Ted Schwerzler

The Twins traveled to Wisconsin for a quick two-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers. Matching production early, the Twins found themselves with a slight advantage halfway through Tuesday night's game. A bullpen blowup led to a highlight that saw Edouard Julien play first base. Image courtesy of © Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Bailey Ober 5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K Home Runs: Christian Vazquez (4) Top 3 WPA: Christian Vazquez .126, Kyle Farmer .116, Bailey Ober .095 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) You see something new every day during a baseball game, and Jeff Nelson showed us something different in the first inning of Tuesday's Brewers and Twins matchup. After Jorge Polanco foul tipped a third strike into the glove of William Contreras, the Brewers backstop dropped the ball, but it was deemed to have happened on the transfer. That's not a play you ever see, but Rocco Baldelli got an explanation and moved on with the action. Bailey Ober has fallen off since the All-Star Break, and he continued a run of seven straight starts allowing a homer. In the first inning, Willy Adames stepped in and took Ober out to left center. After giving up just eight home runs in 82 2/3 innings before the break, he's allowed nine in 32 innings since. Christian Vazquez turned 33 on Monday, and while there were no fireworks on the Twins off day, he provided some with a blast scoring Kyle Farmer on a homer to left field. Immediately answering for Minnesota against Wade Miley, it was a new ballgame early. Ober largely nibbled in the third inning and struggled to put William Contreras away before nearly walking Carlos Santana. Instead, Jorge Polanco started a double play that Carlos Correa's howitzer attached to his right shoulder finished. Adames had a hit taken away by Kyle Famer, and the Twins could escape a daunting jam. The two previous games between Minnesota and Milwaukee this season were decided by two runs apiece, with the Twins walking off the first one. Entering the fourth inning with both teams having a pair of runs on a pair of hits only highlights how close both clubs are. Jordan Luplow, in against the lefty starter, kicked off the fourth inning with a double just down the line. After Correa worked a walk, Farmer grabbed his second hit of the game. Lofting a single to left fielder Christian Yelich, Luplow was fine testing the weak arm and came across the plate giving Minnesota their first lead. Despite a tough couple of innings to open up the game, Ober found a new gear and dominated, retiring eight straight Milwaukee hitters. While the Twins didn't crush Miley, they did force Milwaukee to the bullpen after five innings. Baldelli answered with Dylan Floro taking over for Ober in the sixth inning. At just 78 pitches, Ober had bounced back from a rough start to the outing. Having retired eight in a row, he rebounded well. Baldelli indicated that limiting innings for him down the stretch will be a thing, and tonight this was the spot. Milwaukee opened the frame with back-to-back singles before Floro got a strikeout. Mark Canha singled to right field, scoring Contreras, and the game was tied. Tyrone Taylor popped a jam-shot single to right, scoring Santana, and Milwaukee had their second lead. A Brice Turang single brought Canha home before Brian Anderson plated Taylor and Turang. Floro's sixth inning had entirely gone off the rails. Despite giving up weak contact, he surrendered six singles to Brewers batters. Trailing 7-3, Minnesota needed to find a late-inning comeback. Oliver Ortega took over in the seventh inning and brought the game to a crawl with an inability to find the strike zone. Following his 25th pitch, Ortega winced and was lifted due to injury. Cole Sands inherited a 3-0 count, issuing a walk, but got out of the inning on the next at-bat. Edouard Julien pinch hit for Donovan Solano in the top of the eighth inning, and Baldelli kept him in at first base to start the bottom half. With 420 defensive innings at the Major League level, this was the first time one came at first base. The last time Julien was used at first base was back in 2021 at Single-A Fort Myers. Interestingly, the Twins never previously got Julien innings at first base, but this certainly signifies they're open to that idea. Being an option there with Alex Kirilloff in the future opens more positions on the infield for Minnesota's youth. Royce Lewis singled to start the ninth inning, but an aggressive turn got him thrown out, retreating after attempting to stretch for a double. Max Kepler then watched a 101-mph fastball from former Twins reliever Trevor Megill for strike three. Vazquez popped out to end it and the end of this one felt like a whimper. Take a look at the game through a Brewers lens with a recap from Brewer Fanatic. Notes With the Brewers starting a lefty in Wade Miley, Matt Wallner was the lone lefty to start for Minnesota on Tuesday. Edouard Julien and Max Kepler found themselves on the bench for game one of the short series. Glen Perkins, who was on the broadcast tonight for Minnesota, talked of his struggles against Brewers' Carlos Santana. All of their matchups came when Santana was with the Guardians. Santana owned Perkins to the tune of four homers and a pair of doubles. Rocco Baldelli has said Joe Ryan's next start will come with Minnesota, not in a rehab outing for the Saints. The groin is healthy, and it remains to be seen how his effectiveness and ability to keep the ball in the yard respond. Perkins noted his first at-bat came against the Brewers. He faced Jeff Suppan and swung once, fouling the ball off. It was his lone swing in a major league game. Later in 2008, he faced Greg Maddux with the Padres. What's Next? It's a quick two-game series for the Twins and Brewers. Minnesota will face Milwaukee ace Corbin Burnes Wednesday afternoon before returning home to welcome the Texas Rangers. The following two weeks represent Minnesota's last gauntlet of the season, and how they handle, it will likely determine their 2023 fate. Wednesday 8/22 Kenta Maeda vs Corbin Burnes 1:10pm Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

The Minnesota Twins are trending towards the postseason, and while they currently have a lead in the AL Central, maintaining that down the stretch is a focal point. They’ll be given two extra roster spots on September 1, but who do they call upon? Image courtesy of Landon Bost/Naples Daily News/USA TODAY Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK Rule changes across Major League Baseball have drastically shifted how teams approach the month of September. While the active roster was expanded to 26 players in recent seasons, September adds just two spots as opposed to the previous 15. With an intention of keeping the game moving, there isn’t an opportunity for managers to mix and match as much throughout a game. Rocco Baldelli will look to keep his starters fresh, and supplementing with a key addition or two could make sense. How the Twins manage that with players returning remains to be seen, however. Although Byron Buxton, Alex Kirilloff, Willi Castro, and even Brock Stewart won’t be ready on September 1, they should command the priority for additions as the month goes on. Looking solely at the minor leagues, here are the five most likely options for Minnesota: 5. Ronny Henriquez After starting the season behind schedule, Henriquez has not pitched for the Twins this year. Acquired in the Mitch Garver trade with the Texas Rangers, Henriquez is still among the youngest players at Triple-A. Since giving up five runs to the Iowa Cubs in early June, he owns a 3.65 ERA with a .691 OPS against. The command is still an issue with a 5.8 BB/9, but he has strikeout stuff and brings it at a relatively strong velocity. As a right-handed arm, the Twins could take another look at him to cycle in among the Cole Sands, Josh Winder, and Jordan Balazovic bullpen spots. 4. Chris Williams If it seems like Williams made more sense prior to September, it’s because that would be the case. Williams is a catcher that has moved to first base, and he has done nothing but mash for the Saints. An eighth round pick back in 2018, Williams owns a .901 OPS in 2023 for St. Paul. He has hit for substantial power with 19 homers, and he’s done a good job taking walks as well. Batting from the right side, it seemed to make sense that he would be promoted once Alex Kirilloff went down. Not on the 40-man, the Twins would need to make a move, but that shouldn’t be hard to do if they really want to give him a look. 3. Michael Boyle Out of professional baseball since 2019, the Twins signed him as a free agent in 2022. Boyle worked just 11 1/3 innings last year before pitching at Double and Triple-A this year. He’s a lefty that has combined for a 2.53 ERA across 46 1/3 innings for Wichita and St. Paul this season. After posting a 29/9 K/BB at Double-A, he owns a 23/18 K/BB with the Saints. The walks are absolutely a problem and will be the reason he is overlooked, but he doesn’t give up hits and keeps the ball in the yard. Also in need of a 40-man spot, Boyle could give the Twins help from a southpaw not named Caleb Thielbar. 2. Austin Martin It has taken a while for Martin to find his footing with Minnesota, but we finally have appeared to reach that point. The former Blue Jays prospect that was at the center of the Jose Berrios trade, has come on strong for Triple-A St. Paul. He’s not a good infielder, but can play on the dirt. He may be an exceptional outfielder, and looks the part in center. He started slow after rehabbing an arm injury, but has been on fire over his last 23 games. He has posted a .347/.438/.547 slash line in those contests, and brings good speed on the base paths. It seems unlikely the Twins would allow Martin to take WIlli Castro’s spot, but he could probably accomplish the same results with a higher ceiling. 1. Kody Funderburk If not Boyle, then it’s absolutely Funderburk. Drafted in the 15th round back in 2018, Funderburk reached Triple-A for the first time this season. Across 47 1/3 innings he owns a 2.47 ERA along with a 70/19 K/BB. Why he hasn’t been promoted already is anyone’s guess, and it has been to the detriment of Minnesota by not doing so. Sands, Winder, and Balazovic have each been hit around from the right side in their brief time with the Twins. Funderburk would immediately give the Twins another lefty, and possibly emerge as a talent capable of sticking in the pen. He should be rostered in September, and keeping him around for the postseason should results warrant it, makes all the sense in the world. Recently Hans Birkeland took a look at many names on the Saints roster with an eye towards September. With some of them unmentioned here, there are a couple of others worth monitoring. Who would you like to see the Twins promote next month? View full article

He isn't great, but he isn't a butcher. I'd say Miranda-like is fair. Interesting he's played quite a bit at 1B for the Saints. They won't push him into that role this year, but creates a nice option for 2024.

A pair of Twins affiliates put up double-digit runs on the day, and offense was the story throughout the system. Yunior Severino went deep twice, and Kala’i Rosario won it for Cedar Rapids. Check out more of the action within. TRANSACTIONS RHP Oliver Ortega recalled by Minnesota RHP Jordan Balazovic optioned to St. Paul SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 7, Indianapolis 6 Box Score Randy Dobnak made a Sunday start for the Saints and went 2 1/3 allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits, two walks, and three strikeouts. St. Paul scored in the first inning on a Trevor Larnach sacrifice fly that brought home Andrew Stevenson. They added another in the second inning on Yunior Severino’s third Triple-A homer. Running into trouble during the third inning, the Saints saw Indianapolis put up a five-spot. Severino then answered with his second dinger of the game, another solo blast, in the fourth inning. The sixth inning saw St. Paul regain the lead. Severino singled home DaShawn Keirsey Jr. Before Gilberto Celestino tripled home Jair Camargo and Severino. Stevenson then singled allowing Celestino to score and the four-run frame gave them a two-run lead. Although the Saints gave up an eighth inning run, they kept the lead in the ninth inning. Severino led the charge with three hits, accounting for half from St. Paul's total. Kody Funderburk continues to throw well for St. Paul as he struck out one across 1 1/3 innings and picked up his fifth save. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 12, Springfield 1 Box Score It was a good day to start for the Wind Surge as the offense exploded for 12 runs on 16 hits. Pierson Ohl was on the bump and turned in five innings of one-run baseball. He gave up just two hits while striking out three. Springfield scored their only run in the top of the first inning, and then Wichita took over. Tanner Schobel singled home Ernie Yake in the third inning to kick things off. Alex Isola followed with a single to score Yoyner Fajardo and Schobel before Jake Rucker went deep with a two-run big fly. Yake launched his first homer in the fourth inning, and David Banuelos doubled in Patrick Winkel and Isola. Doubling again in the eighth inning, Banuelos brought home Schobel and Winkel before Rucker traded places scoring Isola and Banuelos. The laugher saw Rucker, Yake, and Isola each record three hits. Schobel and Banuelos each had a pair of their own as well. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Wisconsin 1 Box Score Zebby Matthews started Sunday for Cedar Rapids. He twirled 4 ⅔ of one-run ball. Matthews scattered five hits and two walks while striking out five as well. Cedar Rapids scored first when Ben Ross drove in Carson McCusker on a sacrifice fly. Kala’i Rosario launched his 18th homer of the season, bringing Jefferson Morales and Noah Miller home, to make it a 4-0 game. Wisconsin answered with only one run and the Kernels cruised to a victory. Miller contributed two of the four Cedar Rapids hits Sunday afternoon. Mike Paredes improved to 6-1 with the victory. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 13, Palm Beach 8 Box Score Jose Olivares took the ball for the Mighty Mussels on Sunday morning and lasted just 1 1/3 innings. The short start came with four runs allowed on three hits, two of which left the yard. Olivares also walked three while striking out two. Danny De Andrade blasted his tenth homer of the year to kick off scoring during the first inning. In the top of the second inning, Dillon Tatum singled home Yohander Martinez before Jay Harry drove in Alec Sayre with a single of his own. Fort Myers got behind with Olivares’ tough inning coming in the bottom of the second. The Mighty Mussels answered in the fourth inning when Gregory Duran brought in Sayre with a ground out, and Maddux Houghton raced home on a wild pitch. It wasn’t until the seventh inning that Fort Myers scored again. Rubel Cespedes ripped a double to score Tatum and Jay Harry before Sayre’s single brought De Andrade home. The Mighty Mussels gave two back in the bottom half but still led 9-6. Martinez singled in the eighth inning to score Harry and De Andrade. Sayre then singled in Cespedes and Houghton doubled home Martinez. Fort Myers had doubled up Palm Beach by a 13-6 tally. The Cardinals got two of their own in the ninth inning, but it wasn’t enough to erase the deficit. Harry and Sayre both had three-hit games while Martinez and Houghton each had a pair. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Pierson Ohl (Wichita) - 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K Hitter of the Day – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 3-4, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR(4) PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #8 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 2-5, 2 R, RBI #13 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R, 3 RBI, HR(18) #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 3-5, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR(4) #17 - Danny De Andrade (Fort Myers) - 1-4, 3 R, RBI, HR(10), K #20 - Brent Headrick (St. Paul) - TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Omaha (6:35PM CST) - TBD Wichita @ Arkansas (6:35PM CST) - TBD Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (6:05PM CST) - TBD Dayton @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games! View full article

Joe Ryan began a rehab assignment on Friday night with the Saints, and Fort Myers put up plenty of offense. There were big flies across the system, and a few notable performances to check in on. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson - St. Paul Saints TRANSACTIONS RHP Joe Ryan begins MLB rehab assignment with St. Paul RHP David Festa placed on the temporary inactive list by Wichita RHP Curtis Taylor reinstated from IL by Wichita SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 8, Indianapolis 5 Box Score Joe Ryan was with the Saints on Friday to make a rehab start as he works his way back from a groin injury. He worked four innings and allowed just one hit. Ryan walked two, but struck out seven (including six of the first seven batters he faced). The lone blemish was a Dom Nunez solo home run. Andrew Stevenson kicked off the scoring with a leadoff home run, his 15th of the year. In the bottom of the second inning, Anthony Prato tripled home both Stevenson and Austin Martin before Brooks Lee singled and made it a 4-0 game. After Nunez’s homer in the fourth inning, Austin Martin singled in Jair Camargo. The seventh inning saw things go awry for Brent Headrick, however. After cruising through his first two innings of work, he gave up a double and a homer allowing Indianapolis to knot things with a four-run frame. Martin answered in the bottom of the seventh inning when he launched his fourth dinger of the season. Kyle Garlick and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. both came in on the big fly, and the three-run lead was enough to hang on for a victory. OIiver Ortega worked a scoreless ninth inning to get the save. The Saints saw Prato, Lee, Keirsey Jr., and Martin all have two-hit nights. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 5, Springfield 4 Box Score It was Marco Raya’s night on the bump and his innings continue to be monitored. Working two innings on Friday, he gave up only one hit and walked none. Raya also recorded three strikeouts. Alex Isola stayed hot for the Wind Surge and launched home run number 17 in the first inning. With Yoyner Fajardo on, Wichita found themselves with a quick 2-0 lead. Though they gave up a run during the third inning, Tanner Schobel responded with a single to bring Fajardo around again. In the fourth inning, Seth Gray doubled home Dalton Shuffield before then crossing the plate himself on a Willie Joe Garry Jr. groundout. The seventh inning saw Springfield add their second tally, but the three-run lead was still intact. L.J. Jones homered in the eighth inning, and his two-run shot brought Springfield within one run. Francis Peguero got the Saints to the final out, and then Hunter McMahon came in with runners on second and third. He got a groundout to end the game and strand the baserunners. Gray was the lone hitter to post two hits for Wichita Friday. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Wisconsin 4 Box Score For the first time this season, Cory Lewis put up something of a clunker. He surrendered three runs on seven hits. Lewis walked two and struck out five. He lasted 4 1/3 innings for the contest. Even with the tougher outing, he still owns a 2.42 ERA with Cedar Rapids. The Kernels scored first when Misael Urbina doubled home both Ben Ross and Emmanuel Rodriguez. The Timber Rattlers scored a run during the second inning, but Cedar Rapids added again in the fourth inning. Keoni Cavaco singled home Andrew Cossetti before Jeferson Morales came home on a wild pitch. Noah Miller then doubled in Cavaco and the lead stood at 5-1. Wisconsin plated a pair during the fifth inning, but Cedar Rapids still clung to a two-run lead. The Kernels got one back in the eighth inning when Morales ripped his second triple of the season. Urbina scored, and Morales was out at home looking to make it a round tripper. After a leadoff walk from John Stankiewicz, Jarret Whorff came on for the Kernels in the ninth inning. He allowed the inherited runner to score, but grabbed a pair of strikeouts and shut it down. Morales was the lone Kernels hitter to record multiple hits Friday night. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 13, Palm Beach 8 Box Score Miguelangel Boadas got the start Friday for Fort Myers. He went just 2 2/3 innings and gave up eight runs on six hits. Boadas did strike out two while walking a pair. Ricardo Olivar doubled in the first inning to bring home Jay Harry and kick off the scoring. Unfortunately the Cardinals answered with three of their own in the bottom half of the frame. After Palm Beach added another in the second inning, Danny De Andrade singled to bring home both Harry and Luke Keaschall. The one-run deficit was doubled in the bottom of the third with the Cardinals scoring again. Samuel Perez came on in relief of Boadas looking to slam the door with the bases loaded. Instead, Joshua Baez got him for a bases-clearing double and it was an 8-3 game. The Mighty Mussels came roaring back during the fourth inning. Kyle Schmidt doubled home both Rubel Cespedes and Rafael Cruz. Then Harry singled to bring home Schmidt and drop the deficit back to two. Fort Myers hoped for a ninth inning rally, and things started well with Alec Sayre and Harry both getting a base hit. Keaschall then clobbered his first professional home run and gave the Mighty Mussels the lead. Olivar followed with a single before Danny De Andrade blasted his ninth homer and made it an 11-8 game. Ineffectiveness continued for the Cardinals and Fort Myers loaded the bases with just one out. Sayre then drew a walk and brought Cespedes home for their 12th run. Harry kept up his big game with a sacrifice fly to bring Cruz home. Harry and Olivar both had four hits for Fort Myers, and Harry grabbed his first Single-A stolen base. De Andrade grabbed a pair of hits in the contest as well. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 1, FCL Red Sox 0 Box Score With weather issues on Thursday, the Twins were back in action on Friday. Cleiber Maldonado turned in four strong innings of one-hit baseball. It was the only one the Red Sox recorded all day. He allowed three walks but struck out four. The Twins recorded just five hits on the afternoon, but Isaac Pena’s leadoff double was enough to put him in position to score. He came across the plate on a wild pitch later in the first inning. Walker Jenkins was 0-for-4 with a strikeout while Brandon Winokur recorded a single. 2023 draft pick Jeremy Lee made his professional debut and picked up a save. He walked one and struck out one in an inning of work. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Nationals 3, DSL Twins 3 (Susp/7) Box Score Miguel Cordero made the start Friday for the Twins and worked 4 2/3 innings. He allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk. Cordero also struck out five in the outing. Carlos SIlva opened up the scoring when Ewing Matos reached on an error in the first inning. The Twins got behind from there after they gave up two in the fourth inning, and another in the fifth inning. The Twins answered wildly in the sixth inning. Dameury Pena stole home on a double steal that was thrown through to second, and then Moises Lopez scored on a wild pitch. With the game tied, the sides were delayed in the top of the seventh inning. They ended the contest in a tie. Silva was the only Twins player to have a hit. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Joe Ryan (St. Paul) - 4.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K Hitter of the Day – Jay Harry (Fort Myers) - 4-5, 3 R, RBI, SB PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 2-5, RBI, K #2 - Walker Jenkins (FCL Twins) - 0-3, K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-2, R, 2 BB, 2 K #4 - Marco Raya (Wichita) - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB 3 K #7 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 2-3, 2 R, 4 RBI, HR(4), BB #8 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 1-4, RBI #9 - Brandon Winokur (FCL Twins) - 1-3, K #10 - Luke Keaschall (Fort Myers) - 1-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR(1), BB, K, SB #13 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, BB, 2 K #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 0-4, 3 K #16 - Jordan Balazovic (Minnesota) - #17 - Danny De Andrade (Fort Myers) - 2-5, R, 4 RBI, HR(9), K #18 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL Twins) - 1-3 #19 - Cory Lewis (Cedar Rapids) - 4.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K #20 - Brent Headrick (St. Paul) - 4.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Indianapolis @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson Springfield @ Wichita (6:05PM CST) - TBD Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP C.J. Culpepper Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (5:00PM CST) - RHP John Klein Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games! View full article

A season ago the Minnesota Twins were leading the AL Central down the stretch, and the postseason was part of the picture. As the roster crumbled due to injury after injury, it looked like they would only compete in small stints. A similar title appears in this article, but takes on a new meaning. Image courtesy of Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports Last season, the Minnesota Twins watched as they bled players on the active roster down the stretch. Rocco Baldelli saw big acquisitions like Tyler Mahle and Jorge Lopez flop, while players like Luis Arraez, Byron Buxton, and Jorge Polanco all hit the injured list. The Twins were a snakebit group to the finish line in 2022, and the only way they were going to compete was in short three or four game samples. Fast forward to 2023, and this Twins team isn’t only positioned to win in October, but they are built for it. During the offseason Derek Falvey and Thad Levine were intentional about providing starting pitching depth. Chris Archer and Dylan Bundy-type starters were not going to cut it, and acquiring Pablo Lopez put another strong arm in the starting rotation. Having Bailey Ober, Louie Varland, Simeon Woods Richardson, and Brent Headrick all at Triple-A was reflective of a strong process. It has all resulted in one of baseball’s best pitching staffs. Yes, they have struggled since the All-Star Game. Joe Ryan looks like a mess, and Ober has not quite been himself. Still, Kenta Maeda has rebounded in a big way, and Sonny Gray is trending towards a Cy Young award. Going into a postseason series relying on Gray, Maeda, and Lopez gives Minnesota a very strong fighting chance. During October though, it’s not just the starting rotation, and that’s where Minnesota could stand to benefit. The bullpen was untouched this offseason, and then capable looking arms like Danny Coulombe and Jeff Hoffman were left off the roster. That has made the relief corps Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Caleb Thielbar, and pray for rain. Brock Stewart emerged and looked the part of a high-leverage arm, but may not return this year. Emilio Pagan has turned the page on his awful 2022, and his performance has the front office looking right for sticking by him. Still though, the group a rung down from the top two or three arms leaves plenty to be desired. In the postseason though, there is opportunity to shift arms where necessary. Nothing says that the Twins have to go with five starters, and in any given series, they likely won’t have the need for that many games. Having Ober, Ryan, and others available in relief could help to bridge the gap between two strengths, and provide necessary outs in the middle of games. It’s a blueprint that Baldelli can’t employ now, but one that certainly works when the strategy of a game gets compressed. It’s well documented how poorly the Twins have hit this season, and a lineup that includes players like Carlos Correa, Joey Gallo, and sometimes, Byron Buxton, should be better than it has been. That said, a flip of the calendar allows new opportunity with everyone starting at .000. Correa has been a menace in the postseason, and Buxton returning refreshed should matter. The Twins lineup is built to be more power than run creation, and adding quickly during October can be a key way to change the game. Balanced with contact hitters like Edouard Julien or Donovan Solano, Minnesota can put guys on base. Ryan Jeffers has emerged as a breakout star behind the plate, and Royce Lewis playing in his first October action seems enticing. There is no denying that the AL Central is baseball’s worst division in 2023, but the Twins have held their own against good teams. Despite dropping maddening contests to the Tigers or Nationals, they won season series against both the Yankees and Astros. Better pitchers have been the ones where the Twins lineup has shown up, and that will be what they can expect to see during the postseason. It doesn’t seem like a great bet to suggest that the Twins are destined for a World Series victory, but ending the 0-18 drought and winning a series or two is hardly an unrealistic belief. View full article

I'd guess he'll be in the mix for a Nick Gordon or Willi Castro type of role next year. That will likely be in competition with Austin Martin.

They have played almost every day? Yesterday there wasn't a game.

The Twins had a scheduled off day on Thursday while the rest of the organization was in full swing. St. Paul won a well-pitched game with Anthony Prato provided the offense. Wichita came up short, but David Banuelos still made his mark on the game. Check out how the rest of the action went. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson - St. Paul Saints SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 4, Indianapolis 1 Box Score Blayne Enlow was used as an opener Thursday night for the Saints. He responded with two innings of hitless baseball. Enlow punched out three and didn’t allow a free pass. Kyle Garlick kicked things off nicely for the Saints when his first inning double brought Brooks Lee home and opened up the scoring. Then, an inning later, Lee doubled for the second time at Triple-A, and his two-base hit scored both Gilberto Celestino and Austin Martin. Anthony Prato blasted a solo shot in the fifth inning. His eighth of the season for St. Paul made it a 4-0 lead over Indianapolis. Doing his best Shohei Ohtani impression, Andrew Bechtold stepped on in relief for the eighth inning. Indianapolis plated a run and the Saints turned to Kody Funderburk for the final out of the frame. He came back out for the ninth and slammed the door giving St. Paul the victory. Prato posted a trio of hits and Garlick came up with two on his own. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 7, Springfield 6 (F/10) Box Score Aaron Rozek tossed the pill Thursday for the Wind Surge. It was a short outing after he allowed four runs on six hits across just 3 1/3. Rozek recorded a pair of strikeouts and also walked two. The Cardinals jumped out to an early lead after having put up a three-spot in the second inning. Yoyner Fajardo got the Wind Surge on the board after his sacrifice fly allowed Willie Joe Garry Jr. to score. The sides traded runs in the fourth inning. David Banuelos singled home Alerick Soularie to pull Wichita back within a pair. In the fifth inning, Springfield stretched the lead again, this time to 5-2. Banuelos answered again, a couple of innings later, when he launched his ninth home run to make it 5-3 in the seventh inning. L.J. Jones continued to torment the Wind Surge and helped to push another Cardinals run across in the eighth inning. The Wind Surge made things interesting after Aaron Sabato doubled home both Alerick Soularie and Banuelos in the ninth inning. Will Holland took over as a pinch runner and made it to third base on a passed ball. Dalton Shuffield needed a hit to come through and tie the game and found just that on the fifth pitch of his at bat. His single scored Holland and gave Wichita new life. Wichita shut down the Cardinals during the top of the tenth inning, and Tanner Schobel stepped in as a pinch hitter with the bases loaded and just one out. On the second pitch of his at bat Schobel singled to center and walked it off for the Wind Surge. Banuelos had himself a three-hit night while Shuffield grabbed a pair of his own. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Wisconsin 2 Box Score Cedar Rapids started Andrew Morris Thursday, and he came through with another strong performance. Morris worked five innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits. He also struck out seven and walked none. The outing dropped his ERA to 2.57 on the year. The Timber Rattlers struck first, but Cedar Rapids answered quickly. In the bottom of the first inning, Jorel Ortega doubled home Emmanuel Rodriguez to tie the game at one. After they watched Wisconsin add a run during the fifth inning, the Kernels scored four of their own. Ben Ross singled in Misael Urbina before Rodriguez drove in Mikey Perez on a ground out. Kala’i Rosario then blasted his 17th home run and he met Ross at home plate. Cedar Rapids looked for a bit of breathing room and found it during the eighth inning when Rodriguez stepped in with the bases loaded. His sacrifice fly scored Perez and made it a 6-2 game. Ortega got a shot with the bases loaded before the inning ended as well, but couldn’t capitalize. A.J. Labas was called on to get the final three outs. Wisconsin went down quietly and the Kernels grabbed the victory. With seven hits on the night, they were spread out evenly as just Noah Cardenas and Fedko went hitless. MUSSEL MATTERS Palm Beach 6, Fort Myers 5 (F/10) Box Score With Wednesday night’s action suspended due to rain in the fifth inning, the sides picked up where they left off on Thursday. Fort Myers was down 5-4 needing to draw even. Maddux Houghton roped his ninth double which allowed Rafael Cruz to score. Both Fort Myers and Palm Beach put up zeroes on the scoreboard the rest of the way, and extras were needed. After the Mighty Mussels didn’t score in the top of the 10th inning, the Cardinals walked it off. Ricardo Olivar, Nate Baez, and Rubel Cespedes all recorded a pair of hits each. Game 2 Palm Beach 6, Fort Myers 5 (F/7) Box Score In the regularly scheduled game for Thursday night, Jack Noble made the start. He went four innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on a pair of hits and walks. Noble also struck out four on Thursday. Fort Myers got on the board in the first inning after Cruz singled home Olivar. In the third inning, the Mighty Mussels added again on a Dillon Tatum double. Yohander Martinez raced home to make it a 2-0 lead before Luke Keaschall singled and allowed Tatum to cross the plate as well. Palm Beach grabbed a pair of runs in the fourth inning to make it a one-run game. Looking for separation, Kyle Schmidt provided some breathing room with his fifth inning double. Danny De Andrade and Cruz both scored on the play. After they allowed a four-run sixth inning, Fort Myers found themselves in need of a seventh inning run to force extras. Unable to put a rally, they dropped the shortened second game. Cruz posted a three-hit effort with Martinez providing two of his own as well. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Phillies White 8, DSL Twins 0 Box Score Things could have gone better for the Twins on Thursday. Adrian Bohorquez lasted just 2 2/3 innings after he gave up six runs (one uneared). The Twins defense made a whopping seven errors and that represented two more tallies than the amount of hits they had in the game. Javier Roman did record two of the Twins five hits, one of which was his sixth double of the season. Catching prospect Carlos Silva also picked up a base knock. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Andrew Morris (Cedar Rapids) - 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, ER, 7 K Hitter of the Day – Anthony Prato (St. Paul) - 3-4, R, RBI, HR(8) PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 1-3, R, 2 RBI, 2B, BB #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R, 2 RBI #7 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-4, R #10 - Luke Keaschall (Fort Myers) - 1-4, RBI, 2 K #13 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, HR(17), R, 2 RBI, 2 BB #17 - Danne De Andrade (Fort Myers) - 0-2, R FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Indianapolis @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - TBD Springfield @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Cory Lewis Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (5:30PM CST) - RHP Miguelangel Boadas Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! View full article

The Minnesota Twins are set to get a bit more healthy down the stretch this season, and with some of that representing younger players, the roster will see a crunch. Where does everyone fit, and how much can they play? Image courtesy of Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports After injuring his oblique during the middle of the summer, Royce Lewis is back for the Twins on Tuesday night. He played four rehab games with the St. Paul Saints, and his time there was spent at third base. He went 5-for-12 with a pair of home runs and certainly looks ready to go. Rocco Baldelli could use the influx of offense for his lineup the rest of the way. With Lewis ticketed to take back over at the hot corner, that puts veteran Jorge Polanco in an interesting position, and Minnesota must consider where everyone will play both this year and next. On the season, Polanco has a 102 OPS+, but he has hit just .228/.343/.386 since returning from the injured list at the end of July. Assuming Lewis takes his spot at third base, it will be the second time this season that Polanco has been outdone by a younger talent, and Edouard Julien has settled in nicely at second base. Polanco doesn’t seem likely to be benched, so the designated hitter spot could become his regular home going forward. If there is fear Julien's defense holds him back, rather than is necessary development, the positioning between the two could be swapped. The Twins have hamstrung themselves in terms of lineup flexibility when Byron Buxton plays this season. Currently on the injured list and looking for a health reset, he doesn’t seem ticketed for centerfield any time soon. That means he will continue to clog the designated hitter spot, and he’s doing so at a detriment to the Twins with just a 99 OPS+. Shuffling will need to take place. First base can presumably be Joey Gallo and Donovan Solano’s role until Alex Kirilloff returns from injury. It remains to be seen whether he can get healthy, but the shoulder issue is not the same as his wrist plaguing him in recent seasons. Kirilloff has seemed to be an everyday player this season, and that would be the hope for 2024 as well. He has the ability to play corner outfield, but keeping him at first is straightforward. Right now, there is no reason to take Max Kepler out of the lineup, and Matt Wallner fits in at the other corner spot. Should Kepler’s option be declined next season, Trevor Larnach could figure to factor back into plans, but he has struggled to do anything with opportunities presented to him thus far. The Twins glut of corner outfielders becomes substantially more manageable in 2024, and seems to have sorted itself out for 2023. At centerfield, a player like Austin Martin could find a chance to establish himself. Martin probably profiles more as a utility type, but could rotate with Michael A. Taylor. He’s a better defender in the grass than on the dirt, and his speed plays in center. He’s a high on base percentage guy, and it could give Minnesota a different look down the stretch. Logically, it makes sense that Lewis could also start in centerfield for 2024, but that won’t be part of the equation this year. Even with the injury being a fluke in 2022, the Twins are set on their youngster not playing off the dirt this season. Giving him a full offseason to transition into the outfield helps to take some of the mouths needing to be fed on the infield out of the equation. Carlos Correa will remain the starting shortstop this year and into the future, which then pushes Brooks Lee to third base. Julien is settling in at second, and unless he’s given more reps at first base, that seems like the role where he will stay. Lee has already advanced to Triple-A St. Paul, and although he won’t be with the Twins in 2023 or to start 2024, a quick debut could be coming. At this point it’s hard to suggest what the future looks like for Jose Miranda, who failed to take the path he was provided and run with it. Losing the starting third baseman job, and then essentially losing a season due to injury, his future with Minnesota is a bit murky. Beyond the big names, there are a few guys that could push for playing time, but these are the talents that should be expected to anchor Minnesota in years to come. A left-to-right infield of Lewis, Correa, Julien, and Kirilloff can add Lee at third a season from now. Wallner then flanks Lewis in the outfield, with one spot up for grabs. The Twins have more to shuffle on the infield than they do the outfield, but having this much young talent pushing for time is hardly a bad place to be. As Minnesota turns the books to 2024, the amount of pre-arbitration contracts should provide ample opportunity for a big addition or two. Pairing that with established youth is something that should be exciting to fans for years to come. View full article

I don't know that the voting contingent, at least as it has evolved, cares about either of those things anymore (and really, they shouldn't.)

Ohtani will win the MVP award deservedly, and he'll get Cy Young votes, but don't think he finishes top five without a great end to the year.

The Minnesota Twins acquired Sonny Gray going into the 2022 Major League Baseball season. With Derek Falvey needing substantial help for the starting rotation, adding a veteran like Gray was a must. It couldn’t have gone better, and now he’s positioned for a Cy Young award. Image courtesy of Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports When the Minnesota Twins traded for the final two years remaining on Sonny Gray’s deal with the Cincinnati Reds, it came at a substantial cost. Chase Petty was the most recent first round pick for the organization, and he was touching 100 mph as a prep arm. Gray though, a nine-year veteran, was someone that could bolster a rotation including weaker arms such as Dylan Bundy and Chris Archer. Gray was fine in year one, posting a 3.08 ERA across 24 starts for the Twins. His peripherals were largely in line with the results, and he returned to Rocco Baldelli’s group this year as the likely ace. Bumped on Opening Day for Joe Ryan, Gray still had the most impressive track record. Fast forward to mid-August, and he’s become just the fourth pitcher across Major League Baseball to record 4.0 fWAR on the season. He trails only Kevin Gausman, Zac Gallen, and Zack Wheeler across all of baseball. For those keeping track at home, two of those players are in the National League, meaning he is only looking up at Gausman’s 4.4 fWAR among American League contention. Understandably, WAR isn’t the decisive factor for who will take home the Cy Young Award when the dust settles, but it is a good barometer of overall performance. Interestingly enough, both Gray and Gausman have identical ERA totals, and their FIP numbers are split by just nine points. Voters are unlikely to look at expected outcomes when deciding on an award, given the clock has run out and all that should matter are results. For most, pitcher wins have fallen by the wayside as a measuring stick of performance. Gray has been hampered by lack of run support and has just six on the year, while Gausman has recorded nine. Gray’s strikeout totals are lower, with a higher walk rate, but he’s led the league in not allowing home runs. Branching out from the WAR leaderboard a bit, names like George Kirby, Gerrit Cole, Nathan Eovaldi, and even teammate Pablo Lopez could be in contention. Minnesota has not had a pitcher win the award since Johan Santana did it way back in 2006. Bartolo Colon was the last former Cy Young winner they even rostered until Dallas Keuchel made a cameo late this season. For Gray, winning the award would be perfect timing given his impending free agency. It seems unlikely the Twins would be bidders to retain his services, and while they will certainly give him a qualifying offer of around $20 million, he should expect a much larger payday. Despite brief talk of retirement, it seems crazy that Gray would walk away from such a big payday after performing at the height of his abilities. The season Gray is putting up largely resembles another former Cy Young winner for Minnesota in Frank Viola. Gray hasn’t posted numbers this strong since he received votes for the award in both 2019 and 2015. In each of those years he recorded a sub-3.00 ERA, and with where he is positioned now, can certainly cross that threshold in 2023. Assuming a relatively straightforward path of starts the rest of the way, Gray will face opponents such as the Pirates, Rangers, Guardians, Rays, White Sox, Angels, and Rockies. There is ample opportunity for him to dominate some poor lineups in that selection, and he can also establish himself as a top-tier arm with some clubs that can really hit the ball. Tracking toward the award is one thing, and whether or not Gray completes the feat remains to be seen. Regardless, he’s positioned himself in a very good place with less than two months to go in the season, and because of his strong year, the Twins find themselves atop the AL Central and trending toward the postseason. Gray would certainly love to pick up some individual hardware, and anchoring a strong rotation is something that could trend towards a larger piece of metal when the season ends. View full article

The Minnesota Twins made it their mission to have substantial depth this season. They have accomplished that both on the mound and in the field, but there is somewhat of an exodus in the rotation heading into 2024. Will any of the free agents come back, and if so, which one? Image courtesy of Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports After seeing Rocco Baldelli hamstrung with bad pitching performances and exhausting his options over the past few seasons, Derek Falvey and Thad Levine built a strong stable for the starting rotation. That led to Bailey Ober and Louie Varland beginning the year with Triple-A St. Paul, and Toby Gardenhire’s group had plenty of mouths to feed. Beyond the big-league rotation, Minnesota still has Varland at Triple-A. Dallas Keuchel has now made two starts for the Twins. Simeon Woods Richardson has shown flashes, and Brent Headrick is a prospect in limbo. Marco Raya and David Festa could also be options to debut next season. Looking forward to 2024, the Twins will have open spots in the rotation as Sonny Gray, Kenta Maeda, and the currently-injured Tyler Mahle all head out into free agency. The question is, do any of them come back, and what would that look like? Least Likely - Sonny Gray Minnesota never seriously wanted to consider dealing Gray during the season but was approached by the Tigers about a three-way opportunity with them landing Eduardo Rodriguez. Either way, they would likely pitch him into the postseason and hand him a qualifying offer when the dust settled. Gray has floated the idea of retiring, but it was likely positioning more than reality. The Twins would love to have him back at $20 million on a one-year deal, but it makes much more sense for him to target multiple years. A month ago, I outlined what that may look like, and the rich price tag there would take Minnesota out of competition for his services. Somewhat Unlikely - Kenta Maeda Brought to Major League Baseball by the Los Angeles Dodgers way back in 2016, Maeda’s contract was immediately weird in how it was structured. Just a $25 million deal through 2023, he had plenty of incentives to take things higher while protecting an organization against his potential arm issues. Minnesota flipped Brusdar Graterol for Maeda, and he provided the Twins with a Cy Young-caliber performance in 2020. His arm blew out, and the Tommy John surgery, always thought possible, reared its head. Across eight starts since returning from the IL, Maeda owns a shiny 2.47 ERA and is allowing just a .597 OPS against. Maeda’s market is unknown, but the Twins could be interested in sticking with a veteran they know. He’s 35 years old and unlikely to find a mega deal. A one or two-year agreement could make sense, and Maeda has shown well within the Twins organization. Familiarity could be something he values; even with the strong performance of late, his valuation shouldn’t be absurd. Most Likely - Tyler Mahle This move may irk fans who still hate the trade that sent Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand to the Cincinnati Reds. At the time, although aggressive, the move was very good, and blew up solely with Mahle blowing out his elbow. Minnesota should not bring him back exclusively to save face and pull something out of the deal, but this is a path they have taken before. Mahle will undoubtedly be unavailable to pitch in 2024. He underwent Tommy John surgery in May and will be eased back into action. There was some shoulder soreness briefly with the Reds, and regardless of where he rehabs, Mahle will look to get everything built back to competition level. This front office offered Michael Pineda an opportunity to work through surgery under the organization’s direction, and he rewarded them with some solid output. Chris Paddack was acquired as the focal point of a trade that included Emilio Pagan, and the controllable starter was available because of his injury concerns. The Twins also extended him, and he seems to be trending toward an Opening Day roster spot next year. If the Twins still believe in the upside they saw in Mahle when he was acquired, bringing him back on a team-friendly deal makes a lot of sense. He noted that Minnesota felt like a good place to be, and pitching depth with strong upside while avoiding substantial cost is a good way to build. Is there a starter that you want the Twins to bring back for 2024? How far do you want them to go to make that happen? View full article

Darryl Strawberry met the media Friday prior to a jersey retirement ceremony on Saturday night with the Saints. St. Paul got a late start due to inclement weather but had plenty of fireworks, and the system provided plenty of strong performances. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints With the St. Paul Saints set to retire Darryl Strawberry’s jersey on Saturday night, he took time to answer questions and discuss what the honor meant to him. For a guy that had played on some of the biggest stages over the course of his career, a 29-game sample with the Saints seems rather nondescript. Batting .435 with 18 home runs in that stretch though, his performance was anything but to be overlooked. “I think it means everything to the people that are here. All of the people that were here when I came here. The St. Paul staff, the fans. I really had no idea if I wanted to play baseball again. The wonderful people of St. Paul welcomed me and my family at that particular time. My life was in shambles. They were a big part of my journey.” Strawberry remembers his time with the Saints fondly. Frankly he says, “most people don’t know I really didn’t want to come to play. My agent convinced me it would be a good place. I realized that baseball was fun again.” The Saints have been synonymous with fun, and that certainly made a lasting impression on Strawberry. “I’ve always played in chaotic atmospheres. I was treated in such a different way here. I never heard a fan boo, that’s a miracle in and of itself. All of the activities that were going on during a ballgame; I think they had a pig running around. I played baseball a long time, and I’ve never played a game where they were giving haircuts up in the stands. It had a special feel and memories will stay with you because I was part of it.” Playing the game itself was certainly fun as well, and that’s aided by such a strong performance on the field. When asked if Strawberry had ever seen that sort of success during a stretch before he said, “I didn’t experience that in high school even, and high school was pretty good. In 100-something at bats, I’ve never experienced that much success. I don’t care what level it’s been at, you have to actually go out there and perform. To be able to do that, it really tells me how comfortable I was playing for the Saints.” While Strawberry’s background and history are well documented, he appears to be in a much healthier place. “Life now is fun. I’m busy. I have a wonderful life and marriage. My wife and I have a ministry. I get to do some pretty cool things. Life is a real journey. A lot of times it has nothing to do with being a baseball player. I was raised right, but I was the one that lived a heathen lifestyle, and there’s a price to be paid for that. I hope my mother is proud of me.” Maybe the most thought provoking comment from The Straw Man came when he was asked how he ultimately was able to figure it out. “You don’t figure life out by yourself. My wife Tracy has had the biggest influence in my life. She was the only person that ever told me, when are you going to take that baseball uniform off and identify yourself as someone other than a baseball player. She was right, I never thought about that. The uniform represents what you do, but I needed to go on a journey to find myself and who I was.” Fans can flock to CHS Field on Saturday if they’d like to take in the number retirement ceremony for Strawberry, as well as catch what could be Royce Lewis’ final weekend in action at Triple-A for the year. Great seats are still available for the festivities and fans can grab tickets here. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 5, Louisville 0 Box Score After the hyped-up matchup between Hunter Greene and Royce Lewis on Thursday night, he was back in the lineup batting second as the Saints designated hitter on Friday. On Tuesday, he said postgame that the plan is for him to play the week in St. Paul. Assuming things continue going well, he should be active for the Twins when they return home to face the Tigers next week. Rain and hail poured down across parts of the Twin Cities metro area during the early-evening hours Friday, and that left the Saints with a new lake bracketing the outfield. The game was still scheduled to take place, but the 7pm start time wasn’t going to happen. After some minor flooding, this one got underway over 90 minutes late, and Louie Varland was on the bump. He turned in arguably the best performance of his season. He went 7 1/3 scoreless innings and allowed just three hits and a walk. He punched out six and dominated the top offense in the International League. Lewis wasted little time making his mark on Friday’s game. Stepping in as the second batter in the bottom of the first inning, he blasted a homer, his second of the week. Jair Camargo then doubled on a crazy play to the first baseman that scored both Trevor Larnach and Gilberto Celestino. Up 3-0 after the first, the wait was worth it for St. Paul. Brooks Lee led off the third inning with his first Triple-A home run, and Camargo followed his lead launching his 18th. The Saints got two hits from Lewis, Camargo, and Martin Friday night. They also accounted for four of the five runs driven in. Martin grabbed his ninth stolen based and Varland allowed St. Paul to go into the weekend on a high note. WIND SURGE WISDOM NW Arkansas 8, Wichita 7 Box Score The Wind Surge turned to Marco Raya on Friday night. He has been struggling of late, and this was another abbreviated outing. While he didn’t give up a hit, the Wichita starter allowed a run on four walks in just one inning. After giving up a run in the first inning, the Wind Surge stormed back and took over. Alerick Soularie clubbed his eighth homer of the year. His second-inning blast plated Seth Gray to take a lead. In the third inning, Yoyner Fajardo homered for the seventh time before Patrick Winkel doubled home Tanner Schobel. Gray then launched his seventh dinger of the season which scored Winkel, and gave the good guys a 6-1 lead. Soularie singled home Dalton Shuffield in the fifth inning to give Wichita a commanding 7-1 lead. Northwest Arkansas got two back in the sixth inning, but the distance still provided them breathing room. Unfortunately, things went sideways in the eighth inning when Wichita saw their lead evaporate, and the Travelers tied things at seven. Wichita went scoreless in the top of the ninth which allowed Northwest Arkansas to complete the comeback in walkoff fashion in the bottom of the ninth inning. Luca Tresh singled home Jorge Bonifacio, and the Wind Surge saw a six-run lead go to waste. Soularie had a big night with a pair of hits, three RBI, and the big fly. He was the only Wind Surge player to record multiple hits. Shuffield stole a pair of bags with Soularie swiping one as well. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Quad Cities 3 Box Score Andrew Morris took the ball for Cedar Rapids and twirled five innings of one (unearned) run baseball. Morris allowed only four hits, walked one, and struck out three. He has continued to have a strong season and lowered his ERA to 2.81 with the Kernels. Quad Cities scored the first run of the game in the first inning. Cedar Rapids grabbed a lead with a three-spot in the third inning though, and they never gave it back. Noah Miller launched his seventh home run of the season which drove in Jeferson Morales. Emmanuel Rodriguez followed his lead with a home run, his 15th of the year. Ben Ross went deep for the 16th time this season and made it a four-run game. The River Bandits drew closer with a run in the sixth inning, and drama ensued. Dustin Dickerson’s double brought home Juan Carlos Negret, but Dickerson was nailed at the plate. Quad Cities wanted interference to be called on the play, and the benches emptied. A seventh-inning run for the River Bandits made it a one-run game, but that was where things ended with the Kernels grabbing the victory. No Kernels had multiple hits Friday evening, but Miller recorded a pair of RBI while Noah Cardenas stole his ninth base. Unfortunately, Rodriguez was lifted due to injury, and it didn’t look pretty. Jeff Johnson talked with manager Brian Dinkelman postgame and it sounds like Rodriguez will be just fine. MUSSEL MATTERS Bradenton 7, Fort Myers 4 Box Score The Mighty Mussels started Jack Noble on Friday night, and he turned in 3 2/3 innings of work. Noble allowed three runs on five hits and five walks. He didn’t give up a longball and struck out five in the effort. Bradenton put Fort Myers behind early with a three-run first inning. The Mighty Mussels answered in the fourth inning with three runs of their own. Maddux Houghton doubled home Nate Baez and Jay Harry before Gregory Duran brought in Alec Sayre on a sacrifice fly to even the score. In the fifth inning, Baez scored on a wild pitch which gave Fort Myers their first lead of the contest. It was short-lived because the Marauders scored two in the sixth and two more runs in the seventh. The Mighty Mussels didn’t answer and dropped the tilt by a three-run deficit. Baez had a strong night. He recorded three of the six total hits for Fort Myers. Houghton’s double was the only extra-base hit. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 8, FCL Red Sox 4 Box Score Friday was a big day in the Complex League for Twins prospects as a host of recently-drafted pitchers made their professional debut. Nolan Santos, Ty Langenberg, Xander Hamilton, Spencer Bengard, Hector Garcia Jr., Jacob King, and Liam Rocha now all have officially begun their careers. Santos struck out two batters, as did Langenberg and Hamilton. Langenberg picked up his first professional hold, and Pierce Banks recorded the win. Walker Jenkins started the scoring with a triple, driving in Jankel Ortiz and Byron Chourio. By the eighth inning, the Twins were staring at a 4-2 deficit but came roaring back. Isaac Pena singled home Jenkins before Bryan Acuna drove in Poncho Ruiz and Anderson Nova to make it a 5-4 ballgame. In the ninth inning, Brandon Winokur blasted his third dinger of the season. The two-run shot also plated Chourio. Harold Grant doubled in Pena before the frame was over, and the 8-4 lead was enough to hold up. Winokur and Pena both recorded a pair of hits on the afternoon. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Twins 7, DSL Nationals 4 Box Score Yency De Jesus came on for the Twins in the third inning and provided five strong innings of work. He got the win after he struck out eight batters and allowed just one run on three hits and three walks. Angel Trinidad had a big game from the nine-spot, going 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Moises Lopez homered for the fourth time this season. His solo shot made it a 5-2 game in the fifth inning. Juan Hernandez drove in Junior Del Valle in the same frame. The Twins added another run in the seventh inning. Trinidad was the only Twins player to record multiple hits, and he also swiped a pair of bases. The Twins stole five total bases in the game. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Louie Varland (St. Paul) - 7.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Alerick Soularie (Wichita) - 2-4, R, 3 RBI, HR(8), SB(14), 2 K PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 1-4, HR(1), R, RBI #2 - Walker Jenkins (FCL Twins) - 1-5, R, 2 RBI, 3B, K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-2, R, RBI, HR(15), K #4 - Marco Raya (Wichita) - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB #5 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 0-1, K #8 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 2-4, SB(9) #10 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 1-4, R, BB, 2 K #12 - Luke Keaschall (Fort Myers) - 0-4, 2 K #13 - Brandon Winokur (FCL Twins) - 2-5, R, 2 RBI, HR(3), 2 K #16 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, K #19 - Brent Headrick (Minnesota) - 3.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Louisville @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - TBD Wichita @ NW Arkansas (6:05PM CST) - RHP Jaylen Nowlin Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:30PM CST) - RHP Cory Lewis Bradenton @ Fort Myers (5:00PM CST) - RHP Miguelangel Boadas Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games! View full article