Article: Twins Minor League Report (5/27): Batts Debuts, Buxton Homers

[Seth Stohs]

On Wednesdays, Jeremy Nygaard is responsible for the Twins Minor League Report. However, he was at the Twins game with his kids and a bunch of school kids. They got to see the Twins sweep the Boston Red Sox and move into a tie for first place with the Royals in the AL Central. They also got to help Jeremy celebrate his birthday. We won’t disclose how old Jeremy is, but it is quite a bit older than JO Berrios who celebrated his 21^st birthday on Wednesday.

 

The Ft. Myers Miracle won in extra innings on Wednesday night to improve to 23-22, the first time they’ve been over .500 since early April. That is interesting because now all four of the Minnesota Twins minor league affiliates – and the big league club – are playing over .500. There have not been many times in recent years when we could say that.With that, we were back to a full slate of games in the Twins farm system on Wednesday. Continue to read how the teams and the players did.

 

 

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 8, Durham 2

Box Score

 

The Red Wings got good pitching, six doubles and a late home run to win a Wednesday afternoon game in North Carolina.

 

Taylor Rogers got the starting nod. The left-hander went seven innings and gave up two runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out three to improve to 4-3 with a 3.34 ERA on the season. Casey Fien struck out two in a rehab outing. He pitched perfect innings in back-to-back and likely will be with the Twins when they start their series at Target Field against the Blue Jays on Friday. AJ Achter came in for the ninth inning and struck out two.

 

Jose Martinez went 3-4 with his fourth double. Reynaldo Rodriguez went 2-5 with his 10^th and 11^th doubles. Kennys Vargas went 2-4 with a walk and his second double. Doug Bernier went 2-4 and drove in two runs with his fourth double. Danny Ortiz added his 11^th double of the year. Argenis Diaz went 1-3 with two walks. Josmil Pinto hit a late, two-run homer, his fifth of the season. It was his first hit in 19 at -bats. Coming into Wednesday, he was hitting .158/.200/.281 (.481) in his last 15 games.

 

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 6, Biloxi 8

Box Score

 

The Lookouts have the best record in the Southern League North Division. Biloxi has the best record in the Southern League Southern Division. The two teams began a five-game series in Chattanooga on Wednesday night and hopefully each game will be as competitive as this one.

 

Things started out well for the Lookouts. In the bottom of the first inning, they got on the board when a Travis Harrison single scored Jorge Polanco. In the third inning, Buxton led off with a double and advanced to third. He scored one batter later on a Miguel Sano groundout.

 

The Lookouts then scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a commanding 6-1 lead. Adam Walker doubled off the top of the wall in left field to score Max Kepler. Walker later scored on a wild pitch. Soon after, Buxton launched a ball to deep center field. It stayed in the ballpark and instead of another triple, Buxton raced all the way around the bases for an inside-the-park home run.

 

Unfortunately, the Lookouts were not able to add more. Alex Wimmers got the start and was charged with two runs on six hits and a walk in five innings. Cole Johnson came on and struggled mightily. He was charged with three runs on two hits and two walks in just 0.2 innings. Nick Burdi came on to get out of that inning, holding the 6-5 lead. However, he gave up a run in the seventh on two hits to tie the score at six. Jake Reed pitched a perfect eighth frame. JT Chargois came on for his Double-A debut. He got the first two batters out, but then he gave up three straight singles. Fortunately, a Walker-to-Sano-to-Kepler relay throw got the runner trying to take the lead. Madison Boer came in for the 10^th inning. He walked two and both came around to score.

 

The Lookouts were unable to tie the score in the bottom of the 10^th inning, and that was the ballgame.

 

Buxton led the way. He hit his sixth home run and his sixth double. Travis Harrison went 3-5. Stuart Turner went 2-4 with his third home run. Max Kepler had two hits, including his 14^th double. Jorge Polanco also had two hits.

 

The Lookouts are now 28-17 while the Shuckers improve to 28-18. For Biloxi, shortstop Orlando Arcia went 3-6 in the game with a double and a home run. He is now hitting .343 with 13 doubles and three home runs this season. As you may have already guessed, the 20-year-old infielder is the brother of Twins outfielder Oswaldo Arcia.

 

MIRACLE MATTERS

Ft. Myers 6, Clearwater 5 (10 innings)

Box Score

 

Mat Batts had to wait an extra day to make his Miracle and Florida State League debut, but it didn’t faze him at all. He pitched very well. The left-hander worked seven innings and gave up just one run. He gave up six hits, walked one and struck out three. As impressive, he has a 12-to-3 groundout-to-flyout rate in the game.

 

Batts left the game with a 4-1 lead. Ethan Mildren began the eighth inning for the Miracle. He gave up two runs on three hits and got just two outs. Todd Van Steensel came on and got the final out of the eighth inning before the tying run scored. However, he was charged with a run on two hits and three walks (one intentional) in the ninth. It tied the game at four and sent the teams to extra innings.

 

In the top of the 10^th, a Niko Goodrum single drove in two runs and gave the team a 6-4 lead. Alex Muren came on for the bottom of the tenth. He gave up an unearned run on two hits, but it was good enough to record his first save of the season.

 

Alex Swim got on base four times. He went 2-3 with two walks. Chad Christensen had two hits including his second home run. Goodrum had two hits including the big 10^th inning hit. Zach Granite had an RBI double early in the game.

 

With the win, the Miracle are now 23-22.

 

 

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 7, Wisconsin 3

Box Score

 

For the 30^th time this season, the Cedar Rapids Kernels were able to shake hands at the end of the game following a win. They fell behind 2-0 early, but after that, it was all Kernels.

 

Felix Jorge made his eighth start of the season, and for the seventh time, he completed six innings. He was charged with three runs on five hits. He walked none and struck out five. Lefty Jose Velez came on and worked scoreless seventh and eighth innings. He gave up just one hit, walked none and struck out two. Luke Bard gave up a walk and a hit, but no runs, in the ninth inning to close out the game.

 

Everyone contributed to the offensive output on this night. All nine hitters had at least one hit. Five players had doubles. Nick Gordon went 1-3 with two walks and his fifth double. Max Murphy went 2-3 with a walk, his ninth double and three RBI.

 

Trey Vavra did not play after hurting his ankle on Tuesday night. He said it was swollen but not serious.

 

 

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

 

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Mat Batts, Ft. Myers Miracle

Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Byron Buxton, Chattanooga Lookouts

 

THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

 

Rochester – No Game Scheduled

Biloxi @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) – LHP David Hurlbut

Ft. Myers @ Clearwater (DH @ 4:00 CST) – RHP Ryan Eades, LHP Brett Lee

Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) – RHP Jared Wilson

 

Please feel free to discuss the Twins minor league system and the games from Wednesday.

 

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[curt1965]

Seth- our Arcia (Oswaldo) was pinch-hit for in the 6th. Do you know if that was just a managerial decision, or was something else going on? Maybe an injury or an attitude adjustment?

[Seth Stohs]

 

Seth- our Arcia (Oswaldo) was pinch-hit for in the 6th. Do you know if that was just a managerial decision, or was something else going on? Maybe an injury or an attitude adjustment?

 

Usually on a rehab assignment, a player will get a certain number of plate appearances. Also, with the game out of reach, it made sense to make a move. 

 

I also think it's possible that he'll be there for a while beyond his rehab.

[Gagne Fan]

With 3 k's and 1 walk Batts would have a 9 to 3....k to bb in that game NOT the 12 to 3 that you reported

[amjgt]

 

Soon after, Buxton launched a ball to deep center field. It stayed in the ballpark and instead of another triple, Buxton raced all the way around the bases for an inside-the-park home run.

 

Need Video!

[Cap'n Piranha]

And of course, a 9 to 3 ratio can be reduced to a 3 to 1 ratio, or the actual number of strikeouts and walks he had.

[nytwinsfan]

Yes, it is 2015, someone somewhere must have video of that ITPHR. Please please submit it.

 

[Seth Stohs]

 

With 3 k's and 1 walk Batts would have a 9 to 3....k to bb in that game NOT the 12 to 3 that you reported

 

Good catch! 12:3 was actually the ground ball to fly ball rate for the night. I have corrected this in the article. Thank you!

[Seth Stohs]

 

Need Video!

 

We're looking into it. That was the 1st thing I posted on Twitter last night after the initial Byron Buxton just hit an inside-the-park home run tweet. I hoped there would be video. We've heard that at least one of the TV affiliates in Chattanooga did get it. I also know they were in a tornado warning last night, so I don't know if it's been posted anywhere yet. As soon as it is, I'll tweet it and try to get it here.

[Steve Lein]

 

With 3 k's and 1 walk Batts would have a 9 to 3....k to bb in that game NOT the 12 to 3 that you reported

 

I think he meant to say "Groundball-to-fly-ball" ratio, from looking at the box score.

[MplsFan]

Who's pitching in that picture?

[Pitz]

 

Who's pitching in that picture?

I believe thats Batts

[Seth Stohs]

It's Mat Batts. 

[amjgt]

 

We're looking into it. That was the 1st thing I posted on Twitter last night after the initial Byron Buxton just hit an inside-the-park home run tweet. I hoped there would be video. We've heard that at least one of the TV affiliates in Chattanooga did get it. I also know they were in a tornado warning last night, so I don't know if it's been posted anywhere yet. As soon as it is, I'll tweet it and try to get it here.

 

I also went on The Lookouts' Facebook page and asked about it.

[amjgt]

Hold on. Hold on....

 

Did anyone notice the name of the Closer for Biloxi?

 

Magnifico??!?!?!

 

How was that not the lead?

[Seth Stohs]

 

Hold on. Hold on....

 

Did anyone notice the name of the Closer for Biloxi?

 

Magnifico??!?!?!

 

How was that not the lead?

 

Yeah, he's "pretty good." 

The Lookouts announcers definitely brought his name up a bunch of times.

[Loosey]

Any luck on that Buxton Inside the Parker yet?  I've searched the web and went to the Chatanooga ABC news affiliate site and only found a story with no video.

 

Maybe they will add video to the story soon:

 

http://www.newschannel9.com/sports/features/headlines/stories/lookouts-lose-extra-inning-2224.shtml

[Loosey]

I found video from the game . . . . Unfortunately the cameraman must have left before the 4th inning because Buxton's inside the park home run is not in the video.  His double is on it though.

 

http://www.wdef.com/content/sports/localsports/story/Lookouts-and-Biloxi-Combine-For-29-Hits-as/L10QWwi8Qk6BFnuLK1hpvA.cspx

[nater79a]

We may be out of luck on the Buxton video. Darren Wolfson over at KSTP tweeted out that the ABC affiliate in Chattanooga left the game shortly before Buxton's homer to cover a soccer game. 

[Sam Morley]

 

We may be out of luck on the Buxton video. Darren Wolfson over at KSTP tweeted out that the ABC affiliate in Chattanooga left the game shortly before Buxton's homer to cover a soccer game. 

Unforgivable.

[Gagne Fan]

Magnifico pitched at the University of Oklahoma....fastball in the 98-100 range

[twinsfan34]

Anyone who lands that Buxton footage (likely on Lookouts site) or the other affiliate. 

 

Would appreciate the share.