Steve Lein

Pitching in the AFL has been especially bad the last few seasons. There aren't any top arms that get sent there unless they already missed most of the season. Andrew Painter was there in 2024 after missing both the 2023 and 2024 regular season, and actually was pretty dominant. But that did not extend into the 2025 season, or 2026 for that matter. The highest ranked pitcher this season is Jarlin Susana from the Nationals, who will be on the Rafters roster. He was put on the IL in Spring Training and finally returned to the mound about a month ago. There are probably a few really good pure reliever types on rosters, but in general nobody is sending pitching any better than the Twins are anymore without big asterisks attached.

Would be nice to see him go the Ben Ross route for sure!

I think the Twins have two legitimate catching prospects, and they are Vahn Lackey and Eduardo Tait. One is much more likely to stick than the other, but they're the ones to watch. I'd like to see them try to turn Carson Tinney into a version of Pete Alonso at 1B. Opponents basically had green lights to run on Diaw and Jimenez, not sure they can stick. It is nice to see so many guys in that consideration though.

The minor-league season has come to a close for the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, Cedar Rapids Kernels, and Wichita Wind Surge. The St. Paul Saints finish off their season this week on the road, still technically alive in playoff contention, but they need a lot of help. The “magic” number is two Saints losses or three wins from Washington's Triple-A affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings, for them to be eliminated with six games to go (the Saints hold the tiebreaker over Rochester but also trail the Indianapolis Indians in the overall standings for the 2nd half playoff spot). Rochester faces the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays to close their season, the Buffalo Bisons. TRANSACTIONS There were no transactions in the Minnesota Twins organization on Tuesday in advance of the St. Paul Saints final series of the season against the Columbus Clippers. In other prospect news, the Arizona Fall League rosters have been announced, including eight representatives from the Twins, headlined by Yasser Mercedes. Stay tuned here at Twins Daily for coverage of all things AFL for the Twins Prospects and the Salt River Rafters when their season starts on October 3rd! SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 0, Columbus 1 Box Score German Marquez made the start for the Saints against the Clippers and put together perhaps his best start since signing with the Twins organization. He scattered three hits and three walks over his five innings, allowing just a lone earned run. That came in the bottom of the second after a leadoff double, a walk, and a one-out RBI single. He retired six in a row after that before allowing his last hit of the game in the fourth and faced the minimum in the fifth after inducing a double-play ball to complete his outing. He threw 42 of his 71 pitches for strikes (59%) and struck out three. The score was just 1-0 Columbus at that point as the St. Paul lineup struggled to string anything together either. Cody Morissette singled in the second and stole second base but was left stranded. Tanner Schobel and David Banuelos hit back-to-back singles to start the third and two-out walk from Matt Wallner loaded the bases, but Gabriel Gonzalez flew out to center field to end the threat. The Cleveland Guardian’s rehabber Shawn Armstrong pitched the top of the sixth inning and struck out two in a one-two-three frame. In the top of the seventh Morissette again contributed a single and advanced to scoring position on a passed ball, but Ben Ross and Schobel went down swinging to keep the visiting team off the scoreboard. Jack Anderson took over for Marquez to start the bottom of the sixth inning and worked around a pair of singles with a double-play grounder and a strikeout to keep it within one. In the bottom of the seventh he retired the Clippers in order, including a second strikeout. Down to their last two at-bats, Banuelos again got the Saints started the right way with a leadoff single in the eighth, but a pair of smart defensive plays by the Clippers third baseman kept him at first base and turned a 5-3 double-play himself on a bit of a shift where he was positioned as a traditional shortstop. Unfortunate, as Aaron Sabato followed with a single that could have been a chance at a hit with a runner in scoring position to tie the game. Matt Wallner sent a ball to the warning track the opposite way but was caught at the base of the wall to end the inning. Anderson was back out for the bottom of the eighth and kept it rolling. He again retired the Clippers one-two-three, giving the Saints lineup their final chance to overcome a one-run deficit. Again, they got the leadoff man on base, as Gabriel Gonzalez led off with a single. Kala’i Rosario was up next and hit one 106.6 MPH, but into the ground and turned into a double-play ball to bring them to their last out. Morissette worked another good at-bad, but his ground ball toward second on the seventh pitch was an easy throw to first to end the game at 1-0. The Saints outhit the Clippers 7-5, but the only extra-base hit of the game was a big one, giving the Clippers a leadoff man in scoring position, and they were able to get a hit in that situation, finishing 1-for-7. St. Paul went 0-for-7 and left six men on base. Morissette (2-for-4, K, SB) and Banuelos (2-for-3, K) both finished with a pair of singles, but as a team they drew just one walk and struck out 11 times. In slightly positive news, the Rochester Red Wings lost to Buffalo, but the Saints could be eliminated from playoff contention tomorrow. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Jack Anderson, St. Paul Saints (3 IP, 2 H, 3 K) Hitter of the Day – Cody Morissette, St. Paul Saints (2-for-4, K, SB) 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 (Minnesota): did not play #3 - SS Kaelen Culpepper (Minnesota): 0-for-3, K #6 - OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (Minnesota): 2-for-3, 2B(1), RBI #9 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul): 1-for-4, K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Syracuse @ St. Paul (6:37 PM CDT) - LHP Aaron Rozek (3-6, 4.50 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s game! View full article

Not a decision to be made today, as one guy is already on his way to "proving it" in the majors, while the other has only "proven it" so far in Double-A. However, as someone who has watched them both plenty in the minors, Houston is unquestionably the better overall defender at short. Yes, Culpepper has a great arm, and it's the better of the two, but that's not the only place a difference can be made in how good of a defender you might be at the position (and it's not like Houston has a noodle arm, his is also good). Houston has as good if not better range. He has much softer hands, and his actions are the quicker and more fluid of the two. When you think about timing of fielding a ball, making a throw, and beating runners for the out, it's literal tenths of a second. While Culpepper's throw might travel the distance of the throw slightly faster, if Houston is getting to it a tenth of a second quicker, and releasing the ball a tenth of a second quicker, guess who's ball is reaching first base a tenth of a second quicker? I don't think arm strength should be a determining factor in any fashion in this debate. If Houston proves he's ready for the majors, he will move Culpepper off short. At this point in time (Culpepper could make further improvements) I don't think it's all that close of a call. Then there is the idea that the same argument can be made for Culpepper moving to second as is being argued here in regards to Houston.

Whatever adjustment/development he's had in the past year is certainly producing dividends. The power increase is very notable, but as a corner outfield prospect that was drafted as a senior from a big baseball college, he's kind of meeting expectations more than drastically exceeding them, I think. He's been on the fringe of my top 20 votes, and would likely be in them if I were making another vote today. This is certainly an extended run of elite performance though, so I also am by no means counting that out. K-rate is solid (my barometer is less K's than games played, and he's comfortably under that on the season), but the walk rate has lagged quite a bit in Double-A. He's getting by with hits, which I will not complain about, but those are less trustworthy as predictors as prospects advance toward the majors. At this point he'd be in the same type of future role and tier as guys like Kyler Fedko, Carson McCusker, Gabriel Gonzalez, and Kala'i Rosario. Might find a role, but being a corner-only guy limits the opportunity unless he keeps crashing through it. All that being said, he should probably run away with any "Breakout" prospect award. 😀

Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Caden Kendle) TRANSACTIONS Minnesota Twins OF Austin Martin was sent on a rehab assignment with the St. Paul Saints. He slotted in as the designated hitter and batted second in the lineup to start their game. RHP Yehizon Sanchez was assigned to the Wichita Wind Surge from the Cedar Rapids Kernels to bolster their pitching staff. This will be his second stint with the Wind Surge this season, as he made four appearances with them in early June before being returned to the Kernels. SAINTS SENTINEL Syracuse 5, St. Paul 4 Box Score With the St. Paul Saints clinging to a faint playoff hope to begin their final home series of the season, they sent right-hander Ricky Castro to the mound Tuesday against the Syracuse Mets at CHS field on Tuesday night. The Mets didn’t waste any time against him. A leadoff walk and stolen base put the first batter of the game in scoring position, and the second drove him in with an RBI single and very early 1-0 deficit for the Saints. Castro responded with a one-two-three top of the second, but although he finished four innings total, allowed further damage in each of the third and fourth frames. In the third it was another RBI single, and in the fourth it was back-to-back homers from #OldFriend Billy Amick and Vidal Brujan that made it 4-0 Syracuse. Amick’s blast was his 36th on the season, which ranks top five in all of the minor leagues this season. The St. Paul lineup was finally able to muster a rally in the bottom of the fifth. After a nifty diving stop and shovel to start a double play in the top half, Tristan Gray started the bottom half with a single to right. After a pair of outs Emmanuel Rodriguez was hit by a pitch before the rehabbing Austin Martin sent a liner into center field for their first run of the game. Matt Wallner led off the bottom of the sixth by getting plunked by a pitch, and Aaron Sabato followed with a single to put multiple runners on. A wild pitch moved each of them up a base and then a pair of groundouts from Cody Morrissette and Gray each scored a run to close the Mets lead to one run. The Saints bullpen stabilized the middle innings after Castro’s exit, with C.J. Culpepper being the first arm summoned to start the fifth inning. Despite allowing a single and walking a pair of batters, he kept his inning clean by inducing an inning ending double-play ball shown above. Matt Bowman was next and was perfect over the next two frames, striking out four. Marco Raya added a scoreless eighth inning to keep the score at 4-3 going into the bottom of the eighth. With one out, Wallner sent a deep fly ball the other way toward the line and it was just too long of a run for the left-fielder, who wasn’t able to corral it, allowing him to walk into second base with a double. Two batters later Morissette did the same thing to the right-fielder, though he hit a liner instead of a fly ball that caromed off the glove and kept rolling toward the fence. Wallner came around to tie the game at four and put the go-ahead run in scoring position. Unfortunately, the Saints committed a gaffe in strategy in my opinion after that with a double-steal attempt. The Mets catcher kept a keen eye between the runners and opted to throw down Gray at second base easily to end the inning and the threat. In the top of the ninth the Saints sent out Julian Merryweather looking to continue the bullpen’s success. With one out Brujan drew a walk and then stole second base to give the Mets a chance. A two-out double brought then gave the Mets back a one run lead going into the final half inning. Jake Rucker led off by striking out, and the hot-home-run-hitting Kala’i Rosario was brought in to pinch hit for number nine hitter Noah Cardenas. He grounded out to the pitcher for out number two, bringing up Emmanuel Rodriguez as their last chance. He jumped on the first pitch down the middle of the plate, but chopped it to first baseman for the final out. Seven of the nine hitters in the Saints lineup collected a hit in this one, but because they totaled only seven hits, that means none of them had multiple knocks. Wallner led the way with a double, two runs scored, a walk, and was hit by a pitch. Morissette drove in two runs. Martin finished 1-for-4 with an RBI in the first game of his rehab. With 11 games left to play in the season, the Saints trail the top second-half International League team, the Rochester Red Wings, by three games. Only the first-half and second-half leaders receive playoff spots in the International League, with the winner of their three-game playoff series facing off against the Pacific Coast League counterparts in a Triple-A-winner-takes-all championship game to end the minor league season. WIND SURGE WISDOM Frisco 2, Wichita 8 Box Score Unlike their Triple-A teammates, the Wichita Wind Surge unfortunately are not in playoff contention in the Texas League. They finished last in their division in the first half of the season, and as it comes to a close are fighting to stay out of the position in the second half with their final series against the Frisco RoughRiders, who clinched a playoff spot in the first half. They sent the speed-knuckleballing Cory Lewis to the bump in game one, and he did his part over the first four innings. After allowing a leadoff single to end a no-hit bid before it even started, Lewis struck out the next two hitters he faced before getting a groundout to end the inning. He retired the side in order in the second, including two strikeouts, before serving up a two-run homer to top 10 prospect in baseball, Sebastian Walcott in the third. This gave the RoughRiders a brief 2-1 lead, but it was also the only runs they would get in the game. The Wind Surge struck first in the bottom of the opening frame thanks to the enflamed bat of Caden Kendle. His solo home run was his 10th with Wichita. After Frisco took the lead in the third, Kendle again sheathed his bat in fire before taking a swing for his 11th to put Wichita back in front for good 4-2. The offense tacked on three more in the fourth thanks to singles from Kyle DeBarge and Jaime Ferrer, followed by a double from Graham Brown and two-run single from Marek Houston. They added their eighth run in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI single from Brown. After Lewis finished the first four innings Hunter Gregory pitched a scoreless fifth inning to be credited with the win. In this day’s “quirks of stat lines” entry, Gregory allowed two hits and walked two batters but did not allow a run as Walcott apparently attempted to steal home with the bases loaded…but didn’t. Right-hander Sam Armstrong came on for the sixth and finished out the game with an excellent four innings for his first save of the season. He scattered three singles and struck out five to close it out. Kendle (2-for-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI, K), Brandon Winokur (2-for-4, K, 2 SB), DeBarge (2-for-4, 2 R), Ferrer (2-for-4, R, RBI, BB), and Brown (2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI) each had two hits in the win. KERNELS NUGGETS The Cedar Rapids Kernels endured a woeful 2026 campaign, finishing the season with a 48-82 overall record, easily the worst in the Midwest League. Over a 162-game season that is a 60-win pace. They fared much better in the first half of the season, finishing 31-33, but that means they didn’t even win 20 games in the second half. While their overall hitting ranked in the middle to lower-half of the Midwest League, it was their pitching that stood out the most as a contributor. Their 6.38 ERA as a team was worst in the circuit by 0.68 points and their .270 batting average against also ranked last. Among players with at least 200 at-bats, Eduardo Tait led the team with 22 home runs and 73 RBI on the season. Marek Houston paced the squad with a .325 batting average. .406 on-base-percentage, and .461 slugging percentage before he was promoted to Wichita. As far as pitchers with more than 40 innings on the season, Riley Quick’s 4.14 ERA led the way. Ivran Romero led the staff with 87 strikeouts in 77 1/3 innings. MUSSEL MATTERS The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels had a strong first half of the season, finishing 37-28, but that was only good for second in their division, so they missed out on clinching a playoff spot. In the second half they finished 31-32 and well out of contention. So, despite being one of four teams to finish the year with an overall record above .500, they miss out on the Florida State League playoffs. The Mighty Mussels offense ranked pretty highly among their FSL peers in team hitting categories, leading the league in stolen bases and on-base percentage. They ranked top three in runs, home runs, walks, batting average, and slugging percentage. The pitching staff also fared well in the league as a whole, posting a top three ERA, limiting walks, and allowing the fewest home runs in the league. With 200 at-bats as the baseline, the Mighty Mussels were led in home runs by JP Smith and Quentin Young with 15. Young had 54 RBI. Luis Fragoza led the way in batting average (.322) and slugging percentage (.607). Standouts on the pitching side included Merit Jones (5-1, 3.56 ERA, 102 K, 93 2/3 IP), Michael Hilker (6-2, 2.75 ERA, 64 K, 52 1/3 IP), and Reed Moring (1-1, 2.60 ERA, 56 K, 52 IP). TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Matt Bowman, St. Paul Saints (2 IP, 4 K) Hitter of the Day – Caden Kendle, Wichita Wind Surge (2-for-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 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 (Minnesota): 0-for-3, K #3 - SS Kaelen Culpepper (Minnesota): 0-for-3, 2 K #4 - SS Marek Houston (Wichita): 1-for-4, R, 2 RBI, BB #6 - OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul): 0-for-4, K #12 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Wichita): 2-for-4, K, 2 SB (10) #13 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (Wichita): 0-for-3, R WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Syracuse @ St. Paul (6:37 PM CDT) - RHP German Marquez (0-2, 5.68 ERA) Frisco @ Wichita (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP Preston Johnson (1-3, 3.86 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! View full article

Kernels having a weird week. Fall behind big, come back to take the lead each time, then lose it in the end. In true baseball fashion, wouldn't surprise me if their game today is 0-0 after nine 😅

Yeah that's kind of what I was getting at. Similar issue for most pitching prospects, and one likely exacerbated a bit by this fact. I love his stuff for sure!

Tinney showed off the canon on those two throws. He definitely has the arm. Not a two-homer night for lackey. 2 singles, 2 walks, and the homer. I liked him coming through in the eighth with the bases loaded, two outs, and a 3-2 count. I will note the Captains manager was ejected because of pitches #2 and #5 here... Quick definitely can have consistency issues, but I chalk that up to being a first year professional. What I liked to see in this one is he was able to reset himself and not let it fully snowball.

Great debut in CR for Lackey! But four hits and four RBI gave JP the edge. Could have probably given it to the entire lineup!

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)."