Twins Minor League Report (5/31): Olivar Steals the Show

TRANSACTIONS
None to report

SAINTS SENTINEL
Rochester 8, St. Paul 2
Box Score

It was Louie Varland making the start on Friday night for St. Paul, and he is still looking to find sustained and renewed success at Triple-A since his demotion. Working five innings, Varland gave up four runs (two earned) on five hits. The Saints pitcher walked a pair and struck out six.

Royce Lewis remained in the lineup for the Saints, and will reportedly return for the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday as he makes the short trek from upstate New York into the big city. On the evening he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

Down 4-0 through four innings, complete with a bases-loaded walk by former Minnesota prospect Travis Blankenhorn, St. Paul finally answered. Diego A. Castillo doubled home both Tony Kemp and Will Holland to halve the deficit. Rochester continued to add, though, and they pushed it back to an 8-2 tally by the bottom of the seventh inning.

Despite pushing a pair of runners into scoring position during the ninth inning, St. Paul couldn’t cash in on either, and the potential rally never got going. Kemp had three of the team’s seven total hits while also stealing a base.

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Springfield 3, Wichita 1
Box Score

Prospect Marco Raya got the start for Wichita, but it was a tough one. Allowing three runs on three hits and a walk in the first inning, that was the only frame he’d be given. Needing 28 pitches to record three outs, Raya was sent to the showers.

Luke Keaschall scored on a Tanner Schobel first-inning groundout to get one back, but the sides then went scoreless. Down to their final three outs, needing a pair of runs, Wichita sent the top of their lineup to the dish. Unfortunately, they went down in order, and that's how this one ended. With just five hits, only Aaron Sabato recorded a pair.

KERNELS NUGGETS
Cedar Rapids 7, Lake County 4
Box Score

Cedar Rapids turned to Darren Bowen for the start on Friday night. He allowed four hits on seven runs across 4 2/3 innings of work. Bowen didn’t walk anyone and struck out three.

Dalton Shuffield opened the scoring in the second inning with a single that scored Misael Urbina. Ricardo Olivar then homered for the seventh time this season to make it 2-0 in the third inning. Urbina scored on a wild pitch in the third inning to give the Kernels a 3-0 lead before a four-run fifth inning put Lake County on top for the first time.

Urbina continued his productive night with a sixth-inning home run to retake the lead. His two-run shot, the third of his season, scored Rayne Doncon and made it a 5-4 ballgame. Blasting his second shot of the game, Olivar hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning, scoring Keoni Cavaco and giving the Kernels a 7-4 cushion. Urbina joined him as the only other Cedar Rapids batter with a pair of hits.

MUSSEL MATTERS
Fort Myers 8, Bradenton 2
Box Score

Cesar Lares made the start and worked five innings of two-run baseball. Scattering six hits and a pair of walks, the Mighty Mussels starter also picked up six strikeouts on the evening.

Scoreless into the fourth inning, Fort Myers plated the first run of the game. Byron Chourio doubled to score Poncho Ruiz before a Maddux Houghton sacrifice fly scored Rixon Wingrove to make it a 2-0 lead. A fielder error allowed Yohander Martinez to reach and the errant throw scored both Chourio and Ryan McCarthy.

The fifth inning saw Brandeton plate a pair two draw within two, but Chourio scored Brandon Winokur on a single to mitigate the damage. Up 5-2 in the sixth inning, Payton Eeles brought home Houghton on a sacrifice fly before Brooks Lee drove in McCarthy and Martinez with a single of his own. Up 8-2, needing just nine more outs, they found themselves in a good spot.

Tanner Hall and Xander Hamilton both worked a pair of innings to close out the game. Lee, who is continuing his rehab assignment, went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI, while Chourio had two hits as well.

COMPLEX CHRONICLES
FCL Twins 1, FCL Red Sox 0
Box Score

Rehabbing Twins prospect Cory Lewis drew the start today for the FCL squad. He was great, allowing just a single hit across three innings of work. Lewis walked one but struck out four. Walker Jenkins also continued his rehab assignment, leading off as the designated hitter. He went 1-for-1 with three walks.

The only run of the game came on a Dameury Pena solo shot in the fourth inning. The big fly was his second of the season. Pena also had two hits on the day to lead the team. Tomas Cleo got the win, his first of the season, working three scoreless innings of relief.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day – Cesar Lares (Fort Myers) - 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Hitter of the Day – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) - 3-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR(8)

PROSPECT SUMMARY
#1– Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) – FCL Rehab - 1-1, 3 BB
#2 – Brooks Lee (St. Paul) – Fort Myers Rehab - 2-4, 2 RBI
#6 – Marco Raya (Wichita) – 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, BB, K
#8 – Austin Martin (St. Paul) – 0-2, 2 BB
#9 – Luke Keaschall (Wichita) – 1-5, R
#10 – Brandon Winokur (Fort Myers) – 0-2, R, 2 BB, K
#12 – Kala’i Rosario (Wichita) – 0-2, 2 BB
#13 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 0-4, RBI, K
#15 – Cory Lewis (Wichita) – FCL Rehab - 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 4 K
#18 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 1-4, 2 K
#20 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 3-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR(8)

SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
St. Paul @ Rochester (5:45 PM CST) – RHP David Festa (1-1, 2.77 ERA)
Wichita vs Springfield (6:05 PM CST) – RHP Pierson Ohl (3-2, 3.51 ERA)
Cedar Rapids vs Lake County (6:35 PM CST) – RHP Jeremy Lee (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Fort Myers vs Bradenton (3:00 PM CST) – RHP Charlee Soto (0-2, 6.35 ERA)

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

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