. After a pitching change, Herrman drew a walk to load the bases before a Brad Nelson double brought home all the ducks on the pond, and gave Rochester the 6-5 lead. Aaron Thompson and Ryan Pressley would close out the final two innings with two perfect frames to secure the win. The save was Pressley’s fourth of the season.

Starter Sean Gilmartin pitched six innings, but allowed seven hits, two walks, and four earned runs with only one strikeout. Deolis Guerra pitched the seventh inning, but gave up a run after a wild-pitch strikeout put a runner on first, which was followed by an RBI double.

The Rochester offense got multiple hits from Colabello (2-4, R, RBI) and Herrmann (2-3, BB, 2R, RBI), and Nelson provided the clutch hit and collected four RBI on the game.

ROCK CATS REVIEW

New Britain had a scheduled seven-inning double-header with New Hampshire to make up a postponed game from April 15th.

Game 1 - New Britain 2, New Hampshire 3

Box Score

In game one, New Britain took a 2-0 lead in the fourth, but were unable to muster any more offense. As a team they were 1-10 with runners in scoring position, and scattered six hits and four walks. In the second game of his rehab assignment, Eduardo Nunez reached base all four times he came up, going 2-2 with two walks. Reynaldo Rodriguez was 2-4 with two doubles and a run scored, and Kennys Vargas went 1-3 with a walk.

On the mound Tyler Duffey gave a quality start effort, pitching 6.1 innings and allowing only three hits, two walks, and two runs (one earned). He struck out three. Ryan O’Rourke was asked to face only one batter in the seventh, and picked up a strikeout. Cole Johnson recorded the final out of the inning, but would get only one more out in the game before surrendering a walk-off double in the (extra) eighth inning.

Game 2 - New Britain 0, New Hampshire 8

Box score

Former Minnesota Gopher Mike Kvasnicka was a hero in this game, but not for the reason you would hope as history was nearly made by New Hampshire starter Casey Lawrence. His bid for a perfect game was lost with two outs in the final inning of the shortened game, after Kvasnicka pinch hit for Eduardo Nunez and snuck a ground ball through the left side of the infield for a single. Lawrence struck out eight Rock Cats in the nearly perfect effort.

Mark Hamburger made his first start of the season for New Britain, and was solid in four innings. He allowed just one hit, two walks and one run with three strikeouts. Daniel Turpen didn’t have a good night in relief, as he gave up six earned runs on seven hits and a walk in 1.2 innings. Jim fuller recorded the final out for the Rock Cats, but not before giving up a run of his own.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Bradenton -, Fort Myers –

The Fort Myers Miracle game against the Bradenton Marauders was postponed due to rain. The game will be made up on …. as part of a double-header.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Clinton 5, Cedar Rapids 6

Box score

Cedar Rapids put enough runs on the board in the third (1), fourth (2), and fifth (3) innings to stave off a late comeback from the Lumberjacks. For some great quotes on Lewis Thorpe and more, check out Seth’s full game report as he reports live from Cedar Rapids.

Chad Christensen (2-4, 2R’s, 2B, RBI) and Jason Kanzler (2-4, R, 3B, RBI) collected multiple hits for the Kernels, and every hitter in the lineup collected a hit except for cleanup man Bryan Haar.

Thorpe pitched 5.1 innings to pick up his first win of the season. Alex Muren relieved him in the sixth and allowed two earned runs over two innings. Todd Van Steensel picked up his seventh save on the year with a five out effort, three of them via strikeout.

E-TWINS E-NOTES

Elizabethton 3, Burlington 4

Box Score

Burlington struck for two runs and an early lead in the bottom of the first against starter Chih-Wei Hu, but he would settle down and retire the final seventeen batters he faced to finish six strong innings. His overall line for the night included just three hits, zero walks and the two earned runs, with three strikeouts. Randy LeBlanc pitched two perfect innings before Cameron Booser was charged with a hard-luck blown save after allowing three hits and two runs (1 earned) after a play at the plate that resulted in an error from catcher Brett Doe that put the winning run in scoring position.

Elizabethton’s lineup tied the game at two in the seventh inning after Nick Gordon led off the inning with his second triple of the year in as many days, and scored on a strikeout misthrow to first base that put Austin Diemer on second. Diemer would score the second run on a wild pitch.

The E-Twins would take a 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth after a run-scoring-balk with runners on second and third after a Diemer single and Tyler Mautner double, but the bottom half of the inning would result in the second walk-off loss of the night for Twins affiliates.

Gordon went 2-4 and has collected multiple hits in three straight games, but the rest of the E-Twins lineup only managed two hits and three walks on the night.

GCL TWINS TAKES

GCL Twins 2, GCL Red Sox 3

Box Score

There wasn’t much offense in this game from either side, as collectively there were only eleven hits. But five walks from Twins pitchers would provide the difference Boston’s affiliate needed in the late innings, where they put one run on the board in each of the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings to secure the win.

Twins hitters had only five singles on the night, with Roberto Gonzalez and Ariel Montesino collecting the two RBI’s.

Starter Zach Tillery surrendered only two walks in three innings with four strikeouts. He was relieved by Brandon Easton who pitched four innings, allowing three hits, two walks, and one run, while notching seven strikeouts. Reyson Zoquiel was charged with a blown save and the loss after surrendering two runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk between the eighth and ninth innings. Trevor Hildenberger finished the ninth with no further damage.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Pitcher – Chih-Wei Hu, Elizabethton Twins (6 IP, 3 H’s, 2 ER’s, 0 BB, 3 K’s)

Hitter – Brad Nelson, Rochester Red Wings (1-3, 2B, 4 RBI)

SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Norfolk @ Rochester – Alex Meyer (4-4, 3.79 ERA) 6:05PM CST

New Britain @ New Hampshire – Virgil Vasquez (4-3, 3.71 ERA) 6:05 CST

Palm Beach @ Fort Myers – TBD 5:05PM CST

Clinton @ Cedar Rapids – Ryan Eades (4-7, 6.08 ERA) 6:35 CST

Bristol @ Elizabethton – TBD 5:00PM CST

GCL Twins @ GCL Red Sox – TBD 9:00AM CST