Twins Minor League Report (8/25): Wichita Walks It Off, Lackey and Kernels Fall Short in Marathon

TRANSACTIONS

• In the International League, the St. Paul Saints swapped C David Banuelos for C Ian Daugherty. Banuelos came off the temporarily inactive list while Daugherty went to the Development List. 
• In the Midwest League, the Cedar Rapids Kernels activated RHP Cole Peschl from the 7-day injured list.

SAINTS SENTINEL
Toledo 3, St. Paul 8
Box Score
Like they have done all season, the St. Paul Saints wasted little time getting going in this one.

Walker Jenkens led off for the home team with a walk. Ben Ross swung at the first pitch he saw and knocked it onto the concourse in left field for a 2-0 lead after two batters. After a pair of outs, Aaron Sabato reached on a single, and Hendry Mendez followed with another two-run shot on the first pitch of his at-bat to make it 4-0.

Right-hander Trent Baker made the start at CHS Field and pitched into the fourth inning. He went one-two-three in each of the first two innings, but was charged with a single run in each of the third and fourth. He allowed those two earned runs on four hits and a walk in his 3 2/3 innings. He struck out one.

David Banuelos joined the home run party with a solo shot in the fourth to make it 5-2, and Jack Anderson stabilized the pitching over his three innings. He allowed one earned run on four hits and a walk, striking out two. With two outs in the seventh Marco Raya was summoned and struck out three of the five hitters he faced, hitting one with a pitch for his only baserunner.

In the bottom of the seventh singles from Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez, and a walk to Matt Wallner loaded the bases for Sabato. He added some insurance with a two-run single to make it 7-3 Saints. They tacked on another run in the eighth after Tristan Gray and Cody Morissette started it with singles. Gray stole third and then scored on a passed ball to make the final tally.

Julian Merryweather set the Mud Hens down in order in the ninth to clinch the victory, striking out one.

The Saints got multiple hits from Matt Wallner (2-for-3, 2B, BB, K), Sabato (2-for-3, R, 2 RBI, K), and Morissette (2-for-4). Jenkins finished 1-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored.

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Arkansas 6, Wichita 7
Box Score
Twins top pitching prospect Riley Quick made the start in this one, and came out firing. He struck out the side in the first, needing 14 pitches to do so. He retired the first seven hitters he faced, including five via strikeout, before the Travelers lineup finally got to him. An infield single followed by a two-run homer put Arkansas up 2-0. After a pair of walks prompted a mound visit, Quick struck out the next two hitters to end the threat. He reached his pitch count after one batter in the fourth to end his outing. He threw 64 pitches, with 41 going for strikes (64%), including 13 swings and misses.

The Wind Surge cut the lead to one in the bottom of the third when Jake Rucker and Caden Kendle traded places with doubles.

Darren Bowen finished off the fourth inning from the bullpen, and Cory Lewis came on to start the fifth. He struck out two in a one-two-three frame, but the sixth was a different story. He walked the first two hitters of the inning before recovering to strike out two more. Then a third walk loaded the bases and a two-run single made it 4-1 Travelers to prompt another pitching change.

Paulshawn Pasqualotto got them through the eighth inning, allowing a solo home run but no further damage in 2 1/3. He struck out three. Kyle Bischoff allowed an earned run on two walks and a hit in the ninth, striking out one to push the Arkansas lead to 6-1.

This is where the magic happened.

Graham Brown led off with a single. Quinn McDaniel drew a walk. Jaime Ferrer smoked one over the head of the left-fielder in the gap for a two-run double and a spark. Jake Rucker followed by launching a double of his own off the wall and glove of that same left-fielder in the same gap. “He’s on fire!” Caden Kendle followed with an RBI single to pull Wichita within two with nobody out, causing the Travelers to reach back into their bullpen. A catchers interference swing from Brandon Winokur re-loaded the bases, and Garrett Spain worked an RBI walk in a 10-pitch battle to put the tying and winning runs in scoring position. Andrew Cossetti took a big hack and sent a fly ball well deep enough to tie the game at six and move the winning run to third base. Kyle DeBarge then sent a liner up the middle for the walk-off single and exclamation point on the ninth-inning comeback.

Despite being down by five heading into the bottom of the ninth, the Wind Surge ended up outhitting the Travelers 11-5 in the game. Rucker (3-for-5, 2 R, 2 2B, K), Kendle (2-for-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI, K, SB), DeBarge (2-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 SB), and Ferrer (2-for-3, R, 2B, 2 RBI) each had multiple hits.

KERNELS NUGGETS
Lake County 19, Cedar Rapids 18
Box Score
This one looked like a laugher early, but then it got weird —in a good way…Maybe? [queue the alien sound effects] At different points the Kernels trailed 9-0 and 16-9, but always had something in them to keep it interesting. Maybe there was something new around the clubhouse…

Lefty Michael Carpenter got the starting pitcher assignment and would be the first to tell you he didn’t have his best stuff on this night. A pair of walks in the first led to a 1-0 lead before his team had an at-bat, and he wouldn’t get out of the second. He gave up seven earned runs on five hits and three walks in his 1 2/3 innings, picking up one strikeout and needing 47 pitches to do so.

It didn’t get much better for the bullpen, as Michael Hilker (1 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, K), Cole Peschl (1 IP, H, ER, K), and Brian Zeldin (1/3 IP, 3 H, 6 ER, 3 BB) couldn’t come out unscathed either.

At least the Kernels lineup wouldn’t take it sitting down.

While they didn’t score a run in the first, the freshly promoted 2026 third overall draft pick, Vahn Lackey, delivered a hit in his first Midwest League at-bat.

Down 9-0 already in the bottom of the second, Danny De Andrade and Jose Salas led off with back-to-back singles, with Byron Chourio following with a two-run double. In the third inning for his second MWL at-bat, Lackey went “Vahn Bomb” for his first High-A home run. Eduardo Tait followed him with a single, before JP Smith II clubbed a two-run shot of his own to make it 9-5.

With the score 10-5 in the bottom of the fourth, the Kernels outdid themselves for the third inning in a row, scoring four to close within one. Yasser Mercedes got it started with a one-out single. Lackey drew a walk. After a pop-out, Smith II singled up the middle to score Mercedes, De Andrade followed with an RBI double, and Salas capped it with a two-run single.

The Captains pulled away again with a six run top of the fight, but the Kernels weren’t going away. After a two-out error, Mercedes made them pay for it with a two-run homer to make it 16-11 heading into the sixth inning, and things actually calmed down a little. 

No runs were scored by Lake County in the sixth through eighth innings thanks to relievers Yehizon Sanchez (1 1/3 IP, 3 H, BB, K) and Brent Francisco (2 1/3 IP, 2 H, BB, 2 K), setting the stage for Cedar Rapids in the bottom of the eighth, down by five.

Lackey led off with his second walk of the game and singles from Tait and Smith II scored the first run of the frame. A walk to Danny De Andrade loaded up the bases and brought in a new pitcher. Salas greeted him with an RBI single to cut the lead to three. Chourio and Andy Lugo drew walks around a strikeout to cut the lead to one. Another strikeout brought Lackey back up with two outs, the bases loaded, and his team trailing by one. He didn’t waste the opportunity.

With the error tacked on all three runners were able to come around and score, putting the Kernels in front for the first time, 18-16.

But all good things must come to an end, apparently. 

Christian Becerra came one for the save opportunity, and three errors contributed to the Captains being able to score three runs and take back the lead they had just relinquished. One came on a swinging-bunt down the third base line that Lackey is probably one of the few catchers on the planet athletic enough to even attempt to make a play on, but his throw was a bit high to first base. Then it was two ground balls up the middle that both appeared to deflect off Becerra, throwing off Salas at shortstop behind him and leading to a pair of bobbles. 

The Kernels did get another chance as this game almost got even weirder in their final at-bat. Lake County brought in the submarining Cam Schuelke to try and close it out, and he hit three Kernels with pitches to put the winning run in scoring position before a fly out ended one of the strangest games I’ve watched this year.

Seven of the Kernels nine hitters had at least two hits in the game, with Lackey (3-for-4, 3 R, HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, SB), Smith II (4-for-6, 3 R, HR, 4 RBI), and Salas (3-for-6, 2 R, 3 RBI, K) collecting three or more. Both teams ended up with more runs than they had hits, and the game clocked in at just over four hours long.

MUSSEL MATTERS
Bradenton 3, Fort Myers 5
Box Score
Right-hander Matt Barr toed the rubber at Hammond Stadium on Tuesday, and was solid over his four innings. He scattered four hits, allowed just one earned run, and struck out five Marauders. He threw 52 pitches, with 38 of them going for strikes (73%), including seven swings and misses. A leadoff double in the fourth led to his only run allowed.

He left the game with the score tied at one, as the Mighty Mussels lineup got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first. Murphy Hernandez led off with a walk, and as he does, proceeded to steal second base for his 43rd swipe on the year with Fort Myers. The throw sailed into center field and he was able to take third as well. He then trotted home on a balk for the 1-0 lead.

The home team added single runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings to go back in front. In the fifth it was Carson Tinney’s seventh home run of the season (third straight game), and Colby Turner joined him with a solo shot in the sixth, his second on the year with Fort Myers.

Relievers Nick McAuliffe and Brad Rudis dealt with baserunners over the next 3 1/3 innings, but held Bradenton scoreless. McAuliffe allowed one hit, walked one, and struck out three in the fifth. Rudis allowed one hit and walked three over the next 2 1/3, striking out five. Adam Falinski came on with one out in the eighth and retired both hitters he faced on strikeouts.

In the bottom half Fort Myers tacked on a pair of insurance runs after Isaiah Lane led off with a walk and Turner put them both in scoring position with a double. Ramiro Dominguez cashed them in with a two-run single and 5-1 lead.

Back out for the ninth, Falinski served up a leadoff solo home run and another run, but with the added insurance was credited with his fifth save of the season. He was charged with two earned runs on three hits in his 1 2/3 innings, and struck out three.

Turner (2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, HR, RBI, BB) led the way with a pair of extra base hits. Lane chipped in a double to the effort in addition to a pair of walks. Hernandez stole two bases. Quentin Young earned a precious metal brimmed-hat. Fort Myers pitchers racked up 16 strikeouts as a team. Tinney threw out a pair of runners at second base.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day – Riley Quick, Wichita Wind Surge (3 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K)
Hitter of the Day – JP Smith II, Cedar Rapids Kernels (4-for-6, 3 R, 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): 1-for-4, 2 R, BB, K
#2 - C Vahn Lackey (Cedar Rapids): 3-for-4, 3 R, HR (1), 3 RBI, 2 BB, SB
#5 - RHP Riley Quick (Wichita): 3 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
#6 - OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul): 1-for-4, R, K
#7 - OF Hendry Mendez (St. Paul): 1-for-4, R, HR (8), 2 RBI, 2 K
#8 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-6, 2 R, K
#11 - C Carson Tinney (Fort Myers): 1-for-4, R, HR (7) RBI, K
#12 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Wichita): 0-for-4, R, 2 K
#18 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Fort Myers): 0-for-4, 4 K
#19 - OF Yasser Mercedes (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-6, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 K

WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
Toledo @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CDT) - LHP Aaron Rozek (3-3, 3.94 ERA)
Arkansas @ Wichita (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP Adrian Bohorquez (Double-A debut)
Lake County @ Cedar Rapids (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Reed Moring (1-1, 4.66 ERA)
Bradenton @ Fort Myers, Game 1 (3:35 PM CDT) - RHP Jui-Chieh Lin (Low-A debut)
Bradenton @ Fort Myers, Game 2 (makeup of 7/10 PPD) - TBD

Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games!

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