Article: Twins Minor League Report (5/12): Kranson, Granite, Wade Key In Victories

[Seth Stohs]

The Minnesota Twins posted a 1-0 win in Cleveland on Friday night in a very quick game. The minor league games in the system were not as quick, but three out of four of the affiliates won. Rochester had some late-game runs off of an #OldFriend. Chattanooga and Cedar Rapids used plenty of offense and solid pitching to record wins. Finally, an experiment is not going real well in Ft. Myers.Find out everything and more that happened happened in the Twins system on Friday night, starting with the transactions of the day.

 

 

TRANSACTIONS

 

Following the Twins 1-0 win in Cleveland, the Twins announced (or made it official) that Jose Berrios was being recalled from Rochester and will start on Saturday. The other half of the transaction made for good speculation, but in the end Nick Tepesch was optioned.

 

In Ft. Myers, Shane Kennedy was activated from the temporarily inactive list while Keaton Steele was sent to extended spring training.

 

Down in Cedar Rapids, right-hander Tyler Wells was placed on the 7-Day disabled list. He said that he’s been fighting a bit of biceps tendinitis. He noted that it didn’t affect his velocity, “just discomfort.” He expects to miss just one start. A corresponding move will be made in the next couple of days. The Kernels play on Saturday, but they get Mother’s Day off.

 

 

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 2, Pawtucket 3

Box Score

 

It was a quick game in Pawtucket on Friday night, but it ended with a nice, one-run win for the Red Wings. Rochester came into the game with a team ERA of just 3.13 which was second in the International League (Buffalo 3.08), and that number went down in this game.

 

Jason Wheeler returned to the Red Wings rotation and provided a very quality start. The lefty gave up one run on five hits over six innings. He walked and struck out none. Trevor Hildenberger provided two innings of scoreless ball, with a walk and a strikeout.

 

The game was tied at one until the eighth inning when Zack Granite doubled. Niko Goodrum followed with an RBI triple to give the team the lead. Matt Hague added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly. The Wings eighth inning runs came off of former Twins reliever Blaine Boyer.

Hague's proved to be a needed insurance run. Alex Wimmers came on for the ninth inning and recorded the save despite giving up a run. It was his fourth save of the season.

 

Granite led the offense. He went 3-4 with his first two doubles of the season. He also stole his fourth base. The team had just five total hits in the game.

 

The win kept the Red Wings above .500 at 16-14.

 

 

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 9, Montgomery 2

Box Score

 

The Lookouts recorded a nice, big win on Friday night, 9-2.

 

LaMonte Wade is becoming a big prospect right before our eyes. The outfielder went 2-3 with a walk, was hit by a pitch, hit his fourth home run, drove in three runs and stole his fourth base. It was kind of a showing of all that he is as a player.

 

Jonathan Rodriguez’s 14-game hitting streak came to an end on Thursday, but he returned on Friday with a 2-4 game including his ninth double. Engelb Vielma went 1-2 with two walks. Dan Gamache added a walk and his third double. Nick Gordon had a walk and a single.

 

Felix Jorge made the start. He gave up just two runs (one earned) on nine hits and two walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out three. Ryan Eades came on and recorded the final out of the fifth inning. He then went the remaining four innings without allowing a run. He gave up two hits, walked two and struck out six in what could be his strongest appearance of the season.

 

The Lookouts are now 19-16 on the season.

 

 

MIRACLE MATTERS

Ft. Myers 2, Charlotte 11

Box Score

 

The Chris Anderson Experiment is off to a rocky start, and on Friday night, it got really rocky. The former first-round pick of the Dodgers started and gave up 11 runs (10 earned) on 11 hits and four walks in just three innings. (He also faced five batters in the fourth inning. Four of them scored.)

 

Mike Theofanopoulos worked the next two innings without allowing a run. Anthony McIver worked 1.2 innings without allowing a run. He walked one and struck out one. He also hit two batters and was ejected after the second one. Alex Muren recorded the final four outs.

 

The Miracle offense scored two runs on just three hits. Max Murphy went 1-2 with a walk. Chris Paul was 1-3 with an RBI double, his seventh of the year.

 

Red Wing native Ryan Boldt went 2-4 with a walk in the game for Charlotte.

 

Ft. Myers fell to 16-20 on the season.

 

 

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 7, Bowling Green 3

Box Score

 

The Kernels put together a solid game on Friday night in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

 

Dominic Carlini IV started for Cedar Rapids. The left-hander worked the first five innings. He gave up three runs on four hits over five innings. He walked two and struck out five for his first win of the season. Alex Robinson came in and struck out two over two shutout innings. Tom Hackimer recorded his fourth save of the season with two shutout frames.

 

Mitchell Kranson led the Kernels offense. He went 4-5 with his ninth and tenth doubles. Jaylin Davis went 2-5 with his third double, which was a two-run double in the first inning. Travis Blankenhorn and Lewin Diaz were also 2-5 in the game. Shane Carrier added his fifth double of the season which drove in a run.

 

The Kernels improved to 19-15 on their season.

 

 

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

 

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Ryan Eades, Chattanooga Lookouts

Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Mitchell Kranson, Cedar Rapids Kernels

 

SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

 

Rochester @ Pawtucket (12:05 CST) - RHP Aaron Slegers

Birmingham @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - RHP Fernando Romero

Ft. Myers @ Charlotte (5:05 CST) - RHP Dereck Rodriguez

Cedar Rapids @ Bowling Green (6:35 CST) - RHP Clark Beeker

 

Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Friday’s games.

 

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[ashbury]

Felix Jorge made the start. He gave up just two runs (one earned) on nine hits and two walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out three.

For those interested in Felix, who is my Adopt-A-Prospect, I pieced together a bit more information about this shaky start from the box score and game log at milb.com.

[clutterheart]

Everything about Wade is fun to see. He has a skill set that is rare in the Twins org - 20%BB rate?!? The new FO was aggressive with him and didn't make him "prove it" at a level he was too old for so its nice to see that strategy working. It's good he adapted and is having success.

My only question is if he is too passive at the plate. Aaron Hicks was lauded for his plate discipline but it turns out he just didn't swing the bat.

Is there swing percentage numbers for minor leagues?

[nytwinsfan]

LaMonte Wade domination watch: 

 

First 10 games in AA: .103/.229/.103 (.332)

Since then (starting April 18): .420/.553/.667 (1.220) with 14 Ks, 21 BBs, 3/3 SB, 4HR in 94 PAs

 

Overall: .327/.465/.500 (.965), with 18 Ks, 26BBs, 4/4 SB, 4 HR in 129 PAs

 

Also, splits: v RHP OPS .997

v. LHP OPS .788

 

ALSO, video of last night's HR by Wade:   

[gunnarthor]

Wow, Wade has a really small strike zone

[nytwinsfan]

 

Wow, Wade has a really small strike zone

Yeah, especially for someone who is 6 foot 1. That might explain a little bit of his high BB%. He really has a crouched, coiled stance. And it doesn't seem like a gimmick either. 

[jimbo92107]

A lot of power in Wade's legs into that home run swing. It not only cleared the fence, it was a line drive well over it. 

 

Ryan Eades... Haven't heard that name in a long while. Wasn't he a second rounder or a supplemental pick? The Twins sure haven't hit the jackpot with many early round pitchers lately. 

[bird]

 

A lot of power in Wade's legs into that home run swing. It not only cleared the fence, it was a line drive well over it. 

 

Ryan Eades... Haven't heard that name in a long while. Wasn't he a second rounder or a supplemental pick? The Twins sure haven't hit the jackpot with many early round pitchers lately. 

 

 

Yeah, they've missed on a good share of those guys, as all teams do because the odds of ever seeing a MLB paycheck drop off a cliff. Duffey, Burdi, Chargois, Melotakis, Rogers, and maybe a couple others will change the perception that the Twins are particularly weak when it comes to early round successes.

[Seth Stohs]

Everyone always told me that Wade wasn't a passive hitter and that despite not a lot of home runs early, he has tremendous power. When I talked to him last year, he talked about having a plan of attack in every plate appearance. But he's looking for specific things and if he doesn't get it, he is willing to wait. He has a first-pitch approach, and he has a two-strike approach. he's also really strong and when he looks for something and gets it and tries to turn on it and pull it, he can hit the ball a long ways. He's a very impressive young guy, and it's good to see him playing this well.

[Carneal&Gordon]

Wade almost singlehandely won a regional in the college baseball tournament for Maryland two years ago. What a great selection!