Steve Lein

There was more than a full slate of action on Tuesday, as all six affiliates were in action, with one of them playing a doubleheader after their rain out yesterday. There were some solid pitching performances among them, as three games ended in shutouts for the good guys. There was also perhaps what I would call the most bizarre sequence of plays I’ve ever seen in a baseball game, but that’s only if I hadn’t played in, watched, and taken the scorebook for a ton of baseball in Minnesota’s amateur town ball league’s back in my day (bad, bad, defense and pitching). The good thing was, it was an epic collapse of the bad guys that led to a come-from-behind victory.To understand just how bad I’m talking about, you’re going to have to keep reading! You wouldn't even be able to read the notes on my scorebook (I'm going to let you try, though). Also be sure to discuss all the other performances in the system on Tuesday in the comments! TRANSACTIONS There were a some transactions before a few of the games, with the MLB team shuffling a few pitchers at Triple A: -The Red Wings activated catcher Jordan Pacheco from the seven-day disabled list, then had Zack Littell returned from the Twins while sending Gabriel Moya back up to the Minnesota Twins. -In the Appalachian League, left-handed pitcher and 2018 31st round draft choice out of Mississippe State, Zach Neff was assigned to Elizabethton. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Pawtucket 1 Box Score After leading off yesterday’s game with a home run, Byron Buxton got this one started with a double. He scored on a Gregorio Petit single for a 1-0 lead. In the second inning Chris Carter led off with a double and later scored on an RBI single from Leonardo Reginatto. Fernando Romero took it from there and was effectively wild to keep the Red Sox off the scoreboard. In 5 2/3 innings he allowed just three hits but walked five. He also struck out eight, but after a single to load the bases in the sixth and him at 98 pitches, Tyler Duffey was summoned from the ‘pen. He escaped the jam and would finish two scoreless innings. He allowed two hits and a walk while striking out one. Alan Busenitz came on for Duffey with two outs and two runners on in the eighth and also got the final out without a runner scoring. He remained in the game for the ninth and made it somewhat interesting by giving up a solo home run but got all three other hitters out, including a K, to pick up his fourth save of the year. Petit finished with three hits including a double in five trips to the plate, and Edgar Corcino (2-for-4, K) and Reginatto (2-for-4, RBI) also had multiple hits to pace the lineup. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 3, Tennessee 5 Box Score This game was tied at three through six innings, but the Smokies were able to get to reliever Ryan Eades in the seventh, pushing two across for the game’s final score. The Lookouts got multiple hit efforts from Alex Perez (2-for-5, R), Brent Rooker (2-for-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, K), and Mitchell Kranson (2-for-4, 2B, RBI). Rooker’s double in the third inning was of the two-RBIs variety and he has nine RBIs in his last ten games along with four homers as he continues coming on in AA. As a team Chattanooga was 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base. Omar Bencomo gets credit for a quality start, as he finished the first six innings and allowed three runs. Those came on nine hits and two walks and he struck out three along the way. Eades finished the game with a scoreless eighth, getting the next three hitters out including a pair of K’s after a leadoff double. He allowed four hits total and struck out three. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 0, Charlotte 1 Box Score The Miracle faced off against the Tampa Bay Rays ace on Tuesday night, with Chris Archer taking the hill in his first rehab start since going on the major league disabled list in early June. He held Fort Myers hitless through his four innings, walking only Luis Arreaz in the first while striking out seven. Fortunately for the good guys, Clark Beeker matched him in the run allowed column for those same innings. He allowed only an unearned run in 5 1/3 innings after an error in the fifth, and allowed four hits, walked one, and struck out one. Alex Robinson threw two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, allowing a hit and walk with three strikeouts. Tom Hackimer got their final two outs, striking out both hitters he faced. Alex Kirilloff finally got a hit for Fort Myers in the seventh inning on a bloop single to center, but also got caught attempting to steal second. Caleb Hamilton added a single in the eighth and that was all the offense could muster. With the score still 1-0 in the top of the ninth, they went down one-two-three to fall to 35-45 on the season. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Wisconsin 0 Box Score Cedar Rapids got a fantastic start from right-hander Randy Dobnak and used a three-run second inning to take control of the game in a shutout of Wisconsin. Dobnak went 7 2/3 innings to improve his record to 6-2 on the season. He allowed six hits (five singles), walked none, and struck out seven. Thanks to some help from his defense and Timber Rattlers base running, he had only faced the minimum through 17 hitters. At 90 pitches (66 for strikes) and after allowing a two-out single in the eighth, Jovani Moran came up for the final out of the inning and would also finish the game. Twins Daily’s MiLB Relief Pitcher of the Month for June started off his July by striking out all four hitters he faced. In their three-run second inning, the Kernels got singles from Robby Rinn and Trey Cabbage, as well as doubles from Andrew Bechtold and Jordan Gore. Bechtold’s drove in one runner while Gore’s drove in two. They added an insurance run in the seventh on a sac fly from Jose Miranda. Royce Lewis (2-for-5, 2B), Rinn (3-for-4, R, 2 2B, K), and Gore (2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, BB) collected multiple hits for Cedar Rapids. E-TWINS E-NOTES Game 1: Elizabethton 4, Princeton 5 (7 innings) Box Score In game one of their doubleheader, the E-Twins squandered an early 3-1 lead and fell to Princeton 5-4 in seven innings. DaShawn Keirsey drew a walk to lead off the game and would score the game’s first run on a Ryan Jeffers single later for a 1-0 lead. They extended that to 3-1 after two thanks to a two-run from Colton Burns. Starter Kyle Funderbunk went the first 2 1/3 innings for Elizabethton, where he allowed one earned run on two hits and three walks while striking out two. Seth Pinkerton went the next 1 1/3 and was on the mound to start the fifth, but two home runs and a walk put the Twins behind 4-3 before he could record another out. Johan Quezada finished the final two innings, allowing the go-ahead run in the sixth after a double and two pitches that got by the catcher. In the top of the sixth Elizabethton tied the game at four on an RBI groundout from Alex Robles, but they would strand a runner on third via a double-play ball and couldn’t push a run across in the seventh. Trevor Casanova reached base every time he came up, finishing 2-for-2 with a double, run scored, and a walk. Game 2: Elizabethton 10, Princeton 6 (7 innings) Box Score In game two Elizabethton found themselves down 6-2 heading into the shortened game's final inning but would capitalize on pitching and defensive miscues galore to storm back and take this one in the seven innings. Pedro Garcia got the start for the Twins and went just two innings. He allowed five runs (four earned) on three hits and three walks while striking out three. Moises Gomez got them through the fifth, allowing one run on two hits along with picking up two K’s. Assigned after inking his pro contract, Zach Neff picked up the win with two scoreless frames to finish the game. He waked one and struck out two. In the top of the seventh, fourteen hitters stepped into the batter’s box for Elizabethton, and only one player produced any hits (two singles), but they still put up eight runs thanks to an epic collapse from the Rays defense and bullpen. Two walks led off the frame before DaShawn Keirsey singled to load the bases. The arm that came out of the Rays bullpen next had this sequence in your scorebook (bear with me, it’s ridiculous): HBP (RBI) SF-9, RBI, (1 out) WP-BB/PB (unearned run) K (2 out) K/WP/E-3 (unearned run) E-5 (unearned run) E-3/BB BB Since that’s hard to decipher but still doesn’t tell the whole story, here’s how bad that sequence was in words: Hit-by-pitch, RBI sac fly, wild pitch to advance a runner before the at-bat ended in a passed ball for ball four that allowed a run to score, strikeout, strikeout on a wild pitch combined with a missed catch error on the throw to the first baseman (would have been third out), error on ground ball to third, dropped ball error in foul territory on first baseman that ended as another walk, walk. Needless to say it was over after that, but after a new pitcher was sacrificed, Keirsey delivered his second hit of the inning that brought in two more. Unfortunately, they weren’t RBI’s, as this single was of the infield variety and included another error on the shortstop. Neff ended the Rays suffering with a double-play ball and strikeout in the bottom half of the seventh. The Twins had just five hits as a team, with Keirsey picking up three of them total (3-for-5, R, RBI). Ariel Montesino and Albee Weiss added doubles. Andrew Cosgrove drew three walks. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Orioles 0, GCL Twins 4 Box Score The Twins got some fantastic pitching throughout their staff on Tuesday, as four pitchers combined on a shutout, allowing just two hits and striking out eight. Andriu Marin picked up his second win in three starts by going the first five innings. He allowed only one hit and struck out five. Tanner Howell got the next two innings, allowing the other hit and striking out one. Petru Balan and Frandy Torres each pitched scoreless innings to close out the game. They each struck out one, with Balan giving up a walk and Torres having a runner reach on an error. On offense, the Twins racked up ten hits as a team led by Yeltsin Encarnacion who finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a solo home run to lead off the game. Gabe Snyder had two hits in four trips and Augustin Marte drove in two with a single in the fifth. The Twins improve to 8-5 in Gulf Coast League play, tied for first in the South Division. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Randy Dobnak, Cedar Rapids Kernels (W, 7.2 IP, 6 H, 7 K) GS: 81 Twins Daily Hitter of the Day – Yeltsin Encarnacion, GCL Twins (3-for-4, 2 R, HR, RBI) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY 1. Royce Lewis (Cedar Rapids) – 2-for-5, 2B (21) 2. Fernando Romero (Rochester) – (W, 5.2 IP, 3 H, 5 BB, 8 K) 3. Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 0-for-5, K 4. Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) – Did not pitch. 5. Alex Kirilloff (Fort Myers) – 1-for-3 6. Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – Out for season with injury. 7. Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) – 2-for-4, 2 2B (20), 2 RBI, K 8. Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Did not pitch. 9. Brusdar Graterol (Cedar Rapids) – Did not pitch. 10. Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-4, 2B (14), BB, 2 K 11. Zack Littell (Rochester) – Did not pitch. 12. Lewis Thorpe (Chattanooga) – Did not pitch. 13. Lewin Diaz (Fort Myers) – 0-for-3 14. LaMonte Wade (Rochester) – 1-for-4, 2 K 15. Mitch Garver (Minnesota) – Did not play. 16. Ben Rortvedt (Fort Myers) – Did not play. 17. Travis Blankenhorn (Fort Myers) – 0-for-4, 2 K 18. Yunior Severino (Elizabethton Twins) – 0-for-3, RBI, K 19. Tyler Jay (Chattanooga) – Did not pitch. 20. Felix Jorge (Rochester) – Did not pitch. WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Pawtucket @ Rochester (6:05PM CST) – LHP Stephen Gonsalves (5-3, 4.30 ERA) Chattanooga @ Birmingham (5:15PM CST) – TBD Dunedin @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) – LHP Charlie Barnes (3-4, 3.15 ERA) Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (5:05PM CST) – RHP Edwar Colina (3-2, 3.24 ERA) Kingsport @ Elizabethton (6:00PM CST) – RHP Tyler Palm (1-1, 11.57 ERA) GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (9:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! Click here to view the article

Down big after four innings, the Minnesota Twins fought back to make the game interesting in the ninth but would come up 180 feet away from tying the game. If you gave up on the game early, you did miss some fun! While in Chicago, the Twins combined to go 1-5 against the Windy City tandem and largely it was pitching to blame instead of the offense. They scored 32-runs in the six games (5.33/game) but will have to head north along the Lake Michigan shoreline to try to salvage, against the Milwaukee Brewers, something out of their nine-game road trip .Snapshot (chart via FanGraphs) Current record: Lance Lynn: 8 Game Score, 1.2 IP, 7 ER, 1 K, 3 BB, 53.2% strikes Bullpen: 6.1IP, 4 ER, 6 K, 3 BB Lineup: 5-for-13 w/RISP, 11 LOB Top three per WPA: Garver .100, Cave .090, Dozier .080 Download attachment: game chart.png The Twins got the scoring started in the top of the second inning, as Jake Cave hit a monster blast to center field for a 1-0 lead: Cave would finish the game 3-for5 with two RBI, adding an RBI double and a single later in the game. In the bottom of the second however, Lance Lynn was chased after giving up two more walks, five hits, and six runs. The biggest of those hits was a three-run home run to opposing starter Jon Lester: An inherited runner would be added on to Lynn’s line in the eight-run inning, and his 1 2/3 innings pitched was the first time he hadn’t gone at least five innings in his last eight turns. With the scoreboard reading 9-1 after four frames, the Twins did not go away. Mitch Garver added an RBI single to Cave’s RBI double in the fifth. Brian Dozier clubbed his twelfth home run of the season in the top of sixth, a two-run shot to make it 10-5. It still wasn’t looking good with two outs in the top of the eighth inning and the score 11-5, but that’s when things got weird in a good way. Eduardo Escobar hit his major league leading 34th double, Dozier drew a walk, and Logan Morrison drove in one to cut the lead to five. Astudillo then drove in two more with a triple, and Mitch Garver made it 11-10 with his third home run on the season before the Cubs summoned closer Brandon Morrow to escape the two-out rally: Minnesota got Eddie Rosario into scoring position in the ninth but were unable to bring him in and left Chicago being swept by the Cubs, who outscored them 35-25 in the series. The game marked the first time since 1930 the Cubs have scored ten or more runs in four consecutive games. Postgame With Molitor Bullpen Usage Here’s a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days: Download attachment: bullpen chart.jpg AL Central Standings CLE 45-37 MIN 35-45 (-8.5) DET 37-48 (-9) CWS 28-54 (-16.5) KC 25-57 (-19.5) Next Three Games Mon @ MIL, 7:10PM CST – RHP Kyle Gibson (2-6, 3.48 ERA) Tue @ MIL, 3:10PM CST – RHP Jake Odorizzi (3-5, 4.62 ERA) Wed @ MIL, 3:10PM CST – RHP Jose Berrios (8-6, 3.52 ERA) Last Three Games CHC 14, MIN 9: It’s Not the Heat, It’s … Actually, It Is the Heat This Time CHC 10, MIN 6: Hey, Remember Joe Mauer? MIN 2, CWS 1: Walking Away With a Win More From Twins Daily Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher Of The Month – June 2018 Twins Minor League Report (6/30): Grand Night for Cedar Rapids Revisiting Molitor vs. Lovullo Click here to view the article

Since May 18th, a span of six starts, no opposing team had scored more than three earned runs off Kyle Gibson, and five of those games were of the quality start variety. That changed on the south side of Chicago on Wednesday as the White Sox racked up eleven hits and a 5-0 lead when his night was done.Snapshot (chart via FanGraphs) Kyle Gibson: 44 Game Score, 7 IP, 5 ER, 7 K, 1 BB, 63.7% strikes Bullpen: 1 IP, ER, 2 K Lineup: 2-for-6 w/RISP, 8 LOB Bottom three per WPA: Gibson -.170, Wilson -.140, Kepler/Mauer -.070 Download attachment: chart (1).jpg Gibson did end up finishing seven innings and struck out seven, but whenever Chicago needed a big hit, they seemed to get it. Among the twelve baserunners he surrendered, only five were left on base and the White Sox were 3-for-8 with runners in scoring position against him. On the mound opposite him for the Sox was James Shields, and he looked like the younger version of himself against a hapless Twins lineup. He got thirteen outs on ground balls, struck out five, and had three one-two-three innings among his seven frames. In the sixth inning, it was a “what the heck just happened?!” moment when it comes to umpires, and the Twins were on the wrong side of it. Third base coach Gene Glynn was mysteriously ejected (nice video, by the way, MLB…) after a Brian Dozier single put Eddie Rosario 90 feet away from home. A balk was then called that should have given Minnesota a run, but the White Sox protested and somehow that call was reversed. Paul Molitor then came out to object to that decision and also got tossed… The weirdest part in all of that, is just like strikes, arguing a balk is not supposed to be allowed: Not that it mattered much other than it would have kept the Twins from being shut out to that point, but I can’t wait to hear any explanations from Major League Baseball. Download attachment: shrug emoji.png Out of the bullpen, Ryan Pressly gave up a home run to Avisail Garcia in the eighth inning and his ERA on the season has now increased by two full runs in the month of June to 4.14. The only star of the game on offense for Minnesota was Ehire Adrianza, who went 4-for-4 with his 14th double, and finally got the Twins on the board officially in the top of ninth with an RBI single. Go back at ‘em tomorrow, fellas…? Postgame With Molitor Bullpen Usage Here’s a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days: Download attachment: bullpen chart.png AL Central Standings CLE 43-35 MIN 34-42 (-8) DET 36-45 (-8.5) CWS 28-51 (-15.5) KC 25-55 (-19) Next Three Games Thu @ CWS, 1:10PM CST – RHP Jake Odorizzi (3-5, 4.97 ERA) Fri @ CHC, 4:05PM CST – RHP Jose Berrios (8-5, 3.15 ERA) Sat @ CHC, 1:20PM CST – LHP Adalberto Mejia (0-0, -.--ERA) Last Three Games CWS 8, MIN 4: South Side Slip MIN 2, TEX 0: La MaKKKKKKKKKKKKina TEX 9, MIN 6: Odorizzi Lays an Egg More From Twins Daily The Rise and Fall of Miguel Sano Twins Daily Roundtable: Sell, Sell, Sell? Twins Minor League Report (6/27): Moves Making Waves on the Farm Click here to view the article

Colina was pretty good yesterday too, and I did consider him for pitcher of the day. When I consider starters close, I try to use Game Score to determine if I missed anything in their performance to set them apart. Colina and Thorpe were basically equal, so I take the guy who limited contact and had more to do with his performance by what he can control, and that's Thorpe with the 7 K's (e.g.: his FIP would be better).

There was plenty of action in the system on Tuesday even with Elizabethton’s doubleheader getting rained out. A left-handed starter delivered another strong performance as he makes his way back into the prospect picture, a grand slam powered the Kernels to victory, and there were couple walk-offs games.To find out how all your favorite prospects fared on Tuesday night, read on and be sure to add to the discussion in the comments! TRANSACTIONS Before we get to the games, there were a few transactions in the system on Tuesday: -Jake Cave was recalled by the Minnesota Twins and started in RF in their game. -Fort Myers activated RHP Adam Bray from the 7-day disabled list (and would debut tonight) and released RHP Logan Lombana. -After getting his stateside career started with a bang, C Yeremi De La Cruz was placed on the 60-day disabled list for the GCL Twins, effectively ending his 2018 season. -LHP J.T. Perez was assigned to the GCL Twins and pitched on Tuesday. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Syracuse 4 (10 innings) Box Score The Red Wings came out on the wrong side of an extra-inning affair on Tuesday, falling to the Chiefs 4-3 in the tenth inning. Rochester took the lead early, scratching two runs across after loading the bases with no outs thanks to a double-play ball with the defense back and an RBI single from Chris Carter. Starter Zack Littell kept it close for nearly seven innings, exiting after striking out the first two hitters of the seventh as he reached a pitch count threshold (100 pitches, 64 for strikes). He allowed two runs on nine hits and one walk, along with picking up four strikeouts and was in line for the win when he came out. Tyler Duffey got the final out of the seventh and retired the first two hitters in the eighth before he ran into trouble. A walk and consecutive singles tied the game at three and charged Duffey with his second blown save of the year. Jake Reed was summoned and got out of the eighth before also adding a scoreless ninth. Reed gave up one hit, walked two (one intentional), and struck out two. After the Red Wings went one-two-three in the top of the tenth, Luke Bard came on for the bottom half. He struck out the first batter of the inning, but with a runner starting on second base the double to the next hitter meant the end of the game. In the loss the offense got two hits from Zack Granite, Nick Gordon, and Carter who added a solo home run in the sixth. As the DH Kennys Vargas went 1-for-2 with three walks. LaMonte Wade finished 1-for-4 with a walk. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Biloxi 4, Chattanooga 5 Box Score The Lookouts bullpen gave up a three-run lead in the ninth inning, but unlike their triple-A cohorts managed to walk it off in the bottom half to put them back above .500. Lewis Thorpe took the mound for Chattanooga and was again strong. In 5 2/3 innings he allowed one run on four hits while racking up seven strikeouts. He was removed in the sixth after loading the bases with his only walk and two outs. In his two starts in the second half of the Southern League season, Thorpe has allowed just one run on five hits and two walks in 12 2/3 innings and has struck out 19. Coming off surgery and other ailments, Thorpe appears to be rounding back into the form I saw when I had the chance to interview him with Cedar Rapids. In the month of April his WHIP was 1.61 and opposing batters hit .349 off him. In may his WHIP didn’t improve (1.62), but opponents hit .277. Now in June he’s improved his WHIP to 1.09 and that batting average against is just .229. That includes a disastrous game on June 9th where he allowed 9 earned runs in 3 1/3 innings. Chattanooga struck first in third inning, as a Jimmy Kerrigan double brought in Alex Perez who had singled a batter before him. They took the lead back 3-1 in the sixth on an RBI single from Mitchell Kranson and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch from Ryan Walker. Walker added a needed insurance run with a bases-loaded groundout in the eighth that made it 4-1. In relief of Thorpe, Andrew Vasquez mowed the Shuckers down for 2 1/3 innings. He retired every batter he faced, including sending five of them on walks of shame back to the dugout. Todd Van Steensel was summoned for the save opportunity in the ninth and got two quick outs, but then the wheels fell off. Two walks and three consecutive RBI singles tied the game before the Lookouts could get another arm warmed up. That was Paco Rodriguez and with the go-ahead run on third base he was able to coax a groundout to bring up the home team. A one out single from Perez put the winning run on base, and a deep fly to center got him into scoring position. The Shuckers chose to intentionally walk Brent Rooker to bring up Chris Paul, and he delivered with a single to left field. The Chattanooga offense got multiple hits from Perez (2-for-5, 2 R, K), Kerrigan (2-for-5, R, 2B, RBI, K), Paul (3-for-5, 2 R, GW-RBI), and Kranson (2-for-4, RBI) while no other batter picked up a hit. Jaylin Davis walked three times, and Walker drove in two. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Tampa 10 Box Score Tyler Watson took the mound for the Miracle on Tuesday and got nickel and dimed by the Tarpons offense. He was finished after just three innings and sixty pitches as they took a 3-1 lead. Watson surrendered three runs (two earned) on three hits and two walks in those innings. He struck out four. An error on Lewin Diaz in the first led to the first run of the game, then a walk, passed ball, bunt single, wild pitch, and another single led to two runs in the third. Brady Anderson came out of the bullpen in the fourth, but before he got out of the inning three more runs were on the board for Tampa and they took a 6-2 lead. Anderson allowed four hits, walked two, and struck out two. Adam Bray managed to put a goose egg up in one of his two innings, but also gave up five hits and walked one while striking out two. Colton Davis finished the game for the Miracle, allowing three runs on three hits and a walk in his two innings. He struck out three. Fort Myers got multi-hit and multi-walk efforts from MLB-ers Jorge Polanco and Miguel Sano, and Diaz and Taylor Grzelakowski each collected two hits themselves, but as a team they finished 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left twelve men on base. Polanco clubbed a home run in the third inning to put the Miracle on the board, and Grzelakowski added a double for their only extra base hits on the game. Alex Kiriloff went hitless in five at-bats, striking out three times. KERNELS NUGGETS Beloit 0, Cedar Rapids 6 Box Score The Kernels popped for four runs in the bottom of the first inning thanks to the bat of Jose Miranda, and that would be more than enough behind the arms of starter Edwar Colina and MWL All-Star Jared Finkel. Batting cleanup, Miranda stepped into the box with the bases loaded in the first and delivered a grand slam, his seventh home run of the season, to put Cedar Rapids out front 4-0. They would add two more runs in the fourth on a Royce Lewis two-RBI single to account for all of their scoring. Colina went the first six innings, holding the Snappers to just three hits and one walk. He struck out two and had three one-two-three innings. Finkel finished the game with three scoreless frames to pick up his second save. He allowed just one hit on the game. Akil Baddoo would finish 1-for-2 with two runs scored and two walks. Jacob Pearson scored two runs and drew a walk in addition to going 1-for-3. Lewis went 1-for-3 with a run scored and a walk. E-TWINS E-NOTES Game 1: Johnson City 9, Elizabethton 2 (6 innings, rain) Box Score Game 2: Postponed by Rain (no makeup date announced) Elizabethton was scheduled for a double-header due to their postponement yesterday, but rains continued to play a part on Tuesday. They were able to get just one game in, and even it was shortened due to the weather. It was probably an act of mercy for the Twins however, as they got rocked by their in-state rivals from the words “play ball.” Twins starter Pedro Garcia failed to record an out, and before he was lifted five runs had already crossed home plate. Another inherited runner would score to affect Garcia’s line along with another for an early 7-0 lead for the Cardinals. Christian Broussard ended up pitching the games first four official innings worth of outs, and he allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out four. Juan Gamez allowed one run on two hits and a walk in his 1 2/3 innings before the rains cut the game short. He also struck out four. The Elizabethton offense scored their two runs in the third inning thanks to a two-run triple off the bat of Lean Marrero. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Rays 6, GCL Twins 2 Box Score In this one, both squads managed only six hits and committed five errors on defense, but the Rays were the only ones able to take advantage thanks in part to five walks and other miscues from Twins starter Tyler Benninghoff. In the top of the first a leadoff single was followed by a throwing error on a pickoff attempt and then three additional walks, two hit batters, and two wild pitches led to three runs for the Rays. Benninghoff settled down a little from there, finishing 3 1/3 innings without allowing another run. He gave up two hits and struck out two. The Twins scored single runs in each of the sixth and ninth innings. In the sixth it was a single to short that also included a throwing error on once upon a time Minnesota signee Jelfrey Marte, that allowed a run to score. In the ninth, a throwing error on a steal attempt put a runner on third and a groundout brought him in. Aaron Whitefield led the offense with two hits in three at-bats and also drew a walk. Gabe Snyder and Edgar Herrera picked up the RBIs. Out of the bullpen Dylan Stowell pitched 2 2/3 scoreless frames. He allowed two hits and a walk while striking out four. Thanks to four errors in the seventh inning, left-hander Erik Cha allowed three unearned runs on a hit and walk in 1 2/3 innings. He struck out one. J.T. Perez finished the game for the Twins with 1 1/3 scoreless. He gave up one hit, walked one, and struck out two. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Lewis Thorpe, Chattanooga Lookouts (5.2 IP, ER, 4 H, BB, 7 K) Twins Daily Hitter of the Day – Jose Miranda, Cedar Rapids Kernels (1-for-3, R, GS (7), 4 RBI) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY 1. Royce Lewis (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-3, R, 2 RBI, BB, K 2. Fernando Romero (Rochester) – Did not pitch. 3. Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 2-for-5, R 4. Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) – Did not pitch. 5. Alex Kirilloff (Fort Myers) – 0-for-5, 3 K 6. Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – Out for season with injury. 7. Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) – 0-for-4, IBB, 2 K 8. Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Did not pitch. 9. Brusdar Graterol (Cedar Rapids) – Did not pitch. 10. Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-2, 2 R, 2 BB, K 11. Zack Littell (Rochester) – 6.2 IP, 2 ER, 9 H, BB, 4 K 12. Lewis Thorpe (Chattanooga) – 5.2 IP, ER, 4 H, BB, 7 K 13. Lewin Diaz (Fort Myers) – 2-for-5, 2 K 14. LaMonte Wade (Rochester) – 1-for-4, BB, K 15. Mitch Garver (Minnesota) – (game in progress) 16. Ben Rortvedt (Fort Myers) – 0-for-4 17. Travis Blankenhorn (Fort Myers) – 0-for-4, BB, 2 K 18. Yunior Severino (Elizabethton Twins) – 1-for-2 19. Tyler Jay (Chattanooga) – Did not pitch. 20. Felix Jorge (Rochester) – Did not pitch. WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Syracuse (5:35PM CST) – RHP Fernando Romero (0-1, 2.57 ERA) Chattanooga – Scheduled day off. Fort Myers @ Tampa (5:30PM CST) – RHP Clark Beeker (2-5, 3.20 ERA) Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (12:05PM CST) – RHP Randy Dobnak (5-2, 4.18 ERA) Elizabethton – Scheduled day off. GCL Twins @ GCL Rays (11:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! Click here to view the article

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/26/garbage-plate_n_4854514.html

I wouldn't go even close to Altuve, other than maybe you could say Arraez has potential for his hit tool to be comparable. Doesn't strike out much, puts the ball in play. I don't think he's a great defender, potential for average in the future. Only doubles power, probably below average runner. He'll likely always put up a nice average, but that might be it. Bat is one thing that can carry you if you have it, though! It was really unfortunate he tore his ACL last year!

It was a busy night in the system on Tuesday, as the short season leagues have kicked off and two affiliate’s leagues played their All-Star games. The Minnesota Twins farm teams went 4-0 on the night, and a little-known player out of the Dominican Republic had an incredible game in the Gulf Coast League.To find out how Royce Lewis, Alex Kirilloff, and the rest of the organization’s All-Stars and prospects fared on Tuesday night, keep reading and be sure to add to the discussion in the comments! TRANSACTIONS There were a couple of transactions leading into the action on Tuesday: -Felix Jorge was sent on a rehab assignment in the GCL from Chattanooga and started the game for the GCL Twins. -Leonardo Reginatto was activated from the disabled list for the Red Wings. -Byron Buxton began his rehab assignment with Rochester. -Pitcher Josh Winder was assigned to the Elizabethton roster. RED WINGS REPORT Syracuse 3, Rochester 4 Box Score The Red Wings used a big third inning and a strong bullpen performance on Tuesday to pull out a victory despite being outhit 10-to-6. In that third inning Jake Cave got the scoring started with a two-RBI double, and later in the inning RBI singles from Willians Astudillo and Cameron Rupp put them out front for good at 4-2. Nick Gordon and Kennys Vargas added doubles to the effort, and LaMonte Wade drew two walks to keep his Triple A on-base-percentage above .400 despite hitting just .219 thus far after his promotion. In 11 games he now has 10 walks compared to just four strikeouts. Left-hander Dietrich Enns made the start and finished five innings to pick up his fifth win. He allowed three runs on six hits and two walks. He struck out two. The bullpen went to work from there, as D.J. Baxendale, Luke Bard, and John Curtiss combined for four innings of scoreless ball to close the game. Baxendale went two innings, allowing two hits and striking out four. Bard allowed two hits in the eighth but no runs, striking out one. Curtiss slammed the door with a one-two-three ninth, striking out two. Baxendale and Bard each picked up holds, while Curtiss notched his fifth save. Byron Buxton batted leadoff and went 0-4 with two strikeouts in his first rehab game as the DH. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Southern League All-Star Game: South 9, North 5 Box Score With selections LaMonte Wade promoted to Rochester and Zander Wiel and Randy LeBlanc on the disabled list, the Lookouts were represented on the North squad by pitchers Omar Bencomo, Ryne Harper, Williams Ramirez, and Todd Van Steensel in the Southern League All-Star Game Tuesday Night in Birmingham, Alabama. It was all them for the first six innings, as the North jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first and their pitchers held the South hitless. Bencomo got the fourth and delivered a one-two-three frame, striking out one. Harper got the sixth and did the same, setting all three hitters down in order. Unfortunately, it was Ramirez who lost the no-hitter in the seventh when he gave up a leadoff single, and that was followed by a home run to tie the game at two. He got the next two hitters out before being lifted. The teams traded blows in the eighth, each putting three runs on the board to head to the ninth tied at five. The North handed the ball to Van Steensel and his excellent 1.75 ERA and 0.86 WHIP in the first half. He was promptly greeted by a solo home run to put the South out front. Like Ramirez, he got the next two outs before he was replaced. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 8, Palm Beach 7 Box Score Fort Myers fell behind 5-0 after the top of half of the third inning as starting pitcher Tyler Watson was knocked around by the Tarpons lineup. In 3 1/3 total innings, Watson surrendered seven runs on eleven hits. He struck out two. Ryan Mason was able to settle it down, as he would finish the next 3 2/3 innings. He allowed no runs on five hits while striking out three. He was able to pick up the win as the Miracle offense woke up in the bottom of the third and scratched a couple more across while he was on the mound. The lineup stormed back with six runs in that third inning to take the lead 6-5. Travis Blankenhorn got the scoring started with a 2-RBI double and later score on a wild pitch. After a series of walks, Caleb Hamilton delivered a bases-clearing triple to put Fort Myers out front. Watson gave that lead back in the top of the fourth, but an RBI single from Jaylin Davis in the bottom half knotted it back up. With the game still tied in the sixth, Travis Blankenhorn led off with a single and then stole second base, his fifth of the year, to put himself in scoring position. Lewin Diaz drove him in with a one-out single and that was enough for the Miracle. Logan Lombana struck out two in a scoreless eighth, working around a leadoff single. Tom Hackimer picked up his second save of the season with a scoreless ninth. He hit one batter and struck out one. KERNELS NUGGETS Midwest League All-Star Game: West 2, East 3 (10 innings) Box Score Like their double-A big brothers, the Midwest League also played their All-Star game, this one in Lansing, Michigan on Tuesday night. The Kernels were well represented, with top prospects Royce Lewis starting at shortstop and batting leadoff and Alex Kirilloff batting third and starting in right field. Lewis led off the game with a single and promptly stole second base but ended up stranded. In his second at-bat he would fly out to right field and then was replaced heading into the bottom of the fifth. Kirilloff played the whole game, getting four at-bats, and actually ended up pushing the exhibition to extra innings with an RBI single in the top of the eighth to tie the game at two. Cedar Rapids pitcher Jared Finkel was handed the fourth inning and pitched a scoreless frame. He allowed two singles and struck out one. Brusdar Graterol was on the roster, but according to Jeff Johnson of the Cedar Rapids Gazette, did not make the trip so he could rest his arm: "> Earlier in the day, Kirilloff participated in the Home Run Derby, but his 12 home runs fell one shy of making it into the final cut (notice the fence-spanning sign for him

On the mound for the Twins on Wednesday night, was phenom Jose Berrios. Heading into the game he got quite the compliment from a Hall of Fame pitcher. Berrios did his best to live up to that comparison, also reminding Tiger’s manager Ron Gardenhire of a Twins Hall of Famer he used to coach all night. Unfortunately, something may not be right with Addison Reed. He would be charged with his fourth blown save in his last seven appearances, making Berrios’ best effort at an impersonation all for naught.Snapshot (chart via FanGraphs) Current record: 29-35 Jose Berrios: 58 Game Score, 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 7, 1 BB, 71.7% strikes Bullpen: 2.0 IP, 3 ER (4 R), 1 K, 0 BB Lineup: 1-for-4 w/RISP, 6 LOB Top three per WPA: Berrios .304, Pressly .112, Escobar .108 Download attachment: WP chart.png The Twins jumped on Tigers starter Matthew Boyd in the first inning, with Brian Dozier getting hit by a pitch to lead off the game in front of a double from Eddie Rosario and a two-RBI single from the still scorching Eduardo Escobar. #OldFriend Niko Goodrum got to Berrios in the second with a solo shot (his sixth of the year) to close the gap to 2-1, but that would be it for Ron Gardenhire’s squad against him. After that blast, Berrios buckled down and picked up six of his seven K’s, several to escape scoring chances as the Tigers went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position against him. After a one-two-three seventh inning from Ryan Pressly, Twins fans were treated to the Addison Reed Experience. Again. Five singles and an ugly throwing error from Robbie Grossman led to four runs in the eighth inning and it was all over. Reed has now allowed a run in five of his last seven appearances, raising his ERA over a full run from 2.60 to 3.78 over that time frame. The offense again held much of the blame in this one, as they managed just two more hits on the game after putting up a crooked number in the first. At least we were able to watch Berrios out-maneuver the Tigers for six innings in ace fashion. Postgame With Molitor Bullpen Usage Here’s a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days: Download attachment: bullpen usage chart.png AL Central Standings CLE 35-30 DET 32-37 (-5) MIN 29-35 (-5.5) CHW 23-42 (-12) KC 22-46 (-14) Next Three Games Thu @ DET, 12:10PM CST – RHP Lancy Lynn (4-4, 5.08 ERA) Fri @ CLE, 6:10PM CST – RHP Kyle Gibson (1-4, 3.45 ERA) Sat @ CLE, 3:10PM CST – RHP Fernando Romero (3-2, 3.92 ERA) Last Three Games MIN 6, DET 4: More Grand Slams, Please MIN 7, LAA 5: Jake Cave Sparks a Fire LAA 2, MIN 1: Is This a Rerun? More From Twins Daily Twins Daily Roundtable: Romero’s Innings Twins Sign Belisle: What Does This Mean? Twins Minor League Report (6/13): Lookouts Pace the Action Click here to view the article

Thank you for saying so! I like to try to throw in something other than just recapping whenever I can!

There was plenty of action in the system on Tuesday as the Red Wings made up an earlier postponement with a doubleheader, along with all other affiliates being in action. The games included a couple of shutouts in favor of the good guys but one, we’ll call it an “occurrence,” stood out to me as I went through the game log for a starting pitcher in one of those, one who happened to allow ten hits in a near complete game effort. I’d guess not a single game in the majors has had this happen this year, and who knows how many other seasons before that. I challenge someone to find out for me, and in turn, inform the rest of our readers because I think it’s going to be that rare.You’re going to have to keep reading to find out exactly what I’m referring to, but be sure to add to the discussion in the comments when you find out! TRANSACTIONS There were a couple of transactions in the system on Tuesday: -The Rochester Red Wings received Joe Mauer on a rehab assignment, and he played in both games of their doubleheader. -In AA, the Chattanooga Lookouts placed Zander Wiel on the 7-day disabled list, retroactive to June 10th, with SI joint dysfunction (likely means lower back pain). RED WINGS REPORT Game 1: Rochester 2, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 5 Box Score In game one of the Red Wings doubleheader on Tuesday, right-hander Aaron Slegers took the mound and delivered a (shortened) complete game effort, but was also saddled with the loss. Slegers surrendered five runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks in six innings. The damage came on a three-run home run in the bottom of the first (after an error making those runs the unearned ones), and solo shots in each of the third and fourth innings. He struck out four on the day. On offense Rochester wasn’t able to string together enough hits of their own to keep up, as newcomers Cameron Rupp and Taylor Motter hit their first home runs in the organization in back-to-back fashion in the fourth to account for their only runs. Nick Gordon finished 2-for-3 on the game and as a team they had only two at-bats with runners in scoring position and left only four men on base. Joe Mauer batted first in the lineup as the DH in this one to kick off his rehab assignment and finished 0-for-3 with a strikeout. Game 2: Rochester 0, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 2 Box Score In the makeup of their May 12th postponement, Rochester trotted out the bullpen to handle game two. Gabriel Moya got the starting nod and went the first three innings. He allowed just two hits and struck out four, lowering his ERA on the season at Triple A to 1.85. It was then Tyler Duffey’s turn, and he went the next two innings, allowing two hits and striking out one to put his ERA at 1.29. John Curtiss was up next, and while he started the day with an ERA also below two at 1.61, he would not finish it that way. After a double and single to start the sixth, a triple brought in two and put the RailRiders out front. Curtiss buckled down and got a fly out and two K’s to end the inning and it would be up to the Red Wings lineup in the top of the seventh. Unfortunately, Kennys Vargas led off the inning with a strikeout, then Willians Astudillo sent a fly ball into left field that he tried to stretch into a double but was thrown at second base. Down to their last out, a walk to Wynston Sawyer brought the tying run into the batter’s box, but a groundout ended the game. The lineup again failed to get anything going in this one as well, as they had just six baserunners all game. LaMonte Wade was 1-for-2 with a walk while Astudillo finished 2-for-3 in the book. Joe Mauer again was the DH out of the leadoff spot and again went 0-for-3. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 1, Montgomery 2 Box Score In a bullpen game, the Lookouts got an overall solid pitching effort out of four of their relievers, but offense was hard to come by as they managed just three hits on the game, all singles. Mitchell Kranson, Alex Perez, and Tanner English each had one of those hits, with Perez picking up the only RBI to drive in James Ramsey, who had drawn a walk in the fourth inning. As a team Chattanooga was 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left only four men on base. Todd Van Steensel started the game for the Lookouts and went the first 2 1/3 innings. He allowed one run on three hits (a solo home run) and a walk while striking out two. Williams Ramirez was charged with the loss as he pitched the next two innings. He walked three and gave up one run along with picking up one K. Paco Rodriguez finished the next 1 2/3 innings, walking two and striking out three. Ryne Harper finished the game’s final two frames, retiring all six men he faced including one K. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Palm Beach 0 Box Score The Miracle took the lead 1-0 in the third inning when Jimmy Kerrigan, Travis Blankenhorn, and Jaylin Davis hit consecutive singles. It might have been more, but a double-steal attempt ended with Blankenhorn being thrown out at home. They stretched their lead to 3-0 in the seventh when a Luis Arreaz double brought in Ben Rortvedt and Brandon Lopez who had each singled to start the inning. Blankenhorn finished 3-for-4 but in addition to being caught at home, was also picked off first base. The Cardinals had all zeroes on the scoreboard to that point thanks to Fort Myers starter Clark Beeker. In total, he went 7 2/3 innings, allowing six hits and a walk, while striking out three. Until the eighth, he had allowed just three hits but three singles in the eighth ended his day with two outs. A runner was thrown out at home by Shane Carrier, on the third of those singles to keep Palm Beach off the board. Andrew Vasquez came on to escape the remaining eighth inning jam with a strikeout, then proceeded to strike out the side in the ninth to pick up his fifth save on the year. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Kane County 0 Box Score Kernels starter Randy Dobnak did his best Houdini impression in this one, scattering ten hits over eight innings to shut out the Cougars. Despite all those hits, Kane County managed only five at-bats with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. Dobnak walked none and struck out two. Of his 99 pitches, 73 went for strikes as he was extremely efficient with his pitch count. His defense also played a big part as he struck out only two on the game, and no errors were committed on 30 batted balls. Cedar Rapids jumped out to a 2-0 lead before Dobnak ever took the mound, as the first three top prospects in the lineup, Akil Baddoo, Royce Lewis, and Alex Kirilloff; went for extra bases. Baddoo led off the game with his sixth home run, Lewis doubled, and Kirilloff traded places with him on a double of his own. They stretched the lead to 4-0 in the fourth inning thanks to an RBI single from Andrew Bechtold, and an RBI groundout from Trey Cabbage, then 6-0 after the eighth following doubles from Robby Rinn and Jacob Pearson (his second double of the game), and an error that allowed Pearson to score. In the ninth they tacked on another run after Baddoo led off the frame with a double and he scored on a single from Rinn. The Kernels got multiple hits from Baddoo, Lewis, Rinn (4-for-5, 2 R, 2B, RBI), Pearson (3-for-5, 2 R, 2 2B, RBI), and Bechtold (2-for-4, RBI, HBP). Lewis also stole his 16th base. There were no walks in the game from either team, but Cedar Rapids got the best of the 26 total hits. That “occurrence” I was talking about in the lead? Well, try this on for size: Not a single batter for the Kane County lineup pushed an at-bat to a three-ball count over Dobnak’s eight innings. Add in Martinez, and not one Cougar hitter reached three balls on the game. I don’t think that type of thing happens ever these days but couldn’t quite confirm it myself. If I go so far as to add in Cedar Rapids hitters, there were just two three-ball counts on the entire game on Tuesday night. I would have expected it to have gone quicker than two hours and thirty-nine minutes with that considered. Anyway, for fun and trying to verify my gut feeling on the rarity of this in today’s game, I did discover that Boston Braves pitcher Red Barrett holds the record for fewest pitches in a complete game as he needed just 58 pitches in a 2-0 victory against the Cincinnati Reds in 1944. That game was also the shortest in MLB history to be played at night, clocking in at one hour and fifteen minutes. Those notes aren’t the resolution to my query, but you’ve now learned the answer to some very obscure sports trivia questions. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Randy Dobnak, Cedar Rapids Kernels (W, 8 IP, 0 R, 10 H, 2 K) Twins Daily Hitter of the Day – Akil Baddoo, Cedar Rapids Kernels (2-for-5, 2 R, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 K) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY 1. Royce Lewis (Cedar Rapids) – 2-for-5, R, 2B (13), K, SB (16) 2. Fernando Romero (Minnesota) – Did not pitch. 3. Nick Gordon (Rochester) – (2 games) 2-for-6, K 4. Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) – Did not pitch. 5. Alex Kirilloff (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-5, 2B (18), RBI 6. Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – Out for season with injury. 7. Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) – 0-for-4, 3 K 8. Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Did not pitch. 9. Brusdar Graterol (Cedar Rapids) – Did not pitch. 10. Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) – 2-for-5, 2 R, 2B (7), HR (6), RBI, 2 K 11. Zack Littell (Rochester) – Did not pitch. 12. Lewis Thorpe (Chattanooga) – Did not pitch. 13. Lewin Diaz (Fort Myers) – 1-for-4, 2B 14. LaMonte Wade (Rochester) – (2 games) 1-for-4, BB, HBP 15. Mitch Garver (Minnesota) – 0-for-1, BB 16. Ben Rortvedt (Fort Myers) – 1-for-3, R, BB 17. Travis Blankenhorn (Fort Myers) – 3-for-4, CS, PO 18. Yunior Severino (Extended Spring Training) 19. Tyler Jay (Chattanooga) – Did not pitch. 20. Felix Jorge (Rochester) – Disabled List, still no official timetable for return. WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (5:35PM CST) – LHP Dietrich Enns (4-6, 5.85 ERA) Chattanooga @ Birmingham (7:05PM CST) – LHP Lewis Thorpe (2-4, 4.95 ERA) Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (5:30PM CST) – RHP Griffin Jax (0-0, 4.76 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (11:00AM CST) – RHP Brusdar Graterol (2-1, 1.95 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! Click here to view the article

Well, I do believe May has an option left. I think the question is do you have a reliever on the staff you don't care about sending out to bring him back up? I'd rather only use that option sending him back down if he shows he's not ready, rather than keeping him in the minors until he is. It's the unfortunate part about having to come back from Tommy John as a major leaguer. Maybe you catch some lightning in a bottle, though.

With a double-header in the Midwest League and a full slate for all the other full season affiliates, there was a lot of action in the minors on Tuesday. While the offenses in the first four games of the day couldn’t pull out any victories for your favorite affiliates, game two of that double-header made up for it behind grand slams from not one, but two of the Twins top prospects.To find out about those big blasts and everything else that happened in the minors on Tuesday night, keep reading and add to the discussion in the comments! TRANSACTIONS AND NEWS After being named the Midwest Player of the Week on Monday, Alex Kirilloff took home some more paperware on Tuesday, when he was named the MWL Player of the Month. In 31 games in May, Kirilloff led the league in hits, RBI, total bases, and hit .360/.423/.640 (1.063 OPS). With their record at 33-25 and leading the Southern League North Division, the Lookouts had seven players selected as All-Stars. They include position players LaMonte Wade and Zander Wiel, along with pitchers Omar Bencomo, Ryne Harper, Randy LeBlanc, Williams Ramiriz, and Todd Van Steensel. As far as transactions go: -The Twins officially recalled starter Zack Littell, and he made his major league debut in game two of the Twins double-header versus the White Sox. Littell is the fourth player from my preseason list to make his Major League debut so far this season. -Rochester was the landing spot for catcher Cameron Rupp after he signed with the Twins yesterday. RED WINGS REPORT Indianapolis 5, Rochester 0 Box Score For the first five innings, Stephen Gonsalves was again on his game in this one. To that point, he had allowed just one earned run on two hits and two walks along with racking up four K’s. After recording outs with the first two hitters of the sixth however, a walk was followed by an RBI double and another walk to end his day. Trevor May came on in relief and allowed an RBI double to score an inherited runner. Gonsalves finished with 5 2/3 innings, with three earned runs allowed on three hits and for walks, with five strikeouts. May finished the sixth and the seventh and allowed one run of his own on four hits while striking out two. Luke Bard finished the game for the Red Wings, allowing one run on a walk and a hit in two innings. He struck out four. There wasn’t much offense from the Rochester lineup as they picked up just six hits on the game while going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and leaving eight men on base. Nick Gordon was 3-for-4 and is now hitting .357 in AAA. Kennys Vargas picked up their only extra-base hit, his fourth double. Chris Carter drew two walks. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Mobile 11, Chattanooga 5 Box Score Both teams racked up thirteen hits on the game, but the difference in this one was extra base runners, courtesy of seven walks for the BayBears compared to just one for the Lookouts. Mobile also collected five extra-base hits to just one for Chattanooga to account for the final score discrepancy. On the mound for the home team was Sean Poppen and he made it just 3 1/3 innings before the wheels fell completely off for him. He allowed eight earned runs on seven hits and three walks and struck out five. Ryan Eades got through the next six outs but allowed three runs on four hits and a walk himself. He struck out four. Paco Rodriguez and Zack Jones were finally able to stop the run parade, combining for 3 2/3 scoreless innings to finish the game. Rodriguez allowed two hits and walked two in two innings, while Jones walked one and struck out two in 1 2/3 innings. Chris Paul slugged his fourth home run of the season for Chattanooga in the sixth inning, but his two-run shot wasn’t nearly enough. Brent Rooker, Edgar Corcino, James Ramsey, Alex Perez, and Sean Miller all collected two singles. Ramsey scored two runs and LaMonte Wade singled and drew the Lookouts only walk on the game. MIRACLE MATTERS Palm Beach 6, Fort Myers 4 Box Score Fort Myers took a 1-0 lead after one when Travis Blankenhorn scored on a wild pitch after collecting his tenth double of the season, but in a bullpen game the reliever core was unable keep them in this one. Fresh off his promotion, Kevin Marnon made the start for the Miracle and went the first three innings. After a one-two-three first he allowed two runs on three hits in three total innings. He walked none and struck out two. Logan Lombana then came on and in two innings allowed three runs on five hits while striking out one. Next up was Hector Lujan and he struck out four in three innings, allowing one run on three hits. Alex Robinson finished the game with a scoreless inning but did load the bases on a double and two walks before recording the third out. They surrendered four home runs as a unit. The Fort Myers offense did climb as close as 5-3 after the sixth but got no closer than that. Despite their twelve hits as a team, they were just 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. Luis Arreaz (2-for-5, 2B), Blankenhorn (3-for-5, R, 2 2B, RBI), Jimmy Kerrigan (2-for-4, R, 2B, 3B), Taylor Grzelakowski (2-for-4, 2 R), and Mark Contreras (2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI) each had multiple hits. KERNELS NUGGETS Game 1: Beloit 5, Cedar Rapids 2 (7 innings) Box Score For the second time in his past three starts, right-hander Blayne Enlow made it through six innings. Unfortunately, only in two of those innings were goose eggs put up on the scoreboard. Single runs in the second, third, and fourth innings, along with two in the sixth meant Beloit took the lead and never relinquished it in game one of their double-header. All told, Enlow allowed the five earned runs on ten hits, including two home runs. He struck out two. Carlos Suniaga finished the game for the Kernels with a one-two-three inning. The Cedar Rapids batting order collected six hits and three walks. Robby Rinn and Ben Rodriguez each had doubles, while Jose Miranda clubbed his fourth home run of the season. Andrew Bechtold had the other RBI and stole his fourth base. Alex Kirilloff went 1-for-2 with a walk while Royce Lewis finished this one 0-for-4. Game 2: Beloit 3, Cedar Rapids 14 (7 innings) Box Score The Kernels bats exploded in game two on Tuesday, hanging crooked numbers on the scoreboard in the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. If this was a Town Ball game instead of a double-header, the seven innings played would have been because of the mercy rule. The barrage was led by their top prospects, Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff, as both prospects clubbed grand slams for the home town crowd. If you didn’t already know, today was Lewis’ 19th birthday, and his salami came in the fourth inning to make the score 7-2. Kirilloff’s followed in the fifth and came with two outs to make the score 12-2. Both grand slams were the first of their professional careers. With his 11th home run of the season, Kirilloff also now leads the Midwest League. Five Cedar Rapids hitters collected multiple hits on the game and included Lewis (2-for-4), Jean Carlos Arias (3-for-5), Robby Rinn (3-for-4), Trey Cabbage (3-for-4), and Andrew Bechtold (2-for-3). Those five also scored at least two runs apiece. Rinn added a two-run home run in the third inning, and Cabbage had two doubles. Pitching for the Kernels in this one was Melvi Acosta and he went the first four innings. He allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks. He struck out three. Jared Finkel finished the final three frames to pick up his third win, surrendering one run on four hits. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Stephen Gonsalves, Rochester Red Wins (L, 5 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 4 BB, 5 K) Twins Daily Hitter of the Day – Alex Kirilloff and Royce Lewis, Cedar Rapids Kernels (Grand Slam from each) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY 1. Royce Lewis (Cedar Rapids) – (2 games) 2-for-8, 2 R, GS HR, 4 RBI, BB 2. Fernando Romero (Minnesota) – 6 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 0 BB, 4 K 3. Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 3-for-4 4. Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) – (L, 4-2) 5 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 4 BB, 5 K 5. Alex Kirilloff (Cedar Rapids) – (2 games) 2-for-7, R, GS HR, 4 RBI, BB 6. Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – Out for season with injury. 7. Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) – 2-for-5 8. Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – (L, 0-2) 6 IP, 5 ER, 10 H, 0 BB, 2 K 9. Brusdar Graterol (Cedar Rapids) – Disabled List (hand contusion) 10. Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-4, K 11. Zack Littell (Minnesota) – (L, 0-1 – MLB Debut) 3 IP, 6 ER, 6 H, 4 BB, K 12. Lewis Thorpe (Chattanooga) – Did not pitch. 13. Lewin Diaz (Fort Myers) – 0-for-4 14. LaMonte Wade (Chattanooga) – 1-for-4, RBI, BB, K 15. Mitch Garver (Minnesota) – 1-for-5, 2 K (pinch hit in game 1, start in game 2) 16. Ben Rortvedt (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-3, R, RBI, K 17. Travis Blankenhorn (Fort Myers) – 3-for-5, R, 2 2B, RBI, 2 K 18. Yunior Severino (Extended Spring Training) 19. Tyler Jay (Chattanooga) – Did not pitch. 20. Felix Jorge (Rochester) – Disabled List, still no official timetable for return. WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Indianapolis @ Rochester (6:05PM CST) – RHP Aaron Slegers (5-2, 3.27 ERA) Mobile @ Chattanooga (10:15AM CST) – LHP Anthony Marzi (0-3, 6.46 ERA) Palm Beach @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) – TBD Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (12:05PM CST) – TBD Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (game 2) – RHP Tanner Kiest (0-0, 3.00 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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I would guess the plan for Leach all along was to have him in Elizabethton, with the possibility to end the year in Cedar Rapids if he dominates Appalachian League hitters. He was never the type I envisioned as a fast mover in the low levels, he just hasn't pitched enough as a professional or amateur.

I really hope he gets a look. In my opinion he's been the best overall performing reliever in the system the last few years. Just keeps impressing. I had him on my list of players who could make their MLB debut this year. (http://twinsdaily.com/blog/15/entry-9383-the-next-minnesota-twins-2018/)

All four of the Minnesota Twins minor league affiliates were in action on Tuesday night, and they went a perfect 4-0. Four home runs powered the Miracle lineup with Ervin Santana rehabbing, the lineup and bullpen picked up starter Stephen Gonsalves for the Red Wings, Lewis Thorpe pitched arguably his best game of the season for the Lookouts, and behind their stars the Kernels clawed back for a victory.To find out exactly how each of the affiliates pulled out their wins, read on and be sure to add to the discussion in the comments! TRANSACTIONS Before the games on Tuesday, there were several moves in the system: Recent waiver claim and utility man Taylor Motter was assigned to Triple-A.SP Myles Jaye was traded to Cleveland for cash considerations and assigned to the Indians Triple-A team.Chattanooga activated SP Kohl Stewart from the temporary inactive list.OF Shane Carrier was assigned to Fort Myers from Cedar Rapids.Ervin Santana officially sent on rehab assignment to the Miracle.OF Jared Foster was released from Fort Myers.1B Robby Rinn was assigned to Cedar Rapids from Elizabethton’s roster.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 11, Durham 8 Box Score The Red Wings went up 1-0 after the top of the first thanks to an RBI single from Kennys Vargas to score Willians Astudillo, but it went downhill quickly from there. Starting Pitcher Stephen Gonsalves was roughed up by the Durham lineup in the bottom half, including a leadoff home run for the Tampa Bay Rays affiliate. Three walks and two more hits, including a bases clearing double ended the lefty’s night after recording just two outs. All told, Gonsalves gave up five runs. Of his 38 pitches, just 18 went for strikes and his ERA rose to 4.00. Luckily for Gonsalves, he wouldn’t end up on the hook for a loss as his Rochester teammates did their best to pick him up. A three-run third inning, two-run fourth, and another in the fifth put them up 7-5. Gabriel Moya pitched three innings of shutout relief, getting them into the fourth. He allowed two hits and struck out two. Jake Reed went the next 2 1/3 innings, but did allow single runs in the fifth and sixth for a 7-7 tie. Nick Anderson was summoned for the seventh frame, and went one-two-three, striking out two. He did the same in the eighth and back out for the ninth a leadoff walk led to an unearned run. Anderson got the win with his three innings, giving up just one walk and striking out four. His ERA is a 1.16 for the season. The Red Wings tacked on four more runs in the eighth for their final tally. They sent 10 men to the plate in the inning and got six singles, a fielding error, and a sac fly to account for those runs. Astudillo and Chris Carter each picked up three hits on the night. Kennys Vargas hit a three-run home run and had four RBIs. Jake Cave (solo) and Taylor Featherston (two-run) added home runs. As a team they racked up fifteen hits and were 9-for-16 with runners in scoring position. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 1, Birmingham 0 Box Score For the first five innings of this one, the Lookouts had a good old-fashioned pitching duel with the Barons. On the bump for Chattanooga was lefty Lewis Thorpe, while Birmingham sent out #OldFriend Matt Tomshaw. Thorpe would complete five innings, allowing just three hits and two walks, while striking out eight. Tomshaw went seven innings, allowing one run (unearned) on five hits and a walk and struck out four. The Lookouts got their run in the seventh inning, as an error on Tomshaw on a bunt from Edgar Corcino got him all the way to third, and a Ryan Walker single brought him in. Todd Van Steensel and Ryne Harper combined for four shutout and hitless innings. They each struck out three in two innings apiece. Van Steensel recorded his fifth win and Harper his fifth save. Corcino finished 2-for-4. Sean Miller added his first double and Chris Paul drew two walks in the win. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 8, Clearwater 1 Box Score The rehabbing Ervin Santana was on the mound for the Miracle and looked much better from a stat line perspective than his first outing with Chattanooga. He hit his pitch count after one batter in the fourth and finished with 3 1/3 innings pitched. He allowed one run on two hits (triple and double in the first), walked one, and struck out three. According to the Fort Myers twitter account, Santana’s velocity still wasn’t quite there, but the results were certainly more encouraging: From there it was the Fort Myers lineup that shined. They racked up eight runs on nine hits, including home runs from Jimmy Kerrigan (to lead off the game), Shane Carrier (two run shot to cap a five run third inning), and solo shots from Jaylin Davis and Joe Cronin in the sixth. Ryan Mason was credited with the win after following Santana with 2 2/3 scoreless innings. He gave up one hit and struck out three. Logan Lombana got them to the ninth inning, allowing three hits but no runs in two scoreless frames. Alex Robinson finished the game with a one-two-three ninth, including a strikeout. In addition to the home runs, the Miracle got doubles from Mitchell Kranson and Caleb Hamilton. Kerrigan scored two runs and drove in two with a 2-for-5 night at the plate. KERNELS NUGGETS Wisconsin 5, Cedar Rapids 6 Box Score The Kernels fell behind in this one but battled their way back for the come-from- behind victory. Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff led the offense. Lewis finished 2-for-4 with a run scored, double, and two RBI. Kirilloff went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI, giving him 41 on the season in 46 games. Jordan Gose scored two runs from the nine hole in the lineup. Lewis’ double in the seventh scored two runs and Kirilloff drove him in with a single to tie the game at five. An RBI double from Robby Rinn in the eighth put the Kernels ahead for good in his Midwest League debut. Bailey Ober started for Cedar Rapids and allowed all five of the Timber Rattlers runs. They scored three in the third and one in each of the fourth and fifth to take the lead. Ober finished 5 2/3 innings, allowing those runs on ten hits and a walk. He also struck out eight. Melvi Acosta finished the final 3 1/3 innings, allowing no hits and striking out two. He retired all ten men he faced to pick up his first win. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Lewis Thorpe, Chattanooga Lookouts (5 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 8 K) Twins Daily Hitter of the Day – Kennys Vargas, Rochester Red Wings (2-for-4, R, HR, 4 RBI, BB) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY 1. Royce Lewis (Cedar Rapids) – 2-for-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI 2. Fernando Romero (Minnesota) – Did not pitch. 3. Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 0-for-5, 4 K 4. Stephen Gonsalves (Chattanooga) – 2/3 IP, 5 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, K 5. Alex Kirilloff (Cedar Rapids) – 3-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI 6. Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – Out for season with injury. 7. Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) – 0-for-4, K 8. Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Did not pitch. 9. Brusdar Graterol (Cedar Rapids) – Did not pitch. 10. Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) – Did not play. 11. Zack Littell (Chattanooga) – Did not pitch. 12. Lewis Thorpe (Chattanooga) – 5 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 8 K 13. Lewin Diaz (Fort Myers) – 0-for-4, K 14. LaMonte Wade (Chattanooga) – 0-for-4, 2 K 15. Mitch Garver (Minnesota) – 1-for-3, BB, 2 K 16. Ben Rortvedt (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-4 17. Travis Blankenhorn (Fort Myers) – Scheduled day off. 18. Yunior Severino (Extended Spring Training) 19. Tyler Jay (Chattanooga) – Did not pitch. 20. Felix Jorge (Rochester) – Disabled List, still no official timetable for return WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Durham (12:05PM CST) – RHP Aaron Slegers (5-2, 3.27 ERA) Chattanooga @ Birmingham (12:30PM CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart (3-2, 5.90 ERA) Fort Myers @ Clearwater (11:00AM CST) – RHP Brady Anderson (0-4, 5.33 ERA) Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (12:05PM CST) – RHP Blayne Enlow (0-1, 3.28 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! Click here to view the article