Twins Minor League Report (6/6): Minnesotans Wallner and Rozek Provide Twins Affiliates with a Spark

CURRENT W-L Records
Minnesota Twins: 33-29  
St. Paul Saints: 27-32
Wichita Wind Surge: 22-32
Cedar Rapids Kernels: 31-22
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 27-27
FCL Twins: 14-9 
DSL Twins: 1-3

TRANSACTIONS

• RHP Cory Lewis rehab assignment transferred from FCL to Fort Myers

SAINTS SENTINEL
Game 1: St. Paul 5, Syracuse 3 (F/7)
Box Score

Playing a doubleheader on Thursday to make up for Tuesday’s rainout, Adam Plutko started game one for Toby Gardenhire’s squad. He worked 3 1/3 innings allowing three runs on three hits and three walks. He struck out three but gave up a pair of home runs as well.

Responding to the Mets run in the second inning, Austin Martin tied things up in the third inning with a sacrifice fly that scored Anthony Prato. Syracuse plated two more on a fourth inning home run, and St. Paul had work to do again. They were up to the task in the bottom half and answered in a big way.

Matt Wallner homered for the tenth time this year to draw within one, and then Tony Kemp blasted a two-run shot scoring Yunior Severino. Leading 4-3, Prato went deep for the first time in 2024 and gave the Saints some breathing room. The 5-3 lead held up and was enough for Jordan Balazovic to get the win with Josh Winder recording a two inning save.

Prato put up two hits, with his other being a double. The win gave them their first three-game winning streak of the season.

Game 2: Syracuse 9, St. Paul 4 (F/7)
Box Score

Louie Varland was the Game 2 starter and his tough season continued. Allowing six runs on seven hits and four walks, the former Twins fifth starter struck out five. However, his Triple-A ERA ballooned to 5.31 following the outing.

Wallner continued his hot streak with a first inning home run, his 11th of the year, but the Saints found themselves in an early hole. Syracuse put up a five-spot in the second inning and four more runs during the fourth inning to grow their lead. St. Paul responded with two runs in the fourth inning on a Prato double that scored Diego A. Castillo, and a Will Holland sacrifice fly that scored Chris Williams. With Michael Helman reaching in the ninth inning on an error, and advancing on defensive indifference, Castillo cashed him in with a one out single. That was the only rally they could muster though, and the game ended there.

Game 2 saw Wallner grab a pair of hits and Castillo recorded three of his own. Jeff Brigham, Scott Blewett, and Nick Wittgren all threw scoreless innings of relief for St. Paul.

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Game 1: Wichita 3, NW Arkansas 2 (F/7)
Box Score
Playing a pair on Thursday, it was the often shuffled Aaron Rozek starting for Game 1. Working five innings of one-run baseball, he scattered three hits and didn’t allow a walk. Rozek struck out five during the start.

Seven of the nine Wichita batters recorded hits, and it was a team effort to come out on top. Jake Rucker doubled in the second inning to score Tanner Schobel and plate the game’s first run. The Naturals evened things at one in the bottom of the inning, but Aaron Sabato stayed hot and hit his third homer of the season to make it a 2-1 game in the fourth inning. Jorel Ortega followed his lead with a solo shot, his second of the season, in the fifth inning to make it 3-1.

Wichita gave back a run, but John Stankiewicz dialed in enough to hold the lead and record his first save of the season.

Game 2: Wichita 7, NW Arkansas 5 (F/7)
Box Score
Jarret Whorff drew the start in game two and pitched three scoreless innings allowing baserunners on just a single hit and one walk. He struck out three. Scott Engler kept things rolling with two scoreless innings of his own.

The Wind Surge scored a pair in the second inning that started with Carson McCusker doubling home Kala’i Rosario. Rucker then singled and brought McCusker across the plate. Adding four in the third inning, the frame started with Andrew Cossetti reaching on an error that scored Luke Keaschall. McCusker brough Jeferson Morales home on a fielder’s choice and Rucker drew a bases loaded walk allowing Cossetti to trot across the plate. Kyler Fedko then sent a sacrifice fly to right field scoring Rosario and it was a 6-0 game.

McCusker doubled for the tenth time this season to score Rosario in the fifth inning, and his second two-bagger of the game made it a 7-0 lead for Wichita. They did give a run back in the bottom of the sixth inning, and let the Naturals made noise in the seventh inning against Jared Solomon with two outs, but the big lead held up. Taylor Floyd came on and gave the final out and recorded a save. McCusker and Rosario both had a pair of hits during the nightcap.

The road doubleheader sweep was the first time Wichita had done so since May 6, 2022. Despite returning to the lineup yesterday, Emmanuel Rodriguez was pinch hit for on Wednesday and didn’t play in either game on Thursday.

KERNELS NUGGETS
Great Lakes 8, Cedar Rapids 3
Box Score

Darren Bowen worked five innings and allowed four runs on five hits. He struck out four and walked one while allowing a home run. The Loons leadoff hitter, and shortstop, was former Twins prospect Noah Miller. The minor league platinum glove winner was dealt to the Dodgers in the Manuel Margot trade.

Great Lakes touched up Bowen for four first inning runs and put the Kernels in a bad spot early. Cedar Rapids didn’t quit though, and responded with three of their own to open the second inning. Jose Salas singled to drive home Kevin Maitan and Misael Urbina before Nate Baez brought him home with a double.

The Loons added another in the bottom of the sixth inning and two more in the seventh inning. Pushing another tally across in the eighth inning, they led 8-3 going into the final frame. Cedar Rapids couldn’t mount a comeback, and with just six hits, no player recorded a pair on their own.

MUSSEL MATTERS
Fort Myers 9, Tampa 4
Box Score

Moved to Fort Myers for his rehab assignment, Cory Lewis made the start and worked three innings of scoreless baseball. He allowed just a single hit and walked one while striking out three. He should be headed back to Double-A Wichita shortly. Jack Noble got the win and Nolan Santos recorded his fifth save of the season.

Scoring started in the third inning with Ryan McCarthy driving home Yohander Martinez on a single before Payton Eeles plated him with a sacrifice fly. Recently back from his hamstring injury, Walker Jenkins flashed the leather with a diving catch in the fourth inning. The fifth inning saw Isaac Pena homer for the first time this season, a solo shot, before Eeles brought home Martinez with a ground out.

After the Tarpons added two of their own in the bottom of the fifth inning, Fort Myers responded in the seventh inning. Rehabbing catcher Jair Camargo homered, and his three run shot brought home McCarthy and Eeles in the process. Giving one back in the eighth inning, Carlos Aguiar doubled home McCarthy and Eeles in the ninth inning to make it 9-3. The last inning run for the Tarpons didn’t change the result, and the Mighty Mussels wrapped up the victory.

Both Jenkins and Camargo had a pair of hits on the evening. Just returning from the injured list, the Twins top prospect is sporting a .929 OPS early.

COMPLEX CHRONICLES
FCL Braves 4, FCL Twins 3
Box Score
Joel Garcia took the ball for the FCL squad and worked three innings. He gave up a pair of runs but both were unearned. Allowing three hits, Garcia didn’t allow a walk and struck out three. Miguel Cordero surrendered two more unearned runs in three innings of relief work.

Ariel Castro opened the scoring in the first inning with a single that scored Yasser Mercedes. Bryan Acuna moved to third base on the play but was stranded there to end the inning. The Braves took the lead in the bottom half with a pair of runs.

After the Braves plated two more in the fourth inning the Twins had to claw back. Yilber Herrera scored Javier Roman with a sixth inning single and Acuna scored Mercedes with a seventh inning single. They couldn’t get the tying run though and fell just short. Mercedes, Acuna, and Roman each had a pair of hits. Through 76 at bats, Mercedes owns an impressive .909 OPS.

DOMINICAN DAILIES
DSL Twins 3, DSL Tigers Two 1
Box Score
Having just gotten underway last week, the DSL Twins were still seeking their first win after starting 0-2. Facing the DSL Tigers second squad, the sides remained scoreless through the first three innings. Murphy Hernandez broke the tie in the fourth inning with a single that scored Yandro Hernandez and put the good guys on top. Ramiro Dominguez singled in the fifth inning to score Ricardo Paez and make it a 2-0 game. Adding more breathing room, Dominguez scored Luis Fragoza with a seventh inning sacrifice fly.

Cristian Hernandez worked four hitless innings as the starter, and allowed just a pair of walks while striking out five. Jose Vasquez worked 2 2/3 innings of relief allowing just a single run, and Manuel Compres grabbed a save in a one-out professional debut.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day – Aaron Rozek (Wichita) - 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
Hitter of the Day – Carson McCusker (Wichita) 2-3, R, 2 RB, 2 2B

PROSPECT SUMMARY
Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Thursday. 
#1– Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) – 1-3, BB
#2 – Brooks Lee (St. Paul) – 0-3, K
#8 – Austin Martin (St. Paul) – 0-5, RBI, BB, K
#9 – Luke Keaschall (Wichita) – 1-7, R, 2B, BB, K
#12 – Kala’i Rosario (Wichita) – 3-7, 3 R, BB, 3 K
#13 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 1-3, R, 2 K
#15 – Cory Lewis (Wichita) – Rehab with Fort Myers - 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB 3 K
#18 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 1-2, R, BB
#20 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 0-3, BB

FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
St. Paul vs Syracuse (7:07 PM CST) – RHP David Festa (1-2, 3.56 ERA)
Wichita @ NW Arkansas (7:05 PM CST) – RHP Marco Raya (0-1, 5.06 ERA)
Cedar Rapids @ Great Lakes (6:05 PM CST) – RHP Jeremy Lee (0-1, 17.18 ERA)
Fort Myers @ Tampa (5:30 PM CST) – RHP Cesar Lares (2-1, 2,48 ERA)

Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’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!