Cody Christie

Night two of playoff action saw plenty of stories to follow in the Twins farm system. Rochester was kicking off their postseason run with a game in front of their hometown fans and Cedar Rapids had to go on the road. Fort Myers was at home but their season was on the line and a loss would mean the end of their title chances. Rochester Red Wings 7, Pawtucket Red Sox 1 (Game 1) Box Score Rochester was out to prove that their last day qualification for the Wild Card spot was not a fluke. The team went out and scored runs in the first four innings to grab an early 6-1 lead. Antoan Richardson singled and James Beresford doubled to set up a 2-run first frame. Eduardo Escobar scored Richardson on a sacrifice and this was followed by an RBI-single from Chris Parmelee. Beresford found himself up in another important spot in the second. With runners on first and second, he cracked a single to center field to score the third run of the game. The third inning was characterized by multiple bunt attempts. Aaron Hicks and Eric Farris bunted in back-to-back at-bats but it took an Eric Fryer single to plate two runs. Hicks would also be responsible for a sac fly in the fifth to cap the early offensive onslaught. Cole De Vries started for Rochester and pitched into the sixth frame. While striking out six and walking one, he allowed one run on five hits. Aaron Thompson pitched two shutout innings of relief while allowing only one runner to reach base. AJ Achter closed the door in the ninth to cap a key victory for the Red Wings. What's Next: Rochester will host the second game of this series against the Red Sox on Thursday. The scheduled pitcher for the Red Wings is PJ Walters. He finished the regular season with a Triple-A record of 7-5 while posting a 4.18 ERA in 103.1 IP. The Red Sox will counter with big league hurler Clay Buchholz who is rehabbing on his way back to help Boston on a run for the AL East crown. In his one Triple-A outing this year, he lasted 3.1 innings and gave up one run on seven hits. Fort Myers Miracle 1, Charlotte Stone Crabs 2 (Game 2-- 10 innings) Box Score In the first game of the series, the Miracle were shut out and the Stone Crabs were able to sneak away with a 1-0 victory. This low scoring affair continued into Game 2 of the series with both starting pitchers posting zeros into the eighth inning. Fort Myers needed to find a way to get on the board or their fantastic season would come to an end. Taylor Rogers was outstanding on the mound and he did everything he could to keep the Miracle from being eliminated. Over nine shutout innings, Rogers limited the Stone Crabs to three hits with nine strikeouts and one walk. With two outs in the ninth, a Stone Crabs batter reached on a single but Rogers talked his way into staying in the game. He struck out the last batter of the frame to finish his nine innings of work. The Miracle were forced to turn to the bullpen and pitcher Zach Jones. In the Stone Crabs' half of the 10th, the leadoff batter singled and then things started to get a little dicey. During the next at-bat, the runner broke for second but he actually came up short of second base. The throw was high to Levi Michael and the runner was able to pop-up and still make it in before the tag. A walk and a sac bunt put two runners in scoring position. Jones tried to intentionally walk the next batter but he threw the ball to the backstop and the first run of the game was on the board. After a pop-out bunt, Jones walked a batter but he followed this with another at-bat that included a wild pitch. The Stone Crabs left the top of the 10th with a 2-0 lead and survived a rally in the 10th to end the Miracle's campaign. What's Next: The Miracle have been eliminated from the Florida State League Playoffs. Plenty of Miracle players and the coaching staff have been honored for their terrific seasons. The offense just didn't show up over the course of this best of three series. Byron Buxton has been the talk of the prospect world this year and it was tough to see the Miracle season end this way. Cedar Rapids Kernels 1, Quad Cities River Bandits 2 (Game 1) Box Score The Kernels have been one of the best minor league teams in all baseball this year but anything can happen in the postseason. Players have come and gone from the Cedar Rapids roster but the team kept finding a way to win. Things got off to a good start in the playoffs with the Kernels scoring the first run of this game. In the top of the second inning, Adam Walker singled to lead off the frame. Mike Gonzales doubled to deep center and Walker was able to come all the way around to score from first. The Kernels would get two more runners on base in the inning but those men were left stranded. Cedar Rapids had their first lead of the series but it wouldn't last. Quad Cities tied the game in the bottom of the fourth when former first overall pick Carlos Correa worked his way around the bases. It was the only run scored against Kernels starter Brett Lee but it would be an important run for this game. Lee lasted five innings and struck out six. Alex Muren came on in relief and was fantastic. He struck out three over two innings and didn't allow a hit. Cedar Rapids looked to swipe the lead back from the River Bandits in the fifth. After a Niko Goodrum walk, there were men at first and second. Jorge Polanco hit one up the middle but the pitcher knocked it down and was able to record the out at first. This left two runners in scoring position and Max Kepler in the batters box. In an unfortunate turn of events, Kepler popped up to the first baseman in foul territory and the Kernels never had another runner in scoring position. What's Next: Game 2 of this series is scheduled for Thursday evening in Cedar Rapids. Tim Shubya will take his perfect 4-0 record to the mound for the Kernels. Over 37.2 innings, he posted a 0.96 ERA while striking out 25 and walking four. Single-A opponents were able to hit only .173 against him and he has pitched seven innings or more in his last three starts. This included a complete game shutout the last time he was on the mound.

Before he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, Justin Morneau penned an open thank you letter to Twins fans and the only organization he has ever known. He discussed how he has grown up in the organization from a "wide-eyed 22-year old kid" to now being "someone my friends and family could be proud of." Minnesota has become his "second home" and he will always have connections here because his "wife, kids, and family are Minnesotans." [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] In the end, he apologized for never winning a World Series in a Twins uniform but this was really something that he couldn't fully control. He will have a good chance to play on a playoff team for the first time since the 2006 season and the Twins were able to get a couple of serviceable players for what was left on Morneau's expiring contract. Morneau took time to thank Twins fans and it seemed only appropriate that fans write their own thank you back to the slugging Canadian first baseman. Here's an open letter from myself to and about Morneau as he exits the organization: A certain type of player seems to come along once in a generation to grace the baseball diamond. Lucky enough for Twins fans there have often been times when two of these players were in the line-up on the same day. From Killebrew to Oliva and Puckett to Hrbek, great duos have called Minnesota home. Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer were one of these duos and sadly those duos can't last forever. Morneau's play on the field seemed to be on track for legendary status. He won the American League MVP in 2006 and two years later he would finish runner-up to Dustin Pedoria for the same award. He would be selected to four straight All-Star Games from 2007-2010. In 2008, he won the Home Run Derby Championship and the next night he scored the winning run in the 15th inning of the Mid-Summer Classic. Things didn't seem like they could get any higher. In the summer of 2010, it looked like Morneau might be well on his way to his second MVP trophy. His monster first half had helped the Twins to be near the top of the AL Central. All of Twins Territory felt the pain of what happened from that point moving forward. John McDonald accidentally kneed Morneau in the head on a play at second base in Toronto. It would take large chunks of the next two seasons for Justin to try and recover from post-concussion syndrome and a variety of other injuries. His last month in a Twins uniform seemed to finally look closer to the Justin of old. He hit nine home runs in the month of August but he saved one of his most memorable home runs for his last game. With the Twins facing off against Yu Darvish, a candidate for the AL Cy Young, Morneau smacked the go-ahead home run in the seventh inning. It was a home run that moved him past Tony Oliva on the franchise's all-time home run list. Justin's mark on the field isn't the only remnant of his 14 years in the Twins organization. He was a two-time winner of the Bob Allison Award that is given to the Twins player who exemplifies determination, hustle, tenacity, competitive spirit and leadership both on and off the field. Morneau and his wife Krista are active members in trying to make a difference in the community. To say thank you to Justin for his time in Minnesota would not be enough. He gave 110% for this franchise from the time he was drafted in 1999 to his last game in 2013. Morneau has left his mark on Twins Territory and it is hard to imagine this team without number 33 in the line-up. My connection to the Minnesota Twins was strengthened because of the man Morneau was on and off the field. When my future kids ask me about players I loved to watch, the short list will include a slugging Canadian first baseman. Good luck to Justin as he gets a chance to pursue the ultimate goal of winning a World Series. And even though it doesn't seem like nearly enough... Thank you. Photo by Betsy Bissen.

There was a ton of exciting action in the Twins farm system on Wednesday. Matt Summers took his Florida State League leading ERA to the mound for the Miracle. The Kernels were set to face off against former Twins pitcher Scott Baker as he works his way back from injury. New Britain found themselves in a back and forth contest that went well into the Eastern League night. Let's check out what happened down on the pond. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Rochester Red Wings 5, Buffalo Bisons 2 Box Score Scott Diamond made his fifth start since being demoted to Rochester. In those five starts, he has pitched at least six innings in four of them. On Wednesday, he scattered seven hits and gave up two runs that both came via solo home runs. He struck out five and didn't walk a man over six innings for his second straight quality start. Shairon Martis was asked to get the last seven outs of the game for his 11th save. He didn't allow a hit and only one runner reached base. The top four hitters in the Red Wings lineup all combined for multiple hit nights. Antoan Richardson and James Beresford both went 3-for-5 out of the first two spots in the order. Eduardo Escobar and Chris Parmelee followed these two with 2-for-5 performances. Both of Parmelee's hits were doubles and Beresford and Escobar had doubles of their own. After losing six games in a row, the Red Wings have won back-to-back contests. Darin Mastroianni extended his hit streak to 10 games. He's hitting .330 over his streak after going 0-for-14 during his rehab games with the team. New Britain Rock Cats 8 , Trenton Thunder 9 (12 Innings) Box Score In a game that felt like it might never end, Nate Hanson pushed home a run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the 12th inning as the Rock Cats took their second lead in extra innings. The Thunder couldn't be silenced as the team slapped back-to-back two out singles in the bottom of the 12th to put runners on. Matt Hauser still only needed one out but the next batter cracked a single to left fielder Daniel Ortiz. A throwing error by Ortiz ended the game and the Rock Cats were tough luck losers. Eddie Rosario had three hits and two RBI. Twins top prospect Miguel Sano went 0-for-4 but recorded three walks. Reynaldo Rodriguez had two hits and they were both doubles to bring his season total to 33 two-baggers. New Britain was 4-for-20 with runners in scorning position so there were plenty of missed opportunities. Fort Myers Miracle 7, Palm Beach Cardinals 1 Box Score The Miracle exploded for four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and the team avoided a sweep at the hands of the Cardinals. Byron Buxton continued to be Byron Buxton going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and his 22nd stolen base at this level. He is up to 54 steals for the season. Matt Koch drove in two runs and added his seventh home run. Stephen Wickens and Kennys Vargas also got into the offensive act with each player knocking a double. Matthew Summers was on the hill to start the game and he lasted through the sixth inning. During his time on the mound, he allowed one run on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks. It was his sixth victory of the year and he lowered his ERA to 2.47. The Florida State League can be considered a pitcher friendly league and Summers is leading the league in ERA. In a rather dubious honor, Jhon Goncalves played in his 299th game for the Miracle, a new team record. The previous record of 298 games had been held by Nick Romero. Cedar Rapids Kernels 1, Kane County Cougars 9 Box Score Kane County is in the midst of a rough season and the team might have taken out some of their frustration on the Kernels. The Cougars pounced on Kernels starter Jose Berrios for five runs over five innings including two home runs. He walked three and struck out four while failing to pitch past the fifth inning for the second consecutive start. In an interesting twist of fate, former Twins pitcher Scott Baker earned his first victory of the season after being beat around in his first four starts at this level. He pitched five shutout innings and held the Kernels to a single hit. His ERA was close to 10.00 before the game and dropped to 7.13 with this performance. Elizabethton Twins 5, Pulaski Mariners 1 Box Score The E-Twins didn't manage a single extra-base hit but they were still able to come out victorious versus the Mariners. Zach Granite did a great job out of the lead-off spot by scoring two runs and stealing his 14th base of the season. Mitch Garver went 1-for-4 on the night with two RBI. Logan Wade was the number nine hitter and he was the lone Twins player to collect more than one hit. Kuo Hua Lo did his best to keep Elizabethton in the game. He limited the Mariners to one run on three hits by striking out five and never walking a batter. Ethan Mildren did a fine job in relief as he pitched two shutout frames and struck out three. Luke Bard closed the door with a perfect ninth inning. GCL Twins 1, GCL Orioles 8 Box Score Three multi-run innings from the GCL Orioles were enough to win a blowout against the GCL Twins. The Orioles pounded out 14 hits and scored eight runs including five runs in the last two innings against the bullpen for the Twins. Leonel Zazueta and Reyson Zoquiel were knocked around in the late innings. Sam Gibbons was charged with his third loss of the year after throwing three frames and giving up three runs on six hits. Chad Christensen provided most of the offensive punch with a 2-for-4 effort. This included his third home run of the season. Jason Kanzler cracked a double in four trips to the plate but he was left stranded on the bases. Joel Polanco and Ivory Thomas each had a hit.

Chris Colabello's time in the major leagues this year hasn't been spectacular but he has been outstanding in his time in the minors. On Wednesday, the Minnesota Twins backup first baseman was named the Most Valuable Player and the Rookie of the Year for the International League. This comes a year after finishing runner-up for MVP in the Eastern League. Colabello has been a hitting machine for the Red Wings. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]He currently leads the league with a .352 batting average, a .427 on-base percentage, and a .639 slugging percentage. To go along with those numbers, he entered play on Wednesday with 24 home runs (5th) and 76 RBI (3rd) over 89 games. It was quite the year for Colabello and the team will look for him to find some success at the big league level before the season is done. For now, here's a look at the minor league action from Wednesday across the Twins farm system. Rochester Red Wings 6, Syracuse Chiefs 3 Box Score Pat Dean hadn't made it out of the sixth inning in either of his last two starts but that all changed today. Over 7.2 innings, Dean gave up two earned runs and did his best to wriggle out of some jams. He scattered 11 hits and the Chiefs left multiple runners on base against him. It was the first win for Dean since August 5th. The Red Wings were outhit by the Chiefs 13 to 5 but Rochester came up with some timely hitting to push across six runs. No members of the Red Wings were able to collect more than one hit. Eric Farris had a big two-run double to cap a five run first inning. The team batted .500 with runners in scoring position and this was a big reason for their success. With the win, the Red Wings ended their six-game losing streak. It also means the club has assured themselves a winning season for the first time since 2008. New Britain Rock Cats 1, Trenton Thunder 5 Box Score New Britian got on the board first against Trenton but the Rock Cats were shut out from the second inning on. In fact, the club was limited to four hits in 30 at-bats. Reynaldo Rodriguez and Nate Hanson each added a double to their season totals. Jordan Parraz had the team's lone RBI and Miguel Sano scored the only run even though he was held hitless. Kyle Davies pitched the first two innings but he was removed after only allowing one hit and no earned runs. BJ Hermsen pitched the next four innings and the single run scored against him was unearned. Cole Johnson was saddled with the loss after surrendering two earned runs in the late innings of this one. Fort Myers Miracle 4, Palm Beach Cardinals 5 (Game 1-- 8 Innings) Box Score Fort Myers was able to mount a comeback and send this game to extra innings but the team ended up falling short. Palm Beach took a 4-0 lead in the top of the fourth before the Miracle started to claw their way back. Matt Tomshaw started for Fort Myers and he gave up four runs on four hits including two home runs. He struck out three and struggled with his control as he walked five men. Corey Williams relieved and pitched two hitless innings. Zach Jones was charged with the loss as he gave up the go-ahead run in the eighth but he was still able to strike out the side. Newly named Arizona Fall League player Byron Buxton went 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. He also threw out a runner at third base. Mike Kvasnicka went 2-for-4 with two RBI to bring his season total to 39. The team went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and they left seven men on base. Fort Myers Miracle 0, Palm Beach Cardinals 1 (Game 2-- 7 innings) Box Score The story of this game for Fort Myers was Manuel Soliman. He pitched all seven innings for the Miracle while limiting the Cardinals to one run on eight hits. The lone run was scored on a second inning home run and Soliman had to work out of some jams in the sixth and seventh frames. Unfortunately, he earned the loss because the Miracle's offense was absent from this contest. Byron Buxton had a hit, a walk, and a stolen base. It was his 21st steal since being promoted to Fort Myers and he has 53 steals on the season. Fort Myers had two hits in the bottom of the seventh but a tough luck double play ended the team's chances of a comeback victory. Cedar Rapids Kernels 4, Peoria Chiefs 2 Box Score After a couple of errors from shortstop Ryan Walker, the pitching staff for the Kernels didn't allow an earned run in this game. Miguel Sulbaran earned his second victory in his third start of the year for Cedar Rapids. He pitched six frames while striking out eight. Christian Powell and Dallas Gallant held the Chiefs in check for the last three frames for the team's 84th win of the season. Mike Gonzales cracked his third home run to add an important eighth inning insurance run. Jonathan Murphy and Bo Altobelli added two hits apiece while Murphy stole his sixth bag. Joel Lincon plated a couple of runs that turned out to be the difference in the game. Elizabethton Twins 6, Princeton Rays 4 Box Score Mitch Garver helped pave the way to this victory for the E-Twins. His two doubles and three RBI were part of two big offensive innings. Engelb Vielma and Bryan Haar scored two runs apiece along with driving in a run. Hitters two through six in the order all had a hit for Elizabethton and the team was 4-for-9 with runners in scoring position. The E-Twins relied on the bullpen for a big chunk of this game. Andre Martinez pitched the first frame as he allowed three runs, one of them earned, on one hit with two walks. Josh Burris picked up his fourth win of the year as he pitched four shutout innings of relief. He struck out six men and limited the Rays to one hit. CK Irby and Aaron Slegers combined to pitch four innings without an earned run crossing the plate. GCL Twins 1, GCL Rays 2 Box Score Fernando Romero was outstanding on the mound for the GCL Twins. Over six shutout innings, he gave up two hits and he had five strikeouts to go along with no walks. It was the first time this season that he made it through the sixth frame. He also hasn't allowed a run in four of his last five starts. The Twins managed four total hits in this game. Brian Navarreto led the way with a 2-for-4 effort including his 10th double. Alex Swim didn't start the game but he was an early defensive replacement for Jorge Fernandez. Swim knocked a double in four trips to the plate.

It has been five seasons since Johan Santana last wore the uniform of the Minnesota Twins. In the mean time, he has been dealing with multiple injuries and ineffective pitching performances. He missed all of the 2011 season as he dealt with a shoulder problem and he won't pitch in 2013 because of another shoulder issue. Last season with the Mets, he tossed 117 innings with a 4.85 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. Not exactly the numbers Twins fans were used to seeing from their former ace pitcher. Santana believes he will be able to pitch next season. In a recent interview with the New York Daily News, his agent said that Santana has been able to do things a lot easier after this surgery compared to his first procedure. He went on to tell one of his agents that he "isn't going out like this." The 34-year-old left handed pitcher will see his six-year, $137.5 million contract expire at the end of the season and this will make him a free agent for really the first time in his career. The Mets don't look to be players for Santana on the free agent market since they have a young rotation of arms as they look to rebuild in the strong NL East. This opens the question about where Santana will head this offseason. Would it make sense for the Minnesota Twins to reunite with their former Cy Young winner? There were good years and bad years for Santana in New York. Over the span of his six-year contract, he posted a 3.18 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP. Over his 717 innings on the mound, he had 607 strikeouts compared to 203 walks. His final record was 46-34 but his numbers don't tell the whole story. He is coming off one of his worst statistical years and his second major operation on his shoulder. One shoulder surgery can be a death sentence for a pitcher and a second surgery leaves more than one question mark. Minnesota has taken on some recent low-risk chances on the free agent market. In 2012, the Twins signed Joel Zumaya to an incentive laden contract with the hopes of him rekindling his career. The same could be said about the contract signed by Rich Harden this offseason. Both players would never make it on the field at the big league level but this might be the type of contract facing Santana this offseason. When looking at the Twins rotation situation for 2014, there hardly seems to be anyone with their name penciled into the rotation. Kevin Correia will likely get a spot since he is signed for $5 million. Others in the mix will be Sam Deduno, Kyle Gibson, Liam Hendriks, Vance Worley, and Andrew Albers. This isn't exactly a star-studded crew and none of these men are likely to be guaranteed spots going into spring training. This could mean that there is room to take a flyer on someone like Santana. One of the reasons Santana originally wanted to leave the Twins was to get to a bigger market. There can be some benefits to being in this type of market. A player has the chance at more endorsement deals and the chance to play in front of a larger audience. He spent six seasons in the Big Apple and had to deal with their media and plenty of scrutiny along the way. Maybe it is time for him to get away from the hustle and bustle. At the beginning of next season, Santana will be 35 years old and it's not really clear how much he has left in his throwing arm. He may never be able to get back on the mound at the big league level. He also has never had the opportunity to get back to the postseason since he left the Twins. A player in his position might want to head to a team with a chance to contend instead of a team rebuilding like Minnesota. Some Twins fans might love to see Santana back in Minnesota because of the many years he spent dominating the American League. This isn't the same Santana though and no one knows what to expect as he rehabs his shoulder for the second time in two years. There are over 2000 big league innings on his left arm and that might be all of the juice he had in the tank. Reuniting with Santana might be fun but it probably isn't in the cards...

There were a few minor league moves to take place on Thursday. Outfielder Darin Mastroianni was due to come off the disabled list but he was in the middle of a hitting slump so he was optioned to Rochester. There might be a chance that he gets back to the big leagues this year but he had options left and it would be better for him to get his legs under him. (Looking for something to listen to to make your Friday move quicker. Seth Stohs joined Travis on last night's Twins Minor League Weekly podcast. He was asked questions on a bunch of Twins prospects, so check it out here.) [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Outfielder Aaron Hicks has been dealing with a nagging injury. Rochester put him on the 7-day disabled list with a right heel bruise. Since he hadn't appeared in a game for a couple days, the move is retroactive to August 13th. In his six games after being demoted, Hicks was hitting .227/.320/.227 with no extra base hits. Here's a look at what happened throughout the day on Thursday in the Twins minor league system. Rochester Red Wings 4, Buffalo Bisons 2 Box Score PJ Walters was coming off of his poorest outing of the season (2 IP, 7 R, 9 H) so it was important for him to get back on track. He tossed seven innings to pick up the win and this happened even after he had a shaky start at the beginning of the game. He scattered six hits and allowed two earned runs with three walks while striking out four. It was his fourth start of the season where he pitched at least seven innings. Darin Mastroianni was optioned to Rochester on Thursday and he used the opportunity to break out of an 0-for-15 slump. He had a two-single in the top of the third. The Red Wings used some clutch hitting and a Bisons error to score three runs in the fifth inning. Eric Fryer scored two runs in the game and hit his third home runs of 2013. Eduardo Escobar went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Edgar Ibarra and Michael Tonkin were great in relief of Walters. Ibarra pitched a perfect eighth inning and struck out two of the hitters that he faced. Michael Tonkin earned his 10th save by allowing one hit and striking out one in the ninth. Rochester relievers have picked up saves in 26 of their last 27 opportunities since the beginning of June. New Britain Rock Cats 3, New Hampshire Fisher Cats 9 Box Score The Rock Cats pitching staff couldn't buy a break in this game as the Fisher Cats pounced on them. New Hampshire scored nine runs on 16 hits. It took New Britian until the eighth inning to get on the board. This was too little, too late for the Rock Cats. Trevor May started for New Britain and the results were so-so. He failed to get out of the sixth inning and he was charged with four earned runs on 10 hits. He was able to strike out 10 batters and he was still hitting in the low 90s with his fastball even after throwing over 100 pitches. His last three starts have been less than six innings, which isn't exactly where he needs to be. Danny Santana had multiple hits for the third time in his last four games. He went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Daniel Ortiz added two hits and an RBI. Dan Rohlfing was the only other hitter with an extra-base hit, his 13th double of the year. Fort Myers Miracle 5, St. Lucie Mets 3 Box Score Fort Myers ended their three game skid with a victory over the Mets. It looked a little scary in the early going as the club fell behind 3-0 after a couple innings. A big four run fifth inning helped to separate the Miracle and the bullpen pitched in with six shutout frames. Byron Buxton was held to one hit but he was still able to score two runs and steal his 15th base of the season. His single stretched his hitting streak to nine games. Jhon Goncalves and Dalton Hicks both got two hits including a double for each of them. Hicks had an impressive night at the plate with two walks and two RBI. Levi Michael knocked his fourth triple. Stephen Wickens was also able to extend his hit streak to 10 games. Matt Tomshaw got hit around and he was pulled out of the game after three innings. Luckily the bullpen was ready to perform. Tyler Duffy earned the victory after throwing three shutout frames with two strikeouts. Adrian Salcedo pitched two innings and only gave up one hit. Zach Jones struck out the side in the ninth but he did get into a little trouble with two walks. Cedar Rapids Kernels 6, Beloit Snappers 5 Box Score Adam Walker sent the fans home happy in Cedar Rapids with a walk-off double. Jonathan Murphy had started the inning with a single and Niko Goodrum followed this with a hit by pitch. Jorge Polanco tried to bunt to advance the runners but the Snappers got the lead runner at third. Walker stepped up to the plate and cracked his 28th double of the year. The bullpen for the Kernels was outstanding. Tim Shibuya, Brandon Bixler, and Brian Gilbert combined for five shutout innings. There were no hits in the last five frames and only one batter reached base. Miguel Sulbaran made his first start since being acquired from the Dodgers for Drew Butera. He lasted four innings by giving up seven hits and four earned runs. Elizabethton Twins 4, Johnson City Cardinals 0 Box Score Three different E-Twins pitchers combined for a two hit shutout of the Cardinals. Kuo Hua Lo pitched the first five innings and gave up both of the hits. He struck out five and walked two and the victory was his first of the year. Luke Bard got into a little trouble with a couple of walks in his inning of work but he didn't give up a hit. Austin Malinowski was terrific in three strong innings by striking out six and never having a base runner reach against him. A two-run first inning helped to put the E-Twins on top for good in this one. Rory Rhodes went 2-for-3 and he helped to keep a couple of innings alive. Stuart Turner knocked in a couple of runs with his single. There were no extra base hits for the E-Twins but it didn't matter with the way the pitching staff was throwing. 
 GCL Twins 4, GCL Rays 6 Box Score Kohl Stewart set careers highs in strikeouts (5 Ks) and innings pitched (4 IP) but it wasn't enough for the GCL Twins to get back to their winning ways. In their last eight games, the club has lost seven. The defense behind Stewart was full of some holes as there were three errors. Three runs would be scored with Stewart on the mound but he was only charged with one earned run on five hits. Ivory Thomas knocked in two runs as part of a 2-for-5 day. He added his second double of the year. Jason Kanzler notched his fourth triple of the season and he finished the day 2-for-4. Chad Christensen, Adonis Pacheco, and Ryan Tufts all had two hits and Nelson Molina scored two runs as the number nine hitter.

The Twins bullpen had been solid in recent weeks before laying an egg at the hands of the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday afternoon. Casey Fien gave up three runs and later in the game Glen Perkins and Ryan Pressly allowed some late inning runs. Joe Mauer had five hits and came within one hit of tying Kirby Puckett's team record of six in a game. There was some exciting action this evening as multiple teams were part of walk-off wins. Not all of those walk-offs were in favor of the Twins farm system so you will have to find out what happened down on the farm. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Rochester Red Wings 3, Buffalo Bisons 8 Box Score The Red Wings are in the last leg of their season long 11-game road trip. Entering tonight's game the club had been 5-3 on the road trip and the club had won 14 of their last 20 games. The club will return to Rochester on Saturday and play 14 of their last 16 regular season games at home. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough magic on Wednesday evening. Rochester scored early to take a 3-1 lead through five innings but the Bisons would score seven runs over the last three innings. After making a spot start at the major league level last week, Liam Hendriks was back in the Red Wings rotation. Through six innings, he gave up three runs on six hits. Aaron Thompson took the loss after giving up three runs in less than two innings on the mound. Jeff Clement got the scoring started for Rochester by cracking his first triple of the year. The scored Chris Parmelee who had just notched his eighth double. Deibinson Romero would cap the first inning scoring with a double of his own. Clement was the lone batter to have a multi-hit game as the club was limited to five hits. Originally posted at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com New Britain Rock Cats 2, New Hampshire Fisher Cats 7 Box Score BJ Hermsen hasn't been used too much as a starter this season after winning the club's minor league pitcher of the year award last season. Today marked his 12th start of the year and it might have been one of his most effective. He pitched five innings and gave up two earned runs. It was his ninth loss of the season and three of those losses have come in his last four starts. Danny Santana continued his good offensive season with his fifth multi-hit game out of the last ten games he has played. He ended the night 2-for-4 with his 24th stolen base. Dan Rohlfing also added two hits including the team's only extra-base hit, his first home run of the year at Double-A. Evan Bigley and Reynaldo Rodriguez each had a hit. Fort Myers Miracle 3, St. Lucie Mets 4 Box Score The Miracle looked well on their way to their 71st win of the season but the Mets staged a 2-run rally in the bottom of the ninth to steal the victory. Fort Myers had gained the lead back in the eighth inning after a pitch plunked Stephen Wickens. DJ Hicks followed the hit by pitch with a double to score Wickens and the Miracle had a one run lead. Byron Buxton helped to get things going in the early portion of the game. He drew a walk in the first inning, stole second, and Wickens slashed a single to score Buxton from second. Buxton also helped with the second run of the game by advancing the base runner, JD Williams, ahead of a Levi Michael sac-fly. Buxton stole three bases in the game and extended his hit streak to eight games. Taylor Rogers did very well on the mound. He tossed seven inning and scattered six hits while giving up two runs. It was the third straight game where Rogers struck out five batters or more. Tyler Jones was saddled with the loss after coughing up the lead in the ninth. It was his second blow save of the year. Cedar Rapids Kernels 3, Beloit Snappers 2 Box Score A Tyler Grimes single in the bottom of the ninth made the the Kernels walk-off winners. Cedar Rapids has won six of their last seven games to push their lead in the Midwest League Western division to two games. After falling behind earlier in the game, the Kernels got their offense going in the bottom of the third. Joel Licon started the inning with a single and he extended his hitting streak to 12 games in the process. Jeremias Pineda scored Licon with a double later in the frame. Jonathan Murphy singled in Pineda to tie the game at two. Tim Atherton was fantastic on the mound as he went eight innings and struck out 11, the most by a Kernels pitcher in 2013. Both of the runs scored against him were unearned and he only gave up two hits. At one point in the game he retired 16 men in a row. The inning and strikeout totals were career highs for him. GCL Twins 1, GCL Rays 7 Box Score There have been some struggles for the GCL version of the Twins. The team has lost six of their last seven games while barely averaging two runs per game. This theme played itself out on Wednesday afternoon as the team came up short against the GCL Rays. On the offensive side of things, three members of the Twins were able to record hits. Alex Swim led the way with a 2-for-3 effort including his fifth double of the season. His extra-base hit set-up the only run the Twins would score. Jason Kanzler and Ryan Tufts had the other hits with Kanzler recording a double and an RBI. Pedro Hernandez made his second rehab appearance and the results were much better than his first outing. He tossed four shutout innings on two hits with four strikeouts. Seth Wagner ran into the most trouble on the mound as he allowed three earned runs in less than an inning of work. His control was a problem as he walked four men and struck out one.

It has been quite the 12-month span for Twins second baseman Brian Dozier. On August 14th of last season, the Twins had seen enough of him at shortstop with the big league club. They demoted him to Rochester after 340 plate appearances in his rookie campaign. Many thought he would be back as a September call-up but the call never came. Dozier was forced to live with a bad taste in his mouth for the entire offseason.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Brian Dozier entered the 2013 season not knowing if he would have a starting job with the Twins. The 26-year old middle infielder was shifting to second base and the club was having a competition in spring training for the starting role. Dozier would beat out other light hitting options like Jamey Carroll and Eduardo Escobar. Dozier had flopped when he had previously been giving a starting job but the Twins were willing to give him a second chance at a new position. April and May weren't outstanding for Dozier. He combined to hit .214/.259/.299 with seven extra-base hits in 168 plate appearances. Unfortunately, he had more strikeouts (35) than hits (33) and he was only able to draw nine walks. It was a rough start to Dozier's sophomore season and the Twins were going to need to see some kind of improvement to keep him in the line-up on a daily basis. Things started to go in the right direction during the month of June. In 26 games, Dozier found his swing by hitting .257/.389/.514 with five home runs and four doubles. He posted a .902 OPS for the month and the Twins were even willing to give him some at-bats in the lead-off spot. His batting average for the season went from .214 to .228 and he raised his OPS from .558 to .673. In recent weeks, Dozier has been on quite the hot streak on the offensive side of the ball. Since July 21st, he is batting .304/.364/.595 with three home runs, two triples, and 10 doubles. In this span of 18 games, the Twins have posted an 11-7 record and Dozier' presence at the top of the line-up has helped the club along the way. Second base is an interesting position for the Twins as the organization starts to look to the future. Dozier seems to be settling into a nice groove at the big league level but he soon might be feeling a little pressure from the minor leagues. Minnesota was unhappy with their lack of talent in the middle infield a couple of seasons ago and the organization decided to move Eddie Rosario, one of the club's best hitting prospects, from the outfield to second base. Rosario has played parts of this season with the Fort Myers Miracle and the New Britain Rock Cats. In 102 games, he has hit .311/.363/.479 with nine home runs, eight triples, and 26 doubles. He has struck out a career high 75 times with 46 of those Ks coming in 50 games at Double-A. Rosario had a huge month of July for the Rock Cats. He batted .353/.394/.549 with three home runs and nine doubles. The Twins will look for Rosario to be the second baseman of the future but how soon will the future arrive at Target Field? Dozier's recent hot streak makes it easier for the Twins to keep Rosario in the minor leagues. Earlier this season it would have been easy to think that Dozier wouldn't have a job for Opening Day 2014 because Rosario would be making his debut. That plan might have changed and this could give Rosario time to master the Triple-A level before being asked to face the pressures of the big leagues. It seems likely that next spring there could be slough of top prospects in the Twins major league camp during spring training. Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton, and Eddie Rosario could all get a taste of what it's like to be one step closer to the big leagues. Sano and Rosario could be fighting for a starting job or they could be on their way to Rochester. In the end, Rosario is only 21-years old and he will be 22 at the beginning of next season. There isn't exactly a rush to get him to the big leagues and to start his arbitration clock. If Dozier continues to play the way he is, the Twins will be happy to give him at-bats until Rosario is busting down the door to the major leagues. With the Twins recent history of middle infielders, it's certainly better to have multiple solid options at second base than a bunch of question marks.

"My big fish must be somewhere."--- Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea Marlin fishing can be an adventure. These beasts of the ocean can weight upwards of 1,000 pounds and it can take quite the fight to get them into a boat. Fishing for these animals can take a lot of time and patience. It also takes the right tools and skills to reel in one of these giant fish. Over the weekend, a story came out in the Boston Globe that discussed the possibility of the Twins making a play for Giancarlo Stanton, the 23-year old slugging outfielder from the Miami Marlins. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]The Twins farm system has plenty of depth at multiple levels and they have the resources to trade away a few prospects to land the budding superstar. The article does go on to say, "The Red Sox might be in a better position than the Twins because the Twins have to rely on their top players to come up and man several positions." One baseball executive said, "The Red Sox have veteran players so their need to keep their best guys isn't as severe. So if they can trade them off for a young player like Stanton, they wouldn't have to fear about thinning out as a result." Originally posted at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com Stanton is in the middle of his fourth MLB season and his 162 game average for home runs is 39. For his career, he is a .265/.350/.536 hitter and he has hit over 30 home runs in each of the last two seasons. During the 2013 season, Stanton has career lows in batting average and slugging percentage. This could provide the opportunity for the Twins to buy low on a player that is under team control for multiple seasons. At the trade deadline, there was plenty of talk about Stanton being dealt from a struggling Marlins ballclub. Word around baseball was the Marlins were turning down any suitors that came calling for Mr. Stanton. Miami doesn't have to rush to move him because he is still pre-arbitration eligible. He will be arbitration eligible in 2014 and the earliest he could reach free agency is 2017. There are plenty of resources in the Twins system that could land them a top player like Stanton. Byron Buxton is considered by many to be the top prospect in all of baseball. Third baseman Miguel Sano might be the best power hitter to come through the minor leagues since Stanton. The article also mentions other young players like Kyle Gibson, Alex Meyer, Eddie Rosario, Travis Harrison, and Daniel Santana. The Twins organization has invested over $9 million in signing bonuses to Buxton and Sano. One would think that these players would be untouchable but it could take a player of their caliber to make this deal happen. It's hard to know which player the Twins would be more willing to trade. Most likely both players are untouchable because they are part of the long-term rebuilding process for the organization. Could the Twins put together a package of players that doesn't include Buxton or Sano and still get a deal done? It seems likely that the Marlins would want some young pitching in return for Stanton. The Twins made moves last offseason to add some depth to the starting pitchers in their system. Meyer and Trevor May have done decently since coming to the organization but it might be a step backwards to include them in another offseason trade. Recent draft picks like Kohl Stewart and Jose Berrios are both young and they have plenty of upside. Minnesota's starting pitching has been one of the biggest issues in recent years. Flaws with the pitching staff could be the main reason for back-to-back 90 loss seasons. It seems more likely for the Twins to deal away from their minor league positional player depth than from their up-and-coming starting pitchers. What would it take to get Stanton? It sounds like the Marlins would have to be overwhelmed to even consider dealing him. If the Twins would be willing to part with Sano and a couple other position players, the deal could get done. That still might not be enough for Miami and the Twins are in the middle of a rebuild. Stanton might be worth five extra wins a season but that might not be enough to turn the franchise around. Especially since the Twins have so many holes at different positions. If the Marlins are willing to part with Stanton, the Twins have the goods to get the deal done. The question remains... Would the Twins be willing to thin out their system for a player like Stanton even if he is the biggest fish on the market? Now it's your turn to take on the role of Twins GM Terry Ryan. If you were sitting in his spot, what players would you consider dealing for Stanton? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

This series called "Waiting With the Wings" will profile AAA Red Wings players who are on the brink of a callup and the journey each of them has taken. The first profile in the "Waitin' With the Wings" series was left-handed pitcher Andrew Albers and he had a terrific MLB debut this week. Now it's time to look at a position player and a bat that could be asked to make an impact. Name: Josmil Pinto Born: 3/31/1989 (24 years old) Acquired: Signed as a non-drafted free agent (2006) HT: 5'11"---WT: 210 2013 Stat Line: .311/.410/.480, 14 HR, 25 2B, 70 RBI, 61 R Pinto had been considered a solid prospect before this season but his run through the Eastern League and the International League has him moving up the Twins top prospect rankings. The 24-year-old catcher has been with the organization since he was 17 and he has worked all the way from the Venezuelan Summer League to the Triple-A level. One thing has been clear through all of the levels: he can hit. Out of all of the levels from which Pinto has been promoted, the Dominican and Venezuelan Summer Leagues provided the most challenge. In over 220 plate appearances during his time in the VESL, he had to work to hit .251/.336/.344 with 11 extra-base hits. These struggles would continue in the DOSL as his batting line dipped to .193/.327/.269 over 171 at-bats. The Twins were looking for more out of Pinto and they hoped he would be able to find his swing when he started playing in the States. The next two seasons were fantastic for Pinto in the rookie leagues. He hit for average (.329 BA) and power (.541 SLG and 13 extra-base hits) with the GCL Twins, but this was only the beginning of what was to come. In 2009, he moved up to Elizabethton and really found his power stroke. He knocked 13 home runs and 14 doubles in a little over 200 plate appearances. By the end of the season, Pinto was hitting .332/.387/.610. Things were moving in the right direction and now it was time to tackle a full season schedule. Pinto spent parts of the next two seasons in the Midwest League with the Beloit Snappers. There can be some adjustment to a full slate of games on the schedule and it took some time for Pinto to feel comfortable. He batted .227/.293/.383 with 11 home runs and 24 doubles over 109 games. The Florida State League was next and this can be a tough league for hitters to find success. Pinto continued to make adjustments and he hit .282/.340/.440 with 53 extra-base hits in 570 plate appearances at High-A. The time was right to move to the upper levels of the Twins farm system. At the end of the 2012 season, Pinto got a brief taste of life at the Double-A level. He found success almost immediately and this could have helped his breakout year in 2013. New Britain was very good for Pinto as he had a batting average over .300 for the first time since rookie ball. Even with the higher batting average, he was still able to hit for consistent power. His .896 OPS was the highest for him at any full season league and he hit 16 home runs and 27 doubles in 505 at-bats. It was a great run through the Eastern League and so he was promoted to Rochester. So far, Pinto has been limited in his time at AAA. He has played in six games since being promoted and he has 23 plate appearances. It is a very small sample size but Pinto is hitting .364/.391/.455 with two doubles. He has yet to hit a home run with Rochester but it seems safe to say that won't last too long. Minnesota has used a lot of the players on the 40-man roster at some point this season and Pinto is now only a phone call away. Defense continues to be a work in progress for Pinto. During his time in the minor leagues, he has thrown out potential base stealers 33% of the time. To put that number into perspective, Joe Mauer has a career 33% caught stealing percentage and he has multiple Gold Gloves in his trophy case at home. Since leaving Beloit in 2011, Pinto has allowed 13 passed balls in 165 games behind the plate. He needs to continue to work on his game-calling skills but his offensive threat might be too much to ignore. It helps that Pinto is already on the 40-man roster and Ron Gardenhire loves to have extra catchers on his bench. This could mean a September call-up for the young catcher. Pinto had the option of becoming a minor league free agent at the end of last season but he decided to stay with the Twins organization. For both parties involved, this move seems to be paying off and he could make his big league debut in the coming weeks.

While the Twins finish up their series with the Royals, there could be some reinforcements on the way. Josh Willingham and Darin Mastroianni are both on rehab at the Triple-A level and this could mean both men are back with the big league club in the near future. A healthy Willingham could be a sight for sore eyes to Twins fans. Miguel Sano returned to the line-up of the Rock Cats last night after missing four games with a tight hamstring. He wasted little time making his mark as he fell just a triple shy of the cycle. There were other familiar names and story lines across the farm system.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Here are the highlights from Wednesday night's action. Rochester Red Wings 5, Durham Bulls 4 Box Score Rochester continues to find ways to win games at one of the most important parts of their season. The Red Wings scored runs in the second, third and fourth innings and relied on their pitchers to hold the lead. With the win, the Red Wings have won their first ever series at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in 16 tries. It was also the team's first season series win over the Bulls since 2008. Josh Willingham and Darin Mastroianni were both on rehab assignment with the Wings. Willingham wasted little time making his presence known as he hit a solo home run in his first plate appearance. Later in the game, the designated hitter drew a walk and finished the night 1-for-3. Mastroianni collected two RBI but he was held hitless before being pulled for a pinch runner in the fourth. (He had hyper-extended his right knee beating out a would-be double play. It doesn't not sound to be very serious.) Logan Darnell earned the victory but he labored to get through five frames. He spread out three earned runs and six hits to keep the Bulls far enough away. Luis Perdomo and AJ Archter pitched the next three innings and limited the Bulls to one run on three hits. Michael Tonkin was lights out in the ninth as he pitched a perfect frame and struck out two for his ninth save. New Britain Rock Cats 3, Akron Aeros 7 Box Score Multiple hit nights from Danny Santana and Eddie Rosario weren't enough to push the Rock Cats to victory. Santana added his seventh triple as part of a 2-for-4 game. Jordan Parraz smacked a 2-run shot for his tenth long ball of the season. After his monster night last night, Miguel Sano went 1-for-3 with a walk. DJ Baxendale started the game on the mound but he found a few struggles along the way. He tossed six innings and gave up four runs on nine hits. Along the way, he had four strikeouts and three walks. Matt Hauser didn't do so well in relief of Baxendale. He gave up three runs in his one inning of work. Jose Gonzalez stopped some of the bleeding by giving up no runs over one frame. Cedar Rapids Kernels 7, Beloit Snappers 4 Box Score Cedar Rapids sits near the top in their division for the second half but they were visiting the division winners from the first half on Wednesday. The Kernels used a big five run fourth inning to push their lead to 7-0 before the bullpen had to hang on in the end. As part of the Kernels big fourth inning, Niko Goodrum hit a three-run home run. He compiled four RBI and finished the night 2-for-4. Jonathan Murphy helped the offense out of the leadoff spot by going 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Joel Licon and Michael Quesada each added a double. Brett Lee had his shortest outing of the season by being pulled after three innings. He didn't give up a run and the Snappers only managed two hits off of him. There might have been some kind of injury or other reason to pull Lee. David Hurlbut was asked to pitch five frames and he didn't do too badly. He gave up one earned run and struck out seven. Madison Boer earned his third save by throwing a perfect ninth inning. Fort Myers Miracle --, Charlotte Stone Crabs -- (Postponed) Weather got in the way of the Miracle trying to end their recent losing streak. The club has lost four of their last five games and they are three games out of first place in the second half standings. Since the Miracle already clinched a playoff spot by winning the division in the first half, their current record isn't as important. Tonight's game will be made up as part of a double header later this month in Port Charlotte. The date and time of this game have yet to be announced. These two teams will continue their series tomorrow night at Hammond Stadium. Elizabethon Twins 3, Johnson City Cardinals 0 Box Score
 The story in this game was all about Hein Robb. He earned his first victory of the season in dramatic fashion. Before today's game, Robb hadn't lasted further than 7.1 innings and he was averaging under 6 innings per start. Robb was terrific by scattering two hits over nine shutout innings. He struck out nine and didn't walk a batter. On the offensive side of the ball, the E-Twins didn't put on a clinic but they scored enough to support Robb's outstanding pitching effort. Mitch Garver and Dereck Rodriguez each went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Tanner Vavra notched his first extra-base hit with a double. Romy Jimenez had multiple hits for the first time in his last ten games. 
GCL Twins 1, GCL Orioles 2 (10 Innings) Box Score Lester Oliveros continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery. He has yet to give up a run in a game and that streak continued today. He tossed two shutout innings on Wednesday by giving up two hits and striking out one batter. Chih-Wei Hu started the game and surrendered one run on one hit over three frames. Jose Abreu earned his third loss of the year by giving up the go-ahead run in extra innings. There wasn't a ton of offense to speak of for the GCL Twins. Four of the team's starters were held hitless. Overall, The team compiled six hits over 10 innings with Jorge Fernandez being the only player with multiple hits. He went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a walk. Jonatan Hinojosa had an RBI and he finished the day 1-for-4.