Steve Lein

I am a believer in Martin. Yeah, he may not hit for HR power, but I think the Twins need a lot less of the all-or-nothing three-outcome-approaches from their hitters. It is maddening at times the slumps that teamwide approach contributes to, and it's why this team has been scorching-hot or ice-cold. No consistency. Also, Martin made this play yesterday:

Even though he’s not a prospect anymore, Royce Lewis led a trio of young hitters continuing their trek’s back to their respective levels on Tuesday. Lewis played his third game for the Saints, Brooks Lee moved up to Hammond Stadium, and Walker Jenkins stayed on the back fields of the Lee County Sports Complex. Zebby Matthews also made his fourth start with the Wind Surge, while Luke Keaschall made his Wichita debut. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Zebby Matthews) TRANSACTIONS We heard about it more than 24 hours earlier, but officially Kody Funderburk was optioned to the Saints. The Twins selected the contract of veteran RHP Diego Castillo from the Saints. Josh Winder was reinstated from the 60-Day IL and optioned to St. Paul. RHP Jay Jackson cleared waivers and was outrighted to the Saints. RHP Jeff Brigham was activated from the 7-Day IL. Also before Game 1 on Tuesday, the Saints put 2B/OF Yoyner Fajardo and RHP Austin Schulfer were transferred to the development list. After their first game on Tuesday, Schulfer was added back to the roster, and LHP Caleb Baragar were placed on the 7-day injured list. Down in Fort Myers, SS Rafael Cruz was released (Yes, Oneil Cruz's brother), while recent signees 1B Rixon Wingrove and OF Ryan McCarthy were assigned to the Mighty Mussels. RHP Mitch Stone was released from the FCL Twins roster. SAINTS SENTINEL Game 1: St. Paul 2, Rochester 6 (7 innings) Box Score In the early game of their doubleheader, Royce Lewis batted second in the lineup and played third base. On the mound for the Saints was right-hander Randy Dobnak, and he struggled to limit baserunners throughout his outing. He allowed single runs in each of the second, third, and fourth innings, before the Red Wings tagged him for three in the fifth to chase him. In total, Dobnak was charged with six earned runs on eight hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out just one, gave up two home runs, and just 44 of his 80 pitches went for strikes (55%). St. Paul finally got some offense going in the sixth inning, but it was too little too late. Austin Martin got it started with a one-out single, and a few batters later Michael Helman drove him in with an RBI single. Matt Wallner followed with an RBI double to make it 6-2 and that was that. Besides that inning, the Saints managed just two other hits on the game. In fun box score irregularities, the teams combined to strike out just three times total in the game. After Dobnak’s exit, Hobie Harris finished off the final 1 2/3, allowing two hits and walking one. In his three trips to the plate Lewis grounded into a double-play, beat out another potential double-play ball to first, and flew out to left. Martin led the way with two hits in his three trips out of the leadoff spot. Diego Castillo added a double to the effort. Game 2: Rochester 1, St. Paul 4 (7 innings) Box Score In their makeup game of a postponement from back on April 28th, the Saints played as the home team in the Minnesota Twins’ former affiliates stadium. Lewis did not play in this one. The Red Wings struck first against Saints starter Caleb Boushley, as a pair of singles put runners on the corners in the first. A ground ball allowed one to score, but that would be it for the “visiting” team against Boushley. He went on to finish five strong innings, allowing just the one run on three hits and a pair of walks, while striking out five. St. Paul got that run back in the bottom of the first, as Austin Martin and Michael Helman led off the game with singles. Matt Wallner reached base on an error to load the bases, before Yunior Sevirino grounded into a double play that tied it at one. They also added singles runs in the third, fourth, and fifth innings to make the final score of 4-1. Wallner launched his sixth home run with the Saints leading off the third to put them out front. Martin drove in Anthony Prato with a sac fly in the fourth. Four walks in the fifth allowed their fourth run to score. Josh Winder came on in the sixth and shut the Red Wings down for the final two innings. He allowed two hits and struck out three, throwing 19 of 26 pitches for strikes. The Saints only managed to match their hit total from game one, with just five in game two as well, but their pitching limited the Red Wings to just five hits as well. The teams combined to go 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position. Wallner finished 1-for-2 with two runs scored, the home run, and a walk. Martin and Prato each had one hit and scored a run. WIND SURGE WISDOM Springfield 2, Wichita 1 Box Score It was a pitcher’s duel in Wichita, with rising prospect Zebby Matthews pulling his weight for the Wind Surge. For the first four innings the Cardinals couldn’t get anything going against him, as he scattered just two singles and a walk, picked off a runner, and induced a double-play ball. The Wind Surge had just as little luck against Springfield’s starter through the first three innings, with a Joel Ortega double resulting in their only threat. But in the fourth a pair of leadoff walks and a wild pitch put two runners in scoring position with nobody out. With one out, Noah Cardena’s grounder found the middle, and one run was able to come home, but that was all Wichita could muster. As for Matthews, the fifth inning got away from him just enough for the Cardinals. Two singles around a strikeout put runners on the corners, and a balk allowed their first run of the game to tie it. Another single moved a runner to third, and the visitors took the lead on a groundout. Matthews’ night was done after those five innings and 75 pitches (55 for strikes), and ended up allowing two earned runs on five hits and one walk, while striking out four, for his final line. Jarret Whorff came on for the sixth, and went the next 2 1/3 innings. He allowed four hits and two walks, but no runs, while striking out four, including all three outs in the seventh. Whorff was bailed out a bit by John Stankiewicz in the eighth, who came on with one out and the bases loaded and got two outs to keep the Cardinals from extending their lead. Stankiewicz added a scoreless ninth to give the home team a chance in the bottom half, but it wasn’t meant to be as they went down in order. Situational hitting, or lack thereof, was the story for the Wind Surge in this one as they had plenty of opportunity going 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position, and leaving eight men on base. Luke Keaschall, in his Double-A debut, batted leadoff and went 2-for-4 with a double, the only hitter with multiple knocks in the game. Of their six hits as a team, four of them were doubles, but that lack of anything else did them in. Kala’i Rosario drew two walks in four plate appearances. KERNELS NUGGETS Lake County 8, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score The top team from each division of the Midwest League kicked off their series in Cedar Rapids, IA on Tuesday, with the East team taking the opening game. John Klein made the start for the Kernels and slogged his way through the first four-plus innings. He allowed single runs in the first, second, and third, and would end up with two more charged to him in the fifth. In all, he allowed five earned runs on eight hits and four walks, striking out three. He needed 82 pitches to make it through two hitters in the fifth, both of which he walked to end his outing. Juan Mercedes entered the game after that, and gave up a sac fly then two-run home run to account for all of Klein’s, and his own, runs allowed. Mercedes finished off the fifth and added a scoreless sixth. Juan Mendez (2 IP, BB, K) and Sheldon Reed (1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, K) finished off the game for the bullpen. The Kernels got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second after Austin Ruiz led off with a double. Jose Salas followed with a bunt attempt and the throw went wide, allowing Ruiz to score. Their second and final run came in the seventh thanks to Misael Urbina. He led off by drawing a walk, stole second base, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a sac fly from Nate Baez. The Kernels were outhit 13-6 on the night, were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, and left eight men-on-base for the game. Ruiz led the way with two hits in four at-bats. Urbina’s stolen base was his ninth of the season. MUSSEL MATTERS Bradenton 2, Fort Myers 5 Box Score After hitting .450/.476/.550 in five rehab games in the FCL, SS Brooks Lee moved up to the Florida State League to continue his rehab assignment this week. He batted second, and played shortstop on Tuesday. The Mighty Mussels took the lead in their first at-bat when Payton Eeles led off the game with a single. Lee moved him to second with a groundout before Brandon Winokur drove him in with his 11th double of the season for the 1-0 lead. Newcomer Rixon Wingrove then singled in his first Fort Myers at-bat to drive in Winokur and make it 2-0 early. In the second inning, the Mighty Mussels added two more thanks to an RBI-triple from Eeles followed by a wild-pitch that allowed him to saunter home himself. On the bump for the home team was right-hander Ty Langenberg and he pitched into the sixth inning. He would be charged with two earned runs in his 5 2/3 innings, picking up his second win of the season for his efforts. He allowed four hits, walked three, and struck out eight. Reliever Aaron Holiday got Fort Myers out of the sixth and started the seventh, but three walks out of the four hitters he faced put an end to his outing after just one out. Nolan Santo pitched the final three innings to pick up his third save, allowing one hit, one walk, and striking out five. Fort Myers put their fifth run on the scoreboard in the fourth inning, when Winokur drove in Eeles (who had walked and stole a base) with a single. Eeles finished 2-for-4 with three runs scored, a triple, RBI, walk, and two stolen bases. Newcomers Wingrove and Ryan McCarthy each had two hits in their debut with the Mighty Mussels. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 8, FCL Orioles 9 (7 innings) Box Score The FCL Twins built a big lead heading into the final inning, with crooked numbers in both the second and fourth innings. Down 1-0 heading to the second, the Twins were able to take advantage of three consecutive walks, getting a 2-RBI single from Moises Lopez, and a sac fly from Walker Jenkins that made it 3-1. In the fourth they expanded their lead to 7-1 after putting together a two-out rally. Ricardo Pena led off the inning with a double, but that was followed by two quick outs that seemed destined to limit any damage. Yilber Herrera drew a walk, and an error on a pickoff attempt gave them more life. Lopez again delivered a two-run single, before Jenkins launched a double to bring him home. Another error off the bat of Yasser Mercedes allowed Jenkins to score their fourth run of the inning before an Orioles pitching change got them out of the inning. Starting pitcher Adrian Bohorquez continued his early season success, allowing just one earned run on three hits in his four innings. He walked none and struck out five. The Twins added one more insurance run in the sixth, on a bases loaded single from Harold Grant. They probably wish they could have taken better advantage of that situation however, as one wasn’t enough. Anthony Narvaez relieved Bohorquez to start the fifth, and he got through the sixth allowing just one run. But in the seventh, pretty much everything went off the rails. While he did record two outs amongst them, five singles and two walks later had the Orioles down by just one with two runners on base, and Ezequiel Ventura came into the game. A wild pitch put both runners in scoring position, and the Twins were walked off by a single that brought them both in and erased their six run lead. Continuing his rehab, Jenkins finished 1-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI. Lopez drove in four with two hits in two at-bats, and also drew a walk. Mercedes finished 0-for-5 with three K’s, but also stole his 12th base of the season. Grant and Pena also contributed two hits apiece. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Nolan Santos, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (S, 3 IP, H, BB, 5 K) Hitter of the Day - Moises Lopez, FCL Twins (2-for-4, R, 4 RBI, BB) PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 – Walker Jenkins (Rehab w/FCL Twins) – 1-for-3, R, 2B, 2 RBI, K #2 – Brooks Lee (Rehab w/Fort Myers) – 0-for-4, 2 K #8 – Austin Martin (St. Paul) – 3-for-5, 2 R, 3 RBI (2 games) #9 – Luke Keaschall (Wichita) – 2-for-4, 2B, K #10 – Brandon Winokur (Fort Myers) – 2-for-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI, K #11 – Simeon Woods Richardson (Minnesota) – W, 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K #12 – Kala’I Rosario (Wichita) – 0-for-2, 2 BB, K #13 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 1-for-4, K #14 – Zebby Matthews (Wichita) – L, 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, BB, 4 K #18 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 0-for-2, BB #20 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-5, K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Rochester (5:05 PM CDT) - RHP Adam Plutko (0-1, 11.57 ERA) Springfield @ Wichita (7:05 PM CDT) - LHP Jaylen Nowlin (3-2, 3.93 ERA) Lake County @ Cedar Rapids (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP C.J. Culpepper (2-0, 2.63 ERA) Bradenton @ Fort Myers (6:05 PM CDT) - RHP Jose Olivares (0-0, 4.50 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! View full article

Friendly reminder that Jenkins started the year with the Mighty Mussels, he'll be back there in short order! May already be time to promote Mercedes, as he played in the FCL last year (did miss a couple of weeks with minor injury). But the FCL also started a full month sooner than normal this year.

I was on the "just keep him in the bullpen" bandwagon since his excellent showing there last year. Will admit though, that the SP depth being blown up early in Spring Training was a good enough reason to have him be a starter again. A few guys need to make steps forward before the bullpen is the option for him again. Woods Richardson is doing what he needs to for that, Festa is coming around, but that still may not be enough guys for it to make sense, yet.

There were several close games in the Twins farm system on Tuesday, including an extra-innings win, as quality pitching led the way. One top prospect continued his rehab assignment in the FCL, while the other one got the day off. A top-performing pitcher so far in 2024 also made his debut at a new level. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge TRANSACTIONS The St. Paul Saints were assigned RHP Adam Plutko from the FCL Twins roster. RHP Andrew Morris was officially promoted to the Wichita Wind Surge and made his double-A debut. RHP Scott Engler was also transferred to the development list. In the Midwest League, OF Willie Joe Garry Jr. was officially released, and RHP Jose Olivares was sent back to Fort Myers. Down in Florida, C Cole Elvis was assigned to the Mighty Mussels from the FCL Twins. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 3, Buffalo 1 Box Score The Saints got on the board quickly in Buffalo, after Austin Martin led off the game by reaching base on an error. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. followed with a single to move him to third before a Matt Wallner sac fly put them up 1-0. Louie Varland made the start for St. Paul and delivered a quality effort. He picked up his second win with the Saints by finishing six innings. He allowed just one run (on a homer) on four hits, walked three, and struck out three. Of his 86 pitches, 51 went for strikes (59%), including nine swings and misses. The lineup added two runs in the fifth inning to give Varland a small cushion. Will Holland led off the inning with a solo home run, and two batters later Martin did the same. That was all they’d need as Varland and the bullpen held the Bisons to just five hits (though the Saints only had four). Josh Winder delivered two scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out two. Jorge Alcala finished it off for his second save of the season in triple-A, giving up one hit and walking one, but inducing a game-ending double play, which was the fourth one turned by the Saints on the night. Martin led the way with a 1-for-4 effort, including a walk and two runs scored in addition to the homer. Holland’s homer was his only hit as well, but also drew a walk. Alex Isola and Keirsey Jr. picked up the other two hits. WIND SURGE WISDOM San Antonio 3, Wichita 2 Box Score There were plenty of hits in this one, but the teams combined to go just 3-for-16 with runners in scoring position on the game and left 20 total men on base between them. Andrew Morris made his first start for the Wind Surge after being promoted and almost didn’t make it out of his first inning. He got the first two hitters, but then three consecutive singles scored the first run of the game, and a hit-batter made it look like the floodgates might open. But he closed them with a grounder and then went on to finish 5 1/3 innings. He allowed just two earned runs on seven hits and no walks while striking out three in his Double-A debut. Down 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth, the Wind Surge were finally able to push a run across after Emmanuel Rodriguez delivered a two-out double. Tanner Schobel followed with a single into right, and Rodriguez was able to beat the throw home. Mike Paredes relieved Morris in the middle of the sixth inning and would finish the seventh. His only hit allowed was a solo homer in the seventh to make it 3-1. He struck out one in his 1 2/3 innings pitched. Miguel Rodriguez finished the final two innings, plunking one batter but allowing no hits and inducing a double-play ball to close the ninth and give his team a chance. Chiefs pitcher Jayvien Sandridge certainly gave them one. He struck out the first hitter of the inning but then walked the next three to load the bases, including 11 straight balls before Kala’i Rosario stepped into the batter’s box. Almost inexplicably, Sandridge then delivered three straight strikes on curveballs, for which Rosario watched every one go by, and I can’t say I blame him. After a passed ball made the score 3-2, Jake Rucker then drew another walk before the Missions’ manager had someone else warmed up. With a new pitcher in the game, Carson McCusker sent a grounder to third to end the game. The Wind Surge got multiple hits from Andrew Cossetti (2-for-3, 2 BB) and Aaron Sabato (3-for-4, SB), but as a team couldn’t get the big hit when they needed one, as they finished 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left 13 men on base. Rodriguez finished 1-for-4 with a walk and scored both of their runs. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 8, Peoria 6 (10 innings) Box Score The Kernels struck early on the road against the Peoria Chiefs on Tuesday, taking a 4-0 lead after the top of the second inning. In the second a walk and hit-by-pitch put multiple runners on base, and Misael Urbina drove in the first run of the game with a single. Dalton Shuffield followed with a two-run double before Keoni Cavaco drove him in with a single of his own. Miguelangel Boadas took the bump for the Kernels and kept the Chiefs off the scoreboard through the first four innings, including five strikeouts. Back out for the fifth, he picked up his sixth strikeout before a single and two-run home run put an end to his outing. In all, he pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits, a pair of walks, and striking out six. Juan Mercedes came on in relief and got out of the fifth without any further damage, striking out both hitters he faced. In the top of the sixth with a runner on, Shuffield got those runs back with his first home run of the season to make it 6-2. Mercedes was back out for the bottom half, but before it was over the game would be tied at six. An error to the leadoff man snowballed into an RBI double, single, and three-run homer before he could escape. A.J. Labas pitched the next two innings, holding the Chiefs hitless and scoreless, while striking out four. Ricardo Velez came on for the ninth and took the Kernels into the extra innings. In the top of the tenth with a ghost runner, Ricardo Olivar delivered a one-out single to score their first run, before moving to third on a single from Rubel Cespedes. A groundout from Kevin Maitan allowed Olivar to score for the 8-6 lead. After working a one-two-three ninth frame, Velez was back out for the tenth and did the same, setting down the Chiefs in order, including a strikeout, to seal the victory. Shuffield paced the offense with three hits in four at-bats, including a double and a homer, scoring two runs, and driving in four. Agustin Ruiz reached base twice and scored two runs, while Luke Keaschall contributed a double in five at-bats. As a team, the Kernels were 5-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left only four men on base for the game. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 7, Daytona 4 Box Score The Mighty Mussels jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning after Poncho Ruiz led off the frame with his seventh double of the season. Maddux Houghton brought him in with a single, and he came around to score himself on a double from Kyle Hess. A few batters later Payton Eeles drove in two with a double of his own and Fort Myers had a big lead for starter Spencer Bengard. He showed his appreciation by delivering a stellar outing. He finished six innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits, no walks, and punching out eight. He also needed just 65 pitches to do so, with 48 of them going for strikes (74%), including an excellent 14 swings and misses. In the fifth inning, the Mighty Mussels used a pair of singles, a hit batter, and a wild pitch to increase their lead to 5-1 and they added single insurance runs in the seventh and eighth frames as well. In the seventh, a leadoff double from Byron Chourio was cashed in by Ruiz with an RBI single. In the eighth, it was a pair of doubles from Hess and Matt Clayton. Jack Noble came on in relief of Bengard in the seventh and finished the final three innings to pick up a save. He was charged with three earned runs on three hits and a walk while striking out four. Chourio (2-for-5, 2 R, 2B, K), Ruiz (2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI, BB), and Hess (3-for-4, 2 R, 2 2B, RBI) had multiple hits in the win. Brandon Winokur finished 1-for-5. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 4, FCL Braves 13 Box Score Brooks Lee made his second rehab appearance with the FCL Twins Tuesday morning, though not in the lineup was Walker Jenkins after he too returned to action yesterday. Lee led off the game with a double and came around to score the first run of the game on a Dameury Pena single. Adrian Bohorquez made the start and completed four innings. For the first three, he was very good, keeping the Braves off the scoreboard with some timely defensive plays and four strikeouts. In the fourth, a single and a walk put ducks on the pond, and a three-run homer put the Braves in front 3-1. Bohorquez finished with those three earned runs on four hits and one walk while striking out six. The Twins scored single runs in each of the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, but by that point, the game had gotten away from them. In the seventh, a Pena single scored Yasser Mercedes after he led off the frame with a triple. Omari Daniel self-manufactured a run in the seventh by singling, stealing second, advancing to third on a flyout, and scampering home on a wild pitch. In the eighth Mercedes again led off with a triple, and a sac fly from Pena brought him home. Those runs didn’t mean anything as the bullpen trio of Mitch Stone (1 IP, H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K), Ezequiel Ventura (2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, BB, K), and Alejandro Crisostomo (1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K) all had trouble keeping the Braves off the scoreboard. Lee finished 1-for-4 with the double and a run scored. Mercedes, fresh off being named the Twins Minor League Hitter of the Week, was 3-for-4 with a pair of triples and scored two runs. Pena drove in three and finished 2-for-3. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Spencer Bengard, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (W, 6 IP, 5 H, ER, 8 K) Hitter of the Day - Dalton Shuffield, Cedar Rapids Kernels (3-for-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY #2 – Brooks Lee (Rehab w/FCL Twins) – 1-for-4, R, 2B, K #3 – Emmanuel Rodriguez (Wichita) – 1-for-4, 2 R, 2B #7 – Austin Martin (St. Paul) – 1-for-4, 2 R, HR (1), RBI, BB #10 – Brandon Winokur (Fort Myers) – 1-for-5, K #11 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 1-for-4, RBI, BB, K #12 – Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-5, 2B #13 – Kala’I Rosario (Wichita) – 1-for-5, 2 K #16 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 0-for-3, BB, K #19 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-5, R, RBI WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Buffalo (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Randy Dobnak (3-3, 4.54 ERA) San Antonio @ Wichita (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP Zebby Matthews (1-0, 0.77 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP John Klein (3-0, 3.03 ERA) Fort Myers @ Daytona (5:35 PM CDT) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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Platinum Sombrero.

It was surprising how many guys actually had a legitimate case even with a 5-for-5, 3 HR game in there! Great night for hitting!

Tuesday was one of those nights where you really have to look at all the box scores to get the full picture. Multiple games were blowout victories, three of the four full season affiliates had a player hit multiple home runs, and one game ended on a walk-off grand slam that erased a three-run deficit. Trust me, you don’t want to miss anything from Tuesday’s action! Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Carson McCusker) TRANSACTIONS The Minnesota Twins sent RHP Josh Winder to continue his rehab assignment with the St. Paul Saints. On Monday, RHP Zebby Matthews was promoted to Wichita from Cedar Rapids, and RHP Hunter McMahon was released. On Tuesday, 1B Aaron Sabato was activated from the injured list. In a corresponding move in the Midwest League with Matthews’ promotion, RHP C.J. Culpepper was activated from the temporary inactive list. Down in Florida, LHP Wilker Reyes was sent to the FCL roster from Fort Myers, RF Gregory Duran was placed on the 7-day injured list, and 2B Payton Eeles was assigned to the Mighty Mussels. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 5, Toledo 7 Box Score Starting pitcher Joe Gunkel was knocked out of this one early, as the Mud Hens jumped all over him in the first two innings. Consecutive doubles scored three runs, and a later single scored another in the first that put the Saints down 4-0 before their first at-bat. In the second a leadoff double and an RBI single chased Gunkel after 42 pitches. He was charged with five earned runs on six hits and a walk in his 1 1/3 innings. The Saints got on the scoreboard in the top of the second thanks to the fourth home run of the season from 2023 minor league home run king, Yunior Severino. In the top of the third, it was DaShawn Keirsey Jr.’s fifth home run of the season that cut the early lead to three. The pitching staff got a solid effort from the bullpen for the rest of the game, with Austin Schulfer (2 2/3 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 3 K), Michael Boyle (2 IP, H, BB, K), and Hobie Harris (2 IP, H, ER, 3 K) combining to allow just two more runs over the final six-plus innings. In the top of the sixth a double from Patrick Winkel made it 6-3, and in the ninth Keirsey Jr. hit his second home run of the game, a two-run shot, to make the final of 7-5. Keirsey Jr. (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI, BB, K) and Winkel (2-for-4, 2 2B, RBI) had multiple hits in the loss. Anthony Prato added a double to the effort. WIND SURGE WISDOM Arkansas 2, Wichita 16 Box Score Wichita took the lead early in this one and kept the pedal to the floor throughout the game to blow past the Travelers on Tuesday night. 6-foot 8-inch tall outfielder Carson McCusker got the party started in the bottom of the second with his second home run of the season, a two-run blast to score Kala’i Rosario who had doubled to lead off the inning. Starting pitcher Travis Adams delivered a quality start to make this one even easier for his lineup. In six innings, he allowed just two earned runs on five hits and a walk, while punching out six. The Wind Surge put more crooked numbers on the scoreboard in each of the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth innings to turn this one into a laugher. There were doubles from McCusker and Jorel Ortega in the fifth. A parade of singles in the sixth. Jeferson Morales led off the seventh with a homer, and McCusker added his second bomb of the game later in the frame. In the eighth, they finally triggered their finale after the first two outs were recorded on just four pitches. Morales and Rosario clubbed back-to-back Wichitas. After an infield single from Noah Cardenas, Aaron Sabato blasted his first home of the year to drive in three. Not to go out quietly, McCusker then boomed his third home run of the game in back-to-back fashion for the final score of 16-2. Hard to put a bigger exclamation point on such a game than a 504-foot blast. The bullpen put up zeroes over their three innings, with John Stankiewicz (1 IP, BB, K) and Taylor Floyd (2 IP, H, K) putting Arkansas out of their misery in quick fashion. Spoiler Alert: Carson McCusker is your hitter of the day (though he actually did have some stiff competition…). He finished 5-for-5 with three home runs, a double, five runs scored, and six RBI. Morales, Rosarios, Cardenas, and Sabato all had multiple hits and multiple runs scored on the day as well. All but one hitter reached base in the game, and only one other did not have multiple hits, which was Emmanuel Rodriguez of all people, who struck out three times. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 16, South Bend 6 Box Score Six Kernels hitters picked up multiple knocks on the day, leading to a thrashing of the Cubs in South Bend, Indiana, that matched their double-A brother’s output. The Cubs took the first lead of the game in the bottom of the second, stringing together three singles and three walks against Kernels starter John Klein to go ahead 3-0 and chase him from the game. A.J. Labas picked up the pieces and went the next 2 1/3 innings, allowing two hits, no runs of his own, and striking out two. Cedar Rapids got those first three runs back, and one more, in the top of the third inning. With two runners on, Rubel Cespedes launched his fifth home run of the season to tie the game at three. Danny De Andrade followed that with a single and came around to score on a Jay Harry double as they took the lead and never looked back. They added two more in the fourth with a sac fly from Cespedes and a bases-loaded walk from Harry. Then in the fifth, they put up another four-spot to take a 10-3 lead. The big hit in that inning came from De Andrade, which was a double that cleared the bases. Relievers Sheldon Reed (2 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 earned), BB, 4 K), Juan Mercedes (2 IP, H, BB, 2 K), and Juan Mendez (IP, H, ER, 2 K) finished off the final five innings for the Kernels in the win. With the score 10-6 heading into the final furlong of the game, the Kernels pulled away by batting around in their last at-bat. The first seven hitters of the ninth reached base, and the final push was a two-RBI single from Agustin Ruiz. Rubel Cespedes was the standout in a game with several of them. He finished 2-for-4 with three runs scored, a walk, a homer, and six RBI. De Andrade (3), Harry (2) and Ruiz (2) all had multiple runs batted in. Ruiz also reached base five times in six plate appearances and scored a pair of runs. Luke Keaschall, Ricardo Olivar, Nate Baez, and Willie Joe Garry Jr. also scored multiple runs. MUSSEL MATTERS Dunedin 7, Fort Myers 8 Box Score Not to be outdone by their fellow upper-level affiliates, the Mighty Mussels also put together a dramatic late effort on Tuesday to pull out a win in grand fashion. The score in this one remained nil-nil until the bottom of the fourth inning, when first baseman Poncho Ruiz launched his first home run of the season, a solo shot, for a 1-0 Mighty Mussels lead. It was still scoreless until then as starting pitcher Spencer Bengard delivered a fantastic outing, allowing just a single unearned run on five hits in six innings, while striking out five Blue Jays hitters. The Mighty Mussels took the lead back in the sixth as an error extended their at-bat to Ruiz, who blasted another home run that made it 3-1 Fort Myers after six. Unfortunately for Bengard, he wouldn’t factor into the decision for his efforts, as the bullpen duo of Ben Ethridge (1 IP, 2 H, 4 R (1 earned), 2 BB, 2 ) and Nolan Santos (2 IP, H, 2 ER, BB, 4 K) coughed up six runs after Bengard’s exit, putting the home team down 7-3 heading into the bottom of the ninth. The first two outs of their last at-bat were sandwiched around a hit by pitch and single, putting the home team on the ropes, but a single from Rayne Doncon kept their hopes alive by loading the bases for Brandon Winokur, down by a convenient four runs. In a five-pitch at-bat…he drew a walk (sike!) to score one and bring up the go-ahead run in the form of 18-year-old Jose Rodriguez. He went Super-Saiyan and walked it off with a grand slam the opposite way, sending the Mighty Mussels and their fans into pandemonium and ending a four-game losing streak. Ruiz finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored, his two home runs, and three RBI. Rodriguez scored two runs and drew a walk in addition to his walk-off grand slam. Winokur finished 1-for-4 with a run scored, a double, and a walk. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 2, FCL Pirates 0 Box Score The Pirates outhit the Twins 4-3 on the day, but while the Pirates had just four at-bats with runners in scoring position, the Twins had twelve. Never mind that they were a combined 0-for-16 in those situations, but the Twins just had far more opportunities and were able to take advantage. In the third inning after a Dameury Pena single and Bryan Acuna walk, consecutive groundouts to the right side moved the runners up and brought home their first run of the game. In the fifth Pena led off with a walk, and scored from first on Acuna’s second double of the young complex league season. In addition to that double, Acuna drew two walks to lead his offense. Ricardo Pena added two walks of his own, while Yasser Mercedes chipped in their other hit. Twins pitchers Anthony Narvaez and Adrian Bohorquez kept the Pirates in check all game. In the first inning, Narvaez gave up a triple but stranded the runner there. In the second, he again worked around a one-out double to keep them off the board. In his four innings, Narvaez was charged with all four hits and two walks, but no runs, while striking out six. Bohorquez held them hitless over the final three innings, walking one and striking out three. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Spencer Bengard, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (6 IP, 5 H, 1 R (0 earned), 5 K) Hitter of the Day - Carson McCusker, Wichita Wind Surge (5-for-5, 5 R, 2B, 3 HR (4), 6 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY #3 – Emmanuel Rodriguez (Wichita) – 1-for-5, 3 K #7 – Austin Martin (Minnesota) – Pinch hit, 1-for-1 #10 – Brandon Winokur (Fort Myers) – 1-for-4, R, 2B, BB, 2 K #11 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 2-for-5, 2 RBI #12 – Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) – 0-for-2, 3 R, BB, 2 K #13 – Kala’I Rosario (Wichita) – 3-for-5, 3 R, 2 2B, RBI, K #15 – Danny De Andrade (Cedar Rapids) – 2-for-4, R, 2B, 3 RBI, BB #16 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 1-for-3, R, HR (4), RBI, BB, K #19 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 BB WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Toledo (10:05 AM CDT) - RHP Caleb Boushley (3-1, 3.98 ERA) Arkansas @ Wichita (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Pierson Ohl (1-2, 4.50 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (10:05 AM CDT) - RHP Miguelangel Boadas (1-2, 3.86 ERA) Dunedin @ Fort Myers (6:05 PM CDT) - RHP Charlee Soto (0-2, 4.96 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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I haven't watched Twins on cable for years now because I cut the cord. I knew what I was signing up for. So no, I'm not. I have my ways to watch, and it's their fault they get nothing from me for it. Pointed this out recently in another thread, sign up for MiLB.tv if you need your baseball fix. $30 for the whole season, and every team in existence. It's by far more valuable to me than paying $80/month for the cheapest option I can find the Twins. Which again, would be the only channel I would even watch, for probably less than 10 total hours a week. There is no justification for me to pay that price.

We're not mad at torpedoing the "sports-on-cable model," that was always the plan. The inability of these networks and cable companies to accept this fact and adapt, is the reason we are here now and can't watch. For some inexplicable reason, they thought they would be able to survive when they were already already six-feet under and buried. Now the oxygen is finally running out and they're not The Bride from Kill Bill. Currently, those streaming options are giving viewers a ton more bang for their buck. On cable, I can get 300+ channels,..Nobody cares. Because there are like 2 channels I would ever watch, the main one being BSN when a game is being played. I'd never have that channel on for any other reason, so why pay for all the fluff? These sports networks are also the ones that make your cable package price so high. They are probably half the cost of your subscription, even though there are 295 other channels besides them.

Schobel has been playing all IF positions except 1st base, mostly 3rd. A lot of Ben Ross there, who's bat I like. De Andrade also intriguing and has some helium, but still a lot to work on as a hitter. I don't see any reason he should be in Wichita right now, but this was a good game!

Top pitching prospect David Festa tied a franchise record for strikeouts in a game, while Andrew Morris tied a career high of his own in their starts. Unfortunately, their stellar outings didn’t lead to victories for their teams. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of David Festa) TRANSACTIONS Yesterday the Twins optioned IF/OF Austin Martin back to the St. Paul Saints, making room for SS Carlos Correa. Today the parent club activated RHP Jhoan Duran and designated for assignment RHP Matt Bowman in a corresponding move. The Saints transferred C Chris Williams to the Development List. RHP Jack Noble was assigned to Fort Myers from Cedar Rapids. Noble has been bouncing all over the system so far this year, with appearances in Wichita and Cedar Rapids. On Monday, the Mighty Mussels placed LHP Kade Bragg and RHP Kyle Bloor on the 7-day injured list. On Tuesday they were also assigned RHP Spencer Bengard and received RHP Josh Winder on a rehab assignment, who made the start for Fort Myers. SAINTS SENTINEL Louisville 7, St. Paul 5 Box Score The Saints began their series this week against the Bats with a morning matinee game, sending top prospect David Festa to the bump. He struck out all three hitters he faced in the first, portending how most of his outing would go the rest of the way. In the bottom half, the Saints offense jumped all over Louisville’s starter, Lyon Richardson, who ranks as their #14 prospect per MLB.com. Anthony Prato started it off as he does, by drawing a walk, and Michael Helman did the same. An error on a grounder from Yunior Severino loaded the bases with one out. Tony Kemp drew another walk for the game’s first run, and Patrick Winkel blew it open with a grand slam, and his first home run of the season. Unfortunately from there, the offense would go cold, as Richardson went on to finish five innings, retiring the last seven Saints hitters he faced. Festa had his only trouble of the game in the second inning, when he surrendered a two-run homer that made it 5-2 in favor of the home team. Festa would finish five innings in this one, being quite a bit more efficient with his pitches than in his other starts so far this season. He threw 80 total pitches, with 53 going for strikes (66%), including 12 swings and misses. He was charged with two earned runs on three hits, walked one, and struck out 10, tying the Saints franchise record. His fastball averaged a tick above 95 MPH, and topped out at 96.9 MPH on the game. All those swings and misses came on his fastball (6) and slider (6). In a crude comparison, top global pitching prospect Paul Skenes got 11 swings and misses on 75 pitches in his game, striking out seven in six innings. Justin Topa made his second relief appearance for the Saints in the sixth inning, and things got a bit away from him. Five of the first six hitters he faced reached base, a couple of them stole second base, and two RBI singles and an RBI double tied the game at five. In the seventh Hobie Harris allowed a pair of runs (one earned) on three more hits to make the final score. Jorge Alcala (1 IP, H, K) and Scott Blewett (1 IP, K) finished off the game with a scoreless inning apiece. The lineup got multiple hits from DaShawn Keirsey Jr. (2-for-5) and Winkel (2-for-4, R, HR (1), 4 RBI, K). Kemp finished 1-for-2 with a pair of walks, RBI, and a run scored. Matt Wallner collected a golden sombrero, going 0-for-5 with 4 K’s. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 4, NW Arkansas 8 Box Score The Naturals jumped on Wind Surge starter Travis Adams in the bottom of the first inning, putting up a four-spot that they would have to crawl back from. It was three doubles in that inning that did most of the damage, but he did settle in from there. Over the next four innings he’d allow just two more hits while striking out four, and also inducing a few double-play balls. Back out for the sixth he allowed a leadoff homer that made it 5-3 in favor of NW Arkansas, and a batter later his outing was done. In all, Adams allowed five earned runs on seven hits in his 5 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out four while throwing 80+ pitches. Wichita got on the board with a crooked number in the top of the fifth, when Andrew Cossetti followed a Tanner Schobel double and Noah Cardenas walk with his third home run of the season to bring them within one. They were able to add a single run in the eighth thanks in part to an error, but Jorel Ortega picked up the RBI with his two-out single. In relief of Adams, Jarret Whorff pitched the final 2 2/3 innings, surrendering three earned runs on four hits while striking out two. Schobel had two doubles in the loss. Kala’i Rosario reached base twice with a single and a walk. Cossetti also drew a walk to go along with his home run. KERNELS NUGGETS Peoria 11, Cedar Rapids 6 Box Score The Kernels took an early lead and got an excellent start from 2022 fourth round pick, Andrew Morris, but the bullpen wasn’t able to hold on late and they fell to the Chiefs in their series opener. Morris tied his career high in strikeouts with nine, in his six innings. He allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits, walked one, and struck out nine. He threw 86 pitches in the game, with 62 going for strikes (72%). He allowed one run in the opening frame after an error extended the inning with two outs, then one each in the third and fifth innings, but exited the game with his team up 5-3. Those five runs all came in the third inning for Cedar Rapids, which got started with a leadoff double from Misael Urbina. Angel Ruiz brought him in with a single a few batters later for their first run of the game, before an RBI single from Rubel Cespedes and three-run homer off the bat of Danny De Andrade put them up 5-2. It was De Andrade’s first home run of the season. Peoria tied the game at five immediately after Morris left the game, as reliever Sheldon Reed gave up a solo home run and an RBI sac fly in his lone inning. Juan Mercedes (1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, BB, K) and Juan Mendez (1 IP, 5 H, 4 R (2 ER), 3 K) didn’t fare any better, allowing the Chiefs to pull away. The Kernels took back a brief 6-5 lead in the bottom of the seventh thanks to an RBI single from Ricardo Olivar, but that would be it for the final three innings. De Andrade had two hits in four at-bats along with his three RBI homer to lead the way. Right fielder Gabriel Gonzalez played defense in the top of the first, but was pinch-hit for in the bottom half of the inning as he bad a bout of back spasms. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Bradenton 7 Box Score Right-hander Josh Winder made his first appearance of the 2024 season, starting this one for the Mighty Mussels. He would make it through 1 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits. He did strike out four, and averaged just shy of 94 MPH with his fastball. He also got nine swings and misses on his 33 pitches, all on off-speed offerings. So despite that line, he was kinda nasty. Spencer Bengard served as his piggy-backer, going the next 3 1/3 innings. He surrendered one earned run on four hits, one walk, and struck out seven. Ben Ethridge pitched two innings of his own, allowing one run on four hits, a walk, and striking out two. Aaron Holiday finished off the game for Fort Myers, walking two and striking out one in a scoreless eighth frame. The Mighty Mussels finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth with a two-out rally. Jose Rodriguez started it with a single, and he scored from first on a double off the bat of Poncho Ruiz. They added two more in the eighth, which got started by a double from Brandon Winokur, his sixth of the season. Rodriguez reached on an error that scored Winokur, and later Angel Del Rosario loaded the bases with a single. A wild pitch then allowed Rodriguez to scuttle home to make the final score. Winokur (2-for-5, R, 2B, K) and Ruiz (2-for-4, 2B, RBI, K) led the way with two hits each. The rest of the lineup went 2-for-25 with 11 K’s. As a team they finished just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position, and left nine men on base. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - David Festa, St. Paul Saints (5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 10 K) Hitter of the Day - Patrick Winkel, St. Paul Saints (2-for-4, R, GS HR (1), 4 RBI, K) PROSPECT SUMMARY #4 – Gabriel Gonzalez (Cedar Rapids) – Pinch-hit for in bottom of 1st inning. Was batting second. #6 – David Festa (St. Paul) – 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 10 K #10 – Brandon Winokur (Fort Myers) – 2-for-5, R, 2B (6), K #11 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 2-for-5, R, 2 2B (5) #12 – Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-4, BB, K #13 – Kala’I Rosario (Wichita) – 1-for-3, BB #15 – Danny De Andrade (Cedar Rapids) – 2-for-4, R, HR (1), 3 RBI, K #16 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 0-for-3, R, 2 K #19 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-3, RBI, BB, 2 K #20 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Minnesota) - 3 2/3 IP, 7 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 2 K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Louisville @ St. Paul (6:37 PM CDT) - RHP Joe Gunkel (0-3, 8.47 ERA) Wichita @ NW Arkansas (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP Pierson Ohl (1-2, 5.40 ERA) Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP John Klein (1-0, 3.18 ERA) Fort Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 PM CDT) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! View full article

Thanks for joining the revolution! 😀

Made it through 5, much more efficient with his pitches today. Also tied the Saints franchise record for K's in a game. Which surprisingly, even with them only being an affiliate a few years now, is only 10...hah!

MiLB.tv continues to be the greatest value in baseball watching myself, as an avid minor league fan, has ever invested in. It is also perfect for anyone (also me) who is not going to pay cable package prices to watch baseball or just the Twins, as that's the only channel I'd ever watch, and only for their actual games. It's a ludicrous waste of money for what I would venture is most people these days. As mentioned, MiLB.tv is about $30 for the entire season, there are no blackouts, and you can watch every single team that exists, basically. I can't recommend it enough! Saints broadcasts are great. I love Tim Grubbs with Wichita. Always fun to see who the probable pitchers are at each affiliate every night and be able to check out whomever I want that day.

.850 with Wichita, .739 with the Saints (league average OPS was .794 in International League last season). Had a higher OBP in triple-A, but slugging fell off. That's looking fine at .533 so far this season.

He is not currently in our Top 20. I'm guessing he got plenty of votes in the top 30's we submitted, but not enough to crack our list. Great defender, lots of speed, some power. He's definitely up there on the depth chart but is also about to turn 27.

I really liked seeing, in his start before this last one (on 4/13) that was against Noble Meyer, was him getting 9 swings and misses on 16 changeups that he threw.

Exactly... I can see he was throwing that pitch more than anything else in the 3rd and 4th innings if that means anything to you, hah!

Definitely first appearance stuff. As I mentioned, he threw a ton of curveballs (over half his pitches) so he's working on some things. It was also 40 degrees so I'm not too concerned about this in his first game of the season. I will note that all four hits allowed were scorched. Exit velocities of 98.9 MPH up to 113.

Not going to lie, I see a lot of similarities to Jordan Balazovic. But Festa also hasn't hit a wall yet, so still plenty to like. 95+ MPH as a starter has been rare for the Twins, and his slider was excellent yesterday. Per baseballsavant, he threw 26 on the game, getting 8 swings and misses on it.