Twins Minor League Report (6/21): Brent Rooker is Burning

TRANSACTIONS

-Free agent RHP Drew Hutchison signed, assigned to Rochester.

-Fernando Romero placed on the IL (back strain)

-RHP Andro Cutura promoted from Pensacola to Rochester.

-LHP Kody Funderburk (oblique strain) and SS Ricky De La Torre (hamstring strain) placed on IL for Cedar Rapids.

-Added to the Miracle roster is RHP and 2019 draftee Tyler Beck.

-Added to the Kernels’ roster are SS Daniel Ozoria and LHP Petru Balan.

RED WINGS REPORT

Game 1: Toledo 1, Rochester 0 (7 innings)

Box Score

Drew Hutchison: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 65.9% strikes (56 of 85 pitches)

HR: None

Multi-hit games: None

Welcome to the organization, Drew Hutchison. On the same day his signing is announced, Hutchison throws five shutout innings for the Wings. He’d pitched to a 5.14 ERA in 63.0 innings with the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate, making his final appearance with them Jun 11.

Jake Reed gave up a leadoff triple in the sixth. Jaylin Davis lost a high fly ball in the sun, recovered to make an effort at a diving catch, but couldn’t come up with it. That was followed by an RBI single. Reed managed to induce a double play, then struck out the final batter he faced.

Other than that, not much doing in the first half of this twinbill. Brent Rooker reached base in all three of his plate appearances. He hit a double, drew a walk and was hit by a pitch.

Game 2: Rochester 9, Toledo 8 (7 innings)

Box Score

Andro Cutura: 4.0 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 59.4% strikes (51 of 69 pitches)

HR: Brent Rooker (11)

Multi-hit games: Brent Rooker (2-for-3, 2B, HR, BB), LaMonte Wade (2-for-2, 2 BB), Wilin Rosario (2-for-4), Jaylin Davis (2-for-3)

Ah, I see now. The Red Wings were just saving all their runs for Game 2. And they needed them all. Andro Cutura had a rough start to his Triple-A debut, giving up four runs in the first inning. But Rochester answered with two runs in the bottom of the first, then added three more to take the lead in the third.

Toledo regained the lead in the fifth inning, but the Wings counterpunched again. A big four-run fifth inning was highlighted by a Brent Rooker two-run homer. He’s been on fire, and is now hitting .301/.412/.590 on the season. Here are some highlights of what he's done over the past few days, including today's homer.

BLUE WAHOO BITES

Pensacola 8, Jacksonville 1

Box Score

Randy Dobnak: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 70.3% strikes (64 of 91 pitches)

HR: None

Multi-hit games: Aaron Whitefield (3-for-5, 2B), Travis Blankenhorn (2-for-4, 2B, 2 BB), Lewin Diaz (2-for-5)

Pensacola had a 5-1 lead by the middle of the second inning. Randy Dobnak and Tom Hackimer knew what to do from there, as they combined to shut out Jacksonville from there forward. The Blue Wahoos did not issue a walk in this game.

Pensacola was 6-for-17 with runners in scoring position. Travis Blankenhorn, Lewin Diaz and Aaron Whitefield drove in a pair of runs each. Blankenhorn also scored three times.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Fort Myers 11, Jupiter 7

Box Score

Tyler Watson: 4.1 IP, 10 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 68.4% strikes (54 of 79 pitches)

HR: None

Multi-hit games: Gabriel Maciel (2-for-4, BB), Royce Lewis (2-for-5), Trevor Larnach (2-for-4, 2B), Ryan Jeffers (2-for-4), Ernie De La Trinidad (2-for-5)

This is about a week’s worth of runs in the Florida State League. The Miracle jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the top of the second and never looked back, despite a few nice comeback efforts from Jupiter.

The first eight batters reached safely for Fort Myers in that big second inning. Trevor Larnach hit his 23rd double of the year, putting him just one shy of the team-leading mark from last season, which was shared by Travis Blankenhorn and Alex Kirilloff.

Gabriel Maciel has gotten off to a hot start in his first exposure to the FSL. He’s reached base five times in his first two games with the Miracle, and stole his first base after swiping eight bags down in Cedar Rapids.

Zach Neff pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out four batters to earn the victory in what was his High-A debut.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 3, Peoria 2 (11 innings)

Box Score

Luis Rijo: 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 67.1 K% (47 of 70 pitches)

HR: None

Multi-hit games: Estamy Urena (2-for-3, BB)

The Kernels entered the bottom of the ninth up 2-0, but Peoria hit back-to-back solo homers to send it into extras. Gilberto Celestino delivered the go-ahead run with a double in the 11th inning and Alex Schick managed to pitch around the “bonus” runner starting the inning at second base in both the 10th and 11th innings to earn the win. Shick struck out three of the seven batters he faced.

Luis Rijo is on quite the roll. He’s pitched five shutout innings and surrendered just one hit in all three of his most recent starts now.

E-TWINS E-NOTES

Kingsport 7, Elizabethton 2

Box Score

Andriu Martin: 4.0 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 75% strikes (57 of 76 pitches)

HR: None

Multi-hit games: Anthony Prato (2-for-5), Charles Mack (2-for-5), Seth Gray (2-for-5), Tyler Webb (2-for-4), Willie Joe Garry Jr. (2-for-4, 2B)

The Twins had plenty of traffic on the bases and Andriu Martin pitched pretty well for the most part, but Kingsport hit a couple of big homers off him. Charles Mack extended his season-opening hit streak to four games, and Tyler Webb now has recorded multiple hits in three of E-Town’s four games.

Seth Gray had his second straight multi-hit game. Matt Wallner was 1-for-4 with a walk. Max Smith, the Twins’ 31st-round pick, picked up his first professional hit tonight.

STARS OF THE DAY

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Alex Schick, Cedar Rapids

Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day: Brent Rooker, Rochester

TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY

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

1. Royce Lewis (FM): 2-for-5, RBI, R, K, E (throw)

2. Alex Kirilloff (PNS): 1-for-5, RBI, R, K

4. Trevor Larnach (FM): 2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI

5. Wander Javier (CR): 0-for-4, 2 K

6. Brent Rooker (ROC): 1-for-1, 2B, BB, HBP | 2-for-3, 2B, HR, BB 3 RBI, 2 R

11. Nick Gordon (ROC): 0-for-3

13. Ryan Jeffers (FM): 2-for-4, 3 RBI, R

14. Ben Rortvedt (PNS): 1-for-3, 2 BB, R

16. Gilberto Celestino (CR): 1-for-5, 2B, RBI, K

18. LaMonte Wade (ROC): 1-for-3, K | 2-for-2, 2 BB, 2 R

20. Jose Miranda (FM): 0-for-4, HBP, R, K, E (fielding)

SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester at Toledo, 6:05 pm CT (TBD)

Pensacola at Jacksonville, 5:35 pm CT (Charlie Barnes)

Fort Myers at Jupiter, 4:30 pm CT (Jordan Balazovic)

Cedar Rapids at Peoria, 6:35 pm CT (Josh Winder)

Elizabethton at Kingsport, 5:30 pm CT (TBD)

Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the games.