Twins Minor League Report (6/17): Blankenhorn Steals Win For Kernels

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

TRANSACTIONS

Check out the transactions through the minor league system from late Friday night and Saturday:

• On Friday, the Twins announced the RHP Chris Heston had been outrighted. The open spot was filled Saturday morning when Adam Wilk was officially added to the Twins 40-man roster and 25-man roster.
  
• Following the Twins game on Friday night, we learned the Alex Wimmers and Alan Busenitz were coming to the Twins. On Saturday morning, we learned that Wimmers was going to be the 26th man for the day. We also learned that Ryan Pressly was optioned to Rochester prior to the first game.
  
• It wasn’t until between games the Busenitz was officially added to the Twins 40- and 25-man rosters. UPDATE
  
• The Red Wings announced on Saturday that Mason Melotakis has joined their roster from Chattanooga. Chattanooga announced that Paul Clemens has been activated from the disabled list.
  

RED WINGS REPORT

Game 1 - Rochester 1, Pawtucket 2 (8 innings)

Box Score

Yohan Pino was the story of this game. The veteran right-hander started with six no-hit innings in this game which was scheduled for seven innings as part of a doubleheader. However, Rusney Castillo led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a single. He was erased with a double play ball. But then there was a bloop single which was followed by a run-scoring double to tie the game and send it to an extra frame.

The Red Wings went scoreless in the top of the 8th. Pino stayed out for the bottom of the eighth. He got the first two batters out, but Jantzen Witte ended the game with a home run.

The Red Wings managed just one run, on a single from JB Shuck that scored Engelb Vielma. Zack Granite had two more hits, and he also stole his 11th bag. Matt Hague and Byungho Park each had two hits as well.

Game 2 - Rochester 7, Pawtucket 5

Box Score

In the second game, the Red Wings scored two in the top of the first. However, before he got an out, Matt Tracy walked two and gave up two hits, including a grand slam to the cleanup hitter. In total, Tracy went five innings and gave up just one more run. He gave up five hits, walked two and struck out two. DJ Baxendale and Kam Mickolio each struck out one in a scoreless inning. It was Mickolio’s first save with the Red Wings.

Fortunately, the Red Wings got to face Marcus Walden, who pitched for them last year. He gave up seven runs on eight his and two walks in just three innings.

JB Shuck went 1-2 with two walks and his third home run. Tommy Field was 2-4 with his fifth homer. Byungho Park went 2-4. And yes, of course Zack Granite had two more hits. He went 2-3 with a walk and is now hitting .348. He also stole two more bases, giving him 13 on the year.

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 7, Tennessee 5

Box Score

It certainly wasn’t his best start of the season, but Felix Jorge improved to 8-1 on this night. The right-hander gave up five runs on six hits and a walk in six innings. He struck out four. Four of the runs allowed came in the second innings. Jake Reed struck out four over two scoreless innings. John Curtiss came on and recorded his 13th save. He struck out one. No earned runs.

Andy Wilkins gave the Lookouts a first-inning lead when he hit his first Lookouts homer, a three-run blast. The other four runs for the Lookouts came in a four-run sixth inning. The key hit was a two-run double from Levi Michael. Jonathan Rodriguez walked three times.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Box Score

The Florida State League All-Star Game was played on Saturday night in Lakeland. Three Twins prospects participated in the event. Chris Paul was supposed to, but he broke his hamate bone a few weeks ago.

I’m guessing you, like me, don’t really care who won that game (North won 5-2). We just care how the Twins/Miracle players did in the game.

Dereck Rodriguez pitched one inning and gave up two runs on two hits (one being a home run). Sam Clay got the final two outs for the South squad. Brian Navarreto caught the last couple of innings and went 0-1.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 2, Clinton 1

Box Score

The Kernels had lost five of their last six games and were no longer in control of their own first-half playoff berth destiny.

With the score tied at one in the bottom of the eighth inning, Travis Blankenhorn reached on an error. He advanced to second on a groundout and went to third on a fly out to right field. Jaylin Davis walked and when he stole second, Mitchell Kranson was intentionally walked to load the bases. With Brandon Lopez at the plate and two outs, Blankenhorn took off for home. Watch what happened:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=CCtxzK8Bj5c

And scored, on a straight steal of home. It gave the Kernels a 2-1 lead.

In case you were wondering:

https://twitter.com/jeje66/status/876263578516561921

Blankenhorn told Twins Daily later, “We saw that the pitcher looked at the ground the whole time before he pitched. And Lopez got to two strikes and Tommy told me to go for it.”

Hector Lujan came in and recorded his sixth save of the season with a 1-2-3 ninth.

Davis led the offense. He went 2-3 with a walk and drove in the first Kernels run with a single. He also stole his eighth and ninth bases. Mitchell Kranson and Brandon Lopez each went 1-3 with a walk in the game.

If not for a rare steal of home, Tyler Wells was the story of this game. The tall, right-hander struck out ten over eight innings. He gave up one run on four hits without issuing a walk.

Of his performance, Wells said he tried not to overthink the game’s importance. He said, “Well, it was mainly command of all my pitches. I was able to locate my pitches well and where I needed when it mattered. I knew the game was very important, but I tried to treat it like every other start. I was going to give everything I had in that game to give us a win! And I think I gave everything in my body to keep us in that game, and luckily, we came out with a win!”

The Kernels will await the final of the Quad Cities game in Beloit on Saturday. If Quad Cities loses, the Kernels are back in second place and can clinch a playoff berth with a win on Sunday. If Quad Cities comes back and wins on Saturday night, the Kernels would have to win and hope that Quad Cities loses on Sunday. (UPDATE - Quad Cities lost to Beloit 4-3 in 10 innings. If the Kernels win on Sunday, they will earn that playoff berth. If the Kernels lose, they need Quad Cities to lose again to make the playoffs.)

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Tyler Wells, Cedar Rapids

Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Zack Granite, Rochester

SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester @ Pawtucket (DH @ 12:35 CST) - RHP Chris Heston and TBD

Chattanooga @ Tennessee (1:00 CST) - RHP Paul Clemens

Ft. Myers - All Star Break

Clinton @ Cedar Rapids (2:05 CST) - RHP Max Cordy

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

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