Matt Braun

Extra depth can’t hurt. Consider me a little intrigued if he actually has improved his stuff from the past few seasons.

Extra depth can’t hurt. Consider me a little intrigued if he actually has improved his stuff from the past few seasons.

An outing in the majors means a day under camera’s watch; let’s see what the machines had to say about the new Twin. Image courtesy of Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports Typically, observing stats from one appearance is a bad idea—what with small samples and all that—but raw data does not require such patience, and we can parse through some of Jordan Balazovic’s Statcast information to understand his game better. Let’s not beat around the bush: here’s what caught my attention from his page. The most impressive pitch in Balazovic’s arsenal is his curveball. It’s a yakker, folks. The scouting reports were accurate. It doesn’t get too much extra vertical break; just 1.7 inches above average places him around Marco Gonzales and Lucas Sims—quality veteran arms who typically acquire outs through other means. What’s notable is his lack of horizontal movement; -5.7 inches of horizontal break places him amongst the top 20 of pitchers with vertical downers. You’d think the pitch may help neutralize platoons, but Balazovic has struggled with opposite-handed batters throughout his minor league career (although that could be for separate reasons). He’s death to righties at his peak, though. Here’s Javier Báez learning that Balazovic’s curve has an endless bottom to it: It appears that, if Balazovic is to stick at the major-league level, his curve will be the main contributor to his success. And that’s because his heater is nothing too special. He gets a little vertical movement on it, but not enough to stand out from the pitching quagmire around him; his outs in the minors have typically been from its location, not its pure bully factor. He does mirror his curveball’s movement perfectly, possibly allowing the offering to play above its raw characteristics—and the Twins have done well in developing vertical specialists in their pitching staff. That prior paragraph may sound like damning with faint praise, but having one average MLB selection and a second potentially plus pitch is enough for anyone to accrue outs these days, especially if they’re wise about usage. That’ll be crucial for Balazovic, as his slider doesn’t stand out too much. His changeup is interesting—owning almost no horizontal break, just like his curveball—so if he can command the pitch, he may have the three/two-and-a-half-ish pitch mix that turns him from tweener reliever to legitimate starter. And that’s the crucial aspect of talking about pitching: pitches are tools, but they’re only that, and it takes a Pitcher to separate themselves from the pack. The pitching industrial complex spits out a thousand arms scientifically built to miss bats and get outs; beating those hurlers requires something beyond just stuff, and whether Balazovic possesses that nebulous thing will soon be seen. At least he has a great curveball to help guide him. View full article

That was a thoroughly exhausting game to recap

You know the game is unhinged when one of its WPA leaders wasn't in the starting lineup. Image courtesy of Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports Box Score Sonny Gray: 5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K Home Run: Max Kepler (9) Top 3 WPA: Christian Vázquez (.257), Max Kepler (.195), Kyle Farmer (.150) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Sleep-walking and heavily pulverized over the past week, the Twins crawled into Wednesday’s battle against the Red Sox with the sort of enthusiasm men have when they’re due for a vasectomy. Nonetheless, the game must be played, so the two teams entered what became a compelling ball game. But it didn’t start pretty. Starter Sonny Gray walked Justin Turner on three pitches (with help from a pitch clock violation) before Rafael Devers golfed a breaking ball, banging a double off the center field wall with authority. The game had begun. Minnesota’s batters were up for the challenge, though, and their attack started in the second inning. Byron Buxton catalyzed the action, poking a double off the right-field wall before Max Kepler—in what must be the first time in his career—found a hole through the infield with a chopping single, scoring Buxton to re-knot the game. Royce Lewis swapped places with Kepler following a force out and immediately turned in one of the most exciting plays of the year. It was bedlam. Christian Vázquez’s stinging single tipped off Kiké Hernández’s reaching glove, dribbling lazily into center field. Lewis bolted, rounding second with evil intentions as the Red Sox attempted to run down the parked ball; he did not stop, blazing past third to score on an odd, invigorating play wholly unique to Minnesota’s distinctive brand of offense. The slim lead couldn’t hold up for long. Boston was far too feisty to allow that. Justin Turner blasted an inside sinker deep into the night to bring the game back to even. And yet—perhaps sensing the radiant angst emanating from Gray following his previous start—the Twins responded again. Edouard Julien socked the top of the left-field wall with a double; he eventually scored on a Carlos Correa dribbler. Lewis then smoked a double into left the next inning, finding himself on third with just one out. A gaffe killed him. Catcher Reese McGuire back-picked the young infielder, essentially ending the rally before a painted changeup to Joey Gallo concluded it for good. Not all were pleased, and Gallo took great exception to the strike call. Marred in a terrible strikeout streak, the outfielder barked at home plate umpire David Rackley a little too long, necessitating an intervention from Rocco Baldelli. Gallo’s emotions were not cooled within a few minutes, and some extra words for Rackley as he re-entered the field earned him an ejection. Baldelli followed suit quickly. It was his 14th career ejection. The game only just now reached the fifth. Boston re-tied the game—sometimes these plots are too predictable—but the match finally slowed a little, allowing the common monotony to take over. Until, hilariously, Kepler gave Minnesota yet another one-run advantage with a solo homer delivered just far back enough into the overhang. And yet—and yet, and yet—the game was not done with its twists and turns. Jayce Tingler successfully exhausted Brock Stewart and Griffin Jax; the eighth was now Jhoan Duran’s time to pitch. Usually dominant, his command was off, leading to a walk turned stolen base turned game-tying run when Triston Casas lined a double into the left-center gap. Yet again, neither team could claim an advantage. The game lurched into extra-innings, sometimes teasing favor one way before sling-shotting back to equilibrium as neither team could find That One Big Hit to break the score open and clear their anxiety. Until the bottom of the 10th. A bizarre Michael A. Taylor sacrifice bunt—somehow called out by New York despite no part of the fielder’s glove ever touching his body—set up Kyle Farmer for the clutch hit, and he delivered, serving a single just in front of Jarren Duran to end the game in favor of the Twins. Notes: The hit was Kyle Farmer's second walk-off of the season. Sonny Gray earned nine swings and misses during Wednesday's start. The Twins totaled three Statcast "barrels" on Wednesday: one each from Edouard Julien, Alex Kirilloff, and Royce Lewis, respectively. Wednesday was Julien's fourth multi-hit game since being re-called on June 10th; he has only once failed to reach base in a game he started since re-joining the Twins. Post-Game Interview: What’s Next? The Twins and Red Sox will conclude their four-game set with a day game on Thursday; the game starts at 12:10 PM, and Joe Ryan will face off against a starter to be named later. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

It's not a great sign when the team that walks away most unharmed had their game canceled for lightning. TRANSACTIONS C Kyle Schmidt Transferred from AA Wichita to Low-A Fort Myers C Frank Nigro transferred from Low-A Fort Myers to the FCL Twins C David Banuelos activated from IL at AA Wichita RHP Josh Winder optioned by the Twins to AAA St. Paul LHP Brent Headrick recalled by the Twins Saints Sentinel St. Paul 1, Louisville 12 Box Score Blayne Enlow: 3 IP, 7 H, 8 ER, 3 BB, 5 K HR: Trevor Larnach (4) Multi-hit games: Tony Wolters (2-for-2) A disastrous 4th inning soiled the Saints’ night on Saturday. It all happened so fast. Blayne Enlow—freshly promoted and ready for his AAA debut—breezed through three opening frames, even finding time to punch out the great Joey Votto twice. Matt Reynolds may have blasted a solo homer, but life was smooth. Then the 4th inning happened. A pair of full-count walks set Enlow on edge and teetering; the following two-run single knocked him fully off his perch. From there the walks and hits cascaded, eventually ending with a crescendo when Jose Barrero crushed a three-run homer off the righty to end his night. The deficit proved far too great for the Saints—and they only received a tepid hitting effort anyways. Despite a lead-off double by Gilberto Celestino to begin the game, Bats starter Michael Mariot cruised through St. Paul’s lineup, only surrendering a Trevor Larnach solo shot during his eight innings on the mound. The homer extended St. Paul’s streak of homering in a game to 22, tied for the second-longest streak in baseball in 2023. The Bats’ best prospect, one Christian Encarnacion-Strand—you may know him—racked up three hits and walked, sending his AAA OPS to 1.119. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 4, Midland 7 Box Score Carlos Luna: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K HR: Pat Winkel (3), DaShawn Kiersey Jr. (8) Multi-hit games: None Wind Surge stumbled early, late in Saturday's loss. Usually, a first-inning homer begets a victory; this game was the exception. Pat Winkel barreled up a fastball at his shoulders, depositing the pitch over the wall in center to hand his team a quick 1-0 lead. The advantage held for one inning. Midland blasted their own homer before enjoying a Brooks Lee error allowing the chance at more runs; that runner stole second and eventually scored, putting Lee on poor terms with his starter. Carlos Luna allowed his second earned run the following frame when Lawrence Butler homered to extend Midland’s lead to two. And so it stayed—not large, capable of reaching with normal effort—until DaShawn Kiersey Jr. obliterated his eighth home run of the season. The ball landed 440 feet away. I waxed a little about Kiersey Jr. last week, and I’ll do it again this week: he’s been smoking AA this season. Is this an aberration—a 26-year-old crushing younger competition—or a true breakout from a talented outfielder? Only a promotion will tell. But it will be a promotion well deserved for the 4th-round pick out of Utah in 2018. Wichita’s hitting ceased with the homer, though, and a few runs allowed by Jose Bravo in the coming innings put the game too far out of reach for the Wind Surge; Will Holland’s 9th-inning RBI knock could only soften the blow. The aforementioned Butler is Midland’s best prospect, according to MLB.com; he added a double to total six bases in Saturday’s match. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 2, South Bend 10 Box Score Jaylen Nowlin: 2 ⅔ IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K HR: Jeferson Morales (3), Willie Joe Garry Jr. (2) Multi-hit games: None The Kernels continued the streak of losing on Saturday, falling by eight runs to the Cubs. It was a disaster from the start. Jaylen Nowlin had two outs secured in the opening frame before releasing the pitch resulting in a sudden 2-0 disadvantage. He never recovered, allowing two more runs in the 3rd before exiting the ballgame, turning more than six innings of pitching duties over to Cedar Rapids’ bullpen. That weight—a punishing endeavor for any collection of arms—was far too mighty, and everyone paid the price. The only relief pitcher to walk away without extra earned runs attached to their name was Niklas Rimmel. He netted two outs. Cedar Rapids could not match the offensive effort, blasting a pair of homers in the 2nd before halting advances there; all they could offer following their home run outburst was two hits and three walks. Kevin Alcántara is the 70th-best prospect in baseball according to MLB.com, and he proved the ranking correct—if not a little low—with a monster five-hit outing, including a pair of homers. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 0, Bradenton 3 Box Score Ben Ethridge: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Alec Sayre (2-for-4), Yohander Martinez (3-for-4), Maddux Houghton (2-for-4) The Mighty Mussels wrapped up the full-season games by finalizing a straight sweep of the Twins’ system. Starter Ben Ethridge was solid, allowing a lone solo homer over his four otherwise quality innings of work—including a final striking out of the side in which he caught superstar prospect Termarr Johnson looking at strike three. The bats couldn’t support him, though. Despite out-hitting the Marauders eight to six, all of Fort Myers’ knocks were singles—poorly coordinated ones, at that—and runners across the frames experienced lonesome frustrations walking back to the dugout empty-handed. The shutout included a 6th inning play in which it appears Rubel Cespedes attempted a steal of home. He was unsuccessful. Bradenton blasted a second homer in the 7th, and so the game ended—with Fort Myers still seeking a hit with runners in scoring position and the Marauders satisfied with their victory. Johnson is the 20th-best prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com; he drew a walk in an otherwise silent night at the plate. Complex Chronicles Lightning postponed the FCL Twins’ game before it began; the match will be made up as a doubleheader on Friday, June 23rd. Dominican Dailies DSL Twins 3, DSL Giants Orange 10 Box Score Jose Vasquez: 4 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Junior Del Valle (2-for-4, RBI) The DSL Twins imploded late, quickly losing nuts and bolts in the final frames to turn a tied match into a laugher. The common issues of DSL players—walks and defense—caused the fiasco: multiple 8th-inning throwing errors aided in expanding the deficit, while Twins pitchers walked eight batters. That’s how it goes when you’re dealing with literal teenagers. 17-year-old Moises Lopez tripled for the second time this season; Dameury Pena earned his fourth double and owns an OPS of 1.016. The Twins allowed five steals in the loss. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Carlos Luna Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – DaShawn Kiersey Jr. PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 0-4, 2 K #2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 0-2, R, BB, 2 K #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, BB #15 - Brent Headrick (Minnesota) - 2 ⅓ IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K #17 - Blayne Enlow (St. Paul) - 3 IP, 7 H, 8 ER, 3 BB, 5 K #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 1-3, BB, K SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (12:05 PM) - RHP Aaron Sanchez Wichita @ Midland (1:00 PM) - RHP Travis Adams South Bend @ Cedar Rapids (1:05 PM) - RHP Kyle Jones Fort Myers @ Bradenton (11:00 AM) - TBD View full article

I don’t know. All I know is baseball is best treated by celebrating the victories as they come.

They won

Yet another well-pitched ballgame with Jeffers behind the dish. I know Vázquez is getting the money, but Jeffers has consistently provided the team with their best chances at winning.

It appears you cared enough to comment. Thank you!

The 35-year-old line drive machine we needed but could not have predicted. Image courtesy of © Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports There was a sense of confusion when the news broke. Who? For How Much? Signed late—far late—into the off-season, Donovan Solano seemed unnecessary, a repeated infielder whose skills were niche. What will he bring? Don’t we have Jorge Polanco? Won’t Jose Miranda break out in 2023? Kyle Farmer is basically the same player; the Twins don’t need this guy. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the Colombian ball player. Once a part of the strange failed Marlins revival of the early 2010s, Solano never crossed 400 plate appearances in a season with Miami, as his batting forced him into platoon/late-inning pinch-hitting duties—a position he did fine in, but never excelled. After 9 games on the forgettable 2016 Yankees team, Solanco could not claim overt youth at 28, and his play still hadn’t demanded playing time; the minor leagues beckoned. And so he entered the desert, wandering for 40 years two seasons before the properly revived Giants gave him another shot. We didn’t know it yet, but these Giants were set to become a Mecca for the displaced player; a gathering space for those tall or short, skinny or wide, who could offer their unique, undervalued skills to a team hungry for developing them. Solano thrived. He suddenly hit .330, earning the nickname “Donnie Barrels” for his ability to slash line drives across the entire field. His 2020 campaign secured a Silver Slugger award—an unthinkable achievement for a player once trudging in minor league mud just a few seasons prior. It was this player—this excellent line drive master secretly in his prime—that the Twins appear to have found. 2023 has been Solano at his heights: a newly-found on-base ability in perfect harmony with a line-drive rate nearly at a career-high. High-leverage moments have no effect on him either; he’s hitting .333 in such situations. Perhaps his defense is more “capable of standing athletically at the position” than commanding respect for his glovework, but Minnesota has mainly played him at 1st base anyways, limiting the damage of potential gaffs. And in a lineup desperately missing the breakout that never was in Miranda along with other odd fluctuations in assumed hitting ability, having a nearly daily presence in the lineup able to set up a table and clean it just as easily has been one of the few offensive positives. He may not fit precisely in the analytical dogma utilized by most successful teams this era, but Solano is a force, and the Twins are likely grateful to have him. View full article

That’s about as clean as a win you can ask for. Even the bullpen barely broke a sweat.

I'm convinced Donovan Solano could hit a line drive in his sleep

Appreciate the good work as always!

Those pesky emotions love to cloud our evaluations of a player. Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports History, by nature, is an autopsical field. The great advantage of living after a thing occurs is the absolute judgment we can wield over it, overseeing the full extent of its effects while owning the ability to put it in its precise place. Order fulfills eventually. Conversations may alter interpretations—history is an ever-changing field, after all, despite its absolute coat of paint appearance—but the general, shared, casual understanding habitually stays static; singular, digestible, and easy for us to broadly understand. We don't always earn the right to see things in their totality. One of the challenges of understanding history is applying it to living, breathing, walking, contradicting things. We can understand and appreciate the great Tony Oliva, as his legacy came and went years ago, but how do we place current players into the historical conversation, especially when our view of those players may be clouded by our judgment in the now when our view is whole, and nuance is easier to capture? These individuals don't appreciate the soothing effects of calm interpretation. Their mistakes are too recent, painful; we can more clearly remember them falling short in a big situation—as all humans do—as the older player enjoys the fortune of having his accomplishments tied to general stats and perhaps highlights, if they are so lucky. Through this lens, it becomes strange and nearly uncomfortable to tackle Max Kepler, one of the greatest outfielders in Twins' history. Above Denard Span, Michael Cuddyer, Jacque Jones, and Matt Lawton, the often critiqued and, maybe unfairly ridiculed German sits at 16.4 fWAR, holding strong onto the ranking as the eighth-best outfielder to wear a Minnesota uniform; even just a mediocre season will see him pass Shane Mack for the seventh spot. But what odd feelings this truth elicits. How can it be that Kepler, he of disappointment; with offense worse than expected; with one true breakout season; with WAR totals filing in between 2.0 and 3.0 like blue-collared workers headed to the town industrial center, could possibly be one of the best outfielders in Twins history? His success feels meager and incapable of standing with some of the greatest to ever consistently don a Twins uniform. Perhaps this is the convergence of a few feelings at once: "they'll love you when you're dead," they often say, maybe altering to fit in a sports context; the promise of potential—of more incredible exploits—never fulfilling, leaving a sour imprint onto the minds of those who expected more. Or, and what may be the ultimate correct answer, it's almost impossible to understand a player's history as it unfolds. Save for the Mike Trouts of the world—those whose greatness is abundant and unquestioned—the rank-and-file must fight amongst themselves in the muck, occasionally achieving the highs so consistently reached by those better than them but still proving worth and ability. Their house is built on a great total of bricks laid over many summers, not stacked strongly in one go. Just as well, specific to Kepler, is the shape of his production. Some may speak for the worthiness of a defensive ace in right field, but it will always be less than the exploits of an adept center fielder or a shortstop. Then, with stimulating bat, the more lumbering and offensively capable corner outfielders—played so to avoid their glove—bury Kepler with damage and extra-base ferocity that he has only known in one season. He cannot compete. It is not in his nature to. Yet he can equal them in total production, whether seen or not. The fWAR list plays out as follows: Kirby Puckett takes the top spot, followed by Tony Oliva, Bob Allison, Torii Hunter, Cesar Tovar, Byron Buxton, Shane Mack, and then Kepler. Since the turn of the century, only Hunter and Buxton top his fWAR total. We reach, then, the odd conclusion that Kepler is one of the best outfielders in Twins' history. Time may perhaps allow for those who never saw him play—or, indeed, can only remember small pieces—to accept this fully. It will probably not happen soon. Yet when Kepler's time as a player ends and he evolves into a Twins ambassador, returning for Twins festivals and reminding those of a time no longer present, all we will have is memories and numbers, both of which will favor him as an integral piece of Twins history. View full article

Someone had a bunt triple, and it may have not even been the strangest thing to occur! TRANSACTIONS INF Anthony Prato transferred from AA Wichita to AAA St. Paul INF Edouard Julien recalled by Minnesota (Jorge Polanco placed on IL) LHP Jaylen Nowlin activated off Development List for Cedar Rapids OF Armani Smith activated from Wichita Development List Saints Sentinel St. Paul 3, Iowa 9 Box Score Kenta Maeda: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K HR: Andrew Bechtold (6), Joey Gallo (1) Multi-hit games: Andrew Stevenson (3-for-4, BB), Andrew Bechtold (2-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 R, RBI), Tony Wolters (2-for-4, RBI) The Saints melted in the middle innings and fell to the Cubs on Saturday. Kenta Maeda was on point. The crafty veteran righty spun hitters around in the box, favoring his slider in a four shutout inning performance in potential anticipation of re-joining the Twins. His fastball touched 91.5 MPH. Supporting him in his rehab assignment was his brother in big-league credit, Joey Gallo. The powerful outfielder obliterated a baseball, delivering it 445 feet away over the place called the “home run porch.” He wasn’t the first batter to go deep, though, as Andrew Bechtold sent a shot the other way to break the early silence. Unfortunately, early smiles turned sour once Maeda exited the ballgame. Reliever Ronny Henriquez was greeted with six straight successful attempts at reaching base—including a trio of walks that brought the lead to a crumble and set up Cody Laweryson to allow the go-ahead knock. The Cubs scored three more the following frame and all the Saints could do was plate one more run; they watched their outs dissipate as opportunities to score came up empty. Chase Strumpf—the Cubs’ 23rd best prospect (and the guy who kept Royce Lewis off of shortstop until his senior season in high school)—went 1-for-5 at the plate, hitting a crucial two-run single but whiffing in his four other trips to the dish. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 3, San Antonio 5 Box Score David Festa: 4 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K HR: None Multi-hit games: DaShawn Keirsey Jr. (2-for-3, R, RBI, BB) The Wind Surge lost a close game on Saturday. It’s been quite the breakout season for DaShawn Keirsey Jr. The 26-year-old outfielder has improved his dynamic game, slicing off strikeouts, hitting for more power, and continuing his terror on the bases to become one mean lead-off hitter. Saturday was business as usual, with a pair of hits, a sacrifice fly, a walk, and a stolen base to help set up Wichita’s offense for success. They couldn’t come through. While they walked more than they struck out, only Yunior Severino was able to provide extra-base thump; he doubled in the seventh but got too greedy, and found a glove waiting for him at third base. David Festa was fine on the mound. The 23-year-old suffered some bouts of wildness—and a nasty two-run error by second baseman Jake Rucker—but still punched out four batters and exited with a lower ERA than he started the game with. The Missions—being an affiliate of the Padres—are prospect deficient at the moment, and their best product, pitcher Alek Jacob, is ranked 26th in the system. He pitched a scoreless inning with a strikeout. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 4, Dayton 9 Box Score Zebby Matthews: 2/3 IP, 8 H, 8 ER, 0 BB, K HR: Ernie Yake (2) Multi-hit games: Ernie Yake (2-for-4, HR, R, 3 RBI) An eight-run first inning sank the Kernels on Saturday. It took over two months, but Zebby Matthews finally appeared human. A brutal, back-breaking eight-run extravaganza sent him to the dugout before the frame could even end; each run came with two outs. Here’s how bad things went: lead-off hitter Edwin Arroyo hit a two-run homer off Matthews in the 1st inning. That’s never good. Oddly, the Dragons hit out of order during their carnage. Catcher Matheu Nelson hit before second baseman Tyler Callihan, despite Callihan being ahead of him in the lineup; the Dragons corrected this in later trips to the plate, but the umpires ruled that the protest occurred after the batters hit, and so they allowed the outcomes to stand. Credit goes to the Kernels bullpen for keeping the game about where Matthews left it. John Stankiewicz fired off 3 1/3 no-hit frames, coaxing six strikeouts along the way. Designated barnstormer, Ernie Yake, inspired the offense as much as he could, blasting his second homer of the season on his way to an impressive three RBI night. But every other hitter’s bat was soggy and slow, leading to just six hits on the night; their eyes were great, though, as evidenced by their eight walks. Hopefully they find better fortune with runners on base in the future. The aforementioned Arroyo is also Cincinnati's third-ranked prospect; he homered and singled in five trips to the plate. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 4, Clearwater 8 Box Score Jose Olivares: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K HR: Rubel Cespedes (5) Multi-hit games: Dylan Neuse (2-for-5, 3B, R), Rubel Cespedes (2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI) The Mighty Mussels fell to the powerhouse Threshers on Saturday. It’s never a good sign when four of your five pitchers allow runs in a game. Starter Jose Olivares did a solid job of holding back the onslaught, leaving the match with just two earned runs on his ledger, but all three of his subsequent pitching comrades felt the full force of Clearwater’s dynamic offense. Danny Moreno was the only safe arm; he acquired one out. The bats were a little better, but not enough to match the Threshers for the full nine. Buoyed by a rare two-triple day, the Mighty Mussels made the most of their six hits, sending four for extra-bases while walking five times. One of those triples was an alleged bunt by Maddux Houghton, which there absolutely must be footage of somewhere. The post-game writeup by John Vittas describes a soft fly ball eluding the reach of right fielder Gabriel Rincones. The Mighty Mussels allowed six steals on the day, including the 33rd of the season for center fielder Emaarion Boyd. Outfielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. is the Threshers’ best prospect. Ranked seventh in the Phillies system by MLB.com, Rincones walked twice and stole two bases. Complex Chronicles FCL Twins 10, FCL Red Sox 5 Box Score John Klein: 4 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 11 K HR: Isaac Pena (1) Multi-hit games: Jose Rodriguez (3-for-5, 2B, 3 R), Andres Centeno (2-for-3, 3B, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB), Isaac Pena (2-for-4, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB) The FCL Twins scored early, often in win against the FCL Red Sox. It started with a bang; Yasser Mercedes doubled, Jose Rodriguez singled, Andres Centeno tripled, and Harold Grant doubled, scoring a trio of runs for the Twins before an out could even be recorded. Starter John Klein—an obscure Twins minor league signing in August of 2022 out of Iowa Central Community College (by way of Osseo High School)—was dominant, absurdly so. The only out he earned not by way of the strikeout was his last—a pop out to cap one of the more commanding outings you’ll see in the low minors. The lineup’s table setters did as they were supposed to, as they top three batters (Mercedes, Rodriguez, and Centeno) combined for six hits, three walks, and eight runs scored. That’ll fuel an overwhelming offensive explosion. Dominican Dailies DSL Twins 3, DSL Giants Black 11 Box Score Jose Vasquez: 3 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 4 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Dameury Pena (3-for-4), Denyerbe Gervis (2-for-3, BB) The DSL Twins lost their fifth game of the season; they remain winless. Dameury Pena—one of Minnesota’s Dominican signings in January—tried his best to stimulate offense, netting three hits while swiping a bag and reaching base via a hit by a pitch, but Denyerbe Gervis was the only other hitter to net multiple hits, leaving Pena often stranded alone on the bases. Moises Lopez netted the team’s sole extra-base hit with a 4th inning triple. Jose Ojo was the lone pitcher to not surrender a run; he tossed a scoreless frame with a pair of strikeouts. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – John Klein Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Andrew Bechtold PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, 2 BB, K #4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 2-3, 2B, R, BB, K #8 - David Festa (Wichita) - 4 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-5, 3 K #10 - Yasser Mercedes (FCL Twins) - 1-4, 2B, 2 R, BB #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-2, 2 BB, K #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, BB, K #18 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL Twins) - 3-5, 2B, 3 R #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 1-5, 2B, K SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Iowa @ St. Paul (2:07 PM) - TBD Wichita @ San Antonio (1:05 PM) - RHP Blayne Enlow Cedar Rapids @ Dayton (12:05 PM) - LHP Jaylen Nowlin Clearwater @ Fort Myers (11:00 AM) - RHP Ben Ethridge View full article

After losing so many games they probably should have won, it’s good to see two wins in games they probably should have lost.

He's a borderline Hall of famer and one of the best postseason performers in recent history; I'd call that legendary.

A win is a win is a win is a win is a win... Image courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports Box Score Sonny Gray: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K Home Run: Michael A. Taylor (9) Top 3 WPA: Royce Lewis (.448), Jhoan Duran (.325), Michael A. Taylor (.318) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Fresh off a weak, un-intimidating effort against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Twins knew something had to change. A gradual increase of runs—none, to one, to two—may have been a little whimsical, but it was not effective, and the three-game sweep they endured only increased the pressure the often-criticized lineup has received. And so, it was only fitting that they would have to face a lefty to fix their woes—the exact type of pitcher they have not hit well since Nelson Cruz took his talents to South Beach (or thereabouts). The early frames played out as expected: the Twins made starter Yusei Kikuchi work, exhibiting the common styles of a pesky offense, but their work could only amount to nips and minor cuts, never inflicting serious damage as each rally died quietly. It was business as usual. Sonny Gray was his normal, hyper-efficient self, though, easily breezing through the first handful of innings with only an occasional hit—and his own clumsiness on a balk—breaking his rhythm. Things changed in an instant. The forces restraining Minnesota’s offensive ability ceased in the 5th, allowing Royce Lewis to bust out an infield hit to begin the inning. Christian Vázquez may have struck out staring at the wisps of a Kikuchi fastball, but Michael A. Taylor found his fortune. Kikuchi’s slider was perfect—low, precisely engineered to elicit a two-strike whiff—but Taylor sensed the pitch, predicted the strategy, and blasted it 403 feet out to left-center field, handing Minnesota a sudden 2-0 lead. But things are never easy for those searching for luck. Gray immediately capitulated, walking a batter before allowing a soft pitching wedge served into left field. There was trouble; Bo Bichette was trouble. His grounder found Toronto’s trampoline infield, bounding just beyond Kyle Farmer’s glove to score the opening run for the Blue Jays. Gray increased his anxiety with a bases-loading walk, but a pair of easy outs ended the frame with the damage limited. And so started the running of the bullpens. Nate Pearson earned his scoreless frame, forcing the focus to Jovani Moran. The lefty coaxed two quick outs before allowing a single to Santiago Espinal, inspiring Blue Jays manager John Schneider to call on George Springer for a little more of the clutch magic he has worked in his legendary MLB career. He came through. Brock Stewart’s first-pitch sweeper did not surprise him, and the ensuing double plated the tying run. The hiccup proved to be an outlier amongst the game’s relievers, as the teams exchanged slugs of strong pitching—outs never in question—while the game slithered into its critical frames. The ninth inspired action, with the Blue Jays loading the bases on Jhoan Duran; he escaped unharmed anyways. And with some aid from the Manfred Man, the Twins could finally break free. Royce Lewis acquired his fourth hit of the game—a dinky infield hit in front of Matt Chapman—setting up Taylor with the crucial at-bat; he delivered with a sacrifice fly just deep enough to elicit an awkward-hopped throw from Whit Merrifield, making Ryan Jeffers safe at the plate. Duran was back to being the man of the hour. Despite pitches oozing with stress, Rocco Baldelli trusted that his guy would win out, that his prize horse would find his gallop and lead the Twins to victory. There was a walk to Merrifield—better to leave the old nemesis on base anyways—but Duran stared down his enemies and sent them back to the dugout disappointed, ending the game with a harmless pop-up from Santiago Espinal and giving the Twins their first win in five games. Notes: Friday was Royce Lewis' first four-hit game in his MLB career. Jhoan Duran's 38-pitch outing was his highest pitch count in a game since throwing 40 pitches on July 16th, 2022, against the White Sox. Sonny Gray has reached five innings in every start in 2023 except for his May 17th outing against the Dodgers. Post-Game Interview: What’s Next? The Twins and Blue Jays will play the second match of their three-game series on Saturday; first pitch is at 2:07 PM, and Joe Ryan will face off against RHP Trevor Richards (likely a bullpen game.) Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article