Article: Twins Minor League Report (6/4): Poor Hitting All Around

[Eric R Pleiss]

Ricky Nolasco could not throw 100% in his pre-game bullpen and was placed on the disabled list, clearing the way for Tommy Milone to start Thursday's game against the Red Sox. The Twins won the game late, thanks in part to a Joe Mauer bunt (of course), and managed to escape Boston with a split.

 

Here is a look at what happened throughout the Minnesota Twins minor league system on Thursday, June 4.RED WINGS REPORT

Pawtucket Paw Sox @ Rochester

Box Score

 

Taylor Rogers pitched an eight-inning gem on Thursday night in front of a crowd of 4,196 at Frontier Field. Rogers earned his fifth win of the year with eight innings of six hit baseball. He walked one, struck out three, and gave up just a single run. His season ERA now sits just above three at 3.09. Michael Tonkin, fresh from an MLB stint early in the week, picked up his sixth save with a perfect ninth, including a strike out.

 

The Red Wings struck out twelve times against Paw Sox pitching, led by a miserable 0-3 performance from Kennys Vargas that included three strikeouts. Recently demoted Oswaldo Arcia chipped in a pair of strikeouts as well en route to his 0-4 night. Josmil Pinto, the other bat Twins fans have been clamoring for, was 0-4 with two strikeouts of his own as well. What a night! IT wasn't all bad, James Beresford and Eric Fryer (hitting eighth and ninth respectively) were both 2-3 with a run scored. I have no idea how the Red Wings scored any runs, but they clustered their hits together when it mattered to pull out a victory.

 

Final: Pawtucket 1, Red Wings 4

 

 

LOOKOUTS LOOK-IN

Chattanooga @ Tennessee Smokies

Box Score

 

The Lookouts committed more errors (2) than runs scored (1) on Thursday night. They also managed to strike out nine times and walked just once, and earned just four walks. No Lookouts hitter had multiple hits. Byron Buxton continued to slide with an 0-4 night with a pair of strikeouts. Adam Brett Walker was 0-4 with two strikeouts of his own as well. Max Kepler was also 0-4, but managed just one strike- out. The lone bright spot in the Lookouts lineup came from Mike Gonzales who was 1-3 with a solo home run.

 

On the bump, Chattanooga pitchers struck out only one Tennessee hitter over eight innings. Lookouts starter Greg Peavey pitched into the seventh, but was pulled with one out. He was charged with three runs (two earned), he did not walk a batter, and had the Lookouts' lone strikeout. Zack Jones finished the seventh for Chattanooga, but gave up a pair of runs. Time Shibuya pitched the eighth and gave up a run as well. Not much doing in a pretty quick game at Smokies Park, finished in 2:13.

 

Final Score: Chattanooga 1, Tennessee 6

 

 

MIRACLE MATTERS

Bradenton Marauders @ Fort Myers

Box Score

 

Three Miracle hitters had a multi-hit night, and the Miracle picked up ten hits as a team, but couldn't put the bat on the ball when it mattered, going just 3-13 with runners in scoring position. Bradenton, on the other hand, was 8-20 with runners in scoring position and seemed like they were able to score at will, picking up runs in six different innings. Engelb Vielma, hitting leadoff, was 2-5 with a double. Mitch Garver was 2-3 with a walk and a run scored, and Marcus Knecht was 2-4 with a double, a run scored and two RBIs to pace with Miracle.

 

Kohl Stewart dropped to 1-4 with a five inning, ten hit, five run (four earned) performance. He walked two and struck out three. His ERA this year is 3.92. Stewart gave way to Brian Gilbert, who pitched two effective innings before turning the ball over to Corey Williams in the eighth, who gave up a run, and Luke Westphal in the ninth, who gave up another.

 

Final score: Bradenton 7, Fort Myers 3

 

 

KERNELS KORNER

Cedar Rapids @ South Bend Cubs

Box Score

 

The Kernels fell short of a come from behind victory on Thursday night in South Bend, Indiana. Starting pitcher Dereck Rodriguez, making his Midwest League debut, was tagged for four runs in the first inning, but the Kernels rallied and were within striking distance most of the evening. Rodriguez lasted just three innings, he struck out one, walked four, and gave up those four early runs. Michael Theofanopoulos also threw three innings. He fared slightly better than Rodriguez, striking out four, but giving up a pair of earned runs on four hits. Michael Caderoth pitched a clean seventh and Cameron Booser gave up a hit and recorded a strike out in the eighth. Booser's ERA is down to 0.74 after Thursday's game.

 

The Kernels had just seven hits, but three of them went for extra bases, including a pair of doubles from Kernels' cleanup hitter Jorge Fernandez. Fernandez was 2-4 with two doubles, a run scored and a strike out. Nick Gordon had a pair of hits as well, going 2-3 with a run scored and a stolen base (his 13th of the year). The Kernels squandered a few opportunities to score runs, going just 1-8 with runners in scoring position,

 

Final Score: Cedar Rapids 4, South Bend 6

 

 

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY

 

Hitter of the Day - Jorge Fernandez, Cedar Rapids Kernels

Pitcher of the Day - Taylor Rogers, Rochester Red Wings

 

 

FRIDAY'S PROBABLES

 

Pawtucket @ Rochester - Zeke Spurill vs. Pat Dean (5-3, 2.36)

Chattanooga @ Tennessee - Brett Lee (AA Debut) vs. Ivan Pineyro

Fort Myers @ Bradenton - Chih-Wei Hu (2-0, 2.29) vs. Jayson Aquino

Cedar Rapids @ South Bend - Keaton Steele (2-0, 2.70) vs. Jake Stinnett

 

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[Old Twins Cap]

A little failure builds character.  Better they get a taste and perfect the ability to play again the next day.  It's just how baseball, and life, goes.

[Cap'n Piranha]

Not happy at all with what's happening with Kohl Stewart. He's obviously young, and deserves more time to get things straight, but he is going in the wrong direction, which is alarming for an alleged top prospect pitching in a pitcher's park.

[lightfoot789]

I'm calling it right here.  Brett Lee ends the Lookouts slide and does what he does best - WIN

 

[HitInAPinch]

Seriously, what is the fascination with Josmil Pinto?  I'm just not seeing it.  Then again, I'm only looking at statistics and not seeing him in action.

[gocgo]

 

A little failure builds character.  Better they get a taste and perfect the ability to play again the next day.  It's just how baseball, and life, goes.

One of my favorite quotes - "Winning may teach you how to celebrate, but losing teaches you how to survive."

[twinsbaby]

Haha. Kohl Stewart is a suspect. I'm very proud of that scout because he told me Stewart was a bad pitcher before draft. Right now, he is true and Greg Runser is false.

Edited June 5, 2015 by twinsbaby

[Steven Buhr]

The Twins organization hitting was so bad that it as contagious. Eric caught it. He swung and missed at the date by a mile (or, in his case, a month).

 

I realize you may want to relive May all over again, Eric, but we did make it to June.

 

[Seth Stohs]

 

The Twins organization hitting was so bad that it as contagious. Eric caught it. He swung and missed at the date by a mile (or, in his case, a month).

 

I realize you may want to relive May all over again, Eric, but we did make it to June.

 

That one is on me! I'm a bit behind the times! Ha!

[Steven Buhr]

 

That one is on me! I'm a bit behind the times! Ha!

Well THAT explains it

[nater79a]

 

Not happy at all with what's happening with Kohl Stewart. He's obviously young, and deserves more time to get things straight, but he is going in the wrong direction, which is alarming for an alleged top prospect pitching in a pitcher's park.

 

Kohl's kind of a mess right now. Last night- a couple of wild pitches, a fielding error and a wild pickoff to 1st in addition to his sub-par numbers.

[rukavina]

what is happening with sano?

[Twins33]

 

what is happening with sano?

He is day to day with a jammed index finger.

[lightfoot789]

 

I'm calling it right here.  Brett Lee ends the Lookouts slide and does what he does best - WIN

 

BY THE WAY - The Lookouts losing streak ended when their BROTHER Brett Lee came aboard to pitch for them.  He may not have gotten the win, but all that group does is win games when he pitches.