Twins Minor League Report (5/20): Connor Prielipp Shows Off While Rain Wreaks Havoc Elsewhere

TRANSACTIONS
There were no new transactions in the system on Tuesday ahead of the affiliates series opening games.

SAINTS SENTINEL
Norfolk @ St. Paul, Postponed (Rain)
The opening game of their series against the Tides was postponed on Tuesday as the Minneapolis-St. Paul area was mired in rain. It is the 12th game the Saints have had postponed on the season. This one is scheduled to be made up as part of a doubleheader at CHS Field on Thursday.

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Wichita 4, San Antonio 5
Box Score
Top pitching prospect Connor Prielipp was tapped to start the series opener for the Wind Surge, and he looked every bit the part in his 3 2/3 innings. Prielipp has been on a strict pitch count of about 50 so far on the season, and reached exactly that number in this one. 36 of those went for strikes (72%), while by my count he induced 12 swings and misses and hit 97 MPH on the San Antonio radar gun. 

He struck out two Missions hitters in each of his first three innings, though the home team was able to get him for a run in the second with a double and a single for a 1-0 lead.

The Wind Surge got that run back in the top of the third when the first three hitters of the inning reached base to load the bases. A Rubel Cespedes ground ball went for a double-play that limited the damage, but this did allow the tying run to score.

In the bottom of the fourth Prielipp retired the first two hitters of the inning, but gave up a solo home run to end his day. In all, Prielipp allowed three hits, two earned runs, and struck out six. 

He gave way to John Klein who went the next 3 1/3 innings. He allowed a solo home run himself, two other hits, a walk, and struck out three.

Down 2-1 to begin the seventh, Noah Cardenas led off with a single to put the tying run on base. A Ben Ross single and walk to Tanner Schobel loaded the bases, and with two outs Kyler Fedko cashed them in with a bases clearing double to put the Wind Surge out front 4-2 and stay hot.

John Stankiewicz kept them in front with a one-two-three eighth inning, including two strikeouts, before Jarret Whorff was summoned to close it out in the bottom of the ninth. A pair of singles and a sac fly tied the game at four, but a flyout gave Whorff a chance to salvage extra innings. Instead, a double into the right-field corner walked it off for the Missions.

The Wind Surge got three hits from Tanner Schobel batting in the leadoff spot, and he also scored two runs, drew a walk, and had an injury scare on a collision in shallow center, but stayed in the game. Ricardo Olivar drew three walks and stole a base. The visitors were just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, but had done enough to steal game one before the San Antonio rally. Gabriel Gonzalez went 1-for-4 in his first game in double-A.

KERNELS NUGGETS
Cedar Rapids 5, Fort Wayne 1 (5 innings)
Box Score
The Kernels matchup with the TinCaps started with a delay, and ended after another one, but they made it through five innings so it was made official.

After the initial delay, Kaelen Culpepper got it started with a bang, sending the first pitch of the game over the left-field fence for his fifth home run of the season.

Tanner Hall made the start on the road, and worked around some trouble through four innings to pick up his second win of the season. He allowed one unearned run on three hits and three walks, striking out two. Samuel Perez came on for the fifth and worked a one-two-three inning, striking out two.

The lineup for the Kernels extended their lead to five with a four run fourth inning. Brandon Winokur got it started with a 113.5 MPH triple and scored on an RBI single from Nate Baez. Khadim Diaw drew a walk before Caden Kendle brought in another run with a double. A walk from Jaime Ferrer loaded the bases, and a groundout and single from Culpepper would each bring in a run to put them out front 5-0.

The TinCaps run versus Hall came in the bottom of the fourth and gave the final score before the rain cut things short after five innings were complete.

Culpepper led the way for Cedar Rapids going 2-for-3 with the home run, two-RBI, and his eighth stolen base on the season out of the leadoff spot.

MUSSEL MATTERS
Fort Myers 3, Lakeland 13
Box Score
Right-hander Adrian Bohorquez took the pill for the Mighty Mussels on Tuesday, but unfortunately it was the wrong prescription. The Tigers bludgeoned him for eight earned runs in just 1 2/3 innings. He gave up four in the first, and four in the second on five hits and three walks. He struck out two. Jakob Hall came on in the second and stabilized things some, but it was already too little, too late.

In his 4 1/3 innings, Hall was charged two earned runs on three hits and two walks, while striking out five. Tyler Stasiowski gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits in his lone inning of work. He struck out two.

Fort Myers got on the scoreboard in the top of the second inning thanks in part to an error from Lakeland. Daniel Pena drew a walk, but was forced out on a grounder from Jose Rodriguez. The double-play throw from second went wide and Rodriguez moved to second, however. Miguel Briceno then brought him in with an RBI single that made it 4-1 at the time.

They added two more runs in the fifth when the rehabbing Payton Eeles led off with a single. Two batters later Yasser Mercedes drilled a double into left to score Eeles, but Rodriguez would get run down trying to take third. Singles from Poncho Ruiz and Pena around a wild pitch scored the second run of the inning. That would be it for the Mighty Mussels offense. Despite matching the Tigers with 11 hits on the game, the home team was the only one that was able to string them together in bunches.

Hunter Hoopes got the final inning and was the only one to come out unblemished. He retired the side in the eight, striking out two.

Dameury Pena (2-for-5, K) and Ruiz (2-for-4, R, 2B, K) were the only Fort Myers hitters with multiple knocks. Maddux Houghton also contributed a double. Eeles played the first five innings in left field, and finished 1-for-2 with a run scored and a walk in the fourth game of his rehab assignment.

COMPLEX CHRONICLES
FCL Braves 4, FCL Twins 5
Box Score
The Braves ambushed Twins starter Yoel Roque in the top of the first, who was only able to record one out before they went reaching into their bullpen. The first batter was retired on a flyout, but the next four all reached base (three singles and a walk) for the first run of the game. Will Armbruester then came on and allowed all three inherited runners to score as the Braves went ahead 4-0 after the top half of the game.

Armbruester went on to retire the next six hitters he faced to complete 2 2/3 innings. He allowed two hits in the first, but nothing else, and struck out two. Sebastian Pulido pitched the fourth inning and also set them down one-two-three, picking up a K in the process.

In the bottom of the fifth the Twins lineup finally broke through after a leadoff double from Irvin Nunez. Bryan Acuna promptly brought him home with an RBI single to make it 4-1.

Miguel Cordero came out of the bullpen to start the fifth inning and went the final three innings, retiring all nine hitters he faced to continue the trend. He struck out five and Ambruester, Pulido, and Cordero combined to set down the final 19 Braves hitters in the game after they scored four in the opening frame.

The Twins took the lead in the sixth thanks to a two-out rally. Jayson Bass led off with a walk before Ricardo Pena and Ricardo Paez were both retired. Then Victor Leal was hit by a pitch and Nunez drew a walk to load the bases. A wild pitch scored the first run of the inning and Acuna drew another walk to reload the pond with ducks. Eduardo Beltre then cleared them with his first double of the season to put them up 5-4.

Cordero picked up his first win of the season thanks to the late comeback. Acuna (1-for-3, R, RBI, BB), Pena (1-for-2, BB), and Nunez (1-for-2, R, 2B, BB) each reached base twice in the win.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day – Connor Prielipp, Wichita Wind Surge (3 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 6 K)
Miguel Cordero, FCL Twins (W, 3 IP, 5 K)
Hitter of the Day – Kaelen Culpepper, Cedar Rapids Kernels (2-for-3, R, HR, 2 RBI, SB)

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

#5 – Connor Prielipp (Wichita): 3 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 6 K
#6 – Kaelen Culpepper (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-3, R, HR (5), 2 RBI, SB (8)
#9 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-3, R, 3B (1), K
#11 – Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids): 0-for-3, 2 K
#14 – Gabriel Gonzalez (Wichita): 1-for-4
#16 – Eduardo Beltre (FCL Twins): 1-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI, K
#18 – Yasser Mercedes (Fort Myers): 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, K
#20 – Ricardo Olivar (Wichita): 0-for-2, 3 BB, 2 K, SB (2)

WEDNESDAY'S PROBABLES
Norfolk @ St. Paul (6:37 PM CDT) - RHP Cory Lewis (1-3, 9.27 ERA)
Wichita @ San Antonio (7:05 PM CDT) - LHP Aaron Rozek (2-1, 3.94 ERA)
Cedar Rapids @ Fort Wayne (5:35 PM CDT) - RHP Jose Olivares (0-1, 5.19 ERA)
Fort Myers @ Lakeland (5:30 PM CDT) - LHP Michael Carpenter (0-2, 7.45 ERA)

Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’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!