Matt Braun

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

Image courtesy of William Parmeter It’s nearly the end of the month, making this the perfect time to reveal our updated prospect rankings for the site. No, you’re a little late. As a reminder, our list can be found here, and it currently reflects the voting from the early days of May. Updating on a monthly basis is our way of remaining on the pulse; players will improve or recede in play, suffer injuries that cause them to stagnate, or exhaust their prospect eligibility due to major league playing time (which is what happened to Connor Prielipp and Andrew Morris who are no longer “prospects,” under this technical definition). With that out of the way, let’s get to the list proper: Walker Jenkins OF, AAA (Previously #1) Kaelen Culpepper SS, AAA (Previously #2) Emmanuel Rodriguez OF, AAA (Previously #3) Eduardo Tait C, A+ (Previously #5) Marek Houston SS, A+ (Previously #7) Riley Quick RHP, A+ (Previously #8) Kendry Rojas LHP, MLB (Previously #9) Hendry Mendez OF, AAA (Previously #13) Dasan Hill LHP, A+ (Previously #6) Gabriel Gonzalez OF, AAA (Previously #10) Charlee Soto RHP, A+ (Previously #11) Brandon Winokur INF/OF, A+ (Previously #15) Khadim Diaw OF/C, AA (Previously #19) Quentin Young INF, A (Previously #14) Ryan Gallagher RHP, AAA (Previously #16) James Ellwanger RHP, A (Previously #18) C.J. Culpepper RHP, AAA (Previously #17) Yasser Mercedes OF, A+ (Previously Unranked) Billy Amick INF, AA (Previously Unranked) Kyle DeBarge INF, AA (Previously #20) An Unchanged Top 3 Voters kept the Walker Jenkins, Kaelen Culpepper, and Emmanuel Rodriguez triumvirate intact, despite all three players hitting the IL since our last update (Jenkins has since started a rehab assignment). Clearly, their talent remains triumphant—and no one has yet usurped any of them, even as health frustrations remain a nuisance for the two outfielders in the group. Two Hitting Hot Streaks Marek Houston entered June with a merely solid hitting season, and launched into supernova territory, terrorizing A+ ball pitchers with a .408/.545/.592 slashline with 16 walks to seven strikeouts. He’s reached base in every game he’s played in the month. Paired with his already adroit defense at shortstop, Houston—Minnesota’s first-round pick in 2025—appears an obvious candidate to break through and become the next name that populates one of the top three spots on this list. We knew Hendry Mendez could hit, but did anyone know he could hit like this? The young outfielder nabbed as part of the Harrison Bader return from last year's deadline is something of a throwback hitter; someone who could walk more than they strike out while hovering around that coveted “.300” batting average mark. He hit a relative rough patch in June, and is now on the IL, but was so dominant in May that he jumped five spots and cracked our top 10. A Talented Lefty Drops There’s no way to supercoat it: Dasan Hill has been dreadful this year. He made waves with an impressive teenage showing in 2025, and has struggled mightily with control this season, walking nearly a batter an inning on average. Unsurprisingly, his ERA is near 7. Voters opted not to be too harsh on the 20-year-old, as his stuff remains incredible, and his lankiness may, more so than most hurlers his age, make command difficult as he matures into his body. Hello There, Khadim Diaw All he does is hit. The Senegalese super utility man holds an .850 OPS during his time in the Twins system, as his prescient sense of the strike zone, and hit by pitch abilities, has buoyed an OBP above .420. It appears he may have to Daulton Varsho it, and discard the tools of ignorance behind the plate in favor of letting his athleticism fly in center field, which is a perfectly fine outcome: the system is light on healthy and adept center fielders. Two Newcomers A pair of graduations necessitates a pair of elevations, and the lucky two this month were Yasser Mercedes and Billy Amick. Mercedes, a one-time big-time international get, has been famous for years now, even as his pro career has rollercoaster-ed between brilliance and struggles. This year, he pummeled A-ball but cooled off in Cedar Rapids. Billy Amick is here to hit home runs and strike out. He has 17 bombs in 61 games at AA, and is punching out at a 30% rate. He’s one of the bigger “boom or bust” candidates on this list, but the tantalizing power of a potential boom keeps him as a back-end name. View full article

Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images Box Score Connor Prielipp: 6 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K Home Runs: Victor Caratini (5), Josh Bell (9), Royce Lewis (7) Bottom 3 WPA: Connor Prielipp (-.420), Travis Adams (-.110), Brooks Lee (-.080) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) What to make of these Twins? The ramshackle and dilapidated group, at one time—moons ago—the class of the AL, but for a moment; in more recent games, fallen into derelict as the flaws and pitfalls of their roster reared their ugly head, and causes losses to pile up. But have things changed? They swept the Rangers. They took a series from the Cardinals. Minor successes, yes—common for any team, in any year to claim such victories; as the ebbs and flows of a season, occasionally turgid, sometimes lean promise hope both false and real to any fan willing to watch. Would this stretch prove a mirage? We shall see. Early results portended… something. What exactly “it” was wasn’t clear, but it was obvious this force was nefarious. In the second at-bat of the game, Byron Buxton launched a liner off the left field wall, only to be thrown out at second thanks to an excellent relay by Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and a rare mild pace by Buxton before he rounded first. Then he sped things up. It was too late. Kody Clemens extended the inning with an infield single. Strange things abounded. The inning also ended up claiming Arizona starter Michael Soroka; he suffered an injury while warming up for the second inning, and left the game, and left manager Torey Lovullo suddenly relying on an impromptu bullpen game. The new hurler Taylor Clark coaxed two quick outs before allowing a mammoth solo homer to Victor Caratini. Chaos neither subsided or lessened; rather, it started to manifest in a ball suddenly unruly and impossible to glove. With Luke Keaschall on second, Clemens bounded a grounder the other way only for Nolan Arenado—the six-time Platinum Glove winner—to flub the play and allow Keaschall to score. The Diamondbacks responded with a run with no funny business attached, just for the Twins to strike back with a score in the fourth aided by a bouncing ball that just had to ricochet off the second base bag, and over the adroit Geraldo Perdomo who otherwise certainly would have made the play. Prielipp entered the fifth a workmanlike presence. Not dominant, he nonetheless had effectively contained the Diamondbacks offense, flipping his signature breaking stuff in and around the zone with the kind of ease that made him such a tantalizing prospect. That soft providence quickly turned. It started with a walk. Always dreadful. Then a flurry of hits, and an infield defense that could only stumble and fall over themselves turned a 3-1 advantage to a 5-3 deficit. Then a 6-3 one when Ketel Marte led off the sixth with a solo homer. Minnesota struck back once again; this time, homering twice in the eighth to draw them within one run. That was as close as they would get. Travis Adams labored in his second inning of work. Two hits and a walk loaded the bases. Suddenly Corbin Carroll was up with the bases loaded. No lefty? It was Adams' trouble to escape. On a 1-2 count, he tried to fool the superstar with a low and outside changeup, and Carroll softly lofted the pitch into right field, expertly guiding the liner as the bases emptied and Carroll, who always runs like the world is about to end, slid harmlessly into third base. The Twins went down quietly in the ninth. Notes: Josh Bell is slashing .400/.444/.720 is his last seven games. Royce Lewis is slashing .283/.333/.587 since re-joining the Twins on June 6th. Connor Prielipp has a 7.04 ERA in his last six starts, after posting a 2.88 mark in his first five outings. Byron Buxton's two hits give him 841 in his Twins career, the 22nd-most in team history. He's three away from tying Greg Gagne. Post-Game Interview: Social media accounts eschew a post-game interview on Apple TV games. What’s Next? The Twins and Diamondbacks will return to their ordinary TV broadcasts on Saturday yet will continue to start at unordinary times: first pitch is at 9:10 PM. Taj Bradley will start opposite Zac Gallen. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet SUN MON TUE THU FRI TOT Adams 0 0 13 0 42 55 Laweryson 0 0 20 17 5 42 Morris 17 9 0 8 0 34 Orze 0 15 0 12 0 27 Gómez 10 15 0 0 0 25 Rogers 0 6 0 15 0 21 Lawrence 0 0 0 18 0 18 Banda 11 0 0 0 0 11 Paredes 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

Nope, he stole two bases in the game. Fangraphs doesn't update box score stuff until the next day so don't rely on that. Houston stole third in the first inning then swiped second in the seventh.

Image courtesy of Malamut Photography (photo of Marek Houston) TRANSACTIONS LHP Kendry Rojas sent to AAA St. Paul on rehab. Saints Sentinel The 1952 film with Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds taught us that one can sing in the rain; however, the movie mentions nothing about the impossibility of playing baseball in it. Indeed, the Saints learned this the hard way, and will play a doubleheader on Thursday because of the precipitation. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 10, Springfield 9 Box Score SP: Cory Lewis: 4 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 1 K HR: Kala’i Rosario (11) Multi-hit games: Andrew Cossetti (3-for-4, 3B, R, 3 RBI, BB), Kala’i Rosario (2-for-4, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB), Khadim Diaw (2-for-4, 2 R, BB) The Wind Surge won a thriller on Wednesday. The typical wasn’t cutting it, so why not try the atypical? Cory Lewis dabbled in effectively wild territory, walking three while allowing four hits. That’s almost a 2.00 WHIP—deadly endeavors for any pitcher. Yet, Lewis walked away without an earned run to his name and given the season he was having coming into the game, he’ll certainly take it. The “zero-earned runs” thing befalls a terrible truth of this game: the Wind Surge couldn’t field for squat. They committed four errors. A particularly brutal stretch occurred in the fifth when a Quinn McDaniel mishap added a second runner to the bases, a Jaime Ferrer botch scored a run and put men on the corners, and an Andrew Cossetti throwing error turned a double steal attempt into a run. That’s how poor Ruddy Gomez could only be credited with one earned run while five scored in the inning. Fortunately, the bats were ready to make up for what the gloves couldn’t do. Wichita was in a hitting mood. Shoot, they were in a walking mood, too. They collected 10 knocks and nine free passes; everyone outside Garrett Spain reached base at least once. Two touched home in the third off an Andrew Cossetti triple. A third arrived in the fifth when McDaniel cleverly dashed home on the front-end of a strikeout/double-steal attempt. Then the point became moot when Kala’i Rosario clobbered a homer one batter later. At least McDaniel has bragging rights. Springfield swapped pitchers and did nothing to stop the run avalanche started by the Wind Surge in the fifth. A lineup-wide flurry—the kind of piranha production that would make Ron Gardenhire smile—ambushed the new hurler for three more runs. RBIs went to McDaniel, Billy Amick, and Rosario. Unsatisfied and ravenous proved to be a Wichita lineup dead-set on swooning ERAs and bludgeoning pitcher egos: they once-again loaded the bases in the seventh and pushed a pair of runs across thanks to a hit by pitch and a walk. A good day indeed when a lineup plates a run four separate times without needing a hit. Khadim Diaw singled twice and walked in his AA debut. Springfield’s unique “switch-pitcher” started on Wednesday. Jurrangelo Cijntje, ranked as the 84th-best prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com, tossed 4 2/3 innings, allowing five earned runs. He only pitched right-handed. Life is often boring. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 4, Beloit 8 Box Score Riley Quick: 4 2/3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K HR: Miguel Briceno (5) Multi-hit games: Marek Houston (2-for-3, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 BB), Miguel Briceno (2-for-4, HR, R, RBI) The Kernels were solidly bested on Wednesday. Riley Quick’s regal dominance at Fort Myers has dissipated into an ordinary muck. The righty who once appeared incapable of allowing runs has not only surrendered them at consistent rate, but he’s also allowed free passes far more often than one would expect given his raw ability. These are the common traits of a player figuring things out, learning more about himself as an athlete. He’s less than 40 innings into his professional career, after all. It seems inevitable he’ll figure it out. Marek Houston has commanded his level. It’s too easy for him now. The 2025 first round pick is slashing an unbelievable .442/.561/.651 since June started with 13 walks to six strikeouts. That’s dominance. He also stole two bases. That’s dominance. He should be driving to Wichita soon. Miguel Briceno provided the lone big blast for Cedar Rapids, homering in the fourth. The infielder was a Minor League Rule-5 pick before the 2025 season, a fact you may need to know as he’s now slashing .324/.380/.577 with the Kernels. OF Brandon Compton slots in as the 12th-best prospect in the Marlins system, and he collected three hits, including two homers. Perhaps he’s ranked too low. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 9, Tampa 7 Box Score Justin Mitrovich: 4 1/3 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 6 K HR: Quentin Young (7) Multi-hit games: Quentin Young (2-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 R, RBI), Byron Chourio (2-for-4, 3B, 2R, RBI) The Mighty Mussels hit their way to a win on Wednesday. “It’s about scoring them in bunches,” espoused Fort Myers, probably. They only scored in three frames, but made them worth their while, plating a trio in the fifth thanks to a rally started by a Jayson Bass hit by pitch turned not-pickoff when the second baseman dropped the ball that should have nabbed the running Bass. So it goes. And so it be, sometimes. Byron Chourio and Ryan Sprock reaped the rewards with RBI knocks later in the inning. We do it again. This time in the seventh. Chourio tripled. Ricardo Pena walked. Dameury Pena singled. Two outs nearly neutered the rally. Then, an error on a Quentin Young batted ball. Floodgates and such. The error, a wild pitch, and oncoming singles by Luis Fragoza and Merphy Hernandez put a five-run capitalization on the matter. And, for good measure, Young returned in the ninth to pop an opposite-field moonball that may have punctured a cloud before returning to land. Callan Fang—which sounds like the name of a horror movie villain from the 90s—debuted for the Mighty Mussels, tossing 2 2/3 effective innings with zero earned runs and three strikeouts. He looks to join the fraternity of the 35 Harvard men who have become big leaguers. The Tarpons are an affiliate of the nefarious—yet undeniably awesome—Yankees farm system. They sent forward their ninth-ranked prospect, starter Thatcher Hurd, who racked up eight strikeouts across 4 1/3 innings while allowing just one earned run. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Cory Lewis Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Quentin Young PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #5 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, 3 K #7 – Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - 2-3, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 BB #8 – Riley Quick (Cedar Rapids) - 4 2/3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K #10 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 1-3, 2 RBI #14 – Quentin Young (Fort Myers) - 2-5, HR, 2B, 2 R, RBI, 2 K #15 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, R, RBI, 2 BB, K #19 – Khadim Diaw (Wichita) - 2-4, 2 R, BB MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Omaha @ St. Paul (5:07 PM) - RHP Ricky Castro Omaha @ St. Paul (Game Two) - TBD Springfield @ Wichita (6:35 PM) - RHP Preston Johnon Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM) - LHP Cesar Lares Fort Myers @ Tampa (10:00 AM) - RHP Charlee Soto FCL Twins @ FCL Rays (11:00 AM) - TBD DSL Arizona Red @ DSL Twins (10:00 AM) - TBD View full article

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson (photo of Walker Jenkins) Seth ran into trouble finishing up the minor league report for 6/13, so this will be a hybrid post including what he had written with minor amendments from me, and the report for 6/14. TRANSACTIONS 6/13: RHP Andrew Bash activated from development list (AAA) OF Hendry Mendez placed on 7-day IL with left shoulder impingement OF Walker Jenkins sent to A Fort Myers on rehab RHP Ruddy Gomez sent to FCL Twins on rehab RHP Jason Doktoczyk moved from 7-day IL to 60-day IL RHP Hendry Chivilli promoted to A Fort Myers 6/14: SS Harry Genth promoted to AAA St. Paul RHP Reed Moring placed on 7-day IL with right biceps tendinitis (A Fort Myers) OF Graham Brown promoted to AAA St. Paul Saints Sentinel 6/13: St. Paul 6, Toledo 1 Box Score Aaron Rozek: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K HR: Matt Wallner (8) Multi-hit games: David Bañuelos (2-for-3, 2B, 2 R, BB) (Seth): The only innings that there were runs scored in this game were the third and fourth innings. The Saints scored three runs in the top of the third. The Mudhens scored one run in the bottom of the third inning. The Saints added three more runs in the top of the fourth inning. Besides those frames, nothing but zeroes. In the third inning, Matt Wallner hit his eighth Saints home run, a three-run blast. The top of the fourth inning began with walks to 7-8-9 hitters, Noah Cardenas, Henry Kusiak, and David Banuelos. Cardenas scored when Kaelen Culpepper reached on an error. Kusiak scored on a wild pitch. Banuelos scored on a Matt Wallner fielder's choice. Aaron Rozek did his part, putting together a Quality Start. The lefty from Burnsville tossed six innings of one-run ball. He gave up four hits, walked two and had five strikeouts. Marco Raya came on and threw two scoreless innings. Raul Brito pitched a scoreless ninth inning. Wallner went 1-for-5 but he hit his eighth home run and drove in four runs. David Banuelos was 2-for-3 with a walk and his second double. Noah Cardenas walked twice, and Kyler Fedko walked three times. (Matt): A call-up for Kaelen Culpepper? Not so. The shortstop was removed from the game early—prompting speculation and excitement—but it was because of glute tightness. Always watch out for your butts, kids. 6/14: St. Paul 14, Toledo 10 Box Score Ryan Gallagher: 3 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, 2 K HR: Graham Brown (1), Noah Cardenas (3) Multi-hit games: Ben Ross (2-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI, BB), Tanner Schobel (2-for-5, 2B, 2 R, BB), Noah Cardenas (3-for-5, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI), Henry Kusiak (3-for-5, 2B, 3 R, RBI), Graham Brown (3-for-3, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB) The Saints won in an offensive explosion on Sunday. The sixth. That was the only inning that didn’t see a run. What, did the Las Vegas series bleed out into all the other baseball played in the country? It was an “everyone get in here” kind of showing from the lineup: every batter in the lineup reached base at least once, and five players did so at least thrice; Graham Brown one-upped everybody by safely touching first all four times he stepped up to the plate. Did we mention this was his AAA debut? Or that he had never taken an at-bat above A-ball? Unfortunately, Ryan Gallagher struggled mightily in his start. Sunday was his second-straight start allowing seven earned runs, pushing his AAA ERA to a ghastly 8.00 mark across 36 innings. He’ll need to adjust somehow. The tricks that got him to the level are not cutting it. Matt Wallner has thoroughly enjoyed the month of June. He’s slashing .326/.367/.848 in the month with 10 of his 15 hits going for extra-bases. A sign that he found again what once made him an elite MLB hitter? The Royce Lewis secret sauce? Who knows. At least his confidence must be overflowing. One pitcher who avoided the run quagmire that bogged down other hurlers was C.J. Culpepper, who tossed his finest outing as a Saint, whiffing four across two shutout innings. He allowed no baserunners. With the big league squad desperate for bullpen help, the blonde California Baptist product could find himself in the majors soon, if he continues to pitch like this. Mud Hen Max Clark ranks as the seventh-best prospect in baseball, and he lived up to the billing, scattering three hits in four at-bats with a walk. Wind Surge Wisdom 6/13: Wichita 7, Tulsa 8 Box Score Preston Johnson: 4 ⅔ IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K HR: Billy Amick (16), Kala’i Rosario (10) Multi-hit games: Billy Amick (3-for-5, HR, 2 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI) (Seth): This game was going quite well for the Wind Surge and their fans. They held a 6-1 lead and things were looking good. However, the Dodgers Double-A affiliate crossed home plate six times in the bottom of the sixth to take the 7-6 lead. That’s how the score remained until the ninth inning. Preston Johnson started and gave up one run on three hits. In 4 2/3 innings, he walked two and had seven strikeouts. Yehizon Sanchez came on to get the final out of the fifth inning. He quickly got the bases loaded and nobody out. Bengard got three outs, but not before all three inherited runners scored and one more run over his two ok (Matt): frames. That sixth inning proved a deadly endeavor: Wichita had plated six between the third and fourth innings thanks to a Garrett Spain double, and a fourth-frame skirmish capped by a Billy Amick three-run shot. And what a homer that was, huh? Amick barely budged, raising his left foot slightly as an 0-2 defense mechanism, then he reached down, nearly scraping the plate with his swing in an effort to catch the slider, and the whole ordeal resulted in a bomb. That’s just good hitting. The Drillers are, of course, a member of the famous Dodgers farm system. Though the names and faces change, the talent remains, always replenished, always impressive. This year they possess two top-20 prospects in Jose De Paula and Zyhir Hope. De Paula earned three hits while Hope singled once in four at-bats. 6/14: Wichita 10, Tulsa 21 Box Score Jose Olivares: ⅔ IP, 5 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K HR: Poncho Ruiz (2), Caleb Roberts (3), Andrew Cossetti (6) Multi-hit games: Andrew Cossetti (2-for-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI), Garrett Spain (2-for-5, 2B), Poncho Ruiz (3-for-4, HR, 2B, 3 R, RBI, BB) The Wind Surge were clubbed on Sunday. A terrible day to be a man on the mound. Pitches went for nothing and the hits were free. No matter who walked out of the Wind Surge bullpen, one future stared at them with ferocity: pain. An ERA bump that would hurt. All six hurlers surrendered at least one run, and four of them suffered multi-run outings, and it’s best to leave what happened to Jose Olivares and William Fleming unspoken. Poncho Ruiz found the day inviting, at least, as he ripped three hits and walked in a game so potent it raised his season OPS by over .100 points. Perhaps some attention should go to Kala’i Rosario, who entered the series in Tulsa slugging a relatively meager .386, and who left the city with a more robust .459 mark. His second go-around at AA hadn’t yet evolved beyond the tepid; might this series propel him forward, potentially into St. Paul? The Two Towers prospects De Paula and Hope were once again effective, combining for five hits, four runs, and three RBIs. De Paula was especially excellent: the strapping 6’3” combines a powerful left-handed hack with unreal plate discipline, resulting in a .563 slugging percentage with more walks than strikeouts this year. He reached base five times on Sunday. Kernels Nuggets 6/13: Cedar Rapids 23, Lansing 15 Box Score Garrett Horn: 2 ⅔ IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K HR: Eduardo Tait (11), Khadim Diaw (5), Danny De Andrade 2 (5, 6), Yasser Mercedes (4), Miguel Briceno (4) Multi-hit games: Marek Houston (5-for-6, 2B, 4 R, RBI), Eduardo Tait (2-for-7, HR, R, 2 RBI), Khadim Diaw (3-for-7, HR, 3 R, 3 RBI), Jay Thomason (6-for-6, 3 R, RBI), Yasser Mercedes (4-for-6, HR, 2B, 3 R, 4 RBI), Miguel Briceno (2-for-5, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB), Danny De Andrade (4-for-6, 2 HR, 2 2B, 3 R, 4 RBI), Luis Hernandez (4-for-6, 3 R, RBI) (Seth): What a crazy game in Michigan on Saturday night. The Kernels scored in each of the first six innings. Lansing scored in six straight innings between the third and eighth innings. Fortunately, the Kernels scored 23 runs in their six-inning run while the Lugnuts “only” scored 15 runs in their six-inning run. The Kernels had innings in which they scored three runs twice, four once, and six twice. The Kernels had 30 hits in the game. Brandon Winokur has been playing really well the past 5-6 weeks, and I have to say that because he took an 0-for-7 in this game. He was the only Kernels hitter with less than two hits. First Baseman Jay Thomason went 6-for-6 with three runs scored. Shortstop Marek Houston went 5-for-6 with his 12th double, his 20th stolen base, and four runs scored. He is now hitting .326 with an .854 OPS. Second Baseman Danny De Andrade went 4-for-6 with his fourth and fifth doubles, his fifth and sixth home runs, three runs scored and four RBI. Right Fielder Yasser Mercedes went 4-for-6 with his seventh double, fourth home run, three runs scored and four RBI. Catcher Luis Hernandez went 4-for-6 with three runs scored. Center Fielder Khadim Diaw went 3-for-7 with his fifth home run, three runs and three RBI. He ended the day hitting .300 on the dot with an .859 OPS. Left Fielder Miguel Briceno went 2-for-5 with a walk and his fourth home run, and four RBI. Eduardo Tait DH’d and was 2-for-7 with his 11th home run. Garrett Horn started for the Kernels. He was charged with one run on four hits and three walks. In 2 2/3 innings, he had four strikeouts. MItch Mueller came on for his first Kernels outing. He gave up two runs on two hits in 1 1/3 innings. Brian Zeldin completed two innings and gave up two runs on two hits and two walks. He also had two strikeouts. Eston Stull gave up one run in the seventh inning. He started the eighth inning, faced seven batters, and all of them reached base. He left the game with the bases loaded and four runs already on the board. Xavier Kolhosser came in and allowed all three inherited runners to score and two more runs in the nine-run eighth frame. Stull was charged with eight runs in one inning. Kolhosser pitched a scoreless ninth, so his line showed him giving up two runs on four hits in two innings. He had five strikeouts. (Matt): Sometimes you just have to stare in awe of a box score like this. I think my favorite stat is that the Kernels only walked once. This was an onslaught of hitters doing just that—hitting. 6/14: Rain cleared any chance of a sequel to Saturday’s bizarre adventure. The game was canceled and will not be made up at a later date. Mussel Matters 6/13: Fort Myers 5, Dunedin 15 Box Score Ramiro Villanueva: 4 1/3 IP, 5 H, 6 ER, 0 BB, 3 K HR: Ryan Sprock (3), Walker Jenkins (1) Multi-hit games: Walker Jenkins (4-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 R, RBI), Luis Fragoza (2-for-5, 2B, R) The Mighty Mussels were thoroughly bested on Saturday. Let’s skip to the shining good news beacon from this game: Walker Jenkins played baseball. Mighty good baseball, at that. The rehabbing 21-year-old cracked four hits including a double and an aesthetically gorgeous home run that streaked through the Fort Myers night like Halley’s Comet. Dunedin is an affiliate of the Blue Jays, and they are spearheaded by MLB’s 29th-ranked prospect, shortstop JoJo Parker. He collected four hits in six at-bats including a triple. 6/14: Unplayable field conditions ended matters on Sunday before they could begin. The game was canceled and will not be made up at a later date. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – C.J. Culpepper Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Poncho Ruiz PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed on Sunday: #10 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 1-3, 2 RBI #12 – Andrew Morris (Twins) - 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K #16 – Ryan Gallagher (St. Paul) - 3 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, 2 K #17 – C.J. Culpepper (St. Paul) - 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K #20 – Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 1-4, 2B, R, BB MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS FCL Orioles @ FCL Twins (9:00 AM) - TBD FCL Orioles @ FCL Twins (Game Two) - TBD DSL NYY Bombers @ DSL Twins (10:00 AM) - TBD View full article

To each their own. I'll admit the "good writing," philosophy I adhere to can occasionally run too dramatic even for my own liking. That being said, I still firmly believe in trying to describe a story beyond the plain details because, as others have said, anyone can do that, and the box score alone is an adequate tool. Also, no creative writing classes were taken in the making of these articles.

Image courtesy of © Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images Box Score Joe Ryan: 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 8 K Home Runs: Byron Buxton (21), Kody Clemens (10), Royce Lewis (5), Brooks Lee (11) Top 3 WPA: Kody Clemens (.410), Royce Lewis (.320), Byron Buxton (.200) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) 1987. Michael Jackson returned from the biggest album ever with Bad. Guns N’ Roses debuted with Appetite for Destruction. The highest grossing film was… Three Men and a Baby? Ok. The music zeitgeist was clearly more stimulated than the film one. And in the midst—amongst the dramatic, modernic turns subtle in a decade often revered for its eccentricities—the Minnesota Twins defeated the St. Louis Cardinals to claim their first World Series victory since moving to the state in 1961. Oh, and Prince released Sign O’ The Times. Man, were the movie-makers even trying this year? Back to the present. Though the men on the field laboring, working, fighting for their respective organizations were not alive during that critical World Series, they survive as living monuments to the legacy of that sequence of games. Joe Ryan took the mound. The ace of the Twins. Anointed and donning the lake-blue attire too reminiscent of a soccer kit for its own good. The maestro with fastball adroit and dangerous staggered out of the gate, perhaps in pre-anticipation of the rain delay soon to befall the game: he surrendered a truly gargantuan home run to Alec Burleson before returning to labor through a single-centric second inning. Two runs scored. The newly-minted 30-year-old appeared perplexed. Fortunately, he was not alone in his fight. Byron Buxton remained in a flow state. He found a first-pitch outside slider to his liking and blasted the offering deep to center, depositing the ball amongst where there once was shrubbery, but now only rests a tame and ordinary grass, and a green batters-eye wall. The run, while mighty, was merely a lone scratch for the Twins. A single etch. Their only blood drawn against starter Kyle Leahy as the innings blurred into each other, and as the rain—later to be an intermittent nuisance—delayed the game for some time. Rather than muddy the quagmire at hand, the weather evidently cleansed the Twins of whatever nagging ailment rendered them mediocre. Royce Lewis singled to start the fifth, and Victor Caratini slugged a double into right-center to send his teammate to third. A Brooks Lee flyball was a tad too short in Lewis’ estimation, but a Tristan Gray infield single one batter later did the deed instead. Though only one run, the effort pushed Minnesota’s offense even further in the sixth, as a Buxton double begat a Josh Bell double thudded off the jutted wall in right field, tying the game until Lewis broke his team into the lead with a sacrifice fly. Given the lead for the first time, the Twins found themselves unsure what to do with themselves, and so given the choice, they reverted back to their standard operating procedure: they squandered it. Taylor Rogers and Eric Orze danced around the conclusion, seeming for a moment to only allow the game to be tied again, before finalizing the sudden direness of matters when Jordan Walker cleared the bases with a solidly-stroked double down the left-field line. A fraught day for pitchers indeed. Sullen-eyed and lethargic, any hurler who trudged to the mound looked; knowing their fate and the swollen ERAs that will soon follow with their entrance into the game. A rank curse. To see so clearly what awaits one yet to be helpless to stop the terribleness. At least they have a pile of money to cry into. Gordon Graceffo and Ryne Stanek were the next two pitchers to find this out; the prior for walking two batters; the latter for hanging a splitter that Kody Clemens swatted into the right-field seats for a game-tying three-run homer. The Cardinals scored again in the eighth but did you think that would mean anything? What with how this game has gone? Have you paid any attention? Were you actually watching? The tenor of the moment and the shifts of the night spoke to a predictable outcome: a mammoth Lewis homer to tie the game. Though perhaps surprising was Brooks Lee’s go-ahead blast just two batters later. Somehow, that proved enough: Andrew Morris entered to lock down the game in the ninth and did exactly that, exterminating the St. Louis threat with shocking efficiency to quietly end what had been a chaotic and unruly game. All hail the over-the-top hurling righty from Texas Tech for taming this crazed beast, Notes: Byron Buxton is slugging .917 in his last seven games. Royce Lewis is slashing .364/.400/.682 since re-joining the Twins on June 6th. Joe Ryan's eight strikeouts give him 811 in his Twins career, the 11th-most in team history. He's 34 away from tying Kyle Gibson. Every batter in the starting Twins lineup outside of Trevor Larnach reached base safely at least once. Post-Game Interview: What’s Next? The Twins and Cardinals match up once for what may be a normal game of baseball on Saturday with first pitch coming at 1:10 PM. Connor Prielipp will start opposite Matthew Liberatore. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet MON TUE WED THU FRI TOT Paredes 0 0 58 0 0 58 Rogers 0 17 14 0 22 53 Morris 0 0 39 0 9 48 Laweryson 0 12 0 32 0 44 Gómez 0 0 27 0 15 42 Orze 0 23 0 0 16 39 Banda 0 0 30 0 9 39 Adams 0 0 31 0 0 31 Lawrence 0 26 0 0 0 26 View full article

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson (photo of Mick Abel) TRANSACTIONS RHP Mick Abel sent to AAA St. Paul on rehab RHP Andrew Bash transferred to development list (AAA St. Paul) RHP Taylor Rashi reported to AAA St. Paul Saints Sentinel St. Paul 12, Toledo 1 Box Score Mick Abel: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K HR: Aaron Sabato (12), Kyler Fedko (15), Matt Wallner (6), Gabriel Gonzalez (9) Multi-hit games: Kyler Fedko (2-for-3, HR, 3 R, RBI, BB), Matt Wallner (2-for-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI), Gabriel Gonzalez (3-for-5, HR, 2B, 3 R, RBI), Aaron Sabato (3-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 R, 4 RBI) The Saints dominated their opponent on Wednesday. Mick Abel vs Justin Verlander. For the price of a AAA ticket? Toledo hadn’t seen such entertainment since Art Tatum’s piano playing in the late 20s and early 30s. The youngster clearly bested the elder in the matchup of generations: Abel pounded the zone and flashed healthy-looking stuff, topping out at 97.9 while punching out five. He tossed three shutout innings. Verlander, on the other hand, couldn’t escape the gopher ball. Aaron Sabato got him in the second off a hanging slider, and Kyler Fedko also pounced on the Hall-of-Famer’s signature strikeout pitch for a homer in the third. Verlander settled in for a time before Matt Wallner and Gabriel Gonzalez went back-to-back in the sixth. That’s four home runs off a pitcher who will one day remain forever alive in the walls of Cooperstown. The Mud Hens weren’t done sending former All-Stars to the mound, as Kenley Jansen entered in the seventh. He, too, didn’t phase the Saints. Three straight baserunners chased the owner of the third-most saves in MLB history, starting an assembly line of runs that concluded with six on the board, and 10 in the game for St. Paul. They tacked on two more for good measure in the eighth. The Mud Hens roster Max Clark, the seventh-ranked prospect in MLB. He singled once in four at-bats. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 2, Wichita 5 Box Score Jose Olivares: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Kyle DeBarge (2-for-3, 2B, R, BB) The Wind Surge came up short on Wednesday. It's possible the game’s opening inning cursed Wichita: Jose Olivares walked the leadoff batter—a sin in the eyes of the baseball gods—and the Olivares/Poncho Ruiz battery allowed the runner to steal second, an insolent act made worse by a throwing error that sent him to third. The baseball gods look unfavorably on poor fundamentals, and the Wind Surge soon learned this. Matters settled into a Cold War stalemate for a few frames before Kyle DeBarge lurched us into modernity with a cracked double to start the fifth. Jaime Ferrer then knocked him home with a single up the middle. The Drillers responded with two runs, and when Wichita scored in the sixth, Tulsa clubbed on two more runs to emphasize their point. It was taken. The Wind Surge didn’t score the rest of the game. DeBarge enjoyed one his best games of the season; the infielder doubled, singled, walked, and stole his 17th base on the year. It was his first multi-hit game since May 26th. That anonymous leadoff man from before was actually Josue De Paula, the eighth-best prospect in baseball according to MLB.com. He doubled and walked twice. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 8, Lansing 9 (10 Innings) Box Score Michael Ross: 3 ⅔ IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K HR: Quinn McDaniel (1), Eduardo Tait (10) Multi-hit games: Yasser Mercedes (2-for-5, 2B, 2R), Quinn McDaniel (2-for-5, HR, 2B, R, 2 RBI), Danny De Andrade (2-for-5, 3B, 2 R, RBI) The Kernels lost in extras on Wednesday. Quinn McDaniel continues to be a revelation for the Twins organization, as he launched his first A+ ball homer and added a double to give him six total bases in the game. He’s hitting .333/.406/.517 in 16 games with Cedar Rapids. Wichita may be in his near future. Eduardo Tait smashed a three-run shot in the seventh for his tenth home run of the year. Though the catcher endured a slower start to the season, he’s slugging .563 in seven games to start the month of June. That’s more in the line with the production the team expected when they traded for him last year. Every batter for the Kernels reached base at least once, and every batter outside Tait and Khadim Diaw reached base at least twice. No player in the Athletics’ top 30 prospect list played in Wednesday’s game. Mussel Matters The Mighty Mussels met the one thing mightier than them: mother nature. And what a temperamental gal is she. They will attempt to play a doubleheader on Thursday, June 11th. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Mick Abel Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Gabriel Gonzalez PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #2 – Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 1-5, R, BB #5 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, HR, R, 3 RBI, K #7 – Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, RBI, 2 BB, #10 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 3-5, HR, 2B, 3 R, RBI #12 – Andrew Morris (Twins) - 1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K #15 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, 2 BB, 2 K #19 – Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, K #20 – Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 2-3, 2B, R, BB THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Toledo (6:05 PM) - RHP Austin Voth Wichita @ Tulsa (7:00 PM) - RHP Sam Armstrong Cedar Rapids @ Lansing (6:05 PM) - RHP Riley Quick Dunedin @ Fort Myers (3:35 PM) - RHP Eli Jones Dunedin @ Fort Myers (Game Two) - TBD FCL Twins @ FCL Pirates (11:00 AM) - TBD DSL Twins @ DSL NYY Yankees (10:00 AM) - TBD View full article