Article: Twins Minor League Report (4/22): Wheeler Deals

[Seth Stohs]

A week before the season, we learned the right-hander Nick Burdi had been shut down for a couple of weeks due to some tightness in his forearm. He has been on a throwing program since and over the last ten days has been pitching an inning at a time in extended spring training games. On Friday, he was activated and is now on the Lookouts roster.

 

Continue on to read about the pitchers and the hitter highlights from Friday night.TRANSACTIONS

On Friday, the Lookouts put LHP Mason Melotakis on the disabled list. Nick Burdi was activated.

 

 

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 8, Buffalo 3

Box Score

 

Adam Brett Walker missed just over a week with an oblique injury. It’s taken him a couple of days to get back to form, but on Friday, he broke out with his best game for the Red Wings. Walker helped the Wings get off to a hot start. They scored four runs in the first inning including two on Walker’s second home run of the year. Walker went 3-4 and added his second double as well. James Beresford got things going with an RBI double. He went 2-4, the double was his third and he had two RBIs. Juan Centeno and Buck Britton each went 2-4.

 

Logan Darnell put together another strong start in front of Terry Ryan. The southpaw went the first six innings. He gave up one run on four hits. He walked two and struck out four. Dan Runzler came in and faced two batters to start the seventh inning. He hit one and gave up a hit. David Martinez got the team out of that mess, but he gave up two runs of his own over the next two innings. JR Graham struck out two in a perfect ninth frame.

 

 

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 4, Birmingham 0

Box Score

 

Jason Wheeler has certainly had some ups and downs the last couple of years, but on Friday night, he put together one of his best starts. He threw seven shutout innings. He gave up just four hits, walked one and struck out nine to improve to 1-1 with a 1.88 ERA. Marcus Walden came on for the final two innings. He maintained the shutout though he gave up a hit and walked one. He struck out two.

 

Zach Granite led the way with two doubles in three at-bats. Shannon Wilkerson was 2-3 with a double. Dalton Hicks and Engelb Vielma were each 2-3. Hicks stole a base, his second of the year.

 

 

MIRACLE MATTERS

Ft. Myers 2, Charlotte 4

Box Score

 

On Friday, Keaton Steele went six innings in a game for the first time this year, but he got hit a little bit. In those six innings, he gave up four runs (three earned) on seven hits. He walked one, hit one and struck out four. Luke Westphal came on and pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts. He walked one, hit one and gave up a hit. Brian Gilbert struck out two over the final two innings.

 

No surprise, but it was again Nick Gordon who led the offense. The Miracle mustered just six hits and Gordon had three of them and is back up to .349 after a mini-slump. Ryan Walker went 2-3. Trey Vavra added the lone extra base hit, his fourth double of the year.

 

Quick Note - Danny Santana played his first rehab game for the Miracle. He started in center field and led off. He went 0-3 with two strikeouts.

 

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 1, Clinton 5

Box Score

 

After rain won the day on Thursday, the Kernels were back in action on Friday at Clinton. Sam Gibbons had an extra day of rest, but it wasn’t helpful. The right-hander from Australia went six innings, but he gave up five runs. He allowed eight hits, walked two and hit one. He did strike out three batters. CK Irby came on and threw another scoreless inning. He’s started the year with 7.2 shutout frames. Mike Theofanopoulos pitched a scoreless ninth despite a hit and a walk.

 

The Kernels managed just five hits in the game. Manuel Guzman went 2-2 with a walk. LaMonte Wade went 2-4 and his now hitting .368. AJ Murray was 1-2 with a walk.

 

 

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

 

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Jason Wheeler, Chattanooga Lookouts

Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Adam Brett Walker, Rochester Red Wings

 

 

SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

 

Buffalo @ Rochester (12:35 CST) - RHP Tyler Duffey

Birmingham @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) – RHP DJ Baxendale

Charlotte @ Ft. Myers (5:05 CST) – RHP Felix Jorge

Cedar Rapids @ Clinton (DH @ 5:00 CST) – LHP Sam Clay, RHP Dereck Rodriguez

 

Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Friday games.

 

Click here to view the article

[diehardtwinsfan]

BREAKING NEWS:  Miracle team signs petition asking Gordon to start sharing his hits.

[Bob Sacamento]

Nick Gordon has looked real good thus far in 2016 as he's spraying the ball all over the field and using his wheels to his advantage.  He's got a high BABIP right now but with his speed he's more likely to keep it up although it's going to regress.  My biggest grip is the lack of walks he has so far but I gotta say I'm happy to see him make so much contact this early as it'll help build his confidence; so it's a decent trade off.

 

This kid has everything to be the best SS in Twins history albeit that's not saying much given Minnesota's blackhole at SS.

[Linus]

Please tell me melotakis injury has nothing to do with his left arm

[Seth Stohs]

 

Please tell me melotakis injury has nothing to do with his left arm

 

back...

 

And I don't know this, but the whole goal for 2016 for Melotakis is to make sure he gets through the year healthy. Melotakis has struggled some to start the season, shaking off rust... Could just be a good break for him. Or, maybe it's a sore back.

[ashbury]

"Wheeler Deals"

 

 

I see what you dealt there.

[jokin]

 

Nick Gordon has looked real good thus far in 2016 as he's spraying the ball all over the field and using his wheels to his advantage.  He's got a high BABIP right now but with his speed he's more likely to keep it up although it's going to regress.  My biggest grip is the lack of walks he has so far but I gotta say I'm happy to see him make so much contact this early as it'll help build his confidence; so it's a decent trade off.

 

This kid has everything to be the best SS in Twins history albeit that's not saying much given Minnesota's blackhole at SS.

 

Assuming he keeps going anywhere near this level of production, how much longer can they keep him down in Ft Myers?

[ShouldaCouldaWoulda]

See Jorge had another dominant start. My question is what the heck is it about the FSL? Seriously, there is like no offense anywhere. Sure, I am very excited by the good numbers from our starting staff, but it seems every starter we pitches against us has an era in the 1's or low 2's. 

 

I don't get it. It seems like an era of 3.00 in that league would be like a 5.00 era in other leagues. I am serious. I can't even take the numbers serious for the pitchers. So yes, I am glad our Fort Myers pitchers are doing great, but I will withhold any value to it until they prove they can pitch this way in AA. 

[jokin]

 

See Jorge had another dominant start. My question is what the heck is it about the FSL? Seriously, there is like no offense anywhere. Sure, I am very excited by the good numbers from our starting staff, but it seems every starter we pitches against us has an era in the 1's or low 2's. 

 

I don't get it. It seems like an era of 3.00 in that league would be like a 5.00 era in other leagues. I am serious. I can't even take the numbers serious for the pitchers. So yes, I am glad our Fort Myers pitchers are doing great, but I will withhold any value to it until they prove they can pitch this way in AA. 

 

It's a given that the FSL is a pitcher's league, sure.... But..  "seriously"... You need to check the Miracle stats, vis a vis the rest of the FSL, the pitching staff collectively, especially the top 5 starters are dominating almost all of the league-wide stats. This is shaping up to be a pretty special group, and at the very least, the top 3 starters should do very well, and perhaps very soon, at the next level.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

 

See Jorge had another dominant start. My question is what the heck is it about the FSL? Seriously, there is like no offense anywhere. Sure, I am very excited by the good numbers from our starting staff, but it seems every starter we pitches against us has an era in the 1's or low 2's. 

 

I don't get it. It seems like an era of 3.00 in that league would be like a 5.00 era in other leagues. I am serious. I can't even take the numbers serious for the pitchers. So yes, I am glad our Fort Myers pitchers are doing great, but I will withhold any value to it until they prove they can pitch this way in AA. 

Good point. The FSL does have the lowest scoring of any of the leagues - bbref link here. For 2015, an ERA of 3.21 in the FSL would be an ERA of 3.52 and 4.25 in the other High A leagues. So, not too far off.