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Another day. Another Yunior Severino home run. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson (photos of Yunior Severino), Ed Bailey (photo of Pierson Ohl) Seemingly every day, Yunior Severino has continued to mash and hit home run after home run. Find out below how impressive his current streak is, and how unique his season has been in Twins minor-league history. And while it may not be as historically significant, you'll want to see the run that Wind Surge starter Pierson Ohl is on too. The Saints got a nice start from a prospect who appears to have turned around his season. The Wind Surge played another one-run game. And, it was a travel day for the Kernels as they head back home hoping to keep their season alive on Thursday night. All that and much more in Wednesday's Minor League Report. Here are the records of the Twins and their active affiliates through games on Wednesday. Minnesota Twins: 76-70 St. Paul Saints: 80-59 Wichita Wind Surge: 62-71 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 82-50 regular season (0-1 in playoffs) Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS Before the games on Sunday, the Twins activated Jorge Polanco from the Bereavement List. To make room, OF Gilberto Celestino was optioned having not played during his short stint with the big club. . SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 2, Louisville 3 (10 innings) Box Score Simeon Woods Richardson started on Wednesday afternoon for the Saints in Des Moines. He gave up one run on three hits over five innings. He walked three and struck out five batters. His ERA this season is now down to 4.92. Now, that may not sound great, but when the calendar turned to July, he was 0-5 with an ERA of 7.47 over 11 starts and 47 innings. However, since then, He is 6-1 with an ERA of 2.95 over 12 games (10 starts) and 61 innings. It has been gradual, but it’s great to see that improvement. Andrew Bechtold came on in relief for the sixth inning. He gave up three runs on three hits and a walk in 2/3 of an inning. However, both outs he recorded were on strikeouts. He has made 18 appearances out of the bullpen since trying to take up pitching on the fly. Blessed with a big arm that is capable of hitting the upper-90s with a fastball, it is worth a shot, and it will be interesting to see if he’s shown enough potential to invest another season in that transition. Bechtold can be a free agent at season’s end. If that happens, it will be interesting to see how he is utilized moving forward. So, it’s important to take his numbers - which haven’t been good - into proper perspective, understanding he hasn’t pitched since high school (10 years ago) and he’s doing it in Triple-A against a lot of veteran players. In 16 innings, he has an ERA of 11.81 and a WHIP at 2.63. He has 14 strikes, but 21 walks, in those 16 innings. But he is 2-1 if you’re interested in Win-Loss record for relievers. Michael Boyle came on and faced four batters. He got all four of them out, two on strikeouts. Jordan Balazovic gave up a hit and struck out one batter in a scoreless inning. The Saints took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Michael Helman scored on a Wild Pitch. The Saints took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth when Hernan Perez hit his 10th home run of the season. The Saints cut their deficit to 4-3 in the top of the seventh inning when Yunior Severino hit his 10th Saints homer and his 34th homer overall. He has homered in three straight games and in five of the past seven games. Only seven players in Twins minor-league history (62 seasons) have hit more home runs in a season than Severino. And he’s got nine games remaining to move up the lists. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 1, Midland 2 Box Score Pierson Ohl continues to roll. The right-hander from Grand Canyon tossed 5 1/3 innings of scoreless ball in this game. He gave up three hits, walked one and struck out five batters. He also hit two batters. Early in June, Ohl was promoted to Wichita. In his first three Double-A starts, he went 0-2 with an ERA of 6.61 and opponents hit .297 against him. Since then, he has gone 7-1 with a 1.78 ERA in 13 games (11 starts). His WHIP has been 0.89, and opponents have hit just .198 off of him. He’s got 62 strikeouts and just 12 walks in 70 2/3 innings. Isaac Mattson got out of the sixth inning and then gave up a single run in the seventh inning on a solo homer. Sean Mooney came into a 1-1 tie in the top of the eighth inning. He recorded one out and gave up only an unearned run on two walks. Miguel Rodriguez came into the game with the bases loaded and one out. He got the final two outs of the eighth inning and allowed just one inherited runner to score. He then pitched a scoreless ninth inning. He had three strikeouts. The Surge did score the first run of the game in the second inning. Ben Ross drove in Alex Isola with a single. That was about it for the offense. They had just six hits, and Alex Isola went 3-for-4 in the game and is now hitting .280 on the season. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids vs. Peoria The Kernels have their backs to the wall in Round 1 of the Midwest League playoffs. Fortunately, the team will find their backs on the walls at their home stadium in Cedar Rapids. And, if they find a way to win Game 2, then Game 3 will be at home as well. They are sending righty Cory Lewis to the mound on Thursday night. He’s arguably been the best pitcher in the Twins organization this season. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 2-for-4, HR(10/34), R, RBI, K Pitcher of the Day – Pierson Ohl (Wichita) - 5.1 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, BB, 5 K, 83 pitches, 53 strikes (63.9%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the new Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Wednesday. #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 0-for-4 #7 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 0-for-3, BB, 2 K #8 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 0-for-4 #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 2-for-4, HR(10/34), R, RBI, 1 K #15 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 5 K, 84 pitches, 53 strikes (63.1%) #16 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 16 pitches, 11 strikes (68.8%) THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES St. Paul @ Iowa (12:08 PM CST) - RHP Randy Dobnak (5-8, 5.10 ERA) Midland @ Wichita (7:05 PM CST) - RHP Travis Adams (4-10, 5.55 ERA) Playoffs: Game 2: Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CST) - Cory Lewis (9-4, 2.49 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games or any other Twins minor league topics! 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While there was action all over the Minnesota Twins farm systems tonight, eyes were on Single-A Fort Myers where 2023 first round draft pick Walker Jenkins was making a debut. Image courtesy of William Parmeter TRANSACTIONS RHP Jordan Balazovic recalled by Twins SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 10, Omaha 7 Box Score Brent Headrick took the ball Thursday for the Saints and worked four innings of four-run baseball (three earned). He walked just one, gave up three hits, and struck out six on the evening. St. Paul gave Headrick a lead to work with in the second inning. Yunior Severino lofted a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Trevor Larnach. Hernan Perez then picked up one of his five hits in the game. His single scored both Anthony Prato and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. In the third inning, the Saints were out to bury Omaha early. Keirsey Jr. hit his first Triple-A homer, and the three-run shot also brought Brooks Lee and Kyle Garlick home. Tony Wolters then added a two-run single later in the frame that scored both Severino and Perez. Through three innings, it was an 8-0 game. Headrick's trouble came in a four-run fourth inning, but St. Paul responded with one of their own in the fifth inning. Perez singled again, this time scoring Keirsey Jr. Another single from Perez, scoring Keirsey Jr. again, making it 10-4 in the 7th inning. Omaha added a run in the seventh on their own and a pair in the eighth, but the comeback fell short. St. Paul recorded 18 hits Thursday night, and Perez accounted for five. Andrew Stevenson, Garlick, Keirsey Jr., Severino, and Wolters each had a pair. Despite being his 1,645th professional game, tonight was the first five-hit of Perez's career. Stevenson's hit also set a new single-season Saints record, surpassing Tomas Telis' total in 2021. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 4, Arkansas 1 Box Score Wichita, facing the top team in the Northern Division of the Texas League, sent Jaylen Nowlin to the bump. He turned in 5 2/3 innings of one-run (unearned) baseball. Nowlin gave up just three hits and a walk while striking out four. Wichita opened the scoring on a Patrick Winkel first-inning single. Tanner Schobel raced across the plate, and the first four runs in the frame were home. Jake Rucker lifted a single to right field, allowing Winkel time to cross the plate. Alerick Soularie then grabbed a single to bring Aaron Sabato and Rucker home. That four-run lead held up throughout the game, and the Travelers sixth-inning run ended unhelpful. Alex Isola didn't homer tonight, but he did have a two-hit game. Rucker had three hits on the evening as well. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 14, South Bend 8 Box Score The Kernels turned to Cory Lewis on Thursday night, and he worked 3 2/3 innings while allowing three runs on five hits. Lewis did also walk a pair but got seven strikeouts in the contest. After giving up two first-inning runs, Cedar Rapids got on the board when Andrew Cossetti went deep for his seventh big fly of the year. Noah Miller followed Cossetti's lead with a two-run blast in the third inning. Miller's eighth dinger of the year also brought in Keoni Cavaco. Jose Salas kept the scoring with a single that South Bend booted around. Emmanuel Rodriguez and Kala'i Rosario scored on the play before Salas chased them in. Up 6-2, Carson McCusker went deep for the fifth time to make it a 7-2 game. Cedar Rapids gave one back in the bottom of the third inning, but they added again in the fourth inning. Miller tripled home Cavaco before Ben Ross doubled in Rodriguez. Leading 9-3 in the sixth inning, Rosario scored Miller on a sacrifice fly, and Ross brought Rodriguez in again with a single. By the bottom of the seventh inning, South Bend inched closer to make things interesting. Cedar Rapids held on to just an 11-8 lead entering the ninth inning, but McCusker put it away with his second blast of the night. This one scored Cossetti and Salas to make it a 14-8 game and secure the victory. Both clubs had 12 hits on Thursday, but Cedar Rapids was able to do more damage with theirs. Miller, Ross, McCusker, and Cavaco each had two hits in the game. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Daytona 1 (F/10) Box Score After the promotion became official yesterday, the hype for Walker Jenkins to be in the Fort Myers lineup was here. He fared incredibly well in limited rookie ball action, and Minnesota decided to challenge him the rest of the way at Single-A. Miguelangel Boadas got the start for Fort Myers and worked 4 2/3 innings. He allowed only an unearned run on four hits. Boadas didn't walk anyone and struck out a trio of Tortugas. The Tortugas struck first with a run during the opening frame. Danny De Andrade answered with his 11th home run, a fifth inning solo shot. Needing extras, Maddux Houghton played hero on a sacrifice fly to score Jay Harry and walk it off. Jenkins finished the night 0-for-4 but made contact each time he stepped in. Fort Myers had just two hits on the night, but they squeezed everything out of limited opportunity. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Jaylen Nowlin (Wichita) - 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K Hitter of the Day – Carson McCusker (Cedar Rapids) - 2-5, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 HR(6) 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) - 1-5, R, BB, 2 K #2 - Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) - 0-4 #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, 3 R, BB, 2B, K #8 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 0-3, R, BB #13 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 0-1, R, RBI, 3 BB #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 2-3, R, RBI, BB, K #17 - Danny De Andrade (Fort Myers) - 1-4, R, RBI, HR(11) #19 - Cory Lewis (Cedar Rapids) - 3.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K #20 - Brent Headrick (St. Paul) - 4.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Omaha (6:35PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson Wichita @ Arkansas (7:05PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (6:05PM CST) - RHP C.J. Culpepper Dayton @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - RHP John Klein Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! View full article

Another good week on the farm. Big wins. Hot teams. Playoff races. And a fun promotion. You can read all about it within. Image courtesy of William Parmeter (photo of Walker Jenkins) The FCL and DSL affiliates are done for the season. The Kernels are in the playoffs. How many other teams will qualify? The Twins keep pace and keep their lead at six games. Read all about it in Nick’s Week in Review. WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints Overall: 29-22 (3-3 last week) in the second half; In first place in the IL West by half a game; in fourth place in the International League. Overview: The opportunity to make up ground on Worcester presented itself, but the Saints split with last-place Omaha and remain two and a half games out of a playoff position. 🔥: Hernan Perez had eight hits in 17 at-bats and three of those hits went for a team-leading three home runs. He also drove in a team-leading ten runs. 🔥: Austin Martin (eight hits, two doubles, home run and four stolen bases) and Andrew Stevenson (ten hits, two doubles, home run, two stolen bases) have both been on a hot streak. 🤔: The Saints pitching staff had a rough week. Only two members of the staff made it through the week without allowing an earned run. Neither of those pitchers recorded more than eight outs. 🥶: Louie Varland lasted four innings in his start. He gave up seven runs (four earned) on six hit and three walks. He struck out three. Varland has been suggested as a bullpen piece for the Twins moving forward. 🥶: Trevor Larnach has been bad and doesn't even look like a candidate to take the extra roster spot the Twins will have this week. He was 1-18, with 11 strikeouts. What's Next: The Saints host Columbus (23-36). St. Paul leads Nashville by a half-game. Nashville travels to Durham, who the Saints trail by a game. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge Overall: 29-22 (5-1 last week) in the second half and has pushed their division lead to 3.5 games. Overview: The Wind Surge has won four straight series and continue to be on a tear since the promotions of their best three offensive players. 🔥: Pierson Ohl continues to be great. In 5 2/3 shutout innings this week, Ohl gave up four hits and a walk. He struck out eight. 🔥: Yoyner Fajardo (seven hits, home run, stolen base) and Alex Isola (nine hits, double home run) led the Wind Surge offense. 🔥: David Festa returned after a 10-day break and threw five two-hit, one-run innings. He struck out seven. 🥶: Dalton Shuffield struggled again. He was 2-for-11 in four games and struck out three times. 🥶: Miguel Rodriguez picked up a save, but in his two outings (two innings), he gave up six hits and three runs (two earned), He struck out two. What's Next: The Wind Surge host San Antonio (25-26), but it's San Antonio who is guaranteed a spot in the postseason. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels Overall: 35-19 (4-2 last week) in the second half, four games ahead of Peoria. The Kernels have clinched a postseason berth. Overview: The Kernels had a very good week, but Peoria kept pace. 🔥: Noah Miller led the offensive charge again with eight hits, six runs and seven runs batted in. All were team highs. 🔥: Kyle Jones had another excellent start. He allowed only one run on four hits in six innings. He struck out seven. 🔥: Carson McCusker and Andrew Cossetti both hit two runs on the week. 🥶: Emmanuel Rodriguez went 5-for-20 and struck out nine times. Kala'i Rosario went 4-for-20 and struck out ten times. 🥶: C.J. Culpepper had a round one-inning start. He surrendered five runs on seven hits. What's Next: The Kernels host Lake County (28-24). Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Overall: 27-27 (5-1 last week) in the second half, but remain 9.0 games behind Lakeland. Overview: Fort Myers has been very hot lately, but the FSL West is loaded with good teams. 🔥: Luke Keaschall led the Fort Myers offense with seven hits, seven runs and four doubles. He also tripled and drew five walks. The eight strikeouts weren't great. 🔥: John Klein had another great start. He struck out nine over six one-hit shutout innings. He did issue three walks.. 🔥: Great week for a number of pitchers: Ricardo Velez, Samuel Perez, Zach Veen, Sean Mooney, Danny Moreno, Miguelangel Boadas, Matt Gabbert and Wilker Reyes all pitched multiple shutout innings. 😍: Walker Jenkins was promoted and after struggling in his debut, got the walk-off hit in his second game. He hasn't hit for power or drawn any walks (yet), but it's going to be fun watching Jenkins continue his season. 🥶: Nolan Santos allowed multiple runs (on two hits and two walks) and only retired two batters. 🥶: Kyle Schmidt went 0-for-13 on the week. But a lot of bad luck as he only struck out one time. What's Next: Fort Myers head to Clearwater (31-23). This is a chance to make up some ground. PROSPECT SUMMARY This Prospect Summary shows our current Twins Top 20 Prospect Rankings and how they performed last week. The Prospect Tracker will be updated periodically throughout the season. Notice that these pages now include stats and splits, as well as past article links, video and more. Season-long stats will be in parenthesis. 20. Brent Headrick, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 6.75 ERA, 4.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, HBP, BB, 6 K (1.37 WHIP, .263 BAA). 19. Cory Lewis, RHP, Cedar Rapids: 0-0, 7.36 ERA, 3.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, HRA, 2 BB, 7 K (1.06 WHIP, .197 BAA). 18. Jose Rodriguez, OF, FCL Twins: 2-4, 2 R, BB. (.262/.325/.412. .737 OPS) 17. Danny De Andrade, SS, Fort Myers: 6-22, 2 2B, HR, 5 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB, 6 K, SB. (.244/.354/.404. .758 OPS), played five games (82 total games) at shortstop and committed no errors in 17 chances (13 errors in 295 total chances). Previously played one game at third base and had no errors in four chances. 16. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 9.00 ERA, 1.0 IP, H, ER, BB (1.61 WHIP, .262 BAA); Minnesota: (1.85 WHIP, .313 BAA). 15. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 1-0, 4.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (1.57 WHIP, .262 BAA); Minnesota: (1.56 WHIP, .274 BAA). 14. Yunior Severino, 3B, St. Paul: 3-16, RBI, 2 R, BB, 7 K. (AA/AAA combined .282/.357/.551. .908 OPS). 13. Kala'i Rosario, OF, Cedar Rapids: 4-20, 2B, 3 RBI, 4 R, 3 BB, 10 K. (.257/.369/.467. .836 OPS). 12. Yasser Mercedes, OF, FCL Twins: Did not play. (.196/.248/.381. .629 OPS) 11. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: Prielipp underwent season-ending elbow surgery. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 10. Luke Keaschall, 2B, Fort Myers: 7-22, 4 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, 7 R, 5 BB, 8 K. (rookie/l-A combined .278/.434/.443. .877 OPS), played six games (19 total) at second base and committed no errors in 27 chances (one error in 60 total chances). Previously played in centerfield (two games) and had no chances and one game at third base and committed one error in two chances. 9. Brandon Winokur, OF, FCL Twins: Did not play. (.288/.338/.545. .883 OPS), played one game at shortstop (nine total) and committed no errors in three chances (two errors in 34 total chances) and played three games (seven total) at centerfield and committed no errors in eight chances (no errors in 19 total chances). 8. Tanner Schobel, INF, Wichita: 5-18, 3B, 3 RBI, 4 R, 5 BB, 2 K. (high-A/AA combined .264/.357/.434. .791 OPS), played five games (48 total) at second base and committed one error in 17 chances (9 errors in 191 total chances), played no games (56 total) at third base (four errors in 109 total chances). 7. Austin Martin, 2B/OF, St. Paul: 8-19, 2 2B, 1 HR, RBI, 5 R, 3 BB, 2 K, 4 SB. (rehab/AAA combined .268/.373/.415. .788 OPS), played one game (eight total) in centerfield and committed no errors in six chances (no errors in 20 total chances), played three games (30 total) at second base and committed two errors in 12 chances (four errors in 121 total chances), played one games (eight total) in left field and committed no errors in six chances (no errors in 20 total chances). 6. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 1-0, 1.80 ERA, 5 IP, 2 H, ER, 7 K. (1.36 WHIP, .249 BAA) 5. Charlee Soto, RHP: Has not played in a professional game. 4. Marco Raya, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 3.38 ERA, 2.2 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, K. (AA/Hi-A combined 1.19 WHIP, .212 BAA) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 5-20, 2B, 2 RBI, 5 R, 6 BB, 9 K, 4 SB. (.229/.392/.436. .828 OPS) 2. Walker Jenkins, OF, FCL Twins/Fort Myers: 7-22, 2B, 5 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K, SB. (FCL/low-A combined .333/.378/.507. .9885 OPS) 1. Brooks Lee, SS, St. Paul: 6-22, 2B, 4 RBI, R, 3 BB, 6 K. (AA/AAA combined .285/.355/.458. .813 OPS), played three games (95 total) at shortstop and committed two errors in eight chances (17 errors in 385 total chances) and played one game (four total) at third base and committed no errors in three chances (one error in ten chances total chances). PLAYERS OF THE WEEKHITTER - Hernan Perez, St. Paul PITCHER - David Festa, Wichita View full article

After a night in which Hernan Perez recorded a career best effort, he did something else impressive on Friday. Walker Jenkins debuted on Thursday at Low-A going 0-for-4, but he was the hero with a big game on Friday night. Image courtesy of William Parmeter TRANSACTIONS UTIL Willi Castro begins rehab assignment with St. Paul RHP Alex Scherff transferred to St. Paul from Wichita SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 10, Omaha 7 Box Score Looking to get off the injured list after dealing with an oblique issue, Willi Castro started for the Saints on Friday night batting second as the designated hitter. Simeon Woods Richardson made the start and turned in six innings of three-run baseball. He allowed five hits and three walks while striking out three. Omaha got up by a pair in the first inning, and added a third in the third inning. The Saints came out for the fourth inning and started to chip away. Jair Camargo singled home both Austin Martin and Willi Castro to draw within one. In the fifth inning, Hernan Perez blasted his sixth home run to score Gilberto Celestino and take the lead. Martin then stole third base and came home when the ball got away. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. kept things going with a double that brought Castro home and all of a sudden it was a 6-3 lead. After a 5-for-5 game last night, Perez made his mark on this one with his second homer of the game. A three-run shot in the sixth inning scored Yunior Severino and Celestino. St. Paul now had a comfortable 9-3 lead. Castro is down with the Saints working to return for Minnesota, but with an option remaining, it’s curious if the Twins would opt for Martin instead. The key piece acquired for Jose Berrios has been on fire of late, and he’s a legitimate outfield option at all three spots. Although the Twins have returning players that will probably take September roster spots, Martin continues to prove his worth. Ronny Henriquez and Kody Funderburk combined for three scoreless innings to close out the win. Martin was joined by Celestino and Perez with two hits on the evening. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 11, Arkansas 1 Box Score Despite his innings now being limited, Marco Raya took the ball to start for Wichita on Friday. He worked 2 2/3 innings allowing one run on two hits. Raya walked two and struck out just one. Arkansas grabbed a first inning run, but the WInd Surge took a lead in the third inning. Jake Rucker singled home Yoyner Fajardo and Tanner Schobel to grab a 2-1 cushion. The Wind Surge put up runs in a big way during the fourth inning. Rucker singled again, this time with the bases loaded, and he brought home Alerick Soularie and Ernie Yake. Not wanting to leave anyone on the bases, Alex Isola blasted his 18th home run. Fajardo and Rucker scored on the big fly and it was suddenly a 7-1 game. In the fifth inning Wichita exploded again. This time they came up with four runs and made it an 11-1 game. Fajardo singled home Soularie before Schobel’s single brought home both Fajardo and Yake. Isola then added a single to drive in Schobel and the rout was on. Unfortunately, a ten-run rule wasn’t in action Friday. Fajardo, Rucker, and Isola all recorded three hits apiece. Schobel added two of his own on Friday night. KERNELS NUGGETS South Bend 18, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score After the Kernels put up 14 on Thursday night, it was South Bend’s turn for a big outing on Friday. C.J. Culpepper was chased after just three outs. He allowed five runs on seven hits, one of which left the yard. Culpepper didn’t give up a walk, but struck out two. Cedar Rapids was down after the first inning thanks to a five-spot by the Cubs. Kyle Fedko did triple in the second inning to score Misael Urbina but the run was quickly wiped out. South Bend added a pair in the second, third, fourth, and sixth innings. The Kernels sprinkled one more in during their portion of the sixth inning on a passed ball that allowed Noah Cardenas to score. From there, the Cubs added another seven and made Friday night’s contest a complete laugher. It only counts as one win, but it was an ugly loss. Cedar Rapids finished with just four hits and no one recorded more than one. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Daytona 2 (F/10) Box Score John Klein started Friday night for the Mighty Mussels and he was nothing short of electric. Throwing six innings of one-hit baseball, Klein didn’t give up a run. He did allow three walks, but punched out nine on the evening. Similar to Thursday night, scoring was at a premium for Daytona and Fort Myers. The Mighty Mussels notched the first tally with a fifth inning single from Gregory Duran. Three throwing errors on the play by the Tortuga’s allowed Duran to come around for a little league homer. In the fifth Walker Jenkins picked up his first Single-A hit, a single, as well. Nolan Santos uncorked a wild pitch in the seventh inning to give Daytona their first run, and a second came around to take the lead before the frame was over. Jenkins recorded his first Single-A extra-base hit on a seventh inning double, and with Luke Keaschall crossing the plate, he tied the game. After going 0-for-4 last night, Jenkins stepped in with the game on the line. He picked up his third hit and drove in Alec Sayre to walk it off for the Mighty Mussels. His 3-for-6 effort was the only multi-hit appearance for Fort Myers. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – John Klein (Fort Myers) - 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 9 K Hitter of the Day – Hernan Perez (St. Paul) - 2-4, 2 R, 5 RBI, 2 HR(7) 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) - 1-5, 2 K #2 - Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) - 3-6, 2 RBI, 2B(1), K #4 - Marco Raya (Wichita) - 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K #7 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 2-5, 2 R, 2B(7), SB(11) #8 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K #10 - Luke Keaschall (Fort Myers) - 1-4, BB, 2B(6), 2 K #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 1-4, R, 2 K #15 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K #17 - Danny De Andrade (Fort Myers) - 1-5, 2 K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Omaha (6:35PM CST) - RHP Randy Dobnak Wichita @ Arkansas (7:05PM CST) - RHP Pierson Ohl Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (6:05PM CST) - RHP Zebby Matthews Dayton @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - RHP Jose Olivares Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games! View full article

Did you know Darryl Strawberry slugged 1.000 for the Saints in 1996? Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (Image is of Tanner Schobel) TRANSACTIONS RHP Carlos Luna transferred from AA Wichita to AAA St. Paul RHP Cole Sands recalled by Twins LHP Brent Headrick optioned to AAA St. Paul Saints Sentinel St. Paul 8, Louisville 4 Box Score Patrick Murphy: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K HR: Hernán Pérez (5) Multi-hit games: Yunior Severino (2-for-5, 2B, R, RBI), Chris Williams (2-for-3, 2B, R, 2 RBI, BB) On the night they retired Darryl Strawberry’s jersey, the Saints bested the Bats, winning smoothly with a star-studded audience in the crowd. Strawberry was a Saint in 1996, where he slashed .435/.538/1.000—yes he slugged 1.000—over 29 games. He then won the World Series with the Yankees. It was a good year to be Darryl Strawberry. With Mike Veeck, Marv Goldklang, Van Schley, and, of course, Bill Murray on hand for the ceremony, the Saints felt a powerful, important presence looming over their game. And it fueled them. Patrick Murphy was excellent to start, working four frames with no earned runs while striking out five. After he blanked the Bats in the 4th, his Saints bats got rolling; Hernán Pérez smoked a three-run shot to right-center to start the scoring. The Bats struck for three of their own the following inning—very rude of them—but the Saints had an answer: if three runs weren’t enough, why not try four? Yunior Severino cracked a double and Chris Williams singled up the middle to plate three; the final run scored on a wild pitch. St. Paul scored one more time, but they didn’t need the run, and they were able to earn a victory to send Strawberry and the four men who brought baseball to St. Paul home with a win. Severino played first base for the second time since joining the Saints. Let the speculating commence. Noelvi Marte is the 24th-ranked prospect in MLB; he singled in two at-bats. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 13, NW Arkansas 3 Box Score Jaylen Nowlin: 5 1/3 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Yoyner Fajardo (2-for-6, 2 R, RBI), Tanner Schobel (2-for-6, 2 2B, 2 R, RBI), Patrick Winkel (2-for-6, 2B, R, 2 RBI), Seth Gray (2-for-4, 3 R, RBI, BB), Jake Rucker (3-for-4, 3B, R, 3 RBI) The Wind Surge obliterated their opponents on Saturday. It’s always a good sign when it takes me a few minutes to type out the multi-hit games. It was a true group event; every hitter reached base at least once—that’s every hitter that appeared in the game, all 10 of them—as the Wind Surge totaled seven walks on top of their 14 hits. Perhaps the most absurd stat from the game is that Wichita went 9-for-22 with runners in scoring position. 22! There were only two innings that didn’t see a baserunner. Not to be overshadowed, starter Jaylen Nowlin pitched very well, allowing a lone earned run over 5 1/3 innings with four strikeouts. More importantly, perhaps, is that he only walked one batter. For a young hurler often at odds with his command, Saturday was a wonderful sight to see. Regi Grace dominated in relief as well; he tossed 3 2/3 shutout frames to bring the game to a quiet end. Yoyner Fajardo stole three bases to bring his season total to 39. NW Arkansas third baseman Cayden Wallace is Kansas City’s second-best prospect; he doubled in four at-bats. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 10, Quad Cities 12 (10 Innings) Box Score Cory Lewis: 4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K HR: Carson McCusker (2) Multi-hit games: Noah Miller (2-for-6, 2 2B, R, 3 RBI), Kala’i Rosario (2-for-4, R, 2 RBI, BB) The Kernels were walked-off on Saturday. No one could blame Cedar Rapids’ offense for losing them the game; outbursts in the fifth, eighth, and ninth helped plate 10 runs for the Kernels. Again, this was a shared success, with every starter either scoring a run or earning an RBI. Noah Miller was perhaps the most successful batter, as he doubled twice and knocked in three out of the lead-off spot. He’s slashing .244/.326/.463 since the start of August. Despite exiting from Friday’s game after a nasty collision with the outfield wall, Emmanuel Rodriguez played in Saturday’s match, singling and walking in six plate appearances. Pitching was hard to come by—for either side, really—as every Kernels pitcher not named Mike Paredes exited with more earned runs than they entered with. The game mercifully ended in the 10th, when—after Cedar Rapids failed to plate their Manfred Man—the River Bandits ended the game with a homer in the bottom half of the inning. Kansas City’s catcher Carter Jensen is their eighth-best prospect, and he knocked in two with a single and a sacrifice fly. Mussel Matters Ft. Myers 3, Bradenton 1 Box Score Miguelangel Boadas: 3 1/3 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Jay Harry (2-for-3, R) The Mighty Mussels smothered Bradenton’s bats on Saturday. Miguelangel Boadas may have started the game, but it was an all-around effort to limit offensive damage; Danny Moreno, Juan Mendez, and Ricardo Velez were all exceptional as well, carrying Fort Myers to the finish line with just one earned run. The most impressive outing? Perhaps Mendez, who struck out five over two scoreless frames. And the bats did what they needed to do to help win. They only acquired five hits—typically not enough to win—but they also worked six walks, giving themselves plenty of extra chances to knock in runners. They did. Scoring in each of the first three innings, Fort Myers struck a 3-0 lead that never wavered. Danny De Andrade earned a pair of RBIs, doubling in a run in the 1st while scoring another off a 3rd inning sacrifice fly. 2023 draft pick Jay Harry singled twice; his brother in recent draftee status, Luke Keaschall, walked once in four plate appearances. The bases proved to be eventful on Saturday, with Fort Myers stealing three bases while being caught twice and picked off once. If my Washington math is correct, they broke even on steals. Pittsburgh’s 11th-ranked prospect—an infielder named Mitch Jebb—struck out once in four trips to the plate. Complex Chronicles FCL Twins 2, FCL Red Sox 3 Box Score Carlos Gutierrez: 4 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K HR: Harold Grant (4) Multi-hit games: None The FCL Twins fell to the FCL Red Sox in a low-scoring affair on Saturday. The New Bash Brothers—Brandon Winokur and Walker Jenkins—disappointed fans looking for fireworks with a tepid one hit over six combined at-bats. That one hit was immediately wiped out when catcher Diego Viloria picked off Jenkins. Certainly, the two will have better games in the future. No hitter could really put anything together, though; a Harold Grant two-run homer served as the team’s only run-scoring knock. Both Carlos Gutierrez and Matt Gabbert pitched well, with the two arms combining for 12 strikeouts and just one walk—a rarity for the lower levels of the minors. Dominican Dailies DSL Twins 2, DSL Mariners 1 Box Score Joel Garcia: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Junior Del Valle (2-for-2) The DSL Twins sneaked by the DSL Mariners on Saturday. Joel Garcia had another fine start, following up his four-frame one-earned run outing on the fifth with five shutout innings and five strikeouts. He allowed a few more baserunners than you’d like, but he eluded damage well, always finding a way to strand men on base. The entirety of the DSL Twins’ offense came in the fourth; Javier Roman doubled in Moises Lopez, and Jesus Peraza—with the help of a Junior Del Valle sacrifice bunt—singled in Roman. Star international signing Hendry Chivilli continued his poor start to pro ball, punching out three times in four trips to the plate. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Joel Garcia, DSL Twins Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Jake Rucker, Wichita Wind Surge PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 1-5, R, K #2 - Walker Jenkins (FCL Twins) - 1-3, K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, 3 R, BB #5 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 2-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, K #8 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 0-2, 2 R, 2 BB, K #10 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 2-6, 2 2B, 2 R, RBI, 2 K #12 - Luke Keaschall (Ft. Myers) - 0-3, R, BB #13 - Brandon Winokur (FCL Twins) - 0-3, K #15 - Jordan Balazovic (Minnesota) - 1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K #16 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, R, 2 RBI, BB #17 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 2-5, 2B, R, RBI, K #18 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, R, 2 K #20 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL Twins) - 1-3, R SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Louisville @ St. Paul (2:07 PM) - RHP Carlos Luna Wichita @ NW Arkansas (2:05 PM) - RHP David Festa Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (1:00 PM) - RHP C.J. Culpepper Bradenton @ Fort Myers (11:00 AM) - RHP John Klein View full article

For the second week in a row each affiliate either played .500 baseball or within a game of .500. There were some more big performances and we’re starting to see some performance-triggered promotions. Image courtesy of © Sam Navarro (photo of Hernan Perez) Don’t forget to read Nick’s Week in Review to catch up on the Twins week. TRANSACTIONS None as of publishing. RESULTS Tuesday (5/23): Carlos Aguiar Flexes His Mussels Wednesday (5/24): A Walkoff, a Blowout Win, a Loss, and a Rainout Thursday (5/25): Sanchez Slings for Saints Friday (5/26): Pitching Continues To Be Solid, Even in Losses Saturday (5/27): The Dog Days Are Over; a Near Clean Sweep for Minnesota's Affiliates Sunday (5/28): Royce Lewis Catches a Flight MORE TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE CONTENT Carlos Aguiar Slugging His Way Into the Top Prospect Conversation Playing at 120 Percent, Royce Lewis is Ready for his Return to the Big Leagues These 3 Minnesota Twins Prospects Are Off to Disappointing Starts in 2023 Blayne Enlow is Out to Prove He Belongs Is Royce Lewis Going to be Here to Stay? TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Iowa @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - TBD Tulsa @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) -RHP Blayne Enlow (2-1, 3.02 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Lansing (5:00PM CST) - RHP Jaylin Nowlin (2-3, 3.75 ERA) St. Lucie @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - TBD WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints (Week: 4-2) Overall: 27-22, 2.5 games back in the International League West. Overview: A good week with four wins over Omaha only kept pace with the Iowa Cubs. 🔥: It hasn’t been a good year for Aaron Sanchez , but he had a very good start last week pitching six shutout innings. 🔥: Hernan Perez and Andrew Stevenson both had huge weeks at the plate. Perez totaled 17 total bases on 10 hits in 20 at-bats with 10 RBI and Stevenson had 18 total bases on the nine hits and scored nine runs. 🥶: Simeon Woods Richardson threw 8 1/3 innings over two starts and allowed 11 earned runs on 16 hits and five walks. He only struck out four. A hard reset may be in order. 🥶: Jose Miranda is floundering. Four singles in 24 at-bats. Six strikeouts. One walk. Two runs batted in and one run scored. What's Next: A trip to Buffalo (24-27) for six games. Both teams are 5-5 in their last ten. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge (Week: 2-4) Overall: 20-24, 9.5 games back in the Texas League North. Overview: A poor week against Springfield dropped the Wind Surge even further behind Tulsa. 🔥: DaShawn Keirsey led the offense with nine hits (and three doubles). Brooks Lee had eight hits and hit his fourth home run of the season. 🔥: Aaron Rozek pitched seven one-run innings and struck out five while only walking one and allowing just three hits. 🥶: Will Holland was 3-for-16, but his three hits were two doubles and a triple. He struck out five times. 🥶: Andrew Cabezas struggled in his lone appearance of the week. He allowed four runs on four hits and three walks while only retiring three batters. What's Next: Wichita will host first-place Tulsa (30-15), who is on a six-game winning streak. Though dominant at home, the Drillers are only 8-10 on the road. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels (Week: 3-3) Overall: 25-20, 1.0 game up in the Midwest League West. Overview: A 3-3 week was enough to propel the Kernels past a struggling South Bend team (losers of five straight). But Quad Cities has gone from 12-21 to 24-21 and are now just a game behind Cedar Rapids. 🔥: Marco Raya was perfect in his three innings, striking out five. 🔥: Jordan Carr pitched six innings and earned a win. He allowed only an unearned run on four hits and two walks. He struck out six. 🔥: Kala’i Rosario and Noah Miller led the offense. Rosario had two home runs among his six hits. Miller had seven hits including three extra-base hits. 🤩: Andrew Cossetti gets a write-up almost every week, so we should mention his promotion. He got three hits in 13 at-bats including two doubles. 🥶: Pierson Ohl had an interesting start. He was one out short of pitching six innings. He struck out seven… but he allowed nine hits and two walks which turned into seven runs (six earned). 🥶: Jose Salas . Man, it’s been a rough start for Salas. Nine strikeouts in a 2-for-20 week. What's Next: A road trip to Lansing (21-24). The Kernels have a better road record so far this year, so hopefully they can keep the lead in the West Division. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels (Week: 3-3) Overall: 25-20, 6.5 games behind Clearwater in the Florida State League West. Overview: Fort Myers split with a decent Dunedin team and made up a half-game in the standings. 🔥: Ricardo Olivar’s nine hits were tied for an organizational high this past week. But his solid performance may have been overshadowed by Carlos Aguiar’s three-home run game and Jorel Ortega continuing to impress with his bat (two home runs) and legs (three stolen bases). 🔥: Zebby Matthews earned a promotion with six strikeouts in five shutout innings. He allowed two hits. 🥶: Maddux Houghton struck out six times in 10 hitless at-bats. 🥶: Jose Olivares is the youngest pitcher on the staff, but allowing seven runs on six hits (three home runs) isn’t great. What's Next: It should be a big week for the Mighty Mussels. St. Lucie (13-31) is the worst team in the entire league… but they are coming in with a three-game winning streak. PROSPECT SUMMARY This Prospect Summary shows our current Twins Top 20 Prospect Rankings and how they performed last week. The Prospect Tracker will be updated on the first of each month throughout the season. Notice that these pages now include stats and splits, as well as past article links, videos, and more. (Season-long stats will be in parenthesis.) 20. Michael Helman, UTIL, St. Paul: On the Injured List with a dislocated shoulder. (.333/.434/.711. 1.145 OPS) 19. Yunior Severino, 3B, Wichita: 7-24, 3 R, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 9 K. (.279/.355/.526. .881 OPS), played his first game at second base this past week after playing exclusively at third base all season. 18. Jose Rodriguez, OF: Extended Spring Training 17. Blayne Enlow, RHP, Wichita: 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 6 H, ER, 1 K. (1.13 WHIP, .237 BAA) 16. Matt Canterino, RHP: Still recovering from Tommy John surgery. 15. Brent Headrick, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 6.75 ERA, 4 IP, 7 H, 4 R (3 ER), HRA, 2 BB, 3 K. (1.41 WHIP, .292 BAA) 14. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 7.36 ERA, 3.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. (1.37 WHIP, .227 BAA) 13. Noah Miller, SS, Cedar Rapids: 7-21, 2 2B, 3B, 5 RBI, R, 4 K, SB. (.216/.293/.302. .595 OPS), played shortstop in four games (35 total) and committed no errors in 21 chances (four errors in 151 total chances); played no games (six total) at second base (no errors in 16 total chances). 12. Jose Salas, INF, Cedar Rapids: 2-17, 2B, RBI, R, 2 BB, 9 K. (.154/.231/.215. .446 OPS), didn’t play shortstop (three errors in 29 chances in nine games total), played one game (nine total) at third base with one error in five chances (three errors in 22 total chances). He played four games (18 total) at second base with no errors in 12 chances (one error in 72 total chances). 11. Austin Martin, SS: Martin is still recovering from an arm injury. 10. Yasser Mercedes, OF: Extended Spring Training 9. Matt Wallner, OF, St. Paul: (.271/.392/.486. 878 OPS); Minnesota: 7-11, 2B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB, SB (.368/.520/.579. 1.099 OPS) 8. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, H, ER, 3 BB, 5 K. (1.49 WHIP, .260 BAA) 7. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 0-1, 11.88 ERA, 8.1 IP (2 starts), 16 H, 11 ER, HRA, 5 BB, 4 K (1.88 WHIP, .329 BAA); Minnesota: (2.14 WHIP, .350 BAA) 6. Marco Raya, RHP, Cedar Rapids: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 5 K. (0.74 WHIP, .138 BAA) 5. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: On the injured list, but expected to resume throwing. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 4. Edouard Julien, 2B, St. Paul: (.287/.442/.481. .923 OPS), has played all 27 games at second base and has committed two errors in 119 chances; Minnesota: 4-17, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 R, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 8 K. (.224/.316/.510. .826 OPS) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 3-22, 2B, HR, 6 R, RBI, 5 BB, 7 K, SB. (.160/.316/.362. 678 OPS) 2. Royce Lewis, SS: St. Paul: 5-17, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB, 5 K, SB. (.333/.395/.692. 1.087 OPS), played one game (four total) at shortstop and committed no errors in four chances (no errors in 12 total chances). Lewis played one game (four total) at third base and committed one error in five chances (one error in eight total chances). 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Wichita: 8-26, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 5 R, 2 BB, 4 K, CS. (.261/.335/.418. .753 OPS), played five games (38 total) at shortstop and committed no errors in 25 chances (three errors in 161 total chances). Lee has committed one error in three chances in one game at third base this season. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK (as voted on by fans on Twitter) PITCHER - Marco Raya, Cedar Rapids (Raya 42%, Matthews 35%, Rozek 15%, Sanchez 7%) HITTER - Hernan Perez, St. Paul (Perez 68%, Rosario 23%, Keirsey 5%, Olivar 3%) Who would have been your picks? Any early season surprises or disappointments? Ask questions and discuss the Twins prospects in the COMMENTS below. View full article

In the meantime, enjoy some absolute blowouts on a fruitful evening for minor league baseball. Image courtesy of William Parmeter (photo of Zebby Matthews) TRANSACTIONS None Saints Sentinel St. Paul 14, Omaha 1 Box Score Randy Dobnak: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 5 K HR: Andrew Stevenson (3), Royce Lewis (4) Multi-hit games: Andrew Stevenson (2-for-6, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI), Royce Lewis (2-for-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB), Mark Contreras (3-for-5, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI), Andrew Bechtold (2-for-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI, BB), Hernán Pérez (3-for-5, 3B, R, 5 RBI), Jair Camargo (3-for-5, 2 R, RBI) It was destruction. Two-thirds of the lineup earning multi-hit honors says more than anything creative this writer could conjure. The Saints scored for breakfast, scored during lunch, and scored while consuming dinner, bludgeoning Omaha’s poor pitchers for 14 runs off 16 hits. It’s almost cruel. It’s almost impossible to pick a leader from the bunch, but Hernán Pérez and his five RBIs sticks out amongst the melee; any other selection would be just fine, though. The pitchers did their job as well. The walk monster crept up and swallowed Randy Dobnak whole again, coaxing four free passes from the righty, but he halted the damage, only allowing one earned run over his five innings of work. From there it was a combo bullpen effort, with Ronny Henriquez, Cody Laweryson, and Jose Bravo holding the Storm Chasers scoreless to end the game. Royce Lewis tormented a minor-league pitcher again, smacking the fourth homer of his rehab assignment with St. Paul. Mark Contreras added twin stolen bases to go with his three knocks on Saturday. Tyler Gentry was the Royals’ best prospect to have a close look at the chaos; he walked and took a hit by pitch. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 6, Springfield 3 (10 Innings) Box Score Travis Adams: 6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Brooks Lee (2-for-6, 2B, R), DaShawn Keirsey Jr. (3-for-5, 2 2B, R), Yunior Severino (2-for-5, R, RBI) An explosive 10th inning gave Wichita the victory on Saturday. It would probably be hard to find a player more relieved than Travis Adams. The 23-year-old suffered earned runs and a hurt ego to start the season, entering the game with an ERA north of 7.00 on the young season. He cut a full run off of it. Staring down a tough Springfield offense—one second in the Texas League in OPS—Adams held mayhem down, allowing a lone earned run over six impressive innings. The offense was there, too, but it took a little longer for this truth to become self-evident. Wichita struck for two runs in the 3rd, giving themselves a slim lead before nestling into a hibernation. Outs came easy; bats were chilled. It wasn’t until the bonus inning before the team made their second attack. But what an attack it was: four runners crossed home plate as Yoyner Fajardo and Will Holland both earned two-RBI knocks—Holland’s of the rare triple variety. Springfield plated their Manfred Man(n), but Hunter McMahon ensured the game ended there, striking out the final batter of the game. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. earned three hits in a game for the second time this month. Brooks Lee’s 14 doubles are good for first in the Texas League, tying him with Ryan Bliss for the honors. Wichita turned a season-high three double plays; they also committed a season-high three errors. In an atypical turn, the usually-stacked Cardinals could only offer their 22nd-ranked prospect—Mike Antico—as their finest selection for their AA squad; he singled twice and walked. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 7, Wisconsin 1 Box Score Alejandro Hidalgo: 4 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K HR: Ben Ross (4) Multi-hit games: Ben Ross (2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI), Kala’i Rosario (2-for-4, 2 R, RBI), Noah Miller (2-for-4, 3B, 2B, 3 RBI) The Kernels smoked their opponents on Saturday. Alejandro Hidalgo—wild; often unable to command himself—found great success on the mound. While not perfectly efficient, the righty battled well, utilizing his dazzling changeup to great effect across four empty frames of work. He struck out four and walked two. In a season of extremes with walks, this was a positive step for the youngster. And the Kernels had his back early. A 1st-inning ambush established a pair of quick runs and subsequent scores in the 6th and 8th made the game a laugher. The twin poles of offensive stimulants came from Ben Ross and Noah Miller: the two batters earned five bases each, turning in clutch extra-base hits precisely when their team needed it. Miller’s effort was especially quenching, as he had not had a multi-extra-base-hit game all season. That essentially ended the game. Mike Paredes and John Stankiewicz protected the lead, carrying the team to the finish line with only a small one-run scratch marking the immense achievement for Cedar Rapids’ pitching staff. Wisconsin’s lead-off hitter, Eric Brown Jr., is the best prospect the team has to offer, and the second baseman was held hitless in five trips to the plate. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 2, Dunedin 7 Box Score Zebby Matthews: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K HR: Rafael Cruz (2) Multi-hit games: None Fort Myers’ bullpen soiled an opportunity to win on Saturday. Zebby Matthews was as expected. The Western Carolina product continued his tremendous dominance over Low-A hitters, out-witting Dunedin with each of his many offerings over five shutout innings before mercifully ending his reign on the mound. He touched 95.4 MPH and elicited 10 swings and misses. It’s been clear for nearly two months that Matthews is simply too good for his current level. Like their father team, Mighty Mussels’ relievers could not induce quiet outs against Blue Jays bats. Perhaps inspired by Matthews no longer eating them alive, Dunedin ran the kind of assembly line that would make Henry Ford proud—only their product was runs, not cars. The carnage ended with seven painful runs searing and ruining the ERAs of Johnathan Lavallee and A.J. Labas. Fort Myers’ tepid offense could offer no response. Outside of Rafael Cruz’s solo shot—a smoked 109.3 MPH missile—the Mighty Mussels could only muster an RBI walk in the 1st, totaling four hits over the 9-inning battle. DH Tucker Toman represented the best prospect on Dunedin’s squad; he singled and walked in four plate appearances. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Zebby Matthews Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Hernán Pérez (ft. Noah Miller and Ben Ross) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 2-for-6, 2B, R #2 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul) - 2-for-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-2, 2R, 2 BB, K #4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 3-for-5, HR, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, K #9 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 4-for-4, HR, R, 3 RBI #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, 3B, 2B, 3 RBI #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 2-for-5, R, RBI SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Omaha @ St. Paul (5:07 PM) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (0-5, 7.12 ERA) Wichita @ Springfield (6:05 PM) - RHP Chad Donato (1-3, 9.90 ERA) Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (1:05 PM) - TBD Fort Myers @ Dunedin (11:00 AM) - TBD Fort Myers @ Dunedin (30 Minutes Later) - TBD View full article