Article: Twins Minor League Report (9/10): Kepler Burns Biscuits, Paul Robs Bandits

[Seth Stohs]

The Twins enjoyed an off-day on Thursday after taking a three-game set from the division-leading Kansas City Royals. In the minor leagues, the postseason is now in full swing. Chattanooga and Cedar Rapids both had big games decided in the late innings.Lookouts Look-In

Game 1: Montgomery Biscuits @ Chattanooga Lookouts

Jamie Schultz vs. D.J. Baxendale

Final: Biscuits 3, Lookouts 4

Box Score

 

In the first game of the best-of-five series the Lookouts secured the victory on a walk-off single from Southern League MVP, Max Kepler. With two on and two out, Kepler hit a line drive single to right scoring a pair of runs and earning the Lookouts the victory.

 

In front of a home crowd of 1,279 at AT&T Field in Chattanooga, Tennessee, D.J. Baxendale gave the Lookout fans seven and two-thirds innings of hope. Baxendale gave up a pair of early runs in the second, and another in the sixth but pitched into the eighth inning before being lifted after 101 pitches. Baxendale gave up seven hits and three runs all earned. He walked none and struck out four. Baxendale was lifted for Nick Burdi, who struck out three in an inning and a third of work. He had to get four outs in the top of the ninth after a dropped strike three and an errant throw to first base from Stuart Turner. Leadoff man Shannon Wilkerson and cleanup hitter Travis Harrison were both held hitless, as were D.J. Hicks, Adam Brett Walker, Stephen Wickens and Stuart Turner.

 

The Lookouts offense generated only five hits, but managed to earn NINE free passes from the Biscuits pitching staff, leaving the Lookouts with plenty of chances to score. Jorge Polanco was 2-4 plus a walk with a run scored. Max Kepler's ninth inning hit was his only one of the game, capping a 1-4 night that include a walk and a pair of strikeouts.

 

The Lookouts are back on the diamond Friday night in Chattanooga for Game 2. The series then heads to Montgomery for the conclusion of the five-game series.

 

Kernels Korner

Game 2: Cedar Rapids Kernels @ Quad Cities River Bandits

Sam Gibbons vs. Brock Dykxhoorn

Final: Kernels 3, River Bandits 1

Box Score

 

The Cedar Rapids Kernels have advanced to the Midwest League semifinals with a 3 to 1 victory over the Quad Cities River Bandits on Thursday night in front of 1,555 fans at Modern Woodmen Park. The Quad Cities River Bandits had the best winning percentage of all full-season teams in minor league baseball prior to being swept out of the postseason by the Kernels.

 

Sam Gibbons gave the Kernels everything he had on Thursday night, pitching eight innings of four-hit, one-run baseball. He struck out four and walked none. Yorman Landa pitched two scoreless innings, struck out three, walked none and gave up just a single. Nick Anderson came in to pitch the bottom of the eleventh and shut down the River Bandits to lock up the game and series victory for the Kernels.

 

The Kernels went ahead 3-1 in the top of the eleventh inning on a bizarre series of plays, culminating with a Chris Paul single that plated T.J. White and LaMonte Wade. After a T.J. White walk to start the inning, LaMonte Wade dropped down a sac bunt right in front of home plate but the River Bandits' catcher Garrett Stubbs thought he had a chance to nab White at second. But his throw was late and low and bounced into center field. White advanced to third on the throwing error and then Wade advanced to second after the throw to third got by the Bandits, putting runners at second and third for Chris Paul.

 

The game-winning hit capped a big night at the plate for Chris Paul. He was 3-4 with all three Kernels RBIs, plus a walk. No other Kernels hitter had multiple hits. Edgar Corcino, who had a chance to win the game for the Kernels in the tenth with two on and two out, struck out for the fourth time in five attempts on the evening, a frustrating 0-5 night for Corcino.

 

The Kernels will travel to Peoria, Illinois to take on the Peoria Chiefs in the semi-finals. That series begins on Saturday night.

 

TwinsDaily Minor League Hitter of the Day: Chris Paul - Cedar Rapids Kernels

TwinsDaily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Sam Gibbons Cedar Rapids Kernels

 

Friday's Probables

Montgomery Biscuits @ Chattanooga Lookouts - Jacob Faria vs. Jason Wheeler

 

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[TRex]

Burdi has been really good since being demoted to High-A in July. Is there any chance he could still make an appearance in a Twins uniform when Chattanooga's season ends? If so, could they replace him on the AFL roster?

[diehardtwinsfan]

Probably not.  He should start again in AA, and if he's a bit more successful this time around, he could be an addition at some point next year. 

[DJL44]

Burdi isn't on the 40 man so it is highly unlikely he pitches for the Twins before next season.

[Seth Stohs]

 

Burdi has been really good since being demoted to High-A in July. Is there any chance he could still make an appearance in a Twins uniform when Chattanooga's season ends? If so, could they replace him on the AFL roster?

 

21 strikeouts in 13.1 innings, but also 10 walks. That won't play well in the big leagues.

 

So, no, I don't think so.

 

Even if he did get called up, he could still go to the AFL.

[jokin]

 

Burdi has been really good since being demoted to High-A in July. Is there any chance he could still make an appearance in a Twins uniform when Chattanooga's season ends? If so, could they replace him on the AFL roster?

 

21 strikeouts in 13.1 innings, but also 10 walks. That won't play well in the big leagues.

 

So, no, I don't think so.

 

Even if he did get called up, he could still go to the AFL.

 

After last night, it's now 24K/11BB in 14.2 IP since his return... but I'm with Seth, it most likely isn't going to happen. But I wouldn't mind seeing them roll the dice, give Burdi a low-leverage MLB taste and, for good measure, remove more of the 40-man roster detritus in the process.  

 

Burdi is actually wilder after the demotion, than before:

 

First stint in AA (4/9 - 6/25):  BB%  15.0%

Second stint in AA (8/14 - 9/10):  BB%  17.2%

 

But, it was good to see that they did give Nick the high-leverage, "it's-the-playoffs-here's-the-ball-kid-it's-your-game-to-win" opportunity.  And some of his other peripherals have improved incrementally or better after the call-up, like WHIP, strike % and GO/AO.  (The WHIP has improved a lot since the call-up [1.36], but his combined stat of 1.65 is still in the bottom 9 of all Southern League pitchers with more than 43 IP). 

 

And  as Seth also said, call-up or not, he's most likely going to throw some AFL innings regardless, which I think is going to be a great opportunity to get a few new sets of pitching coach/manager/peer eyes to help him with his overall pitching approach- while he goes up against some of the best AAA-AA free-swinging prospects in all of MiLB.

 

 

Edited September 12, 2015 by jokin

[shs_59]

Billy Bullock is essentially what Nick Burdi's most realistic future outcome would be at this point.

 

so in response to the OP of this thread.

 

HELL NO