Seth Stohs

You are correct. You can't get a sacrifice fly when a player advances to 2nd or 3rd. I looked at he box score and I don't know. there wasn't a sac bunt or a sac bunt called. Maybe Jeremy saw something different?

Maybe we should take up a collection and make little trophies or something... Or, I could find a good printer somewhere and make one to send to the players.

Each month at Twins Daily, we will select a Minnesota Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month, Starting Pitcher of the Month and Relief Pitcher of the Month. It is important to recognize accomplishment in the minor leagues. Today, we start our April Awards by naming the Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month. There were several really strong candidates. Who was our choice? Read on.First, a few relievers worthy of mention: RHP Raul Fernandez (Ft. Myers) – 7 G, 0-0, 1.42 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 12.2 IP, 9 H, 4 BB, 10 KRHP Todd Van Steensel (Ft. Myers) – 8 G, 0-0, 1.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 9.0 IP, 3 H, 6 BB, 6 KRHP Trevor Hildenberger (Ft. Myers/Chattanooga) – 7 G, 1-1, 3 Saves, 0.87 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 10.1 IP, 11 H, 0 BB, 10 KLHP Luke Westphal (Ft. Myers/Chattanooga) – 7 G, 1-0, 1.08 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 8.1 IP, 5 H, 4 BB, 12 KTHE TOP FIVE RELIEF PITCHERS Number 5 - Cedar Rapids – RHP Nick Anderson - 6 G, 2.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 9.0 IP, 6 H, 3 BB, 10 K The Twins signed Anderson last August out of independent ball and sent him to Cedar Rapids where he was very good as the team’s closer the final month and through their playoff run. The Brainerd native and Mayville (ND) alum is back with the Kernels this year and off to a strong start again. He has been sharing duties, but with the John Curtiss promotion, the 25-year-old will see more late inning opportunities. Number 4 – Rochester – LHP Buddy Boshers - 8 G, 0.87 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 10.1 IP, 9 H, 2 BB, 11 K 27-year-old Boshers pitched in 25 games for the Angels in 2013. However, he spent 2015 in independent ball, striking out 71 in 54 innings in the Atlantic League. He continued to pitch well in Venezuela this winter. The Twins signed him to a minor league deal and invited him to camp. He had a solid showing, and he has been very good for the Red Wings in the first month. Number 3 – Chattanooga – RHP JT Chargois - 8 G, 1.12 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 8.0 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 11 K If this award would have been handed out 10-12 days ago, Chargois would have been the easy choice for winning. In his first five outings, he went five innings and got all 15 batters he faced out. His last three outings are a good reminder of sample size, but Chargois is arguably the top relief pitching prospect in the system (with apologies to a few others). After missing two seasons with injury, the former second-round pick came back strong last year. He’s got a good three-pitch mix and could be summoned to the big leagues any time. Number 2 – Cedar Rapids – RHP CK Irby - 7 G, 0.00 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 11.2 IP, 7 H, 3 BB, 11 K Irby began the 2015 season in Cedar Rapids as well, but he really struggled with his control, walking 14 (and striking out 20) in 14 innings before being sent back to Elizabethton. At least for April, the 23-year-old seems to have improved his control. He allowed only an unearned run and few base runners helping to set up for Anderson and Curtiss. And the Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month is: Cedar Rapids/Ft. Myers – John Curtiss - 7 G, 0.00 ERA, 0.44 WHIP, 9.0 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 18 K 2015 was a very difficult season for RHP John Curtiss. He began the season as a starter, got hurt, came back, got hurt and struggled when he was able to pitch. Curtiss said, “2015 was pretty horrible, from the concussion to the hurt elbow to the poor performance.” However, he looked to 2016 and continued, “(I’m) just trying to move on from it and improve.” Based on his April, it’s safe to say that 2016 is starting out much better for the Twins sixth-round pick from 2013 out of the University of Texas. When you’re striking out two batters per inning and not even allowing a base runner every other inning, things are going well. He was splitting time with Nick Anderson in the Kernels closer role. Late in the month, he earned a promotion to Ft. Myers. Curtiss noted, “So far, I’ve been locating my pitches better, and my stuff has been livelier. The biggest deal for me so far has been having a healthy arm.” This is not the first time he has pitched out of the bullpen. Following Tommy John surgery in college, he came back and was the closer for Texas as they advanced to the College World Series. It is a role that he really enjoys and thrives in. “I really like being in the pen. The innings are late in the game where the game is on the line, and you get to impact more games. Also the pen camaraderie is pretty neat.” Curtiss has a pitch mix that could lend itself well to success in the bullpen. He throws a fastball that sits 94 to 96 mph. He also throws a sharp curveball and a good changeup. “I can use them all as out pitches, depending on who’s at the plate, and what I trust in that moment. Late in the month, he was promoted to the Miracle where he pitched a clean inning. His goals for 2016 are simple. “I just want to get better every day and help the team win.” JP Martinez was the Twins ninth-round pick in 2004. He was in the organization through the 2007 season when he peaked at AAA. After coaching in high school following his career, he has been a pitching coach in the Twins system the last two years. Last year he was with the GCL Twins. This year, he is in Cedar Rapids where he has worked with Curtiss all spring. Martinez said, “John came into camp healthy and ready to go. He was sharp, focused and attacked the zone which is why we trusted him in the late innings. He’s got a live fastball and a plus-slider. His promotion was well deserved.” Curtiss is out to prove that, when healthy, he can be a very effective reliever. Off the field, Curtiss says, “I’m really into Texas Country Music. Red Dirt. There are a lot of songwriters I’m a big fan of, too many to list. I play the guitar a lot in the off-season, and in season, I mostly read and write songs.” There were several very strong relief pitcher performances in April. Feel free to agree or disagree with the order, if you like, but congratulations to each of these individuals on a great start to their 2016 season. Congratulations to the first Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month for 2016, John Curtiss. Click here to view the article

I think you should blog it.

Looks like pretty much the same thing...

If he keeps pitching like he did in April, he'll have to be considered at some point.

Exactly... I mean, if he goes 4-4 today, he's hitting .290. Not that he will, but 27 at bats is FAR too few to worry about anything... As for Buxton, a 3-3 game puts him at .286 and a 5-5 puts him at .324. Not that we expect those things to happen... because baseball is not easy... but let them play 3-4 weeks before worrying about anything too much.

I woudln't say "Oddly" as I don't see this as being predictive, and it doesn't really factor in situation/leverage, etc. I would still put May or Jepsen or Pressly or probably any of them in before Tonkin.

There's nothing in Murphy's track record to indicate that he is really THIS bad. He's always hit, at every level, to at least a league-average type of production. No reason to believe that he can't do that here. Maybe you're right... playing him MORE might be exactly what he needs.

May is upon us. While the Minnesota Twins lost again on Sunday, May 1, I would certainly assume that they are ready to be done with April. An 0-9 start and an overall record of 7-17 is something that the Twins would like to move past. The Twins’ bullpen wasn’t good in April. I think we can all agree with that, and the number of blown saves alone would illustrate it well. Obviously any time that a late-inning bullpen guy has a bad outing, it is likely to cost the team the game, or at least lessen the odds of the team winning. But one thing I wanted to know going into the season, something I’ve been curious about for years, is how often can the manager call to a guy in the bullpen and that reliever got the job done. In other words, how reliable is the pitcher? If Paul Molitor calls on Ryan Pressly in the 7th or 8th inning how often did Pressly leave the game having done his job?Every outing gets a “grade” of either Yes or No. Yes, he got the job done. No, he did not perform well for the situation he was called into. We have looked at this a couple of times already this month, so I thought a monthly recap would be important. It will also give us a basis for what happens in May, June and beyond. Here are the overall success rates of the relievers in April: Pitcher -- Yes-No (Success Rate) Casey Fien -- 8-4 (66.7%) Trevor May -- 7-5 (58.3%) Fernando Abad -- 11-0 (100.0%) Ryan Pressly -- 8-3 (72.7%) Michael Tonkin -- 7-3 (70.0%) Kevin Jepsen -- 5-5 (50.0%) Ryan O’Rourke -- 5-2 (71.4%) Glen Perkins - 0-2 (0.0%) Taylor Rogers -- 1-0 (100.0%) Alex Meyer -- 0-1 (0.0%) So, in the season’s first month, Paul Molitor has gone to his bullpen 76 times. 52 of those times, or 68.4%, have been successful. As I’ve acknowledged all along, this is subjective number based on my interpretation of what getting the job done is for a reliever. But it does give a good sense of where they are. I’m certain it will be of no surprise to read that Kevin Jepsen has struggled, and since he’s been the closer, his non-successful outings have cost leads and in some cases games. Likewise, if you’ve watched, you’re likely not surprised to see that Fernando Abad has been perfect to this point. In case you were wondering: Fernando Abad - 11 G, 10.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 5 hits, 3 walks, 12 strikeouts.Tony Sipp - 11 G, 8.1 IP, 5.40 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 10 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts.Antonio Bastardo - 9 G, 10.1 IP, 2.61 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 9 hits, 3 walks, 16 strikeouts.(Note - yes, I realize this is small sample size and could very well be flipped upside down in May which, of course, is the very nature of relief pitching.) I won’t pretend know where these numbers will go, or if 68% success rate is good. What it does show is that four of the seven relievers used most often are within four percent of the average. Trevor May is about 10% below, and Kevin Jepsen is almost 20% below the average. Fernando Abad is 32% above the average. I would not be shocked if the average each month stays in the 67-75% range, and within each month, there will be a couple of outliers. We shall find out. For good or ill. Click here to view the article

Trust me... as I'm researching the April awards, you've got it exactly right.

It’s hard to believe that April is almost complete and May is nearly upon us. The season is now a little over three weeks old. It was a full schedule in the Twins minor leagues on Friday, including a doubleheader for Rochester. The least talked about member of the Miracle rotation had a terrific outing, while a college reliever-turned starter had another strong game. Continue reading for much more information on the day in the Twins farm system.TRANSACTIONS Though it was reported several days ago, the Rochester Red Wings officially announced the Andrew Albers acqisition on Friday. He will pitch on Saturday. Cedar Rapids infielder Manuel Guzman was placed on the disabled list with a strained quad. Nelson Molina was promoted to the Kernels from extended spring training. RED WINGS REPORT Game 1 - Rochester 4, Scranton/Wilkes Barre 6 Box Score Last time out, JR Graham bent, but did not break. He entered the game with a four- run lead and gave up three before getting the third out and assuring a Red Wings win. He wasn’t as fortunate on Friday night. He came into the game for the top of the 7th inning, holding a one-run lead. The inning started out with two singles, a wild pitch, a triple and a double. He gave up three runs and took the loss. Pat Dean started and gave up two runs on five hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out five. Marcus Walden gave up a run on three hits in the seventh. Graham gave up three runs on four hits. The Red Wings managed just two hits in the first game. Kennys Vargas hit his first home run of the season. It’s been a struggle for him again this year. He came up to the Twins in 2014 and immediately produced. The Twins gave him ample opportunity at the start of the 2015 season and even a second time before finally sending him down to AA. It proved to be a good move as he found his swing again and carried it back up to AAA.Unfortunately he is again off to a slow start in 2016. Max Kepler went 1-3 with a walk and a double. James Beresford was 0-0 with three walks. Byron Buxton was 0-4 with two strikeouts. Game 2 - Rochester 2, Scranton/Wilkes Barre 10 Box Score Taylor Rogers got his first start. He threw 63 pitches, so it’s possible he is being extended to rejoin the rotation. Unfortunately, he was able to complete only three innings. He gave up seven runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk. Alex Wimmers came on and worked two innings. He was charged with two runs on one hit, one hit batter and two walks. He struck out three. Dan Runzler then gave up one run on three hits. He struck out two. Darin Mastroianni went 2-3 with his second double. He also stole his sixth base of the year. Max Kepler went 1-3 with a walk and a triple. Byron Buxton went 1-3 with a walk and a strikeout. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Montgomery 4 Box Score The Lookouts got off to a fast start and the bullpen was barely able to hang on for the win. Mitch Garver led the offense. He went 3-5 with his fourth and fifth doubles. Joe Maloney went 2-3 with a walk. Leonardo Reginnato went 2-4. David Hurlbut started and gave up just one run over the first six innings. He gave up seven hits, walked one and struck out six. Luke Westphal made his AA debut. He gave up one run on two hits in one inning. He also hit a batter and struck out two. Jake Reed gave up one run on three hits in one inning. He walked one and struck out one. JT Chargios got the ninth. He was charged with an unearned run on one hit and one walk. He struck out one. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 5, Charlotte 0 Box Score When people talk about the starting rotation in Ft. Myers, they generally refer to The Big Five. Keaton Steele is almost forgotten, an after-thought, but he shouldn’t be. The 6-3, 225 pound right-hander was the team’s eighth-round pick in 2014 out of the University of Missouri. He spent about half of the 2015 season in Cedar Rapids and still opened the season in Ft. Myers. On this night, he was quite good. Over seven shutout innings, he gave up just one hit. He walked three and struck out four to improve to 1-2 with a 2.28 ERA. Raul Fernandez came on and worked the final two innings. He gave up just one hit and struck one out. Logan Wade homered for the first time in 2016. He was 1-3 with a walk. Ryan Walker went 2-4. Nick Gordon added his sixth double. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, South Bend 1 Box Score Sam Clay continued his terrific started to the season by ending his April with another strong performance. The left-hander gave up one run on five hits over 5.2 innings. He walked three and struck out four. He now boasts a 0.79 ERA. Kuo Hua Lo came on and got four outs. He gave up one hit and walked two. CK Irby continued his dominant April with two more shutout innings. He walked one and struck out one. LaMonte Wade made his first start in a week. He went 2-4 with his third stolen base in his return from a hamstring strain. JJ Fernandez went 2-4 with his second double. Zander Wiel was also 2-4. Rafael Valera added a walk and his sixth double, while AJ Murray hit his fifth double. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Keaton Steele, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Mitch Garver, Chattanooga Lookouts SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton/Wilkes Barre @ Rochester (12:35 CST) - LHP Andrew Albers) Montgomery @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - RHP Aaron Slegers Ft. Myers @ Charlotte (5:05 CST) – RHP Felix Jorge South Bend @Cedar Rapids (4:05 CST) –RHP Dereck Rodriguez Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Friday games. Click here to view the article

I don't care... Dude threw a nine-inning, complete game shutout. Yup, he used his defense.

It's OK to separate the two topics. The K-rate usually does relate to big league opportunity and usually success... but I don' think that needs to take away from a really impressive performance.

You have to 'pitch' really, really well, hit spots, work fast, avoid hard contact, all of that. To me, doing that is far more impressive than some big strikeout games.

He's played 3 games in Rochester, and I wouldn't say he's dominating, yet. He's doing fine. He's getting the extra base hits, and that helps that slugging percentage, but it's all speed based. I've watched most of his at bats so far, and I wouldn't say he looks right yet. Numbers are obviously fine, but process still needs lots of work.

There was thought of him playing last night. They were thinking they would give him one more day or so - from what I've heard...

Without looking, it might be 12... It's a good start, for sure... especially after the first game in which he was 1-7 with three strikeouts. There absolutely is something to said about knowing how to "pitch" rather than just throw. AAA hitters are very good hitters and that Buffalo lineup is full of big leaguers. I definitely think we get worked up too much about strikeouts, sometimes... That kind of stuff matters in terms of elite or top prospect types. But being a smart pitcher and getting quick outs is a good thing too.

It was a long day for those who follow the Twins minor leagues. The Miracle played a game at 10:30 eastern time. The Red Wings played at 1:00 eastern. Then there were two night games. There was an incredible pitching performance in Rochester, though the three other starters on the day struggled. Of course Daniel Palka kept hitting while a couple of other top prospects had multi-hit games with extra-base hits.Continue to to read all about the events in the Minnesota Twins minor leagues on Thursday. TRANSACTIONS Early on Thursday morning, the Kernels announced the RHP John Curtiss and OF Max Murphy had been promoted to Ft. Myers. OF Daniel Kihle moved up to Cedar Rapids from extended spring. Kuo Hua Lo was also promoted from extended spring training, though he was never actually sent back to Ft. Myers after being “demoted” a few days earlier. Though there was no announcement, LHP Mason Melotakis was back pitching for Chattanooga on Thursday which means he was removed from the DL. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Buffalo 0 Box Score The story of this game, without question, was left-hander Logan Darnell. Left off the Twins 40-man roster this offseason, Darnell cleared waivers and was happy to stay with the Twins. He had a strong spring training and was one of the last cuts. On this day, Darnell needed just 105 pitches (71 strikes) to complete nine innings of shutout ball. He gave up four hits, walked four and struck out none. Byron Buxton went 2-5. He had a triple late in the game. Earlier in the game, he had a double but was thrown out trying to turn it into a triple. To make things even, he also threw out a guy trying to advance to third in the game too. Wilfredo Tovar went 2-3 with a walk and his seventh stolen base. Adam Brett Walker and Juan Centeno each went 2-4. Stephen Wickens knocked his first home run of the season, his first AAA homer. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 1, Montgomery 6 Box Score DJ Baxendale gave up four first-inning runs and another in the second, but then responded with four scoreless innings. In total, he gave up five runs on five hits. He walked four and struck out five. Mason Melotakis returned from the DL and pitched a scoreless inning. Despite allowing one hit he needed just seven pitches. Trevor Hildenberger made his AA debut with a scoreless inning. He struck out two. He also needed just 12 pitches and ten were strikes. Nick Burdi gave up one run on two hits in an inning. Offensively, Daniel Palka was about it. He went 2-2 with a walk and was hit by a pitch. Travis Harrison drove in the lone run with an RBI double. Pitching for Montgomery was former Twins prospect Chih-Wei Hu. The right-hander from Taiwan gave up one run on four hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out four. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 3, Jupiter 12 Box Score The Miracle played a 9:30 game in Jupiter. It didn’t go well for top picher Tyler Jay. The left-hander gave up six runs (5 earned) on ten hits in 4.1 innings. He walked none but also struck out none. Luke Bard came on and gave up two runs on three hits in 1.2 innings. Brian Gilbert then gave up four runs on three hits and three walks in 1.2 inning. Todd Van Steensel came in and got the final out. Nick Gordon led the offense by going 2-4 with his second triple. He had two errors in the field, giving him six on the season. Logan Wade added his second triple of the year. Chad Christensen knocked his second home run. Alex Real was 2-3 in the game. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, West Michigan 6 Box Score Down 6-5 going into the bottom of the ninth, the Kernels loaded the bases. JJ Fernandez singled in the game-tying run. After a pitching change, a wild pitch scored the winning run. The game started out poorly. Sam Gibbons went the first five innings. He gave up six runs (five earned) on five hits and five walks. He struck out one. Logan Lombana came in and calmed things. He worked three scoreless innings, striking out four batters. Nick Anderson struck out one in a scoreless inning. JJ Fernandez came up with the big hit. It was the third hit for him on the day. Jermaine Palacios and Christian Cavaness each went 1-3 with a walk. Daniel Kihle made his Kernels debut. Unfortunately, early in the game, he had a collision with Jermaine Palacios on a pop fly in the outfield. Kihle left the game. LaMonte Wade came on, playing for the first time in five days due to a hamstring injury. Still not 100%, Wade went 1-2 with a walk. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Logan Darnell, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Byron Buxton, Rochester Red Wings FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton/Wilkes Barre @ Rochester (DH 4:05 CST) - (LHP Pat Dean, LHP Taylor Rogers) Montgomery @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - LHP David Hurlbut Ft. Myers @ Charlotte (5:35 CST) – RHP Keaton Steele South Bend @Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) – LHP Sam Clay Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Thursday games. Click here to view the article

Wheeler was added to the 40-man roster before the 2015 season, but he was really bad in AAA and sent down to AA where he ended the year strong. That's where he is again. As for when he could debut... it'll be awhile. He's in a tough spot. The TWins have at least 8-10 guys ahead of him as SP options. Palka has had a terrific month.

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