Article: Twins Minor League Report (8/19): Shutouts and Mad Max

[Jeremy Nygaard]

The Twins will limp out of the Big Apple having been swept (again) by the Yankees.

 

Aaron Hicks strained his left hamstring in Wednesday’s loss and will limp to the disabled list.

 

To fill the hole in center field, the Twins will recall Byron Buxton from Rochester. Buxton will join the team tomorrow in Baltimore. After all the hand-wringing after being activated and optioned on August 10, nothing really changes. Instead of accumulating 113 days of service time, he’ll accumulate 104. Neither number is important. Because he was on assignment for less than 10 days, his option doesn’t count. All that the time in AAA did was give him confidence.

Let’s check Wednesday’s action on the farm.RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 6, Buffalo 0

Box Score

 

The Red Wings pushed over a pair of runs in three different innings to improve their season record to 66-60.

 

Danny Santana had a 2-RBI single in the first. It likely would have gone for extra bases, but Kennys Vargas was ahead of him. James Beresford had a sacrifice fly and run scoring single. Vargas drove in a run in addition to walking twice. Buxton had an RBI double and finished his AAA season(?) (career?) with a .400 batting average and hits in all 13 games he played.

 

Pat Dean pitched a gem. Using 114 pitches, Dean went all nine innings allowing only six hits while striking out six. While he hasn’t dominated lefties or had very high groundball or strikeout rates, Dean doesn’t issue many walks and has a sub-3 ERA. Being left-handed certainly suggests that Dean will be around for a while. Somewhere.

 

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 11, Pensacola 0

Box Score

 

The Lookouts jumped out a 10-0 lead in the 3rd inning in hopes of enacting the rarely-used 10-run run in the Southern League. Instead, though, they played the rest of game and added one more run to pad their easy win.

 

After returning to the lineup on Tuesday night, Jorge Polanco quickly rounded back into form, hitting a double and a home run and stealing his 16th base. He drove in two and scored three times. Stuart Tuner one-upped him, getting three hits including a double and drove in three runs. Of course, Mad Max Kepler one-upped them both and everyone else with a four-hit game that included his ninth home run and two RBIs. He’s now batting .342 on the year and if not for Byron Buxton, would be the guy that everyone wishes the Twins would be promoting.

 

Brett Lee pitched seven innings of two-hit shutout ball. He walked four and struck out four before turning the game over to the bullpen duo of Corey Williams and Alex Muren. Each struck out a batter in his scoreless inning.

 

MIRACLE MATTERS

Ft. Myers 6, Charlotte 4

Box Score

 

After building a 6-0 lead, the Miracle had to wait out a one hour and fifteen minute rain delay before getting back into it.

 

Jason Kanzler (3-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI), Mitch Garver (2-5, 2 2B, 2 R, RBI) and Logan Wade (3-4, 3B, R) were the offensive stars, combining for eight of the team’s 11 hits and five of their six extra-base hits. Marcus Knecht had two RBIs and a stolen base.

 

Luke Westphal struck out five in seven innings to get the win. Jake Reed allowed two unearned runs to score in the sixth. Zack Jones was charged with two runs in the eighth. He struck out three and walked two. Trevor Hildenburger picked up his second save, getting the last five Stone Crabs out.

 

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 4, Kane County 2

Box Score

 

The offense strung just enough together to beat the Cougars. The Kernels had six hits, all singles, but drew five walks. The top five hitters in the order accounted for all three RBIs and all four runs scored (and four of the six hits). Rafael Valera scored two runs on a hit and three walks. Nick Gordon scored once. Edgar Corcino scored and drove in a run. T.J. White and Alex Real each knocked in a run.

 

Felix Jorge picked up the win. He allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks in seven innings. Uncharacteristically, he only struck out two, matching his season low. Jared Wilson and Nick Anderson, who earned his second save, each pitched scoreless frames.

 

The Kernels are 69-52 on the season.

 

E-TOWN E-NOTES

Elizabethton - off day

 

GCL TWINS TAKES

GCL Twins 2, GCL Orioles 6

Box Score

 

Roberto Gonzalez played well in Wednesday’s loss. Gonzalez, who recently returned from a DL stint, had two hits, stole two bases and drove in a run. His season batting average is up to .278. Rowan Ebersohn was the only other hitter with a multi-hit effort.

 

Jose Martinez started and took the loss on three runs in five innings. Moises Gomez pitched the only scoreless inning before giving way to Callan Pearce, who allowed a run. Miguel Gonzalez came in late and gave up two runs, though his ERA is still a miniscule 1.14.

 

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

 

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Pat Dean, Rochester

Twins Daily Minor League Hitters of the Day – Max Kepler, Chattanooga

 

THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

 

Rochester - OFF

Chattanooga at Pensacola (6:35 CST) – RHP Aaron Slegers

Ft. Myers at Bradenton (5:30 CST) – RHP Omar Bencomo

Cedar Rapids vs Kane County (6:35 CST) – RHP Ethan Mildren

Elizabethton at Pulaski (6:00 CST) - TBD

GCL Twins at GCL Orioles (11:00 CST) - TBD

 

Feel free to leave any questions or comments below!

 

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[Jeremy Nygaard]

I should have mentioned the Miracle were facing former teammate Chih-Wei Hu. He didn't fare too well, but I believe it was his first start back after lacerating his hand in a blender accident.

[nater79a]

Thought I read somewhere that Pat Dean threw only 28 balls in 114 pitches. Unreal.

[jimbo92107]

 

I should have mentioned the Miracle were facing former teammate Chih-Wei Hu. He didn't fare too well, but I believe it was his first start back after lacerating his hand in a blender accident.

I wonder if Hu bought a Ninja blender. I read some Amazon reviews on them that said, "DON'T TOUCH THE BLADES!"

[Seth Stohs]

 

Thought I read somewhere that Pat Dean threw only 28 balls in 114 pitches. Unreal.

 

That is correct...  Very impressive!

[twinssouth]

Good to have Polanco back and Der Kep showing some muscle and great hitting.

 

 

What's interesting is Polanco at 2nd, Meneses who normally plays 2nd or SS at 3rd and Niko Goodrum back at short where he has been over past few games. Levi Michael must be nursing an injury or something. Niko had been at 3rd since Sano left. He's a terrific athlete and was drafted as a SS. Anyway, food for thought. I know DM likes to mix things up.

[clutterheart]

Is the Polanco at SS experiment is over?

 

If so, who gets traded?

Polanco or Dozier?

[DocBauer]

Wow! Love mornings like this, when I get to read that all top 4 affiliates won!

 

Add Desn to the growing list of LH's to audition for the Twins bullpen next season.

 

Just can't be any doubt about Kepler coming up in September any longer can there?

 

Polanco as well. Love to see him come up and get more, do more, than get a sip of coffee. How about a whole thermos full?

[Seth Stohs]

I haven't heard anything about Polanco being done at SS. He just came back, so it's possible. However, we'll find out more, I'm sure.

 

Goodrum has played all over. Played a bit in CF as well, 3B most of the last 2 years, obviously came up as a SS... He's such a great athlete.

 

Pat Dean has been one of the biggest surprises of the 2015 season, for me. I think he tops out around 88-89, and as I've written many times, he wasn't even in their rotation to start the season. Only May getting called up because of the Santana suspension got him the opportunity.

[DJL44]

Pat Dean trending up, Taylor Rogers trending down...

[nicksaviking]

 

Danny Santana had a 2-RBI single in the first. It likely would have gone for extra bases, but Kennys Vargas was ahead of him.
 

 

In the 1st? Where they drawing the lineup out of a hat?  Unless the Rochester lineup is so stacked that Vargas has to bat at the bottom of the order, this seems like a highly unusual lineup construction.

[70charger]

 

The Lookouts jumped out a 10-0 lead in the 3rd inning in hopes of enacting the rarely-used 10-run run in the Southern League.

 

What does this mean?

[Emjcee]

Batting fourth and sixth...Vargas walked to load the bases, Ortiz struck out, Santana singled driving in two.

 

 

[RedBull34]

 

In the 1st? Where they drawing the lineup out of a hat?  Unless the Rochester lineup is so stacked that Vargas has to bat at the bottom of the order, this seems like a highly unusual lineup construction.

He was batting 6th, Vargas 4th.