Matt Braun

I think it is weaker on the pitching side since the heyday of the team's magic with hitting on college arms late like Zebby and David Festa. It doesn't help, too, that two of their better pitchers graduated (Prielipp and Morris) and arguably the two best pitching prospects at the moment (Hill and Soto) are high school guys navigating the hurdles common for most prep arms.

Eh, back-end of the first round probably has more misses than you would think. The year before the Brewers took Josh Knoth there and he missed 2025 and is now outside their top-20. At that point you're just hoping for a guy good enough to simply make the big leagues. Anything else is gravy.

Image courtesy of Malamut Photography (photo of Riley Quick) TRANSACTIONS RHP Christian Becerra activated from 7-day IL (A+ Cedar Rapids) RHP Eston Stull placed on 7-day IL with right elbow injury (A+ Cedar Rapids) SS Kaelen Culpepper added to Future’s Game roster Saints Sentinel St. Paul 2, Buffalo 3 Box Score Ty Langenberg: 4 IP, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K HR: Cody Morissette 2 (4, 5) Multi-hit games: Cody Morissette (2-for-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI) The Saints fell in a close match on Wednesday. You ought to know Cody Morrissette, perhaps. The St. Paul second baseman blasted two homers, the only runs of the day for the Saints. The Boston College product joined Minnesota’s organization this season after his fifth season in the Marlins system appeared to be going nowhere in particular. Might his luck be better with the Saints? We shall see. Sure, it’s not like rain on your wedding day, but there has to be some sort of irony in his two homers looking near identical. From the pitch location, to the swing, to the ball’s final resting place. Ty Langenberg enjoyed his third straight game walking two while striking out three. How unusual. The bizarre streak must bring some good luck: Langenberg has allowed just two earned runs over the 15 1/3 innings that make up his last four starts. Buffalo infielder Josh Kasevich is the 11th-ranked prospect in the Blue Jays system. He went 0-for-3, with a walk. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 3, Tulsa 10 Box Score Cory Lewis: 3 IP, 8 H, 8 ER, 2 BB, 5 K HR: Andrew Cossetti (10) Multi-hit games: Khadim Diaw (2-for-5, 3B, R, RBI), Andrew Cossetti (2-for-4, HR, 2B, R, RBI) The Wind Surge were thumped on Wednesday. Whatever warlocks Cory Lewis entered into covenant with to keep his ERA low either deserted or tricked the young righty; he found no fortune or solace in any events on Wednesday. He allowed eight hits and an equal total of earned runs. Josue De Paula alone smoked three hits—a triple short of the cycle—off the hurler. Andrew Cossetti blasted a solo homer in the bottom of the fourth. The other notable extra-base hit came in the fifth, when Khadim Diaw smacked a deep fly ball to center that became a triple when the center fielder decided to see how soft the warning track dirt was. The aforementioned De Paula is the fourth-best prospect in baseball. Solely as a hitter, he might be the most frightening: a strapping 6’3” lefty with power, contact, and the good sense to know when—and how—he should unleash his mighty stroke. He ended the day with four hits, two of them homers. Oh, and he’s only 21. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 9, Quad Cities 7 Box Score Riley Quick: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K HR: Caden Kendle (5), Graham Brown (3) Multi-hit games: Brandon Winokur (2-for-4, RBI), Yasser Mercedes (2-for-4, R, RBI) The Kernels won an offensive flurry on Wednesday. Hey, it finally happened. Riley Quick found his rebound. The righty elicited consternation and nerves—the worries that his early-season success was a fluke—but took a mighty step towards dashing those anxieties, whiffing seven over four innings with no earned runs. It was his first start since April 29th without allowing an earned run. The Kernels offense was here, there, and everywhere, plating runs in five separate innings. The scoring started with a two-run Caden Kendle shot in the second before lying dormant for some time. The third and fourth passed silently, laying the foundation for the rally to come. In the fifth, Brandon Winokur coaxed home a run on a sacrifice fly and Dameury Pena slapped an RBI single to center. That ended scoring matters until Graham Brown stepped to the plate in the seventh and walloped a two-run shot over the berm in left. That sent the bats into overdrive. Or at least it spurned a three-inning run of… runs that gave the Kernels the lead. And it was more piranha-ball: the first eighth inning run came off an Enrique Jimenez walk, a wild pitch, a passed ball, and an RBI groundout. Kendle—who walked after Jimenez—touched home later off a Yasser Mercedes single. The final run arrived with a Brown walk, Winokur single, a double steal, and an Eduardo Tait sacrifice fly. All in all, Cedar Rapids went 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position yet plated nine runs. The secret? Two-run homers and run-scoring non-hits. River Bandits DH Blake Mitchell is the third-ranked prospect in the Royals’ system. He collected two hits in four at-bats. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 1, Clearwater 6 Box Score Ramiro Villanueva: 3 2/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K HR: Quentin Young (10) Multi-hit games: Ramiro Dominguez (2-for-4, 2B) The Mighty Mussels were thoroughly bested on Wednesday. Quentin Young homered in the fourth. This concludes the offensive portion of the evening. Mike McKenna provided two quality innings of relief, punching out a pair without allowing a run. Brent Francisco put forth an admirable effort too, yet—like the starter Ramiro Villanueva found out—poor defense would portend unearned runs, with four of them scoring in the game. Clearwater’s starter Matthew Fisher ranks as the 10th-best prospect in the Phillies’ system; he allowed one earned run in four frames on Wednesday. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Riley Quick Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Cody Morissette PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 – Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - 1-4 #4 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, RBI, 3 K #5 – Marek Houston (Wichita) - 1-3, RBI, BB, K #6 – Riley Quick (Cedar Rapids) - 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K #8 – Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 0-4, K #12 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 2-5, RBI, 2 K #13 – Khadim Diaw (Wichita) - 2-5, 3B, R, RBI, K #14 – Quentin Young (Fort Myers) - 1-2, HR, R, RBI, 2 BB, K #17 – C.J. Culpepper (St. Paul) - 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K #18 – Yasser Mercedes (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, R, RBI, 2 K #19 – Billy Amick (Wichita) - 0-4, 2 K #20 – Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 0-4, 2 K THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Buffalo @ St. Paul (7:07 PM) - RHP John Klein Tulsa @ Wichita (7:05 PM) - RHP Preston Johnson Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:30 PM) - RHP Ivran Romero Fort Myers @ Clearwater (5:30 PM) - RHP Jason Reitz FCL Twins @ FCL Orioles (11:00 AM) - TBD DSL Angels @ DSL Twins (10:00 AM) - TBD View full article

Image courtesy of Ed Bailey (photo of Kyle DeBarge) TRANSACTIONS SS Kaelen Culpepper activated from 7-day IL (St. Paul) RHP Bailey Ober sent to A+ Cedar Rapids on rehab Saints Sentinel St. Paul 0, Louisville 3 Box Score Kendry Rojas: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K HR: None Multi-hit games: None The Saints were shut out on Sunday. “Two hits??” Well, you know the rest of the line. The outcome was perhaps unsurprising given that the Bats saw 7 1/3 of their innings come from rehabbing big leaguers: the first 6 1/3 from a Hunter Greene who looked quite healthy, according to the poor souls in the Saints’ lineup, with one more frame coming from old friend Emilio Pagán. To their credit, St. Paul’s pitchers matched the electric Greene, at least for a time. Kendry Rojas kicked off matters with three wonderfully efficient innings, striking out three while not walking a batter for just the second time this year. 24 of his 33 pitches went for strikes. Glorious. Ryan Gallagher attempted to continue the effort, though it was apparent from the start that his outing would be shakier than his predecessor’s. He allowed three straight hits to load the bases, only escaping on a force play at home and a strikeout. An ordinary fifth gave way to a sagging sixth, in which Gallagher’s command abandoned him altogether, turning into a three-walk, one hit by pitch quagmire that brought in the game’s first run. There was good news on Sunday. Kaelen Culpepper played for the first time in over two weeks, going 0-for-4 as the DH. With Walker Jenkins also in the lineup, this marked the first time the two top prospects played in the same game since May 2nd. The Bats are led, prospect-wise, by Héctor Rodríguez, the fifth-ranked player in the Reds’ system. The outfielder collected two hits and a walk in four plate appearances. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 5, Midland 10 Box Score Chris Vallimont: 3 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K HR: Kyle DeBarge (8) Multi-hit games: Garrett Spain (2-for-4, 2B, R, RBI), Kyle DeBarge (2-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI), Jay Thomason (2-for-4, 2B, R, RBI) The Wind Surge were thumped on Sunday. Fortunate favored neither squad initially. An early RockHounds lead was erased with a three-run third, the result of a rally that saw run-scoring doubles by Garrett Spain and Kyle DeBarge, and an RBI single from Jay Thomason. That lead, in turn, lasted one half-inning, and the new Midland advantage held all the way until the sixth when DeBarge cleared the center field wall for his eighth homer of the season. The dam finally broke not long after. A ridiculously good Ruddy Gomez outing gave way to a Kyle Bischoff appearance he would likely prefer to forget, as he was pounced for four runs across four hits. Jaylen Nowlin fared little better as he oversaw two more runs that gave Midland a double-digit total on the day. By total bases, it was DeBarge’s best day since his May 21st game against Tulsa in which he homered, doubled, and singled. The game was a nice respite for the infielder, as he has slashed a tepid .189/.277/.324 in June. The Rockhounds are an affiliate of the franchise formerly known as the Oakland Athletics (now just the Athletics as MLB would like us to forget that place and city is an integral part of a team’s culture). Superstar prospect Leo De Vries didn’t play, leaving seventh-ranked Devin Taylor the best youngster on the field for Midland. The outfielder singled twice and walked once in five plate appearances. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 4, Wisconsin 8 Box Score Bailey Ober: 3 1/3 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K HR: Graham Brown (2) Multi-hit games: Brandon Winokur (2-for-5, 2 R), Danny De Andrade (3-for-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB), Miguel Briceno (2-for-4, 2B) The Kernels were walked off on Sunday. But before that—Bailey Ober! He’s back! The big righty took the mound in an organized game for the first time since May 30th. And he looked… rusty. Drenched on cobwebs and slowed by whatever mixed metaphors you prefer. Wisconsin’s leadoff hitter took him deep, and the lineup never let up on the rehabber, nailing him for seven hits across his 3 1/3 innings of work. He threw 57 pitches. One must imagine it won’t be long before he’s back with the Twins. Cedar Rapids was cursed by a lineup that wasn’t the sum of its parts: every batter outside of Yasser Mercedes reached base at least once, yet they could only total four runs. The culprit? A dreadful 3-for-16 showing with runners in scoring position. One of those hits was this Graham Brown screamer, though. A mention should go to Danny De Andrade for breaking free from a horrendous 3-for-29 slump over his last nine games in a 3-for-4 outing with a double and a walk. The Timber Rattlers are spearheaded by the 16th-best prospect in baseball, infielder Luis Peña, who went 0-for-3 with a strikeout. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 6, St. Lucie 5 Box Score Merit Jones: 3 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K HR: Luis Fragoza 2 (7, 8) Multi-hit games: Ramiro Dominguez (2-for-4, 2 R), Jayson Bass (2-for-4, R, RBI), Luis Fragoza (2-for-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI) The Mighty Mussels slipped through with a win on Sunday. Mercy for any who finds themselves opposing Luis Fragoza these days. He is a force. The right-hander has taken exception to the concept of pitching as a fundamental; he is slugging .615 in June, an impressive feat for any player at any level, let alone a 19-year-old who first donned a Fort Myers jersey on May 20th. Sunday was the zenith of his brutality: he blasted a pair of homers onto the left-field berm. The first landing between four youths who wisely dispersed in respects for the incoming ballistic; the latter a shot that safely cleared the greenery and only offered a threat to the stationary fence and man-made objects who had no choice but to accept the punishment. Another hero from the day was Ryan Sprock, which should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with his work since May ended. He’s been a maestro at the plate. The righty is slashing .417/.543/.625 in June with 19 walks to four strikeouts. Real grown man against kids' stuff. His 18-game hitting streak snapped the game before, but he still holds 30 knocks in the month. Entering Sunday, Rhys Hoskins in 234 plate appearances has 33 hits all year! This will go down as a historic month for the Twins prospect. Once more, this author would like to spotlight the position-player-turned-pitcher, Hendry Chivilli, who provided three more than respectable innings of one-run ball on Sunday, striking out three in his second straight successful outing, a step towards flushing away his disastrous June 16th adventure on the mound. He holds a 3.69 ERA stretched across 31 2/3 innings between the FCL and A-ball. Shortstop Antonio Jimenez ranks as the 15th-best prospect in the Mets system. He went 0-for-5 for St. Lucie on Sunday. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Kendry Rojas Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Luis Fragoza PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 – Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - 0-3, K #2 – Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 0-4, K #4 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, 2 K #5 – Marek Houston (Wichita) - 1-3, R, 2 BB, K #7 – Kendry Rojas (St. Paul) - 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K #8 – Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 1-3, K #12 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 2-5, 2 R, K #13 – Khadim Diaw (Wichita) - 1-4, RBI, K #15 – Ryan Gallagher (St. Paul) - 3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 K #18 – Yasser Mercedes (Cedar Rapids) - 0-5, 3 K #19 – Billy Amick (Wichita) - 0-5, 2 K #20 – Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 2-4, HR, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS FCL Twins @ FCL Pirates (11:00 AM) - TBD DSL Twins @ DSL NYY Yankees (10:00 AM) - TBD View full article

I would like to see more Kreidler at shortstop, please.

The Twins held a lead for one half inning the entire series. I would call that being dominated, yes.

As bad as the bullpen has been, I think they actually do deserve some credit for trying to fix it. They've added Andrew Morris and shuffled in Kendry Rojas and John Klein. They made a number of low wattage deals for lotto ticket guys, though Gomez is the only one who has worked out. Really, the issue is it was so obviously terrible going into the season that it would have required a total overhaul or multiple breakouts to avoid catastrophe.

Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images Box Score Taj Bradley: 7+ IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K Home Runs: Kody Clemens (12), Brooks Lee (14) Top 3 WPA: Byron Buxton (.420), Andrew Morris (.310), Taj Bradley (.200) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Are the Dodgers gone? Thank God. Unalienable is the feeling of getting your (Butt) beat. Just thrashed. The brutal knowledge that your opponent is simply better; and that any success on your end is a fluke, a mirage occasionally fading into sight, just to turn sour eventually. And it will. Thus is the mandate when the Great matches up against the meager Just Fine. Fortunately, not every team is Great, and sometimes, another Just Fine rolls into town just in time for a beleaguered team to lick their wounds and move on. The Rockies entered town a common opponent; not particularly impressive in any facet—though probably better than their last three 100-loss efforts. They play baseball. Sometimes it’s good baseball. They command a few players of unordinary stature. But their purple and black hides very little: this is a doldrum team that could offer solace to a Twins squad in need of some mojo. And so it was early on Friday. The two teams could hardly exchange pleasant greetings before Kody Clemens stepped up to the plate with a man on and pounced on a Tomoyuki Sugano splitter, blasting the offering into the right-field overhang. Not to be one-upped, Brooks Lee did the exact same thing in the second. The Twins took a two inning break from their mayhem before returning for more in the fifth for a double-infested rally, manifest in acuity and action as the lineup turned what was a two-out situation into a three-run frame that would soon chase the starter Sugano from the game and turn what was a normal lead into the sort of advantage that can put even the most stringent manager at ease. Trevor Larnach hit the first double. Byron Buxton, the second. Then Clemens walked and Josh Bell sharply parted the left-center gap to cap the innings’ action. By his lack of appearance so far, Taj Bradley’s dominance should be self-evident. The Rockies had no answer. His fastball overwhelmed, and his breaking stuff befuddled; the innings melted into each as the outs piled up, slowly morphing a potentially good outing into an undeniably great one. He finished with seven innings pitched and just two earned runs allowed, and neither run scored while he was on the mound. Right. So. That was all from the Before Times. Well, between the eighth and ninth when a victory appeared imminent. And it should have been: the Twins entered the game's final frame the owners of a convincing 7-3 lead. It should have been enough. Not one soul in the stands, watching on TV, or standing in the Twins dugout could have believed the game to be in any serious danger. And yet! That's not how the ninth played out. A walk portended an RBI double. So be it. Then a homer. Alright, matters might be somewhat serious now. Backs straightened. A carefree tone and vigor in the dugout now altered, impacted by the sudden realization of what could be reality. Derek Shelton's decisions suddenly carry immense weight. He brought in Anthony Banda. A double. A homer. What was once a lead, eviscerated. One swing turning a fun romp into a disappointing disadvantage. But the Twins buckled down. Steeled up, Whatever. An Austin Martin blooper and Ryan Kreidler single put Minnesota back into business. They could save this situation. Buxton chopped a ball to Willi Castro at third and... the unexpected big hop ate up the third baseman. The ball was in left field. Martin was scrambling home. Andrew Morris stranded his Manfred Man in the tenth, and a wild pitch in the bottom of the inning moved Minnesota's rule-forced runner to third. With the infield in, Royce Lewis shot a grounder up the middle and safely into center field. The pinch-runner Kyler Fedko scampered home safely, and the Twins saved what could have been a tragic, inconceivable loss. Notes: Brooks Lee has 14 homers on the season, and he's two away from tying his career-high set in 16. Taj Bradley pitched seven innings for the first time since his April 29th outing against the Mariners. Royce Lewis is slashing .300/.348/.550 in his last 15 games. Post-Game Interview: What’s Next? The Twins and Rockies meet once more in a Saturday evening showdown, pitting two namesakes against each other: the casual Mike Parades against the professional Michael Lorenzen. First pitch is at 6:10 PM. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet MON TUE WED THU FRI TOT Rogers 17 38 0 0 0 55 Banda 0 0 24 0 11 35 Adams 0 30 0 0 0 30 Morris 15 0 7 0 6 22 Funderburk 0 0 0 0 20 20 Orze 11 0 0 0 14 11 Gómez 0 0 10 0 0 10 Raya 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

Image courtesy of William Parmeter (photo of Ryan Sprock) TRANSACTIONS LHP Kody Funderburk recalled by Twins RHP Marco Raya recalled by Twins LHP Kendry Rojas optioned to AAA St. Paul Saints Sentinel St. Paul 4, Louisville 3 Box Score Aaron Rozek: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Gabriel Gonzalez (2-for-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI), Kala’i Rosario (2-for-4, R), Tanner Schobel (2-for-3, 2B, R, RBI, BB) The Saints won by a slim margin on Wednesday. If there could be such a thing as a well-traveled minor leaguer, Aaron Rozek would fit the bill. Now 30, the Minnesota State, Mankato product started for the Saints for the 20th time in his career, becoming likely one of the rare few players to have 20+ starts in indy ball, at A+, AA, and AAA. If a nuclear apocalypse descends upon mankind, Rozek’s charred remains will remain on a mound in Minnesota, hunched over, looking at the catcher as he receives his signs. St. Paul scored one in the third off an unusual interference error on a pickoff attempt. Feeling that they needed to amend the score with runs scored by more ordinary means, Gabriel Gonzalez stepped to the plate with two on and bounded a chopper that hugged the third base line just enough; remaining fair as the Saints on base scrambled with vital urgency. Both runs scored. A fourth and final run arrived at home when Tanner Schobel fended off a single the other way to draw Cody Morissette in safely. Taylor Rashi earned a two-inning save. He surrendered a solo homer and a walk, but punched out three, including two in a row to strand the tying run at second to end the game. Louisville’s Héctor Rodríguez clocks in as sixth-best prospect in the Reds’ system; he homered once in three at-bats. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 4, Midland 8 Box Score Chris Vallimont: 3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Quinn McDaniel (2-for-4) A disastrous fifth inning sunk the Wind Surge on Wednesday. Welcome back Chris Vallimont! The former Twins farmhand re-started for the Wind Surge on the 19th, but this author didn’t cover that day, and he does for this one. The righty found a groove, hurling three innings with one earned run, striking out four in the process. And what has Lewin Diaz done recently? (He’s in the KBO, actually). Vallimont’s success did not translate to Jose Olivares, who started his day with a 1-2-3 fourth inning before coming undone one frame later. It was a flurry. Singles, steals. The flea-like RockHounds rally wore down and baffled Olivares, who was helpless to stop the scuffle. Finally, a triple broke the dam, and, in fact, scored the batter on a Kyle DeBarge throwing error. Two more singles and a homer concluded the nightmare. The Wind Surge held a lead for a brief moment when Jay Thomason doubled in two in the fourth. He later scored on an error. You should recognize the “De Vries” in the box score, as that is indeed Leo De Vries, the uber-prospect traded by the Padres at the deadline last year, who now ranks as the second-best prospect in baseball. He singled and walked in five plate appearances. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 6, Wisconsin 12 Box Score Riley Quick: 3 ⅔ IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 6 K HR: Henry Kusiak (1), Brandon Winokur (9) Multi-hit games: Enrique Jimenez (3-for-4, 2 R), Brandon Winokur (2-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI), Caden Kendle (2-for-4, RBI), Yasser Mercedes (2-for-4), Henry Kusiak (2-for-4, HR, R, RBI) The Kernels were trashed on Wednesday. Perhaps the early-season dominance was bad for Riley Quick; as, instead of accepting his recent slide as the common ills of a youngster debuting in pro ball, it feels as if his regal excellence was a mere mirage. That pitcher is in there, somewhere, he may just need to dig through some A+ ball clunkers before it re-reveals itself. Nonetheless, the latest start ballooned his Cedar Rapids ERA to 4.86. Quick will always find little solace in the fact that every Cedar Rapids hurler biffed it on Wednesday. Not one escaped the game with a lower ERA. The bats were lively, with Enrique Jimenez and Brandon Winokur serving as the driving forces. Jimenez, as the hit-happy table-setter, and Winokur as the thunderous force. The latter doubled and hit a homer that didn’t leave the yard as much as it never returned to earth after scraping its atmosphere. Jimenez’s Kernels career has started with pure nitro; he’s slashing .350/.435/.700 in five games since being promoted. Yasser Mercedes likely thoroughly enjoyed his multi-hit showing, as he entered the day 1-16 in his previous four games. Wisconsin is, of course, an affiliate of the Brewers and their awesome farm system. Wednesday saw their ninth-ranked prospect, catcher Marco Dinges, homer twice in a three-hit outing. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 12, St. Lucie 8 Box Score Kolten Smith: 3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K HR: Jayson Bass (9) Multi-hit games: Ryan Sprock (3-for-3, 2B, 2 R, RBI, 3 BB), Ramiro Dominguez (2-for-6, 2B, RBI), Jayson Bass (3-for-4, HR, 2B, 3 R, 3 RBI, BB), Quentin Young (2-for-4, 3B, 2 R, RBI, BB), Irvin Nunez (3-for-5, R, 2 RBI) The Mighty Mussels rode an offensive explosion to victory on Wednesday. Ryan Sprock is on the mother of all heaters right now. He entered June slashing .262/.393/.338 and is currently at .325/.450/.455. He has 28 hits, 15 walks, and—of all the stats this is easily the funniest one—just three strikeouts. Three. In 61 at-bats. Call it scorching, torrid, or whatever synonym you prefer, the one thing few have called him is “out”. Fort Myers started with a pair in the 3rd, with Jayson Bass singling in one, and Quentin Young tripling in the one mentioned earlier in the sentence. Three crossed home plate in the fifth thanks to a run-scoring balk, and a two-run knock by Irvin Nunez. One each in the sixth and seventh have Fort Myers a slim 7-6 lead in what was obviously not a pitching duel sort of game. They fell down once more, but struck back with a vengeance, mighty and vigorous, plating five in the eighth to take a lead they would finally not relinquish. Jayson Bass started matters with a two-run homer—somehow their first long ball of the day—and two singles and a walk loaded the bases for Byron Chourio. The less heralded of the namesake ushered two home on a hit, though he was soon thrown out at second base in the fray. No problem. A hit by pitch and Sprock single totaled the 12th and final run of the game. The St. Lucie Mets are powered by the franchise’s sixth-ranked prospect, infielder Elian Peña, who singled once in five at-bats. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Aaron Rozek Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Brandon Winokur PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #5 – Marek Houston (Wichita) - 1-4, 2 K #6 – Riley Quick (Cedar Rapids) - 3 2/3 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 6 K #10 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 2-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, K #12 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, HR, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI #13 – Khadim Diaw (Wichita) - 2-5, RBI #14 – Quentin Young (Fort Myers) - 2-4, 3B, 2 R, RBI, BB, 2 K #18 – Yasser Mercedes (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4 #20 – Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 1-4 THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (5:35 PM) - RHP Ty Langenberg Wichita @ Midland (7:00 PM) - RHP Sam Armstrong Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (6:40 PM) - LHP Cesar Lares St. Lucie @ Fort Myers (6:05 PM) - RHP Ramiro Villanueva FCL Twins @ FCL Braves (11:00 AM) - TBD DSL Twins @ DSL Phillies (10:00 AM) - TBD View full article

Image courtesy of William Parmeter (photo of Byron Chourio) TRANSACTIONS LHP Kendry Rojas returned to Twins Saints Sentinel St. Paul 12, Omaha 15 (12 Innings) Box Score Trent Baker: 1 1/3 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K HR: Alan Roden 2 (6, 7), Matt Wallner (11), Orlando Arcia 2 (9, 10) Multi-hit games: Alan Roden (4-for-6, 2 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI), Orlando Arcia (2-for-6, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI), Aaron Sabato (2-for-6, R), Ben Ross (2-for-4, 2 RBI, BB) The Saints lost a high-scoring affair on Sunday. You don’t see many games where a team with a nine-run inning loses. Then again, there was nothing ordinary about what occurred in this game. St. Paul racked up 12 runs across 15 hits, had two players crack two homers, and lost in the 12th after sending Tanner Schobel to the mound as a human white flag. Pitching in a game that was tied. These things happen in the minors. Alan Roden led off the game with a homer, which served as the team’s lone run until their vigorous fourth inning assault on Aaron Sanchez. And what a frame it was. Matt Wallner and Orlando Arcia bombed back-to-back, and Ben Ross drove in two with a single. A short two-out sequence threatened to cut the rally short, yet the Saints continued to clobber, as Gabriel Gonzalez plated two more with a double before Arcia concluded things with a three-run homer, his second long ball of the inning. That proved to be the zenith of the game. The Saints’ pitching simply couldn’t hold up. Five of the team’s “pitchers”—we’re air-quoting the word because it includes Tanner Schobel’s gift of an outing—allowed at least two runs, as St. Paul’s lead slowly whittled away until it became Omaha’s lead. Roden cracked a second homer in the eighth off former Saint Dan Altavilla. He’s slashing .333/.463/.632 at AAA this year. Storm Chaser Abraham Toro hit for the cycle in the game. No member of the Royals’ Top 20 prospects (per Royals Keep) list played in the game. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 2, Springfield 5 Box Score Cory Lewis: 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K HR: Jaime Ferrer (2) Multi-hit games: Khadim Diaw (2-for-5, RBI), Jaime Ferrer (2-for-3, HR, 2B, R, RBI) The Wind Surge failed to find much offense on Sunday. Jaime Ferrer collected the only two extra-base hits for the team, a double in the fifth, and a homer in the ninth. That’s quite the opposite-field shot; even Ferrer was probably surprised that left the field. Has Cory Lewis figured something out? The righty owns a 2.25 ERA in the month of June, though that comes with a 1.40 WHIP, fueled in part by 12 walks in 20 innings. The sustainability of a stretch like this is perhaps dubious, but the deflated ERA after being pulverized to start the season is probably a nice respite. Jose Olivares collected two scoreless innings in his second appearance out of the Wichita bullpen this season. 2026 has been a struggle for him. The walk bugaboo that has followed him throughout his career morphed into a full-blown walk monster; he’s offered 28 free passes over 33 2/3 innings with the Wind Surge this year. No walks were offered on Sunday, though. The Cardinals played MLB’s 22nd-ranked prospect, catcher Rainel Rodriguez. He singled once in five at-bats. Kernels Nuggets Rain follows where Walker Jenkins goes. Why Mother Nature has beef with the top Twins prospect is unclear. The Kernels will make up this game on July 18th. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 13, Tampa 3 Box Score Hendry Chivilli: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K HR: Jayson Bass (8), Luis Fragoza (6), Byron Chourio (3) Multi-hit games: Ryan Sprock (2-for-5, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB), Quentin Young (2-for-5, 2B, R, 2 RBI, BB), Luis Fragoza (2-for-4, HR, R, 4 RBI, BB), Byron Chourio (4-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI) Inspired by the parent club, the Mighty Mussels rode a fifth-inning crooked number to a blowout win. And what a frame it was. Fort Myers entered with two already on the board. A Byron Chourio single and a Merphy Hernandez hit by pitch started the onslaught. Innocuous enough. Ryan Sprock cracked a long double to center to score both men. The Mighty Mussels then loaded the bases and pushed across their fifth run when Quintin Young took four pitches outside the zone for the easiest RBI of his life. At this point, the DNA of this rally was of an ordinary ilk. Simply a few runs. Nothing unusual in the context—especially in the minors where momentum and avalanches are commonplace. But then, Luis Fragoza stepped to the plate, took a mighty hack, and walloped a hanging slider for a grand slam. Oh, and Chourio tacked on a solo shot. Oh, and they concluded the inning with a final run scored off a double steal/throwing error combo. Hendry Chivilli enjoyed his best outing as a Mighty Mussel, tossing four shutout innings with a pair of strikeouts, a mammoth improvement over his woeful appearances on May 23rd and June 16th. Chivilli might be the most unique story in the Twins system this year: Minnesota handed him over $2 million as a part of their international haul in 2023, and after a pair of dreadful seasons at the plate, moved him to the mound where he has pitched shockingly well. He carries a 3.77 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP in 28 2/3 innings this year. The Tarpons are a part of the vaunted Yankees farm system. A talented bunch, they did not reveal so in this game, as no member of their Top 30 prospect list appeared in the game. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Hendry Chivilli Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Alan Roden PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #10 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 1-5, 2B, R, 3 RBI, BB #13 – Khadim Diaw (Wichita) - 2-5, RBI #14 – Quentin Young (Fort Myers) - 2-5, 2B, R, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K #19 – Billy Amick (Wichita) - 0-3, BB, K #20 – Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 0-4, 3 K MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS FCL Rays @ FCL Twins (11:00 AM) - TBD DSL Miami @ DSL Twins (10:00 AM) - TBD View full article