Twins Minor League Report (5/23): Wiel Walk-Off!

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester - OFF DAY

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 0, Jackson 7

Box Score

Ryan Eades was Monday’s scheduled starter but for unknown reasons didn’t make the start. And it was that kind of day for the Lookouts.

Omar Bencomo made the spot start and was OK. He made it through four innings, striking out six. On four hits and a walk, two runs scored. Corey Williams didn’t fare as well - or well at all really. He retired the three men he faced in the fifth. In the sixth he also faced three men (walk, homer, walk) and these three all scored.

Luke Bard made his AA debut and it was forgettable: five hits, two earned runs, two strikeouts. Luke Westphal finished the game with a scoreless inning.

The offense was a no-show. Zach Granite had two singles. D.J. Hicks, Leo Reginatto, Stuart Turner and Levi Michael also singled. The Lookouts were 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position.

The Mientkiewicz-led Lookouts drop to 19-26.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Fort Myers 5, Tampa 6 (10 innings)

Box Score

The Miracle dropped their second consecutive extra inning game on Monday.

But it didn’t look like that would happen the way the game started. The Miracle jumped to a five-run lead in the first inning. Max Murphy walked to start the game and advanced to second on Edgar Corcino’s single. Nick Gordon drove in Murphy with a single of his own. Corcino scored on a wild pitch. A second wild pitch - on ball four to Chris Paul - advanced Gordon to third base. Ian Clarkin, the pitcher, then committed a throwing error on a pickoff throw and Gordon scored and Paul advanced to second. Still nobody out, Alex Real singled before Trey Vavra doubled, scoring Paul. Clarkin then retired the next three batters, which included a Kevin Garcia sacrifice fly that scored Real. Those five hits and four runs would be the Miracle offense for the day, save two more singles, a double and a walk.

Kohl Stewart threw two perfect innings but ran into trouble in the third and couldn’t get through six. In total, Stewart allowed four runs on four hits and six walks (!). He struck out four. Stewart threw 89 pitches, only 48 for strikes.

The Miracle still had the lead though and it was up to the bullpen to save it. John Curtiss struck out one and allowed two runners in two innings. Brian Gilbert “blew” the save, allowing an unearned run - a runner who reached base thanks to Nick Gordon’s 13th error of the season.

Hector Lujan made his full-season debut on Monday with the Miracle in the 10th inning. The first batter he faced hit a home run. Lujan did retire the next three batters he faced, but the damage was done.

Fort Myers went 1-2-3 with three ground-outs in the bottom half of the inning to end the game.

The loss drops the Miracle to 25-21. They’ll stay home and welcome Palm Beach for a three-game series that starts Tuesday.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 5, Quad Cities 4

Box Score

The Kernels won in dramatic fashion on Monday afternoon.

It probably shouldn’t have gotten to that point. The game started off all Kernels. A Zander Wiel double was followed by a Luis Arraez single to put the Kernels on the board in the bottom of the second. LaMonte Wade added to the lead with a solo home run, his third on the season. Wade now has a 24-game streak of reaching base safely and has done so in 36 of 37 games this season. The Kernels added two more runs in the fourth on a handful of singles and the game was 4-0 and Cody Stashak was cruising through four scoreless.

Stashak ran into trouble in the fifth, giving up two runs. His night was over at 79 pitches (57 strikes). He gave up seven hits and two runs, striking out seven and picking a runner off of first in five innings.

Michael Cederoth gave up two more runs in his two innings of work and the game was tied.

Cedar Rapids and Quad Cities exchanged zeroes for the next couple of innings. Nick Anderson pitched two perfect innings and the Kernels came up to bat in the bottom of the ninth.

With two out, Zander Wiel delivered a walk-off home run, his third home run on the season and second in as many days.

Wiel led the offense with three hits and two runs. Nelson Molina was 2-for-3, improving his batting average to .340.

The Kernels improved to 25-18 and head to Burlington to start a three-game series on Tuesday.

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Pitcher of the Day – Nick Anderson, Cedar Rapids

Hitter of the Day – Zander Wiel, Cedar Rapids

TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester vs Indianapolis (6:05PM CST) – TBD (Could it be Alex Meyer?)

Fort Myers vs Palm Beach (6:05 CST) – LHP Tyler Jay (3-3, 2.79 ERA)

Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (7:30PM CST) – RHP Randy LeBlanc (5-2, 0.78 ERA)

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

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