The Twins enjoyed an off-day on Thursday after taking a three-game set from the division leading Kansas City Royals. In the Minor Leagues, the postseason is now in full swing.

Lookouts Look-In

Montgomery Biscuits @ Chattanooga Lookouts

Jamie Schultz vs. D.J. Baxendale

Final: Biscuits 3, Lookouts 4

In the first game of the best-of-five series the Lookouts secured the victory on a walk-off single from Southern League MVP, Max Kepler. With two on and two out, Kepler hit a line drive single to right scoring a pair of runs and earning the Lookouts the victory.

In front of a home crowd of 1,279 at AT&T Field in Chattanooga, Tennessee, D.J. Baxendale gave the Lookout fans seven and two-thirds innings of hope. Baxendale gave up a pair of early runs in the second, and another in the sixth but pitched into the eighth inning, before being lifted after 101 pitches. Baxendale gave up seven hits, three runs all earned. He walked none and struck out four. Baxendale was lifted for Nick Burdi, who struck out three in an inning and a third of work, but had to get four outs in the top of the ninth after a dropped strike three and an errant throw to first base from Stuart Turner. Leadoff man Shannon Wilkerson, and cleanup hitter Travis Harrison were both held hitless, as were D.J. Hicks, Adam Brett Walker, Stephen Wickens and Stuart Turner.

The Lookouts offense only generated five hits, but managed to earn NINE free passes from the Biscuits pitching staff, leaving the Lookouts with plenty of chances to score. Jorge Polanco was 2-4 plus a walk with a run scored. Max Kepler's ninth inning hit was his only one of the game, capping a 1-4 night that include a walk and a pair of strike outs.

The Lookouts are back on the diamond Friday night in Chattanooga for game two. The series then heads to Montgomery for the conclusion of the five-game series.

Kernels Korner

Cedar Rapids Kernels @ Quad Cities River Bandits

Sam Gibbons vs. Brock Dykxhoorn

Final: Kernels 3, River Bandits 1

The Cedar Rapids Kernels have advanced to the Midwest League semifinals with a 3 to 1 victory over the Quad Cities River Bandits on Thursday night in front of 1,555 fans at Modern Woodmen Park. The Quad Cities River Bandits had the best winning percentage of all full-season teams in Minor League Baseball prior to being swept out of the postseason by the Kernels.

Sam Gibbons gave the Kernels everything he had on Thursday night, pitching eight innings of four-hit one-run baseball. He struck out four and walked zero. Yorman Landa pitched two scoreless innings, struck out three, walked zero and gave up just a single. Nick Anderson came in to pitch the bottom of the eleventh and shut down the River Bandits to lock up the game and series victory for the Kernels.

The Kernels went ahead 3-1 in the top of the eleventh inning on a bizarre series of plays, culminating with a Chris Paul single that plated T.J. White and LaMonte Wade. After a T.J. White walk to start the inning, LaMonte Wade dropped down a sac bunt right in front of home plate but the River Bandits' catcher Garrett Stubbs thought he had a chance to nab White at second but his throw was late and low and bounced into center field. White advanced to third on the throwing error and then Wade advanced to second after the throw to third got by the Bandits, putting runners at second and third for Chris Paul.

The game winning hit capped a big night at the plate for Chris Paul. He was 3-4 with all three Kernels RBIs, plus a walk. No other Kernels hitter had multiple hits. Edgar Corcino, who had a chance to win the game for the Kernels in the tenth with two on and two out, struck out for the fourth time in five attempts on the evening, a frustrating 0-5 night for Corcino.

The Kernels will travel to Peoria, Illinois to take on the Peoria Chiefs in the semi-finals. That series begins on Saturday night.

TwinsDaily Minor League Hitter of the Day: Chris Paul - Cedar Rapids Kernels

TwinsDaily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Sam Gibbons Cedar Rapids Kernels

Friday's Probables

Montgomery Biscuits @ Chattanooga Lookouts - Jacob Faria vs. TBD