Seth Stohs

Wichita has very little depth, even now. They've done this in the past with Ernie Yake, Dalton Shuffield, Mikey Perez, etc. They aren't going to mess with "the plan" for development for the "prospects" like Marek Houston, Brandon Winokur, Kyle DeBarge, Danny De Andrade. Those guys they want to play most every day. Genth is a 4-year-college guy. He plays once, maybe twice a week. I'm sure he'd like to play more, but as a non-drafted guy who likely signed for a plane ticket to Fort Myers.

Image courtesy of Ed Bailey (photo of Harry Genth) Quality Pitching and Defense help teams win. Likewise, bad pitching and defense help teams lose. On Sunday, the Twins and their affiliates pitched really poorly, and the results were a lot of losses. TRANSACTIONS On Sunday, the Twins added RHP Taj Bradley to the big-league roster. He started on Sunday and went five innings in Chicago. To make room on the 26-man roster, RHP Erasmo Ramirez was Designated for Assignment. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 5, Round Rock 11 Box Score Saints Mount Mid-Game Comeback but Fell Behind Too Much Too Early The scheduled starters for the Saints this weekend were Mick Abel and Taj Bradley. Both were called up to pitch for the Twins. On Sunday, Cory Lewis got an opportunity to start for St. Paul. Every out he got came on a strikeout. Unfortunately, he got just one out. He gave up six runs on five hits and two walks. One of the hits was a grand slam. Just 20 of his 38 pitches were strikes. Lefty Aaron Rozek came in and gave up three runs on five hits over 3 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out one. Noah Davis gave up two runs on four hits. He had two strikeouts. Trent Baker tossed two scoreless innings. He gave up no hits, walked three, and had one strikeout. Jarret Whorff gave up one hit in a scoreless ninth frame. Down 9-0 going to the bottom of the fifth inning, the Saints scored four runs. The innings started with singles by Will Holland, Anthony Prato and DaShawn Keirsey. The latter drove in the first run. Gabriel Gonzalez drove in Prato with a sacrifice fly. Johnny Pereda walked, and Aaron Sabato singled to load the bases. After a pitching change, Carson McCusker drove in Keirsey with a sacrifice fly. Pereda scored the fourth run on a Jose Miranda fielder’s choice. Down 11-4, the Saints added one more run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Holland led it off with a single and went to second on a throwing error. Anthony Prato grounded out to first base to move Holland to third base. Keirsey singled to drive in Holland and make it 11-5. The Saints got base runners the rest of the way. They had two singles in the seventh inning and one in the eighth. They loaded the bases on a walk and two singles but were unable to cut the deficit. Will Holland went 4-for-4 with his seventh double. Aaron Sabato went 3-for-5. Keirsey went 2-for-5. Pereda went 2-for-4 with a walk. Carson McCusker went 1-for-3 with a walk and knocked his 22nd double. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 2, Midland 6 Box Score Genth Slams First Pro Homer, but Wind Surge Fell Behind Too Early The Wind Surge fell behind early and pretty much stayed there the rest of the game. Alejandro Hidalgo gave up two runs in the first inning, two more in the second inning, and another in the third frame. In total, he gave up five runs on six hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings. Gabriel Yanez gave up three hits but no runs in 1 1/3 innings. Logan Whitaker gave up two hits in a scoreless inning. Darren Bowen came in and gave up one run on four hits and a walk over the final three innings of the game. Things looked good for the Surge early in the game. Kaelen Culpepper led off the game with a single to right. Walker Jenkins followed with a bunt single. Unfortunately, three batters later, neither of them even advanced a base. In fact, the Surge went scoreless until the seventh inning. With one out, Jake Rucker walked. With two outs, Harry Genth got a 2-1 changeup down the middle of the plate and hit his first professional home run. He ripped a blast through the wind coming in from left field. Following the game, Genth told Twins Daily, "Definitely felt good to get the first home run out of the way!" The diminutive (listed at 5-8) infielder signed with the Twins a day after the conclusion of the 2025 draft. He had a monster offensive season at Division III Haverford College. When you put up those kinds of numbers, it’s definitely worth signing and giving some opportunity! Genth added, "The transition hasn’t been without its bumps and bruises, but the guys and coaches have been unbelievably helpful so far. The opportunity in Double-A has been awesome. Being able to watch how all these guys go about their work and be a part of the clubhouse has honestly been the coolest part. Whatever I can do to help our team win I want to excel at regardless of what my playing time looks like. I feel like I’ve learned a ton already in just a couple weeks." That was really it for the offense. The team had six hits and three walks. Couple that with going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, and you have a loss. The teams split the six-game series. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, South Bend 2 Box Score Cubs Homers Top Kernels to Take Game and Series 4-2. The Cubs got on the scoreboard first with two runs in the bottom of the third inning. Jacob Kisting started and gave up two runs on three hits (including a homer) over 3 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out four batters. Ivran Romero came on and walked one and struck out one and recorded three outs. Matt Gabbert gave up two runs on two hits (including a homer) in 3 1/3 innings. He had one strikeout. Down 2-0 through five innings, Marek Houston led off with his first Kernels double. With one out, Eduardo Tait singled to score Houston and cut the deficit in half. Unfortunately, the Cubs responded with two runs in the bottom of the sixth to make it 4-1. In the top of the ninth, the first two Kernels struck out. Danny De Andrade walked and scored on a double by Poncho Ruiz. The Kernels had just five hits, but three of them were doubles by Houston, Ruiz and De Andrade. It was De Andrade’s 25th double. Brandon Winokur stole his 24th base. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers/Tampa (DH Cancelled) If you read Saturday’s minor league report, you saw that I included the hour-by-hour weather forecast for today. If you saw that, you’re probably not even a little bit surprised that Sunday’s doubleheader games were cancelled. With both teams well out of playoff contention, they will not have to make up the games. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day Will Holland (St. Paul): 4-for-5, 2B(7), 2 R Pitcher of the Day Darren Bowen (Wichita): 3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 38 pitches, 26 strikes (68.4%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1– Walker Jenkins (Wichita) - 1-for-3, BB, K, (played CF) #2 - Luke Keaschall (Minnesota) - 1-for-3, BB, 2B(8), K, 2 E (played 2B) #3 - Kaelen Culpepper (Wichita) - 1-for-4, (played SS) #5 - Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, RBI, K (DH) #11 - Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, SF RBI #13 - Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, R, 2B(1), K (played SS) #14 - Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, SB(24), K (played CF) #17 - Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, 2 K (played 2B) UPCOMING PITCHING PROBABLES Monday: Minnesota @ Toronto (6:07 PM CT) - RHP Joe Ryan (12-6, 2.77 ERA) Tuesday: St. Paul @ Toledo (5:35 PM CT) - Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05 PM CT) - Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CT) - Fort Myers @ Dunedin (5:30 PM CT) - CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 59-71 St. Paul Saints: 55-69 (22-29 second half, T-6th in IL West, 13 GB) Wichita Wind Surge: 63-57 (26-25 second half, T-3rd in Texas Lg North, 4 GB) Cedar Rapids Kernels: 66-54 (26-28 second half, T-3rd in MWL West, 3.5 GB, first half winner) Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 46-69 (19-32 second half 6th in FSL West, 11.5 GB) FCL Twins: 39-20 (finished 2nd in FCL playoffs) DSL Twins: 24-32 (season complete) Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! 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Yes, CJ Culpepper is Rule 5 eligible this offseason if not added to the 40-man. There are a bunch of players that need to be added this year. They will likely have some pretty tough decisions. I could make a case for at least 12 players... And that doesn't include Sabato.

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson (photo of Carson McCusker) TRANSACTIONS On Saturday, the Twins announced that RHP Mick Abel was being promoted to the big leagues to make his first Twins start. He is taking RHP Jose Urena’s spot on both the 26-man and 40-man rosters as the veteran hurler was DFA’d. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 9, Round Rock 10 Box Score Saints Fall Short in Another Round Rock Rollercaster The Saints have played some crazy, high-scoring, inter-league games against the Pacific League’s Round Rock Express this week. This was definitely another one. The Saints scored first in the bottom of the second inning when Carson McCusker knocked his 21st home run of the season to make it 1-0. Round Rock scored the next five runs. Christian MacLeod gave up five runs on six hits and two walks in three innings. He gave up three runs in the third inning. He also was charged with the two runs in the top of the fourth without recording a 10th out. Darren McCaughan came in and allowed one inherited runner to score. He gave up two more runs over his four innings. He gave up three hits, walked one, and struck out four batters. In the bottom of the fourth, the Saints scored two runs to cut their deficit to 5-3. Aaron Sabato led off with a single. With two outs, he advanced to third base on Anthony Prato’s ninth double. Patrick Winkel singled to drive in both runners. The Express scored two runs off of McCaughan in the top of the seventh, but the Saints responded after the 7th Inning Stretch with three runs to make it a one-run game (7-6). Prato led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk and went to second on a passed ball. Payton Eeles walked. Kyler Fedko walked to load the bases. With two outs, Johnny Pereda drove in all three with a double. Travis Adams pitched a scoreless top of the eighth inning. In the bottom of that inning, Carson McCusker led off with his 22nd home run of the year which tied the game at 7-7. Adams came out for the top of the ninth and gave up a leadoff home run. After a single, he recorded a strikeout. After a second single, Jarret Whorff came into the game. After a stolen base, an Omar Narvaez single drove in both inherited runners and gave the Express a three-run lead. But again, it’s been a crazy week of games, so what happened in the bottom of the ninth? Could the Twins tie it up and send it to extra frames, or could they score four runs and walk it off? Well, it started out with an Eeles walk. With one out, Gonzalez singled. Next, Pereda doubled to drive in Eeles. Will Holland pinch ran for the DH. Down two runs, Aaron Sabato flew out to right field, deep enough for both runners to advance. Down one run with the game-tying runner 90 feet from home plate, McCusker walked up to the plate. Maybe looking fastball, he got a changeup over the middle of the plate and just missed it, flying out to center field to end the game. Round Rock 10, Saints 9. McCusker went 2-for-5 with his 21st and 22nd homers. The first homer tied the Saints franchise record for homers in a season. He set the record with the second homer. In case you were wondering Chris Williams and Jair Camargo hit 21 Saints homers, and Yunior Severino reached that number in 2024. Pereda went 2-for-4 with a walk, his fifth and sixth doubles, and four RBI. Sabato went 2-for-4 with a sac fly. Winkel was 2-for-4. Gonzalez went 2-for-5. Eeles walked twice. Prato hit his ninth double and walked. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 7, Midland 3 Box Score Wichita Surges Ahead while CJ Culpepper’s Scoreless Start Sets the Tone C.J. Culpepper’s season started late, and he has eased back quite slowly. However, on Saturday, Culpepper tossed five scoreless innings for the Surge. It was the second straight start in which he completed five innings. He gave up three hits, walked four and had six strikeouts. With Wichita, he now has a 2.21 ERA over 12 starts and 40 2/3 innings. He earned his first Double-A win. The Surge scored first in the second inning when Ben Ross knocked in Hendry Mendez with a sacrifice fly. The score remained 1-0 until the top of the fifth when Wichita added some insurance. With one out, Jose Salas hit his seventh Surge double and then stole his eighth base. . Kaelen Culpepper walked, and Walker Jenkins was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After a pitching change, Kala’i Rosario drove in two runs with a double. Tanner Andrews entered the game and gave up one run on three hits in the sixth inning. The Wind Surge responded by adding four more insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning. With one out, Rosario doubled, Mendez walked, and Cossetti was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Following a strikeout, Nate Baez cleared the bases with a triple. He scored the fourth run of the inning on a Ross single. Michael Martinez walked two but tossed a scoreless seventh. Mike Paredes came on and gave up two runs over two innings, both scoring in the eighth inning. Kala’i Rosario went 2-for-4 with a walk and his 24th and 25th doubles of the season. He now has 49 extra base hits this year. Baez went 2-for-4 with a walk, his seventh double and fourth triple, and three runs driven in that proved important. Defensive Play of the Day Speaking of setting the tone, Culpepper was helped by a huge double play ball in the bottom of the first inning. The bases were loaded. Culpepper got the ground ball, and his infield completed a 3-6-3 double play. You've seen in happen before, but this one came with a couple of nice plays thanks to a couple of tough throws. Nate Baez was the first baseman. Andrew Cossetti was behind the plate. Both were drafted as catchers in 2022, in large part for their bats. Both have played behind the plate much of their minor-league careers, but they have both played quite a bit at first base and DHd. Cossetti was the Twins 11th round pick out of St. Josephs. Nate Baez was the Twins 12th round pick out of Arizona State. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, South Bend 2 Box Score Tait Doubles Up, but Kernels Shutout in South Bend It’s like the calm before the storm. As you would expect in South Bend, Indiana, in late August, offenses were quiet, and there weren’t a lot of big hits. Give it a couple of weeks. Notre Dame football’s season begins next weekend with a Sunday night game against fellow preseason Top 10 Miami in southeast Florida. Their first game at home in South Bend is September 13th when they welcome fellow preseason Top 20 Texas A&M. Alright, let’s head a bit south and west. It’s an 11-12 minute drive from Notre Dame Stadium to Four Winds Stadium. The Kernels did have a few hits, they just didn’t get a big hit in a timely situation. They were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left seven on base. Eduardo Tait went 2-for-4 with his third and fourth Cedar Rapids doubles. Brandon Winokur knocked his third triple. In the first inning, Tait doubled, but it came right after Kyle DeBarge was caught stealing. Winokur’s triple came with two outs. Their biggest threat came in the top of the eighth. Jefferson Valladares and Marek Houston started the inning with back-to-back singles, but the next two hitters popped up in the infield. So when a wild pitch was thrown, runners got to second and third base. Young lefty Dasan Hill made the start for the Kernels. He gave up one run on three hits. Over 3 2/3 innings, he walked three and had four strikeouts. Julio Bonilla got the final out of the fourth inning. Adrian Bohorquez tossed the final four innings. He gave up only an unearned run on three hits. He walked two and had five strikeouts. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers/Tampa (PPD) Saturday’s game was postponed due to “unplayable field conditions and persistent weather.” The plan is for the two teams to play a doubleheader on Sunday. Here is a look at the forecast for Sunday in Fort Myers (scheduled Game 1 game time is 12:05 pm). PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day Jhonny Perada (St. Paul): 2-for-4, BB, 2-2B(6), 4 RBI, 2 K. Carson McCusker (St. Paul): 2-for-5, 2-HR(22), 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 K Kala’i Rosario (Wichita): 2-for-4, BB, 2-2B(25), R, 2 RBI, 2 K Nate Baez (Wichita): 2-for-4, BB, 2B(7), 3B(4), R, 3 RBI. Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-4, 2-2B(4), K Pitcher of the Day CJ Culpepper (Wichita): 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 6 K, 80 pitches, 44 strikes (55.0%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1– Walker Jenkins (Wichita) - 0-for-3, BB, HBP, 2 K, SB(11) (played CF) #2 - Luke Keaschall (Minnesota) - 1-for-4 (played 2B) #3 - Kaelen Culpepper (Wichita) - 0-for-4, BB, R, 3 K (played SS) #5 - Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, 2-2B(4), K (catcher) #7 - Dasan Hill (Cedar Rapids) - 3 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 70 pitches, 40 strikes (57.1%) #8 - Mick Abel (Minnesota) - 3 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 63 pitches, 42 strikes (66.7%) #11 - Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 2-for-5, R #13 - Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, E (played SS) #14 - Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, 3B(3), K (played CF) #17 - Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, CS(7) (played 2B) #18 - C.J. Culpepper (Wichita) - 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 6 K, 80 pitches, 44 strikes (55.0%) #20 - Hendry Mendez (Wichita) - 0-for-3, BB, HBP, 2 R, 2 K (DHd) NOTE: The hyperlinks in the Top Prospect section will take you to a page with articles that they have been tagged in. Click on a couple of see what happens. SUNDAY PITCHING PROBABLES Minnesota @ Chicago (1:10 PM CT) - RHP Taj Bradley (6-6, 4.61 ERA) Round Rock @ St. Paul (2:07 PM CT) - RHP Cory Lewis (3-5, 6.55 ERA) Wichita @ Midland (1:00 PM CT) - RHP Alejandro Hidalgo (0-2, 15.12 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (1:05 PM CT) - RHP Jacob Kisting (2-3, 2.84 ERA) Tampa @ Fort Myers (DH @ 11:05 AM CT) - RHP Jason Doktorczyk (3-6, 5.18 ERA) CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 59-70 St. Paul Saints: 55-68 (22-28 second half, T-6th in IL West, 13 GB) Wichita Wind Surge: 63-56 (26-24 second half, T-3rd in Texas Lg North, 4 GB) Cedar Rapids Kernels: 66-53 (26-27 second half, T-3rd in MWL West, 3.5 GB, first half winner) Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 46-69 (19-32 second half 6th in FSL West, 11.5 GB) FCL Twins: 39-20 (finished 2nd in FCL playoffs) DSL Twins: 24-32 (season complete) Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! View full article

Morris just came back after missing 2ish months. I'd be surprised if he's called up, but he'll definitely be added to the 40-man this offseason. Raya is a possibility for September. But if Abel and Bradley are getting called up this weekend. Pablo and SWR will be coming up. And they probably want to make some decisions on some of the others. Klein has pitched a lot. I'd be shocked to see him called up in September. He's made himself into a serious candidate to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason.

The big inning off of SWR last night started with a fielding error on Sabato. Things could have been completely different. That said, yeah, he was hit pretty hard, but he was throwing strikes, mixing it up some and looked much better than the numbers indicated.

thanks for keeping me on my toes... I tout and promote the promotions, write about them in the "Transactions" section... and then forget to change that. Thank you!

Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Walker Jenkins) TRANSACTIONS None .No Transactions on Thursday. Well, other than Pablo Lopez officially starting his rehab in St. Paul. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 0, Round Rock 6 Box Score Rehab Night in St. Paul; Offense Takes the Night Off The Saints fans got to see a couple of rehabbing big leaguers on Thursday night. Pablo Lopez had not pitched in a game that counts since June 3 in Sacramento. He made the start for the Saints and gave up one run on four hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings. He had two strikeouts. He threw 45 pitches. 25 were strikes. Trent Baker came on and got the final out of the second inning and worked a scoreless third inning. In the fourth inning, the rehabbing Simeon Woods Richardson entered the game. In 3 1/3 innings, he gave up four runs (3 earned) on five hits. He walked one and had four strikeouts. 40 of his 64 pitches were strikes. Marco Raya was next. He got the final two outs of the seventh inning and then worked the eighth and ninth inning too. He gave up one run (on a solo homer) on two hits and a walk. The Saints were shutout for the first time in months (at least in a nine-inning game). They certainly had opportunities. While they had just six hits, they also walked eight times. However, they went 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position. Eight of the hitters in the lineup had either a walk or a hit. Noah Cardenas was 0-for-1 but had three walks. Will Holland went 2-for-3 with a walk. Jhonny Pereda and Anthony Prato each had a hit and a walk. Holland, Prato and Pereda each had a double. DK Doing DK Things WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 3, Midland 9 Box Score Jenkins, Salas Go Deep, But Surge Can't Overcome Gallagher's Tough Night One night after Darren Bowen recorded just two outs before being ejected, Wichita manager Brian Dinkelman certainly wanted to get a little length out of his starter. Because of that, to some degree, Ryan Gallagher had to take one for the team. He gave up four runs in the first inning and eight runs (7 earned) over four innings. He gave up 10 hits, walked one and had just one strikeout. Lefty Kade Bragg gave up one run on two hits over his three innings. Jaylen Nowlin worked the final inning and gave up one walk to go with three strikeouts. The Wind Surge actually got on the scoreboard first. With one out in the top of the first inning, Walker Jenkins knocked his seventh Surge homer of the season. Down 9-1 going to the seventh, Wichita scored two more runs on a Jose Salas, two-run homer. That was it for the scoring. Jenkins went 2-for-3 with a walk and his home run. Salas went 2-for-4 with his fourth Surge homer. Rubel Cespedes hit his 21st double. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, South Bend 6 Box Score Kernels Start Quick, but Cubs Storm Back The Kernels scored one run in each of the first two innings of this game. Then the Cubs responded with six straight runs. Caden Kendle led off the game by being hit by a pitch. With one out, Eduardo Tait walked. Brandon Winokur drove in Kendle with a single. With one out in the second inning, Jefferson Valladares singled. Kendle singled to advance him to second base. With two outs, Tait dropped a single into left field to drive in Valladares and make it 2-0. Jose Olivares made the start. He got the first seven batters that he faced out. He then walked the eighth and ninth batters before giving up his first hit, and his first run of the game. He worked a perfect fourth inning, but in the fifth, he gave up a second and third run before coming out of the game. Brennen Oxford came on. Cubs prospect Cristian Hernandez stole two bases and scored on a wild pitch. His run was charged to Olivares. In 4 1/3 innings, Olivares gave up four runs on four hits. He walked three and had six strikeouts. Oxford allowed the inherited runner to score but got the two outs to end the fifth inning without further damage. Spencer Bengard gave up one run on two hits and a walk over his two innings. Then Paulshawn Pasqualotto gave up one run on two hits in his inning. He had two strikeouts. Caden Kendle went 2-for-4 and was hit by a pitch. Eduardo Tait went 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. Brandon Winokur went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Misael Urbina went 0-for-1 but walked three times. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 12, Tampa 11 (10 innings) Box Score Mussels Survive 11 Steals, Five Errors in Walkoff Win. This was a back-and-forth game throughout, but in the extra frame, the Mussels ended it with a walkoff. The Mussels scored in six of the first seven innings. The score was 5-5 after two innings. It was 8-8 after four innings. Through six innings, it was 10-10. Through eight innings, it was 11-11. This was certainly not a pretty game. The Mussels scored their 12 runs on 13 hits, 11 walks, and two hit batters. Tampa had 11 runs on 13 hits and three walks. Fort Myers helped them by committing five errors. The Tarpons helped themselves with 11 stolen bases. Fort Myers stole four bags. A rehabbing Tanner Schobel led off and went 1-for-4 with two walks and a double. Jacob McCombs was 2-for-6 with two stolen bases. Enrique Jimenez went 2-for-4 with two walks and a two-run triple. Dameury Pena was 2-for-6 and his leadoff single in the 10th inning provided the walkoff. Eduardo Beltre was 1-for-3 with three walks and a stolen base. Ian Daugherty went 2-for-4 with a walk. Yilber Herrera walked twice and stole a base. Jonathan Stevens started for the Mussels. In two innings, he gave up five runs (3 earned) on five hits. He walked one and struck out five batters. Xavier Kolhosser gave up three runs on five hits over his three innings. He had three strikeouts to go with no walks. Tyler Stasiowski was charged with two runs on two hits and a walk over two innings. Brent Francisco was charged with an unearned run on one hit and one walk. He had six strikeouts and earned the win. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day Walker Jenkins (Wichita): 2-for-3, BB, HR(7), R, RBI, K Enrique Jimenez (Fort Myers): 2-for-4, 2 BB, 3B(1), 2 R, 2 RBI, K Eduardo Beltre (Fort Myers): 1-for-2, 3 BB, 2 R, RBI, SB(5), K Pitcher of the Day Brent Francisco (Fort Myers): 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 44 pitches, 30 strikes (68.2%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1– Walker Jenkins (Wichita) - 2-for-3, BB, HR(7), R, RBI, K (played RF) #2 - Luke Keaschall (Minnesota) - 0-for-3, R (played 2B) #3 - Kaelen Culpepper (Wichita) - 0-for-4, 2 K (played SS) #5 - Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, BB, RBI (catcher) #12 - Marco Raya (St. Paul) - 2 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 30 pitches, 23 strikes (76.7%) #13 - Marek Houston (Fort Myers) - 0-for-5, 2 K (played SS) #14 - Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-5, RBI (played 3B) #20 - Hendry Mendez (Wichita) - 0-for-4, K (played LF) FRIDAY PITCHING PROBABLES Minnesota @ Chicago (6:40 PM CT) - RHP Zebby Matthews (3-4, 5.06 ERA) Round Rock @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CT) - RHP Andrew Morris (3-4, 4.28 ERA) Wichita @ Midland (7:00 PM CT) - RHP Sam Armstrong (1-1, 5.63 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (6:05 PM CT) - LHP Garrett Horn (0-0, 3.52 ERA) Tampa @ Fort Myers (6:05 PM CT) - LHP Michael Carpenter (0-5, 4.61 ERA) CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 58-69 St. Paul Saints: 55-66 Wichita Wind Surge: 61-56 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 65-52 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 46-68 FCL Twins: 39-20 (finished 2nd in FCL playoffs) DSL Twins: 24-32 (season complete) Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! 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I could spend hours looking at maps to try to consider options for expansion and realignment... Honestly, I think they should make them make sense and then re-evaluate in 8-10 years. I think that stuff like the expansion draft are what I think would be very interesting. Then again, I do agree with the thought that adding two more teams really just waters down the competition. It's fun for me because I love seeing people live out their dreams and more will get that opportunity. I also think there is a a pitching shortage already.... adding two more organizations means another 30ish starters to the big leagues and another 250 minor league pitchers.

I used to be such a fan of the tanking philosophy, and I do subscribe to the thought that, if you aren't going to make the playoffs, it doesn't matter if you finish in 3rd or 5th in the division. But I've watched enough bad baseball in my lifetime that at point, I'd much rather watch competitive baseball than worry about draft positioning (especially since the change to the lottery system). This team is going to struggle to win 40% of their remaining games just because they lost a lot. I don't want to see them do things or make decisions that'll make that even lower. And I really don't so much care about the wins vs the losses at this point. I just want to watch decent baseball with great effort by guys trying to make their case for (a roster spot next season, staying on the 40-man this offseason, showing another team that they can be productive). The other side of it is that there are no guarantees in the draft, even in the top 5 or top 10 picks. The Twins give us enough examples of that (Gordon, Stewart, Jay, Johnson, etc.), and there isn't an organization that doesn't have their own examples. So I say that they keep playing hard, putting out lineups that are strategic for that game, give young guys opportunities for growth and see what happens.

Winokur is doing exactly what he needs to be doing. He's playing every day and getting better. Looking at his statline, you can see that he's a guy that can fill up the stat box. Doubles, homers, stolen bases. And he's played CF and SS more than adequately... though he acknowledged the other day that he feels most comfortable at third base. If a high school kid gets drafted, starts his first full season in Low A and starts the second season in High-A and continues to progress, that's very encouraging. To expect anything more than that isn't really fair, especially for guys not taken in the first half of the first round.

It is crazy what playing for the Saints has done to some hitters' numbers. I'm sure we can all come up with a name or two each year. But Sabato's put in his time. He's clearly worked. I've noted since spring training that he's put himself in much better shape. He looks find around first base. And, the power and power potential are certainly there. I think he's done enough to get an opportunity. And yes, when Mick Abel is throwing strikes, he has some tremendous stuff

I got hit in the hand by a pitch on Thursday. He stayed in the game to run and played some defense, but he didn't bat again. His hand was pretty swollen. I would think that, as long as x-rays were negative, he'll be back in the lineup on Tuesday.

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson (photo of Aaron Sabato) A couple of weeks ago, I tweeted about going to a local convenience store. The cashier, the guy standing in line behind me, and the person in the working in the deli did not know who Janet Jackson is. I was in awe. While I find those types of scenarios hilarious when they happen to other people, but it made me feel really old. When trying to think of an introduction to this article, my first thought was The Festrunk Brothers, the "Wild and Crazy Guys" from the 1970s skit on Saturday Night Live. I didn't actually watch them in the '70s but am old enough to know who they are since I became an SNL fan in the early '90s. But I do apologize to those reading this who just don't get the reference because I'm old. Here we go... On Sunday afternoon, the Twins had an easy win against the Tigers. When it comes to the minor-league affiliates of the Twins and their games, all four of them were wild and crazy. They were regular-season games, but each was filled with dramatic swings, clutch performances, offenses that refused to give up. There were a couple of multi-homer games. There were late-inning rallies. TRANSACTIONS OF Alan Roden was transferred from the 7-Day to the 60-Day Injured List. That allowed the Twins to add LHP Genesis Cabrera to the 40-man roster. They did that because he was also called up to the 26-man roster. To make room for him there, the Twins optioned RHP Travis Adams. Kernels RHP Spencer Bengard, who last pitched in late May, began a rehab assignment with the Mighty Mussels on Sunday afternoon. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 11, Omaha 12 Box Score Sabato and Winkel Shine, but Saints Slip in Slugfest You will notice a theme as you go through these game recaps. Lead changes. Big innings. Wild plays. Quick responses. Games decided late. In this game, the Saints scored first, but Omaha responded in the bottom of the first. The Saints jumped ahead 5-1, but then Omaha made it 5-4, and the 5-6. Then the Saints scored three in the fifth inning to tie the game at 8-8. An inning later, St. Paul scored three runs in the top of the sixth to give them an 11-8 lead. That was where the game stayed until the bottom of the eighth when the Storm Chasers caught up and reclaimed the lead with a four-run inning. The Saints scored first when Payton Eeles scored from first on a dropped fly ball off the bat of Gabriel Gonzalez. In the second inning, Patrick Winkel lined a double off of the wall in right field. When the right fielder bobbled the ball, Jonah Bride raced home with the second run. The third inning began with back-to-back doubles by DaShawn Keirsey and Gabriel Gonzalez. With one out, Aaron Sabato hit a two-run homer that gave the Saints a 5-1 lead and ended John Gant’s start. Taj Bradley started and gave up five runs on five hits and two walks in 3 2/3 innings. He had eight strikeouts but gave up two home runs. He gave up one in the first, three in the third inning, and one in the fourth inning. Noah Davis replaced him and immediately gave up a home run to Harold Castro. Aaron Sabato hit his second home run of the game with two outs in the top of the fifth which tied the game at 6-6. Then the Saints added another run on singles from Jonah Bride, Jose Miranda, Patrick Winkel (RBI), and Payton Eeles (RBI) to give the Saints the 8-6 lead Davis also worked the bottom of the fifth inning and gave up two more runs to tie the game again, this time at 8-8. In total, he gave up three runs on two hits (both homers) and a walk. Next up was Christian MacLeod. He gave up zero runs in the sixth and seventh innings. In the top of the sixth inning, Gabriel Gonzalez led off by being hit by a pitch. He left the game for a pinch runner, Will Holland. With one out, Sabato walked. Jonah Bride doubled to drive in Holland and give the Saints the 9-8 lead. With two outs, Winkel singled to right field to drive in two more runs and make it 11-8. MacLeod came back out for the bottom of the eighth, but it started with a walk. After a fly out, Harold Castro hit his second home run of the game. Jac Caglianone doubled, and that’s when Trent Baker came into the game. The first batter he faced was Carter Jensen who hit another home run. This one gave them Omaha the 12-11 lead. The Saints went 1-2-3 in the ninth inning. They scored 11 runs on 14 hits and nine walks. Two more batters were hit. Patrick Winkel went 3-for-4 with a walk, a double, and three RBI. Sabato went 2-for-4 with a walk, two home runs, and three RBI. Eeles reached base his first five times, twice with singles and three times with walks. Gonzalez was 2-for-3 with his second double before leaving the game after being hit by a pitch. Bride went 2-for-4 with a walk and his sixth double. Jose Miranda went 2-for-5 with his 11th double. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 7, Springfield 4 Box Score Salas Homers Twice, Wichita Wins with Ninth-Inning Blitz The game was scoreless through three innings. Springfield took a one-run lead in the bottom of the fourth. The Wind Surge took a one-run lead in the top of the fifth, but the Cardinals reclaimed a one-run lead in the bottom of that inning. Wichita tied the game in the top of the sixth inning, but Springfield took back a one-run lead in the bottom of the sixth. That’s where the score remained until the top of the ninth when the Wind Surge scored four runs to take the lead and the game. Down 1-0 through four, Ben Ross led off the top of the fifth inning with an infield single. Jose Salas came to the plate and launched his second Double-A homer to give the Surge the 2-1 lead. Down 3-2 through five innings, Salas homered again with two outs to tie the game at three. Jumping ahead to the top of the ninth, Wichita was down 4-3. With one out, Kaelen Culpepper singled. Kala’i Rosario singled him to second. Then Hendry Mendez singled off the pitcher to load the bases. At that point, the Surge doubled their pleasure. Nate Baez drove in two runs with a double to make it 5-4 Wichita. Rubel Cespedes followed with his 20th double of the season which drove in two more runs and gave the Wind Surge the lead they held onto in the bottom of the ninth. C.J. Culpepper started and tossed a season-high five innings. He gave up three runs (1 earned) on three hits and a walk. He also hit two batters. He had three strikeouts and now has a 2.52 ERA. Gabriel Yanez came up and gave up one run on two hits over two innings. Michael Martinez pitched a scoreless eighth inning, and Hunter Hoopes followed suit in the ninth to earn his first Surge Save. Wichita scored their seven runs on 10 hits and five walks. Eight of the nine batters had at least one hit. The top four in the lineup accounted for all five walks. Jose Salas was the lone Wichita batter with more than one hit. He went 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI. Rosario went 1-for-3 with two walks. Culpepper and Mendez each had a single and a walk. Nate Baez hit a double and walked. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Quad Cities 3 Box Score DeBarge’s Four-Hit Day Leads Kernels to Win Like the Wind Surge game, this ballgame was scoreless through the first three innings. The Kernels grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth. The River Bandits tied the game in the top of the fifth. The Kernels scored two in the bottom of the fifth, but Quad Cities rescinded with two runs in the top of the sixth to make it 3-3. Cedar Rapids scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 6-3 lead. Quad Cities followed with three scoreless innings and the Kernels took the win. It always starts with starting pitching. Chase Chaney started the game with four scoreless innings. He had three hits, walked none and had four strikeouts. Matt Mikulski came on and got one out, but he walked two guys and hit another. Ivran Romero came in with the bases loaded and just one out in the fifth, but he allowed just one inherited runner to score. Romero also pitched the sixth. In that inning, he gave up two runs on three hits and two walks. Julio Bonilla came on and had three strikeouts over two, one-hit innings. Paulshawn Pasqualotto picked up his ninth save with a scoreless ninth inning. The Kernels got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Kyle Hess tripled and scored on a Jaime Ferrer double. Tied at one going to the bottom of the fifth, Caden Kendle got things going with a double. Kyle DeBarge followed with a double to give the Kernels the lead. Two batters later, DeBarge scored on a Brandon Winokur single that made it 3-1. Going to the bottom of the sixth, the game was again tied, this time at 3-3. The first two batters struck out. Jefferson Valladares was hit by a pitch. Kendle walked. A wild pitch put runners on second and third. DeBarge singled to left which drove in Valladares and Kendle. He advanced to second on the throw. Eduardo Tait followed with a single to center that drove in DeBarge with the team’s sixth run. DeBarge had a big game. He went 4-for-4 with his 22nd and 23rd doubles. He scored twice and drove in three runs. He also stole his 61st and 62nd bases of the season. Winokur went 2-for-4 and added his 23rd stolen base. Hess was 2-for-4 with his third triple of the season. Congratulations to Jon Jon on his 25 years with the Kernels!! MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 7, Daytona 8 Box Score Mussels Ride the Rollercoaster; Tortugas Walk it Off in Ninth Like the other affiliates, the Mussels played a game that went back and forth, right from the start, and this one wasn’t decided until the final at-bat. Of course, when your team is on the road, having the winning run be a walk off is never a good thing. The Mussels got things going right away in this game. Marek Houston led off the game with his fourth double. He scored on a Dameury Pena single. Spencer Bengard made his first in-game appearance since late May, making a rehab start for the Mussels. He also started the game by allowing a double. But he struck out the next two batters. Unfortunately, he threw two wild pitches which allowed the runner to score before striking out his third batter of the inning. Bengard, who was the Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year in 2024, gave up one run on one hit over two innings. 18 of his 28 pitches were strikes, and he had four strikeouts. The Mussels scored the next two runs of the game. In the third inning, Houston singled, stole second, stole third, and scored on a single from Dameury Pena. Then in the fourth inning, Ryan Sprock led off with a walk. He went to second on a Yasser Mercedes single. Bryan Acuna walked to load the bases. After a pop out, Houston came to the plate and grounded out to second base, but Sprock scored and the other runners advanced. Christian Bacerra worked the third, fourth and fifth innings. He put two zeroes on the board, but then gave up three runs in the fifth inning which gave the Tortugas a 4-3 lead. In the top of the sixth, Ian Daugherty scored on a single by Enrique Jimenez to tie things up at 4-4. With one out in the eighth inning, JP Smith, Jimenez and Eduardo Beltre walked consecutively to load the bases. Ryan Sprock singled in two runs, and a third run scored on a wild pitch. The Mussels had a three-run lead. Based on other games in the organization on Sunday, you won’t be surprised to learn that Daytona responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the eighth. Jonathan Stevens worked two scoreless innings, the sixth and seventh frames. However, he came out for the eighth inning and gave up a bloop single, a walk, and a three-run homer that tied the game at 7-7. Will Armbruester came in and got the next three batters out. In the top of the ninth, the Mussels got two runners on base but were unable to score. Armbruester started the bottom of the ninth with a strikeout. But then he issued a walk, a stolen base, and another walk. Jakob Hall came into the game and gave up a single to center that drove in both runners and gave the Mussels their 66th loss of the season. Ryan Sprock went 3-for-4 with two walks. Houston went 2-for-5 with a walk and his fourth double. He also stole his fifth and sixth bases.. Dameury Pena went 2-for-4 with two walks and two RBI. He stole his 24th base. Yasser Mercedes went 2-for-4 with his 33rd steal. Ian Daugherty had a walk and his first double. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids): 4-for-4, 2-2B(23), 2 R, 3 RBI, 2-SB(62) Payton Eeles (St. Paul): 2-for-3, 3 BB, R, RBI, K Aaron Sabato (St. Paul): 2-for-4, BB, 2-HR(9), 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 K Patrick Winkel (St. Paul): 3-for-4, BB, 2B(6), 3 RBI Jose Salas (Wichita): 3-for-4, 2-HR(3), 2 R, 3 RBI, K Ryan Sprock (Fort Myers): 3-for-3, 2 BB, R, 2 RBI Pitcher of the Day Chase Chaney (Cedar Rapids): 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 57 pitches, 37 strikes (64.9%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #2 - Luke Keaschall (Minnesota) - 1-for-4, R, CS(2) (played 2B) #3 - Kaelen Culpepper (Wichita) - 1-for-4, BB, R, K (DHd) #5 - Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, RBI, K (DHd) #11 - Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 2-for-3, 2B, R, 2 RBI (played RF) #13 - Marek Houston (Fort Myers) - 2-for-5, BB, 2 R, RBI, K, 2-SB(6) (played SS) #14 - Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, RBI, SB(23) (played 3B) #17 - Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids) - 4-for-4, 2-2B(23), 2 R, 3 RBI, 2-SB(62) (played SS) #18 - C.J. Culpepper (Wichita) - 5 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 HBP, 69 pitches, 42 strikes (60.9%) #20 - Hendry Mendez (Wichita) - 1-for-4, BB, R, K What’s Next? Monday: DSL Phillies @ DSL Twins (10:00 AM CT) - TBD Tuesday: Oakland @ Minnesota (6:40 PM CT) - RHP Joe Ryan (12-5, 3.30 ERA) Round Rock @ St. Paul (6:05 PM CT) - Wichita @ Midland (6:30 PM CT) - Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (6:05 PM CT) - Tampa @ Fort Myers (6:05 PM CT) - DSL Mets@ DSL Twins (10:00 AM CT) - CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 58-66 St. Paul Saints: 54-64 Wichita Wind Surge: 60-54 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 64-50 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 45-66 FCL Twins: 39-20 (finished 2nd in FCL playoffs) DSL Twins: 23-31 Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! View full article

Non-drafted free agent who put up monster numbers at Division III Haverford.

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson (photo of Mick Abel) Eduardo Tait and Enrique Jimenez are showing why the Twins were excited to receive them at the trade deadline. Wichita's starter showed a strong arm, and the Saints starter proved able on Saturday. Brandon Winokur continues to rake and check out what the DSL Twins did on Saturday. They all hit! TRANSACTIONS The Twins placed Alan Roden on the 15-Day Injured List. Taking his spot on the big-league roster is another trade deadline acquisition, James Outman. (On Sunday morning, Roden was placed on the 60-Day IL, ending his season. LHP Genesis Cabrera was added to the 40-man roster and called up. RHP Travis Adams was optioned to St. Paul.) The Saints announced that Twins Daily readers knew a couple of days ago, that Connor Prielipp has been promoted from Wichita. The Wind Surge placed infielder Jorel Ortega on the 7-Day injured list. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 3, Omaha 4 Box Score Abel Strikes Out 11, but Saints Walked Off in Omaha. Mick Abel made his third Saints start and was really good. It appears that a lot of his success will depend on his ability to throw strikes. Yes, that is true for all pitchers. Walks will haunt, but Abel has such good ‘stuff’ that if he doesn’t hurt himself with wals, he can be tough to hit. On Saturday, Abel tossed six innings .He gave up two runs on two hits. Most important, he walked none and had a Saints franchise high 11 strikeouts. The Saints offense got on the board first. In the top of the third, Anthony Prato reached on an error and then scored on a Payton Eeles single. In the top of the fifth frame, Kyler Fedko hit a solo homer, his fourth with the Saints after hitting 20 for Wichita previously this season. In the bottom of the fifth, Abel gave up a leadoff double to Jac Caglianone. It was followed by a Carter Jensen two-run homer which tied the game Abel was able to respond by striking out the next three batters. The Saints responded in the top of the sixth frame. With two outs, Jonah Bride doubled and scored on a single by Noah Cardenas. Cory Lewis came in and put zeroes on the board in the seventh and eighth innings. However, in the ninth frame, Mark Canha led off with a walk. Caglianone also walked. Jensen popped a single to load the bases. After an infield pop up, Bobby Dalbeck singled to center to drive in the first two runners and end the game. Lewis gave up two runs on three hits and four walks over his 2 1/3 innings. He had two strikeouts. Just 26 of his 58 pitches were strikes. Fedko went 2-for-5 with a home run. Eeles was 2-for-4 with a walk. Jonah Bride went 2-for-4 with his fifth double. Cardenas went 2-for-4. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 6, Springfield 0 Box Score Sam Armstrong’s Arm was Very Strong Sam Armstrong put together his best start of the season, maybe even of his career, on Saturday night. He tossed seven scoreless innings. He gave up seven hits but didn’t hurt himself with any walks. He had just one strikeout, but he was very efficient, needing just 83 pitches to complete seven innings. Darren Bowen worked the final two innings. He gave up one hit and struck out one batter in completing the shutout. There was no score in the game until the top of the fifth inning when Rubel Cespedes knocked his ninth home run of the season. Jose Salas singled and stole second. With two outs, Kaelen Culpepper singled to center to drive in Salas and make it 2-0. In the sixth frame, Andrew Cossetti hit his 13th double. He went to third on a single by Nate Baez. After a pitching change, Ben Ross walked to load the bases. With two outs, Salas doubled to clear the bases and make it 5-0. Harry Genth led off the ninth inning with a walk. He stole second and went to third on defensive indifference. He scored on a Hendry Mendez single to conclude the game’s scoring. Salas went 2-for-4 with his sixth double and three huge RBI. Mendez was 2-for-5 KERNELS NUGGETS Doubles help Kernels Double Their Pleasure with Doubleheader Sweep Game 1: Cedar Rapids 9, Quad Cities 6 Box Score The Kernels jumped out to a lead with a four-run first inning. However, a four-run third inning by Quad Cities put the River Bandits on top 5-4. The Kernels offense responded well. They tied it with a run in the bottom of the third. They then scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth and added one more in the fifth for insurance. Caden Kendle led off the Kernels first inning with a single to center. Kyle DeBarge walked. After a pop up, the runners advanced on a wild pitch. Brandon Winokur doubled to drive in both runs. Danny De Andrade switched spots with him with a double of his own. He went to third on a single by Misael Urbina. After a fly out, Maddux Houghton singled toward second base. De Andrade scored on a throwing error, but Urbia was thrown out at home, but the team had their 4-0 lead. Down 5-4 in the third, Winokur led off with a single. He scored on De Andrade’s 24th double of the season. In the bottom of the fourth, Kyle DeBarge walked with two outs, and Eduardo Tait hit his third home run since joining the Kernels. Bradon Winokur followed with his 16th home run of the season to make it 8-5. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Urbina led off with a double. Two batters later, he scored on a Maddux Houghton single. Winokur went 3-for-3 with his 20th double and 16th home run and drove in three runs. De Andrade went 2-for-3 with his 23rd and 24th doubles, and two RBI. Urbina went 2-for-3 with his 13th double. Houghton was 2-for-3 and drove in two runs. Tait drove in two runs with his homer. Kyle DeBarge went 1-for-2 with two walks. Dasan Hill made his much-anticipated Kernels debut. In 2 2/3 innings, he gave up four runs on four hits. He walked two and struck out three batters. Jacob Kisting came on and gave up an inherited run but also two runs on four hits of his own over 3 1/3 innings. Brennan Oxford recorded his first save with a scoreless seventh. Game 2: Cedar Rapids 4, Quad Cities 1 Box Score Garrett Horn was solid in his second Kernels start. The southpaw gave up only an unearned run on two hits and two walks in four innings. He had five strikeouts. Nick Trabacchi gave up two hits over two scoreless innings. Ruddy Gomez recorded the save with a perfect seventh inning. Down 1-0, Misael Urbina led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a single. Kyle Hess followed with another single. Poncho Ruiz followed with a bunt single to load the bases. Jaime Ferrer grounded out but Urbina scored the first run. Maddux Houghton drove in two runs with a single of his own. The Kernels added another run in the sixth when Kyle Hess drove in Danny De Andrade to make it 4-1. Hess went 2-for-3. Houghton was 2-for-2. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 4, Daytona 9 Box Score Mussels Rally Late, Jimenez Stays Hot, but Daytona Holds On The Mussels fell behind early, and a five-run fifth inning by Daytona put the game out of reach. The Mussels put up a four-run eighth inning but it was far too little too late. Eli Jones started and gave up four runs on seven hits and three walks in four innings. Jones left the game with two runners on. Dylan Questad allowed both inherited runners to score. He was also charged with five more runs on four hits and four walks in 2 2/3 innings. Jones and Questad each hit a batter too. Tyler Stasiowski got the final four outs, two of them on strikeouts. Through seven innings, the Mussels had just three hits and walked twice. With one out in the eighth inning, Marek Houston, Dameury Pena, and JP Smith singled to load the bases. Enrique Jimenez followed with a grand slam, his third home run since joining the Mussels after the trade deadline. Also, his third straight game with a home run. He had spent the season playing for the Tigers FCL affiliate that lost to the FCL Twins in the semi-finals. Houston went 2-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base. Dameury Pena went 2-for-4. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 23, DSL Nationals 1 Box Score Almanzar Drives in 7 Runs as Twins Erupt for 23 Runs in DSL Blowout Well… this was a pitchers duel for the first three innings. No runs to that point. However, the Twins scored in each of their final six innings. They were especially helped by a couple of snowmen. They posted an eight-run seventh inning and added eight more runs in the eighth innings to put the game completely out of reach. All nine starters had at least one hit. The top five batters had at least two hits. All nine batters had at least one walk. 23 runs on 16 hits and 14 walks. Third baseman Darwin Almanzar went 3-for-5 with a walk. He scored four runs. In the seventh inning, he hit a three-run homer. Then in the eighth inning, he came up with the bases loaded and hit a grand slam. That gives him six home runs on the season, and his seven RBI puts him at 41 for the season. He was the fifth hitter. Leadoff man Yovanny Duran went 3-for-6 with a walk and two doubles. Jhomnardo Reyes batted second. He went 2-for-4 with three walks and his ninth triple. Santiago Leon went 2-for-6 with a walk, his eighth double, and his first professional home run. Joyner Perez went 2-for-6 with a walk and his fifth double. Cristian Bonifacio went 1-for-3 with three walks. Jamesson Val was 1-for-3 with two walks. He was also hit by a pitch. Val added four stolen bases in the game, giving him 20 on the season. Duran had two steals on Saturday to give him 30 this season. Jose Barrios stole his 10th base, and Almanzar stole home for his fifth steal of the year. Jeromy Villoria, who turned 17 on Thursday, went the first three innings. He gave up no runs and just one hit. He walked two and struck out one. Jensi Infante gave up one hit his a scoreless fourth inning. Nestor Cafe struck out two batters in a scoreless fifth inning. Rainer Marin gave up one run on four hits and a walk in two innings. Yordi Jose struck out five batters over two scoreless innings. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day Darwin Almanzar (FCL Twins): 3-for-5, BB, 2-HR(6), SB(10), 4 R, 7 RBI, K Pitcher of the Day Sam Armstrong (Wichita): 5 2/3 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 95 pitches, 64 strikes (67.4%) Mick Abel (St. Paul): 6 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 11 K, 87 pitches, 57 strikes (65.5%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #2 - Luke Keaschall (Minnesota) - 2-for-3, BB, 2 R (played 2B) #3 - Kaelen Culpepper (Wichita) - 1-for-5, RBI, 2 K (played SS) #5 - Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - Game 1: 1-for-4, HR(3), R, 2 RBI, K (caught), 0-for-3 (DHd) #7 - Dasan Hill (Cedar Rapids) - 2 2/3 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 63 pitches, 35 strikes (55.6%) #8 - Mick Abel (St. Paul) - 6 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 11 K, 87 pitches, 57 strikes (65.5%) #11 - Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, K (played LF) #13 - Marek Houston (Fort Myers) - 2-for-3, BB, R, SB(4) (played SS) #14 - Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - Game 1: 3-for-3, 2B(20), HR(16), 3 R, 3 RBI (played 3B). Game 2: 0-for-3, K. #17 - Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids) - Game 1: 1-for-2, 2 BB, 2 R (played SS); Game 2: 0-for-3, K (played 2B) #20 - Hendry Mendez (Wichita) - 2-for-5, RBI Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! View full article

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson (photo of Marco Raya) TRANSACTIONS For the first time in quite some time, there were no Twins minor-league transactions on Thursday. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 14, Omaha 5 Box Score Saints Stampede Royals Affiliate with 14-Run Barrage Based by Raya’s Strong Start Marco Raya put together a quality start and got some serious run support down in Omaha. The Saints scored three runs before the Royals affiliate even came to the plate. They added another run in the top of the second. Raya gave up a double to Jac Caglianone to start the second which was followed by a two-run homer by Drew Waters. Harold Castro led off the bottom of the third inning with a homer that cut the Saints lead to 4-3. The Saints responded with 10 runs over the next three innings. The big hit in the four-run fourth inning was a two-run single by Aaron Sabato. Noah Cardenas scored on Will Holland’s seventh home run of the year in the fifth inning. DaShawn Keirsey Jr led off the sixth inning with his second homer since joining the Saints. Later in the inning, Payton Eeles hit a bases-clearing double to put the Saints up 14-3. Raya gave up three runs on five hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out five batters. Aaron Rozek gave up one run over the next two innings. He gave up one hit, walked two, and hit one batter. He had a strikeout. Genesis Cabrera made his first appearance in the Twins organization. In one innings, he gave up one run on two hits (including a Bobby Dalbec homer). All nine Saints hitters had at least one hit, and six of them had at least one walk. Payton Eeles led the way. He went 3-for-6 with his sixth double, two runs, and three RBI. He also stole his 17th bag. James Outman went 2-for-5 with a walk. Sabato also had three RBI. Outman, Keirsey, and Holland each drove in two runs. Holland led the team with three runs scored. Eeles, Kyler Fedko, Carson McCusker, and Cardenas each scored twice. Anthony Prato had a single and walked twice. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 1, Springfield 8 Box Score Wind Surge Weather a Stormy Night: Culpepper Homers, Jenkins Injured in Tough Loss It was a rough night on several levels for the Wind Surge. The offense managed just one run on two hits (though they had five walks). Fortunately, one of the hits was Kaelen Culpepper’s ninth home run with the Wind Surge. It was his 18th overall this season. Alejandro Hidalgo started. He gave up six runs on seven hits (including four home runs) in 3 1/3 innings. He had three strikeouts. Mike Paredes gave up only an unearned run on two hits over 3 2/3 innings. He had four strikeouts. Jaylen Nowlin gave up a run on two hits and a walk in his inning. The worst news of the game was that after Culpepper’s third-inning home run, Walker Jenkins was hit by a tailing fastball right on top of his right hand. Clearly in pain, he went to first base, and after several tests by the trainer, he remained in the game. He even played some more defense. But I have to assume it swelled up like crazy so gripping a bat may not have been in the cards. Jorel Ortega pinch hit for him. I’d guess they treated it after he came out to try to reduce swelling. When the swelling goes down, I’m sure they’ll want to get it x-rayed. I’m guessing he’ll miss a few games, assuming nothing was broken. Kala’i Rosario went 0-for-1 and walked three times. He also stole his 24th base. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Quad Cities 8 Box Score Kernels Can’t Overcome Early Deficit in Tough Loss The Kernels fell behind early. Jose Olivares started with two scoreless innings. He gave up three runs in the third inning and two more in the fourth before being replaced. He was charged with five runs on six hits and three walks. He struck out four batters. Matt Gabbert came on and gave up one run on two hits and a walk in 4 1/3 innings. He had three strikeouts. Paulshawn Pasqualotto gave up two runs on four hits in the ninth inning. Down 5-1 in the bottom of the fifth, the Kernels got on the board. Jefferson Valladares led off with a walk. Caden Kendle singled him to second. With one out, Kyle DeBarge walked to load the bases. With two outs, Danny De Andrade walked and Valladares crossed home plate with the first run. Valladares homered in the bottom of the ninth, his second since joining the Kernels. De Andrade went 2-for-3 with a walk and his 22nd double of the season. Valladares was also 2-for-3 with a walk and a homer. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 4, Daytona 6 Box Score Sprock Shines Early, Daugherty Hits First Pro Homer, but Tortugas Sink Mussels The Mussels got things going early with three runs in the second inning. Unfortunately, they only added one more run, and a four-run seventh inning by the home town Tortugas was enough for them to take the lead and hang on. Ryan Sprock led off the second inning with his first pro triple. He scored on an infield single by Bryan Acuna. Undrafted catcher Ian Daugherty came up with one out and launched his first professional home run, a two-run shot that made it 3-0. Daugherty went undrafted out of Oklahoma State, but the Twins acted very quickly in signing him very shortly after the draft’s completion. In the top of the sixth, Jayson Bass got things started with a one-out single to right field. Ryan Sprock connected for his first double to drive in the team’s fourth run of the game. Michael Ross made the start for Fort Myers. He was very good again. He gave up one run on five hits and a walk in 5 2/3 innings. He had eight strikeouts. Sam Rochard came on and was charged with five runs (just one earned) on three hits. He walked two and had three strikeouts. Sprock went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, and a triple. Bryan Acuna was 2-for-4. JP Smith went 1-for-3 with a walk. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 0, DSL Rockies 5 Box Score Castellanos Returns to the Mound, but Offense Falters in Loss. Santiago Castellanos had not pitched in almost two weeks when he took the mound on Thursday. The now-17-year-old gave up a first-inning run. He went two innings and gave up one run on one hit. He walked one, hit two, and struck out three batters. Eliezer Lucena came on and worked the next four innings. He gave up three runs on five hits. He walked one and had two strikeouts. Aaron Carranza started the seventh inning. He had already given up a run on three hits when the game was called. The offense was shut down and had just four hits and three walks. Yovanny Duran went 1-for-2 with a walk. Darwin Almanzar knocked his 17th double. Jhomnardo Reyes walked twice. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day Payton Eeles (St. Paul): 3-for-6, 2B(6), 2 R, 3 RBI, SB(17) Ryan Sprock (Fort Myers): 2-for-3, BB, 2B(1), 3B(1), R, RBI. Pitcher of the Day Michael Ross (Fort Myers): 5 2/3 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 95 pitches, 64 strikes (67.4%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1– Walker Jenkins (Wichita) - 0-for-1, HBP, K (played RF) #2 - Luke Keaschall (Minnesota) - 1-for-5, RBI, SB(6) (played 2B) #3 - Kaelen Culpepper (Wichita) - 1-for-4, HR(9), R, RBI, K (played SS) #5 - Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, BB, 2 K (catcher) #12 - Marco Raya (St. Paul) - 6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 77 pitches, 50 strikes (64.9%) #13 - Marek Houston (Fort Myers) - 0-for-4, BB, K (played SS) #14 - Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, BB, 3 K (played 3B) #17 - Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, BB, 2 K (played SS) FRIDAY PITCHING PROBABLES Detroit @ Minnesota (7:05 PM CT) - TBD St. Paul @ Omaha (6:35 PM CT) - RHP Andrew Morris (2-4, 4.27 ERA) Wichita @ Springfield (6:35 PM CT) - RHP Ryan Gallagher (1-0, 5.40 ERA) Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CT) - LHP Garrett Horn (0-0, 7.36 ERA) Fort Myers @ Daytona (5:35 PM CT) - LHP Michael Carpenter (0-5, 3.89 ERA) DSL Tigers @ DSL Twins (10:00 AM CT) - TBD CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 57-64 St. Paul Saints: 53-62 Wichita Wind Surge: 57-54 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 61-50 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 45-63 FCL Twins: 39-20 (finished 2nd in FCL playoffs) DSL Twins: 22-30 Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! 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Yes, we are aware that Matt's MILB report is duplicated in the comments section. I suppose I might be able to delete it, but I can't figure out why it did that, so I'm leaving it there until @Brock Beauchamphas a chance to look at it... just in case... Sorry for the inconvenience.

I mean, Gonzalez has like 2 weeks in Triple-A and at that time, no homers.... Outman has like 21 Triple-A homers this year and lots of big league time. It makes sense, but Gonzalez came through.