Article: Twins Minor League Report (4/29): Diaz Delivers Walk-Off Home Run

[Cody Christie]

Half of the Twins Daily Top-20 Prospects were in action on Sunday afternoon. Chattanooga fought through a doubleheader. Fort Myers and Cedar Rapids were forced to mount comebacks. All four games were decided by two runs or less.

 

How did the organization’s top prospects perform? Were any able to help their club’s to thrilling wins? Read on to find out…ROSTER MOVES

C Brian Olson was reinstated from the disabled list for Chattanooga

OF Jaylin Davis reinstated from the disabled list for Fort Myers

RHP Max Cordy transferred from Fort Myers to Elizabethton

RHP Moises Gomez promoted to the Kernels from Extended Spring Training

RHP Melvi Acosta assigned to extended spring training from the Kernels

 

 

 

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester --, Syracuse --

Box Score

Rain and cold weather got in the way of this contest between the Red Wings and the Chiefs. The plan is to play a doubleheader on Monday, June 25 with the first game scheduled to start at 3:05 CST. Rochester has been postponed five times this season. The Reds Wings head to Pawtucket for a three-game set starting on Monday.

 

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 2, Tennessee 3 (Game 1- 7 Innings)

Box Score

A pair of Smokies home runs got in the way of the Lookouts chance to move further above the .500 mark. Zack Littell fell to 0-3 after allowing three runs on six hits including the aforementioned long balls. He struck out three and walked two in 4 2/3 innings. Tyler Jay finished off the game with 2 1/3 scoreless frames. He struck out two and walked one. He has pitched multiple innings in two of his three appearances so far this season.

 

Chris Paul and Brent Rooker both went 2-for-3. Paul’s leadoff single in the second allowed him to come around and score the game’s first run. In the third inning, Paul plated a run with his sixth double. Overall, the team went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base.

 

Chattanooga 2, Tennessee 3 (Game 2- 7 Innings)

Box Score

That score isn’t a misprint. As Yogi Berra famously said, “It’s déjà vu all over again.” However, Chattanooga’s starter didn’t factor into the decision in this contest. Omar Bencomo, in his first start of the season, tossed four scoreless frames with three strikeouts and no walks. His season ERA dropped to 1.56 to go along with a 1.04 WHIP. Sam Clay had a rough fifth inning. Two doubles, a walk, a single, and a wild pitch led to three runs being scored. Zack Jones was terrific to end the game with five strikeouts over two innings.

 

Hits were few and far between for the Lookouts. Only the top three batters in the lineup recorded hits. For the second straight game, Brent Rooker went 2-for-3 while adding his fourth double and an RBI. It was Rooker’s fifth multi-hit effort during the 2018 campaign. Nick Gordon went 1-for-2 and LaMonte Wade finished 1-for-3 with a run scored. Zander Wiel had an outfield assist in the game as he threw out a runner at home from left field.

 

 

MIRACLE MATTERS

Ft. Myers 5, Daytona 4 (11 Innings)

Box Score

Things weren’t looking good in extra-innings for the Miracle. In the top of the 10th frame, Daytona had taken a one-run lead. Due to new rules, Luis Arraez started the bottom of the inning at second base. After a sacrifice bunt, he came home on a Travis Blankenhorn single to tie the game. Trailing again by one in the 11t- inning, Lewin Diaz stepped up to the plate and drove an 0-1 fastball over the right field wall for the walk-off home run.

 

Earlier in the contest, the Miracle had scored first in the game for the first time in the series. Taylor Grzelakowski led off the second with a double. Caleb Hamilton reached base on a throwing error that allowed Grzelakowski to come around and score. Nelson Molina drove in Hamilton with a one-out single. Fort Myers had an early 2-0 lead.

 

Clark Beeker pitched into the fifth inning without allowing an earned run. He struck out four and walked two in 4 1/3 innings. Beeker has pitched 9 2/3 straight innings of scoreless baseball. Andrew Vasquez was asked to get five outs and he collected strikeouts in four of those five at-bats. Sean Poppen tossed four innings and collected seven strikeouts. Although, he walked a pair and scattered two hits, which led to three runs (two earned) being scored. Logan Lombana gets credit for his second win thank to the Diaz walk-off.

 

 

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 4, Quad Cities 2

Box Score

With Bryan Sammons on the mound, the Kernels found themselves in an early hole but it wasn’t all his fault. In the bottom of the first with one out, Sammons walked a batter before a wild pitch moved the runner into scoring position. Andrew Bechtold and Ben Rodriguez commited fielding errors on back-to-back plays to keep the inning alive. Two runs would score but Cedar Rapids buckled down from there.

 

In the fourth frame, Cedar Rapids got a run back. Two walks and a wild pitch loaded the bases for Jordan Gore. He grounded out but the lead was cut in half. Gore has reached safely in all 11 games this year. Trey Cabbage tied the game in the top of the sixth with his first home run of the year. In the seventh inning, the Kernels scored two runs without recording a hit. The team collected five walks and pushed across the final two runs of the game. Ben Rodriguez finished the game hitless but reached base three times.

 

Derek Molina and Moises Gomez combined for five shutout innings to end the game. Molina earned his first win by striking out two and walking two over three innings. Gomez earned his first save as he struck out two in the last two innings.

 

 

STARS OF THE DAY

Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Travis Blankenhorn, Fort Myers (3-for-5, RBI, K)

Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Derek Molina, Cedar Rapids (3 IP, 0 ER, 2 K, 1^st MWL Win)

 

 

TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY

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

#3 – Nick Gordon (Chattanooga) – 1-5

#5 – Alex Kirilloff (Cedar Rapids) – 1-5, 2 K

#7 – Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) – 4-6, 2B, RBI, R

#10 – Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) – 0-3, 2 BB, K

#11 – Zack Littell (Chattanooga) – 4.2 IP, 3 ER, 3 K, 2 BB

#13 – Lewin Diaz (Fort Myers) – 1-1, HR, 2 RBI, R

#14 – LaMonte Wade (Chattanooga) – 2-7, R, K

#16 – Ben Rortvedt (Cedar Rapids) – 0-2, 2 BB, R

#17 - Travis Blankenhorn (Ft. Myers) - 3-5, RBI, K

#19 – Tyler Jay (Cedar Rapids) – 2.1 IP, 0 ER, 2 K, BB

 

 

MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester @ Pawtucket (5:15 CST) - LHP Dietrich Enns (0-3, 5.79 ERA)

Chattanooga vs. Tennessee (10:15 AM CST) – RHP Randy LeBlanc (3-1, 1.99 ERA)

 

 

Please feel free to ask any questions about Sunday’s games, or ask any questions you may have.

 

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[D.C Twins]

Side effects of an imploding bullpen include:

 

Overexcitement about Tyler Jay and Zach Jones!

[mikelink45]

Is there anyone who can help the Twins?  I do not care about minor league records, but I do like moving player up and right now the MLB roster is not doing it. 

[launchingthrees]

 

Side effects of an imploding bullpen include:

 

Overexcitement about Tyler Jay and Zach Jones!

 

I actually think there's a lot to be excited about with Jay. Obviously staying on the field is an important skill but he has the results and raw stuff to be a high end bullpen arm.

Edited April 30, 2018 by launchingthrees

[clutterheart]

 

Is there anyone who can help the Twins?  I do not care about minor league records, but I do like moving player up and right now the MLB roster is not doing it. 

 

Id like to move Romero into the MLB bullpen and see what happens.  

[wsnydes]

 

Id like to move Romero into the MLB bullpen and see what happens.  

I'd rather they move him to the MLB rotation and Hughes go to the pen or out the door.

[Doctor Wu]

A walk-off homer to give the Twins a win!? How did I miss this that? Oh ... you were talking about Lewin Diaz and Fort. Myers. Oh well, I'll take any good news from the Twins organization at this dismal early juncture in the season.

[DocBauer]

Very nice to see Rooker heating up!

[rdehring]

 

I'd rather they move him to the MLB rotation and Hughes go to the pen or out the door.

Looks like you got your wish!