Steve Lein

The Florida State League has always HEAVILY favored pitching. Definitely not a hitters league. These are big league ballparks in dimensions as most of them are homes to Spring Training facilities. This is just napkin math, but I'd consider a .750 OPS in the FSL about as meaningful as an .800 OPS in say, the Southern League.

Thanks Roger! Jax is certainly a unique story, I would take your prediction for him any day. As for Graterol, yes, he's got very few innings on his arm, especially for someone getting his first crack at double A. I've advocated for the exact scenario you speak of, both with Romero from last year (didn't happen that way), and Graterol for this one because of that. He's going to have a limit, but if he's killing it when he's close to that number and in triple A, I would find it to be a disservice to his development to not get his feet wet in the majors in this fashion. Cardinals have had great success with this methodology, and heck, the Twins did too with Johan Santana. There are many other pundits out there who think this type of thing should be done more as well, especially with players of his ilk that have innings limitations.

I don't think I ever really "look[ed] like a baseball player" either as an overly skinny guy, but discovered I could quite easily use this to my advantage. One particular moment I recall, is my high school team was getting dominated by this pitcher when I was a Junior and not a starter. Coach wanted to get me in a game so pinch-hit me in final inning. I step into the box, and the pitcher who'd been striking everybody out called his catcher out to talk to him. As they're chatting they both glanced back at me with smirks on their faces and laughed. I knew what was up. Pitcher threw his first pitch high-and-tight, guessing they were hoping I'd bail and they could laugh. I nonchalantly stuck my arms out and up and let if fly under them. The pitcher got this look on his face that said "what the heck, he's not afraid?!" His coach immediately came out to visit him, and mine called me over. Says to me, "That coach right now is telling his pitcher to quit messing around. This guy is a backup. Go right at him and get this over with. So sit on this fastball and put a good swing on it like I know you can." I got that fastball, and laced it into left for one of our teams like 4 hits on the day. That pitcher was pissed. Just could not believe I hit him. He threw over to first like four times despite the fact I only took like a 2-foot lead.

Can't wait to see Thorpe, he's been one of my favorite guys ever since I interviewed him in Cedar Rapids. Has taken a longer road than he would like I'm sure, but he's still only 23 and when he's on, well starts like this are what happens! If you check out my other post from last night on the Blue Wahoos, I add some color to what Smeltzer has done thus far. He had been transitioned to the bullpen before the Twins acquired him, and I'm guessing/hoping this pitching development program found something to take advantage of with him, and we're seeing some early returns on it. Hackimer is another guy who's dealt with some injuries. Was thought he could be a quick mover as a reliever when he was drafted. He put in a lot of work getting his shoulder back into shape, even teaching himself to throw left-handed (pretty well, I might add too): He's a sidearmer, so comes at you from a much different angle. He's also big into science and nerdy stuff about pitching: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/twins-prospect-tom-hackimer-on-being-a-pitching-nerd/

With the Cedar Rapids Kernels being rained out on Monday, there was some extra baseball for Twins affiliates on Tuesday. While the Kernels managed a split, it was the starting pitching in a couple of the other games that made the headlines. Lewis Thorpe struck out a bunch of hitters for his second start in a row, while another pitcher who exited his last game after being struck by a line drive, picked up where he left off without missing a beat, ending the night leading his league in K’s.To find out everything that happened in the minor leagues for Twins affiliates on Tuesday, keep reading! TRANSACTIONS Pensacola Blue Wahoos place CF Jimmy Kerrigan on 7-day IL and assigned C Kidany Salva from GCL TwinsRED WINGS REPORTScranton/Wilkes-Barre 1, Rochester 8 Box Score Left-hander Lewis Thorpe toed the rubber for the Red Wings and after giving up a solo home run in the top of the first, derailed Scranton/Wilkes-Barre the rest of the way. After that blip, he retired eighteen men in a row, including a stretch of five straight strikeouts on his way to totaling 12 K’s on the game. He picked up his first win of the year by going eight innings, allowing just the lone run on three hits and zero walks. He was a strike throwing machine on the game, with 71 of his 95 pitches going for strikes, including an #Elite 21 swings and misses. After having some trouble by allowing 15 earned runs in his first two starts of the year, Thorpe has dialed it in in his last two, allowing just three runs in 13 2/3 innings while striking out 24 against just one walk. Rochester’s offense got on the board in the third inning to tie the game at one thanks to a LaMonte Wade single that drove in Ronald Torreyes, who had doubled earlier. They took control of the game in the fourth in part thanks to Brent Rooker’s fourth home run of the year: After that smash doubles from Tomas Telis and Torreyes around an Adam Rosales walk made the score 4-1 in favor of the home team. Another Telis double and RBI single from Wade in the sixth made it 5-1, before they tacked on three more in the eighth thanks to a Wade double and Randy Cesar 2-RBI single. Reliever Preston Guilmet came in for Thorpe in the ninth, delivering a one-two-three ninth and punctuating the victory with a strikeout. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Mobile 1, Pensacola 0 Box Score The only things that can stop Pensacola’s starter Devin Smeltzer so far on the year, are apparently when a line drive back at him takes him out of the game (his last start) or his offense abandons him (this one). Luckily after that scary sequence in his last start, he checked out fine and didn’t miss a beat on Tuesday. The lefthander went seven innings in this one, allowing just one run on six hits while picking up nine more strikeouts that puts him in the Southern League lead in that category. Mobile scored in the third inning thanks to some small ball, as a single, stolen base, and another single with two outs accounted for the game’s only run. The Blue Wahoos collected just three hits on the game and were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Luis Arraez, Jaylin Davis, and Brian Navarreto each singled, while Ernie De La Trinidad drew two walks. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Bradenton 1 Box Score The middle of the Miracle lineup got the game started off on the right foot as number three hitter Trevor Larnach and cleanup man Jose Miranda swapped places at second base with consecutive doubles in the top of the first for a 1-0 lead. Bradenton knotted the game at one in the second, as they managed to score the first run of the year on Fort Myers starter Bryan Sammons thanks to a two-out double and RBI single. That’s all they’d manage, and Sammons ended the game with a 0.42 ERA on the season after finishing 5 1/3 innings. He allowed just three hits and walked three while striking out four to pick up his third win of the year. The Miracle took the lead back in the sixth when leadoff man Akil Baddoo launched his third home run of the season. After Sammons' exit Calvin Faucher went the next 2 1/3, walking one and striking out two. Tom Hackimer recorded the final out of the eighth with a strikeout, then finished the ninth by striking out three in a row after a leadoff walk to pick up his first save. KERNELS NUGGETS Game 1: Cedar Rapids 0, Wisconsin 9 Box Score In the first game of their doubleheader, the Kernels were in danger of being no-hit going into the top of the sixth inning, as the Timber Rattlers and their starter Aaron Ashby had built a 5-0 lead. Luckily, Michael Davis ended that effort with a leadoff double after Ashby’s day was done but that would be their only hit on the game. Gabriel Maciel drew two walks and Trey Cabbage one to account for the only baserunners on the day. Andrew Cabezas got the start for Cedar Rapids and went the first four innings. He allowed four earned runs on six hits and a walk but did strike out five. Carlos Suniaga went the next 1 2/3 and was unable to make it through the sixth. He surrendered five runs on four hits and two walks. Derek Molina inherited a runner who would score the final tally for Wisconsin when he gave up a single but got the final out with a strikeout to end the bleeding. The Kernels went down in order in the seventh and prepped for game two. Game 2: Cedar Rapids 7, Wisconsin 6 Box Score Cedar Rapids turned to their bullpen in game two, and while each of their first three pitchers surrendered at least one run, the offense was there in this one to pick them up. Brian Rapp got the start and pitched into the third inning when a walk and a single ended his day. In total he was charged with three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four. Austin Schulfer did his best to keep his team in the game, tallying three innings and allowing one run on two hits and three walks while striking out seven. He would be credited with his third win on the year when it was all said and done. Zach Neff came on for the sixth with a 7-4 lead for the Kernels but allowed two runs on two walks and a double before Joe Record was brought in to close out the game. Record retired all four hitters he faced, including two strikeouts in the seventh, to pick up his first save. Cedar Rapids did most of their damage in a four-run fourth inning started by a home run from Hunter Lee, his first hit of the season. That was followed by three straight singles from Gabriel Maciel, Gabe Snyder, and Trey Cabbage before a two-out single from Gilberto Celestino put the Kernels up 7-3. Cabbage added his sixth home run of the young season in the third inning and ended the day tied for the Midwest League lead in bombs. Catcher Ben Rodriguez followed Cabbage’s shot with a back-to-back blast of his own for his first home run of the year. Andrew Bechtold (2-for-4, 2B), Cabbage (3-for-4, HR, 2 RBI), and Maciel (2-for-3, BB) had multiple hits. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Lewis Thorpe, Rochester Red Wings (W, 8 IP, ER, 3 H, 12 K) Twins Daily Hitter(s) of the Day – Trey Cabbage, Cedar Rapids Kernels (3-for-6, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, BB, K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-4 #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - Injured List #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Did not pitch #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-3, R, 2B, SB, K #5 - Wander Javier (EST) - No Game #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - 2-for-5, R, HR, 3 K #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - W, 8 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 12 K #9 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - Did not pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-4, HR, 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) - 0-for-3, BB, K #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, RBI, K #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - 3-for-4, R, 2B, 3 RBI, BB #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton/Wilkes-Barre @ Rochester (5:05PM CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart (1-2, 6.00 ERA) Mobile @ Pensacola (6:35PM CST) - RHP Griffin Jax (1-0, 0.54 ERA) Fort Myers @ Bradenton (5:30PM CST) – RHP Jhoan Duran (0-2, 3.65 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (6:35PM CST) – RHP Luis Rijo (0-2, 4.35 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! Click here to view the article

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos are in their first year partnering with the Minnesota Twins, and they’ve appeared to join the organization at a great time. Several top prospects in the system should spend time with them during the 2019 season, and several already are there. They sit atop the Southern League standings and in large part that has been because of their starting pitching. Brusdar Graterol is the big name, but every starter to take the mound has done their part and more. Last Weighed In: N/A *** Overall Record: 13-5 (1st in South Division) Last 10 games: 7-3 Starting Rotation ERA: 2.10 While Pensacola’s season started a day late due to the weather on the Florida panhandle, Jorge Alcala set the tone for the starting staff by throwing five strong innings in the season opener as the Blue Wahoos shut out the Mobile BayBears 7-0. Alcala has since gone on to win every one of his four starts thus far but in the context of the rotation as a whole, is probably the fourth most impressive performer on the list. That’s because Brusdar Graterol, Griffin Jax, and Devin Smeltzer have been even more lights out. Along with Andro Cutura and one start from Sean Poppen, as a starting staff they’ve combined to post a 10-1 record with a miniscule 2.10 ERA and 1.07 WHIP, while striking out 9.8 hitters per game. Graterol brought a 0.52 ERA into his start on Monday, after a start that was was arguably the best of his minor league career, where he carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning. He wasn’t dominant like that again but showed some resolve to reset after a bad inning that left the game tied at four and finished five innings. His offense then got a run back for him that allowed him to pick up his second win of the season in four turns. His 2.01 ERA after this game is still rock solid and he has paired it with a 0.94 WHIP while striking out 24 hitters in 22 1/3 innings. The Twins haven’t had a starter with an arm like his velocity-wise since…Pat Mahomes?!...But what’s even better than the velocity he brings, is the movement Graterol can generate along with it. Behold: While Graterol has the top prospect shine and both he and Alcala get glowing scouting reports for their stuff, Jax and Smeltzer have arguably been even better when it comes to performance thus far. Both carry an ERA below 1.00 in three starts apiece. In total Jax has thrown 16 2/3 innings, allowing just one earned run on 12 hits and seven walks while striking out 14 hitters. His last two turns were of the quality variety and if you didn’t know his somewhat weird path to get here as a baseball prospect, the Blue Wahoos reporter Bill Vilona has you covered. Smeltzer came to the Twins organization as somewhat of a throw-in in last years Brian Dozier trade with the Dodgers, but maybe the scouting department of Derek Falvey and Thad Levine found something they liked in him. He had been a starter for most of his time in the Los Angeles system, but when acquired had been transitioned to the bullpen. That’s also where he pitched for the Twins after coming over and got some more time there in the AFL. That makes it a little odd that he’s back in a starting role with Pensacola, but I’m not going to argue with the early results. He has just a 0.67 WHIP in 18 total innings, allowing just nine hits and three walks while punching out 21 hitters and his performance earned him a Southern League pitcher of the week award: He doesn’t possess a big arm, working only around 90 miles-per-hour with his fastball, but maybe there’s a secret sauce that has been found with his breaking balls or something else. Smeltzer had a scary moment in his last start, where a line drive struck him in the head to lead off the top of the fifth inning. He was removed from the game and walked off under his own power, and luckily didn’t miss any time as Minnesota Twins farm director Jeremy Zoll told the Star Tribune that “Smeltzer has checked out fine” and as of this writing is throwing another gem for the Blue Wahoos (and will end the night leading the league in strikeouts). If not for the Rochester Red Wings needing a spot start on April 10th another starter, Sean Poppen, may have got a bigger note than this paragraph as well. He’s started one game and struck out 11 hitters in five innings on April 20th against the Mobile BayBears. Pensacola is currently dominating the Southern League in the standings, and it’s been their starting pitching leading the way thus far. It could be an interesting dynamic as the year wears on, as if this continues, they may not have these horses for long. Luckily for them though, Fort Myers has some horses of their own that look like they’ll be ready to take their place. Batting League Leaders (as of 4/22) -Luis Arraez ranks second in the Southern League with a .343 batting average and first in hits with 24 -Tanner English is tied for third in steals with 5 in 10 games -Brian Schales is tied for second with 13 RBI, and second in home runs with three -Jordan Gore leads the league with 15 runs scored in 16 games Pitching League Leaders -Devin Smeltzer (0.50) and Griffin Jax (0.54) are #1 and #2 in the Southern League in ERA. Smeltzer is second in WHIP (0.67) -Jorge Alcala leads the league in wins (4-0) -Alcala (25) and Graterol (24) rank #3 and #4 in strikeouts -Backflipper Dusten Knight is tied for the league lead in saves with 4 Every two 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

I would expect you could find even more data on this somewhere, but this was a quick article I looked at: https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/mercedes-benz-stadium-to-cut-concession-stand-prices-on-popular-items-by-12-perc "During the 2017 Falcons and Atlanta United seasons, average spending on concessions increased at Falcons games by 16 percent per person over the previous season, despite a 50 percent decrease in pricing over the previous season. Data also showed that more than 6,000 Falcons fan per game entered the stadium as much as an hour earlier to take advantage of the options and pricing in the stadium."

By putting him in Double A at the start of the year, signs are sure pointing to aggressiveness with him. In the Pensacola rotation, I think he's on the short list to promote to Rochester if the Twins need a starter. Also have to remember when it comes to pitching for the Twins this year potentially, that Graterol has very few innings on his arm. He only threw 102 last year. It was talked about with Romero how bringing him up in the bullpen late in the year would be a good exercise, and I think that's the potential for Graterol this year at the moment too. Becomes a lot harder not to consider him for some starts later in the year if this keeps up though!

A Triple A doubleheader added an extra game to a full slate of action on Tuesday night, and if not for a hit parade from Cedar Rapids, pitching would have been the only story on the day. Each affiliate got a strong effort from their starting pitcher, including likely the best start of a top phenom's career to this point. And his game wasn’t even the one that finished 1-0 in favor of the good guys.To catch up on all the action and see just how good affiliate pitching was on the day, keep reading! TRANSACTIONS Minnesota Twins recalled RHP Tyler Duffey.RED WINGS REPORTGame 1: Syracuse 2, Rochester 3 Box Score In the opener of their doubleheader the Red Wings went with an opener in the form of Matt Magill making his season debut. He gave up a leadoff single to #OldFriend Carlos Gomez and later walked a batter to put a runner in scoring position with one out, but buckled down from there to close out his first appearance with two strikeouts. Luke Raley started off the bottom of the second with a double, and Tomas Telis brought him in with a single to put Rochester up 1-0. Telis wasn’t done on the day, as he would add another to the tally with a solo home run in the fourth that made it 2-0. The scored stayed that way until the sixth inning as the primary pitcher, Justin Nicolino, put up zeroes for his first four innings. In the sixth, a leadoff single was followed by a two-run home run to tie the game, but Nicolino retired the next three hitters to end his day with an overall solid performance. In five innings he allowed the two runs on six hits and one walk while picking up five strikeouts. He threw 70 pitches on the day, with 45 going for strikes (64%). With the game tied at two after that, Zander Wiel was quick to put Nicolino back in line for the win. He led off the bottom of the sixth with his third home run of the young season, and it was enough for the home team: Mike Morin finished the game with a scoreless inning, striking out one and needing only 10 pitches. Game 2: Syracuse 3, Rochester 0 Box Score Things didn’t go as well for the Red Wings in the nightcap, as they managed just two hits as a team and had only three plate appearances with runners in scoring position. Drew Maggi drew two walks out of the nine-hole, and Jordany Valdespin and Brent Rooker collected the hits. Ryan Eades started the game and finished the first three innings. He allowed two earned runs on three hits while notching four strikeouts. Jake Reed came on for the fourth and fifth innings, allowing the final Mets run on three hits and two walks and also struck out four. Fernando Romero finished the game with two perfect innings, striking out three. He threw 73% of his 29 pitches for strikes, including six swinging. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Pensacola 2, Biloxi 3 Box Score Top prospect Brusdar Graterol continued his early season dominance for the Blue Wahoos with his best start yet. A brilliant seven inning performance where he carried a no-hitter into the fifth. A walk in the fourth was his first base runner, and a two-out single in the fifth ended his bid, but those two baserunners were surrounded by a stretch of retiring eleven straight to open the game, and seven straight to end it. He was at just 80 pitches when he left (55 for strikes), showing efficiency to go along with his eight strikeouts as he lowered his ERA on the year to 0.52 in 17 1/3 total innings. Unfortunately for the fireballing phenom, he was matched for the first six innings by his competition, who also carried a perfect game into the fourth before a Luis Arraez single tallied Pensacola’s first hit. The teams together didn’t push a run across in the scheduled nine innings, but that changed quickly in extras with a baserunner starting on second base. Pensacola loaded the bases with one out before a catcher interference play put the first run of the game on the scoreboard. Caleb Hamilton followed with a single to make it 2-0 before the Shuckers got a double-play ball to end any further damage. In the bottom of the tenth the Blue Wahoos stuck with reliever Cody Stashak who had retired six in a row, including four straight strikeouts in the prior two innings in relief of Graterol, but the scales did not tip in his favor this time. A leadoff triple was followed by a double to quickly tie the game back up and Tyler Jay was summoned to try to extend the game. He got a strikeout before intentionally walking a batter for a chance at a double play, but a fly ball into right field from the next batter was deep enough for the Shuckers to walk it off. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 1, St. Lucie 0 Box Score Fort Myers and St. Lucie combined for just five hits on the game and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position as pitching owned the day. For the Miracle it was left-hander Bryan Sammons who had yet to give up an earned run in his first two starts of the season. That streak stayed intact in his best fashion yet, as he finished six innings for the first time in his three turns. He allowed just two hits and two walks while picking up six strikeouts. He threw 57 of his 89 pitches for strikes on the game, with a noteworthy 15 of the swinging variety. Sammons has now allowed just one unearned run on the season, and in his last two games has pitched 11 2/3 innings with just four hits and five walks against, while racking up fourteen strikeouts. Fort Myers got all the offense they would need in the game’s opening frame, as Akil Baddoo led off with a walk, stole second base, then found himself on third after a groundout. Trevor Larnach then brought him home with a sacrifice fly and that was it. Baddoo added his first double of the season in the eighth inning. After Sammons exit, Alex Phillips came on and would finish the game, picking up a three-inning save in the process and his third of the season. He walked just one and struck out four and like Sammons, has yet to allow an earned run on the season in 8 2/3 innings and six separate appearances. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 11, Quad Cities 2 Box Score Unlike their cohorts on Tuesday, the Kernels didn’t have to fret about pitching when it came to the final score in their game. The offense turned it into a blowout late as they outhit the River Bandits 15-4 on the night. Trey Cabbage did most of the damage out of the cleanup spot in the lineup, finishing 3-for-6 with a home run (his fourth of the year), a triple, and five RBI. In addition Gabriel Maciel (3-for-5, 2 R, 3B, BB), Gabe Snyder (3-for-4, R, 2 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, BB), Jacob Pearson (3-for-5, R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI), and Michael Davis (3-for-4, R, 2B, RBI) all collected three hits to account for all of the barrage of hits. They also didn’t have to fret about pitching, because they still got a strong performance from their starter. Right-hander Blayne Enlow took the mound and with the warmer weather, came out throwing some fire: He went six innings to pick up his second win of the year and his first quality start. He allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks while striking out six. He wasn’t as efficient than others on the day with 44 of his 84 pitches going for strikes (52%), but was also quite effective on the scoreboard. Brian Rapp added two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out two, and Carlos Suniaga wrapped it up with a one-two-three ninth, including a strikeout. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Brusdar Graterol, Pensacola Blue Wahoos (7.0 IP, H, BB, 8 K) Twins Daily Hitter(s) of the Day – Trey Cabbage, Cedar Rapids Kernels (3-for-6, 3B, HR, 5 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-4, K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - Injured List #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - 7.0 IP, H, BB, 8 K #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-3, RBI #5 - Wander Javier (EST) - No Game #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - 1-for-4, 2 BB, K (2 games) #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - W, 6.0 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-3, R, 2B, BB #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Injured List #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured List #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-3, K #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-3, 3B #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) - Did not play #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - Did not play #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-4 WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Syracuse @ Rochester (11:35AM CST) – LHP Lewis Thorpe (0-2, 15.58 ERA) Pensacola @ Biloxi (6:35PM CST) - LHP Devin Smeltzer (2-0, 0.00 ERA) Fort Myers @ St. Lucie (5:30PM CST) – RHP Jhoan Duran (0-1, 2.00 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:35PM CST) – RHP Jordan Balazovic (1-1, 2.79 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! Click here to view the article

Red Wings game reminded me of one I attended quite a few years ago at Coors Field. Was on the 4th of July, big comeback win by the Rockies: https://www.mlb.com/gameday/marlins-vs-rockies/2008/07/04/235052#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=235052

He gave up 9 runs in a start in early June, but after that he dialed it in and went 6-0 in his final 10 starts in Double A.

Yeah, that's what I'm getting at as well. I understand it, just don't necessarily agree with its application.

I was honestly trying to figure out why reading the box score. They say any run scored after there should be three outs is unearned, but I didn't like how it applied in this scenario. The first runner of the inning reached on an error, so that one unearned for sure. But after that I don't see it. I would have thought in a case like this, it's the potential third out that needs to be the qualifier, not the potential first out. But it will certainly help his stat line!

It has been a rough few days in the Minnesota Twins minor league system, as they haven’t won a game in the past two days, but I can spoil some of the following for you as the third day was the charm thanks to a walk-off. In addition to recapping the three scheduled games, as the Pensacola Blue Wahoos traveled home for the first time on Tuesday, I was able to catch up with perhaps their biggest fan for the upcoming season.Keep reading to check it all out! RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 5, Syracuse 7 Box Score The Red Wings fell behind 1-0 after the first inning with right-hander Kohl Stewart on the mound, but quickly gave him a lead in the top of the second. The first four hitters in the lineup reached safely, with Adam Rosales’ single to center field scoring Luke Raley from third for Rochester’s first run. Later in the inning a Ronald Torreyes groundout brought in Zander Wiel for a 2-1 lead. In the top of the third a Wynston Sawyer double brought in two more runs, and Rosales followed with a double of his own to push their lead to 5-1. Unfortunately for Stewart and his defense, their hold on the game unraveled in the bottom half. A throwing error started the inning, then a hit batter, walk, three singles, a double, and a sac fly resulted in six runs for the Mets and they never looked back. All told Stewart was charged with seven runs, though only one was earned, in his 2 2/3 innings. He struck out three. Fernando Romero took over in the third for his second appearance of the season and finished 3 1/3 hitless innings. He struck out four and walked none (did hit a batter) on 40 pitches, with 25 going for strikes (63%). Jake Reed got the final two innings, going one-two-three in each, along with picking up three strikeouts. The Rochester lineup out-hit Syracuse 14-7 on the game, but after the third inning it was all about the pitchers for both teams. Eleven of the Red Wings hits came in those first three frames, as did all seven for the Mets. Six Red Wings batters picked up multiple hits including John Andreoli (2-for-4, BB, K), Randy Cesar (2-for-5, R, K), Raley (2-for-5, 2 R, 2 K), Zander Wiel (2-for-5, R, 2B, 2 K), Sawyer (2-for-2, R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, BB), and Rosales (2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI). Wiel and Brent Rooker also collected their first doubles of the year. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Scheduled Day Off. Pensacola finished their first weekend of the Southern League season by taking three of five against the Mobile Bay Bears on the road. They headed home to Blue Wahoo Stadium for the first time in 2019 on Tuesday for a five-game series with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp with fireballer Jorge Alcala on the mound, who struck out six in five scoreless innings in the team’s season opener. When they get there it also will be the first time fellow Minnesotan and Blue Wahoos PR Director Daniel Venn will get to see them in action at home as a Twins affiliate. With the off day, I caught up with Daniel about what he’s looking forward to covering the team this year and the prospects he will get know. Twins Daily (TD): Who has been the best prospect you’ve seen come through since you’ve been working in the minor leagues? Daniel Venn (DV): Both in the FSL and in spring training this year, Alex Kirilloff blows you away. I watched him twice this spring, once facing Blake Snell on a minor league backfield. The other against James Paxton and the Yankees at Hammond Stadium. Both times it was lefty-on-lefty, a tough enough match-up as it is, against two of the best left-handers in baseball. Against Snell, he stepped in and hit a wicked liner to left. Against Paxton, he flew out to the warning track. Even though both were outs, to see a kid with no experience above High-A step in, have great at-bats, and hit the ball hard against two elite-level major league pitchers is really impressive. I can't wait to watch him this year. TD: As a follow-up, who have been your favorite prospects? (If they’re different for any reason) DV: A couple guys who aren't considered 'top' prospects have really impressed me. Jimmy Kerrigan and Taylor Grzelakowski are two guys who might make it to the major leagues on grit and will and hard work alone. Both were undrafted and came out of independent baseball and play their hearts out every night. Twins fans should also know the names Devin Smeltzer and Griffin Jax. Both are great pitchers, great people, and great stories. Devin beat cancer as a young athlete and has dedicated his career to helping kids battling the disease. He took a perfect game into the fifth in his first outing of 2019 and K'd 9 in 5.2 IP. Jax is a second lieutenant in the US Air Force and missed most of the first two seasons of his career as an active duty member of the military serving his community. He's still active duty, but was able to resume his baseball career last year through a World Class Athlete Olympic exemption. TD: Who are you most excited about to see on the roster at the beginning of the year? DV: Obviously I'd be remiss if I didn't name Kirilloff first. I can't wait to watch him get back on the field and start hitting. He's such a mature hitter who just barrels everything up and never gets cheated on a swing. I'm also excited to watch this team's starting pitching every night. To have Alcala and Brusdar at the top of the rotation each throwing 98-100 is a luxury not many minor league teams have. But, then to have Devin Smeltzer, Griffin Jax, and Sean Poppen follow them? That is a deep, deep rotation that should put this team in a position to win every night. TD: What does it mean to you to have your “hometown” team be the parent club now? DV: It sounds cliche to say I have my dream job, but I really do. Following the Twins avidly as a fan, I've been checking box scores for years to see how guys like Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff and Luis Arraez and Brusdar Graterol do. Now they're part of my day job. It couldn't be more fun. TD: And finally, do you have a prediction for how the Blue Wahoos will do this year? DV: The whole Southern League is full of talent, but I like this team's chances. It takes high-end prospect talent to win in the minor leagues, which we have in guys like Kirilloff and Arraez and Graterol and Alcala, but it also takes some older, experienced guys who will grind for you all season long, and we've that too in Drew Maggi, Brian Schales, Grzelakowski, and Kerrigan. It takes a team and we've got that. Plus, if you take a look down a level at Fort Myers...they're absolutely loaded with talent, especially offensively. Knowing that at some point this season, there will be a wave of talent coming up from the Miracle also makes me really excited about Pensacola's chances this season. Big thanks to Daniel for taking the time to answer some more questions! MIRACLE MATTERS Dunedin 0, Fort Myers 1 Box Score It was a pitcher’s duel at Hammond Stadium on Tuesday night, with right-hander Randy Dobnak getting the start for the Miracle and his Florida State League debut. He went five scoreless innings, scattering five hits, walking one, and striking out two. Of his 89 pitches on the game, 54 went for strikes (61%) including 10 swinging. Hector Lujan came on for the sixth and went the next 2 2/3. He allowed one hit and struck out four including Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the eighth. But after consecutive walks, Tom Hackimer was brought in to snuff the threat and after loading the bases by hitting a batter, did so with a big strikeout. He finished the game by striking out the side in the ninth, but at that point the score was still tied at zero with the top of the lineup coming up for the bottom half. Royce Lewis got a rally started with a one-out single, then reached second on a wild pitch to put the winning run in scoring position. After an intentional walk to Trevor Larnach and an infield single off the bat of Jose Miranda, the bases were loaded for Lewin Diaz. On a 1-0 count he hit a sharp grounder through the right side for the walk-off win: Diaz was the only hitter to collect multiple hits on the day for the Miracle, while Travis Blankenhorn added a double. KERNELS NUGGETS Kane County 4, Cedar Rapids 1 Box Score Cedar Rapids got a strong first four innings from their starter Luis Rijo, but after an error started off the fifth, he got a little wild with two hit-by-pitches around a two-run double and an RBI single that put Kane County out front 3-0. In his five innings, Rijo allowed three hits and a walk while striking out six. The Kernels got one back in the bottom half when a Gilberto Celestino double drove in Michael Davis who had walked a batter earlier. But that’s all the offense would be able to muster on the game despite outhitting the Cougars 9-5 as they were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Celestino (2-for-5, 2B, RBI), Chris Williams (3-for-4, K), and Trey Cabbage (2-for-4) each had multiple hits. After Rijo was done, it was right hander Tyler Palm who came out of the bullpen. He finished the final four innings, allowing one run in the ninth, but otherwise just two hits and two walks to go along with four strikeouts overall. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Fernando Romero, Rochester Red Wings (3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 4 K) Twins Daily Hitter(s) of the Day – Lewin Diaz, Fort Myers Miracle (2-for-4, game-winning-RBI single) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-3, R, BB #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - Injured List #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-3, BB, K #5 - Wander Javier (EST) - No Game #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - 1-for-5, 2B, 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) - 1-for-4, K #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Injured List #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured List #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-3 #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - Did not play #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-5, 2 K #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-5, 2B, RBI #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - 1-for-5, K #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-4 WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Syracuse (12:05PM CST) – RHP Sean Poppen (0-0, -.-- ERA) Jacksonville @ Pensacola (6:35PM CST) - RHP Jorge Alcala (1-0, 0.00 ERA) Dunedin @ Fort Myers (12:00PM CST) – LHP Bryan Sammons (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Kane County @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) – RHP Blayne Enlow (0-1, 27.00 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! Click here to view the article

It is my opinion, that throwing a lot of pitches in a single inning is far more detrimental to a players arm than the total number of pitches he throws in a game. I am glad the Twins have this as a rule. It's about how they get to that pitch count, not the total number. This isn't a real example, but speaks to the idea: I'd let my guy throw 150 if he's only throwing 10 pitches per frame.

Agree 100%. And I can't think of a reason why they would take it away, either.

They definitely switched it up a bit this year, but here's a few links: Scoreboard: https://www.milb.com/scores/twins/ All affiliate links: https://www.milb.com/team/affiliations MLB Affiliate news: https://www.milb.com/fans/affiliate-news Otherwise it seems they may have gotten rid of the page you're thinking, which like you, I'm going to miss if so.

This. Torii Hunter was graceful at the wall, always seemed to come down soft and easy. Buxton just crashes.

Can be a free agent after the 2021 season, if my math is correct.

My expectation is he's there to fill in for Kirilloff and English while they're on the IL and will be back in Fort Myers when they come back, but you never know.