Twins Minor League Report (7/21): Kernels Get Popped After Long Rain Delay

[Steve Lein]

Image courtesy of Malamut Photography (photo of Eduardo Tait)

 

TRANSACTIONS

• The Minnesota Twins swapped RHP Woo-Suk Go and RHP Jack Anderson with the St. Paul Saints. 
• The Saints also activated RHP Julian Merryweather from the 7-day injured list and his rehab assignment.
• In Double-A the Wichita Wind surge activated IF Jake Rucker from the injured list.

SAINTS SENTINEL
Columbus 13, St. Paul 2
Box Score
While the Minnesota Twins took it on the chin against the Cleveland Guardians in the majors, the same happened in Triple-A to the Saints on Tuesday.

The Columbus Clippers are the Guardians Triple-A affiliate, and while the Twins scrounged together 2 runs in Cleveland, that Saints managed just one at home in St. Paul.

With the recall of Jack Anderson to the majors who was scheduled to start for the Saints, Matt Bowman stepped in to serve as a bit of an opener. The Clippers jumped all over him. He served up a pair of homers and four earned runs in 1 2/3 innings to kick this one off. He allowed four total hits, walked one, and struck out one.

Grant Hartwig got the next 1 1/3 innings and was charged with two earned runs on two hits and a walk. The Clippers scored two runs in each of the first three innings.

In the bottom of the third Noah Cardenas got the Saints on the scoreboard with a solo shot to left field to continue his recent power surge.

There wasn’t much else to talk about when it comes to the Saints offense. Tristan Gray hit his first double with the Saints, Aaron Sabato hit his 23rd. Walker Jenkins finished 1-for-4. The team went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left only five men on base.

There were a couple major league rehabbers, however.

Cole Sands gave up a leadoff single but retired the next three hitters he faced for a scoreless fourth inning. Marco Raya followed by not being able to complete the fifth. He served up a three-run homer and walked three in 2/3 of an inning, but his two outs came on strikeouts.

Taylor Rashi (1 1/3 IP, H, BB, K), C.J. Culpepper (1 IP, H, ER, 2 BB), Raul Brito ( 1 IP, 2 BB, K), and catcher David Banuelos (1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, BB) each pitched an inning to finish this one off.

Just for giggles, Orlando Arcia hit a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth to make the final score.

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Midland 1, Wichita 4
Box Score
Marek Houston started this one off for the Wind Surge by being hit by a pitch in the bottom of the first. Khadim Diaw followed with a double, and Andrew Cossetti delivered a sacrifice fly for an early 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the second Kyle DeBarge and Caden Kendle hit back-to-back two-out singles, executed a double steal to put themselves both in scoring position, and were rewarded for their effort when Jay Thomason brought them both in with a single.

That 3-0 lead would hold up through the first four innings, as starter Chris Vallimont was more than effectively wild for Wichita. He walked three in his four innings but allowed just one hit while striking out four.

The RockHounds finally scored a run against reliever Hunter Gregory, who gave up a solo homer but struck out three in the fifth. Darren Bowen (2 IP, BB, 3 K), Paulshawn Pasqualotto (1 IP, H, 2 K), and Kyle Bischoff (1 IP, 2 BB, 3 K) continued the trend of mowing down Midland hitters to close out the game. Wind Surge pitchers combined to allow just four hits and six walks, while striking out 16.

Wichita added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on a sac fly from Brandon Winokur. Andrew Cossetti had led off with a walk and advanced to third on a Billy Amick double.

Houston finished this one 1-for-2 with a double, run scored, and his 13th stolen base with the Wind Surge.

KERNELS NUGGETS
Cedar Rapids 13, Dayton 14 (10 innings)
Box Score
Leadoff man Yasser Mercedes wasted little time getting this one started, taking a 3-1 pitch in the opening at-bat out deep to left field to portent the Kernels early fortunes in this one.

In the top of the second the first two Kernels hitters were retired before Dameury Pena launched a liner into center field that turned into a little league homer. It bounced high off the wall and scooted past the center fielder, resulting in a triple in the book but also an error that allowed him to scamper all the way home standing up.

Henry Kusiak followed by drawing a walk in front of Graham Brown’s sixth home run of the season to make it 4-0. Yasser Mercedes then walked in front of Eduardo Tait’s 17th home run of the season for the early 6-0 lead.

The Dragons were able to answer with three runs in the bottom half against Kernels starter Ivran Romero, who would go on to finish four innings. He was charged with five earned runs on six hits and two walks, striking out three.

Danny De Andrade added a solo home run in the third to make it 7-3, but after five innings it was tied up at seven.

Cole Peschl was the first bullpen arm summoned and he gave up two earned runs on three hits in his lone inning, striking out one. Yehizon Sanchez was charged with three earned runs on three hits in his lone inning which put the Dragons up 10-9.

After Brown had driven in two with a single in the sixth, the Kernels got three more in the seventh to again take back the lead. Enrique Jimenez drew a walk. Jacob McCombs got a bunt single. De Andrade reached on an error that allowed Jimenez to score. Miguel Briceno capped it off with a two-run single and 12-10 lead.

Then a thunderstorm rolled through in the middle of the seventh, leading to an hour-and-a-half long delay, and bad omen for the Kernels.

When play resumed Nick Trabacchi took the mound for Cedar Rapids and delivered a one-two-three inning, striking out two Dragons. Back out for the eighth he gave up a pair of hits, but also picked up another pair of strikeouts.

In the top of the ninth the Kernels added an insurance run thanks to some good bounces. Jacob McCombs was hit by a pitch with two outs. A passed ball moved him to second, then De Andrade delivered an RBI single to give them a three-run lead. 

That run would prove necessary, as Trabacchi was tasked with closing it out, and was unable. He walked the first two batters of the inning ending his outing at 2+ innings. Jesse Bergin came on and picked up a strikeout, but a catcher's interference call, two run single (with one of the most egregious defensive positioning blunders I think I’ve ever seen. Seriously, watch this highlight in the game summary link above. Enrique Jimenez’s reaction as a catcher on the hit says it all), and a sac fly sent this one to extra innings. Trabacchi was charged with two earned runs on two hits and two walks.

Henry Kusiak delivered a single to move the Kernels ghost runner to third, but a double-steal attempt was sniffed out by the Dragons and turned into a double-play after the pitch was a strikeout to end the Kernels attempt.

In the bottom half Bergin picked up a strikeout, but after a walk and a steal of third base, a sac fly walked it off for the Dragons just before midnight in Dayton, Ohio.

MUSSEL MATTERS
Fort Myers 2, St. Lucie 8
Box Score
Right-hander Eric Hammond took the bump for the Mighty Mussels on the road against the Mets and worked a quick one-two-three bottom of the first. In the second he started off the inning by hitting a batter and walking the next one before a pair of outs put runners on the corners. The Mets executed a double-steal that included a throwing error to take an early 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the third it unraveled for Hammond, as two singles, two walks, and a double charged him with four more runs and ended his outing after 2 2/3 innings. He allowed three hits, walked three, and struck out four.

Relievers Nick McAuliffe (1 1/3 IP, H, BB, K) and Dylan Questad (2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, K) got the pitching staff through the sixth inning in a 7-0 hole before the Mighty Mussels offense was able to get on the scoreboard.

In the top of the seventh Irvin Nunez and Ricardo Paez led off by trading places with doubles for their first run of the game. After a pair of walks to load the bases, a groundout from Jayson Bass scored their second run of the frame, but that was it in the game.

Righty Mike McKenna finished off the final two innings for Fort Myers, allowing a lone run on a solo homer in two innings.

As a team the lineup managed just five hits, finished 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, and left nine men on base. Nunez finished 2-for-3 with a run scored, a walk, and a pair of doubles. Quentin Young added a double. Ramiro Dominguez batted first in the lineup and drew three of their five walks as a team.

COMPLEX CHRONICLES
FCL Orioles 9, FCL Twins 8
Box Score
The Twins took a 7-1 lead into the top of the sixth inning, but the bullpen melted down and their ninth inning rally came up short.

Starting pitcher Halton Hardy was fantastic over the first five innings. He allowed just one unearned run on three hits and a walk, while striking out four. As soon as the bullpen was called upon, the Orioles pounced. Cleiber Maldonado was charged with three earned runs on three hits and two walks in 2/3 of an inning. Matthew Becker got the final out of the sixth. Santiago Rojas had a scoreless seventh but gave up three runs (one earned) in the eighth. He finished 1 2/3 innings, striking out three. Matthew DesMarets ended up charged with the loss by allowing two earned runs on one hit and two walks to finish off the game. He struck out three.

The Twins took a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first behind a two-run homer from Teilon Serrano and a two-run single with two outs and the bases loaded from Jose Barrios. Yilber Herrera chipped in an RBI single in the third and Barrios clubbed another two-run homer in the fifth that made it 7-1 before the bullpen collapsed. 

In the bottom of the ninth the Twins loaded the bases, but a wild pitch was the only play that resulted in them scoring a run before a fly out ended the game.

Jhomnardo Reyes (2-for-5, R, K), Darwin Almanzar (2-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, K), and Barrios (2-for-3, R, HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB) each had two hits in the loss.

DOMINICAN DAILY
DSL Tigers 10, DSL Twins 12 (7 innings)
Box Score
The Twins were down 7-3 in the sixth inning, but exploded for nine runs in the bottom half to take a lead, and held on in the seventh for the win.

Agustin Campusano made the start and delivered two scoreless innings before running into trouble in the third. He finished 2 1/3 innings and ended up being charged with four earned runs on five hits and three walks. He struck out two. Juan Collado went the next 2 ⅔, allowing two runs (one earned) on one hit and two walks while striking out three. Herkyn Taveras (1 IP, 3 H, ER, K), Juan Quinones (2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, BB, K), and Failin Placencio (1/3 IP, BB, K) finished off the final two innings and held onto the Twins lead with white knuckles.

The Twins lineup scored their first two runs of the game in the bottom of the fourth on a single, a walk, and a pair of errors from the Tigers defense. Enmanuel Merlo added an RBI single in the fifth before the offense took advantage in the sixth. The first 10 hitters reached base (four singles, five walks, and a hit-by-pitch) against two different pitchers before an out was recorded. 

Jhon Gonzalez (2-for-4, R, RBI), Merlo (3-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB), and Anibel Beltre (3-for-4, 2 R, RBI) had multiple hits, though they had no extra-base-hits as a team in the game. Jefferson Abreu drove in three.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day – Halton Hardy, FCL Twins (5 IP, 3 H, R (0 ER), BB, 4 K)
Hitter of the Day – Graham Brown, Cedar Rapids Kernels (2-for-4, R, HR, 4 RBI, BB, 2 K)

PROSPECT SUMMARY
Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today.

#1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul): 1-for-4
#4 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-4, R, HR (17), 2 RBI, BB, K
#5 - SS Marek Houston (Wichita): 1-for-2, R, 2B, K, SB
#7 - LHP Kendry Rojas (Minnesota): 2 1/3 IP, H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
#8 - OF Hendry Mendez (St. Paul): 0-for-4, 2 K
#12 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Wichita): 0-for-2, RBI
#13 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (Wichita): 1-for-3, 2B, BB
#14 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Fort Myers): 1-for-4, 2B, K
#17 - RHP C.J. Culpepper (St. Paul): 1 IP, H, ER, 2 BB
#18 - OF Yasser Mercedes (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-4, 2 R, HR (7), RBI, BB, 2 K
#19 - 1B/3B Billy Amick (Wichita): 1-for-4, 2B, K
#20 - 2B/OF Kyle DeBarge (Wichita): 1-for-4, R, SB

WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
Columbus @ St. Paul (1:07 PM CDT) - LHP Aaron Rozek (2-1, 3.34 ERA)
Midland @ Wichita (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP Ty Langenberg (0-4, 5.03 ERA)
Cedar Rapids @ Dayton (6:05 PM CDT) - LHP Cesar Lares (0-4, 15.98 ERA)
Fort Myers @ St. Lucie (10:10 AM CDT) - RHP Callan Fang (3-1, 1.00 ERA)
FCL Twins @ FCL Red Sox (11:00 AM CDT) - TBD

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

 

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[Ricky Vaughn]

looking for the bright spot here. Young only struck out once. Progress

[jmlease1]

with the MLB team back in free-fall, it's back to watching the minors, where at least there's always hope.

Houston and Diaw continue to be interesting players to track. Happy to see them each crack a double. Neither player needs to become a big slugger, but if they're able to show they can do damage when pitchers make mistakes, show they're more complete hitters, it's what we want to see. I like their speed, I like their contact ability, they both are looking like they understand the strike zone...hoping for a strong second half from both of these guys.

Really wish Culpepper was healthy. Miss seeing him in the boxes.

I have no good way to evaluate Quentin Young at this point, but he seems like he has a long way to go. I've felt like he's been ranked too high for a while. It does look like he's a bit less of an error machine, but I still have trouble believing he has any realistic chance to stick at SS.

[rdehring]

Thanks for the report, Steve.

Two wins out of six games seems to be the norm for the organization much of this year.  With the FCL Twins missing the playoffs, am guessing their season is about to end.  Correct?  My question, where do all the new draft choices go to play once they are ready for action?  Doubt they go to the Mussels, yet that's the only option short of Hi-A ball.

[Steve Lein]

1 hour ago, rdehring said:

Thanks for the report, Steve.

Two wins out of six games seems to be the norm for the organization much of this year.  With the FCL Twins missing the playoffs, am guessing their season is about to end.  Correct?  My question, where do all the new draft choices go to play once they are ready for action?  Doubt they go to the Mussels, yet that's the only option short of Hi-A ball.

The FCL season ends this week, though I'm not sure what day.

My guess is Vahn Lackey will either go to Cedar Rapids, or spend a week or two with Fort Myers before going to Cedar Rapids. Would not surprise me if none of the pitchers see in-game action this season. Other college position players will likely start with the Mighty Mussels if they see the field this year.

[Danchat]

Looks like Sands is ready to go. 

[Steve Lein]

4 minutes ago, Danchat said:

Looks like Sands is ready to go. 

Generous and brief description given in the summary... 14 pitches, 7 strikes. Couple balls hit hard against him. 106 MPH single and the last out was a 400-ft flyout that Jenkins jumped to catch at the wall in dead center and lightly landed into it with his recovered shoulder. His reaction was one of "I didn't mean to do that," lol.

[bean5302]

6 hours ago, jmlease1 said:

with the MLB team back in free-fall, it's back to watching the minors, where at least there's always hope.

Houston and Diaw continue to be interesting players to track. Happy to see them each crack a double. Neither player needs to become a big slugger, but if they're able to show they can do damage when pitchers make mistakes, show they're more complete hitters, it's what we want to see. I like their speed, I like their contact ability, they both are looking like they understand the strike zone...hoping for a strong second half from both of these guys.

Really wish Culpepper was healthy. Miss seeing him in the boxes.

I have no good way to evaluate Quentin Young at this point, but he seems like he has a long way to go. I've felt like he's been ranked too high for a while. It does look like he's a bit less of an error machine, but I still have trouble believing he has any realistic chance to stick at SS.

Second year in professional baseball, at the lowest full season level, striking out nearly 45% of the time over 300 PA. There's no realistic path to improve to a projectable prospect. Pitchers don't hit any more, and haven't hit since like 1990 in any MiLB league, and pitcher would be the only position you could have that K rate at that level and be a prospect.

[bean5302]

1 hour ago, Steve Lein said:

Generous and brief description given in the summary... 14 pitches, 7 strikes. Couple balls hit hard against him. 106 MPH single and the last out was a 400-ft flyout that Jenkins jumped to catch at the wall in dead center and lightly landed into it with his recovered shoulder. His reaction was one of "I didn't mean to do that," lol.

Tough to say what the Twins are expecting on Sands. He's sitting at 93-94mph instead of the 95-96mph from the previous 2 years. Kinda more like he was initially. If he's feeling good, the Twins are going to need to use an option to keep him in AAA or recall him in the relative near future. Pitchers max out at 30 days on the rehab list, but once a player is healthy, you can't keep them there for performance issues.

He's made 4 appearances for 5 innings pitched in the past 11 days. I'd expect him to make one more appearance in a couple days after throwing 14 pitches yesterday, and if there aren't any health related issues, the Twins will need to make a call.

[jkcarew]

Break up the Wind Surgery!

Don’t want to say it’s all Houston, because there were other call-ups…and Houston is doing well, not spectacularly, in the batters box…but there’s definitely been some life in Wichita lately.

[Scott51104]

Mendez has been struggling for a while now.