Cody Christie

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

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. 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 still 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. 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. 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. 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 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. 15. Tyler Duffey, RHP 2015 Level(s): AA, AAA Duffey pitched his way from High-A to Triple-A in 2014. This left 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 years. 16. Nick Burdi, RHP 2015 Level(s): AA Burdi opened the year in many Twins Top 10 lists. He's 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. 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. 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 helped him to be successful to start the 2015 campaign. Rogers might never make a Twins rotation but he's left handed and he continues to find success. 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. 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 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.

It was a busy day for the Rochester Red Wings. Not only did they have parts of two games to play but they also announced that right-handed pitcher Tyler Duffey was named the International League Player of the Week. Duffey won both of his starts over the last seven days and he's in the midst of a 22.1 inning stretch without allowing an earned run. In 14.1 innings this week, he did not allow an earned run while walking two and tying for a league-best 10 strikeouts. Miguel Sano was also honored on Monday with the Southern League Player of the Week. Sano led the league with seven runs, 10 hits, seven extra-base hits, 21 total bases, five doubles, and tied for the league-lead with seven RBI. He hit .588 last week with a pair of home runs, a .632 OBP and a .1235 slugging percentage.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 6, Pawtucket 0 (Completion of 6/5/15) Box Score Rain forced a game to be suspended between these two clubs earlier this month. Rochester held a 1-0 lead in the second inning before the rain came tumbling down. There were a lot of zeros put on the board before the Red Wings pushed across five runs between the sixth and seventh frames. Reynaldo Rodriguez, Oswaldo Arcia, and Doug Bernier all finished the game with three-hit efforts. Rodriguez scored three runs and fell a home run shy of the cycle. Arcia drove in a pair of runs and added his second double. Aaron Hicks went 1-for-2 with an RBI as part of his rehab stint. Pat Dean had originally started the game back at the beginning of the month. He pitched two shutout innings before the rain interrupted things. Taylor Rogers picked up where Dean left off. Rogers earned his sixth victory by tossing seven scoreless frames with four strikeouts and two walks. Rochester 3, Pawtucket 0 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score A trio of Red Wings pitchers kept the shutout innings piling up. Logan Darnell started the game and took a no-decision after lasting four innings and limiting the Red Sox to two hits. Caleb Thielbar earned his fifth win after pitching two innings with a pair of walks. AJ Achter collected his 13th save even after allowing a hit in the final frame. Argenis Diaz, Jose Martinez and Carlos Paulino each picked up two hits with Diaz scoring two of the team's three runs. Martinez hit his 9th double and drove in a run. Reynaldo Rodriguez continued his hot hitting from earlier in the day as he drove in a run and added his 17th double. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 3, Montgomery 5 Box Score Adam Brett Walker homered for the third straight game and the fifth time in the last six games but it still wasn't enough for Chattanooga to scrape out a win. Niko Goodrum added a solo blast, his first of the season, and Max Kepler went 1-for-4 with a double. Miguel Sano didn't see a lot of good pitches as he was walked in two of his five tripe to the plate. The team was a dreadful 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base. Jason Wheeler was forced out of the game with two outs in the sixth after giving up five runs (four earned) on seven hits with seven strikeouts. Brandon Peterson and J.T. Chargois finished out the game without allowing another run to score and this left the Lookouts with a chance for a comeback. It was the fourth loss in the last five games for the Lookouts after winning eight of nine games. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 1, Dunedin 3 Box Score After seeing their 10-game winning streak snapped on Sunday, Fort Myers finds themselves in the midst of a two-game losing streak. Kohl Stewart took the loss even though he put together quite the pitching performance. Over six innings, he allowed two earned runs on seven hits with two strikeouts. Alex Muren and D.J. Johnson finished the game with two scoreless innings but it wasn't enough. The Miracle lacked offensive punch on Monday night. Alex Swim had the lone extra-base hit, a double that drove in the lone run for his team. Mitch Garver went 2-for-4 while Engelb Vielma reached base twice and scored a run. The team went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Wisconsin 0 Box Score Sam Gibbons took the hill for the Kernels and lasted six frames. He had mixed results on the mound as he didn't allow an earned run and he struck out five but he did allow four walks and two hits. Luke Bard was good in relief as he didn't allow a run in two innings of work. Trevor Hildenberger finished off the shutout with a perfect ninth inning. Jorge Fernandez was right in the middle of a lot of the offensive action for Cedar Rapids. He went 2-for-4 including a triple in the top of the ninth that led to a big insurance run. Tanner English picked up a pair of hits but was very close to having a three-hit night as he was thrown out on a close play. Nick Gordon drove in a run and he made multiple tough defensive plays at shortstop. E-Twins E-Notes E-Twins 6, Bristol 0 Box Score Like their counterparts at Triple-A, the E-Twins kept their opponents off the board with an impressive pitching performance. Dereck Rodriguez was superb as took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning. He allowed one hit over seven scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and one walk. C.K. Irby and Tyler Stirewalt finished off the shutout by allowing a combined three base runners. It was only the fourth start of Rodriguez's career and he admitted he didn't realize he had a no-hitter going until it was too late. "To be honest... I didn't even think about it until the seventh inning, when I got that first out and everyone started cheering," he said. "And I made the mistake of looking at the scoreboard, and sure enough the next guy got a hit." The E-Twins scored at least one run in each of the first four innings and that was more than enough for Mr. Rodriguez. Austin Diemer scored two runs and smacked his first double. Tyler Kuresa drove in a pair of runs. Kamran Young and Rainis Silva both went 2-for-3 and Young scored twice. GCL Twins Takes GCL Twins 3, GCL Rays 1 Box Score The GCL Twins bounced back over the .500 mark with today's win against the GCL Rays who have one victory to their name. The rehabbing Randy Rosario picked up his first win after tossing five shutout innings. He scattered three hits and struck out four. Johan Quezada earned his second save by striking out two in 1.2 innings of work. Luis Martinez lead the offensive charge. He finished the day 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI. Lewin Diaz had his first multi-hit game of the season, The team didn't have any extra-base hits and they left six men on base. Luis Arraez stole his second base of the season and Martinez and Diaz each collected his first stolen bag. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Dereck Rodriguez, Elizabethton Twins Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Reynaldo Rodriguez, Rochester Red Wings TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Pawtucket (6:05 CST) – RHP Ervin Santana Chattanooga- Scheduled Off Day Ft. Myers @ Dunedin (5:30 CST) – LHP Stephen Gonsalves Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (12:05 CST) – LHP Luke Westphal Elizabethton vs. Bristol (6:00 CST) – TBA GLC Twins vs. GCL Rays (11:00 am CST) – TBA Click here to view the article

Rain impacted more than one contest across the Twins system on Saturday night. The Red Wings and the E-Twins weren't able to take the field as the conditions were unplayable. There was plenty of other action on Saturday evening as the rest of the farm system tried to get the second half of their seasons off to the right start. Let's take a look down on the pond to find out who did well and who's starting the second half on a good note.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester --, Charlotte -- (Postponed) Rain snuffed out this contest between the Red Wings and the Knights. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Sunday with two seven-inning contests beginning at 1:35 pm. Rochester has lost four of their last six game and the club will look to get back on the winning track with parts of four games (three seven-inning games and the completion of a suspended game) in the next two days. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 2, Montgomery 7 Box Score The Lookouts found themselves in an early hole as the Biscuits were up three runs by the end of the third frame. Chattanooga clawed their way back to tie the game in the sixth but it would not be enough as Montgomery scored four in their last two plate appearances to win. Adam Brett Walker accounted for most of Chattanooga's offense as he smacked his 21st home run, a two-run shot. He also struck out two times in the game so it was a fairly typical night for Mr. Walker. Miguel Sano reached in all four of his plate appearances with two walks, two singles and two runs scored. Levi Michael had a rough night as he struck out four times out of the lead-off spot. Brett Lee started and took a no-decision after allowing three runs over five innings. He struck out one and walked three. Jake Reed was charged with the loss even though only one of the three runs he allowed was earned. Even JT Chargois, who has been very good this season, allowed a run in his inning of work. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Dunedin 1 Box Score Ryan Eades took no prisoners and left this game with his fifth victory. In seven innings pitched, he allowed one earned run and scattered five hits including six strikeouts and two walks. Corey Williams and D.J Johnson shut out the Blue Jays the rest of the way. It was the second hold of the season for Williams and the third save for Johnson. On the offensive side of the ball, Marcus Knecht and Mitch Garver each went 2-for-4 with a double and Knecht drove in a pair of runs. Knecht used a two-out double, his 14th, to drive in the winning runs. In nine chances, it was the club's only hit with runners in scoring position. With the win, the Miracle stretched their winning streak to 10 games and they are a perfect 3-0 to start the second half of the season. Palm Beach is also 3-0 so the Miracle are tied for first place in the Florida State League South Division. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Quad Cities 6 (10th Inning) Box Score The Kernels offense took a while to wake up in this game as the club was shut out until the sixth inning. Cedar Rapids pushed across four runs in the sixth to find themselves with the lead. However, Quad Cities ended up tying the game in the ninth and winning it in extra innings. Rafael Valera started things for the Kernels by reaching on an error in the sixth. Tanner English and Nick Gordon followed with singles to score the first run. The team executed a double steal in front of a double from Edgar Corcino to score two runs. Alex Real capped the scoring with a single. Keaton Steele got the start and didn't make it through five innings. He allowed three runs on five hits with two strikeouts and four walks. Jared Wilson was very good in relief as he tossed 3.1 scoreless frames with four strikeouts. Cameron Booser was charged with a blown save, his third, and the loss after allowing three runs on four hits with four walks. E-Twins E-Notes E-Twins --, Pulaski -- (Postponed) Like their counterparts at Triple-A, the E-Twins contest against the Pulaski Yankees was postponed due to rain. Elizabethton has started the season going 2-2 after winning the first game of their series with Pulaski on Friday evening. The teams will play a doubleheader on Sunday to make-up for tonight's postponed game. GCL Twins Takes GCL Twins 2, GCL Red Sox 3 Box Score The GCL Twins met up with the juggernaut of the GCL so far this season. The GCL Red Sox are undefeated to start the season and that streak continued on Saturday. Williams Ramirez started the contest for the Twins and he allowed one hit in four innings while striking out seven. Rich Condeelis took the loss as he gave up two earned runs in less than an inning of work. Roberto Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with a double to lead the offensive charge for the GCL Twins. Luis Arraez hit his third double of the season. Lewin Diaz knocked in a run and hit his first double. Overall, the team left six men on base and went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Ryan Eades, Fort Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Marcus Knecht, Fort Myers Miracle SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Charlotte (12:35 CST) – RHP Tyler Duffey Rochester vs. Charlotte (Game 2)- RHP Greg Peavey Chattanooga @ Montgomery (5:35 CST)- RHP Jose Berrios Ft. Myers @ Dunedin (4:00 CST) – LHP Mat Batts Cedar Rapids vs. Quad Cities (3:05 CST)- RHP Zach Tillery Elizabethton vs. Pulaski (5:00 CST) - RHP Cody Stashak Elizabethton vs. Pulaski (Game 2)- TBA Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Saturday games. Click here to view the article

All-Star games are over and this means some changes will be coming within the Twins system. Alex Meyer was called-up and he made his MLB debut last night in Milwaukee. There will be other promotions throughout the system as teams start the second half and are looking for a boost. Here is a look at the updated Twins minor league standings and statistical leaders through Friday, June 26. Feel free to discuss. STANDINGS Here is a quick look at where the teams rank in their divisions as the second half of the season kicks off, for many of the full-season affiliates and the rookie leagues are just getting started. Rochester is 37-36, 3-4 since last week. They dropped to 4.5 games behind Scranton/Wilkes Barre in the International League North Division. They are two games ahead of Pawtucket for second place and 4.5 games out of the wild card spot. Chattanooga is 0-2 to start the second half after ending the first half on a four game winning streak. They went 3-2 in the last week and have already clinched a playoff spot after winning their first division title in the first half of the year. Ft. Myers has gone a perfect 5-0 since last week. They are 2-0 to start the second half and tied with Palm Beach for first place in the Florida State League South. They finished the first half of the season seven games behind Charlotte so the Miracle need to win the second half in order to defend their FSL Championship. Cedar Rapids is 1-1 as the second half begins, and they went 2-3 the last seven days. They are one game behind Burlington at this early juncture. They already were able to clinch a first half playoff berth as the runner up in the West Division of the Midwest League. Elizabethton started the season going 2-2 and they are tied with four other teams atop the Appalachian League West Division. The E-Twins went 1-2 in their road series with Bluefield before returning home. Last night, the club defeated Pulaski in their home opener. The GCL Twins are 3-2 as their season begins and they sit two games behind the GCL Red Sox in the GCL South Division. The Twins lost 6-1 to those Red Sox on Friday night. This came on the heels of the club winning three-of-four games from the GCL Orioles including two extra-inning thrillers. HITTERS For batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS and IsoP, we used a minimum of 190 plate appearances. Plate Appearances: Zach Granite (301), Travis Harrison (281) , Adam Brett Walker (280), Nick Gordon (279), Jorge Polanco (278) Batting Average: Max Kepler (.332), James Beresford (.323), Alex Swim (.315), Jorge Polanco (.293), Dalton Hicks (.289) On-Base Percentage: Max Kepler (.402), Zach Granite (.371), Travis Harrison (.367), Alex Swim (.360), James Beresford (.359) Slugging Percentage: Adam Brett Walker (.586), Max Kepler (.531), Miguel Sano (.515), Byron Buxton (.489), Danny Ortiz (.441) Isolated Power (IsoP): Adam Brett Walker (.321), Miguel Sano (.252), Max Kepler (.210), Byron Buxton (.207), Danny Ortiz (.184) OPS: Max Kepler (.933), Adam Brett Walker (.911), Miguel Sano (.868), Byron Buxton (.840), Travis Harrison (.756) Hits: Alex Swim (81), Jorge Polanco (76), James Beresford/Zach Granite/Max Kepler (75), Adam Brett Walker (69) 2B: Max Kepler (20), Danny Ortiz (19), Travis Harrison (18), Adam Brett Walker (17), Miguel Sano (16) 3B: Byron Buxton (12), Max Kepler (8), Max Murphy/Tanner English (6), Aaron Hicks/TJ White (4) HR: Adam Brett Walker (20), Miguel Sano (14), Danny Ortiz/Reynaldo Rodriguez (7), Byron Buxton/Trey Vavra/Josmil Pinto (6) Runs: Miguel Sano (50), Adam Brett Walker/Zach Granite (47), Byron Buxton (44), Max Kepler (41), Travis Harrison (40) RBI: Adam Brett Walker (61), Miguel Sano (44), Danny Ortiz (43), Byron Buxton/Zach Larson (37), Reynaldo Rodriguez (36) SB: Byron Buxton/Tanner English (20), Engelb Vielma (17), Nick Gordon (15), Jorge Polanco/Zach Granite (14). STARTING PITCHERS (50 IP) Innings: Taylor Rogers (96.1), Tyler Duffey (90.1), Pat Dean (85.1), JO Berrios (83.2), Greg Peavey (73.1) ERA: Stephen Gonsalves (1.96), Mat Batts (2.02), Chih-Wei Hu (2.34), Felix Jorge (2.37), Ryan Eades (3.09) WHIP: Felix Jorge (0.91), Stephen Gonsalves (0.97), Mat Batts (1.01), Chih-Wei Hu (1.10), Tyler Duffey (1.15), Aaron Slegers (1.16) K/9: Stephen Gonsalves (10.8), Alex Meyer (9.7), JO Berrios (9.3), Tyler Duffey (9.2), Mat Batts (8.5), Alex Wimmers (8.4) BB/9: Greg Peavey (1.6), Mat Batts/Tyler Duffey (1.8), Felix Jorge (1.9), Aaron Slegers/Pat Dean (2.0) Strikeouts: Tyler Duffey (88), JO Berrios (86), Stephen Gonsalves (83), Mat Batts/Taylor Rogers (67), Alex Wimmers (65) Wins: Stephen Gonsalves (7-1), JO Berrios (7-3), Jared Wilson (6-2), Greg Peavey (6-3), Taylor Rogers (6-4) RELIEF PITCHERS Games: AJ Achter (30), Alex Muren/Todd Van Steensel (25), JT Chargois/Zack Jones/Brandon Peterson (24) Innings: Alex Muren (44.0), Todd Van Steensel (43.1), Randy LeBlanc (42.1), Madison Boer (39.1), Mike Theofanopoulos (36.2) ERA: Trevor Hildenberger (0.96), Brandon Peterson (0.72), Cameron Booser (1.57), Alex Muren (1.64), Randy LeBlanc (1.70) WHIP: AJ Achter (0.61), Trevor Hildenberger (0.70), Brandon Peterson (0.80), Alex Muren (1.04), Tim Shibuya/Todd Van Steensel (1.13) K/9: Cameron Booser (13.8), Jose Velez (12.9), Brandon Peterson (12.8), Todd Van Steensel (12.5), Trevor Hildenberger (11.8), Lester Oliveros (11.5) BB/9: Trevor Hildenberger (1.2), Tim Shibuya (1.5), AJ Achter (1.7), Randy LeBlanc (2.6), Alex Muren (2.7), Lester Oliveros (2.9) Saves: AJ Achter (12), Zack Jones (10), JT Chargois (9), Trevor Hildenberger/Todd Van Steensel (8), Cameron Booser (7) There you have it. The Twins Minor League Leader Board through Friday, June 26. What are your thoughts? What surprised you? Click here to view the article

The Twins have shuffled a lot of different men through their shortstop position in the last handful of years. Current regulars Trevor Plouffe and Brian Dozier both came up as shortstops before having to be moved off the position. There have been plenty of other names but the Twins are still searching and hoping for someone to be a long-term solution. After a tremendous rookie campaign, Danny Santana was given the opportunity this year to run with the starting shortstop job. He struggled to start the year and this might have opened the door to some other prospects. Jorge Polanco might be the biggest beneficiary as he makes a big jump in the Twins Daily prospect rankings.Age: 21 (DOB: 7/5/93) 2015 Stats (MLB): .333/.500/.333 (1-for-3, 1B, BB) (AA): .301/.347/.414, 12 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR ETA: 2015 2014 Preseason Rank: 8, 2015 Preseason Rank: 7 What's To Like Polanco just keeps getting better and he's been able to make those improvements while consistently moving through the Twins system. This didn't happen overnight as he struggled through two stints in the Gulf Coast League. Polanco emerged as an offensive threat in 2012 with Elizabethton where he hit .318/.388/.514 with 22 extra-base hits. Since that time he has been a vital part of some power-packed lineups in Cedar Rapids, Fort Myers, New Britain, and Chattanooga. He's been called up to the big leagues multiple times in the last of couple years and he became the first player since Kent Hrbek to make the jump from High-A to the MLB. With current call-ups like Byron Buxton on the roster, the Twins have made it clear that they are only going to bring up young players that have the maturity and poise to handle the situation. Polanco demonstrates these qualities. What's Left To Work On Polanco has moved around the diamond on the defensive side of the ball. The Twins signed him as a shortstop but he played a lot of second base in the early part of his career. At the start of the 2014 season, the Twins organization decided to let Polanco play shortstop on a more consistent basis. That season was a little rough as he was charged with 35 errors in 540 chances (.935 fielding percentage). This season has gone marginally better as he committed 14 errors over 236 chances (.941 fielding percentage). The Lookouts have consistently used Polanco near the top of the order so it would be nice to see him continue to refine his approach to accumulate more walks. He has a .350 OBP for his career but that number is a little over 60 points higher than his batting average. If he wants to be near the top of the order at baseball's highest level, he's going to need to continue to improve in the walk department. What's Next Twins fans have already seen Polanco at the big league level this year. It was a brief trip but it was still another glimpse of what's to come. There have been some good signs from Polanco this year at Double-A as well. With 14 steals already, he's well on his way to surpassing his career high of 17 steals in 2014. Polanco seems very close to becoming a regular at the big league level. He's a multifaceted prospect with good defensive ability, including a rocket arm. As he's moved through the system, he's shown the ability to improve offensively,. adding a little pop to his bat. None of his tools are elite but he has the ability to be a major league starter for years to come. As the Twins turn over the reins to the youth movement, Polanco seems destined to be Brian Dozier's double play partner for at least the next couple of seasons. His stock is rising fast and the Twins might be close to cashing in on their investment. TD Top Prospect #10 - Alex Meyer TD Top Prospect #9 - Max Kepler TD Top Prospect #8 - Eddie Rosario TD Top Prospect #7 - Nick Gordon TD Top Prospect #6 - Stephen Gonsalves TD Top Prospect #5 - Tyler Jay Click here to view the article