Cody Christie

Bud Selig is set to retire this off-season after 22 years at the helm of Major League Baseball. Rob Manfred has already been voted in as his successor, a position he has been groomed for over since starting to work for MLB in 1998. The 55-year old Manfred will have a variety of issues on his plate as he takes over from the 80-year old Selig. During Selig's tenure as commissioner, baseball has been marked by a variety of ups and downs. A large growth in attendance has increased revenue across the game. This has resulted in some slough of large contracts for baseball's more established players. Besides the positives, there was also a World Series that was cancelled because of a strike and the performance enhancing drug scandal impacted many parts of the baseball world. For the Minnesota Twins, there have been some positive things that have happened under the Selig regime even if they can't all be credited to him. The Twins were able to finance a new stadium and Target Field has turned out to be a gem. Increases in revenue allowed the Twins to pay Joe Mauer one of the largest contracts in baseball. The organization also got to host the last All-Star Game with Selig as commissioner. However, the biggest story surrounding the Twins and Selig will always be the threat of contraction made following the 2001 season. Minnesota and Montreal were left on the MLB's chopping block after Selig revealed owners had voted 28-2 to eliminate two teams. Twins owner Carl Pohlad was frustrated with Minnesota's state government for not being able to come up with a deal to replace the outdated Metrodome. Pohlad would be paid $250 million to close out the franchise he purchased in 1984. There were a lot of things going wrong in the baseball world in the aftermath of September 11th. In an interview with the Pioneer Press this summer, Selig said, "Contraction had nothing to do with Minnesota. Baseball was really struggling at the time, losing a fortune as a sport. There were owners who believed that contraction might help." Luckily for Twins fan, contraction never happened. A Hennepin County judge ruled that the Twins had to honor their Metrodome lease for the 2002 season. The Twins took full advantage of their new life as they qualified for the playoffs for the first time since their 1991 World Series Championship. The team won the AL Central Division three straight seasons and six of the next nine years. Minnesota found itself back on the baseball map but not after dealing with a situation that left more than one scar on the franchise. Selig did some good things for the Twins but his lasting memory will be the fact that he almost stole baseball away from a generation of fans in the Upper Midwest.

There is a silver lining to this gray cloud for the Minnesota Twins and their fans. At the midway point of the season, the Twins posted a 44-50 record to sit at a .469 winning percentage. Flash-forward to the second half of the year and Minnesota is 15 games under .500 with a .347 winning percentage (entering play on Tuesday). The younger players are working out some of their kinks but the losses continue to pile up.During the 2013 season, the Twins finished the second half with a .386 winning percentage as the club was 16 games under .500 for that stretch. This included posting an 8-20 record for the final month of the year. 2012 and 2011 were also rough second halves with .390 and .301 winning percentages. That's a lot of second half losses but bad rosters, injuries, and a rough group in the rotation will do that to a team. If a person wants to look on the bright side of things, the mounting Minnesota losses do lead to some positives. The 90-loss seasons of the last three years have resulted in the Twins earning three straight top five draft picks. This has brought a trio of top-notch prospects into the organization. Byron Buxton, Kohl Stewart, and Nick Gordon might be among the keys to getting the organization back on track and those picks wouldn't have happened without some terrible Septembers. This year, the Twins losing ways at the start of September have the club positioned to slide into a top five pick for the fourth year in a row. This is the third post in a series looking at different story lines in relation to the Twins as the season comes to a close (Part 1: Starting Rotation, Part 2: Prospect Promotions). September has been a rough month over the last three seasons and this year is following that trend. The motto of the month might be "Wake Me Up When September Ends" but there seems to be a small glimmer of hope on the horizon. This could give you a reason to still pay attention over the final weeks. Projected 2015 MLB Draft Order 1. Texas Rangers 54-89 2. Houston Astros 3. Colorado Rockies 59-85 4.5 GB 4. Arizona D-Backs 59-84 5.0 GB 5. Minnesota Twins 61-82 7.0 GB 6. Houston Astros 63-81 8.5 GB 7. Boston Red Sox 63-81 8.5 GB The Texas Rangers seem to have a stronghold on the top pick in the draft and Houston is guaranteed to pick second after failing to sign this year's top pick, Brady Aiken, This leaves the Twins stalking the Diamondbacks and the Rockies for the third worst record in baseball. When looking at the strength of schedule for these teams, this is shaping up to be a tight race to the end. The Twins opponents the rest of the way have roughly a .500 winning percentage which is tied with the Rockies. The Diamondbacks have a little bit easier road, with opponents' winning percentage around .480. The Red Sox and the Astros are behind Minnesota and they have tougher opponents the rest of the way. How well a team is playing can also impact its draft position. Some teams play a lot better down the stretch than their overall records would indicate. Over the last 20 games, the Twins have the 26th worst record in baseball. The only team on the above list with a record as bad as Minnesota is Arizona and they have the same record. Texas and Boston are one game better. While some teams have been struggling, the Rockies have been two games over .500 in the last 20. So what's the prize at the end of the road? It's tough to know how the draft will shape up over the next few months. When dealing with a combination of high school and college players, a lot can impact their draft stock. Last week, Baseball America said "one of the strengths of this draft class is high school bats and prep power." That being said, it sounds like the top of the draft will be pitcher-heavy. Does losing stink at the end of the year? Well, yes, but another top notch prospect could only add to the organization's depth. If you are going to be bad, it pays to be really bad... especially in September. Click here to view the article

This is the third post in a series looking at different story lines in relation to the Twins as the season comes to a close (Part 1: Starting Rotation, Part 2: Prospect Promotions) September has been a rough month over the last three seasons and this year is continuing to follow that trend. The moto of the month might be "Wake Me Up When September Ends" but there seems to be a small glimmer of hope on the horizon. This could give you a reason to still pay attention over the final weeks. At the midway point of the season, the Twins posted a 44-50 record to sit at a .469 winning percentage. Flash-forward to the second half of the year and Minnesota is 15 games under .500 with a .347 winning percentage (entering play on Tuesday). The younger players are working out some of their kinks but the losses continue to pile up. During the 2013 season, the Twins finished the second half with a .386 winning percentage as the club was 16 games under .500 for that stretch. This included posting an 8-20 record for the final month of the year. 2012 and 2011 were also rough second halves with .390 and .301 winning percentages. That's a lot of losses piling up but bad rosters, injuries, and a rough group in the rotation will do that to a team. If a person wants to look on the bright side of things, the mounting Minnesota losses do mean some positives. The 90-loss seasons of the last three year have resulted in the Twins earning three straight top five draft picks. This has brought a trio of top-notch prospects into the organization. Byron Buxton, Kohl Stewart, and Nick Gordon might be the key to get the organization back on track and those picks wouldn't have happened without some terrible Septembers. The Twins recent losing ways to start the month of September have the club positioned to slide into a top five pick for the fourth year in a row. Projected 2015 MLB Draft Order 1. Texas Rangers 54-89 2. Houston Astros 3. Colorado Rockies 59-85 4.5 GB 4. Arizona D-Backs 59-84 5.0 GB 5. Minnesota Twins 61-82 7.0 GB 6. Houston Astros 63-81 8.5 GB 7. Boston Red Sox 63-81 8.5 GB The Texas Rangers seem to have a stronghold on the top pick in the draft and Houston is guaranteed to pick second after failing to sign this year's top pick, Brady Aiken, This leaves the Twins hunting down the Diamondbacks and the Rockies for the third worst record in baseball. When looking at the strength of schedule for these teams, this could be shaping up to be a tight race to the end. The Twins opponents the rest of the way have roughly a .500 winning percentage which is tied with the Rockies. The Diamondbacks have a little bit easier road with opponents winning percentage around .480. The Red Sox and the Astros are behind Minnesota and they have tougher opponents the rest of the way. How well a team is playing can also impact their draft position. Some teams play a lot better than their overall record down the stretch. Over the last 20 games, the Twins have the 26th worst record in baseball. The only team on the above list with record as bad as Minnesota is Arizona and they have the same record. Texas and Boston are one game better. While some teams have been struggling, the Rockies have been two games over .500 in the last 20. So what's the prize at the end of the road? It's tough to know how the draft will shape up over the next few months. When dealing with a combination of high school and college players, a lot can impact their draft stock. Last week, Baseball America said "one of the strengths of this draft class is high school bats and prep power." That being said, it sounds like the top of the draft will be pitcher-heavy. Does losing stink at the end of the year? Well yes but another top notch prospect could only add to their organization's depth. If you are going to be bad, it pays to be really bad... especially in September.

Three of the Twins affiliates are in the midst of a run for their respective league titles. This is a growing trend in the Twins system over the last couple seasons as the organization stockpiles younger players. Hopefully these winning ways will start to translate to the major league level over the next couple seasons but for now the focus is on the task at hand.The Miracle kicked off their Florida State League playoff series on Tuesday night. Fort Myers has been strong the last two years but they were swept out of the first round last season. This year their eyes are on a higher prize. The E-Twins suffered a one-run loss in a game on Monday that, if they had won, would have put them in the Appalachian League championship round. The loss led them to hand the ball to Felix Jorge, one of the Twins best pitching prospects, in a decisive third game on Tuesday night. They were looking to win the Apply League crown for the second time in three years. MIRACLE MATTERS/ FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE PLAYOFFS Fort Myers 8, Bradenton 7 Box Score Pre-Game Notes: On Tuesday it was announced that a pair of Miracle players had been given awards. The Florida State League gave Stuart Turner the Hitter of the Week award and Ethan Mildren was named the Pitcher of the Week. Turner went 8-for-18 during the week with two homers and eight RBI. Mildren pitched a complete game shutout, pitching seven innings and allowing only three hits. Game Recap: After two innings in Tuesday night's game, the Miracle found themselves in a hole. Anderlin Mejia made a fielding error with two outs in the frame. Bradenton took advantage of this extra out by scoring seven unearned runs, all to the account of Miracle starter Brett Lee. By the end of the inning, Fort Myers was down 7-3. In the top of the fourth inning, the first three batters of the inning reached base via walk. This brought Jason Kanzler to the plate to face a new pitcher out of the bullpen. He crushed a grand slam to right field to tie the game. It was his second extra-base hit of the night and he wound up driving in six runs. Max Kepler had the only other extra-base hit, a double that drove in a run. The second biggest hit of the night came in the sixth inning after a rain delay. Following a Niko Goodrum strikeout, Travis Harrison got things started with a double to left. Dalton Hicks wasted little time and drove a single to right that scored Harrison from second as the Miracle took the lead. The Miracle bullpen was outstanding as they shut out the Marauders over the last 7.1 frames. During that stretch, there were only four base runners. Todd Van Steensel earned the win after he threw one inning and struck out one. Nick Burdi needed a helpful double play to get out of the eighth but he did earn a hold. Zack Jones saved the game with a perfect ninth, with two strikeouts. E-TWINS E-NOTES/ APPY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS Elizabethton 4, Johnson City 5 Box Score Pre-game Notes: There was unfortunate news that came out affecting the E-Twins. Nick Gordon, the Twins first round pick this year, is out for the season after breaking a bone in his left index finger. He is done for the season and will likely miss all of the Instructional League with the injury. Game Recap: The E-Twins took an early lead in this one after a two-run home run by Tyler Kuresa. Tanner English had started the bottom of the first with a single. The next two batters were retired but Kuresa made sure Elizabethton wouldn't leave the frame empty-handed. Johnson City responded quickly with three runs of their own in the top of the second to take the lead. In the bottom of the third, the Twins used a trio of singles and a throwing error to push across two runs and retake the lead. Blake Schmit, Trey Vavra and Tyler Kuresa all collected hits with one out in the inning. The Johnson City shortstop tried to turn a quick double play to end the inning but the ball got by the first baseman and Vavra was able to score all the way from second. Johnson City scored a run in the sixth off of starter Felix Jorge to tie the game. Jorge finished with 5.2 innings pitched as he gave up four earned runs on eight hits. He struck out six and walked none. C.K. Irby gave up the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh. There was a lengthy rain delay before the bottom of the ninth inning but the E-Twins didn't have enough in the tank to continue their season. They lost by one run for the second straight night to be eliminated. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day: Zack Jones, Fort Myers Miracle Hitter of the Day: Jason Kanzler, Fort Myers Miracle WEDNESDAY'S PROBABLE STARTERS Bradenton @ Fort Myers (6:05 CST)- TBA (Listen) Miracle lead 1-0 - DJ Baxendale Burlington @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST)- TBA (Listen) Game 1 - Chih-Wei Hu Click here to view the article

The Rochester Red Wings are hanging on to every last shred of their playoff lives. They squeaked out a win on Saturday to remain within two games of the wild card lead. Entering play on Sunday, they have three games remaining but two of them are with the team ahead of them in the standings. This meant Sunday was a must win game. Alex Meyer left Saturday's start early and this forced the Red Wings to have to do some shifting in their rotation. Jose Berrios was called up from New Britain to make his Triple-A debut in the middle of a hot pennant race. Rochester also called up Ryan O'Rouke to take the place of Aaron Thompson, who was called up to Minnesota. One way or another there was bound to be drama on Sunday. Let's see what unfolded...RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Pawtucket 10 Box Score After a season full of awards and honors, Jose Berrios struggled in his Triple-A debut. He allowed six earned runs on seven hits in three innings of work. He struck out three and walked three before being taken out. The last pitcher younger than Berrios to pitch for the Red Wings pitched back in 1997. Logan Darnell relieved Berrios but he ended up giving up three unearned runs of his own. This left the Red Wings in a deep hole before the end of the fourth inning. Rochester tried to stay in the game with a scoring spree in the third inning. A double from Aaron Hicks and Josmil Pinto helped to push three runs across the plate but this would be the only multiple-run inning for the team. Eric Farris hit a home run for the second time in three days after going three months without one. The loss eliminates the Red Wings from playoff contention as they tried to earn a wild card berth for the second straight year. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 6, New Hampshire 3 Box Score Eddie Rosario, Corey Wimberly, and Kyle Knudson all drove in two runs apiece to pace the Rock Cats offense. Rosario hit his eighth home run of the season. Knudson had a double as part of a three hit effort. Mike Kvasnicka reached base three times and scored three runs. Even though the team left seven men on base, they went 4-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Adrian Salcedo picked up his third win of the season in only his sixth start. He lasted six innings and struck out six while allowing two earned runs. Madison Boer allowed a run on three hits which was enough to keep the game in check. Cole Johnson earned his ninth save by striking out two in a little over an inning's worth of work. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 14, Jupiter 1 Box Score In their last tune-up before the playoffs, the Miracle exploded for 14 runs. This included three innings of scoring more than three runs. Max Kepler drove in three as part of a three-hit day. Dalton Hicks went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Stuart Turner crushed his seventh home run of the year. Tyler Grimes hit his 14th double and plated three runs. The Miracle used a variety of bullpen members to complete this game. Steven Gruver went two scoreless innings to start the game. Tyler Jones allowed a lead-off hit before retiring nine straight batters to earn his third win. Alex Muren allowed the only run of the game in a little under two innings of work. Todd Van Steensel closed out the last two plus innings without allowing a run. The Miracle closed the regular season with an overall record of 82-57. The 82 wins is the second-most in team history since moving to Fort Myers in 1992. Fort Myers will travel to Bradenton to play the Marauders on Tuesday at 5:30 pm (CST) in the first game of the FSL South Division Championship Series. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, Clinton 1 Box Score There wasn't a lot of action in this game. The Kernels combined for five hits but it wasn't enough to keep the team from being shut out. Chad Christensen was the lone member of the team to have more than one hit. Engelb Vielma and J.D. Williams both went 1-for-4. The club didn't have a single extra-base hit and they left five men on base. Lewis Thorpe started the game and pitched four shutout innings. He earned the no- decision as he struck out four but he also walked four. Chris Mazza took his fourth loss of the year after allowing the only run of the game in his four innings on the mound. Dallas Gallant was perfect over the final two frames and struck out four. His ERA currently sits at 0.64 for the year with Cedar Rapids. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 7, Johnson City 6 (13 Innings) Box Score It took 13 innings but the E-Twins managed to win the first game of their playoff series. In a back and forth game that saw both teams have a four run inning, Elizabethton broke a four inning scoreless drought to push across the winning run. Trey Vavra drove in four of the team's seven runs as part of a three-hit day. Tanner English had three hits including a double and two runs scored. English set up the game-winning run with a two-out double in the 13th inning. Vavra had the game- winning single after Nick Gordon was intentionally walked. Tyler Kuresa and Tyler Mautner both went 3-for-6 with a double each. John Curtis pitched five strong innings of two-run ball to start the game. He struck out five and walked one. Dereck Rodriguez did a solid job in relief by striking out three in two shutout innings. Keaton Steele earned his first win with three hitless innings to end the game. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Adrian Salcedo, New Britain Rock Cats Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Trey Vavra, Elizabethton Twins MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Pawtucket (12:05 CST) – Kris Johnson (Listen) New Hampshire @ New Britain (12:35 CST) – Taylor Rogers (Listen) Ft. Myers- Start Playoffs on Wednesday night Cedar Rapids @ Clinton (2:00 CST) - Ryan Eades (Listen) Johnson City @ Elizabethton (6:00 CST)- TBA Click here to view the article

Byron Buxton is heading back to the Arizona Fall League. At least that is the hope of the Twins organization as rosters were announced for the AFL on Tuesday. Buxton will be looking to make up for lost time after a brutal outfield collision in his first Double-A game left him with a concussion. He will have to pass all MLB-level concussion protocols before taking the field in the AFL. Buxton is among a trio of prospects heading back to Arizona for a second year. Eddie Rosario and Max Kepler are set to rebound from various issues this year. Rosario was suspended for the first 50 games and Kepler struggled before coming on strong in recent weeks.Four pitchers are expected to make the trip. Right-handed pitcher Jason Adam and left-handed pitchers Taylor Rogers and Mason Melotakis are listed. Nick Burdi's name was on the AFL website for a brief time but it has since been removed. A different arm will replace him in the coming days. RED WINGS REPORT The Rochester Red Wings enjoyed their last official off day of the regular season. They will start again tomorrow very much in the playoff race. The team has six games remaining and they are 1.5 games out of a wild card spot. There are two games remaining with each of the teams ahead of them in the standings. This means the Red Wings fate is in their own hands over the next week. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 5, Binghamton 1 (Game 1: 7 Innings) Box Score Jose Berrios was back to his strong pitching ways. He earned his third Double-A victory by throwing six innings of one-run ball. He struck out four and walked two while allowing four hits. Ryan O'Rourke finished the game, allowing one hit in an inning's worth of work. Tony Thomas provided all the offense New Britain needed. He smashed a three-run bomb in the second inning and the Rock Cats never looked back. For Thomas, it was his ninth long ball of the season. It was the only extra-base hit of the game. Nate Hanson and Reynaldo Rodriguez each drove in a run. New Britain 2, Binghamton 3 (Game 2: 7 Innings) Box Score The Rock Cats held two different leads but the team couldn't hold either. Adrian Salcedo made his fifth start of the season and he took his ninth loss of the year. He allowed two earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts and a walk. A catcher interference call on Matt Koch led to the unearned run scored against Salcedo. Daniel Turpen walked two and struck out two in his inning of work. Nate Hanson was the only bright spot for the Rock Cats offense. He went 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI. He's up to 22 doubles for the season. Tony Thomas reached base twice in three trips to the plate. Levi Michael and Jorge Polanco scored one run each, though Michael was taken out of the game in the bottom of the third. Polanco also started two different double plays. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 7. Charlotte 4 Box Score It took 17 hits and three runs in the final two innings but the Miracle were able to pound out a win. Stuart Turner must have been upset about not making the AFL roster as he went 4-for-4 with THREE DOUBLES and four RBI. Adam Brett Walker continues to add to his RBI total as he drove in one as part of a two-hit night. Steven Gruver started the game but he didn't factor into the decision. He allowed two earned runs on five hits over five innings. Nick Burdi collected his first professional win and he has still not allowed a run at High-A. Zack Jones made things interesting in the ninth as two batters reached base but he got out of the jam for his third save. It was announced earlier in the day that Walker and Berrios were both part of the 2014 FSL Postseason All-Star team. Miracle manager Doug Mientkiewicz was also named a coach for the team. The club is one win away from 80 for the season. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Quad Cities 1 Box Score Five runs in the first three innings paced the Kernels to an early lead. Three singles and a throwing error by the pitcher resulted in a three-run first inning. Mitch Garver got credit for two RBIs as his diamond cutter capped the first inning's scoring. Chad Christensen instigated the scoring in the third as he singled and then stole his 29th base. Lewis Thorpe saw his pitch count rise quickly in this one. He struck out eight batters in four innings but he also walked four. The only run that scored while he was on the mound was unearned. Chris Mazza kept things in check with two shutout innings. He had one strikeout and a walk. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 5, Bristol 6 Box Score One big inning was all it took for the E-Twins to end up on the losing end of this one. Sam Gibbons couldn't get out of the fifth frame as he gave up six earned runs in that inning. Samuel Clay and Keaton Steel shut out the Pirates the rest of the way but it wasn't enough. Brian Navarreto went 2-for-4 with a double and a run batted in. Austin Diemer collected two hits after being hitless in his last three games. Pat Kelly reached base twice and knocked his seventh double. Trey Vavra added an RBI to his total as he tries to catch Tyler Kuresa for the team lead. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 4, GCL Rays 3 Box Score Some strong work by the Twins bullpen helped the team to their 23rd victory of the season. Eduardo Del Rosario earned his fourth win after pitching three shutout innings of relief. Trevor Hildenberger earned his tenth save by striking out two in the final frame. The team's four-five-six hitters (Joel Polanco, Jarrad Poteete, and Gabriel Ojeda) all had multi-hit games. Not to be outdone, Ariel Montesino added two hits including a double. Amaurys Minier went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and his 11th double. In his last 12 games, he is hitting over .400 with seven extra-base hits. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Jose Berrios, New Britain Rock Cats Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Stuart Turner, Fort Myers Miracle WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Syracuse (6:00 CST) – Kris Johnson (Listen) New Britain @ Binghamton (5:35 CST) – TBA (Listen) Ft. Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 CST) – Matt Tomshaw (Listen) Kane County @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - Ryan Eades (Listen) Kingsport @ Elizabethton (6:00 CST)- TBA GCL Rays @ GCL Twins (11:00am CST) – TBD Click here to view the article

Things are starting to wind down in the minor league season and this means plenty of very important games for Twins affiliates. The Kernels entered Sunday with a chance to clinch and the Red Wings are right in the middle of the wild card hunt. This means every at-bat and every pitch are very important. The same can't be said for the MLB version of the Twins. They are out of the playoff chase but they can still upset a few teams along the way. After pounding the Detroit Tigers in the first two games of the series, the Twins dropped the last two to end up with a split. Let's see if the farm system offered up any more hope on Sunday.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 5, Scranton/WB 4 Box Score A lot of Rochester's future is in their own hands. They took that fact to heart on Sunday as they mounted a four-run bottom of the eighth inning to crawl past the RailRiders. Doug Bernier went 1-for-3 and his two-run double put the Wings on top for good. Daniel Ortiz cracked his eighth home run of the season, his first since July 27. Lester Oliveros continued his run of scoreless innings over the last 11 games, not having given up a run in his last 19.2 frames. Tyler Duffey started and allowed three runs on five hits and three walks over four innings. It was the first time since June 4 that he didn't make it through five innings. With a week's worth of games left in the regular season, the Red Wings are 1.5 games back of the wild card leaders Buffalo and Pawtucket. They have two games remaining with both teams so they can forge their own destiny. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 12, Altoona 0 Box Score Pat Dean was masterful in this game as he scattered three hits over eight shutout innings. He struck out three and walked two. It was his eighth victory of the season. He hadn't pitched more than seven innings in any start this season. Cole Johnson helped complete the shutout by striking out one in an inning of work. The Rock Cats offense gave Dean plenty of run support. Reynaldo Rodriguez crossed the 20-home run plateau with a two-run shot in the 6th inning. Corey Wimberly had three hits including his 11th double. Kyle Knudson scored twice and hit a couple doubles. The only starters to remain hitless were Nate Hanson and Tony Thomas. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 2. Charlotte 5 Box Score D.J. Baxendale surrendered five earned runs on eight hits as he was charged with his third loss of the season. It was his third straight outing of less than five innings and he has not won a game since he won three straight starts at the beginning of July. Nick Burdi made his fifth appearance for the Miracle and he has yet to allow a run. He has nine strikeouts over five innings pitched, with one walk allowed. Adam Brett Walker continues to hit home runs. He reached base in three of his four plate appearances and hit his 25th home run of the season. He's also up to 93 RBIs on the season. The second place hitters in those categories have 19 homers and 78 RBIs. Dalton Hicks had the only other extra-base hit for Fort Myers. His 24th double set up one of the team's two runs. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Quad Cities 8 Box Score Even though the Kernels didn't win this game, a loss by Peoria meant the Kernels still clinched a playoff spot for the second consecutive season. Cedar Rapids will play either Burlington or Kane County in the opening round. Cedar Rapids strung together three straight singles to take an eighth inning 5-4 lead but the River Bandits stole the lead back in the bottom of the frame and held on for the win. J.D. Williams was a perfect 3-for-3 and he reached base four times. Chad Christensen knocked in four runs with his 23rd and 24th doubles of the season. Engelb Vielma scored twice and added his 13th double of the year. Hudson Boyd took the loss after giving up three earned runs on three hits. He struck out one and walked one. Mat Batts got the no-decision after he pitched 4.2 innings, allowing three earned runs with four strikeouts. It was the first time since July 2 that he didn't make it through five innings. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 10, Bristol 4 (Game 1- 7 Innings) Box Score Seven runs in the last two innings helped separate the E-Twins from the Pirates. Nick Gordon went 4-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base. He was caught stealing one time and got picked off once. Jorge Fernandez and Tyler Mautner collected three RBIs apiece. Mautner had two extra-base hits, a double and a home run. Keaton Steele earned his second victory after he replaced John Curtiss. Steele struck out two over two innings while allowing one run. Curtiss made it four innings and gave up three earned runs. Dereck Rodriguez struck out the side as part of a perfect final frame. Elizabethton 1, Bristol 0 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score After the 14 runs scored in the first tilt of the doubleheader, this game took on quite a different feel. The teams found themselves in a pitcher's duel with neither team being able to muster much offense. Bristol out-hit Elizabethton six to two but it wasn't enough. Trey Vavra hit a double to drive in the lone run of the game. Randy LeBlanc earned his first professional victory, throwing five shutout frames, striking out seven and walking none. C.K. Irby struck out five over the final two frames to complete the shutout. It was his second save of the year. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Pat Dean, New Britain Rock Cats Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Chad Christensen, Cedar Rapids Kernels MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton/WB @ Rochester (6:05 CST) – Alex Meyer (Listen) New Britain @ Binghamton (5:35 CST) – Taylor Rogers (Listen) Ft. Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 CST) – Brett Lee (Listen) Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (7:00 CST) - Stephen Gonsalves (Listen) Elizabethton @ Bristol (6:00 CST)- Michael Cederoth GCL Rays @ GCL Twins (11:00am CST) – TBD Click here to view the article

Things are starting to wind down in the minor league season and this means plenty of very important games for Twins' affiliates. The Kernels entered Sunday with a chance to clinch and the Red Wings are right in the middle of the wild card hunt. This means every at-bat and every pitch are very important. The same can't be said for the MLB version of the Twins. They are out of the playoff chase but they can still upset a few teams along the way. After pounding the Detroit Tigers in the first two games of the series, the Twins dropped the last two to end up with a split. Let's see if the farm system offered up any more hope on Sunday. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 5, Scranton/WB 4 Box Score A lot of Rochester's future is in their own hands. They took that moto to heart on Sunday as they mounted a four run bottom of the eighth inning to crawl past the RailRiders. Doug Bernier went 1-for-3 in the game but his two-run double put the Wings on top for good. Daniel Ortiz cracked his eighth home run of the season, his first since July 27. Lester Oliveros continued his run of scoreless innings over the last 11 games. He hasn't given up a run in the last 19.2 frames. Tyler Duffey started and allowed three runs on five hits and three walks over four innings. It was the first time since June 4 that he didn't make it through five innings. With a week's worth of games left in the regular season, the Red Wings are 1.5 games back of the Wild Card leaders Buffalo and Pawtucket. They have two games remaining with both teams so they can forge their own destiny. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 12, Altoona 0 Box Score Pat Dean was masterful in this game as he scattered three hits over eight shutout innings. He struck out three and walked two. It was his eighth victory of the season. He hadn't pitched more than seven innings in any start this season and he only earned the win in one of those three outings. Cole Johnson helped complete the shutout by striking out one in an inning of work. The Rock Cats offense gave Dean plenty of run support. Reynaldo Rodriguez crossed the 20 home run plateau with a two-run shot in the 6th inning. Corey Wimberly had three hits including his 11th double. Kyle Knudson scored twice and hit a couple of doubles. The only starters to remain hitless were Nate Hanson and Tony Thomas. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 2. Charlotte 5 Box Score D.J. Baxendale surrendered five earned runs on eight hits as he was charged with his third loss of the season. It was his third straight outing of less than five innings and he has won a game since he won three straight starts at the beginning of July. Nick Burdi made his fifth appearance for the Miracle and he has yet to allow a run. He has nine strikeouts over five innings pitched with one walk. Adam Brett Walker continues to hit home runs. He reached base in three of his four plate appearances and hit his 25th home run of the season. He's also up to 93 RBI on the season. Dalton Hicks had the only other extra base hit for Fort Myers. His 24th double set-up one of the team's two runs. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Quad Cities 8 Box Score Even though the Kernels didn't win this game, a loss by Peoria meant the Kernels still clinched a playoff spot for the second consecutive season. Cedar Rapids will play either Burlington or Kane County in the opening round. Cedar Rapids strung together three straight singles to take a late inning 5-4 lead but the River Bandits stole the lead back in the bottom of the frame. J.D. Williams was a perfect 3-for-3 and he reached base four times. Chad Christensen knocked in four runs with his 23rd and 24th doubles of the season. Engelb Vielma scored twice and added his 13th double of the year. Hudson Boyd took the loss after giving up three earned runs on three hits. He struck out one and walked one. Mat Batts got the no decision after he pitched 4.2 innings by allowing three earned runs with four strikeouts. It was the first time since July 2 that he didn't make it through five innings. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 10, Bristol 4 (Game 1- 7 Innings) Box Score Seven runs in the last two innings helped to separate the E-Twins from the Pirates. Nick Gordon went 4-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base. He also got caught stealing once and got picked off once. Jorge Fernandez and Tyler Mautner collected three RBI apiece. Nautner had two extra-base hits, a double and a home run. Keaton Steele earned his second victory after he replaced John Curtiss. Steele struck out two over two innings while allowing one run. Curtiss made it four innings and gave up three earned runs. Dereck Rodriguez struck out the side as part of a perfect final frame. Elizabethton 1, Bristol 0 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score After 14 total runs were scored in the first game of the doubleheader, this game took on quite a different feel. The teams found themselves in a pitchers duel with neither team being able to muster up much offense. Bristol out hit Elizabethton six to two but it wasn't enough. Trey Vavra hit a run scoring double to plate the lone run of the game. Randy LeBlanc earned his first professional victory after throwing five shutout frames. He struck out seven and walked none. C.K. Irby struck out five over the final two frames to complete the shutout. It was his second save of the year. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Pat Dean, New Britain Rock Cats Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Chad Christensen, Cedar Rapids Kernels WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton/WB @ Rochester (6:05 CST) – Alex Meyer (Listen) New Britain @ Binghamton (5:35 CST) – Taylor Rogers (Listen) Ft. Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 CST) – Brett Lee (Listen) Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (7:00 CST) - Stephen Gonsalves (Listen) Elizabethton @ Bristol (6:00 CST)- Michael Cederoth GCL Rays @ GCL Twins (11:00am CST) – TBD

This is the second in a series of posts looking at different parts of the Twins roster as the season winds down. Clearly, there have been some rough moments at the end of the last few seasons. The moto of those years might have been "Wake Me Up When September Ends" but the hope is that this year will be a little different. Overall, there seems to be a little hope on the horizon. That hope might mean you won't want to sleep through this September. Earlier in the week, I looked at how this year's pitching staff seems to offer more hope than the last few Septembers. I'd rather see Kyle Gibson, Tommy Milone, and Trevor May on the mound over the likes of Cole De Vries, Andrew Albers, and PJ Walters. There might be some lumps with the new trio of starters but they could be part of the next winning team in Minnesota. The key to any organizational improvement is the play of young cost-effective players. The last few Septembers haven't exactly produced a cornucopia of everyday players but this year's crew could be the key to getting the Twins back on the right track. 2014: Trevor May, Kennys Vargas, Danny Santana There was a lot of fans calling for Trevor May to make his debut. He's struggled in his first handful of appearances but the Twins aren't fighting for a playoff spot. May can take his lumps this season and be better prepared for the beginning of next year. Kennys Vargas was considered a top 10 Twins prospect entering this season but he had one of his best minor league seasons at the Double-A level. Since getting called up, he's hit for a higher average than expected and there have still been some signs of power. Danny Santana might be the biggest surprise this season. He's turned into a spark plug for the Twins offense and he's been doing it while learning a new defense position. 2013: Oswaldo Arcia, Josmil Pinto, Kyle Gibson Last year's trio of rookies have all played a significant role on the 2014 Twins team. Oswaldo Arcia is in the midst of quite the power surge over the last handful of games. He might be finally figuring out how to hit at the big league level and that's certainly a good thing for the Twins. Josmil Pinto made the Twins team out of spring training but he hasn't been heard from since the beginning of June. Minnesota signed Kurt Suzuki to a contract extension so Pinto is going to have to use his bat to get back to the big leagues. Kyle Gibson was rough at the end of last year but he has proven himself useful in 2014. Behind Phil Hughes, he's been the second best starter on the team and he could end up fitting into the middle of the rotation for the next handful of years. 2012: Chris Parmelee, Eduardo Escobar, Chris Herrmann This was a down year for younger players being promoted and getting playing time. Brian Dozier had played a chunk of the season at shortstop but he didn't get called up for September. Chris Parmelee had been a hit the cover off the ball as a September call-up the previous season but that didn't last. He's collected over 200 at-bats for the third straight season but he doesn't seem to have a long-term place with the club. Eduardo Escobar was brought over from Chicago in the Francisco Liriano trade and he's had quite the season this year. He's fifth in the AL in doubles and fourth in range factor for shortstops. Chris Herrmann has played parts of the last three seasons in Minnesota but he's not really considered much of a prospect any more. He offers some defensive versatility but not much of an offensive punch. Other prospects like Alex Meyer or Jorge Polanco could get a look this September but the trio of Santana, Vargas, and May are certainly enough to keep you from falling asleep. Don't sleep through this September because the future might be playing right in front of you.

The big story of the night was star pitching prospect Kohl Stewart being pulled very early in his start by the Cedar Rapids training staff. His fastball usually sits in the mid-90s but he was topping out anywhere from 88-90 mph. The Twins have come out and said they removed him for precautionary reasons. With not many games left in the minor league season, it would be surprising to see Stewart on the mound again in 2014. With Stewart out of the game early, would the Kernels be able to continue their recent winning streak? Read on to find out.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 7, Buffalo 2 Box Score Rochester was up six runs before Buffalo was able to crack into the run column. Pedro Florimon drove in three runs with a pair of doubles. Wilkin Ramirez hit his fourth home run as part of a two-hit night. Chris Colabello hit his third home run in his last nine games and he leads the team with nine homers. Tyler Duffy made his second career Triple-A start and earned his second victory. In this game, he went six innings and allowed two earned runs as he struck out six. He has gone at least six innings in both outings. Lester Oliveros replaced Duffey and did well by striking out four in two innings. The last time he didn't strike out more than one batter in an appearance was all the way back on July 7th. With the win, the Red Wings stay two games back in the wild card race with 13 games remaining in the season. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 3, Richmond 5 (Game 1-Completion from 8/18) Box Score In a game that was started on Monday night, the Rock Cats didn't have enough in the tank to mount a comeback. Virgil Vasquez had started and did not allow a run in two innings before rain halted the game. Cole Johnson took over when the game resumed tonight. He allowed four earned runs over three innings and was served with his second loss. Adrian Salcedo did well to strike out five in three innings. On the offensive side, Levi Michael and Kyle Knudson both had two hits including a double each. Knudson drove in two runs and it was Michael's first double since being promoted. Tony Thomas knocked in a run with his ninth double. New Britain 5, Richmond 1 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score After having two hits in the first game of the night, Michael continued his hot hitting with three more hits in game two. Nate Hanson knocked in a run as part of a two- hit game. Tony Thomas and Matt Koch both went 2-for-3 with a run scored to help the Rock Cats avoid the doubleheader sweep. Jason Adam threw four shutout innings to start the game. He struck out two and walked one. Daniel Turpen earned his fourth victory by pitching 1.1 innings and striking out three. Edgar Ibarra got into a little trouble in the seventh inning as he couldn't protect the shutout. Three straight one-out singles scored a run but he was able to leave two runners on base and finish the game. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Bradenton 2 Box Score The Miracle were out-hit in this game but they squeaked across one more run than Bradenton to earn the win. Aderlin Mejia got things started at the top of the line-up. He went 3-for-5, his second straight multi-hit game. Niko Goodrum and Travis Harrison both drove in a run to help the cause. Brett Lee joined teammate Matt Tomshaw in the double-digit win club. Over seven innings, he gave up 11 hits but was helped by three double plays turned behind him. Nick Burdi made his second appearance with the Miracle and he struck out one in an inning. Zack Jones earned his first save by pitching a perfect ninth. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Quad Cities 3 Box Score The Kernels had to scramble a little after starter Kohl Stewart was pulled early (see above). A big three-run eighth inning powered the club to their eighth straight victory. Mat Batts did some tremendous work out of the bullpen. He pitched five shutout innings by striking out six and walking none. It was his second victory with the Kernels. Engelb Vielma and Tanner Vavra were hot at the back end of the Kernels line-up. They combined to go 7-for-8 in the game with three RBI and three runs scored. Vielma collected his first home run of the season and his first home run since joining the Twins organization in 2012. Chad Christensen went 3-for-5 with a double. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 7, Princeton 8 Box Score Elizabethton took a one run lead into the ninth but Princeton struck for a couple runs to take the lead and the game. Dereck Rodriguez took the loss and the blown save but only one of the runs he gave up was earned. Third baseman Blake Schmit had two throwing errors in the ninth. Michael Cederoth started and gave up four earned runs over four innings. He struck out five and walked two. CK Irby struck out five in two innings of relief work. Tanner English and Alex Real both hit homers to pace the E-Twins offense. For Real, his home run was his first and he smacked his fifth double. Austin Diemer went 2-for-4 and scored a run. Will Hurt had three hits for the first time this season. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 5, GCL Orioles 6 Box Score The Twins scored five runs over the course of two innings but the Orioles came charging back with four runs in the next two frames. Rainis Silva had two doubles as part of a three-hit day and he drove in three runs. They were his seventh and eighth doubles of the season. No one else had more than one hit. Rafael Valera scored two runs without recording a hit. Brandon Easton started and didn't allow an earned run in his three innings. The only runs scored against him came after a fielding error by Ruar Verkerk. Zach Tillery was charged with his third loss after surrendering four runs on six hits in three innings. Eduardo Del Rosario pitched two perfect innings with three strikeouts to end the game. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Mat Batts, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Engelb Vielma, Cedar Rapids Kernels WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (6:05 CST) – Alex Meyer (Listen) New Britain @ Richmond (6:05 CST) – TBD (Listen) Ft. Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 CST) – Steven Gruver (Listen) Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - Stephen Gonsalves (Listen) Elizabethton- Scheduled Off Day GCL Rays @ GCL Twins (11:00am CST) – TBD Click here to view the article

The big story of the night was star pitching prospect Kohl Stewart being pulled very early in his start by the Cedar Rapids training staff. His fastball usually sits in the mid-90s but he was topping out anywhere from 88-90 mph. The Twins have come out and said they removed him for precautionary reasons. With not many games left in the minor league season, it would be surprising to see Stewart on the mound again in 2014. With Stewart out of the game early, would the Kernels be able to continue their recent winning streak? Read on to find out. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 7, Buffalo 2 Box Score Rochester was up six runs before Buffalo was able to crack onto the scoreboard. Pedro Florimon drove in three runs with a pair of doubles. Wilkin Ramirez hit his fourth home home run as part of a two-hit night. Chris Colabello hit his third home run in his last nine games and he leads the team with nine home runs. Tyler Duffy made his second career Triple-A start and he earned his second victory. In this game, he went six innings and allowed two earned runs as he struck out six. He has gone at least six innings in both outings. Lester Oliveros replaced Duffey and did well by striking out four in two innings. The last time he didn't strike out more than one batter in an appearance was all the way back on July 7th. With the win, the Red Wings stay two games back in the Wild Card race with 13 games remaining in the season. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 3, Richmond 5 (Game 1-Completion from 8/18) Box Score In a game that was started on Monday night, the Rock Cats didn't have enough in the tank to mount a comeback. Virgil Vasquez has started before the rain got in the way. He didn't allow a run over two innings. Cole Johnson took over when the game resumed. He allowed four earned runs over three innings and was served his second loss. Adrian Salcedo did well to strike out five in three innings. On the offensive side of things, Levi Michael and Kyle Knudson both had two hits including a double each. Knudson drove in two runs and it was Michael's first double since being promoted. Tony Thomas knocked in a run with his ninth double of the season. New Britain 5, Richmond 0 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score After having two hits in the first game of the night, Michael continued his hot hitting with three more hits in game two. Nate Hanson knocked in a run as part of a two hit game. Tony Thomas and Matt Koch both went 2-for-3 with a run scored to help the Rock Cats avoid the double header sweep. Jason Adam threw four shutout innings to start the game. He struck out two and walked one. Daniel Turpen earned his fourth victory by pitching 1.1 innings and striking out three. Edgar Ibarra got into a little trouble in the seventh inning as he couldn't protect the shutout. Three straight one-out singles scored a run but he was able to leave two runners on base and finish the game. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Bradenton 2 Box Score The Miracle were out hit in this game but they squeaked across one more run to end up victorious. Aderlin Mejia got things started at the top of the line-up. He went 3-for-5, his second straight multi-hit game. Niko Goodrum and Travis Harrison both drove in a run to help the cause. Brett Lee joined teammate Matt Tomshaw in the double digit win club. Over seven innings, he gave up 11 hits but he was helped out by three double plays turned behind him. Nick Burdi made his second appearance with the Miracle and he struck out one in an inning. Zack Jones earned his first save by pitching a perfect ninth. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Quad Cities 3 Box Score The Kernels had to scramble a little after starter Kohl Stewart was pulled early (see above). A big three-run eighth inning powered the club to their eighth straight victory. Mat Batts had to do some tremendous work out of the bullpen. He pitched five shutout innings by striking out six and walking none. It was his second victory of the season. Engelb Vielma and Tanner Vavra were hot at the back end of the Kernels line-up. They combined to go 7-for-8 in the game with three RBI and three runs scored. Vielma collected his first home run of the season and his first professional home run after being in the Twins organization since 2012. Chad Christensen went 3-for-5 with a double. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 7, Princeton 8 Box Score Elizabethton took a one run lead into the ninth but Princeton would strike for a couple runs to take the lead. Dereck Rodriguez took the loss and the blown save but only one of the runs he gave up was earned. Third baseman Blake Schmit had two throwing errors in the ninth. Michael Cederoth started and gave up four earned runs over four innings. He struck out five and walked two. C.K. Irby struck out five in two innings of relief work. Tanner English and Alex Real both hit homers to pace the E-Twins offense. For Real, his home run was his first of the season and he smacked his fifth double. Austin Diemer went 2-for-4 and scored a run. Will Hurt had three hits for the first time this season. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 5, GCL Orioles 6 Box Score The Twins scored five runs over the course of two innings but the Orioles came charging back with four runs in the next two frames. Rainis Silva had two doubles as part of a three hit day and he drove in three runs. It was his eighth double of the season. No players had more than one hit. Rafael Valera scored two runs without recording a hit. Brandon Easton started and didn't allow an earned run. The only runs scored against him came after a fielding error by Ruar Verkerk. Zach Tillery was charged with his third loss after surrendering four runs on six hits in three innings. Eduardo Del Rosario pitched two perfect innings with three strikeouts to end the game. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Mat Batts, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Engelb Vielma, Cedar Rapids Kernels WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (6:05 CST) – Alex Meyer (Listen) New Britain @ Richmond (6:05 CST) – TBD (Listen) Ft. Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 CST) – Steven Gruver (Listen) Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - Stephen Gonsalves (Listen) Elizabethton- Scheduled Off Day GCL Rays @ GCL Twins (11:00am CST) – TBD

The big story of the night was star pitching prospect Kohl Stewart being pulled very early in his start by the Cedar Rapids training staff. His fastball usually sits in the mid-90s but he was topping out anywhere from 88-90 mph. The Twins have come out and said they removed him for precautionary reasons. With not many games left in the minor league season, it would be surprising to see Stewart on the mound again in 2014. With Stewart out of the game early, would the Kernels be able to continue their recent winning streak? Read on to find out. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 7, Buffalo 2 Box Score Rochester was up six runs before Buffalo was able to crack onto the scoreboard. Pedro Florimon drove in three runs with a pair of doubles. Wilkin Ramirez hit his fourth home home run as part of a two-hit night. Chris Colabello hit his third home run in his last nine games and he leads the team with nine home runs. Tyler Duffy made his second career Triple-A start and he earned his second victory. In this game, he went six innings and allowed two earned runs as he struck out six. He has gone at least six innings in both outings. Lester Oliveros replaced Duffey and did well by striking out four in two innings. The last time he didn't strike out more than one batter in an appearance was all the way back on July 7th. With the win, the Red Wings stay two games back in the Wild Card race with 13 games remaining in the season. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 3, Richmond 5 (Game 1-Completion from 8/18) Box Score In a game that was started on Monday night, the Rock Cats didn't have enough in the tank to mount a comeback. Virgil Vasquez has started before the rain got in the way. He didn't allow a run over two innings. Cole Johnson took over when the game resumed. He allowed four earned runs over three innings and was served his second loss. Adrian Salcedo did well to strike out five in three innings. On the offensive side of things, Levi Michael and Kyle Knudson both had two hits including a double each. Knudson drove in two runs and it was Michael's first double since being promoted. Tony Thomas knocked in a run with his ninth double of the season. New Britain 5, Richmond 0 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score After having two hits in the first game of the night, Michael continued his hot hitting with three more hits in game two. Nate Hanson knocked in a run as part of a two hit game. Tony Thomas and Matt Koch both went 2-for-3 with a run scored to help the Rock Cats avoid the double header sweep. Jason Adam threw four shutout innings to start the game. He struck out two and walked one. Daniel Turpen earned his fourth victory by pitching 1.1 innings and striking out three. Edgar Ibarra got into a little trouble in the seventh inning as he couldn't protect the shutout. Three straight one-out singles scored a run but he was able to leave two runners on base and finish the game. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Bradenton 2 Box Score The Miracle were out hit in this game but they squeaked across one more run to end up victorious. Aderlin Mejia got things started at the top of the line-up. He went 3-for-5, his second straight multi-hit game. Niko Goodrum and Travis Harrison both drove in a run to help the cause. Brett Lee joined teammate Matt Tomshaw in the double digit win club. Over seven innings, he gave up 11 hits but he was helped out by three double plays turned behind him. Nick Burdi made his second appearance with the Miracle and he struck out one in an inning. Zack Jones earned his first save by pitching a perfect ninth. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Quad Cities 3 Box Score The Kernels had to scramble a little after starter Kohl Stewart was pulled early (see above). A big three-run eighth inning powered the club to their eighth straight victory. Mat Batts had to do some tremendous work out of the bullpen. He pitched five shutout innings by striking out six and walking none. It was his second victory of the season. Engelb Vielma and Tanner Vavra were hot at the back end of the Kernels line-up. They combined to go 7-for-8 in the game with three RBI and three runs scored. Vielma collected his first home run of the season and his first professional home run after being in the Twins organization since 2012. Chad Christensen went 3-for-5 with a double. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 7, Princeton 8 Box Score Elizabethton took a one run lead into the ninth but Princeton would strike for a couple runs to take the lead. Dereck Rodriguez took the loss and the blown save but only one of the runs he gave up was earned. Third baseman Blake Schmit had two throwing errors in the ninth. Michael Cederoth started and gave up four earned runs over four innings. He struck out five and walked two. C.K. Irby struck out five in two innings of relief work. Tanner English and Alex Real both hit homers to pace the E-Twins offense. For Real, his home run was his first of the season and he smacked his fifth double. Austin Diemer went 2-for-4 and scored a run. Will Hurt had three hits for the first time this season. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 5, GCL Orioles 6 Box Score The Twins scored five runs over the course of two innings but the Orioles came charging back with four runs in the next two frames. Rainis Silva had two doubles as part of a three hit day and he drove in three runs. It was his eighth double of the season. No players had more than one hit. Rafael Valera scored two runs without recording a hit. Brandon Easton started and didn't allow an earned run. The only runs scored against him came after a fielding error by Ruar Verkerk. Zach Tillery was charged with his third loss after surrendering four runs on six hits in three innings. Eduardo Del Rosario pitched two perfect innings with three strikeouts to end the game. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Mat Batts, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Engelb Vielma, Cedar Rapids Kernels WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (6:05 CST) – Alex Meyer (Listen) New Britain @ Richmond (6:05 CST) – TBD (Listen) Ft. Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 CST) – Steven Gruver (Listen) Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - Stephen Gonsalves (Listen) Elizabethton- Scheduled Off Day GCL Rays @ GCL Twins (11:00am CST) – TBD

As the season starts to wind down, this is the first in a series of posts looking at different parts of the Twins roster . There have been some rough moments at the end of the last few seasons. The motto of the last few seasons might have been "Wake Me Up When September Ends" but this season might be a little different as there seems to be some hope on the horizon. That hope might mean you won't want to sleep through this September. August is slowly winding down and this points toward another Twins season coming to an end. Many fans can tune out at this time of year. The NFL season is ramping up, students are heading back to school, and there's just less time to fit baseball into people's crazy schedulesThere hasn't been much reason to watch the Twins during the last couple Septembers. The team was trotting out a starting rotation composed of a combination of non-prospects and aging veterans, which can be a lethal combination. Things might be shaping up to be a little better this September but the jury is still out on how this year's crop of starters will fare. 2014: Phil Hughes, Kyle Gibson, Tommy Milone, Ricky Nolasco, Trevor May This could very well be the same five who will compose the 2015 opening day starting rotation. Hughes and Gibson have had some up and down moments in the second half but they have been the most consistent starters this season. Milone had the worst start of his career during this weekend's typhoon at Target Field. The Twins are still going to want to see more of him in the last month since he just joined the organization. Nolasco is coming off a month on the DL and he's got a lot to prove to the Twins fan base. May has been a little wild so far but the Twins need him to show that he can pitch at the big league level. 2013: Scott Diamond, Kevin Correia, Andrew Albers, Cole De Vries, Mike Pelfrey 8-20 team record in September The Twins failed to reach double digits wins during two separate months last season and one of those months happened to be September. The team's leaders in wins for the month were Anthony Swarzak and Casey Fien. None of the starters had more than one win. Pelfrey is the only member of the list to still be with the Twins and he has been injured most of this season. Diamond is now part of the Reds organization but his ERA is north of 5.00 since joining their Triple-A squad. Correia was leading the AL in losses before the Twins dealt him to the Dodgers. De Vries has since retired and started flipping houses (sound like something Hulk would do). Albers has played this season over in Korea and it's been a rough year to say the least. 2012: Scott Diamond, Sam Deduno, Liam Hendriks, PJ Walters, Esmerling Vasquez 13-18 team record in September and October Five games under .500 is not such a bad record when considering the fearsome five-some the Twins showcased a couple years ago. Diamond was in the middle of a breakout season but he posted a 2-3 record with a 4.79 ERA in six starts over the last month. Deduno was getting his first longer look with the Twins and he got roughed up losing three of his last five starts. He didn't make it past the fourth inning in his final three outings. Hendriks finally earned his first major league win and he's only won two other big league games since that first victory. Walters and Vasquez didn't earn a win in the month and both had ERA's of over 5.50. The Twins might not be on their way to a 20-win month to close out the year but the rotation looks improved compared to the past couple years. If May can iron out some of his kinks and Nolasco can look like the pitcher he was before coming to Minnesota, there could be some good things happening in September. Make sure to stay awake for it. Click here to view the article

This is the first in a series of posts looking at different parts of the Twins roster as the season starts to wind down. There have been some rough moments at the end of the last few seasons. The moto of the last few seasons might have been "Wake Me Up When September Ends" but this season might be a little different as there seems to be a little hope on the horizon. That hope might mean you won't want to sleep through this September. August is slowly winding down and this points towards another Twins season coming to an end. Many fans can tune out at this time of year. The NFL football season is ramping up, students are heading back to school, and there's just less time to fit baseball into people's crazy schedules. There hasn't been much of a reason to watch the Twins during the last couple of Septembers. The team was trotting out a starting rotation composed of a combination of non-prospects and aging veterans, which can be a lethal combination. Things might be shaping up to be a little better this September but the jury is still out on how this year's crop of starters will fare. 2014: Phil Hughes, Kyle Gibson, Tommy Milone, Ricky Nolasco, Trevor May This could very well be the same five men who start will compose the 2015 Opening Day rotation. Hughes and Gibson have had some up and down moments in the second half but they have been the most consistent starters this season. Milone had the worst start of his career during this weekend's typhoon at Target Field. The Twins are still going to want to see more of him in the last month since he just joined the organization. Nolasco is coming off a month on the DL and he's got a lot to prove to the Twins fan base. May has been a little wild so far but the Twins need him to show that he can pitch at the big league level. 2013: Scott Diamond, Kevin Correia, Andrew Albers, Cole De Vries, Mike Pelfrey 8-20 team record in September The Twins failed to reach double digits in wins during two months last season and one of those months happened to be September. The team's leaders in wins for the month were Anthony Swarzak and Casey Fien. None of the starters had more than one win. Pelfrey is the only member of the list to still be with the Twins and he has been injured for most of this season. Diamond is now part of the Reds organization but his ERA is north of 5.00 since joining their Triple-A squad. Correia was leading the AL in losses before the Twins dealt him to the Dodgers. De Vries has since retired and started flipping houses (sound like something the Hulk would do). Albers has played this season over in Korea and it's been a rough year to say the least. 2012: Scott Diamond, Sam Deduno, Liam Hendriks, PJ Walters, Esmerling Vasquez 13-18 team record in Sept/Oct Five games under .500 is not such a bad record when considering the fearsome five-some the Twins showcased a couple years ago. Diamond was in the middle of a breakout season but he posted a 2-3 record with a 4.79 ERA in six starts over the last month. Deduno was getting his first longer look with the Twins and he got roughed up losing three of his last five starts. He didn't make it past the fourth inning in his final three outings. Hendriks finally earned his first big league win and he's only won two other big league games since that first victory. Walters and Vasquez didn't earn a win in the month and both had ERA's of over 5.50. The Twins might not be on their way to a 20-win month to close out the year but the rotation looks improved over the past couple of years. If May can iron out some of his kinks and Nolasco can look like the pitcher he was before coming to Minnesota, there could be some good things happening in September. Make sure to stay awake for it. For more from Cody Christie make sure to follow him on Twitter @NoDakTwinsFan and toread his other work at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com

I was going to add Knoblauch to the list but I couldn't talk about everyone on a bad Twins team. He would have been a good addition.

On August 12, 1994 baseball went away. This week marked the 20th anniversary of the end of that season, a season that could have included many historical events. ESPN wrote earlier this week about Tony Gwynn's chase for .400, Matt Williams hunting down Roger Maris' home run record, and the Montreal Expos possible trip to the World Series. All of these events didn't take place because of the 1994 strike. The 1994 Twins also missed out on what could have been some important moments. Minnesota wasn't on their way to a World Series because the team was 14 games out of first place and seven games under .500 when play was halted. There were still other memorable moments taken away. Kent Hrbek's Farewell Season The Twins last game before the strike was on August 10th and this turned out to be the final game in Kent Hrbek's career. The slugging first baseman surprised a lot of fans by retiring as a 34-year old but he had accomplished all that he wanted to in the game. He had two World Series rings and he got to play his entire career in his home state. There had been some injuries over his last couple of seasons and he was ready to spend more time with his family. The strike took away the opportunity for fans to acknowledge all he had done in a Twins uniform. The Metrodome faithful would get this opportunity in 1995 when his number was retired but it would have been nice to salute him while he was still wearing a Twins uniform. Kirby Puckett's Shortened Career Puckett would play his last game in 1995 and he was in the midst of a very good offensive season just one year earlier. His 112 RBI were tops in the American League and only four behind Jeff Bagwell for the highest total in baseball. He was also near the top of the league in a variety of other offensive categories. He was in the top 10 in extra base hits (5th), doubles (5th), total bases (6th), and hits (7th). His defensive game wasn't too bad either as he led the leagues in assists as an outfielder. He would finish seventh in the MVP voting and won his sixth and final Silver Slugger award. No one could foresee the end of his career being a little over a year away and it would have been nice to have Puck on the field for a few more games. Shane Mack's Leaderboard Numbers Following the 1994 season, Shane Mack wouldn't put on a big league uniform until the 1997 season as he would be playing professionally in Japan. This takes nothing away from the kind of numbers he was producing for the Twins in 1994. The slugging outfielder was in his last year in Minnesota and he sat in the American League's top 10 in a variety of categories when the strike hit. He ranked seventh in batting average (.333), seventh in slugging percentage (.564), and eighth in OPS (.966). He did all of this while being limited to 81 games There was plenty of season left to play after August and it would have been interesting to see where Mack would have finished by the year's end. What else would you have liked to see from the 1994 Twins? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. For more from Cody Christie make sure to follow him on Twitter @NoDakTwinsFan and toread his other work at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com

One of the stories lost in the hype of Trevor May's debut was the demotion of Chris Colabello. The 30-year old former independent league standout is heading back to Triple-A for the second time this season. In 114 games over the last two seasons, he's hit .214/.284/.364 with 13 home runs and 16 doubles. These aren't exactly the power numbers a team likes to see from a first baseman who will turn 31 before the start of next year.It took quite the fairy tale for Colabello to make it to the big leagues. He went undrafted out of college and spent six seasons toiling in the Canadian-American Association as he waited for his chance. The Twins finally gave him an opportunity after Baseball America named him the Independent Leagues Player of the Year. Colabello certainly made the most of his opportunity over the next couple seasons. His career in affiliated baseball started in Double-A where he was more than 3.5 years older than the average age of the other hitters in the league. Even with the age difference, he went on to have a monster year for New Britain in 2012, leading the Eastern League in doubles and ranking second in RBI. Colabello seemed better than advertised and it was hard not to wonder what he could do as he moved up the ladder. The 2013 season turned out to be even better as he jumped to Rochester in the International League. He led the league and the minors in batting average, slugging percentage and OPS. He was handed plenty of accolades at the end of the season as he was named the MVP and the Rookie of the Year in the International League. Even the start of the 2014 season looked like Colabello had turned over a new leaf. During the first week of year, he hit .391 (9-for-23) with four doubles, one home run, 11 RBI and four runs scored. He led all AL players in RBI and he ranked second in doubles. He was named co-recipient of the American League's Player of the Week Award. Things slowly unraveled for Colabello as the league made adjustments to him. After his hot start, he hit .264/.321/.417 for the rest of April. Of his 19 hits, seven were for extra-bases and his strikeout to walk rate was 20 to 6. He not only led the team in RBI in April - he set a team record. But by the end of May he was back in the minors. Colabello was recalled by the Twins near the start of July but his latest audition didn't go much better. In 19 games he has hit .222/.288/.389 with five extra-base hits and 16 strikeouts. This left Colabello's roster spot in jeopardy. Kennys Vargas has shown some good signs in his first handful of games and Joe Mauer was returning from injury. The Twins might also need Colabello's 40-man roster spot for a player like Alex Meyer. If this is the end of Colabello's time with the Twins, his story will always be one to remember. From independent baseball to minor league all-star, he had to fight to live out his dream of becoming a big league player. The Twins gave him the opportunity to live his dream and I for one am glad they did... For more from Cody Christie make sure to follow him on Twitter @NoDakTwinsFan and to read his other work at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com A quick reminder: Thanks to the Twins win against the Houston Astros on Wednesday, it means that on Thursday you can get 50% off a Large of Extra Large pizza when you use the “TWINSWIN” promotion code at PapaJohns.com. Click here to view the article