Twins Minor League Report (6/17): Familiar Faces Shine

Minnesota Twins starter Phil Hughes continued his renaissance in 2014, tossing a complete game effort in Fenway Park – a stadium in which he had owned a career ERA of 6.56 – on Tuesday night. Unfortunately, the offense wasn’t up to providing enough punch to avoid a tally in the loss column against Jon Lester.

In the minors, one of the affiliates participated in their league’s All-Star Game, while a few familiar names in these reports continued their headlining play.

RED WINGS REPORT

Pawtucket 2, Rochester 1 (suspendend)

Box score

The Red Wings game against Boston’s AAA affiliate was suspended due to rain after the first out of the fourth inning. The game will be completed on Wednesday before the scheduled game, which will be shortened to a seven inning contest.

Sean Gilmartin was called up to Rochester to make the start, and should stay in AAA after the promotion of Yohan Pino to the Twins. In the 3.1 innings finished on the night, he allowed six hits and two runs (both unearned) with two strikeouts.

On offense, the Red Wings only made it through the lineup once, with Eric Farris, Deibinson Romero (double), Chris Colabello and Dan Rohlfing each collecting one of their four hits. James Beresford drew a walk and scored the lone run on Colabello’s first inning single.

ROCK CATS REVIEW

New Britain 7, Harrisburg 2

Box score

Up 3-2 heading into the seventh inning, the Rock Cats were looking for some insurance runs, and they got them courtesy of 1B Kennys Vargas. After a Tony Thomas single, an Eddie Rosario walk, and a Nate Hanson single, Vargas stepped to the plate with the bases loaded. On an 0-2 count, Harrisburg pitcher Neil Holland served up a pitch that Vargas deposited deep to right field for a grand slam, and a 7-2 lead they would not relinquish. Hanson was 4-4 on the night with two doubles, a walk and two runs scored. Vargas and Rosario each collected multiple hits.

Tyler Duffey made the start and after finishing five innings improved to 2-2 in eight starts with New Britain, allowing five hits, two walks and two earned runs while striking out four. Daniel Turpen pitched two perfect innings of relief (2 K’s), while Jim Fuller (2 hits allowed) and Ryan O’Rourke (2 K’s) closed out the victory with scoreless frames.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Bradenton 2, Fort Myers 4

Box score

The third batter of the game for Bradenton singled to right field, but this was all the offense the Marauders were able to mount against Miracle stud Jose Berrios. In seven innings, Berrios allowed only this one hit, two walks and he struck out nine. Berrios recorded multiple strikeouts in the first, second, fifth, and sixth innings. Of his nine K’s, six were of the swinging variety. This start also marked the seventh straight where Berrios finished at least six innings, struck out seven or more and allowed just two or fewer earned runs. The victory pushed his record to 7-2 on the season and lowered his ERA to an otherworldly 2.09. His name appears near the top of every meaningful statistical category in the Florida State League, and it is only a matter of time before he should make his way to the AA Eastern League.

The Miracle offense struck first in the fourth inning, putting up a three-spot after Jorge Polanco led off the inning with his fifth home run of the year, and Stephen Wickens (single), Lance Ray (double, RBI), and Dalton Hicks (single, RBI) collected hits. Fort Myers added a run in the seventh when Niko Goodrum singled, collected his twelfth steal of the season, then scored on a throwing error from Marauder first-baseman Jose Osuna after a Tyler Grimes ground out.

Madison Boer came on for the eighth inning to relieve Berrios, but a walk, two singles and a sac fly put a crooked number on the board for Bradenton to make the score 3-2 heading into the ninth. Tyler Jones put the leadoff man on first, but got the next three men out, punctuating his eighth save of the year with a strikeout.

KERNELS NUGGETS

MWL West 7, MWL East 0

Box score

The Cedar Rapids Kernels play in the Western Division, and were represented in the All-Star game by 1B Bryan Haar, and pitchers Kohl Stewart (SP) and Yorman Landa (RP) in the winning effort. Haar went 1-2, singling in his first at-bat to lead off the seventh inning, but neither Stewart nor Landa pitched in the game (lots of players, can’t get to them all!)

The Kernels resume play on Thursday when they open the second half of the season on the road against the Kane County Cougars.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Pitcher – Jose Berrios, Fort Myers Miracle (7 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 9 K’s)

Hitter – Kennys Vargas, New Britain Rock Cats (2-5, 2 R’s, GS (13), 4 RBI)

WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Pawtucket @ Rochester – Alex Meyer (4-3, 3.62 ERA), 6:05PM CST

New Britain @ Harrisburg – Virgil Vasquez, 11:00AM CST

Bradenton @ Fort Myers – TBD 6:05PM CST

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