Steve Lein

Image courtesy of Malamut Photography (photo of Vahn Lackey) TRANSACTIONS In the International League, the St. Paul Saints swapped C David Banuelos for C Ian Daugherty. Banuelos came off the temporarily inactive list while Daugherty went to the Development List. In the Midwest League, the Cedar Rapids Kernels activated RHP Cole Peschl from the 7-day injured list. SAINTS SENTINEL Toledo 3, St. Paul 8 Box Score Like they have done all season, the St. Paul Saints wasted little time getting going in this one. Walker Jenkens led off for the home team with a walk. Ben Ross swung at the first pitch he saw and knocked it onto the concourse in left field for a 2-0 lead after two batters. After a pair of outs, Aaron Sabato reached on a single, and Hendry Mendez followed with another two-run shot on the first pitch of his at-bat to make it 4-0. Right-hander Trent Baker made the start at CHS Field and pitched into the fourth inning. He went one-two-three in each of the first two innings, but was charged with a single run in each of the third and fourth. He allowed those two earned runs on four hits and a walk in his 3 2/3 innings. He struck out one. David Banuelos joined the home run party with a solo shot in the fourth to make it 5-2, and Jack Anderson stabilized the pitching over his three innings. He allowed one earned run on four hits and a walk, striking out two. With two outs in the seventh Marco Raya was summoned and struck out three of the five hitters he faced, hitting one with a pitch for his only baserunner. In the bottom of the seventh singles from Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez, and a walk to Matt Wallner loaded the bases for Sabato. He added some insurance with a two-run single to make it 7-3 Saints. They tacked on another run in the eighth after Tristan Gray and Cody Morissette started it with singles. Gray stole third and then scored on a passed ball to make the final tally. Julian Merryweather set the Mud Hens down in order in the ninth to clinch the victory, striking out one. The Saints got multiple hits from Matt Wallner (2-for-3, 2B, BB, K), Sabato (2-for-3, R, 2 RBI, K), and Morissette (2-for-4). Jenkins finished 1-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored. WIND SURGE WISDOM Arkansas 6, Wichita 7 Box Score Twins top pitching prospect Riley Quick made the start in this one, and came out firing. He struck out the side in the first, needing 14 pitches to do so. He retired the first seven hitters he faced, including five via strikeout, before the Travelers lineup finally got to him. An infield single followed by a two-run homer put Arkansas up 2-0. After a pair of walks prompted a mound visit, Quick struck out the next two hitters to end the threat. He reached his pitch count after one batter in the fourth to end his outing. He threw 64 pitches, with 41 going for strikes (64%), including 13 swings and misses. The Wind Surge cut the lead to one in the bottom of the third when Jake Rucker and Caden Kendle traded places with doubles. Darren Bowen finished off the fourth inning from the bullpen, and Cory Lewis came on to start the fifth. He struck out two in a one-two-three frame, but the sixth was a different story. He walked the first two hitters of the inning before recovering to strike out two more. Then a third walk loaded the bases and a two-run single made it 4-1 Travelers to prompt another pitching change. Paulshawn Pasqualotto got them through the eighth inning, allowing a solo home run but no further damage in 2 1/3. He struck out three. Kyle Bischoff allowed an earned run on two walks and a hit in the ninth, striking out one to push the Arkansas lead to 6-1. This is where the magic happened. Graham Brown led off with a single. Quinn McDaniel drew a walk. Jaime Ferrer smoked one over the head of the left-fielder in the gap for a two-run double and a spark. Jake Rucker followed by launching a double of his own off the wall and glove of that same left-fielder in the same gap. “He’s on fire!” Caden Kendle followed with an RBI single to pull Wichita within two with nobody out, causing the Travelers to reach back into their bullpen. A catchers interference swing from Brandon Winokur re-loaded the bases, and Garrett Spain worked an RBI walk in a 10-pitch battle to put the tying and winning runs in scoring position. Andrew Cossetti took a big hack and sent a fly ball well deep enough to tie the game at six and move the winning run to third base. Kyle DeBarge then sent a liner up the middle for the walk-off single and exclamation point on the ninth-inning comeback. Despite being down by five heading into the bottom of the ninth, the Wind Surge ended up outhitting the Travelers 11-5 in the game. Rucker (3-for-5, 2 R, 2 2B, K), Kendle (2-for-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI, K, SB), DeBarge (2-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 SB), and Ferrer (2-for-3, R, 2B, 2 RBI) each had multiple hits. KERNELS NUGGETS Lake County 19, Cedar Rapids 18 Box Score This one looked like a laugher early, but then it got weird —in a good way…Maybe? [queue the alien sound effects] At different points the Kernels trailed 9-0 and 16-9, but always had something in them to keep it interesting. Maybe there was something new around the clubhouse… Lefty Michael Carpenter got the starting pitcher assignment and would be the first to tell you he didn’t have his best stuff on this night. A pair of walks in the first led to a 1-0 lead before his team had an at-bat, and he wouldn’t get out of the second. He gave up seven earned runs on five hits and three walks in his 1 2/3 innings, picking up one strikeout and needing 47 pitches to do so. It didn’t get much better for the bullpen, as Michael Hilker (1 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, K), Cole Peschl (1 IP, H, ER, K), and Brian Zeldin (1/3 IP, 3 H, 6 ER, 3 BB) couldn’t come out unscathed either. At least the Kernels lineup wouldn’t take it sitting down. While they didn’t score a run in the first, the freshly promoted 2026 third overall draft pick, Vahn Lackey, delivered a hit in his first Midwest League at-bat. Down 9-0 already in the bottom of the second, Danny De Andrade and Jose Salas led off with back-to-back singles, with Byron Chourio following with a two-run double. In the third inning for his second MWL at-bat, Lackey went “Vahn Bomb” for his first High-A home run. Eduardo Tait followed him with a single, before JP Smith II clubbed a two-run shot of his own to make it 9-5. With the score 10-5 in the bottom of the fourth, the Kernels outdid themselves for the third inning in a row, scoring four to close within one. Yasser Mercedes got it started with a one-out single. Lackey drew a walk. After a pop-out, Smith II singled up the middle to score Mercedes, De Andrade followed with an RBI double, and Salas capped it with a two-run single. The Captains pulled away again with a six run top of the fight, but the Kernels weren’t going away. After a two-out error, Mercedes made them pay for it with a two-run homer to make it 16-11 heading into the sixth inning, and things actually calmed down a little. No runs were scored by Lake County in the sixth through eighth innings thanks to relievers Yehizon Sanchez (1 1/3 IP, 3 H, BB, K) and Brent Francisco (2 1/3 IP, 2 H, BB, 2 K), setting the stage for Cedar Rapids in the bottom of the eighth, down by five. Lackey led off with his second walk of the game and singles from Tait and Smith II scored the first run of the frame. A walk to Danny De Andrade loaded up the bases and brought in a new pitcher. Salas greeted him with an RBI single to cut the lead to three. Chourio and Andy Lugo drew walks around a strikeout to cut the lead to one. Another strikeout brought Lackey back up with two outs, the bases loaded, and his team trailing by one. He didn’t waste the opportunity. With the error tacked on all three runners were able to come around and score, putting the Kernels in front for the first time, 18-16. But all good things must come to an end, apparently. Christian Becerra came one for the save opportunity, and three errors contributed to the Captains being able to score three runs and take back the lead they had just relinquished. One came on a swinging-bunt down the third base line that Lackey is probably one of the few catchers on the planet athletic enough to even attempt to make a play on, but his throw was a bit high to first base. Then it was two ground balls up the middle that both appeared to deflect off Becerra, throwing off Salas at shortstop behind him and leading to a pair of bobbles. The Kernels did get another chance as this game almost got even weirder in their final at-bat. Lake County brought in the submarining Cam Schuelke to try and close it out, and he hit three Kernels with pitches to put the winning run in scoring position before a fly out ended one of the strangest games I’ve watched this year. Seven of the Kernels nine hitters had at least two hits in the game, with Lackey (3-for-4, 3 R, HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, SB), Smith II (4-for-6, 3 R, HR, 4 RBI), and Salas (3-for-6, 2 R, 3 RBI, K) collecting three or more. Both teams ended up with more runs than they had hits, and the game clocked in at just over four hours long. MUSSEL MATTERS Bradenton 3, Fort Myers 5 Box Score Right-hander Matt Barr toed the rubber at Hammond Stadium on Tuesday, and was solid over his four innings. He scattered four hits, allowed just one earned run, and struck out five Marauders. He threw 52 pitches, with 38 of them going for strikes (73%), including seven swings and misses. A leadoff double in the fourth led to his only run allowed. He left the game with the score tied at one, as the Mighty Mussels lineup got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first. Murphy Hernandez led off with a walk, and as he does, proceeded to steal second base for his 43rd swipe on the year with Fort Myers. The throw sailed into center field and he was able to take third as well. He then trotted home on a balk for the 1-0 lead. The home team added single runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings to go back in front. In the fifth it was Carson Tinney’s seventh home run of the season (third straight game), and Colby Turner joined him with a solo shot in the sixth, his second on the year with Fort Myers. Relievers Nick McAuliffe and Brad Rudis dealt with baserunners over the next 3 1/3 innings, but held Bradenton scoreless. McAuliffe allowed one hit, walked one, and struck out three in the fifth. Rudis allowed one hit and walked three over the next 2 1/3, striking out five. Adam Falinski came on with one out in the eighth and retired both hitters he faced on strikeouts. In the bottom half Fort Myers tacked on a pair of insurance runs after Isaiah Lane led off with a walk and Turner put them both in scoring position with a double. Ramiro Dominguez cashed them in with a two-run single and 5-1 lead. Back out for the ninth, Falinski served up a leadoff solo home run and another run, but with the added insurance was credited with his fifth save of the season. He was charged with two earned runs on three hits in his 1 2/3 innings, and struck out three. Turner (2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, HR, RBI, BB) led the way with a pair of extra base hits. Lane chipped in a double to the effort in addition to a pair of walks. Hernandez stole two bases. Quentin Young earned a precious metal brimmed-hat. Fort Myers pitchers racked up 16 strikeouts as a team. Tinney threw out a pair of runners at second base. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Riley Quick, Wichita Wind Surge (3 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K) Hitter of the Day – JP Smith II, Cedar Rapids Kernels (4-for-6, 3 R, HR, 4 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul): 1-for-4, 2 R, BB, K #2 - C Vahn Lackey (Cedar Rapids): 3-for-4, 3 R, HR (1), 3 RBI, 2 BB, SB #5 - RHP Riley Quick (Wichita): 3 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K #6 - OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul): 1-for-4, R, K #7 - OF Hendry Mendez (St. Paul): 1-for-4, R, HR (8), 2 RBI, 2 K #8 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-6, 2 R, K #11 - C Carson Tinney (Fort Myers): 1-for-4, R, HR (7) RBI, K #12 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Wichita): 0-for-4, R, 2 K #18 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Fort Myers): 0-for-4, 4 K #19 - OF Yasser Mercedes (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-6, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Toledo @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CDT) - LHP Aaron Rozek (3-3, 3.94 ERA) Arkansas @ Wichita (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP Adrian Bohorquez (Double-A debut) Lake County @ Cedar Rapids (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Reed Moring (1-1, 4.66 ERA) Bradenton @ Fort Myers, Game 1 (3:35 PM CDT) - RHP Jui-Chieh Lin (Low-A debut) Bradenton @ Fort Myers, Game 2 (makeup of 7/10 PPD) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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The stolen base thing is really interesting to me... I've mentioned this before but I'd love to know how the Twins catcher prospects compare to other organizations. The MiLB average for Caught Stealing percentage is in the 20-23% range overall. From looking at the Twins numbers I'd say they're comfortably under that, maybe even close to 10%... I think Lackey, even with those six yesterday, is the only catcher prospect we have with a CS rate above that average. MLB leaders are typically in the 40-50% range, but I know it's still a little different in MLB compared to the MiLB rules/bases (bases in Triple-A are 9 inches shorter distance between 1st-2nd, 2nd-3rd, which is a pretty significant difference given how bang-bang those plays can be).

Not to put a damper on this thought, as it is logical, and it's even mentioned briefly in the article, but Jenkins will not be a better CF than Buxton is right now. As a prospect and early in his career Buxton was an 80-grade fielder (the speed, arm, fielding combo was unmatched anywhere). He's more like 60 now, IMO, but that is what is basically Jenkin's peak. Splitting hairs a little, but I actually think E-Rod would be the better CF right now (mostly due to extra years of experience) and also has the better arm of the two. I do think Jenkins would excel and be a gold glove contender in a corner.

Image courtesy of Charisma Jones, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Jay Thomason) TRANSACTIONS In Triple-A the St. Paul Saints activated RHP Alejandro Hidalgo from the Development List. RHP Ruddy Gomez was placed on the 7-Day Injured List. IF Jorel Ortega was released from the Wichita Wind Surge roster. After multiple promotions yesterday, including 2026 breakout performer OF Luis Fragoza, the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels received some reinforcements from the FCL Twins roster. They included C Jimmy Keenan, RHP Brian Strange, and RHP Jackson Sleeper. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 3, Columbus 19 Box Score I could swear I’ve written this same recap before… Oh that’s right, I have. Definitely some deja vu on the final score, and who ended up finishing the game on the mound for the Saints. I’m not sure if Tom Pohlad would have any reason to travel on the road to Columbus for this one, but I’m sure there were a few Twins scouts in attendance as the Clippers are the Clevaland Guardians top affiliate. This one actually started just the way the Saints like to draw it up, with Walker Jenkins leading off with a single and Ben Ross following with his 14th home run of the season with the Saints, for a 2-0 lead before their starting pitcher had warmed up. But while it took the Saints two hitters to score two runs, the Clippers one-upped them in the bottom of the first as it took them three hitters to score three runs. A pair of walks and a three-run homer were what greeted starter Ryan Gallagher, and it wouldn’t get any better from there. He was able to finish just 1 2/3 innings, and of the five hits he allowed, three of them left the yard and tallied up nine earned runs total thanks to pairing all that with five walks. Gallagher hadn’t allowed that many earned runs over his last five starts and 27+ innings. A stretch during which he went 3-1 and lowered his season ERA by nearly two runs. The rest of the pitching staff didn’t learn the lesson, either. C.J. Culpepper (2 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 K), Matt Bowman (2 IP, ER, BB, 2 K), and Woo-Suk Go (1 IP, 2 H, 5 ER, 6 BB, 2 K) combined to be charged with eight earned runs themselves over the next five innings. Down 14-3 in the middle of the eighth, the Saints called on the eephus talents of infielder Tanner Schobel, and the softball swing of the Clippers’ Milan Tolentino resulted in a grand slam to make the final score. All that said, Schobel’s ERA on the season is a comfortable-for-a-position-player 6.00. The Saints lineup got multi-hit efforts from Jenkins (2-for-5, R, K), Ross (2-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K), and Gabriel Gonzalez (2-for-4, R, HR, RBI) who added his 13th home run of the season in the sixth. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 10, Frisco 9 Box Score While Gallagher got bludgeoned on the road after a recent stretch of solid outings, Chris Vallimont was doing the same thing over his last five starts with Wichita… …and also got bludgeoned in an opposing ballpark on this night. Vallimont at least made it into the third inning, but he also didn’t finish it. The RoughRiders scored three, two, and three runs against him in the first three innings. Those eight earned runs came on nine hits and one walk over his 2 2/3 frames. He struck out only one and allowed two homers. Thankfully for the Wind Surge, their bullpen was up to the task. Five relievers combined to allow just one further run on four hits and five walks over the final six innings, giving the lineup a chance they didn’t waste in the ninth. Wichita did strike first to start the game as Caden Kendle hit a two-out double and was driven in by a single from Garrett Spain in the first. They scored two more in the second thanks to singles from Jay Thomason, Marek Houston, and Brandon Winokur and a wild pitch that made it 3-3 at the time. The lineup went cold until the top of the seventh when Winokur drove a slider out the opposite way to close the Frisco lead to four. After William Fleming (1 1/3 IP, H, K), Darren Bowen (1 IP, K), Jaylen Nowlin (1 IP, K), and Paulshawn Pasqualotto (2 IP, H, ER, 2 K) had reversed the pitching fortunes, the Wind Surge headed to the ninth down 9-4. Houston led off by reaching on an error, and after a strikeout of Winokur, Kendle reminded everyone why their hands burned when they touched him. His seventh home run with the Wind Surge, and fifth in his last nine games, trimmed the Frisco lead to three. After a groundout Wichita was down to their last out, but they still had fight in them. Jake Rucker beat out an infield single. Andrew Cossetti and Kyle DeBarge worked walks to load the bases, bringing up Jay Thomason. It may not have been the “ultimate” variety, but his grand slam brought the Wind Surge all the way back and then some to take a 10-9 lead. Kyle Bischoff came on for the save opportunity after probably believing he wasn’t going to be needed and gave up a solid liner into right to start the frame. Luckily for him, that batter thought he got more of the pitch than he did and wasn’t hustling out of the box. The bounce off the wall came right back to Kendle, who promptly spun around and fired a bullet into second to beat the runner there for the first out. Bischoff gave up another single but retired the other two batters he faced to pick up his fifth save on the season. The Wind Surge got two-hit efforts from each of Houston (2-for-5, 2 R, 2B), Winokur (2-for-5, R, HR, 2 RBI, K), Kendle (2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB, 2K), and Thomason (2-for-5, R, GS HR, 4 RBI, 2 K) in the dramatic comeback victory. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, Beloit 6 (6 innings) Box Score The Kernels were the victim of a complete game shutout on Tuesday, though that comes with the caveat that the game was called due to rain in the bottom of the sixth inning. Not that it would have mattered if it had gone the full nine the way this going for Sky Carp starter Liomar Martinez. Cedar Rapids had just one base runner through five innings and didn’t get their first hit until the top of the sixth, just in time to avoid adding a no-hitter to the complete game asterisk for Martinez. Yasser Mercedes’s two-out double gave the Kernels their only at-bat on the game with a runner in scoring position, and Eduardo Tait popped out to end the inning. Martinez struck out nine Kernels over his six frames. Lefty Michael Carpenter made the start for Cedar Rapids and was forced to work by the Beloit lineup. He pitched into the third inning, but a leadoff walk ended his outing after 49 pitches (30 for strikes). Carpenter was charged with four earned runs on four hits and a walk, while striking out two. Michael Ross was summoned and completed the final four innings. He allowed two earned runs on six hits and struck out four. In his Midwest League debut the reigning Florida State League Player of the Week, Luis Fragoza, finished 0-for-1 with a strikeout and reached base on a hit by pitch. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 7, Palm Beach 8 Box Score On the road this week in Palm Beach, the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels sent right-hander Eric Hammond to the mound to kick off their series against the Cardinals. He worked around baserunners in each of the first three innings, but after his pitch count hit 60 in the third inning, he was relieved by the newly promoted Brian Strange. Hammond allowed no runs on three hits and a pair of walks in his 2 2/3 innings, striking out two. Fort Myers got on the scoreboard first in the top of the second. Yovanny Duran led off with a walk, moved to second on a groundout, and stole his third base with the Mighty Mussels to put himself 90-feet away. Aidan Teel brought him in with a sac fly for the early 1-0 lead. They took a 5-0 lead in the fourth thanks to some loud contact from Carson Tinney and timely hitting elsewhere. With one out Tinney launched his fourth home run since being drafted, a solo shot. Duran and Colby Turner followed with singles, and Teel drew a walk to load the bases. Isaiah Lane followed with a two-run double, and Hideki Prather added a sac fly for the five-run lead. Strange got the Mighty Mussels through the fourth inning on the mound, allowing one hit and striking out three in his 1 1/3 innings. Jackson Sleeper’s Florida State League debut didn’t go as comfortably. The Cardinals tied the game at five in the fifth, with all of those runs being charged to Sleeper, though two of them went as unearned thanks to an error. He allowed two hits and walked three while recording just one out. Matthew Becker got them through the fifth with no runs being charged to himself, walking two of his own but also striking out two. Brent Francisco went the next two scoreless innings, allowing one hit, walking two, and striking out three. In the top of the ninth the Mighty Mussels were able to break the tie. Prather and Charlie Scholvin led off with singles. After a fielder’s choice off the bat of Merphy Hernandez, he stole second to put two runners in scoring position. MLB’s #2 catching prospect, Vahn Lackey, then delivered a clutch two-run single to put Fort Myers back in front. The save opportunity was given to Adam Falinski, and it was quickly put in jeopardy. It started with a hit by pitch, then a single. After a grounder for the first out, another single scored made it a one run game. The next single drove in two to walk it off for the Cardinals. The offense was led by Duran (2-for-4, 2 R, BB, K), Turner (2-for-4, R, 3B), and Lane (2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K) who each collected two hits. Lackey finished 1-for-4 with a walk and stole his third base. DOMINICAN DAILY Game 1: DSL Cardinals 7, DSL Twins (7 innings, completion of suspended game) Box Score This game was suspended in the top of the fourth inning all the way back on the fourth of July, and it picked up on Tuesday morning with the score 5-3 Cardinals. The Twins wasted little time resetting the scoreboard. In the bottom of the fourth back-to-back singles from Luis Suarez and Jeferson Abreu got it started. Daiyer Barboza drove them both in with a double. The Cardinals got both those runs back in the top of the fifth, but the Twins struck for three more in the bottom of the sixth to make the final score. Three walks and multiple wild pitches led to the first run of the inning. Another walk and stolen base from Jhon Gonzalez put runners on second and third, and Luis Duarte brought them both in with a single for the 8-7 final. Gonzalez finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a walk. Barboza and Duarte each drove in two to lead the offense. Juan Collado had made the start back in July and was charged with five earned runs on three hits and five walks. He struck out four. Jesus Moreno had recorded one out back then, too, before Collado re-entered the game. When play resumed on this day it was Alam Soriano on the bump. He picked up the win by completing 2 1/3 innings and allowed two earned runs on three hits and one walk, while striking out three. Aldwin Morillo picked up the save with a scoreless ninth. He walked two and struck out one. Game 2: DSL Twins 10, DSL Cardinals 14 (7 innings) Box Score The regularly scheduled contest between the two teams started off with a bang. In the top of the first the Twins sent 11 men to the plate, and eight of them came all the way back around to score. It started with a hit-by-pitch which was followed by a pair of singles to load the bases. Enmanuel Merlo got the scoring party started with a two-run double. Three walks later another run had scored, and the starting pitcher was removed without recording an out (he would re-enter the game later and record four outs). Another walk brought in a fifth run, and the sixth scored on a double-play ball. Leadoff man Daiyer Barboza then drew another walk, and scored on a double from Jendy Martinez, who was thrown out at third to end the inning. Unfortunately for the Twins, the Cardinals came back with seven runs in the bottom of the second to quell the momentum and turn it back into a game. Twins starting pitcher Yolcar Garcia worked a one-two-three first but lost his control in the second. He was charged with six earned runs on two hits and three walks in his 1 2/3 innings, striking out two. Failin Placencio didn’t fare any better, walking all four hitters he faced, but was only charged with one earned run. Camilo Made recorded the final out of the frame, and finished 1 2/3 total innings, pitching into the fourth. He was charged with three earned runs on two hits and two walks and struck out two. Fabian Ulloa delivered his first home run of the season to tie the game at 10 in the fifth, but the Cardinals would score the game’s last four runs. Miguel Martinez allowed one hit, walked two, and struck out two in 1 2/3 innings pitched. Herkyn Tavares gave up those last four runs on three hits and a pair of walks in his lone inning. He struck out one. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Brian Strange, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (1 1/3 IP, H, 3 K) Hitter of the Day – Jay Thomason, Wichita Wind Surge (2-for-5, R, GS HR, 4 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul): 2-for-5, R, K #2 - C Vahn Lackey (Fort Myers): 1-for-4, 2 RBI, BB, SB (3) #3 - SS Kaelen Culpepper (Minnesota): 1-for-3, R #4 - SS Marek Houston (Wichita): 2-for-5, 2 R, 2B #6 - OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul): 0-for-3, BB, K #7 - OF Hendry Mendez (St. Paul): 0-for-4, K #8 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids): 0-for-3 #9 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul): 2-for-4, R, HR (13), RBI #11 - C Carson Tinney (Fort Myers): 1-for-5, R, HR (4), RBI, 3 K #12 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Wichita): 2-for-5, R, HR (6), 2 RBI, K #15 - RHP Ryan Gallagher (St. Paul): L, 1 2/3 IP, 5 H, 9 ER, 5 BB, 3 K #19 - OF Yasser Mercedes (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-3, 2B, K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Columbus (6:05 PM CDT) - RHP Ricky Castro (3-2, 5.02 ERA) Wichita @ Frisco (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP Riley Quick (0-2, 5.68 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (6:05 PM CDT) - RHP Reed Moring (1-1, 5.63 ERA) Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (5:30 PM CDT) - RHP Matt Barr (0-0, 6.43 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of Ben Ross after home run in the Field of Dream Game, Dyersville, IA) TRANSACTIONS With the Saints playing among the corn in Iowa, the only move down on the farm on Tuesday came from the Dominican Summer League, where 17-year-old RHP Abraham Martinez was assigned. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 3, Iowa 6 Box Score While the Minnesota Twins are scheduled to highlight the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa, against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday, the St. Paul Saints got to take their talents there a few days earlier to break in the new field and stadium. Ben Ross wasted little time getting the baseball familiar with the corn beyond the fences. Kendry Rojas got the high-profile starting nod and delivered a solid outing, finishing the first four innings. He went one-two-three in the first, including a strikeout. Faced the minimum in the second by inducing a double-play ball that included a nifty pick by Ross at third to start. A solo home run leading off the third was his only blemish. He topped out at 97.5 MPH with his fastball, and threw 37 of his 57 total pitches for strikes (65%). He gave up three hits, walked one, and struck out one. In the top of the fifth the Saints took advantage of a pair of errors to take a 2-1 lead. Gabriel Gonzalez reached on a throwing error from pitcher Jordan Wicks of the Cubs. Another throwing error on the shortstop allowed him to score, but hitter David Banuelos got a little ahead of himself breaking for second base when the carom off the wall came right back to the first baseman, allowing him to be thrown out at second pretty easily to end the inning. Alejandro Hidalgo came on in the bottom of the fifth and struck out the first hitter of the inning. Five batters later his outing was over and he had surrendered three home runs, allowing the Cubs to take a 6-2 lead they would not relinquish. Relievers Matt Bowman (1 2/3 IP, H, 3 K) and Jack Anderson (2 IP, K) did their best to give the Saints lineup a chance, locking down the final three innings, but Cubs pitchers were also up to the task. The Saints did get a two-out rally going in the seventh, with Tristan Grey, Cody Morissette, and Banuelos hitting back-to-back singles to make it 6-3 and bring up Walker Jenkins as the tying run. He hit a solid liner into right on a 2-0 pitch, but right to the fielder to end the inning. They would not get another chance the final two innings. Jenkins finished 1-for-3 with a walk and stole a pair of bases, including a bit of a delayed steal where he kind of caught the catcher napping. Ross had multiple standout defensive plays at third base in addition to the early homer. The middle of the lineup including Matt Wallner, Aaron Sabato, and the return of Emmanuel Rodriguez, combined to finish 0-for-10 with five strikeouts. The Saints had eight opportunities with runners in scoring position compared to the Cubs two, but the three homers in the fifth proved the difference. WIND SURGE WISDOM Corpus Christi 3, Wichita 2 Box Score Cory Lewis took the mound for the Wind Surge hosting the Hooks this week and completed the first four innings. Both of the runs charged to him were of the unearned variety thanks to a leadoff error in the second inning that led to a 2-0 deficit. Lewis allowed three hits, walked nobody, and struck out six. He struck out two in each of the first, third, and fourth innings, including five of them swinging. The Wichita offense took until the sixth inning to get on the scoreboard, despite having chances in the first, third, and fourth frames. Andrew Cossetti led off the sixth by reaching base on an error, and Caden Kendle followed with his fifth home run of the season and third consecutive game leaving the yard. Down 3-2 at that point, the Wind Surge continued to have chances the rest of the way thanks largely to eight total walks but continued to come up empty. They finished 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 13 men on base. In comparison the Hooks went 1-for-5 and left only five men on base. Relievers William Fleming (IP, ER, BB), Jacob Webb (2 IP, H, 3 K), and Paulshawn Pasqualotto (2 IP, BB, 3 K) gave them a chance over the final five innings, but the lineup wasn’t able to get that clutch hit. Marek Houston was 0-for-5 with a pair of strikeouts out of the leadoff spot. Jaime Ferrer pinch hit for Khadim Diaw in the fifth inning and chipped in a double. Cossetti (0-for-3, R, 2 BB) and Jake Rucker (0-for-1, 2 BB) each drew two walks. KERNELS NUGGETS Wisconsin 3, Cedar Rapids 6 Box Score The Kernels jumped on Timber Rattlers pitching and didn’t look back at home in Cedar Rapids about an hour southwest of their St. Paul Saints brethren. Jose Salas got the scoring started in the bottom of the first after Jacob McCombs led off the game being hit by a pitch, and Eduardo Tait followed with a single. Salas’ big swing made it 3-0 with his sixth home run of the season. In the bottom of the second Danny De Andrade led off with a single, and trotted home on the next pitch to Jayson Bass, who sent it deep to right-center for a 5-0 lead. Lefty Michael Carpenter made his second start for the Kernels, going the first two innings and throwing 35 pitches (20 for strikes). He allowed just one hit and struck out two. Ivran Romero was the first reliever summoned and went the next 2 2/3 innings. He was charged with all three Wisconsin runs on five hits and a pair of walks. He struck out one and gave up two homers. Ross Dunn stabilized the middle innings and picked up the win for his efforts. He allowed one hit, one walk, and struck out three in 1 1/3 innings. Cole Peschl picked up the good old fashioned three-inning save to finish out the game. He walked two and struck out one. Tait added his 20th home run of the season leading off the fifth to account for the Kernel’s sixth run. He finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored batting third in the lineup. The only other hitter with multiple knocks was De Andrade, who also finished 2-for-4 and scored a run. Quinn McDaniel added his sixth double. MUSSEL MATTERS Clearwater 1, Fort Myers 2 Box Score Outfielder Yovanny Duran led off this game with a walk, stole second base, and advanced to third on a throwing error. A sacrifice fly from Vahn Lackey made it 1-0 after two batters. Ramiro Dominguez hit a one-out single and scored the second run of the inning on a double from Luis Fragoza before most fans had reached their seats. That was all the offense Fort Myers would put together on the night, but it was also all they needed. Right-hander Matthew Dalquist made the start at Hammond Stadium and completed the first three innings. He was charged with the Threshers lone run on three hits and three walks, while striking out two. The Mighty Mussels bullpen locked it down from there, but the Threshers pitching staff also matched them. From the bottom of the fourth until the bottom of the eighth, 24 straight hitters on both sides went down without reaching base. After Dalquist, Brent Francisco went the next three innings and picked up his eighth win of the season. He allowed just one hit and struck out three. Brad Rudis pitched the seventh and eighth innings, setting all six Clearwater batters down, including four on strikeouts. Adam Falinski got the ninth inning and picked up his fourth save, allowing one hit and striking out one. The Threshers outhit the Mighty Mussels 5-4 in the game. The teams combined to go just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left only nine men on base. The game was completed in just over two hours. Fragoza had the lone extra-base hit for the home team and finished 2-for-3 with an RBI to lead the way. Lackey was 0-for-3 with the RBI. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Twins 13, DSL Miami 3 (6 innings) Box Score The Twins wasted little time getting on the scoreboard in this one, scoring three runs in the top of the first for an early lead. Daiyer Barboza led off with a single, Jendy Martinez followed with a double, and two outs later Enmanuel Merlo brought them and himself in with a three-run homer. As a team the Twins scored in five of the six innings, with the biggest outburst coming in the fifth by sending every hitter in the lineup up to bat. The first run of the frame scored on a bases loaded walk, the next two on an error, and the final two on a Jhon Gonzalez double that made it 11-2 Twins. Fernando Hernandez made the start and went the first two innings. He struck out the side in the first and gave up an infield single in the second before picking up his fourth strikeout to end his outing. Enmanuel Mena went the next two innings and was charged with two earned runs on three hits and a walk. He struck out two. Herkyn Taveras got credit for the win with a scoreless fifth inning, where he worked around a pair of errors and struck out one. Jesus Moreno pitched the final inning before rain cut it short, allowing an unearned run on two hits while striking out two. The Twins collected 11 hits and seven walks as a team. Barboza went 1-for-3 with a pair of walks, scored three runs, and stole his 15th base. Martinez (2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI, K, SB) Gonzalez (2-for-4, R, 2B, 3 RBI), Jeferson Abreu (2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, BB, 2 SB) and Misael Rodriguez (2-for-3, R, RBI, BB, K) each had multiple hits in the win. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Brad Rudis, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (2 IP, 4 K) Hitter of the Day – Jose Salas, Cedar Rapids Kernels (1-for-3, R, HR, 3 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul): 1-for-3, BB, 2 SB (13) #2 - C Vahn Lackey (Fort Myers): 0-for-3, RBI #3 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (Minnesota): 1-for-4, K #4 - SS Marek Houston (Wichita): 0-for-5, 2 K #6 - OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul): 0-for-3, BB, 2 K #7 - OF Hendry Mendez (St. Paul): 0-for-2 #8 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-4, 2 R, HR (20), RBI, K #9 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul): 0-for-2, R #11 - C Carson Tinney (Fort Myers): 0-for-3, 3 K #12 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Wichita): 1-for-4, BB, 2 K #13 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (Wichita): 1-for-1, SB (11) #18 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Fort Myers): 0-for-3, 2 K #19 - OF Yasser Mercedes (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-4, 2 K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Iowa (6:38 PM CDT) - RHP Ryan Gallagher (5-5, 5.99 ERA) Corpus Christi @ Wichita (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP Preston Johnson (0-3, 4.45 ERA) Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Reed Moring (1-1, 9.00 ERA) Clearwater @ Fort Myers (6:05 PM CDT) - RHP Eric Hammond (1-4, 4.86 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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Walker JenkinsVahn LackeyKaelen CulpepperMarek HoustonEmmanuel RodriguezRiley QuickEduardo TaitHendry MendezGabriel GonzalezCharlee SotoCarson TinneyBrandon WinokurKhadim DiawBrett RenfrowEthan WachsmannQuentin YoungEnrique JimenezRicardo OlivarYovanny DuranJames Ellwanger

Walker JenkinsVahn LackeyKaelen CulpepperMarek HoustonEmmanuel RodriguezRiley QuickEduardo TaitHendry MendezGabriel GonzalezCharlee SotoCarson TinneyBrandon WinokurKhadim DiawBrett RenfrowEthan WachsmannQuentin YoungEnrique JimenezRicardo OlivarYovanny DuranJames Ellwanger

I would have overwhelmingly given this award to Merit Jones, but plenty of good pitching elsewhere too. Jones was named the Florida State League Pitcher of the Month yesterday.

Indeed! He was named the Florida State League Pitcher of the Month for July: https://www.milb.com/dunedin/news/mighty-mussels-merit-jones-named-florida-state-league-pitcher-of-the-month "Jones recorded a 0.73 ERA with 30 strikeouts across 24.2 innings of work. In six appearances (three starts) the 2025 14th rounder went 3-0 while allowing just two earned runs on 21 hits and eight walks. He led the league in innings pitched (24.2), ERA (0.73) and wins (three) and was second in strikeouts (30) and strikeouts per nine innings (10.95). He did not allow an earned run over his last four outings (18.0 innings)."

My general impression of Culpepper since returning from injury is that he's been pressing. He knows the position he's in. The Saints broadcasters commented on a few swings, discussing how he's been looking like he's hunting for that first big home run and missing breaking balls low and outside. He finally tagged one pretty good last night with his triple, it hit off the wall and bounced over the center-fielder in deep left-center (I don't think 426 feet at CHS Field to that gap is possible to stay in the park, but I digress 😅): Had a single at 105.3 MPH in the 5th, and a 99.7 MPH groundout later. Hopefully the start of coming back around!

I actually hated seeing this highlight... It's pretty much exactly the thing that has resulted in one of his thumb injuries before.

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of Aaron Sabato) TRANSACTIONS The St. Paul Saints made several moves in advance of their Tuesday tilt against the Louisville Bats. The Minnesota Twins optioned LHP Kendry Rojas while RHP Woo-Suk Go was activated from suspension. Kala’i Rosario was assigned from the Wichita Wind Surge, and RHP Eduardo Salazar was placed on the Development List. To take Rosario’s place on the Wind Surge roster, OF Graham Brown was assigned from the Cedar Rapids Kernels. The Kernels also received reinforcements from the roster of the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. RHP Mike McKenna, 1B JP Smith II, and RHP Merit Jones were all assigned to Cedar Rapids. RHP Nolan Santos was also placed on the 7-day injured list. With the Florida Complex League season completed, several players were brought up to the Mighty Mussels roster to continue their campaigns. They included RHP Brad Rudis, RHP Melvin Rodriguez, OF Yovanny Duran, and RHP Cristian Hernandez. They also were assigned undrafted free agent OF Bryce Fowler. Heading to the injured list were RHP Jonathan Stevens and RHP Billy Oldham . SAINTS SENTINEL Louisville 5, St. Paul 15 Box Score The St. Paul Saints wasted little time getting to work against Louisville Bats pitching, which is nothing new for them this season as they lead all of the minor leagues in first inning scoring. Walker Jenkins led off with a single into right field. Kaelen Culpepper followed with a walk. Matt Wallner then turned on a fastball and sent it out down the line in right for the early 3-0 lead. It was Wallner’s 20th home run of the season with the Saints. Mr. Consistent Aaron Rozek made the start for St. Paul. He was charged with two earned runs on five hits and a walk in his four innings. He struck out one and needed just 47 pitches (27 for strikes). Ben Ross added a solo home run in the bottom of the second, his 10th of the season, and an RBI single in the fourth that made the score 5-2 Saints. Alejandro Hidalgo entered the game to begin the fifth inning and the Bats closed to within one. Back out for the sixth he delivered a one-two-three inning. He was charged with two earned runs on three hits in his two innings, striking out one. Jack Anderson allowed an unearned run in his lone inning on two hits. After returning from his suspension for a foreign substance, Woo-Suk Go was finally able to make his debut with the Saints. He walked one but was able to erase the runner with a double-play ball (he also had a brand new glove). The bottom of the seventh is when the floodgates opened at CHS Field. Jenkins got it started with a one-out double. Louisville decided to intentionally walk Wallner, and Aaron Sabato made them pay with his 20th homer of the season to make it 8-5. Hendry Mendez and Gabriel Gonzalez followed with a pair of singles, Cody Morissette an RBI double, and Ross an RBI single to make it 11-5 Saints. They continued adding on in the bottom of the eighth after Culpepper launched a triple off the wall in left-center. Wallner was hit by a pitch and Mendez cashed them both in with a hard liner for a double into right center. Gonzalez followed with a two-run homer to make the final 15. Garret Acton closed out the ninth with a clean inning, punctuating the victory with a strikeout to end it. The Saints had 17 hits on the night, with Jenkins, Culpepper, Gonzalez, and Ross all collecting three apiece. Six of their nine hitters scored two or more runs. Wallner, Sabato, and Ross each drove in three. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 6, NW Arkansas 7 (10 innings) Box Score Starting pitcher Chris Vallimont has been on a good run, allowing just two earned runs in his last three starts and fourteen total innings. He’d allowed just four hits and four walks in those games, while striking out 15. Unfortunately for him in this one, he exceeded both those totals in four innings. The Nationals scored runs in each of the first three innings, and four total on six hits and a walk. He did strike out six but when he left the mound the score was 4-2 in favor of NW Arkansas. Paulshawn Pasqualotto came on for the fifth and allowed a leadoff single and home run that made the score 6-2. He gave up three hits in his lone inning. The Wind Surge scored their first two runs in the top of the third inning thanks to a solo homer from Khadim Diaw and a bases loaded walk. The beginning of the sixth was Preston Johnson’s time to shine. He retired the first 11 men he faced before a nine pitch at-bat resulted in a double against him in the ninth. No matter, he induced an easy ground ball to send this one to extra innings. Johnson worked four total innings, allowing just one hit and striking out five. He got them to extra innings because the Wind Surge offense took advantage of some pitching wildness in top of the seventh. After a pair of flyouts to start the inning, Naturals pitchers walked the next six hitters, and along with a wild pitch allowed Wichita to tie the game at six. Once it got to extra innings, the Wind Surge had runners on second and third with just one out, but Marek Houston and Khadim Diaw both went down swinging to keep them scoreless. With Johnson done after his excellent four innings, the Naturals wasted no time, needing just three pitches to walk it off with an RBI single from the third batter of the inning (intentional walk to the second batter). Right-hander Kyle Bischoff took the hard-luck loss. The Wind Surge were outhit 12-6 on the game, but nearly took advantage thanks to 12 walks they drew as a team. But 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position won’t get it done most games. They left 12 men on base. Houston finished 0-for-5 but drew a walk and stole his 17th base in Double-A. Diaw was 2-for-5 with a homer, Wichita’s lone extra-base-hit of the game. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, South Bend 6 Box Score The last place Kernels were shutout on Tuesday in South Bend, Indiana, by the first-half West Division winning Cubs. They actually outhit their opponents 8-6 on the game but went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position while the Cubs bashed three home runs. Kolten Smith got the starting nod and went the first four innings, allowing a lone run on a solo-homer and just two hits total. He walked three and struck out five. Ross Dunn allowed one earned run in his lone inning thanks to a pair of walks. Mike McKenna made his high-A debut and was charged with four earned runs on four hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings. He struck out three. Christian Becerra finished the final 1 1/3, striking out two. Andy Lugo and JP Smith II had doubles and each finished 1-for-3. Danny De Andrade chipped in his sixth triple of the season. Jacob McCombs was the lone hitter with multiple knocks, finishing 2-for-4. Emmanuel Rodriguez was 1-for-3 with a walk to continue his rehab assignment and had a nice diving catch in center field. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Bradenton 4 Box Score Newly minted first round draft pick Vahn Lackey batted second in this one, and after a groundout from the leadoff man sent his first professional extra-base hit down the left field line for a double. Colby Turner traded places with him two batters later to put the Mighty Mussels on the board first. Eric Hammond toed the rubber for Fort Myers and went the first four solid innings. He scattered four hits and allowed just one earned run while walking one and striking out four. The freshly promoted Brad Rudis was the first call to the bullpen and he worked a scoreless inning, allowing one hit and striking out one. Nick McAuliffe pitched the sixth inning and was hit with three unearned runs after a leadoff error that led to three hits and a walk. He struck out two. Brent Francisco went the final two innings, allowing one hit and one walk, but zero runs. The Mighty Mussels offense went quiet after the first inning, as 15 hitters in a row went down before Lackey drew a walk in the sixth. Aidan Teel singled in the seventh but was immediately erased by a double-play ball. Quentin Young led off the top of the eighth with his fifth triple of the year, and scored their second run on an RBI groundout from Merphy Hernandez. Including the first inning doubles, those were all four of the Mighty Mussels hits. They went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position, but left only two men on base for the game. Here’s some Lackey defense for tax: DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Twins 6, DSL Mets Orange 14 (8 innings) Box Score This one was tied at six heading into the eighth inning, but as weather moved into the area Zeus himself injected his lightning into the bats of Mets players just like Homer J. Simpson’s Wonderbat. Well, not really. Lightning did end the game early, but it was the Twins pitching that spelled disaster. The first six Mets in the bottom of the eighth reached base via a walk or hit-by-pitch. Then there was a two-run single, and a two-run triple that made it 13-6 Mets. They added their last run on an RBI groundout before the game was called. Jeferson Abreu hit his second home run of the season in the fifth inning, putting the Twins up 3-0 at the time. Jhon Gonzalez led the lineup with two hits in four at-bats, including a double. He also scored two runs. Enmanuel Merlo drove in two with a single in the sixth. Fernando Hernandez made the start and went the first two innings. He surrendered one hit, walked one, and struck out one. Camilo Made went the next two scoreless innings, walking two and striking out two. The Mets finally got on the scoreboard against Juan Collado in the fifth and he was charged with five runs (four earned) on four hits and one walk in his 1 2/3 innings. He struck out two. Herkyn Tavares allowed one earned run on a walk in his 1 1/3 innings, striking out two. Juan Germosen (0 IP, 4 ER, 3 BB) and Juan Quinones (1/3 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 2 BB) took the shock trauma in the eighth before the teams headed to the clubhouse to escape it. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Preston Johnson, Wichita Wind Surge (4 IP, H, 5 K) Hitter of the Day – Ben Ross, St. Paul Saints (3-for-4, R, HR, 3 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul): 3-for-5, 2 R, 2B, K #2 - C Vahn Lackey (Fort Myers): 1-for-3, R, 2B, BB #3 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul): 3-for-4, 2 R, 3B, BB #4 - OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (Rehab w/Cedar Rapids): 1-for-3, BB #5 - SS Marek Houston (Wichita): 0-for-5, BB, 3 K #7 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-4, K #10 - OF Hendry Mendez (St. Paul): 2-for-5, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K #11 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul): 3-for-5, 2 R, 2B, HR (12), 2 RBI #13 - C Carson Tinney (Fort Myers): 0-for-4 #14 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (Wichita): 2-for-5, R, HR (2), RBI K #15 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Wichita): 1-for-5, R, 2 K #17 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Fort Myers): 1-for-3, R, 3B, 2 K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Louisville @ St. Paul (1:07 PM CDT) - RHP Ryan Gallagher (4-5, 6.38 ERA) Wichita @ NW Arkansas (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP Sam Armstrong (6-8, 4.64 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (6:05 PM CDT) - LHP Michael Carpenter (High-A debut) Fort Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 PM CDT) - RHP Callan Fang (3-3, 4.81 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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Twins affiliates as a whole have been absolutely brutal controlling running games this year (You don't want to know Khadim Diaw's CS%, trust me). I don't know how it compares in general to other organizations, but it looks really bad on the surface. Could be the new rules, could be an overall lack of catching talent, could be issues with pitchers, too (as a note I think Dasan Hill, who is a lefty, is extremely bad at holding runners). Not something I am worried about for Lackey, though.

Who I think is also already on his 3rd option year.

Fragoza has been great! I just barely left him off my top 20 vote. But I'm not worried about him being promoted to Cedar Rapids at this point. He's still under 50 games at the level. In another month I might have a different opinion!

I decided to leave a note along these lines out of the recap. In the last 12 years or something, the most home runs in a full season from a Mighty Mussel is 14, from Brandon Winokur. Adam Brett Walker hit 24 way back when, but the home run number for Young is notable. The league leader this season has 18.

Image courtesy of William Parmeter (photo of Quentin Young) TRANSACTIONS The Minnesota Twins recalled RHP Jack Anderson from the St. Paul Saints. In perhaps the biggest news of the day, OF Emmanuel Rodriguez was activated from the 60-day injured list and was sent on a rehab assignment with the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. RHP Mitch Mueller was promoted from the Cedar Rapids Kernels to the Wichita Wind Surge. In the Midwest League, the Kernels received RHP Reed Moring and LHP Cleiber Maldonado from Fort Myers. The Mighty Mussels were assigned RHP Hendry Chivilli from the FCL Twins. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 3, Omaha 6 Box Score This one was scoreless until the top of the third inning, when the top of the Saints lineup came back around and made something happen. Walker Jenkins followed his first inning double with a walk in his second plate appearance, and this time Kyler Fedko brought him in with a double of his own and 1-0 lead. Ricky Castro toed the rubber for the visitors and finished the first three innings, the first two of which were scoreless. In the bottom of the third a walk was followed by a two-run homer to put the Storm Chasers in front 2-0. Castro allowed those two runs on three hits and a walk, striking out two. Alejandro Hidalgo got the next two innings from the bullpen, and gave up one earned run on a solo homer and struck out one. Down 3-1 in the top of the sixth Matt Wallner led off with a single and came around to score on a double from Aaron Sabato. Ben Ross added a sacrifice fly later to tie the game at three. It stayed that way until the eighth inning, as Matt Bowman (1 IP, H, BB, K) and Marco Raya each kept Omaha quiet for an inning. Back out for the eighth however, Raya ended up in some trouble. A one-out single, walk, and double put the Storm Chasers back in front, and after a pitching change a two-run single put them up by three. Raya was charged with three earned runs on two hits and a walk in his 1 1/3 innings pitched and took the loss. He struck out two. Grant Hartwig recorded the final two outs, allowing two hits and striking out one. Jenkins (2-for-3, R, 2B, 2 BB, SB) and Sabato (2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI, K) collected half of the Saints eight hits in the game. As a team they finished 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base. Kaelen Culpepper finished 0-for-5 with a strikeout. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 1, Springfield 5 Box Score The Wind Surge travelled east to one of my favorite minor league parks I’ve had the chance to visit, in Hammons Field (now Route 66 Stadium) near the campus of Missouri State University in Springfield, MO. When I was travelling there often for work I would always end up requesting a hotel room on the top floor that had a balcony view of the Stadium from a block-and-a-half away for the evenings I didn’t venture inside myself. But I digress. Hits were hard to come by from both teams in this one, as they combined for just seven total on the game. Unfortunately for the Wind Surge, two of the Cardinals four were of the two-run home run variety. AS a team Wichita finished 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position, and left nine men on base. Starting pitcher Cory Lewis got hit with some bad luck, as all three runs charged against him were of the unearned variety and came in the second inning. A sequence of an error, walk, walk, GIDP, and home run made it 3-0 and Springfield never looked back. Lewis went four total innings, allowing just two hits but walking three. He struck out five and threw 71 pitches (42 for strikes). Spencer Bengard walked one and struck out two in two innings of relief. Paulshawn Pasqualotto finished the final two innings, allowing two Cardinals insurance runs on two hits and two walks, while striking out two. The bottom three of the Wichita lineup (Kyle DeBarge, Caden Kendle, and Jake Rucker) each had one hit to account for all of them as a team. DeBarge hit his 19th double, Rucker his fifth home run. Everybody in the lineup struck out at least once, with them totaling 16 on the night as a lineup. Kendle’s hit did extend his hitting streak to 14-games, so there was something positive. KERNELS NUGGETS Peoria 8, Cedar Rapids 6 (10 innings) Box Score Left-hander Cesar Lares made the start for the Kernels and was rudely greeted by the Chiefs. A first inning solo home run and second inning three-run shot put them up 4-0 early. Lares settled down a bit and was able to finish four innings without any further damage. He was charged with four earned runs on five hits and a walk, while striking out two. The Kernels finally got on the scoreboard after the Chiefs starting pitcher’s night was finished after five. Singles from Danny De Andrade, Quinn McDaniel, and Dameury Pena got their first run of the game across home plate. Henry Kusiak followed with a double to score two more. Andy Lugo tied the game at four with an RBI single. Fellow lefty Ross Dunn went the next two innings after Lares, retiring all six hitters he faced, including three via strikeout. Brian Zeldin came on to start the seventh but back-to-back walks to start the inning were followed by a two-run triple to put Peoria back up by two. Zeldin got a strikeout before Ivran Romero was summoned and retired the next two hitters to keep his team in striking distance. The lineup did so in the bottom half. Eduardo Tait delivered a one-out single, and De Andrade followed with his 10th home run of the season to tie it back up. Zeldin had a one-two-three top of the eighth and then turned it over to Yehizon Sanchez in the ninth. Both teams went scoreless in their at-bats, sending it to extra innings. Peoria took advantage, getting an RBI single to score the ghost runner, before an RBI triple made it 8-6. Sanchez got them out of that jam, but in the bottom half the Kernels went down in order. De Andrade led the way by going 3-for-5 with the home run, scored two runs, and drove in two. Jacob McCombs (2-for-5, 2B, 2 K) and Tait (2-for-5, R) also had multiple hits. MUSSEL MATTERS Palm Beach 3, Fort Myers 9 Box Score The Mighty Mussels welcome the Palm Beach Cardinals to Hammond Stadium this week, and sent right-handed pitcher Merit Jones to the mound to kick off the series on Tuesday. Jones achieved multiple Mighty Mussels single season distinctions in his excellent five innings, climbing their career innings pitched and strikeout lists. He scattered three hits and no walks in his five innings, punching out seven. His lone run allowed was unearned due to an error in the fourth inning. He threw 74 pitches, with 48 going for strikes (65%), including 14 swings and misses. In the month of July Jones made six starts totaling 24 2/3 innings. He allowed just two earned runs on 21 hits, walked 8, and struck out 30. Sounds like a “Pitcher of the Month” to me! His lineup had his back as well. Quentin Young got them on the board in the bottom of the second with his 13th home run of the season to make it 2-0. In the bottom of the fifth they tacked on five more. Young got it started with a triple. He scored on a single from Irvin Nunez. Merphy Hernandez and Ramiro Dominguez each followed with a double. Jayson Bass added the exclamation with his 13th homer, making it 7-1 Mighty Mussels. Relievers Billy Oldham (1 IP, 2 BB, K), Brent Francisco (2/3 IP, H, 2 R (1 ER)), and Mike McKenna (2 1/3 IP, H, BB, 3 K) held it down for the final four innings to give Jones his fifth win of the season. In the bottom of the eighth JP Smith II added a pair of insurance runs with his 12th home run of the season to make the final of 9-3. Young led the way with three hits in four at-bats, scoring two runs and driving in two. Dominguez (1-for-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K), Bass (1-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI, 2 K), and Smith II (1-for-3, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K) each drove in a pair of runs. Emmanuel Rodriguez got the start in center field and batted second in the lineup in the first game of his rehab assignment. He played the first five innings and finished 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Twins 6, DSL Rangers Red 7 Box Score Down 6-1 heading into the seventh inning, the Twins made a valiant comeback to tie it up, before falling by one run to the Rangers Red squad. Fernando Hernandez got the start as an opener, and struck out one in a one-two-three first inning. Juan Collado (3 2/3 IP, 3 H, 4 R (1 ER), BB, 4 K) and Agustin Campusano (3 1/3 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, K) then each went three-plus innings to finish it out, but each allowed multiple runs. The Twins got on the scoreboard first in the top of the third. Jendy Martinez drew a walk, stole second base, and advanced to third on a throwing error. Jhon Gonzalez then delivered an RBI single to make it 4-1. The Rangers broke through against Collado in the fifth, thanks in part to a pair of errors which meant just one of his runs in the frame were earned. The Rangers took a 6-1 lead in the sixth against Campusano. In the top of the seventh the Twins loaded the bases with one out before an error allowed two runs to score. A balk brought in a third run as the closed the deficit to two. In the top of the eighth Martinez hit his first professional home run to tie the game at six, a two-run shot. In the bottom half it was a walk and a double against Campusano that put the Rangers back in front for good. Both teams had just five hits, but also combined for 14 walks (10 from the Twins) and eight errors (3 from the Twins). In addition to his first homer, Martinez also drew three walks and scored three runs to lead the way. Luis Duarte finished 1-for-2 and drew three walks as well. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Merit Jones, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (W, 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 ER), 7 K) Hitter of the Day – Quentin Young, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (3-for-4, 2 R, 3B, HR, 2 RBI, K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul): 2-for-3, R, 2B, 2 BB, SB (10) #3 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul): 0-for-5, 2 K #4 - OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (Rehab w/Fort Myers): 0-for-3, 2 K #7 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-5, R #11 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul): 0-for-4 #15 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Wichita): 0-for-4, 2 K #17 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Fort Myers): 3-for-4, 2 R, 3B (4), HR (13), 2 RBI, K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Omaha (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Trent Baker (3-3, 6.29 ERA) Wichita @ Springfield (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP Preston Johnson (0-3, 4.99 ERA) Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Kolten Smith (0-2, 4.09 ERA) Palm Beach @ Fort Myers (6:05 PM CDT) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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By my tracking they landed under their pool by about 120K. (Remember, rounds 11-20 don't count against the pool unless they're signed for over 150K, and only the overage is applied to the pool) Edit: I'm not going to look into where the difference in numbers comes from, but the tracker here is the only place I see as them going over their pool. It would be a welcome change if Tom is willing to go into the 5% area, though!

They won't go over their pool of dollars, at least not into the territory where any penalty happens. They are one of the teams that never has. Multiple selections toward the end of the bonus pool rounds were made to save money so they could fit in Wachsmann's number.

Generous and brief description given in the summary... 14 pitches, 7 strikes. Couple balls hit hard against him. 106 MPH single and the last out was a 400-ft flyout that Jenkins jumped to catch at the wall in dead center and lightly landed into it with his recovered shoulder. His reaction was one of "I didn't mean to do that," lol.