Ricky Nolasco was on the mound for the Twins on Sunday afternoon and gave them arguably his best start in a Minnesota uniform, going seven innings and allowing just one run against the defending World Champions. Unfortunately for the visiting team, those pesky Royals wouldn’t go down without a fight. Glen Perkins blew his first save opportunity of the 2016 season and in extra innings an errant pickoff throw and wild pitch from Trevor May brought home the winning run. The Twins head north for their home opener tomorrow against the Chicago White Sox and will send Kyle Gibson to the mound still looking for their first win of 2016.

In the minors on Sunday afternoon all four Twins affiliates were in action. Rochester got standout pitching performances from one current top pitching prospect and one (relatively) former one in a victory, Chattanooga and Fort Myers held late leads but fared much like the Twins in the final scores, and Cedar Rapids looked to remain undefeated on the young season.

To find out how it all went down, keep reading!

RED WINGS REPORT

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 1, Rochester 4

Box Score

Jose Berrios took the mound for the Red Wings in their home opener at Frontier Field for his first start of the 2016 season. He was opposed as a starter by old friend Anthony Swarzak for the RailRiders. Berrios was effectively wild as he finished five innings and picked up the win, allowing one run on three hits, four walks and two hit-batters while striking out nine. He threw ninety pitches with fifty-three going for strikes.

The one run allowed came in the second inning after a leadoff single was followed by a double for an early 1-0 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre lead. Berrios would then issue his first walk of the game to another old friend, Chris Parmelee, before getting a strikeout and two flyouts around another walk to escape with limited damage. Berrios would strike out two in third, three more in the fourth, and two in the fifth around a few more walks before his day was done.

Rochester took the lead for good in the third inning after loading the bases with nobody out. Buck Britton delivered a two run single and Jorge Polanco followed with a run-scoring single of his own to make it 3-1.

They would add an insurance run in the sixth inning as Wilfredo Tovar singled in Adam Brett Walker, who led off the inning with a single of his own.

The Red Wings wouldn’t end up needing that run though as Alex Meyer came on in relief of Berrios and finished the game’s final four innings picking up the rare three-plus inning save in the process. He allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out four including the final hitter of the game for the home opener exclamation point.

Walker led the offense on the day going 3-4 with a run scored and a double out of the sixth spot in the lineup. Tovar was 2-3 with a run scored and the RBI.

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 5, Biloxi 8

Box Score

Down 2-1 going into the seventh inning, Chattanooga took the lead after a bases clearing double off the bat of Danial Palka to make the score 5-2. An errant throw from the shortstop on the play ended up in the Lookouts dugout, sending Palka across the plate for the fourth run on the play.

Left-handed reliever Mike Strong, who was in the running for the final bullpen spot on the Twins in Spring Training, came on to protect a two-run lead in the bottom of the eighth, but was greeted by back-to-back-back doubles that tied the game at five. He was able to get two outs after that before a walk and a single to make the score 6-5 ended his day. Brandon Peterson came on for the final out, but a double brought in the two inherited runners before he got out of the inning.

Aaron Slegers made the start for Chattanooga and put in a quality effort. In six innings, he allowed two-earned runs on six hits and three walks, with three strikeouts. The two runs allowed came in the second inning after two-doubles and two-singles in four straight batters. Slegers’ line was helped by inducing double plays in each of his innings except the first, for a total of five on the day.

The Lookouts offense got multiple hit efforts form Zach Granite (3-5, R), Palka (2-5, R, 2B, 3 RBI), Travis Harrison (2-2, R, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 BB’s), and Engelb Vielma (2-4, R).

MIRACLE MATTERS

Fort Myers 3, Bradenton 4 (10 innings)

Box Score

The Miracle took the early lead in the first inning after Tanner English led off the game with a single and later scored on a single from Alex Real. English was moved into scoring position on a double by Nick Gordon.

They would go up 2-0 in the fifth inning behind the bats of the same players. Gordon smacked his second double of the game to start the frame, and scored on a Real sac fly. Unfortunately they also ended the inning with the bases loaded, unable to do any more damage.

Right-hander Keaton Steele was on the mound for Fort Myers in his first start of the 2016 season and was fantastic through the first five innings. He retired the first eight hitters of the game before issuing a walk, and went 1-2-3 in each of the first, second, and fifth innings. It was the sixth inning before the Marauders were able to muster any threats, and it came after Steele had retired the first two-hitters of that inning. A single and double made the score 2-1 and Steele was lifted for Raul Fernandez who struck out the final hitter of the inning to keep the lead intact.

Fort Myers went up 3-1 in the top of the seventh after a one-out bases loaded walk to Chad Christensen, but a double-play ball ended their efforts. Fernandez remained in the game and allowed one run in the bottom half to make the score 3-2 heading into the eighth.

The score would remain 3-2 despite opportunities for the Miracle in each of their eighth and ninth inning at-bats, and the failure to capitalize again would come back to haunt them.

Trevor Hildenberger was brought on for the save opportunity in the ninth, but a relay throw from Gordon into third on a triple sailed past the third baseman allowing the tying run to score and sent the game to extra innings.

Hildenberger stayed in the game for the 10^th, but another error from his defense put the game-winning run in scoring position and Bradenton wouldn’t fail with the opportunity they were handed. A single off the bat of Connor Joe brought home the come-from-behind-walk-off winner for the Marauders and evened each team’s record in the Florida State League at 2-2.

Steele finished 5.2 innings in the game, allowing one earned-run on two hits and two walks, while striking out two. Yorman Landa pitched a scoreless inning of relief, allowing one hit and striking out two. The blown save and loss were Hildenberger’s first of each on the year.

The Miracle offense got a standout game from top prospect Nick Gordon, who finished 4-6 with a run scored and three doubles. Real was 3-3 with 2 RBI and a walk. Ryan Walker also added two hits to the effort.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 3, Quad City 2

Box Score

Like their high-A brothers, Cedar Rapids went into the tenth inning on Sunday afternoon after blowing a late lead, and would need some heroics to remain undefeated on the season.

The Kernels got a strong start from Sam Clay who finished six innings. He allowed one unearned run on five hits and two walks. He struck out seven including the side in the first inning.

Cedar Rapids took the lead 1-0 in the top of the sixth when Rafael Valera led off the frame with a double. He would score on a single from Max Murphy.

An error on a pickoff throw from Clay would allow the unearned run to score in the bottom half of the sixth and the game would remain tied until the ninth as C.K. Irby pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts of his own.

Two errors by the River Bandits defense would bring in the go-ahead run for the Kernels in top-half and Nick Anderson was summoned from the bullpen for the save opportunity. He was greeted by a triple that all but guaranteed free baseball. A batter later that guarantee was cashed in with a game-tying single. Anderson would escape with the game tied after a ground ball and two flyouts.

In the top of the tenth, a Lamonte Wade walk and Murphy hit-by-pitch put the go-ahead run in scoring position, and Chris Paul knocked it in with a two-out single to center field.

Anderson stayed in the game looking to pick up the win, and after allowing two singles to start the inning got a double play ball for the first two outs and struck out the final batter with the tying run on third to preserve the zero in the loss column.

Paul went 4-5 on the day with a run scored and an RBI, and Wade added two hits and two walks, including a triple to pace the Kernels offense.

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Pitcher of the Day – Jose Berrios, Rochester Red Wings (W, 5.0IP, 3 H’s, 1 ER, 4 BB’s, 9 K’s)

Hitter of the Day – Nick Gordon, Fort Myers Miracle (4-6, R, 3 2B’s)

MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Lehigh Valley @ Rochester (5:35PM CST) – LHP Logan Darnell (0-0, -.-- ERA)

Chattanooga @ Biloxi (6:40PM CST) – RHP Ryan Eades (0-0, -.-- ERA)

Brevard County @ Fort Myers (6:05PM CST) – LHP Randy Rosario (0-0, -.-- ERA)

Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (6:30 PM CST) – RHP Dereck Rodriguez (0-0, -.-- ERA)

Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games.