Twins Minor League Report (7/16): Keuchel Strong Again, Brooks Lee Stars

TRANSACTIONS

• 2B Jorge Polanco begins a rehab assignment with St. Paul

SAINTS SENTINEL 
Durham 5, St. Paul 3
Box Score

Making another rehab start for the Saints, Dallas Keuchel continues to force a decision on the Twins with an opt out at the end of the month. He did give up some gap contact, but only one turned into a double. Mixing pitches, he had Durham’s hitters off balance much of his outing.

Toby Gardenhire allowed Keuchel to work into the sixth inning today. He finished allowing a homer to Rays prospect Austin Shenton, and did give up one other run. On the day he allowed three runs (one earned) on eight hits while striking out six and walking none.

After an Austin Martin error on a routine grounder cost the Saints a run in the top of the first inning, they went to work having Polanco bat third as their designated hitter. His first at bat during the rehab assignment was a nicely smoked double to the left-center gap.

Getting on the board during the second inning, Chris Williams continued his great year at Triple-A. Blasting another homer, he’s continued to make the Twins take a serious look at putting him on the 40-man roster.

Durham grabbed a pair in the sixth inning, jumping back out to a 3-1 lead. Answering in the bottom of the seventh inning, Anthony Prato put a ball in the right-center gap. When the Bulls outfielders nearly collided for the catch, Mark Contreras raced home and Prato wound up at third. Alex De Goti singled down the left field line, and Prato jogged the last ninety feet to tie it.

Working into trouble, Ronny Henriquez walked in a run to give Durham a 4-3 lead with no outs during the top of the ninth inning. A passed ball was credited to Jair Camargo on a Kody Funderburk pitch, and the Bulls added another. Funderburk did grab a pair of strikeouts, but the Saints needed two in the ninth inning to force extras. Unfortunately the rally came up short and 5-3 was how this one would end.

Polanco and Contreras were the lone hitters with multiple hits for St. Paul today.

Talking about his start after the game, Keuchel noted it had been nine days since he was last out there. "I was very fortunate to go six and get up to 90 pitches...I'm not going to complain about that outing." Asked about his opt out he said, "to the best of my knowledge, I think it's the 21st. For me this is about building up and getting comfortable. I'm sure in the coming days we'll figure something out. I signed here for a reason, I'd like to still be here...I had multiple offers on the table. The worry of having a job is not there. It's more about, I love competing. I feel good enough to get outs in the big leagues. We'll see what happens."

The changeup was exceptional today for the Saints, and Keuchel noticed the wind blowing out would make the pitch play differently during his pre-game bullpen. "I love my changeup. I will say the way the wind was playing, it usually gives me a little bit more run and sink. Usually that hurts the breaking ball a bit. I told Camargo, I'd like to get the breaking ball going early, but we didn't really have to with the way the pitches were moving."

Keuchel did see success last year at Triple-A with the Rangers, but unfortunately it didn't translate. That seems to be much more mental than stuff. "Last year I was pushing for pension and a couple of different things that had added stress I never had focused on before in my life. A lot of it is the same, but mentally I'm back on the competitive train."

Playing in his first rehab game with the Saints since re-injuring his hamstring, Polanco said he feels great. Seeing live pitching for the first time, ripping a double immediately was nice. "The plan is to play five or six games here and see how I feel. I believe I'm playing second base on Thursday." In comparison to his previous rehab stint for the same injury Polanco said, "this time we have been a bit more conservative than just the two weeks. I will continue getting treatment and loose the rest of the year."

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Wichita 13, Springfield 12 (F/10)
Box Score

Travis Adams took the ball for Wichita this afternoon and hit a rough patch during the fourth inning. Working 3 2/3 Adams allowed four runs on five hits and a pair of walks. He did strike out three today.

With a pair of scoreless innings behind them, the Wind Surge scored first when DaShawn Keirsey Jr. homered for the 11th time this season, making it 1-0.

Things went downhill from there for the Wind Surge as Springfield scored four runs in the fourth inning, and another pair in the fifth inning. Continuing to stay hot, Brooks Lee roped his 29th double of the season, bringing in Ernie Yake, and Wichita had a run during their half of the fifth. Keirsey Jr. followed suit with his 14th double, and the base knock worked to bring Lee home. Yunior Severino kept the carousel turning when he singled home Keirsey Jr. and the deficit was now just two.

Stepping in after a pitching change, with Severino and Alex Isola on board, Pat Winkel blasted a three-run shot to put Wichita back out in front. Aaron Sabato followed with a single, and the Wind Surge had scored six runs on nine hits in the fifth inning before recording an out. Sabato scored on a Yake ground out to make it an 8-6 game, and Lee recorded his second hit of the inning to bring home Yoiyner Fajardo and make it a 9-6 lead.

Despite having come all the way back once, the Wind Surge was determined to do it a second time. They gave up four runs in the top of the sixth inning, now looking at a one-run disadvantage again. Watching another come across in the seventh inning, Springfield now lead 11-9

Answering with two in the seventh, it was none other than Lee with his ninth home run. The two-run shot brought home Yake and evened it at 11.

Despite scoring 11 runs on 16 hits, it wasn’t enough for the Wind Surge to win this in regulation. Springfield went to bat first with their 11 runs on 20 hits drawing even, and attempted to drive in a run against Wichita reliever Alex Scherff. They did bring home the inherited runner, but that’s where the door was slammed. Isola then stepped in and delivered a walk-off inside-the-park-home-run to end this one in hilarious fashion.

Lee contributed four hits, along with Isola, while Keirsey Jr. had three. Severino, Sabato, and Fajardo all had two hit games.

KERNELS NUGGETS
Beloit 13, Cedar Rapids 6
Box Score

It was Christian MacLeod’s turn on the bump today for Cedar Rapids, he went four strong allowing one run on five hits. He walked three and struck out three during the outing.

The Kernels kicked things off with a run in the first inning when Kalai’ Rosario brought home Tanner Schobel with a ground out. Then in the third inning, Cedar Rapids added again after Noah Cardenas doubled home Rosario and Jorel Ortega. Jose Salas followed with a ground rule double to drive in Cardenas and the lead stretched to 4-0.

In the fourth inning Cardenas drove in Schobel with a sacrifice fly before Noah Miller singled home Rosario. Beloit did push a run across in the fourth inning, but they were staring at a 6-1 deficit.

Matthew Swain came on for the Kernels and had a tough outing giving up four runs without recording an out. Niklas Rimmel closed down the rally and preserved a one-run lead for Cedar Rapids through five.

The pitching woes continued during the sixth inning however, and Cedar Rapids watched Beloit bring home six more putting them behind 11-6. Seeing Beloit drive in two more during the eighth inning, this wound up being a game the Kernels would prefer to forget. After leading 6-0, they were outscored 13-0.

Schobel, Ortega, and Cardenas each had a pair of hits for Cedar Rapids to help with their nine total on the day.

MUSSEL MATTERS
Clearwater 10, Fort Myers 8 (F/10)
Box Score

Andrew Morris got the start this afternoon and he was nearly perfect over four innings. Allowing just a single hit and two walks, Morris didn’t give up and punched out four. He dropped his ERA to 2.74.

Starting things off with three runs in the first inning, Fort Myers scored on a pair of blasts. Carson McCusker continues to be on fire and blasted his sixth homer for the game’s first run. Mikey Perez also hit his sixth homer, a two run shot scoring Rafael Cruz.

Clearwater came roaring back during the fifth inning with a six-spot, and then added another in the top of the sixth inning. Fort Myers saw their lead disappear and needed to get to work. Allowing an eighth Clearwater run in the top of the seventh, the Mighty Mussels flexed in the bottom half.

Rubel Cespedes drove in Maddux Houghton on a ground out before Cruz scored Ricardo Olivar with a ground out of his own. Perez then blasted his second dinger of the day, a two-run shot scoring McCusker, and bringing Fort Myers within one. Kyle Schmidt singled home Dylan Neuse before the inning was over, and this thing was knotted at eight.

Unable to push a run across during the ninth inning, the pair headed to extras. Scoring their inherited runner and tacking on another one, Clearwater applied pressure making it 10-8 going into Fort Myers’ final at bats. Perez stepped in with the bases loaded, but didn’t find a way to do more damage and that’s how this one ended.

Both McCusker and Perez had a pair of hits on the day, with each leaving the yard. 

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day – Andrew Morris (Fort Myers) - 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB 4 K
Hitter of the Day – Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 4-6, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2B(29), HR(9)

PROSPECT SUMMARY

We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. 

Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed:

#1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 4-6, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2B(29), HR(9)
#4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 1-1, R
#11 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-4, K
#12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, RBI, 2B(9)
#13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, RBI
#19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 2-4, R, RBI, 2 BB

TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
St. Paul @ Omaha (12:05PM CST) - TBD
Wichita @ Amarillo (7:05PM CST) - TBD
Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - TBD
Fort Myers @ Bradenton (5:30PM CST) - TBD

Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’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!