Twins Minor League Report (4/30): Festa and Morris Deal in Losing Efforts

TRANSACTIONS

• Yesterday the Twins optioned IF/OF Austin Martin back to the St. Paul Saints, making room for SS Carlos Correa. Today the parent club activated RHP Jhoan Duran and designated for assignment RHP Matt Bowman in a corresponding move.
• The Saints transferred C Chris Williams to the Development List.
• RHP Jack Noble was assigned to Fort Myers from Cedar Rapids. Noble has been bouncing all over the system so far this year, with appearances in Wichita and Cedar Rapids.
• On Monday, the Mighty Mussels placed LHP Kade Bragg and RHP Kyle Bloor on the 7-day injured list. On Tuesday they were also assigned RHP Spencer Bengard and received RHP Josh Winder on a rehab assignment, who made the start for Fort Myers.

SAINTS SENTINEL
Louisville 7, St. Paul 5
Box Score
The Saints began their series this week against the Bats with a morning matinee game, sending top prospect David Festa to the bump. He struck out all three hitters he faced in the first, portending how most of his outing would go the rest of the way.

In the bottom half, the Saints offense jumped all over Louisville’s starter, Lyon Richardson, who ranks as their #14 prospect per MLB.com. Anthony Prato started it off as he does, by drawing a walk, and Michael Helman did the same. An error on a grounder from Yunior Severino loaded the bases with one out. Tony Kemp drew another walk for the game’s first run, and Patrick Winkel blew it open with a grand slam, and his first home run of the season.

Unfortunately from there, the offense would go cold, as Richardson went on to finish five innings, retiring the last seven Saints hitters he faced.

Festa had his only trouble of the game in the second inning, when he surrendered a two-run homer that made it 5-2 in favor of the home team. Festa would finish five innings in this one, being quite a bit more efficient with his pitches than in his other starts so far this season. He threw 80 total pitches, with 53 going for strikes (66%), including 12 swings and misses. He was charged with two earned runs on three hits, walked one, and struck out 10, tying the Saints franchise record.

His fastball averaged a tick above 95 MPH, and topped out at 96.9 MPH on the game. All those swings and misses came on his fastball (6) and slider (6). In a crude comparison, top global pitching prospect Paul Skenes got 11 swings and misses on 75 pitches in his game, striking out seven in six innings.

Justin Topa made his second relief appearance for the Saints in the sixth inning, and things got a bit away from him. Five of the first six hitters he faced reached base, a couple of them stole second base, and two RBI singles and an RBI double tied the game at five.

In the seventh Hobie Harris allowed a pair of runs (one earned) on three more hits to make the final score. Jorge Alcala (1 IP, H, K) and Scott Blewett (1 IP, K) finished off the game with a scoreless inning apiece.

The lineup got multiple hits from DaShawn Keirsey Jr. (2-for-5) and Winkel (2-for-4, R, HR (1), 4 RBI, K). Kemp finished 1-for-2 with a pair of walks, RBI, and a run scored. Matt Wallner collected a golden sombrero, going 0-for-5 with 4 K’s.

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Wichita 4, NW Arkansas 8
Box Score
The Naturals jumped on Wind Surge starter Travis Adams in the bottom of the first inning, putting up a four-spot that they would have to crawl back from. It was three doubles in that inning that did most of the damage, but he did settle in from there. Over the next four innings he’d allow just two more hits while striking out four, and also inducing a few double-play balls. Back out for the sixth he allowed a leadoff homer that made it 5-3 in favor of NW Arkansas, and a batter later his outing was done. In all, Adams allowed five earned runs on seven hits in his 5 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out four while throwing 80+ pitches. 

Wichita got on the board with a crooked number in the top of the fifth, when Andrew Cossetti followed a Tanner Schobel double and Noah Cardenas walk with his third home run of the season to bring them within one.

They were able to add a single run in the eighth thanks in part to an error, but Jorel Ortega picked up the RBI with his two-out single.

In relief of Adams, Jarret Whorff pitched the final 2 2/3 innings, surrendering three earned runs on four hits while striking out two.

Schobel had two doubles in the loss. Kala’i Rosario reached base twice with a single and a walk. Cossetti also drew a walk to go along with his home run.

KERNELS NUGGETS
Peoria 11, Cedar Rapids 6
Box Score
The Kernels took an early lead and got an excellent start from 2022 fourth round pick, Andrew Morris, but the bullpen wasn’t able to hold on late and they fell to the Chiefs in their series opener.

Morris tied his career high in strikeouts with nine, in his six innings. He allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits, walked one, and struck out nine. He threw 86 pitches in the game, with 62 going for strikes (72%). He allowed one run in the opening frame after an error extended the inning with two outs, then one each in the third and fifth innings, but exited the game with his team up 5-3.

Those five runs all came in the third inning for Cedar Rapids, which got started with a leadoff double from Misael Urbina. Angel Ruiz brought him in with a single a few batters later for their first run of the game, before an RBI single from Rubel Cespedes and three-run homer off the bat of Danny De Andrade put them up 5-2. It was De Andrade’s first home run of the season.

Peoria tied the game at five immediately after Morris left the game, as reliever Sheldon Reed gave up a solo home run and an RBI sac fly in his lone inning. Juan Mercedes (1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, BB, K) and Juan Mendez (1 IP, 5 H, 4 R (2 ER), 3 K) didn’t fare any better, allowing the Chiefs to pull away.

The Kernels took back a brief 6-5 lead in the bottom of the seventh thanks to an RBI single from Ricardo Olivar, but that would be it for the final three innings.

De Andrade had two hits in four at-bats along with his three RBI homer to lead the way. Right fielder Gabriel Gonzalez played defense in the top of the first, but was pinch-hit for in the bottom half of the inning as he bad a bout of back spasms.

MUSSEL MATTERS
Fort Myers 3, Bradenton 7
Box Score
Right-hander Josh Winder made his first appearance of the 2024 season, starting this one for the Mighty Mussels. He would make it through 1 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits. He did strike out four, and averaged just shy of 94 MPH with his fastball. He also got nine swings and misses on his 33 pitches, all on off-speed offerings. So despite that line, he was kinda nasty.

Spencer Bengard served as his piggy-backer, going the next 3 1/3 innings. He surrendered one earned run on four hits, one walk, and struck out seven. Ben Ethridge pitched two innings of his own, allowing one run on four hits, a walk, and striking out two. Aaron Holiday finished off the game for Fort Myers, walking two and striking out one in a scoreless eighth frame.

The Mighty Mussels finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth with a two-out rally. Jose Rodriguez started it with a single, and he scored from first on a double off the bat of Poncho Ruiz. They added two more in the eighth, which got started by a double from Brandon Winokur, his sixth of the season. Rodriguez reached on an error that scored Winokur, and later Angel Del Rosario loaded the bases with a single. A wild pitch then allowed Rodriguez to scuttle home to make the final score. 

Winokur (2-for-5, R, 2B, K) and Ruiz (2-for-4, 2B, RBI, K) led the way with two hits each. The rest of the lineup went 2-for-25 with 11 K’s. As a team they finished just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position, and left nine men on base.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day - David Festa, St. Paul Saints (5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 10 K)
Hitter of the Day - Patrick Winkel, St. Paul Saints (2-for-4, R, GS HR (1), 4 RBI, K)

PROSPECT SUMMARY
#4 – Gabriel Gonzalez (Cedar Rapids) – Pinch-hit for in bottom of 1st inning. Was batting second.
#6 – David Festa (St. Paul) – 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 10 K
#10 – Brandon Winokur (Fort Myers) – 2-for-5, R, 2B (6), K
#11 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 2-for-5, R, 2 2B (5)
#12 – Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-4, BB, K
#13 – Kala’I Rosario (Wichita) – 1-for-3, BB
#15 – Danny De Andrade (Cedar Rapids) – 2-for-4, R, HR (1), 3 RBI, K
#16 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 0-for-3, R, 2 K
#19 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-3, RBI, BB, 2 K
#20 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Minnesota) - 3 2/3 IP, 7 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 2 K

WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
Louisville @ St. Paul (6:37 PM CDT) - RHP Joe Gunkel (0-3, 8.47 ERA)
Wichita @ NW Arkansas (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP Pierson Ohl (1-2, 5.40 ERA)
Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP John Klein (1-0, 3.18 ERA)
Fort Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 PM CDT) - TBD

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

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