Article: Twins Minor League Report (7/26): Wahoos Win on Rortvedt Walk Off

[Tom Froemming]

Ben Rortvedt had a four-hit game for Pensacola, including a walk-off base knock in extra innings, Lewin Diaz stayed hot, Jimmy Kerrigan slugged two homers for Rochester, Wander Javier had a couple of extra-base hits and 2019 draftee Matt Wallner had three hits for E-Town. Come see what else happened across the system Friday.TRANSACTIONS

LHP Jeremy Bleich assigned to Rochester. The Twins acquired him from Boston for cash considerations. He had a 5.59 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 19 1/3 innings with the Red Sox’s Triple-A affiliate.

RHP Jonathan Cheshire assigned to Pensacola. The Twins purchased his contract from the Atlantic League’s Somerset Patriots. He had a 0.55 ERA and 6.33 K:BB ratio in 16 1/3 innings pitched this year.

Cedar Rapids activated RHP Carlos Suniaga from the IL.

 

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 4, Indianapolis 1

Box Score

 

Adam Bray: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 70.5% strikes (31 of 44 pitches)

HR: Alejandro De Aza (1), Jimmy Kerrigan 2 (6)

Multi-hit games: Kerrigan (2-for-3, 2 HR), Wilin Rosario (2-for-3, BB)

 

Adam Bray, Sam Clay and Ian Krol managed to combine to hold Indianapolis to just one run, quite an accomplishment, considering the offensive boom in Triple-A this season.

 

Bray set the tone, giving up just a pair of hits over the first four innings. The only run he allowed was on a solo homer. Clay followed with three perfect frames before Krol struck out five batters over the final two innings.

 

Alejandro De Aza hit his first homer since joining the system and Kimmy Kerrigan added two home runs of his own. Kerrigan already has as many homers in 20 Triple-A games (6) as he had in 47 games in Pensacola this season.

 

BLUE WAHOO BITES

Pensacola 4, Mobile 3

Box Score

 

Charlie Barnes: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 71.7% strikes (66 of 92 pitches)

HR: Lewin Diaz (6)

Multi-hit games: Ben Rortvedt (4-for-5, 2B), Diaz (3-for-4, 2B, HR, BB), Trevor Larnach (2-for-5)

 

The Blue Wahoos scored the game-tying run in the bottom of the fifth inning thanks to a Lewin Diaz solo homer. This game remained knotted up until Ben Rortvedt walked it off in the 10th.

 

 

Rortvedt had four hits and drove in a pair of runs tonight. Charlie Barnes had a great start, giving up seven hits and no walks over seven innings. He had six strikeouts and surrendered three runs, though only one was earned.

 

Jorge Alcala followed with two perfect innings in his first appearance as a traditional reliever this season. Jovani Moran managed to navigate around the bonus runner who starts the extra innings at second base, setting up the walk off.

 

In addition to the home run, Diaz also had a double, a single and a walk. He now has a .950 OPS in his first 32 games at the Double-A level.

 

MIRACLE MATTERS

Lakeland 6, Fort Myers 0

Box Score

 

Blayne Enlow: 7.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 68.2% strikes (60 of 88 pitches)

HR: None

Multi-hit games: Jose Miranda (2-for-4)

 

Miracle starter Blayne Enlow got knocked around a bit in this one, but on the positive side, he did complete seven innings for the third time this season. Moises Gomez finished things off by striking out four batters over two perfect innings.

 

Jose Miranda had the only two Forty Myers hits on the evening, both singles.

 

KERNELS NUGGETS

Wisconsin 10, Cedar Rapids 5

Box Score

 

Andrew Cabezas: 3.0 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 64.6% stikes (42 of 65 pitches)

HR: None

Multi-hit games: Wander Javier (2-for-4 2B, 3B)

 

Rough start for Andrew Cabezas tonight. That put the Kernels in a deep hole they couldn’t dig themselves out of. Wander Javier had a big night, hitting a double and his first triple with Cedar Rapids.

 

The Kernels entered the bottom of the ninth down 10-1, but scored three runs before the first out of the inning was recorded. It was an encouraging sign there’s still some fight left in this team.

 

E-TWINS E-NOTES

Bristol 3, Elizabethton 2

Box Score

 

Cody Laweryson: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K

HR: None

Multi-hit games: Matt Wallner (3-for-5, 2 2B), Charles Mack (2-for-5), Seth Gray (2-for-5), Parker Phillips (2-for-5)

 

Elizabethton entered the top of the ninth inning trailing 3-1 but put together a nice two-out rally. Carles Mack, Seth Gray and Parker Phillips all singled, scratching across a run. That brought up Matt Wallner, who already had three hits. Unfortunately, he hit a fly out to centerfield to end the game.

 

Sawyer Gipson-Long gave up three runs over the first two innings, but the E-Twins pitching staff was outstanding after that. Cody Laweryson came in and covered the next five innings. He struck out eight batters. Dylan Thomas pitched a scoreless ninth.

 

GCL TWINS TAKES

GCL Red Sox 10, GCL Twins 4

Box Score

 

Regi Grace: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

HR: None

Multi-hit games: Luis Milla (2-for-3), Jake Hirabayashi (2-for-4)

 

STARS OF THE DAY

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Cody Laweryson, Elizabethton

Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day: Ben Rortvdet, Pensacola

 

TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY

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

 

1. Royce Lewis (FM): 0-for-4, E (throw)

2. Alex Kirilloff (PNS): 0-for-5, 2 K

4. Trevor Larnach (PNS): 2-for-5, 2 R, 2 K

5. Wander Javier (CR): 2-for-4, 2B, 3B, 2 R, RBI, 2 K

10. Blayne Enlow (FM): 7.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 68.2% strikes (60 of 88 pitches), E (pickoff)

12. Nick Gordon (ROC): 0-for-4, K

15. Matt Wallner (ELZ): 3-for-5, 2 2B, RBI (assist, threw a runner out at home)

16. Ben Rortvedt (PNS): 4-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI

18. Jorge Alcala (PNS): 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 68.4% strikes (13 of 19 pitches)

19. Misael Urbina (DSL): 3-for-4, 2B, 2 3B, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB

 

SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester vs. Indianapolis, 6:05 pm CT (TBD)

Pensacola at Jacksonville, 5:35 pm CT (Griffin Jax)

Fort Myers vs. Lakeland, 5:00 pm CT (Lachlan Wells)

Cedar Rapids vs. Clinton, 6:35 pm CT (TBD)

Elizabethton at Bristol, 5:30 pm CT (Prelander Berroa)

GCL Twins vs. GCL Red Sox, 9:00 am CT (TBD)

 

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

 

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[Danchat]

Finally, they used Alcala as a reliever! Now just have him keep doing that, and we could see him in the majors by 2020!

[FormerMinnasotan]

Enlow is looking less and less exciting as a prospect. I was hoping for the hype surrounding him the last 2 years he’d deliver a little more than he has.

[Otwins]

Any chance Alcala can help in the bullpen by September?

[benji21]

Could it be? Is it possible that Wander Javier is showing signs of life late in the season?? It seems like he’s had several multi hit games in the last couple weeks. I hope he doesn’t turn back into a pumpkin.

[mikelink45]

Interesting to see the impact of the DFAs and call ups - I imagine Bleich and Cheshire are filling in some holes in the organization pitching.  Thanks for keeping us up to date.

[Tom Froemming]

 

Any chance Alcala can help in the bullpen by September?

Possibly, but if it happens that probably means something else went horribly wrong.

 

 

Could it be? Is it possible that Wander Javier is showing signs of life late in the season?? It seems like he’s had several multi hit games in the last couple weeks. I hope he doesn’t turn back into a pumpkin.

You are correct. He has a 1.064 OPS over his last 10 games. Four homers, a triple and a pair of doubles over that stretch.

[Darius]

Larnach may pass Kirilloff in the prospect rankings this offseason. He’ll certainly be a top 100 guy, right?

[Tom Froemming]

 

Larnach may pass Kirilloff in the prospect rankings this offseason. He’ll certainly be a top 100 guy, right?

Funny you ask, MLB Pipeline just updated it's lists and Larnach in No. 97 (Kirilloff is 16th).

 

On the Twins list, I was surprised at how bullish they were on the new guys to the system. I expected them to have Cavaco high, he's sixth, but Canterino is 13th, Wallner 15th and Holland 16th. Recent 16-year-old international signing Emmanuel Rodriguez is 25th. 

[jmlease1]

 

Enlow is looking less and less exciting as a prospect. I was hoping for the hype surrounding him the last 2 years he’d deliver a little more than he has.

 

He's still only 20, and it's not like he's been bad. I like his ability to keep the ball in the park. Still plenty of upside there. Lets see how he finishes the year.

 

Nice to see Rortvedt have a big game at the plate; hes been scuffling a bit and needs to hit if hes going to keep climbing the ranks ahead of Jeffers.

[rdehring]

Rochester is back to only 2 games under .500.  Can they climb that hill and get over it this time?  Meanwhile, Pensacola took their brief stay at .500 and bounced off it to 4 games over after last night.  Rortvedt had his best back-to-back games of the year.  If he keeps it up for the rest of the season, he just might help the Blue Wahoos sneak into the playoffs.

 

After going something like 0-60, or whatever it was, Wander Javier has a 5 game hitting streak with three multi-hit games in the last ten.  And isn't Minnesota native Matt Wallner off to a nice start to his career, hitting .311 average and .884 OPS?  With Rooker, Kirilloff, Larnach and Wallner all filling similar roles for a team, gotta believe one could be gone within the week.  Is the rule still around that you can't trade a draft pick until the spring following his draft?  If so, that would take Wallner out of any discussions.   

[Monkeypaws]

Does anybody see Charlie Barnes at the back of the Twins rotation someday?

[drivlikejehu]

No.

[Seth Stohs]

 

Enlow is looking less and less exciting as a prospect. I was hoping for the hype surrounding him the last 2 years he’d deliver a little more than he has.

 

He's been in the top 2-3 in the TD Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month the last two months. He's doing really well this year.

[Seth Stohs]

 

Does anybody see Charlie Barnes at the back of the Twins rotation someday?

 

He certainly could be, obviously depending on the team's 4-5 starters.

[Danchat]

 

Any chance Alcala can help in the bullpen by September?

I highly doubt it; he's been mediocre as a starter, and I think he could use a long stretch of time pitching as a reliever in the minors before dipping his toes in the big leagues.

[Otto von Ballpark]

He's been in the top 2-3 in the TD Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month the last two months. He's doing really well this year.

Enlow has a below league average K%, ERA, RA9, and FIP so far in the FSL. If we're going to give bonus points when evaluating hitters in that environment, I think you've got to give some demerits to pitchers in that environment too.

[Seth Stohs]

 

Enlow has a below league average K%, ERA, RA9, and FIP so far in the FSL. If we're going to give bonus points when evaluating hitters in that environment, I think you've got to give some demerits to pitchers in that environment too.

 

OK, but he's also 20 and now has like 6-8 starts in Ft. Myers so he's still learning. I don't even care about the performance which has been fine, especially when looking at age-to-level-of-competition with him. We're talking about his prospect status and that certainly hasn't gone down. If anything, it's gone up this year.