Cody Christie

Minnesota has been well represented in recent years at MLB's annual Futures Game. In each of the last two seasons, Jose Berrios has been the Twins representative on the World Team. When the game was played at Target Field in 2014, Berrios was joined by Kennys Vargas and Alex Meyer. The year before that featured Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano in front of the minor leagues' biggest audience. Earlier today, the rosters for the 2016 Futures Game were announced. Relief pitcher JT Chargois will be the Twins lone representative in San Diego. Chargois made his debut earlier this season and it didn't go exactly to plan. Minnesota promptly sent him back to Rochester and he has continued to dominate at that level. Maybe this was his reward for being sent packing after a disastrous debut.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Pawtucket 0 Box Score Miguel Sano continues to shake the rust off with his rehab appearances in Rochester. For the second straight game, Sano hit a home run but he struck out multiple times. Fans will be happy to know that he was back at third base and he wasn't charged with any errors. John Ryan Murphy went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Jose Berrios was dominant on the mound as he had a no hitter going into the seventh frame. In the end, he allowed one hit in seven shutout innings with six strikeouts and two walks. Marcus Walden took over for Berrios and earned his sixth hold. Like Sano, Trevor May is also on rehab assignment. He pitched a perfect bottom of the ninth with a pair of strikeouts for his first save. Rochester continues to clear a path through the International League. The win moved the Red Wings to 13 games over .500. Even with the great record, the club trails Scranton/WB for the top spot in the International League North but leads the wild card standings. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 3, Palm Beach 2 Box Score Fort Myers first baseman Trey Vavra was featured in an MiLB.com video where he talked about playing baseball in Australia and the connections he has to his baseball family. The Miracle have seen multiple starting pitchers move up to Chattanooga and that has resulted in opportunities for other starting pitchers. Fernando Romero was making his second Florida State League and he pitched much better than his first appearance. In 7.0 innings, he allowed two earned runs on four hits while striking out five. More importantly, he didn't allow a walk. Yorman Landa picked up his sixth save, a two-inning outing, with two strikeouts. Joe Maloney collected four hits and Fort Myers needed both of the two runs he drove in. After his MiLB video appearance earlier in the day, Trey Vavra went 2-for-3 with the team's only extra-base hit, his ninth double. Chris Paul and Edgar Corcino both scored runs on the way to the Miracle victory. The win moves Fort Myers back to .500 on the season at 37-37 and the team is 3-2 since the second half started. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 8, Quad Cities 5 Box Score The Kernels popped off five runs in the second inning. Brian Olson drove in a run with a double to start the scoring. Luis Arraez knocked a two-out single to plate a couple more runs. Later in the inning with the bases loaded, Austin Diemer capped off the scoring with his first double. Every hitter in the Kernels line-up collected a hit with Daniel Kihle and Brad Hartong both having multi-hit nights at the plate. Sam Clay made it into the sixth inning by allowing four runs on five hits. With seven strikeouts in this game, he struck out at least seven batters for the third time in his last five starts. Michael Cederoth finished off the sixth for Clay but walked two and allowed two inherited runners to score. Williams Ramirez stopped some of the bleeding as he pitching two innings and didn't allow a run. He struck out three and walked one. Tom Hackimer ran into a little bit of a mess in the ninth but only allowed one run. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 0, Johnson City 2 (Game 1- 7 Innings) Box Score The E-Twins got rained out on Monday night so they got to carry their perfect 4-0 record into Tuesday night's double-header. But all good things must come to an end as Elizabethton suffered its first loss of the season even though they out-hit Johnson City four to two. No member of the E-Twins reached base more than once. The team was limited to one at-bat with a runner in scoring position and Shane Carrier couldn't come through with a hit. Amaurys Minier, Mitchell Kranson, and Bryant Hayman all went 1-for-3. Casey Scoggins collected one hit in his two plate appearances. Sean Poppen took the loss after allowing two earned runs on two hits. He struck out two and walked three in 3.1 innings. Andrew Vasquez finished the final 2.2 frames without allowing a run as he added two strikeouts. Elizabethton 1, Johnson City 3 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score After waiting multiple games and a rain delay for their first loss, the E-Twins suffered two losses in a matter of hours. Elizabethton got out to an early lead on a first inning home run from Jaylin Davis but the offense would go cold from there. The team left five runners on base and went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Bryant Hayman went 2-for-3 with his first double. Jose Martinez tried to make it through five innings but he ran into some trouble in the fifth. He was pulled after allowing three runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings. He struck out three and walked a pair of batters. Johan Quezada finished off the game without allowing a hit as he walked two and struck out three. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 4, GCL Orioles 2 Box Score The GCL Twins pitching staff limited the GCL Orioles to four hits in this game. Taylor Clemensia started and went 3.2 innings by allowing one run with five walks and four strikeouts. Clemensia was relieved by Onas Farfan who struck out four in two shutout innings. Brady Anderson, C.K. Irby, and Patrick McGuff finished off the game by combining to allow three total base runners and striking out four. On the offensive side of the ball, the Twins needed only five hits to push across four runs. Luis Martinez led the way with a 3-for-3 day including two doubles and two runs scored. Akil Baddoo drove in a pair of runs and Dane Hutcheon reached base twice. With the win, the GCL Twins improved to 2-2 at this early juncture of their season. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Jose Berrios, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Luis Martinez, GCL Twins WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Pawtucket (12:35 CST) - LHP Logan Darnell (8-5, 3.29 ERA) Chattanooga @ Pensacola (6:30 CST) - LHP David Hurlbut (5-3, 3.61 ERA) Ft. Myers @ Palm Beach (5:30 CST) - RHP Felix Jorge (7-3, 1.58 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (7:00 CST) - RHP Miles Nordgren (3-3, 2.73 ERA) Elizabethton vs. Pulaski (6:00 CST) - TBD GCL Orioles @ GCL Twins (11:00 am CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Tuesday's games. Click here to view the article

This would make scouting for MLB organizations easier as well. I hope they make the switch soon but it might be awhile.

We stayed in Council Bluffs but it was less than a five minute Uber ride away from downtown. We stuck pretty close to the stadium both nights because that's where most of the action seemed to be centered. I could see where that area would get quiet if there wasn't any games going on.

For baseball fans across the country, attending the College World Series is one of the events on almost everyone's bucket list. The NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament culminates in a multi-week, double-elimination tournament where there is drama and plenty of surprises. I was lucky enough to head to Omaha at the end of last week to take in multiple games over a three day stretch. Here are some of my impressions as the Championship Series gets underway on Monday night.Omaha Overview Omaha has got this event down to a science. The area around the stadium is set up perfectly for fans to enjoy pre-game festivities at local establishments. Fans can then head into the game and after the game there are multiple concerts, food offerings and activities. If you can't find something to occupy your time, you aren't trying very hard. Blatt Beer & Table was our gathering spot before the first game because it was right next to the stadium and it had a roof-top patio to enjoy views of the downtown area. We ran into ESPN's Pedro Gomez at this bar as his son Rio Gomez is a sophomore left-handed pitcher for Arizona. Through out the trip we tried many of the establishments near the field and my group was impressed with the service, food and overall atmosphere. Omaha makes it easy to want to come back to this event again and again. Stadium Experience TD Ameritrade Park is beautiful with all the amenities fans need to enjoy the baseball experience. I spent most of my early time in the park exploring each part of this venue that opened in 2011. You can walk all the way around the concourse and have a pretty good sight lines. Even when I sat in the upper deck for part of a game, it felt like you were still right on top of the action. There were plenty of water stands available to counteract the 90 degree heat. Some things I would like to see improved would be to add in some big fans like those used at Target Field. The lines for concessions were very long during the games which were sold out and this took a little away from the experience. Pace of Play Thursday night's game between Coastal Carolina and Texas Tech was brutal to watch. The official game time is listed at three hours and 48 minutes but it seemed like an eternity. It was an elimination game for both teams so there were seven different pitchers used with no pitcher throwing more than 4.1 innings. Pitchers took a long time between pitches, batters took a long time getting into the box, and coaches visits to the mound lasted too long. I didn't realize how much MLB's new pace of play rules were impacting the game until I had to watch a game where those rules aren't in place. One has to wonder how long it will be before the NCAA starts to implement some of the same rules. Power Outage It is really tough to hit home runs at TD Ameritrade Park. It was amazing to see the positioning of outfielders especially on Friday when the wind was blowing straight in from center field. I made a comment to one of my friends that it almost looked like they were playing at Little League depth. There was no reason to play any further back as the wind played a factor in all the games we attended. Between the three games we attended on Thursday and Friday, we saw a grand total of one home run, a line drive down the third base line that snuck into the bullpen off the bat of TCU's Dane Steinhagen. Some of these teams rely a lot on the long ball during the regular season but it's almost impossible to hit it out in the most important games of the year. Pitcher Usage When it comes to watching a big league game, fans know that a pitcher getting close to 100 pitches is most likely near the end of his time on the mound. MLB organizations are very conscientious about the health of their pitchers and their future in the game. College teams and coaches don't have the same agenda as MLB teams. The incentive in college is to win and to win now, no matter the cost. On Friday night, I witnessed a pitcher throw 137 pitches on the way to a complete game. Andrew Beckwith was an undrafted junior who throws with a side-arm action so there is less stress on his arm. This was his second straight complete game and now his team is in the College World Series Championship. Arizona has also been criticized for their use of pitchers and they might have seen the results of this on Friday afternoon as Nathan Bannister left the game with pain is his forearm. The Wildcats will face Coastal Carolina in the championship but their pitcher usage might have cost them their ace. Attending the College World Series was a dream come true and I'm excited to see who will come out victorious over the next few days. Part of me is rooting for Coastal Carolina since it is their first trip to the College World Series and who knows when they will be back. Feel free to ask any questions in the COMMENTS section about the event and I will try and answer as many questions as I can. Click here to view the article

I blame your parents for not naming you Engelb

For the second time this week, one of the Twins affiliates was hosting their league's All-Star Game festivities. The Fort Myers Miracle hosted the 2016 FSL All-Star Game on Saturday night. Tonight it was the Kernels turn to host the Midwest League All-Star Game in Cedar Rapids. This wasn't the only All-Star Game on the docket for Tuesday night. The Southern League was also holding their own mid-season classic. With plenty of Twins players on both rosters, there's a chance that one or two of them could play a vital role in deciding the outcomes of these exhibition games. Found out below what transpired in the All-Star contests and throughout the rest of the Twins farms system.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 8, Columbus 4 Box Score Rochester found themselves in a pitching duel in the early innings. Jason Wheeler gave up a first inning run but settled in nicely and he was eventually backed up by plenty of run support. Wheeler scattered seven hits and four earned runs over six frames. He struck out three and walked one. Eddie Rosario is making it very clear that he doesn't want to be playing at Rochester anymore. Tonight was a clear indication of that as he went 4-for-4 at the plate with a three-run home run and two doubles. Jorge Polanco might want to follow Rosario to Minnesota as he reached base three times including his 11th double on the season. Kennys Vargas and Adam Brett Walker both added home runs as the Red Wings pounded out 13 hits. Sean Burnett and JT Chargois put up zeros in their innings of work. Chargois has his ERA down to 0.54 with a 37 to 9 strikeout to walk ratio over 28.1 innings. Alex Wimmers struck out two but allowed a run on three hits in the final inning. With the win, Rochester has won nine of their last ten games and moves to 44-28 on the season. In fact, the team has lost only five games the entire month of June. SOUTHERN LEAGUE SHOWDOWN North All-Stars 1, South All-Stars 5 Box Score After a hot-hitting start to the season, Daniel Palka struggled in this exhibition game. Across four plate appearances, he didn't collect a hit and he struck out twice. Mitch Garver started at catcher and he struck out in both of his at-bats. Travis Harrison was a late inning replacement but he managed to go 1-2 with a single. Former Twins prospect Chih-Wei Hu started for the North and allowed one hit in his inning of work. DJ Baxendale pitched two-thirds of an inning and didn't allow a base runner. Trevor Hildenberger made a brief appearance at the end of the game. He came in with two outs in the eighth and was only asked to get the final out for the North. Overall, the North couldn't find enough offense to make-up for the five run inning allowed by Brad Markey, a Chicago Cubs pitching prospect. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 2, Charlotte 1 Box Score Roster Move: Brian Gilbert was placed on the DL and in a corresponding move relief pitcher Michael Theofanopoulos was added from Cedar Rapids. Randy LeBlanc fell into an early 1-0 hole as he allowed a solo home run in the second inning. However, he was able to settle down from there. He lasted six innings while giving up one run on three hits. LeBlanc struck out one and walked three for his first win in the Florida State League. Brandon Peterson kept the game close with two shutout frames as he struck out three. Yorman Landa earned his fourth save with a perfect ninth. On the offensive side of the ball, Max Murphy provided the big hit on the night. Edgar Corcino started the inning by reaching on a bunt single. He advanced to second on a groundout by Chris Paul but he was left standing in scoring position when Joe Maloney was hit by a 1-2 pitch. Much like Maloney, Murphy fell behind 1-2 before drilling a ball over the left fielder's head for a double. The Miracle took a 2-1 lead and never gave it back. Fort Myers moves to 33-35 with the victory and they will look to complete a sweep of the Stone Crabs on Wednesday night. The Miracle have won three of their last four games and they have yet to lose since this weekend's All-Star break. MIDWEST LEAGUE MINUTES East All-Stars 11, West All-Stars 10 Box Score The Kernels felt right at home in their home park. Players from the Cedar Rapids squad filled up the box score as both team's pounded out runs in the early innings. Luis Arraez led off for the West Division All-Stars and finished the night 2-for-3 with a run scored. LaMonte Wade followed Arraez in the batting order and had one of the biggest hits for the West squad, a two-run single. AJ Murray didn't want to get out-shined by the other All-Stars on the team. He competed in the Home Run Derby before the game and didn't win but smacked a two-run shot during the seventh inning. In a game where runs were being scored in bunches, it was tough to find pitchers with clean innings. Sam Clay started for the West All-Stars and pitched a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout. Clay was the lone Kernels pitcher to be selected to the contest and he represented the team well. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day- Randy LeBlanc, Fort Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day- Eddie Rosario, Rochester Red Wings WEDNESDAY'S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Columbus (6:05 CST)- LHP Pat Dean (1-3, 3.00 ERA) Fort Myers vs. Charlotte (6:05 CST)- RHP Fernando Romero (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Tuesday games. Click here to view the article

I would rather see Park go down and collect some at-bats at AAA. Buxton at the big league level has been a roller coaster ride but the Twins need to see what he can do and not keep moving him back and forth. However, I think the Twins will be more willing to send Buxton down again.

Plouffe is still arbitration eligible so there isn't a contract to be picked up. It would just be his remaining salary for this season and the team trading for him could not offer him arbitration in the off-season if they felt that was the best option.

That's pretty cool. Thanks for the inside information and the cool picture.

Miguel Sano is six-feet four-inches tall and weighs 260 pounds (or more). To the casual fan, the idea of him rumbling around the outfield seemed like a bad idea from the start. There were balls that were misplayed and routes run in the wrong direction as the young slugger tried to find himself while in a foreign defensive position. Twins Territory might be able to sleep a little easier tonight as it is sounding more like the Sano outfield experiment might be reaching its conclusion.Twins general manager Terry Ryan was a little cryptic when talking to the local media before Saturday's game. When asked about Sano returning to the outfield, Ryan said,"I'm not sure exactly how it's going to play itself out here quite yet." Ryan's tune had changed by Sunday morning as he was asked again about Sano coming back from injury. During a radio appearance, Ryan said that Sano won't play right field when he returns from his current hamstring injury. When asked about Sano's future, Ryan said, "No question, it's third base." This is a much different tune than the Twins had during the offseason. Twins manager Paul Molitor was pretty clear that Sano wasn't expected to see any time at third base this season unless Trevor Plouffe was injured and the team needed to shuffle around some players. Of course this situation did occur as Sano started his first game at third when Plouffe and Danny Santana were both on the disabled list. So far this season, Sano has played 38 games in right field, seven at designated hitter, and five at third base. In his limited time at third base, Sano has been worth one defensive run saved. The outfield has been a different story as his -9 defensive run saved is tied for third worst total among American League outfielders. SABR's Defensive Index, one of the databases used for selecting the Gold Glove winners, has Sano as the second worst right fielder in the American League. Minnesota's 2016 roster was created with Sano set to be in the outfield. Byung Ho Park has struggled as the team's regular DH. When healthy, Trevor Plouffe has played at third base even with some offensive struggles. Now Max Kepler looks like he has settled into right field nicely in the absence of Sano. Park and Plouffe seem like the likely candidates to lose playing time when Sano returns since he won't be playing in the outfield. Another option for the team might be trading Trevor Plouffe. There is some value in him since he is still under team control for the 2017 season but he has struggled at the plate so far this year. His OPS is down over 100 points compared to last season and he's getting on base less than 27% of the time. Minnesota won't rush into a trade but a contending team could be looking for some help at third base. Sano is never going to be known for his defensive prowess and there won't be any Gold Gloves in his future. He's in the Twins line-up for one reason... to hit the ball as far as he can. It doesn't matter what defensive position Sano plays as long as he finds a way to make his offensive numbers exceed what he costs the team on the defensive side of the ball. With a man of Sano's size, tracking down balls in the outfield was only going to lead to more injuries. By shifting back to a more natural position, the hope is to keep Sano in the line-up and off the disabled list. Twins fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Sano won't be heading back to the outfield... at least for right now. Click here to view the article

The studies don't break it down specifically for starters vs. relievers. Seems like it would be easier to come back as a relief pitcher. Fewer innings on the shoulder and less pressure to keep velocity up for an extended period of time.

Twins starters have 10 wins this season so it's close to Darnell. I would guess the Twins will want to see more of Murphy this season. He will be up for the second half if not sooner.

Every night I write the MiLB Report, I look forward to whoever is pitching in Fort Myers. They will be up soon enough.

There's always a chance but I think the Twins have other options to explore at this point. He's also not on the 40-man roster but it wouldn't be too hard to sneak him on if they really wanted to call him up.

No problem. Happy to help

Fort Myers, Florida and the Minnesota Twins spring training complex played host to the 2016 Florida State League All-Star Game on Saturday night. This will be the first of two All-Star Games hosted by Twins minor league affiliates this season as the Cedar Rapids Kernels will host the Midwest League All-Star Game. It was a low scoring affair as the FSL North used 11 pitchers to combine for a 1-0 shutout of the South squad. Miracle relief pitcher Yorman Landa gave up the lone run in the game. The first batter he faced cracked a double. He struck out the next two batters and the Hammond Stadium radar gun had him hitting 102 miles per hour and 100 miles per hour three more times. However a two-out ground ball single scored the run that would be the difference in the game. To see the full box score of the FSL All-Star Game, click here and read on to see how the other Twins affiliates did on Saturday.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 5, Toledo 1 Box Score Logan Darnell has been one of the most consistent starters for Rochester this season as he helped the club to their 41st win on Saturday night. He pitched seven strong innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out six and walking two. The six strikeouts were a season high for him.It was his eighth victory on the season which is the most wins by any pitcher in the International League. Marcus Walden and JT Chargois both put up zeros on the board to seal the victory. Walden allowed one hit and struck out two. Chargois had a couple batters reach against him but he didn't walk anyone and he lowered his season ERA to 0.57. Rochester's two biggest hits came off the bats of Jorge Polanco and John Ryan Murphy. Polanco gave the Red Wings an early 2-0 when he drove in a pair of runs on a two-out double. Murphy went 2-for-3 and knocked in two runs of his own. Adam Brett Walker reached base twice and didn't strike out. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Montgomery 2 Box Score The top four batters in the Lookouts line-up lead the offensive attack on Saturday night. This group combined for 10 of the team's 11 hits with each player having multiple-hit nights. Daniel Palka continued his impressive season by going 3-for-5 with a triple and a double. Engelb Vielma scored three runs and collected three hits including his third double. Travis Harrison reached base three times and drove in a pair of runs. With the top end of the line-up supporting him, Aaron Slegers was able to earn his fifth victory. He scattered three hits over 6.1 innings to limit the Biscuits offense to two runs. He struck out four and walked three. Jake Reed earned his ninth hold by pitching 1.2 perfect innings. Trevor Hildenberger collected his 11th save with a perfect ninth inning. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Quad Cities 3 Box Score With their first half playoff hopes on the line, the Kernels rallied late to tie this game but they ended up falling by one run. The team was officially knocked out of the playoff race with the loss. Dereck Rodriguez posted his best start of the season. Across six innings, he struck out eight and walked one as he allowed two runs (one earned run) on five hits. Cam Booser took the loss, his second, as he allowed the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. Booser pitched two innings without giving up a hit but walked two and struck out three. Cedar Rapids was held to four hits and the team left eight men on base. Overall, the team went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring positions so the team couldn't find that big hit. Sean Miller drew two walks and scored two runs. J.J Fernandez drove in both of the team's runs as part of a 1-for-4 day. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day- Logan Darnell, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day- Daniel Palka, Chattanooga Lookouts SUNDAY'S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Toledo (5:05 CST)- LHP Nick Greenwood (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Chattanooga @ Montgomery (6:35 CST)- RHP Kohl Stewart (1-1, 3.14 ERA) Cedar Rapids@ Quad Cities (6:00 CST)- LHP Sam Clay (4-2, 2.64 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Saturday games. Click here to view the article

No, he will still be on the 40-man. He had options left.

Bullpens can be fickle creatures. These pitchers can't really have a set routine because each player doesn't know when he will be used in a game. It takes a special type of player to be ready at the tip of a hat to jump into the middle of a game that could have playoff implications for a club. Minor league players aren't playing for big money. They are playing for the team, they are playing for themselves, and they are playing to move up the ladder. The dream is to make it to the big leagues but that won't come true for all of the players mentioned below. One team's bullpen was vital for a Friday night victory. Who was able to shine under the Friday night lights? Read on to find out.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 0, Toledo 2 Box Score The Red Wings couldn't get anything going on the offensive side of the ball against Mud Hens pitcher Daniel Norris. Only four Rochester players had hits and three of the team's six hits were off the bat of Eddie Rosario. Jorge Polanco and John Ryan Murphy managed both hit doubles and they stood as the team's only extra-base knocks. Logan Schafer and Adam Brett Walker both struck out three times. Jose Berrios did his best to keep the game close. The first run scored against Berrios came after a two-out error by shortstop Wilfredo Tovar. Toledo used a pinch hitter in the sixth, Tyler Bortnick, who hit his first home run of the season to put the team up 2-0. Berrios ended up pitching six innings and allowed one earned run on two hits with seven strikeouts and three walks. Dan Runzler, David Martinez, and Ryan O'Rourke put up zeros the rest of the way but it still wasn't enough to spur a Rochester comeback. The loss drops Rochester to 40-28 on the season as they sit a game and a half up in the International League North. Over their last 10 games, the club is 7-3 and this was their first loss since last Friday. The Red Wings continue their three-game series with Toledo tomorrow night. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 8, Montgomery 5 Box Score Even though the Lookouts were out-hit in this game, the club used some clutch hitting (4-for-8 with RISP) to come out on top. Daniel Palka helped lead the charge for the Lookouts with a 2-for-3 night along with scoring a pair of runs. Zach Granite continues to be a threat on the bases as he stole his 30th base and scored twice. Mitch Garver drove in four runs and went 2-for-3 with his 12th double. David Hurlbut started for the Lookouts and put together a solid effort. He scattered seven hits over six innings with three strikeouts and no walks. Mike Strong allowed two runs in his inning of work. Luke Westphal struggled with control as he walked three and allowed a run while only collecting one out. Omar Bencomo allowed a pair of runs to score in the bottom of the ninth but he still was able to strike out the side to preserve the victory. With the win, the Lookouts have won nine of their last 12 games and are currently two games over .500. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Quad Cities 1 (14 Innings) Box Score This game would stretch long into the night as both bullpens continued to put zeros on the board. Cedar Rapids finally broke through in the 14th frame. Brad Hartong started the two-out rally by being hit by a pitch. Luis Arraez followed with a double and an errant throw allowed Hartong to come all away around to score the winning run. Eduardo Del Rosario hadn't made it out of the fifth inning in either of his starts in Cedar Rapids before this night. After tossing six innings and only allowing one earned run, he lowered his season ERA from 8.64 to 5.65. He gave up three hits (one home run) while striking out five and walking two. The bullpen deserves a lot of the credit for this victory as they didn't allow a run in seven innings of work. Michael Cederoth didn't allow a hit and all five of the outs he collected were by strikeout but he walked three. William Ramirez struck out three over 2.1 innings. Michael Theofanopoulos improved to 3-0 after he pitched three innings and struck out four. Anthony McIver earned his second save with a perfect final frame. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day- Cedar Rapids Bullpen Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day- Mitch Garver, Chattanooga Lookouts SATURDAY'S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Toledo (6:05 CST)- LHP Logan Darnell (7-5, 3.25 ERA) Chattanooga @ Montgomery (6:35 CST)- TBD Cedar Rapids@ Quad Cities (6:00 CST)- RHP Dereck Rodriguez (1-8, 7.33 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Friday games. Click here to view the article

It has been called "The Career Ender," "Baseball's Toughest Injury," and "A Pitcher's Death Sentence." When a major league pitcher finds out he will need labrum surgery, he knows the road to recovery will be a challenge. Word came out of the Twin Cities on Thursdayday that All-Star closer Glen Perkins is done for the season. In the next week, he will undergo surgery on a torn labrum and rotator cuff issues. This is a devastating blow to a back-end of the bullpen that has been a disaster to this point in the season.The initial prognosis was for Perkins to miss only a short amount of time. There were a few set-backs along the way before his most recent MRI showed the labrum and rotator cuff issues. Shoulder injuries often spell the end of a pitcher's career as the body tries to recover so a player can throw over 90 miles per hour. Most of Twins Territory pondered a similar question when the news broke, "How often do pitchers recover from labrum injuries?" Many fans have become accustomed to pitchers needing surgery at some point in their careers. Tommy John surgery has become commonplace in the baseball world because so many pitchers have the procedure. Also, the success rate is so high that it becomes an afterthought to fans. Labrum surgery is an entirely different animal. There have been a few different studies on pitchers who were able to return from this type of surgery. Will Carroll, a baseball medical expert, wrote about labrum surgery back in the early 2000s. His results showed, "Of the 36 major-league hurlers diagnosed with labrum tears in the last five years, only midlevel reliever Rocky Biddle has returned to his previous level." One out of 36 is not very good odds. Baseball Prospectus updated Carroll's study in a 2012 article. For the piece, Jay Jaffe found 67 players who had undergone some kind of labrum surgery, including names like Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling, Mark Mulder, and Mark Prior. There are obviously degrees of this kind of injury but only nine of the players returned to a level of success similar to what they had before their surgery. Yankees starting pitcher Michael Pineda is one of the biggest names in recent years to have a labrum procedure. He's worked his way back to the big leagues with a 4.84 ERA and 1.32 WHIP over the last two seasons. When Pineda was diagnosed the Yankees team doctor said, "When the rotator cuff is damaged as part of the injury problem, that has a much worse prognosis and influences velocity and ability to pitch." Unfortunately for Perkins, the rotator cuff is part of his diagnosis and it likely spells bad news for his future. He's in his 30s and has a lot of miles on his arm. Doctors and the medical field are continuing to improve and labrum surgery isn't the death sentence it once was for pitchers. This could give fans hope to see Perkins running out of the bullpen again, but the odds don't seem to be in his favor. Will Glen Perkins beat the odds and come back from this surgery? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article