Ted Schwerzler

While the Minnesota Twins got embarrassed in their final game before the All-Star Break, the Saints did some embarrassing while the Mighty Mussels launched plenty on their own. Check out the action on the farm. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 20, Iowa 4 Box Score Louie Varland went today for the Saints and worked five innings, allowing just a single run on three hits. He walked two and gave up a dinger but struck out six on the afternoon. St. Paul opened the scoring in the first inning when Andrew Stevenson blasted his ninth home run of the season. The Cubs tied it in the bottom half, but then the Saints ran off. In the second inning, Tony Wolters walked with the bases loaded to bring home Trevor Larnach. Stevenson walked to drive in Gilberto Celestino, and Matt Wallner walked in Wolters. Kyle Garlick then singled and drove in Stevenson and Austin Martin to make the score 6-1. Wallner doesn’t always homer, and his single during the fourth scored Stevenson. Anthony Prato ripped his eighth double, clearing Larnach, Celestino, and Wallner from the bases, and an 11-1 rout was on. Alex De Goti then clubbed his seventh double, scoring Prato, and Stevenson singled again to bring in De Goti. Garlick’s fifth-inning double brought home Wallner and made it 15-1 before Wallner reached on a fielder’s choice in the sixth inning to score Wolters. Garlick drew a bases-loaded walk later in the frame, scoring Stevenson, and making it a 17-1 game. Iowa scraped back with three runs in the sixth inning, but Larnach added the 18th run for St. Paul with a single in the eighth inning that scored Martin. Stevenson then singled again during the ninth inning to bring home both Wolters and De Goti, hitting the magic 20-spot. Stevenson finished with four hits, as did Garlick. Wallner, Larnach, Prato, and De Goti each added a pair of their own. WIND SURGE WISDOM Tulsa 9, Wichita 8 (F/10) Box Score Aaron Rozek was on the hill today but lasted two innings as he gave up five runs on five hits and three walks. The Drillers put up a five-spot in the second inning before Wichita got on the board in the fifth. Brooks Lee lifted a sacrifice fly to bring in David Banuelos and record a run. While Tulsa scored in the bottom of the fifth, Wichita added a pair in the sixth and seventh innings. Seth Gray homered, bringing home Yunior Severino, and then Lee launched a solo shot of his own. The Wind Surge drew within one thanks to Yoyner Fajardo scoring on a wild pitch. After Tulsa added two more in the seventh inning, Wichita returned to work. Banuelos singled home Gray in the eighth inning, and Lee’s 28th double knotted things when Jake Rucker and Ernie Yake scored. The Drillers recorded a walk-off single in the 10th, and this one was over. Lee and Fajardo both grabbed three hits. Severino, Gray, and Banuelos each had a pair of their own. KERNELS NUGGETS Quad Cities 6, Cedar Rapids 5 Box Score The Kernels turned to Christian MacLeod today, and he gave them three innings of two-run ball. He allowed two hits and two walks while striking out four. Cedar Rapids jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Jorel Ortega singled in Kala’i Rosario, and Noah Miller doubled in Ortega. They gave up the lead allowing two runs in the third inning, and then a two-run blast from Shervyen Newton made it 4-2 in the seventh inning. Missed Urbina brought the Kernels closer with a sacrifice fly scoring Rosario in the seventh inning, but Quad Cities added in the eighth, making it 6-3. In the ninth inning, Miller lifted his fourth homer of the year to score Ortega and make it a 6-5 game, but it was too late. Rosario, Ortega, Miller, and Jefferson Morales all had two hits today. MUSSEL MATTERS Game 1: Jupiter 7, Fort Myers 6 (F/8) Box Score Game one saw Jose Olivares take the ball and pitched four innings of four-run ball on five hits. Olivares allowed just one walk but struck out four. Down 4-0 through four innings, the Mighty Mussels added their first run in the fifth inning when Kyle Schmidt scored on a wild pitch. In the sixth inning, Rafael Cruz brought home Danny De Andrade on a sacrifice fly. After getting down 5-2 in the sixth inning, Rubel Cespedes blasts his 17th double in the seventh inning to bring home Gregory Duran, Ricardo Olivar, and De Andrade, tying the game up. Duran drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth, plating Carlos Aguiar, giving Fort Myers their first lead. Jupiter answered in the eighth, and they walked it off for the 7-6 win. Carson McCusker and Dylan Neuse both recorded a pair of hits on the afternoon. Game 2: Fort Myers 4, Jupiter 2 Box Score John Klein went in game two for Fort Myers and pitched four scoreless innings. He allowed just a single hit with two walks while striking out five. McCusker continued his hot hitting from game one with a first-inning solo blast, his fourth of the season. Mikey Perez singled home McCusker in the third inning and made it a 2-0 game. Perez then blasted his fifth home run during the fifth inning, with Cespedes on board, to make it a 4-0 game. Jupiter added a pair in the sixth inning, but it wasn’t enough to make a difference. McCusker, Cespedes, and Duran had three hits, with Perez grabbing two of his own. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – John Klein (Fort Myers) - 4.0, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K Hitter of the Day – Carson McCusker (Fort Myers) 5-8, 2 R, RBI, HR(4), 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 (Wichita) - 3-4, R, 4 RBI, 2 2B(28), HR(7), BB, K #4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 2-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B(10), HR(7) #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 2-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB, K #11 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-5, 3 R, BB, K #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, 3 K #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, R, 3 RBI, 2B(8), HR(4g #14 - Jordan Balazovic (Minnesota) - 2.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 2-5, R Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games! View full article

As Major League Baseball continues on past the halfway point of the season, and into a well-deserved All-Star Break, one of the consistent highlights is the Home Run Derby. Revitalized with a new format that brings a countdown into play, one of the most forgotten events featured Minnesota Twins legend Justin Morneau. Image courtesy of © Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports This year is the 15th anniversary of the 2008 Home Run Derby. While that year may seem arbitrary to almost every other fanbase, and the Texas Rangers fondly remember the show Josh Hamilton put on, it was the year of Justin Morneau. Having been named an MVP just two years prior, and getting votes the season before, it was the Minnesota slugger providing the fireworks at old Yankees Stadium. By 2008, Morneau had fully established himself alongside of Joe Mauer as a superstar in Ron Gardenhire’s Twins lineup. Despite just one All-Star appearance to his name, Morneau had blasted more than 100 homers during his first 569 career games, and he was every bit as talented as the other half of the M&M Boys moniker. Invited to participate in the 2008 Home Run Derby at Yankees Stadium, Morneau came into the event with a .903 OPS and 14 longballs through the Twins first 95 games. It wasn’t gargantuan power numbers by any means, but he was a consistent producer that sent the ball out with a pure left-handed swing. The field included Morneau, Hamilton, Lance Berkman, Ryan Braun, Dan Uggla, Grady Sizemore, Chase Utley, and Evan Longoria. With juicers and true sluggers involved, Morneau wasn’t ever going to be the betting favorite. Minnesota was often trounced by New York, and they were less than four years into a playoff drought dating back to 2004. On this night though, it was Morneau’s time to shine in the Bronx, kind of. Still utilizing the old format in which players had just 10 outs and no time limit, batters could stand in the box and take their time when looking for the perfect pitch to send barreling into the night. Hamilton did that plenty during the first round, rocketing an astounding 28 dingers into the seats. It was a performance unlike anything we had ever seen before, and that round was the calling card of the entire event. It wasn’t an individual show though, as Morneau crushed eight dingers of his own to tie Berkman, and join Braun in round two as a foursome. Hamilton clearly felt the effects of his heavy lifting in round one as he launched just four home runs in round two. The rules made it so the finals were comprised of a total between the first two tilts, and Morneau’s nine during his second time up trumped both Braun and Berkman’s 14. A showdown of David and Goliath proportions was set to take place. Both gassed from the swings they had taken to send baseballs into the night, Morneau and Hamilton combined to hit just eight home runs during the final round. The Twins slugger grabbed the title when he hit five, and Hamilton could only muster three with his last at bat. Despite rocketing 35 on the night, Hamilton’s timeliness cost him and allowed just a second place finish. The derby will always be remembered for Hamilton’s incredible opening salvo, but it was the Twins Morneau who held the crown when everyone dispersed. Often the case, playing alongside Mauer or in smaller markets, Morneau was quiet about his accolades despite generating otherworldly numbers. Just a few years later Morneau was on pace for a second MVP when he posted a 1.055 OPS through 81 games before injury ended his season. A .345 average and 18 home runs could’ve led to a career-year for the Canadian, but the baseball gods had other plans. He eventually wound up winning a batting title in 2014 with the Colorado Rockies, but much like his night in New York, the accomplishment is routinely forgotten. Now a consistent face on Twins broadcasts, it’s great to see Morneau stay in the public light. He was at the pinnacle of individual performance on July 14, 2008, but rarely is remembered for doing so. It may have been the Hamilton derby, but it was the Morneau trophy when all was said and done. View full article

Dallas Keuchel continued to work well for the Saints while a few other Twins minor league pitchers showed out. Runs came across and Carson McCusker put his mark on the day. Check out more action from the farm within. TRANSACTIONS 1B/3B Keoni Cavaco activated from Cedar Rapids Development List and transferred to FCL Twins RHP John Klein transferred from FCL Twins to Fort Myers RHP Ricky Mineo placed on IL by Fort Myers with a right forearm strain LHP Zarion Sharpe was sent on a rehab assignment with the FCL Twins. He last pitched for the Mighty Mussels in 2021 where he sent 6-2 with a 3.62 ERA. He has been out with arm injuries and Tommy John surgery. RHP David Festa was placed on the temporarily inactive list. (Gasp!) Nothing to worry about. He will head to Seattle to prepare for Sunday's Futures Game. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 4, Iowa 1 Box Score Thus far Dallas Keuchel has been north of short of great since joining the Twins organization. That continued tonight for the Saints as the former Cy Young went 5 2/3 innings allowing five hits and four walks. No runs scored, and he struck out four as well. In the seventh inning, Matt Wallner drew a bases-loaded walk to open the scoring on the evening. Anthony Prato walked home and the tie was broken. Kyle Garlick then singled to score Alex De Goti. Trevor Larnach followed with a sacrifice fly that plated Andrew Stevenson. Jair Camargo added his own sacrifice fly which drove in Wallner to make it 4-0. David Bote scored in the eighth inning to put the Cubs on the board but that was as far as the rally would get. Mark Contreras recorded three hits on the night as the lone Saints hitter with more than one hit. Ronny Henriquez earned the win working 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. WIND SURGE WISDOM Tulsa 6, Wichita 4 Box Score Making his Double-A debut, Marco Raya was on the bump tonight for Wichita. He lasted just two innings allowing a pair of runs, but gave up just one hit while striking out three and walking four. After a scoreless first inning, the Wind Surge took a 2-0 lead in the second inning thanks to an Alerick Soularie bases loaded walk on a wild pitch. Seth Gray scored on the play, and then Soularie came home after Will Holland struck out on a dropped third strike. Allowing a pair of walks in the third inning, Raya saw both runners come around to score and tie it at two. A four-run, fourth inning gave Tulsa a 6-2 lead, and the Wind Surge found themselves in a hole. The Wind Surge loaded the bases in the ninth inning. Brooks Lee took a bases-loaded walk to score Soularie. Holland scored on a Yoyner Fajardo ground out. However, that was as close as they were able to get. Gray was the lone hitter to record a pair of hits on the night. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Quad Cities 3 Box Score Making his second start for the Kernels, C.J. Culpepper sought to continue his scoreless innings streak. He didn’t allow a run through five innings to stretched the streak to 11 scoreless at High-A. Culpepper gave up three hits but issued no walks and struck out six batters. Kala’i Rosario kicked off the scoring during the first inning when he singled home Emmanuel Rodriguez. Noah Cardenas blasted his third homer of the season during the second inning to score Noah Miller and make it a 3-0 game. In the fifth inning, Cedar Rapids added again. Miller singled home Rodriguez before Cardenas brought home Rosario with a single of his own. When the frame was over, the Kernels led 5-0. The River Bandits added three in the seventh inning, and River Town kicked off that scoring with a single. Fortunately the Kernels still placed a dam between their lead that kept the rivers at bay. This one ended in a 5-3 win for Cedar Rapids. Rosario recorded three hits on the night with Cardenas adding a pair of his own. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Jupiter 0 (F/10) Box Score The Mighty Mussels gave Jack Noble the ball, and he was nothing short of exceptional. The recently-promoted righty twirled six innings of scoreless baseball. He allowed just two hits and two walks while punching out six batters. Danny Moreno came on and worked two scoreless innings with Jackson Hicks pushing it through the ninth inning still scoreless. Carson McCusker and Rafael Cruz both had two hits thus far, but no runs crossed the plate. Heading into extras, and with the inherited runner on third after a misplayed Dylan Neuse sacrifice bunt, McCusker blasted a three-run homer to take the lead. Hicks locked down the bottom half and it was a 3-0 victory for the good guys. McCusker finished with three hits on the night. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Red Sox 4, FCL Twins 1 Box Score Cesar Lares took the ball for the Twins, but he lasted just two innings. He gave up three runs on three hits. The Red Sox jumped out to an early lead with a first-inning run, and then added another pair in the second inning. Looking to get back in it, the Twins scored when Jankel Ortiz singled home Andres Centeno in the fourth inning. The Red Sox wiped that run away with another of their own in the fifth inning, and the 4-1 lead was enough for a victory. Ortiz had two of the three hits on the day for the Twins with Byron Chourio grabbing the other. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Cardinals 7, DSL Twins 2 Box Score It has been a rough start to the season for the DSL Twins and they dropped to 6-17 on the year. The Cardinals kicked things off with a two-run first inning, and they repeated that tally in the fourth and seventh innings. Moises Lopez and Ricardo Pena combined to score the Twins first run when they stole second and home respectively in the second inning. Unfortunately, the Twins only added one other run. Lopez lifted a sacrifice fly during the seventh inning to score Pena. The Twins outhit the Cardinals by a 6-5 tally, and Jayson Bass was responsible for two of them. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Jack Noble (Fort Myers) - 6.0 IP, 2 H 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Carson McCusker (Fort Myers) - 3-5, R, 3 RBI, HR(3), 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 (Wichita) - 1-2, RBI, 3 BB, 2B(26) #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, 2 R #4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 0-1, K #6 - Marco Raya (Wichita) - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 R, 4 BB, 3 K= #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-3, R, RBI, 2 BB, K #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3 #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, R, RBI, BB, K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Iowa (6:08PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson Wichita @ Tulsa (7:05PM CST) - RHP Travis Adams Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Cory Lewis Fort Myers @ Jupiter (5:00PM CST) - RHP Miguelangel Boadas FCL Twins - No Game Scheduled DSL Twins @ DSL Rockies (10:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games! View full article

There weren't a lot of runs scored throughout the Twins organization on Thursday, but there were a couple of really nice wins. Image courtesy of Jean Pfiefer (aka, go4twinkies on Instagram) TRANSACTIONS C Tony Wolters activated from IL for St. Paul RHP Austin Schulfer placed on Development List by St. Paul C Mark Kolozsvary placed on Development List by St. Paul OF Luis Baez was placed on Ft. Myers' 7-Day Injured List with a left hand fracture. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 3, Iowa 5 Box Score Kyle Garlick gave the Saints a 3-1 lead in the third inning when he hit a long, three-run homer, but that was it, and it wasn't enough to hold off the Cubs. Blayne Enlow started and gave up four runs on six hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out four. He was hurt by the long ball. Matt Mervis hit a solo homer in the first inning, and Nelson Velazquez his his 12th home run, a three-run shot that put the Cubs back on top for good. Josh Winder came on and gave up one run on four hits over 1 2/3 innings. He struck out three batters and, more important, walked none. Kody Funderburk got the final four outs, two on strikeouts. Andrew Stevenson led off the game with a single. Garlick's home run in the third inning was the team's second hit of the game. They then went hitless over the final six innings of the game. Two hits. However, they did take eight walks and hit by two pitches which presented them with some opportunities. Garlick went 1-for-2 with his ninth homer and two walks. Catcher Tony Wolters also had two walks in the game. The Iowa Cubs roster includes several of the Top 20 Cubs prospects at North Side Baseball: SP Jordan Wicks ranks as the Cubs #5 prospect. The team's first-round pick in 2021 from Kansas State made his second Triple-A start in this game. 1B Matt Mervis ranks as the Cubs #6 prospect. The slugger made his MLB debut earlier this season and has been up and down a couple of times, as recently as three weeks ago. Not bad for a guy drafted in the 39th round out of high school, who went to Duke and did not get drafted in 2020. And, just for fun: WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 8, Tulsa 2 Box Score Tied 2-2 through five innings, Wichita's offense surged with three runs in both the sixth and the seventh innings to take a commanding lead. The Wind Surge had just five hits in the game, but they showed patience and took 13(!) walks. Eight of the ninth batters in the lineup had at least one walk. A Patrick Winkel single drove in DaShawn Keirsey, Jr with the team's first run. Alerick Soularie hit a solo homer in the top of the fifth inning, his fifth homer of the year. Then came the sixth inning. The inning started with two walks. After a foul pop out, a third walk loaded the bases. After a pitching change, Soularie walked to put the team back on top 3-2. Will Holland followed with a single that scored Winkel and Seth Gray. In the seventh inning, Alex Isola led off with a solo homer, his 10th longball of the season. It was followed by a walk, a fielder's choice with an error, and another walk to load the bases. Winkel scored on a wild pitch, and Holland drove in another run with another single. Holland went 2-for-3 with a walk and three RBI to lead the way. Soularie walked twice to go with his home run. Isola and Winkel were each 1-for-3 with two walks, two runs scored and an RBI. Seth Gray reached three times with walks. Chad Donato was activated and tossed four shutout innings. He gave up two hits, walked none and struck out six batters. Jordan Brink came in and gave up two runs on three hits and a walk. He recorded just one out before being replaced by Hunter McMahon who stranded two runners. He went 2 2/3 perfect innings and struck out four of the eight batters he faced to earn the win. Denny Bentley then struck out three batters over the final two scoreless innings. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 9, Quad Cities 6 Box Score This was quite the back and forth affair. Through three innings, the teams were tied at 1-1. Both teams had four-run fourth innings. Quad Cities went ahead 6-5 in the top of the sixth, but the bullpen shut them down over the final three innings. The Kernels took the lead with two runs in the sixth inning, and then had single runs in the seventh and eighth frames. Tanner Schobel was named the Midwest League's Player of the Month for June earlier in the day on Thursday. He responded by going 3-for-3 with two walks, and his 13th home run of the season was a two-run shot that gave the team their 7-6 season in the bottom of the sixth. (since the Kernels don't post game video on Twitter, let's just take a fun look back at his first home run at Virginia Tech which includes a great home run celebration. Noah Miller went 2-for-5 with his third triple. Misael Urbina went 2-for-4 and drove in two runs. He also stole his fifth base. Kyle Jones started for the Kernels. He gave up five runs on five hits over four innings. Two of the hits were home runs. He walked one and struck out four batters. Matthew Swain came in and gave up one run on two hits and a walk over two innings. He had two strikeouts. Niklas Rimmel walked one over two scoreless innings. A.J. Labas gave up a hit and two walks in the ninth inning, but he didn't give up a run and recorded his second save since joining the Kernels about a week ago. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 1, Jupiter 4 Box Score The Mighty Mussels took the 1-0 lead in the second inning when Dylan Neuse singled in Rubel Cespedes. Unfortunately, that was the lone run for the team in the game and they dropped to .500 on the season for the first time in a long time, at 39-39. Jarret Whorff signed with the Twins in May out of the independent leagues and immediately assigned to the Mussels. He made his first start in this game and gave up one run on one hit over four innings. He walked four and struck out five batters. Fellow southpaw Zach Veen came in and gave up one run on one hit, a solo homer, over his two innings. He walked one and struck out two batters. Johnathan Lavallee gave up two runs on five hits over 1 1/3 innings. Develson Aria came in with the bases loaded in the eighth inning and got the final two outs, one via the strikeout. The Mussels had plenty of baserunners. They had seven hits and eight walks. Unfortunately, the team went 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position and left 13 runners on base. Cespedes led the way. He went 2-for-3 with two walks. Neuse had an RBI single and two walks. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 7, FCL Orioles 3 Box Score Matt Gabbert was on the mound for the Twins and he worked four innings while allowing three runs on five hits. Gabbert did give up five hits and three walks with four strikeouts. Down two after the top half, the Twins answered with a run in the bottom half. Byron Chourio doubled to score Isaac Peña and make it a 2-1 game. After giving up another run to the Orioles, Omari Daniel singled in Giovanny Rivero before Chourio drove Duncan Hewitt home with a single of his own. Leaving the fourth inning, things were knotted at three. Giovanny Rivero singled home Yasser Mercedes to kick off the seventh in and Daniel brought Andres Centeno across the plate. Now up 7-3, the Twins had this plenty in hand. Chourio grabbed three hits on the day with Daniel adding a pair of his own. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Rockies 19, DSL Twins 8 Box Score Luis Rincon only last four outs today and the Dominican Summer League Twins dealt with a blowout. Despite scoring four runs, punctuated with a Ewing Matos triple, they were run off from that point forward. The Rockies tied things up in the second inning before adding two in the fourth inning. They scored another pair in the seventh inning while adding seven in the eight inning and another four in the ninth. The Twins were staring at a mess. Dameury Peña and Matos both recorded three hits during the game. Unfortunately, they couldn’t add more with their twelve hits and it wound up being the 16th loss on the season. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Chad Donato (Wichita) - 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K. 46 pitches, 33 strikes. Hitter of the Day – Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 3-for-3, 2 BB, HR(13), R, 3 RBI. 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 (Wichita) - 0-for-4, BB, K. #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, BB, RBI, 3 K. #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-for-4 #10 - Yasser Mercedes (FCL) - 0-for-4, 4 K, R #11 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 0-for-3, BB, played 2B, batted second. #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, BB, R, 2 K. #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-5, 3B(3), R, CS(1) #17 - Blayne Enlow (St. Paul) - 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, BB, HBP, 4 K. 83 pitches, 51 strikes (61.4%) FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Iowa (7:08PM CST) - LHP Dallas Keuchel (0-0, 1.08 ERA) Wichita @ Tulsa (7:05PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya (first AA start) Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP C.J. Culpepper (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Fort Myers @ Jupiter (5:30PM CST) - RHP Jack Noble (0-1, 3.60 ERA) FCL Red Sox @ FCL Twins (DH at 9:00AM CST) - TBD, TBD DSL Twins @ DSL Cardinals (10:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! View full article

The 2021 Minnesota Twins were not good, and because of that, they found themselves as sellers at the trade deadline. The biggest questions were what to do with Byron Buxton and Jose Berrios. They kept the former and got a haul for the latter. How does that trade look less than two years later? Image courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports In looking to find their way forward from an organizational building capacity, Derek Falvey and Thad Levine had to decide whether Byron Buxton or Jose Berrios would be franchise cornerstones. Buxton was someone they had previously negotiated with, and ultimately he landed a $100 million deal prior to the 2022 season. Berrios was an arm awaiting a payday, and the Twins front office decided it wasn’t going to come from them. When the names came out after the Toronto Blue Jays acquired the Twins ace, comments across the industry highlight how well Minnesota had done. It wasn’t universally believed that a deal involving Berrios could land either Austin Martin or Simeon Woods Richardson. Instead, Minnesota’s front office found a way to land both of the coveted top-100 prospects. Only Nate Pearson and Jordan Groshans were left from the top four prospects for Toronto, and the Twins netting that sort of firepower for a player that they were going to let walk 15 months later was nothing short of exceptional. The only unfortunate aspect of the deal is that neither player has made a real impact thus far. Martin came to Minnesota a year after he was the fifth overall pick in the 2020 MLB draft out of Vanderbilt. He was a top-20 prospect across baseball going into 2021, and he flashed his abilities during the Futures Game. Posting an .807 OPS with a .424 OBP, there was a lot to be excited about surrounding his offensive profile. Left relatively unchanged after joining Minnesota’s organization in 2021, things started to go awry last season. Martin was urged to change his approach and swing in an attempt to unlock some power. He had never shown that sort of ability in his game, and tapping into it clearly caused issues across the board. He finished with an ugly .685 OPS despite still posting a .368 OBP. Fast-forward to this season and things couldn’t be foggier for Martin. He has played in rehab games this season as he works his way back from an elbow injury. He recently was activated by the St. Paul Saints, and the hope would be that he can avoid Tommy John surgery. He is now 24 years old, and no longer looks like an answer at shortstop, while having the most clear path as a utility player. There is no denying that Martin can have significant value for Minnesota, but he is Rule 5 Draft eligible this offseason, and surgery or not, the Twins will have a decision to make. He could certainly play the Willi Castro or Nick Gordon role a season from now, but the front office likely hoped for more when making him the centerpiece of a Berrios deal. Helping to hedge their bet, Woods Richardson was seen as a candidate to be featured in a good rotation. He competed (in that he was on the roster) alongside Joe Ryan during the Olympics, and ultimately pitched just eight innings at Double-A during 2021. Last season, Woods Richardson made his mark at both Double and Triple-A, posting a 2.77 ERA across 107 1/3 innings. He was every bit the star prospect Minnesota had hoped for. Despite being flipped by the Mets previously, it seemed that his third organization was going to be the one to benefit. At the end of the year, with Minnesota’s season in the tank, his first MLB start took place in the final weekend. The train has fully derailed on Woods Richardson at St. Paul this season. He has made 11 starts and owns an ugly 7.47 ERA with declining strikeouts and increasing walks. He was lit up during a spot-start for the Twins, and his repertoire has never looked less belief-instilling. Still just 22 years old, he is incredibly young, but such a substantial step backwards is anything but ideal. Although the Twins did exceptionally well when flipping Berrios as an asset, this is a reminder that prospect evaluations are increasingly difficult to pin down. We aren’t yet at a point where the return is a wash, but Martin being lost before getting started would be a substantial blow. Woods Richardson needs a sizable turnaround to avoid a future role in the bullpen, and Minnesota wants to capitalize much more than they have. At the end of the day, the Twins were able to use Berrios dollars elsewhere, and they netted a massive prospect haul in the process. The dollars have made sense, but the prospects have proven less fruitful. No matter how big of a win at the time of a deal, how something plays out in the future is much less of a given. View full article

David Festa was in a final prep start before heading to Seattle for the Futures Game, Austin Martin was again in the lineup for St. Paul. With teams playing on The Sandlot's greatest night, there was plenty of excitement to be had throughout the system. Image courtesy of William Parmeter (photo of Pierson Ohl) TRANSACTIONS OF Carlos Aguiar reinstated from IL by Fort Myers OF Francis Florentino played on 7 day IL (left thumb UCL tear) by Fort Myers SAINTS SENTINEL Iowa 3, St. Paul 2 Box Score It was Dobber Day for the Saints with Randy Dobnak toeing the rubber. He threw four innings allowing three runs on four hits and a pair of walks. He did strike out three batters in the contest, however. After Cubs prospect Matt Mervis kicked off the scoring with a double in the first inning, Gilberto Celestino launched his second dinger of the season to tie things in the second inning. Edwin Rios then tagged Dobnak for a two-run shot in the fourth inning to give Iowa the lead and end the St. Paul starters day. Patrick Murphy saw the bases loaded against him during the bottom of the eighth inning but got a strikeout to end the frame. Needing a rally, the Saints came up in the ninth. Caleb Kilian was out for his fifth inning of work, and he had yet to allow a run for Iowa. He got Martin on an excuse-me swing, and St. Paul had just two outs left. Matt Wallner was out on strikes for the third time, and it was down to Trevor Larnach. He blasted a dinger to right field on a big fly, going 446 feet, that made it a 3-2 game, and Celestino needed to play hero. After taking a walk, Chris Williams stepped in. He punched out against Jeremiah Estrada and their would be no spoiler fireworks. Celestino walked twice while Wallner whiffed three times, but no St. Paul hitter recorded a multi-hit game. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 4, Tulsa 4 (F/11) Box Score David Festa was somewhat of an opener this evening as he was limited to just two innings with sights set on working during the Futures Game on Saturday in Seattle. He allowed a run on two hits and two walks, but did strike out three. Pierson Ohl came on in relief of Festa, and the starter stole the show out of the bullpen. Working four scoreless innings, he gave up just two hits while punching out seven. Aaron Sabato kicked off the scoring in the first inning when his single drove home Yoyner Fajardo. Though the Wind Surge gave the run back on a wild pitch in the bottom half, they added again just innings later. In the top of the third inning Fajardo lifted a sacrifice fly to score Will Holland, then an Alex Isola singled brought home Brooks Lee to make it a 3-1 game. The game appeared in hand as Regi Grace came on for the eighth inning, and he has been sharp all season. Unfortunately a two-run homer by Jose Ramos tied things up. Needing extras to sort this one out, Fajardo singled in Holland during the tenth inning to take a 4-3 lead. Curtis Taylor came on in the bottom half and allowed a run to tie things up. Still on for the 11th, Eddys Leonard singled bringing in Imanol Vargas and Wichita found themselves walked off in the 11th. Fajardo posted a three-hit night with Lee grabbing two of his own to lead the charge. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Quad Cities 1 Box Score The Kernels gave Zebby Matthews the Independence Day baseball and he provided them with 5 2/3 innings of one-run baseball. Allowing three hits, he walked one while also striking out five. Ben Ross opened the scoring during the bottom half of the first inning with his 15th double of the season. Emmanuel Rodriguez scored with the ball being hit to River Town, a person not a place. Noah Cardenas added another pair of runs on his second home run with the Kernels, also scoring Misael Urbina on the play. After the River Bandits, a team not a person, added in the sixth inning, Ross ripped his 13th home run of the year in the eighth inning to make it a 4-1 game. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 5, Jupiter 4 Box Score Fort Myers looked for fireworks behind Andrew Morris today and while he allowed three runs, none of them were earned. The Texas Tech product gave up four hits, allowed no walks, and struck out five. Kyle Schmidt’s first inning single brought home Ricardo Olivar to kick off the scoring. After Jupiter raced out to a 3-1 lead in the bottom half, the Might Mussels had work to do. The third inning is where the answer came for Fort Myers as they put up a four-spot. Carson McCusker hit his second home run of the season, bringing home Rubel Cespedes in the process. Maddux Houghton then crushed his third double of the year to score both Schmidt and Gregory Duran. Looking to stretch things to third base, Houghton was thrown out and the inning ended with things knotted up. In the eighth inning Chase Luttrell doubled for the 15th time this year, and it was enough to bring Houghton home for the game-winning run. Cespedes was the lone Fort Myers player to record a pair of hits with the team grabbing just seven on the day. Olivar drew a pair of walks. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Braves 4, FCL Twins 3 Box Score The Twins used an opener today in the form of Josh Mitchell , the lefty making his second rehab appearance since his second Tommy John surgery, but Jacob Wosinski worked five innings of bulk relief allowing only one run on two hits. He struck out four and the lone run was a solo shot. Down 1-0 heading to the seventh, the Twins got their first run when Fredy Michel scored on a wild pitch. Needing to come back from a 4-1 deficit in the ninth inning, the Twins scored two on singles from Harold Grant and Yasser Mercedes. The rally fell just short however, and Jankel Ortiz was the lone hitter to record a pair of hits today. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Pierson Ohl (Wichita) - 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K Hitter of the Day – Ben Ross (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B(15), HR(13), 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 (Wichita) - 2-5, R #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, R, K #8 - David Festa (Wichita) - 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-4, 3 K #10 - Yasser Mercedes (FCL) - 1-5, RBI #11 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-4, 2B #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3 #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 0-2, BB, K #18 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL) - 0-4, BB, K #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 0-1 WEDNEDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Iowa (6:38PM CST) - RHP Aaron Sanchez Wichita @ Tulsa (6:35PM CST) - RHP Carlos Luna Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Jaylen Nowlin Fort Myers @ Jupiter (5:30PM CST) - RHP Ben Ethridge Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! View full article

During the offseason, the Minnesota Twins decided to use $13 million on signing outfielder Joey Gallo. He had an awful time playing for the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, but a new landing spot appeared to bring fresh opportunity. Thus far, it has worked out virtually as expected. Image courtesy of Mitch Stringer, USA Today Joey Gallo is no stranger to Target Field. Just like teammate Carlos Correa, he has long enjoyed hitting at the Twins home stadium. Coming up through the Texas Rangers system, he made a mark on the ballpark when blasting a home run into the windshield of a truck parked beyond the right field wall. Traded from Texas to New York during the 2021 season, Gallo stuck with the Yankees for 82 games a year ago. With his performance cratering to the tune of a 78 OPS+, the impatient fan base wanted him gone, and he was on his way to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Getting into just 44 games on the west coast, he wasn’t that much better posting just an 85 OPS+. Hitting free agency for the first time in his career, Gallo had the opportunity to choose his next landing spot. Bench coach Jayce Tingler has known Gallo for some time, and the former Rangers slugger had other motivators that made the Twins a good fit. Coming in to play both the outfield and first base, there was no shortage of work with Minnesota. Now more than halfway into his deal with the Twins, there has been a bit of everything. Gallo has missed time with a hamstring injury, he has hit gargantuan home runs, he has played three corner positions as well as centerfield, and he has seen some droughts. All of that has culminated in an .805 OPS to lead Minnesota’s qualified hitters, and his 114 OPS+ is also well above league average. Expecting Gallo to be anything other than what he has been over the course of his career is likely a misunderstanding of who he is. Batting average is not something that will ever be important for him, and as a Three True Outcomes player, he does the other two-thirds of the equation very well. His on-base percentage is heavily rooted in his walk rate, and his slugging percentage is a by-product of an ability to blast the baseball. On the season, Gallo has 15 homers to his credit, and although his 13.6% walk rate is below his career average, it’s still a strong showing. He has teetered with a 40% strikeout rate this season, and that’s not a great development, but largely emphasized by Minnesota having a team that swings and misses too much as a whole. Ideally Gallo could take something like three percent from his strikeout rate, add it to his walk rate, and he’d be right there with the best version of himself. This season, the largest detractors in Gallo’s performance have come from a career-worst chase rate, combined with a career-worst whiff rate. He’s making less contact than ever, but is generating a storing quality of contact when connecting. He has solid barrel rates and hard hit percentages. With nearly 50% of the season left as a runway, some very small tweaks could take the signing over the top. Defensively Gallo has not been the same player he has shown an ability to be over the course of his career. Some of that could likely be attributed to his hamstring injury, and more of it could be sorted as the sample size grows larger. Being able to play all three outfield positions and fill in for Alex Kirilloff at first base, Gallo will have ample opportunity to contribute in the field. If Gallo were to simply double his production from this point forward, he’d provide Minnesota with something around $10 million in value. That is still a net-negative contract, but he’s not the anchor consistently suggested in the same breath as someone like Max Kepler. Maybe the rest of the way doesn’t get better for Gallo, and he slogs along as just a bit above replacement level. The money spent on him wouldn’t have been worth it, but hardly hamstrings the Twins either. If he can make some tweaks, stay healthy, and settle into a consistent level of production, this has the potential to turn into a very good deal. The Twins would have preferred to see more from Gallo thus far, but I’d bet they’re perfectly fine with where things stand, and increasingly hopeful for the rest of the way. View full article

You can dislike that Rocco Baldelli is a manager from a newer era. You can dislike that his demeanor is relatively unchanged despite a multitude of situations. You can dislike some of his in-game decisions over the years. What you must respect is the way he demanded accountability last week. Image courtesy of Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports When the Minnesota Twins front office sought to replace Paul Molitor as manager, they weren't looking for a robot that could simply spit out analytical advantages. That isn’t how managing works, and that isn’t how the game has progressed. Derek Falvey and Thad Levine wanted a leader of the clubhouse that could relate to his players and generate buy-in behind certain beliefs and principles. You could call Rocco Baldelli a player’s manager, but that would be selling his abilities short. Baldelli himself was once a highly-touted prospect, and his career was largely taken away from him, but he gets this game from multiple different vantage points. It’s why he can shoulder the load of pulling pitchers in scenarios where they may not like it. It’s why he can be ok with controversial lineup decisions. It’s why he can communicate numbers beyond just a sheet of paper and make them make sense. It’s also why he can demand a level of accountability that we saw permeate the clubhouse after an ugly series in Atlanta. It's also why he has a reputation that players want to be managed by him. In Darren Wolfson's recent interview with Dallas Keuchel , it was in part the manager that made Minnesota make sense. There are plenty of times over the course of a baseball season that you may hear a manager question results or process. What Baldelli questioned after an ugly sweep at the hands of a great Atlanta team was the effort put forth by Minnesota’s players. He pulled no punches and was coming straight for his team’s throat. Looking at a recent article from The Athletic’s Dan Hayes, Baldelli’s quotes were jarring. “No adjustments really in the game almost whatsoever. There’s no way we can walk out of this with any positives. If I’m rolling that up and trying to portray it any other way, I’m lying. We have to make some really, really legitimate adjustments to what we’re doing right now if we’re going to go out there and compete and win games against that team or really any other team. I’m not really pleased right now with the effort this series.” Just a day earlier the Twins appeared to this writer as the definition of insanity. Baldelli apparently agreed, “because that’s madness going out there and doing the same stuff over and over and over again.” As much as his comments were reflective of the poor play he consistently saw on the field, Baldelli ultimately brought things back to himself. Leading by example, he was willing to carry the load saying, “This is all me right here. This is my job to make sure we get our acts together and look in the mirror, answer the hard questions and ultimately win out there. That’s what we have to do, and I’ll take that on.” At the core of this all is a bad division that Minnesota should be winning by a handful of games, and instead they find themselves treading water. Baldelli knows this team is better. So do players like Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton; superstars failing to live up to their own abilities. The call was now public and the path forward was direct. Get better or suffer, the manager had seen enough. That level of leadership clearly permeated through the dugout and a group of veterans took it upon themselves to be better. The ax could have fallen on hitting coach David Popkins, but the process is not generated by just a single individual. Rather than making a change or holding only a coach accountable, a new path forward was established. There is still a lot of baseball left to be played, and with both Cleveland and Chicago breathing down Minnesota’s necks, it’s on the best team in a bad division to separate themselves. The slate has been wiped clean and the manager is ready to see a response. How well that is executed upon will come from within. You can dislike the way Baldelli goes about his business for any amount of reasons, but this wasn’t just some players-only meeting with no accountability moving forward. This was a leader demanding his talent show up, and figure out a way to individually come prepared each day. The results aren’t going to be seen immediately, or over a small sample, but the hope is that things would resonate over the long haul and a mid-season reset bears fruit in October. The Minnesota Twins have been incredibly mediocre thus far during 2023, but Baldelli isn’t pleased with that reality, and no one in the clubhouse should be either. If everyone demands more of themselves, how the final chapter of this story is written could be substantially more impressive than we’ve seen thus far. View full article

The Minnesota Twins are closing in on the All-Star break as is every organization in baseball. The Twins weren't going to have All-Star-worthy hitters, but one of baseball’s best pitching staffs had more than a few names that made sense. Sonny Gray will represent the Twins in Seattle, but Jhoan Duran finds himself on the outside looking in. Snubbed. Inexplicable. Image courtesy of Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports When Derek Falvey and Thad Levine built this Twins team for Rocco Baldelli, they clearly had their sights set on pitching. During the offseason, Minnesota dealt Luis Arraez to the Miami Marlins for Pablo Lopez, and the hope was that the organization would create pitching depth previously unseen. Through the first half of the season, it’s hard to argue that they haven’t accomplished their goal. Minnesota checks in near the top of many pitching categories, and Sonny Gray has led that charge. Joe Ryan has been lights out aside from a couple of blowups, and Lopez has been better than the numbers suggest. Bailey Ober was left off the Opening Day roster, and all he has done since is pitch himself into a rotation cornerstone. Baldelli has needed to cycle pitchers at times, calling on Louie Varland, Simeon Woods Richardson, and biding time for the return of Kenta Maeda. As a whole, Minnesota’s starting rotation has been among the best in baseball. Gray will receive Cy Young votes if he continues on this trajectory, and Ryan was right there with him for much of the first half. All that said, it was no surprise on Sunday when Sonny Gray was named to his third All-Star Game and first since 2019. Gray represents Minnesota as their lone selection. And that is the issue that many Twins fans may have had when they saw the All Star list on Sunday. Gray was a clear choice as an All Star this season. However, it was the exclusion of closer Jhoan Duran that raised eyebrows. Former Twins reliever Yennier Cano was named an all-star for the Baltimore Orioles alongside his bullpen mate Felix Bautista. Cano was sent to Baltimore when Minnesota acquired Jorge Lopez, and it was Cano who was seen as a throw-in with Cade Povich as the headliner. Now less than a year later, it is the Baltimore reliever making a national stage ahead of the Twins Jhoan Duran. After debuting a year ago, Duran has fully embraced his role as a high-leverage reliever. Once a top starting pitcher prospect, Duran has turned his focus to unleashing the most incredible fastballs baseball has seen in some time. Posting a 1.86 ERA during his rookie campaign, Duran has been even more lights out this year for Minnesota. Baldelli has subscribed to the idea that a "save" doesn’t always take place during the ninth inning, and he has shown no hesitation in deploying his best relief arm when the game matters most. Duran has consistently risen to the occasion, and he’s quickly earning a reputation around the game as an arm you don’t want to see. Unfortunately the relievers on the American League All-Star Game team aren’t well represented. Bautista and Cano are joined only by Emmanuel Clase and Kenley Jansen. Twins fans certainly shouldn't have an issue with Clase making the All Star roster. However Jansen is on the roster as the lone Red Sox representative, in large part because all teams must be represented, and also likely because of his status in the game. The Orioles have been very good this year, and Bautista and Cano have been dominant much of the first half. While Cano has certainly slowed down in June, his overall numbers are very good. Do they both deserve to take a roster spot ahead of Duran? The Orioles are also represented by catcher Adley Rutschmann and outfielder Austin Hays, so the league weren't obligated to take both relievers. There is hope that Duran could get named as a replacement in the coming week. Pitchers dealing with injury may opt out and those scheduled to start on Sunday will need to be replaced. but that’s definitely not the way he wanted to see his name called. There is no denying that Gray is a worthy inclusion this season, but looking at a Twins team ready to make noise, it seems odd to leave Duran and his game-changing pitches out of the event. Maybe the All-Star Game includes him after all, but the next time Duran shouldn't be snubbed. Along with Cano, two other former Twins will be All Stars. Earlier in the week, we learned that Luis Arraez will start at second base for the National League. On Sunday, Brent Rooker learned that he will represent the Oakland A's in Seattle. Congratulations to them! View full article

The Minnesota Twins farm system was in action today and this series is the first in which the full-season leagues will play on a Monday this season. Getting action in the heart of the summer, there were plenty of strong performances to take note of. Image courtesy of Image courtesy of William Parmeter TRANSACTIONS 3B Jose Miranda recalled by Minnesota Twins SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 11, Gwinnett 5 Box Score It was Simeon Woods Richardson's turn on the bump today for the Saints. He worked five innings allowing three runs on six hits and four walks. He did grab a strikeout on the day, but command was not something he showed a ton of. Needing to find power before rejoining the Twins, Trevor Larnach tapped in with his fifth home run to open the scoring in the first inning. His solo shot made it 1-0. After giving up a run in the second inning, Andrew Stevenson stepped in and clubbed a grand slam to make it 5-1. Jair Camargo, Anthony Prato, and Elliot Soto all scored on the big fly. Gwinnett added a pair in the third inning, but St. Paul kept tacking on as well. Camargo recorded his tenth double to drive home Chris Williams and make it a 6-3 game. In the fourth inning Larnach singled in Soto and the Saints now led 7-3. Larnach then singled in Soto to score in the sixth before Andrew Bechtold homered in the seventh making it 9-3. The Saints gave up a run during the eighth inning, but Chris Williams and Mark Contreras added runs on a sacrifice fly and a homer. Even allowing a ninth inning run, St. Paul held on for an 11-5 win. Larnach clubbed three hits on the day, with Jair Camargo, Bechtold, and Soto all grabbing two hits apiece. WIND SURGE WISDOM NW Arkansas 7, Wichita 4 Box Score Travis Adams got the start this afternoon for the Wind Surge and was strong over five innings. He allowed just a single run on two hits while striking out seven and allowing no walks. Kicking off the scoring in a big way, Wichita put up a four-spot during the second inning. Jake Rucker recorded his first triple of the season to score both Aaron Sabato and Yoyner Fajardo. With the bases loaded, Brooks Lee was hit by a pitch and drove in Rucker the hard way. Patrick Winkel then drew a walk scoring Ernie Yake, and it was a 4-0 lead for the Wind Surge. Despite giving up runs in fifth and the seventh, Wichita attempted to hang on. Taylor Floyd made it a bit dicey in the ninth inning after walking a pair, but he got a strikeout before Jordan Brink came on. NW Arkansas drew within one during the ninth inning, and they loaded the bases just before Tyler Tolbert blasted a grand slam to make it a 7-4 lead. Wichita had gone full-on meltdown and gave this one away. Rucker's triple was the lone extra-base hit for Wichita, and no player recorded more than one hit. KERNELS NUGGETS Peoria 3, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score Cory Lewis was the Kernels starter tonight and he continued his season of dominance. Working 5 2/3 innings allowing just a single run on four hits and a walk, Lewis also struck out three. He owns a 0.87 ERA through four starts at High-A. Tanner Schobel continued to wield an incredibly hot bat when he blasted his 12th home run of the season. The third inning homer brought in Kyle Fedko and made it a 2-0 game. Unfortunately Cedar Rapids gave up a run in the sixth, seventh, and ninth innings to sink them in the game. Both Schobel and Ben Ross recorded a pair of hits on the evening. MUSSEL MATTERS Lakeland 9, Fort Myers 8 Box Score Fort Myers put Miguelangel Boadas on the bump to start today, but he lasted just two innings as a five run second did him in. Allowing four earned runs on five hits, he also walked four while striking out just one. After Boadas got knocked around in the second inning, the Mighty Mussels answered during the bottom half with three runs of their own. Ricardo Olivar doubled for the 12th time this season, and he cleared the bases bringing in Kyle Schmidt, Dylan Neuse, and Maddux Houghton. Lakeland added another run in the fifth inning, but Fort Myers did their best to draw close again. Olivar tripled for the first time this season driving in Luis Baez, and a Danny De Andrade brought Olivar in on a sacrifice fly. After giving up a sixth inning run, Carson McCusker homered for the first time since joining the organization. Neuse then scored after he stole second base on a throwing error, and the Mighty Mussels knotted things at seven in the eight inning. Luke Gold homered in the 10th inning to give Lakeland a two-run lead, and Neuse's single scoring Cespedes was not enough to draw even. Olivar recorded three hits on the evening as the lone Fort Myers batter to record more than two hits. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Travis Adams (Wichita) - 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K Hitter of the Day – Ricardo Olivar (Fort Myers) - 3-4, R, 4 RBI, BB, 2 2B, 3B 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 (Wichita) - 0-3, RBI #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - #4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 0-1, K #7 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, K #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, K #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, K #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 1-3, BB, K MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Gwinnett @ St. Paul (6:07PM CST) - RHP Louie Varland NW Arkansas @ Wichita (6:35PM CST) - RHP Aaron Rozek Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (6:35PM CST) - RHP Cory Lewis Lakeland @ Fort Myers (5:30PM CST) - RHP Jose Olivares Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games! View full article

When the Minnesota Twins hired Derek Falvey to lead their front office into the future, the hope was that he could bring along the pitching success Minnesota fans saw from Cleveland. That has started to take shape, but it may be coming at a detriment to the organization’s ability to develop hitters. Image courtesy of Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports Since Derek Falvey and Thad Levine took over the Minnesota front office, they tend to draft hitters in the first round. Their first selection was Royce Lewis at the top of the 2017 draft, and only once have they taken an arm. Chase Petty was a high school arm drafted for upside and ultimately became the centerpiece in the Sonny Gray trade with the Cincinnati Reds. As an organization, the blueprint has often looked like college hitters with loud contact. Trevor Larnach, Brent Rooker, and Aaron Sabato come from that mold. When Brooks Lee fell to them at eighth overall, there was an opportunity to grab a guy with elite contact skills. Of those mentioned, the most straightforward developmental arc comes from a guy who makes consistent contact. Looking at Lee first, we have seen him jump into the top fourth of prospect lists less than a year after being drafted. He's already playing at Double-A, and while power isn't his game, he's been well-rounded defensively while racking up doubles in droves. He should see time at Triple-A this season and could soon be on the Twins radar. From there, it gets bleak. Rooker was limited skill-wise in what he could ultimately bring to the table. As a power hitter in college, his defense was non-existent. That continued to be the case at the professional level, and outside of a short stint before the injury, Minnesota never got him to the point of consistent production. He did start the year hot for Oakland but is now in his fourth organization and has cooled down since. Similarly to Rooker, Sabato came to the Twins with a narrow profile. He had great exit velocities in college, but there was plenty of swing-and-miss with no real defensive home. Playing first base, he's been less than ideal with the glove and has yet to hit at all. Sabato can drive the ball during a batting practice session, but his professional numbers are ugly, and the Twins continue to promote him despite a real reason to do so. Larnach was taken in the second draft for this regime and was a vital contributor to a good Oregon State team. Like Sabato and Rooker, Larnach made loud contact at the collegiate level, and the hope was that it could continue. He is 26 years old and has yet to play an entire Major League season. Injuries have derailed that process, but he has also struggled mightily with offspeed pitches. He has just 18 home runs across 177 career games, and while the consistent playing time hasn't been there, the power skills were expected to be substantially higher. Breaking their mold, the Twins drafted Keoni Cavaco with the only pick in the teens that this regime has had. A high school third baseman, Cavaco put together a solid senior season that vaulted him into the first round. His previous track record didn't suggest him going that high, and he's struggled as a pro. Moving to third base and eventually first base this year, power has never come with his development, and his inability to make contact is a serious problem. Now 22 and at High-A, his development path has been nothing short of regression. The Twins have had few success stories outside the first round. Minnesota native Matt Wallner has transformed his game to make more contact and is every bit the player they hoped Larnach, Sabato, or Rooker could have been. Still, he is 25 years old and being blocked at Triple-A in favor of Max Kepler. Acquired in the Jose Berrios trade, Austin Martin's stock fell considerably with Minnesota before he wound up injured. Ultimately the problem is two-fold, with far too many misses at the top of drafts and an inconsistent development strategy. With the Twins wanting to draft hitters, they must do a much better job bringing them along. Outside of Royce Lewis, a long development arc interrupted with injury, the other success story thus far is probably Edouard Julien. Pitching development has been heavily invested across the organization, but capitalizing on more hitters is necessary. Looking at a guy like LaMonte Wade Jr. moving on and flourishing should sting. As the Twins have seen this season, even the best rotation is rendered somewhat useless, with a lineup incapable of providing any thump. Having some corner outfield prospects be a better option than Kepler or Joey Gallo would have been ideal, but the Twins' front office was not convinced those prospects were not superior. If the Twins want to take the next step forward as an organization with a self-sustaining development model, churning out more positive results from the plate is a must. View full article

Matt Wallner continues to crush at Triple-A for the St. Paul Saints, and Tanner Schobel stays red hot for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. More than a handful of performers stood out across the Twins farm system today. Take a look at what was an eventual Thursday on the farm. Image courtesy of Jean Pfiefer (aka, go4twinkies on Instagram) TRANSACTIONS UT Austin Martin assigned to Low-A Fort Myers for minor league rehab. RHP Gererdo Abrego activated from IL and assigned to DSL Twins. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 13, Gwinnett 5 Box Score Old friend Dereck Rodriguez was on the mound tonight for Gwinnett, but the Saints' Randy Dobnak stole the show. Working five scoreless innings, Dobnak allowed three hits and three walks while striking out five. He has now been lights out in three straight outings. In the second inning, St. Paul got on the board, and they did so in a big way. Mark Contreras kicked things off with a single that brought Trevor Larnach home. The recently-signed Mark Kolozsvary drove in Contreras and Chris Williams with a single of his own. Elliot Soto scored Anthony Prato on a sacrifice fly before Andrew Stevenson plated Kolzsvary on his 14th double. After picking up his first hit with the Saints, Kolzsvary homered in the bottom of the fourth inning, recording his first extra-base hit. Matt Wallner's fifth-inning big fly made this a 7-0 game. Stevenson kept the barrage going when he homered for the seventh inning, and his two-run shot scored Prato to make it 9-0. The Stripers made some noise in the seventh inning when two-way player Andrew Bechtold lost his command. A bases-loaded walk and Jesus Aguilar's grand slam brought the game closer at 9-5. Wanting to answer, Wallner decided to go yard for the second time, making it a 10-5 game. As the Saints continued wiping away the last inning, Prato doubled, scoring Contreras and Williams. Then Kolozsvary followed with a double of his own and brought Prato home to make it 13-5. Putting Gwinnett down in the ninth, that's how this one would end. On the night, Wallner finished with three hits, adding a single to his pair of longballs. Kolozsvary also had three hits, while Stevenson, Contreras, and Trevor Larnach had a pair of their own. Ronny Henriquez, who is back from the injured list, pitched a scoreless inning of relief with a strikeout. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 3, NW Arkansas 1 Box Score Wichita sent Pierson Ohl to the mound tonight. He lasted five innings allowing just a single earned run on five hits. Ohl didn't allow a walk and struck out three. Getting behind on a first inning home run, the Wind Surge evened the score with an Alex Isola single that scored DaShawn Keirsey Jr. in the bottom half. Aaron Sabato then stepped in with Isola on during the third inning, and he cranked home run number three on the season to make it a 3-1 game. Protecting the lead in the middle of the game, Isola and Brooks Lee combined for a very nice double-play turn. The Twins' star prospect is known for his bat, but there's plenty to like with his glove and arm. Curtis Taylor worked two scoreless innings of relief to pick up his second save on the season. Isola had three hits tonight, while Keirsey Jr. added a pair of his own. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Peoria 6 Box Score It was Zebby Matthews night on the bump for Cedar Rapids, and he worked five innings, allowing three runs on five hits. While he did strike out and allowed no walks, the two home runs surrendered did him in. One of the hottest-hitting players in the Midwest League, Tanner Schobel, continued to torch opposing pitching with a solo shot to lead off the game. In the second inning, Cedar Rapids continued to add on. Willie Joe Garry Jr. singled in Noah Miller before Schobel's single brought Misael Urbina and Garry Jr. across the plate. Peoria had evened things up by the sixth inning, but the Kernels were again up to the challenge in the eighth inning. Kala'i Rosario doubled for the 15th time this season, scoring Emmanuel Rodriguez. Ben Ross then singled and brought Rosario home to make it a 6-4 game. After allowing Peoria to even things up in the bottom of the eighth, Schobel added to his big game with a single that brought in Andrew Cossetti and gave them the lead again. Miguel Rodriguez came on to slam the door and picked up his ninth save. Schobel posted three of the seven hits for Cedar Rapids tonight. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 4, Lakeland 4 (F/10) Box Score Ben Ethridge took the ball tonight for the Mighty Mussels, and he was great over his five innings of work. Allowing just one hit and two walks, Ethridge punched out five and dropped his ERA to 2.58. Rehabbing Twins prospect Austin Martin was in the lineup tonight for Fort Myers. He batted second and played centerfield. With the bases loaded in the second inning, Dillon Tatum drew a walk to drive in Rubel Cespedes and score the game's first run. Needing to add more, Dylan Neuse singled in Danny De Andrade to make it a two-run lead in the third inning. Gregory Duran doubled for the fifth time this season, and the extra-base hit brought home both Mikey Perez and Neuse. Leading 4-0, Fort Myers was in a great spot. Unfortunately, Lakeland ripped off four unanswered runs and sent the game into extra innings. Forcing the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning, Neuse walked, scoring Luis Baez the easy way. Cespedes and Neuse both had two hits for Fort Myers, while Martin finished his debut 0-5. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Pirates 12, FCL Twins 4 Box Score The FCL Twins lacked some punch in their lineup as Austin Martin's minor league rehab assignment was transferred to High-A. Down 3-0 headed to the fourth inning, Jose Rodriguez launched his second homer of the season to put the Twins on the board. By the fifth inning, the Pirates had taken a commanding 7-1 lead. The Twins mounted a comeback and put together a three-run inning, however. Omari Daniel recorded his second double of the season to score Daniel Pena, and then Isaac Pena tripled in Daniel. Rodriguez's second hit of the day was a run-scoring double, and when Pena scored, the deficit was cut to three. That was as close as the Twins would get, though, and the Pirates added another five runs. Both Pena and Rodriguez recorded a pair of hits on the day. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Giants Black 5, DSL Twins 3 Box Score After the Giants took a 1-0 lead in the top half of the first inning, the Twins answered in the bottom half. Ricardo Pena scored Jayson Bass with a single, and things were again even. Giving up a run in the third inning, the Twins capitalized immediately in the fourth inning when a wild pitch allowed Pena to scamper home. In the fifth inning, Yilber Herrera lifted a sacrifice fly to give the Twins their first lead, but Dameury Pena's run wouldn't be enough. The Giants grabbed more on a seventh inning home run, and that 5-3 lead was enough to secure the victory. Ariel Castro went 1-for-3 on the day as Bass continued his hot start with two more hits. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Ben Ethridge (Fort Myers) - 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K Hitter of the Day – Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 3-5, R, 4 RBI, HR(11) 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 (Wichita) - 0-4, K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, 2 BB, 3 K, R #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 3-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 HR(11) #11 - Austin Martin (Fort Myers) - 0-5 (rehab, played CF) #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R #18 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL) - 2-5, R, 2 RBI, 2B(4), HR(2) #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 0-for-4, 2 K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Gwinnett @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - LHP Blayne Enlow NW Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - RHP Carlos Luna Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (6:35PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya Lakeland @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - LHP Develson Aria FCL Twins @ FCL Red Sox (DH @ 9:00 AM CST) - TBD, TBD DSL Twins @ DSL Yankees (10:00 AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! View full article

Kirilloff also has missed a ton of baseball the past two years. Despite the slump he has had recently, he still owns a 115 OPS+ and a 44/20 K/BB with a .368 OBP. He certainly hasn't been at his best of late, but hard to nitpick that type of production with the lineup where it's at.