Twins Minor League Report (7/9): McCusker Highlights Run-Filled Day

[Ted Schwerzler]

While the Minnesota Twins got embarrassed in their final game before the All-Star Break, the Saints did some embarrassing while the Mighty Mussels launched plenty on their own. Check out the action on the farm.

SAINTS SENTINEL 
St. Paul 20, Iowa 4
Box Score

Louie Varland went today for the Saints and worked five innings, allowing just a single run on three hits. He walked two and gave up a dinger but struck out six on the afternoon.

St. Paul opened the scoring in the first inning when Andrew Stevenson blasted his ninth home run of the season. The Cubs tied it in the bottom half, but then the Saints ran off.

In the second inning, Tony Wolters walked with the bases loaded to bring home Trevor Larnach. Stevenson walked to drive in Gilberto Celestino, and Matt Wallner walked in Wolters. Kyle Garlick then singled and drove in Stevenson and Austin Martin to make the score 6-1.

Wallner doesn’t always homer, and his single during the fourth scored Stevenson. Anthony Prato ripped his eighth double, clearing Larnach, Celestino, and Wallner from the bases, and an 11-1 rout was on. Alex De Goti then clubbed his seventh double, scoring Prato, and Stevenson singled again to bring in De Goti.

Garlick’s fifth-inning double brought home Wallner and made it 15-1 before Wallner reached on a fielder’s choice in the sixth inning to score Wolters. Garlick drew a bases-loaded walk later in the frame, scoring Stevenson, and making it a 17-1 game.

Iowa scraped back with three runs in the sixth inning, but Larnach added the 18th run for St. Paul with a single in the eighth inning that scored Martin. Stevenson then singled again during the ninth inning to bring home both Wolters and De Goti, hitting the magic 20-spot.

Stevenson finished with four hits, as did Garlick. Wallner, Larnach, Prato, and De Goti each added a pair of their own.

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Tulsa 9, Wichita 8 (F/10)
Box Score

 

Aaron Rozek was on the hill today but lasted two innings as he gave up five runs on five hits and three walks.

The Drillers put up a five-spot in the second inning before Wichita got on the board in the fifth. Brooks Lee lifted a sacrifice fly to bring in David Banuelos and record a run.

While Tulsa scored in the bottom of the fifth, Wichita added a pair in the sixth and seventh innings. Seth Gray homered, bringing home Yunior Severino, and then Lee launched a solo shot of his own. The Wind Surge drew within one thanks to Yoyner Fajardo scoring on a wild pitch.

After Tulsa added two more in the seventh inning, Wichita returned to work. Banuelos singled home Gray in the eighth inning, and Lee’s 28th double knotted things when Jake Rucker and Ernie Yake scored.

The Drillers recorded a walk-off single in the 10th, and this one was over. Lee and Fajardo both grabbed three hits. Severino, Gray, and Banuelos each had a pair of their own.

KERNELS NUGGETS
Quad Cities 6, Cedar Rapids 5
Box Score

The Kernels turned to Christian MacLeod today, and he gave them three innings of two-run ball. He allowed two hits and two walks while striking out four.

Cedar Rapids jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Jorel Ortega singled in Kala’i Rosario, and Noah Miller doubled in Ortega. They gave up the lead allowing two runs in the third inning, and then a two-run blast from Shervyen Newton made it 4-2 in the seventh inning.

Missed Urbina brought the Kernels closer with a sacrifice fly scoring Rosario in the seventh inning, but Quad Cities added in the eighth, making it 6-3.

In the ninth inning, Miller lifted his fourth homer of the year to score Ortega and make it a 6-5 game, but it was too late. Rosario, Ortega, Miller, and Jefferson Morales all had two hits today.

MUSSEL MATTERS
Game 1: Jupiter 7, Fort Myers 6 (F/8)
Box Score

Game one saw Jose Olivares take the ball and pitched four innings of four-run ball on five hits. Olivares allowed just one walk but struck out four.

Down 4-0 through four innings, the Mighty Mussels added their first run in the fifth inning when Kyle Schmidt scored on a wild pitch. In the sixth inning, Rafael Cruz brought home Danny De Andrade on a sacrifice fly.

After getting down 5-2 in the sixth inning, Rubel Cespedes blasts his 17th double in the seventh inning to bring home Gregory Duran, Ricardo Olivar, and De Andrade, tying the game up.

Duran drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth, plating Carlos Aguiar, giving Fort Myers their first lead. Jupiter answered in the eighth, and they walked it off for the 7-6 win.

Carson McCusker and Dylan Neuse both recorded a pair of hits on the afternoon.

Game 2: Fort Myers 4, Jupiter 2
Box Score

John Klein went in game two for Fort Myers and pitched four scoreless innings. He allowed just a single hit with two walks while striking out five.

McCusker continued his hot hitting from game one with a first-inning solo blast, his fourth of the season. Mikey Perez singled home McCusker in the third inning and made it a 2-0 game.

Perez then blasted his fifth home run during the fifth inning, with Cespedes on board, to make it a 4-0 game. Jupiter added a pair in the sixth inning, but it wasn’t enough to make a difference.

McCusker, Cespedes, and Duran had three hits, with Perez grabbing two of his own.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day – John Klein (Fort Myers) - 4.0, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Hitter of the Day – Carson McCusker (Fort Myers) 5-8, 2 R, RBI, HR(4), 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) - 3-4, R, 4 RBI, 2 2B(28), HR(7), BB, K
#4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 2-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B(10), HR(7)
#9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 2-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB, K
#11 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-5, 3 R, BB, K
#12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, 3 K
#13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, R, 3 RBI, 2B(8), HR(4g
#14 - Jordan Balazovic (Minnesota) - 2.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
#19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 2-5, R

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

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[Guest]

McCusker is a recent sign out of the independent leagues.  Drafted by Milwaukee, but went to Okie St instead.  Built like a power forward, kind of a unique find.  Would like to see less swing-and-miss, but hoping his fast start isn't just a flash in the pan.

[Dman]

Don't look now but Miller has a .900 OPS so far in July.  Granted really small sample size but it is nice to see some extra base pop from him. Maybe he can turn the corner here and get us all really excited.

St Paul with a monster game and they did it with plate discipline and not selling out for power.  Who are these guys? Was nice to see the bats back in St Paul. Also nice to see Varland get back on track.

Some tough luck loses but the bats seem to be heating up.

[Mike Sixel]

I'm ready to say F it and put Severino in MN at third.......but that's not happening....

I'm just hoping Martin and Lee really surge in the 2nd half. I don't know what Wallner or Larnach could do to convince the FO they give them a shot at being better, and for their sake, I hope they are dealt to an organization that will give them a shot (though I'd prefer that be in MN). 

[twinsfan02]

56 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

I'm ready to say F it and put Severino in MN at third.......but that's not happening....

I'm just hoping Martin and Lee really surge in the 2nd half. I don't know what Wallner or Larnach could do to convince the FO they give them a shot at being better, and for their sake, I hope they are dealt to an organization that will give them a shot (though I'd prefer that be in MN). 

I agree, I feel bad for Wallner and Larnach

[Omgbenji]

1 hour ago, Mike Sixel said:

I'm ready to say F it and put Severino in MN at third.......but that's not happening....

I'm just hoping Martin and Lee really surge in the 2nd half. I don't know what Wallner or Larnach could do to convince the FO they give them a shot at being better, and for their sake, I hope they are dealt to an organization that will give them a shot (though I'd prefer that be in MN). 

Do you suppose they’re in their agents’s ear and ask for them to push out of MN? If I were them I certainly would. 

[Major League Ready]

1 hour ago, Mike Sixel said:

I'm ready to say F it and put Severino in MN at third.......but that's not happening....

I'm just hoping Martin and Lee really surge in the 2nd half. I don't know what Wallner or Larnach could do to convince the FO they give them a shot at being better, and for their sake, I hope they are dealt to an organization that will give them a shot (though I'd prefer that be in MN). 

Are they giving Prato any reps at 3B?  Does he have the arm for it?  That dude has been raking. (.305 / .442 / .549)  

[Mike Sixel]

55 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

Are they giving Prato any reps at 3B?  Does he have the arm for it?  That dude has been raking. (.305 / .442 / .549)  

https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/depth-charts/twins

5 games so far.....but, was he ever a real prospect? Put f;n Severino there for peete's sake. (yes, I spelled pete wrong)