Article: Twins Minor League Report (6/13): Curtiss did what?!

[Steve Lein]

If you’ve been diligently following the minor league reports this season, you’d know that one of the standouts has consistently been reliever John Curtiss of the Chattanooga Lookouts bullpen. The headline may be a little misleading today however, as it was something he hadn’t done yet this season that was the story on Tuesday. I’ll blame it on the Lookouts going extra innings.

 

Another pitching prospect, fresh off his promotion made the start in that game, and a of couple hitters also had multiple triples on the day. Fort Myers was again rained out and they’ll play a bunch of games in the next two days because of it.To find out what happened to Curtiss, and who the other stars were in Tuesday’s games, read on!

 

TRANSACTIONS

 

In advance of Tuesday’s games, there were a bunch of transactions in the system. Ryan Pressly was recalled to the Twins while Alex Wimmers was optioned to Rochester. After signing his contract yesterday Tim Melville was assigned to the Red Wings and Drew Rucinski was outrighted to AAA.

 

With Dereck Rodriguez officially being promoted to Chattanooga for his start tonight, Randy LeBlanc was assigned back to Fort Myers.

 

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 3, Scranton Wilkes-Barre 9

Box Score

 

After claiming him off waivers from the Dodgers a week ago and making one appearance with the Twins, Chris Heston found himself in Rochester, NY tonight to make the start for the Red Wings. Twins manager Paul Molitor had insinuated earlier in the day that he was in consideration for a start with the Twins this weekend.

 

That probably won’t be the case after this one.

 

The RailRiders pounced on him for four runs in just 2.1 innings. He allowed six hits and two walks, and struck out one.

 

Fellow organization newcomer, Tim Melville, came out of the bullpen to relieve him in the third and allowed one inherited runner to score, but kept it close for the Red Wings to mount a comeback over the next 4.2 innings.

 

Rochester finally got on the board in the sixth inning, cutting the lead to 4-2 thanks to a Niko Goodrum solo home run and a Leonardo Reginatto RBI single. They cut the lead to one in the eighth after John Ryan Murphy reached third on an error out in center field and he scored on an Engelb Vielma groundout.

 

Melville came out to start the eighth inning, but a walk and double to the first two hitters scored one and chased him from the game. Kevin Chapman came in and allowed three of his own runs along with the inherited runner and put the game out of reach at 9-3.

 

Zack Granite was 3-5 with his ninth double out of the leadoff spot to lead the offense. His single to lead off the game extended his month-spanning hitting streak to twelve games. In that stretch he has hit .480/.536/.720 with six doubles, three triples and twelve runs scored, raising his average from .237 to .322. If he qualified, that mark would lead the International League.

 

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 9, Montgomery 8

Box Score

 

Right-hander Dereck Rodriguez made his AA debut in this one, and it’s likely one he’ll want to forget quickly. He was able to finish just two innings as the Biscuits took advantage of four hits and four walks to jump out to a 4-0 lead. Rodriguez was able to strike out the last two hitters he faced, but already at 72 pitches his day was done.

 

The Lookouts scored runs in each of the third, fourth, and fifth innings to take a 5-4 lead after his exit. It was a two-run double from LaMonte Wade in the third, an RBI triple from Ryan Walker in the fourth, and Jonathan Rodriguez RBI single in the fifth that put them out front.

 

Alex Muren relieved Rodriguez and went the next three innings. After perfect third and fourth frames, he allowed a solo home run to give Montgomery the lead 5-4 in the fifth. It would stay that way until the eighth inning when Nick Gordon delivered an RBI single to tie it at five.

 

Reliever Nick Anderson got Chattanooga to that point by pitching two scoreless innings after Muren. He allowed one hit and struck out two. Luke Bard came on for the eighth inning and went one-two-three, striking out two.

 

Chattanooga took the lead in the ninth thanks to multiple errors from the Biscuit defense and Bard remained in the game in line for a win. He struck out the first batter, but a single, stolen base, and RBI triple tied the game before he was able to escape with the bases loaded.

 

This brought the game into extra innings.

 

John Curtiss came on for the tenth and did his thing. That means he didn’t allow a run and struck out two.

 

His offense took it from there. In the top of the eleventh, T.J. White led off the inning with a walk, Jose Gonzalez was hit by a pitch, and both scored on Walker’s second triple of the game. Gordon followed with his nineteenth double of the season to make 9-6 in favor of the visiting team.

 

Curtiss remained in the game to shut the door, but something strange happened. He gave up a run. Two of them even! A single and two walks loaded the bases before he got an out, but he was able to coax three ground outs (two of the run-scoring variety) to pick up his second win of the season. He ERA ballooned to…0.75. In his start to the 2017 season, Curtiss went 23 scoreless innings, allowing eleven hits and ten walks, while striking out 32. It couldn’t last forever!

 

Gordon (3-7, R, 2B, 2 RBI, SB), Corcino (2-6, BB), and Walker (4-6, 3 R’s, 2 3B’s, 3 RBI, SB) all tallied multiple hits for the offense.

 

MIRACLE MATTERS

Postponed – Rain.

 

After yesterday’s game was postponed into a Tuesday double-header, rains again caused kept the teams from playing. They will now play double-headers on both Wednesday and Thursday, weather permitting.

 

Lewis Thorpe and Brady Anderson are two of the probable starters for the regularly scheduled games on those days.

 

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 10, Quad Cities 5

Box Score

 

The Kernels put crooked numbers on the scoreboard in four of nine innings in this one as they took advantage of nearly every opportunity that was presented.

 

A double, error, triple, and sac fly in the second inning led to an early 3-0 lead, but they gave those runs back in the third inning when starter Sean Poppen had a run-scoring throwing error and also surrendered a two-run home run.

 

He ended up finishing 5.2 innings, allowing just those three runs on three hits and three walks while striking out four.

 

Hi picked up his fifth win of the season because his offense got those runs right back for him in the top of the fourth. A Ben Rortvedt 2-RBI double was followed by a triple from Travis Blankenhorn that made it 6-3.

 

Cedar Rapids added two more runs in the sixth on an error and Blankenhorn sac fly to make it 8-3, and Jermaine Palacios punctuated the victory with a two-run home run in the ninth for the final tally of ten runs on the game. It was Palacios’ eleventh home run of the season, and fifteenth of his MiLB career (Someone has grown into his man-muscles…).

 

Logan Lombana came on in relief of Poppen in the sixth inning and would also finish the seventh. He allowed two runs on four hits and a walk. Hector Lujan came on with one out and the bases loaded in the eighth and escaped the jam with limited damage. He also picked up his fifth save, finishing the game by striking out three in the ninth around a single. Four of his five outs were K’s.

 

As a team the Kernels were 5-11 with runners in scoring position, and left only six men on base for the game. Blankenhorn had two triples and two RBI while Mitchell Kranson (2-5, R, 2B), Brandon Lopez (3-5, 2 R’s), and Rortvedt (2-4, 2 R’s, 2B, 2 RBI) also had multiple hits to lead the barrage. Aaron Whitefield also drew three walks, scored two runs and had an RBI in the rare 0-0 night at the plate.

 

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

 

Pitcher of the Day – Hector Lujan, Cedar Rapids Kernels (S, 1.2 IP, H, 4 K’s)

Hitter of the Day – Ryan Walker, Chattanooga Lookouts (4-6, 3 R’s, 2 3B’s, 3 RBI, SB)

 

WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

 

Rochester @ Scranton Wilkes-Barre (5:35PM CST) – LHP David Hurlbut (3-4, 3.44 ERA)

Chattanooga @ Tennessee (6:00PM CST) – LHP Stephen Gonsalves

Charlotte @ Fort Myers, Game 1 (4:30PM CST) – LHP Lewis Thorpe (0-2, 1.38 ERA)

Charlotte @ Fort Myers, Game 2 (TBD) - RHP Brady Anderson

Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:30PM CST) – LHP Domenick Carlini (3-5, 5.05 ERA)

 

Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games!

 

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[carlito_b]

It'll be interesting to see what the big club does if Gordon keeps hitting like this.. Have to move dozier right?

[Seth Stohs]

 

It'll be interesting to see what the big club does if Gordon keeps hitting like this.. Have to move dozier right?

 

No... they don't have to... If he keeps hitting like this, they can move him up to AAA, or he can come up and play SS for the Twins...

 

But there are no 'have to's'.

[carlito_b]

I meant long term like after this season.. I'm assuming the plan going forward us Polanco and Gordon.. Dozier will be coming into his final year i can't imagine they'll resign him to a big deal and block Gordon.. Granite might make things interesting as well.. Give the offense a whole added element in the leadoff spot

[John Kelsey]

Better not call Curtiss up now, he's clearly not ready. 

[Steve Lein]

One edit: Curtiss had 34 K's in those 23 IP before giving up the runs last night Didn't count the two in his first inning.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Better not call Curtiss up now, he's clearly not ready. 

 

I had the same thought, and clearly the FO agrees.

[yarnivek1972]

So 3 recent Falvey signees basically crapped the bed last night for Rochester.  I thought he was the guy that was supposed to know pitchers.  His track record this year is terrible.

[Steve Lein]

Melville was pretty good, but a lot to be desired from Heston and Chapman. But those are the types of guys you find on the waiver wire, so I'm not knocking him for it.

[Mike Sixel]

 

So 3 recent Falvey signees basically crapped the bed last night for Rochester.  I thought he was the guy that was supposed to know pitchers.  His track record this year is terrible.

 

It certainly isn't impressive, when you add in Tepesh, Breslow, Belisle, et. al. Have any of these guys even been servicable?

[yarnivek1972]

 

It certainly isn't impressive, when you add in Tepesh, Breslow, Belisle, et. al. Have any of these guys even been servicable?

Wilk, Haley. Jury is still out on Turley.

 

The list is long, but certainly not distinguished.  

[sploorp]

 

So 3 recent Falvey signees basically crapped the bed last night for Rochester.  I thought he was the guy that was supposed to know pitchers.  His track record this year is terrible.

I wouldn't be too hard on him.  Guys are on the wavier wire for a reason.  At least he's trying stuff.  Hopefully, the team can work out a deal for some help.

[Mike Sixel]

 

I wouldn't be too hard on him.  Guys are on the wavier wire for a reason.  At least he's trying stuff.  Hopefully, the team can work out a deal for some help.

 

I think that's fair for the waiver guys, not so much Belisle and Breslow. We should expect the waiver guys to fail, really. 

[yarnivek1972]

I wouldn't be too hard on him. Guys are on the wavier wire for a reason. At least he's trying stuff. Hopefully, the team can work out a deal for some help.

Exactly. Why sign them? Give your own minor league players a shot first.

 

This kind of dumpster diving is what Terry Ryan was criticized for. Only Falvey is compounding it by using these dumpster finds in regular season games that actually count. Ryan did nearly all of his garbage digging in the offseason. Spring training usually weeded out the worst ones.

[Rosterman]

And now Rochester is the resting place for so many 40-man roster wannabees, instead of prospects. Of course, you can go thru the wannabees and remove them and re-add them easier than you can a prospect - especially if the prospect just gets their feet wet and then go back down to try some things (i.e.e Rosario). But, jeez. Between the fluff on the major league roster and Rochester, the Twins have an independent league pitching staff at AAA (and in the majors, partially, at least).

 

 

[yarnivek1972]

And now Rochester is the resting place for so many 40-man roster wannabees, instead of prospects. Of course, you can go thru the wannabees and remove them and re-add them easier than you can a prospect - especially if the prospect just gets their feet wet and then go back down to try some things (i.e.e Rosario). But, jeez. Between the fluff on the major league roster and Rochester, the Twins have an independent league pitching staff at AAA (and in the majors, partially, at least).

Prospects usually don't spend much time in AAA on the way up. It is usually for guys that fill in in case of injury or poor performance at the MLB level. Out of a typical 25 man AAA roster, maybe 3 or 4 or MAYBE 5 are prospects w/o any previous MLB experience.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Poppen has committed several throwing errors to first this season. Just "throwing" that out there; probably means nothing. (Except it's probably a mental thing he needs to fix.)

[Steve Lein]

 

Poppen has committed several throwing errors to first this season. Just "throwing" that out there; probably means nothing. (Except it's probably a mental thing he needs to fix.)

 

Yeah, probably not a big deal. Fielding as a pitcher I think you end up having to try and rush a lot more plays than anywhere else (relative to the volume you see). I'd want to know more about the actual plays before I made any conclusion (did he have to field a ball down the 3B-line, did he deflect one away from him a little, etc...).

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

I wouldn't be too hard on him.  Guys are on the wavier wire for a reason.  At least he's trying stuff.  Hopefully, the team can work out a deal for some help.

Shouldn't we be looking to promote from AA to AAA though?  Curtiss has a 12.8 K/9, Bard a 14.8 K/9, Melo 10.7 and left-handed, plus Van Steensel and Rosario...

 

But the only pitchers we've promoted from AA to AAA are Turley and Eades (both of whom they shuffled back to AA later).

 

And since the season began, we've added Chapman, Heston, Melville, Mickolio, and Wilk to Rochester's current staff from outside the organization.  And the only AAA guys that have departed the org have been Wheeler and Tepesch.

[jsteve96]

 

Wilk, Haley. Jury is still out on Turley.

 

The list is long, but certainly not distinguished.  

It's called "organizational depth", He didn't intend for a lot of these guys to play... more so forced to