Steve Lein

Good call. Bad word since my intent with it conflicts with the baseball terminology.

While a pair of games got rained out, there was still plenty of action in the minor league system on Tuesday. A rising pitching prospect continued his stretch of dominance in Double-A. A Future’s-Game-Elect hitter in Triple-A continued his home run binge. The Minnesota Twins top-rated prospect also filled up the stat sheet for Fort Myers. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Andrew Morris) TRANSACTIONS Down in Florida, the Mighty Mussels sent RHP Kyle Bloor to the FCL Twins on a rehab assignment. He made the start on Tuesday morning with them. Preseason waiver claim, RHP Zack Weiss, came off the 60-day injured list last week and began a rehab assignment. Today, this assignment was transferred from the FCL Twins to Fort Myers. SAINTS SENTINEL Gwinnett 2, St. Paul 5 Box Score Veteran Randy Dobnak took the bump for the Saints on Tuesday and was very effective, if a bit inefficient. His only run allowed came after he was hit in the calf by a 105 MPH liner in the top of the third inning. He shook it off and finished five innings to pick up his seventh win of the season. He allowed just one run on five hits and a walk, while striking out two. His pitch count did get high at 92 in those innings, with 56 going for strikes (61%). The Saints went marching in the second inning, with Patrick Winkel and Brooks Lee wanting all their numbers for the game. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. and Diego Castillo led off the inning with consecutive walks, before Winkel drove them both in with a double. Alex Isola then drew a walk to put two men on before a pair of strikeouts brought Lee to the plate. He did as he has been doing, and launched his seventh home run of the season making it 5-0. The offense went quiet from there, as they were outhit 9-6 as a team, but the damage had been done as the color guard of relievers locked it down after Dobnak’s exit. Ronny Henriquez gave up one run on two hits in two innings, but struck out five. Jeff Brigham worked around a pair of walks in a scoreless eighth. Nick Wittgren then picked up his second save with a scoreless ninth, allowing two hits and striking out one. Matt Wallner led the way with two hits, including a double, in four at-bats. Lee did not collect another hit in three other trips, but did plenty of damage. Edouard Julien was 1-for-4. Keirsey Jr. stole his 19th base of the season. WIND SURGE WISDOM Tulsa 2, Wichita 6 Box Score The Wind Surge took an early lead in this one and never looked back, scoring runs in four of the first five innings. They scored first in the second after Tanner Schobel led off the frame with a walk. A wild pitch moved him to third and he was able to cross the plate on a groundout. In the third inning four walks combined to lead to a pair of runs and 3-0 lead. They extended that to five in the fourth thanks to doubles from Jorel Ortega and Jeferson Morales, as well as an RBI single from Jake Rucker. In the sixth a Noah Cardenas single brought in their final run of the game. The game was never in much doubt thanks to a fantastic effort from starting pitcher Andrew Morris. He picked up his fourth win with Wichita by pitching into the seventh inning. He allowed just three hits (all singles) and no runs in his 6 1/3 innings pitched. He did walk three, but combined that with nine strikeouts to keep the Drillers from striking any oil. He threw 95 pitches, with 67 going for strikes (71%), including a double-A leading 20 swings and misses on the day. Since giving up five runs in a start for the Kernels on April 17th, Miller has made 11 starts split between Cedar Rapids and Wichita, totaling 62 1/3 innings. He’s allowed just eight earned runs, walked twelve, and struck out 63 in that time. Good for a 1.16 ERA and .470 OPS against. Jared Solomon pitched into the eighth, and was charged with both of Tulsa’s runs in the game. In one inning pitched he gave up those two runs on two hits and two walks. He struck out one. Taylor Floyd then got them to the ninth, but an error and hit-by-pitch prompted Ramon Borega to go back to the bullpen before it got out of hand. Floyd allowed one hit and struck out one. Cody Laweryson got the final two outs to ensure the victory. The Wind Surge had only seven hits on the game, but paired those with seven walks. Morales (2-for-3, R, 2B, RBI, BB, K) and Cardenas (2-for-2, RBI) each had two hits. Luke Keaschall finished 1-for-4 with a double and two strikeouts. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities, Postponed - Rain (Makeup on July 3rd) The rain just won’t stop battering the Midwest, and the Kernels and River Bandits tilt fell victim to it on Tuesday. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader tomorrow, with the first game beginning at 4:30 PM. Both games will be shortened to seven-inning contests. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 6, Bradenton 4 Box Score The Mighty Mussels lineup and bullpen combined to outlast the Marauders on Tuesday, getting a victory on the road to improve to three games above .500 on the season. It also put them at 8-2 in the second half, which is the best record in the Florida State League. They put three runs on the scoreboard in the second inning. Wilfri Castro got it started with a one-out double. Ryan McCarthy followed him with a double to put two runners in scoring position. Angel Del Rosario brought their first run of the game in with a single and moved to second on a throw home. Walker Jenkins then followed with a two-run single to make it 3-0. Starting pitcher Ricky Castro gave all three of those runs back in the bottom of the inning, but went on to finish five innings. In total, he allowed four earned runs on four hits and five walks, while striking out seven. He picked up his third win of the season. The Mussels pushed across a single run in each of the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings to reach their total of six. In the fourth it was four walks to Jenkins, Isaac Pena, Daniel Pena, and Yohander Martinez. In the fifth McCarthy led off with a walk, stole second base, and was moved to third with sac bunt before he was able to score on an Isaac Pena groundout. Jenkins also drew another walk and stole a base in the frame. In the sixth Carlos Aguiar doubled and was brought in by a single from McCarthy to cap their scoring. After Castro’s exit, the bullpen trio of Wilker Reyes (IP, H, 2 K), the rehabbing Zack Weiss (IP, H), and Nolan Santos (2 IP, 3 K) kept the Marauders from breaching any gates with four scoreless innings combined. McCarthy (2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, RBI, 2 BB, SB) and Del Rosario (2-for-4, R, RBI) each had two hits from the bottom of the lineup to lead the way. Jenkins finished 1-for-3 with a run scored, two RBI, three walks, and stole his first two bases of the season with the Mighty Mussels. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Pirates 3, FCL Twins 4 Box Score Making the start for the Twins FCL squad on Tuesday morning was right-hander Kyle Bloor, on a rehab assignment from the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. As he is listed as a relief pitcher, he only threw one inning. A walk and a double led to a run for the Pirates, but that would be all and he picked up a strikeout. Joel Garcia then was given the “piggy-backer” role and went the next five innings. He was charged with two earned runs on three hits and struck out four. The Twins scored their first run of the game in the third to tie it at one. Dameury Pena led off with a single. He advanced to second on a ground out from Bryan Acuna. Two batters later, he scored on a single from Jayson Bass. They tacked on their other three runs in the sixth. Bass started the rally with a one-out walk. Javier Roman put multiple ducks on the pond with a single. With two outs, Ariel Castro cashed them and himself in with an inside-the-park home run to put them ahead 4-3. Cleiber Maldonado shut the door in the final inning, ending the game with a strikeout. Pena (2-for-3, R) and Castro (2-for-3, R, HR, 3 RBI, K) had multiple hits in the win. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Rangers Red @ DSL Twins, Postponed - Rain (Makeup on July 10th) The DSL Twins were also rained out on Tuesday and will be back in action on the Fourth of July against the DSL Rockies on the road. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Andrew Morris, Wichita Wind Surge (6 1/3 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 9 K) Hitter of the Day - Walker Jenkins, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (1-for-3, R, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 2 SB) PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 – Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) – 1-for-3, R, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 2 SB #2 – Brooks Lee (St. Paul) – 1-for-4, HR (7), 3 RBI, K #8 – Austin Martin (Minnesota) – Pinch ran in the 8th inning. #9 – Luke Keaschall (Wichita) – 1-for-4, 2B, 2 K #13 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 0-for-2, R, RBI, 2 BB, K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Gwinnett @ St. Paul (6:07 PM CDT) - RHP Caleb Boushley (8-2, 3.48 ERA) Tulsa @ Wichita (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP Zebby Matthews (2-1, 1.75 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:00 PM CDT) - RHP Jeremy Lee (1-3, 4.76 ERA) Fort Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 PM CDT) - LHP Ross Dunn (1-1, 4.84 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! View full article

I said this last week, that if Lee started playing another position, that his callup may be imminent... He's played 2B and 3B in his past two games... And also, his RH OPS is now higher than his LH OPS... and it's over 1.000 combined. 🤔

I laughed at that, too! I was like, did you not see the bat toss?! He knew he got it. Though I will say the ball was flying a lot further than one might expect. Lot of deep fly outs and stuff off the wall from both teams.

The St. Paul Saints continued their recent binge of home runs down in Iowa on Tuesday, with another blast from a top prospect putting them ahead for good. Wichita had a lead multiple times, but would need a comeback to end it that way. Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers had trouble stringing any hits together, and the FCL Twins weren’t able to finish even half of their doubleheader. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of Brooks Lee) TRANSACTIONS Before any action on Tuesday the Minnesota Twins recalled RHP Ronny Henriquez from the St. Paul Saints. The Saints also assigned LHP Aaron Rozek back to the Wichita Wind Surge. Down in the Florida State League, C Daniel Pena was activated from the 7-day injured list for the Mighty Mussels, and C Cole Elvis was sent back to the FCL Twins. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 6, Iowa 5 Box Score These two teams combined for 11 runs in this one, with eight of them coming because of the longball, as the ball was flying down in Des Moines, IA. The Saints got home runs from the bats of Will Holland (two-run shot) and Brooks Lee (solo) in the top of the sixth inning, with Lee’s putting them ahead 6-5. They also got “just-misses” off the bats of Tony Kemp earlier in the game (two-run double), and Yunior Severino (double) later. Kemp’s hit off the top of the wall in right-center (Iowa’s stadium has tall walls basically everywhere), and Severino’s the top of the wall down the left field line, as he caught up to a 100 MPH fastball just enough to keep it in play. Lee’s home run was his fourth in his last six games, and of note if you are worried why the Twins aren’t having him play second base…he was at third in this one. He also just makes plays and is why I don’t find moving him around to be all that necessary for him to play anywhere else on the dirt. Making the start for the Saints was right-hander Adam Plutko, and he was the victim of the Cubs long-ball parade. He gave up a lot of loud contact, and three of the six hits he allowed left the yard. In his 4 2/3 innings, he gave up five earned runs, walked one, and struck out four. Jordan Balazovic came on to get out of the fifth inning, and got them through the seventh. He allowed one hit and struck out one in 2 1/3 innings. Nick Wittgren got the final two innings to pick up his first save with the Saints. Edouard Julien (2-for-4, BB, 2 K, SB), Severino (2-for-4, R, 2B, BB), and Kemp (2-for-4, R, 2 RBI, BB) had multiple hits in the win. Over the last three weeks and 22 games, the Saints have hit 42 of their 97 home runs on the season. WIND SURGE WISDOM NW Arkansas 8, Wichita 6 Box Score Pierson Ohl looked in control of this one early, retiring the first seven Naturals hitters of the game and keeping them scoreless through three. A solo home run finally got to him in the fourth, and the fifth got even worse even though he was able to finish it. In total, Ohl was charged with four earned runs on eight hits in five innings. He didn’t walk anybody, but he also didn’t strike anybody out. While he was still on the mound, the Wind Surge had taken a couple of leads for him. In the bottom of the third Carson McCusker reached base on an error, and Luke Keaschall drove him in with a sac fly two batters later for the 1-0 lead. With the game tied in the bottom of the fourth, Aaron Sabato launched his eighth home run of the season, a two-run shot that made it 3-1. After falling behind 4-3, Wichita put up another crooked number in the sixth. Jeferson Morales led off the inning with a double before Sabato was hit by a pitch. An error off the bat of Kyler Fedko tied the game at four, and then a Noah Cardenas double put them ahead by two. Scott Engler was the first reliever summoned after Ohl’s exit, and he pitched a scoreless sixth inning. Back out for the seventh he allowed a two-run homer to again tie the game. In his two innings he gave up two hits, walked one, and struck out three. John Stankiewicz finished off the final two innings, allowing one run in each for the final of 8-6. He gave up four hits and struck out three. Wichita got a couple of baserunners in the bottom of the ninth thanks to singles from McCusker and Ben Ross, but Luke Keaschall went down swinging and Jake Rucker popped out to end the game. Morales was the only Wind Surge hitter with multiple hits in the game, going 2-for-3 with a double, walk, and pair of runs scored. Sabato and Cardenas each drove in two runners. Keaschall had an off night, picking up an RBI but also a golden sombrero in his four at-bats. KERNELS NUGGETS Beloit 7, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score The Kernels struck first and last against the Twins former affiliate, but in between it was all Snappers. Payton Eeles started off the game by reaching on an error, moved to second on a ground out, and came around to score on a Rubel Cespedes single to take a 1-0 lead after one. Starting pitcher Jordan Carr had trouble from the get go. Though his first inning was scoreless, he did have to work around a pair of walks. He wasn’t as lucky in the second, third, and fourth innings as Beloit built a 7-1 lead before his night was done. He allowed seven earned runs on nine hits and two walks in his 3 2/3 innings pitched, striking out one. The bullpen did pick him up, even if the offense wasn’t able to, finishing the game with five plus scoreless innings. Kyle Bischoff walked one and struck out two in 1 1/3 innings. Rafael Marcano went the next three innings. He allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out one. Juan Mercedes finished off the game with a scoreless ninth, allowing two hits while striking out one. Cedar Rapids scored their second run of the game in the bottom of the eighth after Eeles drew a walk and moved to second on a passed ball. He scored on a single from Ricardo Olivar. The Kernels only extra-base hit of the game came off the bat of Nate Baez. Eeles drew two walks in addition to scoring both their runs. MUSSEL MATTERS Tampa 15, Fort Myers 4 Box Score The Mighty Mussels took an early lead in this one, but just as quickly as they did so, it disappeared and turned into a rout. Walker Jenkins led off the game for the home team with a single, but got caught stealing third base later in the inning. That was too bad, as a Matt Clayton double a few batters later could have been of the bases clearing variety instead of just a two-RBI one. An Angel Rosario double in the second inning scored another run for the early 3-1 Fort Myers lead. But in the top of the third the Tarpons became the first team to really get Fort Myers starter Ricky Castro, who came into the game with a 0.00 ERA and 19 strikeouts in his first 12 professional innings. Before the third was over Tampa had taken a 5-3 lead. Castro had a one-two-three fourth inning, but back out for the fifth he wasn’t able to record an out before being pulled. In total, Castro was charged with his first seven runs (six earned) as a pro by giving up five hits (including two homers) and two walks. He did strike out four. Jack Noble got them out of the fifth but was charged with one earned run of his own. He gave up two hits, including the Tarpons third home run of the game, and struck out two. Ross Dunn was then the next victim, as the visiting team racked up six more runs while he was only able to record two outs. He allowed six hits, a walk, and struck out two. Samuel Perez went the next 2 1/3 innings, keeping the Tarpons off the board with no hits, one walk, and four strikeouts. Ben Ethridge got the final inning, allowing one run on two hits. The Fort Myers lineup got multiple hits from Byron Chourio (2-for-5, 2 R) and Isaac Pena (2-for-4, R, 2B, K). Jenkins finished 1-for-5. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Braves 1, FCL Twins 7 (5 innings) Box Score The FCL squad was meant to play a doubleheader on Tuesday, but rain cut the first game short and washed out the matinee. The Twins scored one in the first as the rehabbing Gabriel Gonzalez launched a solo home run. They took command in the third thanks to an error, an RBI double from Yilber Herrera, wild pitch, and Harold Grant RBI single for a 5-1 lead. They added another pair of runs in the fourth thanks to sac flies from Cole Elvis and Gregory Duran. Making the start for the Twins was Joel Garcia, and he went the first four innings. He allowed one earned run on three hits, while striking out three. Eider Machuca pitched their final inning, allowing two hits but no runs before the game was called. Herrera (2-for-3, R, 2B RBI) and Grant (2-for-3, 2B, RBI) led the way with two hits apiece. Jayson Bass scored two runs and stole a base. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Samuel Perez, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (2 1/3 IP, BB, 4 K) Hitter of the Day - Tony Kemp, St. Paul Saints (2-for-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB) PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 – Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) – 1-for-5 #2 – Brooks Lee (St. Paul) – 1-for-4, R, HR (5), RBI, BB #5 – Gabriel Gonzalez (rehab w/FCL Twins) – 1-for-3, R, HR (1), RBI #8 – Austin Martin (Minnesota) – game in progress #9 – Luke Keaschall (Wichita) – 0-for-4, RBI, 4 K #13 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 1-for-4, 2B, K, SB #18 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 2-for-4, R, 2B, BB #20 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-4, RBI, K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Iowa (12:08 PM CDT) - RHP David Festa (3-2, 3.77 ERA) - we have a sneaky suspicion that someone else might be starting for the Saints on Wednesday. NW Arkansas @ Wichita (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Andrew Morris (2-1, 1.71 ERA) Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Mike Paredes (1-0, 2.70 ERA) Tampa @ Fort Myers (6:05 PM CDT) - RHP Tanner Hall (0-0, 4.08 ERA) DSL Twins @ DSL Padres Brown (10:00 AM CDT) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! View full article

Wanna know who I think is one of the most overrated players in the league? Pete Alonso, LOL. I'd trade a lottery ticket for him as a rental (think Spencer Steer or Christian Encarnacion-Strand), that's about it. Definitely not someone on a top-100 list, which is both Festa and Keaschall. Putting them both in one deal is just insanity. I also don't think the Mets will be sellers, or most of the NL for that matter. There's only 2 teams that aren't within 1.5 games of the wild card (Rockies and Marlins).

All this data is really weird to look at for him, haha. His hits have basically all come on stuff out of the zone. Everything in the zone is "cold" but he's put the bat on everything, too. Only 5 swings and misses, but a ton of foul ball results. His timing just might be a tad off still, so I think the "just missing the barrel and about to break out" comment is on the money. Let's hope!

As an amendment to this comment, and to demonstrate the small sample size of this year: Lee had an .600 OPS so far this season as a RH batter after Tuesday. On Wednesday, he hit 3 doubles (all of which were like exactly the same 🤣) as a righty, and now that OPS is .875. I did and do not, at all, think his "hitting" or any perceived lack thereof as a righty was keeping him in the minors. As soon as there is a need on the Twins in the infield, I'd bet he is the guy.

Personally, I don't think he needs them. Might as well let him keep working to stay at SS (which I think he can play in MLB just fine). In my experience, it is the "fringe" guys that get moved around in the minors, not the studs. This helps them see if they can handle a utility role as that "fringe" type player. I don't see that being the case with Lee, but if this does start happening, I'd take it as a hint his promotion is imminent. He's still not hitting as a right-hander, but the lefty stroke is ready for the big lights.

Even though their game was shortened due to the rain in the Twin Cities Tuesday night, the Saints were able to pull out a victory at CHS Field thanks to the powerful bat of top prospect Brooks Lee. A starter set a career high in strikeouts to lead Cedar Rapids to a series opening victory, and a recent independent league signing also made an impact in his high-A debut. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of Brooks Lee) TRANSACTIONS The St. Paul Saints activated C Chris Williams ahead of their series opener against the Toledo Mudhens. Down in the Florida State League, the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels activated RHP Julio Bonilla from the 7-day injured list. SAINTS SENTINEL Toledo 4, St. Paul 5 (6 innings) Box Score The same rain that delayed the Twins game in Minneapolis, eventually got to the Saints and CHS Field in St. Paul, cutting this one short in the top of the sixth. Starting pitcher Adam Plutko pitched all 5 1/3 innings for the Saints, getting through five with three earned runs on six hits, two walks, and two strikeouts. He gave up a solo homer immediately before the tarp came out, accounting for his fourth run allowed and seventh hit on his ledger, so the interruption came at a convenient time. The Saints fell behind 3-0 after the top of the second, but got a two-out rally started in the bottom half. After two quick outs to start the frame, Diego Castillo put them on the board with a solo home run, his fourth of the season. Patrick Winkel (walk), Will Holland (single) and Edouard Julien (walk) then all reached base to load the bases. Brooks Lee then cleared them with a grand slam the opposite way, his second home run of the year, to put them out front 5-3. Lee (2-for-4, R, GS, 4 RBI) and Castillo (2-for-2, R, 2B, HR, RBI, BB) each had two hits. Matt Wallner and Yunior Severino each drew a walk and struck out twice in three trips to the plate. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 2, Arkansas 3 Box Score Wichita scored first in this one after Jake Rucker drew a one-out walk in the opening frame, and was driven in by a double from Jeferson Morales. Kyler Fedko followed with a single but Morales had to be held up at third base, and from there the Wind Surge had just one more hit in the game. The Travelers answered that opening salvo with two runs of their own in the bottom half against starter Cory Lewis. He walked the first batter he faced, and served up a home run to the next one, putting them down 2-1. Lewis was good from there though, working around three more hits allowed and one more walk to finish three innings. In all he surrendered those two earned runs on four hits and a pair of walks, while striking out four. He threw 61 pitches, with 36 going for strikes (59%) so his pitch did get run up a bit. Aaron Rozek came on to start the fourth inning and would go on to finish the game. In his five innings he scattered six hits, good for just one earned run, while striking out six. The Wind Surge were able to pull within one in the top of the eighth when Jorel Ortega drew a walk to lead off the inning. A pair of wild pitches later had him on third base, and Rucker brought him in with a sac fly. Unfortunately as alluded to, they weren’t able to find that needed hit after the first inning. They finished 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base for the game. Luke Keaschall (1-for-4) picked up their third and final hit in the third inning. Rucker scored a run, drove in one, and drew a walk. KERNELS NUGGETS Peoria 2, Cedar Rapids 5 Box Score The Kernels got started quickly in this one, scoring three runs over the first two innings for an early lead. A Rayne Doncon RBI single got them on the scoreboard in the first, and a Nate Baez two-run shot, his eighth of the season, made it 3-0 heading into the third inning. It stayed that way for the next four innings, as Cedar Rapids got a monumental effort from starter Christian MacLeod. He retired the first 10 Chiefs of the game before allowing a double and a walk to consecutive batters in the top of the fourth inning. He shrugged that off and proceeded to then retire the next seven to end his day. In six shutout frames, MacLeod allowed just those two baserunners, and racked up 10 total strikeouts to set a career high. He needed just 76 pitches to make it through his six innings, with 51 going for strikes (67%), including an impressive 16 swinging. Peoria certainly was happy he was lifted at that pitch count, as they finally got on the scoreboard immediately after his exit. Kyle Bischoff came on to start the seventh, and promptly gave up a single that was later followed by a two-run homer to make it 3-2 and putting MacLeod’s effort in jeopardy. He settled in though, and finished the inning with no further damage and added a scoreless eighth to keep them out front. The lineup then added some insurance in the bottom half of the eighth when Baez drew a walk and Payton Eeles was hit by a pitch. A wild pitch moved them each up a base before Kyle Hess sent a sacrifice fly into right field to score one, and a wild throw allowed Eeles to score as well and make it the final of 5-2. Gabriel Yanez pitched a one-two-three ninth, picking up his third save and striking out two. The Cedar Rapids offense was led by Doncon (2-for-4, RBI, K) and Baez (2-for-3, 2 R, HR, RBI, BB) who each collected two hits, and Eeles (1-for-2, 2 R, 3B), who was making his Midwest League debut and has been nothing short of amazing since joining the Twins organization out of the Atlantic League in early May. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 1, St. Lucie 6 Box Score The Mighty Mussels weren’t able to put together much offense on Tuesday, ending the game with just two hits on their ledger on the road in St. Lucie. One of those hits was a single from Walker Jenkins, with the other coming off the bat of Carlos Aguiar. Fort Myers did score a run in the top of the sixth, thanks to three walks and a hit by pitch that credited Yohander Martinez with an RBI. Isaac Pena drew three walks by himself, but as a team they were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base for the game. Left-hander Ross Dunn made the start and finished the first four innings. He gave up three runs in the first but settled down pretty well with three scoreless frames after that. In total he was charged with three runs on three hits and three walks, while striking out one. Jack Noble (2 IP, ER, BB, K) and Xander Hamilton (2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, BB, K) each allowed a run or more in their two innings. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 7, FCL Orioles 3 Box Score The FCL Twins utilized a big second inning to take down the Orioles Tuesday afternoon. Yasser Mercedes got the barrage started with a single and stole his 17th base of the season. Ariel Castro then followed with a single of his own. A Gregory Duran ground out scored the first run of the game, then a walk to Hendry Chivilli preceded a two-run double from Jayson Bass for a 3-0 lead. The inning continued with a run-scoring error and a walk, before an RBI single from Daniel Pena added another tally. Castro then punctuated the inning by straight stealing home for the early 6-0 lead. Joel Garcia made the start and went the first three, scoreless innings. He allowed one hit and struck out two. Eider Machuca gave up a pair of runs in his inning on one hit and a walk. He struck out one. Matt Helwig was credited with the win after his two innings. He was charged with one unearned run on one hit while striking out one. Eduardo Soriano finished the game with a scoreless frame, walking one. The Twins scored their final run in the top of the sixth after Chivilli led off the inning with a walk. He moved to second on a wild pitch, and then third on a balk before Ricardo Pena brought him in with an RBI single. Bass paced the offense with a double and single in three at bats, scoring a run and driving in two. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Twins 6, DSL Mets Orange 9 Box Score The Twins struck early in this one, taking a 3-0 after the top of the first. Their first five hitters all punched ground ball singles through the infield, with the final one from Ramiro Dominguez driving in two. They would tack on two more in the third to take a 5-0 lead, thanks to a Daiber De Los Santos RBI groundout, and RBI single from Merphy Hernandez. The pitching staff got three scoreless innings from Aaron Carranza (IP, H, 2 K) and Yoel Roque (2 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K) as they built that 5-0 lead, but Roque didn’t record an out in the fifth and the Mets pulled within one. The lineup added an insurance run in the top of the sixth on a sac fly from Dominguez, but it wouldn’t be enough to hold off the Orange squad. Sebastian Pulido (2 IP, 3 K) got them to the sixth inning, but Manuel Compres (2/3 IP, 0 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, K) and Daniel Manzueta (1/3 IP, 0 H, 2 ER, 2 BB) couldn’t find the strike zone, combining for four hit-by-pitches in addition to four walks, and this one got away. Hernandez (2-for-4, R, RBI), Eduardo Beltre (2-for-3, 2 R, BB), and Victor Leal (2-for-4, K) led the way with two hits apiece in the loss. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Christian MacLeod, Cedar Rapids Kernels (W, 6 IP, H, BB, 10 K) Hitter of the Day - Brooks Lee, St. Paul Saints (2-for-4, R, GS HR (2), 4 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 – Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) – 1-for-4 #2 – Brooks Lee (St. Paul) – 2-for-4, R, GS HR (2), 4 RBI #8 – Austin Martin (Minnesota) – 2-for-3, R, BB, K, SB (5) #9 – Luke Keaschall (Wichita) – 1-for-4 #13 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 0-for-4, 3 K #15 – Cory Lewis (Wichita) – L, 3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K #18 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 0-for-2, BB, 2 K #20 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-4, R, BB WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Toledo @ St. Paul (1:07 PM CDT) - RHP Ronny Henriquez (1-2, 3.75 ERA) Wichita @ Arkansas (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP Pierson Ohl (3-4, 5.03 ERA) Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (12:05 PM CDT) - TBD Fort Myers @ St. Lucie (12:10 PM CDT) - RHP Ricky Castro (2-0, 0.00 ERA Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday's games! View full article

Plays great defense and is a 126 OPS+ guy this season (and 125 for his career). He is a well above average player overall, and at his position (shrugs).

I watched some bad at-bats last night. Including a 3-pitch K. He was also playing 1B, and while he made a nice play on a hard grounder I remember, he also just straight up dropped a throw from Martin. Probably because he committed toward the throw way too soon from the way it looked to me.

6th round draft pick in 2023, signed for slot money as a Jr. Definitely contact-over-power guy and was thought of as one of hardest players to strike out in country in that draft. But also not a big walk guy. Should be able to stay in the infield, though maybe stretched at shortstop. Has been functioning as a super-utility guy this year, including time in center field.

While the affiliates in Florida dealt with flooding rain all day, the upper levels of the system all kicked off a new series. Top prospects in Triple-A helped their team to a win on the road, Wichita couldn’t buy a hit for most of their game, and the Kernels left a bunch of cars stranded on top of blocks in Lansing after they were done with the Lugnuts on Tuesday. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs, Twins Daily TRANSACTIONS Early in the day, the Minnesota Twins announced they were recalling RHP Louie Varland to make the “spot start" on Tuesday against the Colorado Rockies. To make room, RHP Diego Castillo was optioned back to the St. Paul Saints. Also in Triple-A, C Chris Williams was placed on the Development List, while C Jair Camargo was activated from his rehab assignment. In the Texas League, offseason prospect darling and knuckleball throwing RHP Cory Lewis was activated from the 60-day injured list. In a corresponding move RHP Jarret Whorff was sent back to Cedar Rapids. The Kernels also received RHP Ty Langenberg from the Mighty Mussels. In the Florida State League, Fort Myers was assigned recent free agent signing OF Nick Lucky, activated RHP Tomas Cleto from the 60-day injured list. Lucky was a 14th round draft pick of the Boston Red Sox in the 2018 season, but did not sign and went on to play five seasons at Coastal Carolina. He spent the 2023 season and 2024 in multiple independent leagues before signing with the Twins yesterday. In the FCL, the Twins were assigned RHP Matt Helwig and were returned OF Gregory Duran from the Mighty Mussels. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 3, Louisville 2 Box Score On the bump for the Saints was right-hander Caleb Boushley, and he was made to work through his 4 1/3 innings pitched. He was charged with just two earned runs, but they came on eight hits and a walk. He struck out three and threw 96 pitches (61 strikes). The Saints lineup tied the game at one in the top of the fourth after Brooks Lee led off the frame with his first double of the season with St. Paul. Two batters later, he came home on a sac fly from Michael Helman. In the top of the fifth, they again tied the game, this time at 2-2, after Yunior Severino led off with a single. He moved to second on a walk to Will Holland, and scored on a single from Lee. Ronny Henriquez came on for Boushley with one out in the fifth and a runner on first. He went the next 2 1/3 innings, allowing three hits but no runs, and striking out two. He was credited with the win as the Saints took the lead in the top of the seventh. Severino drew a walk. Holland put him on third with a double, and Austin Martin him home with an RBI single to center for the 3-2 lead. Nick Wittgren got the final out of the seventh before giving way to Kody Funderburk in the eighth. He pitched a scoreless inning to keep the Saints in front, walking one but striking out two. In the ninth, a pair of singles put the tying run 90-feet away with two outs. The second of those was a slow bouncer to Martin at second who made a nice play, but Edouard Julien looked like he got handcuffed by the throw at first base, and it got away from him (it was not in the dirt). After a mound visit, Funderburk got an easy fly out to center field to end the game, picking up his first save of the season at Triple-A in the process. The Saints got multiple hits from Martin (2-for-5, RBI, SB), Lee (2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI, BB, K), and Severino (2-for-2, 2 R, 2 BB). WIND SURGE WISDOM Midland 4, Wichita 2 Box Score Travis Adams took to the hill for Wichita on Tuesday, and found himself in a pitcher’s duel through the first third of the game. He retired the first eight hitters he faced, before allowing a walk, but that was it in the third inning as well. In the fourth, Midland finally strung a pair of hits together, with the second of those including an error on left fielder Tanner Schobel (just his third career game in the outfield, all coming in the past three weeks) that led to the game’s first run. Adams pitched into the sixth inning, but would leave the game responsible for two runners on base and one out. Both of those runners came around to score, so in total he was charged with three runs (two earned) on three hits and two walks in his 5 1/3 innings pitched. He racked up eight strikeouts as well. The bullpen trio of Miguel Rodriguez (1 2/3 IP, H, 2 K), Jared Soloman (IP, 3 H, ER), and Scott Engler (IP, K) finished off the rest of the game for the Wind Surge. The Wichita lineup didn’t really threaten anything until the seventh inning, when a pair of walks put their first runner in scoring position of the game. In the bottom of the eighth, they finally got something to work with. Jorel Ortega was hit by a pitch and Luke Keaschall drew a walk to get their second RISP opportunity of the night. Jake Rucker came through with an RBI single to get them on the scoreboard, and Jeferson Morales followed with an RBI single of his own to cut the RockHounds lead in half. Down 4-2 in the bottom of the ninth, Kyler Fedko drove a single into center field to bring the tying run into the batter’s box. Ortega then popped out for the second out, bringing up Keaschall. He drove a hard grounder toward the hole on the left side, but the third baseman made a nice sliding stop, spun 360 degrees around, and beat him to first base with his throw to end the game. At least according to the umpire (I think MLB replay would have overturned it). Either way, it was a solid defensive play, and Wichita still could have came up short in the end. The Wind Surge offense managed just six singles in the game, with Fedko leading the way with a pair of them in four at-bats. As a team they were 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 15, Lansing 7 Box Score The Kernels scored multiple runs in four different innings on Tuesday night, including seven in one frame that put them in command early. It’s an impressive box score from their lineup, so be sure to take a glance even after reading the rest of this recap. John Klein made the start for Cedar Rapids, and didn’t have his best stuff. The Lugnuts actually took an early lead, as a two-run triple and RBI single put them ahead 3-0 after the first inning. In the top of the third, the Kernels decided to bat around. With one out, Ricardo Olivar and Rubel Cespedes hit consecutive singles to get it started. Rayne Doncon and Austin Ruiz followed with a pair of doubles that tied the game. Then Kevin Maitan and Jose Salas went back-to-back with singles that put them out front. After a strikeout, Kyle Hess clubbed an RBI double to make it 5-3, before Jay Harry brought in two with a single to cap the inning’s scoring. Klein allowed three runs over his next two innings, and his game was finished in the middle of the fourth. In total, he went 3 2/3, and was charged with six earned runs on seven hits and four walks. He struck out three. Gabriel Yanez came on to salvage the fourth inning, and pitched into the sixth. Over his two frames, he allowed two hits and walked one, but no runs on the scoreboard. Cedar Rapids tacked on three more runs in the fifth as the first five hitters of the inning reached base. Nate Baez drove in two with a double, and a catcher interference play (the second of the inning) allowed their third run to trot home, making it 10-6 Kernels. In the top of the seventh Harry, Olivar, Cespedes, and Doncon hit consecutive singles to score two more. Then in the eighth Dalton Shuffield led off with his second home run of the year in a Kernels uniform, and Olivar added his ninth home run of the season, a two-run shot later in the inning to punctuate their offensive masterclass. Relievers Kyle Bischoff (2 1/3 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 K) and Juan Mendez (IP, H, K) finished off the final three-plus innings for the good guys. Every hitter in the Kernels lineup collected at least one hit, and everybody also reached base at least twice in the game (Hess reached a second time thanks to one of those catcher interference plays) and scored at least one run. There were six extra-base hits, they went 10-for-18 with runners in scoring position, and with all those baserunners, left only nine men on base for the game as a team. Only one batter did not collect an RBI, and nobody knocked in more than two. Total team effort domination. Olivar (4-for-6, 3 R, HR, 2 RBI, 2 K), Harry (3-for-6, 2 R, 2 RBI, K), and Cespedes (3-for-5, R, 2 RBI) had more hits than everybody else. MUSSEL MATTERS Lakeland @ Fort Myers, Postponed - Rain Rain was forecast throughout the day in the Fort Myers area, and their series opening game against the Flying Tigers was postponed due to that inclement weather early in the day. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader tomorrow, with the first pitch of game one scheduled for 3:30 PM CDT. Game 2 will not start before 7:05 PM, and both contests will be seven innings. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Pirates @ FCL Twins, Postponed - Rain As the FCL squads were set to also play in Fort Myers, their game was also postponed on Tuesday and will be made up on Thursday, June 13th as both teams were set to square off with each other again this week. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Twins 11, DSL Phillies White 2 (7 innings) Box Score The Twins took advantage of two big innings and little fight from the lineup of the Phillies, to take them down in blowout fashion Tuesday morning. The Phillies struck first in the bottom of the first, getting their two runs on two walks, an error, and a single. But they would have only four other baserunners for the rest of the game (two singles, and two more walks). The Twins racked up seven runs in the top of the second, as the first six hitters reached base before an out was recorded. A Luis Fragoza single drove in two and Daiber De Los Santos delivered a sac fly for their first three runs. A wild pitch, two run single from Yandro Hernandez, and a throwing error on a steal attempt scored the next four. Right-handed pitcher Yoel Roque got the start and went the first four innings. He was charged with two unearned runs on two hits and four walks, while striking out three. Fabian Herrera went the final three innings to pick up the win. He gave up just one single and struck out five. In the fifth inning the Twins padded their lead with four more runs. Those came on five walks, a single, an error, and four wild pitches. Yandro Hernandez (2-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, K, 3 SB) and Fragoza (2-for-3, R, 2 RBI, BB, SB) led the way with multiple hits. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Travis Adams, Wichita Wind Surge (5 1/3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K) Hitter of the Day - Cedar Rapids Kernels (20-for-44, 15 R, 4 2B, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 3 BB, 8 K) PROSPECT SUMMARY #2 – Brooks Lee (St. Paul) – 2-for-4, R, 2B (1), RBI, BB, K #8 – Austin Martin (St. Paul) – 2-for-5, RBI, K, SB #9 – Luke Keaschall (Wichita) – 1-for-3, R, 2 BB #13 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 1-for-4, K #18 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 2-for-2, 2 R, 2 BB #20 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 4-for-6, 3 R, HR (9), 2 RBI, 2 K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (11:05 AM CDT) - RHP Adam Plutko (0-1, 5.59 ERA) Midland @ Wichita (7:05 PM CDT) - LHP Aaron Rozek (2-3, 1.48 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Lansing (6:05 PM CDT) - LHP Christian MacLeod (0-1, 3.38 ERA) Lakeland @ Fort Myers, Game 1 (3:30 PM CDT) - RHP Tanner Hall (0-0, 3.72 ERA) Lakeland @ Fort Myers, Game 2 (30 min after game 1) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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Hard to mistake the "MPLS"...

Well, I'm 42 and it's obvious to me. If you've never been an NBA fan, I get it. I see Lakers stuff all the time and I'm the same as you as far as living here (I also work downtown a 10 min walk from TC/TF). Is what it is as far as those observations, I guess!

Almost spit out my coffee from a text from the fiancee pointing this out earlier this morning!!! I can see how you can invert them with perspective, but yeah....

Have seen a lot of complaints about these looking like Brewers jerseys, but I see the Minneapolis Lakers, and that should be obvious... That said, I would have gone with a green color instead of yellow. I'd figure out what the loon is eventually, but it's weird. The "MN" logo is better than their new "M". The "10,000 Lakes" on the side of the hat never should have been added. Overall, I give them a "meh." But yeah, make the "MN" the new hat logo for everything instead of the current "M."

Word I saw from Doogie is he took BP yesterday and could be back in the lineup today. Canterino's stuff is shoulder related (which is good in that it's not his elbow), but also not something quickly recovered from. Note I saw from Do-Hyoung is he could be throwing off a mound this month (was throwing at 90 feet).

If you are into top prospects returning from rehab assignments, Tuesday was your night! Unless that top prospect was Brooks Lee with the St. Paul Saints, as CHS Field was rained out. Walker Jenkins did get back into the action with Fort Myers, but it was a surging pitcher for the Mighty Mussels that pushed them to a win. The Dominican Summer League season also kicked off for the Twins’ squad. Image courtesy of William Parmeter, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (photo of Walker Jenkins) TRANSACTIONS Across the river from Target Field, SS Brooks Lee and 2B Edouard Julien officially returned to the Saints. Lee from his rehab assignment, and Julien being optioned from the Minnesota Twins to make room for 3B Royce Lewis. RHP Austin Schulfer was transferred to the development list. In addition, OF/2B Yoyner Fajardo was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Cash Considerations. He was one of the Twins minor league Rule 5 picks in December of 2022 from the Pirates organization. In the Texas League, the Wind Surge activated RHP Scott Engler, and in a corresponding move assigned RHP Mike Paredes down to Cedar Rapids. Down in Florida, Twins top prospect OF Walker Jenkins was activated from his rehab assignment and the 7-day injured list. The Mighty Mussels also transferred OF Jose Rodriguez from the 7-day to the 60-day injured list. Rodriguez had been there since May 18th with a thumb injury. SAINTS SENTINEL Syracuse @ St. Paul, Postponed - Rain The series opener for the Saints against the Mets was postponed on Tuesday, as heavy rain made its way through the Twin Cities. So Saints fans will have to wait at least another day to check out the returns of Brooks Lee and Edouard Julien. This one will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Thursday, with first pitch coming at 5:07 PM CDT. Both contests will be seven innings. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 1, NW Arkansas 10 Box Score It’s always fun to wonder which version of Jaylen Nowlin you will see on any given night, as he can be the epitome of “effectively wild” and keep opposing lineups off-balance in dominating fashion, or struggle with consistency and serve up a bunch of meatballs. This one was of that second variety, but there’s always a lot of strikeouts! The Naturals took an early 1-0 lead with a double followed by an RBI single in the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the third Nowlin got two quick outs, including a strikeout, but then the next three hitters all launched home runs to make it 4-0. Nowlin came back out for the fifth, but his day was finished after allowing a one-out single. In his 4 1/3 innings, Nowlin was charged with five earned runs on seven hits, one walk, while punching out six. The Wind Surge got their lone run in the top of the fifth, as Ben Ross led off with his third home run of the season. That was their lone extra-base hit of the game, and as a team they managed just five at-bats with runners in scoring position (going 1-for-5), and leaving eight men on base. Taylor Floyd came on in relief of Nowlin in the fifth and got them through the sixth, allowing a home run of his own, but striking out three. Cody Laweryson couldn’t get out unscathed either, surrendering four earned runs on five hits in his 1 1/3. He struck out one. Scott Engler recorded their final two outs, inducing a double-play ball to keep the Naturals from reaching a “mercy rule” lead. The Wind Surge were outhit 13-7 by the Naturals, and four home runs allowed as a pitching staff loomed large. Tanner Schobel (2-for-4, K) and Carson McCusker (2-for-4) each had two hits. Luke Keaschall finished 0-for-3 with a walk and three strikeouts. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Great Lakes 2 Box Score The Kernels got a solid effort from starter John Klein on the road on Tuesday, as he got them into the sixth inning. In his 5 1/3 he was charged with two earned runs on four hits and a walk, while striking out seven. He left the game with his team up 5-2 after surrendering a solo home run to the Midwest League’s home run leader, Chris Newell. Cedar Rapids built that lead with crooked numbers in two of their prior innings. In the fourth, Jay Harry led off with a double, and scored on a two-run shot from Rubel Cespedes, his seventh home run of the season. In the sixth the Kernels loaded the bases with a pair of walks and a single, and Dalton Shuffield cleared them with the help of the Loons defense. The misplay by their center fielder allowed all three runners to come around to score, and Shuffield ended up on third. Jordan Carr came on in relief of Klein and got them through the seventh inning. His only baserunner allowed was a walk in his 1 2/3 innings as he was credited with a hold. Gabriel Yanez finished off the final two innings to pick up the save. He gave up just one hit and struck out two, lowering his ERA on the season to 1.05. Harry’s double and Cespedes home run were the only extra-base hits of the game for the Kernels, with them totaling just six as a team. But they were 4-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left only five men on base, so they made them count. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 4, Tampa 2 Box Score Center fielder Walker Jenkins made his first appearance with the Mighty Mussels since MiLB Opening Day, after a nine-game rehab stint with the FCL Twins that started on May 20th. He was in center and batting second against the same team they were playing back when he crashed into the outfield wall. He hit .393/.417/.571 in that time with the FCL, so I’d expect him to hit the ground running back in the Florida State League, as well. Just not beginning with this game, as he finished 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts, and was pinch-hit for in the eighth inning. Despite that, Fort Myers scored the first four runs of this game, and took that 4-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning. In the second Poncho Ruiz reached on an error, and Rixon Wingrove drove him in with a double two batters later for the game’s first run. In the fourth it was Brandon Winokur’s fourth home run of the season that put them up by two. They were able to build that lead as starting pitcher Jose Olivares was again excellent. In his five innings, he scattered four singles, walked nobody, and struck out six. Of his 62 pitches, 46 went for strikes (74%), including a whopping 15 swinging strikes. He peaked at over 96 MPH with his fastball, averaging nearly 95. Spencer Bengard followed with two scoreless innings of his own, retiring all six hitters he faced, including a strikeout. The Mighty Mussels lineup added insurance runs in each of the seventh and ninth innings to push their lead to 4-0. In the seventh Byron Chourio led off with a triple (that the RF misplayed into the sun), and scored on a groundout from Isaac Pena. In the ninth Chourio drew a one-out walk, stole his ninth base of the season, and scored on a single from Pena to account for all their scoring. Xander Hamilton worked around a leadoff double in the eight to keep the Tarpons off the scoreboard, but back out for the ninth they reeled off some line against him, and those insurance runs were needed. Hamilton allowed a pair of solo home runs that made the final, but got all three outs to ensure the victory. He struck out three in his two innings. Payton Eeles (2-for-3, BB) had multiple hits from the leadoff spot and is batting .364 in his 25 games as a pro thus far. Maddux Houghton was the pinch-hitter for Jenkins, and launched a triple off the top of the wall in his lone at-bat. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 4, FCL Rays 1 (7 innings) Box Score On the mound for the Twins was RHP Eduardo Soriano, looking to reign in his bloated ERA a bit early in the season. He did so on Tuesday, holding the Rays scoreless for his three innings. He allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out three. The Twins got on the scoreboard first in the top of the fourth inning after Hendry Chivilli clubbed his fourth double of the season. That was followed by a single from Jayson Bass to drive him in for the first run, and Bass later scored on a single from Javier Roman to make it 2-0. Cleiber Maldonado came on for the Twins in the bottom of the fourth, and went the next two innings. He allowed one unearned on two hits, walked one, and struck out three to pick up the win. Devin Kirby finished off the game for the Twins, allowing no hits and striking out two in his two innings for his third save. The Twins extended their lead to 4-1 in the sixth, as the first four hitters of the inning reached base to score one, and Omari Daniel lifted a sac fly to account for the final score. Chivilli (2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, K) and Roman (2-for-3, 2 RBI) had multiple hits to lead the way. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Mets Orange 8, DSL Twins 5 (7 innings) Box Score The Mets Orange squad took an early lead and never looked back against the DSL Twins in their season opener. Starting pitcher Yoel Roque was roughed up for four earned runs in his 2 2/3 innings. He allowed four hits and walked three, but also struck out four. Eudy Garcia went the next three innings, allowing four runs of his own (three unearned) on four hits and three walks. Fabian Herrera got the final four outs, giving up just one hit, one walk, and striking out one. A Yandro Hernandez double in the fourth inning scored the Twins first run of the game, but they went to the bottom of the seventh inning down 8-1. The Twins did mount an attempt at a comeback, though. Two one-out walks and a pair of singles made it 8-3, before another walk and two more singles made it 8-5 with the tying run on base. Unfortunately, that’s where their luck ran out. Hernandez was the only Twins hitter with multiple knocks, going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. As a team the Twins had just five hits, all of which came with runners in scoring position, but had those hits in just two of their seven innings. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Jose Olivares, Fort Myers Miracle (W, 5 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K) Hitter of the Day - Javier Roman, FCL Twins (2-for-3, 2 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 – Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) – 0-for-3, 2 K #9 – Luke Keaschall (Wichita) – 0-for-3, BB, K #10 – Brandon Winokur (Fort Myers) – 1-for-4, R, HR (4), RBI, 2 K #12 – Kala’i Rosario (Wichita) – 0-for-4, K #13 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 2-for-4, K #20 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 0-for-4, 2 K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Syracuse @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CDT) - RHP Adam Plutko (0-1, 4.26 ERA) Wichita @ NW Arkansas (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP Travis Adams (2-4, 5.85 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Great Lakes (6:05 PM CDT) - LHP Christian MacLeod (0-0, 2.70 ERA) Fort Myers @ Tampa (6:05 PM CDT) - RHP Ty Langenberg (2-3, 3.56 ERA) DSL Twins @ DSL Nationals (10:00 AM CDT, completion of 6/3 postponement) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! View full article