Twins Minor League Report (4/25): Blowouts and Bombs

[Steve Lein]

Minnesota Twins affiliates went undefeated on Tuesday night, including two big blowouts, a brisk two-hour pitching duel, and a late comeback win. One of them even took down a legendary starting pitcher on a rehab assignment.

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of Michael Helman)

TRANSACTIONS

• RHP Brock Stewart had his contract selected from the St. Paul Saints and joined the Minnesota Twins bullpen. (As a guy who has watched each of his appearances with St. Paul so far on the year, this is a move that could have some good upside. He’s been 96-98 MPH on a big-running fastball, a bottom-dropping changeup at 90, and a frisbee-sweeper in the high-80s all missing bats. His 17.7 K-rate is not a mirage to my eyes)
• IF/OF Michael Helman was activated from the injured list for the St. Paul Saints, and he had a grand return from his rehab assignment.

SAINTS SENTINEL
St. Paul 14, Rochester 1
Box Score

Led by manager Toby Gardenhire, ten former Red Wings players made the trip to Rochester, New York, this time now part of the St. Paul Saints, for this week's International League series. They obviously felt at home in the confines of Frontier Field, as they decimated their current parent club’s former affiliate 14-1.

As a team, they pounded out 17 hits, with catcher Tony Wolters their only player not to record a base hit, though he did draw two walks and score a run. Kyle Garlick led off the scoring in the fourth with a solo home run, and Chris Williams followed later with a two-run double to make it 3-0.

Starter Aaron Sanchez kept the Red Wings off the board through five innings, though he battled with his control. In his five innings, he allowed just one hit, walked five, and struck out four to pick up his first win of the season.

The Saint's big barrage came in the sixth inning, thanks mostly to a grand slam from Michael Helman, freshly returned to Triple-A from a rehab assignment. He added a two-run bomb in the eighth and finished 3-for-6 with six RBI. Alex Kirilloff joined the homer party with a solo blast in the seventh.

The bullpen trio of Cole Sands (1 IP, H), Jordan Balazovic (2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 4 K), and Cody Laweryson (1 IP, BB, 2 K) held the Red Wings in check for the final four innings.

Joining Kirilloff (2-for-6, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI), Garlick (3-for-4, 3 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K, SB), and Helman with multiple hits in the game were Edouard Julien (2-for-6, R, 3 K) and Mark Contreras (4-for-5, 3 R, 2B, 2 RBI).

Helman now leads the International League with a 2.400 OPS, with Kirilloff in 2nd, less than 1.000 points behind.

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Springfield 3, Wichita 12
Box Score

I always love to see the Springfield Cardinals facing off against Twins affiliates, as I’ve had the privilege of enjoying several minor league games at their home park, Hammons Field, in the heart of Springfield, Missouri. While tonight's game was in Wichita, where I've yet to visit, it was especially noteworthy for Wind Surge fans as they packed Riverfront Stadium to see the rehabbing Adam Wainwright pitching with the Cardinals.

Facing off against him for Wichita in the series opener was rising Twins prospect David Festa.

While both pitchers were probably disappointed with their outings, matching each other by allowing three earned runs on seven hits and one walk in 4 1/3 innings apiece, Festa can remember the night fondly as he out-K’d the legendary Cardinals pitcher 7-to-1.

While it was a close game while both starters were still on the mound, Wainwright’s exit after Brooks Lee’s second double of the game against him in the fifth was the harbinger of doom for the visiting team.

 

Yunior Severino drilled his first home run of the game two batters later, putting the Wind Surge in front for good 4-3. Severino would add a 438-foot bomb to dead center in the seventh inning, which left his bat at 108 MPH.

Wichita tallied seven total runs in that frame, turning it into a blowout. 

Like the St. Paul Saints, the Wind Surge had 17 hits in the game, getting multi-hit efforts from DaShawn Keirsey Jr. (2-for-5, 3B), Lee (3-for-5, 3 R, 2 2B, RBI), Yoyner Fajardo (3-for-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI), Severino (2-for-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI, BB, K), Alex Isola (2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, BB), Will Holland (2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, K), and David Banuelos (2-for-4, R, 2 RBI).

Jose Bravo picked up the win with 2 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out four. Jordan Brink (1 1/3 IP, K) and Osiris German (1 IP, K) added scoreless outings to close it out.

KERNELS NUGGETS
West Michigan 0, Cedar Rapids 2
Box Score

It was a good old-fashioned pitcher's duel in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday night, with the Kernel’s Kyle Jones facing off against the WhiteCap’s Carlos Pena. 

Jones bested his counterpart with five scoreless frames compared to four, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out five. Malik Barrington got them through the seventh with two hitless innings, walking one and striking out two. Regi Grace finished the final two innings, also allowing no hits with one walk, picking up two K’s of his own for his second win.

The Cedar Rapids lineup was finally able to strike in the bottom of the eighth, after Noah Miller led off the inning with a single. A walk from Noah Cardenas put him in scoring position before Kala’i Rosario drove him in with a single of his own. Tanner Schobel added a run with a sac fly two batters later and the Kernels had a 2-0 lead that was insurmountable in the top of the ninth.

Both teams combined for just eight hits, with the edge going to the Kernels 5-3. Schobel had the only extra-base hit for Cedar Rapids, with a double to lead off the second inning. The home team’s pitching staff allowed the visitors just two at-bats with runners in scoring position, and induced three double-play balls.

MUSSEL MATTERS
Fort Myers 5, Daytona 4
Box Score

Left-hander Develson Aria had a rough start to this one, walking the first two hitters of the game and allowing an RBI double and two-run single before he could get out of the first.

His lineup got one back for him in the top of the second when reigning Florida State League Player of the Week Andrew Cossetti led off the inning with a double and was driven in by a sac fly from Dalton Shuffield.

The game was quiet for the most part in the middle innings, with Daytona extending their lead to 4-1 heading into the eighth. Aria finished 3 2/3 innings, allowing all four runs on five hits and four walks, while striking out five. Ricky Mineo went the next three innings, allowing just one hit, walking one, and striking out four.

In the top of the eighth, the Mighty Mussels manufactured a run thanks to Jorel Ortega, who singled, stole second base, and came home on Ricardo Olivar’s base knock a batter later. That set the stage for the final inning.

Carlos Aguiar led off the ninth with a double followed by a Shuffield walk to bring the winning run to the plate in Rubel Cespedes. He started a train of RBI singles that included Dylan Neuse and Danny De Andrade that put them out front 5-4.

Reliever Gabriel Yanez finished the final 2 1/3 innings for Fort Myers, striking out the side in the eighth, and ending the contest with his fifth strikeout on the game to pick up the win.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day - Kyle Jones, Cedar Rapids Kernels (5 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 5 K)
Hitter of the Day - Michael Helman, St. Paul Saints (3-for-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 6 RBI)

PROSPECT SUMMARY
#1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 3-for-5, 3 R, 2 2B, RBI
#5 - Edouard Julien (St. Paul) - 2-for-6, R, 3 K
#6 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) -
#8 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-2, BB, K
#11 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, R, BB, 3 K
#13 - David Festa (Wichita) - 4 1/3 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
#14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, R
#16 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 4 K
#18 - Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-2, RB, BB, K
#20 - Misael Urbina (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, 2 K

WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
St. Paul @ Rochester (5:05 PM CDT) - RHP Jose De Leon (0-0, 3.14 ERA)
Springfield @ Wichita  (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Travis Adams (1-2, 9.31 ERA)
West Michigan @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CDT) - LHP Jordan Carr (0-0, 2.16 ERA)
Fort Myers @ Daytona (5:35 PM CDT) - RHP Cory Lewis (2-1, 3.77 ERA)

Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games!

View full article

[FlyingFinn]

Very good night for a lot of our top hitting prospects. And Helmin continues his scorching hitting that he had in his rehab assignment. If the Twins decide to part ways with Gordon, he may be the insurance if we suddenly have a bunch of injuries. Kyle Jones with his second great start in Cedar Rapids. 

Cossetti watch - 2 for 4 with 2 doubles. 

[Doctor Gast]

Thanks Steve for the article & appreciate the box scores, a wonderful day for the Twins organization all away around! Happy for Helman and Festa for their accomplishments. And the clutch hitting of Ft. Myers to pull out a victory.

[Major League Ready]

It sure looks like Kirilloff's wrist surgery was a success.  This is one of the bigger question marks for this team and it's looking like this question is going to have a positive answer. 

Severino might end up being the prospect to elevate their prospect ranking the most this year.   

[2wins87]

Severino continues crushing. He's putting his name in the mix of guys who figure to be a big part of the club in the next few years. It's a little reminiscent of Miranda 2 years ago.

[Dman]

You look at that St Paul lineup and it looks good top to bottom.  Almost a mini MLB lineup with Jullien, Kirilloff, Garlick and Wallner at the top and Helman, Contreras and Wolters followed by Bechtold and Williams.  Gonna have to pitch well to keep all those bats down.  By the way Contreras is having a heck of start hitting .314 with 907 OPS Hopefully he can keep it going.

 Also nice to see Balazovich continue to pitch well.  Given how well he has pitched I assume they will start stretching him out soon? He looks like he might be back to his old self.

Jones pitched really well last night.  Hoping he keeps that up.  The bats at High A continue to struggle but seem to be coming around.

Awesome to get 4 wins and lot's of hits for the good guys.  Lot's of players starting to look better as we get close to May.

[2wins87]

10 minutes ago, Dman said:

Also nice to see Balazovich continue to pitch well.  Given how well he has pitched I assume they will start stretching him out soon? He looks like he might be back to his old self.

No idea what their plans are but I wonder if they'll just view him as a reliever going forward. He could be a long relief option this year and I could see him pretty quickly moving into a high leverage role focusing on his fastball/curveball/slider mix.

Honestly a high leverage reliever outcome would be pretty good after last year, and even the year before when he was pretty inconsistent. 

[Trov]

39 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

It sure looks like Kirilloff's wrist surgery was a success.  This is one of the bigger question marks for this team and it's looking like this question is going to have a positive answer. 

Severino might end up being the prospect to elevate their prospect ranking the most this year.   

I do not want to jump the gun on the AK 100% wrist healthy.  We thought this last year when he had an OPS over 1.100 last year in 35 games with St. Paul, but then crashed in majors and needed the second surgery.  I am not saying he is not recovered, but until he can show he can play each day and not have issues, I will just be knocking on wood. 

[Major League Ready]

18 minutes ago, Trov said:

I do not want to jump the gun on the AK 100% wrist healthy.  We thought this last year when he had an OPS over 1.100 last year in 35 games with St. Paul, but then crashed in majors and needed the second surgery.  I am not saying he is not recovered, but until he can show he can play each day and not have issues, I will just be knocking on wood. 

I want to optimistic because the Kirilloff we all envisioned would be a big boost to this team for several years.  Do they still do the weekly minor league update on the radio broadcast?  You would think the state of Kirilloff's wrist would be addressed.  If not, there will be something written when his rehab assignment expires and he brought back or optioned.  

[Alex Schieferdecker]

Someone put a pea under Max Kepler's mattress so we can get him to take an IL stint and get Kirilloff up.

[roger]

Thanks Steve, these updates and box scores are appreciated.

Cannot be happier for AK who is doing everything we could have hoped or prayed for.  Will agree with those above, that I have my fingers crossed that his wrist issues are behind him and he can now be the player everyone has envisioned since he was one of the two or three best hitters in all of MiLB several years ago.

Continue seeing that Reggie Grace is having a nice start to this year as a late inning reliever.  This is the first year he is 100% out of the bullpen, right?  He will need to be added to the 40-man at year end or eligible for the Rule 5 draft, right?  Twins, and all teams, will always be in need of dominant arms for their pen.  Could Grace be one of them?

[Doctor Gast]

Yeah, bring Kiriloff up already.

[Seth Stohs]

1 hour ago, roger said:

Continue seeing that Reggie Grace is having a nice start to this year as a late inning reliever.  This is the first year he is 100% out of the bullpen, right?  He will need to be added to the 40-man at year end or eligible for the Rule 5 draft, right?  Twins, and all teams, will always be in need of dominant arms for their pen.  Could Grace be one of them?

Regi is a great dude, so I'm so happy to see him off to a strong start this year. He was actually eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft this year but there was no concern about him being taken. Hopefully he keeps it going and gets up to AA to make it a tough decision!