Eric R Pleiss

The Twins lost both ends of a split double header and find themselves two and a half games behind the Astros for the second wild card spot. Now losers of five straight, the Twins are also a game behind the Angels and just a game and a half ahead of the Indians, all fighting for that final postseason spot. In the Minor Leagues, both the Cedar Rapids Kernels and the Chattanooga Lookouts returned home for the third game of their Championship Series. Let's see how things went.Biloxi Shuckers @ Chattanooga Lookouts Tyler Wagner vs. Greg Peavey Final: Shuckers 2, Lookouts 0 Box In the top of the first inning, Greg Peavey gave up a single and a double to the first two batters of the game to put runners at second and third with no outs. Peavey managed to limit the damage, with only one run scoring on a sacrifice fly sandwiched between a pair of infield popups. Greg Peavey made it through the next three innings without giving up an additional run, but not without drama as he put the leadoff batter on base in each inning. In the fifth, Peavey again put the leadoff man on base, via a double. After a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk to Orlando Arcia, Manager Doug Mientkiewicz decided he had seen enough and lifted Peavey in favor of D. J. Johnson. Johnson walked the first batter he faced to load the bases. The next batter hit into a fielder's choice, but the Lookouts couldn't turn two, only grabbing the out at second base, allowing a run to score. D.J. Johnson managed to keep more runs off the board, despite throwing a wild pitch and walking the next batter before striking out Biloxi's centerfielder, Brett Phillips. Johnson recorded one out in the seventh before being lifted for Brett Lee. Brett Lee and Jake Reed finished things up, allowing just two hits the rest of the way. Two runs were plenty for the Shuckers as the Lookouts were 0-8 with runners in scoring position, stranding ten runners in the process. Shuckers pitchers Tyler Wagner and Yhonathan Barrios combined to strike out ten and walked just two, giving up eight hits. The first three hitters in the Lookouts lineup, Stephen Wickens, Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler went a combined 0-12. Cleanup hitter Travis Harrison had a great night, 3-3 with a walk and a double, but without anyone on base ahead of him, he didn't have any chances to drive in runs. Centerfielder and number nine hitter Shannon Wilkerson also had a pair of hits, going 2-4 with a strike- out. The Shuckers and the Lookouts are back on the field Sunday at 1:15pm. The Lookouts need a win to stay alive. West Michigan Whitecaps @ Cedar Rapids Kernels Artie Lewicki vs. Keaton Steele Final: Whitecaps 1, Kernels 2 Box The Kernels took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning on a Rafael P. Valera sacrifice fly, but then gave a run back to the Whitecaps in the top of the fourth to knot things at one-one. The game continued on, deadlocked, until the top of the ninth. Pitching his second inning of relief, Luke Bard walked the leadoff hitter and then found himself with a runner on second and one out after a sacrifice bunt. A single to center field scored the go-ahead run, and Bard capped the inning with back-to-back strikeouts, with the Kernels now down 2-1, down to their last three outs. Edgar Corcino doubled to start things off for the Kernels in the bottom of the ninth, and then T.J. White came up with a double of his own, off of the left fielder's glove. Because the ball was nearly caught, Corcino was holding up and only advanced to third. With runners on second and third with no outs, the Whitecaps brought in their closer Joe Jimenez was was 5-1 with a 1.47 ERA in the regular season, converting on 17-20 save opportunities and racking up 61 strike outs against just 11 walks in 43 innings. Jimenez proceeded to walk the first batter he faced, LaMonte Wade, loading up the bases for Chris Paul. Paul struck out swinging. Max Murphy came up to bat with the bases still loaded and delivered a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Edgar Corcino and tying the game at 2-2, putting runners at the corners for Brian Navarreto. Navarreto worked deep into the count, with LaMonte Wade advancing to second on defensive indifference midway through the at-bat. Navarreto fouled off a couple of pitches before hitting something close to a Baltimore Chop, a high bouncer that came down midway between the pitchers mound and third base. With T.J. White running home on contact, the only play for Whitecaps third basemen Francisco Contreras was at first. Navarreto beat the throw and the Kernels werewalk-off winners and are just one win away from winning the Midwest League Championship! Kernels pitching held the Whitecaps to just five hits all night, led by Keaton Steele who pitched seven innings, struck out five, walked one and gave up four hits. Luke Bard picked up the win thanks to those ninth inning heroics, giving up a hit, a run, striking out two and walking two. Kernels hitters struggled a bit, recording just seven hits, but three of them came in the ninth when they needed them most. Navarreto's infield single was his only hit of the night (1-4), and T.J. White, who scored the winning run, was the only Kernel with multiple hits, 2-4 with a double. The Kernels will play for the Midwest League Championship at 2:05pm on Sunday. Click here to view the article

The Twins lost both ends of a split double header and find themselves two and a half games behind the Astros for the second wild card spot. Now losers of five straight, the Twins are also a game behind the Angels and just a game and a half ahead of the Indians, all fighting for that final postseason spot. In the Minor Leagues, both the Cedar Rapids Kernels and the Chattanooga Lookouts returned home for the third game of their Championship Series. Let's see how things went. Biloxi Shuckers @ Chattanooga Lookouts Tyler Wagner vs. Greg Peavey Final: Shuckers 2, Lookouts 0 Box In the top of the first inning, Greg Peavey gave up a single and a double to the first two batters of the game to put runners at second and third with no outs. Peavey managed to limit the damage, with only one run scoring on a sacrifice fly, sandwiched between a pair of infield popups. Greg Peavey made it through the next three innings without giving up an additional run, but not without drama as he put the leadoff batter on base in every inning. In the fifth, Peavey again put the leadoff man on base, via a double. After a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk to Orlando Arcia, Manager Doug Mientkiewicz decided he had seen enough and lifted Peavey in favor of D. J. Johnson. Johnson walked the first batter he faced to load the bases. The next batter hit into a fielder's choice, but the Lookouts couldn't turn two, only grabbing the out at second base, allowing a run to score. D.J. Johnson managed to keep more runs off the board, despite throwing a wild pitch and walking the next batter before striking out Biloxi's centerfielder, Brett Phillips. Johnson recorded one out in the seventh before being lifted for Brett Lee. Brett Lee and Jake Reed finished things up, allowing just two hits the rest of the way. Two runs were plenty for the Shuckers as the Lookouts were 0-8 with runners in scoring position, stranding ten runners in the process. Shuckers pitchers Tyler Wagner and Yhonathan Barrios combined to strike out ten and walked just two, giving up eight total hits. The first three hitters in the Lookouts lineup, Stephen Wickens, Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler, went a combined 0-12. Cleanup hitter Travis Harrison had a great night, 3-3 with a walk and a double, but without anyone on base ahead of him, he didn't have any chances to drive in runs. Centerfielder and number nine hitter Shannon Wilkerson also had a pair of hits, 2-4 and a strike out. The Shuckers and the Lookouts are back on the field Sunday at 1:15pm. The Lookouts need a win to stay alive. West Michigan Whitecaps @ Cedar Rapids Kernels Artie Lewicki vs. Keaton Steele Final: Whitecaps 1, Kernels 2 Box The Kernels took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning on a Rafael P. Valera sacrifice fly, but then gave a run back to the Whitecaps in the top of the fourth to knot things at one-one. The game continued on, deadlocked, until the top of the ninth. Pitching his second inning of relief, Luke Bard walked the leadoff hitter and then found himself with a runner on second and one out after a sacrifice bunt. A single to centerfield scored the go-ahead run, and Wade capped the inning on back-to-back strike outs, with the Kernels now down 2-1, down to their last three outs. Edgar Corcino doubled to start things off for the Kernels in the bottom of the ninth, and then T.J. White came up with a double of his own, off of the left fielder's glove. Because the ball was nearly caught, Corcino was holding up and only advanced to third. With runners on second and third with no outs, the Whitecaps brought in their closer Joe Jimenez was was 5-1 with a 1.47 ERA in the regular season, converting on 17-20 save opportunities and racking up 61 strike outs against just 11 walks in 43 innings. Jimenez proceeded to walk the first batter he faced, LaMonte Wade, loading up the bases for Chris Paul. Paul struck out swinging. Max Murphy came up to bat with the bases still loaded and delivered a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Edgar Corcino and tying the game at 2-2, putting runners at the corner for Brian Navarreto. Navarreto worked deep into the count, with LaMonte Wade advancing to second on defensive indifference midway through the at bat. Navarreto fouled off a couple of pitches before hitting something close to a Baltimore Chop, a high bouncer that came down midway between the pitchers mound and third base. With T.J. White running home on contact, the only play for Whitecaps third basemen Francisco Contreras was at first. Navarreto beat the throw and the Kernels walk-off winners and are just one win away from winning the Midwest League Championship! Kernels pitching held the Whitecaps to just five hits all night, led by Keaton Steele who pitched seven innings, struck out five, walked one and gave up four hits. Luke Bard picked up the win thanks to those ninth inning heroics, giving up a hit, a run, striking out two and walking two. Kernels hitters struggled a bit, recording just seven hits, but three of them came in the ninth when they needed them most. Navarreto's infield single was his only hit of the night 1-4, and T.J. White, who scored the winning run, was the only Kernel with multiple hits, 2-4 with a double. The Kernels will play for the Midwest League Championship at 2:05pm on Sunday.

I think he gets a call once the Lookouts are done playing baseball.

The Twins squandered an early 5-0 lead and eventually fell 8-11 to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Despite the loss the Twins remain just a game and a half behind the Houston Astros for the second Wild Card spot in the American League. In the Minor League playoffs, both the Chattanooga Lookouts and the Cedar Rapids Kernels played game two of their respective league championship series. Let's take a look at how they did. Lookouts Look In Chattanooga Lookouts @ Biloxi Shuckers Jason Wheeler vs. Adrian Houser Final Score: Lookouts 6, Shuckers 1 Box The Lookouts took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a Max Kepler solo-home run. They extended their lead to 5-0 in the fifth after another Max Kepler homer, this time a grand slam! In the seventh the Shuckers had the good sense to intentionally walk Max Kepler only to see the next batter, Travis Harrison hit an RBI single to put the Lookouts up 6-1. Max Kepler was the hero of the evening for the Lookouts, finishing the game 2-4 with a pair of runs scored, five RBIs and a walk. Kepker's two home runs were the Lookouts only extra base hits of the evening. Shortstop Heiker Meneses was 203 with a walk and number nine hitter, Shannon Wilkerson, was 2-4. Jason Wheeler pitched seven innings of three hit baseball, surrendering just a single run and taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning. All three of of hits Wheeler gave up came in quick succession in the bottom of the sixth as the first three hitters singled. Wheeler struck out five and walked three. Nick Burdi gave up a hit and a walk in the eighth inning but recorded a pair of strike outs and help the Shuckers scoreless. J.T. Chargois walked the first hitter in the bottom of the ninth to give Biloxi some hope, but mad quick work of the next three hitters to send the Shuckers home. Game three is on Saturday in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Kernels Korner Cedar Rapids Kernels @ West Michigan Whitecaps Sam GIbbons vs. A.J. Ladwig Final Score: Kernels 1, Whitecaps 4 Box The Kernels led the Whitecaps 1-0 going into the bottom of the seventh inning before allowing four runs to lose the game. Sam Gibbons was cruising through six, but gave up a walk and a double to start the inning, putting runners at second and third. The next batter singled home a pair of runs. The lead runner scored easily, but the second runner was ruled safe a home despite never touching the plate as the home plate umpire ruled that Kernels' catcher Brian Navarreto was blocking the plate without the baseball. Kernels manager Jake Mauer came out to argue the call and was relieved of his managing duties for the remainder of the evening as he was subsequently ejected. With Gibbons still in the game and now down 2-1, the next batter laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runner over and a throwing error by Gibbons allowed the runner to reach putting runners at the corner with no outs, ending Gibbons' evening. The Whitecaps would score two more runs in the seventh to extend their lead to 4-1. Gibbsons' final line on the night was 6+ innings pitched, five hits, four runs (two earned), a walk and four strike outs. Yorman Landa pitched the final two innings. Landa gave up one hit, one walk, and struck out three. The Kernels offense managed just six hits, with a pair of them coming from designated hitter Max Murphy, who tripled home the only run of the night in the second inning. Chris Paul was 1-4 with a double and came around to score on the Max Murphy triple. On the evening the Kernels sent 34 men to the plate and did not earn a single walk. Game three is on Saturday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The Twins enjoyed an off-day on Thursday after taking a three-game set from the division leading Kansas City Royals. In the Minor Leagues, the postseason is now in full swing. Lookouts Look-In Montgomery Biscuits @ Chattanooga Lookouts Jamie Schultz vs. D.J. Baxendale Final: Biscuits 3, Lookouts 4 In the first game of the best-of-five series the Lookouts secured the victory on a walk-off single from Southern League MVP, Max Kepler. With two on and two out, Kepler hit a line drive single to right scoring a pair of runs and earning the Lookouts the victory. In front of a home crowd of 1,279 at AT&T Field in Chattanooga, Tennessee, D.J. Baxendale gave the Lookout fans seven and two-thirds innings of hope. Baxendale gave up a pair of early runs in the second, and another in the sixth but pitched into the eighth inning, before being lifted after 101 pitches. Baxendale gave up seven hits, three runs all earned. He walked none and struck out four. Baxendale was lifted for Nick Burdi, who struck out three in an inning and a third of work, but had to get four outs in the top of the ninth after a dropped strike three and an errant throw to first base from Stuart Turner. Leadoff man Shannon Wilkerson, and cleanup hitter Travis Harrison were both held hitless, as were D.J. Hicks, Adam Brett Walker, Stephen Wickens and Stuart Turner. The Lookouts offense only generated five hits, but managed to earn NINE free passes from the Biscuits pitching staff, leaving the Lookouts with plenty of chances to score. Jorge Polanco was 2-4 plus a walk with a run scored. Max Kepler's ninth inning hit was his only one of the game, capping a 1-4 night that include a walk and a pair of strike outs. The Lookouts are back on the diamond Friday night in Chattanooga for game two. The series then heads to Montgomery for the conclusion of the five-game series. Kernels Korner Cedar Rapids Kernels @ Quad Cities River Bandits Sam Gibbons vs. Brock Dykxhoorn Final: Kernels 3, River Bandits 1 The Cedar Rapids Kernels have advanced to the Midwest League semifinals with a 3 to 1 victory over the Quad Cities River Bandits on Thursday night in front of 1,555 fans at Modern Woodmen Park. The Quad Cities River Bandits had the best winning percentage of all full-season teams in Minor League Baseball prior to being swept out of the postseason by the Kernels. Sam Gibbons gave the Kernels everything he had on Thursday night, pitching eight innings of four-hit one-run baseball. He struck out four and walked zero. Yorman Landa pitched two scoreless innings, struck out three, walked zero and gave up just a single. Nick Anderson came in to pitch the bottom of the eleventh and shut down the River Bandits to lock up the game and series victory for the Kernels. The Kernels went ahead 3-1 in the top of the eleventh inning on a bizarre series of plays, culminating with a Chris Paul single that plated T.J. White and LaMonte Wade. After a T.J. White walk to start the inning, LaMonte Wade dropped down a sac bunt right in front of home plate but the River Bandits' catcher Garrett Stubbs thought he had a chance to nab White at second but his throw was late and low and bounced into center field. White advanced to third on the throwing error and then Wade advanced to second after the throw to third got by the Bandits, putting runners at second and third for Chris Paul. The game winning hit capped a big night at the plate for Chris Paul. He was 3-4 with all three Kernels RBIs, plus a walk. No other Kernels hitter had multiple hits. Edgar Corcino, who had a chance to win the game for the Kernels in the tenth with two on and two out, struck out for the fourth time in five attempts on the evening, a frustrating 0-5 night for Corcino. The Kernels will travel to Peoria, Illinois to take on the Peoria Chiefs in the semi-finals. That series begins on Saturday night. TwinsDaily Minor League Hitter of the Day: Chris Paul - Cedar Rapids Kernels TwinsDaily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Sam Gibbons Cedar Rapids Kernels Friday's Probables Montgomery Biscuits @ Chattanooga Lookouts - Jacob Faria vs. TBD

I guess I just put them down there because the final being the final thing feels like a little bow on the end. Plus I figured individual performances were the goal of the report, not team results. I'd be happy to consider a change, Bespenson.

Oswaldo and Pinto, who were greeted with such excitement as recently as last spring and now mere after thoughts. In an org filled with corner OF/IF types and a log-jam at DH, hard to imagine what they'd need to do to be back in a Twins uniform (except for September).

Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano ran out of magic on Thursday night as the pair lost for the first time while playing in the lineup together, snapping the Twins' longest winning streak since 2011. With September call-ups less than a week away, let's take a look at some of the action down in the minor leagues.RED WINGS REPORT Syracuse Chiefs @ Rochester Red Wings Box Score The Red Wings pitching staff limited the Chiefs to just six hits while racking up thirteen strikeouts and not a single walk. Red Wings starting pitcher Michael Bowden picked up his tenth win of the year with seven scoreless innings. Bowden gave up five hits and struck out nine, bringing his season ERA down to 2.68. Bowden, a former first-round pick by the Red Sox, has pitched in parts of six MLB seasons, but hasn't been in the show since 2013. Mark Hamburger pitched the final two innings in relief. Hamburger gave up a hit and struck out four. The Red Wings did pretty well with the the sticks as well, notching nine hits, including multi-hit games from their one, two, and four hitters. Danny Santana led off and was 2-4 with a double and a run scored. Two-hitter James Beresford was 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Cleanup man Kennys Vargas was 2-4 with a run scored and a strikeout. Josmil Pinto picked up four RBIs with a grand slam in the first inning. Just Pinto's seventh homer of the year. Pinto was once a player the Twins had high hopes for but his defense hasn't been up to par at catcher, and as a DH his .229/308/.373 line is not impressive. Final: Chiefs 0, Red Wings 6 LOOKOUTS LOOK-IN Tennessee Smokies @ Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score The Smokies pounded the Lookouts on Thursday night, taking a six-run lead before the Lookouts were on the board. D.J. Baxendale pitched the first five innings, giving up eight hits, four runs (all earned), a walk and three strikeouts. Brandon Peterson gave up a pair of unearned runs in the sixth on the back of two Lookouts errors, one each from Niko Goodrum and Levi Michael. Corey Williams pitched two strong innings of relief after the Lookouts were well out of the game, giving up one hit, struck out three and walked one. J.T. Chargois pitched the ninth, yielding a pair of hits and a run. The Lookouts struggled at the plate, especially at the top of the order as the first five hitters combined to go 1-16. Levi Michael and Jair Rodriguez had the best nights for Chattanooga. Both players had a pair of singles. Final: Smokies 7, Lookouts 1 MIRACLE MATTERS Bradenton Marauders @ Fort Myers Miracle Box Score Miracle pitchers held the Marauders hitters from scoring until the top of the ninth and then hung on for dear life. Ethan Mildren got things started for the Miracle, pitching six shutout innings. Mildren gave up five hits, one walk, and he struck out three. Jake Reed picked up a hold, his second, with a scoreless inning (facing the minimum). Zach Jones gave up a pair of hits in the eighth, but escaped unharmed for his first hold of the year. Trevor Hildenberger gave up a pair of runs in the ninth but still earned his third save of the year thanks to a three-run cushion. The Miracle couldn't grab an extra base hit on Thursday night, but nine singles and a pair of sacrifice flies put them in the driver's seat. Zach Granite was 2-4 with a run scored, as was Engelb Vielma who added in a stolen base for good measure. Anderlin Meija was 0-2 but he had both of the Fort Myers sacrifice flies, driving in a pair of runs. Final: Marauders 2, Miracle 3 KERNELS KORNER Kane County Cougars @ Cedar Rapids Kernes Box Score The Kernels out-hit the Cougars 8-6 but were 0-11 with runners in scoring position, stranding twelve runners in the process. Alex Real had a nice night at the plate, 3-3 with a double and a HBP to reach four times. Real is a 2014 twenty-fourth round draftee out of New Mexico. The six-foot right-hander is hitting .270/315/.382 but has played just 54 games because he started the year serving a 50-game suspension for a positive PED test. Starter Randy Rosario took the loss to drop to 1-5 on the year. He pitched six innings of four-hit ball and gave up just one earned run. Rosario didn't help his own cause in the second inning earning an error on a missed catch which led to an unearned run. In the third a passed ball led to another unearned run. Yorman Landa gave up a pair of unearned runs in the eighth inning despite giving up just one hit, one walk and striking out three. Zach Tillery pitched the ninth, giving up a hit and recording a strikeout. Final: Cougars 5, Kernels 0 E-TWINS E-NOTES Kingsport Mets @ Elizabethton Twins Box Score The Elizabethton Twins battled back from an early 3-0 defecit to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth. Zander Wiel powered the offense with a 2-4 night with a double and two RBIs. Jermain Palacios also had a pair of hits with a double from the leadoff spot. Starter Eduardo Del Rosario gave up six hits, three runs, walked no one, struck out three and gave up a long ball over his four innings of work. Logan Lombana pitched three scoreless innings of relief and struck out five while walking one and giving up a pair of hits. Tyler Stirewalt pitched a clean eighth inning, but with the game tied 3-3 in the top of the ninth, he came back out for a second inning of relief and was tagged with the loss as three runs scored as Stirewalt unraveled. He gave up a double, an intentional walk, hit a batter, a fielder's choice that resulted in no outs, and a single before the damage was done. Then the Twins went down in order in the bottom of the ninth. Final: Mets 6, Twins 3 GCL Twins GCL Rays @ GCL Twins Box Score Matz Schutte struggled through 4.2 innings, giving up five hits, five runs, a walk and struck out six. He was replaced by Luis Hernandez who pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless baseball. Andrew Vasquez gave up a pair of unearned runs in the eighth, walked three and struck out two. Hector Lujan finished the game, giving up a hit but otherwise putting up zeros. The Twins managed just five hits, with two coming from Roberto Gonzalez on a 2-4 night that included a run scored. Kolton Kendrick was 1-4 with a triple, two RBIs, a run scored and a pair of strike outs. Final: Rays 7, Twins 3 TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day - Alex Real, Cedar Rapids Kernels Pitcher of the Day - Michael Bowden, Rochester Red Wings FRIDAY'S PROBABLES Syracuse @ Rochester - Paolo Espino vs. Taylor Rogers (9-11, 3.91) Chattanooga @ Birmingham - TBD vs. TBD Bradenton @ Fort Myers - TBD vs. Mat Batts (7-4, 2.54) Kane County @ Cedar Rapids - Josh Taylor vs. Sam Bibbons (7-3, 2.72) Kingsport @ Elizabethton - Nabil Crismatt vs. Onesimo Hernandez (5-1, 3,79) GCL Red Sox @ GCL Twins - TBD vs. TBD Click here to view the article

Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano ran out of magic on Thursday night as the pair lost for the first time while playing in the lineup together, snapping the Twins' longest winning streak since 2011. With September call-ups less than a week away, let's take a look at some of the action down in the Minor Leagues. RED WINGS REPORT Syracuse Chiefs @ Rochester Red Wings Box Score The Red Wings pitching staff limited the Chiefs to just six hits while racking up thirteen strike outs and not a single walk. Red Wings starting pitcher Michael Bowden picked up his tenth win of the year with seven scoreless innings. Bowden gave up five hits and struck out nine, bringing his season ERA down to 2.68. Bowden, a former first round pick by the Red Sox, has pitched in parts of six MLB seasons, but hasn't been in the show since 2013. Mark Hamburger pitched the final two innings in relief. Hamburger gave up a hit and struck out four. The Red Wings did pretty well with the the sticks as well, notching nine hits, including multi-hit games from their one, two, and four hitters. Danny Santana led off and was 2-4 with a double and a run scored. two-hitter James Beresford was 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Cleanup man Kennys Vargas was 2-4 with a run scored and a strike out. Josmil Pinto picked up four RBIs with a grand slam in the first inning. Just Pinto's seventh homer of the year. Pinto was once a player the Twins had high hopes for but his defense hasn't been up to par at catcher, and as a DH his .229/308/.373 line is not impressive. Final: Chiefs 0, Red Wings 6 LOOKOUTS LOOK-IN Tennessee Smokies @ Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score The Smokies pounded the Lookouts on Thursday night, taking a six run lead before the Lookouts were on the board. D.J. Baxendale pitched the first five innings, giving up eight hits, four runs (all earned), a walk and three strike outs. Brandon Peterson gave up a pair of unearned runs in the sixth on the back of two Lookouts errors, one each from Niko Goodrum and Levi Michael. Corey Williams pitched two strong innings of relief after the Lookouts were well out of the game, he gave up one hit, struck out three and walked one. J.T. Chargois pitched the ninth, giving up a pair of hits and a run. The Lookouts struggled at the plate, especially at the top of the order as the first five hitters combined to go 1-16. Levi Michael and Jair Rodriguez had the best nights for Chattanooga. Both players had a pair of singles. Final: Smokies 7, Lookouts 1 MIRACLE MATTERS Bradenton Marauders @ Fort Myers Miracle Box Score Miracle pitchers held the Marauders hitters from scoring until the top of the ninth and then hung on for dear life. Ethan Mildren got things started for the Miracle, pitching six shutout innings. Mildren gave up five hits, one walk, and he struck out three. Jake Reed picked up a hold, his second, with a scoreless inning (facing the minimum). Zach Jones gave up a pair of hits in the eighth, but escaped unharmed for his first hold of the year. Trevor Hildenberger gave up a pair of runs in the ninth but still earned his third save of the year thanks to a three-run cushion. The Miracle couldn't grab an extra base hit on Thursday night, but nine singles and a pair of sacrifice flies put them in the driver's seat. Zach Granite was 2-4 with a run scored, as was Engelb Vielma who added in a stolen base for good measure. Anderlin Meija was 0-2 but he had both of the Fort Myers sacrifice flies, driving in a pair of runs. Final: Marauders 2, Miracle 3 KERNELS KORNER Kane County Cougars @ Cedar Rapids Kernes Box Score The Kernels out hit the Cougars 8-6 but were 0-11 with runnings in scoring position, stranding twelve runners in the process. Alex Real had a nice night at the plate, 3-3 with a double and a HBP to reach four times. Real is a 2014 twenty-fourth round draftee out of New Mexico. The six-foot right hander is hitting .270/315/.382 but has played just 54 games because he started the year serving a 50-game suspension for a positive PED test. Starter Randy Rosario took the loss to drop to 1-5 on the year. He pitched six innings of four hit ball and gave up just one earned run. Rosario didn't help his own cause in the second inning earning an error on a missed catch which led to an unearned run. In the third a passed ball led to another unearned run. Yorman Landa gave up a pair of unearned runs in the eighth inning despite giving up just one hit, one walk, and striking out three. Zach Tillery pitched the ninth, giving up a hit and recording a strike out. Final: Cougars 5, Kernels 0 E-TWINS E-NOTES Kingsport Mets @ Elizabethton Twins Box Score The Elizabethton Twins battled back from an early 3-0 defecit to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth. Zander Wiel powered the offense with a 2-4 night with a double and two RBIs. Jermain Palacios also had a pair of hits and a double from the leadoff spot. Starter Eduardo Del Rosario gae up six hits, three runs, walked no one, struck out three and gave up a long ball over his four innings of work. Logan Lombana pitched THREE scoreless innings of relief and struck out five while walking one and giving up a pair of hits. Tyler Stirewalt pitched a clean eighth inning, but with the game tied 3-3 in the top of the ninth, he came back out for a second inning of relief and was tagged with the loss as three runs scored as Stirewalt unraveled. He gave up a double, an intentional walk, hit a batter, a fielder's choice that resulted in no outs, and a single before the damage was done. Then the Twins went down in order in the bottom of the ninth. Final: Mets 6, Twins 3 GCL Twins GCL Rays @ GCL Twins Box Score Matz Schutte struggled through 4.2 innings, giving up five hits, five runs, a walk and struck out six. He was replaced by Luis Hernandez who pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless baseball. Andrew Vasquez gave up a pair of unearned runs in the eighth, walked three and struck out two. Hector Lujan finished the game, giving up a hit but otherwise putting up zeros. The Twins managed just five hits, with two coming from Roberto Gonzalez on a 2-4 night that included a run scored. Kolton Kendrick was 1-4 with a triple, two RBIs, a run scored and a pair of strike outs. Final: Rays 7, Twins 3 TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day - Alex Real, Cedar Rapids Kernels Pitcher of the Day - Michael Bowden, Rochester Red Wings FRIDAY'S PROBABLES Syracuse @ Rochester - Paolo Espino vs. Taylor Rogers (9-11, 3.91) Chattanooga @ Birmingham - TBD vs. TBD Bradenton @ Fort Myers - TBD vs. Mat Batts (7-4, 2.54) Kane County @ Cedar Rapids - Josh Taylor vs. Sam Bibbons (7-3, 2.72) Kingsport @ Elizabethton - Nabil Crismatt vs. Onesimo Hernandez (5-1, 3,79) GCL Red Sox @ GCL Twins - TBD vs. TBD

You can use your bonus points for your first free beer at the next Winter Meltdown!

After being laughed out of the Bronx the Twins traveled to Baltimore and took out their frustrations on the Orioles with a 15-2 butt-kicking that included another Miguel Sano home run (his tenth) and a 1-6 night from Byron Buxton in his return to MLB action.RED WINGS REPORT Scheduled off day LOOKOUTS LOOK-IN Chattanooga Lookouts @ Pensacola Blue Wahoos Box Score Lookouts starter Aaron Slegers cruised through six innings giving up just a single run, but ran into trouble and was lifted with two outs in the seventh for J.T. Chargois. Slegers finished the night giving up six hits, three runs, two walks, and he struck out seven. Chargois came in after the damage was done and struck out the only batter he faced in the seventh and pitched a scoreless eighth. The Lookouts managed just six hits against the Blue Wahoos and the only man with a multi-hit night was the number nine hitter and DH, Levi Michael. Michael was 2-3 with a run scored. Max Kepler played center field and was 1-3 with an RBI and a walk. Final: Lookouts 1, Blue Wahoos 3 MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers Miracle @ Bradenton Marauders Box Score Starting for the Fort Myers Miracle on Thursday night was none other than Omar Bencomo. You win all of the bonus points if you know who Omar Bencomo is and how he ended up on the Fort Myers Miracle. If you don't know who he is, you're not alone. Bencomo hasn't played affiliated baseball since 2011, when he was a 22 year-old in the Midwest League for the Tampa Bay Rays. Since then he has spent a couple of years playing in the Venezuelan Winter League, and in 2015 he played for two different Independent League teams (Wichita Wingnuts, Laredo Lemurs) before finding his way onto the Fort Myers squad. But I digress. Bencomo pitched seven innings of three-hit baseball. He gave up no runs, walked no one, and struck out four, picking up his first win of the season. Tyler Jay, the Twins top draft pick in this year's draft, came in to pitch the eighth and faced the minimum and recorded a strikeout. Todd Van Steensel picked up his thirteenth save of the year and a pair of strikeouts in the ninth. The pitching was working for the Miracle on Thursday and the bats did just enough, pushing across a single run in the seventh inning thanks to a two-out RBI from Logan Wade. Wade finished the night 2-4. Mitch Garver also had a pair of hits for the Miracle, 2-4, with a run scored. The rest of the squad was pretty quiet. Final: Miracle 1, Marauders 0 KERNELS KORNER Kane County Cougars @ Cedar Rapids Kernels Box Score Kernels starter Ethan Mildren continues to work his way back from a recent demotion to the bullpen, and as a result is on a pretty limited pitch count, which resulted in him being pulled from the game after just four innings. Mildren gave up just three hits, one a costly solo home run. He walked one and struck out two. He was replaced by Yorman Landa who pitched two hitless innings to earn his second win of the year. Zach Tillery picked up a two-inning hold (his first of the year), and John Curtiss picked up the save, preserving the one-run lead. Only one of the Kernels runs was earned, and it came off an RBI from Brian Navarreto. He was 1-3 with an RBI, and he scored the other run. Navarreto actually picked up his RBI and run scored on the same play, as he singled home Zack Larson and then scored on a throwing error by the catcher. That was all the offense the Kernels would get the whole night, winning the game 2-1 despite only four hits. Final: Cougars 1, Kernels 2 E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton Twins @ Pulaski Yankees Box Score The Twins had a 2-0 lead for most of the game before giving up a four-spot in the seventh inning. Starter Samuel Clay pitched four scoreless innings that included four strikeouts and no walks, but reliever Nate Gercken, working into his third inning of relief, gave up three hits and a walk before being lifted in the seventh. Tyler Stirewalt replaced Gercken and proceeded to walk the first three batters he faced, pushing in two more runs, before inducing a double play to escape the inning. Because of the way baseball works, Stirewalk wasn't charged with any of those runs, and his statline looks fairly clean. No hits, no runs, no strike outs, but three walks and a wild pitch. Jose Abreu pitched the eighth with the Twins then down 4-2, to finish the game. The E-Twins bats were fairly inactive, as they recorded just six hits in the contest. Only LaMonte Wade had multiple hits, both for extra bases. Wade hit his fourth triple of the year and his eighth home run of the year, a solo shot in the third. No other hitter recorded multiple hits, and leadoff hitter Jermaine Palacios kept the Twins out of any rallies with an 0-4 night that included three strikeouts. Final: Twins 2, Yankees 4 GCL Twins Gulf Coast League Twins @ GCL Orioles Box Score Lachlan Wells earned his fifth win of the year pitching five innings and giving up just one run on a solo home run in the fourth. Wells struck out five, walked one and gave up just four hits. He was replaced by Luis Hernandez who gave up three runs on a walk and a hit in the sixth, recording just two outs. He was replaced by Hector Lujan who pitched 2.1 innings of three hit baseball to earn his first hold of the year. Closer Johan Quezada picked up a pair of strikeouts in the ninth, as well as his seventh save. Final: Twins 5, Orioles 4 TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day - Omar Bencomo, Fort Myers Miracle Pitcher of the Day - LaMonte Wade, Elizabethton Twins FRIDAY'S PROBABLES Rochester @ Scranton/WB - Jose Berrios (3-2, 3.38) vs. Kyle Davies Chattanooga @ Pensacola - TBD vs. Cody Reed Fort Myers @ Bradenton - TBD vs. Frank Duncan Cedar Rapids @ Clinton - Randy Rosario (1-4, 4.50) vs. Lukas Schiraldi Elizabethton @ Pulaski - Dereck Rodriguez (5-1, 1.75) vs. TBD Gulf Coast Twins @ GCL Red Sox - TBD vs. TBD Click here to view the article

After being laughed out of the Bronx the Twins traveled to Baltimore and took out their frustrations on the Orioles with a 15-2 butt-kicking that included another Miguel Sano home run (his tenth) and a 1-6 night from Byron Buxton in his return to MLB action. RED WINGS REPORT Scheduled off day LOOKOUTS LOOK-IN Chattanooga Lookouts @ Pensacola Blue Wahoos Box Score Lookouts starter Aaron Slegers cruised through six innings giving up just a single run, but ran into trouble and was lifted with two outs in the seventh for J.T. Chargois. Slegers finished the night giving up six hits, three runs, two walks, and he struck out seven. Chargois came in after the damage was done and struck out the only batter he faced in the seventh and pitched a scoreless eighth. The Lookouts managed just six hits against the Blue Wahoos and the only man with a multi-hit night was the number nine hitter and DH, Levi Michael. Michael was 2-3 with a run scored. Max Kepler played center field and was 1-3 with an RBI and a walk. Final: Lookouts 1, Blue Wahoos 3 MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers Miracle @ Bradenton Marauders Box Score Starting for the Fort Myers Miracle on Thursday night was none other than Omar Bencomo. You win all of the bonus points if you know who Omar Bencomo is and how he ended up on the Fort Myers Miracle. If you don't know who he is, you're not alone. Bencomo hasn't played affiliated baseball since 2011, when he was a 22 year-old in the Midwest League for the Tampa Bay Rays. Since then he spent a couple of years playing in the Venezuelan Winter League, and in 2015 he played for two different Independent League teams (Wichita Wingnuts, Laredo Lemurs) before finding his way onto the Fort Myers squad. But I digress. Bencomo pitched seven innings of three hit baseball. He gave up no runs, walked no one, and struck out four, picking up his first win of the season. Tyler Jay, the Twins top draft pick in this year's draft, came in to pitch the eighth and faced the minimum and recorded a strike out. Todd Van Steensel picked up his thirteenth save of the year and a pair of strike outs in the ninth. The pitching was working for the Miracle on Thursday and the bats did just enough, pushing across a single run in the seventh inning thanks to a two-out RBI from Logan Wade. Wade finished the night 2-4. Mitch Garver also had a pair of hits for the Miracle, 2-4 with a run scored. The rest of the squad was pretty quiet. Final: Miracle 1, Marauders 0 KERNELS KORNER Kane County Cougars @ Cedar Rapids Kernels Box Score Kernels starter Ethan Mildren continues to work his way back from a recent demotion to the bullpen, and as a result is on a pretty limiting pitch count, which pulled him from the game after just four innings. Mildren gave up just three hits, one a costly solo home run. He walked one, and struck out two. He was replaced by Yorman Landa who pitched two hitless innings to earn his second win of the year. Zach Tillery picked up a two-inning hold (his first of the year), and John Curtiss picked up the save, preserving the one-run lead. Only one of the Kernels runs was earned, and it came off an RBI from Brian Navarreto. He was 1-3 with an RBI, and he scored the other run. Navarreto actually picked up his RBI and run scored on the same play, as he singled home Zack Larson and then scored on a throwing error by the catcher. That was all the offense the Kernels would get the whole night, winning the game 2-1 despite only four hits. Final: Cougars 1, Kernels 2 E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton Twins @ Pulaski Yankees Box Score The Twins had a 2-0 lead for most of the game before giving up a four-spot in the seventh inning. Starter Samuel Clay pitched four scoreless innings that included four strike outs and no walks, but reliever Nate Gercken, working into his third inning of relief, gave up three hits and a walk before being lifted in the seventh. Tyler Stirewalt replaced Gercken and proceeded to walk the first three batters he faced, pushing in two more runs, before inducing a double play to escape the inning. Because of the way baseball works, Stirewalk wasn't charged with any of those runs, and his statline looks fairly clean. No hits, no runs, no strike outs, but three walks and a wild pitch. Jose Abreu pitched the eighth with the Twins then down 4-2, to finish the game. The E-Twins bats were fairly inactive, as they recorded just six hits in the contest. Only LaMonte Wade had multiple hits, both for extra bases. Wade hit his fourth triple of the year and his eighth home run of the year, a solo shot in the third. No other hitter recorded multiple hits, and leadoff hitter Jermain Palacios kept the Twins out of any rallies with an 0-4 night that included three strike outs. Final: Twins 2, Yankees 4 GCL Twins Gulf Coast League Twins @ GCL Orioles Box Score Lachlan Wells earned his fifth win of the year pitching five innings and giving up just one run on a solor home run in the fourth. Wells struck out five, walked one, and gave up just four hits. He was replaced by Luis Hernandez who gave up three runs on a walk and a hit in the sixth, recording just two outs. He was replaced by Hector Lujan who pitched two and a third innings of three hit baseball to earn his first Hold of the year. Closer Johan Quezada picked up a pair of strikeouts in the ninth, as well as his seventh save. Final: Twins 5, Orioles 4 TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day - Omar Bencomo, Fort Myers Miracle Pitcher of the Day - LaMonte Wade, Elizabethton Twins FRIDAY'S PROBABLES Rochester @ Scranton/WB - Jose Berrios (3-2, 3.38) vs. Kyle Davies Chattanooga @ Pensacola - TBD vs. Cody Reed Fort Myers @ Bradenton - TBD vs. Frank Duncan Cedar Rapids @ Clinton - Randy Rosario (1-4, 4.50) vs. Lukas Schiraldi Elizabethton @ Pulaski - Dereck Rodriguez (5-1, 1.75) vs. TBD Gulf Coast Twins @ GCL Red Sox - TBD vs. TBD

He's at a career high in IP, and his L/R splits were never previously this bad. Guy has had a rough patch, not time to give up, CH.

The Twins started an important road trip with a frustrating extra inning loss to the Evil Empire (New York Yankees). Let's take a look down into the Twins' farm system to see if better things are on the way to Minnesota.RED WINGS REPORT Buffalo Bisons @ Rochester Red Wings Box Score The Red Wings were out-hit 11-8, but came out victorious thanks to a couple of solo home runs and holding the Bisons to just 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position. Taylor Rogers gave up ten hits in 6.2 innings but managed to give up just three runs (two earned). Rogers walked one, and struck out three batters. Rogers picked up a win to move to 9-10 with an ERA of 3.85, nearly a run higher than it was ten starts ago when he was 7-4 with a 2.97 ERA. Over his last 10 Rogers is just 2-6 with a 5.14 ERA with a 1.522 WHIP and a 2.35/1 strikeout to walk ratio. Rogers' Monday night start was the first time since June 24 that he gave up two earned runs or fewer in a start. Rogers turned things over to the bullpen in the seventh and Cole Johnson pitched two-thirds of an inning spanning the seventh and the eighth, striking out one and giving up no runs, hits, or walks. Aaron Thompson finished the eighth in scoreless fashion and Michael Tonkin fanned two of the three batters he faced in the ninth to pick up his thirteenth save of the year. Xavier Avery hit a solo home run in the second inning to give the Red Wings an early lead. The Bisons came stampeding back and were up 3-1 when a Reynaldo Rodriguez single in the fifth inning evened the score. In the sixth inning Jose Martinez homered to left field, giving the Red Wings the lead and Rogers and the bullpen kept the Bisons bats silent the rest of the evening. Kennys Vargas started at designated hitter in the three hole and was 0-4 with a strike out. Vargas is 6-23 with five strikeouts and seven walks with more multi-walk games than multi-strikeout games since an August 11 promotion back to Rochester. Final: Bisons 3, Red Wings 4 LOOKOUTS LOOK-IN SCHEDULED OFF DAY MIRACLE MATTERS Charlotte Stone Crabs @ Fort Myers Miracle POSTPONED DUE TO RAIN KERNELS KORNER SCHEDULED OFF DAY E-TWINS E-NOTES Danville Braves @ Elizabethton Twins Box Score Andro Cutura pitched six strong innings for the E-Twins, giving up no runs on just three hits. He walked two and struck out four. His ERA is now 1.08 over his first nine starts for Elizabethton. Cutura, a Slidell, Louisiana native, was drafted by the Twins in the seventh round of the 2014 draft out of Southeastern Louisiana University. After Cutura's exit, Anthony Mciver pitched two scoreless, giving up a hit, a walk, and he struck out three. Alex Robinson pitched the ninth, giving up a hit and earning a strikeout to preserve the victory for the Twins. E-Town's ninth hitter, second basemen Manuel Guzman had one of the best games of his young career, 4-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and a run scored. Catcher A.J. Murray had a nice game as well, going 3-4 with a double, an RBI, a run scored and a strikeout. Final: Braves 0, Twins 6 GCL Twins GCL Orioles @ GCL Twins Box Score The GCL Twins gave up a pair of runs in the first, second and sixth innings and a single run in the seventh to fall by a score of 7-3 to the GCL Orioles. Starter Jovani Moran was making just the fourth start of his career, drafted in the seventh round of the 2015 draft out of the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy in Puerto Rico. Jovani has yet to pitch more than four innings in a start, and Monday night was no exception. Moran gave up four hits, four runs, and two walks. He struck out just one of the fifteen batters he faced. Reliever Matz Schutte didn't fare much better, giving up a pair of runs in the sixth before being lifted for Rich Condeelis. Condeelis gave up a run on three hits, but struck out three and walked one in two innings. Andrew Vasquez pitched a scoreless ninth, but worked harder than he needed to, giving up a two-out single, then throwing a wild pitch before walking the next batter. Vasquez then struck out the final batter of the game to end the suffering for Twins pitchers. Leadoff hitter Christian Cavaness was 2-4 and first basemen Bryant Hayman was 2-4 with a double, the only hitters with more than one hit. The Twins did rack up four doubles, half of their eight hits on the night. In addition to Hayman's double, Blake Schmit, Robert Molina and Roberto Gonzalez also added two baggers. Final: Orioles 7, Twins 3 TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day - Manuel Guzman, Elizabethton Twins Pitcher of the Day - Andro Cutura, Elizabethton Twins FRIDAY'S PROBABLES Buffalo @ Rochester - Jeff Francis vs. Logan Darnell (2-1, 1.54) Chattanooga @ Pensacola - Greg Peavey (6-4, 4.40) vs. Daniel Wright Charlotte @ Fort Myers (Double Header) - Buddy Borden vs. Stephen Gonsalves (5-1, 2.34), Greg Harris vs. TBD Kane County @ Cedar Rapids - Josh Taylor vs. Keaton Steele (4-3, 3.65) Danville @ Elizabethton - TBD vs. Josh Stashak (4-1, 1.80) Gulf Coast Twins @ Gulf Coast Orioles - TBD vs TBD Click here to view the article

The Twins started an important road trip with a frustrating extra inning loss to the Evil Empire (New York Yankees). Let's take a look down into the Twins' farm system to see if better things are on the way to Minnesota. RED WINGS REPORT Buffalo Bisons @ Rochester Red Wings Box Score The Red Wings were out hit 11-8, but came out victorious thanks to a couple of solo home runs and holding the Bisons to just 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position. Taylor Rogers gave up ten hits in 6.2 innings but managed to give up just three runs (two earned). Rogers walked one, and struck out three batters. Rogers picked up a win to move to 9-10 with an ERA of 3.85, nearly a run higher than it was ten starts ago when he was 7-4 with a 2.97 ERA. Over his last 10 Rogers is just 2-6 with a 5.14 ERA with a 1.522 WHIP and a 2.35/1 strikeout to walk ratio. Rogers' Monday night start was the first time since June 24 that he gave up two runs or fewer in a start. Rogers turned things over to the bullpen in the seventh and Cole Johnson pitched two-thirds of an inning spanning the seventh and the eighth, striking out one and giving up no runs, hits, or walks. Aaron Thompson finished the eighth in scoreless fashion and Michael Tonkin fanned two of the three batters he faced in the ninth to pick up his thirteenth save of the year. Xavier Avery hit a solo home run in the second inning to give the Red Wings an early lead. The Bisons came stampeding back and were up 3-1 when a Reynaldo Rodriguez single in the fifth inning evened the score. In the sixth inning Jose Martinez homered to left field, giving the Red Wings the lead and Rogers and the bullpen kept the Bisons bats silent the rest of the evening. Kennys Vargas started at designated hitter in the three hole and was 0-4 with a strike out. Vargas is 6-23 with five strike outs and seven walks with more multi-walk games than multi-strike out games since an August 11 promotion back to Rochester. Final: Bisons 3, Red Wings 4 LOOKOUTS LOOK-IN SCHEDULED OFF DAY MIRACLE MATTERS Charlotte Stone Crabs @ Fort Myers Miracle POSTPONED DUE TO RAIN KERNELS KORNER SCHEDULED OFF DAY E-TWINS E-NOTES Danville Braves @ Elizabethton Twins Box Score Andro Cutura pitched six strong innings for the E-Twins, giving up no runs on just three hits. He walked two and struck out four. His ERA is now 1.08 over his first nine starts for Elizabethton. Cutura, a Slidell, Louisiana native, was drafted by the Twins in the seventh round of the 2014 draft out of Southeastern Louisiana University. After Cutura's exit, Anthony Mciver pitched two scoreless, giving up a hit, a walk, and he struck out three. Alex Robinson pitched the ninth, giving up a hit and earning a strike out to preserve the victory for the Twins. E-Town's ninth hitter, second basemen Manuel Guzman had one of the best games of his young career, 4-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and a run scored. Catcher A.J. Murray had a nice game as well, 3-4 with a double, an RBI, a run scored and a strike out. Final: Braves 0, Twins 6 GCL Twins GCL Orioles @ GCL Twins Box Score The GCL Twins gave up a pair of runs in the first, second and sixth innings, and a single run in the seventh to fall by a score of 7-3 to the GCL Orioles. Starter Jovani Moran was making just the fourth start of his career, drafted in the seventh round of the 2015 draft out of the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy in Puerto Rico. Jovani has yet to pitch more than four innings in a start, and Monday night was no exception. Moran gave up four hits, four runs, and two walks. He struck out just one of the fifteen batters he faced. Reliever Matz Schutte didn't fare much better, giving up a pair of runs in the sixth before being lifted for Rich Condeelis. Condeelis gave up a run on three hits, but struck out three and walked just one in two innings. Andrew Vasquez pitched a scoreless ninth, but worked harder than he needed to, giving up a two-out single, then throwing a wild pitch before walking the next batter. Vasquez then struck out the final batter of the game to end the suffering for Twins pitchers. Leadoff hitter Christian Cavaness was 2-4 and first basemen Bryant Hayman was 2-4 with a double, the only hitters with multi hit gams. The Twins did rack up four doubles, half of their eight hits on the night. In addition to Hayman's double, Blake Schmit, Robert Molina and Roberto Gonzalez also added two baggers. Final: Orioles 7, Twins 3 TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day - Manuel Guzman, Elizabethton Twins Pitcher of the Day - Andro Cutura, Elizabethton Twins FRIDAY'S PROBABLES Buffalo @ Rochester - Jeff Francis vs. Logan Darnell (2-1, 1.54) Chattanooga @ Pensacola - Greg Peavey (6-4, 4.40) vs. Daniel Wright Charlotte @ Fort Myers (Double Header) - Buddy Borden vs. Stephen Gonsalves (5-1, 2.34), Greg Harris vs. TBD Kane County @ Cedar Rapids - Josh Taylor vs. Keaton Steele (4-3, 3.65) Danville @ Elizabethton - TBD vs. Josh Stashak (4-1, 1.80) Gulf Coast Twins @ Gulf Coast Orioles - TBD vs TBD

Nice work, Axel.

clutterheart, on 07 Aug 2015 - 07:21 AM, said: "Navarreto's hot 2nd half continues. Its great to see a 20 years old at low A make adjustments and save his season. But I doubt he can stay at catcher for more than a few years. He is a big boy at 6' 4"220 lbs. Seems like he will out grow his catcher equipment!" The Twins have no offensive threat at catcher in the system, unless you use the term so loosely as to include Josmil Pinto. They'll let Navarreto stay behind the dish as long as they can.

The Twins have no offensive threat at catcher in the system, unless you use the term so loosely as to include Josmil Pinto. They'll let Navarreto stay behind the dish as long as they can.

After yet another Minnesota Twins loss, the Twins made a couple of roster moves on Thursday night. Tyler Duffey was optioned back to Rochester, and Eric Fryer was designated for assignment, clearing a spot on the 40-man roster. In their place the Twins recalled A.J. Achter and Chris Herrmann. The addition of Achter means the Twins have a nine-man bullpen, and only four starters. They'll next need a fifth starter on August 13th, so expect to see another move in the middle of next week.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester Red Wings @ Gwinnett Braves Box Score The Red Wings scored six of their seven runs in the fifth inning to erase a 4-0 deficit and take the lead for good. The Wings used a fairly balanced attack to get to the Braves, with five different hitters picking up multiple hits. The Red Wings had twelve hits on the night, to go along with six walks and just five strikeouts. Reynaldo Rodriguez was 2-4 with a walk, a double, a run scored and three RBI. Oswaldo Arcia struggled big-time, he was 0-5 with three strike outs. Danny Ortiz was 2-5 with a solo home run. Red Wings starter Jason Wheeler was pulled after giving up four runs on seven hits in four innings. He didn't walk anyone and only struck out one of the 18 batters he faced. He was replaced by Alex Meyer who pitched three innings of relief and was credited with a win thanks to the Red Wings' six-run fifth. Meyer gave up three hits, a run, walked two and struck out one. Mark Hamburger and Aaron Thompson shared the eighth inning, and Michael Tonkin earned a save in the ninth, his ninth of the year. Final: Red Wings 7, Braves 5 LOOKOUTS LOOK-IN Chattanooga Lookouts @ Jackson Generals (Game 1) Box Score The Lookouts blasted four runs in the first inning but could not hold the lead as the red hot Generals rallied to come from behind. Kennys Vargas was 2-3 with two runs scored, four RBI, a walk, a two-run home run and no strike outs. In the top of the seventh (remember that MiLB double-headers are scheduled for just seven innings), Max Kepler and manager Doug Mientkiewicz were both ejected for arguing after Kepler thought he was hit by a pitch and home plate umpire Clint Vondrak thought it was a foul ball. Greg Peavey started for the Lookouts, but after being staked to that early four-run lead, he gave up six runs in the second inning, and eight before he was lifted with one out in the fifth. Peavey's line for 4.1 innings was seven hits, eight runs (four earned) five walks, and two strike outs. He was replaced by Jake Reed who had an adventuresome two-thirds of an inning, giving up two hits and a walk, allowing a pair of runs to score. Reed picked up one of his outs as the Lookouts caught Jackson's Zach Shank attempting to steal home. Matt Summers came on the pitch the seventh and gave up a two-run home run before retiring the side. Final: Lookouts 6, Generals 10 Chattanooga Lookouts @ Jackson Generals (Game 2) Box Score The Lookouts managed just four hits in the second game of the evening, all singles. Jairo Rodriguez was 2-3 hitting in the eighth spot in the lineup, picking up half the team's hits. The 1-5 hitters for the Lookouts were a combined 2-14 with four walks and six strike outs. David Hurlbut pitched all six innings for Chattanooga. He gave up a pair of runs in each of the first two innings, but that was all he allowed the rest of the way. On the night he gave up six hits, four earned runs, walked three and struck out three. Final: Lookouts 0, Generals 4 MIRACLE MATTERS St. Lucie Mets @ Fort Myers Miracle Box Score The Miracle raced out to an early 4-1 lead and were cruising into the eighth inning, up 5-1, before St. Lucie put up a pair of runs in the top of the eighth and again in the top of the ninth. Tied 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth, Logan Wade doubled to start the inning and was moved to third on a Zach Granite sacrifice bunt. Ryan Walker hit a liner to right field for a single to bring Wade around to score the winning run. Ryan Walker had himself a great ball-game. In addition to driving in the winning run he had two other hits, scored two runs and drew a walk. Mitch Garver also had a nice night, going 2-4 with a walk and a pair of RBI. Kohl Stewart had a nice outing for the Miracle. He pitched seven innings, gave up six hits, one run, walked two and struck out six, bouncing back from his last outing in which he gave up seven runs in 5.1 innings. In his last 10 starts, Stewart is 3-3 with a 3.13 ERA over 60.1 innings, but he has just 36 strikeouts and 24 walks. In five of those starts he's had as many or more walks than strikeouts. After Stewart exited Thursday's game, Corey Williams and Todd Van Steensel tried to give the game away, each surrendering a pair of earned runs before Zach Jones came on with two outs in the ninth inning to shut the door on the St. Lucie attack. Final: Mets 5, Miracle 6 KERNELS KORNER Dayton Drags @ Cedar Rapids Kernels Box Score In a back-and-forth game in Cedar Rapids, the Kernels walked off the Dayton Dragons with a two-run ninth. Down 4-3, the Kernels put Rafael Valera on second after he singled and advanced on a fielding error by the center fielder. Valera moved to third on a ground ball and scored courtesy of a Zack Larson fielder's choice ground ball after the shortstop couldn't make an accurate throw to nab Valera at the plate. Larson, now standing on first base, stole second before batter Brett Doe walked. Another ground ball advanced both runners into scoring position, and with two outs and the game tied, Nick Gordon hits a pinch-hit line drive to left field to score Larson from third and win the game. On the evening, the Kernels picked up twelve hits, four for extra bases, five walks and struck out eight times. T.J. White was 2-4 with a pair of doubles, a walk, an RBI and a run scored. Brian Navarreto and Tanner English also had multiple hits, both going 2-4 in the contest. Zach Tillery gave up nine hits over six innings, but just three runs, one walk and six strikeouts, good enough to earn him a quality start, but no decision. Michael Theofanopoulos pitched three strong innings of relief to earn the win for the Kernals thanks to those late inning heroics. He gave up four hits, one earned run, walked one and struck out three. Final: Dragons 4, Kernels 5 E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton Twins @ Johnson City Cardinals Box Score In the longest game in the Twins system last night, the Elizabethton Twins defeated the Johnson City Cardinals 4-2 in twelve innings. LaMonte Wade was the hero of the evening, 2-4 with two runs scored and the all-important two-run home run in the top of the twelfth that sealed the victory for the Twins. Brian Olson was 3-5 with a run scored. The E-Twins did a fantastic job of pitching over those twelve innings, seven innings of two-run ball from starter Samuel Clay. Clay gave up just five hits, walked none and struck out eight. He was replaced by C.K. Irby who pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless ball before being replaced by Kuo Hua Lo who pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless ball and earned a win thinks to that Wade home run. Final: Twins 4, Cardinals 2 GCL Twins GCL Orioles @ GCL Twins Box Score Luis Arraez was 3-4 with a double and a triple at the top of the GCL Twins' lineup to help jump-start the offense. DH Lewin Diaz also had a nice game 2-3 with a double a walk, a run scored and an RBI. The GCL Twins received a nice start from Williams Ramirez who went six innings, gave up five hits, two earned runs, two walks and struck out six. Callan Pearce earned his first hold of the season with 1.2 innings of relief and Johan Quezada picked up a four-out save, his sixth save of the year. Final: Orioles 4, Twins 5 TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day - Ryan Walker, Fort Myers Miracle Pitcher of the Day - Kohn Stewart, Fort Myers Miracle FRIDAY'S PROBABLES Rochester @ Charlotte - Pat Dean (8-9, 2.92) vs. Scott Carroll Mobile @ Chattanooga - Braden Shipley vs. Brett Lee (2-4, 3.79 ERA) Fort Myers @ Palm Beach - Luke Westphal (3-3, 3.82) vs. TBD Bowling Green @ Cedar Rapids - Chris Pike vs. TBD Bluefield @ Elizabethton - TBD vs. Dereck Rodriguez (4-1, 1.37) GCL Red Sox @ GCL Twins (Double Header) - TBD vs. TBD, TBD vs. TBD Click here to view the article