Cody Christie

Besides the Twins, the rest of the AL playoff teams could be full of surprises this weekend. Can New York catch Boston and force a playoff game on Monday? Who will clinch home field advantage throughout the AL playoffs? Can the Indians pass the Dodgers for baseball's best record? With a lot of drama still to be decided, the Twins created their own splash on Friday. Miguel Sano was reinstated from the disabled list.Minnesota will finish out the regular season this weekend with a three-game series against Detroit. The Twins have little to play for as they are locked into the second Wild Card spot. Tuesday night will likely see the Twins face off against the Yankees in New York. Sano in the midst of his first All-Star season was a key cog for the Twins in the season's first half. In 111 games this season, he is hitting .267/.356/.514 with 28 home runs and 77 RBI. He has been on the disabled list since August 19 with what has been called a stress reaction in his left shin. By activating him now, Sano is eligible for the playoff roster. Many thought he wouldn't be able to return during the regular season and it is not yet known if he will make an appearance against Detroit. Things took a step in the right direction earlier this week when he took 60 swings at full intensity. This could allow him to be a pinch-hitter if the Twins make it past the Wild Card game. Falvey told the Pioneer Press, "Can I take that outcome? We haven't gotten into that level of conversation around something like that. At this point we wouldn't rule anything out. If Sano does start again this season, it will likely be as a designated hitter. What are your thoughts on Sano being reinstated? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Each short-season league can be a challenge for players to adjust to the pros. Some players are getting their first taste of professional baseball. Others are transitioning from the Dominican Summer League and playing in the United States for the first time. With fewer games than full season leagues, players have less time to make their mark. A smaller sample size can skew a player's overall numbers. However, many of these players are trying to make the organization take notice of their performance. Which players performed well for Elizabethton Twins and the GCL Twins? Let's dive in... Yesterday, Twins Daily announced the Short Season Pitcher of the Year. Throughout the rest of the week, the other minor league awards will be announced. There were some strong performances throughout the minors and these are the next wave of players heading for Target Field. Last season, Lewin Diaz was named the Short-Season Hitter of the Year. He built off that tremendous season with Cedar Rapids this year. Diaz hit .292/.329/.444 with 12 home runs and 33 doubles. The Kernels are attempting to move on in the Midwest League playoffs tonight. Short profiles of our top eight are to follow, but first, some players worthy of honorable mention. These players also received votes. Honorable Mention Matt Albanese, Elizabethton: 42-142, .296/.352/.401 (.754), 3 HR, 0 3B, 6 2B, 19 RBI Shane Carrier, Elizabethton: 48-142, .348/.359/.529 (.888) 5 HR, 0 3B, 10 2B, 32 RBI (does not include stats at Cedar Rapids) Carson Crites, Elizabethton: 45-150, .300/.349/.453 (.803), 4 HR, 0 3B, 11 2B, 30 RBI JJ Robinson, Elizabethton: 39-148, .264/.337/.480 (.817), 9 HR, 1 3B, 3 2B, 36 RBI Alex Robles, GCL Twins: 59-182, .324/.369/.407 (.775), 3 HR, 0 3B, 6 2B, 29 RBI Rainis Silva, Elizabethton: 36-101, .356/.446/.446 (.892), 1 HR, 1 3B, 4 2B, 7 RBI Short-Season Hitter of the Year Here are the top eight places for the Twins Daily Short-Season Hitter of the Year 8. Brent Rooker, Elizabethton: 24-85, .282/.364/.588 (.952), 7 HR, 0 3B, 5 2B, 17 RBI Rooker only played a little over a third of his games in the short-season league but it was enough to make his mark. With his college experience, he made quick work of some of the younger pitching in the GCL. His best stretch of games was an eight-game hit streak from July 4- July 12. During this streak, he hit .500/.600/.923 with five extra-base hits. If Rooker had spent more time in short-season ball, he likely would have been higher on this list. 7. Ben Rodriguez, GCL Twins: 47-162, .290/.399/.457 (.856), 4 HR, 2 3B, 11 2B, 40 RBI It didn't take long for Rodriguez to have his bat heat up. In 20 July games, he hit .343/.443/.507 with eight extra-base hits. Some of these strong number came from his ability to crush left-handed pitching. In 58 at-bats versus lefties, he got on base 50% of the time and combined for a 1.207 OPS. He was facing younger pitchers in over 85% of his plate appearances as he was 2.6 years older than the competition in the GCL. 6. Andrew Bechtold, Elizabethton: 43-144, .299/.406/.424 (.829), 2 HR, 1 3B, 10 2B, 19 RBI During his professional debut, the Twins' fifth-round pick started strongly in July. In 20 games that month, he hit .387/.467/.629 (1.096) with 10 extra-base hits. The majority of his at-bats came against older pitchers who held him to a .747 OPS. With 27 walks in 175 plate appearances, he showed a keen eye at the plate as his OBP ranked third on the E-Twins among players with more than 75 at-bats. 5. JC Arias, GCL Twins: 50-168, .298/.359/.476 (.835), 5 HR, 4 3B, 7 2B, 32 RBI In his second taste of the GCL, Arias was still almost half a year younger than the competition. He was able to post a .490 SLG against older pitchers. Through his first 94 at-bats he compiled a .914 OPS with 10 extra-base hits. Arias, a left-handed batter, did the bulk of his damage against righties. In fact, all of his extra-base hits came against right-handed pitchers where he hit .316/.365/.573. Home games were also a positive for Arias as his OPS was almost 300 points higher at home (1.002 OPS) versus on the road (.703 OPS). 4. Wander Javier, Elizabethton: 47-157, .299/.383/.471 (.855), 4 HR, 1 3B, 13 2B, 22 RBI Javier made his stateside debut in 2017 and it took him a little time to get going. During seven June games, he went 4-for-22 with three of his four hits being for doubles. After the calendar turned to July, he would clobber the baseball. Javier hit .319/.396/.496 (.892) including 15 extra-base hits from July 2 until season's end. Only four of his plate appearances came against younger pitchers. Even though he is a right-handed batter he fared better against righties where his OPS was almost 150 points higher. 3. Royce Lewis, GCL Twins: 36-133, .271/.390/.414 (.803), 3 HR, 2 3B, 6 2B, 17 RBI Lewis, this year's number one overall pick, was an interesting case when it came to voting for the minor league awards. He played 36 games for the GCL Twins before being promoted to Cedar Rapids for the final 18 games. In ten of his first 20 games, he had multiple hits. He started his professional career with a 11 straight games reaching base. He also added 15 stolen bases while also being caught only twice. His batting average increased by 25 points with the jump to the Midwest League so it's safe to say the organization likes their first look at Lewis. 2. Jose Miranda, Elizabethton: 63-223, .283/.340/.484 (.824), 11 HR, 2 3B, 8 2B, 43 RBI As a 19-year-old in the Appalachian League, Miranda was over a year younger than the competition. This didn't stop him from raising his batting average by over 55 points compared his professional debut in the GCL. Miranda, a right-handed batter, compiled an OPS that was 162 points higher versus righties. In 20 games from July 9-August 3, he hit .321/.380/.494 with six extra-base hits with 18 RBI. Only nine of his at-bats came versus younger pitchers so he was doing the bulk of his damage against older pitchers. Another big area of improvement was lowering his strikeouts by more than 10. 1. Akil Baddoo, GLC Twins/Elizabethton: 65-201, .323/.436/.527 (.964), 4 HR, 5 3B, 19 2B, 29 RBI Baddoo started the 2017 campaign in the GCL where he spent the entire 2016 season. He struggled to hit last year (.178/.299/.271) but he made remarkable strides in a return trip through the GCL. He raised his batting average to .267 while combining for a .800 OPS. In the middle of July, he was promoted to the Appalachian League and this is when his season really took off. Ray Smith, the manager of the E-Twins, had glowing reviews when asked about Baddo's impact on joining the team. "Our club seemed to kick it into a higher gear once Akil arrived. Deep in counts, would get on base via walks, base hits, etc. All while showing extra-base pop and occasional home run power. [He] covered ground defensively... ran bases aggressively and showed up everyday." When Baddoo joined the E-Twins, he was 2.3 years younger than the competition. For the season, he got on base over 42% of the time against older pitchers. He hit .357/.478/.579 with 20 extra-base hits over the final 33 games. From July 31 to August 19, he had a 13-game hit streak where he hit .460/.557/.680 with five strikeouts and ten walks. Baddoo, a left-handed batter, posted a 1.013 OPS against righties while still posting a .840 OPS against southpaws. Baddoo "has shown great improvement in the year that we've had him," said Smith. It was "enjoyable to watch him develop both offensively and defensively. A threat in a number of different ways at the top of the order." He went on to say that he's "looking forward to see him patrolling the outfield at Target Field in the near future. There you have it, the top hitters in the short season leagues for the Minnesota Twins in 2017. The Ballots In an attempt to be transparent, here are the votes from our Twins Daily minor league writers: Seth Stohs- 1) Akil Baddoo, 2) Wander Javier, 3) Jose Miranda, 4) Rainis Silva, 5), Royce Lewis, 6) Andrew Bechtold, 7) JC Arias, 8) JJ Robinson Jeremy Nygaard- 1) Akil Baddoo, 2) Royce Lewis, 3) Jose Miranda, 4) Wander Javier, 5) JC Arias, 6) Ben Rodriguez, 7) Andrew Bechtold, 8) Carson Crites Cody Christie- 1) Akil Baddoo, 2) Ben Rodriguez, 3) Shane Carrier, 4) Jose Miranda, 5) Wander Javier, 6) Brent Rooker, 7) JC Arias, 8) Royce Lewis Tom Froemming- 1) Akil Baddoo, 2) Jose Miranda, 3) Brent Rooker, 4) JC Arias, 5) Royce Lewis Steve Lein- 1) Akil Baddoo, 2) Ben Rodriguez, 3) Jose Miranda, 4) Wander Javier, 5) ANdrew Bechtold, 6) Rainis Silva, 7) Shane Carrier, 8) Royce Lewis Eric Pleiss- 1) JC Arias, 2) Royce Lewis, 3) Brent Rooker, 4) Andrew Bechtold, 5) Jose Miranda, 6) Akil Baddoo, 7) Wander Javier, 8) Alex Robles Ted Schwerzler- 1) Akil Baddoo, 2) Royce Lewis, 3) Alex Robles, 4) Wander Javier, 5) Andrew Bechtold, 6) Carson Crites, 7) Jose Miranda, 8) Matt Albanese Feel free to discuss. What do you think of our rankings? How would you rank them? How would your ballot look? View full article

Both the Lookouts and the Kernels found themselves in a do-or-die situation on Sunday. The Lookouts were attempting to become the co-champions of the Southern League after failing to clinch in Game 4 on Saturday. The Kernels lost Game 1 of their three game semifinal series on Saturday which lead to an all-important Game 2 on Sunday. With everything on the line, which players would shine? Could both teams find a way to win?CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 3, Montgomery 2 Box Score It didn't take long for the Lookouts to find themselves in a hole. Dietrich Enns allowed a solo home run to lead off the game and Chattanooga was down 1-0. The lead wouldn't last long as Andy Wilkins smashed a game-tying home run to lead off the second. Enns ran into some more trouble in the fourth. With two outs in the frame, he allowed three consecutive hits before Nick Gordon gunned down a man at the plate. The Lookouts bullpen was outstanding in relief. Randy LeBlanc, Todd Van Steensel, and Anthony McIver combined for five shutout frames to keep Chattanooga in the game. McIver didn't allow a base runner in the final two innings while striking out one. As the bottom of the ninth began, LaMonte Wade stepped to the plate with the Lookouts trailing by one. He had singled to start the frame and put the tying run on base. Jonathan Rodriguez stepped to the plate with a chance to cap off his tremendous season. He cracked a walk-off home run and Chattanooga was crowned co-champions of the Southern League. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Quad Cities 4 Box Score The Kernels took a tough luck loss on Saturday as they fell 5-4 in extra innings to the River Bandits. Since the Midwest League semifinals are a best-of-three series, the Kernels found themselves with their backs against the wall on Sunday afternoon. It was win or go home. After a scoreless first frame, Lewin Diaz led off the second inning with a double. He moved to third on a Caleb Hamilton ground out and came in to score on a Jimmy Kerrigan sacrifice fly. Shane Kennedy kept the inning going with a two-out walk but the biggest hit of the frame came on a Shane Carrier two-run blast to put the Kernels up 3-0. Travis Blankenhorn kept things going in the third inning as he started the frame with a solo shot to right field. With the Kernels up 4-0, Blankenhorn led off the fifth inning with a walk. Aaron Whitefield and Diaz both singled to move Blankenhorn around the bases. Caleb Hamilton doubled to score Whitefield and Kerrington drove in Lewis with a ground out for a 7-0 advantage. Charles Barnes started for Cedar Rapids and pitched five shutout frames. He scattered five hits while striking out three and walking three. The bullpen ran into a little trouble in the sixth inning. Partrick McGuff and Randy Dobnak combined to allow four earned runs with each only collecting one out. Colton Davis picked up the bullpen as he went 2.1 frames and allowed only one hit. Hector Lujan earned his first save this postseason as he struck out one and allowed one hit in the ninth. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Charles Barnes, Cedar Rapids Kernels Hitter of the Day – Jonathan Rodriguez, Chattanooga Lookouts MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Cedar Rapids vs. Quad Cities (5:35 CST) - RHP Tyler Wells (5-3, 3.11 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

Flashback During the 2013 season, Joe Mauer was in the middle of his sixth All-Star season. He was hitting .324/.404/.476 with 46 extra-base hits. The Twins had signed him to an eight-year, $184 million deal following his 2009 MVP and it was looking like he was going to be worth every penny. Things took an unfortunate turn in August as he absorbed at least two significant blows from foul-tips. He was diagnosed with a concussion and his days as a catcher had come to an end. Things would get darker from there but Mauer's career seems have found a renaissance in his age-34 season.The Dark Ages Mauer moved to first base but his offense didn't follow him to his new position. His poor play corresponded with some of the worst seasons in Twins history. This made him an easy target for fans looking for someone to blame for the team's poor results on the field. While many would consider this unfair, he was considered the face of the franchise and the hometown star. His large contract also made it hard to ignore his performance. First baseman has typically been a position for power hitting batters and Mauer didn't fit this mold. From 2014-2016, he hit .267/.353/.380 while averaging eight home runs and 28 doubles. This was a far cry from his .323/.405/.468 line from his first 10 seasons. Mauer just wasn't the same Mauer and there might have been more than concussions to blame. As the 2016 season approached, Mauer told the Pioneer Press "bright sunshine sometimes triggered blurred vision" that he linked to the concussion with which he was diagnosed in August 2013. Picking up the spin of pitches is one of the toughest things for a hitter. Blurred vision might have been one of the reasons Mauer has averaged 100 strikeouts over the last three seasons. The Renaissance Mauer didn't exactly light the world on fire to start the 2017 campaign. He had a .546 OPS in April while only managing a .225 batting average. All four of his extra-base hits were doubles and he had more strikeouts (six) than walks (five). The Twins were only one game over .500 but something would soon click for both Mauer and the Twins. Since the calendar turned to May, Mauer morphed back into the Mauer of old. Since May, he has hit .319/.405/.447 with 34 extra-base hits and a 61/50 strikeout to walk ratio. Those numbers are nearly identical to his totals from his first ten seasons in the league. Minnesota has also found a way to continue to win games as the club finds itself in the middle of the hunt for the final wild card spot. Along with Mauer's offensive turnaround, he has also developed into one of the best defensive first basement in the American League. Mauer is one of a group of Twins players who could be in line for a Gold Glove. In SABR's most recent SDI rankings, Mauer has fallen further back in the rankings but Twins fans know how valuable his glove has been this season especially with a young left side of the infield. Mauer is signed through the 2018 season and he has been one of the best players in team history. His renaissance this season has been something to appreciate. His days as the punching bag of fans' jokes might be over and one can only hope that a return to the Dark Ages isn't in store for the Twins franchise. Click here to view the article

Labor Day Weekend is here and with it comes what many consider the last weekend of summer. For baseball fans, this means the playoffs are right around the corner. Luckily for fans of the Twins organization almost every affiliate will be competing in postseason play. Only the Red Wings have yet to clinch a playoff birth. The GCL and Elizabethton Twins started their playoff journeys on Sunday. Rochester entered Sunday with a two-game lead in the wild card race. What kind of drama would unfold? Read on to find out.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Pawtucket 7 Box Score Entering play on Sunday, Rochester held their playoff fate in their own hands. The club was leading the wild card standings with two games to play. Lehigh Valley was the only other club still in the race and they had a doubleheader on Sunday where they could make up some ground. Both Robbie Grossman and Hector Santiago were scheduled to start for Rochester as part of their rehab assignment. Santiago struggled on the mound by allowing five earned runs on eight hits including two home runs. He struck out four and walked two. Chris Heston allowed one solo home run in three innings of work. Drew Rucinski finished off the game with two shutout innings. Matt Hauge was the lone bright spot at the plate. He went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles as he reached 30 doubles on the season. Daniel Palka picked up both RBI in the game as part of a 1-for-4 effort. Lehigh Valley won their first game on Sunday to cut the Red Wings wild card lead to 0.5 game. In their second game of the day, they would win again which means the two clubs will enter play on Monday tied in the wild card standings. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Montgomery 1 Box Score It took five innings for the Lookouts bats to wake up but they continued to roll against Montgomery. Chattanooga has won 14 of their last 15 games against Montgomery including wins in the last six games. Randy LeBlanc had a lot to do with tonight's win as he tossed eight innings of one-run ball. He struck out seven and didn't issue a free pass. Todd Van Steensel closed out the ninth with two strikeouts. Edgar Corcino has been destroying Biscuits pitching in this series. In all four games, he's recorded multiple hits. His biggest hit in this game was a three-run home run. For the series, Corcino is 9-for-19 with two doubles, a home run, and seven RBI. LaMonte Wade, Ryan Strausborger, and Alex Perez all had multi-hit games. Brian Olson was the only starter that failed to reach base. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Jupiter 7 Box Score In the regular season finale, the Miracle didn't have much on the line. Monday will be an off-day for the club before Game 1 of the 2017 FSL South Division Championship series against the Palm Beach Cardinals on Tuesday at Hammond Stadium. Brent Rooker and Jermaine Palacios both went 2-for-4 with Palacios collecting a double and a triple. Zander Wiel collected his 30th double of the season. Kevin Garcia went 1-for-4. The team went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base. Brady Anderson pitched four innings and allowed two runs on five hits while striking out five. Eduardo Del Rosario was hit around for five earned runs while walking three. Alex Robinson, Williams Ramirez, and Michael Theofanopoulos combined for four shutout innings to end the game. Ramirez struck out three over two innings. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Beloit 3 Box Score Royce Lewis started the game by reaching base on a fielding error but he was removed from the game. He left the field under his own power and was replaced by Trey Cabbage. Tommy Watkins had this to say after the game: Cabbage came around to score on a Caleb Hamilton single and the Kernels had an early 1-0 lead. Randy Dobnak tossed seven strong innings, allowing two runs over seven frames. He struck out one and walked one on the way to a no-decision. Jordan Gore and Travis Blankenhorn both doubled in the eighth to help the Kernels tie the game. Ryan Mason took over for Dobnak and had to deal with a bunch of bunts by Beloit. The first batter of the inning bunted and moved to second on a wild pitch. After a sacrifice bunt and a walk, Jesus Lopez used a squeeze bunt to push across the winning run. The Kernels host the Kane County Cougars in Game 1 of the MWL Western Division Quarterfinals on Wednesday, September 6th. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 2, Greeneville 3 (Appalachian League Playoffs- Game 1) Box Score- Best-of-3 Series J.J. Robinson staked the E-Twins to an early lead with a lead-off home run in the top of the second inning. Bailey Ober got the Game 1 start and quickly gave back a run in the bottom of the second. Overall, he allowed two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and no walks. It was his second start out of his last three where he pitched six innings and allowed two runs or fewer. Akil Baddoo, the Twins Minor League Player of the Week, walked to start the top of the eighth. With two outs in the frame, Jose Miranda doubled to right field and Baddoo came around to tie the game. Jared Finkel saw the lead evaporate in the bottom half of eighth. With one out, Wilson Amador singled and this was followed by Juan Pineda triple that became the game-winning hit. The E-Twins have to win each of the next two games to advance in the Appy League Playoffs. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 0, GCL Nationals 4 (GCL Semifinals) Box Score The GCL Twins couldn't get their offense firing on all cylinders in this one as only three batters in the line-up managed to record a hit. Benjamin Rodriguez and Taylor Grzelakowski both went 2-for-4 with a double but neither batter was able to come around and score. Kerby Camacho was the only other Twins hitter to record a hit as he went 1-for-2. Overall, the team went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base. Third-round pick Blayne Enlow started for the GCL and made it through five innings. He allowed three earned runs (four total runs) on five hits with six strikeouts and one walk. Kevin Marnon and Derek Molina combined for three shutout innings in relief with Molina recording strikeouts for three of the five outs he collected. The GCL Twins saw their season come to a heartbreaking end but there were plenty of strong performances throughout the season. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Randy LeBlanc, Chattanooga Lookouts (8.0 IP, 1 ER, 7 K, 0 BB) Hitter of the Day – Edgar Corcino, Chattanooga Lookouts (2-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Pawtucket (12:35 CST) - LHP Adalberto Mejia (0-1, 3.04 ERA) Chattanooga vs.Mississippi (1:15 CST) - RHP Ryan Eades (3-3, 3.87 ERA) Fort Myers- Scheduled Off-Day Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (2:00 CST) - TBD Elizabethton vs. Greeneville (6:00 CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

He failed as a shortstop. He failed as a starting pitcher. By the time he was in his late 20's, red flags surrounded his professional career. Nathan underwent shoulder surgery and couldn't find success in the upper minors. How did the Twins identify one of the best relief pitchers in history?The San Francisco Giants started Joe Nathan's professional baseball career by making him a sixth-round pick in the 1995 MLB Draft. Nathan played his high school and college career as a shortstop and he became only the second player ever selected out of Stony Brook University. It was a humble beginning for who would become one of baseball's all-time best closers. Nathan began his professional career as a 20-year old in Low-A. In 56 games, he hit .232/.320/.345 with 12 extra-base hits. He struggled on the defensive side of the ball by committing 26 errors in 252 chances (.897 fielding percentage). The Giants had seen enough, as this would be Nathan's lone professional season at shortstop. He would spend the 1996 season transitioning to the pitching mound. Transitioning To The Mound His pitching debut would come a full season later (1997) at the Low-A level where he split time as a starter and a relief pitcher. He posted a very good 2.47 ERA but his other numbers showed he was still transitioning to pitching. In 62 innings, he posted a 1.26 WHIP and only had 6.4 strikeouts per nine. There were positive signs but still plenty of areas for improvement. San Francisco envisioned Nathan as a starter and he spent the entire 1998 season in that role. His time at High-A saw him compile a 3.32 ERA with 1.21 WHIP. He had a 118 to 48 strikeout to walk ratio over 122 innings. After being promoted to Double-A, he struggled in four starts. He allowed 15 runs in 15.1 innings with 10 strikeouts and nine walks. He was almost a year and a half younger than the competition in the Texas League so the Giants still viewed him as a strong prospect. During the next season, Nathan spent more time at the big league level than in the minor leagues. At Double-A and Triple-A, he posted 4.32 ERA and struggled with a 1.39 WHIP. His MLB time wasn't much better as he allowed 42 runs in 90.1 innings (4.18 ERA). In 14 of his 19 appearances, he was used as a starter but he did finish two games and earn his first big league save. Broken Prospect There was still hope for Nathan's prospect status as the calendar turned to 2000. However, he would become a broken prospect over the next handful of seasons. By the end of 2001, he was a 26-year old coming off shoulder surgery with a 7.29 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A. During this time he walked 70 and struck out just 54 in 108 innings. There were plenty of red flags surrounding him. These red flags wouldn't go away in 2002. Nathan was a year older at age-27 and he was a year removed from major shoulder surgery. He got hit around for a 5.60 ERA while walking 74 and striking out 117 in 146 innings. For his final two seasons at Triple-A, he was not a good pitcher and he was already in his late 20's. As a scout, this would not exactly scream that this was the type of pitcher a team should go after. Diamond In The Rough Luckily, the Twins saw something in Nathan that the Giants might have missed. During his last season in San Francisco, he played the entire year at the big league level, making 78 appearances out of the bullpen. He posted an ERA under 3.00 for the first time at any level since 1997. This was enough for Minnesota to consider him a potential closer and get him included in the trade for AJ Pierzynski. Bullpen pitchers can take a lot of routes to becoming effective big league players. Nathan's minor league journey was full of ups and downs before he transformed into one of the best relievers in baseball history. Click here to view the article

Lofty expectations surrounded a young, high school outfielder when the Twins drafted Byron Buxton with the second overall pick in 2012. Most national entities ranked him as the best player in the draft class. His run to the big leagues included some ups and downs but there was still hope, even at the beginning of this year, for all of his tools to turn him into a star player. This season has been full of some of the same ups and downs that he saw in his minor league career. However, might Buxton have finally turned the corner? Can he live up to those lofty expectations from five years ago?Broken It's no secret how bad Buxton looked at the plate during the early part of this year. Through the season's first 15 games, he hit .082/.135/.122 with 24 strikeouts. Things started to get a little better in May as he was hitting .171 through May 21 while getting on base over 26% of the time. He was averaging more than a strikeout per game and he could hardly use his speed on the bases because he wasn't getting on base frequently enough. Buxton had dug himself quite the hole. Even as the calendar was flipping to July, his offensive numbers were struggling to recover. He had a .552 OPS, 0.88 ISO, 47 wRC+, and a 31.8 percent strikeout rate. Something needed to click and Twins hitting coach James Rowson may have been the man with the cure. Booming Rowson explained Buxton's revamped approach at the plate in simple terms. "Plate discipline comes from being aggressive, not from being passive at the plate," he said. "We're looking to hit, not take. If I don't think that's a pitch I can drive, I want to take it. I think that he's starting to come into his own to distinguish the difference between those two pitches." Buxton needed to stop worrying about his overall numbers and start focusing on each at-bat. He's now starting to use his lower body to generate more power and the results have been clear. Buxton has a 1.003 OPS since July 1 with nine home runs, two triples and four doubles. His speed has become a factor as he's swiped 11 bases in that time without being caught. Golden Future Athleticism will always be a key part of Buxton's game. As I wrote last week, he could be well on his way to his first Gold Glove. His 23 defensive runs saved ranks second among AL outfielders. According to Statcast's Catch Probability, he's made more four star catches (26-50% chance of being caught) than anyone in baseball and he's caught the highest percentage of those opportunities as well. Buxton might not be the Paul Bunyan-like slugger that fans saw in Toronto this weekend but he seems to have found something special in the season's second half. The Twins are in the hunt of the playoffs and a 23-year old Buxton is living up to some lofty expectations. Do you think Buxton has turned the corner for good? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Defense has been one of the key aspects of Minnesota's turnaround in 2017. On their way to over 100 losses last season, there were plenty of defensive flaws. However, this year's version of the Twins has given more playing time to some younger, more athletic players while some veteran players have made strides in the right direction. How do the Twins stack up this season? How many players could be candidates for Gold Glove Awards?Defensive metrics have come a long way over the last decade. With organizations and other private companies tracking every batted ball, the amount of information available to fans is at an all-time high. The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) has developed the SABR Defensive Index (SDI). According to SABR's website, the SDI "draws on and aggregates two types of existing defensive metrics: those derived from batted ball location-based data and those collected from play-by-play accounts." This rankings were through games played in the first half of the season. Catcher: Jason Castro SDI Ranking: 4.6 (2nd in the AL) While Castro hasn't completely lived up to his billing, he has been good behind the plate. Only Martin Maldoado of the Angels ranks higher than Castro. There's a chance that Castro could end up being a finalist for the Gold Glove but he is in a tight race with Sandy Leon and Yan Gomes all being within 0.6 SDI points. Last season, Castro compiled a negative SDI score so he has made some very strong strides this season. First Base: Joe Mauer SDI Ranking: 3.0 (2nd in the AL) Mauer has been known for his athletic ability since he was a multi-sport athlete in high school. When Mauer was forced to move out from behind the plate, many thought he would be able to develop into a very good defensive first baseman. This season might be the culmination of all of his hard work since switching positions. Only former Twin Danny Valencia ranks higher than Mauer. He has also accumulated almost double his SDI score from 2016. Center Field: Byron Buxton SDI Ranking: 12.7 (1st in the AL) Anyone who has watched the Twins this season knows how good Buxton has been on the defensive side of the ball. With his recent offensive turnaround, it's hard not to get excited about his bright future. Of all of the players in the AL, only Mookie Betts has compiled a higher SDI score through the season's first half. Lorenzo Cain is the closest center fielder to Buxton but he has less than half the SDI score that Buxton has compiled. Buxton could start clearing a spot in his trophy room but there are other things that go into the voting process. Right Field: Max Kepler SDI Ranking: 3.9 (2nd in the AL) In the early part of the season, I identified Kepler as one of a trio of players who was helping spur Minnesota's defensive turnaround. Kepler trails only Mookie Betts in the AL right field rankings but he is over 10 SDI points behind the AL leader. This will be a tough hill to climb in the second half but it doesn't take anything away from the strong season Kepler has put together in the outfield. In the minor leagues, he started fewer games in right field than in any other outfield position. If he continues to make strides at his new position, a Gold Glove could be in his future. Minnesota hasn't had a Gold Glove winner since 2010. Could Mauer or Buxton end the streak? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Building a winning culture in an organization starts in the minor leagues. There has been a lot of losing in Minnesota leading into this season's surprise hunt for the playoffs. However, the Twins have been building up a solid young core throughout the organization which has started to garner some results.Nate Rowan, the PR guru for the Rochester Red Wings, tweeted out an interesting fact. Entering play on Sunday afternoon, the Minnesota Twins affiliates had the best collective winning percentage in the minors at .595 (396-270). This was a percentage point ahead of the Yankees (453-309). Could the Twins affiliates continue their winning ways? RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 6, Louisville 13 Box Score Rochester pitchers allowed runs in each of the first four innings including a big seven-run fourth frame to put themselves well behind in this one. Stephen Gonsalves was roughed up as he was charged with six earned runs in only three innings. He gave up three home runs and walked three on the way to his first Triple-A loss. It was the first time he allowed six earned runs or more since last July and it was the first time in his professional career he allowed multiple home runs. Heck, he only allowed three home runs all of last season. Things didn't go well for Mason Melotakis in relief of Gonsalves. He couldn't make it out of the fourth inning and was charged with seven earned runs. He walked four and struck out one. Luke Bard and Leonardo Reginatto combined for 4.1 shutout innings. Bard struck out three in 2.1 frames and Reginatto was perfect over the final two. Niko Goodrum and ByungHo Park each went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. JB Schuck and Anthony Recker each had multi-hit games. Shuck added his 24th double and a pair of RBI. In the entire game, the team didn't record a walk while going 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 11, Tennessee 6 Box Score Chattanooga pounded out multiple runs in the second, third, fourth, and fifth innings to outlast Tennessee. Even with 17 hits, Brian Olson was the lone Lookouts batter to record an extra-base hit. Seven of the nine batters in the line-up recorded multiple hits and all but two batters had at least one RBI. Jonathan Rodriguez and Andy Wilkins each reached base four time while scoring three runs apiece. T.J. White went 3-for-5 with five RBI. Lewis Thorpe made his Double-A debut and tossed six innings. He allowed four runs on five hits (two home runs) while striking out seven and walking two. Todd Van Steensel pitched two scoreless innings of relief. Sam Clay ran into some trouble in the ninth as he walked five batters, so Gabriel Moya was called on for his 22nd save. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Tampa 3 Box Score Fort Myers jumped out to an early lead in this one with Sean Miller getting things going in the first. He singled in front of a pair of walks by Brandon Lopez and Brent Rooker. Miller scored on a balk to put the Miracle up 1-0 but the offense went cold until the late innings. Brady Anderson started for Fort Myers and kept the game close. Errors by Zander Wiel and Mitchell Kranson meant that only one earned run was charged to Anderson. He threw five innings and struck out one but was still saddled with a tough-luck loss. Anthony McIver, Michael Kohn and Alex Muren each pitched a shutout inning to keep the game close. With one out in the eighth inning, Wiel tried to make up for his error earlier in the game. He clocked his 11th home run of the season to cut the lead to 3-2. Rooker would get a shot in the ninth with two runners in scoring position but he would be called out on strikes to end the game. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 12, Beloit 2 Box Score Royce Lewis and Travis Blankenhorn each posted a four-hit game as part of a season-high 23-hit effort for the Kernels. All 10 Kernels batters reached safely. Cedar Rapids plated one run in the first, second and fourth innings before exploding for six runs in the fifth. Lewin Diaz went 3-for-3 with a double and three RBI. Jimmy Kerrigan, Shane Carrier and Joe Cronin all had multiple extra-base hits with Kerrigan falling a home run short of the cycle. Tyler Beardsley was able to coast through six innings by allowing one earned run on eight hits. He struck out four and didn't issue a walk. He hadn't earned a win since May 3 so this one had to feel good. It was the first time Beardsley hadn't allowed multiple earned runs since July 8, which was only a three-inning stint. Ryan Mason allowed one earned run in his two innings of work. Max Cordy finished off the ninth by striking out the side. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 2, Johnson City 8 Box Score The E-Twins were up 2-0 after three innings but the bullpen faltered as the Cardinals scored multiple runs in the fifth and sixth frames. Akil Baddoo walked to start the first and moved to third on a Wander Javier double. Jose Miranda drove in Baddoo with a single but Javier was thrown out at home. Javier started the third with a double and eventually scored on a Kolton Kendrick sacrifice fly but that was the end of the club's scoring. Brusdar Graterol started and only gave up one hit in four shutout innings. He struck out five and walked one. Melvi Acosta took the loss as he allowed five earned runs over two innings. Rickey Ramirez also ran into some trouble as he walked five in 2.2 frames. Juan Gamez was asked to get the final out of the game and he got a strikeout. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Tyler Beardsley, Cedar Rapids Kernels (6.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 K, 0 BB) Hitter of the Day – Jimmy Kerrigan, Cedar Rapids Kernels (3-for-5, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Scranton/WB (6:05 CST) - LHP David Hurlbut (8-7, 3.56 ERA) Chattanooga vs.Mississippi (6:15 CST) - RHP Zack Littell Fort Myers- Scheduled Off-Day Cedar Rapids vs. Beloit (12:05 CST) - RHP Tyler Wells Elizabethton vs. Johnson City (6:00 CST) - RHP Nick Brown (1-1, 4.70 ERA) GCL Twins vs. GCL Orioles (9:00 am CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

The Twins are at a crossroads. When Derek Falvey and Thad Levine were brought into the fold last off-season, there was one stipulation: Paul Molitor would remain manager. One year later and the new regime finds themselves at an interesting point. Should Molitor, a Hall of Fame player and St. Paul native, return for another season? Or does the new regime want to bring in another manager who fits their own mold?The Positive Molitor has managed three seasons and in two of those years he has had the Twins in surprise contention for the playoffs. During his rookie managerial season, the Twins fought off their recent losing trend as the club was in the playoff hunt until the season's last weekend. An 83-79 record was a vast improvement compared to four straight 90-loss seasons under Ron Gardenhire. Players like Brian Dozier, Eddie Rosario and Miguel Sano posted strong numbers at the plate under the leadership of a Hall of Fame hitter. The 2017 campaign has been up and down to say the least. Minnesota somehow finds themselves in the thick of the wild card race even though they have been outscored by over 50 runs. A young core of Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton and Max Kepler are supplementing a rotation led by Ervin Santana and Jose Berrios. For the second time in three years, Molitor has the Twins in position to make the playoffs which is something the Twins haven't seen since 2010. The Negative It's hard to forget how bad the Twins were in 2016. The team fumbled and stumbled their way to a franchise-worst 103 losses. Moving Sano to the outfield was a disaster while the pitching staff was one of the worst in the game. In the end, the Twins fired long-time general manager Terry Ryan. A roster reconstruction was needed and Minnesota's young core needed more time to develop. It was time for a change but the team's ownership stood behind Molitor. As the hunt started for men to lead the baseball operations department, Twins owner Jim Pohlad made it clear that Paul Molitor wasn't going anywhere. Some thought this might have handcuffed the Twins in their search for new front office personnel. However, the Twins have rarely made changes under Pohlad ownership. For example, the team has employed only three managers since the 1987 campaign. With changes happening in the front office, it was an interesting stance for the owner to take, and now the future is murky. The Future Molitor's three-year contract is expiring at season's end and this time Pohlad isn't insisting on him returning as manager. He told the Star Tribune that he wants Molitor back for 2018 but that will be up to Derek Falvey and Thad Levine. Pohlad said, "I know how much they value the relationship between them and the manager, and the engagement with the whole baseball staff. They are going to make the decision." It will be a decision that won't be made until after the 2017 campaign. Falvey and Levine have already been making changes to the front office. Longtime executive and current scout Wayne Krivsky was fired along with four other scouts. Part of the agreement when Falvey joined the Twins was that he couldn't bring any scouts with him from Cleveland during his first year. That calendar year will be expiring soon and the new front office wants some fresh faces. "The Twins are a proud, historic franchise with a lot of people who are deeply connected to the organization," Falvey said. "We didn't want to make a lot of changes at the outset and bring in a whole new staff. We set a new direction and vision, let people know what expectations were of them, and then let people do their jobs. And we're learning a lot about people." Has Molitor met the expectations of the new front office? Do the Twins need to make the playoffs for him to save his job? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Royce Lewis, Minnesota's #1overall pick, did little to disappoint in his Midwest League debut on Saturday. He collected a career-high four hits while scoring twice, driving in a run and stealing a base. He seemed to show Twins faithful that he was ready for the big promotion, skipping over Elizabethton. It was going to be tough to live up to the hype after his fantastic first game. What could he do for an encore on Sunday?RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Norfolk 3 Box Score Rochester found themselves down 3-1 as they stepped to the plate in the fifth inning. Lucky enough for them, Tim Melville and a pair of bullpen arms combined for five straight shutout innings to end the game. Melville collected two outs in the seventh before ending his day and was credited with his fourth win. He hasn't lost in over a month and he has pitched into the seventh inning in four of his last five appearances. Nik Turley finished off the seventh and pitched the eighth for his first hold. Alex Wimmers earned his sixth save with a perfect ninth inning. Zack Granite used his speed to create a run in the first inning. He led off with a single and hustled all the way to third on a Mitch Garver single. Kennys Vargas brought him home with a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1-1. In the fifth inning, Engelb Vielma reached on a fielding error which allowed him to get all the way to second. Daniel Palka used a two-out single to plate the run and cut the lead to 3-2. The sixth inning was when the Red Wings were finally able to take the lead. Kennys Vargas singled to start the inning. Niko Goodrum got a pitch down the middle of the plate and parked it for a go-ahead two-run homer. It was his first home run since July 26th and he set a new career-high with his tenth home run of the season. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Birmingham 7 Box Score Fernando Romero was scheduled to start on Sunday but he is closing in on his innings limit for the season. This meant a shift in the Lookouts rotation with Felix Jorge getting the nod on Sunday and DJ Baxendale taking Monday's start. Things didn't go smoothly for Jorge as he failed to make it through five innings for the first time since July 23rd. He left the game after being charged with three earned runs on five hits with six strikeouts and three walks. Randy Rosario cleaned up the fifth inning and pitched the sixth to help keep the Lookouts in the game. Rehabbing Glen Perkins ran into a rough spot in the seventh after having seen Chattanooga tie the game in the top half of the frame. He walked a batter, got a sacrifice bunt, struck out a batter, and walked another batter. With two outs, he was removed with runners on the corners. Sam Clay replaced Perkins and walked the first three batters he faced but both of those runs were charged to Perkins. Overall, Clay was charged with five walks and he was asked to collect only four outs. Nick Gordon started the sixth with his 27th double and then moved to third on a Edgar Corcino single. LaMonte Wade brought him in with a sacrifice fly to start the team's scoring. Max Murphy doubled to start the seventh inning and moved to third on back-to-back walks from Carlos Paulino and Alex Perez. A wild pitch allowed all three runners to advance with Murphy scoring. Levi Michael brought in a run with a ground out. Gordon walked to load the bases again before Corcino singled to drive in another run. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 11, Dunedin 7 Box Score Every batter in the Miracle line-up reached base as the team pounded out 14 hits and 11 runs. Tanner English and Zander Wiel led the way with each reaching base four times. English had a pair of doubles and scored three runs while Wiel fell a home run short of the cycle. Jermain Palacios drove in three runs as part of a multi-hit day. Brandon Lopez didn't record a hit but reached base three times on free passes. Brady Anderson allowed one earned run on four hits with a strikeout and a walk. Keaton Steele pitched three innings as he allowed two hits and one earned run. Tom Hackimer pitched to six batters in the ninth and didn't record an out. He was charged with five runs on two hits with four walks. Alex Muren was called on to collect the final three outs. He allowed one hit and he struck out two. Both runs scored with Muren on the mound were charged to Hackimer. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Quad Cities 6 Box Score Things were looking glum for the Kernels even though the club held an early 3-1 lead. Charlie Barnes got knocked around for five runs in the third inning to see the team's lead evaporate. This included three home runs and one of those home runs was a grand slam. Evan Sanders and Patrick McGuff combined to pitched six shutout innings while only allowing one hit. This kept things close and set up a dramatic bottom of the ninth. With the Kernels down by three, Jimmy Kerrigan and Lewin Diaz singled to start the frame. Caleb Hamilton walked to load the bases before a Shane Carrier run-scoring single cut the lead to two. Trey Cabbage walked in a run and then Joe Cronin sent everyone home happy with a walk-off single. Royce Lewis was held to a 1-for-4 effort but he did score a run. Carrier finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBI and a double. Aaron Whitefield collected his eleventh home run of the year, a two-run shot. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 12, Johnson City 1 Box Score The E-Twins used some timely hitting and a strong start from Melvi Acosta to move 11 games over .500. Acosta earned his fifth win by tossing seven innings of one-run ball. The seven innings were the most he's thrown since July 22nd of last season. Jovani Moran pitched two scoreless innings to end the game while collecting strikeouts for five of the six outs he recorded. No batter in the E-Twins line-up had more than two hits but every starter reached base at least once and scored at least one run. Kolton Kendrick, Andrew Bechtold, Mark Contreras and Matt Albanese all had two-hit games. Contreras drove in four runs including a two-run shot. Three of his four RBI came with two outs in the inning. Bechtold added a pair of doubles to bring his season total to nine. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Melvi Acosta, Elizabethton Twins (7 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 2 BB) Hitter of the Day – Tanner English, Fort Myers Miracle (4-for-4, 2 2B, 3 R) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester - Scheduled Off-Day Chattanooga @ Birmingham (7:05 CST) - RHP DJ Baxendale (0-0, 9.00 ERA) Fort Myers vs. Lakeland (6:05 CST) - LHP Lewis Thorpe (3-4, 2.86 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Burlington (6:30 CST) - RHP Tyler Beardsley (3-6, 5.63 ERA) Elizabethton @ Johnson City (6:00 CST) - RHP Nick Brown (1-1, 4.24 ERA) GCL Twins vs. GCL Rays (11:00 am CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

The dust has settled on the trade deadline and Twins fans might be left with a feeling of wanting more. Minnesota made multiple trades as the deadline approached but no major moves to shake-up the organization. Fans were left wondering, Why wasn't the front office more active? For Twins fans, the last week and a half has been a disaster. With the team looking like they were in contention, the front office dealt for Jaime Garcia. He would be in another organization less than a week later as the Twins have found themselves falling out of contention. Garcia is gone and the Twins are left wondering what happened in their recent road trip. With the Twins falling to the wayside, many fans pivoted into the mindset of being sellers. Most of the comments I have seen on social media revolve around what could the Twins get for some of their top trade pieces. Unfortunately, the value for Minnesota's top pieces isn't as high as some fans would like it to be.Brandon Kintzler In the midst of his first all-star season, Brandon Kintzler seemed like a logical trade candidate. His value was high (maybe the highest it has ever been) and he would become a free agent at season's end. Reports had multiple teams being interested in his services but the Twins were "remaining patient" as the likes of Brad Hand and Zach Britton were yet to be dealt. As the deadline came and passed, the Twins pulled the trigger and sent Kintzler to Washington for left-handed pitching prospect Tyler Watson, the Nationals' 17th best prospect according to MLB.com. Teams can see through the cobwebs. Kintzler isn't the same type of closer as last year's big trade pieces, Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller. Kintzler doesn't have the same type of relief pitching resume but he has been very efficient since taking over the as the Twins closer last season. He wasn't going to bring back a top tier prospect but the Twins did well to get something for a rental piece. Ervin Santana Santana's first half of 2017 made it seem like he would be a strong trade candidate if the Twins became sellers. Through his first 13 starts, he posted a 2.20 ERA while holding opponents to a .154 batting average. During that stretch, he had three complete games and other teams were still looking for their first complete game. His last eight starts have seen him come back down to earth. In them he has a 5.63 ERA while opponents are hitting .315/.366/.579. One positive surrounding Santana is the fact that he isn't a rental player. He is under contract through 2018 for $13.5 million with a $14 million team option for 2019. During the final year of the contract, Santana would be in his age-36 season so he isn't exactly in the prime of his career. However, it did seem conceivable for him to be a difference-making piece for a team looking for rotation depth. Brian Dozier Dozier seemed destined for a trade last off-season as the new regime was set to make their mark on the organization. The Dodgers seemed like the most likely landing spot but the deal never got done. Most reports had Los Angeles offering Jose De Leon, one of the club's best pitching prospects, for Dozier. Minnesota didn't budge as they wanted more than one prospect for Dozier and the deal fell through. Eventually, De Leon was dealt to the Rays for second baseman Logan Forsythe. While Dozier's 2016 campaign was one for the record books, 2017 has been average. His batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage are all back down to his career averages. He's on pace to hit over 22 home runs for the fourth consecutive season but he would need to go on quite the tear to get anywhere near his 42 home runs from a year ago. I've also been critical of his defense in the past and those numbers haven't made major improvements this season. While Twins fans waited patiently for the club to sell, the real truth might be that the club's pieces weren't as valuable as fans had hoped. The Twins will be closer to contending during the 2018 campaign so the front office's real test might come this off-season as the club builds for the next handful of seasons. What are your thoughts on the Twins key trade pieces? Should the team have tried to sell more? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

This time of year can be a vicious time in the minor leagues. While some teams are fighting for a playoff spot, some players don't know the organization they will be playing for later in the week. In the age of social media and constant updates, it has to be unnerving to go to bed and not know if you will be moving across the country. Two players will join the Twins systems as part of a deal for Jaime Garcia. Right-handed pitcher Zack Littell and LHP Dietrich Enns with Enns being assigned to Rochester and Littell headed to Chattanooga. Littell was ranked as high as the #20 prospect in the Yankees organization. Also, pitchers Charlie Barnes and Bryan Sammons have been promoted from Elizabethtown to Cedar Rapids.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Toledo 0 Box Score Byron Buxton and ByungHo Park both homered to back up a stellar start from Aaron Slegers. Slegers tossed eight shutout innings by scattering four hits and striking out one. It was the fifth straight game he has pitched into the seventh inning and he has only allowed one earned run over his last four starts. Toldeo had only five opportunities to bat with runners in scoring position. Buxton was pulled early from the game on Saturday with a tight hamstring but he was back in the line-up on Sunday. He led off the top of the sixth inning with a home run. He should be back with the Twins later this week. Park added an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning to help back the strong outing from Slegers It was Park's ninth home run of the year and his third in the last six games. John Curtiss earned his fifth save since being promoted from Chattanooga. He walked two batters for the first time at Triple-A. He struck out the first batter of the ninth but then saw the next two reach with free passes. One runner made it to third but he wiggled out of it for the save. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 6, Montgomery 3 Box Score After a 21-inning game on Saturday, nine innings wasn't enough to decide this contest either. The Lookouts needed two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth to tie things at three. A three-run top of the tenth, and the Lookouts won their 69th game. Stephen Gonsalves started and pitched into the seventh inning. He allowed three runs on six hits with four strikeouts and four walks. It was the first time he had allowed more than three walks this season. A tired Lookouts bullpen was taxed again. Todd Van Steensel pitched 2.1 shutout innings with a strikeout and two walks. Gabriel Moya took over when Van Steensel got into trouble in the ninth. He made it out of that frame and only allowed one hit in the tenth inning for his first win in the Twins system. TJ White got the scoring started in the seventh inning as he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. One batter later, a wild pitch allowed Max Murphy to scamper home and cut the lead to 3-2. In the eighth inning, Alex Perez and Murphy walked to put runners in scoring position. Jonathan Rodriguez plated a run with a sharp single to right. Rodriguez reached base four times in the game. The 10th inning was a wild mess with two hits, four walks and a wild pitch. It was enough to plate three Chattanooga runs. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 4, Clearwater 0 (Game 1- 7 Innings) Box Score After a two-hour rain delay, the Miracle were able to open up the scoring in the fifth inning. Zander Wiel singled to start the frame before moving to second on a wild pitch. Brandon Lopez drove him in from second with a single and Fort Myers was up 1-0. The Miracle added three insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Wiel and Lopez walked with one out. Jaylin Davis reached on an fielding error by the shortstop to load the bases. Recently promoted Brent Rooker walked to bring in a run. Kevin Garcia brought in a run with a sacrifice fly and Shane Kennedy drove in a run with a two-out single to cap the three-run frame. Anthony McIver started and pitched four scoreless frames. He struck out two, walked one, and limited the Threshers to two hits. Michael Theofanopoulos earned his fifth win,having pitched two scoreless frames in relief. Tom Hackimer finished off the shutout with a perfect final frame. Fort Myers 0, Clearwater 2 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score There was little to write home about for the Miracle in this one. In fact, the team didn't manage a hit as Harold Arauz went the distance and struck out 10. Brandon Lopez was the lone batter to reach base with a walk in the final inning. He made it to second after a ground out but was left in scoring position. Keaton Steele allowed one run on four hits while striking out two. He pitched three frames and didn't allow a walk. Williams Ramirez took over for Steele and tossed two scoreless frames. He only allowed one hit and struck out three. Alex Muren saw one run cross the plate in the final frame. It was an important insurance run for Clearwater to help Arauz finish off the no-hitter. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Lansing 5 Box Score Aaron Whitefield drove in all three runs for the Kernels and stole two bases but his one-man wrecking crew approach didn't lead to a win. A three-run home run in the sixth inning proved to be more of a wrecking ball than what Whitefield provided. Ben Rortvedt and Joe Cronin each reached base twice while Rortvedt scored a pair of runs. Anthony Marzi allowed five runs (four earned) over five innings with five strikeouts and two walks. The pivotal three-run homer was given up by Marzi before had he retired a batter in the sixth. Logan Lombana allowed one base runner over two innings with a pair of strikeouts. Max Cordy continued to put up zeros with two scoreless frames. He limited the LumberKings to one hit. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 9, Bluefield 1 Box Score The E-Twins exploded for nine run on 11 hits to pound the Mets. Every batter in the E-Twins line-up collected a hit. Jose Miranda and Shane Carrier each had multi-hit nights. Andrew Cosgrove knocked his first professional home run. Wander Javier reached base three times and collected his eighth double. Every batter from three through nine in the line-up had at least one RBI. Ryely Widell and Moises Gomez combined for a strong pitching performance. Widell started and tossed four scoreless frames. He struck out six and walked two. He's only allowed one earned run in four professional appearances. Gomez was credited with the win, allowing one earned run over five innings. He struck out five and didn't issue a walk. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Aaron Slegers, Rochester Red Wings (8 IP, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 H) Hitter of the Day – Jonathan Rodriguez, Chattanooga Lookouts (2-for-4, 3 RBI, 2 BB) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester - Scheduled Off-Day Chattanooga @ Montgomery (7:05 CST) - RHP Kohl Stewart (4-5, 3.47 ERA) Fort Myers @ Clearwater (6:00 CST) - RHP Sean Poppen (2-2, 3.42 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. Clinton (6:35 CST) - LHP Charlie Barnes (MWL Debut) Elizabethton vs. Kingsport (6:00 CST) - RHP Melvi Acosta (3-1, 6.30 ERA) GCL Twins @ GCL Rays (11:00 am CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article