Twins Minor League Report (7/7): Rooker, Keirsey Lead Walk-Off Wins

TRANSACTIONS

Chris Paul was placed on the DL with a finger sprain and Jordan Gore was promoted up from Cedar Rapids to replace him on the Chattanooga roster. Ariel Montesino was moved up from Elizabethton to take Gore’s spot on the Kernels.

New acquisition Jon Kemmer was activated by the Red Wings and Chris Carter was released.

RED WINGS REPORT

Lehigh Valley 4, Rochester 3 (11 innings)

Box Score

SP: Zack Littell (6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K)

HR: Kennys Vargas (12)

Multi-hit games: Gregorio Petit

Byron Buxton ended this game playing in the infield. The Iron Pigs had the bases loaded with nobody out, so the Red Wings put on an extreme shift with five infielders and two outfielders. Unfortunately, the batter sent a fly ball to the outfield that ended up being plenty deep enough to score the winning run on a sac fly.

This game probably wouldn’t have gotten that far if Nick Gordon hadn’t have made an excellent play to end the 10th. Lehigh Valley had runners at first and second with no outs. The batter sent a bullet of a line drive to Gordon’s right, but he snared it and threw to second to double off the runner and end the threat.

Buxton oped this game with a walk, stole second base, advanced to third on a Gordon groundout and scored on a Gregorio Petit single. In the sixth, Kennys Vargas hit a two-run home run.

Zack Littell has had a rough go of it in his two appearances with the Twins, but he’s been great with Rochester. He’s now surrendered just 18 earned runs in 57 innings (2.84 ERA) to go with 52 strikeouts (8.2 K/9).

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 3, Birmingham 2

Box Score

W: Tyler Jay (1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K)

SP: Lewis Thorpe (4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K)

HR: None

Multi-hit games: Brian Navarreto, Brent Rooker, Ryan Walker

This game was knotted at 2-2 entering the bottom of the ninth. Luis Arraez hit a one-out single and then scored all the way from first base on a walk-off double from Brent Rooker. Chattanooga fell behind 2-0 in this one but Ryan Walker hit a huge two-out, two-run single in the sixth to tie it up.

Rooker entered this game second in the Southern League with 22 doubles and he added two more tonight. Brian Navaretto was 3-for-4 with a double of his own. Navarreto’s 13 two-baggers on the year look pedestrian next to Rooker’s impressive total, but that ties his career high for the Lookouts catcher.

Lewis Thorpe struck out eight batters, but he was already at 97 pitches when he left the game after 4 2/3 innings. Ryan Eades followed with three shutout innings before Tyler Jay recorded the final four outs to earn the victory.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Bradenton 4, Fort Myers 1

Box Score

SP: Griffin Jax (6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 7 K)

HR: Shane Carrier (4)

Multi-hit games: None

Shane Carrier hit a home run for the Miracle in the third inning. It was particularly noteworthy because that was Fort Myers’ only hit of the night. Griffin Jax tied a career high with seven strikeouts and threw 69.2 percent of his pitches for strikes. Jax was recently named the No. 26 Twins prospect on Twins Daily’s midseason Top 40.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 5, Kane County 1

Box Score

W: Jordan Balazovic (6.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K)

SV: Jovani Moran (2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K)

HR: None

Multi-hit games: Jacob Pearson, Jean Carlos Arias, Andrew Bechtold, Trey Cabbage, Ben Rodriguez

The Cougars held a 1-0 advantage until Cedar Rapids finally broke through in the seventh. The inning started with consecutive hits from Andrew Bechtold, David Banuelos and Trey Cabbage, and was highlighted by a two-run triple from Jean Carlos Arias.

Jordan Balazovic gave up just one run on three hits over his 6 1/3 innings of work. He struck out five batters and only needed 84 pitches to get that deep into the game. Jovani Moran handled the final 2 2/3 innings and got strikeouts on five of the nine batters he faced. Moran, 21, has been dominant for Cedar Rapids, racking up 70 Ks in 44 1/3 innings (14.2 K/9).

Jacob Pearson had another impressive night, going 2-for-4 with a double and a walk.

E-TWINS E-NOTES

Elizabethton 6, Danville 5 (10 innings)

Box Score

W: Zach Neff (2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K)

SP: Josh Winder (2.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K)

HR: Colton Burns (2), Chris Williams (6)

Multi-hit games: DaShawn Keirsey, Chris Williams, Alex Robles

This one went into extras and E-Town gave up the go-ahead run in the top of the inning. In the bottom of the 10th, DaShawn Keirsey hit a game-tying RBI double with one out. He eventually advanced to third on a passed ball and then scored the walk-off run on a ball that was hit back to the pitcher. It was officially scored as a fielder’s choice, missed catch error on the pitcher.

Keirsey had a great game, going 3-for-5 with his first professional stolen base. Fellow 2018 draftee Chris Williams hit his sixth home run already in what was just his 16th game with Elizabethton. Just to give that some perspective, last season Brent Rooker hit his sixth homer for E-Town in his 17th game.

Ryan Jeffers only got one stinking hit, dropping his average to .386. What gives?

GCL TWINS TAKES

GCL Twins 6, GCL Red Sox 4

Box Score

W: Osiris German (1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K)

SV: Dylan Stowell (1.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K)

SP: Prelander Berroa (4.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K)

HR: None

Multi-hit games: Yeison Perez, Gabe Snyder

The Twins jumped out to a 5-0 lead in this one with the big hit being a two-run double from Yeison Perez, who was 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and four RBIs.

STARS OF THE DAY

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Zack Littell, Rochester

Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day: DaShawn Keirsey, Elizabethton

TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY

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

1. Royce Lewis, CR: 1-for-4, BB, 2 K

3. Nick Gordon, ROC: 0-for-5, 2 K

5. Alex Kirilloff, FM: 0-for-4, K

7. Brent Rooker, CHAT: 2-for-5, 2 2B, RBI, 2 K

11. Zack Littell, ROC: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

12. Lewis Thorpe, CHAT: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K

13. Lewin Diaz, FM: 0-for-3

14. LaMonte Wade, ROC: 0-for-4, K

16. Ben Rortvedt, FM: 0-for-3 K

17. Travis Blankenhorn, FM: 0-for-3, HBP, 3 K

19. Tyler Jay, CHAT: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K

SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester at Lehigh Valley, 12:35 pm CT: Fernando Romero

Chattanooga at Jacksonville, 5:05 pm CT: TBD

Fort Myers at Bradenton, 12:00 pm CT: Brusdar Graterol

Cedar Rapids at Kane County, 12:35 pm CT: Bryan Sammons

Elizabethton vs. Danville, 5:00 pm CT: TBD

GCL Twins Off

Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the games.

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