Steve Lein

I did not require immediate medical attention. After laying in the fetal position after managing to toss the ball back toward the infield (I made the catch, haha), my teammate (personal trainer/chiropractor in his non-free time) came out and straightened my leg back out. Felt okay after that and walked off the field under my own power. The insurance the team had covered portions of the initial doctor visits, MRI, surgery, and rehab. I don't know if our league had better insurance than others beyond what the MBA requires, but this statement was not true in my experience.

So excited for James! He's deserved this cup of coffee going on three years now!

This is outside the intent of the article I think, but Keith Law's question brought it up: Are you sure the team doesn't have insurance? I thought it was required, or at least the league is required to have it? While it wasn't great coverage (combined with my work's it was fine), but when I tore my ACL playing I had insurance from the team to help pay.

Obviously late to the party here, but... um... how do I say this?... Oh yeah: This basically reads as because of the "strong fan of the Twins" you are, you couldn't possibly ever see them doing anything wrong. They have a .422 winning percentage over the past six seasons. I'm a huge fan too, and I've been harsh on them for 4+ seasons now. I believe that because of the type of fan of them I am, I SHOULD BE harsh on them for what has gone on recently. I want better. You should want better. We're well past the point that we KNOW they have made a litany of mistakes. Sheesh.

I feel like this is being generous to the Twins, even as a scathing report on what has occurred this year.

Except you can extrapolate data, as I also did in that post. Puckett still outpaces Mauer across the board.

I am not at all saying Joe Mauer is not one of the Twins all time best with the following comments (he is), but I see him in a much different context than most. There is a large obsession with on-base percentage around the world of Major League Baseball these days, thanks to sabermetrics and WAR and everything else. What I dislike about this, is how batting average (and in turn, hits) has somehow become less valued when comparing players in this age. The fact is, HITS are worth a hell of a lot more than walks. Give me a .300/.350 hitter any day of the week over a .280/.370 hitter. Yet what you will find, is the .280 player (all other things being equal) is valued more by things like WAR. Since this is a Twins list, here is the comparison I always use for Mauer, when discussing the best Twins of all time (I think there is a clear #1): Player X: 1783 games, 2304 hits, 1071 runs, 414 doubles, 57 triples, 207 home runs, 1085 RBI, and a triple slash for his career of .318/.360/.477. Mauer: 1573 games, 1815 hits, 879 runs, 360 doubles, 28 triples, 129 home runs, 800 RBI, and a triple slash for his career of .310/.393/.447. Mauer's pace numbers compared to Player X's career come out to: 2057 hits, 996 runs, 408 doubles, 32 triples, 146 home runs, and 906 RBI. If you hadn't figured it out yet, Player X is Kirby Puckett. For all the things Mauer is lauded for doing now, Kirby is often times looked back upon in retrospect as flawed, despite the facts (to me) that Puckett was far more productive than Mauer due to the volume of HITS he collected. He had over 200 hits in 5 different seasons, leading the AL in that category 4 times (and had 190+ in 2 other seasons). Mauer has eclipsed 190 hits once in his career. Puckett scored 100+ runs in four seasons, 80+ in nine. Mauer has eclipsed 80+ runs five times. Puckett drove in 100+ runs in three seasons, and 80+ in ten. Mauer has eclipsed 80+ RBI four times, with a peak of 98 in his MVP season. Just another interesting note, for all the people who say Puckett swung at everything and struck out too much as a result: Mauer is on an exact pace to match Kirby's 965 career K's in the same amount of games played at this point. Walks are definitely a good thing, but to me, there comes a point, or is a certain type of player, where the curve starts to be a detriment if too many walks are taken. Mauer is what he is (and has been great), but I have to believe with his hitting ability and youthful skills he hurt his overall production by being that type of player. I'd sacrifice the same amount of on-base percentage points for slugging any day of the week, and with his skill as a hitter, Mauer could have done much more in the HITS category to drive something like this. Again, with these nitpicks, he still is undoubtedly one of the best Twins ever. I just think he is credited for some things that others get bashed for, when it should be the opposite. I would love to see what Mauer's WAR totals would be in comparison to these others if he was not ever a catcher. Say a CF who played defense just as good as Puckett did.

Seth probably doesn't know this, and is why the headline was edited to be grammatically correct, but my twitter thing for Vargas Home runs is to tweet "Kennys Hit Ball Far". Doesn't have the same effect when proper language is used, haha!

Not quite when Kennys had just as many total bases and his one swing was the sole reason they won from an offensive standpoint.

It was a low-scoring night throughout the system Tuesday, but that means there were several good pitching performances for the Twins affiliates. As an organization, they combined for just 19 runs (2.7 per game) on the day, but because of those performance went 5-2 on the day in the minor leagues.To see which other starting pitchers came through besides the dominating effort from lefty Jason Wheeler at AAA, keep reading! But first, congratulations to Twins first-round draft pick, Alex Kirilloff, who was named the Appalachian League's Player of the Yearon Tuesday. He was joined by Lewin Diaz and Patrick McGuff on the league's postseason All-Star team. In the Midwest League, Luis Arraez was named to their postseason All-Star team. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 6, Norfolk 0 Box Score Rochester’s offense scored three runs before they played any defense thanks to a three-run homer from Kennys Vargas, and thanks to their starting pitcher, that would be all they needed and more. Byron Buxton led off the game with a double and Reynaldo Rodriguez drew a walk before the Vargas blast to account for the other two runs scored. It was the Jason Wheeler show after that. Wheeler went the game’s first eight innings, shutting out the Tides in the process. He allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out eight. He retired the last ten batters he faced and from the third inning on the only two base runners allowed were on a walk that was erased by a double-play ball, and a throwing error from shortstop Tommy Field. Wheeler’s twelfth victory of the season ties him with Stephen Gonsalves for the organizational lead in wins. D.J. Baxendale came on for the ninth and kept the shutout intact with a scoreless inning. He allowed one hit and struck out one. To begin the third inning, five consecutive hits from Vargas (single), Adam Walker (RBI triple), Daniel Palka (RBI single), Mitch Garver (single), and James Beresford (single) scored two runs and had the bases loaded, but a shallow fly out and double play ended the threat of further damage. Leonardo Reginatto drove in Garver, who had doubled, with an RBI single in the eighth for the Red Wings final run. Vargas (2-4, 2 R’s, HR, 3 RBIs, BB), Garver (4-4, R, 2B), and Reginatto (3-4, RBI) had multiple hits for the majority of Rochester’s thirteen as a team on the game. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 2, Jacksonville 3 Box Score Aaron Slegers made the start for the Lookouts in this one and pitched into the seventh inning. The damage came on a two-run home run in the third inning to give the Suns the lead, but Slegers left the game with it tied at two and two runners on in the seventh.. Zack Jones was summoned and gave up a single to load the bases, but struck out the next two batters to close the door and keep the game tied going into the eighth. Slegers allowed just two runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out three in his 6.1 innings pitched. Chattanooga tied the game at two in the sixth inning thanks to an error that allowed Levi Michael to score (he had led off with a double), and an RBI groundout from Ryan Walker to score Zach Granite who also stole his forty-eighth base of the season. Jones added a scoreless eighth inning, and came on for the ninth as well. Unfortunately, it was probably a decision manager Doug Mientkiewitz would like to take back. Four base-on-balls later (including one intentional) and the Suns would send their fans home happy with a literal walk-off win. Jones finished with the loss, and one run allowed on two hits and four walks in his 2.1 innings. He struck out four as well. Engelb Vielma and Travis Harrison each had two hits in the game, but Michael’s double was the Lookouts only extra-base hit. MIRACLE MATTERS Palm Beach 1, Fort Myers 2 Box score Fort Myers got an excellent performance from their starting pitcher at Hammond Stadium in this one, as Randy LeBlanc picked up his fifth win with the Miracle. LeBlanc has been going through some struggles, having allowed fifteen earned runs, twenty-seven hits, and five walks in his last three starts in just ten innings pitched, but that didn’t matter in this one. He allowed just three hits, one walk and struck out six in his seven innings. He held the Cardinals hitless the first time through the order before a walk and a single started the fourth inning, and then then retired nine in a row again before a single in the seventh inning. The Miracle took a 1-0 lead in the sixth thanks to a two-out RBI single from Alex Perez that scored Joe Maloney who had doubled leading off the frame. They added a needed insurance run in the eighth on a costly throwing error from the Palm Beach first baseman on a bunt attempt trying to catch the lead runner at third. Michael Theofanopoulos pitched a scoreless inning, walking one and striking out one, before John Curtiss was brought in for the save opportunity in the ninth. He made it interesting by allowing three singles to score one for the Cardinals, but two strikeouts helped him escape with his third save with Fort Myers. KERNELS NUGGETS Quad Cities 1, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score Cedar Rapids took the early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning with a two-out rally from Zander Wiel and Luis Arreaz. (This seems like the opposite of how the typical 3/4 spots in the lineup should be occupied by these two, but I’m not complaining.) Weil knocked his twenty-sixth double of the season (the 48th XBH of his 112 hits), and Arreaz drove him in with his 118th single of the year (he has 33 XBH’s). Starter Eduardo Del Rosario gave that run back in the top of the second thanks to a solo home run, but he was impressive the rest of the way. He scattered six hits over six innings and earned a no-decision for his effort. He struck out six and lowered his ERA on the season to under four after peaking at 6.58 after a six-run outing on June 30th. Williams Ramirez pitched two perfect innings in relief, striking out three in the process. In the bottom of the seventh, Manuel Guzman led off with a single and a wild pitch moved him into scoring position before Nelson Molina’s clutch two-out RBI single to put the Kernels out front. Anthony McIver came on for the ninth, and matched Ramirez with a one-two-three inning of his own for his tenth save. He struck out one. Arreaz was the only hitter with multiple hits as he went 2-3 with a walk and leads the Midwest League with a .349 average. E-TWINS E-NOTES Game 1: Elizabethton 0, Bristol 1 Box Score Thanks to a rain out back on July 29th, the E-Twins got to play a seven-inning double-header on Tuesday. In the regularly scheduled game, they may have been happy it lasted only one hour and twenty-seven minutes given that they had to play a second game, but they won’t be proud of why that happened. As a team they managed just two hits and were 0-2 with runners in scoring position. When they were given extra base runners by two errors on the Pirates, they were quickly erased by double-plays. Bristol took the lead for good in the fourth inning against Elizabethton starter Domenick Carlini thanks to three singles. They didn’t manage much more than that as Carlini finished all six innings and allowed just the one run by scattering the other four hits and walking only one. He struck out five and falls to 1-6 on the year. Game 2 (makeup of 7/29 postponement): Elizabethton 4, Bristol 2 (9 innings) Box Score The reason the E-Twins might have been happy was because game two went two extra innings instead of the scheduled seven (even given this, this game lasted just 2 hours and 19 minutes). The pace in this one was largely due to nearly forty percent of the game's outs coming via strikeout. Bristol had ten as a team, with Elizabethton outpacing them with eleven. The Twins took a 1-0 lead in the second inning thanks to Lewin Diaz’s ninth home run of the year. The Pirates tied it at one in the third thanks to a home run of their own off starter Clark Beeker. He allowed only that run on three hits and a walk in five innings. He struck out six. Colton Davis pitched a scoreless sixth inning despite allowing three hits. His defense came through by cutting down a stolen base attempt and a runner at home for two of his three outs. Elizabethton took the lead again in the sixth on an RBI ground ball from Alex Kirilloff, then gave it right back again in the seventh. It was Patrick McGuff’s fault this time and he was charged with the blown save. But as happens sometimes, he came back out for a second inning and recorded three K’s to pick up the win thanks to a two-run ninth inning from his offense. A sac fly from Bryant Hayman and wild pitch led to those two runs. Hector Lujan came on for his save opportunity, and went one-two-three to end the game. Diaz was 2-3 with the home run, and Caleb Hamilton was the only other Twins batter with a hit. They scored four runs on three hits and four Bristol errors that contributed to the win. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Orioles 2, GCL Twins 3 Box Score In another close game in the system on the day, the GCL Twins scored early and late to pick up the victory. Lean Marrero (2-4, 2 R’s, 2B), Justin Hazard (3-4, R, 2B, RBI), Jose Miranda (2-4, 2 RBI), and Akil Baddoo (2-4, 3B) each collected multiple hits to lead the offense. They scored two in the first and one in the seventh for just enough offense. Starter Tyler Fox went the first five innings and did not factor into the decision. He allowed two runs (zero earned) on four hits and three walks while striking out three. Garrett Kelly pitched the next three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk with two strikeouts. Zach Strecker picked up his fifth save with a perfect ninth, striking out two. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Jason Wheeler, Rochester Red Wings (W, 8.0 IP, 2 H’s, BB, 8 K’s) Hitter of the Day – Kennys Vargas, Rochester Red Wings (2-4, 2 R’s, HR, BB, 3 RBI) WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (6:05PM CST) – LHP David Hurlut (0-1, 3.46 ERA) Chattanooga @ Jacksonville (6:05PM CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart (7-6, 3.04 ERA) Palm Beach @ Fort Myers (6:05PM CST) – RHP Fernando Romero (4-2, 2.11 ERA) Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM PM CST) – RHP Sean Poppen (0-0, 1.80 ERA) Burlington @ Elizabethton (6:00PM CST) – TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (11:00AM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Tuesday’s games. Click here to view the article

It was a low-scoring night throughout the system Tuesday, but that means there were several good pitching performances for the Twins affiliates. As an organization, they combined for just 19 runs (2.7 per game) on the day, but because of those performance went 5-2 on the day in the minor leagues. To see which other starting pitchers came through besides the dominating effort from lefty Jason Wheeler at AAA, keep reading! RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 6, Norfolk 0 Box Score Rochester’s offense scored three runs before they played any defense thanks to a 3-run homer from Kennys Vargas, and thanks to their starting pitcher, that would be all they needed and more. Byron Buxton led off the game with a double and Reynaldo Rodriguez drew a walk before the Vargas blast to account for the other two runs batted in. It was the Jason Wheeler show after that. Wheeler went the game’s first eight innings, shutting out the Tides in the process. He allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out eight. He retired the last ten batters of the game he faced and from the third inning on the only two baserunners allowed were on a walk that was erased by a double-play ball, and a throwing error from shortstop Tommy Field. Wheeler’s twelfth victory of the season ties him with Stephen Gonsalves for the organizational lead in wins. D.J. Baxendale came on for the ninth and kept the shutout intact with a scoreless inning. He allowed one hit and struck out one. Five consecutive hits from Vargas (single), Adam Walker (RBI triple), Daniel Palka (RBI single), Mitch Garver (single), and James Beresford (single) loaded the bases with two runs already scored in the third inning, but a shallow fly out and double play would end the threat of further damage. Leonardo Reginatto drove in Garver, who had doubled, with an RBI single in the eighth for the Red Wings final run. Vargas (2-4, 2 R’s, HR, 3 RBI, BB), Garver (4-4, R, 2B), and Reginatto (3-4, RBI) had multiple hits for the majority of Rochester’s thirteen as a team on the game. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 2, Jacksonville 3 Box Score Aaron Slegers made the start for the Lookouts in this one and pitched into the seventh inning. The damage came on a two-run home run in the third inning to give the Suns the lead, but Slegers would leave the game with it tied at two and two runners on in the seventh.. Zack Jones was summoned and gave up a single to load the bases, but struck out the next two batters to close the door and keep the game tied going into the eighth. Slegers allowed just two runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out three in his 6.1 innings pitched. Chattanooga tied the game at two in the sixth inning thanks to an error that allowed Levi Michael to score (he had led off with a double), and an RBI groundout from Ryan Walker to score Zach Granite who also stole his forty-eighth base of the season while on the bases. Jones would add a scoreless eighth inning, and came on for the ninth as well. Unfortunately, it was probably a decision manager Doug Mientkiewitz would like to take back. Four base-on-balls later (including one intentional) and the Suns would send their fans home happy with a literal walk-off win. Jones finished with the loss, and one run allowed on two hits and four walks in his 2.1 innings. He struck out four as well. Engelb Vielma and Travis Harrison each had two hits in the game, but Michael’s double was the Lookouts only extra base hit. MIRACLE MATTERS Palm Beach 1, Fort Myers 2 Box score Fort Myers got an excellent performance from their starting pitcher at Hammond Stadium in this one, as Randy LeBlanc picked up his fifth win with the Miracle. LeBlanc had been going through some struggles, having allowed fifteen earned runs, twenty-seven hits, and five walks in his past three starts totaling just ten innings pitched, but that didn’t matter in this one. He allowed just three hits and one walk, and struck out six in his seven innings. He held the Cardinals hitless the first time through the order before a walk and a single started the fourth inning, and then then retired nine in a row again before a single in the seventh inning. The Miracle took a 1-0 lead in the sixth thanks to a two-out RBI single from Alex Perez that scored Joe Maloney who doubled leading off the frame. They added a needed insurance run in the eighth on a costly throwing error from the Palm Beach first baseman on a bunt attempt trying to catch the lead runner at third. Michael Theofanopoulos pitched a scoreless inning, walking one and striking out one, before John Curtiss was brought in for the save opportunity in the ninth. He made it interesting by allowing three singles to score one for the Cardinals, but two strikeouts helped him escape with his third save with Fort Myers. KERNELS NUGGETS Quad Cities 1, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score Cedar Rapids took the early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning with a two-out rally from Zander Wiel and Luis Arreaz (this seems like the opposite of how the typical 3/4 spots in the lineup should be occupied by these two, but I’m not complaining…). Weil knocked his twenty-sixth double of the season (his 48th XBH of the year out of 112 hits), and Arreaz drove him in with his one-hundred and seventeenth single of the year (has 33 XBH’s). Starter Eduardo Del Rosario gave that run back in the top of the second thanks to a solo home run, but he was impressive the rest of the way. He scattered six hits over six innings, and left the game with a no-decision. He struck out six and lowered his ERA on the season to under four after peaking at 6.58 after a six run outing on June 30th. Williams Ramirez pitched two perfect innings in relief, striking out three in the process. In the bottom of the seventh, Manuel Guzman led off with a single, and a wild pitch would move him into scoring position before Nelson Molina’s clutch two-out RBI single to put the Kernels out front. Anthony McIver came on for the ninth, and matched Ramirez with a one-two-three inning of his own for his tenth save. He struck out one. Arreaz was the only hitter with multiple hits as he went 2-3 with a walk and leads the Midwest League with a .349 average on the year. E-TWINS E-NOTES Game 1: Elizabethton 0, Bristol 1 Box Score Thanks to a rainout back on July 29th, the E-Twins got to play a seven-inning double-header on Tuesday. In the regularly scheduled game, they may have been happy it lasted only one hour and twenty-seven minutes given they had to play another one, but they won’t be proud of why in this one. As a team they managed just two hits and were 0-2 with runners in scoring position. When they were given extra baserunners by two errors on the Pirates, they were quickly erased by double-plays. Bristol took the lead for good in the fourth inning against Elizabethton starter Domenick Carlini thanks to three singles. They didn’t manage much more than that as Calini finished all six innings and allowed just the one run by scattering the other four hits allowed and walking only one. He struck out five and falls to 1-6 on the year. Game 2 (makeup of 7/29 postponement): Elizabethton 4, Bristol 2 (9 innings) Box Score The reason the E-Twins were happy, was because game two went two extra innings instead of the scheduled seven (even given this game lasted just two hours and nineteen minutes). The pace in this one was largely due to nearly forty percent of the games outs coming via strikeout. Bristol had ten as a team, with Elizabethton outpacing them with eleven. The Twins took a 1-0 lead in the second inning thanks to Lewin Diaz’s ninth home run of the year. The Pirates tied it at one in the third thanks to a home run of their own off starter Clark Beeker. He allowed only that run on three hits and a walk in five innings. He struck out six. Colton Davis pitched a scoreless sixth inning despite allowing three hits. His defense came through by cutting down a stolen base attempt and a runner at home for two of his three outs. Elizabethton took the lead again in the sixth on an RBI ground ball from Alex Kirilloff, then gave it right back again in the seventh. It was Patrick McGuff’s fault this time and he was charged with the blown save. But as happens sometimes, he came back out for a second inning and recorded three K’s to pick up the win thanks to a two run ninth inning from his offense. A sac fly from Bryant Hayman and wild pitch led to those two runs. Hector Lujan came on for his save opportunity, and went one-two-three to end the game. Diaz was 2-3 with the home run, and Caleb Hamilton was the only other Twins batter with a hit. They scored four runs on three hits and four Bristol errors that contributed to the makeup game win. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Orioles 2, GCL Twins 3 Box Score In another close game in the system on the day, the GCL Twins scored early and late to pick up the victory. Lean Marrero (2-4, 2 R’s, 2B), Justin Hazard (3-4, R, 2B, RBI), Jose Miranda (2-4, 2 RBI), and Akil Baddoo (2-4, 3B) each collected multiple hits to lead the offense. They scored two in the first and one in the seventh for just enough offense. Starter Tyler Fox went the first five innings and did not factor into the decision. He allowed two runs (zero earned) on four hits and three walks while striking out three. Garrett Kelly pitched the next three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk with two strikeouts. Zach Strecker picked up his fifth save with a perfect ninth, striking out two. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Jason Wheeler, Rochester Red Wings (W, 8.0 IP, 2 H’s, BB, 8 K’s) Hitter of the Day – Kennys Vargas, Rochester Red Wings (2-4, 2 R’s, HR, BB, 3 RBI) WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (6:05PM CST) – LHP David Hurlut (0-1, 3.46 ERA) Chattanooga @ Jacksonville (6:05PM CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart (7-6, 3.04 ERA) Palm Beach @ Fort Myers (6:05PM CST) – RHP Fernando Romero (4-2, 2.11 ERA) Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM PM CST) – RHP Sean Poppen (0-0, 1.80 ERA) Burlington @ Elizabethton (6:00PM CST) – TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (11:00AM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Tuesday’s games.

The Twins minor league affiliates got (nearly) eight full innings of pitching from each of their starting pitchers on Sunday afternoon, but just one of those starters ended the day with a notch in the win column. That was thanks to a lackluster display of offense throughout as two of the lineups were shut out, and the other two totaled just four runs.In transaction news, the Minnesota Twins optioned one-day call-up Adalberto Mejia back to Rochester after his 2.1 inning MLB debut on Saturday, and recalled right-hander Pat Light about a week after his scheduled flight for his MLB debut chance was cancelled. The Twins also signed free agent Confesor Lara and assigned him to Fort Myers and he made appearance on Sunday. To see which of the starting pitchers got the victory on Sunday, and just how bad of a day it was in the organization for hitters, read on! RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Gwinnett 2 Box Score Rochester scored three runs in the first two innings, and held on for the victory thanks to a strong effort from starting pitcher Nick Greenwood. He went eight innings in the game, and scattered five hits. He gave up single runs in the second and sixth inning thanks to a pair of solo home runs. He walked nobody and struck out four. In four of his eight innings he went one-two-three. Rochester scored the first run of the game after Byron Buxton led off the game with a triple, his third of the year with the Red Wings. Wilfredo Tovar followed with an RBI single for the 1-0 lead. In the second inning, Adam Walker led off with a single, and later a two-out rally was sparked by a two-base throwing error on a pickoff attempt at first. Logan Schafer singled him home, stole second base, and was driven in on a single from Leonardo Reginatto. That was all the Red Wings would need. Right-hander Alan Busenitz made his first appearance in AAA with his new organization, and closed out the ninth for his first Rochester save with a scoreless inning. He allowed one hit and struck out one. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Montgomery 2, Chattanooga 0 Box Score The Lookouts lineup was unable to solve the mystery that was Biscuits starter Hunter Wood for the first five innings, and had just as much trouble with their bullpen for the final four. As a team Chattanooga managed just two hits and three walks, and struck out eight times. They were 0-7 with runners in scoring position and left just four men on base for the game. Zach Granite doubled for one of those hits. Travis Harrison was 1-2 with a single and two walks. Felix Jorge made the start for the Lookouts, and did everything he could to give his teammates a chance. Over eight innings, he scattered ten hits and one walk that were good for just two earned runs against. He struck out only one, but limited the damage all night with an efficient ninety-six pitches. He also went one-two-three in the third, sixth, and eighth innings. Reliever Luke Bard pitched a scoreless ninth inning, allowing one hit and striking out one. MIRACLE MATTERS Jupiter 3, Fort Myers 1 Box score The Miracle also got an eight inning effort from their starting pitcher, but just like their Southern League counterparts, it wasn’t enough for them to come out with a victory. In this one it was Keaton Steele who was the hard luck loser. He allowed all three runs (two earned) on six hits in his eighth innings of work. He walked none and struck out four in being saddled with his eleventh loss of the year despite his team outhitting the opposition 8-6 on the game. Fort Myers tied the game at one in the fifth inning thanks to an RBI double off the bat of Max Murphy to score Brian Navaretto, but another runner would be thrown out at home trying to score from first to end the threat. That was all the Miracle could muster. Murphy (2-3, 2B, RBI, BB) and Nick Gordon (2-4) each collected two hits on the day to pace the offense. Organization newcomer (and solid all-around name) Confesor Lara made his debut with the Twins organization and pitched a clean ninth inning for the Miracle, striking out one. He was previously part of the Detroit Tigers system and had reached as high as AA. The Twins signed him as a free agent after about a week with the Joliet Slammers of the independent Frontier League. KERNELS NUGGETS Burlington 9, Cedar Rapids 0 Box Score Cedar Rapids also got a pretty good effort from their starting pitcher, but that distinction won’t be discernible in the box score. Sam Gibbons went 7.2 innings in this one, and allowed four hits. He also walked four, but an unfortunate error on a line drive to right fielder Jaylin Davis cleared the bases for a 3-0 Burlington lead in the fifth inning. That was all the Bees would need to pop the Kernels on this day as they managed just five hits and no extra-base hits as a team on offense. Gibbons allowed two legitimate runs in the sixth thanks to a double, walk, RBI groundout and RBI single. Casey Scoggins, Nelson Molina and Travis Blankenhorn all reached base twice with one single and one walk apiece. As a team the Kernels were just 0-2 with runners in scoring position, so they didn’t even manage many opportunities. Right-hander Logan Lombana pitched the final 1.1 innings, but was knocked around in the ninth to the tune of four runs for the final blowout score. He allowed two hits, walked two, and the big blow was a three-run home run to cap the game’s scoring. E-TWINS E-NOTES Bristol @ Elizabethton – Postponed by rain. The E-Twins game with the Bristol Pirates on Sunday afternoon was postponed by rain. They will make up the game as part of a double-header on Monday, starting at 5:00 PM CST. GCL TWINS TAKES The GCL Twins, like most of the rest of the Gulf Coast League, enjoyed the afternoon off on Sunday. They get back to action tomorrow morning on the road against the GCL Orioles. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Nick Greenwood, Rochester Red Wings, (W, 8.0IP, 2 ER’s, 5 H’s, 4 K’s) Hitter of the Day – Logan Schafer, Rochester Red Wings (2-4, R, 2B, RBI) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (6:05PM CST) – LHP Andrew Albers (9-6, 3.64 ERA) Chattanooga @ Jacksonville (6:05PM CST) – TBD Fort Myers – Scheduled day off. Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM PM CST) – RHP Brady Anderson (1-0, 2.12 ERA) Bristol @ Elizabethton (5:00PM CST) – Game 1, TBD Bristol @ Elizabethton – Game 2, TBD (makeup of Sunday’s postponement) GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (11:00AM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

The Twins minor league affiliates got (nearly) eight full innings of pitching from each of their starting pitchers on Sunday afternoon, but just one of those starters ended the day with a notch in the win column. That was thanks to a lackluster display of offense throughout as two of the lineups were shut out, and the other two totaled just four runs on the day. In Transaction news, the Minnesota Twins optioned one-day callup Adalberto Mejia back to Rochester after his 2.1 inning MLB debut on Saturday, and recalled right-hander Pat Light about a week after his scheduled flight for his MLB debut chance was cancelled. The Twins also signed free agent Confesor Lara and assigned him to Fort Myers and made an appearance on Sunday. To see which of the starting pitchers got the victory on Sunday, and just how bad of a day it was in the organization for hitters, read on! RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Gwinnett 2 Box Score Rochester scored three runs in the first two innings, and held on for the victory thanks to a strong effort from starting pitcher Nick Greenwood. He went eight innings in the game, and scattered five hits. He gave up single runs in the second and sixth inning thanks to a pair of solo home runs. He walked nobody and struck out four. In four of his eight innings he went one-two-three. Rochester scored the first run of the game after Byron Buxton led off the game with a triple, his third of the year with the Red Wings. Wilfredo Tovar followed with an RBI single for the 1-0 lead. In the second inning, Adam Walker led off with a single, and later a two-out rally was sparked by a two-base throwing error on a pickoff attempt at first. Logan Schafer singled him home, stole second base, and was driven in on a single from Leonardo Reginatto. That was all the Red Wings would need. Right-hander Alan Busenitz made his first appearance in AAA with his new organization, and closed out the ninth for his first Rochester save with a scoreless inning. He allowed one hit and struck out one. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Montgomery 2, Chattanooga 0 Box Score The Lookouts lineup was unable to solve the mystery that was Biscuits starter Hunter Wood for the first five innings, and had just as much trouble with their bullpen for the final four. As a team Chattanooga managed just two hits and three walks, and struck out eight times. They were 0-7 with runners in scoring position and left just four men on base for the game. Zach Granite doubled for one of those hits. Travis Harrison was 1-2 with a single and two walks. Felix Jorge made the start for the Lookouts, and did everything he could to give his teammates a chance. Over eight innings, he scattered ten hits and one walk that were good for just two earned runs against. He struck out just one, but limited the damage all night with an efficient ninety-six pitches. He also went one-two-three in the third, sixth, and eighth innings. Reliever Luke Bard pitched a scoreless ninth inning, allowing one hit and striking out one. MIRACLE MATTERS Jupiter 3, Fort Myers 1 Box score The Miracle also got an eight inning effort from their starting pitcher, but just like their Southern League counterparts, it wasn’t enough for them to come out with a victory. In this one it was Keaton Steele who was the hard luck loser. He allowed all three runs (two earned) on six hits in his eighth innings of work. He walked none and struck out four in being saddled with his eleventh loss of the year despite his team outhitting the opposition 8-6 on the game. Fort Myers tied the game at one in the fifth inning thanks to an RBI double off the bat of Max Murphy to score Brian Navaretto, but another runner would be thrown out at home trying to score from first to end the threat. That was all the Miracle could muster. Murphy (2-3, 2B, RBI, BB) and Nick Gordon (2-4) each collected two hits on the day to pace the offense. Organization newcomer (and solid all-around name) Confesor Lara made his debut with the Twins organization and pitched a clean ninth inning for the Miracle, striking out one. He was previously part of the Detroit Tigers system and had reached as high as AA. The Twins signed him as a free agent after about a week with the Joliet Slammers of the independent Frontier League. KERNELS NUGGETS Burlington 9, Cedar Rapids 0 Box Score Cedar Rapids also got a pretty good effort from their starting pitcher, but that distinction won’t be discernible from the box score. Sam Gibbons went 7.2 innings in this one, and allowed four hits. He also walked four, but an unfortunate error on a line drive to right fielder Jaylin Davis cleared the bases for a 3-0 Burlington lead in the fifth inning. That would be all the Bees would need to pop the Kernels on this day as they managed just five hits and no extra base hits as a team on offense. Gibbons allowed two legitimate runs in the sixth thanks to a double, walk, RBI groundout, and RBI single. Casey Scoggins, Nelson Molina, and Travis Blankenhorn all reached base twice with one single and one walk apiece. As a team the Kernels were just 0-2 with runners in scoring position, so they didn’t even manage many opportunities. Right-hander Logan Lombana pitched the final 1.1 innings, but was knocked around in the ninth to the tune of four runs for the final blowout score. He allowed two hits, walked two, and the big blow was a three run home run to cap the game’s scoring. E-TWINS E-NOTES Bristol @ Elizabethton – Postponed by rain. The E-Twins game with the Bristol Pirates on Sunday afternoon was postponed by rain. They will make up the game as part of a double-header on Monday, starting at 5:00 PM CST. GCL TWINS TAKES The GCL Twins, like most of the rest of the Gulf Coast League, enjoyed the afternoon off on Sunday. They get back to action tomorrow morning on the road against the GCL Orioles. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Nick Greenwood, Rochester Red Wings, (W, 8.0IP, 2 ER’s, 5 H’s, 4 K’s) Hitter of the Day – Logan Schafer, Rochester Red Wings (2-4, R, 2B, RBI) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (6:05PM CST) – LHP Andrew Albers (9-6, 3.64 ERA) Chattanooga @ Jacksonville (6:05PM CST) – TBD Fort Myers – Scheduled day off. Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM PM CST) – RHP Brady Anderson (1-0, 2.12 ERA) Bristol @ Elizabethton (5:00PM CST) – Game 1, TBD Bristol @ Elizabethton – Game 2, TBD (makeup of Sunday’s postponement) GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (11:00AM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games.

I'm with wsnydes!!! #RollHerd

No Chih-Wei Hu #OldFriend mention?! I am disappoint. 8 days until Kickoff!!!

Also this. There is no way either of those guys would be above AA in the Twins system at this point. It's who they are with their development plan, and expecting that they would have done something different for them because they're in the majors with other teams fits the definition of insanity.

It's robotic and stiff. I see a lot of effort in that delivery.

My comment about innings is related to the fact he pitched about 70-80 innings all of last year (college and pros). We all knew there would be a transition and it would probably go slower than we'd like (this is the Twins, after all), and I don't see this season as a failure in that aspect. Sure, you don't want to see an injury, but I just wouldn't be so worried about Jay at this point. You can be disappointed about the other guys being in the majors already, but it comes off as you holding that against Jay.

Wow, a bit harsh on Jay. This is about what I would have expected for him so he hasn't lost any luster for me. Thought he'd pitch around a 100 innings total. It is one thing for those other guys to be in bigs already, but that has nothing to do with Jay.

I still say the Twins PR/Marketing/Video team has a tall task to ever beat Jon Rauch's entrance from Target Field's first year.

This is a good point. What I see is even with the walks, his WHIP is below 1.00. Definitely should be at a higher level.

Kepler was #1 on the list the first time he did that exercise.

Alex Wimmers. Not sure why I like him out of the bullpen so much, but I do. Numbers don't pop out really, but has been pretty good over a long stretch recently. Williams Ramirez in Cedar Rapids. Nobody can hit him. Dereck Rodriguez. Could barely buy a win in Cedar Rapids, but his peripherals have been there, and has been pretty good at Fort Myers thus far. These are probably fringe guys to such a list, but I like what I've seen.