The Minnesota Twins won their third game in a row on Saturday to push their record to over .500 on the season. Starting pitcher Samuel Deduno gave a quality start effort, and Brian Dozier continued to provide the thump in the lineup, slugging his eleventh home run of the season. It was a 3-run shot in the fifth inning that gave the Twins just enough cushion.

There was plenty offense for a few of the Twins affiliate’s lineups on Saturday, but their pitching didn’t provide them with the same help collectively as Deduno did for the Twins.

RED WINGS REPORT

Toledo 2, Rochester 9

Box Score

Logan Darnell made his second start for the Red Wings since returning from his one game cup of coffee with the Twins. He didn’t quite qualify for the “quality start” moniker, but might as well have. Darnell lasted 5.2 innings, scattering six hits and two walks, while striking out eight. He was charged with two runs (one earned). When he ran into trouble in the sixth after a Diebinson Romero error, Matt Hoffman came on in relief and shut the door on the threat. He would pitch the final 3.1 innings, striking out three while lowering his ERA on the season to 1.56.

The Rochester lineup pushed two runs across in each of the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth innings on their way to the blowout. Eric Farris and Romero each slugged a two-run homer, and Romero also added a triple and led the Red Wings with three RBI’s on the night. Farris, Romero, Dan Rohlfing, Eric Fryer, and Josh Willingham each had two hits. Oswaldo Arcia was hit by a pitch and walked twice, scoring two runs.

ROCK CATS REVIEW

New Britain played a double-header Saturday, making up their second of two postponed games with Harrisburg from the end of April.

Game 1: New Britain 0, Harrisburg 5

Box Score

In Game 1, the Rock Cats ran into the Washington Nationals #2 rated prospect by MLB.com, A.J. Cole. He would throw the seven inning complete game, allowing only four hits and zero walks, while striking out eight.

Corey Wimberly had the only extra-base hit for New Britain, a double, and Brad Boyer stole two bases after his first inning single.

Virgil Vasquez started for the Rock Cats, and allowed five earned runs on eight hits and two walks, though he did strike out nine in his 4.2 innings. Jim Fuller would finish the game with a perfect 1.1 innings.

Game 2: New Britain 3, Harrisburg 9

Box Score

In Game 2, starter Matthew Summers had many of the same problems as Vasquez in the first. He would finish five innings, but allowed all nine Senators runs on nine hits and three walks, with three K’s. He also allowed three home runs. Ryan O’Rourke pitched the final inning, allowing only a walk.

Unlike the first game, New Britain did manage to send a few runners across home plate in this one. Kennys Vargas was 2-3 with an RBI and run scored, and Mike Kvasnicka was 2-2 with a walk and RBI. Reynaldo Rodriguez, Matt Koch, and Nate Hanson added doubles for the Rock Cats.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Daytona 11, Fort Myers 9

Box Score

The Miracle made a valiant effort in the bottom of the ninth, but a bases clearing double by Adam Brett Walker II to score Jorge Polanco, Dalton Hicks, and Max Kepler would be their final runs before Daytona shut the door on the comeback.

The offense for the Miracle was led by Walker II and Kepler, who each had three hits, including the aforementioned double by Walker II in the ninth, and a triple from Kepler in the second. Hicks also collected three RBI’s with a home run in the fifth inning, his second of the year. As a team, the Miracle had thirteen hits, including six extra base hits, but even that was not enough to keep pace with the Cubs.

Daytona knocked around starter Jason Wheeler to the tune of six runs (four earned) on eight hits and two walks, including three doubles before he left the game after 2.2 innings. Relievers Tim Shibuya, Mason Melotakis, Brandon Peterson, and Madison Boer didn’t fare much better. Collectively they allowed the other five runs on ten hits and three walks in their 6.1 innings. Melotakis and Peterson each struck out three in two innings apiece.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 2, Burlington 7

Box Score

The Kernels struck first, scoring a run in the opening two frames of the game, but Burlington was quick to strike back at starter Ryan Eades. After getting one run back in the bottom of the second, the Bees added three in the third after three consecutive hitters slugged extra base hits (double-triple-double). Eades did recover to record the next five outs with strike outs, but the extra base hit bug would come back to bite Eades in the fifth and end his night. Overall in five innings, he allowed all seven of Burlington’s runs on nine hits, with two walks and seven K’s. Brandon Bixler pitched the sixth and seventh innings, striking out two and walking two, while Hudson Boyd finished the game for the Kernels.

The Kernels managed only six hits in the game and were led by Chad Christensen and Bo Altobelli whom each had two. Altobelli had the only extra-base hit with a double in the seventh inning. Mitch Garver and Bryan Santy knocked in the runs for Cedar Rapids.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Pitcher – Logan Darnell, Rochester Red Wings (5.2IP, 1ER, 8K’s)

Hitter – Diebinson Romero, Rochester Red Wings (2-5, 3B, HR, 2 R’s, 3 RBI)

SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Toledo @ Rochester – Kris Johnson (2-2, 2.45 ERA), 12:05PM CST

New Britain @ Harrisburg – TBD, 1:00PM CST

Daytona @ Fort Myers – Brett Lee (3-1, 2.84 ERA), 3:05PM CST

Cedar Rapids @ Burlington – Ethan Mildren (0-2, 3.72 ERA), 2:00PM CST