Twins Minor League Report (8/18): Grand Slam Completes Wind Surge Comeback

TRANSACTIONS

• In Triple-A the St. Paul Saints activated RHP Alejandro Hidalgo from the Development List. RHP Ruddy Gomez was placed on the 7-Day Injured List. 
• IF Jorel Ortega was released from the Wichita Wind Surge roster.
• After multiple promotions yesterday, including 2026 breakout performer OF Luis Fragoza, the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels received some reinforcements from the FCL Twins roster. They included C Jimmy Keenan, RHP Brian Strange, and RHP Jackson Sleeper.

SAINTS SENTINEL
St. Paul 3, Columbus 19
Box Score
I could swear I’ve written this same recap before…

Oh that’s right, I have.

Definitely some deja vu on the final score, and who ended up finishing the game on the mound for the Saints. I’m not sure if Tom Pohlad would have any reason to travel on the road to Columbus for this one, but I’m sure there were a few Twins scouts in attendance as the Clippers are the Clevaland Guardians top affiliate.

This one actually started just the way the Saints like to draw it up, with Walker Jenkins leading off with a single and Ben Ross following with his 14th home run of the season with the Saints, for a 2-0 lead before their starting pitcher had warmed up.

But while it took the Saints two hitters to score two runs, the Clippers one-upped them in the bottom of the first as it took them three hitters to score three runs. A pair of walks and a three-run homer were what greeted starter Ryan Gallagher, and it wouldn’t get any better from there.

He was able to finish just 1 2/3 innings, and of the five hits he allowed, three of them left the yard and tallied up nine earned runs total thanks to pairing all that with five walks. Gallagher hadn’t allowed that many earned runs over his last five starts and 27+ innings. A stretch during which he went 3-1 and lowered his season ERA by nearly two runs.

The rest of the pitching staff didn’t learn the lesson, either. C.J. Culpepper (2 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 K), Matt Bowman (2 IP, ER, BB, 2 K), and Woo-Suk Go (1 IP, 2 H, 5 ER, 6 BB, 2 K) combined to be charged with eight earned runs themselves over the next five innings. Down 14-3 in the middle of the eighth, the Saints called on the eephus talents of infielder Tanner Schobel, and the softball swing of the Clippers’ Milan Tolentino resulted in a grand slam to make the final score. All that said, Schobel’s ERA on the season is a comfortable-for-a-position-player 6.00.

The Saints lineup got multi-hit efforts from Jenkins (2-for-5, R, K), Ross (2-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K), and Gabriel Gonzalez (2-for-4, R, HR, RBI) who added his 13th home run of the season in the sixth.

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Wichita 10, Frisco 9
Box Score
While Gallagher got bludgeoned on the road after a recent stretch of solid outings, Chris Vallimont was doing the same thing over his last five starts with Wichita…

…and also got bludgeoned in an opposing ballpark on this night.

Vallimont at least made it into the third inning, but he also didn’t finish it. The RoughRiders scored three, two, and three runs against him in the first three innings. Those eight earned runs came on nine hits and one walk over his 2 2/3 frames. He struck out only one and allowed two homers. 

Thankfully for the Wind Surge, their bullpen was up to the task. Five relievers combined to allow just one further run on four hits and five walks over the final six innings, giving the lineup a chance they didn’t waste in the ninth.

Wichita did strike first to start the game as Caden Kendle hit a two-out double and was driven in by a single from Garrett Spain in the first. They scored two more in the second thanks to singles from Jay Thomason, Marek Houston, and Brandon Winokur and a wild pitch that made it 3-3 at the time. The lineup went cold until the top of the seventh when Winokur drove a slider out the opposite way to close the Frisco lead to four.

After William Fleming (1 1/3 IP, H, K), Darren Bowen (1 IP, K), Jaylen Nowlin (1 IP, K), and Paulshawn Pasqualotto (2 IP, H, ER, 2 K) had reversed the pitching fortunes, the Wind Surge headed to the ninth down 9-4.

Houston led off by reaching on an error, and after a strikeout of Winokur, Kendle reminded everyone why their hands burned when they touched him. His seventh home run with the Wind Surge, and fifth in his last nine games, trimmed the Frisco lead to three. After a groundout Wichita were down to their last out, but they still had fight in them. Jake Rucker beat out an infield single. Andrew Cossetti and Kyle DeBarge worked walks to load the bases, bringing up Jay Thomason.

It may not have been the “ultimate” variety, but his grand slam brought the Wind Surge all the way back and then some to take a 10-9 lead.

Kyle Bischoff came on for the save opportunity after probably believing he wasn’t going to be needed and gave up a solid liner into right to start the frame. Luckily for him, that batter thought he got more of the pitch than he did and wasn’t hustling out of the box. The bounce off the wall came right back to Kendle, who promptly spun around and fired a bullet into second to beat the runner there for the first out. Bischoff gave up another single but retired the other two batters he faced to pick up his fifth save on the season.

The Wind Surge got two-hit efforts from each of Houston (2-for-5, 2 R, 2B), Winokur (2-for-5, R, HR, 2 RBI, K), Kendle (2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB, 2K), and Thomason (2-for-5, R, GS HR, 4 RBI, 2 K) in the dramatic comeback victory.

KERNELS NUGGETS
Cedar Rapids 0, Beloit 6 (6 innings)
Box Score
The Kernels were the victim of a complete game shutout on Tuesday, though that comes with the caveat that the game was called due to rain in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Not that it would have mattered if it had gone the full nine the way this going for Sky Carp starter Liomar Martinez. Cedar Rapids had just one base runner through five innings and didn’t get their first hit until the top of the sixth, just in time to avoid adding a no-hitter to the complete game asterisk for Martinez. Yasser Mercedes’s two-out double gave the Kernels their only at-bat on the game with a runner in scoring position, and Eduardo Tait popped out to end the inning. Martinez struck out nine Kernels over his six frames.

Lefty Michael Carpenter made the start for Cedar Rapids and was forced to work by the Beloit lineup. He pitched into the third inning, but a leadoff walk ended his outing after 49 pitches (30 for strikes). Carpenter was charged with four earned runs on four hits and a walk, while striking out two. Michael Ross was summoned and completed the final four innings. He allowed two earned runs on six hits and struck out four. 

In his Midwest League debut the reigning Florida State League Player of the Week, Luis Fragoza, finished 0-for-1 with a strikeout and reached base on a hit by pitch.

MUSSEL MATTERS
Fort Myers 7, Palm Beach 8
Box Score
On the road this week in Palm Beach, the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels sent right-hander Eric Hammond to the mound to kick off their series against the Cardinals. He worked around baserunners in each of the first three innings, but after his pitch count hit 60 in the third inning, he was relieved by the newly promoted Brian Strange. Hammond allowed no runs on three hits and a pair of walks in his 2 2/3 innings, striking out two.

Fort Myers got on the scoreboard first in the top of the second. Yovanny Duran led off with a walk, moved to second on a groundout, and stole his third base with the Mighty Mussels to put himself 90-feet away. Aidan Teel brought him in with a sac fly for the early 1-0 lead.

They took a 5-0 lead in the fourth thanks to some loud contact from Carson Tinney and timely hitting elsewhere. With one out Tinney launched his fourth home run since being drafted, a solo shot.

Duran and Colby Turner followed with singles, and Teel drew a walk to load the bases. Isaiah Lane followed with a two-run double, and Hideki Prather added a sac fly for the five-run lead.

Strange got the Mighty Mussels through the fourth inning on the mound, allowing one hit and striking out three in his 1 1/3 innings. Jackson Sleeper’s Florida State League debut didn’t go as comfortably. The Cardinals tied the game at five in the fifth, with all of those runs being charged to Sleeper, though two of them went as unearned thanks to an error. He allowed two hits and walked three while recording just one out. Matthew Becker got them through the fifth with no runs being charged to himself, walking two of his own but also striking out two. Brent Francisco went the next two scoreless innings, allowing one hit, walking two, and striking out three.

In the top of the ninth the Mighty Mussels were able to break the tie. Prather and Charlie Scholvin led off with singles. After a fielder’s choice off the bat of Merphy Hernandez, he stole second to put two runners in scoring position. MLB’s #2 catching prospect, Vahn Lackey, then delivered a clutch two-run single to put Fort Myers back in front.

The save opportunity was given to Adam Falinski, and it was quickly put in jeopardy. It started with a hit by pitch, then a single. After a grounder for the first out, another single scored made it a one run game. The next single drove in two to walk it off for the Cardinals.

The offense was led by Duran (2-for-4, 2 R, BB, K), Turner (2-for-4, R, 3B), and Lane (2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K) who each collected two hits. Lackey finished 1-for-4 with a walk and stole his third base.

DOMINICAN DAILY
Game 1: DSL Cardinals 7, DSL Twins (7 innings, completion of suspended game)
Box Score
This game was suspended in the top of the fourth inning all the way back on the fourth of July, and it picked up on Tuesday morning with the score 5-3 Cardinals.

The Twins wasted little time resetting the scoreboard. In the bottom of the fourth back-to-back singles from Luis Suarez and Jeferson Abreu got it started. Daiyer Barboza drove them both in with a double.

The Cardinals got both those runs back in the top of the fifth, but the Twins struck for three more in the bottom of the sixth to make the final score. Three walks and multiple wild pitches led to the first run of the inning. Another walk and stolen base from Jhon Gonzalez put runners on second and third, and Luis Duarte brought them both in with a single for the 8-7 final.

Gonzalez finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a walk. Barboza and Duarte each drove in two to lead the offense.

Juan Collado had made the start back in July and was charged with five earned runs on three hits and five walks. He struck out four. Jesus Moreno had recorded one out back then, too, before Collado re-entered the game. When play resumed on this day it was Alam Soriano on the bump. He picked up the win by completing 2 1/3 innings and allowed two earned runs on three hits and one walk, while striking out three. Aldwin Morillo picked up the save with a scoreless ninth. He walked two and struck out one.

Game 2: DSL Twins 10, DSL Cardinals 14 (7 innings)
Box Score
The regularly scheduled contest between the two teams started off with a bang. 

In the top of the first the Twins sent 11 men to the plate, and eight of them came all the way back around to score. It started with a hit-by-pitch which was followed by a pair of singles to load the bases. Enmanuel Merlo got the scoring party started with a two-run double. Three walks later another run had scored, and the starting pitcher was removed without recording an out (he would re-enter the game later and record four outs). Another walk brought in a fifth run, and the sixth scored on a double-play ball. Leadoff man Daiyer Barboza then drew another walk, and scored on a double from Jendy Martinez, who was thrown out at third to end the inning.

Unfortunately for the Twins, the Cardinals came back with seven runs in the bottom of the second to quell the momentum and turn it back into a game.

Twins starting pitcher Yolcar Garcia worked a one-two-three first but lost his control in the second. He was charged with six earned runs on two hits and three walks in his 1 2/3 innings, striking out two. Failin Placencio didn’t fare any better, walking all four hitters he faced, but was only charged with one earned run. Camilo Made recorded the final out of the frame, and finished 1 2/3 total innings, pitching into the fourth. He was charged with three earned runs on two hits and two walks and struck out two.

Fabian Ulloa delivered his first home run of the season to tie the game at 10 in the fifth, but the Cardinals would score the game’s last four runs.

Miguel Martinez allowed one hit, walked two, and struck out two in 1 2/3 innings pitched. Herkyn Tavares gave up those last four runs on three hits and a pair of walks in his lone inning. He struck out one.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day – Brian Strange, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (1 1/3 IP, H, 3 K)
Hitter of the Day – Jay Thomason, Wichita Wind Surge (2-for-5, R, GS HR, 4 RBI)

PROSPECT SUMMARY
Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today.

#1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul): 2-for-5, R, K
#2 - C Vahn Lackey (Fort Myers): 1-for-4, 2 RBI, BB, SB (3)
#3 - SS Kaelen Culpepper (Minnesota): 1-for-3, R
#4 - SS Marek Houston (Wichita): 2-for-5, 2 R, 2B
#6 - OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul): 0-for-3, BB, K
#7 - OF Hendry Mendez (St. Paul): 0-for-4, K
#8 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids): 0-for-3
#9 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul): 2-for-4, R, HR (13), RBI
#11 - C Carson Tinney (Fort Myers): 1-for-5, R, HR (4), RBI, 3 K
#12 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Wichita): 2-for-5, R, HR (6), 2 RBI, K
#15 - RHP Ryan Gallagher (St. Paul): L, 1 2/3 IP, 5 H, 9 ER, 5 BB, 3 K
#19 - OF Yasser Mercedes (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-3, 2B, K

WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
St. Paul @ Columbus (6:05 PM CDT) - RHP Ricky Castro (3-2, 5.02 ERA)
Wichita @ Frisco (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP Riley Quick (0-2, 5.68 ERA)
Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (6:05 PM CDT) - RHP Reed Moring (1-1, 5.63 ERA)
Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (5:30 PM CDT) - RHP Matt Barr (0-0, 6.43 ERA)

Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’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!