Article: Twins Minor League Report (5/22): Fort Myers' Back-To-Back Jacks

[Eric R Pleiss]

The Twins were off Thursday and begin a three game series with the San Francisco Giants on Friday night. The Twins have been playing well against good baseball teams over the past couple weeks, but winning a series on the road against a surprisingly tough Giants team will be a real test for the Twins.

 

It was a tough night in the minor leagues for the Twins affiliates, with the

Twins organization picking up only one win.

 

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Red Wings Report

Rochester 2, Scranton/WB 1

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Alex Meyer started for the Red Wings and pitched only 5.1 innings before being lifted with the bases loaded. His final line, with only one run surrendered, looks decent only because Yohan Pino came into the game and picked up two outs to end the threat. Pino struck out the side in he seventh to close out his appearance.* Aaron Thompson picked up a hold with 0.2 of an inning, and Michael Tonkin finished the game with a four-out save.

 

The Red Wings managed only six hits, but Brad Nelson, the Red Wings first basemen, in the midst of a 1-37 slump, put the Wings ahead 2-1 in the seventh with a solo home run. Oswaldo Arcia was 1-4 and picked up the other Red Wings RBI, and the rehabbing Josh Willingham was also 1-4. Maybe even more interesting, neither Arcia or Willingham had a strike out Thursday.

 

Mike Pelfrey will make another rehab start for the Red Wings Friday night.

 

 

*Pino continues to have a special 2014 season, picking up his sixth win of the year, splitting time between the bullpen and starting rotation. He has given up only six runs all year and his ERA now sits at 1.42. He's 30 years old and has yet to reach the big leagues, despite spending parts of each of the past five years in Triple-A.

Rock Cats Review

New Britain 0, Richmond 0

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The Rock Cats and Flying Squirrels were suspended after an inning and a half in New Britain because of rain. There was a delay of almost two hours before the game was officially called off. The Rock Cats are on the road tomorrow against Binghamton, so the game will have to be made up later in the year.

 

Miracle Matters

Fort Myers 5, Dunedin 7

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Alex Wimmers did not have his best stuff on Thursday: He walked five, struck out four, and gave up seven hits and six earned runs in four innings. Wimmers now has a 4.62 ERA. Wimmers, a 2010 first round draft pick and former Big Ten pitcher of the year has really struggled the past two years after a case of the yips and an eventual Tommy John surgery derailed his minor league career in 2012. After Wimmers was bounced, Mason Melotakis pitched three innings, giving up a run on two hits and Steven Gruver pitched a scoreless eighth to close out the night.

 

Despite giving up six early runs, the Miracle stormed back with a four-run sixth to close the gap to two runs, but the Blue Jays' bullpen shut down the Miracle the rest of the way. Travis Harrison extended his hitting streak to twelve games with a 1-3 night. Adam Brett Walker II and Mike Gonzales hit back-to-back dingers in that four-run sixth, the first time the Miracles have had back-to-back home runs all year. ABW was the only Miracle hitter with multiple hits, but the first seven hitters in the Miracle lineup all had a hit. Stuart Turner, hitting eighth, and Max Kepler hitting ninth, were both 0-4 with two strike outs.

 

Kernels Nuggets

Cedar Rapids 6, Quad Cities 11

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The Kernels had an early three to one lead, but Aaron Slegers had a forgettable night, giving up ten runs (all earned) in three innings. He gave up 14 hits, did not walk anyone and struck out just one of the twenty-two batters he faced. Slegers' ERA jumped all the way up the 5.36. He was finally pulled after pitching to four batters in the fourth, and Jared Wilson came in and pitched three innings of scoreless ball. Yorman Landa finished the final two innings, giving up a single run. The Kernels relievers struck out nine River Bandits and walked just two.

 

Mitch Garver, Bryan Haar, and Jason Kanzler were all 2-4 on the night. Kanzler, recently activated from the disabled list, hit a home run in the eight, his second in two games. Only two other Kernels contributed hits of their own, with Ryan Walker and Chad Christensen both going 1-5. Kernels batters struck out eleven times, including three by second basemen Tanner Vavra.

 

Twins Daily Players of the Day

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Michael Tonkin, Rochester Red Wings

Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day - Jason Kanzler, Cedar Rapids Kernels

 

Friday's Probable Starters

Rochester @ Scranton/Wilkes Barre (6:05 CT) – Mike Pelfrey (Listen)

New Britain @ Binghamton (6:05 CT) – Taylor Rogers (Listen)

Ft. Myers @ Dunedin (5:30 CT) – TBD (Listen)

Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (7:00 CT) – Ryan Eades (Listen)

 

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