Article: Twins Minor League Report (4/14): Wade, Gordon Star In Lookouts Win

[Tom Froemming]

The three Twins affiliates who played Saturday all won close ballgames. LaMonte Wade and Nick Gordon delivered in the clutch for the Lookouts. Aaron Slegers, Adalberto Mejia and Phil Hughes were all in action. Ryan Mason was with a new team, but still doing big things out of the bullpen.TRANSACTIONS

Ryan LaMarre was optioned to Rochester (but you'll be happy to know that he just keeps hitting).

Brady Anderson was sent back to Fort Myers from Rochester.

 

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 4, Gwinnett 2

Box Score

 

W: Aaron Slegers (6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K)

SV: Matt Magill (1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K)

HR: Brock Stassi (1)

Multi-hit games:

Ryan Lamarre (2-for-3, BB, RBI)

Gregorio Petit (2-for-4, 3B, 2 R)

 

It took the Red Wings’ offense some time to get rolling, so it was good Aaron Slegers brought his A game. He pitched six shutout innings in a game that was tied at 0-0 through five innings.

 

Rochester built a 4-0 lead, but Adalberto Mejia ran into some trouble in his relief appearance. He pitched clean innings in the seventh and eighth frames, but things got interesting in the ninth. Mejia issued a leadoff walk, the next batter reached on an error which was followed with an RBI single.

 

Mejia was charged with one earned run on a hit, two walks and a hit batter over his two innings, but he also struck out four batters.

 

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 3, Pensacola 2

Box Score

 

W: Todd Van Steensel (2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K)

SV: Omar Bencomo (2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K)

SP: Lewis Thorpe (4 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K)

HR: None

Multi-hit games:

LaMonte Wade (2-for-4, 2 RBI)

Nick Gordon (2-for-4, RBI, SB)

 

The Lookouts entered the fifth inning trailing 2-0 but rallied to take the lead. T.J White led off the frame with a single and Brent Rooker followed suit. Brian Navarreto advanced them both on a sac bunt, then Ryan Walker lived up to his name and drew a base on balls to load ‘em up.

 

Tanner English went down swinging, bringing LaMonte Wade up with the bases juiced and two outs. He delivered a two-run, game-tying single and Nick Gordon capped the inning by driving in the go-ahead run on a single of his own.

 

Lewis Thorpe gave up two runs over four innings, one of them unearned due to his own throwing error. The bullpen shut out the Blue Wahoos from there, with Todd Van Steensel (two innings) Anthony McIver (one inning) and Omar Bencomo (two innings) protecting the one-run lead.

 

MIRACLE MATTERS

Fort Myers 5, Tampa 4

Box Score

 

W: Phil Hughes (5 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K)

SV: Ryan Mason (2 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K)

HR: None

Multi-hit games:

Aaron Whitefield (2-for-4, 2B, R, SB)

Jimmy Kerrigan (2-for-4, 2B, 2 R)

 

Phil Hughes pitched five shutout innings and 44 of his 61 pitches were for strikes (72.1 percent). Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press passed along on Twitter that this lines Hughes up to return April 24 at Yankee Stadium.

Similar to the Rochester game, the Miracle also jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Colton Davis, the first man out of the bullpen ran into some trouble, but Ryan Mason righted the ship.

 

Mason, making his first appearance since being called up from Cedar Rapids, entered the game with the Miracle clinging to a one-run lead. There were two men on base and two outs in the seventh inning. Mason struck out the next batter swinging to end the threat. It was Mason’s game from there, as he closed things out to earn his third save already in this young season (he had two with the Kernels).

 

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids vs. Clinton

Postponed (rain)

 

STARS OF THE DAY

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Ryan Mason

Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day: LaMonte Wade

 

TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY

Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Prospects performed:

 

#3 Nick Gordon: 2-for-4, RBI, SB

#7 Brent Rooker: 1-for-4, R, K

#12 Lewis Thorpe: 4 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K

#13 Lewin Diaz: 0-for-4, K

#14 LaMonte Wade: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, K

#17 Travis Blankenhorn: 0-for-3, BB, RBI

 

SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester at Gwinnett (12:05 pm CT), Fernando Romero

Chattanooga at Pensacola (1:05 pm CT), Kohl Stewart

Fort Myers vs. Tampa (3:00 pm CT), Clark Beeker

Cedar Rapids vs. Clinton (2:05 pm CT), Blayne Enlow

 

Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the games.

 

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[launchingthrees]

Gordon is a really great piece. He projects to be an above average hitting middle inf. Reviews of his defense are mixed but he has the physical tools to be above average at both SS/2nd.I'm really excited to see what happens with him.

[AlwaysinModeration]

Love this format, Tom, with the pitching lines, homers, and the multi-hit games. Combined with the top 20 prospect lines, makes these easy to peruse in a useful way. Thank you!

[Han Joelo]

Wade and Gordon are  Mauer-like.  I dig the long ball as much as anybody, except maybe Chick.  But it is fun to watch a game changing single as well.

 

No walks today for Thorpe.  Working the process, hopefully?

 

Good for LaMarre.  I read yesterday the fellow top prospect Ronald Acuna, was also sent to AAA undeservedly, and has responded by hitting .143 to start the year.

[slash129]

 

Gordon is a really great piece. He projects to be an above average hitting middle inf. Reviews of his defense are mixed but he has the physical tools to be above average at both SS/2nd.I'm really excited to see what happens with him.

Orlando Hudson hit ceiling with less defense.  Trade him while he's hot.

[rdehring]

I see that Tyler Jay is on the DL, again.  Any word on what it is and how long he is expected to be out?  Twins can't get a break with this guy.

[ashbury]

I guess you wanna spread the wealth, but I was pretty surprised to see my Adopt-A-Prospect guy, Aaron Slegers, not get the nod for Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day, it going instead to a reliever with a couple innings of work. I know it's exciting to come in and pitch out of a jam, but there's something to be said for not even pitching into one in the first place. Slegers had a grand total of 1 LOB if I counted correctly. Ho hum, six shutout innings.

[Tom Froemming]

 

Love this format, Tom, with the pitching lines, homers, and the multi-hit games. Combined with the top 20 prospect lines, makes these easy to peruse in a useful way. Thank you!

Thanks for the feedback. This is what I call the Saturday Speed Round edition of the minors reports. Hopefully it still has all the stuff you'd expect from the regular format, but it shaves a little bit of time off writing it. Saturday's can be tough, especially once the short season leagues start.

 

I see that Tyler Jay is on the DL, again.  Any word on what it is and how long he is expected to be out?  Twins can't get a break with this guy.

A left groin strain. At least it's not an arm injury.

[TNTwinsFan]

FYI...through 4 innings, KKKKKohl Stewart has 5 Ks...maybe someone lit a fire under him?

[nicksaviking]

FYI...through 4 innings, KKKKKohl Stewart has 5 Ks...maybe someone lit a fire under him?

Maybe whomever told Kyle Gibson to stop banking his career on the sinker finally got around to convincing Stewart to do likewise?

 

I'd be nice to know if his approach has changed from last year.

[Shaitan]

 

Gordon is a really great piece. He projects to be an above average hitting middle inf. Reviews of his defense are mixed but he has the physical tools to be above average at both SS/2nd.I'm really excited to see what happens with him.

 

Find me a minor leaguer who doesn't have mixed/bad reviews of their defense. Fundamentals are important, but most players truly master it from getting experience at the highest level. From Dozier to  Morneau to Koskie to Gaetti to a million others, infield defense seems like it usually gets better once a player has been in the bigs for a couple of years.

[wabene]

Really like these new reports. I do have a suggestion for the top twenty. Add cumulative stats for the year so you can see what they did for the day and be reminded of where they sit overall.

[Tom Froemming]

 

Really like these new reports. I do have a suggestion for the top twenty. Add cumulative stats for the year so you can see what they did for the day and be reminded of where they sit overall.

We could put in links to their MiLB.com profiles, would that be helpful? 

[Steve Lein]

 

I see that Tyler Jay is on the DL, again.  Any word on what it is and how long he is expected to be out?  Twins can't get a break with this guy.

 

I added brief notes in my AAP forum for him: http://twinsdaily.com/topic/29282-tyler-jay-2018/

 

A left groin strain. At least it's not an arm injury.

 

As Tom says, it's a groin injury, so the good news is it's not an arm or resurfacing of a prior injury.

[caninatl04]

"Brian Navarreto advanced them both on a sac bunt,"

 

Could he be brought up to the majors and act as a personal hitting instructor for Morrison?