Steve Lein

With the full-season affiliates enjoying a day off as their schedules roll over, the rookie league rosters of the Twins took center stage on Tuesday, including the continued rehab assignment of a former top prospect. Unfortunately, the rookies from the Pittsburgh Pirates organization had their number. TRANSACTIONS The FCL Twins sent a couple pitchers from the back fields of the Lee County Sports Complex to Hammond Stadium and the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels on Tuesday. They were RHP Jack Noble and RHP Ricardo Velez. Recent minor-league free agent signing, OF Francis Florentino, was also assigned to the Mighty Mussels roster. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Pirates 10, FCL Twins 6 Box Score The Pirates built a 4-0 lead through the top of the sixth inning against Twins pitchers Jacob Wosinski and Pierce Banks. Wosinski got the start and went the first 4 1/3 innings, being charged with two earned runs on three hits and a pair of walks, while striking out six. Banks entered the game with a pair of runners on base in the fifth, and a wild pitch would lead to one of Wosinski’s runs, before Banks gave up a pair of his own in the top of the sixth. Banks finished 1 2/3 innings, allowing three hits of his own and striking out one. In the bottom of the sixth the Twins finally got on the board, closing the Pirates lead to two runs. The rehabbing Austin Martin led off the inning with a single, reached second on a wild pitch, then stole third base before a pair of walks to Jose Rodriguez and Harold Grant loaded the bases. Another walk from Andres Centeno scored their first run, and a sac fly from Bryan Acuna scored their second. Carlos Gutierrez entered the game to start the seventh inning, and got knocked around by the Pirates lineup. In all, he would be charged with six earned runs on seven hits and one walk in his 1 2/3 innings, striking out two. Yon Landaeta would finish out the game for the Twins, walking the bases loaded in the ninth, but not allowing a run in his inning and a third. He struck out two. The Twins lineup made it 10-6 with a four-run eighth inning, but it wasn’t nearly enough to keep them in it. Grant and Centeno singled in front of Acuna who launched a three-run home run, his first as a professional, before Fredy Michel followed a few batters later with a solo shot, his first of the season. Martin played second base and batted second, finishing 1-for-3 with a run scored, walk, and stolen base. Grant (2-for-4, R, BB, K) and Centeno (2-for-3, R, RBI, BB, K) each had two hits. Rodriguez finished 1-for-4 with a run scored and a walk, batting third. Acuna led the way with four RBI. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Twins 0, DSL Pirates Gold 1 (7 innings) Box Score The two teams combined for just nine hits in the game, but the Pirates squad got the big one in the form of a solo home run in the first inning, and the pitchers took it from there. Twins starter Jeicol Surumuy was responsible for that home run, and allowed a total of three hits in his 1 2/3 innings. He walked none and struck out one. With a couple of runners on base in the second inning, he was replaced by Adrian Bohorquez who went on to finish the game. He held the Pirates scoreless for the final 4 1/3 innings, allowing just one hit, walking two, and striking out six. The Twins got doubles off the bats of shortstop Yilber Herrera and designated hitter Carlos Silva, but weren’t able to push them over to third base. Their lone hit with a runner in scoring position came in the third inning, after Herrera drew a walk and stole second base. Jayson Bass’s infield single didn’t get him past third base, then Bass was thrown out attempting to steal second base to end that threat. Herrera (1-for-2, 2B, BB, K, SB) and Denyerbe Gervis (1-for-2, BB) each reached base twice in three at-bats to lead the way for the offense. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Adrian Bohorquez, DSL Twins (4 1/3 IP, H, 2 BB, 6 K) Hitter of the Day - Bryan Acuna, FCL Twins (1-for-3, R, HR, SF, 4 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY #2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - Night game. Batting sixth and playing 3B. #4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - Night game. Batting leadoff at 2B. #11 - Austin Martin (Rehab-FCL) - 1-for-3, R, BB, K, SB #18 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL) - 1-for-4, R, BB, K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Gwinnett @ St. Paul (1:07 PM CDT) - RHP Louie Varland (2-0, 5.49 ERA) NW Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05 PM CDT) - TBD Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP Zebby Matthews (1-1, 6.61 ERA) Lakeland @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CDT) - RHP Andrew Morris (2-1, 3.48 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! View full article

If the Twins need a catcher with Wolters out, I'm sure it would be Jair Camargo coming up, but you never know. Camargo has had tremendous exit velocities this year (on par with Wallner), but strikeouts an issue (he'll fit right in!). I like the look of Grace a lot in the bullpen this year, but he will need to continue improving his command. His walk rate has spiked significantly in double-A so far, but nobody is hitting him to make those walks hurt.

Keirsey has a good case to be in triple-A...If every outfielder there also wasn't having a pretty good season. And Sabato has been really good, minus the home runs, since coming off the IL. Nice to see for sure.

A power hitting prospect in Triple-A continued his home run binge while the lineups of Cedar Rapids and Wichita both led their teams to huge wins. An early-season standout pitcher also continued to dominate opposing hitters with his unusual repertoire. Image courtesy of Ethan Chapman (photo of Cory Lewis) TRANSACTIONS RHP Oliver Ortega had his contract selected by the Minnesota Twins, and pitched against the Red Sox. In a corresponding move, Louie Varland was optioned to St. Paul. The Twins signed veteran catcher Mark Kolozsvary to a minor-league deal and assigned him to the Saints. He takes the roster spot of catcher Tony Wolters, who was placed on the injured list with a right MCL sprain. SS Alex De Goti was also activated from the Development List. The Minnesota Twins released Wind Surge RHP Osiris German to make room for RHP Owen Griffith, who was promoted from the Cedar Rapids Kernels after completing his rehab stint. The Surge also transferred outfielder Armani Smith to the Development List, and received infielder Ernie Yake from the Kernels. In the Midwest League, the Kernels transferred first baseman Keoni Cavaco to the Development List, and received second baseman Jorel Ortega from Fort Myers. At the Spring Training complex and Hammond Stadium, the Mighty Mussels added OF Andres Centeno and placed RHP Juan Mendez on the injured list with a right forearm strain. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 6, Toledo 2 Box Score Another Tuesday, and another home run for Chris Williams. His 14th of the season came in his first at-bat as the reigning International League Player of the Week in the second inning. Jair Camargo followed with a solo shot of his own for back-to-back bombs that made it 2-0 Saints early. Simeon Woods Richardson was on the bump for St. Paul looking to course-correct his season. He pitched into the fifth inning but ran up his pitch count so he was only able to complete 4 2/3 innings. It was much better than his last time out (6 ER in 3 1/3), however, as he allowed just one earned run on three hits and a pair of walks, while picking up four strikeouts. Josh Winder came out of the bullpen to relieve him, and besides giving up a solo home run, kept the Saints out front. He gave up two hits, one walk, and struck out four in his two innings. St. Paul’s wrecking crew added a pair of runs in the fourth inning to extend their lead to 4-1 when Winder took the mound. Anthony Prato had an RBI single and a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt allowed Camargo to scamper home. Left-hander Kody Funderburk got a strikeout for the final out of the seventh inning, but he did not come out for the eighth after allowing a hit and a walk. Patrick Murphy closed out the final two innings for the save, allowing two hits, striking out four, and consistently hitting 98 MPH with his fastball. Jose Miranda tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth with a two-run single, and finished the game 2-for-5. Andrew Stevenson (2-for-5, R, 2B, K), Miranda, and Williams (2-for-3, 2 R, HR, RBI, BB) had multiple hits. Camargo and Williams each scored two runs. Matt Wallner and Trevor Larnach were each 0-for-4 with a walk. WIND SURGE WISDOM Arkansas 4, Wichita 12 Box Score The Wind Surge took an early lead with a big inning, and piled on another one late to blow out the Travelers at Riverfront Stadium. A bases-clearing double from Alerick Soularie and two-run sac fly from Brooks Lee in the second gave Wichita an early 5-0 lead. If you had to read that sentence again, I don’t blame you. Because yes, Lee drove in two with his flyout as DaShawn Keirsey Jr. made the savvy and speedy play to score from second. Soularie and Aaron Sabato added solo home runs in the fourth and fifth innings respectively, with Sabato’s blast extending his on-base streak to 15 games. Wichita starter Aaron Rozek pitched into the fifth inning, but wasn’t able to complete it as a solo home run, double, single, and sac fly put an end to his outing. In all he was charged with two runs on three hits and a walk in 4 2/3 innings, striking out six. Relievers Alex Phillips (1 1/3 IP, H, ER, 2 BB) and Taylor Floyd (1 2/3 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, K) pitched the next three innings, giving way to Regi Grace with two outs in the eighth. Grace closed it out, allowing one hit, one walk, a hit-batter, and striking out two. The lineup poured it on again in the seventh thanks to a two-run double off the bat of Jake Rucker that was followed by a Keirsey Jr. three-run home run, his ninth of the season, later in the inning to make it the final of 12-4. Pat Winkel (2-for-5, 2B, K), Rucker (2-for-3, R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, K), Yoyner Fajardo (2-for-4, R, 2 K), and Soularie (2-for-3, 3 R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, BB) all had multiple hits. In addition to the home run, Sabato drew three walks and scored three runs. In the 15 games of his on-base streak, Sabato has drawn 18 total walks (.454 OBP) along with 13 runs scored, seven doubles, and two home runs. KERNELS NUGGETS Beloit 3, Cedar Rapids 11 Box Score “Pitcher who also throws a knuckleball”-Cory Lewis took to the hill for the Kernels, and continued to shove, holding the former Minnesota Twins affiliate to just one unearned run on three hits and a walk in his five innings. He struck out three, picked up his third win, and lowered his ERA to 0.60 in three High-A starts. While the final score ended up being a blowout, when Lewis exited it was just 3-1 Cedar Rapids. The lineup scored those runs on a two-run double from Kala’i Rosario in the third, and an RBI groundout from Jose Salas in the fourth. Matthew Swain was the first reliever summoned for the sixth inning, and the Snappers got him for one earned run on a pair of hits in his lone inning. He struck out one. Alejandro Hidalgo came on for the seventh and went the next 2 1/3 innings, allowing just one run of his own despite five walks. He also gave up one hit and struck out three. Niklas Rimmel got the final two outs and allowed one hit. The Kernels blew this one open in the bottom of the seventh, batting around and plating six runs. The big hits were a two-run double from Ben Ross, and consecutive RBI doubles from Noah Miller and Salas. In the eighth, Emmanuel Rodriguez added on two more with his eighth home run of the season. Leading the way with multiple hits in the game were Tanner Schobel (2-for-3, 3 R, 3B, 2 BB, SB), Rodriguez (2-for-4, 3 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K), and Miller (2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI). Making his High-A debut, Jorel Ortega was 1-for-4 with a run scored. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 6, Tampa 8 Box Score Toeing the rubber for the Mighty Mussels was Miguelangel Boadas, and he was solid for the first four innings. In the fifth, he ran into some trouble after an error and was lifted with just one out. In all, he finished 4 1/3 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks, while striking out two. Fort Myers got on the scoreboard first in the second inning, when Mikey Perez hit his third home run of the season, a solo shot to left field. Rubel Cespedes made it 2-0 Mighty Mussels in the third with an RBI double. Zach Veen came on in relief of Boadas in the fifth, and got the next four outs. He was charged with one earned run on two hits and two walks in his 1 1/3 innings. He struck out one. In the top of the sixth Fort Myers took a 4-2 lead thanks to a two-run single from Kyle Schmidt, but then the bullpen continued to have some trouble. Johnathan Lavallee got the final out of the sixth, but the Tarpons jumped on him in the seventh. Before it was over they had taken a 6-4 lead, with Lavallee getting hit with the blown save and three earned runs allowed on four hits and two walks, striking out one. The Mighty Mussels offense again battled back, tying it at six in the eighth thanks to another two-run single from Schmidt, but the Tarpons were determined to get off their hook. Wilker Reyes delivered a one-two-three eighth inning and got two quick outs in the ninth, but a walk led to a two-run homer to walk it off in Tampa. Schmidt (3-for-4, 4 RBI, K, SB), Cespedes (2-for-5, R, 2 2B, RBI), and Perez (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, RBI, K) collected multiple hits in the loss. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Orioles 1, FCL Twins 6 Box Score The Twins scored one run in each of the first four innings, and the pitching staff held the Orioles in check for the entire game to pick up the win. Cesar Lares started on the mound and completed the first three innings. He allowed just one hit and struck out five. Ricardo Velez was credited with the win after a scoreless fourth inning, where he struck out two. Juan Mercedes (2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 5 K), Carlos Gutierrez (IP, 2 H, BB, K), and Jacob Wosinski (2 IP, H, 2 BB, K) finished out the dominating pitching performance, as the staff struck out 14 Orioles in total. The Twins drew eight walks as a team, but had some trouble bringing the runners in as they had just one extra base hit, a double from Frank Nigro, and were 3-for-16 with runners in scoring position. Isaac Pena was 1-for-4 with a run scored, RBI, walk, and stole two bases out of the leadoff spot. Harold Grant and Anderson Nova collected the teams other two RBI’s. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Phillies Red 7, DSL Twins 2 Box Score The Phillies Red squad utilized a four-run third inning, to put the Twins away early. Right-hander Adrian Bohorquez made the start for the Twins and was on the receiving end of that scoring. In his 2 1/3 innings pitched, he was charged with five earned runs on four hits and four walks. He also struck out four. The bullpen trio of Leonardo Lugo (3 2/3 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 4 K), Jeicol Surumuy (2 IP, H, R, 3 K), and Jose Betancourt (IP, 2 BB) finished out the game for the home team. As an offense, the Twins managed just three singles in the loss but did collect seven walks. Jayson Bass was 1-for-3 with an RBI, walk, and his fourth stolen base. Ewing Matos was 1-for-4 with a run scored. Ariel Castro (0-for-2, R, 2 BB) and Dameury Pena (0-for-2, 2 BB) each drew a pair of walks from the top two spots in the lineup. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Cory Lewis, Cedar Rapids Kernels (W, 5 IP, 3 H, R, BB, 3 K) Hitter of the Day - Alerick Soularie, Wichita Wind Surge (2-for-3, BB, 2B, HR, 3 R, 4 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 0-for-4, SF, 2 RBI #2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 3-for-4, R, HR, RBI #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, 3 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K #4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 1-for-5, R, K #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-for-4, BB, K #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, 2 RBI, K #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI #15 - Brent Headrick (Minnesota) - 1 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, BB #18 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL) - 0-for-5, R, 2 K #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 1-for-5, 2 K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (11:05 AM CDT) - RHP Randy Dobnak (3-3, 5.51 ERA) Wichita @ Midland (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP Pierson Ohl (0-1, 7.59 ERA) Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (12:05 PM CDT) - LHP Christian MacLeod (1-0, 3.86 ERA) Fort Myers @ Tampa (5:30 PM CDT) - RHP Andrew Morris (1-1, 4.15 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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Lee is comfortably leading the Texas League in doubles, and is tied for second in all of the minors. Agree with this completely, and have said elsewhere I'd expect a lot more Mauer than Morneau for him when it comes to power.

Camargo is definitely more catcher than Williams. Good arm. Williams isn't really a catcher anymore, maybe could be an emergency option. Brooks Lee leads the Texas League in doubles with 21 (next is 17), and is tied for third in all of the minors. Some of those will start turning into homers as he ages, but I expect a lot more Mauer than Morneau in that sense for his career.

Olivar was activated and in the lineup on Tuesday. 1-for-3 with a pair of walks and RBI.

This is a huge part of it for me, especially Buxton not playing the field. Him having to occupy the DH spot has sent this ripple throughout every other position except SS and C. And what sucks is I get trying to protect Buxton, but has that cost been worth it? The Twins are middle of the pack in the AL in OPS, but really, they're in tier 3 of 4, below average overall. Lucky for them, every other member of the Central is below them and for the most part, bad teams overall, so this OPS number is even inflated some.

What's fun about this comment, is Wallner doesn't have the HR's to show for it like Williams, but in both games he's hit 2 balls harder than any of Williams' bombs were hit. They're both locked in. Wallner hit the hardest ball in triple-A yesterday at 113.0 MPH (single), and Camargo has the 2nd hardest so far today at 113.4 MPH (double). They both have had impressive exit velocity numbers all year.

Yup, the thing about this discussion, is the Twins have a bunch of near-MLB ready prospect talent to use as ammo in trades. There are always teams that prefer that type of player back.

I think he was already eligible last year, but having only played at A-ball there was no reason for anyone to nab him. If he continues this performance at Wichita, there would be tons of reasons for teams to nab him. I think Austin Martin, Jair Camargo, Grace, and Emmanuel Rodriguez are 40-man locks at this point. I'm probably missing other names to consider. Blayne Enlow, Yunior Severino...

If you haven't watched Grace pitch this year, I would make an effort too! Outside of Brock Stewart before he was brought up, Grace has been the most impressive relief arm I've watched this season. His slider/sweeper/curve/whatever is an elite pitch. So much so, it can get away from him at times, but man, nobody has touched it when I've watched.

I'd assume he's kept down because he has options and should be playing. Is still only 24 years old. Injuries certainly can bring him up once he's done with his rehab assignment.

Primarily 1B this season, a little bit of LF and some emergency C thrown in. He has been a streaky hitter, but when he's hot it's been scorching. He had a sequence in Wichita last season that was ridiculous right before his promotion (same time frame when CES joined him on the squad). Then later did the same with the Saints. He's absolutely been my most common hitter of the day the past two seasons. He must like Tuesday's 😉

If the past two weeks have told me anything, it’s that you should be betting on Chris Williams of the St. Paul Saints on Tuesdays. Last week he was the hitter of the day after clubbing a grand slam, but his first three at-bats today were even more notable. So, spoiler alert, he’s taking home that title again today. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of Chris Williams) TRANSACTIONS With C Ricardo Olivar being activated from the 7-day injured list for the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, they returned C Alex Rodriguez to the FCL Twins. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 18, Louisville 7 Box Score The pregame conversation for this one could have focused on current Saints players facing off against a former teammate many Twins fans have been fretting over trading away last year, in Christian Encarnacion-Strand. One of those current Saints players, Chris Williams, perhaps took issue with this idea, remembering that when he played with CES, it was him showing the young guy what a slugger is. They played 13 games together before Encarnacion-Strand was traded to the Cincinnati Reds organization, but in that time Williams hit seven home runs, drove in 20, and amassed a 1.319 OPS compared to just five homers, 17 RBI, and a 1.085 OPS for his former teammate. With that in mind, Williams reminded his brief teammate and the Bats who’s the real boss in this one. His first home run of the game came in the second inning, a two-run shot for the Saints first runs of the game. Elliot Soto added an RBI single later in the inning to make it 3-0 Saints. With two outs in the third, Williams again connected like Encarnacion-Strand only wished he could, hitting his ninth home run of the season to make it 5-3 Saints. Tony Wolters extended the lead to three with an RBI single later in the frame. The fourth inning started with a walk from Matt Wallner and a single from Kyle Garlick, before Williams stepped into the box for the third time with one out. Watch for yourself: His third bomb of the game made it 10-3 Saints, and despite the Bats drawing 13 walks and collecting 10 hits, couldn’t match Williams and the Saints' 21 total hits. So in case you’re counting, Williams wasn’t the only one who went off. In fact, all nine hitters in the Saints lineup reached base multiple times, scored at least one run, and only one didn’t collect at least two hits in the game. Rather than recounting this insanity in full, I invite you to please click that box score link above, and scroll the @StPaulSaints Twitter feed today for all the highlights. Adding to the comparison above in the Chris Williams and Christian Encarnacion-Strand history after this one, in 14 total games played with or against each other: Williams: 18-for-50, 11 R, 2 2B, 10 HR, 27 RBI, 14 BB, 10 K vs. CES: 19-for-57, 11 R, 4 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 6 BB, 15 K That acronym guy was even pinch-hit for to end this game…Psshh…Pathetic… Polite (or infuriating) reminder Encarnacion-Strand is second in the International League with 17 HR’s this season, and leads the league with a .734(!) slugging percentage after this game, so this is all in jest… On the pitching front, starter Aaron Sanchez went the first 3 1/3 innings, running into trouble in multiple innings due to some wildness ending up charged with seven earned runs on six hits and six walks, while striking out only one. He allowed a pair of home runs to former major leaguers Matt Reynolds and Wil Myers. Future Hall of Famer Joey Votto was also rehabbing with the Bats, finishing 0-for-3 with two walks and an RBI. Ronny Henriquez (W, 1 2/3 IP, H, 2 BB, K), Austin Brice (1 IP, H, 2 BB, 3 K), Michael Boyle (1 IP, H, 2 BB, 3 K), and Patrick Murphy (2 IP, H, 2 BB, 3 K) produced a scoreless effort from the Saints bullpen to close it out. Gilberto Celestino (3-for-6, 2 R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, K) and Matt Wallner (2-for-5, R, 2 RBI, BB, 3 K) chipped in from the top two spots in the lineup. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 8, Midland 2 Box Score DaShawn Keirsey Jr. blasted the first pitch of the game for his seventh home run of the season and an early 1-0 lead, but it was a seven-run third inning that would end up smashing the RockHounds in this one. In the third, it was five consecutive singles to start the inning, an RBI double from Aaron Sabato, and then a three-run home run off the bat of Seth Gray that did the damage. In a somewhat odd occurrence, Alerick Soularie was both the first and last hitter of the inning. Starting pitcher Travis Adams picked up his second win of the season, finishing five innings and allowing two earned runs on four hits and a pair of walks while striking out three. Osiris German (1 2/3 IP, 3 H, BB, K) and Regi Grace (2 1/3 IP, H, BB, 2 K) finished off the final four scoreless innings. The Wind Surge got multiple hits from Keirsey Jr. (2-for-5, 2 R, HR, RBI, SB), Yunior Severino (3-for-5, R, RBI), Sabato (2-for-4, R, 2 2B, RBI), and Gray (2-for-4, R, HR, 3 RBI, 2 K) to lead the offense. Brooks Lee was 1-for-5 with a run scored and RBI out of the two-hole. As a team Wichita did not draw a single walk but made the most of their 12 hits by going 5-for-11 with runners in scoring position, leaving only four men on base for the game. KERNELS NUGGETS South Bend 2, Cedar Rapids 3 Box Score The Kernels got a solid start from Mike Paredes, and an even better piggy-back outing from Jordan Carr to take down the Cubs in their series opener. Cedar Rapids struck early in the bottom of the first, thanks in part to a pair of errors that extended the inning. Kala’i Rosario and Noah Cardenas made them hurt with consecutive RBI singles for the 2-0 lead. Paredes pitched the first four innings of the game, allowing two earned runs on three hits and a walk, while striking out five. He gave up a two-run homer in the top of the third to tie the game at two but otherwise was on point. Then came Carr. He struck out three, scattered one hit and three walks over the next five innings, and kept the game tied going into the bottom of the ninth, giving his team a chance to walk it off. In a flash, they did. Leading off, Ben Ross was hit by a pitch to put the winning run on base, then moved up to second on a wild pitch. This brought Rosario to the plate, and like he’s done so far this season, came through with a single up the middle to start the celebration. Both teams had just four hits in the game, but like Rosario’s, three of those came with runners in scoring position for the Kernels, compared to zero for the Cubs. Rosario finished 2-for-4 with two RBI to lead the way. Misael Urbina chipped in the other single, and Ross scored two runs and stole his fifth base of the season in the win. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 9, Bradenton 3 Box Score Mighty Mussels starter C.J. Culpepper was ambushed by solo home runs from the leadoff man in each of the first two innings, but after that the Marauders couldn’t find an answer for the Minnesota Twins 2022 13th-round draft pick. Those home runs were the only runs he would allow, settling in for three scoreless frames to end his outing after five. In all, he surrendered five hits, walked three, and struck out seven to pick up his third win of the season. Even when allowing those home runs, his lineup had his back by scoring runs in each of the first four innings. Ricardo Olivar had an RBI single in the first, Dillon Tatum an RBI single in the second, and Jorel Ortega’s homer in the third gave them the lead for good. They put up a crooked number in the fourth thanks to Tatum’s first home run of the season, a three-run shot making it 6-2 Fort Myers. In the seventh they tacked on some more insurance, with Dylan Neuse’s grounder to third leading to a run-scoring error, Ortega contributing an RBI groundout, and Danny De Andrade’s RBI single capping their scoring at nine. Relievers Jarret Whorff (2 IP, 2 H, BB, 2 K) and Danny Moreno (2 IP, H, ER, 2 BB, 2 K) finished out the win for the Mighty Mussels. Ortega (3-for-5, 2 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI), De Andrade (2-for-4, RBI, K), and Tatum (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 4 RBI, BB, K) each had multiple hits. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 3, FCL Braves 7 Box Score The Twins fell behind early and weren’t able to recover against the Braves on Tuesday morning. Starting pitcher Jacob Wosinski recorded just one out in the first inning and ended up charged with four runs (three earned) on three hits before his exit. Relievers Owen Griffith (1 2/3 IP, 2 K) and 2022 DSL standout Miguel Olivares (2 IP, BB, 4 K) filled in admirably after Wosinski’s exit, before Carlos Gutierrez (3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 4 K) gave up a two-run homer in his second inning. Kyle Bischoff finished off the game for the Twins, allowing one earned run on two hits in his lone inning, striking out one. The lineup for the Twins managed a single run in each of the third, seventh, and ninth innings, and outhit the Braves 9-7 in the game, but had only one extra-base hit. Isaac Pena (3-for-5, 2 RBI, K) and Reynaldo Madrigal (1-for-3, 2 R, 2 K) led the way, with Jose Rodriguez (1-for-5, RBI, K), and Bryan Acuna (1-for-3, BB) also contributing. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Twins 8, DSL Astros Orange 7 (10 innings) Box Score The Twins took an early lead with two runs in the first inning, thanks to multiple balks and a wild pitch from the Astros pitchers. It stayed that way until the bottom of the fifth as starter Adrian Bohorquez was solid through the first four innings, allowing just two hits and one walk while picking up four strikeouts. In the fifth inning, however, he was out of gas and walked the first three hitters of the inning, putting an end to his outing. All three of those runners would end up crossing home plate to put the Astros in front. The good guys tied the game at three thanks to multiple wild pitches and an error in the top of the sixth, then took a 6-3 lead in the seventh thanks to a bases-loaded walk and two-run double from Dameury Pena. Relievers Leonardo Lugo (3 IP, 3 H, BB, 3 K), Jeicol Surumuy ( 2/3 IP, ER, 3 BB, K), and Jose Ojo (1 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 K) got the team through the ninth inning, but the blown save from Ojo led them to extra innings. In the top of the tenth inning, two throwing errors from the Astros on a pop-out led to the ghost runner on second base scoring the go-ahead run, then after a pair of singles another wild pitch and an errant pickoff throw added another insurance run. The Astros were able to score their own ghost runner in the bottom half, but didn’t get another runner on base as Oscar Paredes shut the door to pick up the save. Pena (2-for-6, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI) and Jayson Bass (3-for-5, RBI) led the way with multiple hits. Lead-off man Yilber Herrera drew five walks, scored a run, and was credited with an RBI. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Jordan Carr, Cedar Rapids Kernels (W, 5 IP, H, 3 BB, 3 K) Hitter of the Day - Chris Williams, St. Paul Saints (3-for-5, 3 HR, 7 RBI, BB, 2 K) PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 1-for-5, R, RBI #2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 1-for-3, K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, R, 3 K #4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 2-for-4, R, 2B, BB, K #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 2-for-5, R, 2 RBI, BB, 3 K #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, K #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, K #18 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL) - 1-for-5, RBI, K #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 3-for-5, R, RBI WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (11:05 AM CDT) - RHP Randy Dobnak (2-3, 6.15 ERA) Wichita @ Midland (6:30 PM CDT) - LHP Aaron Rozek (0-3, 7.11 ERA) South Bend @ Cedar Rapids (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Cory Lewis (1-0, 0.00 ERA) Fort Myers @ Bradenton (11:00 AM CDT) - RHP Miguelangel Boadas (0-1, 1.80 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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Brock Stewart stood out very early for me watching Saints games this season. He was a dude there, and he's been a dude with the Twins.

Even if that's the plan for Balazovic, their usage of him this season has been weird. If they've made up their mind at this point I'd rather they cut him loose 100% in that role to get more juice out of him. Topped out at 96.3 MPH in this game, but if his pitch counts are held to more like 40 instead of 70+ I think there could be some more in there. Man, Rosario's single was the third inning, so I wasn't even close! 🤣 My eyes must have played a trick on me reading the box score, or something... Same on Martin. I honestly had been expecting an announcement about surgery soon. Nice surprise for sure this week.

Minnesota Twins affiliates won just one of their six (yay rookie leagues!) games on Tuesday, but the team that was victorious, did so in grand fashion, paying homage to the return of their home city’s celebration from a few days earlier. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of Chris Williams) TRANSACTIONS After appearing in a game Monday for the FCL Twins, IF Austin Martin continued his rehab assignment with the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. The St. Paul Saints were assigned 3B Seth Gray from Wichita. The Cedar Rapids Kernels sent RHP Owen Griffith on a rehab assignment with the FCL Twins. SAINTS SENTINEL Iowa 4, St. Paul 10 Box Score Jordan Balazovic was the scheduled starter early Tuesday morning, but by game time the Saints went with an opener in Cody Laweryson, before handing it over to Balazovic. Laweryson pitched into the second inning, but his pitch count soared and after recording two outs, gave up a three-run homer to end his outing. Balazovic then came on and gave up a pair of doubles to put another run on the board for the Cubs, before getting his first strikeout to end the second inning. Laweryson went 1 2/3 IP, and was charged with three runs on three hits and two walks, while striking out three on 48 pitches (27 for strikes). Of note from the Saints Broadcast, the talk was of Balazovic coming out of the bullpen, and how the Twins wanted to get him used to that instead of the routine of starting. They may be onto something, even if his usage has been odd this year if that’s the case. Anyway, they might be onto something as Balazovic cruised for the next three innings, allowing just one hit and two walks, while punching out six more Iowa hitters. He finished with one earned run allowed on three hits and two walks, striking out seven total. He still threw 71 pitches, which you’d rather see in about five innings, but made it work. He was 94-96 MPH with his fastball, and dropped in some great breaking balls hitters watched for called third strikes. The Saints offense scored first in the game thanks to International League Player of the Week, Matt Wallner. His double in the first inning left his bat at 106.3 MPH to score Andrew Stevenson, who had led off with a single. In the bottom of the fourth, they cut the Cubs lead to two, when Jose Miranda delivered an RBI double. Almost unfathomably, this was Miranda’s first double since joining the Saints. He added his second in the eighth inning. In the fifth, the Saints loaded the bases with nobody out, and Jair Camargo cashed them all in with his sixth home run of the season, a 447-foot grand slam that put them out front 6-4. After Balazovic’s day was done, Austin Schulfer pitched a scoreless sixth inning, working around three singles thanks to Wallner’s arm in right field, as his bullet cut down a runner at home to keep the inning scoreless. Austin Brice chipped in two scoreless frames, striking out three. In the eighth inning, a single, double, and walk loaded the bases again for the Saints, and this time it was Chris Williams with the moonshot. His 440-foot grand slam made it 10-4 Saints. Oliver Ortega finished it out with a scoreless ninth to send the CHS Field faithful home happy, and ensure Balazovic earned his first career triple-A win. The Saints knocked out 13 hits as a team, with Stevenson (3-for-4, 2 R, 2B), Miranda (2-for-5, R, 2 2B, RBI, K), Williams (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 4 RBI, BB, K), and Mark Contreras (2-for-5, R, K) collecting multiple hits. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 5, San Antonio 6 Box Score The Wind Surge jumped out to an early 5-0 lead after two innings, stringing together a bunch of doubles in both frames. Brooks Lee led off the game with his 17th double of the year, extending his Texas League leading tally. Then it was Yunior Severino and Jake Rucker who followed suit to give them a 2-0 lead before an out was recorded. Pat Winkel later added an RBI single to make it three runs in the first. In the second, Lee got a two-out rally started with his 18th double, Severino drew a walk, then Rucker brought them both in with his second double in the first two frames for the 5-0 lead. Unfortunately for Wichita, they got just two more hits the rest of the way, and San Antonio battled back. Starter Carlos Luna went the first four innings, allowing one run on three hits and three walks, while striking out three. His run allowed came in the fourth on a solo home run. Hunter McMahon delivered a scoreless fifth, but didn’t make it out of the sixth. He was charged with two earned runs on three hits in 1 2/3 innings, striking out one. Jordan Brink went the next 1 1/3 scoreless, allowing one hit and one walk. Regi Grace then made his double-A debut, delivering a scoreless eighth inning to pick up a hold and keep the Wind Surge’s two-run lead intact. He walked one and threw 14 pitches (7 strikes). In the bottom of the ninth Wichita turned to Curtis Taylor, and it didn’t work. Two walks and a hit-batter loaded the bases before Francis Peguero was brought in. His first pitch was sent into center field for a bases-clearing double, and walk-off win for the Missions. Lee (2-for-5, 2 R, 2 2B) and Rucker (2-for-2, R, 2 2B, 4 RBI, BB) led the way for the offense, but what started out white hot, finished ice cold for the team as whole and San Antonio was able to steal game one of their six-game series late. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Dayton 6 (5 innings) Box Score The Kernels series opener against the Dragons was cut a bit short by rain in Dayton, Ohio but it may have been for the best. They fell behind 5-0 after just two innings, as starter Kyle Jones got ambushed from his first pitch. Literally, as it went for a solo home run to begin the bottom of the first inning. From there, a walk, single, and an error made it a 2-0 for Dayton after one. In the second inning, another error led to an RBI single and two-run homer, and the Dragons were in control. Jones went on to finish four innings, allowing those five runs (three earned) on four hits and two walks. On a positive note, he did strike out seven. Malik Barrington came on to start the fifth and allowed one run on two hits, while striking out two. The Cedar Rapids offense managed just two hits in the shortened contest, which came from Emmanuel Rodriguez and Kala’i Rosario. Rosario’s single in the third drove in their only run of the game, scoring Tanner Schobel who walked twice in three at-bats. As a team the Kernels did draw seven walks, but were just 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Right-hander Mike Paredes is scheduled to pitch on Wednesday, taking on former Twins first round draft pick Chase Petty, who has a 0.56 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, and 21 strikeouts for the Dragons in four starts and 16 innings pitched on the season so far. MUSSEL MATTERS Clearwater 10, Fort Myers 5 Box Score Fort Myers starter Develson Aria recorded only one out in this contest, and the Mighty Mussels never recovered. Aria couldn’t find the strike zone, walking five of the first seven hitters of the game and before the inning was over had four earned runs on his ledger. Emergency reliever A.J. Labas managed to keep the damage to just that and added a scoreless second inning, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out three in 1 2/3 innings. Danny Moreno (1 2/3 IP, 4 H, 4 R (3 earned), BB), Samuel Perez (3 1/3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, K), Johnathan Lavallee (1 1/3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, BB), and infielder Mikey Perez (2/3 IP) accounted for the rest of the pitching staff’s innings. The Mighty Mussels' scoring came in just two innings, with three runs in the fourth inning on a Rubel Cespedes RBI double and Alec Sayre two-RBI single, then two in the eighth thanks to a double steal of home and second base, and an RBI single from Cespedes. Jorel Ortega (2-for-3, 2 R, BB, K, SB) and Cespedes (2-for-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K) had multiple hits, and Dylan Neuse chipped in a double. Gilberto Celestino continued his rehab assignment but finished 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Austin Martin began his rehab assignment playing second base and batting second. He was 0-for-3 with a walk. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 5, FCL Rays 6 Box Score Jack Noble put together a strong start for the Twins, finishing the first five innings, allowing just one run on three hits and three walks, while striking out five. The rehabbing Owen Griffith pitched a scoreless sixth inning, striking out one Down 1-0 at that point, but the Twins offense finally got going in the seventh. A sac fly from Bryan Acuna tied it, then two batters later Anderson Nova put them in front 4-1 with a three-run home run. Unfortunately, the Rays countered with five of their own in the bottom half. Carlos Gutierrez finished the final two innings for the Twins, but gave up those five runs on three hits and a walk while striking out four. Yasser Mercedes was 1-for-2 with a pair of walks out of the leadoff spot. Jose Rodriguez was 1-for-3 with a run scored and a walk. Byron Chourio scored a run and drew two walks in four plate appearances. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Twins 3, DSL Phillies Red 4 Box Score The Twins got solid pitching for the first five innings, allowing just one run as a team in that timeframe. They were led by starter Adrian Bohorquez who went the first three innings, and recorded all nine of his outs via strikeout. He allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk. But they weren't able to hold on from there. Oscar Paredes (1 IP), Jeicol Surumuy (2/3 IP, 3 H, K), Jose Ojo (1/3 IP), Leonardo Lugo (2 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 2 K), and Reynel Garcia (1/3 IP) finished off the rest of the game, with Lugo getting saddled with a blown save and the loss. The lineup managed just six hits, with shortstop Yilber Herrera and first baseman Javier Roman collecting doubles and an RBI. The Twins biggest bonus baby of the year, Ariel Castro, went 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout hitting in the three-hole. Catcher Carlos Silva was also 1-for-3 with a walk and two K’s. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Jordan Balazovic, St. Paul Saints (W, 3 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K) Hitter of the Day - Chris Williams, St. Paul Saints (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 4 RBI, BB, K) PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 2-for-5, 2 R, 2 2B #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-2, BB #4 - Edouard Julien (St. Paul) - 1-for-5, R, 2 K #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, R, 2B, RBI, BB, HBP, 2 K #10 - Yasser Mercedes (FCL) - 1-for-2, 2 BB #11 - Austin Martin (Rehab-Fort Myers) - 0-for-3, BB #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-2, K #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-1, BB, K #14 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - W, 3 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K #18 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL) - 1-for-3, R, BB, K #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 1-for-4, 2 R, 2B, BB, 2 K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Iowa @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CDT) - RHP Aaron Sanchez (3-4, 3.72 ERA) Wichita @ San Antonio (7:05 PM CDT) - LHP Aaron Rozek (0-2, 6.11 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Dayton (6:05 PM CDT) - RHP Mike Paredes (2-0, 2.11 ERA) Clearwater @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CDT) - RHP C.J. Culpepper (2-2, 2.59 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! View full article

Text thread with my friends last night:

I think this means you should have cut the cord long ago 😉 and makes you one of those who will love paying $20/month for Twins games as opposed to whatever your cable bill is currently. What you're missing here, is as soon as Bally gives up their broadcast rights by not paying and MLB takes over, they're immediately giving out the rights to the services Bally has been dropped from/wasn't negotiating in good faith with (IMO). So, if you have Hulu/Youtube TV/whatever else this article mentioned for the Padres as an example, you're gaining the ability to watch the team you haven't been able to, immediately. It's a huge amount of people, as the article mentions in the Padres case, it's 2 million of them. I bet it's a similar amount here in Minnesota/MSP, as we are a bigger metro area than San Diego. I myself, since I don't have cable or a streaming "Live" TV service, have opted to pay the $29.99 for the entire year of MiLB.tv instead of the Twins because of DSG/Bally and the $150+ cable package it requires. I miss watching the Twins games for sure, but I'd still pay far less than that adding a $20/month MLB.tv to my streaming catalogue (though I also think that number is too high to pay for a single team, especially when it's only $5 more to get EVERY team). edit for clarification: You also gain the option to pay the $20/month to MLB.tv for the Twins you mention that you currently don't have.

I was singling out players who have done so for the Twins specifically, but Andrew Stevenson and Hernan Perez also are former major leaguers. So yes, Bechtold and Camargo are the only players to appear in the Saints game yesterday lacking any major league experience!

Royce was a legitimate choice at #1. What people got upset about that year, was Hunter Greene was the top, "generational" pitcher available. If the top college bats are gone at #5, and Skenes isn't, they have to take him, in my opinion. Unless they do know something. But I will not be overly excited about a Gonzalez pick in this situation. I want upside here and it sounds like he's more of a high-floor guy.