Seth Stohs

I appreciate the comments, and no doubt, the higher the level of competition, the more difficult it is. That said, pitchers can only pitch at the level they are pitching at. I love that last sentence and 100% agree with it. I think it you asked 95% of the people on this site if I'm one who is biased toward top prospects, I'm guessing that most would disagree. Maybe in prospect rankings (because that's about prospect status), but not in these reports.

It's an interesting question, really. It's been a tough start for him this year, for sure. He was very good last year in AA with the Mets, but in the Eastern League. I don't think they would send him to Ft. Myers. That said, though Hu and Eades have been good through four starts in Ft. Myers, I don't think that either of them should move up yet. Shibuya might be an option, but he's probably limited to about 3, maybe four innings for a while. Maybe I'm missing someone obvious. I guess they could send Hamburger down to keep him starting?

Corrected, thank you!

Yesterday, we looked at the top minor league relievers in the Twins farm system in April. Today, we turn our attention to the starting pitchers who got off to a strong start. There were some really good ones. As you see, there are four honorable mentions who posted an ERA below 2.20. That can tell you how well the top four performed during the month.With that, let's get to know these starting pitchers. Below are the Top 4 Starting Pitchers for April. We begin with a few players deserving of mention. Rochester LHP Taylor Rogers – 4 GS, 2-0, 2.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 27.1 IP, 20 H, 10 BB, 23 KFt. Myers RHP Ryan Eades – 3 GS, 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 18.0 IP, 16 H, 4 BB, 9 KCedar Rapids LHP Mat Batts – 4 GS, 2-1, 2.19 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 24.2 IP, 16 H, 5 BB, 24 KCedar Rapids RHP Felix Jorge – 3 GS, 1-1, 1.50 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 18.0 IP, 11 H, 5 BB, 24 KTOP 4 STARTING PITCHERS IN APRIL Number 4 – Chattanooga – RHP D.J. Baxendale - 4 GS, 2-0, 1.07 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 25.1 IP, 21 H, 6 BB, 24 K When he has been healthy, DJ Baxendale has been a very good starting pitcher. The problem is that he hasn’t been healthy for a couple of years, really since the beginning of the 2013 season. He appears to be at 100% again to start the 2015 season, and he is pitching very well for the Lookouts. He’s got a full mix of pitches and has been able to miss bats this year as well. Number 3 – Rochester – LHP Pat Dean - 3 GS, 2-0, 0.90 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 20.0 IP, 12 H, 5 BB, 22 K Dean was the Twins third-round pick in the 2010 draft out of Boston College. By the end of the 2011 season, he was pitching in AA. However, aside from six starts in 2013, he has remained in AA the last two years. This year, he has made the move to AAA, but he wasn’t even in the Red Wings starting rotation to start the season. However, Trevor May got promoted before he made a start and Dean took his place. He’s been lights out through April. In his first three starts, he had allowed just two earned runs in 20 innings. In nearly 500 innings between High-A and AA, he averaged 4.9 strikeouts per nine innings. So his 22 strikeouts in 20 innings is noteworthy. Number 2 – Ft. Myers – RHP Chih-Wei Hu - 4 GS, 3-0, 1.50 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, 24.0 IP, 14 H, 3 BB, 28 K Hu gave up two runs in five innings in his first start of the season. In his next three April starts, he gave up two earned runs in 19 innings. He was a bit of a surprise in 2014 when he spent two-and-a-half months in Extended Spring Training. He went 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA in three starts with Elizabethton. He moved up to Cedar Rapids where he went 7-2 with a 2.29 ERA. Hu will be 21 years old throughout the 2014 season. He’s got all the pitches, including a palm ball. He throws 91 to 93 mph and touches 94 and 95, and everything he throws moves a lot. Opponents hit just .167 against him in April and he had more than a strikeout each inning. Most months, that would earn him the Pitcher of the Month award. And the Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month is: Cedar Rapids Kernels – LHP Stephen Gonsalves - 3 GS, 2-0, 0.90 ERA, 0.65 WHIP, 20.0 IP, 11 H, 2 BB, 30 K The Twins got, potentially, the steal of the 2013 draft when they selected lefty Stephen Gonsalves in the fourth round of the draft. He dominated in the GCL and at Elizabethton that year. In 2013, he made 14 starts between Elizabethton and Cedar Rapids and was very good. After making eight starts for the Kernels at the end of 2014, he returned to Iowa to start this season. He gave up a run in six innings in his first start. He has gone seven innings in each of his three starts since. In his 20 April innings, he issued just two walks and struck out 30. Opponents hit just .174 against him during the month. He has been impressive on several levels. First, just look at those April numbers again. They’re remarkable. Secondly, the San Diego native says that he had never made a start when the game time temperature is under 60 degrees. Gonsalves said, “I was pretty fortunate. My first two starts I pitched with warm weather and was able to sit during the colder days for my body to adjust. Other than that, it was just about being aggressive inside with the fastball because no one wants to get their hands busted in this weather.” He’s been quite aggressive in his pitch mix early in the season. “I’ve been able to get away with 75% fastballs here, just being down in the zone, going early in. Then 25% changeups away to follow up.” He likes to give credit to his catchers for his success. He worked with a good one last year and continues into 2015. “I believe working more with (Mitch) Garver last year was the big difference. Other than the league itself, picking his brain for those final two months was a big help in plan-of-attack. I’ve been able to introduce that to (Brian) Navarreto this year." Gonsalves has a lot of confidence. He also has a very high baseball IQ. Teammates talk about his knowledge of how to pitch and he has a plan. He has set some goals for himself for 2015. “My goals for the season are to get my K/BB ratio to 4/1, and maybe even drop below one walk per nine (innings).” I would be surprised if the 20-year-old spends much more time in Cedar Rapids. As soon as there is a need in Ft. Myers, he should be the first one promoted. Right now, he is posting the types of numbers that say there might not even need to be a need with the Miracle for him to be promoted. That said, Gonsalves is thinking even bigger. “Level-wise, I’m always thinking as far as possible, so getting to AA would be truly amazing.” Amazing? Yes. Surprising at this point? Not really. Please feel free to post your comments on Gonsalves, Hu and the rest of the Twins minor league starting pitchers that pitched well in April. How do you feel about the rankings? We’ll be back tomorrow with the Minor League Hitter of the Month of April. Click here to view the article

A former first-round pick delivered a walk-off victory in Chattanooga on Sunday afternoon, in a game where both teams combined for thirty-hits and twenty-seven runs to provide the most entertaining game of the year. Elsewhere, there were three quality starts from starting pitchers, and standout games from several hitters.Read on to hear all about the slugfest in Chattanooga, and everything else that happened in Sunday’s action! RED WINGS REPORT Norfolk 3, Rochester 7 Box Score Rochester started the game off with a bang, scoring four runs in the first inning to chase Norfolk starter Zach Davies from the game after recording just two outs. Eddie Rosario started the early rally with a walk, and an error put Reynaldo Rodriguez and Rosario on first and second. Josmil Pinto singled and Rosario raced home, but was thrown out at home for the second out. An Eric Fryer single brought Rodriguez home from third for the game’s first run, then Danny Ortiz brought home two more with a triple to center field. He scored on a single from James Beresford to make it 4-0 after the first inning, and Davies was gone from the game. Rochester struck for two more runs in the fifth inning on singles from Jose Martinez and Beresford, and Aaron Hicks led off the sixth with a home run to left center to put them up 7-1. Alex Meyer made the start for the Red Wings, and delivered a quality start. It was not without it’s warts as he allowed three runs on six hits and four walks, but limited the damage by scattering them and tallying six strikeouts. He pitched into the eighth inning, but walked the first two batters and was replaced by Caleb Thielbar. Sixty-three of his 104 pitches went for strikes on the afternoon. Thielbar allowed the two inherited runners to score in the eighth while recording one out before being lifted for A.J. Achter. He finished the game for his first save of the year, striking out one in 1.2 innings. Hicks (2-5, R, 2B, HR, RBI), Fryer (3-5, 2 R’s, RBI), Ortiz (2-4, 2 R’s, 3B, 2 RBI), and Beresford (2-4, 2 RBI) had multiple hits on the day for the offense. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Jacksonville 13, Chattanooga 14 Box Score It was all fireworks all the time in Chattanooga, as the teams combined for thirty hits and twenty-seven runs on the game. Jacksonville jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, before the Lookouts struck for six runs in the bottom of the third. The inning got started with a leadoff triple from Max Kepler, his second on the season, and he scored on an error by the first baseman that came off the bat of Stuart Turner. A Heiker Meneses single moved put runners on first and second, and they both raced home when Byron Buxton tripled to left. Buxton scored on a Dalton Hicks single, then Miguel Sano punctuated the inning with a two-run home run to left. The triple and home run were both Buxton's and Sano’s fifth of the year, respectively. Lookouts starter Greg Peavey gave the lead back immediately in the fourth inning as a hit batter, two singles, and a double tied the score at 6-6 and brought Dallas Gallant into the game. Another double plated two more runs to give Jacksonville the lead 8-6. Chattanooga tied the game at eight in the bottom half when a Levi Michael double brought home Matt Juengel, and a Hicks sac fly brought home Meneses from third base. The score remained tied until the bottom of the seventh, when Adam Brett Walker II hits his sixth home run of the year, a solo shot, to make it 9-8. The lead again would not hold as Jake Reed ran into trouble in the top of the eighth, allowing three consecutive singles to score two, and a triple that brought in two more to make the game 12-9 in favor of the Suns. The Lookouts were not about to back down however, and again tied the game in the home team’s half of the inning when Buxton and Meneses scored on a Levi Michael triple after singling themselves, and Sano brought home Michael with a sac fly to make it 12-12. Nick Burdi came in to pitch the ninth inning, and after recording an out, gave up a triple to Kenny Wilson to put the go-ahead run on third. A sac fly gave the Suns the lead before Burdi finished the inning with a strikeout. You just knew the Lookouts lineup was going to not give up in this one, and Walker led off the bottom of the inning with a double to left. A Kepler single and stolen base put the game winning run on second, and a walk to Turner loaded the bases. The tying run scored when Meneses drew a second consecutive walk, and Byron Buxton stepped into the box with the game winning run on third. He popped out in foul territory (wink), but the 2012 first rounder got picked up by 2011’s first-round pick, Levi Michael. His single to left on an 0-1 count brought Kepler racing home to start the walk-off celebration: video by Erika Sperl, aka eLee612 The Lookouts offense pounded out thirteen hits and was 6-14 with runners scoring position. Buxton (2-6, 2 R’s, 3B, 2 RBI), Michael (3-6, R, 2B, 3B, 4 RBI), Walker (2-5, 2 R’s, 2B, HR, RBI), Kepler (2-4, 2 R’s, 3B, BB, SB), and Meneses (2-4, 3 R’s, RBI, BB) filled up the stat sheet for Chattanooga. All four pitchers for Chattanooga gave up an earned run, but the offense would not let them down. Burdi picked up the win to make him 2-3 on the season. MIRACLE MATTERS Charlotte 5, Fort Myers 2 Box Score This one was a pitcher’s duel until Fort Myers starter Brett Lee left the game after six innings. He allowed just one run on five hits and four walks, while striking out two. Brian Gilbert pitched a scoreless seventh but two walks and a single to start the eighth put the go-ahead run on the scoreboard, and runners on the corners for J.T. Chargois. A groundout and single brought in the inherited runners for a 4-1 Stone Crabs lead before Chargois recorded a strikeout to escape the inning. Fort Myers got one back in the bottom of the eighth, when a Marcus Knecht sac fly brought in Niko Goodrum, but that’s all the Miracle were able to scratch out. Charlotte added an insurance run in the ninth off Brandon Peterson, and reliever Brad Schreiber struck out Tanner Vavra, Engelb Vielma and Zach Granite to end the game. Goodrum was 2-3 on the day with a run scored, a walk, and his fourth stolen base, Knecht and Vielma each recorded an RBI, and Tanner Vavra added a double to lead the offense. As a team they were 1-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. KERNELS NUGGETS Clinton 5, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score Clinton jumped out to an early lead against Cedar Rapids starter Felix Jorge in the second inning, when consecutive singles put runners on base for first baseman Kristian Brito. His first home run of the year made the score 3-0, and provided all the offense Lumberjack starter Pat Peterson would need. Jorge finished with a quality start, going six innings and allowing the three runs on nine hits and one walk. He struck out five. Sam Clay allowed two runs on two hits and three walks in two innings, giving Clinton some insurance, and Michael Theofanopoulos finished the game with a scoreless ninth. Although they had ten hits as a team, including multi-hit efforts from Max Murphy (3-4), Pat Kelly (2-5, R, 3B), and Trey Vavra (2-4, R, 2B), they managed just one RBI (Jorge Fernandez) and left ten men on base. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Alex Meyer, Rochester Red Wings (W, 7.0IP, 3 ER’s, 6 H’s, 4 BB, 6 K’s) Hitter of the Day – Levi Michael, Chattanooga Lookouts (3-6, R, 2B, 3B, 4 RBI, Game-winning single) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester – Scheduled Day Off Jacksonville @ Chattanooga (6:15 PM CST) – RHP D.J. Baxendale (2-0, 1.07 ERA) Bradenton @ Fort Myers (6:05 PM CST) – LHP Luke Westphal (0-1,6.57 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin – RHP Jared Wilson (2-0, 1.65 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Sunday games. Click here to view the article

So Saves is the most important stat? Shibuya had twice as many innings, and I guess I think the game can be "on the line" in any inning, not just the ninth. And, Zack Jones is a nice guy too.

I thought he looked really thin. I wonder if he's lost a bunch of weight? He can hit.

He's in his second of four option years... and he's just getting going with the Lookouts. I don't think this is anything they need to worry about now. Maybe at the end of the year if he doesn't hit.

Fair point/comment: I guess I'll ask readers what you think here. Is it just about the strikeouts? WHIP? BB/K rate? ERA? What would your stats be for an award like this?

I used to get annoyed by such things too. I've been proven wrong so many times that I now don't get so worked up about such things any more. That said, I'm sure if he keeps striking out 17.7 per nine (or anywhere near that), I'm sure we'll see him fairly soon. So I don't disagree that he should probably be up, but I probably won't riot.

It's always been Aderling. Not sure where the Aderlin came from... And if you follow him on twitter, he has the 'g' on it.

Each month here at Twins Daily, we will be posting choices for Twins minor league relief pitcher, starting pitcher and hitter of the month. First, I want to share with you some of the top relief pitchers in the Twins minor league system in the month of April. I'll follow up over the next 24 hours with the starting pitcher and hitter of the month. There were a lot of very strong April performances out of the bullpen at the Twins affiliates. Below you’ll find the Top 6 relief pitchers in April.First, a few relievers worthy of mention: RHP Michael Tonkin – 8 G, 0-1, 5 S, 2.45 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 7.1 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 10 KRHP Todd Van Steensel – 7 G, 0-2, 1.35 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 13.1 IP, 8 H, 8 BB, 22 KRHP Randy LeBlanc – 5 G, 1-0, 2.45 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 11.0 IP, 10 H, 2 BB, 15 KRHP Zach Tillery – 5 G, 1 GS, 2-0, 1.88 ERA, 0.63 WHIP, 14.1 IP, 6 H, 3 BB, 14 KTHE TOP SIX RELIEF PITCHERS Number 6 – Cedar Rapids – LHP Cameron Booser - 6 G, 0.90 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 10.0 IP, 5 H, 4 BB, 18 K The Twins signed the left-hander as a non-drafted free agent late in 2013. In a recent Twins Daily story on Booser, we learned that he’s had a lot of injuries and is now finally healthy. He’s also blessed with an upper-90s fastball and a very good slider. And, he’s still learning. Once he shows that the control he’s shown so far this season is legit, he could move quickly. He turns 23 on Monday. Number 5 - Rochester – Lester Oliveros - 6 G, 1.69 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 10.2 IP, 6 H, 3 BB, 21 K The 26-year-old appears to be completely back after having Tommy John surgery and missing the 2013 season. He was very good in 2014, and he’s off to a great start in 2015. Oliveros came to the Twins from the Tigers in August of 2011 in the Delmon Young trade. Oliveros made his first start since he played in the Venezuelan Summer League in 2006. He went four innings and struck out nine. He is good at missing bats! He should be up with the Twins, or at least he should be soon. Number 4 – Ft. Myers – Brandon Peterson - 7 G, 0.84 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 10.2 IP, 5 H, 7 BB, 14 K Peterson was the Twins 13th round pick in 2013 out of Wichita State. He went to Burnsville High School. In his first full season, he was the choice for Twins Minor League Reliever of the Year for what he did with Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers. In 40 games and 57.1 innings, he posted a 1.57 ERA, 0.98 WHIP. He also walked 19 and struck out 84. The 23-year-old returned to the Miracle to start this season and is experiencing the same success. Number 3 – Chattanooga – Zack Jones - 7 G, 1.29 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 13 K Jones was the Twins fourth-round pick in 2012 out of San Jose State. An aneurysm near his shoulder and a blood clot cost him most of the 2014 season. However, he did return in time to be the Miracle closer for their championship run last year. The hard-throwing righty had a great first month as the closer in Chattanooga. He is 5-5 in save opportunities. The problem he has had in his young career has been throwing strikes, but he did a great job of that in the season’s first month. Number 2 – Cedar Rapids – Trevor Hildenberger - 5 G, 0.90 ERA, 0.70 WHIP, 10.0 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 13 K Hildenberger was the Twins 22nd round pick a year ago out of the University of California (Berkeley) where he was a very good closer. He throws from a three-quarter arm slot and throws a lot of strikes. For the Kernels, he has thrown in various roles already. Sometimes it’s just one inning, but he has been stretched out and thrown as many as three innings already. He should be the first Kernels reliever promoted to the Miracle when there is a need. And the Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month is: Ft. Myers – Tim Shibuya - 6 G, 0.66 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 13.2 IP, 9 H, 1 BB, 13 K Shibuya was the Twins 23rd round pick in 2011 out of UC-San Diego. That season, he was the Appalachian League Pitcher of the Year. Since then, he has continued to pitch well, when healthy. He returned to the Miracle to start the 2015 season. He pitched really well in April with the team, and as soon as there was a need in Chattanooga, he was the one promoted. He has missed at least some time with an injury each of the last three seasons. However, he has had the right mindset in his rehab and come back strong. He told Twins Daily, “It is always frustrating to get hurt, no matter how the results turn up on the field. But it is something you have to get over quickly so it doesn't affect your physical rehab. Having a good mindset each day is vital to being able to get all of your work in each day. ” Shibuya is a tremendous athlete and fields his position very well. A year ago, his manager Doug Mientkiewicz touted him as the best defensive pitcher he’s ever seen. Shibuya takes a lot of pride in his defense and continues to work on it. He said, “Playing defense has always been my favorite part about baseball, and I enjoy being the fifth infielder. My parents constantly hit me ground balls at short so I am very grateful for their commitment over the years. Our coaching staff in the Twins organization also stresses fielding. We typically have some sort of PFP a few times per week to stay sharp.” Shibuya put up great numbers in April. Asked what his keys to success were, he said, “I didn't do anything too much different than my normal pitch plan. I tried to work in and out with the fastball and get quick outs on the ground. I'd use some off-speed in certain situations, but for the most part I located well down in the zone. Our catching core in the organization are phenomenal all around and call a great game so it was nice working in sync with them.” In April, Shibuya pitched in various roles. He can pitch one inning, or as he did more often, pitches two or three innings. It’s a role that he enjoys. “I go into the game with the mentality that my job is to get outs, whether that is in the third inning or ninth inning. I feel like I can be pretty versatile and enjoy the different situations.” He is continuing to work on pitches and just wants to get innings. “I have located my fastball and cutter well so far. I would like to continue to improve my breaking ball to be able to get more comfortable with it in different situations. That will come with time and reps I believe. ” As the calendar turned to May, he was promoted to Chattanooga and threw two scoreless innings in his Double-A debut. If the trend continues, the 25-year-old could keep marching up the organizational ladder. So what do you think? I’ve ranked the top six bullpen arms in the Twins organization in April, along with a few more than deserve to be recognized for their great start to their 2015 season. Who would your choice be? How would you rank these guys (and feel free to include others)? Click here to view the article

Thank you Shane... I appreciate it!

This thread is awesome!! Thank you both for the first-hand accounts. I always enjoy reading the perspectives. It is interesting about Berrios "tiring" in the 6th inning of these games. Because of his workout regimine, I have a hard time believing it's actually getting tired. But for some reason, he has struggled in the 5th and 6th at times so far this season.

The Twins reached .500 with their third straight victory over the White Sox on Saturday. Chattanooga also returned to .500 on Saturday with a big win. The Lookouts got big contributions from some major prospects including Jose Berrios, Miguel Sano, Jorge Polanco and Zack Jones. And yes, Byron Buxton’s hot streak continued. In eight games since Doug Mientkiewicz sat him for two games, Buxton is hitting .452 and his batting average has increased from .180 to .284! The Miracle won in dramatic fashion as well!It was a good day in the Twins farm system on Saturday. Read below for all of the scores and highlights. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Norfolk 4 Box Score The game was knotted at three going into the bottom of the ninth inning. Veteran Doug Bernier led off the inning with a double, his second of the season. Shortstop Argenis Diaz was asked to bunt. He got the bunt down and pitcher Pedro Beato threw the ball away, allowing Bernier to score the winning run. Taylor Rogers made the start for the Red Wings. He gave up three runs (2 earned) on seven hits. In seven innings, he walked two and struck out five. He helped himself by picking off two runners as well. Logan Darnell came on for the eighth inning and got two outs. One of those came on a pickoff as well. Lester Oliveros got the final out of the eighth and three outs in the ninth to get the win. He walked one and struck one out. Diaz was 2-3. Reynaldo Rodriguez hit his sixth double. Eric Fryer hasn’t played a lot, but when he does, he has raked! In this game, he was 2-3 with a walk and two doubles, his second and third. He has played in just eight games, but he now has 12 hits in 23 at bats. His slash line is .522/.577/.652 (1.229). CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 6, Jacksonville 3 Box Score Yesterday, I wrote that Byron Buxton is officially back. That trend continued on Saturday night. He doubled in the first inning. He added a triple in his second at bat. In his final at bat, his RBI triple gave the Lookouts some insurance. He was 3-5 in the game with a double and two triples. For a little extra measure, late in the game with a runner on first base, Buxton caught a liner in left centerfield. He then threw out the runner getting back to first base for a big double play, showing off his rocket of an arm. Again, after Doug Mientkiewicz benched him for two games a week ago, Buxton was hitting .180. After today’s showing, he is now at .284. In those eight games, he is hitting .452 (14-31). It was a good day for the big prospects. Jorge Polanco had a big game. He went 2-3 with two walks and his fifth double of the season. He drove in two runs. He also stole his fifth base of the season. Miguel Sano hit his third double off the top of the wall in centerfield. On the mound, Berrios improved to 3-1 with another quality start. He gave up three earned runs on eight hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out nine batters. Cole Johnson worked the next two innings. He gave up two hits, but walked none and struck out four. Zack Jones came on for the ninth inning. He recorded his sixth save in six attempts with a 1-2-3 innings. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 4, Charlotte 3 (11 innings) Box Score In the 11th innings, the Miracle had nobody on and two outs. Michael Quesada walked and was replaced by Chad Christensen on the base paths. Tanner Vavra singles. Engelb Vielma then singled to left and Christensen scored to put the Miracle ahead 4-3. Todd Van Steensel came in and shut the door on the Miracle’s extra-inning win. Alex Swim led the Miracle offense. He went 4-5 in the game and is now hitting .326. Marcus Knecht went 2-4 with his fourth double. Tanner Vavra went 2-5. Ryan Eades made the start for the Miracle. He struggled with his command. He gave up three runs on two hits and five walks in five innings. He struck out four. Alex Muren came on and threw two scoreless innings. Madison Boer struck out three over three scoreless frames. Van Steensel’s save was his first of the year. He struck out one. The bullpen combined for six no-hit, no-run innings to give the team a chance. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Clinton 6 (13 innings) Box Score Third baseman TJ White led off the bottom of the 13th inning with a triple. After a pop-out, Red Wing native Pat Kelly came up and hit a fly ball to left field. Fortunately for the Kernels, and the fans waiting for fireworks after the game, White was safe at home and the Kernels had a one-run win. video by Steve Buhr In the 11th inning, Tanner English had tripled. Because his team had struggled to score runs in the last week, Jake Mauer sent him home but he was thrown out. Down by a run in the bottom of the 9th, it was Nick Gordon who singled in a run to send it to extra innings. Gordon led the offense. He went 3-6 in the game and drove in two runs. TJ White went 2-4 with two walks and the triple. Tyler Kuresa had two hits. Brett Doe hit his first home run. Michael Cederoth started the game for the Kernels. He gave up three unearned runs on three hits. In four innings, he walked five and struck out seven. Randy LeBlanc came in and gave up three runs on four hits and a walk in two innings. CK Irby walked one and struck out four over two scoreless innings. Cameron Booser came on and gave up one hit and two walks in two scoreless innings. He struck out three. Finally, Trevor Hildenberger struck out four batters in three scoreless innings. He gave up just one hit to get the Win. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Madison Boer, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Byron Buxton, Chattanooga Lookouts SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Norfolk @ Rochester (12:35 CST) – RHP Alex Meyer Jacksonville @ Chattanooga (1:15 CST) – RHP Greg Peavey Charlotte @ Ft. Myers (3:05 CST) – LHP Brett Lee Clinton @ Cedar Rapids (2:05 CST) – RHP Felix Jorge Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Saturday games. Click here to view the article

Based on numbers, he's looking really good. Switch-hitting will likely always be a thing. He'll likely have somewhat noticeable splits, but he can be good.

I don't think he'll be in Cedar Rapids more than another start or two, obviously depending on how it goes.

It was an interesting Friday night in the Twins organization. The big league club got a great start from Kyle Gibson to beat the White Sox. The Lookouts’ bats got rolling. The Miracle and Kernels’ bats did not get going. In fact, one of those teams was involved in a no-hitter. As important to the Twins as anything, Byron Buxton remained on fire, collecting three more hits in the game. Continue reading below to find out everything that happened in the organization on Friday.(NOTE - The Weekly Leaderboard will return next week. In the next days, we'll be posting our Twins Daily Minor League Hitter, Starting Pitcher and Relief Pitcher of the Month of April.) TRANSACTIONS There were several transactions in the Minnesota Twins minor leagues on Friday, but the biggest came following the Twins 1-0 win over the Chicago White Sox. Ricky Nolasco is scheduled to start on Saturday, so he and Brian Duensing were reinstated from the disabled list. To make room, the Twins optioned lefties Tommy Milone and Caleb Thielbar. Earlier in the day, the Twins had played RHP Tim Stauffer on the disabled list with a strained right intercostal muscle. He was replaced by Ryan Pressly. Tim Shibuya was promoted from Ft. Myers to Chattanooga to take the roster spot vacated by the suspended Adrian Salcedo. Outfielder Zach Granite was promoted to the Miracle. J.J. Fernandez was activated from the disabled list and back in the Kernels lineup. Keep up with the Twins minor league transactions here. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Norfolk 4 Box Score Lefty Pat Dean, who posted a 0.90 ERA in three April starts, was back on the mound for the Red Wings on this night. He gave up a run in the first inning, but then he put up zeroes until the sixth inning. In all, he gave up four earned runs on 11 hits in 7.1 innings. He walked one and struck out one. A.J. Achter came in with a runner on and one out in the eighth inning, but he got a double play to get out of that inning and then worked a quiet ninth inning. He struck out two in 1.2 scoreless innings. Unfortunately, the Red Wings were not able to muster enough offense to win this one and fell 4-3. Josmil Pinto hit his second home run of the season, a two-run shot. The other run scored on a wild pitch. The Red Wings had just five hits in the game. The only other extra base hit was Danny Ortiz’s third double. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 7, Jacksonville 3 Box Score Let’s start out with this… Byron Buxton is Back!! The talented outfielder struggled mightily to start the season .Through April 22, 50 at-bats, he was hitting just .180. He had nine hits and four of them came in just one game. He had four walks to go with 14 strikeouts. Manager Doug Mientkiewicz gave him the next two games off to clear his head. On Friday night, Buxton went 3-4 with a double. In the seven games since he sat, Buxton has gone 11-26 (.408) with a double, triple and a home run. As important, in those seven games, he has six walks and just one strikeout. Sure, it’s just a week, but it’s certainly encouraging. His batting average is up to .263 for the season. The Lookouts had several bats that came to play on this night. Jorge Polanco went 2-4 with his fourth double. Travis Harrison went 2-4 with his seventh double. Adam Brett Walker was also 2-4. Dalton Hicks and Stuart Turner each doubled. Levi Michael added a triple. Tyler Duffey made the start for the team. The right-hander went the first seven innings. He gave up three runs on just four hits. He walked two and struck out four. Tim Shibuya made his first Double-A appearance after a strong April in Ft. Myers. He walked one and struck out three over two, one-hit innings. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, Charlotte 2 Box Score The positive… Zach Granite made his Florida State debut. He left Cedar Rapids with a ten-game hitting streak. He had a single in the game to extend the now two-league, two-team streak. Niko Goodrum went 2-2 with two walks. Alex Swim went 2-3 with a walk. He scored the team’s lone run. After he doubled, a Jason Kanzler singled plated him. That was it for the offense. Ethan Mildren falls to 0-3 despite giving up just two runs over five innings. He gave up seven hits, walked two and struck out two. Brandon Peterson continued his dominance of the Florida State League. He struck out four in two scoreless innings. He walked one. Brian Gilbert struck out two and walked one in a scoreless frame. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, Clinton 2 Box Score Daniel Missaki came into this game with an 0-1 record, a 4.84 ERA and 27 hits allowed in 22.1 innings pitched. The 19-year-old found a way to keep the Kernels’ bats quiet, even hitless through seven innings. The only blemish was a two-out walk to Trey Vavra in the seventh inning. He was replaced in the eighth inning by Kody Kerski who threw a 1-2-3 inning. Troy Scott came on for the ninth inning. He walked Tanner English with two outs, but he struck out Nick Gordon to end the game and complete the no-hitter. The Kernels struck out 10 times. Clinton, an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, found a way to keep Stephen Gonsalves from beating them. All it took was throwing a no-hitter against his team. I wonder if other teams will try that strategy. The Kernels have scored a total of just seven runs over their last seven games. Gonsalves was good. The lefty gave up two runs on five hits, a walk and a hit batter. He struck out eight. One of the hits was a solo homer off the bat of left fielder Estarlyn Morales. Mike Theofanopoulos struck out one over the final two innings without allowing a base runner. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Stephen Gonsalves, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Byron Buxton, Chattanooga Lookouts SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Norfolk @ Rochester (12:35 CST) – LHP Taylor Rogers Jacksonville @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) – RHP J.O. Berrios Ft. Myers @ Charlotte (5:30 CST) – RHP Ryan Eades Clinton @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) – RHP Michael Cederoth Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Friday games. Click here to view the article

It's all yours on Thursday's report, Eric!! Ha!

That's such a tough thing to know... is he on a hot streak (he's done that before), or have his alterations physically, mentally, mechanically started to take and he can carry it to the big leagues. Obviously there's no way to know that officially, but the Twins should be cautious... That said, he's earning his way up, and that's great to see!

Yeah, I updated the Probable Starters earlier this mornign when I heard that it would be Curtiss (And Hu for Ft. Myers).