Cody Christie

After the stellar Sunday pitching performance of Mike Pelfrey, the Twins announced a roster move that seemed to be coming for sometime. Danny Santana was sent down to Triple-A Rochester and Kennys Vargas was recalled. Santana had struggled to start this season and pitchers were taking advantage of him at the plate. Since being demoted, Kennys Vargas hit .308/.403/.519 with three home runs and two doubles in 16 games. With Oswaldo Arcia's demotion earlier in the week, the return of Vargas means the Twins have a viable option at designated hitter. Besides the roster shake-up there were some other thrilling moments in Rochester.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Scranton/WB 3 Box Score In a battle between the top two team's in the International League North, the Red Wings used some late inning heroics to win in an unconventional way. Lester Oliveros made a spot start and he had found himself in trouble early as the RailRiders scored a run and had the bases loaded in the first before a huge strikeout. His final line was four innings pitched with six hits, an earned run and a walk, with three strikeouts. Alex Meyer made the longest relief appearance of his career lasting three innings in relief of Oliveros. Meyer didn't allow a run and tallied one strikeout and a walk. Of his 45 pitches, 25 were for strikes. Since moving to the bullpen, he has yet to allow a run. The Red Wings found themselves trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the eighth and that's when things started going a little crazy. Eric Fryer started the inning with a ground rule double. Pinch-hitter James Beresford followed with a strikeout but he reached first safely and Fryer advanced to third. Doug Bernier grounded into a double play but Fryer scored and the Wings were within one run. The ninth inning got even crazier. Danny Ortiz, as a pinch hitter, and Reynaldo Rodriguez started the inning with singles. Josmil Pinto flew out to right before Kennys Vargas walked to load the bases. Oswaldo Arcia hit a fly ball to the warning track to score Ortiz from third. On the play, both Rodriguez and Vargas tagged up. The shortstop tried to catch Rodriguez at third but a wild throw allowed the winning run to score. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 13 Tennessee 0 Box Score Adam Brett Walker keeps mashing the ball and the rest of his Chattanooga teammates joined the hit parade on Sunday evening. Walker collected a couple of hits including his team-high 15th home run. Jorge Polanco collected three hits, all doubles, along with scoring three runs. Miguel Sano finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a walk. Carlos Paulino drove in two runs and got his first triple. Alex Wimmers was electric on the mound. That's not a typo. Over seven shutout innings, he scattered three hits, walked three, and struck out three for his third win. Madison Boer and D.J. Johnson completed the shutout as each pitched an inning to finish the game. With the win, the Lookouts improved to nine games over .500 and the club leads the Southern League North by two games. Jose Berrios looks to keep Chattanooga on the winning track as he's scheduled to start on Monday. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers (Scheduled Off Day) Since the calendar flipped to June, the Miracle have posted a 2-4 record and they find themselves 12 games out of first place in the Florida State League South. However, the Charlotte Stone Crabs lead the divison by 10 games so there are a lot of clubs in chase mode at this point. Stephen Gonsalves has been masterful this season for the Cedar Rapids Kernels and he is scheduled to debut with the Miracle on Monday night. The Florida State League can be very good to pitchers so hopefully his strong season can continue in Fort Myers. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, West Michigan 6 Box Score Cedar Rapids was only able to string together three hits in this contest and none of them were for extra-bases. Brett Doe went 2-for-4 and was the lone Kernel with multiple hits. Edgar Corcino collected the team's lone RBI. Max Murphy, Tanner English and Nick Gordon all collected stolen bases. The team was 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and they left eight runners on base. Sam Gibbons took the loss after pitching four innings and allowing three earned runs. He struck out three and didn't walk any in his second Midwest League start. Luke Bard was strong in relief as he limited the Whitecaps to one hit over three innings. The Kernels dropped their fourth straight, the first time all season the club has lost four consecutive games. Cedar Rapids looks to avoid the sweep tomorrow night before returning home for a nine-game home stand on Wednesday. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Jorge Polanco, Chattanooga Lookouts Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Alex Wimmers, Chattanooga Lookouts TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Indianapolis (6:05 CST) – LHP Jason Wheeler Chattanooga @ Jackson (7:05 CST)- RHP Jose Berrios Ft. Myers @ Lakeland (5:30 CST) – LHP Stephen Gonsalves (High-A Debut) Cedar Rapids @ West Michigan (6:00 CST) - TBA Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Sunday games. Click here to view the article

As the 2012 MLB Draft approached, there were plenty of rumors swirling about who the Astros would take with the first overall pick. Byron Buxton was considered by many talent evaluators to be the best available player but the Astros had surprised people before and other names had popped into the discussion. On draft night, the Astros steered in a different direction than Buxton by selecting Puerto Rican shortstop Carlos Correa, who shot up draft boards in the week prior to the draft. Houston was able to sign him for a below slot value and this allowed them to go over slot later in the draft for a pitcher like Lance McCullers. Minnesota was happy to have Buxton still on the board at number two as he had been the player they were targeting since their dreadful finish in 2011. Minnesota had to pay full slot value for their prized possession but they were more than willing to cover this costs. Buxton was quickly rated as one of the best prospects in the game and he has continued to rank highly over the last three seasons. Buxton and Correa have each dealt with some ups and downs during their professional careers. However, each player seem destined for success at baseball's highest level. Correa got off to a slow start while playing in both rookie leagues during his professional debut. In 50 games, he hit .258/.305/.400 with 19 extra-base hits in 190 at-bats. He did show offensive improvements after making the jump from the GCL to the Appalachian League. Buxton followed a similar path to Correa in his professional debut. Like Correa, he struggled in the GCL before making some strong strides in the Appalachian League as the Elizabethton Twins headed towards an Appy League Championship. Buxton hit .248/.344/.448 with 19 extra-base hits in 189 plate appearances. Correa and Buxton continue to follow each other in 2013 as each debuted in the Midwest League. Correa played the entire season at Low-A but he improved all of his offensive numbers. He finished the season hitting .320/.405/.467 with 45 extra-base hits over 450 at-bats. His defense also improved as he posted a .973 fielding percentage at shortstop. Buxton started the season in the Midwest League but unlike Correa, he would only play half the season at Low-A before being moved to High-A. Overall, Buxton emerged as the best prospect in the game by hitting .334/.424/.520 with 49 extra-base hit and 55 stolen bases in 488 at-bats. Buxton also played tremendous defense in center field. The 2014 season would be marred by injures for both players. Correa was limited to 62 games after he fractured his fibula. Buxton suffered multiple wrist injuries and his season eventual ended after a brutal concussion in the outfield during his Double-A debut. He was limited to 31 games and another 13 games in the Arizona Fall League. After shortened 2014 seasons, Correa and Buxton are healthy and back on the field and showing why they are considered two of the best prospects in the minor leagues. Correa played so well at Double-A (.327/.398/.607) that he's already made his Triple-A debut and some Astros fans are clamoring for him to make his big league debut as soon as possible. Buxton has played the entire season at Double-A while hitting .262/.329/.497 in 191 at-bats. Even with some injury concerns taking away playing time, it looks like Correa and Buxton are both have the potential to be budding superstars. Correa's value continues to rise and his current path could have him making his MLB debut before Buxton. After a slow start, Buxton has seen his offensive numbers improve over the last month and one has to wonder how long the Twins will wait to move him up to Triple-A. Correa and Buxton's careers have just barely begun and it will be fun to look back over the next decade as each player progresses. The Astros had a tough decision back on draft night in 2012 but it looks like both teams might come out as winners with Buxton and Correa.

With a rainout in Boston and the Red Wings having a scheduled off-day, the Twins' two highest clubs didn't take the field on Monday night. There wasn't much to be excited about down on the farm with the teams that did take the field. Two offenses struggled to score runs and it took a nearly perfect pitching performance for the other affiliate to come out victorious. Luckily, most of the team's affiliates are still holding on to division leads as the calendar turns to June. Here's the action from down on the pond.TRANSACTIONS Late on Monday, we learned that after another stellar outing on Monday afternoon, Stephen Gonsalves has been promoted to Ft. Myers. In a tweet, Gonsalves wrote, "I want to thank the @CRKernels fans for my time here and ending it with a standing ovation. I'm on my way to Florida to continue my year."RED WINGS REPORT Rochester (Scheduled Off Day) The Red Wings have lost six of their last nine games and their last three series in May to end the month on a sour note. Rochester still leads the International League North by one game with a 27-23 record. Rochester ends their road trip with a two-game series at Lehigh Valley starting on Wednesday before an important series against second-place Pawtucket. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 3 Tennessee 13 Box Score Miguel Sano cracked his tenth home run of the season but it wasn't nearly enough to keep Chattanooga in this one. David Hurlbut was charged with the loss after allowing four runs on four hits in four innings. Jake Reed allowed nine runs (five earned runs) on five hits while collecting only three outs in the seventh and eighth innings. A trio of fielding errors from Jorge Polanco, Jake Reed, and Adam Brett Walker didn't help stop the bleeding. On a brighter note, Byron Buxton picked up his fifteenth steal and reached base two times. Walker hit his twelfth double but the team was only 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. The loss dropped Chattanooga to 29-20 but the club has four more games against Tennessee in the next four days so there will be plenty of chances for redemption. The Lookouts still hold a two game lead over Tennessee for the top spot in the Southern League North. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 1, St. Lucie 5 Box Score The Miracle offense took a while to wake up in this one as the team found themselves down five runs before they were able to push one across the plate. The team went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and they left eight runners on base. Marcus Knecht was the lone player with multiple hits. Mitch Garver reached base three times while Alex Swim and Bryan Haar each cracked a double. Mat Batts started and allowed four runs (two earned) on eight hits with seven strikeouts and no walks. Brian Gilbert and Alex Muren combined to throw the last 2.1 frames while striking out six. Gilbert allowed the only other run of the game. The Miracle have now lost a season-high five games in a row and they finished their road trip 2-5. Fort Myers returns home on Tuesday to face the first place Charlotte Stone Crabs as they look to get back to playing winning baseball. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Clinton 0 Box Score Stephen Gonsalves took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and the Kernels were able to complete a four-game sweep of Clinton. Gonsalves continued his strong start of the season by tossing seven scoreless frames on the way to his sixth victory. He struck out 11 and walked four while lowering his ERA to 1.15. Randy LeBlanc finished off the shutout with two scoreless frames. Zack Larson drove in two runs and collected his eleventh double. Edgar Corcino knocked a triple and a double and reached base three times. Nick Gordon scored two runs and went 1-for-5 at the plate. Brett Doe drove in two runs. T.J. White had an interesting line as he collected three walks and was officially 0-for-0 at the dish. The Kernels have an off-day on Tuesday before beginning a six-game road trip on Wednesday. When Cedar Rapids takes the field at South Bend, Felix Jorge is scheduled to be on the mound to keep the win streak going. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Stephen Gonsalves, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Edgar Corcino, Cedar Rapids Kernels TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Durham (6:05 CST) – LHP Jason Wheeler Chattanooga vs. Montgomery (6:15 CST)- RHP Alex Wimmers Ft. Myers vs. Bradenton (6:05 CST) – RHP Ryan Eades Cedar Rapids - Scheduled Off-Day Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Monday games. Click here to view the article

Earlier this week, it was announced that the Mets would start using a six-man rotation. Their plan is to stick with having an extra starter in the rotation through early-to-mid-August. New York's reasoning behind the move is to shave innings totals without the need to shut down pitchers before the end of the season.The Mets have three young pitchers in their rotation who need to be watched closely. Matt Harvey is in his first season back from Tommy John surgery while fellow starters Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard both threw under 180 innings last year. This isn't the first time an organization has tried shifting to a six-man rotation. In 2012, the Colorado Rockies, the Atlanta Braves, and the Chicago White Sox all toyed with using an extra starter. The results were mixed at best but it's certainly a trend to watch as injuries continue to plague baseball starters. So far this season, the Minnesota Twins starting rotation has performed surprisingly well. Kyle Gibson and Mike Pelfrey both have ERAs under 2.80, Ricky Nolasco has five wins, and Phil Hughes and Trevor May have been showing signs of improvement. That being said, there is an argument that could be made for Minnesota switching to a six-man rotation. Besides the pitchers mentioned above, Tommy Milone is the only other Twins pitcher to start a game this season. In four starts, he posted a 4.76 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. He has since been demoted to Rochester where he has been putting on a pitching clinic. In four Triple-A starts, he's allowed one earned run and struck out 41 in 31.2 innings. Minnesota's top brass is keeping an eye on Milone. In fact Twins general manager Terry Ryan called a call-up "inevitable." Both manager Paul Molitor and Ryan are pleased with what the current rotation has been able to do. Molitor said, "The guys we have up here are holding their own." The other looming pitching situation is the fact that the team is a handful of weeks away from Ervin Santana making his debut. Santana is suspended for the first 80 games this season after failing a drug test this spring. This puts him on track to rejoin Minnesota near the beginning of August. The Twins will have to make room for him in the rotation or be creative with how they use their starters. If Minnesota's current starting pitching crop continues to pitch well, it would be interesting to see if the team would consider switching to a six-man rotation. Hughes, Nolasco and Santana are likely locked into rotation spots. Gibson and Pelfrey have been performing well so it seems unlikely their spots are in jeopardy at this point. This could leave May on the fringe with Milone breathing down his neck. An injury or poor performance could plague the staff in the coming weeks so it seems unlikely for a six-man rotation to pop up in Minnesota in the near future. Starting pitching has been a problem in Minnesota during the last four years so it's nice to finally have a pitching surplus to worry about. For more from Cody Christie make sure to follow him on Twitter @NoDakTwinsFan and to read his other work at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com Click here to view the article

Earlier this week, it was announced that the Mets would start using a six-man rotation. Their plan is to stick with having an extra starter in the rotation through early-to-mid-August. New York's reasoning behind the move is to shave innings totals without the need to shut down pitchers before the end of the season. The Mets have three young pitchers in their rotation who need to be watched closely. Matt Harvey is in his first season back from Tommy John surgery while fellow starters Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard both threw under 180 innings last year. This isn't the first time an organization has tried shifting to a six-man rotation. In 2012, the Colorado Rockies, the Atlanta Braves, and the Chicago White Sox all toyed with using an extra starter. The results were mixed at best but it's certainly a trend to watch as injuries continue to plague baseball starters. So far this season, the Minnesota Twins starting rotation has performed surprisingly well. Kyle Gibson and Mike Pelfrey both have ERA's under 2.80, Ricky Nolasco has five wins, and Phil Hughes and Trevor May have been showing signs of improvement. That being said, there is an argument that could be made for Minnesota switching to a six-man rotation. Besides the pitchers mentioned above, Tommy Milone is the only other Twins pitcher to start a game this season. In four starts, he posted a 4.76 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. He has since been demoted to Rochester where he has been putting on a pitching clinic. In four Triple-A starts, he's allowed one earned run and struck out 41 in 31.2 innings. Minnesota's top brass is keeping an eye on Milone in fact Twins general manager Terry Ryan called a call-up "inevitable." Both manager Paul Molitor and Ryan are pleased with what the current rotation has been able to do. Molitor said, "The guys we have up here are holding their own." The other looming pitching situation is the fact the team is a handful of weeks away from Ervin Santana making his debut. Santana is suspended for the first 80 games this season after failing a drug test this spring. This puts him on track to rejoin Minnesota near the beginning of August. The Twins will have to make room for him in the rotation or be creative with how they use their starters. If Minnesota's current starting pitching crop continues to pitch well, it would be interesting to see if the team would consider switching to a six-man rotation. Hughes, Nolasco, and Santana are likely locked into rotation spots. Gibson and Pelfrey have been performing well so it seems unlikely for their spots to be in jeopardy at this point. This could leave May on the fringe with Milone breathing down his neck. An injury or poor performance could plague the staff in the coming weeks so it seems unlikely for a six-man rotation to pop up in Minnesota in the near future. Starting pitching has been a problem in Minnesota during the last four years so it's nice to finally have a pitching surplus to worry about. For more from Cody Christie make sure to follow him on Twitter @NoDakTwinsFan and to read his other work at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com

Happy Memorial Day! There's nothing like baseball on Memorial Day. For the second week in a row, left-handed pitcher Tommy Milone was honored with the International League Pitcher of the Week. He saw his scoreless streak stretch to 37.2 innings that dates back to his lone start with the Wings in August last season. This is the longest stretch in the International League since at least 2005. Milone started two games this week and was masterful in both. On Monday, he pitched a complete game shutout while striking out 13 versus Durham. He capped his week on Sunday by throwing 8.1 innings scoreless innings before giving up a solo home run to end the streak. Max Kepler was also honored on Monday for his stellar week at the plate. The outfielder and first baseman went 11-for-27 (.407 BA) with two home runs and five doubles. He drove in nine runs and scored seven runs to go along with a 1.263 OPS. Kepler had a hit in every game this week and he's in the midst of a nine game hitting streak. It would be a 16 game hitting streak if not for him being held hitless by the Birmingham Barons on 5-15. He currently leads the team in batting average and slugging percentage.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Durham 5 Box Score Rochester jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in this contest but they weren't able to overcome giving up five runs in the sixth inning. In the top of the first inning, the Red Wings used doubles from James Beresford and Danny Ortiz to plate a couple of runs. Besides another Ortiz double, Rochester's offense went cold until the eighth inning. Then, Doug Bernier's double was followed by a couple of ground outs to cut the lead to two. Kennys Vargas hit a solo home run in the ninth, his third since being demoted. He's batting .409 with six RBI across 22 at-bats with the club. Jason Wheeler was cruising through five innings before giving up five earned in the sixth without recording an out. Mark Hamburger pitched two scoreless innings with four strikeouts. Alex Meyer made his first relief appearance since college and pitched a perfect frame with two strikeouts. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga --, Mobile -- Chattanooga and Mobile started playing their game before rain and lightning filled the sky. The game was postponed and no make-up date was announced at this time. The Lookouts have won five of their last six game and have scored 10 runs or more in four of those contests. After a scheduled off day on Tuesday, the Lookouts begin a four-game series at home against Biloxi. Chattanooga is leading the Southern League North Division with a 28-16 record while Biloxi is leading the South Division with a 27-18 record. Needless to say, it will be an important series for both clubs. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers (Scheduled Off Day) The Miracle enjoyed an off day on Monday like many other employees across the country. Fort Myers is tied for second place in the Florida State League South Division with a 22-22 record. However, they are a distant eight games behind the Charlotte Stone Crabs. The club has gone 15-11 at home and struggled to a 7-11 record on the road. Fort Myers starts a four-game road series with Clearwater on Tuesday night. The Threshers sit in second place in the Florida State League North with an identical record as the Miracle. Mat Batts starts the series opener for Fort Myers. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 12, Peoria 3 Box Score The Kernels pounded out a season high 12 runs with 19 hits. With the win, Cedar Rapids reached a season-best 11 games above .500 (28-17 record) after finishing their road trip with a 5-3 record. The Kernels have scored at least 11 runs three times this season with all three games coming against the Snappers. Every hitter in the Kernels line-up collected a hit and seven of the nine hitters collected an extra-base hit. Pat Kelly was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a double, a home run and five RBI. Jorge Fernandez drove in four runs, including a three-run home run, in his first game since May 15. Max Murphy and Tyler Kuresa each had three hits including a triple and a double from Murphy. John Curtiss started the game but didn't figure into the decision as he was pulled from the game with an undisclosed injury. He allowed three runs over 4.1 innings, his second shortest outing of the year, while striking out three. Michael Theofanopoulos earned his first win by pitching 2.2 scoreless innings and striking out four. Over the last two innings, Randy LeBlanc struck out three and didn't allow a run. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Michael Theofanopoulos, Cedar Rapids Kernels. Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Pat Kelly, Cedar Rapids Kernels TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Durham (6:05 pm) – RHP Lester Oliveros Chattanooga- Scheduled Off Day Ft. Myers @ Clearwater (6:00 CST) – LHP Mat Batts Cedar Rapids vs. Wisconsin (6:35 CST) - LHP Stephen Gonsalves Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Monday games. Click here to view the article

Max Kepler has been featured up and down Twins prospect lists since the Twins signed him as a teenager out of Europe. The list of successful major league players born in Europe is small but there's always been a little something extra with Kepler.His parents are both professional dancers so he's got a strong athletic background. Minnesota took it slow with Kepler allowing him to play three years in the rookie leagues. Over the last two seasons, he has worked through both Low-A and High-A and spent the fall in the Arizona Fall League. The Twins added him to the 40-man roster following the 2013 season and he's spent the majority of 2015 at Double-A. The 2013 season had to be a low point for Kepler. He suffered an elbow injury early in the season and he didn't make it onto the field until the end of June. When he returned, he struggled at the plate hitting .237/.312/.424 with 23 extra-base hits in 61 games. In the AFL, he managed a .618 OPS with five doubles in 72 plate appearances. It wasn't a full season debut to write home about. Things started trending in the right direction during the 2014 campaign. He was healthier and played in over 100 games with Fort Myers. His slugging percentage dipped a little bit (.393 SLG) but his batting average (.264 BA) and on-base percentage (.333 OBP) both improved. Kepler was also close to two years younger than the other hitters in the league so there were signs of good things to come. This season Kepler is part of a stacked line-up in Chattanooga that includes the likes of top prospects Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, and Jorge Polanco. Up to this point in the season, he is outperforming many of the names ahead of him on top prospect lists. Across 23 Double-A games this season, Kepler is batting .326/.363/.500 with 11 extra-base hits (entering play on 5/19). He hasn't had a slugging percentage of .500 or higher since his second trip through the Appalachian League back in 2012. He's also never hit over .300 at any level. Besides improving his numbers at the plate, Kepler is also making waves with the other parts of his game. He's already stolen six bases this year after totaling six steals all of last season. His career high in steals is seven so he is well on his way to breaking that mark. On defense, he's split time between all three outfield positions and first base. He's been perfect fielding in the outfield to go along with an assist from right field, the outfield spot he's played the most. At first base, he's committed two errors but his fielding percentage is still higher than it was last season. Kepler's improvements this season definitely make him a player to watch. There's a good chance the Twins will see many of the top prospects debut at some point this season and this could mean Kepler shoots up prospect lists next off-season, with the potential to be a top 100 prospect in all of baseball. There's still a lot of season left but Kepler has shown some early season signs that he's ready to break out in a big way. Click here to view the article

Max Kepler has been featured up and down Twins prospect lists since the Twins signed him as a teenager out of Europe. The list of successful major league players born in Europe is small but there's always been a little something extra with Kepler. His parents were both professional dancers so he's got a strong athletic background. Minnesota took it slow with Kepler allowing him to play three years in the rookie leagues. Over the last two seasons, he has worked through both Low-A and High-A and spent the fall in the Arizona Fall League. The Twins added him to the 40-man roster following the 2013 season and he's spent the majority of 2015 at Double-A. The 2013 season had to be a low point for Kepler. He suffered an elbow injury early in the season and he didn't make it onto the field until the end of June. When he returned, he struggled at the plate hitting .237/.312/.424 with 23 extra-base hits in 61 games. In the AFL, he managed a .618 OPS with five doubles in 72 plate appearances. It wasn't a full season debut to write home about. Things started trending in the right direction during the 2014 campaign. He was healthier and played in over 100 games with Fort Myers. His slugging percentage dipped a little bit (.393 SLG) but his batting average (.264 BA) and on-base percentage (.333 OBP) both improved. Kepler was also close to two years younger than the other hitters in the league so there were signs of good things to come. This season Kepler is part of a stacked line-up in Chattanooga that includes the likes of top prospects Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, and Jorge Polanco. Up to this point in the season, he is outperforming many of the names ahead of him on top prospect lists. Across 23 Double-A games this season, Kepler is batting .326/.363/.500 with 11 extra-base hits (entering play on 5/19). He hasn't had a slugging percentage of .500 or higher since his second trip through the Appalachian League back in 2012. He's also never hit over .300 at any level. Besides improving his numbers at the plate, Kepler is also making waves with the other parts of his game. He's already stolen six bases this year after totaling six steals all of last season. His career high in steals is seven so he should be well on his way to breaking that mark. On defense, he's split time between all three outfield positions and first base. He's been perfect fielding in the outfield to go along with an assist from right field, the outfield spot he's played the most. At first base, he's committed two errors but his fielding percentage is still higher than it was last season. Kepler's improvements this season definitely make him a player to watch. There's a good chance the Twins will see many of the top prospects debut at some point this season and this could mean Kepler shoots up prospect lists next off-season with the potential to be a top 100 prospect in all of baseball. There's still a lot of season left but Kepler has shown some early season signs that he's ready to breakout in a big way. For more from Cody Christie make sure to follow him on Twitter @NoDakTwinsFan and to read his other work at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com

Another Monday means that each minor league level announces their player of the week honors. Twins-affiliated players have been littering the awards so far this season and that trend continued on Monday. Left-handed pitcher Tommy Milone was named the International League Pitcher of the Week. He only made one start over the last week but he tossed eight shutout innings while allowing three hits, all singles, striking out 12 without issuing a walk. To start the game, he struck out five straight batters. No batters reached scoring position against him and he faced the minimum in six of his eight innings of work. Top prospect Jose Berrios was also honored on Monday. The right-handed pitcher was honored as the Southern League's Pitcher of the Week. He tossed a nine innings complete game shutout for his fourth win of the season. He struck out eight and walked two while limiting the opposition to two hits, both singles. Both pitchers were scheduled to be on the mound today so let's see how they fared.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Durham 0 Box Score Tommy Milone is sick of being in the minor leagues and he is making that pretty clear with his performance since being demoted. On 115 pitches, Milone tossed a complete game shutout. He scattered six hits but used 13 strikeouts to get out of any jams. In three starts since being demoted, he has yet to allow a run and he has struck out 33 batters in 23.1 innings. (As Seth writes today, Tommy Milone Is Making A Statement.) Josmil Pinto provided the most important hit when he cranked a two-run home run with two outs in the sixth inning. Eric Farris reached base three times, scored a pair of runs and stole a base. James Beresford drove in a run and collected a double. Wilkin Ramirez hit his second double of the season. With the win, Rochester improved to 21-16 ahead of their double header with Durham tomorrow. The team has won three of their last four games and they haven't lost a series since May 8-9 against Louisville. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 2, Montgomery 4 Box Score Jose Berrios couldn't follow up his memorable performance from last week. He was limited to five innings in this game as he allowed three runs on five hits while striking out five and walking one. Some of the outs he gave up were long fly balls so the results look better than they could have been. Even with the rough day, Berrios still has an ERA under 2.90 for the season. The bullpen trio of Nick Burdi, Zack Jones, and DJ Johnson combined to pitch four perfect innings. Burdi struck out three in two innings of work and Jones struck out the side in the eighth. Dallas Gallant gave up a run on a couple of hits without recording an out. The Lookouts didn't have many opportunities on the offensive side of the ball as the team went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Jorge Polanco picked up a couple of hits to raise his average to .314. Max Kepler had the only other hit in the game, a two-run home run. It was his first of the season. With the loss, Chattanooga drops to 23-15 on the season. It was their second consecutive loss after winning five games in a row. The Lookouts had not lost two game in a row this month until today. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 11, Bradenton 5 Box Score The fireworks were out in Fort Myers on Monday evening as the club pounded out 12 hits and 11 runs including two three-run innings. Chad Christensen went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles and a run. Jason Kanzler scored three times, drove in three runs, and both his hits were for extra-bases. Engelb Vielma hit his second double, scored two runs and stole his tenth base. Niko Goodrum also crossed the plate twice. The offensive explosion meant the Miracle were able to dance around three fielding errors. Vielma had a throwing error, his sixth of the season. Goodrum was charged with a fielding error, his eight of the season. Logan Wade was the only starter not to reach base and he had his sixth error. Aaron Slegers started and didn't allow an earned run over five innings of work. He struck out two and walked two. Alex Muren pitched two perfect innings while striking out one. Todd Van Steensel got beat up a little in his two innings of work as he allowed three runs on five hits but he did strike out three. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Peoria 3 Box Score Completion from 5/14 In a game started last Thursday when the first four innings were played, Cedar Rapids found themselves in an early hole after Stephen Gonsalves surrendered two runs in the top of the first inning but the Kernels offense came pouring back. Over the next two innings, Cedar Rapids plated six runs to take the lead for good. The only thing that slowed the offense down was rain and a wet playing surface that suspended play before the fifth inning. Trey Vavra had a good game at the plate with two hits including his fourth home run and his eighth double. He knocked in three of the team's runs and all of his RBIs came with two outs. Tanner English reached base three times via a triple, single and walk as he scored two runs. Nick Gordon drove in a run and scored two runs. After the rough top of the first, Gonsalves calmed down before the rain started to fall. He pitched four innings while allowing two earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts and no walks. Keaton Steele started the game today in his Kernels debut and earned his first victory. He pitched five innings, allowed one earned run and had six strikeouts. Cedar Rapids 0, Peoria 1 (7 innings) Box Score Regularly Scheduled Game The Kernels bats cooled off for the second game of the night. In fact, the team was one Zack Larson single away from being part of a seven inning no-hitter. Nick Gordon had the only opportunity to bat with a runner in scoring position after Tanner English had stolen second base with two outs. This is the closest the Kernels came to scoring a run. Matt Batts took the loss after pitching all six innings but he put together some impressive numbers. He only allowed one earned run and he struck out 12 including multiple strikeouts in five of his six frames. It was the first time all season he struck out more than seven and it was his first loss of the month. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Tommy Milone, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Chad Christensen, Fort Myers Miracle TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Durham (10:05 am CST) – RHP Chih-Wei Hu (Triple-A Debut) Rochester vs. Durham (6:05 CST) – RHP Alex Meyer Chattanooga vs. Montgomery (6:15 CST)- RHP Greg Peavey Ft. Myers vs. Bradenton (6:05 CST) – RHP Ethan Mildren Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (11:00 am CST) - RHP John Curtiss Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Monday games. Click here to view the article

With the major league version of the Twins having the night off, there were plenty of story lines to follow with Minnesota's minor league affiliates. There were strong starting pitching performances at multiple levels including a complete game shutout. A couple of star prospects added to their impressive numbers in Chattanooga. One team's winning streak reached a season high while another team's winning streak came to a tragic end. Let's find out what happened down on the farm.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Toledo 0 Box Score Pat Dean scattered three hits on his way to a complete game shutout and Aaron Hicks continued his hot hitting ways as Rochester tip-toed by Toledo. Dean struck out four and didn't walk anyone for his third victory. With the shutout, Dean's ERA dropped under 2.00 for the season and it was his first nine-inning shutout since June 29, 2013 with the New Britain Rock Cats. Aaron Hicks is making it tough for the Minnesota Twins to keep him in the minors and shortly after this game word began to spread that he would be called up. Hicks went 2-for-4 with a double, his tenth of the season, and a run scored. Danny Ortiz drove in three runs and Brock Peterson reached base three times and had his first double. With the win, Rochester improves to 17-13 on the season and stops a two-game losing skid. It was only the second victory in the last six games for the Red Wings. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 6, Birmingham 2 Box Score Byron Buxton wasted little time adding to his streak of consecutive games with an RBI. As the leadoff hitter in the top of the first inning, Buxton cranked his fourth home run of the season to stake the Lookouts to an early 1-0 lead. It was his tenth straight game with a run batted in and he's driven in 23 for the season. Not to be outdone by Buxton, Adam Brett Walker hit his Southern League-leading ninth home run of the season. The three-run shot stretched the Kernel's lead to 6-2. Walker finished the night 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Travis Harrison and Max Kelper each added doubles while Stuart Turner picked up a couple of hits. Former first-round pick Alex Wimmers went six strong innings allowing two earned runs and striking out nine while walking four. Tim Shibuya pitched one shutout inning and Jake Reed got the last six outs to preserve the lead. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Dunedin 5 Box Score The big news in this game was the return to the mound of Kohl Stewart but his return didn't last long. In 2.1 innings of work, Stewart gave up four runs (1 ER) on two hits with a pair of walks and no strikeouts. David Hurlbut pitched six relief innings to close out the game. The only run he allowed was unearned and he struck out five. It was Hurlbut's first appearance for the Miracle since June 2, 2014. He's had shoulder issues. Three defensive errors from the Miracle really hurt them in this contest. Niko Goodrum was charged with two and Engelb Vielma had the other. The most costly error happened in the third inning with Stewart still on the mound. While attempting to start a double play, Goodrum's throw ended up in right field and two runs scored. The Miracle managed seven hits in the game but none were for extra bases. Alex Swim has now hit safely in 15 straight contests, the longest streak in the Florida State League. Zach Granite and Marcus Knecht each picked up a couple of hits. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Peoria 1 Box Score Earlier in the day it was announced that outfielder Max Murphy was selected as the Midwest League Player of the Week. From May 4-10, Murphy went 10-for-25 (.400) with two doubles, one triple, one home run and nine runs batted in. He's the fourth Kernels player to pick up a league honor this season. The Kernels also made a roster move on Monday. Infielder Blake Schmit, an Eden Prairie native, joined the Kernels from extended spring training. The 26th round pick in 2014 played 22 games last season for Elizabethton, hitting .162 with four RBI. In a corresponding move, Jonatan Hinojosa was sent to extended spring training. On this night, the Kernels extended their winning streak to a season high seven games. Jared Wilson improved to a perfect 4-0 after pitching five scoreless frames. He walked three and struck out two. Randy LeBlanc and Trevor Hildenberger each pitched two innings with LeBlanc surrendering the only run of the game. Hildenberger improved his ERA to 0.50 for the season. Max Murphy continued his hot-hitting ways by going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Nick Gordon and Trey Vavra each added two hits with Vavra notching his seventh double. T.J. White reached base three times and Jorge Fernandez clocked his first home run of the season. Zack Larson's streak of 10 consecutive games reaching base was snapped. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Pat Dean, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Adam Brett Walker, Chattanooga Lookouts TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Toledo (6:05 CST) – LHP Taylor Rogers Chattanooga @ Birmingham (5:30 CST)- RHP Tyler Duffey Chattanooga @ Birmingham (Game 2)- RHP Madison Boer Ft. Myers vs. Dunedin (6:05 CST) – RHP Aaron Slegers Cedar Rapids vs. Peoria (6:35 CST) - LHP Mat Batts Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Monday games. Click here to view the article

Every team longs for a chance to add to the legacy of their franchise. How can they get another flag to fly over the stadium and become a part of baseball's legendary past? This is the premise behind the recent book release, In Pursuit of Pennants: Baseball Operations from Deadball to Moneyball by Mark L. Armour and Daniel R. Levitt. These two authors take the reader on a journey through the annals of baseball history to find what made front offices successful throughout each era.Armour and Levitt have written together previously and each author has quite the extensive history of writing and editing baseball books. Armour is the author of Joe Cronin: A Life in Baseball, the editor of The Great Eight: The 1975 Cincinnati Reds, and a co-editor of Pitching , Defense, and Three-Run Homers: The 1970 Baltimore Orioles. Levitt is the author of Ed Barrow: The Bulldog Who Built the Yankees' First Dynasty and The Battle that Forged Modern Baseball: The Federal League Challenge and Its Legacy. He is the coauthor with Armour of Paths to Glory: How Great Baseball Teams Got That Way. The authors use 504 pages to illustrate the important factors teams used to change the way franchises functioned. Scouting players, introducing farm systems, and the integration of black players all played a role in revolutionizing the sport. Some teams were better than others in many of these areas and that led to many successful years for key franchises. The Yankees of the 1930s and 1940s, the Big Red Machine in the 1970s, and the San Francisco Giants of more recent years have all found a way to win while other teams fell by the wayside. It's always about finding a competitive advantage. According to Armour and Levitt: Quote The baseball owner, the general manager, and the rest of the organization need to work in harmony for a team to reach its ultimate goal. Talented players on the field get a lot of attention but a talented front office was needed to get all of the right pieces in place. It's up to the men at the top to put the organization in a place to succeed for multiple generations. From the most avid baseball fan to someone who knows little about the history of America's Pastime, In Pursuit of Pennants has a little bit of something for everyone. With the amount of historical content locked in this book, it is impossible for the reader not to come out a smarter fan with each turn of the page. In the end, "to create a long-term successful organization, management must also discover and institutionalize a competitive advantage, either by creating or by responding to an inflection point in the way the business operates." Competition between teams leads to them getting stronger and the teams that make the best choices are the ones with the flags that fly forever. Click here to view the article

According to Josh Whetzel, Wed: Pat Dean Thur: Taylor Rogers Fri: Tommy Milone https://twitter.com/JoshWhetzel/status/595710171239870466

Every team longs for a chance to add to the legacy of their franchise. How can they get another flag to fly over the stadium and become a part of baseball's legendary past? This is the premise behind the recent book release, In Pursuit of Pennants: Baseball Operations from Deadball to Moneyball by Mark L. Armour and Daniel R. Levitt. These two authors take the reader on a journey through the annals of baseball history to find what made front offices successful throughout each era. Armour and Levitt have written together previously and both authors have quite the extensive history of writing and editing baseball books. Armour is the author of Joe Cronin: A Life in Baseball, the editor of The Great Eight: The 1975 Cincinnati Reds, and a co-editor of Pitching , Defense, and Three-Run Homers: The 1970 Baltimore Orioles. Levitt is the author of Ed Barrow: The Bulldog Who Built the Yankees' First Dynasty and The Battle that Forged Modern Baseball: The Federal League Challenge and Its Legacy. He is the coauthor with Armour of Paths to Glory: How Great Baseball Teams Got That Way. The authors use 504 pages to illustrate the important factors teams used to change the way franchises functioned. Scouting players, introducing farm systems, and the integration of black players all played a role in revolutionizing the sport. Some teams were better than others in many of these areas and that lead to many successful years for key franchises. The Yankees of the 1930's and 1940's, the Big Red Machine in the 1970's, and the San Francisco Giants of more recent years have all found a way to win while other teams fell by the wayside. It's always about finding a competitive advantage. According to Armour and Levitt: The baseball owner, the general manager, and the rest of the organization need to work in harmony for a team to reach its ultimate goal. Talented players on the field get a lot of attention but a talented front office was needed to get all of the right pieces in place. It's up to the men at the top to put the organization in a place to succeed for multiple generations. From the most avid baseball fan to someone that knows little about the history of America's Pastime, In Pursuit of Pennants has a little bit of something for everyone. With the amount of historical content locked in this book, it is impossible for the reader not to come out a smarter fan with each turn of the page. In the end, "to create a long-term successful organization, management must also discover and institutionalize a competitive advantage, either by creating or by responding to an inflection point in the way the business operates." Competition between teams continues to get stronger and the teams that make the right choices are the ones with the flags that fly forever.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... Actually these games happened in our galaxy and they took place tonight but it's still May 4th. The major league version of the Twins was hosting a Star Wars themed night including a Phil Hughes bobblehead with him dressed as a Jedi Knight. Down on the farm, there was a trio of games with the Twins affiliates facing off against some of the best young players in the galaxy. Would the Rebels be able to come out victorious? Or would the evil Empire reign supreme? Fire up your light sabers and let's find out.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester- Scheduled Off Day The Red Wings entered their off day on a high note after winning the final two games of their weekend series with Norfolk. Rochester has won seven of their last nine and they currently have a 14-9 record. Entering play on Monday, the team was tied with Pawtucket for second place in the International League North Division, a half game behind Buffalo for first. Of qualifying players, James Beresford leads the team with a .345 batting average. Aaron Hicks is off to a good offensive start as he leads the team in slugging percentage (.494), OPS (.869), triples (3), and RBI (13). Reynaldo Rodriguez has the most doubles with six and Brock Peterson has hit four home runs to lead the team. On the pitching side, Taylor Rogers has pitched the most innings (34.0 IP) and he's tied with Alex Meyer for most strikeouts (28). Pat Dean has the lowest ERA (1.98) and WHIP (1.06) of the Red Wings starters. Before being called up, Michael Tonkin collected five saves out of the bullpen. Lester Oliveros was also been very effective with a 1.50 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, and 22 strikeouts in only 12 innings. Rochester starts a tough series on Tuesday in Indianapolis, the leaders of the International League West. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 2, Jacksonville 0 Box Score Earlier in the day on Monday, Byron Buxton was named Southern League Player of the Week. In the last week he raised his average from .190 to .287 and this was part of a seven-game hitting streak. In five of the seven games during the stretch, he recorded multiple hits including one game with two triples and a double. He also stole five bases and scored 11 runs last week which is the highest total in all of minor league baseball in that span. Buxton played hero later in the day as well. After the Lookouts had been held to one hit through eight innings. Buxton stepped into the box with one runner on in the bottom of the ninth. He crushed his third home run of the season to left field for a walk-off home run. Miguel Sano had the only other hit of the night, his third straight game with a hit. DJ Baxendale started the contest and pitched six shutout frames. He had to wiggle out of a few jams with five walks and three hits but he used five strikeouts to help his cause. In three of his five starts this season, he has pitched at least six innings and allowed no runs. D.J. Johnson kept the shutout going with two innings of work. Zack Jones earned his first win with two strikeouts in the ninth inning. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 0, Bradenton 3 Box Score The Miracle offense struggled on this night as there were no extra base hits and the team went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. Fifteen straight batters were sent down at one point. Zach Granite was the lone player with multiple hits. Alex Swim, Chad Christensen and Bryan Haar all added one hit. Swim is in the midst of a nine game hit streak. Luke Westphal was charged with his second loss even though he allowed only one earned run in just over four innings. He danced around eight hits and two walks but limited the runners crossing the plate. Alex Muren tossed 2.2 shutout frames and struck out three. Todd Van Steensel allowed two run on a home run in the eighth inning. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 9, Wisconsin 3 Box Score The Kernels offense was popping on Monday evening as the team combined for nine runs on nine hits. T.J. White reached base four times and knocked two doubles. Max Murphy drove in three runs as part of a two-hit effort. Jorge Fernandez managed only one hit but it was his first triple. Zack Larson and Trey Vavra both scored a couple of runs. Jared Wilson earned his third victory after going six innings and giving up three runs on six hits. He struck out seven and walked two. Zach Tillery threw two perfect frames with four strikeouts. He's allowed one hit or less in five of his six appearances and every outing has been multiple innings. It was only the second win in the last six games for the Kernels. Cedar Rapids is tied with Burlington for second palce in the Midwest League Western division. Quad Cities sits five games up in the division with only six losses so far. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – DJ Baxendale, Chattanooga Lookouts Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Byron Buxton, Chattanooga Lookouts TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Indianapolis (6:05 CST) – LHP Jason Wheeler Chattanooga- Scheduled Off Day Ft. Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 CST) – RHP Aaron Slegers Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (6:35 CST) - LHP Mat Batts Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Monday games. Click here to view the article

After fast starts for most of the minor league affiliates, things have come back down to earth over the last week. Cedar Rapids, Fort Myers and Chattanooga have all lost multiple games in a row, with the Lookouts in the midst of losing six of their last seven games. Top prospect Jose Berrios was on the mound to try to end that streak tonight. Rochester has been picking up some of the slack with a nice little stretch of four wins in their last five games. This includes a two-game win streak to start this week. Would this trend continue or would the Red Wings join the rest of the losing happening on the farm?RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 6, Columbus 1 Box Score A strong pitching performance from Taylor Rogers and a trio of home runs from Doug Bernier, Reynaldo Rodriguez and Brock Peterson helped Rochester push their latest winning streak to three games. Rogers allowed one earned run on two hits over eight strong frames, the first time has he reached the eighth all season. He walked four and struck out four en route to his second win. A.J. Achter finished the game with a perfect ninth, including two punch outs. The Bernier and Rodriguez homers were part of a four-run fifth inning that put Rochester up for good. Peterson's knock, his team-leading fourth of the year, was part of a two-run eighth. Eddie Rosario went 2-for-4 and scored a run. Jose Martinez led the team with three hits including his third double. Outfielder Wilkin Ramirez, who is currently on the disabled list, was with the team on Monday. He has been rehabbing from a pulled muscle injury and he will likely rejoin the team in the near future. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Tennessee 3 Box Score Jose Berrios made his fourth start of the season on Monday night, and he tried to help the Lookouts get back to their winning ways. He did his best to put his team in position to win by throwing six innings of two-hit ball. The only run he allowed was on a solo home run. Berrios danced around a season-high four walks but his five strikeouts helped get out of some jams. Berrios left with 4-1 lead and things got a little dicey with Nick Burdi on the mound. The first batter he faced coaxed a walk and the next batter hit a home run. He got out of the inning with two pop outs, a single and a strikeout. Jake Reed and Zack Jones combined to pitch scoreless eighth and ninth innings to preserve the win. Stephen Wickens drove in two runs and reached base three times to help power the offense. Byron Buxton had multiple hits for the second time in the last three games. Max Kepler collected his first triple of the year and Levi Michael scored a pair of runs. Adam Brett Walker crushed his league-leading 5th home run of the season, a blast to right centerfield. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 5, Palm Beach 4 (11 innings) Box Score This was the fifth meeting between these two clubs this season and the Miracle had yet to find a way to beat the Cardinals. It took another extra-inning affair and a come-from-behind route, but the Miracle finally found a way to come out victorious. Luke Westphal made his third start and lasted four innings while giving up four runs on six hits. He struck out one and walked one. The Miracle bullpen was masterful. Alex Muren, Brian Gilbert, J.T. Chargois, and Tim Shibuya combined to toss eight shutout innings with all but Chargois throwing multiple frames. Shibuya picked up his first win of the season. Alex Swim started the rally in the 11th inning with a one-out single. The Miracle then used three consecutive walks, to Mitch Garver, Niko Goodrum and Marcus Knecht, to score the winning run. Knecht and Bryan Haar had matching 2-5 lines with a double each. Swim and Chad Christensen both collected three hits. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids- Scheduled Off Day The Kernels are in the midst of a three game losing streak in which they were swept by Kane County. Cedar Rapids entered the day with an 11-7 record. That mark was good enough for second place, two games back, in the Midwest League Western Division. Zack Granite currently leads the team in batting average (.364), OBP (.485), and OPS (.958). Trey Vavra leads the team in home runs (3) and slugging percentage (.589). Granite and Vavra are tied for the team lead with four doubles. Nick Gordon leads the team in triples (2) and RBI (15). Tanner English has stolen seven bases while Granite is not far behind with six steals. Stephen Gonsalves, Mat Batts, and Jared Wilson lead the team's starters with two wins each. Gonsalves leads starters with a 0.90 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 20 IP. Cameron Booser leads the team with two saves and an-eye popping 15 strikeouts in eight innings pitched. Felix Jorge has also been impressive with 24 strikeouts in 18 innings pitched with a 1.50 ERA. 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 – Stephen Wickens, Chattanooga Lookouts TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs Columbus (5:35 CST) – RHP Alex Meyer Chattanooga @ Mississippi (6:05 CST)- RHP Greg Peavey Ft. Myers vs Palm Beach (6:05 CST) – RHP Aaron Slegers Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (11:00 am CST) - RHP Jared Wilson Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Monday games. Click here to view the article