Twins Minor League Report (7/25): Colina Cruises to Complete Game

Find out everything that happened happened in the Twins system on Thursday, starting with the transactions of the day.

TRANSACTIONS

• OF Byron Buxton was activated from the Injured List with OF Jake Cave optioned to Rochester.
  
• LHP Devin Smeltzer was optioned to Rochester. RHP Sean Poppen was recalled.
  
• The Twins traded Pensacola catcher Brian Navarreto to the New York Yankees organization for cash considerations.
  
• The Twins acquired RHP Jeremy Bleich from the Boston Red Sox for cash considerations. The 32-year-old debuted last year with two innings with the A’s (2 ER, 1 out). With all of the Red Wings starters bouncing from Rochester to the Twins, they just need some arms.
  
• Eden Prairie RH RP Adam Bray was promoted to Rochester.
  
• C Ryan Jeffers and RHP Jhoan Duran were promoted to Pensacola.
  
• C/1B Chris Williams came off of the Cedar Rapids Injured list and was promoted from the Kernels to the Miracle.
  

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 7, Norfolk 9

Box Score

The Red Wings fell behind early after a five-run top of the first. However, a Jaylin Davis two-run single scored two runs to cap a four-run bottom of the 8th for the Red Wings to tie the game at 7-7. But the lead didn’t last for long, and the Wings took a loss.

DJ Baxendale started a bullpen game for the Red Wings (as several of their starters are currently with or returning from the Twins). He gave up six runs on eight hits (including 3 HR) over the first three innings. He walked two and struck out three. Jake Reed came on and tossed three scoreless, hitless innings. He walked one and struck out two batters. Zack Littell came on and gave up an unearned run over this two innings. Gabriel Moya came on for the ninth inning with the game tied and gave up a two-run homer to Orioles’ top prospect Ryan Mountcastle.

Nick Gordon led the offense. He went 3-for-4 with a walk and his fourth homer of the season. Alejandro de Aza and Wynston Sawyer each went 2-for-4 with a walk. Sawyer added his 17th double. Zander Wiel added his 27th home run.

https://twitter.com/RocRedWings/status/1154422161442004992

BLUE WAHOOS BITES

Pensacola 2, Mobile 1

Game 1 - Box Score

It got interesting late, but Edwar Colina completed the seven-inning game for the Blue Wahoos on Thursday. Obviously that is important when it occurs during a double header. In his second start since his promotion to Pensacola, Colina came into the final inning with a shutout. He got the first two batters out, but then he issued a walk and a single. The Mobile run then scored on a passed ball which also put the tying run into scoring position. But he got a fly out to end the game.

Colina went all seven innings (101 pitches, 70 strikes) and gave up only the unearned run on three hits. He walked one and struck out ten batters. It’s also fun to see how a pitcher does against top prospects. Jo Adell is the Angels top prospect and a consensus Top 10 prospect nationally. Colina go Adell out all three times he came to the plate and struck him out twice. Obviously three plate appearances fits the definition of Small Sample Size, but it does show Colina’s upside.

The Wahoos scored both of their runs in the first innings. Alex Kirilloff led off with a single and stole second base. With two outs, Mark Contreras singled in Kirilloff. Ben Rortvedt followed with a run-scoring double.

Contreras and Rortvedt each went 2-for-4. Rortvedt hit his fourth and fifth doubles.

Pensacola 3, Mobile 2

Game 2 - Box Score

Ryan Jeffers was called up to the Wahoos earlier in the day, and after starting out 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, he got one more opportunity. In the bottom of the 7th inning, Trevor Larnach reached on a two-out error. Jeffers came up, fell behind 0-2, and then drilled a double to left field that scored Larnach from first to end the game and the doubleheader.

https://twitter.com/BlueWahoosBBall/status/1154599156989792256

The Blue Wahoos scored twice in the fifth inning and back-to-back RBI singles from Alex Kirilloff and Lewin Diaz.

It was a bullpen game for Pensacola. Anthony Vizcaya started and gave up just one hit over three scoreless innings. He walked three and struck two batters out. Hector Lujan came on and was charged with two runs on three hits and two walks and a hit batter in an inning and a third. Tom Hackimer came into the 5th inning with the bases loaded and one out and got out of it. He worked 2 2/3 innings and gave up just one hit. He struck out two without walking anyone, though he did hit three batters.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Ft. Myers 3, Lakeland 2 (10 innings)

Box Score

Royce Lewis provided the Miracle with their first run of the night with a first-inning home run, his 10th of the season. He came to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning. He hit a fly ball down the right field line for a game-winning sacrifice fly.

https://twitter.com/JimCrikket/status/1154568573727182849

Tyler Watson started for the Miracle. The left-hander was very good. He gave up just one run on four hits over the first seven innings. He struck out five batters without walking any. Johan Quezada came on and pitched a strong eighth inning, flashing 101 on the radar gun. However, he was charged with a ninth-inning run that tied the game. He gave up four hits, walked one and struck out two while recording four outs. Calvin Faucher got the final two outs of the ninth inning and then threw a scoreless top of the 10th.

Gabriel Maciel went 2-for-5 in the game. Jacob Pearson had the only other extra base hit, his third double since joining the Miracle recently.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 6, Wisconsin 1

Box Score

Luis Rijo was on his game again on Thursday night. The right-hander, acquired last year at the trade deadline from the Yankees, gave up just one run on four hits over the first seven innings. He struck out eight and didn’t walk anyone.

https://twitter.com/jeje66/status/1154565160842989569

The Kernels got things going with four runs in the first inning. Trevor Casanova singled in a run and then Wander Javier drilled a three-run homer. It was his sixth of the season. Spencer Steer went 2-for-4 with his first triple. Javier added a single as well.

E-TWINS E-NOTES

E-Twins 9, Princeton 4

Box Score

Elizabethton got off to a fast start and continued it throughout the game. Willie Joe Garry, Jr., led the way. He went 2-for-4 with a walk, his sixth double and his third home run. Matt Wallner had two doubles on the night. Janigson Villalobos hit his third homer, and Will Holland added his second home run.

Andriu Marin started and was charged with three runs on five hits over 4 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out six. Frandy Torres struck out three batters over the next 2 2/3 innings. He gave up just one hit. Erik Cha worked the final two innings. He gave up a run on four hits. He struck out three batters.

GCL TWINS TAKES

GCL Twins, GCL Orioles

Box Score

Game Postponed by Rain.

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Edwar Colina, Pensacola Blue Wahoos

Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Willie Joe Garry, Jr., Elizabethton Twins

PROSPECT SUMMARY

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

#1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - 1-4, R, 2 RBI, HR(10), GW-Sac Fly

#2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - Game 1 (1-3, R), Game 2 (1-4, RBI)

#3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured List (shoulder)

#4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) - Game 1 (1-3), Game 2 (1-4, R)

#5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 2-5, R, 3 RBI, HR(6)

#6 - Jordan Balazovic (Ft. Myers) - Temporary Inactive List (Pan Am Games)

#7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL Twins) - Rained Out

#8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - Injured List (groin).

#9 - Jhoan Duran (Pensacola) - Promoted to AA, Did Not Pitch

#10 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch

#11 - Lewis Thorpe (Minnesota) - Did Not Pitch

#12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 3-4, BB, HR(4), R, RBI,

#13 - Ryan Jeffers (Pensacola) - Promoted to AA, Game 2 (1-4, 2B(1), GW-RBI)

#14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) - 1-4, R, 2B(8)

#15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) - 2-4, 2-2B(11), R, 2 RBI, 2 K

#16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - Game 1 (2-3, 2-2B(5), RBI, K

#17 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Injured (Tommy John)

#18 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch

#19 - Misael Urbina (DSL Twins) - 3-4, HBP, 2B(11), 3B(2), 3 R

#20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) - Injured List

TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Indianapolis @ Rochester (6:05 CST) - TBD

Mobile @ Pensacola (6:35 CST) - TBD

Lakeland @ Ft. Myers (6:00 CST) - RHP Blayne Enlow (2-2, 3.35 ERA)

Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - RHP Andrew Cabezas (4-5, 3.54 ERA)

Elizabethton @ Bristol (5:30 CST) - RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

GCL Twins @ GCL Red Sox (11:00 CST) - TBD

Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Thursday games or any other minor league topics you would like.

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!