Steve Lein

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.

I think this is becoming, in general, a plan to keep guys like Festa who should pitch in the majors this year, ready for longer. i.e.: available for more innings later in the season instead of using them up early. But, I think there are major detriments to this from a development standpoint as well. How do you know how they will handle and order the third time around, etc... if they never see it. I certainly would like a guy like him (who is older than Simeon Woods Richardson, as an example) to be pitching longer, but we'll see if this plan works out.

They talked about him, and several other injuries, for a minute on the Saints broadcast, but not much to share. Didn't sound like he has started any activities yet.

There was a pair of 1-0 games in the system on Tuesday night, but the big story was over in St. Paul as the Saints bats exploded against the Minnesota Twins’ former affiliate, and Jhoan Duran made his first appearance of the season at CHS Field. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of DaShawn Keirsey Jr.) TRANSACTIONS On Monday, the Twins optioned C Jair Camargo and Louie Varland back to triple-A, while selecting the contract of RHP Ronny Henriquez from the Saints. Jhoan Duran also began his rehab assignment in St. Paul. IF Dalton Shuffield was assigned back to Wichita, and LHP Brent Headrick was transferred from the 7-day IL to the 60-day, putting another potential rotation reinforcement out of commission for a bit longer. Down in Fort Myers the Mighty Mussels placed OF Byron Chourio on the 7-day injured list, along with being assigned RHP Kyle Bloor and C Matthew Clayton. SAINTS SENTINEL Rochester 9, St. Paul 15 Box Score The Saints got on the board first, and often, against the Twins former affiliate at CHS Field in St. Paul on Tuesday. In the first DaShawn Keirsey Jr. got the hitting started with a one-out triple and would score the game’s first run on a Jair Camargo single. In each of the next two innings they tacked on four more. Yunior Severino led off the second with a hard single off the center field wall. With two outs Will Holland drew a walk before Diego Castillo drove in one with a single. Anthony Prato followed with another walk and Keirsey Jr. sent a liner through the infield to score two more. Camargo added the fourth run with a broken bat RBI single to make it 5-0 after two. In the third, Severino and Tony Kemp started the inning with a pair of walks, and Yoyner Fajardo cashed them all in with his fourth home run of the young season. In interesting stats to me, last year with Wichita, Fajardo hit nine total home runs in 527 plate appearances. He’s had 64 plate appearances so far this season, which puts him on a pace to hit 33 home runs in the same number of plate appearances as last year. After his early triple, Keirsey Jr. also singled and doubled in his next two at-bats, putting himself a home run away from the cycle after just three innings. Big right-hander David Festa took to the CHS Field bump on Tuesday, looking to continue his early-season dominance. He kept it scoreless through the first three innings, working around a double in the first and a bases-loaded jam in the third. A leadoff home run in the fourth put a blemish on his night, but he struck out the next hitter to end his outing. In all, Festa finished 3 1/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits and a walk, while striking out five. He threw 64 pitches, with 46 going for strikes (72%), including 12 swinging, with eight of those coming on his slider. Ryan Jensen finished off the fourth inning, allowing one hit and striking out one in 2/3 of an inning, and that led to Jhoan Duran coming on for the fifth inning. While he recorded all three of his outs with K’s, Duran also gave up four hits, two earned runs, and threw 27 pitches in his first live outing of the season. He got five swings and misses, but all four hits left the bats of Red Wings hitters at scorching rates, including one at 113.0 MPH from Washington Nationals top prospect James Wood. Duran topped out at 99.0 MPH with his fastball while throwing primarily curveballs in his appearance. These are all signs of him working on some things after starting the year on the injured list. From there the Saints just kept on hitting. Matt Wallner clubbed a two-run double in the fifth, and Holland added an RBI triple in the sixth as the two big hits that pushed their lead to 14-3. The Saints bullpen couldn’t let it be that easy, however, as the Red Wings exploded for six runs in the seventh to draw this one out. Austin Schulfer (1 IP, H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K) and Michael Boyle (1 IP, 3 H, 3 R (one earned), 2 BB, K) were the victims of that outburst. Hobie Harris put an end to the misery for both teams, finishing it out with two scoreless innings, allowing two hits, walking two, and striking out two. The only hitter in the Saints lineup to go hitless was newcomer Tony Kemp, but he also drew two walks and scored two runs. Holland scored four runs from the bottom of the order, while Keirsey Jr. (who couldn’t hit that homer), Fajardo, and Diego Castillo each had three RBI. Be sure to check out the box score to see all the strong offensive nights from Saints players! WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 0, San Antonio 1 Box Score It was a good old-fashioned pitcher’s duel in San Antonio Tuesday evening, with the teams combining for just nine total hits on the game. Combined they were 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left 12 men on base. Wind Surge starter Jarret Whorff went the first 3 2/3 innings, allowing the only run of the game on three hits while striking out five. That run came in the bottom of the first inning when a two-out double scored a run all the way from first. The Wichita offense threatened with multiple baserunners in the third and fourth innings, but they weren’t able get the big hit to push a run across. Their only extra-base hit of the game came off the bat of Emmanuel Rodriguez in the fifth but was later thrown out at home to end the inning. Lefty Aaron Rozek finished off the rest of the game after Whorff, going 4 1/3 scoreless innings. He allowed one hit, walked one, and struck out two. Rodriguez finished 2-for-4 out of the leadoff spot. Noah Cardenas finished 1-for-3 and drew a walk. KERNELS NUGGETS Beloit 4, Cedar Rapids 5 Box Score Looking to get back on track after a five-run and ten-hit outing his last time out, Andrew Morris took the hill for Cedar Rapids at home. He recovered quite well, picking up his first win of the season with six shutout innings. He allowed five hits, walked one, and struck out five. The Kernels lineup struck first in the bottom of the fourth inning. A single from Danny De Andrade was followed by a hit-by-pitch to Jose Salas before they executed a double-steal, and a throwing error scored the first run of the game. Misael Urbina followed with an RBI, and it was 2-0 Cedar Rapids. In the bottom of the fifth Gabriel Gonzalez hit a double in front of the fourth home run of the season from Rubel Cespedes for a 4-0 lead. Later in the inning, De Andrade singled, stole another base, and scored on a Salas single for the five-run lead. The bullpen almost lost Morris his chance at a win, when Juan Mendez came in for the seventh. Before it was over, he was charged with four earned runs on three hits and a walk in 2/3 of an inning. Gabriel Yanez escaped further damage and added a scoreless eighth inning. Ricardo Velez closed the door in the ninth to pick up his second save. Cespedes (2-for-4, R, HR (4), 2 RBI, BB), De Andrade (2-for-4, 2 R, 2 SB (4)), and Urbina (2-for-4, RBI, 2 K, 2 SB (4)) each had two hits in the win. Salas, De Andrade, and Urbina each had two stolen bases. MUSSEL MATTERS Palm Beach 0, Fort Myers 1 Box Score. This game was almost a carbon copy of Wichita’s game down in San Antonio, right down to the total time of game at two hours and six minutes. But at least in this one, the good guys came out on top. Both teams combined for just nine hits, went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position, and left 10 men on base. The Mighty Mussels got five dominant innings from left-hander Ross Dunn, who allowed just two hits, walked one, and struck out eight. 58 of his 77 pitches went for strikes (75%), including 15 swinging. Samuel Perez (2 IP, H, K) and Julio Bonilla (2 IP, H, K) each added two scoreless frames out of the bullpen. In the bottom of the fourth the Mighty Mussels did threaten after a two-out double from Jose Rodriguez, but he was thrown out at home on a single from Poncho Ruiz to keep the game tied. With the score still 0-0 heading into the bottom of the ninth, Brandon Winokur did whatever he could to give his team, and Ruiz, another chance. He led off the frame with a single, stole his fourth base of the season to put himself in scoring position, and Ruiz came through with another single to walk it off for Fort Myers. Ruiz finished 2-for-3 with a walk and the game winning RBI. Maddux Houghton added a double to the effort. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Ross Dunn, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (5 IP, 2 H, BB, 8 K) Hitter of the Day – The St. Paul Saints (13-for-34, 15 R, 3 2B, 2 3B, HR, 15 RBI, 10 BB, 8 K, 2 SB) PROSPECT SUMMARY #3 – Emmanuel Rodriguez (Wichita) – 2-for-4, 2B, K #4 – Gabriel Gonzalez (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-3, R, 2B (5), BB #6 – David Festa (St. Paul) – 3 1/3 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 5 K #7 – Austin Martin (Minnesota) – Scored the winning run (pinch ran in the 9th) #10 – Brandon Winokur (Fort Myers) – 1-for-4, R, 2 K #11 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 0-for-4, K #12 – Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) – 0-for-3, BB, 3 K #13 – Kala’I Rosario (Wichita) – 1-for-4, 2 K #15 – Danny De Andrade (Cedar Rapids) – 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 SB (4) #16 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, K #19 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 0-for-4, 2 K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ St. Paul (6:37 PM CST) – RHP Joe Gunkel (0-2, 6.39 ERA) Wichita @ San Antonio (7:05 PM CST) – RHP Travis Adams (1-1, 7.71 ERA) Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CST) – RHP John Klein (0-0, 3.75 ERA) Palm Beach @ Fort Myers (6:05 PM CST) – RHP Jeremy Lee (1-1, 2.63 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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I agree that this would actually be my argument around this topic, not that they are good or bad at developing.

They let his pitch count get up to 70 his last time out, but he didn't get more innings than the prior two starts (where his pitch count was 50) because he walked a bunch of hitters. If all goes well he can certainly get to 5 or more moving forward.

Definitely a bad night for the system. But I think this take is a bit unfair from a global perspective. Ronny Henriquez, Matt Bowman, and Ryan Jensen have been good. There is David Festa (a 13th round draft pick) and Brent Headrick (9th round) who are having success thus far. Randy needs to get back some consistency, for sure. That was his calling card when he first came up. It was something like 250 innings between giving up more than 4 runs in any game. I know you are looking for bigger success story than these, but they have gotten results (at times) from players like Randy Dobnak, Louie Varland, Bailey Ober, etc... and despite the perception, none of these guys were drafted nearly as high or had the same initial talent that those guys you're thinking of from the Guardians. The Twins have Joe Ryan (7th round), Ober (12th round), and Varland (15th round) in their rotation right now. The Guardians beginning of the year rotation had a fifth rounder (Tanner Bibee), second rounder (Logan Allen), round 1 CB (Triston McKenzie), and a fourth rounder (Shane Bieber, now injured) included. I don't view this as the same type of success or failure.