Steve Lein

Minnesota Twins affiliates finished Tuesday with a 3-1 record as several hitters throughout the system had multiple hit efforts. A top international signing infield prospect led a comeback win with his first home run of the season, while another big international pitcher signing of a few years ago made his full season debut, and another top pitching prospect delivered his second quality start in as many games with his new affiliate after his recent promotion. It was also a busy day for transactions with player movement at every level.To find out everything that happened in the minors on Tuesday, read on! TRANSACTIONS It was a busy day for player movement in the Minnesota Twins organization on Tuesday: In Rochester RHP Chase De Jong was activated from the injured list while left-handed reliever Andrew Vasquez was placed on the injured list due to a shoulder strain.In Double-A the Blue Wahoos added several new names to their roster, including first baseman Ryan Costello from Fort Myers, shortstop Michael Davis from Cedar Rapids, and RHP Zack Weiss from Rochester.In exchange for Costello, the Miracle received back center fielder Ernie De La Trinidad who had some struggles after starting the year in Double-A after just 27 games in the Florida State League last season.In the Midwest League the Cedar Rapids Kernels were assigned shortstop Ricky De La Torre who will be making his full season debut after spending his first two years in the rookie leagues.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 9, Syracuse 3 Box Score Rochester scratched the first run of the game across in the top of the third thanks to a Luis Arraez RBI single in his first game back in Triple-A. They later found themselves down 2-1 until the sixth when they took the lead for good after Jake Cave led off the inning with a triple. Wilin Rosario promptly drove him in with a single and would later score the go-ahead run on an error. Starting the game on the mound for the Red Wings was RHP Chase De Jong, who was making his first appearance since May 10th. He went three innings, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks, along with notching two strikeouts. He threw 58 pitches with 34 of them going for strikes. Zack Littell also made his first appearance back in Triple-A and picked up the win by finishing the fifth inning before his teammates took the lead back. He went two innings, walking just one and striking out three. The Red Wings offense blew this one open with six runs in the top of the seventh as they loaded the bases with one out. Rosario scored two with a double and was followed by a 2-RBI single from Brent Rooker. Randy Cesar and Tomas Telis then added RBI singles of their own to make the final of 9-3. Jake Reed got the defense through the seventh with two scoreless frames. He allowed three hits and struck out one. Fernando Romero then finished the final two innings, allowing one run on three hits and a walk. Cave, Rosario, Rooker, and Wade Jr., and Jordany Valdespin all had multiple hits. As a team they were 6-for-15 with runners in scoring position. Arreaz also drew two walks in addition to finishing 1-for-4. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Jacksonville 5, Pensacola 7 Box Score The Blue Wahoos got multiple hits from four hitters including Travis Blankenhorn, Jimmy Kerrigan, Jaylin Davis, and Caleb Hamilton en route to a 7-5 victory on Tuesday. They scored runs in each of the second, fifth, sixth, and eighth innings to outlast their seafood brethren in the Southern League. Blankenhorn slugged his seventh and eighth doubles of the year while scoring two runs with a 3-for-4 night at the dish, while Kerrigan was 2-for-5 and drove in three to lead the offense. Ben Rortvedt also scored two runs and drove in another with a 1-for-2 night at the plate that included a walk. Jorge Alcala got the start on the mound and went 5 2/3 innings. He allowed three runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out four. Of his 95 pitches, 66 went for strikes (69%) with 12 of them the swinging variety. Tom Hackimer picked up his second win of the season by finishing 1 2/3. He walked one and struck out two. Jeff Ames came on in the eighth with one out and escaped a jam with two men on base. Back out for the ninth he gave up two runs and was replaced by Sam Clay with the tying run coming up to bat. Clay shut the door with a three-pitch strikeout to pick up his fourth save. MIRACLE MATTERS Florida 8, Fort Myers 2 Box Score While the Miracle outhit the Fire Frogs 8-6 on the game, it was the eight free passes they surrendered that made the difference as the visitors took advantage of their pitching mistakes. Right-hander Blayne Enlow made his second start since being promoted to the FSL, and delivered his second quality start. He lasted 6+ innings and gave up three runs (two earned) on just two hits and two walks. He struck out five and threw 63 of his 94 pitches for strikes (67%) including 12 swinging. He left the game responsible for two runners on base and his team up 2-1. Johan Quezada came on for him and proceeded to give up two bases-loaded walks, a two-RBI single, and a run-scoring wild pitch before they could get another reliever warmed up. That was Tanner Howell who got the final out of the inning, but the damage was done. Howell then got bit by the same control bug in the eighth and allowed two more runs for Florida’s final tally. Joe Record came on in the eight and finished the final 1 1/3. He walked one and struck out two. Royce Lewis was the only batter in the lineup with multiple hits, finishing 2-for-5 with an RBI and his 12th double on the season. Ernie De La Trinidad contributed a double and scored a run in his first game back with the Miracle. As a team they finished 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 8, Clinton 6 Box Score Making his full season debut for the Kernels in this one was starting pitcher Kai-Wei Teng who the Twins signed in December of 2017 out of Taiwan for a $500,000 international signing bonus. He had a solid rookie league debut in the GCL last year and skips the Appalachian League with this promotion. It was a mixed bag for him, as the first three hitters he faced got hits, with a 2-RBI double putting Clinton up 2-0 before he recorded an out. But he got the next three to limit the damage, including his first strikeout, added two more Ks in the second, then had a one-two-three third before more trouble found him in the fourth. An error from Wander Javier cracked opened the floodgates, and another from Andrew Bechtold blew them open. The LumberKings capitalized with four runs, all unearned, to take a 6-1 lead. Teng finished 3 2/3 innings, allowed six runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks. He struck out four. Reliever Zach Neff calmed it down after that going the next 2 1/3 scoreless innings and striking out three. That’s when the Kernels lineup also woke up. They cut the lead to 6-4 in the top of the fifth behind a two-out, three-run blast from Javier, his first home run of the season. In the eighth inning Bechtold led off with an infield single and advanced to second base on an errant throw, before Gabe Snyder drove him in to cut the lead to 6-5. Gabriel Maciel then delivered a game-tying triple before scoring the go-ahead run on an error off the bat of Gilberto Celestino. Jose Martinez had relieved Neff to start the seventh and had a one-two-three inning on just seven pitches. Back out for the eighth he got one out before he deflected a comeback toward short and was removed from the game due to injury (since there was no update provided from the Kernels, it may have been just for precautionary reasons). Derek Molina replaced him and finished the game to pick up his sixth save. He allowed one hit and struck out two. With the win Cedar Rapids moved to above .500 for the first time this season at 29-28. The Kernels added an insurance run in the ninth for the final score and Maciel, Javier, Snyder, and Estamy Urena finished the game with two hits. Ben Rodriguez also clubbed his fourth home run of the year. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Blayne Enlow, Fort Myers Miracle (6+ IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K) Hitter of the Day – Wander Javier, Cedar Rapids Kernels (2-for-5, R, HR, 3 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - 2-for-5, 2B, RBI, K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - Injured list #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured list #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-4 #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-5, R, HR, 3 RBI, 2 K #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - 2-for-3, R, 2 BB, K #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did not pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Fort Myers) - 6+ IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Injured list (Tommy John surgery) #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Did not play #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured list #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-3, BB #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - 1-for-2, 2 R, RBI, BB #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured list #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-5, R, 2 K #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - W, 2.0 IP, BB, 3 K #18 - LaMonte Wade Jr. (Rochester) - 2-for-3, R, BB, K #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - 5.2 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, BB, 4 K #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-4 WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Syracuse (9:35AM CST) – LHP Lewis Thorpe (3-3, 6.27 ERA) Jacksonville @ Pensacola (6:35PM CST) - TBD Florida @ Fort Myers (12:00PM CST) – LHP Tyler Watson (1-4, 4.24 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Clinton (6:30 PM CST) - RHP Austin Schulfur (4-2, 2.95 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! Click here to view the article

Nice nod to a couple of hitting prospects from Baseball America for the last week:

I almost always want the Twins to take high ceiling starting pitching because they haven't ever been a team to buy it on the MLB market and you need to find it somewhere, but where they're picking this year probably means hitter (like Kirilloff's draft). I like Alek Manaoh, Nick Lodolo, and Jackson Rutledge too. But if they're there, Langeliers and Carrol strikes me as the Falvine's pick.

While the Minnesota Twins were busy putting away the Tampa Bay Rays for a big series win on the road, Twins affiliates struggled on Sunday afternoon as they went 0-4 on the day. Despite that record, there were still some home runs from a few sluggers, and a pitcher making his debut in a new league had a solid outing, even though at the end it went a bit sour.To find out how all of your favorite Minnesota Twins prospects performed on Sunday, keep reading! TRANSACTIONS Before the Twins game on Sunday afternoon, they optioned RHP Zack Littell back to Rochester to clear room for Mitch Garver who was activated from the injured list.In Cedar Rapids, RHP Kai-Wei Teng was assigned to the Kernels from the GCL roster.RED WINGS REPORTBuffalo 9, Rochester 5 Box Score With Kohl Stewart on the mound for Rochester, the lineup gave him an early lead in the bottom of the second as Drew Maggi and Nick Gordon each drew bases-loaded walks with two outs. Stewart gave those runs right back in the third however on a double with the bases loaded. He would go on to allow another run in the fourth, then two more on a home run in the fifth before being pulled. In total Steward finished 4 1/3 innings, allowing five runs on six hits and three walks while striking out four. Zack Weiss came on to finish the fifth and added a scoreless sixth. In his 1 2/3 innings he allowed one run on four hits and struck out one. Trevor Hildenberger replaced him to start the seventh and he got a double-play ball after a leadoff single to end a threat. Back out for the eighth Hildy got two outs before giving way to Preston Guilmet while responsible for a runner on second base. Guilmet promptly gave up a home run to make the score 8-3 in favor of the Bisons. In the bottom of the eighth Zander Wiel led off the frame with a single, was tripled in by Jake Cave, and then Wynston Sawyer added an RBI double that made it 8-5 before any further threat was snuffed out. The Bisons added another home run off Guilmet in the ninth to make it 9-5, and the Red Wings needed a big rally to come back. Maggi singled to lead off the inning then Gordon drew a walk, but the next three hitters went down swinging and that was it for the ballgame. Sawyer finished the game 2-for-4, Brent Rooker went 1-for-2 with a run scored and two walks, and Gordon finished 1-for-3 with a run scored, triple, RBI, and two walks to lead the offense. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Jacksonville 9, Pensacola 6 Box Score The Jumbo Shrimp took a 3-0 lead against Blue Wahoos starter Bryan Sammons after scoring two in the third inning and one in the fourth while Pensacola’s offense was held at bay. Sammons finished five innings, allowing those three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out seven. The home team took the lead in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a big blast from Jaylin Davis, a three-run home run and his eighth of the year to make it 4-3. A batter earlier, Alex Kirilloff had got the Blue Wahoos on the scoreboard with an RBI single. The score stayed that way until the ninth inning as reliever Anthony Vizcaya delivered two scoreless frames, and Sam Clay followed with a scoreless eighth. Up by one, Clay was back out for the ninth inning, but some small ball after a lead-off walk led to an RBI single and a tie game. After going down one-two-three in the bottom half, this one was sent to extra-innings. Cody Stashak came on in the top of the 10th, and after recording an out, an error allowed a run to score for Jacksonville and they added another with an RBI double for a 6-4 lead. That’s when this happened: Before the inning was done Jacksonville had a 9-4 lead. All the runs in the inning were charged to Stashak, who recorded one out and allowed five runs (three earned) on two hits and a walk. Gore got a double-play ball to finally escape the inning. In the bottom of the tenth Travis Blankenhorn did his best to make it interesting by slugging his ninth home run with the Blue Wahoos, a two-run blast to cut the lead to three, but that was it for the home team. Blankenhorn has been pretty good so far with the Wahoos: As a team the Blue Wahoos had just six hits on the game and struggled to threaten in any other inning than the sixth. Kirilloff finished 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI, and is batting .351 in his last 10 games. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Lakeland 9 Box Score For the first six innings on Sunday starting pitcher Cole Sands was in complete control while making his Florida State League debut. He had retired fourteen hitters in a row, including six strikeouts, when he came back out for seventh. The first batter of that inning reached on an error by Lewin Diaz at first base and may have thrown off his, and the entire teams, mojo from there. The next batter singled, and after a mound visit Sands gave up a three-run home run that put his team behind on the scoreboard and his day was done. The Miracle were holding a 2-0 lead before the seventh thanks to a solo home run from Trevor Larnach in the second inning, and an RBI single from Aaron Whitefield in the fifth to score Royce Lewis who had led off the inning with a single. Whitefield also stole second and third base in the inning but would end up stranded 90-feet away. There wasn’t much offense beyond that, as Fort Myers managed just six hits and a walk as a team, finished 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position, and left only four men on base for the game. Sands was replaced in the seventh by Joe Record, and the game unraveled even further for him as he allowed six runs (five earned) on five hits and a walk before medic Calvin Faucher brought some tourniquets with him to the mound. A sac fly and a strikeout from Faucher finally ended the inning. Faulcher added a one-two-three eighth inning, including two more Ks to finish the game for the Miracle. In his second rehab game with the Miracle, DH Nelson Cruz finished 1-for-3 with a strikeout. It’s looking likely he could rejoin the Twins in Cleveland. Lewis finished 2-for-4 and stole his 10th base of the season. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Beloit 6 Box Score The Kernels offense was held in check all day as they managed just four hits as a team and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. They got on the scoreboard thanks to a Gilberto Celestino home run in the third inning, his third of the season, but that was it. Celestino finished the game 2-for-3 and drew a walk and stole a base in addition to the home run. Chris Williams added a double and two walks. Andrew Cabezas got the start for Cedar Rapids and was solid for the first five innings. His only run allowed to that point had come on a solo home run in the second inning. In the sixth however, he was greeted by four consecutive singles and his day was done. In total, he pitched 5+ innings and allowed five runs on six hits and three walks. He struck out only one. Carlos Suniaga allowed three more singles in the sixth and a run of his own before getting out of the frame. Brian Rapp then came on and pitched two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out two. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Cole Sands, Fort Myers Miracle (L, 6+ IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K’s) Hitter of the Day – Gilberto Celestino, Cedar Rapids Kernels - 2-for-3, R, HR (3), RBI, BB, SB (9) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - 2-for-4, K, SB #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - 2-for-5, R, RBI, 3 K, outfield assist #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured list #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-4, HR (5), K #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, K #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - 1-for-2, R, 2 BB, K #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did not pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - Did not pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Injured list (Tommy John surgery) #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 1-for-3, R, 3B, RBI, 2 BB #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured list #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-1 (pinch ran for Nelson Cruz) #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - R (pinch ran for DH) #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured list #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-3, R, HR (3), RBI, BB, SB (9) #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did not pitch #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - 0-for-5, K, outfield assist #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did not pitch #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - Did not play MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Syracuse (5:35PM CST) – TBD Jacksonville @ Pensacola (6:35PM CST) - LHP Charlie Barnes (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Florida @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) – RHP Edwar Colina (2-1, 3.57 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games! Click here to view the article

They're not that different. Sale has the height, but Smeltzer is actually bigger. It has always fascinated me how Sale can throw 95+, because he's one of the skinniest guys you'll ever meet. Their deliveries are very similar, and I imagine the change in mechanics Twins coaches implemented with Smeltzer had some influence from Sale.

There were only three games on Tuesday as the Pensacola Blue Wahoos had the day off and another contest was rained out. In Fort Myers, the game that was suspended due to rain yesterday was finished, in addition to a regularly scheduled bill. In the games that were played, a top pitching prospect in Triple-A made his first start of the 2019 season, while a slugger in the Florida State League continued a scorching hot stretch with another home run (though technically he hit it yesterday).Keep reading to find out how all of your favorite Minnesota Twins prospects performed on Tuesday! TRANSACTIONS Stephen Gonsalves was activated from the injured list and made the start for Rochester.Nick Gordon also was activated for the Red Wings and was back atop their batting order on the lineup card.RED WINGS REPORT Buffalo 5, Rochester 0 Box Score Left-handed starter Stephen Gonsalves made his much anticipated 2019 debut for the Red Wings on Tuesday night, but he definitely looked rusty. He only allowed one run but was able to finish only two innings as he walked five while striking out two as just 23 of his 51 pitches went for strikes (45%). D.J. Baxendale was the first man up in relief and delivered three perfect innings. 25 of his 36 pitches went for strikes (69%) as he switched up the mojo on the Bisons and struck out four. Zack Weiss went the next two frames and also struck out four, but a double-steal from Buffalo was followed by a wild-pitch in the sixth to put them up 2-0. Trevor Hildenberger was brought in for his second appearance back in Triple-A in the eighth and delivered a one-two-three inning, striking out two. But the ninth didn’t go nearly that well. He finished the game for the Red Wings but in the process allowed three runs on five hits for the final score of 5-0. He finished with three K’s. While the Bisons only outhit the home team 7-6, they were able to cash in some of their opportunities by going 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position compared to the Red Wings 0-for-10 effort. Randy Cesar (2-for-3, 2B) and Jordany Valdespin (2-for-3, BB) each had two hits and Zander Wiel also added a double. Nick Gordon went 0-for-5 in his return from the injured list. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Scheduled day off Pensacola lost their first series of the season against the Mobile BayBears over the weekend but that can’t overshadow one of the best starts in Southern League history since they switched their schedule format to five games series. They did win the final two games of that series and got the day off on Tuesday as they travel to play the Tennessee Smokies and look to start another streak. MIRACLE MATTERS Bradenton 7, Fort Myers 2 (completion of game suspended on 5/20) Box Score After rains moved in on Monday causing a suspension of play, Fort Myers and Bradenton recommenced the action in the top of the fourth inning at 11:00 in the morning on Tuesday. To that point the Marauders had taken a 3-1 lead against Miracle starter Jhoan Duran who finished 3 2/3 innings. He allowed those runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three and was responsible for two runners on base when the game resumed with Calvin Faucher on the mound. He delivered 3 1/3 scoreless innings, getting them through the seventh by allowing just two hits and striking out five. When he was done the game was still in reach and the Fort Myers offense did manage to push a run across to make it 3-2, but it was not to be. Bradenton put up four runs in the eighth against Ricky Ramirez thanks to a bases- clearing double being followed by an RBI single. Ramirez wouldn’t allow another run and finished the game with a scoreless ninth, striking out three total hitters. The first run of the game for the Miracle came on a Lewin Diaz home run, his eighth of the year and continues a hot stretch that has vaulted him into the Florida State League lead in OPS at .933 (they should probably promote him

Certainly looking like a solid draft class! They still have to get to the majors, but the minors returns are great so far, especially in the top 10 picks. I think Balazovic is on his way to being that #2 guy. I still have a lot of love for Lewis Thorpe, but both are solidly in my top 10 at this point. Balazovic is on his way to top 5. I think Keith Law went out on a limb putting him at #3 based on where he's at and where's he's been, but he looks like an oracle so far.

I was a big fan of the pick. I also wrote the draft profile for him here. The big issue, is the questions there were when he was drafted, came to fruition and haven't really improved. I saw a similar path to Glen Perkins for him, but there's not much time left for him.

While only three of the Minnesota Twins four full season affiliates were in action on Monday, two of them had doubleheaders on the schedule thanks to the weather that’s been wreaking havoc seemingly every day so far this season. A pair of starting pitchers had solid outings, including one who set a personal strikeout record, and a top prospect hitter finished his day with four hits. An under-the-radar reliever also continued an impressive scoreless streak to start 2019. To find out who those players were, and how the rest of your favorite Twins prospects performed on Monday night, read on!TRANSACTIONS Hopefully Tyler Duffey hadn’t already boarded a plane back to Rochester, NY after being the 26th man on Saturday and officially being returned yesterday, as he was recalled Monday.To make room on the 25-man roster, Jake Cave was optioned to Rochester.RED WINGS REPORT Scheduled Day Off The Red Wings got the day off on Monday to travel as they end six-day homestand where they went 2-3 and had another game rained out that will be made up on June 21st against the Toledo MudHens. They begin a three-game series on Tuesday against the Charlotte Knights with righthander Zack Littell on the mound, coming off a six-inning scoreless outing his last time out. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Game 1: Pensacola 1, Chattanooga 0 Box Score Starter Jorge Alcala was brilliant for 5 2/3 innings to pick up his fifth win of the year and needed to be as his offense was able to scratch across just one run on the game. Alcala retired nine men in a row from the third through the sixth inning, but a two-out single after consecutive strikeouts to open the sixth inning brought an end to his outing. He allowed just two hits and two walks, struck out four, and threw 49 of his 82 pitches for strikes, including seven swinging. The Blue Wahoos scored the only run of the game in the fourth inning after Taylor Grzelakowski drew a leadoff walk, moved to third on an Ernie De La Trinidad double, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Tanner English. Luis Arraez had three of their eight total hits on the game, a trio of singles but never got farther than second base as Pensacola was 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Ryan Mason finished the final 1 1/3 innings, allowing a two-out double in the seventh to make it somewhat interesting, but bookending that with a pair of strikeouts to pick up his seventh save of the year. For those keeping track, Mason has now appeared in 11 games, totaling 16 1/3 innings pitched, allowing zero runs on eleven hits and two walks, while striking out 23. That means his ERA is a perfect 0.00, and his WHIP a stellar 0.80 so far on the year. He’s also struck out multiple hitters in his last nine appearances. Game 2: Pensacola 4, Chattanooga 5 (9 innings) Box Score The Blue Wahoos got on the scoreboard first in the fifth inning, taking a 2-0 lead after a couple of walks were followed by consecutive two-out RBI singles from Joe Cronin and Jaylin Davis. They extended that lead to 4-0 in the seventh when Luis Arraez drove in two with a two-out bases-loaded single. Those insurance runs wouldn’t be enough however, as in their final chance the Lookouts got one big swing of the bat to extend the game. After Alex Phillips loaded the bases, lefty Tyler Jay was brought in from the bullpen to face Chattanooga’s cleanup hitter, and he sent an 0-1 pitch into the seats for a game-tying grand slam. Jay was later saved from losing the game by a ground-rule double for escaping to send it to extra innings. He would remain in the game and delivered a scoreless eighth, but the first hitter of the ninth snuck a base hit into center field and the winning run came home. Pensacola took a bullpen approach to game two, with Adam Bray making the start and getting through 3 1/3 scoreless innings. He allowed four hits and struck out three. Sam Clay pitched the next 1 2/3 giving up a hit and a walk while striking out one. Phillips was responsible for most of the comeback, as he was charged with three runs on two hits and three walks in 1 1/3. He struck out one. Jay allowed two runs on four hits and two walks in his 1 2/3 innings, striking out two. The lineup for the Blue Wahoos tallied just six singles and three walks on the day and were 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position. MIRACLE MATTERS Bradenton 2, Fort Myers 8 Box Score Fort Myers poured it on late to put away the Marauders, but before that newly minted pitching phenom Jordan Balazovic chewed through his opposition. For his second start in a row, Balazovic struck out double-digit hitters, but in this one also set a new career high for K’s in a game with 12. He did run up a bit of pitch count to get there, as he only finished five innings with his 94 pitches and also walked four, but is hard to complain about two runs allowed when it’s all said and done with that amount of punchouts. He struck out three hitters in a row on two separate occasions and all three outs via K’s in two other frames. Of his 59 strikes, an astounding 22 were of the swing and miss variety. Calvin Faucher and Anthony Vizcaya combined to toss four innings of scoreless relief (two innings apiece), allowing four hits and a walk while striking out five between them. Faucher notched his fourth hold, while Vizcaya picked up his fourth save. The Miracle took the lead 3-2 in the fourth after a solo home run from Michael Helman, extended it to 4-2 after a Trevor Larnach RBI-double in the seventh, then blew it open with a four run eighth. Helman (single), Royce Lewis (double), Larnach (single), and Ryan Jeffers (double) all drove in a run in the inning. On the game Larnach led the charge by going 4-for-5 with two RBI, while Helman and Ryan Costello each also added two hits to the effort. Lewis scored three runs by chipping in a walk and two stolen bases to go along with his double in a 1-for-4 night at the dish. After hitting just .209 in the month of April, Lewis is at .292 so far in May with five multiple hit games in his last eleven. KERNELS NUGGETS Game 1: Quad Cities 4, Cedar Rapids 9 Box Score Righthander Josh Winder took the mound for the Kernels in game one and followed his eight-inning gem on May 6th with a complete game in this one. Because of the doubleheader it was *only* seven innings, but he kept the River Bandits in check when it mattered, finishing by allowing four earned runs on five hits and four walks, while striking out three. Of his 102 pitches on the game, 65 went for strikes (64%). The Cedar Rapids lineup put things at ease for Winder with two big innings, including the bottom of the first. Three of the first four batters of the game for the Kernels reached by via walk or a hit-by-pitch, then an RBI groundout from Gabe Snyder, an RBI single Gilberto Celestino, and two-RBI single by Gabriel Maciel made it 4-0. In the fourth, a three-run bomb from Snyder and two-RBI double from Andrew Bechtold added five more runs for the home team’s final tally. Game 2: Quad Cities 7, Cedar Rapids 0 Box Score Cedar Rapids wasn’t able to continue their offensive barrage from the first game of the day, as they were being no-hit through 4 2/3 innings. Gabriel Maciel broke that bid up in the fifth with a two-out single, but that would basically be it for the home team on the game. They had just four chances with runners in scoring position and were unable to capitalize. Gabe Snyder added his fifth double of the year and Yeltsin Encarnacion added a single to account for their three hits in the nightcap. Austin Schulfer got the start for the Kernels and finished three innings. He was hit for three runs in the third after a two-run triple and an RBI single to end his day. He allowed those three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out one. Carlos Suniago chipped in two scoreless innings, striking out three to keep his team within striking distance, but Jose Martinez followed by allowing three more runs in the sixth on two hits and three walks to make it 6-0 Quad Cities. Moises Gomez came on for the final frame, and a leadoff triple led to a sac fly before finishing the game. He struck out one. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Jordan Balazovic, Fort Myers Miracle (W, 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 12 K) Hitter of the Day – Trevor Larnach, Fort Myers Miracle (4-for-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-4, 3 R, 2B (6), BB, K, 2 SB (8) #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - 2-for-8, K (2 games) #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Did not pitch #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - 4-for-5, R, 2B (12), 2 RBI #5 - Wander Javier (EST) - No game #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - No game #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - No game #9 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - Did not pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Did not play #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - No game #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured list #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-4, 2B (5), RBI BB, K #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - Did not play #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-6, 2 R, BB, K #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - No game #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - No game #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - W, 5.2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-5, RBI WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Charlotte (6:04PM CST) – RHP Zack Littell (2-2, 3.82 ERA) Pensacola @ Chattanooga (6:15PM CST) - RHP Brusdar Graterol (4-0, 1.91 ERA) Fort Myers @ Bradenton (5:30PM CST) – RHP Edwar Colina (0-1, 11.57 ERA) Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) – RHP Luis Rijo (0-3, 4.05 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Monday’s games! Click here to view the article

Detroit is still paying money to Fielder, and Justin Verlander. I don't think in Fielder's case he's getting $24MIL, but rather some deferred (or other method of) amount through at least another year. Always fun to bring up that the Mets are going to be paying Bobby Bonilla through 2035, and Bret Saberhagen through 2029.

Sano is not at all a bad clubhouse guy. He's always had a fun loving, sometimes silly, have a good time personality. I think he'll fit back in perfectly in this clubhouse. You want more proof, just read Bill Vilona's recent feature on him while with Pensacola: "Blue Wahoos players said Sano's engaging personality resonates throughout the clubhouse. "He is always fun to have around," said right fielder Jaylin Davis. "I was with him in Fort Myers (last year) for a little bit and he is definitely fun to be around. He brightens up the clubhouse. "I think he's in a good place right now." " You can say other things about him, but not this.

I don't think there would be much of a market for Arraez, on his own. While he's an elite hit tool guy, that's his one trick at this point. It will get him to the majors but he's not a top 10 prospect or anything.

The last time we weighed-in the big story was how the pitching staff was leading the team to a fast start, and since then the team hasn’t slowed down. The Southern League is known for it’s unique five-game series schedule and they’ve yet to lose a series so far, resulting in the best start in team history.While the pitching has still been fantastic after the promotion of Twins Daily’s starting pitcher of the month Devin Smeltzer, offensive reinforcements have arrived in the form of top prospect Alex Kirilloff and a rehabbing Miguel Sano to help continue that trend. Kirilloff’s first game of the year came on May 2nd, and it was okay to expect some rust as he finished 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts, but you knew the opposing team respected his efforts last year as he also was intentionally walked. That rust didn’t oxidize for any longer than that however, as in his next five games he has combined to go 8-for-19 with a double, triple, four RBI and three more walks. He’s basically immediately picked up where he left off last season and is also possibly showing some patience he lacked (or didn’t need) during his 2018 campaign. He’s already provided an injection of star performance into a minor league system somewhat lacking in that regard as far as hitters go thus far. Also, as a way to possibly get him to the majors sooner, he’s also gotten most of his starts at first base in the early going. Sano adds some major league star power to the lineup, and he’s already showed off some of his prestigious power at Blue Wahoos Stadium: In four games with Pensacola Sano has clubbed two doubles and that home run, good for a slugging percentage of .600 in 15 at-bats. He may not be there much longer or is already on his way to triple-A, but he’s been a big contributor in his brief time. All in all on his rehab stint thus far, Sano is crushing 400/.440/.800 with two homers and eight runs batted in over six games. In addition to those two, another player just keeps showing he’s a #ProfessionalHitter in the minors. Luis Arraez missed nearly all of the 2017 season after injuring his knee with Fort Myers, but after hitting .298 in 48 games with the Chattanooga Lookouts last year he’s hitting .341 with Pensacola, good for second in the Southern League in batting average and on-base percentage while leading the league in hits. He’s not quite in Willians Astudillo territory when it comes to striking out (nobody is), but his 9% strikeout rate is also virtually unheard of in today’s game. While pitching got the Blue Wahoos going early, the hitting is starting to catch up, so look out Southern League. Batting League Leaders (through games completed on 5/8) -Luis Arraez leads league in hits, is fifth in walks and total bases, and second in batting average and on-base percentage. -Jaylin Davis’ four home runs lead the team and is tied for fifth in the circuit, while his .370 on-base percentage and .299 batting average rank seventh. -Taylor Grzelakowski’s 16 RBIs is tied for eighth in the league. -Tanner English and Jordan Gore have each scored 18 runs, tied for fifth in the league. Pitching League Leaders -Griffin Jax’s 0.53 ERA leads the league and his 1.00 WHIP ranks sixth. -Devin Smeltzer still ranks second in ERA (0.60) after his promotion. -Brusdar Graterol is tied for second in the league in innings pitched (37.2), is sixth in strikeouts (36), and fifth in WHIP (0.98) -Jorge Alcala comes in at #2 in strikeouts on the year with 40 in 33.2 innings. -Reliever Ryan Mason has picked up six saves, good for second in the Southern League Other Links -Unfortunately, for a violation of unspecified team rules, backflipper Dusten Knight was removed from the Pensacola roster and subsequently released. Every few weeks during the season I’ll be looking back at what happened for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos and welcome any input our readers may have on what you would like to see in these posts. I consider this space a work-in-progress that will evolve as the season wears on, so please leave a comment and discuss the Blue Wahoos performance thus far! Click here to view the article

Yes, Baddoo was credited with an RBI on the play. Probably comes down to the fact the run scored well before the second out of the play was recorded. On a double play grounder, it's really the fielder's choice where they go for the play, so the run didn't score based on the batted ball.

This was always a criticism of Joe Mauer that I had. He had the same approach every at-bat, didn't matter the situation. You often saw him take that one pitch you're talking about. I batted leadoff a lot in my playing days. Always wanted to see pitches from a pitcher in my first at-bat (unless I knew him well already), figure out what he could throw, try to see more than a fastball. But any further at-bats against that pitcher? I'm ambushing the pitch I recognize in the zone unless there's a different reason not to (like he's been struggling). Walks are good, but hits are way better. I feel that idea has been lost some in today's game.

Minnesota Twins affiliates combined to go an even 2-2 on Tuesday night, with one of those losses coming in the form of a walk-off home run in Mississippi. Miguel Sano continued his strong rehab work with a three-hit night, while a top hitting prospect in the Florida State League launched his first home run(s) of the year. Keep reading to find out how everything went down on Tuesday in the Twins farm system!TRANSACTIONS Twins reliever Addison Reed was sent on rehab assignment with the Rochester Red Wings and made his season debut in their game.RED WINGS REPORT Toledo 10, Rochester 5 Box Score Righthander Kohl Stewart got the start for the Red Wings, and although he gave up a run in the top of the first, he also struck out the last four batters he faced, and five total. That’s notable, as he only went the first two innings, which begs the question if he’ll be in line on Saturday for the Twins with a doubleheader on the schedule. 26 of his 39 pitches went for strikes, and he coaxed five swinging strikes. Rochester took the lead in the second inning as Jordany Valdespin clubbed his third home run of the year, a two-run shot and that was followed in the third by an RBI single from Wilin Rosario to give them a 3-1 lead. After Stewart was done, it was the 2019 debut for reliever Addison Reed to kick off his rehab assignment and he pitched a scoreless inning, walking one and striking out one. Ryan Eades then got the fourth inning and it went poorly, as he allowed three runs on five hits and a walk, raising his ERA to 8.47 on the year and ending up taking the loss. Jake Reed didn’t fare much better in the fifth and sixth as he surrendered four runs on three hits and three walks in 1 2/3 innings bringing his ERA to 6.75. Lefty Gabriel Moya came on in the seventh with two outs and the bases loaded but followed two of J-Reed’s walks with two of his own to allow a couple of those inherited runners to score. Back out for the seventh Moya was better, setting down the Mudhens hitters one-two-three including the first two via K’s. Preston Guilmet finished the final two innings, allowing two runs on four hits for Toledo’s final tally of 10 runs on the game. He struck out three. The Red Wings offense got within three of the Mudhens in the seventh inning, as Luke Raley and Brent Rooker each delivered their sixth home run of the year in back-to-back fashion, but the team went quiet from there and they fall to 12-17 on the season. Nick Gordon finished the game 2-for-4 and Raley 2-for-5 for the only multi-hit efforts. Gordon and Drew Maggi each stole two bases. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Pensacola 3, Mississippi 5 Box Score Pensacola jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the top of the second inning thanks to a Miguel Sano RBI-sac fly in the first, and a run scoring ground ball in the second off the bat of Taylor Grzelakowski. It wouldn’t last though, as starter Jorge Alcala allowed a run in the second and two more in the third to put his team behind 3-2. Alcala settled in from there though, finishing with just those three runs allowed on eight hits and a walk in his five innings while striking out three. In the top of the fifth his lineup tied the game back up at three thanks to a sacrifice fly from Travis Blankenhorn that scored Alex Kirilloff, who had led off the inning with a walk and reached third on a Sano double, but that would be it for the good guys the rest of the game. Sano finished 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles while Jaylin Davis also added two hits and two walks. As a team the Blue Wahoos were 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position, so it wasn’t like they lacked opportunities, they just weren’t able to cash them in with a big hit. After Alcala left the game, Adam Bray went three scoreless innings, retiring seven men in a row to end his outing and striking out four in the process. Coach Ramon Borrego went to Alex Phillips with the score tied at three in the ninth, and the leadoff man was able to draw a walk after a foul pop-up was dropped by catcher Caleb Hamilton. Two batters later the Braves walked it off in dramatic fashion with a two-run homer. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 9, Charlotte 7 Box Score The Miracle lineup got on the board early and often in this one, thanks to home runs off the bats of Trevor Larnach (his first HR of the year) and Lewin Diaz (his second). Those blasts made it 3-0 after the top half of the first, and they added two more in the second inning thanks to a couple of errors and the rare RBI-sacrifice-fly-double-play (can’t say I ever recorded one of those in a scorebook). Starter Bryan Sammons, who carried a 0.40 ERA into the game, went five innings and despite allowing four runs, only raised his ERA to 0.66 as three of those runs were of the unearned variety after consecutive errors from third baseman Ryan Costello in the second inning. Sammons improved to 4-0 on the season with his effort that included ten strikeouts, a new career high for the lefthander. With the score 5-4 in favor of Fort Myers heading into the seventh inning, Larnach added some needed insurance with his second home run of the game, this one a three-run shot. After Sammons exited after five, Hector Lujan delivered two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out two. Johan Quezada came on for the eighth and ran into some trouble, allowing three runs (two earned) on three singles and a throwing error from Royce Lewis. Akil Baddoo added an RBI single in the eighth to make it 9-7 for the Miracle before Charlotte’s last chance. Quezada came out to start the inning and gave up a leadoff single before getting the next two hitters out, but another single brought the winning run to the batter’s box and Calvin Faucher was brought in to get the final out. He struck out his man to end the game and pick up his first save of the year, while Quezada ended his day with 1 2/3 innings with two K’s. The offense was led by Larnach who finished 3-for-5 with the two home runs and four RBIs, but Baddoo (2-for-4, 2 RBI, K), Lewis (2-for-5, R, K), Diaz (2-for-5, R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI), and Trey Cabbage (2-for-5, 2 R) also provided multiple hits on the game. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 8, South Bend 5 Box Score The offense for the Kernels popped early and late in this one to secure a victory against the Cubs, but in between it was closely contested. They took an early lead by putting up four runs in the top of the second thanks to a pair of sacrifice flies and multiple errors from the South Bend defense. Starting pitcher Luis Rijo gave them all back in the third but managed to finish 5 2/3 innings. He allowed four earned runs on six hits and a walk, striking out three. 62 of his 92 pitches went for strikes in the outing. Brian Rapp got the final out of the sixth and came back out for the seventh, but when it was done he was charged with a blown save as the Cubs tied it back up at five. Luckily for Rapp, he also got the win as in the top of the eighth Gilberto Celestino delivered a two-run bases loaded single to take back the lead, and a wild pitch would allow another insurance run to score for the final score of 8-5. Derek Molina closed out the game with two perfect innings, striking out one and picking up his third save. Outfielder Jacob Pearson finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and a walk, and while nobody else got multiple hits on the day, they did record 10 walks as a team and finished 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Bryan Sammons, Fort Myers Miracle (5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 10 K) Twins Daily Hitter of the Day – Trevor Larnach, Fort Myers Miracle (3-for-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - 2-for-5, R, K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - 1-for-4, R, BB, K #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Did not pitch #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - 3-for-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI #5 - Wander Javier (EST) - No Game #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - 1-for-4, R, HR, RBI, BB, K #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did not pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - Did not pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - 2-for-4, 2 RBI, K, SB #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 2-for-4, 2B, BB, K, 2 SB #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured list #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-5, 3 K #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-5, R, 2B, 3 K #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, 2 RBI, BB #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did not pitch #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - 1-for-4, R, 2B, BB, K #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - 5 IP, 3 ER, 8 H, BB, 3 K #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-4, R, 2B, K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Toledo @ Rochester (6:05PM CST) – RHP Zack Littell (1-2, 4.67 ERA) Pensacola @ Mississippi (10:35AM CST) - RHP Brusdar Graterol (3-0, 2.23 ERA) Charlotte @ Fort Myers (5:30PM CST) – RHP Jhoan Duran (0-3, 4.03 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (9:35AM CST) – RHP Andrew Cabezas (0-3, 5.21 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! Click here to view the article

If there's a noteworthy prospect on the other team and he does something or has something done to him I try to point it out, but not in a fashion where the focus turns to them instead of the Twins prospects. For instance, from my first report of the year: "Hector Lujan came on for the sixth and went the next 2 2/3’s. He allowed one hit and struck out four including Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the eighth."

Stewart was okay. Certainly limited the damage. Yes, that is why Sammons would have been removed. And this is a good rule. If you look at the pitch locations for Sano, he didn't see anything near the strikezone until that pop up. It was dead-middle, he just missed it. Rortvedt is definitely coming around!

With the Pensacola Blue Wahoos having a travel day and the Cedar Rapids Kernels being rained out, there were just two games on Tuesday night in the system. A Minnesota Twins slugger made his first appearance in game action on the year, kicking off his rehab assignment with Fort Myers while Rochester’s offense clubbed their way to double-digit runs.To find out how all of your favorite Twins prospects who were in action on Tuesday fared, keep reading! TRANSACTIONS As alluded to above, Miguel Sano was officially sent on a rehab assignment to the Fort Myers Miracle.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 11, Scranton/WB 2 Box Score The Rochester lineup pounded out 12 hits and drew four walks as they blew out the RailRiders 11-2 behind home runs from Drew Maggi, Zander Wiel, and Jordany Valdespin. Wiel’s fifth inning blast was his sixth of the year as he continues to slug above his career norms in the season’s opening month. He finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored, three RBI, and also drew a walk. They took a 3-1 lead in the top of the third and never looked back as they tacked on more in each of the fourth, fifth, seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. Randy Cesar (2-for-5, R, 2B, RBI), Valdespin (2-for-5, R, HR, 2 RBI), and Maggi (2-for-4, 2 R, 3B, HR, 2 RBI) also collected multiple hits on the game. Kohl Stewart got the start for the Red Wings, his first turn back with Rochester after making a spot start for the Twins and delivered a quality outing. He went the first six innings, scattering five hits and three walks and allowing just one run. He struck out three and was effectively wild, as just 51 of his 91 pitches went for strikes (56%). Tyler Duffey went the next two frames, allowing one run on three hits along with striking out three. Austin Adams finished the game, allowing two hits but no runs. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Scheduled Day Off Pensacola took a series on the road against the Jackson Generals 3-2 and got the day off on Tuesday as they head home for a series against the Biloxi Shuckers. The Blue Wahoos finished the month of April with their best record in team history at 17-8. They have won all five series they’ve played thus far and look to continue that trend with righthander Sean Poppen on the hill on Wednesday. MIRACLE MATTERS Clearwater 3, Fort Myers 0 Box Score The story heading into this game was the start of a rehab assignment for the Twins Miguel Sano. With his lacerated foot finally healed, he slotted in at third in the Miracle batting order, playing third base. In is first at-bat of the night, he was hit by pitch with the count at 2-0, and in his second drew a four-pitch walk where no pitch was close to the zone. With him scheduled to play just five innings he’d need some help from teammates to get another plate appearance, and luckily Royce Lewis did so with a two-out single. The first pitch Sano saw was definitely in his wheelhouse but ended up as just a towering infield flyout. Lewin Diaz then entered the game for him at first base, with Ryan Costello sliding over to third. On the mound for the Miracle was lefty Bryan Sammons, who carried a 0.42 ERA into this start. Although he managed to improve that mark to 0.40 on the game, he was only able to finish one inning as the Threshers lineup worked him for several long at-bats resulting in 37 total pitches. He gave up two hits, walked two, and struck out two but escaped with the bases loaded. Anthony Vizcaya came out from the bullpen for the second inning and finished the next three. He allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk while striking out four. Johan Quezada went the next two after that, allowing one run on one hit and three walks. He struck out three. Tom Hackimer then added two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out three. His ERA on the year in 13 1/3 innings now stands at 0.68. Calvin Faucher finished the game for the Miracle with a scoreless ninth, walking two but allowing no hits and striking out one. There wasn’t much offense to talk about for Fort Myers, as they managed just three hits on the game. Lewis raised his average back above .200 with a 2-for-4 night. Ben Rortvedt had the only extra-base hit with a double and drew a walk four plate appearances. KERNELS NUGGETS Bowling Green @ Cedar Rapids - PPD: Rain The Kernels were unable to get their game in at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Tuesday as persistent rain kept the field too wet. They’ll make it up with a doubleheader on Wednesday, with right-hander Luis Rijo taking the mound for Cedar Rapids in game one at 5:00PM CST. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Tom Hackimer, Fort Myers Miracle (2.0 IP, H, 3 K) Twins Daily Hitter of the Day – Zander Wiel, Rochester Red Wings (3-for-4, 3 R, HR, 3 RBI, BB) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - 2-for-4 #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - Injured List #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - No game #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-4, 2 K #5 - Wander Javier (EST) - No Game #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - Did not play #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did not pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - Did not pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-4, 3 K #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Injured list #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured list #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - Did not play #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-3, 2B, BB, K #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) - Game PPD #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did not pitch #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - 1-for-3, 2 R, BB, K #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - No game #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-4 WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (5:35PM CST) – RHP Zack Littell (1-2, 4.50 ERA) Biloxi @ Pensacola (6:35PM CST) - RHP Sean Poppen (2-0, 0.75 ERA) Clearwater @ Fort Myers (12:00PM CST) – RHP Jhoan Duran (0-3, 3.63 ERA) Bowling Green @ Cedar Rapids, Game 1 (5:00PM CST) – RHP Luis Rijo (0-2, 4.20 ERA) Bowling Green @ Cedar Rapids, Game 2 - RHP Austin Schulfur (3-1, 2.45 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! Click here to view the article