Article: Twins Minor League Report (8/24): Gonsalves Struggles

[Steve Lein]

The Minnesota Twins got to Orioles closer Zach Britton on Sunday, and stole a 4-3 win in extra innings thanks to some early help from the bat of Miguel Sano (11^th HR in first inning), and late help from the defense of Baltimore (2 errors in the 12^th inning) to move back to two games above .500.

 

In the minors on Sunday two affiliates had trouble producing offense, starting pitching was a struggle throughout, including one game from a top lefty, and one game was rained out.Overall the Twins affiliates were 1-3 on the day.

 

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

 

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 2, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 4

Box Score

 

The Rochester lineup made little of their opportunities on Sunday, and they didn’t have many of them. As a team they totaled only five hits, were 1-7 with runners in scoring position, and left six men on base. Kenny Vargas was responsible for their two runs on the day, as he blasted a two-run home run in the ninth inning. He was 2-4 on the day and the only Red Wings hitter with multiple hits. Carlos Paulino added a double.

 

On the mound for the Red Wings, lefty Taylor Rogers was solid but got handed his eleventh loss of the season. He went 6.2 innings, allowing four earned runs on eight hits and one walk, while striking out nine. A.J. Achter came on in the seventh and finished the game with 1.1 innings. He allowed one hit.

 

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Tennessee @ Chattanooga (postponed)

 

The Lookouts match-up with the Smokies was rained out on Sunday afternoon. The game will be made up on Monday in a double-header in Chattanooga.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Jupiter 4, Fort Myers 1

Box Score

 

Just like their AAA brothers, the Miracle weren’t able to muster much offense. Their lone run came in the eighth inning when Engelb Vielma led off the frame with a walk. That was followed by a Ryan Walker single and a Mitch Garver walk to load the bases with nobody out. After a pitching change, three consecutive strikeouts killed the rally, and the lone run came on a strike-three wild pitch with Jason Kanzler at bat.

 

Logan Wade collected two singles, but no other hitter had more than one hit and there were no extra-base hits on the day. As a team Fort Myers was 0-6 with runners in scoring position and left ten men on base.

 

Stephen Gonsalves made the start for the Miracle, but only made it through four innings with a high pitch count as he didn’t appear to be his normal self. He allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks, while striking out only one. The loss dropped him to 6-2 on the season with Fort Myers.

 

Jake Reed pitched two innings of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit and striking out one. Zach Jones added 1.2 scoreless and hitless innings, striking out two; and Trevor Hildenberger finished the final 1.1 hitless innings without allowing a baserunner. He struck out two as well.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 7, Clinton 11

Box Score

 

The Kernels jumped out to the first lead of the game, but didn’t hold it for long.

 

A double from Austin Diemer and a single from T.J. White put them up 2-0 after the top of the third inning, but things unraveled quickly for starter Randy LeBlanc after that.

 

Clinton scored one in the bottom of the third, two in the fourth to take the lead, eight in the fifth and never looked back.

 

LeBlanc came out for the fifth inning, but did not record an out and left with the bases loaded. In four innings, he allowed seven earned runs on six hits and two walks. Two of those hits were home runs. Jared Wilson didn’t fare much better, but finally finished the eight run fifth inning. He allowed four earned runs on three hits and two walks. He struck out two.

 

Yorman Landa kept the LumberKings off the scoreboard in the sixth and seventh innings, allowing two hits and walking one, with two strikeouts. John Curtiss finished the final inning, allowing one hit.

 

The Kernels managed to add a run in the fifth, three in the eighth, and another in the ninth to make the score respectable, but it was never that close.

 

White (3-5, R, 2B, 3 RBI) and Alex Real (2-4, R, 3B, RBI) had multiple hits on the game. Nick Gordon was 1-4 with a double, walked once, stole his twenty-fourth base and scored three runs in the loss.

 

E-TOWN E-NOTES

Elizabethton 8, Greeneville 6

Box Score

 

Elizabethton took the early lead, and held on to improve their record to 31-27 on Sunday, one game back of the Appalachian League West division-leading Kingsport Mets with eight games left to play in the regular season. They face the Mets in a three-game series later in the week with obvious playoff implications.

 

On this day, the Twins got the scoring started in the second inning. A.J. Murray led off with a double and scored on a single from Lewin Diaz. Later in the inning, a hit-by-pitch and walk loaded the bases, and Jermaine Palacios delivered a two-out, two-run single to make it 3-0 Twins.

 

They added another run in the third on a sac fly from Rainis Silva to score Murray, and then went off for four more runs in the fourth.

 

Kamran Young led off the fourth with a walk and scored on a Manuel Guzman double. Guzman came into score on a LaMonte Wade single. Then Wade and Murray scampered home on a single from Travis Blankenhorn to reach their final tally.

 

Miles Nordgren made the start for Elizabethton, and pitched five innings to pick up the win. He allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits and a walk. He struck out four.

 

Logan Lombana pitched into the eighth inning. He allowed one run on three hits in 2.2 innings, striking out one. Kuo Hua Lo picked up his seventh save on the year by pitching the final 1.1 innings. He struck out three.

 

Five hitters in the Elizabethton lineup had multiple hits, those being Palacios (3-5, 2B, 2 RBI), Wade (2-5, R, RBI), Murray (2-4, 3 R’s, 2B, BB), Diaz (2-4, R, RBI) and Blankenhorn (2-5, 2 RBIs).

 

GCL TWINS TAKES

 

The Gulf Coast League Twins, like the rest of the GCL, had the day off on Sunday. They play a home and home double-header vs. the GCL Rays Monday morning.

 

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY

 

Pitcher of the Day – Fort Myers Bullpen: Jake Reed (2 IP, 1 H, 1 K), Zack Jones (1.2 IP, 0 H’s, 2 K’s), Trevor Hildenberger (1.1 IP, 0 H’s, 2 K’s)

Hitter of the Day – T.J. White, Cedar Rapids Kernels (3-5, R, 2B, 3 RBI)

 

MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

 

Rochester @ Syracuse (6:05PM CST) – LHP Logan Darnell (3-1, 3.54 ERA)

Tennessee @ Chattanooga (4:15PM CST) – Game 1: LHP David Hurlbut (8-6, 4.03 ERA), Game 2: TBD

Jupiter @ Fort Myers (6:05PM CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart (6-7, 3.21 ERA)

Peoria @ Cedar Rapids(6:35 PM CST) – RHP Keaton Steele (4-4, 3.36 ERA)

Elizabethton @ Greeneville (6:00 PM CST) – TBD

GCL Twins @ GCL Rays (9:00 AM CST) – Game 1: TBD, Game 2: TBD

 

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

 

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[cgreuling]

Anybody have a report on LaMonte Wade in Elizabethton? I read some draft stuff that said some good things about him coming out of college and he seems to be adjusting to wood bats pretty nicely. Could he be Joque Jones with a good eye??

[Seth Stohs]

Jeremy Nygaard has tons on him and the rest of the 40 Twins  draft picks in his Draft Book. A great purchase option...

 

Jeremy spent time with many scouts, etc., learning about these players and it's incredible. 

[Don't Feed the Greed Guy]

A few highlights from Clinton, home of the Lumberkings, and your visiting Cedar Rapids Kernels. Randy LeBlanc looked like a good reliever who is being stretched out into a starting role. He was cruising through the Lumberkings order until he fell behind their #8 hitter, catcher Adam Martin,who entered the game hitting. 094,but left the game with a. 132 batting average. LeBlanc fell behind Martin and grooved a fastball as the at-bat extended and perhaps he tired. Martin deposited LeBlanc's Sunday offering over the left field wall. Suffice it to say that LeBlanc's day went from bad to worse from there.

 

Other items of note:

 

1) Nick Gordon looked stellar in the field, ranging well to his left on several occasions. I didn't get to see him pressured "into the hole" but we have tickets for tonight's game in Cedar Rapids. At bat, he had some good hacks, and showed speed not just by stealing second, but also by advancing to third on a wild pitch that barely left the catcher's feet.

2)

The Lumberkings roster contains some fan favorites, namely Gianfranco Wawoe, pronounced Wah-WOO! Both the Lumberkings announcer and fans took full advantage.., and Wawoe rewarded them with a home run and four rbi's. The other fave is Burt Reynolds-yes--Burt Reynolds. Kernels pitchers smoked him twice as he went 0-5.

3)

Finally,the Clinton ballpark is one of those intimate venues where home plate is within sniffing distance of the fans. A kind Lumberkings ticket taker snapped our family picture after the game, and he explained that if the park were replaced or rebuilt, home plate would need to be moved at least ten feet further from the stands in order to comply with league standards.

[sane]

Adam Brett Walker at 99 RBI (28 HR) after 6 innings in Monday game.