Article: Twins Minor League Report (7/21): Larnach Launches First Double-A Homer

[Cody Christie]

With a week and a half until the trade deadline, the Twins still haven’t made any moves. To many of us, these players are names we follow, but some players lives will be drastically changed before next Wednesday. They will have to acclimate themselves to a new organization and a new set of teammates amid some important end of season games.

 

Which prospects won’t be in the organization after next week? For now, read about the prospects that impact games on Sunday.AWARDS

The Twins announced their weekly Hitter and Pitcher of the Week:

• Hitter of the Week: Jaylin Davis, Rochester

In seven games for the Red Wings, Davis hit .458 (11-for-24) with five home runs, 11 RBI, five walks, 12 runs scored and a 1.664 OPS. Davis, 25, was selected in the 24th round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of Appalachian State University.

• Pitcher of the Week: Kai-Wei Teng, Cedar Rapids

Teng made the start last Sunday for the Kernels, pitching 6.0 shutout innings with five hits allowed no walks and a season-high 10 strikeouts. Teng, 20, was signed by the Twins as an undrafted free agent in October of 2017 out of Taichung, Taiwan.

 

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 1, Gwinnett 12

Box Score

Sean Poppen ran into some trouble and couldn’t make it out of the fourth inning. In 3 1/3 innings, he was charged with eight earned runs on six hits. He walked four and struck out two. Jake Reed had his own share of problems in relief. He took over for Poppen and surrendered four runs on five hit in two innings.

 

Gabriel Moya and Carlos Torres combined for 2 2/3 shutout innings to end the game. Moya walked two and struck out two. Torres pitched a perfect ninth. It was his first appearances since July 5 where he didn’t allow an earned run.

 

Zander Wiel and Alejandro De Aza both had multi-hit efforts in the loss. Wiel had been held hitless in four-straight games before going 2-for-4 and scoring the team’s only run. Both of Wiel’s hits were doubles which gives him 26 for the season.

 

BLUE WAHOO BITES

Pensacola 3, Mississippi 8

Box Score

Pensacola got things going early as Alex Kirilloff singled with one out in the first. Trevor Larnach moved him to second after being hit by a pitch. A Lewin Diaz single and a Caleb Hamilton sacrifice fly allowed two runs to score and Pensacola had an early 2-0 lead. In the third, Larnach extended the lead with a solo-home run, his first at the Double-A level. That’s where the scoring would end for the Blue Wahoos.

 

For the second straight Sunday, Jorge Alcala struggled. He allowed four earned runs on six hits in 2 2/3 innings. His season ERA is up to 6.36 and he’s only made it through six innings in one of his last 10 appearances. Anthony Vizcaya bounced around some trouble as he allowed six hits in 1 2/3 innings but wasn’t charged with any earned runs.

 

Andrew Vazquez is down in Double-A trying to find himself. His ERA is 5.40 after he allowed one earned run in 1 2/3 innings. Jovani Moran had some control issues as he walked three batters in 2/3 of an inning. He allowed three earned runs. Hector Lujan got the last four outs and didn’t allow a run.

 

MIRACLE MATTERS

Ft. Myers 3, Florida 2 (Top of the 9th - Rain)

Box Score

Bailey Ober bounced back nicely in this one after allowing a season high three-earned runs and failing to get out of the fifth inning in his previous start. Ober pitched five strong innings and limited Florida to one run on five hits. He struck out seven and walked one.

 

In the top of the fourth, Ryan Costello started the inning by reaching on a throwing error. Jose Miranda moved him to second with a single before Trey Cabbage doubled to score both runners. With one out in the eighth inning, Jacob Pearson doubled, his second since being promoted. One batter later, Ryan Jeffers drove him in with a single to put Fort Myers up 3-2.

 

Melvi Acosta earned a three-inning save as he allowed one run on one hit, a home run. He struck out five and didn’t walk any. The game was shortened by rain

 

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 7, Fort Wayne 8

Box Score

In the second inning, Trevor Casanova lead off with a walk and he moved to third on a double by Albee Weiss. Ricky De La Torre drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly and Yeltsin Encarnacion followed with a single to make the score 2-0. Gilberto Celestino knocked his sixth homer of the year, a solo shot in the third. Weiss homered in top of the fourth and Spencer Steer came around to score a run after two wild pitches and a balk. The Kernels had their biggest lead of the day at 5-1.

 

Unfortunately, things would fall apart for the Kernels pitching staff during the fourth inning. Austin Schulfer couldn’t make it through five innings for the second consecutive start. He allowed seven runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings. Brian Rapp allowed an inherited runner to score but then he put up zeros for three innings. He walked two and struck out two.

 

J.T. Perez pitched a scoreless eighth before some trouble in the ninth. With the game tied, he allowed back-to-back singles to start the inning. After a sacrifice bunt, a walk would load the bases. Perez coaxed a short line-out for the second out and it kept the runners from advancing. Wander Javier was charged with a fielding error on the final play of the game.

 

E-TWINS E-NOTES

Elizabethton 4, Bluefield 7

Box Score

Elizabethton took a first inning lead after Willie Joe Gary Jr doubled to lead off the game. He moved to third on a wild pitch and Max Smith brought him home with a ground out. From there the bats would go quiet until the late innings. In the sixth, the E-Twins would score a run because of an error, a walk, and two hit by pitches. Smith and Seth Gray clocked back-to-back homers to start the seventh frame.

 

On the mound, Ryley Widell took his fifth loss, but he was only charged with one earned run. He pitched 5 2/3 innings by striking out seven batters and allowing one walk. He’s allowed one run in three of his six starts this season. Frandy Torres allowed two earned runs on four hits in the final 2 1/3 innings. He was asked to get seven outs and he got five of them via the strikeout.

 

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

TD Pitcher of the Day- Bailey Ober, Fort Myers (5.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 7 K, 1 BB)

TD Hitter of the Day- Albee Weiss, Cedar Rapids (2-for-3, HR, 2B, 3 R, RBI, BB, K)

 

PROSPECT SUMMARY

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

 

#1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) – Did not play

#2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – 2-4, R

#3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured list

#4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) – 1-2, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB

#5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 1-4, 2 K

#6 - Jordan Balazovic (Ft. Myers) – Did not pitch

#7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL Twins) – No scheduled game

#8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – Injured list

#9 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch

#10 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch

#11 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – Did not pitch

#12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 1-4

#13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) – 1-4, RBI, K

#14 - Luis Arraez (Twins) – 3-5, R

#15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) – 0-2, 2 BB

#16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – Did not play

#17 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Out for year with Tommy John surgery

#18 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) – 2.2 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, K, BB

#19 - Misael Urbina (DSL Twins) – No scheduled game

#20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) – Injured list

 

MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester – Scheduled Off-Day

Pensacola vs. Mobile (6:35 CST) – RHP Griffin Jax (3-3, 2.53 ERA)

Fort Myers @ Dunedin (5:30 CST) – RHP Cole Sands (3-2, 2.04 ERA)

Cedar Rapids @ Fort Wayne (6:05 CST) – RHP Tyler Palm (2-5 (3.82 ERA)

Elizabethton @ Bluefield (5:30 CST) – RHP Tyler Benninghoff (2-1, 6.38 ERA)

GCL Twins @ GCL Pirates (11:00 am CST) – TBD

GCL Twins @ GCL Pirates (Game 2) – TBD

 

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

 

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[D.C Twins]

Would have rather of had an Acala to the bullpen experiment this year than Romero to the bullpen.....Not saying that I know either would have worked better....but would have rather seen it.

[Seth Stohs]

 

Would have rather of had an Acala to the bullpen experiment this year than Romero to the bullpen.....Not saying that I know either would have worked better....but would have rather seen it.

 

I think Alcala's future is in the bullpen. But, if he's working as a starter or as a bullpen guy, which will give him the better ability to work on:

 

1) pitching with some longevity.

2) where will he get to work out of tough situations more often? 

[David HK]

Always a big thanks for these reports- they're an especially good read after a tough MLB loss.

 

Heh... "Bailey Ober bounced back nicely in this one after allowing a season high three-earned runs..."

 

I think the big club would gladly take that from any of their pitching staff these daze...

 

 

[rdehring]

Another dismal day in the win-loss column.  Also tough seeing the Wings get so close to .500, then slide back.  Saw Moya have a good game, thought, has he put his problems behind him and is pitching better of late.  NOT.  In his prior three appearances he pitched a total of 4.0 innings while giving up 6 earned runs...2 in each game.

 

And Pensacola just can't get back to winning and is now under .500 after their fantastic start.  Good seeing Larnach hit well at AA.  Kirilloff seems to have put his injuries behind him and is hitting like the player we know.  Currently hitting .281/.760 OPS, can he get over .300/.800 by the season end?

 

Ober had four shutout starts in April before missing all of May and June.  He came back with two more shutout starts before his last game.  With another excellent game yesterday, he is having one heck of a season.  Is he someone we should be getting excited about?  Or is he another minor league phenom who doesn't make it into a future starting rotation?  The injuries don't help, but the good news is that he isn't Rule 5 eligible until after next season...so there is time to find out who he is.

 

This Steer kid sure is off to a good start to his professional career.  Seeing he was a third round pick, maybe it shouldn't be all that surprising.

 

 

[ashbury]

Always a big thanks for these reports- they're an especially good read after a tough MLB loss.

It felt like a loss, but didn't the Twins win yesterday? How much of a time-zone lag are we dealing with here?

[David HK]

 

It felt like a loss, but didn't the Twins win yesterday? How much of a time-zone lag are we dealing with here?

Dude-- I'm a day ahead, remember.

 

So, anyway, about that Yanks game.....

[ashbury]

Dude-- I'm a day ahead, remember.

 

So, anyway, about that Yanks game.....

Ohhhhh... crudddddd...

 

Just keep your thoughts to yourself until later tonight, please. No spoilers.

[David HK]

 

Ohhhhh... crudddddd...

 

Just keep your thoughts to yourself until later tonight, please. No spoilers.

Mum's da woid.

[h2oface]

Wander Javier is sure struggling. Lewis is coming on, but the two top SS prospects have really been a let down this year.