Steve Lein

No on Ramos for Capps. Still yes on Span for Meyer. With the Span trade, we sold high on a guy to try and get something our system was lacking, a top-flight pitcher. I wish the Twins would do this more. Everyone and their mother hated Ramos for Capps for the opposite reasons.

With his struggles continuing in AA this season, the Twins assigned Burdi back to Fort Myers on Tuesday to try and find his groove again. In 2014, Burdi pitched in 10 games with the Miracle at the end of the season and into the playoffs. In 12.2 innings, he allowed just 8 hits and 3 walks, while striking out 20. Hopefully it's a short stay!

Just have to throw my two cents in here on the defensive side of Walker, and I'll add some opinions on his offense... He is not an outfielder like Oswaldo Arcia is not an outfielder. I've seen him brutalize some routine plays and he gets rated below average on defense in every scouting scale/scouting report you will find. Will he be better than Arcia? Yes, because he has the better speed and athleticism, but he lacks the instincts like Arcia does, and does not have much of an arm, certainly not a good arm for an outfielder. There's no doubt the power is awesome. On the back fields at ST this year, I watched one leave the complex. Then later that same day while watching one of the other games, I heard the fans reaction to another blast. We certainly dig the long ball... It's also been inferred by some that he is plenty "patient" despite the lack of walks because he sees a lot of pitches. But to me, that's more a result of the fact that he swings and misses so much. A low-contact rate has a direct effect on how many pitches you will see - a strikeout will be minimum 3 pitches, and if they're throwing primarily junk to him, that will get up to around 5-6 pitches very easily in an at bat. He'll blast a 95MPH fastball into the next county one at-bat, and miss the same pitch three times the next at bat. It's both frustrating and awesome to watch. In summary, I've been waiting for him to either improve even marginally in plate discipline/K-rate to make me a believer, or fall off a cliff in his offensive numbers and disappear. He hasn't done either yet, so I don't really know what to make of his future. (I do like that his batting average is improving...)

Personally, I'd get Sano up here soon and DH him. You put Kepler and Walker at AAA to audition for September call-ups. Probably after the futures game.

I've been nervous pretty much the whole year. Burdi and Reed had very high expectations because of what they accomplished last year, but may have hit a bit of a wall. Jones had been fantastic until June. Had a 1.56 ERA coming into the month, but four runs in his last two appearances, in just 1.2 innings, will damage a relievers ERA pretty significantly. I hope they all start turning it around the second half.

Burdi has appeared in two more games since the last update, and like his season on the whole, were up and down. On June 20th against Jacksonville, he picked up a hold after walking the leadoff hitter. He stole second base and reached third on a throwing error from catcher Stuart Turner. He would retire the next three, but a sac fly brought in the unearned run. On June 25th vs. the Montgomery Biscuits, Burdi went two innings. A walk, single, and sac fly scored one in his first inning. He'd walk another hitter but escaped with no more damage. In his second inning, he was greeted with a solo home run, but retired the next two hitters, including two strikeouts. Season Totals (20 games): 3-4, 5.93 ERA, 30.1 IP, 1 Save, 5 Holds, 20 ER's on 32 hits and 22 walks, with 33 K's.

Oh I know! Triple slashes in June: Sano: .329/.422/.671 Kepler: .373/.485/.590 Walker: .319/.376/.747 The last 10 is even more impressive, that's why I put that in instead!

Good thing I decided not to use the term "murderer's row," haha!

There was plenty of action on Sunday, as both the Rochester Red Wings and Elizabethton Twins played doubleheaders. There was a walk-off blast in one game, a few stellar pitching performances, and an ongoing winning streak was on the line. Image courtesy of Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports There was plenty of action on Sunday, as both the Rochester Red Wings and Elizabethton Twins played doubleheaders. There was a walk-off blast in one game, a few stellar pitching performances, and an ongoing winning streak was on the line. There was also an incredible display of power from the middle of the lineup for one affiliate (I’ll let you guess which one…), as the players involved continue to one-up each other. There was so much action I couldn't limit the player of the day to just one name, either. Read on to find out all about it! RED WINGS REPORT Game 1: Charlotte 0, Rochester 1 Box Score In the first game of their doubleheader, both teams managed to combine for just nine hits on the day and a single run. Luckily for the Red Wings, it was they who scored it. An error by Charlotte’s shortstop in the third inning allowed Doug Bernier to reach base. He moved to third on a James Beresford single, and was driven in on a single to left from Eric Fryer. That’s all starter Tyler Duffey would need. He pitched a seven inning complete game shutout, scattering four hits and one walk along the way. He struck out four. Beresford was 2-4 on the day and is batting .328 on the year, and Jose Martinez added the only extra-base hit for the Red Wings, a double. Game 2: Charlotte 4, Rochester 5 (11 innings) Box Score Greg Peavey made the start for Rochester in the second game, and gave up single runs in the second and third innings to put them down 2-0 early, but a three-run fourth put Rochester out front 3-2 after four. Reynaldo Rodriguez and Oswaldo Arcia singled to start the inning, and Wilkin Ramirez put the crooked number on the board with his second home run of the year. The score remained that way until the seventh and final inning, when Michael Tonkin was summoned for the save opportunity. A one-out walk put the tying run on base, and it moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Tonkin was hit with the blown save after an RBI single to center field, before escaping the inning via a strikeout with runners on first and second. A.J. Achter pitched the first two extra innings, allowing just one walk while striking out three to keep the game tied. Lester Oliveros pitched a scoreless tenth inning by striking out two around two singles, but ran into more trouble in the eleventh after recording two quick outs. A single, walk, and wild pitch put a runner on third, and he was driven in on a single from the Knights’ Micah Johnson to make it 4-3. The middle of the Rochester lineup was due up in the bottom of the eleventh, and Arcia singled to put the game's tying run on base with one out. All he had to do was trot around the bases, as Ramirez followed with his second home run of the game, a walk-off blast to left field for the 5-4 extra-inning win. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 9, Montgomery 8 Box Score The Chattanooga lineup pounded out thirteen hits as a team providing a ton of offense, though it was just enough to escape with the victory after an eventful ninth inning. The Lookouts jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first after Max Kepler drove in Miguel Sano, who had doubled. Montgomery tied the game at one in the second inning with a sac fly, but the score remained that way until the sixth as starter Jose Berrios was brilliant. In seven innings, Berrios allowed just the one run on two hits and a walk. He struck out six and seventy of his ninety-seven pitches went for strikes. He retired thirteen in a row at one point, and struck out the last two hitters he faced in the game. He left with the score 5-1 in favor of the Lookouts. They pushed two runs across in each of the sixth and seventh innings, thanks to a two-run home run from Adam Brett Walker in the sixth, and a two-run double from Kepler in the seventh. The Biscuits lineup woke up after Berrios left however, and made the score 5-4 in the eighth as D.J. Baxendale was greeted with a solo home run, and two batters later a two-run shot reached the seats. He finished the inning with a strikeout to escape any more damage. The middle of the lineup got all of the runs back for Baxendale in the ninth, as singles from Jorge Polanco and Heiker Meneses were the prelude to a three-run Sano blast into right, and a Walker double brought home Kepler and a 9-4 cushion for the bullpen. Zach Jones walked the first batter he faced, and then picked up the first two quick outs, before his control became an issue again. Three more walks and two wild pitches brought the first run of the inning across, and a triple cleared the bases for three more. Jones was then relieved by Tim Shibuya with the tying run on third, but he got a fly out to right field to end the game. Berrios improved to 8-3 on the season, and lowered his ERA to 3.08. Shibuya picked up his first save of the year. The big names in the lineup: Polanco (3-4, 2 R’s, 2B, BB), Sano (3-5, 3 R’s, 2B, HR, 3 RBI), Kepler (3-3, 2 R’s, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB), and Walker (2-4, R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, BB); collected multiple hits and filled up the stat sheet for Chattanooga. Over their last ten games Sano, Kepler, and Walker have been otherworldly in the three, four, and five spots in the lineup: Sano: 14-40 (.350), 13 R’s, 6 2B’s, 4 HR’s, 11 RBI, 5 BB’s, 9 K’s. Kepler: 21-38 (.553), 8 R’s, 2 2B’s, 4 3B’s, 9 RBI, 7 BB’s, 6 K’s. Walker: 14-39 (.359), 7 R’s, 2 2B’s, 5 HR’s, 12 RBI, 5 BB, 17 K’s. Insanity! MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Dunedin 7 Box Score While they racked up eight hits as a team, they were just 2-11 with runners in scoring position and left ten men on base. Mat Batts was on the hill for Fort Myers, but was only able to make it through 3.2 innings, thanks in part to his defense. In the third two runs had scored after a walk, double, and single; but Batts had countered with a strikeout for the second out. A ground ball to first base was then misplayed by Bryan Haar to prolong the inning, and a single drove in the third run for the early Blue Jays lead. Batts would finish his outing with four runs allowed (three earned) on eight hits and one walk, striking out five. Dunedin would add single runs in the fourth, sixth, seventh, and eighth innings to put their final total on the board. Jason Kanzler made the score 4-1 with his fifth home run of the season in the fifth innning, and they’d get as close as 4-2 after an RBI single from Engelb Vielma in the sixth. Chad Christensen (2-5), Kanzler (2-4), and Vielma (2-4) had multi-hit games to lead the offense. Brian Gilbert was the first man up in relief, and finished the sixth inning. He allowed one run on two hits over his 2.1 innings, walking one and striking out one. Tyler Jay then made his second appearance for the Miracle and recorded two quick outs before consecutive extra base hits led to his first run allowed as a pro. He picked up a strikeout to end the threat. Todd Van Steensel came out for the eighth inning, and he was tagged with a solo home run along with picking up a strikeout. The Fort Myers Miracle were riding a ten-game winning streak coming into this one, but that’s as far as they could take it. KERNELS NUGGETS Quad Cities 6, Cedar Rapids 1 Box Score Cedar Rapids was unable to string any offense together, totaling just five hits and one walk on the day. They left just four men on base and were 0-4 with runners in scoring position. Alex Real provided their only notch on the scoreboard with a solo home run leading off the fourth inning that made the score 3-1. Zach Tillery made the start for the Kernels, and allowed single runs in the second, third, and fourth innings before being lifted. His line was three earned runs on seven hits and two walks and five strikeouts in four innings. Michael Theofanopoulos pitched three innings in relief, allowing one run on three hits and a walk. Brandon Bixler finished the game by allowing two runs on three hits and two walks in two innings. He struck out one. The first four hitters in the Kernels lineup - Tanner English, Nick Gordon, Edgar Corcino and Real – were all 1-4 on the day. Jorge Fernandez provided the only other base hit of the day. Top 2015 draft pick of the Houston Astros, Alex Bregman, slugged his first professional home run off Tillery in the third inning. E-TOWN E-NOTES Game 1: Pulaski 6, Elizabethton 2 Box Score The Elizabethton Twins also played a double-header on Sunday, and in the first game they fell behind early and were unable to claw back. Pulaski pushed across two runs in each of the first and second innings, and the home team couldn’t quite match them, leaving the score at 4-2 after two. Manuel Guzman went station to station in the first, and scored on a wild pitch, while Amaurys Minier led off the second with his first home run of 2015. In the third, three consecutive singles loaded the bases to start the inning, but the Twins were unable to scratch a run across after a pop-out double play behind third base that resulted in the runner being thrown out at home after tagging up. They would not threaten again. Guzman was the only hitter to pick up multiple hits, going 2-4 with a run scored. Kamran Young, LaMonte Wade, Daniel Kihle, and Ariel Montesino pitcked up the rest of their seven hits. As a team they left five men on base and were 1-7 with runners in scoring position. Left-hander Brandon Easton started the game, and allowed the first four runs. He lasted just 2.1 innings, as four walks and four hits got him into trouble. He struck out three. Nate Gercken went the next 3.2 innings, and surrendered two runs on five hits, while striking out four. Josh Guyer pitched a scoreless final inning, striking out two along the way. Game 2: Pulaski 0, Elizabethton 4 Box Score In game two, Cody Stashak and Onesimo Hernandez combined to shut out the Yankees. Stashak went the first four innings, allowing just one hit and one walk, while striking out four. Hernandez allowed just one hit over the final three innings and struck out six. Elizabethton scored all four of their runs in the fifth inning. A Nelson Molina single brought in A.J. Murray, who had doubled, for the game’s first run. Manuel Guzman singled with the bases loaded to score the second, and a LaMonte Wade walk and Amaurys Minier sac fly finished it off. Murray (2-3, 2B) was the only hitter to collect multiple hits or an extra-base hit. GCL TWINS TAKES The Gulf Coast League Twins, like the rest of the GCL, had the day off on Sunday. They travel to face the GCL Rays Monday morning. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher(s) of the Day – Tyler Duffey, Rochester Red Wings (7 IP, CG-SO, 4 H’s, 1 BB, 4 K’s) Jose Berrios, Chattanooga Lookouts (7 IP, 1 R, 2 H’s, 1 BB, 6 K’s) Hitter(s) of the Day – Miguel Sano, Max Kepler, and Adam Brett Walker; Chattanooga Lookouts (8-12, 6 R’s, 3 2B’s, 2 HR’s, 9 RBI). Wilkin Ramirez, Rochester Red Wings (3-5, 2 R’s, 2B, 2 HR’s, 5 RBI) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Pawtucket @ Rochester (6:05 PM CST) – RHP Ervin Santana (2-0, 2.84 ERA) Chattanooga @ Montgomery (7:05 PM CST) – LHP Jason Wheeler (0-0, -.-- ERA) Fort Myers @ Dunedin (5:30 PM CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart (3-4, 3.62 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (7:05 PM CST) – RHP Sam Gibbons (1-2, 6.20 ERA) Bristol @ Elizabethton (6:00 PM CST) – TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Rays (11:00 AM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Friday’s games. View full article

There was plenty of action on Sunday, as both the Rochester Red Wings and Elizabethton Twins played double-headers. There was a walk-off blast in one game, a few stellar pitching performances, and an ongoing winning streak on the line. There was also an incredible display of power from the middle of the lineup for one affiliate (I’ll let you guess which one…), as the players involved continue to one-up each other. There was so much action I couldn't limit the players of the day to just one name, either. Read on to find out all about it! RED WINGS REPORT Game 1: Charlotte 0, Rochester 1 Box Score In the first game of their double-header, both teams combined managed just nine hits on the day and a single run. Luckily for the Red Wings, it was they who scored it. An error by Charlotte’s shortstop in the third inning allowed Doug Bernier to reach base. He moved to third on a James Beresford single, and was driven in on a single to left from Eric Fryer. That’s all starter Tyler Duffey would need. He pitched the seven inning complete game shutout, scattering just four hits and one walk along the way. He struck out four. Beresford was 2-4 on the day and is batting .328 on the year, and Jose Martinez added the only extra-base hit for the Red Wings, a double. Game 2: Charlotte 4, Rochester 5 (11 innings) Box Score Greg Peavey made the start for Rochester in the second game, and gave up single runs in the second and third innings to put them down 2-0 early, but a three run fourth put Rochester out front 3-2 after four. Reynaldo Rodriguez and Oswaldo Arcia singled to start the inning, and Wilkin Ramirez put the crooked number on the board with his second home run of the year. The score would remain that way until the seventh and final inning, when Michael Tonkin was summoned for the save opportunity. A one-out walk put the tying run on base, and it moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Tonkin was hit with the blown save after an RBI single to centerfield, before escaping the inning via a strikeout with runners on first and second. A.J. Achter pitched the first two extra innings, allowing just one walk while striking out three to keep the game tied. Lester Oliveros pitched a scoreless tenth inning by striking out two around two singles, but ran into more trouble in the eleventh after recording two quick outs. A single, walk, and wild pitch put a runner on third, and he was driven in on a single from the Knights’ Micah Johnson to make it 4-3. The middle of the Rochester lineup was due up in the bottom of the eleventh, and Arcia singled to put the game tying run on base with one out. All he had to do was trot around the bases, as Ramirez followed with his second home run of the game, a walk-off blast to left field for the 5-4 extra inning win. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 9, Montgomery 8 Box Score The Chattanooga lineup pounded out thirteen hits as a team providing a ton of offense, though it was just enough to escape with the victory after an eventful ninth inning. The Lookouts jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first after Max Kepler drove in Miguel Sano, who had doubled. Montgomery tied the game at one in the second inning with a sac fly, but the score would remain that way until the sixth as starter Jose Berrios was brilliant. In seven innings, Berrios allowed just the one run on two hits and a walk. He struck out six and seventy of his ninety-seven pitches went for strikes. He retired thirteen in a row at one point, and struck out the last two hitters he faced in the game. He left with the score 5-1 in favor of the Lookouts. They pushed two runs across in each of the sixth and seventh innings, thanks to a two-run home run from Adam Brett Walker in the sixth, and a two-run double from Kepler in the seventh. The Biscuits lineup woke up after Berrios left however, and made the score 5-4 in the eighth as D.J. Baxendale was greeted with a solo home run, and two batters later a two-run shot reached the seats. He finished the inning with a strikeout to escape any more damage. The middle of the lineup got all of the runs back for Baxendale in the ninth, as singles from Jorge Polanco and Heiker Meneses were the prelude to a three-run Sano blast into right, and a Walker double brought home Kepler and a 9-4 cushion for the bullpen. Zach Jones walked the first batter he faced, and then picked up the first two quick outs, before his control became an issue again. Three more walks and two wild pitches brought the first run of the inning across, and a triple would clear the bases for three more. Jones was then relieved by Tim Shibuya with the tying run on third, but he got a fly out to right field to end the game. Berrios improved to 8-3 on the season, and lowered his ERA to 3.08. Shibuya picked up his first save of the year. The big names in the lineup: Polanco (3-4, 2 R’s, 2B, BB), Sano (3-5, 3 R’s, 2B, HR, 3 RBI), Kepler (3-3, 2 R’s, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB), and Walker (2-4, R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, BB); collected multiple hits and filled up the stat sheet for Chattanooga. Over their last ten games Sano, Kepler, and Walker have been otherworldly in the three, four, and five spots in the lineup: Sano: 14-40 (.350), 13 R’s, 6 2B’s, 4 HR’s, 11 RBI, 5 BB’s, 9 K’s. Kepler: 21-38 (.553), 8 R’s, 2 2B’s, 4 3B’s, 9 RBI, 7 BB’s, 6 K’s. Walker: 14-39 (.359), 7 R’s, 2 2B’s, 5 HR’s, 12 RBI, 5 BB, 17 K’s. Insanity! MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Dunedin 7 Box Score While they racked up eight hits as a team, they were just 2-11 with runners in scoring position and left ten men on base. Mat Batts was on the hill for Fort Myers, but was only able to make it through 3.2 innings, thanks in part to his defense. In the third two runs had scored after a walk, double, and single; but Batts had countered with a strikeout for the second out. A ground ball to first base was then misplayed by Bryan Haar to prolong it, and a single would drive in the third run for the early Blue Jays lead. Batts would finish his outing with four runs allowed (three earned) on eight hits and one walk, striking out five. Dunedin would add single runs in the fourth, sixth, seventh, and eighth innings to put their final total on the board. Jason Kanzler made the score 4-1 with his fifth home run of the season in the fifth innning, and they’d get as close as 4-2 after an RBI single from Engelb Vielma in the sixth. Chad Christensen (2-5), Kanzler (2-4), and Vielma (2-4) had multi-hit games to lead the offense. Brian Gilbert was the first man up in relief, and finished the sixth inning. He allowed one run on two hits over his 2.1 innings, walking one and striking out one. Tyler Jay then made his second appearance for the Miracle and recorded two quick outs before consecutive extra base hits led to his first run allowed as a pro. He picked up a strikeout to end the threat. Todd Van Steensel came out for the eighth inning, and he was tagged with a solo home run along with picking up a strikeout. The Fort Myers Miracle were riding a ten game winning streak coming into this one, but that’s as far as they could take it. KERNELS NUGGETS Quad Cities 6, Cedar Rapids 1 Box Score Cedar Rapids was unable to string any offense together, totaling just five hits and one walk on the day. They left just four men on base and were 0-4 with runners in scoring position. Alex Real provided their only notch on the scoreboard with a solo home run leading off the fourth inning that made the score 3-1. Zach Tillery made the start for the Kernels, and allowed single runs in the second, third, and fourth innings before being lifted. His line was three earned runs on seven hits and two walks and five strikeouts in four innings. Michael Theofanopoulos pitched three innings in relief, allowing one run on three hits and a walk. Brandon Bixler finished the game by allowing two runs on three hits and two walks in two innings. He struck out one. The top four hitters in the Kernels lineup - Tanner English, Nick Gordon, Edgar Corcino and Real – were 1-4 on the day. Jorge Fernandez provided the only other base hit of the day. Top 2015 draft pick of the Houston Astros, Alex Bregman, slugged his first professional home run off Tillery in the third inning. E-TOWN E-NOTES Game 1: Pulaski 6, Elizabethton 2 Box Score The Elizabethton Twins also played a double-header on Sunday, and in game one they fell behind early and were unable to claw back. Pulaski pushed across two runs in each of the first and second innings, and the home team couldn’t quite match them to put the score at 4-2 after two. Manuel Guzman went station to station in the first, and scored on a wild pitch, while Amaurys Minier led off the second with his first home run of 2015. In the third, three consecutive singles loaded the bases to start the inning, but the Twins were unable to scratch a run across after a pop-out double play behind third base that resulted in the runner being thrown out at home after tagging up. They would not threaten again. Guzman was the only hitter to pick up multiple hits, going 2-4 with a run scored. Kamran Young, LaMonte Wade, Daniel Kihle, and Ariel Montesino pitcked up the rest of their seven hits. As a team they left five men on base and were 1-7 with runners in scoring position. Lefthander Brandon Easton started the game, and allowed the first four runs. He lasted just 2.1 innings, as four walks and four hits got him into trouble. He struck out three. Nate Gercken would go the next 3.2 innings, and surrendered two runs on five hits, while striking out four. Josh Guyer would pitch a scoreless final inning, striking out two along the way. Game 2: Pulaski 0, Elizabethton 4 Box Score In the game two, Cody Stashak and Onesimo Hernandez combined to shutout the Yankees. Stashak went the first four innings, allowing just one hit and one walk, while striking out four. Hernandez allowed just one hit over the final three innings and struck out six. Elizabethton scored all four of their runs in the fifth inning. A Nelson Molina single brought in A.J. Murray, who had doubled, for the game’s first run. Manuel Guzman singled with the bases loaded to score the second, and a LaMonte Wade walk and Amaurys Minier sac flay would finish it off. Murray (2-3, 2B) was the only hitter to collect multiple hits or an extra-base hit. GCL TWINS TAKES The Gulf Coast League Twins, like the rest of the GCL, had the day off on Sunday. They travel to face the GCL Rays Monday morning. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher(s) of the Day – Tyler Duffey, Rochester Red Wings (7 IP, CG-SO, 4 H’s, 1 BB, 4 K’s) Jose Berrios, Chattanooga Lookouts (7 IP, 1 R, 2 H’s, 1 BB, 6 K’s) Hitter(s) of the Day – Miguel Sano, Max Kepler, and Adam Brett Walker; Chattanooga Lookouts (8-12, 6 R’s, 3 2B’s, 2 HR’s, 9 RBI). Wilkin Ramirez, Rochester Red Wings (3-5, 2 R’s, 2B, 2 HR’s, 5 RBI) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Pawtucket @ Rochester (6:05 PM CST) – RHP Ervin Santana (2-0, 2.84 ERA) Chattanooga @ Montgomery (&:05 PM CST) – LHP Jason Wheeler (0-0, -.-- ERA) Fort Myers @ Dunedin (5:30 PM CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart (3-4, 3.62 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (7:05 PM CST) – RHP Sam Gibbons (1-2, 6.20 ERA) Bristol @ Elizabethton (6:00 PM CST) – TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Rays (11:00 AM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Friday’s games.

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Brian Dozier put the Minnesota Twins out front 1-0 immediately in the series opener with their cross-state rival Milwaukee Brewers, leading off the game with his fifteenth home run of the season. It was the eleventh time in his career he has led off a game in such fashion. Four of their six minor league teams also jumped out to leads after the first inning, but what happened next for the parent club after Dozier’s home run was repeated throughout the MLB action on the night. Image courtesy of Image courtesy of University of Illinois Athletics Brian Dozier put the Minnesota Twins out front 1-0 immediately in the series opener with their cross-state rival Milwaukee Brewers, leading off the game with his fifteenth home run of the season. It was the eleventh time in his career he has led off a game in such fashion. Four of their six minor league teams also jumped out to leads after the first inning, but what happened next for the parent club after Dozier’s home run was repeated throughout the MLB action on the night. To find out how it all went down, keep reading! TRANSACTIONS First, there were some significant transactions on Friday. As reported yesterday, top pitching prospect Alex Meyer was promoted to the Twins to pitch out of their bullpen. The move was made official today and Meyer will be ready to make his major league debut in Milwaukee. That exciting news was also met with some bad news, as Byron Buxton is headed to the disabled list with a sprained thumb. The Twins recalled Danny Santana in his place. Also on the move to Rochester, is Aaron Hicks to begin a rehab assignment, and the Red Wings also activated Nate Hanson from their disabled list. On to the action from Friday night! RED WINGS REPORT Charlotte 3, Rochester 1 Box Score Lefthander Pat Dean was on the hill for Rochester, and was fantastic. In seven innings, he allowed just two runs while scattering seven hits and two walks. He struck out three. Both runs came in the third inning, as a couple of doubles scored one and a single scored the other. Charlotte’s starter was just as good, however. Erik Johnson bettered Dean with a line of: 7 IP, 4 Hits, 1 Run, 1BB, and 8 K’s. Johnson currently leads with International League with eighty-eight strikeouts, and was the league’s pitcher of the week coming into the game after two shutout performances in his prior two starts. The Red Wings lone run of the game came in the fifth, when a double from Carlos Paulino brought home Ryan Wheeler who had singled. As a team Rochester left just four men on base while going 1-4 with runners in scoring position, so their opportunities were very few and far between. James Beresford and Oswaldo Arcia picked up the other two hits. Aaron Hicks was 0-4 with two strikeouts in his first game of rehab. Lester Oliveros pitched a scoreless eighth inning, allowing one hit but striking out three. Michael Tonkin allowed one run on three hits in the ninth in his first appearance back with the Red Wings. He struck out one. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 6, Montgomery 7 Box Score The Montgomery Biscuits handed the Lookouts the 2-0 lead after one inning as Levi Michael led off the game by getting hit with a pitch and stealing second base. Miguel Sano sent a pitch into center field that resulted in a fielding error that scored Michael and put him on second base. Max Kepler followed with an RBI single. Alex Wimmers was on the mound for Chattanooga coming off a 3-0 stretch in which he had allowed zero runs in seven plus innings each game, pitching 21.2 innings. Over that time he had given up just eight hits and six walks, while striking out twenty three. He was able to continue this scoreless stretch for four innings, but it was clear he didn’t have the same stuff as Montgomery managed four hits and three walks in those innings. They finally got to him in the fifth. A triple, sac fly, single, double, single and another sac fly tied the game at three before Wimmers was lifted for Brandon Peterson. He recorded a strikeout to end the inning. The Lookouts took back the lead in the seventh inning, when the Biscuit’s bullpen came into play. Sano came to the plate with runners on the corners, and put himself into scoring position with an RBI double. Kepler was then intentionally walked to load the bases before Travis Harrison picked up an RBI on a fielder’s choice ground ball. An RBI single from Michael added another insurance run in the eighth to make the score 6-3, and fireballer Zach Jones came on to pitch. The leadoff man singled before consecutive strikeouts got the Biscuits manager ejected, but it may have sparked his team. Consecutive singles loaded the bases, and exactly what you hope doesn’t happen, did. Leadoff man Joey Rickard’s first home run of the year, in fifty-nine games played, was a grand slam to put Montgomery ahead 7-6. Sano led off the ninth inning with his third double of the game to put the tying run at second base, but he remained there on a Kepler strikeout, Harrison ground out to the pitcher, and a hit-by-pitch for Heiker Meneses. That brought big moment kingpin Adam Brett Walker to the batters box. In a cruel twist of fate, he drew a walk to load the bases. (They probably weren’t pitching much to him!) Stuart Turner wouldn’t get a chance to be a hero, as Walker was caught napping with his bases-loaded lead at first base, leading to snap-throw pickoff from Biscuits catcher Justin O’Connor to end the game. Michael (2-3, 2 R’s, RBI, BB), Sano (3-5, R, 3 2B’s, RBI), Kepler (2-4, 2 RBI, BB), and Niko Goodrum (2-4, R) picked up multiple hits for the Lookouts. MIRACLE MATTERS Charlotte 4, Fort Myers 5 (15 innings) Box Score Fort Myers also jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning by taking advantage of a couple of walks. Zach Granite led off the game with one, Aderlin Mejia followed with a single and after an Alex Swim fielder’s choice, Marcus Knecht drew a walk to load the bases. Mitch Garver promptly cleared them with a double to make the score 3-0. Chih-Wei Hu made the start for the Miracle, and he began by striking out the side in the opening frame, the side including a rehabbing Grady Sizemore of the Philadelphia Phillies as the game’s first hitter. He’d allow a few singles but no runs going into the fourth inning, when the Stone Crabs struck back. A home run from Mike Marjama would make the score 3-1 after the fourth, and in the fifth two doubles around a Sizemore single tied the game at three. Hu finished six innings, allowing three runs on eight hits, but struck out ten Stone Crabs hitters along the way. Those ten strikeouts matched his season high back on April 17th. Brian Gilbert came on for the seventh and started the inning with a walk. That brought up Sizemore who doubled down the right field line to bring in a run, giving Charlotte a 4-3 lead. The eighth inning marked the professional debut of the Twins 2015 first-round draft pick, lefthander Tyler Jay from the University of Illinois. I checked in to the Fort Myers broadcast to catch the action, and I liked what I heard. The first batter he faced doubled to left field, but Jay worked around it, getting the next three batters, including a strikeout on an 86 MPH, hard breaking slider. He had a brisk pace and utilized a consistent 94-96 MPH fastball, and another one of his sliders registered at 88. Congrats on a successful debut, Tyler! Todd Van Steensel came on for the top of the ninth, and had a one-two-three inning, including another strikeout of Sizemore. The Miracle weren’t able to manage much after the first inning. From the second inning through the eighth, they registered just three hits and were unable to string any of them together to add any runs to the scoreboard. Then they almost walked it off in the ninth. Down by one, Garver was hit by a pitch and replaced on the bases by Jason Kanzler to start the frame. Bryan Haar followed with a single, and a bunt attempt by Chad Christensen was misplayed on the force play at third, loading the bases with the winning run in scoring position. The first opportunity went to Logan Wade. His groundball to short with the infield in led to a force out at home for the inning's first out. Engelb Vielma then grounded one to short resulting in the same outcome. Zach Granite was be next. His line drive single to center field brought in Christensen and Wade was waved around third, but the throw from center field beat him to the plate to end the inning, sending it to extra-innings. Leftfielder Marcus Knecht was a defensive hero in the tenth, as he made a nice running catch on the first hitter of the frame to rob a base hit, and recorded the final out on a leaping, crashing-into-the-wall catch to rob a potential go-ahead home run. Guess who was coming up the next inning? Knecht didn’t bring the game-winner home in this at-bat, or his next, but in the fifteenth inning he stepped to the plate again with the bases loaded. He literally walked it off this time, drawing a free pass to push the game-winning run across the plate. In a strange statistical anomaly, it was the fourth time this season he has picked up an RBI with a bases-loaded walk. In extra innings, Van Steensel combined with Alex Muren and Matt Summers to keep the Stone Crabs off the scoreboard. Muren went three innings, allowing four hits but no runs because of five strikeouts, and Summers got credited with the win with two perfect innings. KERNELS NUGGETS Quad Cities 4, Cedar Rapids 3 (10 innings) Box Score As is the theme, the Kernels also took a first inning lead against the first half division winning Quad Cities River Bandits in this one. Top draft pick Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros was also making his professional debut for the opposing squad. Cedar Rapids begin the game with walks to Edgar Corcino and Nick Gordon, and a single from Zack Larson loaded the bases. Alex Real then brought in the first run of the game with another single, and a T.J. White groundout allowed Gordon to scamper home for a 2-0 lead after one inning. Ethan Mildren made the start for Cedar Rapids and kept Quad Cities off balance all night. He scattered five hits and two walks over six innings while striking out three and allowing no damage to the scoreboard. It was still 2-0 Kernels when he was relieved by Luke Westphal to start the seventh. A leadoff triple led to a 2-1 game on a groundout to Gordon at shortstop. The Kernels got the run back in the bottom half of the inning when White lined a double to left field, and went station to station on groundouts from Jorge Fernandez and Brian Navarreto to make the score 3-1. Trevor Hildenberger came in to pitch the eighth, and was not his usual unhittable self. He picked up a strikeout on his first, fourth, and seventh hitters of the inning, but in between four singles pushed two runs across home plate to tie the game at three. Hildenberger was charged with his first blown save of the year. He would come back out for the ninth inning, and although he escaped with no further damage, he was struck with two more base hits. Out to pitch in extra innings, was the also recently unhittable Randy LeBlanc, who brought with him a twenty-six inning scoreless streak. He made it 26.1 innings to set the season high for the Kernels, but got no further. A triple to the second batter of the inning put the runner is prime scoring position for a sac fly and 4-3 River Bandits lead. In the bottom half, Cedar Rapids got the tying run in scoring position, but a Gordon fly out and Larson strikeout ended the game in ten. Alex Real (2-4, RBI) and White (2-4, R, 2B, RBI) picked up multiple hits, and Corcino reached base three times via walk to lead the offense. They were outhit thirteen to five as a team. E-TOWN E-NOTES Pulaski 1, Elizabethton 4 Box Score Like their big-brother affiliates, the Elizabethton Twins also struck in the first frame for an early lead. Fortunately for them, they were able to hang onto that lead, and were never really threatened. Their three runs in the first came on a three-run home run from Tyler Kuresa, his second in three games. It was more than enough as Twins starting pitcher Andro Cutura allowed just three hits to Pulaski in five innings. He walked two and struck out six. Relievers Anthony Mciver, Alex Robinson, and Jose Abreu did not allow any other hits to finish the game. Mciver struck out two in two perfect innings. Robinson hit a batter and walked two to load the bases for Abreu, who then hit a batter to bring in Pulaski’s only run. He retired the next three hitters to escape the inning and worked a perfect ninth, striking out the final hitter of the game to pick up the save. Elizabethton’s fourth run scored on a Kamron Young single in the seventh to score Nelson Molina. Lamonte Wade was only hitter in the lineup to record multiple hits, going 2-4. A.J. Murray added a double. GCL TWINS TAKES Twins 1, Red Sox 5 Box Score There was little offense for the Twins in this one, as they managed just four hits, leaving six men on base, and were 1-4 with runners in scoring position. Two of those four hits came from fourth-round draft choice Trey Cabbage, who played third base in this contest. He also picked up their only RBI by driving in catcher Brian Olson, who had tripled in front of him in the ninth inning. Leadoff man Luis Martinez added a double. Luis Hernandez started the game for the Twins, and was roughed up to the tune of six runs (five earned) on six hits and two walks in just 2.1 innings. He did strike out three. Moises Gomez, Callan Pearce and Brandon Poulson combined to finish the final 5.2 innings, allowing no runs on five hits and one walk. Poulson struck out two in the eighth inning after the first man up reached base on a Cabbage throwing error from third. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Chih-Wei Hu, Fort Myers Miracle (6 IP, 8 H’s, 3 ER’s, 0 BB’s, 10 K’s) Hitter of the Day – Miguel Sano, Chattanooga Lookouts (3-5, R, 3 2B’s, RBI) SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Charlotte @ Rochester (6:05 PM CST) – LHP Tyler Duffey (2-4, 3.35 ERA) Chattanooga @ Montgomery (6:35 PM CST) – LHP Brett Lee (0-1, 5.09 ERA) Fort Myers @ Dunedin (5:30 PM CST) – TBD Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CST) – RHP Keaton Steele (2-2, 3.16 ERA) Pulaski @ Elizabethton (5:00 PM CST) – RHP Cody Stashak (0-0, -.-- ERA, 13th Round Pick out of St. Johns) GCL Red Sox @ GCL Twins (9:00 AM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Friday’s games. View full article

Brian Dozier put the Minnesota Twins out front 1-0 immediately in the series opener with their cross-state rival Milwaukee Brewers, leading off the game with his fifteenth home run of the season. It was the eleventh time in his career he has led off a game in such fashion. Four of their six minor league teams also jumped out to leads after the first inning, but what happened next for the parent club after Dozier’s home run was telling throughout the MiLB action on the night. To find out how it all went down, keep reading! TRANSACTIONS First, there were some significant transactions on Friday. As reported yesterday, top pitching prospect Alex Meyer was promoted to the Twins to pitch out of their bullpen. The move was made official today and Meyer will be ready to make his Major League debut in Milwaukee. That exciting news was also met with some bad news, as Byron Buxton is headed to the Disabled List with a sprained thumb. The Twins recalled Danny Santana in his place. Also on the move to Rochester, is Aaron Hicks to begin a rehab assignment, and the Red Wings also activated Nate Hanson from their disabled list. On to the action from Friday night! RED WINGS REPORT Charlotte 3, Rochester 1 Box Score Lefthander Pat Dean was on the hill for Rochester, and was fantastic. In seven innings, he allowed just two runs while scattering seven hits and two walks. He struck out three. Both runs came in the third inning, as a couple of doubles scored one, and a single scored the other. Charlotte’s starter was just as good, however. Erik Johnson bettered Dean with a line of: 7 IP, 4 Hits, 1 Run, 1BB, and 8 K’s. Johnson currently leads with International League with eighty-eight strikeouts, and was the league’s pitcher of the week coming into the game after two shutout performances in his prior two starts. The Red Wings lone run of the game came in the fifth, when a double from Carlos Paulino brought home Ryan Wheeler who had singled. As a team Rochester left just four men on base while going 1-4 with runners in scoring position, so their opportunities were very few and far between. James Beresford and Oswaldo Arcia picked up the other two hits. Aaron Hicks was 0-4 with two strikeouts in his first game of rehab. Lester Oliveros pitched a scoreless eighth inning, allowing one hit but striking out three. Michael Tonkin allowed one run on three hits in the ninth in his first appearance back with the Red Wings. He struck out one. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 6, Montgomery 7 Box Score The Montgomery Biscuits handed the Lookouts the 2-0 lead after one inning as Levi Michael led off the game by getting hit with a pitch and stealing second base. Miguel Sano sent a pitch into centerfield that resulted in a fielding error that scored Michael and put him on second base. Max Kepler followed with an RBI single. Alex Wimmers was on the mound for Chattanooga coming off a 3-0 stretch in which he had allowed zero runs in seven plus innings each game, totaling 21.2 innings pitched. Over that time frame he had given up just eight hits and six walks, while striking out twenty three. He was able to continue this scoreless stretch for four innings, but it was clear he didn’t have the same stuff as Montgomery managed four hits and three walks in those innings. They finally got to him in the fifth. A triple, sac fly, single, double, single and another sac fly would tie the game at three before Wimmers was lifted for Brandon Peterson. He recorded a strikeout to end the inning. The Lookouts would take back the lead in the seventh inning, when the Biscuit’s bullpen came into play. Sano came to the plate with runners on the corners, and put himself into scoring position with an RBI double. Kepler was then intentionally walked to load the bases before Travis Harrison picked up an RBI on a fielder’s choice ground ball. An RBI single from Michael would add another insurance run in the eighth to make the score 6-3, and fireballer Zach Jones came on to pitch. The leadoff man singled before a consecutive strikeouts got the Biscuits manager ejected, but it may have sparked his team. Consecutive singles loaded the bases, and exactly what you hope doesn’t happen, did. Leadoff man Joey Rickard’s first home run of the year, in fifty-nine games played, was a grand slam to put Montgomery ahead 7-6. Sano led off the ninth inning with his third double of the game to put the tying run at second base, but he remained there for a Kepler strikeout, Harrison ground out to the pitcher, and a hit-by-pitch to Heiker Meneses. That brought big moment kingpin Adam Brett Walker to the batters box. In a cruel twist of fate, he drew a walk to load the bases. (They probably weren’t pitching much to him!) Stuart Turner wouldn’t get a chance to be a hero, as Walker was caught napping with his bases-loaded lead at first base, leading to snap-throw pickoff from Biscuits catcher Justin O’Connor to end the game. Michael (2-3, 2 R’s, RBI, BB), Sano (3-5, R, 3 2B’s, RBI), Kepler (2-4, 2 RBI, BB), and Niko Goodrum (2-4, R) picked up multiple hits for the Lookouts. MIRACLE MATTERS Charlotte 4, Fort Myers 5 (15 innings) Box Score Fort Myers also jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning by taking advantage of a couple walks. Zach Granite led off the game with one, Aderlin Mejia followed with a single and after an Alex Swim fielder’s choice, Marcus Knecht drew a walk to load the bases. Mitch Garver promptly cleared them with a double to make the score 3-0. Chih-Wei Hu made the start for the Miracle, and he began by striking out the side in the opening frame, including a rehabbing Grady Sizemore of the Philadelphia Phillies as the game’s first hitter. He’d allow a few singles but no runs going into the fourth inning, when the Stone Crabs struck back. A home run from Mike Marjama would make the score 3-1 after the fourth, and in the fifth two doubles around a Sizemore single would tie the game at three. Hu would finish six innings, allowing three runs on eight hits, but struck out ten Stone Crabs hitters along the way. Those ten strikeouts matched his season high back on April 17th. Brian Gilbert came on for the seventh and started the inning with a walk. That brought up Sizemore who doubled down the right field line to bring in a run, giving Charlotte a 4-3 lead. The eighth inning marked the professional debut of the Twins 2015 First Round draft pick, lefthander Tyler Jay from the University of Illinois. I checked into the Fort Myers broadcast to catch the action, and I liked what I heard. The first batter he faced doubled to left field, but Jay worked around it, getting the next three batters, including a strikeout on an 86 MPH, hard breaking slider. He had a brisk pace and utilized a consistent 94-96 MPH fastball, and another one of his sliders registered at 88. Congrats on a successful debut, Tyler! Todd Van Steensel came on for the top of the ninth, and had a one-two-three inning, including another strikeout of Sizemore. The Miracle weren’t able to manage much after the first inning. From the second inning through the eighth, they registered just three hits and were unable to string any of them together to add some runs to the scoreboard. Then they almost walked it off in the ninth. Down by one, Garver was hit by a pitch and replaced on the bases by Jason Kanzler to start the frame. Bryan Haar followed with a single, and a bunt attempt by Chad Christensen was misplayed on the force play at third, loading the bases with the winning run in scoring position. The first opportunity went to Logan Wade. His groundball to short with the infield in led to a force out at home for the innings first out. Engelb Vielma then grounded one to short resulting in the same outcome. Zach Granite would be next. His line drive single to centerfield brought in Christensen and Wade was waved around third, but the throw from center field beat him to the plate to end the inning, sending it to extra-innings. Leftfielder Marcus Knecht was a defensive hero in the tenth, as he made a nice running catch on the first hitter of the frame to rob a base hit, and would record the final out on a leaping, crashing into the wall catch to rob a potential go-ahead home run. Guess who was coming up the next inning? Knecht didn’t bring the game-winner home in this at-bat, or his next, but in the fifteenth inning he stepped to the plate again with the bases loaded. He literally walked it off this time, drawing a free pass to push the game-winning run across the plate. In a strange statistical anomaly, it was the fourth time this season he picked up an RBI with a bases loaded walk. In extra innings, Van Steensel combined with Alex Muren and Matt Summers to keep the Stone Crabs off the scoreboard. Muren went three innings, allowing four hits but no runs because of five strikeouts, and Summers got credited the win with two perfect innings. KERNELS NUGGETS Quad Cities 4, Cedar Rapids 3 (10 innings) Box Score As is the theme, the Kernels also took a first inning lead against the first half division winning Quad Cities River Bandits in this one. Top draft pick Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros was also making his professional debut for the opposing squad. Cedar Rapids begin the game with walks to Edgar Corcino and Nick Gordon, and a single from Zack Larson loaded the bases. Alex Real then brought in the first run of the game with another single, and a T.J. White groundout allowed Gordon to scamper home for a 2-0 lead after one inning. Ethan Mildren made the start for Cedar Rapids and kept Quad Cities off balance all night. He scattered five hits and two walks over six innings while striking out three and allowing no damage to the scoreboard. It was still 2-0 Kernels when he was relieved by Luke Westphal to start the seventh. A leadoff triple would lead to a 2-1 game on a groundout to Gordon at shortstop. The Kernels got the run back in the bottom half of the inning when White lined a double to left field, and went station to station on groundouts from Jorge Fernandez and Brian Navarreto to make the score 3-1. Trevor Hildenberger came into pitch the eighth, and was not his usual unhittable self. He picked up a strikeout on his first, fourth, and seventh hitters of the inning, but in between four singles pushed two runs across home plate to tie the game at three. Hildenberger was charged with his first blown save of the year. He would come back out for the ninth inning, and although he escaped with no further damage, he was struck with two more base hits. Out to pitch in extra innings, was the also recently unhittable Randy LeBlanc, who brought with him a twenty-six inning scoreless streak. He made it 26.1 innings to set the season high for the Kernels, but got no further. A triple to the second batter of the inning put the runner is prime scoring position for a sac fly and 4-3 River Bandits lead. In the bottom half, Cedar Rapids got the tying run in scoring position, but a Gordon fly out and Larson strikeout would end the game in ten. Alex Real (2-4, RBI) and White (2-4, R, 2B, RBI) picked up multiple hits, and Corcino reached base three times via walk to lead the offense. They were outhit thirteen to five as a team. E-TOWN E-NOTES Pulaski 1, Elizabethton 4 Box Score Like their big-brother affiliates, the Elizabethton Twins also struck in the first frame for an early lead. Fortunately for them, they were able to hang onto that lead, and were never really threatened. Their three runs in the first came on a three-run home run from Tyler Kuresa, his second in three games. It was more than enough as Twins starting pitcher Andro Cutura allowed just three hits to Pulaski in five innings. He walked two and struck out six. Relievers Anthony Mciver, Alex Robinson, and Jose Abreu did not allow any other hits to finish the game. Mciver struck out two in two perfect innings. Robinson hit a batter and walked two to load the bases for Abreu, who then also hit a batter to bring in Pulaski’s only run. He retired the next three hitters to escape the inning and worked a perfect ninth, striking out the final hitter of the game to pick up the save. Elizabethton’s fourth run scored on a Kamron Young single in the seventh to score Nelson Molina. Lamonte Wade was only hitter in the lineup to record multiple hits, going 2-4. A.J. Murray added a double. GCL TWINS TAKES Twins 1, Red Sox 5 Box Score There was little offense for the Twins in this one, as they managed just four hits as a team, leaving only six men on base, and were 1-4 with runners in scoring position. Two of those four hits came from fourth round draft choice Trey Cabbage, who played third base in this contest. He also picked up their only RBI by driving in catcher Brian Olson, who had tripled in front of him in the ninth inning. Leadoff man Luis Martinez added a double. Luis Hernandez started the game for the Twins, and was roughed up to the tune of six runs (five earned) on six hits and two walks in just 2.1 innings. He did strike out three. Moises Gomez, Callan Pearce, and Brandon Poulson combined to finish the final 5.2 innings, allowing no runs on five hits and one walk. Poulson struck out two in the eighth inning after the first man up reached base on a Cabbage throwing error from third. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Chih-Wei Hu, Fort Myers Miracle (6 IP, 8 H’s, 3 ER’s, 0 BB’s, 10 K’s) Hitter of the Day – Miguel Sano, Chattanooga Lookouts (3-5, R, 3 2B’s, RBI) SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Charlotte @ Rochester (6:05 PM CST) – LHP Tyler Duffey (2-4, 3.35 ERA) Chattanooga @ Montgomery (6:35 PM CST) – LHP Brett Lee (0-1, 5.09 ERA) Fort Myers @ Dunedin (5:30 PM CST) – TBD Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CST) – RHP Keaton Steele (2-2, 3.16 ERA) Pulaski @ Elizabethton (5:00 PM CST) – RHP Cody Stashak (0-0, -.-- ERA, 13th Round Pick out of St. Johns) GCL Red Sox @ GCL Twins (9:00 AM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Friday’s games.

Yeah Blair, I would also point out, that the article only mentions the Royals and Rays have pulled starters at or before facing the 18th man more than any other teams this year, but not exactly in a ton of games. They're still averaging facing around 23 hitters per game, but that's the lowest by quite a margin against almost everyone else. I do agree that it makes little sense to pull a starter so early if they're cruising, but it has been done by these teams in that scenario. But you're idea of the strategy being to let that shutdown 'pen go to work, is likely correct. It's pretty much the same idea, though: Don't overexpose the starters unnecessarily.

I was recently directed to an article that I happen to find very interesting, that discusses the starting pitcher usage of the Kansas City Royals, and Tampa Bay Rays. http://www.businessinsider.com/royals-rays-reinventing-how-teams-use-starting-pitchers-2015-6 The basic jist, is the Royals and Rays don't want their starting pitchers to face the opposing lineup more than twice per game if they can afford to avoid it. This is due to the actually pretty well known fact that hitters are much better against a pitcher the more times they face them in a game. The Royals are especially effective at this because they have an amazing stable of relief pitchers. But the most interesting thing to me, is that despite the Royals pulling their pitchers much earlier than anyone else, they also aren't racking up tons of innings on any of their relievers. Many have criticized the Twins for drafting so many "relievers" early in the past few drafts, but my thinking is it may be they've also embraced this trend, and have been doing so in order to work toward implementing this approach in the future? It makes a lot of sense to me actually, but what do you guys think?

The starting rotation as a whole is the positive. Pelfrey has been good, May has taken a huge step forward. Phil Hughes and Joe Mauer would be my negatives. Hughes isn't a disaster and has been turning it around, but has been nothing close to what he accomplished last season to this point. As for Mauer, as long as he is not hitting near .300 with a high on-base percentage, he's a disappointment to me. That's his set of skills that has allowed him to be so valuable in the past. He's basically been replacement level, or at least definitely below average, at 1B for the Twins this season on the whole.

He's on the 40-man roster, therefore already "on the team," and was "sent down" to the minors as part of Spring Training. Thus, he's "recalled" now!

Apparently every guy in the system has a "rocket arm"? Santana has a rocket arm. Polanco's is pretty average for a SS. I haven't seen anyone put a grade better than 50 on him for his arm. It's good to see him at #4 though, I think he's been very underrated, or overlooked maybe, with everyone else in the system. He gets it done.

My bad... As further FYI - I still see ads with Flash deactivated. From what I know about how these ad's work, you're not losing anything simply because the buggy ones get taken away. There's "Billy Butler Country Breakfast Bowl" and "John F. Kennedy University" on the right of my page, "Salute to Armed Forces Fireworks" in a top banner, and "online components.com" in a bottom banner currently as I write this... I have to do disable it. I can't browse the site or provide the content I do without doing so. It crashes my browser or will freeze it up eventually every time. I know I'm not the only one with this issue. I need the site to work, and it does so flawlessly with this taken away. You will never know the extreme anger I have gotten from writing a blog post I had put hours upon hours of effort and research into being lost because the site would crash in the middle of it. This has happened multiple times, including while in the middle of writing the MiLB reports for here as well.

Yuck...

So much this. Every time I see one of these threads pop up, I drop in and go "DEACTIVATE FLASH FOR CRIPES SAKE!" Apparently no one listens... I see none of the associated ads now, and as a result the sites don't crash my browser from overloading Flash anymore, which was quite common. As an aside, the ads are required to help run the site, and you'd be amazed how many clicks on ads it takes to make any reasonable amount of money. You're not going to get rid of them unless content here becomes pay-subscription based. And that's never going to happen, it's not the Twins Daily way, and I'm thankful for that!

Sure seemed to me he overwhelmed AAA hitters plenty last year. He did lead the league in strikeouts, after all...

Loved the pick, and it was fun to write his draft preview here. It was a very interesting case at Illinois. It's not that he couldn't be a starter there, it was that his team already had a bunch of good starters who held seniority over him. So they basically used him as a "firestopper" or bullpen-ace, in addition to being the closer. I think starting is going to work with him, and if it doesn't, we probably have another Glen Perkins. That's fine with me. And I'll just say Jay has just as many questions about converting to a starter, as guys like Tate and Fulmer have about remaining as one, so I don't buy that argument that they should have taken him over Jay for that reason. And Jay has the one plus-skill those guys currently don't, and that's control.