Article: Twins Minor League Report (9/12): Polanco Blast Not Enough

[Seth Stohs]

In Game 1, Max Kepler's two-strike, two-out, two-run single gave the Chattanooga Lookouts a 4-3 win in Game 1 of the Southern League playoffs. After being rained out on Friday, the Lookouts hosted Game 2 against the Montgomery Biscuits. There were opportunities for heroes, but in the end, they fell in extra frames.CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 5, Montgomery 6 (11 innings)

Box Score

 

The Lookouts got out to an early lead and got a strong start. The game was tied in the later innings and there was bonus baseball in Chattanooga on Saturday night. The team fell behind in the 10^th but got a huge, clutch homer to send it to the 11^th. Unfortunately, they did not have a second comeback and fell to the Biscuits.

 

With one out in the bottom of the first inning, Jorge Polanco singled and Max Kepler walked. A Travis Harrison single drove in Polanco. Kepler advanced to third and Harrison took second base on the throw. Dalton Hicks came up next and drove in both runners with a single. The Lookouts had a 3-0 lead.

 

That was it for the Lookout scoring, at least for a long while.

 

Jason Wheeler started and threw well. The left-hander worked six innings and gave up just one run on three hits. He walked two and struck out five. Nick Burdi came on and gave up two really quick runs to tie the game in the seventh. However, Burdi settled down and finished two innings, allowing just the two runs and striking out four. JT Chargois came in and threw a scoreless ninth inning.

 

Bonus Baseball in Tennessee for the playoffs. Chargois came out again for the tenth frame. In it, he gave up two runs before getting the third out. Things looked bleak, but in the bottom half of the 10^th inning, Shannon Wilkerson led off with a walk. He rounded the bases when Jorge Polanco blasted a long home run to tie the game at five.

 

Brandon Peterson came on for the 11^th inning. The Savage, Minnesota, native really struggled with his control. He walked the first two batters. After a sacrifice bunt, there was another walk to load the bases. Unfortunately, a blooper to center dropped out of Jorge Polanco’s glove and one run scored. Peterson then coaxed a double play, but the damage had been done.

 

The Lookouts went 1, 2, 3 in the bottom of the 11^th inning.

 

Polanco went 2-5 with the home run. Adam Brett Walker doubled in his first at-bat before striking out in his final four at-bats. The Lookouts also had four errors in the game.

 

The series is tied at one game apiece and now head back to Montgomery. That is where games three and four, and if necessary, game five, will be played.

At 6:20 (central time) on Sunday, the teams will play Game 3. Right-hander Greg Peavey will take the ball for the Lookouts.

 

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[h2oface]

Burdi and Shag-wa giving it up. I hope they are not practicing for the show!

[twinssouth]

Burdi, Chargois, Peterson threw 109 pitches over 5 innings and only 60 were strikes. Control has been a problem all year for Burdi and to some extent for Chargois. Good news, JT is still pitching, year after TJ. Hopefully next year will be a breakout year for him

[Thrylos]

I see no reason that Kepler and Polanco are in the minors for 2 weeks, while they can help the Twins in a post-season run.  

 

Minor leagues are developmental leagues and the Twins should care more about what their team does in the bigs than what Chatanooga does in AA.

 

Pretty outrageous.

[DocBauer]

I see no reason that Kepler and Polanco are in the minors for 2 weeks, while they can help the Twins in a post-season run.  

 

Minor leagues are developmental leagues and the Twins should care more about what their team does in the bigs than what Chatanooga does in AA.

 

Pretty outrageous.

 

I wonder, if this were not a brand new affiliate, would the situation be handled differently?

[Seth Stohs]

 

Burdi, Chargois, Peterson threw 109 pitches over 5 innings and only 60 were strikes. Control has been a problem all year for Burdi and to some extent for Chargois. Good news, JT is still pitching, year after TJ. Hopefully next year will be a breakout year for him

 

Control has certainly been an issue for all three and it came to a head last night unfortunately.But I think all three will be solid big league relievers, maybe as early as 2016.

[Seth Stohs]

 

I wonder, if this were not a brand new affiliate, would the situation be handled differently?

 

No way... Polanco wouldn't play. He'd be behind Escobar and Dozier, and probably Santana... 

 

And Kepler would be sitting the bench. 

 

I like the fact that they're getting into some big, pressure games and being key contributors, the #2 and #3 hitters, leaders. all that stuff. And both have come through with big hits.

 

No organization would have them up right now.

[Seth Stohs]

Updated... Greg Peavey will be on the mound for the Lookouts in Game 3.

[bird]

 

I see no reason that Kepler and Polanco are in the minors for 2 weeks, while they can help the Twins in a post-season run.  

 

Minor leagues are developmental leagues and the Twins should care more about what their team does in the bigs than what Chatanooga does in AA.

 

Pretty outrageous.

 

 

 

That's a massive assumption on your part that they would step in and help the Twins right now by performing better than Hunter, or Escobar, or any one else you could mention that would sit on the bench while Kepler and Polanco "helped". What would actually be "pretty outrageous" is to sit virtually anyone in the current lineup in favor of either of these two, since neither can pitch or catch.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Call me crazy, but I highly doubt Kepler and Polanco aren't playing in MLB b/c of the new affiliation. 

[h2oface]

 

No way... Polanco wouldn't play. He'd be behind Escobar and Dozier, and probably Santana... 

 

And Kepler would be sitting the bench. 

 

I like the fact that they're getting into some big, pressure games and being key contributors, the #2 and #3 hitters, leaders. all that stuff. And both have come through with big hits.

 

No organization would have them up right now.

 

Quite a strong statement of fact for an opinion.

[drjim]

Call me crazy, but I highly doubt Kepler and Polanco aren't playing in MLB b/c of the new affiliation.

Agreed.

 

Kepler wouldn't get at bats ahead of Vargas, who already is not getting at bats.

 

Ditto for Polanco and Nunez (and possibly Santana).

 

They are quite fine where they are playing every day in a playoffs.