Steve Lein

That at-bat was also against Edwin Diaz, and he was throwing 100 MPH heat (10 of the 11 pitches were 98+, other was a 92 MPH slider). Incredible to come in so abruptly and cold like that, and do what he did.

In a scheduling quirk with the new minor league realignments and the holiday, all four of the Minnesota Twins full-season affiliates had the day off on Tuesday after their 4th of July contests that were played on their normal day off. Both rookie league teams were in action with one of them providing a firework-worthy celebration of their own down in the Dominican Republic. TRANSACTIONS The Minnesota Twins officially recalled RHP Josh Winder to start tonight’s game with Chris Archer being scratched, after he had joined their taxi-squad yesterday. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Braves 4, FCL Twins 2 Box Score Despite outhitting their opponents 9-to-5 on the game, The Twins came out on the short end of this one as the Braves got the big home run to steal a victory. Jose Olivares made the start for the home team and went the first four innings. It was the last one that finally put a dent on his appearance, as a pair of walks preceded a three-run blast that put the Braves up by two. Before then, Olivares had allowed just two other hits and was in command. His final line would include three earned runs on three hits, the two walks that came back to bite him, and struck out four. The FCL Twins got two innings of perfect rehab work from Jon Olsen, who struck out two in the process, then got a pair of one-two-three innings from Francis Peguero (2 K) and Miguelangel Boadas to get them to the ninth down 3-1. Boadas came back out for the ninth and would finish the game, but allowed an insurance run thanks to a single and a triple. He struck out two in his two innings. Danny De Andrade put the FCL Twins on the scoreboard first in the third inning, with his first home run of the year, a solo shot. But the Twins weren’t able to push any more runs across until the bottom of the ninth when Andres Centeno led off the inning with a double, moved to third on a single from Amilcar Vasquez, and then scored on a Misael Urbina double, where Centeno was thrown out at home for the innings first out. The tying run was then in the batter's box, but Alexander Pena and De Andrade weren’t able to keep it going, falling 4-2 to the Braves. Urbina led the offense with a three-hit effort in four at-bats, also drawing a walk. De Andrade had two hits including the home run, and Centeno’s double accounted for their three extra-base hits in the game. Second baseman Fredy Michel also drew three walks, but wasn’t able to score any runs as the team finished just 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position, and left 10 men on base in total. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL KC Stewart 5, DSL Twins 6 Box Score The DSL Twins scored four runs in the bottom of the third inning en route to building an early 5-1 lead, but then let their Kansas City Royals-based opponents back into the game late. Would they be able to hold them off? The Twins got on the scoreboard first in the second inning as Anderson Nova, Isaac Pena, and Ricardo Pena all notched singles in the frame, with the last of those driving in a run. They had a chance for more as a walk loaded the bases with two outs, but would have to wait until the next inning to really cash in. They did so when Bryan Acuna and Jose Rodriguez started the third with consecutive singles, before all three of them trotted the bases thanks to a Rafael Cruz home run, his first of the season. Nova followed with his first triple of the year and scored the fourth run of the inning on an error to the next hitter. They remained in the lead until the ninth inning thanks to the collective efforts of Jose Ojo (1 IP, BB, K), Bianger Liendo (1 IP, BB, 2 K), and Eduardo Soriano (1 IP, 2 H, R) to start the game. Miguel Olivares then did the heavy lifting, pitching five innings from the fourth through the eighth. He allowed one earned run on two hits and three walks, while striking out six. With the score 5-2 entering the top of the ninth, the Twins brought Eider Machuca out of the bullpen for the save opportunity and he retired the first two hitters he faced. Then the wheels fell off. A pair of walks was followed by a three-run home run to tie the game at five, and he then walked the next batter to bring an end to his outing with a blown save. He was bailed out as the Royals attempted a steal with new pitcher Orlando Rubio on the mound, and catcher Javier Roman cut them down at second base for the third out. The Twins lineup wasn’t fazed, and remained patient against a new pitcher in the bottom half of the inning, with Luis Rodriguez drawing a leadoff walk. He was advanced to second with a sacrifice bunt before the next two hitters drew walks of their own to load the bases, the second of which was intentional to Yasser Mercedes. After a pop-out from Acuna, Jose Rodriguez delivered the walk-off fireworks with a single to left field to secure the 6-5 win. Jose Rodriguez (2-for-5, R, RBI, K), Nova (2-for-4, 2 R, 3B), and Isaac Pena (2-for-4) each had two-hit nights to support the big blast from Cruz. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Miguel Olivares, DSL Twins (H, 5 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 BB, 6 K) Hitter of the Day - Rafael Cruz, DSL Twins (1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY With the full-season affiliates enjoying their day off, there were no Twins Daily top prospects in action on Tuesday. WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (6:05 PM CDT) - RHP Cole Sands (1-4, 4.68 ERA) Amarillo @ Wichita (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP Louie Varland (6-2, 3.42 ERA) Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CDT) - TBD Fort Myers @ Tampa (5:30 PM CDT) - RHP Marco Raya (3-1, 2.77 ERA) DSL Cardinals @ DSL Twins (10:00 AM CDT) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! View full article

It'll be a crime against humanity if Wallner doesn't see triple-A this year... He was promoted from high-A after 66 games. He's now played 68 for Wichita, and he's increased his OPS at double-A compared to high-A by .150 points, and it's over 1.000 now. Been saying this for weeks now, since I've mostly been watching Wichita's games to keep tabs specifically on him: Even if there's still some K's, he's having great at-bats, and mashing everything he hits. Fastballs, breaking balls, inside/outside, High/Low. It hasn't mattered. Just go look at his HR highlights on the Wind Surge's twitter. Both of his most recent 2 HR games will show you exactly what I'm talking about. #FreeMattWallner

Fun thing about actually playing the game, is adrenaline. Brain/muscle memory definitely is the big part, but I guarantee a position player will throw it harder when his brain/muscles tell him it's needed in a game, than he will in say, a practice situation. Elite infielder arms average around high 80's on their throws, and max out around 95 MPH. Elite outfielder arms can max out over 100 MPH. But if Albert Pujols (who can't run) smokes one at the shortstop and it's in his glove before he's even out of the batter's box, that fielder is not going to make a high velocity throw for the out. Fielder's against Buxton, as an example on the other end of the spectrum, are going to speed everything up and get some extra juice from adrenaline trying to beat him to first. I'd love to see a stat like that, which player gets the highest average velocity throws to first on grounders.

Yeah, that throw is more like 130+ feet, not 90. Because, geometry. A straight path from third base to first base is off the top of my head, a few feet over 125.

Steer is an emergency option at SS on an MLB team, but he's very capable everywhere else in the infield. Had a nice play at third last night:

Holy moly. I'll admit, you definitely accomplished the goal of giving them an "offer they can't refuse" with that proposal. Baseball Trade Values puts this offer as equivalent to the value of Shohei Ohtani. Also, I think Winder can be just as good as Gallen. Maybe even Balazovic, too. Not a move I would even considering making, let alone with that type of offer (and Gallen's arm scares me more than most).

Definitely disappointing Headrick won't get to continue when they resume today. Hopefully the delay doesn't cool off the Kernels bats either.

As the second half of the minor league seasons got started for Minnesota Twins affiliates on Tuesday, a fun observation I made while perusing the games on MiLB.tv was that I have been to one at every stadium the full-season teams were playing at. The actual games were not that fun to observe however, as every team lost, including the Wind Surge who had a decent lead late. At least the Cedar Rapids Kernels were spared that fate due to rain (but they are currently winning!). TRANSACTIONS The Minnesota Twins optioned OF Mark Contreras back to the St. Paul Saints, and recalled RHP Josh Winder for their doubleheader. SAINTS SENTINEL Omaha 11, St. Paul 2 Box Score It didn’t matter who was pitching for the Saints on Tuesday night, the Storm Chasers made every one of them pay in an 11-2 bombardment at CHS Field that ended a seven-game home winning streak for St. Paul. Starter Dereck Rodriguez was hit for just his second loss of the season, as he allowed four earned runs on four hits and three walks in his 4 2/3 innings. He did strike out six, but two home runs allowed put his team in an early hole. Yennier Cano was the first arm out of the bullpen and got them through the sixth. He allowed one run of his own on one hit and one walk, while striking out two. Tyler Viza was roughed up for four runs (three earned) and didn’t record an out in the eighth inning after pitching a scoreless seventh. He struck out two. Wladimir Pinto finished the game with two innings, allowing two runs of his own on four hits, though he did strike out four. The Saints put the ball in play all night, striking out only four times as a team, but didn’t have many opportunities to put anything together to score runs. Jake Cave finished 2-for-3 with a home run and a double, but Michael Helman was the only other hitter to go for extra bases with a double to lead off the third inning. They finished just 1-for-3 with runners in scoring position, and left only two men on base for the game. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 8, Springfield 12 Box Score The Wind Surge came out swinging in this one, taking a 3-0 lead before their starting pitcher, Daniel Gossett, had taken the mound. Matt Wallner led off the game by being hit by a pitch and was followed by an Edouard Julien double to move him to third, before Austin Martin’s two-RBI single scored the game's first runs. Martin was moved to third on a Chris Williams single before he was able to score on a groundout from DeShawn Kiersey Jr. Gossett kept his team in the lead for 4 2/3 innings, finishing with three earned runs on six hits and a walk, while striking out six. He had allowed just a single run before a two-run shot in the fifth to make it 4-3 Wichita put an end to his night. In the sixth inning the Wind Surge tacked on a couple more runs when Anthony Prato delivered an RBI double, and was followed by a sac fly from Wallner that made it 6-3. They got two more insurance runs in the eighth thanks to an RBI single from Kevin Merrel, and a throwing error on a Prato infield single that allowed another runner to score. Left-hander Kody Funderburk came on in relief of Gossett and pitched 2 1/3 innings. He allowed one run on four hits, a walk, and struck out one. Andrew Cabezas came on to start the eighth inning, and promptly gave up a leadoff home run to Malcom Nunez that made the score 8-5. Cabezas wouldn’t record an out, and before the inning was over Jordan Gore and Bryan Sammons had also been summoned from the bullpen, and Nunez added a grand slam that put the Cardinals out front 12-8. It took just seven pitches for Wichita to go down in the ninth, and they fell to just one game above .500 on the season, and lost in spectacular fashion to start their second half. The lineup got multiple hits from Williams (2-for-5, RBI, 2 K), Andrew Bechtold (2-for-3, 2 R, BB), and Prato (2-for-4, 2B, RBI). Martin finished 1-for-2 with a run scored, two RBI, and drew three walks. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Wisconsin 0 (suspended in the third inning) Box Score The Kernels matchup with the Timber Rattlers was suspended due to rain before the bottom of the third inning, with Cedar Rapids leading 5-0. They will resume play tomorrow afternoon to complete a full nine innings, followed by a seven-inning game two. Brent Headrick made the start and completed two scoreless innings. He allowed three hits and struck out one. Christian Encarnacion-Strand hit a two-run homer, his 17th of the season, in the first, and back-to-back-to-back RBI doubles by Kyler Fedko, Yunior Severino, and Pat Winkel led to three runs in the top of the third before play was suspended. MUSSEL MATTERS Dunedin 2, Fort Myers 0 Box Score The Mighty Mussels got a decent outing from starting pitcher Travis Adams, but the offense wasn’t able to mount any offensive against the Blue Jays on Tuesday at Hammond Stadium. Adams went five innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and three walks, while striking out three. Juan Mendez (2 IP, H, BB, 2 K) and Samuel Perez (2 IP, BB) each added two scoreless innings to give the home team a chance. Unfortunately, the Fort Myers lineup managed just four hits of their own, the biggest being a double from Keini Cavaco. Noah Miller, Rubel Cespedes, and Luis Baez each had a single. As a team, they went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, and left only three men on base for the game. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 3, FCL Rays 4 Box Score Brayan Medina made the start for the Twins and went the first 3 2/3 innings, likely reaching a pitch limit after a two-out error was committed in the fourth inning. He allowed one run on one hit and two walks, while striking out four. It was tied at two heading into the ninth inning thanks to a sac fly from Danny De Andrade in the third and a Wilfri Castro solo home run in the fourth. The Twins took the lead thanks to a wild pitch in the top of the tenth, but an error on a double in the bottom half led to two runs and a walk-off loss for the good guys. As a team, they struck out 20 times versus no walks, and were unable to cash in any other opportunities as they were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, and collected just five hits. Tanner Gaff (1/3 IP, K), Jon Olsen (1 IP, H, K), Jose Oliveras (4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, BB, 3 K), and Giovahniey German (H, 2 R, BB) also pitched for the Twins. DOMINICAN DAILIES Scheduled day off. The DSL Twins had Tuesday off. They’re back in action at 10:00 AM CDT tomorrow against the DSL Cleveland Blue squad. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Samuel Perez, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (2 IP, BB) Hitter of the Day - Austin Martin, Wichita Wind Surge (1-for-2, 2 R, 2 RBI, 3 BB) PROSPECT SUMMARY #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 1-for-2, 2 R, 2 RBI, 3 BB #3 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - 3-for-7, R, 2B, HR, RBI (2 games) #7 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 1-for-4 #9 - Noah Miller (Fort Myers) - 1-for-4, K, CS #15 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 0-for-3, R, RBI, 3 K #16 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-for-5, R, 2B, 2 K #18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-1, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI (game suspended) WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Omaha @ St. Paul (1:07 PM CDT) - RHP Cole Sands (0-4, 5.20 ERA) Wichita @ Springfield (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP Casey Legumina (1-3, 6.57 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (12:10 PM CDT) - RHP David Festa (3-0, 2.05 ERA) Dunedin @ Fort Myers (11:00 AM CDT) - RHP Pierson Ohl (3-3, 4.70 ERA) DSL Twins @ DSL Cleveland Blue (10:00 AM CDT) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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Shocked at the timing, until I read about the salary... Sorry ya'll, but there isn't anything shady about taking a job that more than doubles your salary... Even if the Twins offered to match it, I'm guessing Wes would have told them to kick rocks. College season much less demanding, Wes is a southern guy, and he might just be the highest paid pitching coach in the world now, at any level. I say "Congratulations, Wes!" Edit: Also not shady, is making this choice to spend more time with your kid(s).

No doubt this is still something to watch, but he has been improving. April: 39.2% K-rate, 16.2% walk rate. May: 37.9%/18.4% June: 32.9%/21.1% As an avid MiLB.tv and Wichita watcher this season, I can tell you despite the number of them, he is consistently having really good to great at-bats. It feels different to me, than watching Rooker did, if that makes any sense. He is hitting pitches all over the plate, breaking balls, fastballs... His first HR tonight was on a low breaking ball he golfed, second one was a high-outside fastball he destroyed. It doesn't seem to matter. And he is absolutely demolishing the ball when he hits it. There absolutely is a reason he's now batting in the leadoff spot. He had a single last week that probably had a launch angle of 1 degree, and it hit off the top of the fence in right field. Probably the hardest hit ball I've seen this year, anywhere. I hope we're seeing some of this in the majors in 2023, or heck, 2022 if he keeps this up at triple-A.

There were close games that went both ways for Minnesota Twins affiliates in their series openers on Tuesday, but it was a slugger in double-A that stole the show with a pair of home runs. This continued a torrid stretch that you need to start paying attention to, if you haven’t been already. TRANSACTIONS There were no transactions in the system heading into Tuesday’s games. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 7, Buffalo 8 Box Score The Saints jumped out to a big lead with a five-run third inning, but the bullpen wasn’t able to hold it late as they fell back to .500 on the season in their series opener with the Bisons. On the mound for St. Paul was right-hander Ronny Henriquez, and he pitched into the sixth inning. As has been the knock on him in his minor league career, the home run ball was an issue, as he allowed two in his 5 1/3 innings. Luckily for him, they were both of the solo variety and were the only runs given up. In total he allowed four hits, walked two, and struck out five in his outing. In their big third inning, the Saints got a bases-clearing double from Tim Beckham, then later a two-run double from Jermaine Palacios to go out front. Palacios was robbed of a grand slam in the fifth, and instead had to settle for a sac fly that made the score 6-1, before he learned his lesson and muscled one further out in the seventh for a solo homer that made it 7-2. The bottom of the seventh is where it started to fall apart. Tyler Viza had come on in relief of Henriquez in the sixth after he walked two consecutive batters and escaped the jam, but very quickly got himself into one in the seventh. Two hit batters and a walk loaded the bases, then a sac fly and single scored two runs before St. Paul had anyone warmed up. Hunter Wood prevented any further damage that inning, but the lead was now 7-4. In the eighth it was Jovani Moran’s turn to shut the Bisons down and he got the first two hitters he faced, but a pair of walks around an RBI double ended his outing in favor of Yennier Cano. Who promptly allowed a go-ahead three-run homer to complete the Buffalo comeback. The Saints went down quietly in the bottom of the ninth, and will look to get back on track with Josh Winder on the mound tomorrow, continuing his rehab assignment. Beckham (2-for-5, 2 R, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 K) and Palacios (2-for-3, R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, K) led the way for the offense with multiple hits, and Spencer Steer finished 1-for-3 with a pair of walks and run scored out of the leadoff spot. WIND SURGE WISDOM San Antonio 2, Wichita 9 Box Score We need to talk about Matt Wallner. The slugger out of Southern Mississippi got off to a slow start this year, hitting just .200 in the season's first month. But as the weather has warmed up down in the Texas League, so has he. In the month of May he posted a .287/.410/.575 batting line, and after his two home run game tonight, is hitting .345(!)/.500(!!!)/.690(!!!!!) in the month of June. He’s been so good, and getting on-base so often, that he’s been batting in the leadoff spot for the Wind Surge in the last week. That was the case again tonight in the series opener with the San Antonio Missions, and it didn’t take long for him to show up. It was the fourth pitch of the bottom of the first inning to be exact. That blast tied the game at one, and in his second at-bat in the third inning, he put the Wind Surge in the lead with an RBI single. He later scored on a single from Edouard Julien and the home team took a 3-1 lead. The offense broke the game open in the fifth with four-run inning, though Wallner didn’t factor into the outburst this time. A three-run homer from Cole Sturgeon did most of the damage, but Julien tacked on another RBI single and their lead was now 7-2. Wallner was back at it in the eighth, delivering his third hit and a second home run, when he demolished the first pitch of his at-bat for a two-run blast. I’d imagine he’ll be up with St. Paul soon. Making the start for Wichita was Sawyer Gipson-Long, and he picked up his first win in double-A with a five-inning effort. He allowed two runs on six hits, walked zero, and struck out three. Relievers Melvi Acosta (2 IP, H, BB, K), Steven Cruz (1 IP, H, K), and Osiris German (1 IP, 2 H) finished off the final four scoreless innings in the 9-2 win. Joining Wallner in the multi-hit parade for the Wind Surge were Julien (2-for-3, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB), Anthony Prato (2-for-4, R), and Leobaldo Cabrera (2-for-3, 2 R, 2B). KERNELS NUGGETS West Michigan 1, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score The Kernels matchup with the Whitecaps on Tuesday was a good old-fashioned pitchers duel, as the starting pitchers battled each other for the first half of the game, allowing only two hits each in their time on the mound. There were just seven hits total in the game between both teams, and the Kernels did not have a runner advance past second base until the eighth inning. But they finally made it count when they did. Right-hander David Festa got the start and while he didn’t rack up strikeouts like he has been known to this season, kept the Whitecaps off balance in his six innings. He allowed two hits, walked four, and struck out three in allowing just one run. He was sitting mid-90’s all game and topped out at 97 MPH while I was listening to the broadcast. Bradley Hanner delivered two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, allowing one hit, and gets credited with his fourth win of the season, as the lineup came through late. They finally got a runner in scoring position after a one-out single from Kennie Taylor was followed by a walk from Alerick Soularie, bringing up Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who has proven to be born for these situations. He delivered an RBI double down the first base line that tied the game at one, and put the go-ahead runner 90-feet away. After an intentional walk to Aaron Sabato, Seth Gray drove a fly ball deep enough into right field to give the Kernels the lead with a sac fly. Derek Molina came on for the bottom of the ninth, and retired the Whitecaps one-two-three, picking up his third save of the season, and punctuating the comeback with a strikeout to end it. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Lakeland 2 Box Score The Mighty Mussels got a solid start from left-hander Jordan Carr, and the bullpen finished off the battle of pitching staffs to collect their 40th win of the season against the Flying Tigers. Carr picked up his second win with five innings of one-run ball. He allowed five hits, two walks, and struck out five. His lone run allowed came in the fifth inning, which made the score 3-1 in favor of Fort Myers. The lineup had put single runs on the scoreboard in each of the second, fourth, and fifth innings to that point. In the second it was a triple from Keoni Cavaco to score Rubel Cespedes, who had led off the inning with a double. In the fourth, a groundout from Cespedes scored Noah Miller from third, who had led off the inning with a walk. Their run in the fifth came courtesy of an errant throw from the catcher that allowed Mikey Perez to score from second. Those three runs would hold up as the bullpen trio of Jackson Hicks (1 IP, H, BB, K), Anthony Escobar (1 IP, 2 H, 2 K), and Hunter McMahon (2 IP, H, ER, BB, K) kept Lakeland at bay over the final four innings. McMahon’s run allowed came on a solo home run in the eighth, but he set the opposition down in order in the bottom of the ninth for his fifth save. The Mighty Mussels were outhit 9-to-6 and drew only one walk as a team, but got enough to steal a win behind their pitching. They were just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position, and left only one man on base for the game. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Orioles 3, FCL Twins 15 Box Score The FCL Twins knocked out twelve hits and drew ten walks in blowing out the FCL Orioles. They scored multiple runs in each of the first, fourth, fifth, and seventh innings, led by three hits, including a home run, and five RBI from Yonardy Soto. Andres Centeno also drove in five with a pair of singles and two sacrifice flies. Brayan Medina got the win, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and three walks in four innings pitched. He struck out two. Miguelangel Boadas added three innings of scoreless relief, allowing two hits, walking two, and striking out four. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Angels 4, DSL Twins 5 Box Score The DSL Twins held off a comeback attempt from the DSL Angels to even their record at 6-6 on the season. Shortstop Yilber Herrera led the way on offense with a 2-for-3 effort, including a double and a triple, and drove in three runs. Rafael Cruz and Denyerbe Gervis also added triples to the effort. Miguel Olivares made the start and went the first four innings, allowing no runs on two hits and two walks, while striking out six. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - David Festa, Cedar Rapids Kernels (6 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 4 BB, 3 K) Hitter of the Day - Matt Wallner, Wichita Wind Surge (3-for-5, 3 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 1-for-4, R #3 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - 0-for-2 #5 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - #7 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, R, 2 BB #9 - Noah Miller (Fort Myers) - 1-for-3, R, BB, 2 K #13 - Ronny Henriquez (St. Paul) - 5 1/3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K #15 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 3-for-5, 3 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI #16 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 2-for-3, R, 2 RBI #18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, K #20 - David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Buffalo (6:05 PM CDT) - RHP Josh Winder (0-0, 6.75 ERA) San Antonio @ Wichita (7:05 PM CDT) - LHP Kody Funderburk (6-2, 2.41 ERA) West Michigan @ Cedar Rapids (12:05 PM CDT) - LHP Brent Headrick (6-2, 2.55 ERA) Fort Myers @ Lakeland (5:30 PM CDT) - RHP Travis Adams (4-2, 2.94 ERA) DSL Braves @ DSL Twins (10:00 AM CDT) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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The low-levels of the Minnesota Twins farm system were hit by rain again on Tuesday, but it wasn’t too big of a deal as Alex Kirilloff isn’t playing for them. He continued his torrid stretch with another home run, while in double-A another slugger made an impression with his bat and arm to support his pitcher who almost outdueled a rehabbing major league starter. TRANSACTIONS CF Cole Sturgeon was assigned to Wichita from St. Paul C Jeferson Morales was placed on the 7-day injured list for Cedar Rapids SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 8, Columbus 7 Box Score The Saints jumped out to a big early lead after just two innings, thanks primarily to the scorching hot bat of Alex Kirilloff. His double in the first scored one, then he was promptly driven in by a double from Jake Cave. In the second, Kirilloff came up with the bases loaded and cleared them with his seventh home run in his last 10 games. St. Paul added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings thanks to RBI doubles from Tim Beckham and Caleb Hamilton. Reliever Mario Sanchez came on to start the fifth inning and would go four innings. He allowed just one run on two hits, while striking out two, to keep the Saints out front. With the score 8-6 going into the bottom of the ninth, St. Paul went to Juan Minaya for the save opportunity, and it got interesting. He walked the first two batters he faced, putting the tying run on base, but a mound visit calmed him down some. He struck out the next two before allowing an RBI single to close the lead to one, but got a groundball from the next hitter to seal the victory and pick up his fourth save of the season. Kirilloff led the way for the offense by finishing 3-for-4 with five RBI, while Beckham (2-for-5, RBI, K) and Curtis Terry (2-for-4, R, K) also collected multiple hits. Spencer Steer returned to the lineup and added a double, a walk, and scored two runs. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 3, Tulsa 4 Box Score The Wind Surge lineup was the unfortunate collateral damage for a Los Angeles Dodgers starter on Tuesday, as Andrew Heaney was with the Drillers for a rehab assignment. He cruised through five innings, allowing just two hits, one walk, and striking out nine Wichita hitters. It wasn’t all bad, however, as the Wind Surge also got a solid start from Casey Legumina that kept them in the game. He went six innings, allowing just one run on four hits, while striking out five. Once Heaney’s outing was done, Matt Wallner got the good guys on the board with his 12th home run of the season to tie the game at one. Legumina was replaced by Bryan Sammons to start the seventh inning, and the Drillers chipped away at him with four singles and a walk that led to three runs and a 4-1 lead for Tulsa. Melvi Acosta got the final out of the seventh and added a scoreless eighth, allowing two hits and striking out one in 1 1/3 innings pitched. Edouard Julien did his best to give the Wind Surge a chance with a two-run home run in the eighth, his third of the season, but they went down quietly in the ninth to fall to 32-24 on the year, just a half-game in front of Tulsa in the Texas League North Division standings. KERNELS NUGGETS Dayton 6, Cedar Rapids 5 Box Score This matchup of the Dragons and Kernels got off to a fast start, with nine of the eleven total runs scored coming in the first two innings. Dayton jumped on Cedar Rapids starter John Stankiewicz for four runs in the top of the first, including a three-run homer. They tacked on two more with another home run in the second and put an end to the pitcher’s game after just two innings. He allowed six runs on seven hits and a walk, while picking up two K’s. The home team put up three of their own in the bottom of the first courtesy of home runs from Christian Encarnacion-Strand (2 run) and Kyler Fedko (solo). In the fourth, the Kernels closed the lead to two on a Wander Javier RBI single, and Aaron Sabato got them within one with an RBI single of his own in the seventh. The Kernels bullpen was fantastic after the disappointing start from Stankiewicz, getting seven total scoreless innings out of Orlando Rodriguez (2 IP, 3 H, K), Cody Laweryson (3 1/3 IP, 3 H, BB, 6 K), and Bradley Hanner (1 2/3 IP, 2 BB, 2 K). Unfortunately, the lineup wasn’t able to break through to complete the comeback, as they had just five at-bats with runners in scoring position, and left only six men on base for the game. Dylan Neuse (2-for-3, BB) and Javier (2-for-4, RBI, K) had multiple hits in the losing effort. MUSSEL MATTERS Bradenton 1, Fort Myers 2 (Suspended in the fourth inning) Box Score Thunderstorms moved into the Fort Myers area early Tuesday evening and resulted in the Mighty Mussels game being suspended before the start of the fourth inning. The game will be completed in-full tomorrow before playing a 7-inning regularly scheduled contest. To that point, Fort Myers had taken a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third thanks to some wild pitching from the Marauders. Luis Baez reached base on a wild-pitch strikeout, then the next four hitters reached base by a hit-by-pitch and three walks to score their two runs. Jaylen Nowlin made the start and allowed a solo home run, but just one other hit and one walk, while punching out seven Marauders in his three innings. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Braves 6, FCL Twins 11 Box Score Starting Pitcher: Brayan Medina (1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K) Winning Pitcher: Miguelangel Boadas (3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 2 K) Multi-Hit Games: Yonardy Soto (2-for-3, 2 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI) XBH: Soto (2 2B), Daniel Robertson (2B), Danny De Andrade (2B) Rehab Players: Daniel Robertson (1-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB) The box score for this one doesn’t make a ton of sense, as the FCL Twins managed more than twice the amount of runs than they had hits, while being no-hit by their opposing starter for all five innings he remained in the game. It switched immediately when the Braves went to their bullpen, as the Twins got all five hits (including four doubles) and drew six walks to score all of their 11 runs in the sixth. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 5, DSL Mariners 0 (Suspended in bottom of third inning) Box Score The DSL Twins jumped out to a five-run lead before rain caused the game to be suspended. Jose Rodriguez (3B) and Luis Rodriguez (2B) provided extra-base hits, while Junior Del Valle was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and two RBI before play was stopped. Starting pitcher Miguel Olivares finished 2 2/3 innings, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out two. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Casey Legumina, Wichita Wind Surge (6 IP, 4 H, ER, 5 K) Hitter of the Day - Alex Kirilloff, St. Paul Saints (3-for-4, 2B, GS, 5 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 1-for-3, BB, K #3 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - 0-for-3, 2 K #7 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, 2 R, 2B, BB, K #9 - Noah Miller (Fort Myers) - Game suspended #15 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 2-for-4, R, HR, RBI, K #16 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 2-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI #18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-5, R, HR, 2 RBI, 2 K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Columbus (6:05 PM CDT) - RHP Ronny Henriquez (0-2, 7.68 ERA) Wichita @ Tulsa (4:35 PM CDT), Game 1 - RHP Louie Varland (5-1, 3.24 ERA) Tulsa @ Wichita (makeup of 5/7 PPD), Game 2 - LHP Kody Funderburk (6-1, 2.17 ERA) Dayton @ Cedar Rapids (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP David Festa (3-0, 1.83 ERA) Bradenton @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CDT) - TBD DSL Twins @ DSL NYY Yankees (10:00 AM CDT) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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There were runs in bunches for Minnesota Twins affiliates on Tuesday, led by an unforgiving onslaught in Cedar Rapids. While one team wasn’t quite able to hold on, falling in extra innings, they combined to outhit their opponents 45-25 on a night filled with big hitting performances. TRANSACTIONS The St. Paul Saints received LHP Danny Coulombe to continue his rehab assignment, and also activated RHP Cole Sands, who made the start on Tuesday. SAINTS SENTINEL Indianapolis 8, St. Paul 5 (11 innings) Box Score The Saints struck first in their series opener with Indianapolis, taking a 3-0 lead after two innings when Roy Morales cleared the bases with a two-out double, his first of the season. Curtis Terry made it 4-0 after three with a sac fly that scored Alex Kirilloff, who had singled to lead off the inning. Right-hander Cole Sands was activated before the game and kept Indianapolis off the scoreboard for the first three innings. He allowed just one hit, walked one, and struck out three in his return from the injured list. Danny Coulombe followed to start the fourth and continue his rehab assignment in triple-A. With two outs, he surrendered a solo home run that made it 4-1 and then a double, but escaped any further damage with a strikeout to end the inning. In the bottom of the fifth St. Paul added another run when Royce Lewis started the inning by reaching on an error, moved to third on a Kirilloff single, then scampered home on a double-play grounder from Spencer Steer. In his first game with the Saints, Steer was batting third in the lineup playing second base, and reached base multiple times. He would finish his triple-A debut 1-for-4 with a walk. The top of the sixth is where fortunes started to change for the home team. Jake Faria came on to start the fifth and delivered a scoreless inning, but couldn’t overcome a leadoff double, walk, and throwing error on a double-steal in the sixth that made it 5-3. In the seventh Faria got two outs around a walk, but was lifted for Jovani Moran, who promptly gave up a game-tying home run. Moran would stay in the game and delivered a scoreless eighth, but the lineup wasn’t able to mount any rallies, sending it to extra innings. Juan Minaya got the ball for the ninth and tenth innings, keeping the game tied in the first extra inning, but after getting two outs in the eleventh, a walk brought in JC Ramirez from the bullpen. Three walks and a single later Indianapolis had an 8-5 lead the Saints weren’t able to come back from. Kirilloff led the way for the lineup with a pair of hits in five at-bats, while Steer and Terry each reached base multiple times. Despite the good start, they finished 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position and had only one extra-base-hit on the game, and thus were unable to put it out of reach after the early lead. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 8, Corpus Christi 3 Box Score The Wind Surge were also able to jump on the Hooks early, scoring runs in each of the first three innings to go ahead 5-1 after three. Austin Martin and Michael Helman started the game by drawing walks, and would score on an Alex Isola single and double-play ground ball off the bat of Matt Wallner. In the second it was Leobaldo Cabrera’s third home run of the season that added two more, then in the third an RBI double from Wallner made it 5-1. Louie Varland took the mound for Wichita, and was unceremoniously greeted by a solo home run on his second pitch of the game. He would go on to fight through a couple of threats, finishing 4 2/3 innings, being charged with two earned runs on four hits, four walks, and striking out six. They tried really hard to get him through the fifth to be in line for his fifth win of the season, but a pair of walks leading to a run in his final frame had him up to 97 pitches, prompting his exit. Kody Funderburk came on and got the Wind Surge through the next six outs. He allowed one run of his own on two hits and two walks, while striking out two to get credited with the win. Evan Sisk went 1 1/3 scoreless after him, allowing one hit and striking out two. Austin Schulfer got the final three outs, striking out two in a scoreless ninth. Wichita added single runs in each of the sixth, eighth, and ninth innings to keep the game out of reach for Corpus Christi. Martin and Cabrera had RBI singles, while Helman launched his fifth home run of the season to account for those runs. Helman finished the day 1-for-3 with three runs scored and two walks, in addition to the home run. Wallner (2-for-5, 2B, RBI) and Cabrera (2-for-4, R, HR, 3 RBI) each had multiple hits in the win. KERNELS NUGGETS Wisconsin 2, Cedar Rapids 13 Box Score While they didn’t score in the opening frame, the Kernels put this one out of reach early as well, with crooked numbers in four consecutive innings to go up 11-0 before the Timber Rattlers could respond. Kyler Fedko got it started with an RBI single in the second, which was followed by a two-RBI triple from Anthony Prato. A Jair Camargo two-run homer and Fedko sac fly brought in three more in the third. In the fourth frame, Aaron Sabato and Camargo each notched RBI singles, before a two-RBI triple from Christian Encarnacion-Strand and another single from Sabato capped the 11 run explosion in the fifth. The Timber Rattlers were held scoreless until the seventh inning, as the Kernels got a solid outing from starter Aaron Rozek to pick up his fifth win of the season. He went five innings, allowing no runs on three hits and three walks while striking out two. Derek Molina pitched a scoreless sixth inning before a pair of doubles against Denny Bentley in the seventh finally got the visitors on the scoreboard. Bentley would record four outs, allowing one run on two hits and a walk, along with striking out two. Melvi Acosta finished off the final 1 2/3 innings, allowing an unearned run on a hit and walk. He struck out one. Encarnacion-Strand put an exclamation point on the game with his eighth home run of the season in the eighth inning, making the final score of 13-2 in favor of the good guys. All nine hitters in the Cedar Rapids lineup reached base in the game, with Prato (4-for-5, 3 R, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, BB) falling a home run short of the cycle to lead the way. Encarnacion-Strand (2-for-6, 3 R, 3B, HR, 3 RBI), Sabato (2-for-5, R, 2 RBI, BB), and Camargo (3-for-5, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB) all finished with multiple hits in the blowout effort as well. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 9, Bradenton 3 Box Score In a continuing theme for the night, the Mighty Mussels jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in this one, but they never looked back, tacking on four more runs late to keep the Marauders at bay. Mikey Perez got them on the board in the top of the first with a run-scoring double, his ninth of the season. They tacked on four more in the second after Keoni Cavaco led off the frame with a triple. He would score on a wild pitch, then a couple more walks loaded the bases and scored another before Emmanuel Rodriguez delivered a two-run single. Right-hander Pierson Ohl took the bump and was fantastic for the first five innings. He allowed just one hit and one walk while punching out seven. He faced the minimum until his two-out walk in the fifth inning, as left fielder Dylan Neuse cut down a runner trying to stretch a single into a double in the third. Ohl was efficient as well, throwing just 65 pitches (39 for strikes, 13 swinging) in his five frames to pick up his second win of the season. Juan Mendez gave up a pair of runs to Bradenton in the sixth thanks to three walks and a hit, but also struck out two. Matt Mullenbach allowed an unearned run on two hits in two innings of relief, striking out three. Hunter McMahon finished the game with a scoreless ninth, striking out one. Fort Myers broke the game open in the eighth, thanks to a two-run home run from Kala'i Rosario, and a two-run single from Noah Miller. Rodriguez (2-for-2, 2 RBI, 3 BB), Perez (2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI), Cavaco (2-for-5, 2 R, 3B), Rosario (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB) and Miller (2-for-4, R, 3 RBI, BB) all collected two hits on the game in a 12 hit effort. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Pierson Ohl, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (W, 5 IP, H, BB, 7 K) Hitter of the Day - Anthony Prato, Cedar Rapids Kernels (4-for-5, 3 R, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, BB) PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul) - 0-for-5, R, 3 K (played SS) #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 1-for-4, R, RBI, BB #4 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - 2-for-3, 2B #6 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - #8 - Jhoan Duran (Minnesota) - Save (4), IP, H #10 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Fort Myers) - 2-for-2, 2 RBI, 3 BB #11 - Noah Miller (Fort Myers) - 2-for-4, R, 3 RBI, BB, K #12 - Louie Varland (Wichita) - 4 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 6 K #13 - Cole Sands (St. Paul) - 3 IP, H, BB, 3 K #16 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, BB, K #18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-6, 2 R, 3B, HR, 3 RBI WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Indianapolis @ St. Paul (5:07 PM CDT), Game 1 - RHP Jordan Balazovic (0-1, 8.38 ERA) Indianapolis @ St. Paul, Game 2 - RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez (2-2, 3.45 ERA) Wichita @ Corpus Christi (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (2-1, 2.39 ERA) Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (12:05 PM CDT) - LHP Cade Povich (3-2, 3.25 ERA) Fort Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 PM CDT) - RHP Mike Paredes (0-1, 2.66 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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Yeah, Wallner's arm definitely fits a RF profile, gets plus-plus grades (threw mid-90's as a pitcher). Don't ask about his fielding grades, though ? Love watching him hit, as you never know when he's just going to absolutely tank one!

Busch Stadium a bit overrated, as is (gasp) Oracle Park, in my opinion. I've been to about 20 total parks (some now retired), working on getting to all of them. Oracle Park is beautiful to watch the game from your seats, but I absolutely hated the concourse. To the point it is the main thing I remember about it, zig-zagging all over, and you can't see the game from it (I knock stadiums a lot for lacking open concourses around the infield, is why I'd have Busch lower, too). Really want to check out PNC next. Agree with others, Wrigley Field is a dump. Great neighborhood and atmosphere, but like Fenway, you know the stadium is 100+ years old. The changes they made in the outfield a few years ago were good, but you can't do anything about the interior infrastructure.

There wasn't a great view of it, but Tim Grubbs remarked it looked like he tweaked a muscle in his leg (likely hamstring), but have not seen an official word. It was a weird play, and I think he was dealing with it before the play that got him removed. He was on 3B when a grounder was hit to short, and it kind of looked like the shortstop noticed something happened to him, and thus tried to throw behind him back to third base to catch him. Julien kind of hobbled back in just safe, but then was grabbing the back of his leg. Martin played on Saturday, and don't think anything is going on there, but he was removed from the lineup before this game. edit: you can see the Julien play in Tom's video above at the 3:06 mark.

Yup. 12 games at 3B, 5 in CF, and 4 at 2B while in the AFL. There is only 3 other MiLB games in his career where he's spent time at any position other than SS, and 2 of those instances were for half of one game.

Uhhhhh... okay? Made this joke on Twitter after his homerun yesterday: Time to get your outfield glove ready, Royce Lewis. When Carlos Correa comes back, he's going to need to borrow it... What this says to me, is Royce is definitely a shortstop in the Twins eyes, which is a great development. OR, he's going down to play some other positions instead of being thrown into that fire at the MLB level. Either way, this move is also extremely disappointing given how he has performed.

In minor-league action on Tuesday night, a top pitching prospect was on the mound for Wichita looking to continue an impressive streak, but it was a monster effort from a hitter who led the team to a win in a shootout. In other action, a pair of affiliates struggled on offense, and in Florida the Mighty Mussels played a little more than usual, completing a suspended game from earlier in the month. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 1, Omaha 5 Box Score The Saints were unable to mount much offense on Tuesday, finishing the game with just three hits and four walks, while striking out 14 times as a team against the Storm Chasers in Omaha to open their series. They were 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position, leaving only five men on base for the game. They scored their lone run in the fifth inning when Curtis Terry led off with a double, and came around to score later on a single from Kevin Merrell. Merrell finished 2-for-3, leaving the rest of the lineup not named Terry 0-for-22 on the night. St. Paul did get a decent pitching performance from starter Chi Chi Gonzalez, who went the first five innings. He allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks, along with picking up six strikeouts. Ronny Henriquez came on in relief to start the sixth and delivered a quick one-two-three frame on just eight pitches. The seventh was a different story, however. He walked the first three hitters, hit another batter, then surrendered a grand slam before his outing was ended. He was charged with five runs on two hits and three walks in 1 1/3 innings. Ian Hamilton was able to prevent any more damage in the frame, but allowed a run of his own in the eighth for Omaha’s final tally. WIND SURGE WISDOM Springfield 9, Wichita 11 Box Score Top pitching prospect Matt Canterino took the mound for the Wind Surge, looking to continue his streak of five starts without allowing a run to the opposition. He wasn’t able to come out unscathed in this one however, as there were fireworks from both lineups on a windy night in Wichita. The Cardinals and Wind Surge combined for 20 runs on 29 hits (14 for extra bases), and 14 walks between them. The right-hander did showcase his devastating stuff in his outing, sitting mid-90’s with his fastball and missing bats with all his pitches (11 swinging strikes total). But a few more than usual also connected with barrels, as he got tagged for some loud outs and hits, including his first home run allowed of the season. In 3 2/3 total innings, Canterino was charged with four runs on five hits and two walks, while punching out six. All that considered, he looked very good again to these amateur eyes, and I thought he might get a fifth inning with his pitch count where it was when he started the fourth inning. Down 4-0 after Canterino left the game, the Wind Surge lineup got to work, tying the game at five thanks in large part to an Alex Isola Grand Slam in the fifth. In relief of Canterino, Casey Legumina allowed four runs of his own pitching into the sixth. In 1 2/3 total innings gave the lead back to the Cardinals on two hits and four walks, while striking out one. With one out in the sixth inning, Kody Funderburk came on and got them through the seventh, allowing two hits, a walk, and striking out two. Down 8-5 heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Wind Surge lineup batted around en route to take their first lead of the game. Isola led off the frame with another double, and five hits and a walk later they were up 11-1. Dennis Ortega (in the game to replace an injured Edouard Julien) and Wallner each had a two-RBI single in the inning to account for most of the runs. Wichita had bases-loaded situations in several innings and were able to cash them in with some big hits to secure the win. Six of the nine hitters in their lineup collected multiple knocks, with Isola leading the way with a big 3-for-5 night including two runs scored, two doubles, the grand slam, and five RBI. Steven Cruz closed out the win with two innings, allowing three hits and a run in the ninth, but striking out five to pick up his first save of the season. KERNELS NUGGETS Lake County 5, Cedar Rapids 1 Box Score Fresh off of a 5-1 series win against the Peoria Chiefs last week where they outscored their opponent 47-12, the Kernels were unable to continue popping in this one, and instead were left with a bunch of Old Maids. They had just four hits as a team, and their one run came on a Willie Joe Garry Jr. home run in the third inning that gave them an early 1-0 lead. It remained that way until the sixth inning, as until that point starting pitcher Sean Mooney had stifled the Captains in a similar fashion. He allowed no runs in five total innings, allowing just one hit, walking three, and striking out six. He was a bit effectively wild, with just 46 of his 82 pitches going for strikes (56 percent), but got the job done. Bobby Milacki was brought on to start the sixth, and a pair of singles and a double led to the tying run. In the seventh Milacki got one out before a walk and a single ended his outing. He went 1 1/3 innings, allowing four hits, walking one, and striking out one. Orlando Rodriguez came on to escape that jam and also delivered a scoreless eighth inning. He struck out two and walked one in 1 2/3 innings pitched. In the ninth the Kernels brought on Andrew Cabezas, looking to keep the score tied and give his lineup a chance. Unfortunately, a one-out error seemed to derail his outing, and three batters later a three-run home run made the score 5-1 and put it out of reach. Cedar Rapids finished this one just 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position, left only four men-on-base, and struck out 18 times as a team, including the last 11 outs of the game. They’ll look to get back to their winning ways on Wednesday with Aaron Rozek on the mound. MUSSEL MATTERS Game 1: Clearwater 5, Fort Myers 4 (11 innings, completion of game suspended on 5/1) Box Score This game was suspended before the top of the 11th inning got started over two weeks ago, with the score tied at four. Sonny Gray and Jordan Balazovic had both made rehab appearances on that day. When it resumed, something you’ll likely only ever see in the minor leagues happened. With the runner starting on second base, Fort Myers pitcher Matthew Swain was hit with consecutive balks to give the Threshers a 5-4 lead. He retired all three hitters he faced, including a pair of strikeouts, but whatever was the cause of those balks (likely rule changes being forgotten in the moment) the Mighty Mussels found themselves down. The lineup was unable to score one of their own, with Mikey Perez, Noah Miller, and Emmanuel Rodriguez going down in order to end the game. Miller (2-for-4, R, 2 RBI, SB) and Kyler Fedko (2-for-4, R, RBI, BB, K) had multiple hits able to become official to lead the team. There were no extra base hits for the Mighty Mussels, and they were unable to take advantage of 10 walks as they finished 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position, and left 13 men-on-base for the game. Game 2: Fort Myers 5, Clearwater 4 Box Score In their regularly scheduled contest, the Mighty Mussels got a quality effort out of their starting pitcher, right-hander Travis Adams. He went six innings, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk, while striking out six to pick up his third win of the season. Adams has gone at least five innings in all six of his starts so far this season, and the three runs allowed in this one are a season-high. He’s been the model of consistency for the Mighty Mussels, sporting a 2.03 ERA, 0.68 WHIP, and a 28:5 K-to-BB ratio in 31 innings thus far. Fort Myers got single runs in each of the first, third, and fourth innings to keep the game tied at three while Adams was on the mound. Emmanuel Rodriguez scored in the first on an error after reaching base on a hit-by-pitch. The Noah’s, Miller and Cardenas, each had doubles in the third for their second run. Kala’i Rosario tripled and scored on a Luis Baez singled in the fourth to account for those tallies. They took a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh thanks to a double-steal after three batters had drawn walks in the frame, allowing Adams to be in line for the win. They added a needed insurance run in the top of the ninth, as an errant throw from the Threshers catcher on a steal attempt allowed pinch-runner Dylan Neuse to scamper home for a 5-3 lead. In relief of Adams, right-hander Juan Mendez went two scoreless innings, allowing one hit, walking two, and striking out two. Hunter McMahon was brought on for the save opportunity in the ninth, and although he made it a bit interesting allowing a single and run-scoring double to start the inning, was able to finish it off with a pair of K’s and groundout for his third save. The lineup didn’t get multiple hits from any batter, but drew five walks and only struck out five times. They also stole five bases as a team and two others were thrown out, so they were running all game. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Sean Mooney, Cedar Rapids Kernels (5 IP, H, 3 BB, 6 K) Hitter of the Day - Alex Isola, Wichita Wind Surge (3-for-5, 2 R, 2 2B, GS (5), 5 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 2-for-4, 2B, HR (2), RBI #4 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - 0-for-4, 2 K #7 - Josh Winder (Minnesota) - L, 3 2/3 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, K #9 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - 3 2/3 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K #10 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Fort Myers) - 0-for-3, R #11 - Noah Miller (Fort Myers) - 1-for-4, R, 2B, K #14 - Ronny Henriquez (St. Paul) - 1 1/3 IP, 2 H 5 ER, 3 BB #16 - Spencer Steer (Wichita) - 2-for-6, 2 R, 2B, K #18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, 2 K #19 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-for-2, BB, K (left game with injury) WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Omaha (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP Jake Faria (0-2, 7.17 ERA) Springfield @ Wichita (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP Louie Varland (4-1, 3.69 ERA) Lake County @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CDT) - LHP Aaron Rozek (4-1, 4.73 ERA) Fort Myers @ Clearwater, Game 1 (11:00 AM CDT) - RHP Pierson Ohl (1-1, 5.50 ERA) Clearwater @ Fort Myers, Game 2 (makeup of 4/30 PPD) - RHP Mike Paredes (0-1, 3.31 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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