Twins Minor League Report (6/11): Soularie Slugs in Wichita, Cardenas Clobbers for Kernels

[Ted Schwerzler]

There was plenty of good action worth tuning into on the farm for the Twins today. Rehab assignments were taking place for the Saints, while pitching and hitting were on display in Wichita. The Kernels put up a boatload of runs, and the Mighty Mussels flexed with a win on Sunday.

Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge

TRANSACTIONS

• OF Gilberto Celestino MLB rehab transferred to St. Paul

SAINTS SENTINEL 
St. Paul 8, Iowa 5
Box Score

Hoping to bounce back from the tilt last night, Cody Funderburk opened for Jordan Balazovic. He went two scoreless allowing just a single hit and striking out two. Balazovic then worked three innings. He gave up two runs on four hits and four walks. The bright spot was a trio of strikeouts.

Joey Gallo played his first rehab game in the outfield today for the Saints and kicked off the scoring with a ground out that brought Andrew Stevenson in. After a fourth inning homer by Iowa, the game was knotted at one and stayed that way until the sixth inning.

Iowa grabbed another run before Jair Camargo stayed hot with a double to drive in Chris Williams and even things again. The Cubs then took another one run lead in the seventh inning, but Gallo hit his second homer in as many days, and with Gilberto Celestino on, the Saints had a 4-3 lead through seven innings.

Breaking it open in the eighth inning, St. Paul put up four runs. Stevenson singled to drive in Anthony Prato, then Matt Wallner took a bases loaded hit by pitch scoring Alex De Goti. Andrew Bechtold rapped a single to right field scoring both Wallner and Williams for some added breathing room.

Even a David Bote two-run homer in the ninth was no longer enough to make it interesting and St. Paul heads out on a two week road trip off a win.

The Saints had a foursome of multi-hit performers today with Stevenson, Williams, Bechtold, and Camargo all grabbing two each. Celestino was 0-for-2 with three walks in his first Triple-A rehab game this season. Gallo collected a hit on his homer and went 1-for-3. He should be expected back with the Twins on Tuesday.

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Wichita 8, San Antonio 7
Box Score

It was a Blayne Enlow start for the Wind Surge today. He worked five innings and danced around seven hits to give up just a single run. Enlow didn’t allow any free passes and struck out four. The strong run of work could have him looking at a promotion to Triple-A St. Paul soon.

Alerick Soularie started the scoring with a solo shot in the second inning, his second of the year. After San Antonio tied it in the bottom half, Wichita answered in the fourth inning. Soularie again did damage with a single that scored both Alex Isola and Aaron Sabato. A wild pitch later in the inning then allowed Soularie to score making it a 4-1 game.

Keeping his hot game going, Soularie was at it again with his second homer of the day. A two run blast in the sixth inning played Kyle Schmidt and made it a 7-1 game.

San Antonio then went to work mounting a comeback. Scoring runs in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, they made it close at a 7-5 game. Thanks to Wichita adding a run when Schmidt singled in Isola during the ninth inning, the Wind Surge withstood a two-run homer in the bottom half that would’ve otherwise tied the game.

Soularie did the heavy lifting in this one and his three hits were nearly half of the Wichita total of eight. After the game Enlow was promoted to Triple-A St. Paul.

KERNELS NUGGETS
Cedar Rapids 16, Dayton 7
Box Score

Originally scheduled to play a regular nine inning game, the Kernels were delayed and played just a seven inning tilt this afternoon. Jaylen Nowlin was on the bump and worked four innings allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits and a pair of walks. He did strike out six batters during his outing.

The bats showed up in a big way today and it started right away in the first inning. Kala’i Rosario played Tanner Schobel on a fielder’s choice before Noah Cardenas recorded his tenth double on the year to bring in Ben Ross. Misael Urbina grounded out, but Rosario scored on the play, and then an error allowed Andrew Cossetti to reach with Cardenas scoring. Already up 4-0, Kyle Fedko singled in Jose Salas with a Schobel single plating Cossetti for the six spot. Rounding out the inning was another error, this time on a ball hit by Emmanuel Rodriguez, and Fedko came home. When the dust settled it was 7-0 before Dayton got to hit.

Cedar Rapids gave three runs back in the bottom of the first inning but Ross hit his ninth homer of the year, with Rodriguez also on, to make it a 9-3 game in the third inning.

Giving another back in the bottom half of the third inning, the Kernels answered when Salas singled in Cardenas during the fourth inning. Rosario then blasted his tenth homer of the season, again with Rodriguez aboard, and it was a 12-4 lead after the top of the fifth inning.

Dayton was able to add two more, but the Kernels scored another on Rosario’s single in the seventh. Schobel raced across the plate and made it a 13-6 laugher. The Dragons scored once in the bottom of the seventh, but that certainly wasn't going to move the needle.

While the game was suggested to only be of the seven inning variety, the two clubs played on. Maybe Dayton thought the extra runway would give them ample comeback ability. Instead, Rodriguez recorded his third double on the season and made it 14-7 when Cossetti scored in the eighth inning. Ross then singled to score Fedko, and Rosario singled to bring home Rodriguez. Dayton probably would've preferred this one to have ended an inning ago.

Continuing to play past the adjusted seven then caught the clubs when rain again came during the ninth inning causing another delay.

The 19 hits meant that everyone in the lineup recorded a base hit. Cardenas led the way with four of his own, while Rodriguez, Ross, and Rosario each had three.

MUSSEL MATTERS
Fort Myers 5, Clearwater 3
Box Score

The Mighty Mussels went with Ben Etheridge today and he worked 3 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball. Giving up just a single hit and no walks, Etheridge also struck out three in a very solid outing.

Fort Myers got on the board quick for Etheridge and gave him some breathing room. In the bottom of the second inning a Maddux Houghton single drove in Alec Sayre to score the game’s first run. Frank Nigro couldn’t get on, but his double play grounder did allow Yohander Martinez to cross the plate and make it 2-0.

Adding to their lead in the third inning, Rafael Cruz recorded his fifth double scoring Dylan Neuse. Rubel Cespedes then singled to center and scored Cruz on the play. The Mighty Mussels had doubled their lead just one frame later.

With Clearwater still scoreless, Luis Baez singled to score Gregory Duran in the sixth inning and make it a 5-0 lead. The Threshers did make things interesting with runs in the seventh and ninth inning, but the two were all they could push across.

Cruz was the only Fort Myers hitter with a pair of hits on the day.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day – Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 5.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Hitter of the Day – Alerick Soularie (Wichita) - 3-5, 3 R, 5 RBI, 2 HR(3), K

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 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 0-3, 2 BB, 2 K
#2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 3-4, 2 R, K
#3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 3-6, 3 R, RBI, 2 B
#4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 1-4, R, BB, 2 K
#9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-4, R, RBI, 2B
#12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R, RBI, BB, K
#14 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, ER, 4 BB, 3 K
#17 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 5.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
#19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 1-5, 2 K

TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
St. Paul @ Louisville (5:35PM CST) - RHP Aaron Sanchez
Wichita @ Midland (6:30PM CST) - TBD
South Bend @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - TBD
Fort Myers @ Bradenton (5:30PM CST) - TBD

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

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[FlyingFinn]

Wow, breaking news, Enlow going to St. Paul. I saw his stats today and was just going to type that it is time for him to move up. The Saints have more and more players that are fun to watch. Poor Wichita, a 23-33 record. Enlow is gone and how long before Severino, Lee and Kiersey move up..................... I don't think the replacements will be near as talented as them and the bottom half of that Wind Surge lineup is not doing well (might be a rough 2nd half for the Wind Surge fans in attendance). Sabato, the time is now for you to hit for this team!

[Linus]

What is the scouting report on Camargos defense?  Do we suddenly have a legit catching prospect?

[Ted Schwerzler]

2 hours ago, Linus said:

What is the scouting report on Camargos defense?  Do we suddenly have a legit catching prospect?

I don't think he's a star defender by any means, but can hold down the position. This young and producing at Triple-A is fun to see.

[ashbury]

Clean sweep in the minor league system today?  A welcome tonic after getting basically skunked yesterday (maybe one low-minors win?).

Kudos to Mr. Soularie for a good game.  It would be nice to see something develop from the top of that 2020 draft.  Granted, the later rounds* of that draft are working out well.

 

* I jest a little.  It was a short draft that year.

[nclahammer]

Awesome alliteration with the headlines TD.  Wonderful words.  Clever comment?

[Dman]

Congrats to Enlow on a well deserved call up to AAA.  He has come a long way since the TJ surgery and battled his way back.  Hoping he just keeps on pitching well for the Saints and looks like option for the MLB rotation.

So many good hitting performances that it is hard to name them all but I was happy to see Rosario have a big game after a bit of a mini slump.  Also Rodriguez almost got his batting average back to .200 after brutal start to the year.  It would be nice to see more contact and fewer strikeouts but adjusting to this level is no easy task just ask Miller, Salas and Urbina.  

I know Camargo is hot and had another two hit night but I still really like Wallner's numbers at AAA this year.  Yeah the K rate is bit high but everything else looks really good.  He definitely does deserve a longer look at the MLB level but he can still work on that K rate at AAA>

[Otaknam]

Happy for Enlow getting a promotion to AAA. Someone needs to emerge to replace the incompetent Pagan. Why is Pagan still on the team? How many games has he blown over the past 1 1/2 seasons? At least 9. He is only useful to mop up, not high leverage. Any young arm can do that. When Pagan enters a close game late I stop watching.