Twins Minor League Report (4/11): Top Pitching Prospects Take Mound

Find out everything and more that happened happened in the Twins system on Thursday, starting with the transactions of the day

TRANSACTIONS

• The Red Wings announced that RHP Chase De Jong was back on their roster after being optioned by the Twins. RHP DJ Baxendale was removed from the injured list. Also, RHP Sean Poppen was transferred back to AA Pensacola.
  
• Cedar Rapids announced that catcher David Banuelos was on the 7-Day IL with a concussion. RHP Tyler Palm also placed on the IL. RHP Derek Molina and 1B Gabe Snyder were promoted from extended spring training .
  

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 6, Lehigh Valley 13

Box Score

It was the home opener for the Rochester Red Wings at Frontier Field on Thursday.

Lewis Thorpe was back on the mound for his second start of the season. In his first start, he was charged with nine earned runs in four innings. He was better this time. He gave up six earned runs on seven hits and five walks in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out five. Thorpe gave up three in the first inning and one in the third inning. When he left with two outs in the fifth inning, he left two runners on. Ryan Eades allowed both of those runners, plus one more, to score.

Eades did throw two scoreless innings after that fifth frame finished. He struck out three and didn’t issue a walk over his 2 1/3 innings. DJ Baxendale came on and threw a scoreless eighth inning. Unfortunately in the ninth frame, he was charged with six earned runs on five hits and two walks. Mike Morin finished the ninth by getting all three outs.

Luke Raley provided much of the offense. He went 3-or-4 with his first homer of the season and three RBI. John Andreoli was the only other Wings hitter with multiple hits. He was 2-for-5 with his second double. LaMonte Wade walked twice.

https://twitter.com/TFTwins/status/1116521187914526721

The Red Wings, now 2-6, have played quite poorly early in the season. They have statistically been the worst defensive team in the International and from what I have watched, it is earned.

BLUE WAHOO BITES

Pensacola 4, Jacksonville 3

Box Score

Brusdar Graterol picked up his first Double-A win on Thursday night with a real solid performance. The hard-throwing righty gave up three hits and walked three batters over 5 2/3 scoreless innings. He struck out four batters. He left the game with a runner on second and two outs. Tyler Jay came on and got the final out of the sixth inning quickly.

https://twitter.com/TFTwins/status/1116547874874109953

Jay was charged with two runs (1oneearned) in the seventh inning. He gave up two hits and walked one in that inning. Dusten Knight came on and gave up a run in the eighth frame. But he pitched a scoreless ninth to preserve the win and earn his second save of the season. He struck out four in the two innings. And, as he does when he closes out a win, Knight does a backflip.

https://twitter.com/SethTweets/status/1116528545847812102

The Blue Wahoos got three hits from Luis Arraez. Jordan Gore and Jaylin Davis each had a single and a walk. They got an RBI single from Mitchell Kranson to take the lead in the first inning. In the sixth inning, Jimmy Kerrigan came through with a two-run double to give the team a 3-0 lead. They added a fourth run on a error by the pitcher.

Pensacola improved to 5-2.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Ft. Myers 0, Dunedin 5

Box Score

Jhoan Duran made his second start of the season. He gave up single runs in the second and third innings. But he pitched pretty well again. In five innings, he gave up those two runs on three hits. He walked just one and struck out five batters. 46 of his 66 pitches were strikes.

Melvi Acosta came on in relief and pitched pretty well, though it may not look it. Acosta gave up three runs (one earned) on three hits, a walk, and a hit batter over the final four innings. But he threw three scoreless innings before the three-run ninth.

Acosta did get some help from his defense. He loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh inning, but Royce Lewis made a diving catch to his right to make a great catch that kept the Miracle in the ballgame at the time. Hopefully we’ll get some video at some point, but here is a report from someone who was there.

https://twitter.com/LWOSRobMolnar/status/1116497746809229312

The Miracle offense managed just five hits in the game. Trevor Larnach had two hits and a walk. It was his second straight multi-hit game.

The Miracle fall to 4-4 on the season.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 3, Kane County 7

Box Score

Jordan Balazovic had another impressive outing. He struck out two batters in each of the first four innings of the game. In the fourth inning, he gave up his first two hits and a run. He struggled in the fifth inning. He left the game with the bases loaded and two outs (one one a strikeout). Derek Molina came in and got a ground ball to shortstop. But the throw to second base was to slow and late, allowing a second run to score and be charged to Balazovic. Molina then got a strikeout to end that inning.

Balazovic’s final line? He gave up two runs on four hits and two walks. In 4 2/3 innings, he struck out nine batters.

Molina struck out four batters in his 1 1/3 innings. But in that sixth inning, he gave up four runs on three hits and a walk, the biggest hit was a three-run homer that pushed the Kernels’ deficit to 6-1.

Jose Martinez gave up an unearned run on two hits and a walk over two innings. Infielder Joe Cronin came in to pitch the ninth inning and worked a 1-2-3 innings. He led off the bottom of the ninth with a double. He later scored on a double by Michael Davis, who took over at shortstop when Cronin pitched.

Trey Cabbage went 2-for-5 in the game and is now hitting .458. He has at least one hit in all six games he has played. He has had four multi-hit games.

Gabe Snyder, in his first Kernels game, went 2-for-4. Andrew Bechtold also went 2-for-4 in the game. Cronin also went 2-for-4 with the double.

The Kernels fall to 2-6 on the season.

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Brusdar Graterol, Pensacola Blue Wahoos

Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Luke Raley, Rochester Red Wings

PROSPECT SUMMARY

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

#1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - 0-4, K

#2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - Injured List

#3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K (77 pitches, 47 strikes)

#4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - 2-3, BB, K

#5 - Wander Javier (EST) - No Game

#6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - 1-4, RBI, 2 K

#7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (66 pitches, 46 strikes)

#8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - 4.2 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 5 BB, 5 K

#9 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Pitch

#10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - 0-4, 2 K

#11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Injured List

#12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured List

#13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - 1-4, 2 K

#14 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Play

#15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, 3 K

#16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Play

#17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Pitches Friday

#18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - 0-3, 2 BB

#19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch

#20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Play

FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Lehigh Valley @ Rochester (5:35 CST) - RHP Zack Littell (0-1, 10.38 ERA)

Jacksonville @ Pensacola (6:35 CST) - LHP Devin Smeltzer (1-0, 0.00 ERA)

Ft. Myers @ Clearwater (5:30 CST) - LHP Tyler Watson (0-1, 7.20 ERA)

Burlington @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - RHP Cole Sands (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Thursday’s games.

Interested in learning more about the Minnesota Twins' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!