Cody Christie

Relief pitchers can get a tough rap, with one bad outing resulting in inflated numbers that they have to work to improve for the rest of the season. With a limited amount of appearances to leave their mark, relievers need to show their stuff in short appearances in order to continue their path to the major leagues. The Twins Minor League Report authors each voted for the five awards being handed out this week. Today, we'll take a look at the top relief pitchers in the Twins minor league system for 2015. We each voted for out top six performers in this category.You'll see short profiles of our Top 6, but first, here are some honorable mentions. Honorable Mention Michael Theofanopoulos - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 37 G, 5-3, 3.82 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 68.1 IP, 68 H, 29 BB, 74 KCameron Booser - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 32 G, 1-2, 3.72 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 46.0 IP, 31 H, 40 BB, 64 KNick Burdi - Chattanooga Lookouts/Fort Myers Miracle - 43 G, 5-6, 3.82 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 63.2 IP, 52 H, 35 BB, 83 KAlex Muren - Chattanooga Lookouts/Fort Myers Miracle - 44 G, 3-3, 3.03 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 71.1 IP, 62 H, 24 BB, 54 KRandy LeBlanc - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 33 G, 9-5, 3.03 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 89.0 IP, 78 H, 28 BB, 69 KLuke Bard - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 28 G, 7-1, 2.41 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 52.1 IP, 45 H, 15 BB, 47 KRELIEF PITCHER OF THE YEARHere are the top six vote-getters for the Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year. #6 - JT Chargois - Chattanooga Lookouts/Fort Myers Miracle - 48 G, 2-1, 2.63 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 48.0 IP, 38 H, 25 BB, 53 K In his first professional action since the Appalachian League in 2012, Chargois made a strong impression back on the mound. He underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2013 and he enter the season with a lot of buzz out of the Instructional League. In his second appearance back on the mound, he was lit up for four earned runs on five hits while only recording one out. Over his next 14 appearances with Fort Myers, Chargois did not allow an earned run while holding opponents to a .137/.214/.196 batting line. His streak continued after being promoted to Chattanooga and it only came to an end after two months and 20 appearances. He ended the year with another impressive run as he gave up one earned run on 11 hits over his last 19.2 innings with 24 strikeouts. #5 - Todd Van Steensel - Fort Myers Miracle - 46 G, 2-4, 2.32 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 66.0 IP, 53 H, 32 BB, 81 K Van Steensel started back in the Florida State League after finishing the 2014 campaign with the Miracle. Fort Myers relied a lot on the Australian native throughout the year as he compiled the best professional numbers of his career. He got off to a strong start in the month of April with a 1.35 ERA and 22 strikeouts in just over 13 innings. June was also be a good month as he held opponents to a 0.796 WHIP and 20 strikeouts in 16.1 innings. Right-handed batters actually hit worse against the righty as their OPS was 17 points lower. He led the Miracle in saves, games finished, appearances, and he finished second on the team in strikeouts even though he never made a start. #4 - AJ Achter - Rochester Red Wings - 43 G, 4-2, 2.63 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 48.0 IP, 28 H, 13 BB, 47 K The Twins have gotten quite the run out of the 46th round pick in the 2010 MLB Draft. Achter has made appearances with the big league club in each of the last two seasons and he continued to improve himself in the minor leagues. Throughout the entire season, he only allowed opponents to hit over .190 against him in one month (June) and that was the month he made his fewest number of appearances. Achter put up some crazy numbers in May (12 appearances) with a 0.75 ERA and a 0.42 WHIP while opponents hit .103/.125/.179 against him. He tied for Rochester's team lead with 14 saves and lead the relief pitching core with 48 total innings. #3 - Brandon Peterson - Chattanooga Lookouts/Fort Myers Miracle - 41 G, 2.07 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 61.0 IP, 44 H, 28 BB, 77 K After some up and down appearances through the first month of the season, Peterson hit a nice groove near the beginning of May and stretched it all the way to July. During that time he didn't allow a run over 26.0 innings while striking out 33 and holding opponents to a .103/.161/.115 batting line. During that stretch he was promoted from Fort Myers to Chattanooga where he'd finish the season. His time in the Florida State League was outstanding as he posted a 0.85 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP. The jump to the Southern League saw his ERA jump to 3.38 and his WHIP bump up 55 points. Peterson was almost a year and a half younger than the other pitchers at Double-A so it was an overall very impressive season. #2 - Michael Tonkin - Rochester Red Wings - 33 G, 2-1, 1.10 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 41.0 IP, 25 H, 5 BB, 46 K Tonkin hasn't been able to stick at the big league level over the last handful of years but he showed that he can thoroughly dominate hitters at the Triple-A level. Tonkin changed rosters nine different times this year including one stretch where four straight appearances on different teams between Rochester and Minnesota. From June 30 to August 29, he allowed two earned runs in 28.0 innings with 28 strikeouts and two walks. Opponents hit .160/.186/.202 against him during that stretch and Rochester handed over the closer role to him to end the year. Even with all the trips to Minnesota, Tonkin stilled tied Achter for the Rochester team lead with 14 saves and he had the best ERA of any pitcher on the staff. Tonkin doesn't have much left to prove at Triple-A so it will be up to the Twins to find him a big league role for 2016. Relief Pitcher of the Year - Trevor Hildenberger - Cedar Rapids Kernels/Fort Myers Miracle - 41 G, 3-2, 1.55 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, 64.0 IP, 39 H, 7 BB, 80 K Hildenberger, a 22nd round pick in the 2014 MLB Draft, spent all of his debut season pitching for the Twins two rookie league affiliates. His numbers were good but that can be expected for an experienced college pitcher going against younger hitters. He finished the 2014 season with a 2.48 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP with 32 strikeouts in 29 innings. This year would be a test as he would be asked to make the jump to the full season leagues and test his stuff against some older competition. He wasted very little time making his mark in Cedar Rapids. In the month of April, he allowed one earned run on six hits in ten innings with 13 strikeouts. He continued his masterful mound performance into May as he didn't allow a run for the entire month while striking out 23 in 18.2 innings. In fact, Hildenberger had a stretch from April 19 to June 21 (31.1 IP) where he allowed one run on 11 hits with 40 strikeouts and four walks. Batters could only compile a .107/.148/.117 line against him and he struck out 36% of hitters during this impressive run. Hildenberger's numbers jumped up a little during his 13 appearances in the Florida State League and he has been older than the competition at every stop along the way. Next year will be huge for him as he will likely spend some time back in the Florida State League before making a jump to the higher levels of the minors. It was a very impressive season but there's still room for him to grow in the coming years. THE BALLOTS In an attempt to be transparent, here are the ballots from our Twins Daily minor league writers. Seth Stohs - 1.) Trevor Hildenberger, 2.) Michael Tonkin, 4.) AJ Achter, 4.) Brandon Peterson, 5.) Todd Van Steensel, 6.) JT ChargoisJeremy Nygaard - 1.) Trevor Hildenberger, 2.) Michael Tonkin, 3.) AJ Achter, 4.) Todd Van Steensel, 5.) JT Chargois, 6.) Nick BurdiCody Christie - 1.) Trevor Hildenberger, 2.) AJ Achter, 3.) Brandon Peterson, 4.) Todd Van Steensel, 5.) Cameron Booser, 6.) JT. ChargoisSteve Lien - 1.) Trevor Hildenberger, 2.) Michael Tonkin, 3.) Brandon Peterson, 4.) AJ Achter, 5.) JT Chargois, 6.) Todd Van SteenselEric Pleiss - 1.) Trevor Hildenberger, 2.) Brandon Peterson, 3.) Michael Tonkin, 4.) Michael Theofanopoulos, 5.) JT Chargois, 6.) Todd Van SteenselFeel free to start the discussion and explain who you think should be on the ballot Click here to view the article

The Cedar Rapids Kernels already moved on to the Championship Series of the Midwest League and the Chattanooga Lookouts were looking to join the Kernels by qualifying for the Championship Series in the Southern League. It was going to take a strong performance from some of the Twins top prospects to push the Lookouts further into the playoffs. Which players would step up under the pressure of a postseason run?CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Montgomery 1 Box Score David Hurlbut was on the mound for the Lookouts in this pivotal contest and he found himself in trouble early. He gave up a very long home run in the second inning and this was followed by two more hits to leave runners on the corners with two outs. Hulbut got out of the inning and he was locked in for the rest of the game. From the third into the seventh inning, Hulbut retired 11 straight batters. He'd finish the night by scattering six hits, striking out four and walking two. The lone run surrendered was the solo home run in the second where the batter used an unnecessary bat flip that might have turned a switch on for Hulbut. On the defensive side of the ball, the Lookouts turned four double plays with Stephen Wickens and Heiker Meneses being part of two plays each. Both men also helped out at the plate with Wickens finishing with a double and a run scored while Meneses reached base three times. It seems like no Lookouts game is complete without a long ball from Adam Brett Walker and he helped cement the lead with a solo home run in the top of the eighth. It was his second home run in as many nights. Max Kepler used a walk, a double and a stolen base to score two of the team's four runs. Nick Burdi and JT Chargois each pitched scoreless frames in relief of Hurlbut to close out the win. Burdi struck out one and picked up his first hold of the postseason. Chargois earned the save, though he allowed one runner to reach on a walk. With the win, the Lookouts move on to the Southern League Championship Series against the Biloxi Schuckers, an affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The first two games of the series will be played in Biloxi on Wednesday and Thursday nights. Then the series shifts to Chattanooga for two scheduled games on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. A potential fifth game is scheduled for Monday, in Chattanooga, at a time to be determined. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - David Hurlbut, Chattanooga Lookouts Hitter of the Day - Max Kepler, Chattanooga Lookouts UPCOMING SCHEDULE Midwest League Championship Series Game 1 - Wednesday, September 16 Cedar Rapids Kernels @ West Michigan (5:35 CST) - TBA Southern League Championship Series Game 1 - Wednesday, September 16 Chattanooga Lookouts @ Biloxi Shuckers (TBA) - TBA Click here to view the article

Monday marked the final day of the regular season for the Twins minor league affiliates with three of the organization's minor league team's taking the field. Two of the Twins affiliates, Cedar Rapids and Chattanooga, qualified for the playoffs so there will be continued coverage of the MiLB Postseason in the coming days. For now, each team tried to end their regular season on a high note.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 8, Lehigh Valley 1 Box Score Jose Martinez ended the season on an extremely high note as he put together a strong performance at the plate. He finished 4-for-5 with two home runs and two doubles while driving in four and scoring four runs. Argenis Diaz reached base four times as part of a three hit effort and collected his 12th double. Danny Ortiz ended the season with his 31st double. After losing two of his last three appearances, Taylor Rogers won his 11th game after pitching six frames. He scattered seven hits and allowed one earned run with four strikeouts and no walks. Alex Meyer allowed one base runner in two innings of work for his fourth hold and Aaron Thompson finished the game off in the ninth. Rochester finished the season 10 games over .500 and four and a half games out of first place in the International League North Division. Despite the winning record, the club will be home for the postseason after finishing six games behind Indianapolis for a Wild Card spot. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Jackson 6 Box Score It wouldn't be a fitting end to the regular season without another home run from Adam Brett Walker. With two outs in the second inning, Walker clubbed a solo-shot, his 31st home run of the season. Unfortunately, a late-inning rally wasn't enough to push the Lookouts to victory. Aaron Slegers started for Chattanooga but was charged with the loss after allowing five runs, four earned, on eight hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Nick Burdi allowed an unearned run in his inning of work while JT Chargois struck out the side in the eighth frame and Alex Wimmers reached the 100 strikeout mark for the season. Chattanooga ended the regular season with a 76-61 record and will start their Southern League Playoff Series on Thursday. The Lookouts will play host to the Montgomery Biscuits, an affiliate of the Tampa Bays Rays. Montgomery ended the season with a 77-61 record and a 43-27 record in the second half. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Clinton 6 Box Score Even in Monday's loss, Sean Miller and Rafael Valera both looked prime for the playoffs. Both players collected three hits and Valera posted a pair of doubles. Chris Paul went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI but it wasn't enough as the team went 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base. Randy Rosario took the loss in his first relief appearance for the Kernels. He allowed four runs, three earned, on five hits in less than two innings. Sam Clay started and picked up one out in the fifth before being removed. He walked five and struck out five while surrendering two earned runs. The Kernels start their Midwest League Playoff Series on Wednesday at 6:35 pm as they host the Quad Cities River Bandits, an affiliate of the Houston Astros. The best of three series could be toufgh for Cedar Rapids as the Kernels went 4-9 against the River Bandits during the regular season. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Taylor Rogers, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Jose Martinez, Rochester Red Wings UPCOMING PLAYOFF SCHEDULE Wednesday, 9/9/15: Cedar Rapids vs. Quad Cities (6:35 CST) – Felix Jorge Thursday, 9/10/15: Chattanooga vs. Montgomery (6:15 CST) – TBA Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (7:00 CST) – TBA Click here to view the article

Logan Darnell became the ninth Rochester Red Wings player to honored with a weekly award from the International League. Pat Dean (2x), Tommy Milone (2x), Tyler Duffey, Oswaldo Arcia, Reynaldo Rodriguez and Byron Buxton have all been honored this year. Darnell won two times this week and led the league with 17.0 innings pitched and 17 strikeouts. On Monday night, he took a no-hitter into the 7th inning as part of a Rochester shutout. Saturday was much the same story as he allowed just one run on five hits over 8.0 innings. Since joining the starting rotation on August 13, Darnell has allowed just two earned runs on 14 hits in 28.0 innings of work. Did anyone for Rochester get this week off to a good start? Read on to find out.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Pawtucket 2 Box Score UPDATE: Reports out of Rochester have Michael Tonkin, Eric Fryer, Danny Santana, and Kennys Vargas being called up with the possibility of others joining them once the MiLB season finishes. In what could be his last start at Triple-A, Jose Berrios continued his recent hot streak. Over six innings, he allowed one earned run, a solo home run, on four hits with five strike outs and no walks. In his last ten starts with Rochester, Berrios has a 2.30 ERA with 73 strikeouts and 12 walks in 62.2 innings. Another potential September call-up, Danny Santana, had a big night at the plate and a poor night in the field. He was the only Red Wings player with multiple hits as he finished 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and three RBI. On the defensive side, he committed two throwing errors. Aaron Hicks cracked a double in four trips to the plate for the team's only other extra-base hit. Aaron Thompson allowed a run on one hit in 1.1 innings of work. He was credited with his fifth hold. Mark Hamburger collected his first save after getting the last five outs of the game. He allowed two hits and struck out one. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Birmingham 5 (10 Innings) Box Score In his last start, Aaron Slegers walked off the mound after being beat around for six runs in four innings of work. That version of Slegers didn't show-up versus Birmingham. In his fifth start at the Double-A level, he went seven strong innings by allowing two runs on six hits with six strikeouts and two walks. In four of his five appearances since being promoted, he's gone at least six innings and allowed three earned runs or less. Alex Wimmers was able to get two outs in the bottom of the ninth but a clutch double plated a pair of runs and Slegers masterful start did not figure into the final decision. Brandon Peterson replaced Wimmers for the tenth and allowed a lead-off triple as Shannon Wilkerson was removed after crashing into the wall trying to make a game-saving catch on the play. Before being injured, Wilkerson scored two runs out of the lead-off spot and was helped out by a 2-for-4 night from Jorge Polanco as the number two hitter. Adam Brett Walker smacked his 30th double and drove in his 101st RBI during the team's big three-run sixth inning. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, Peoria 1 Box Score While a lot of fans might have been focused on the start by Jose Berrios, Felix Jorge was on the mound for Cedar Rapids and he's in the midst of a strong season. He pitched into the seventh inning and the only run scored against him was unearned. He struck out six and walked one but the Kernels didn't give him any run support. It was his fourth straight quality start. Michael Theofanopoulos was asked to get the final four outs of the game. He didn't allow a batter to reach base and he struck out three. It was his fourth consecutive appearance without allowing a run after allowing runs in four out of his five appearances prior to starting his current streak. The Kernels offense was lacking after scoring an eye-popping 23 runs last Monday against the same squad. Austin Diemer went 2-for-3 and TJ White reached base twice but the team didn't give themselves a lot of scoring opportunities. Cedar Rapids left seven men on base and went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 6, Greeneville 5 (10 Innings) Box Score The E-Twins used the committee approach on the mound on Monday night. Cody Stashak pitched the first three innings, allowing three runs on five hits. He struck out five and walked one. Logan Lombana tossed the next three frames and he put up three zeros while striking out a pair of batters. Tyler Stirewalt struck out four in his three innings but he allowed two runs to score in the ninth to see the E-Twins lead disappear. It looked like the game was over as the E-Twins trailed by one in the bottom of the ninth with two outs. AJ Murray pinch-hit for Lewin Diaz and he was able to get into scoring position with his 10th double. A wild pitch and a fielding error allowed the tying run to score before heading to extra-innings. Jermaine Palacios doubled with one out in the 10th. Manuel Guzamn grounded out to second base but Palacios was able to advance to third on the play. LaMonte Wade could have played the hero but a wild pitch allowed Palacios to score from third to end the game in the Twins favor. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Felix Jorge, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Danny Santana, Rochester Red Wings TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Scranton/WB (6:05 CST) – RHP Michael Bowden Chattanooga @ Birmingham (7:05 CST) – TBA Fort Myers @ Jupiter (4:05 CST) – TBA Fort Myers @ Jupiter (Game 2) – TBA Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (7:00 CST) – TBA Elizabethton vs. Bristol (6:00 CST) – TBA Click here to view the article

Rochester left-handed pitcher Pat Dean was awarded the International League Pitcher of the Week award on Monday. On Wednesday night, he tossed his league-leading third shutout and fourth complete game. He became the franchise's first pitcher with three shutouts in a season since Rick Krivda in 1997. Dean wasn't the only Twins pitcher to be honored this week. Sam Gibbons of the Cedar Rapids Kernels took home top honors in the Midwest League. In his lone start this week, Gibbons allowed one hit in eight shutout innings with twelve strikeouts and and no walks. He had been perfect through 5 2/3 innings before an infield single broke up the no-hitter and perfect game. Did any other players make their case to win next week's Player of the Week award? You'll have to read on to find out.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 9, Syracuse 0 Box Score Behind a massive offensive outburst and some superb pitching by Logan Darnell, the Red Wings were able to shut out the Chiefs for the team's 67th win. Darnell pitched a complete game shutout while limiting the opposition to five hits, walking none and striking out nine. It was his first victory since July 3rd but it was only his third start since joining the rotation. Five players in the Rochester line-up had three hits apiece and the team collected 20 hits overall. Danny Ortiz was part of the three-hit parade and two of his three hits were for extra-bases. The line for Ortiz could have looked even better but he was thrown out at home twice in the game. Argenis Diaz had the team's other extra-base hit, a double, and he drove in a pair of runs. Kennys Vargas was the lone hitter in the Red Wings batting order who failed to get a hit (0-for-6). CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Tennessee 2 (7 Innings) Box Score With the game tied in the bottom of the sixth frame, Adam Brett Walker stepped to the plate with the chance to play the hero. Max Kepler had just tied the game with a single that scored Jorge Polanco. Walker put the Lookouts in the lead with a two-run home run, his 28th long ball of the season. After being held without a home run for seven games, Walker has homered in two straight contests. David Hurlbut picked up his ninth victory after allowing two earned runs across six innings. He struck out four and walked three. It was his third straight start where he's gone at least six innings and allowed two runs or fewer. J.T. Chargois earned his tenth save with a perfect seventh inning including a strikeout. Chattanooga 1, Tennessee 4 (7 Innings) Box Score Greg Peavey had the Lookouts locked into a 1-1 tie after four innings but he gave up three runs over the next pair of innings to see that tie disappear. Peavey finished by allowing three earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts and three walks in 5.1 innings. Corey Williams finished off the game with 1.2 scoreless innings in his second appearance since being promoted from Fort Myers. Niko Goodrum was the only hitter with multiple hits as he finished the night 2-for-3 with a run scored. Levi Michael smacked his 11th double of the season while DJ Hicks had the team's lone RBI. After homering in two straight games, Adam Brett Walker went 0-for-2 with a walk. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Jupiter 10 Box Score Fort Myers sent former first round pick Kohl Stewart to the mound on Monday but he couldn't do enough to help his team to victory. The defense behind Stewart gave him little help as the Miracle committed a whopping five defensive errors. Stewart finished the night allowing seven runs (four earned) on five hits with three strikeouts and three walks across 5.2 innings. In his first appearance since being sent back from Chattanooga, Alex Muren had a rough night on the mound by allowing three earned runs in one inning. Brian Gilbert and Tyler Jay stopped some of the bleeding in the late innings. Jay struck out two in his inning of work. There wasn't a single batter with more than one hit for the Miracle and none of the team's hits were for extra-bases. Mitch Garver drove in all three runs and Zach Granite scored two of the team's three runs. Engelb Vielma reached base twice and scored a run. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 23, Peoria 3 Box Score Cedar Rapids didn't want to be outdone by their counterparts in Rochester so the club put on their own offensive clinic down in the Midwest League. The team jumped out to an early 5-0 in the first and added another 11 runs in the bottom of the fourth. Overall, the team pushed across 23 runs and clubbed an eye-popping 27 hits. It got so bad that the Chiefs used multiple position players as pitchers in the game. When a team collects this many hits it's hard to know where to start with summarizing the night. Sean Miller led the team with five hits and he scored four runs. TJ White went 4-for-7 with a double and a triple. He tied with Edgar Corcino with five runs driven in. All but two batters in the line-up had three hits or more and every batter had a hit and scored a run. Keaton Steel was the beneficiary of the massive offensive backing. He settled in to a nice rhythm on the mound and finished the night by allowing two earned runs on six hits with five strikeouts across six innings. Zach Tillery allowed one run in two innings of work. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 2, Greeneville 3 Box Score The E-Twins held two different leads in this contest but weren't able to come up with the big hit to push their lead far enough ahead. Andro Cutura pitched into the sixth inning and allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits. He struck out five and walked two while lowering his season ERA to 1.13. Nate Gercken took the loss, his third, as he allowed the game winning run to be scored in his two plus innings of work. All of the E-Twins offense came from the top of the line-up. Outside the top three hitters, no one else was able to collect a hit. Alex Perez went 2-for-4 with a run scored but he committed two defensive errors. Jermaine Palacios had the team's only extra-base hit, his 11th double, and LaMonte Wade reached base twice. Zander Wiel didn't have a hit but he was credited with the team's only RBI. GCL Twins Takes GCL Twins 0, GCL Rays 2 Box Score The Twins offense struggled to find any punch in this contest. Only two members of the line-up managed hits and the team went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Ruar Verkerk went 2-for-3 before being lifted for a pinch runner in the late innings. Bryan Haar picked up one hit in three trips and he's hitting .300 for the season. Jose Martinez was charged with his sixth loss but he didn't allow an earned run in four innings of work. He struck out four and walked one but the offense didn't do him any favors. Williams Ramirez and Hector Lujan combined to finish off the last two innings with Lujan allowing a run in the Rays last trip to the plate. GCL Twins 1, GCL Rays 1 (Suspended) Box Score This game was supposed to be a make-up of a game played in the middle of July but rain interfered with its completion. The two teams will try to finish the contest on Tuesday. Look for a full report at Twins Daily when this game is completed. 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 – TJ White, Cedar Rapids Kernels TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Syracuse (6:05 CST) – LHP Pat Dean Chattanooga vs. Tennessee (6:15 CST) – LHP Brett Lee Fort Myers vs. Jupiter (6:05 CST) – LHP Luke Westphal Cedar Rapids vs. Peoria (6:35 CST) – RHP Felix Jorge Elizabethton @ Greeneville (6:00 CST) – TBA GCL Twins vs. GCL Rays (11:00 am CST) – TBA GCL Twins vs. GCL Rays (Completion of Today's 2nd Game) Click here to view the article

During the zombie apocalypse, a walker attack is not a good thing but for fans of the Chattanooga Lookouts, an Adam Brett Walker attack is a terrific thing. Besides Walker's strong night at the plate, there were multiple strong pitching performances across the Twins system on Thursday. This wasn't the only piece of good news as big name prospects like Byron Buxton and Max Kepler continued to try and find ways to help their teams to win. Which players had the biggest games on Thursday? You will have to read on to find out...RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Buffalo 0 (7 Innings) Box Score Pat Dean didn't allow a run as he pitched into the seventh inning for his ninth win of the season. It was his second time in his last three starts that he pitched six innings or more and didn't allow a run. Michael Tonkin was called on to get the final two outs and he recorded his 12th save. On the offensive side of the ball, Xavier Avery had a big game after replacing Oswaldo Arcia after he was hit by a pitch. Avery finished the day 3-for-3 with a home run and all three of the team's RBIs. James Beresford and Eric Fryer each picked up a pair of hits and Byron Buxton went 1-for-4 with a run scored. Rochester 1, Buffalo 2 (7 Innings) Box Score Rochester jumped out to an early 1-0 lead but the club wasn't able to hold on for their second win of the day. Logan Darnell put his club in position to win as he limited the Bisons to one run in 5.1 innings of work. He struck out five and walked one. Mark Hamburger took the loss after allowing the go-ahead run during his 1.1 innings. There wasn't much excitement on the offensive side of things. Byron Buxton was the lone Red Wings player with multiple hits. He went 2-for-4 with a steal but he struck out two times as well. Doug Bernier reached base twice and scored the team's only run. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Tennessee 3 Box Score Chattanooga scored a very important run in the bottom of the eighth inning as Tennessee would put two on the board in the ninth to make it a one-run game. Brandon Peterson allowed both runs in the ninth inning but he had enough left in the tank to get the final out and earn his second save. Brett Lee pitched into the eighth inning for his 4th victory. He struck out three and limited the Smokies to one earned run. Adam Brett Walker collected his 25th and 26th doubles of the season as part of a three-hit effort. Walker was part of the insurance run in the eighth as he ended up scoring the pivotal run on a Heiker Meneses single. Max Kepler continued his strong season as he is now one double shy of 30 ang hitting .332 after his 1-for-4 night. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 0, Palm Beach 1 Box Score Fort Myers had a hard time finding their offensive stroke on Thursday as the team was held to five hits. Engelb Vielma went 3-for-4 and Logan Wade had the team's only extra-base hit, a double. Mitch Garver went 1-for-4. Overall, the team went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Luke Westphal was very good on the mound. He scattered five Cardinals hits over seven innings and limited them to one run. He struck out five and walked none but it wasn't enough as he was charged with his fourth loss. Todd Van Steensel pitched two shutout frames to end the game. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Lake County 6 Box Score The Kernels used a four-run fifth inning to mount a come-from-behind victory and win their third straight rubber game. Eight of the nine Kernels hitters reached base at least once and seven of them recorded at least one hit. Rafael Valera went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Tanner English extended his hitting streak to a personal-best 12 games and also extended his on-base streak to a Kernels' season-high 23 games. The bullpen was strong for the Kernels after starter Zach Tillery allowed five runs on 11 hits in four innings. Luke Bard earned the win and remains a perfect 7-0 on the season. He allowed one run across a pair of innings. Yorman Landa and John Curtiss shut down the Captains the rest of the way for the club's 68th win. E-TWINS E-NOTES E-Twins 5, Bristol 4 Box Score Dereck Rodriguez improved his record to 5-1 as he did just enough to lead Elizabethton to the victory. In seven innings, he allowed four runs on eight hits and struck out eight. His ERA sits at 1.75 for the season. Kuo Hua Lo picked up the save after tossing two shutout frames with three strikeouts and a pair of walks. Travis Blankenhorn provided most of the offensive punch as he had three-run home run and drove in another for a total of four RBIs. Brad Hartong collected three hits including his fifth double. Jermaine Palacios and Daniel Kihle both had multi-hit efforts including a double for Palacios and a stolen base for Kihle. GCL Twins Takes GCL Twins 3, GCL Rays 10 Box Score Both of these teams slugged it out for the first few frames but the GCL Rays had way too much firepower. Blake Schmit used a triple and a home run to drive in a pair of runs. Kerby Camacho knocked his first two doubles of the season and scored a run. Christian Cavaness also drove in a run and scored a run out of the lead-off spot. Jose Martinez was charged with the loss after allowing six earned runs on nine hits. He struck out three and walked two. Andrew Vasquez and Luis Hernandez ran into some control issues later in the game as they combined for five walks and three earned runs. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Brett Lee, Chattanooga Lookouts Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Adam Brett Walker, Chattanooga Lookouts FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Scranton/WB (6:05 CST) – TBD Chattanooga vs. Tennessee (6:15 CST) – RHP Aaron Slegers Fort Myers vs. Palm Beach (6:05 CST) – RHP Omar Bencomo Cedar Rapids @ Fort Wayne (6:05 CST) – LHP Randy Rosario Elizabethton @ Bristol (6:00 CST) – RHP Onesimo Hernandez GCL Twins vs. GCL Red Sox (11:00 am CST) – TBA Click here to view the article

Monday means another week's worth of honors handed out by each league in the minors. The Twins were well represented this week as three position players took home top honors. Minnesota's Opening Day DH isn't exactly where he'd like to be but the Southern League recognized his outstanding play. In seven games, Kennys Vargas went 10-for-23 with a double, two triples, and three home runs. He showed remarkable patience by drawing seven walks and he also drove in 10 runs. (Note - following Monday's marathon game in Chattanooga, Kennys Vargas was promoted to AAA Rochester.) Tanner English has been on a tear through the Midwest League. Over the last six games, he went 13-for-25 with five doubles and a triple. He's hit .315/.383/.490 since the All-Star break. He ranks third overall in the Midwest League with 35 stolen bases and second overall in runs scored. LaMonte Wade was a ninth-round pick by the Twins back in June and he's already making his mark in the Appalachian League. Across six games this week, he went 8-for-22 with a pair of homers and a double. He coaxed eight walks on the way to scoring eight runs. Only four Appy League players have more than his seven home runs.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester --, Buffalo -- (Postponed) The Rochester game in Buffalo was postponed on Monday night due to rain. The team was already scheduled for a doubleheader on Tuesday to make up a postponed game from 5/31. This means the teams will play another doubleheader on Thursday. Five games in three days between the two teams tied for second place in the International League North. Sounds like some exciting baseball should be on the docket. Byron Buxton was also reinstated from the disabled list and officially optioned to Triple-A. He had five hits in 12 at-bats for Rochester on rehab assignment. The move stops his service-time clock and it also uses up one of Buxton's three minor league option years. To make room for Buxton infielder Nate Hanson was released. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 6, Mobile 5 (16 Innings) Box Score The Lookouts played well into the night as both clubs tried to gain the upper hand in this back and forth contest. Chattanooga jumped out to a first inning lead after Jorge Polanco led off with a triple. It took a two-out infield single from Kennys Vargas but the run scored. The offense went silent until the seventh inning when the club plated three runs after three singles and a hit-by-pitch started the inning. Tim Shibuya was long gone before a decision was handed out in this one. He went four shutout innings, striking out two. Alex Muren pitched three big shutout innings in the late stages of the game to keep zeros on the board. Alex Wimmers earned his seventh victory after two shutout innings of work even though he had to escape a bases-loaded jam. Over five hours after the game started, Niko Goodrum drove in the winning run with a single after Heiker Meneses and Jorge Polanco had singled. He had been 0-for-5 on the night with a pair of walks before the big hit. Max Kepler was the lone starting player to not pick up a hit in the contest. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 8, St. Lucie 4 Box Score Fort Myers used a balanced attack to pound out eight runs on 14 hits. Four batters collected multiple hits including a three-hit, three-RBI night from Aderlin Mejia. Tanner Vavra collected a pair of doubles and scored two runs. Marcus Knecht smacked his fourth triple on his way to reaching base three times. Mat Batts started and scattered four runs on seven hits. Over five innings, he struck out five and walked three for his six victory. Jake Reed and Nick Burdi combined for four scoreless innings of relief. Burdi was perfect across two frames, getting three strikeouts. The Miracle scored six of the eight runs with two outs and eight of the nine batters in the order registered at least one hit. David Wright, on MLB rehab assignment for the Mets, finished the night 1-for-3 with a run scored and a walk. E-TWINS E-NOTES E-Twins 3, Greeneville 5 (7 Innings) Box Score Elizabethton saw their two-run lead disappear over the final two innings, including two unearned runs in the last frame. Jose Abreu threw a wild pitch and shortstop Manuel Guzman had a throwing error that turned into the final two runs. Andro Cutura got the no-decision after lasting four innings and allowing one earned run. The E-Twins were limited to two hits on the offensive side of the ball. Jermaine Palacios hit his sixth double and scored a run. Kamran Young drove in two runs with his third home run of the season. The team didn't have many other opportunities as they went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring positions. E-Twins 3, Greeneville 2 (7 Innings) Box Score It looked like the E-Twins were on their way to being swept in their doubleheader before the offense decided to wake up in the bottom of the seventh inning. After two walk to start the frame, Nelson Molina used a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. Jermaine Palacios grounded out for the second out but Daniel Kihle saved the day with a single. Palacios is now hitting .458. Nate Gercken allowed both runs and he was pulled with two outs in the fifth inning. He struck out seven and walked two. Anthony Mciver earned his second win after collecting the last seven outs and allowing only one hit. GCL Twins Takes GCL Twins 11, GCL Rays 3 Box Score The GCL Twins capitalized on some wild pitching in the bottom of the second inning to score eight runs on two hits. There were six walks, two hit-by-pitches, two fielding errors, and two wild pitches. It sounds like it was quite the circus of an inning. Both Christian Cavaness and Robert Molina went 2-for-4 including a double, the team's lone extra-base hit, for Cavaness. Every batter in the line-up scored at least one run. Roberto Gonzalez reached base three times and scored two runs. Eduardo Del Rosario improved to 3-0 on the season after tossing five innings of one-run ball. He struck out four and didn't walk any as his ERA improved to 1.46. Luis Hernandez and Andrew Vasquez each pitched two frames and combined to allow a pair of runs. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Eduardo Del Rosario, GCL Twins Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Aderlin Mejia, Fort Myers Miracle TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (4:35 CST) – LHP Taylor Rogers Rochester @ Buffalo (Game 2) – RHP Tyler Duffey Chattanooga vs. Mobile (6:15 CST) – LHP David Hurlbut Ft. Myers @ St. Lucie (5:30 CST) – LHP Stephen Gonsalves Cedar Rapids @ Lake County (6:00 CST) – RHP Keaton Steele Elizabethton @ Greeneville (6:00 CST) – TBA GLC Twins @ GCL Rays (11:00 am CST) – TBA Click here to view the article

On the eve of the trade deadline, there have already been a lot of top prospects who have changed organizations over the last few days. The Twins have been holding steady with their young core of players but that could change at some point in the next handful of hours. Some of the Twins minor leaguers were doing their best to show off their talents in what could be their last appearance in a Twins affiliated jersey. Check out all of the action below.CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 3, Pensacola 0 Box Score Max Kepler cranked two solo home runs and that was more than enough to back a solid outing by Jason Wheeler. Kepler finished the game going 3-for-4 at the plate with a pair a runs and RBIs. Wheeler pitched eight shutout innings with six strikeouts and no walks. JT Chargois finished off the shutout with a scoreless ninth frame. He walked one and allowed a hit but he used a pair of timely strikeouts to finish with his eighth save. Shannon Wilkerson collected a pair of hits out of the lead-off spot. Kennys Vargas and Levi Michael both went 1-for-3 and Michael stole his 11th base. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 4, Daytona 0 Box Score The Miracle pitching staff had a no-hitter into the seventh inning and they finished the game with one hit allowed. Steven Gonsalves earned his fifth victory and lowered his ERA to 2.11 after five hitless frames. He struck out eight and walked three. Of his eight strikeouts, six were swinging. Trevor Hildenberger allowed the lone hit but he did strike out three in two innings of work. Brian Gilbert and Nick Burdi struck out five of the six batters they faced to finish the game. Much like Chattanooga, Fort Myers didn't need a ton of run support but they got a pair of solo home runs off the bats of Mitch Garver and Logan Wade. For both players it was their third home run of the year with the Miracle. Tannner Vavra reached base three times and Zach Granite and Chad Christensen both had multi-hit nights. Over the last 20 innings, the Miracle have held opponents without a run. The last time an opposing team scored was the seventh inning on July 28. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 9, Clinton 5 Box Score Cedar Rapids used a four-run fourth inning to help pace themselves to the win. It was the team's third straight series win and every Kernels hitter except one recorded at least one hit in the series finale. Ethan Mildren was credited with the victory even though he allowed three runs on five hits in less than two innings out of the bullpen. Jared Wilson had an unconventional save as he pitched almost three innings. Zack Tillery got a no-decision after not allowing a hit in the first three innings and finishing with two runs allowed on two hits. Nick Gordon scored a couple of runs and hit his 16th double. Alex Real and Austin Diemer both hit two-run home runs. Brett Doe drove in three runs as part of a two-hit night. Rafael Valera was the lone starter who didn't collect a hit. He went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. E-Twins E-Notes E-Twins 13, Johnson City 4 Box Score Elizabethton jumped out to a 7-0 lead by the end of the second inning on their way to a 16-hit effort. Every player in the line-up had at least one hit and six of the nine hitters collected multiple hits. AJ Murray went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, and four RBI. Alex Perez drove in three runs and scored three runs. LaMonte Wade only had one hit but it was his fifth home run of the season. Samuel Clay pitched five shutout innings for his first win of the season. He struck out seven and walked none. Nate Gercken got into a little trouble and allowed three runs to score in three innings. Jose Abreu allowed one run in the ninth on a pair of hits. GCL Twins Takes GCL Twins 4, GCL Rays 5 (7 Innings) Box Score All the other Twins affiliates seemed to be on fire but the GCL Twins must not have gotten the memo from the rest of the organization. They were swept in a doubleheader made up of a regularly scheduled game and a postponed game from earlier in the month. In the regularly scheduled game, the Twins held a 1-0 lead going into the final innings. However, Callan Pearce allowed three runs on three hits to take the loss. Miguel Gonzalez started and pitched three shutout innings before turning it over to the bullpen. The Twins combined for five doubles but the team was only 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position. Kolton Kendrick reached base three times including a double and a run scored. Luis Arraez went 2-for-4 with a double. Lewin Diaz knocked his sixth double of the season. GCL Twins Takes GCL Twins 2, GCL Rays 7 (7 Innings) Box Score The Twins left nine runners on base and eight of those runners were in scoring position. Rowan Ebersohn and Roni Tapia each went 2-for-3. Ebersohn's double was the lone extra-base hit for the club. Luis Arraez finished 1-for-3 with a steal. Jovani Moran started but didn't make it out of the first inning. He allowed two runs on three hits with two walks and a strikeout. Moises Gomez finished off the first frame and pitched another three scoreless innings to keep the game close. Rich Condeelis took the loss after allowing five runs in 0.1 innings. Matz Schutte collected the last five outs and limited the Rays to two hits. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Jason Wheler, Chattanooga Lookouts Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Max Kepler, Chattanooga Lookouts FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Syracuse (6:05 CST) – LHP Taylor Rogers Chattanooga vs. Pensacola (6:15 CST) – LHP David Hurlbut Ft. Myers @ Daytona (6:05 CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (6:30 CST) – LHP Randy Rosario Elizabethton vs. Burlington (6:00 CST) – RHP Cody Stashak GLC Twins vs. GCL Red Sox (10:00 am CST) – TBA GLC Twins @ GCL Red Sox (Make-up of 7/24 PPD) – TBA Click here to view the article

Winning has been a trend throughout the Twins system this season. Entering play on Monday night, the Twins had the third highest winning percentage for any farm system. Twins affiliates have won 54.29% of their games and trail only the Astros and Mets for the top spot. Did Minnesota's affiliated teams continue their winning ways? There were multiple doubleheaders scheduled for Monday so you'll have to read on to find out.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 1, Toledo 2 Box Score Pat Dean pitching a complete game and limited the Mud Hens to two runs but he didn't get enough run support and was handed his ninth loss of the season. He scattered nine hits and walked two while striking out one. It was his third straight start of seven innings or more while allowing two earned runs or fewer. He's taken the loss in two of those three starts. The lone Rochester run came courtesy of a Reynaldo Rodriguez solo home run. Eric Farris matched Rodriguez with a 2-for-4 night at the plate. Jorge Polanco and Chris Herrmann both reached base twice with a pair of walks. The team had only three at-bats with runners in scoring position but they were held hitless in those RBI situations. With the loss, the Red Wings have lost five straight games and sit three games over .500. The club currently sits three games behind the Scranton/WB RailRiders for first place in the International League North Division. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 5, Lakeland 1 (7 Innings) Box Score Aaron Slegers earned his eighth victory after pitching a seven inning complete game. He allowed one earned run on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks. It was his sixth straight start of pitching at least seven innings and allowing two earned runs or fewer. During that stretch, he has gone 4-1 while limiting opponents to one walk. Michael Quesada drove in a pair of runs to help add to the Miracle lead. Engelb Vielma and DJ Hicks finished the game with two hits, each having a double. T.J. White went 2-for-3 with a run scored. The team had more than enough offense to back the stellar pitching performance by Slegers. Fort Myers 1, Lakeland 6 (7 Innings) Box Score After the strong pitching performance from Slegers in the first half of the double- header, Chih-Wei Hu had a tough time on the mound. He allowed five earned runs on 10 hits while striking out six in less than five innings of work. Brian Gilbert, Tyler Jay, and Trevor Hildenberger put up zeros for the rest of the night but it was too big of a hole. No Miracle batter had more than one hit and none of the team's hits were for extra bases. Michael Quesada scored the lone run for the team. Engelb Vielma reached base twice and finished the doubleheader 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI, a run and a walk. E-Twins E-Notes E-Twins 0, Johnson City 4 (7 Innings) Box Score The E-Twins were held to three hits as no one on the team had more than one hit. Chris Paul reached base two times and cracked the team's lone extra-base hit, a double. A.J. Murray, Alex Perez, and Manuel Guzman each reached base two times. The team went 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base. Alexis Tapia pitched into the sixth inning but took the loss after allowing four runs, three earned, while striking out nine and walking three. Tyler Stirewalt pitched 1.1 innings without allowing a run. He struck out one and didn't walk any. The loss dropped the E-Twins to four games under .500. E-Twins 4, Johnson City 1 (7 Innings) Box Score The E-Twins struggled to get on the board in the first half of the doubleheader but they found a way to scratch out some hits in the second half. LaMonte Wade had a pair of hits including a double to go along with two RBI. Alex Perez scored two runs and hit his fourth double of the season. The E-Twins two through seven hitters each had at least one hit and the team left only four men on base. Onesimo Hernandez remained perfect on the season after throwing five innings of one-run ball. He struck out four and walked one and the lone run was scored on a solo home run. C.K. Irby picked up his first save after pitching two scoreless innings to close out the contest. GCL Twins Takes GCL Twins 2, GCL Rays 1 (Suspended- 2 Innings) Box Score The GCL Twins were scheduled for a doubleheader but they weren't able to get through two innings of work before rain interrupted play. Lewin Diaz and Jermaine Palacios each drove in a run before the rain came atumblin' down. Look for a full report on both of these games when the rain finally stops falling in Florida. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Aaron Slegers, Fort Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Engelb Vielma, Fort Myers Miracle TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Toldeo (6:00 CST) – RHP Jose Berrios Chattanooga vs. Pensacola (6:15 CST) – LHP Brett Lee Ft. Myers vs. Lakeland (6:05 CST) – RHP Ryan Eades Cedar Rapids @ Clinton (6:30 CST) – RHP Keaton Steele Elizabethton vs. Johnson City (6:00 CST) – TBA GCL Twins vs. GCL Rays (11:00 am CST) – TBA GCL Twins vs. GCL Rays (Completion of 7/27 Game) Click here to view the article

There wasn't too much to be happy about across Twins Territory on Sunday. The big league club got destroyed out in Oakland and four of the team's five minor league affiliates were also unsuccessful in their attempts at victory. Even with not such positive outcomes in the win-loss column, there were still some strong performances at multiple levels. To see who fared well through all the losing, keep reading.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 6, Lehigh Valley 2 Box Score Greg Peavey picked up his first win since being promoted from Double-A at the end of last month and the bottom half of the batting order provided enough offense for the club's 51st win. Peavey tossed six frames while allowing two earned runs on six hits. He struck out five and walked three. Michael Tonkin and Logan Darnell combined for three perfect innings to close out the win. Rochester got off to a slow start in this one as they were being no-hit through four innings but they combined to go 4-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Eric Farris, Argenis Diaz and Carlos Paulino all had two hits as they batted seven through nine in the order. Diaz drove in two runs and scored two while Paulino drove in three and threw out a runner from behind the plate. With the win, Rochester improved to seven games over .500 as the club leads the International League North Division by one game over the Scranton/WB RailRiders. The Red Wings next opponent, the Gwinnett Braves, is two games under .500 and seven games out of first in the IL South Division. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga --, Biloxi -- (Postponed- Rain) Rain postponed this game before a pitch could be thrown. The two clubs will not meet again during the regular season so the game will not be made up. The Lookouts won three of the four games in the series before tonight's cancellation. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Jupiter 3 Box Score Jupiter pounded out 10 hits to slide by Fort Myers. Nick Burdi took the loss after allowing two runs in two innings of work. Stephen Gonsalves started the game and pitched five innings of one-run ball with two strikeouts and two walks. Brian Gilbert pitched two shutout innings to end the game. TJ White was the lone Miracle batter with multiple hits as he went 2-for-4. Mitch Garver kept the team in the game with a solo home run, his seventh of the year. Alex Swim collected a pinch-hit double but that runner was one of nine runners left on base by the club. Fort Myers has lost seven of their last nine games but the club is surprisingly only four games out of first place in the Florida State League South Division. The Miracle will look to get back on track as they continue the series against the last place Jupiter Hammerheads on Monday. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Quad Cities 5 Box Score Luke Westphal took the loss but it wasn't because of his performance on the mound. He went six strong innings while allowing two runs, one earned run, with four strikeouts and two walks. At one point, the southpaw retired nine straight batters. After Westphal left, Chris Mazza got beat around for three runs on four hits, minimizing the chances for a comeback victory. Edgar Corcino reached base three times as part of a 2-for-3 effort. Tyler Kuresa scored the lone run of the game for the Kernels. The only extra-base hit came off the bat of Pat Kelly, his eighth double of the season. Nick Gordon saw his 17-game hitting streak come to an end after going 0-for-4. Overall, the team left five runners on base and went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. The Kernels have lost six of their last eight and they sit eight games behind Kane County for first place in the Midwest League Western Division. E-Twins E-Notes E-Twins 3, Burlington 13 Box Score The E-Twins found themselves in a very tight game before the B-Royals pounded out eight runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Tyler Stirewalt and Jose Abreu surrendered all eight runs in the inning with seven of the eight runs being earned. Cody Stashak started and finished with six innings, two earned runs, five strikeouts and three walks. It wasn't all bad for the E-Twins. Amaurys Minier went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Daniel Kihle reached base three times in four trips and hit his first triple. LaMonte Wade scored a run and knocked his third triple of the season. It wouldn't be nearly enough as the team was sent to a double-digit loss for the first time all season. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Greg Peavey, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Amaurys Minier, Elizabethton Twins MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Gwinnett (6:05 CST) – LHP Taylor Rogers Chattanooga vs. Montgomery (6:15 CST) – LHP David Hurlbut Ft. Myers vs. Jupiter (6:05 CST) – TBA Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (1:00 CST) – TBA Elizabethton @ Burlington (6:00 CST) – RHP Dereck Rodriguez GLC Twins vs. GCL Orioles (11:00 am CST) – TBA Click here to view the article

Oswaldo Arcia began the year as the Twins starting left fielder but things didn't work out exactly as planned. He finds himself down at Triple-A but he's making the most of the opportunity after a slow start. On Monday, Arcia was named the International League Hitter of the Week, the fifth honor for Rochester this season. Arcia led the International League with four home runs, 10 RBI, six extra-base hits, and 22 total bases. In the month of July, he's knocked a league-high seven long balls. Last Monday, he led Rochester to a dramatic win with a three-run walk-off home run. He's already tied for the team lead with eight home runs. Miracle left-hander Mat Batts was also honored on Monday with the Florida State League Pitcher of the Week. He made one start during the week and delivered seven scoreless innings in a no-decision. Batts scattered five hits with two walks and struck out 10. He currently leads the Miracle with a 1.71 ERA. Besides the awards being handed out, there was plenty of action down on the farm. Let's check out some of the top performances from Monday.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester (All-Star Break) Much like their counterparts at the big league level, the Rochester Red Wings are in the midst of their All-Star break. The Triple-A All-Star Game is scheduled to be played on July 15 in Omaha, NE. Pitchers AJ Achter and Taylor Rogers will join infielder James Beresford and coach Tim Doherty as the Rochester representatives. Rochester enters the break with a 49-42 record, the top mark in the International League North Division. The team currently sits 1.5 games ahead of Scranton/W-B for first place in the division. The Red Wings won four of their last six game heading into the break. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Mississippi 3 Box Score Chattanooga jumped out to an early lead in this one and had to hold on for dear life at the end. David Hurlbut twirled seven shutout frames by allowing five hits and two walks. He didn't strike out a batter but he seemed not to need them on this night. Alex Muren made things interesting in the ninth by allowing two runs but he was still able to earn his first save. Stephen Wickens and Heiker Meneses both picked up a pair of hits. Wickens cracked his eighth double and Meneses drove in his 22nd run. Niko Goodrum collected his first triple since being promoted to Double-A and he stole his seventh base. Travis Harrison drove in a run, his 40th of the season. The win ended a four-game losing skid and helped keep the Lookouts from being swept by Mississippi. Chattanooga has struggled in the second half with a 4-13 record. They are currently in last place in the Southern League North Division. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Clearwater 3 Box Score Aaron Slegers pitched into the ninth inning for the second time this season and he had retired 10 in a row before a throwing error by Tanner Vavra cost him a chance at a win. Slegers took his fifth loss after lasting 8.1 innings. He struck out one and walked one. It was his fourth straight start pitching at least seven innings and allowing two earned runs or fewer. Reliever Dallas Gallant allowed the game-winning hit, a single, which drove in the runner who had reached on Vavra's error. Jason Kanzler had one of the biggest hits in the game, a run scoring triple. It was the only extra-base hit of the game and the club went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. Ryan Walker reached base three times, along with scoring a run. Mitch Garver finished the night 2-for-4. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Kane County 4 Box Score Luke Westphal made a strong start for the Kernels but it wasn't enough for his club to come out victorious. In six innings, he allowed one run on three hits with three strikeouts and a walk. He left the game with the lead but Rand LeBlanc allowed three runs (two earned) in the last two innings as he earned his second loss of the season. Tanner English had a strong day at the plate with a 2-for-4 effort including his 13th double and his 27th stolen base. Nick Gordon cracked his 12th double and reached base in two of his four plate appearances. He now has a team best 13-game hitting streak and he has reached base in 16 straight games. After an day off on Tuesday, the Kernels begin a three-game home series on Wednesday versus the Burlington Bees. The club has lost three of their last four games. E-Twins E-Notes E-Twins --, Johnson City -- (Postponed- Rain) The E-Twins were looking to get back to the .500 mark on Monday but Mother Nature didn't cooperate. Most of the minor league affiliates have a scheduled day off on Tuesday so the make-up of this game is still TBD. GCL Twins Takes GCL Twins 5, GCL Rays 3 Box Score The GCL Twins found themselves with a five-run lead entering the late innings and the club was able to hang on for a two-run win. Eduardo Del Rosario pitched five shutout frames by scattering five hits. Hector Lujan allowed all three runs in less than an inning of work. Johan Quezada was asked to get four outs for his third save of the season. Lewin Diaz and Luis Arraez paced the offense with three hits each. Both players knocked a double while Diaz had a pair of two-out RBIs and Arraez scored two runs. Jermaine Palacios went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base. It was the second straight win for the GCL Twins. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – David Hurlbut, Chattanooga Lookouts Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Lewin Diaz, GCL Twins TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester- Scheduled Off Day for All-Star Break Chattanooga- Scheduled Off Day Ft. Myers- Scheduled Off Day Cedar Rapids- Scheduled Off Day Elizabethton- Scheduled Off Day GLC Twins @ GCL Rays (11:00 am CST) – TBA Click here to view the article

A week after nearly pitching a no-hitter, Dereck Rodriguez was honored by the Appalachian League with their Pitcher of the Week Award. In that start, Rodriguez tossed seven scoreless frames while striking out seven and walking one. It was the first pitcher of the week award for the son of former big league catcher Ivan Rodriguez. The younger Rodriguez was back on the mound on Monday night in his first start since that remarkable outing. Keep reading to see how he fared, along with all the other teams in Minnesota's farm system.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 10, Lehigh Valley 8 Box Score Rochester seemed to have this game in hand as the club took a 6-4 lead into the top of the ninth inning. This wasn't the case as AJ Achter allowed three straight hits to start the inning and by the time the dust settled, Lehigh Valley had scored four runs to take a two-run lead. The Red Wings wouldn't go quietly as they started the bottom of the inning with three straight singles. Oswaldo Arcia hadn't had a hit all game and he had a fielding error but strode to the plate with a chance to play the hero. He himself in an 0-2 hole after swinging at the first two pitches but he didn't miss the last one as he tattooed it to right field for a walk-off grand slam. For the game Jose Martinez was 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. Reynaldo Rodriguez scored two runs and drove in a pair. After going 1-for-8 in his first two games since being called-up, Jorge Polanco went 3-for-5 with an RBI. Pat Dean started and allowed four earned runs in seven innings of work. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 3, Jacksonville 0 (Suspended- Completion 7/7) Box Score Rain suspended this game in the fifth inning with the Lookouts up 3-0. The game will be completed tomorrow as part of a double-header. Check out the box score to see how the team has done so far and look for a full report in tomorrow's minor league report. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 9, St. Lucie 0 Box Score Stephen Gonsalves pitched seven shutout innings after failing to make it out of the sixth inning in any of his four starts since being promoted to High-A. He limited the Mets to three hits and struck out seven while walking one. Matt Summers completed the shutout by tossing two scoreless frames. The Miracle used multi-run innings in the fifth and eighth frame to blow open what had been a close contest. Engelb Vielma went 4-for-5 while driving in a pair of runs. Marcus Knecht connected for a three-run home run and added his fifteenth double. Out of the lead-off spot, Zach Granite scored two runs and hit his seventh double. After sweeping St. Lucie, Fort Myers improved to ten games over .500. The shutout was Fort Myers' seventh of the season and the Miracle have now won 11 consecutive home games. The team is 8-4 in the second half and trails the Bradenton Marauders by one game for the top of the Florida State League South Division. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Beloit 5 Box Score In a game with multiple lead changes, the Kernels scored the final three runs of the game to end up with their 49th victory of the season. Sam Gibbons wasn't perfect but he did enough to earn his third victory as he allowed five runs in six innings. The bullpen was strong as Jared Wilson pitched two scoreless innings and Trevor Hildenberger struck out the side in the ninth for his 10th save. The top three hitters in the Kernels' line-up all collected multiple hits. Tanner English drove in three runs and scored a run along with an outfield assist. Nick Gordon hit his 11th double, stretching his hitting streak to nine games, but also committed his 11th error. Edgar Corcino had two doubles and an RBI. Even though he wasn't near the top of the line-up, Brian Navarreto had two hits and scored two runs. The Kernels are 5-1 since the calendar flipped to July and they sit 2.5 games behind Kane County for first place in the Midwest League Western Division. E-Twins E-Notes E-Twins 4, Bristol 5 Box Score After plating four runs in the third frame, it looked like the E-Twins had the upper hand. In his first start since his near no-hitter last week, Dereck Rodriguez was pulled after allowing two runs on five hits in four innings. However, Alex Robinson had a tough night on the mound as he allowed three earned runs in 1.1 innings. He struck out two and walked two. Logan Lombana and CK Irby didn't allow a run over the last 2.2 innings. Brad Hatong reached base four times and collected two RBIs to help pace the offense. Sean Miller was the only other hitter with multiple hits as he went 2-for-4. LaMonte Wade got his first double and he plated a pair of runs. The team missed out on some opportunities as they went 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position. In a one-run game, that's a tough ratio to swallow. GCL Twins Takes GCL Twins 0, GCL Orioles 1 Box Score Robert Molina's single in the second inning was the only thing that stopped the GCL Twins from being no-hit on Monday afternoon. His hit was erased on a double play during the next at-bat. Even with the lack of hits, Rowan Ebersohn walked in the eighth frame and made it all the way to third. He advanced to second on a balk and then he stole third base. Ruar Verkerk and Tyree Davis struck out to end the frame and left Ebersohn on base. Jose Martinez was charged with his second loss after allowing one earned run on five hits in five innings of work. He struck out four and walked none. He's allowed two runs or less in all three starts this season and he doesn't have a win to his name. Stephen Pryor had some control issues as he walked three in his inning of work but he escaped unscathed after a couple of strikeouts. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Stephen Gonsalves, Fort Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Oswaldo Arcia, Rochester Red Wings TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Buffalo (6:05 CST) – RHP Greg Peavey Chattanooga @ Jacksonville (6:05 CST) – LHP David Hurlbut Chattanooga @ Jacksonville (Completion of 7/6 game) Ft. Myers @ Jupiter (5:35 CST) – TBA Cedar Rapids vs. Beloit (12:05 CST) – LHP Luke Westphal Elizabethton @ Princeton (6:00 CST) – RHP Alexis Tapia GLC Twins vs. GCL Orioles (11:00 am CST) – TBA Click here to view the article

Over at Twins Daily, we have been counting down the Twins system's top prospects as part of our midseason update. This allows for players like recent first- round pick Tyler Jay to fit into the Twins overall prospect rankings. There is plenty of depth in the Twins system so there are some very good players outside the top 10 rankings.Some players like Byron Buxton and Eddie Rosario will likely use up their rookie eligibility this season and graduate out of the rankings. This means other players just outside the top 10 will find themselves in the mix for a higher ranking spot during the coming off-season. These are my rankings so there are some differences from the Twins Daily compiled list (Alex Meyer was in the top 10 at Twins Daily and he checks in at number 12 below). Check out the rankings below and feel free to start a conversation about these players in the comment section. 20. Felix Jorge, RHP 2015 Level(s): Low-A Jorge struggled so much during his stint with Cedar Rapids last season that the Twins sent him back to Elizabethton. This year he has been much improved as Jorge has been a mainstay in the Kernels' rotation while showing better control and command of the strike zone. Minnesota might have to take the slow and steady approach with Jorge but there's enough upside to keep an eye on him. 19. Stuart Turner, C 2015 Level(s): AA Turner has struggled offensively to start 2015 but the Twins have a lot riding on some of the younger catchers in the organization. In fact, the Twins took three catchers in the first nine rounds of the 2013 draft. Turner's real claim to fame is his defensive skills and ability to call a game. Some of his offensive struggles could be from the Twins moving him aggressively. Time will tell if he can make the adjustments and turn himself into an everyday big league catcher. 18. Taylor Rogers, LHP 2015 Level(s): AAA The 2014 season marked the first time in his career that Rogers didn't pitch at multiple levels in the Twins system. He still put up some strong numbers at Double-A and the team rewarded him with a trip to the Arizona Fall League to face some of the best prospects in the game. He pitched well in the AFL and some of that experience has likely helped him to be successful to start the 2015 campaign. Rogers might never make the Twins rotation but he's left- handed and he continues to find success. 17. Travis Harrison, RF/3B 2015 Level(s): AA Harrison can get lost in the shuffle of some of the bigger named power prospects in the Twins system but he continues to compile some decent numbers. He's moved through the system consistently and his slugging percentage is over .400 again this season after being below that mark last year. Harrison's playing right field for the first time in his career and he's already matched his career high with three outfield assists. He could still surprise some people if he makes some subtle improvements. 16. Nick Burdi, RHP 2015 Level(s): AA Burdi opened the year in many Twins Top 10 lists. His collegiate record and success last season made many think he'd be a fast riser in Minnesota's system after the team took him in the second round a year ago. Things have gone poorly this season as Burdi is walking a lot of batters and giving up hits by the bushel. The batters are more experienced at Double-A but Burdi's going to need a strong second half or he might drop out of the Twins Top 20. 15. Tyler Duffey, RHP 2015 Level(s): AA, AAA Duffey pitched his way from High-A to Triple-A in 2014. This led to some high expectations for him entering the 2015 campaign. He pitched very well in the Southern League to start the season and has since gotten the bump up to Rochester. There have been a few hiccups since his promotion but he's still only 24 and he's seen his strikeout rate make a big jump this season. If that trend continues, he could get a chance to start with the Twins in the next couple of years. 14. Adam Brett Walker, LF/RF 2015 Level(s): AA Walker hits the ball and he hits it a long way. There are some issues with making consistent contact as his strikeout numbers continue to rise as he moves through the Twins system. On a team that includes Miguel Sano and Max Kepler, he's leading the team and the minor leagues in home runs. There are some flaws with his game and that's one of the reasons he isn't ranked higher. Because of those flaws, it will also be interesting to see how the Twins approach his promotions for the rest of the season. 13. Chih-Wei Hu, RHP 2015 Level(s): High-A, AAA Hu burst onto the scene last season by compiling some stellar numbers at Elizabethton and Cedar Rapids. He's pitched most of this season at Fort Myers with even better results. The Twins have so much confidence in him that they allowed him to make a spot start at Rochester. Hu was six years younger than the average age of the other pitchers in the International League. He's not going to blow people away but he could be a good middle of the rotation starter. 12. Alex Meyer, RHP 2015 Level(s): AAA, MLB It hasn't been the start to the 2015 season that Alex Meyer imagined. After struggling in the rotation to begin the year, Meyer has been moved to the bullpen to regain some confidence. Things have been going well for Meyer so it will be interesting to see if the Twins use him as a bullpen arm the rest of the season or if they will move him back into the rotation. The Twins are going to want him to be a starter but that might not be the role he is destined for at the big league level. 11. Lewis Thorpe, LHP 2015 Level(s): N/A (Tommy John surgery) Thorpe had Tommy John surgery this spring and will miss all of the 2015 season. This takes nothing away from the type of impact pitcher he could be. He's still a teenager so at this stage missing an entire season shouldn't impact his long-term potential. Thorpe was almost four years younger than the other pitchers in the Midwest League last season. He's a player to be excited about and he should be back in the Twins Top 10 Prospects by the end of the season. Click here to view the article