Steve Lein

It appears my votes for this were not tallied correctly... I had Willians Astudillo as my #3.

Dang, I won't be able to make it this year. However, First Draft is pretty awesome, people may not want to leave from there, haha. Have a blast ya'll!

I left it out, but Zoll did imply that Vasquez was not in double-A to start the year because of roster crunches there and in Rochester. I had these same feelings too, especially after he performed well in the AFL.

I tend to agree. He's always had strong ground ball rates as well.

Earlier this week, Twins Daily announced the Short Season Pitcher and Hitter of the Year, and tonight we switch to the full season awards, beginning with the Relief Pitcher of the Year. In recent history, this award has been an indicator of a player making the major leagues at some point—­John Curtiss won in 2017 and also made his MLB debut, and before that Trevor Hildenberger won in 2015 and 2016 before becoming the stalwart in the bullpen he is now with the Minnesota Twins.There were several standout strikeout arms in the Twins system when it came to relief pitchers, as you will see below. Some of them have spent time in the majors this season, while a few others appear ready for their opportunity. Short profiles of our top five are to follow, but first, some players worthy of honorable mention. These players also received votes. Others Receiving Votes Nick Anderson, Rochester Red Wings – 39 G, 8-2, 4 Saves, 3.30 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 60.0 IP, 49 H, 19 BB, 88 KGabriel Moya, Rochester Red Wings – 26 G, 1-1, 4 Saves, 1.90 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 42.2 IP, 38 H, 12 BB, 50 KJohn Curtiss, Rochester Red Wings – 38 G, 2-4, 10 Saves, 3.42 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 55.1 IP, 41 H, 31 BB, 61 KRyne Harper, Chattanooga Lookouts/Rochester Red Wings – 38 G, 1-5, 6 Saves, 3.60 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 65.0 IP, 61 H, 10 BB, 86 KThese are the top five players to receive votes for Twins Daily’s Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year. Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year #5 – Jake Reed, Rochester Red Wings – 30 G, 0-3, 2 Saves, 1.89 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 47.2 IP, 34 H, 21 BB, 50 K For a few years now, it has seemed like Jake Reed was knocking on the door to the major leagues, but in part due to some injuries, hasn’t yet made the jump. I’ll say quite frankly that he should have, at least for September of this year (and last year for that matter). The ERA to finish his season is great, but he really turned it on as the season wore on, appearing in both July and August’s Relief Pitcher of the Month entries. In that time frame Reed appeared in 16 games, pitching 26 total innings and allowing just four earned runs (1.38 ERA) on 10 hits and 10 walks (good for a 0.77 WHIP), while striking out 29. #4 – Alan Busenitz, Rochester Red Wings – 27 G, 2-3, 7 Saves, 2.48 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 40.0 IP, 32 H, 8 BB, 45 K Despite appearing in 28 games with the Twins in 2017 and delivering a 1.99 ERA and 0.98 WHIP, Busenitz has been on the Triple A shuttle several times this season, never quite being able to settle in. He was excellent in the minors again in 2018, including the month of May in which he didn’t allow a single run in eight appearances and 13 total innings. He was recognized in both May and June’s Relief Pitcher of the Month awards, and in that stretch over a period of 13 MiLB appearances, did not allow a run while striking out 27 in 23 innings pitched. #3 – Cody Stashak, Fort Myers Miracle/Chattanooga Lookouts – 37 G, 2-1, 4 Saves, 2.87 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 59.2 IP, 49 H, 15 BB, 74 K Stashak was a starting pitcher for the first two years of his professional career, and a decent one, after being drafted in the 13th round of the 2015 draft out of St. Johns University. But that changed in 2018, as the Twins put him in the bullpen for its entirety. He didn’t miss a beat, sustaining a sub 3.00 ERA, sub 1.10 WHIP, and sub .240 batting average against while increasing his K-rate. Stashak has always had good control, and that also didn’t leave him out of the ‘pen allowing him to have the best K/BB ratio of his career. From July through the end of the season, spanning 17 appearances and 23 innings pitched, Stashak allowed just two earned runs (0.78 ERA) on 19 hits and only 2 walks, while striking out 25. He was #2 in July’s Relief Pitcher of the Month entry and made honorable mention in two others during the season. #2 – Jovani Moran, Cedar Rapids Kernels/Fort Myers Miracle – 37 G, 9-3, 8 Saves, 2.49 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 76.0 IP, 45 H, 35 BB, 107 K If you paid attention during the year or have been clicking the links throughout this article, you know of the legend that is Jovani Moran already. He took home the monthly relief pitcher honors in June and July and received an honorable mention twice. The first thing you’ll notice with him is obviously the K’s. After striking out literally everybody with Elizabethton in 2017 (almost, his rate was 16.4/9IP) and taking home the Short Season Pitcher of the Year award, Moran continued that success with the Kernels and Miracle in 2018, finishing with a rate of 12.7K/9IP between his two stops. Surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow in 2016 seemingly ended his development path as a starter, but what they’ve found as a reliever is hard to ignore. Listed at 6’1” and 170 lbs, Moran hasn’t been known for his velocity, but may have kicked it up some in the bullpen. He has also improved the movement of his secondary pitches, led by a great changeup and improving breaking ball. Moran is one to watch closely moving forward. #1 – Andrew Vasquez, Fort Myers Miracle/Chattanooga Lookouts/Rochester Red Wings – 40 G, 1-2, 6 Saves, 1.30 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 69.1 IP, 50 H, 21 BB, 108 K If you thought Moran’s strikeout total was egregious, take a look at Andrew Vasquez’s. There’s a reason the left-handed Vasquez jumped from Fort Myers all the way to the Twins bullpen during the 2018 season—he has been as untouchable as his slider is elite. Like Moran, Vasquez made appearances on several of the monthly awards, including winning in August before his September callup to the majors. Leading to his recent MLB debut, Vasquez has had a standout minor league career since being drafted by the Twins in the 32nd round of the 2015 draft out of Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA. His career minor league ERA is just 1.52 in four seasons and he has struck out 13.4/9IP. While his fastball will only touch the 90’s, as Twins farm director Jeremy Zoll noted to Twins Daily, “It’s all about the slider with Andrew.” Because of this pitch, he didn’t allow a single extra-base-hit to same-sided hitters during his 2017 season that ended with a trip to the Arizona Fall League (fun fact only I may know since I wrote about it: his first hit allowed in the AFL was a double to a lefty). His efforts during that 2017 campaign also landed him at #5 in this award category last year. Zoll went on to talk about how Brad Steil, Luis Ramirez (Vasquez’s pitching coach in rookie ball), and the Twins pushed him to rely on the pitch after turning pro. “The slider is your thing, make it your thing. He really owned that this year. I think he realized that not only lefties, but righties were having a really hard time hitting it too. Once he got to Double A it was like ‘All right, I’m catching a groove here’ and you could see his confidence boost. It’s been really fun to see him have that type of success, starting in high-A and ending up in the big leagues.” You can definitely see that boost in confidence talked about in his numbers on the year. With Fort Myers, Vasquez pitched 32.2 innings with a 1.38 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 37:13 K to BB ratio. With the Lookouts, those numbers improved to 31.0 innings with a 1.16 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, and a 59:4 K to BB ratio. Then, before he was called up to the Twins he made four appearances with the Rochester Red Wings, pitching 5.2 innings and striking out 12 of the 28 hitters he faced (42.3%). It was an easy decision to add Vasquez to the 40-man when rosters expanded for September based on his numbers and the fact that he would have to be protected in the offseason anyway. Twins fans should be able to see that slider plenty of times over the final month and get an idea of what the future could hold for the 6’6” left-hander. It’s very apparent how much the Twins believe in Vasquez and his slider, as Zoll closed by recalling a conversation with Tim O’Neill, one of their national cross-checkers, who said, “How about the kid from Westmont?!” Zoll went on, “It’s an interesting story and situation to see that type of profile, having a reliever with that type of slider. Where did you learn that thing and how can we teach other people? Maybe there’s something in the water. We’ll have to ship that out to Fort Myers.” Definitely look into that, Mr. Zoll! Congratulations to Andrew Vasquez and the rest of the relievers recognized by Twins Daily for their efforts in 2018. Vasquez has the ingredients to stick around for a while, even if it’s just to devastate left-handed hitters. The Ballots In an attempt to be transparent, here are the votes from our Twins Daily minor league writers: Seth Stohs – 1) Andrew Vasquez, 2) Jovani Moran, 3) Jake Reed, 4) Alan Busenitz, 5) Cody StashakJeremy Nygaard – 1) Andrew Vasquez, 2) Jovani Moran, 3) Alan Busenitz, 4) Cody Stashak, 5) Nick AndersonCody Christie – 1) Andrew Vasquez, 2) Jovani Moran, 3) Gabriel Moya, 4) Cody Stashak, 5) Alan BusenitzTom Froemming – 1) Andrew Vasquez, 2) Jovani Moran, 3) Cody Stashak, 4) Ryne Harper, 5) Nick AndersonSteve Lein – 1) Andrew Vasquez, 2) Jovani Moran, 3) Cody Stashak, 4) Ryne Harper, 5) Nick AndersonTed Schwerzler – 1) Andrew Vasquez, 2) Jake Reed, 3) John Curtiss, 4) Alan Busenitz, 5) Jovani MoranWhat do you think? How would your ballot look? Click here to view the article

I also was at this game, and it was a major disappointment to see the Perfecto and No-hitter go away so quickly. I was definitely rooting for the pitcher at that point...

Don't think of it in terms of dimensions. Metrodome was completely enclosed, with air being sucked in/out throughout it. It also was, in general to demonstrate this idea, shaped like an upside down cone from the field up into the stands, and not at a very high angle. Imagine how the air flows in that situation... Target field, is essentially a coffee can from the field up into the stands, with one area cut out where air pushes in (plaza), and then swirls throughout it. This is from 2010 after just a few games in Target Field, but the average home run distance had gone down 14 feet from the Metrodome (they also go much further into the details I'm talking about): http://www.espn.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/4008/how-target-field-is-hurting-mauer-morneau That absolutely affected those balls Mauer hit. Instead of a row or two into the stands, they were warning track or shorter fly balls. But I do agree in a way with your last sentence.

Not the soft-liners I'm talking about. It's the ones he hits to within 30 feet of the wall. The ones that went out in the Metrodome but don't come close at Target Field. (he still hits a lot of those).

Just saying this to each of you who pointed it out: You missed my final sentence. "Have maintained he would have hit .400 there in his prime."

Didn't get my thoughts in for this one, but I agree with what seems to be the general consensus —he plays here or doesn't play at all. I think it's a good idea to bring him back as long as it's for the Twins price and their idea of his playing time, not his. I'm not convinced this front office thinks that way, though. I think they're more likely than anyone who has ever been in the Twins FO before, to just move on from him. I'd hate it if he kind of got 'forced' into retirement like that, but then I'd tell him go try and play for a contender. I always wanted to see him play a majority of games in Fenway Park. All those drives to left-center start hitting the green monster and turn into at least singles instead of outs. Have maintained he would have hit .400 there in his prime.

Three of the Minnesota Twins six minor league affiliates have made it to the postseason, and two of those series got started on Tuesday night. Both starters went seven innings and with the help of two of the biggest power bats in the system this season, each pulled out a game one victory. The bullpens also were not taxed, as each team needed just one arm besides the starter to close them out. Keep reading to check out how the Fort Myers Miracle and Elizabethton Twins took 1-0 leads in postseason play!TRANSACTIONS There was only one transaction on Tuesday leading into the first two of the Minnesota Twins three affiliates getting playoff action started, with the Elizabethton Twins receiving RHP Carlos Suniaga back from the Cedar Rapids Kernels. MIRACLE MATTERS Palm Beach 1, Fort Myers 3 Box Score Fort Myers got a strong start from Andro Cutura and contributions from a couple of their stars to pull out a game one victory against Palm Beach. Cutura scattered four hits and two walks in the first seven innings of this one, striking out nine in the process. He got one-two-three innings in each of the first, third, fifth, and seventh frames. His only run allowed came in the fourth when he got into a bases-loaded situation with one out. The run scored on a groundball where only the front end of a double-play was completed with a force at second. He retired the next hitter to limit the damage. That would be it for the Cardinals as they finished 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position on the game while leaving only six men on base. The Miracle took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, as Alex Kirilloff blasted a solo home run to right field. Also in the clip above was Royce Lewis, who led off the third inning with a single, stole second base to get into scoring position, and would later score on a Ryan Costello single to make it 2-0. Jose Miranda followed Costello with a double and it was a 3-0 lead for the home team in game one. After closing it to 3-1 against Cutura in the fourth, the Cardinals wouldn’t get any more good opportunities until the ninth inning. Righthander Ryan Mason replaced Cutura for the eighth and set the hitters down in order. Back out for the ninth, an error from Travis Blankenhorn and single from the next hitter put the tying runners on base, but Mason locked it down from there. He coaxed a double-play ball out of the next hitter, and then picked up a strikeout to punctuate the game one victory in Fort Myers. The lineup for the Miracle managed just six hits but was enough where it counted, on the scoreboard. Kirilloff finished 2-for-4 and was the only batter with multiple hits. Costello was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. As a team they were 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base. KERNELS NUGGETS The Cedar Rapids Kernels and Beloit Snappers will start their Midwest League playoff series on Wednesday night in Beloit. Games two and three (if necessary) will be in Cedar Rapids. Right-hander Jhoan Duran takes the hill in game one, after finishing 7-5 with a 3.75 ERA in the Midwest League on the year. He went 2-1 with a 2.00 ERA in six starts for the Kernels after coming over in the Eduardo Escobar trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks. E-TWINS E-TALK Elizabethton 7, Princeton 4 Box Score A couple of big blasts from Elizabethton hitters were the difference in this one as they took game one of the Appalachian League Championship series. The Twins got the scoring started in the top of the first as Gilberto Celestino drew a two-out walk that was followed by a Chris Williams home run for an early 2-0 lead. Princeton stormed ahead 3-2 after two innings thanks to an RBI triple and home run off Elizabethton starter Austin Schulfer. For the next three innings however, Schulfer faced the minimum as his lineup took back the lead for him. In the top of the fourth it was the second of those home runs that put them back out front, this one off the bat of Jean Carlos Arias to also score Alex Robles who had singled a batter earlier. That made the score 4-3 Elizabethton. They stretched that lead to 5-3 in the top of the sixth when Williams led off the inning with a single, and Robles delivered at two-out double to bring him in. In the bottom half of the sixth the Rays got one more back against Schulfer as he hit the leadoff man with a pitch and then moved him to second on a wild-pitch. He later scored on a single to make it 5-4 in favor of the Twins. In the top of the seventh Elizabethton added on a couple of insurance runs thanks to an RBI single off the bat of Yunior Severino, then a wild pitch after an intentional walk to Williams that loaded the bases. Schulfer took his 7-4 lead in the seventh and delivered a one-two-three frame to end his night. Overall, he gave up four runs on eight hits in his seven innings to pick up the win. He struck out six. Jacob Blank came on for the eighth inning and walked the two first hitters he faced, but from there he retired the next six hitters, including five strikeouts, to close out the game and pick up the save. With thirteen hits as a team the Twins got multiple knocks from Severino (2-for-5, R, RBI, 2 K), Lean Marrero (2-for-5, 2B, K), Williams (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K), Robles (2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI), and Yeltsin Encarnacion (3-for-4, R). Game two will start at 6:00PM CST time Wednesday night in Elizabethton. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Andro Cutura, Fort Myers Miracle (W, 7 IP, ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 9 K) Twins Daily Hitter(s) of the Day – Chris Williams, Elizabethton Twins (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 - Royce Lewis (Fort Myers) – 1-for-4, R, SB #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Fort Myers) – 2-for-4, R, HR, RBI #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Fort Myers) – Did not pitch #5 - Stephen Gonsalves (Minnesota) – Did not pitch. #6 - Trevor Larnach (Cedar Rapids) – Scheduled Day Off #8 - Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) – Scheduled Day Off #10 - Zack Littell (Minnesota) – Did not pitch. #11 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Scheduled Day Off #13 - Travis Blankenhorn (Fort Myers) – 0-for-4, 2 K #15 - Ben Rortvedt (Fort Myers) – 0-for-3, 2 K #16 - Yunior Severino (Elizabethton) – 2-for-5, R, RBI, 2 K #17 - Lewin Diaz (Fort Myers) – Out for the season. #18 - Ryan Jeffers (Cedar Rapids) – Scheduled Day Off #19 - Jacob Pearson (Cedar Rapids) – Scheduled Day Off WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (5:30PM CST) – RHP Clark Beeker (5-7, 4.59 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (7:00PM CST) – RHP Jhoan Duran (7-5, 3.75 ERA) Princeton @ Elizabethton (6:00PM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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Also exactly this.

We may have different ideas of what a rebuild is, but this is how I see it, and classify this comparison made: The Cubs burned it to the ground to rebuild if your comparing to the Twins, who maybe started a small campfire. Through Free Agency, Trades, and Drafting, the Cubs added 54 WAR to their team that won the title in 2016. (source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-roster-construction-timeline-gfx-20161007-htmlstory.html#). This...isn't even in the realm of a comparison to where the Twins are now. Epstein traded Ryan Dempster, Steve Clevenger, Scott Feldman, Matt Garza, Jason Hammel, and Jeff Samardzija to get back Kyle Hendricks, Jake Arrietta, Pedro Strop, and Addison Russell. TR traded Denard Span, Ben Revere, Delmon Young, and Francisco Liriano to get back...Trevor May and Eduardo Escobar. They were trying to stay relevant, not do a true rebuild. If they were doing that: Cuddyer should have been traded. Glen Perkins should have been traded. Oswaldo Arcia should have been traded. Jason Kubel should have been traded. Josh Willingham should have been traded a year sooner. Justin Morneau should have been traded a year sooner...............(I'm probably leaving out others too)

I would argue Terry Ryan never committed to a full rebuild when he got back on board.

On Tuesday there was a long overdue doubleheader played in Rochester where the home team took both games, a postseason all-star was named, and another team got a walk-off win in extra innings to bring them within a half-game of playoff spot. To find out what happened in those games and how all your favorite Minnesota Twins prospects fared on Tuesday, keep reading and be sure to add to the discussion in the comments!TRANSACTIONS There were a few roster moves and an All-Star announcement in the system on Tuesday: In Chattanooga, infielder Sean Miller was released. No corresponding move was made at this time. Miller was a 10th-round pick for the Twins in the 2015 draft out of South Carolina.It was busy in Fort Myers, as the Twins signed pitcher Alex Phillips out of the independent Frontier League and assigned him to the Miracle where he would play a part in their game. They also placed Taylor Grzelakowski on the 7-day disabled list while activating Shane Carrier.Kennys Vargas was named an International League Postseason All-Star, and slots as the designated hitter on the roster. Vargas has been fantastic of late, with 20 hits including five home runs and 18 RBI since August 14th (14 games). RED WINGS REPORT Game 1: Buffalo 4, Rochester 5 (seven innings) Box Score In their regularly scheduled game, the Red Wings used one big inning and a timely hit from Byron Buxton late to secure a victory. Zack Littell made the start for Rochester, and completed six of the game’s seven innings. He allowed a single run in each of the first and third innings, then two in the fourth to tie the game. He gave his offense a chance by holding the Bisons scoreless in his final two innings, including striking out the last two hitters he faced with a runner in scoring position. He ended up with a win to even his record at 6-6 on the season when the home team struck in the bottom half of his final frame. The game was tied as the Red Wings lineup strung together five hits and a sacrifice fly in the third inning that was good for four runs of their own. Alex Perez, Byron Buxton, and Nick Gordon loaded the bases with singles to start it, Gregorio Petit drove in two of them with a double, then an RBI single from LaMonte Wade and sac fly from Zander Wiel finished it. In the bottom of the sixth Juan Graterol doubled to put himself in scoring position, then with two outs Buxton traded places with him for the deciding run. Lefty Andrew Vasquez got his first save opportunity since being promoted to Triple A in the top of the seventh, and while it got interesting, escaped a no-out situation with runners on second and third to record his first save with Rochester. He struck out the final two hitters to do so after fantastic barehanded fielder’s choice play from Petit at third base to cut a runner down at home: The top of the Red Wings lineup (Buxton, Gordon, Petit) combined to go 6-for-11 with three runs scored, four doubles, and three RBI on the game. Wade and Graterol also picked up multiple hits. Game 2: Buffalo 4, Rochester 6 (seven innings, makeup of 4/8 postponement) Box Score In game two, a makeup of a postponement due to snow all the way back in early April, Rochester pitched a bullpen game. D.J. Baxendale started and finished the first 2 1/3 innings. He allowed one run in the second and ran into some more trouble in the third, finishing with two runs allowed on five hits and a walk. He struck out one. Nick Anderson got his team through the fifth inning, allowing one run on two hits and a walk in 2 2/3, striking out four. He notched his seventh win of the season. John Curtiss closed out the final two innings for his tenth save. He gave up a run on a solo-homer that made it the final of 6-4, but also struck out two. The Red Wings runs came courtesy of RBI doubles from Jeremy Hazelbaker and Alex Perez in the second inning, a two-run double from Kennys Vargas and RBI single from Hazelbaker in the third, and finally an RBI single from Nick Gordon in the fifth. They racked up eleven hits as a team with Gordon leading the way with a 3-for-4 showing, along with multiple hits from Gregorio Petit (2-for-4, R, 2B) and Hazelbaker (2-for-3, R, 2B, 2 RBI). CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Jacksonville 9, Chattanooga 2 Box Score Tyler Jay got the opener role in this one and delivered a scoreless first inning. He gave up one hit and struck out one leading into ‘starter’ Sean Poppen’s game. The Jumbo Shrimp jumped all over Poppen and the Lookouts were not able to recover. Although he finished four innings, Poppen’s line included seven runs (six earned) on ten hits and one walk in his time. He struck out three and allowed two home runs. Anthony Marzi came on for the sixth and would finish 1 2/3, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks along with picking up two K’s. Sam Clay finished the seventh and added a scoreless eighth, striking out four of the five hitters he faced. Williams Ramirez finished off the game for the home team with a one-two-three ninth, striking out one. On offense Chattanooga tallied seven hits and two walks, but they didn’t lead to many scoring opportunities as they were just 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and grounded into four double plays. Jordan Gore collected multiple hits with a 2-for-3 night. Brent Rooker finished 1-for-4 while an Andy Wilkins home run and Jimmy Kerrigan sac fly led to their only runs. It was the Lookouts final home game of the season and they close it out with a five-game set across the state of Tennessee in Jackson starting on Thursday. MIRACLE MATTERS Bradenton 1, Fort Myers 2 (10 innings) Box Score The Miracle’s tilt with the Marauders on Tuesday was a good old-fashioned pitcher’s duel, with the score being just 1-0 Fort Myers heading into the top of the ninth inning. Starting for the home team was Andro Cutura, and he delivered six scoreless innings in his start, scattering five hits and one walk while striking out five. In the sixth, he worked around a hit-by-pitch and a double to start the inning by getting a shallow fly out and two K’s to end his night. The Miracle took the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third after Travis Blankenhorn led of the frame with his 21st double and would later score on a sac fly from Ernie De La Trinidad. Hits were scarce for them, as they had just five as a team through nine. Ryan Mason came on from the bullpen for the seventh and eighth frames, keeping his team in front by allowing just one hit and a walk while striking out three. Adam Bray and his 1.27 ERA with Fort Myers came out for the top of the ninth and Bradenton was able to tie the game with three singles and saddle him with his first blown save of the year. The newly signed Alex Phillips was summoned for the tenth and got all three hitters he faced, including a K, to keep the Marauders off the board. In the bottom of the inning, after an intentional walk to Caleb Hamilton and a passed ball to advance the runners to second and third, Blankenhorn brought in the walk-off run with a single to center field. The win brings the Miracle to within a half-game of the Charlotte Stone Crabs in the Florida State League South division with five games to play. KERNELS NUGGETS Scheduled Day Off The Kernels wrapped up a Midwest League title in the second half on Monday and will finish off their regular season with a five-game series at home against the Burlington Bees starting Wednesday. They will kick off the MWL playoffs a week from Wednesday, against whomever comes out on top of a current half-game difference in the Western Division standings between Kane County, Beloit, and Wisconsin (Quad Cities and Peoria already qualified in the first half, so are ineligible). E-TWINS E-TALK Pulaski 5, Elizabethton 8 Box Score The E-Twins got all the run support they would need in the third inning when they batted around and plated six runs, but they also had pushed a run across in each of the first two innings to account for their eight runs on the scoreboard. Yunior Severino got them started with his eighth home run in the first, and they made it 2-0 on a bases-loaded passed ball in the second before the big outburst in the third. Gilberto Celestino (2-for-4, R, 2B, K), Jared Akins (2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, RBI, BB, K, SB), and Lean Marrero (2-for-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI, K) collected multiple hits in the contest to lead the way. Andrew Cabezas got the start and served as an opener, pitching just the first inning. He went one-two-three including strikeouts of the game’s first two hitters. Prelander Berroa went the next 2 1/3, allowing three runs on two hits and three walks while striking out two. Juan Gomez got the win with the next 2 2/3, where he allowed an unearned run on four hits and two walks. He struck out three. J.T. Perez was the next man up and allowed a run on three hits, along with picking up four K’s in two innings. Jacob Blank closed it out for his first professional save with a one-two-three ninth, striking out two. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Andro Cutura, Fort Myers Miracle (6 IP, 0 R, 5 H, BB, 5 K) Twins Daily Hitter(s) of the Day – Travis Blankenhorn, Fort Myers Miracle (2-for-4, R, 2B, Game Winning RBI) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 - Royce Lewis (Fort Myers) – 0-for-4, 2 K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Fort Myers) – 0-for-4, K #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Fort Myers) – Did not pitch #4 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – (2 games) 4-for-8, 2 R, RBI, K #5 - Stephen Gonsalves (Minnesota) – Did not pitch. #6 - Trevor Larnach (Cedar Rapids) – Scheduled Day Off #7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) – 1-for-4 #8 - Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) – Scheduled Day Off #9 -Wander Javier – Out for the season. #10 - Zack Littell (Rochester) –.W, 6 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, BB, 5 K #11 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Scheduled Day Off #12 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) – (2 games) 2-for-6, RBI, K #13 - Travis Blankenhorn (Fort Myers) – 2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI #14 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – Did not pitch #15 - Ben Rortvedt (Fort Myers) – Did not play #16 - Yunior Severino (Elizabethton) – 1-for-5, HR (8), 2 K #17 - Lewin Diaz (Fort Myers) – Out for the season. #18 - Ryan Jeffers (Cedar Rapids) – Scheduled Day Off #19 - Jacob Pearson (Cedar Rapids) – Scheduled Day Off #20 - Luis Arraez (Chattanooga) – Did not play WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Buffalo @ Rochester (6:05PM CST) – RHP Chase De Jong (1-3, 3.81 ERA) Bradenton @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) – RHP Clark Beeker (4-7, 4.73 ERA) Burlington @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) – RHP Blayne Enlow (3-5, 3.24 ERA) Pulaski @ Elizabethton (6:00PM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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It's pretty good, and has been really consistent! He's been doing very well for the Kernels. In that time it's: 12 starts, 6-3, 2.12 ERA, 81.1 IP, 80 H, 15 BB, 52 K, 1.168 WHIP, .630 OPS against, .303 BABIP

With a doubleheader going on in Rochester, there was more than a full slate of action in the farm system on Tuesday. Michael Pineda made a rehab appearance at Triple A, a slugger in Chattanooga delivered a grand slam, two top pitching prospects took the mound for Fort Myers and Rochester, and another pitcher delivered yet another solid performance in a long string of them with Cedar Rapids. Keep reading to find out how all your favorite Minnesota Twins prospects performed on Tuesday and be sure to add to the discussion in the comments!TRANSACTIONS There was some maneuvering before Tuesday’s games, with all of it at the top of the system: The Rochester Red Wings received Michael Pineda (rehab assignment from Fort Myers), Zander Wiel (promoted from Chattanooga), Johnny Field (optioned by Minnesota), and Tyler Duffey (optioned by Minnesota). Andy Wilkins was transferred to Chattanooga.In addition to Wilkins, the Lookouts also received pitcher Clark Beeker from Fort Myers.RED WINGS REPORTGame 1: Pawtucket 3, Rochester 6 Box Score Game one of their doubleheader saw these teams complete a game that was suspended due to rain in the first inning earlier in the year. Adalberto Mejia had started that game with a scoreless inning, but it was the Michael Pineda show tonight when play resumed. Pineda would go four innings, allowing one run on a long home run to the first batter he faced, but settled in after that. Overall, he allowed two hits and two walks while striking out two in his Triple A rehab debut. Out of the bullpen D.J. Baxendale allowed two runs on four hits in two innings and struck out two. Nick Anderson finished the game’s final two innings to pick up his fourth save. He allowed one hit and struck out one. On offense the Red Wings put up a four-spot in the third inning to take the lead for good. Those runs came courtesy of four singles, a sac fly from Kennys Vargas, and an RBI triple from LaMonte Wade. An RBI double from Taylor Motter in the sixth and RBI single from Juan Graterol in the seventh finished the scoring for Rochester. Nick Gordon, Gregorio Petit, Wade, Graterol, and Motter all had multiple hits in the effort. Gordon also stole his 12th base with the Red Wings. Game 2: Pawtucket 5, Rochester 3 Box Score The start of this one was delayed due to rain and was a seven-inning contest as the back-end of their make-up doubleheader. Lewis Thorpe took the hill for his second triple-A start and looked good for the game's first two innings as he struck out three and induced a double play ball. But things turned on him quickly in the third. Two walks started the inning (Gameday pitch locations are interesting to look at here), and after recovering enough to get two outs, a two-run homer put his team down 3-0, and another walk and single later Thorpe’s night was done. In 2 2/3 he allowed four runs on four hits and three walks while striking out four to take the loss. Jake Reed went the next 2 1/3 innings and didn’t allow a baserunner. Five of his seven outs also came in the form of strikeouts. Luke Bard finished the final two innings and he allowed one run on two hits and a walk while picking up three K’s. On offense the Red Wings got home runs from Willians Astudillo and Kennys Vargas to account for their three runs. As a team they collected only four hits, and Astudillo was the only hitter with two of them, as he added a double. Vargas’ blast was his 20th of the season and he has homered in five of his last six games. It also was a mammoth shot to the joy of a nearly empty stadium after the rain had driven most fans away. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Montgomery 2 Box Score The Lookouts got all the runs they would need in this one on a single swing of the bat to back a solid start from lefthander Dietrich Enns. With the game tied at zero in the top of the third, the first three Chattanooga hitters singled to load the bases for Brent Rooker. His 22nd home run of the season was of the grand slam variety and gave him 77 RBIs on the season, which paces the Southern League. The Lookouts added an insurance run in the sixth after consecutive doubles from Luis Arreaz and Jordan Gore. Gore (3-for-4, R, 2B, K) and Luke Raley (2-for-5, R) collected multiple hits in the win. Enns went five innings to pick up his third win on the season with Chattanooga. He gave up just one run as he scattered six hits and a walk along with striking out four. Sam Clay added two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, allowing two hits and picking up one K. Austin Adams then made his organizational debut after signing out of the independent leagues yesterday. He gave up a homer to the first batter he faced, but finished the contest for the Lookouts with a one-two-three ninth. He gave up two hits and struck out two. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 4, Palm Beach 6 Box Score The Miracle took a 4-1 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth inning with top pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol cruising to that point, but he was greeted by back-to-back extra-base hits to start that frame and the Cardinals got to the bullpen in the seventh and eighth to pull out the victory. Graterol had allowed just one run on five singles and a walk heading into the sixth and would finish his day with three runs allowed on eight hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings. Jovani Moran escaped the sixth with their lead still intact, but two walks, a single, and a hit batter led to him being charged with a blown save and the game tied at four. Hector Lujan relieved Moran with two outs in the seventh but gave up two runs in the eighth when he came back out to take the loss. They were the first runs Lujan had allowed in his last 23 1/3 innings pitched. The Miracle lineup was led by Taylor Grzelakowski who finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a triple, and his eighth home run of the year. Ben Rortvedt added a triple and scored a run while Aaron Whitefield and Ernie De La Trinidad added sacrifice flies. Alex Kirilloff finished 1-for-4 with an RBI and has now reached base in 32 consecutive games. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Beloit 2 Box Score There weren’t many hits for the Kernels in this one as they tallied just five as a team, but they capitalized on miscues from the Snappers defense to steal this one. Randy Dobnak toed the rubber for Cedar Rapids and he again delivered a quality start to pick up his ninth win of the year. In his seven innings he allowed just one run on five hits and two walks while also striking out five. Since May 16th Dobnak has made 13 starts (among 16 appearances) and has allowed more than three runs only once while completing six or more innings in eleven of them (he didn’t get the chance to in another that was suspended after the first inning). So that’s basically 10 quality starts in his last 12 as he continues to be a steadying presence for the Kernels. Ricky Ramiriz pitched the final two innings to pick up his second save. He gave up a solo home run, two other hits, and struck out two. Cedar Rapids got on the scoreboard in the fifth thanks to a wild pitch that allowed Ben Rodriguez to scamper home. He had been hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. They took a 2-1 lead in the sixth as an error on a Trevor Larnach single allowed another unearned run to score. They added three insurance runs in the ninth thanks to another error that led into a the two-run homer from Michael Davis, his sixth on the season. E-TWINS E-TALK Greeneville 3, Elizabethton 6 Box Score Down 2-1 in the seventh, the E-Twins finally broke through against the Reds bullpen to the tune of five runs to take control of this one. A couple of errors on the visiting team started the big inning, and a two-run double from Chris Williams finished it. Williams and DaShawn Keirsey each led the team with two walks and two RBIs on the game. Keirsey also scored two runs. Ricky De La Torre was the only batter in the lineup with multiple hits, as he finished 2-for-3 with a run scored and drew a walk. Trevor Casanova added a double to the effort. Luis Rijo made the start and was fantastic for seven innings. He allowed just two runs on six hits, with both runs allowed coming on a home run in the fourth inning. He struck out five and didn’t walk a batter. Seth Pinkerton pitched the final two innings, allowing one run on two hits while striking out one. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Rays 4, GCL Twins 5 Box Score Despite being outhit 10-to-6 on the game, the Twins were able to take advantage of the seven walks they drew as a team and some misplays from the Rays. An error in the first inning led to their first run on a sac fly from Gabe Snyder. In the sixth a couple of wild pitches helped lead to two more runs. Then down 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth, a two-out rally was started by Kidany Salva drawing a walk. He went to second on another wild pitch, then consecutive doubles from Samuel Vasquez and Alberoni Nunez put them out front. On the mound for the Twins was Tyler Benninghoff and he would pitch into the fifth inning despite struggling some with his control. Over his 4 2/3 innings he allowed two runs on five hits and four walks. He struck out two. Casey Crosby got them through the sixth, picking up four outs with three of them via the K. Regi Grace was charged with a blown save in the seventh as he allowed one run on two hits in his inning, but Michael Montero would pick up his third win by finishing the final two innings. He allowed an unearned run on three hits and struck out one. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Randy Dobnak, Cedar Rapids Kernels (W, 7 IP, 5 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K) Twins Daily Hitter(s) of the Day – Brent Rooker, Chattanooga Lookouts (1-for-4, R, grand slam HR (22), 4 RBI, BB, K) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 - Royce Lewis (Fort Myers) – 0-for-4, K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Fort Myers) – 1-for-4, RBI #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Fort Myers) – 5.2 IP, 3 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 4 K #4 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – (2 games) 2-for-8, 2 R, SB #5 - Stephen Gonsalves (Minnesota) – Did not pitch. #6 - Trevor Larnach (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-4, 2 K #7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) – 1-for-4, R, grand slam HR (22), 4 RBI, BB, K #8 - Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) – Did not play. #9 -Wander Javier – Out for the season. #10 - Zack Littell (Rochester) – Did not pitch. #11 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Did not pitch. #12 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) – 2-for-4, R, 3B, RBI, K #13 - Travis Blankenhorn (Fort Myers) – 1-for-4, 2 K #14 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – L, 2.2 IP, 4 R, 4 H, 3 BB, 4 K #15 - Ben Rortvedt (Fort Myers) – 1-for-3, R, 3B, K #16 - Yunior Severino (Elizabethton) – 0-for-5, R, RBI, K #17 - Lewin Diaz (Fort Myers) – Out for the season. #18 - Ryan Jeffers (Cedar Rapids) – 0-for-3, R, BB #19 - Jacob Pearson (Cedar Rapids) – 0-for-4, 3 K #20 - Luis Arraez (Chattanooga) – 1-for-4, R, 2B WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Pawtucket @ Rochester (6:05PM CST) – RHP Fernando Romero (5-4, 3.19 ERA) Chattanooga @ Montgomery (6:35PM CST) – LHP Dietrich Enns (2-5, 4.62 ERA) Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (5:30PM CST) – RHP Andro Cutura (3-6, 4.09 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (7:00PM CST) – RHP Blayne Enlow (2-5, 3.32 ERA) Greeneville @ Elizabethton (6:00PM CST) – RHP Tyler Palm (2-2, 4.99 ERA) GCL Twins @ GCL Rays (5:30PM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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Interesting fun with numbers comparison. In their MiLB careers: Pitcher A (23 years old): 377.0 IP, 2.94 ERA, 2.8 BB/9IP, 8.3 K/9IP, 1.17 WHIP Pitcher B (22 years old): 313.0IP, 3.19 ERA, 3.0 BB/9IP, 10.8 K/9IP, 1.21 WHIP Pitcher C (24 years old): 591.2 IP, 2.77 ERA, 2.5 BB/9IP, 9.6 K/9IP, 1.08 WHIP Pitcher D (24 years old): 599.0 IP, 2.46 ERA, 3.6 BB/9IP, 9.5 K/9IP, 1.10 WHIP ....................... Pitcher C is Jose Berrios and pitcher A is Fernando Romero. Stephen Gonsalves is pitcher D. Lewis Thorpe is pitcher B. There's a nice future here in my opinion, and I'd probably project them as a rotation like this: -Staff Ace: Jose Berrios -#2 Starter: Lewis Thorpe -#3 Starter: Fernando Romero -#4 Starter: Stephen Gonsalves

See yesterday's MiLB report thread for some more information on this. The Twins sent four players to the AFL last year out of Fort Myers (Paul, Hackimer, Vasquez, Miller).

There are numerous exceptions that can be used. The Twins sent four out of Fort Myers last year as an example (Paul, Vasquez, Hackimer, Miller), and is another reason the list was very peculiar to me. And there is no rule about going twice. Mitch Garver and Taylor Rogers both were there for two consecutive seasons.

Names I'd be looking at include the following: -Royce Lewis (performing there makes it more likely he starts 2019 in AA, or is promoted to AAA quicker than usual) -Alex Kirilloff (same ^, and can make up some development time) -Brent Rooker (his opening day or early season 2019 viability could be influenced) -Lewis Thorpe (get more innings under his belt and push his name up the food chain as I think he deserves) -Jorge Alcala (more innings, pushing for AAA) -Luis Arreaz (make up some development time, pushing for AAA) -Ben Rortvedt (good environment for catcher development, and many are needed) -Kohl Stewart (let him rip out of the bullpen to see what he may have there) -Nick Gordon (might be good for him to try and get some confidence for 2019) -Cody Stashak (solid numbers in bullpen this year, a lot like Reed/Curtiss/Vasquez's of the past) -Ryne Harper (same ^) -Tyler Wells -Griffin Jax -Jovani Moran (push this guy, and he might top my list of those I think should go there)