Twins Minor League Report (8/21): Ober Deals, Pensacola Trio Triumphs, and Celestino Celebrates

TRANSACTIONS

Rochester

Cibney Bello joins coaching staff as assistant pitching coach

C Willians Astudillo rehab assignment transferred from Pensacola

RHP Zack Littell optioned by Minnesota

LHP Jeremy Bleich placed on IL with hamstring strain

Fort Myers

OF Gilberto Celestino promoted from Cedar Rapids

INF Michael Davis placed on IL with meniscus tear

Cedar Rapids

OF Matt Wallner promoted from Elizabethton

RED WINGS REPORT

Buffalo 7, Rochester 4

Box Score

Charlie Barnes had the starting duties for Rochester tonight. He recorded one out in the fifth inning and gave up four runs (three earned) on seven hits while walking two and doubling that amount in strikeouts. Down 4-0 by the middle of the fifth inning, it would be on the home team to mount a comeback.

Wilin Rosario continued his hot hitting with his 22nd double to open up the scoring in the eighth. Zander Wiel then roped his 34th double to drive in two, pulled the Red Wings within one. Unfortunately three Bison batters scored in the top of the ninth, and a Rosario RBI single in the bottom half was all Rochester could muster.

Likely eyeing a September return to the Twins, Willians Astudillo went 1-for-5 with an RBI in this one.

Brusdar Graterol worked two innings of relief. He struck out three, walked one, and gave up a single. It’s a double dose of Stewart on the mound in the series finale tomorrow night.

https://twitter.com/RocRedWings/status/1164358776369156101

BLUE WAHOOS BITES

Pensacola 8, Mississippi 2

Box Score

Bailey Ober is having one of the best seasons on the Twins farm, and you still may not know it. He made his second Double-A start tonight and turned in seven-shutout innings of three-hit ball while fanning 12 and walking none. He’s now 2-0 with Pensacola and owns a 0.64 ERA.

With their starter on cruise control, the Wahoos lineup went to work. A three-run third featured RBIs from the prospect trio of Alex Kirilloff, Royce Lewis, and Trevor Larnach. Mark Contreras and Jimmy Kerrigan went back-to-back in the 4th before Larnach drove in two more. The fourth inning came to a close and Pensacola was already on top 7-0.

The Wahoos added an insurance tally in the eighth that was wiped out by two from the Braves in the bottom half. That’s where this one finished though. Early offense and dominant starting pitching was the theme.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Fort Myers 7, Charlotte 5

Box Score

Tyler Watson wasn’t exactly economical tonight for the Miracle, but he was good in what he gave them. Needing 84 pitches to make it through four innings turned it into a short outing. He left with a no-hitter though, and had struck out six while walking three.

The Miracle bats came ready to work tonight as well. Pushing across seven runs on eleven hits, they scored in four straight innings from the fourth through the seventh. Brian Schales notched an RBI single to grab the game's first lead, and a Jacob Pearson double knotted it at two in the fifth.

Ernie De La Trinidad tallied an RBI single in the sixth, and then Schales grabbed his first double to drive in two in the seventh. De La Trinidad added another on a sac fly before a Yeltsin Encarnacion single pushed the margin to five.

Facing a very good Stone Crabs team the Miracle would need to hang on until the end. Three runs came across between the eighth and ninth, but the opposing rally ended two runs short. Phenom Wander Franco got his in a 2-for-3 night, but Schales and newly promoted Gilberto Celestino matched the effort. Celestino led off in his first Florida State game, and he turned in a 3-for-5 effort with two runs and a double.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Clinton 9, Cedar Rapids 0

Box Score

Luis Rijo has been nothing short of lights out all season, but Clinton figured him out in this one. He lasted just one out into the sixth inning and had given up five runs (all earned) on seven hits. The lone bright spot was a 7/0 K/BB ratio on the evening.

Cedar Rapids got behind by three in the first, and then allowed a six run inning in the sixth to seal the deal. The Kernels only put three hits on the board tonight, so not much of a comeback could’ve been expected.

Recently promoted 2019 draft pick Matt Wallner picked up a hit in his second at-bat, and drew the start in right, batting sixth.

E-TWINS E-NOTES

Johnson City 3, Elizabethton 2

Box Score

After Brent Headrick opened with an inning of scoreless work, Ryan Shreve got the next 4 2/3 innings. He gave up just a single run on five hits while walking two and striking out three. Elizabethton held Johnson City to just three runs, and outhit them seven to six, but the rally run never came.

Kidany Salva launched his third homer of the year to open the scoring in the third, and Seth Gray knocked another in on a sac fly. After giving back a run in the sixth, the Twins watched the lead evaporate on a two-run Cardinals eighth. Only four E-Twins batters would come to the plate in the ninth, and Ruben Santana couldn’t advance beyond his two-out single.

GCL TWINS TAKES

GCL Orioles 2, GCL Twins 0

Box Score

Still working his way back on a rehab assignment, Stephen Gonsalves began this one on the mound. He turned in two strong innings allowing a single hit, fanning four, and walking none. He’s missed a significant amount of time this season, but is looking closer and closer to making a return.

The Twins squad tallied just four hits, and Alec Craig was responsible for two of them out of the leadoff spot. Keoni Cavaco was back in the lineup after dealing with a quad injury, however he was lifted after an 0-3 start.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Pitcher of the Day – Bailey Ober (Pensacola) 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 12 K

Hitter of the Day – Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) - 3-5, 3 RBI

PROSPECT SUMMARY

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

#1 - Royce Lewis (Pensacola) - 2-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB, 2 K

#2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - 2-4, 2 R, RBI, BB

#3 - Brusdar Graterol (Rochester) - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

#4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) - 3-5, 3 RBI

#5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 2 K

#6 - Jordan Balazovic (Fort Myers) - Did not pitch

#7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL) - 0-3, K

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

#9 - Jhoan Duran (Pensacola) - Did not pitch

#10 - Blayne Enlow (Fort Myers) - Injured List (hamstring)

#11 - Lewis Thorpe (Minnesota) - Did not pitch

#12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Injured List (leg contusion)

#13 - Ryan Jeffers (Pensacola) - 0-5, K

#14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) - 0-3, K

#15 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3

#16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - Did not play

#17 - Akil Baddoo (Fort Myers) - Injured List (Tommy John surgery)

#18 - Jorge Alcala (Rochester) - Did not pitch

#19 - Misael Urbina (DSL) - 2-3, 2B, R, RBI, BB

#20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) - Did not play

THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Buffalo @ Rochester (6:05PM CST) - RHP Kohl Stewart (7-5, 5.56 ERA)

Pensacola @ Mississippi (6:35PM CST) - TBD

Charlotte @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - RHP Jordan Balazovic (6-2, 2.98 ERA)

Cedar Rapids @ Clinton (6:30PM CST) - RHP Matt Canterino (1-0, 0.90 ERA)

Elizabethton @ Johnson City (5:30PM CST) - TBD

GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (11:00AM CST) - TBD

Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’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!