Minor League Report (7/25): Fantastic Feliz!

[Nash Walker]

The system had a few strong performances, some weak ones, and a huge swing from Jesús Feliz in a walk-off Mussels win.

TRANSACTIONS:

C Ben Rortvedt transferred from Minnesota to Triple-A St.Paul

SAINTS SENTINEL 

Storm Chasers 9, Saints 6

Box Score

Griffin Jax: 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R/ER, BB, 5 K

HR: José Miranda (8), Jimmy Kerrigan (10)

Multi-hit games: Miranda (3-for-5, HR, 2 RBI), Kerrigan (2-for-4, HR), Drew Stankiewicz (2-for-4, R)

José Miranda has dominated this space almost every single night and Sunday was no different. Miranda recorded three more hits, including a solo homer. The breakout prospect entered the game hitting .323/.389/.625 (1.014 OPS) in 23 games with the Saints. 

Keon Broxton has had a very nice month in St.Paul. He started the day with a stellar .278/.385/.648 slash line in July, bouncing back from a brutal June where he hit just .138/.286/.190. He singled Sunday to drive in the Saints’ first run and then stole his ninth base of the season. 

Ian Hamilton, usually a lockdown option for the Saints late in games, walked three and allowed a single without recording an out. Hamilton has had walk issues so far this year with a 15.5% free-pass rate entering the game. The Saints couldn’t recover from the five-run seventh. 

WIND SURGE WISDOM

Travelers 7, Wind Surge 5

Box Score

Jordan Balazovic: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R/ER, 5 BB, 4 K

HR: None

Multi-hit game: D.J. Burt (2-for-4, 3B, RBI, R), Wilbis Santiago (2-for-3, 2B, BB), Caleb Hamilton (2-for-4)

Jordan Balazovic saw his stunning 25 ⅔ scoreless innings streak come to an end in Sunday’s walk-off loss. Balazovic struggled with his command, walking five Travelers and striking out four. His ERA on the season rose to 2.74. 

The Surge quickly responded after falling down 1-0 in the first. Aaron Whitefield singled home D.J. Burt in the next half inning, and Wilbis Santiago doubled behind him to take a 2-1 lead. That wouldn’t last long.

The Travelers tied the game immediately and just kept clawing back, coming back from 4-2 and 5-3 deficits to eventually walk off the Surge in the bottom of the ninth. Jake Scheiner blasted a two-run homer to win it. 

KERNELS NUGGETS

Snappers 4, Kernels 0

Box Score

Cody Laweryson: 5 IP, 3 H, R/ER, BB, 8 K

HR: None

Multi-hit game: None

The Kernels mustered up just two hits in their shutout loss Sunday. Jair Camargo singled in the second and Gabriel Maciel singled in the third, accounting for the entire Cedar Rapids offense. Snappers starter George Soriano struck out eight in four outstanding innings. 

The top four hitters in the Kernels’ lineup (Edouard Julien, Michael Helman, Matt Wallner and Wander Javier) combined to go 0-for-16 with nine strikeouts. 

Cody Laweryson put together one of his best starts of the year, striking out a season-high eight Snappers. Laweryson tied his season high with five innings pitched and has allowed just two runs over his last nine innings (two starts). 

MUSSEL MATTERS

Mighty Mussels 6, Tortugas 5

Box Score

Zarion Sharpe: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 5 K

HR: Charles Mack (5), Jesús Feliz (2)

Multi-hit games: Mack (2-for-4, HR, BB), Feliz (3-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI)

Jesús Feliz played hero in a thrilling walk-off win for the Mussels Sunday. Leading off the bottom of the ninth, Feliz blasted a 1-0 pitch to left center and saved the Mussels bullpen after they allowed three runs in the eighth. 

Not only did Feliz end the scoring, he also got the Mussels on the board with a two-out RBI double in the first. Charles Mack added on with a solo homer in the fifth and Yunior Severino and Keoni Cavaco each plated runs with singles in the sixth. 

Before the Feliz heroics, Zarion Sharpe was fantastic in his fourth start for Fort Myers. Sharpe struck out five and didn’t allow a run. He lowered his ERA to 4.50 after beginning the day at 5.33. 

COMPLEX CHRONICLES

THE FCL TWINS DID NOT PLAY

 

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Cody Laweryson: 5 IP, 3 H, R/ER, BB, 8 K

Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Jesús Feliz: 3-for-5, walk-off HR, 2B, 2 RBI

 

PROSPECT SUMMARY

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

#1 – Royce Lewis (Rehab) – Out for season (torn ACL)

#2 – Jhoan Duran (St. Paul) – Injured List (elbow strain)

#3 – Jordan Balazovic (Wichita) – 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R/ER, 5 BB, 4 K

#4 – Matt Canterino (Cedar Rapids) – Injured List (right elbow strain)

#5 – Jose Miranda (St. Paul) - 3-for-5, HR, 2 RBI

#6 – Keoni Cavaco (Fort Myers) – 1-for-4, BB, R

#7 – Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) – Did not play

#8 – Josh Winder (St. Paul) – Did not pitch

#9 – Aaron Sabato (Fort Myers) – Did not play

#10 – Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) – 0-for-4, 2 K

#11 – Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Out for Season (Tommy John surgery)

#12 – Bailey Ober (Minnesota) – Did not pitch

#13 – Cole Sands (Wichita) – Did not pitch

#14 – Brent Rooker (Minnesota) – 1-for-4, HR

#15 – Misael Urbina (Fort Myers) – 0-for-4, BB, R

#16 – Spencer Steer (Wichita) – 1-for-4

#17 – Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 0-for-4, 2 K

#18 – Alerick Soularie (Complex) – N/A (foot injury)

#19 – Edwar Colina (Rehab) – Injured List (elbow)

#20 – Chris Vallimont (Wichita) – Did not pitch

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[operation mindcrime]

Praise Jesus!!!!!

[ashbury]

2 hours ago, Nash Walker said:

The Kernels mustered

We see what you did there.

[roger]

Good, not great start from Jax.  Not so good from Balazovic.  Didn't he start against the same team on Tuesday?  Gotta wonder if the hitters have an advantage seeing the same starter twice in the same week.  With that said, seems like it was Jordan's lack of control that kept him from being his normal self.

Looking at the Top 20 recap, think you missed Ober's great outing for the Twins.  Very nice start from the big guy, unfortunately he got pulled one hitter too early...at least in my opinion.  Sure is getting a great opportunity to pitch himself into the Twins' plan for next year.  Something several others, Dobnak, Smeltzer, and Thorpe are missing.

 

[jmlease1]

If you're not enjoying the Jose Miranda Experience, I just don't know what to tell you. I love seeing a player figure things out like this and really seize an opportunity. the question then becomes how it will translate in MLB, where there's no question it's much much tougher. This is an absolutely monster power surge from Miranda that's coming without him sacrificing anything on his K rate, so it's going to be really interesting to see how sustainable it is.

[D.C Twins]

Dear Twins FO,

What exactly do you want me to still be working on down here in AAA... an OPS of 1.200?

Have you seen the team you are rolling out there in the MLB?

I'm pretty sure I can help.

Yours Truly,

Miranda

 

[Taildragger8791]

3 hours ago, D.C Twins said:

Dear Twins FO,

What exactly do you want me to still be working on down here in AAA... an OPS of 1.200?

Have you seen the team you are rolling out there in the MLB?

I'm pretty sure I can help.

Yours Truly,

Miranda

 

For a guy who just started AA this year and is blocked at the MLB level, I'm cool with him continuing to learn at the AAA level until September. There isn't really much playing time for him unless they want to bounce him all over the field. Rooker/Astudillo/Sano/Donaldson have 3B/1B/DH covered. Gordon/Polanco/Simmons have the middle infield. Arraez could come back. Let's not yank him around during a crucial breakout period. Also don't want to burn an option year unnecessarily just to get a peek at a guy.

[jmlease1]

2 hours ago, Taildragger8791 said:

For a guy who just started AA this year and is blocked at the MLB level, I'm cool with him continuing to learn at the AAA level until September. There isn't really much playing time for him unless they want to bounce him all over the field. Rooker/Astudillo/Sano/Donaldson have 3B/1B/DH covered. Gordon/Polanco/Simmons have the middle infield. Arraez could come back. Let's not yank him around during a crucial breakout period. Also don't want to burn an option year during unnecessarily just to get a peek at a guy.

If/when Donaldson gets traded, I suspect we'll see Miranda. probably platooning a bit with Arraez at 3B.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

16 hours ago, ashbury said:

We see what you did there.

Is the plural of col. mustard cols. mustard?

 

They mighta done more than you saw...

 

I thought the word "up" was superfluous, myself. Woulda been more appropriate if they had meant mustard instead of mustered, as you butter things up, but you muster the troops. All leaving me confused by the sentence, betwixt and between.

[Dman]

9 hours ago, D.C Twins said:

Dear Twins FO,

What exactly do you want me to still be working on down here in AAA... an OPS of 1.200?

Have you seen the team you are rolling out there in the MLB?

I'm pretty sure I can help.

Yours Truly,

Miranda

 

Yeah not sure what the Twins are going to do with him.  If Donaldson does get traded and that is no sure thing then there cannot be any reason not to bring him up.