Twins Minor League Report (5/12): Kernels Krush, Wichita Rakes

[Ted Schwerzler]

Plenty of offensive firepower was on display tonight throughout the Twins farm system. Both the Wind Surge and Kernels put up double-digits with multi players having gaudy stat lines. Aaron Rozek was the standout arm and Cedar Rapids continued its torrid start to the season.

 

Transactions:

• RHP Cole Sands added to Minnesota as 27th man
• OF Kennie Taylor promoted to Double-A Wichita
• OF Kyle Fedko promoted to High-A Cedar Rapids
• OF Luis Baez transferred to Single-A Fort Myers

SAINTS SENTINEL 
Columbus 7, St. Paul 4
Box Score

Jacob Faria made the start for the afternoon tilt today. St. Paul got four innings of work from their starter and Faria allowed three runs, only one earned, on five hits while striking out four and walking one.

Down early after a three-run 2nd inning for the Clippers, St. Paul knotted things in the 5th inning. Caleb Hamilton scored on an Ernie Yake ground out before Elliot Soto singled in both Yake and Jermaine Palacios.

Giving a run back immediately in the bottom half of the 5th inning, the Saints saw the gap widen to four before answering with a run of their own in the 9th inning. Roy Morales drove in Kevin Merrell with a single, but that’s all the rally amounted to.

Palacios was the lone Saints hitter to record two hits on the day, one of which was his fifth double.

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Wichita 3, NW Arkansas 0
Box Score

Following the fun outing against his brother last time out, Louie Varland was back for a more normal contest. He cruised through the first few innings before running into trouble in the 5th inning. In total, Varland worked six innings allowing seven hits and four runs. He picked up seven strikeouts and walked no one.

Scoreless through the first two frames, the Wind Surge got their first run following a steal of third base by DaShawn Keirsey. With the ball getting away on the throw, he was able to move up ninety feet for the game’s first run. Matt Wallner then continued his hot stretch with a laced double to right scoring both Edouard Julien and Spencer Steer.

Although Austin Martin hasn’t hit for Wichita this season, middle infielder Spencer Steer absolutely has. Crushing a solo blast in the 5th inning, Steer picked up his fifth of the season.

Watching their lead be wiped out by the 6th inning, the Wind Surge got back to adding. In the 7th inning Alex Isola drove in Julien with a single before Andrew Bechtold added a double to plate Isola. Dennis Ortega followed with a double of his own to drive in Wallner and Bechtold, and then Leobaldo Cabrera cleared the bases with his second dinger of the season.

Steven Cruz was great in relief of Varland giving the Wind Surge two scoreless innings allowing just one hit and picking up three strikeouts. Isola, Wallner, Cabrera, and Kerisey all had two hits tonight for Wichita.

KERNELS NUGGETS
Cedar Rapids 13, Peoria 1
Box Score

It was Aaron Rozek on the bump tonight for the Kernels and he turned in nothing short of a dominant outing. Working five scoreless innings, Rozek allowed just three hits and no runs or walks while picking up nine punchouts.

Backing up their starter, the Cedar Rapids bats put up a crooked number early. Seth Gray roped his fifth double of the season in the top of the 4th inning to plate Jeferson Morales and Christian Encarnacion-Strand. Wander Javier then lifted a single to right field scoring Gray on the play.

Adding again in a big way, the 5th inning featured another Kernels outburst and this one was a home run party. Gray clobbered his second of the season before Jair Camargo hit his fifth, and Javier launched his second. Then Encarnacion-Strand decided he’d keep the ball in the park, driving a single to bring home both Will Holland and Anthony Prato.

Cedar Rapids picked up another run in the 8th inning with Holland scoring on a wild pitch. They did give that one back on a solo shot in the bottom half. It didn’t matter much however, as the 9th inning saw a four-run explosion in the form of a Camargo single to score Willie Joe Garry Jr. and Javier’s second homer of the night. Javier lifted a three-run shot and what was a big league became a laugher.

The Kernels recorded 14 hits in this one and got multi-hit efforts from Prato, Encarnacion-Strand, Gray, Camargo, and Javier.

MUSSEL MATTERS
Postponed

Fort Myers’ game against Palm Beach was postponed on Thursday night. It will be made up as a double-header tomorrow afternoon.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day – Aaron Rozek (Cedar Rapids) - 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K
Hitter of the Day – Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 3-5, 2 R, 5 RBI, 2 HR(3)

PROSPECT SUMMARY

We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. 

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

#1 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 
#2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 1-4, K
#3 - Jose Miranda (Minnesotal) - 0-4, 2 K
#4 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch
#5 - Joe Ryan (Minnesota) - Did Not Pitch
#6 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - Did Not Pitch
#7 - Jhoan Duran (Minnesota) - Did Not Pitch
#8 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - 
#9 - Josh Winder (Minnesota) - 3.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
#10 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - Postponed
#11 - Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) - 0-1, K
#12 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 2-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B, 2 K
#13 - Cole Sands (Minnesota) - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
#14 - Louie Varland (Wichita) - 6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
#15 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Ft. Myers) - Postponed
#16 - Ronny Hendriquez (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch
#17 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - IL 
#18 - Spencer Steer (Wichita) - 1-3, 2 R, RBI, HR(5), 2 BB, K
#19 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 0-2, 2 R, 3 BB, 2 K
#20 - Steve Hajjar (Ft. Myers) - Postponed

FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
St. Paul @ Columbus (6:05PM CST) - RHP Jordan Balazovic
Wichita @ NW Arkansas (7:05PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods-Richardson
Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (6:35PM CST) - RHP Cade Povich
Palm Beach @ Fort Myers (3:30PM CST) - TBD/TBD

Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates back and playing.

 

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[MplsFan]

Ooooh.  Excited for Balazovic, SWR and Povich tomorrow.  Thanks for this write up!

 

[JimPohlad1]

Louie Varland is gonna be a beast, excited to see what he can do at Triple A later this season. He’s better than his brother!

Matt Wallner heating up in May with over .340 AVG. but 37% SO rate! Need to cut down Matt! 
 

Lastly, don’t get my hopes started up on Wander Javier. The guy has been a pipe dream for years now!!

[Tiantwindup]

Catcher questions:  we entered the year concerned about catcher depth in the minors. Isola is hitting at AA and Camaro same at A. How are these two defensively?

[Tiantwindup]

Camargo…we have enough car names with Martin and Royce ?

[mikelink45]

It is interesting to read these summaries, but what really jumped out at me is that I now recognize more names in the lower levels than I do in AAA after all the raids the Twins have made of the Saints.  If there are Saints season ticket holders they should get a pass to Target field since the team they started watching is now playing there. 

[Seth Stohs]

1 hour ago, Tiantwindup said:

Catcher questions:  we entered the year concerned about catcher depth in the minors. Isola is hitting at AA and Camaro same at A. How are these two defensively?

Both are solid. They both have things to work on, but both do a nice job. 

[wabene]

Enlow on the IL?

[Dman]

I keep worrying about CES and his K rate and lack of walks but his numbers in almost the same number of games are the same as last year, so whatever strategy he employs it seems to be working.  I probably don't appreciate the fact that he is hitting nearly 400 enough but it feels like there is room for him to be even better.

Prato is finally back to getting hits and Camargo keeps crushing baseballs.  Wander with the big night but he hasn't had an OPS over 600 in the last 4 years.  Maybe this is the year it all clicks?

There are 5 guys at AA with OPS's over 800 and Martin is not one of them.  Steer, Jullien, Wallner, Bechtold and Isola are making life tough for opposing pitchers.  I can see why they are winning so many games.

[roger]

Wander Javier remains the International Prospect who signed the biggest contract ever....EVER...from the Twins.  He is still young and when you watch him in the field (only a few games in pre-season) you gotta love what he could be.  Then he puts up terrible numbers.  So when he puts up a few huge games, we hope that that lightbulb has gone on and he has turned the corner.  Usually he is back to the old norm after a few games.  Will this be the time he turns the corner?  We can only hope.

The one thing I noted above, Dman, is that his (CES) walk percentage is nearly double this year compared with last (12 in 125 PA this year versus 5 in 92 last year).  So the walks are increasing, although both are small samples.  But the kid sure seems like a hitter, eh?

[Trov]

1 hour ago, Dman said:

I keep worrying about CES and his K rate and lack of walks but his numbers in almost the same number of games are the same as last year, so whatever strategy he employs it seems to be working.  I probably don't appreciate the fact that he is hitting nearly 400 enough but it feels like there is room for him to be even better.

Prato is finally back to getting hits and Camargo keeps crushing baseballs.  Wander with the big night but he hasn't had an OPS over 600 in the last 4 years.  Maybe this is the year it all clicks?

There are 5 guys at AA with OPS's over 800 and Martin is not one of them.  Steer, Jullien, Wallner, Bechtold and Isola are making life tough for opposing pitchers.  I can see why they are winning so many games.

CES is a huge question mark based on that K rate.  I have been wondering what his approach is.  He clearly is a bit of a free swinger and the question is when he faces better pitching will he stop getting hits?  We have seen guys like him in past.  College bats that dominate low minors, but when they go higher up their K issues because a huge deal.  I would like to know is he just crushing pitches in the zone and getting a lot of bad pitches to crush, or is getting hits on pitches out of the zone too?  If he can make good contact on pitches out of zone, then I am less worried about him, but if he only gets hits in the zone then when he faces better pitching he will fade quickly. 

[AceWrigley]

47 minutes ago, Trov said:

If he can make good contact on pitches out of zone, then I am less worried about him, but if he only gets hits in the zone then when he faces better pitching he will fade quickly. 

Hmmm . . . not sure what you're trying to get at here.