Article: Twins Minor League Report (7/29): The New M&M Boys (Mat and Max)

[Jeremy Nygaard]

Plenty of games on Wednesday in the Twins system, but not a lot of activity transaction-wise. Dalton Hicks was moved up to Chattanooga and Marcus Knecht was returned to Fort Myers.

 

There were plenty of other moves league-wide today and waves of moves are likely to last until Friday afternoon. The Twins are likely to make a move or two before the deadline, so stay tuned.

 

Let’s look at the action on the farm on Wednesday.RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 3, Toledo 9

Box Score

 

Michael Bowden made his Red Wings debut and it was less than impressive. He allowed four runs in four innings. He struck out four and walked one. Alex Meyer got one out (on 19 pitches), he walked one, allowed two hits and let three runners score. Caleb Thielbar and Mark Hamburger pitched scoreless innings. Aaron Thompson retired two batters without allowing a run.

 

Danny Ortiz led the offense with two hits, including a home run. Doug Bernier chipped in a double among his two hits. Nate Hanson had two singles.

 

Rochester drops to 54-51 and 3.5 games back in the International League North.

 

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 9, Pensacola 10 (10 innings)

Box Score

 

Lots of offense on Wednesday. 19 runs. 32 hits.

 

After Chattanooga tied and took the lead in the eighth, the Lookouts turned around and gave up three ninth-inning runs and two tenth-inning runs. They were able to rally and get the tying run on, but fell short in extras.

 

Shannon Wilkerson (3-7, RBI, 2 SB) and Heiker Menesis (3-5, 2 R, 2B, BB, 2 SB) led the offense with three hits each. Max Kepler cleaned up from the three-spot, driivng in three runs with a home run and a double. Stuart Turner chipped in a double. Levi Michael (2-3, 2B, 2 RBIs, 2 BB) and Aderling Mejia (2-6, R, 2B, 3 RBIs) did well at the bottom of the order.

 

D.J. Baxendale allowed five runs in five innings on nine hits. He struck out three and walked two. Matt Summers pitched three perfect innings. Alex Muren blew it in the ninth, allowing three runs on four hits. Tim Shibuya lost it in the 10th, allowing two runs on three hits.

 

After winning the first-half (to qualify for the playoffs), the Lookouts are now 12-18 in the second half.

 

MIRACLE MATTERS

Ft. Myers 6, Lakeland 0

Box Score

 

Mat Batts continues to deal. Tonight, he pitched six shutout innings, allowing only two hits and a walk. He struck out three. His Miracle ERA drops to 1.78. Zack Jones (1 IP, 2 K), Corey Williams (1 IP) and Todd Van Steensel (1 IP, BB, 2 K) combined to finished the shutout.

Marcus Knecht, in his return to Fort Myers, went 3-4 with two doubles. Logan Wade and Tanner Vavra, the 8-9 hitters, each contributed two-hit games. Zach Granite had a triple, two stolen bases and two RBIs. Wade added a double.

 

The Miracle improved to 58-46 overall and 20-14 in the second half. They trail the Palm Beach Cardinals by four games in pursuit of the Florida State League playoffs.

 

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 4, Clinton 11

Box Score

 

The Kernels got roughed up by the Lumberjacks. Felix Jorge, in particular, was roughed up, bad. For the first time since April 19, Jorge failed to pitch six innings. On Wednesday, Jorge allowed 11 hits, two walks and seven runs (six earned). He did strike out seven.

 

Hard-throwing Yorman Landa gave up a home run in 1.2 innings. Luke Bard gave up three runs in an inning.

 

Zack Larson was the only Kernel with two hits, including a double, driving in a run. Brian Navarreto added a two-RBI double.

 

E-TOWN E-NOTES

Elizabethton 4, Johnson City 1

Box Score

 

Daniel Kihle and Chris Paul paced the E-Twins with three hits apiece. LaMonte Wade hit his fourth home run. Kihle, Travis Blankenhorn, Kamran Young and A.J. Murray all doubled. Kihle and Wade each drove in two runs.

 

Andro Cutura continues to dominate. In seven innings tonight, he struck out five, walked one and allowed one run on five hits. It was a solo home run.

 

Kuo Hua Lo picked up the save with two innings of perfect ball. he struck out three.

 

GCL TWINS TAKES

GCL Twins vs GCL Rays

Postponed

 

For the fifth time in a week, the GCL Twins were rained out.

 

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

 

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Mat Batts, Fort Myers

Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Max Kepler, Chattanooga

 

THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

 

Rochester – OFF

Chattanooga vs Pensacola (6:15 CST) – LHP Jason Wheeler

Ft. Myers at Daytona (6:05 CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart (but will he make this start?!)

Cedar Rapids at Clinton (6:30 CST) – RHP Zach Tillery

Elizabethton vs Johnson City (6:00 CST) - LHP Sam Clay

GCL Twins at GCL Rays (11:00 CST) - TBD (Game 1)

GCL Twins at GCL Rays - TBD (Game 2)

Feel free to leave any questions or comments below!

 

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[wyatt827]

Was Lamonte wade ever a power guy in college? 4 already is pretty good for a guy I thought was just speed... Also what's the deal with Cutura, a draft pick last year?

[jokin]

Kohl Sewart. What did I miss? Not starting on Thursday? (Maybe)

[Jeremy Nygaard]

Stewart is a name involved in the Padres talks.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

Wade was hurt most of the year. He could be a really nice sleeper-type.

 

I heard a lot of good things about Cutura, but he was hurt too after being drafted. Healthy now and producing.

[USMCTwin]

I obviously am not as involved in Meyer's process, but I would be tempted to just shut him down for the year or maybe send him where he can just work one on one with a coach daily. It feels like he is making no progress and just getting shelled each time, just going off the box scores. Of course to be fair I feel this way about 1/2 of the Twins bullpen also.

[twinssouth]

Arcia didn't play, is he hurt or ready to be packaged and sent out? Surprising to hear Stewart's name brought up in trade talk. A package of Arcia and Stewart is quite strong for trade talk unless it's for an every day player (SS?) or front line starter and RP.

 

Great to see Kepler continuing to hit, average staying strong at 331, showing some muscle last night. Twins be crazy to trade this Guy, best player on Lookouts and should be moved up. I'd trade Rosario before Kepler in a heartbeat. He should be on the u touchable list with Buxton Sano and Berrios.

 

Speaking of Berrios, I saw the other night he picked another runner off 1st. This Guy hold's runners better than anyone I've ever seen. Berrios and Turner behind the plate is a deadly combo for any base runner.

 

Last, Meyer, I just don't get it. Goes from all world to all ....... (you fill in the blanks). I'm hanging this on the coaches.

[Badsmerf]

Meyer can't throw strikes. That isn't on the coaches. The book is out on him. Minor leagues do scouting too. Even when he was dominating aaa he was waking to many guys. The thought around here was he could compensate with strike outs. The problem with strike outs is you have to actually throw strikes sometimes. Meyer has a problem and outs becoming clear the twins aren't able to fix it. It's a shame, I had high hopes for him.

[wyatt827]

You think James shields/Benoit for Stewart/Arcia/1more and nolasco?

[Cap'n Piranha]

 

You think James shields/Benoit for Stewart/Arcia/1more and nolasco?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31g0YE61PLQ

[Vance_Christianson]

I said on Twitter to Brandon Warne, Seth Stohs, and Jeremy Nygaard about a week ago that we need to shut Alex Meyer down, and send him to Fort Myers to get some 1 on 1 coaching. Brandon didn't agree with me, but I'm happy to see I'm not the only Rube with this idea. Meyer is doing nothing in AAA right now, except losing games, or putting games even more out of hand. Sad to see....

 

I'd love to get Shields and Benoit for Stewart/Arcia/Nolasco/PTBNL

[jokin]

 

Meyer can't throw strikes. That isn't on the coaches. The book is out on him. Minor leagues do scouting too. Even when he was dominating aaa he was waking to many guys. The thought around here was he could compensate with strike outs. The problem with strike outs is you have to actually throw strikes sometimes. Meyer has a problem and outs becoming clear the twins aren't able to fix it. It's a shame, I had high hopes for him.

 

I disagree to some extent.  I saw Meyer throw near the end of last season, near the end of his dominating season in Rochester- the same Rochester at which he has rendered himself virtually useless this year.  In that particular game, he had:  8 Ks 3 BBs 2 Hits 2 ER in 6 IP.  56 strikes in 91 pitches-  that's a 62% strike rate, that 62% rate was also his rate for the whole 2014 season in AAA.  This year, his strike rate is down to an alarming 56.6%- which is in the bottom 10% in the IL.  At the game in question, all night, the Louisville hitters swung at air, or never swung at all, mostly just very happy to get out of the batters box ASAP- Meyer frequently was reaching 98 and 99 MPH, plus the devastating slider.  Only a Florimon error and a couple of missed DPs kept his performance from being even more dominant.  

 

The pitch he struggled most with to throw strikes that night in August was the change-up.  Besides the obvious struggle for consistency with his 6'9" frame, the Twins coaching staff and Meyer have never successfully established an effective and reliable 3rd pitch for him.

Edited July 31, 2015 by jokin

[Badsmerf]

Still, throwing strikes is his problem, has been his problem, and will always be his problem. 3 bb in 6 ip is bad. I'm not denying his stuff, guys can't hit him.

 

I wonder if the twins did dine tinkering and had it back fire... again.

[twinssouth]

Still, throwing strikes is his problem, has been his problem, and will always be his problem. 3 bb in 6 ip is bad. I'm not denying his stuff, guys can't hit him.

I wonder if the twins did dine tinkering and had it back fire... again.

 

Well that's what I've been wondering for quite some time and did the tinkering end up being major surgery. Last I heard, scouts were saying he lowered his arm slot so how in the world did that happen.