Article: Twins Minor League Report (6/27): Lotsa Losses

[Jeremy Nygaard]

The Twins got a day off to celebrate their power-fueled win over the Yankees. They’ll open a series in Chicago against the White Sox on Tuesday.

 

Let’s check out all the affiliated action on the last Monday in June.RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 2, Pawtucket 6

Box Score

 

Pat Dean was back on the mound for the Red Wings following a disastrous return to AAA. It wasn’t much better. The four runs he allowed over five innings were too much to overcome. All told he struck out three batters, walked two and allowed eight hits.

 

J.T. Chargois allowed a solo home run and retired five batters. For the rest of the bullpen, D.J. Baxendale pitched a perfect inning, Sean Burnett gave up an unearned run while recording one out, and Alex Wimmers walked a batter in an inning of work.

 

Rochester scored both of their runs in the bottom of the fourth, they came on back-to-back home runs by Miguel Sano and Jorge Polanco. Sano is now 2-for-12 on his rehab assignment. He also committed his first error - in right field - in AAA. Polanco’s home run was his fifth of the season, including his fourth in the month of June.

 

Kennys Vargas added a double and James Beresford singled to round out Rochester’s four-hit night.

 

The Red Wings fell to 45-33.

 

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 1, Jackson 3

Box Score

 

The Lookouts entered Monday’s games in a three-way tie atop the Southern League North Division at 3-1. The Generals, who were the first-half champs, have gotten off to a slower start to the second half at 1-3.

 

Kohl Stewart put up six scoreless innings before giving up three runs in his seventh inning. Overall he walked three and allowed seven hits. He struck out only two and falls to 1-3 in Chattanooga.

 

Corey Williams struck out one in two scoreless innings.

 

Zach Granite led the Lookouts offense with two hits and their lone run. Daniel Palka had an RBI single and stole his 6th base of the season. Mitch Garver and Stuart Turner both added singles.

 

The Lookouts fell to 3-2 in the second half and are 39-36 overall.

 

MIRACLE MATTERS

Fort Myers 10, Bradenton 11

Box Score

 

Randy LeBlanc made the start Monday for the Miracle, in a battle between two teams in the FSL South that have gotten off to 2-1 starts in the second half. LeBlanc gave up six hits and four runs (three earned). He walked two and struck out one. Michael Theofanopoulos and John Curtiss each pitched a scoreless inning.

 

Nick Anderson (four runs) and Luke Bard (three runs) each got roughed up in their one inning of work.

 

Unfortunately, an offensive exploding for 10 runs wasn’t enough. Trey Vavra was a triple short of the cycle, drove in two runs, scored two runs and had an outfield assist while playing left field. Edgar Corcino had three singles and a double. He drove in two and scored a run. T.J. White hit a home run in a three-RBI, two-hit game and Nick Gordon also got two hits, drove in a run and stole his 10th base of the year. Both White and Gordon scored twice.

 

The Miracle fall to .500 in the second half and one game under .500 on the season (36-37).

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 4, Quad Cities 5

Box Score

 

Dereck Rodriguez, who entered the game with a 1-8 record, took the hill for the Kernels and gave up two first-inning runs. He settled down and only allowed one more run in each of the fifth and sixth inning. In six innings, he allowed eight hits, four runs and two walks. He struck out eight.

 

Sam Gibbons pitched the final two innings. He allowed a run on three hits, striking out one.

 

The Kernels offense was good, but not good enough.

 

Luis Arraez continues to swing a hot bat. With two more hits on Monday, including a double, Arraez is now batting .322, including a .366 line over his last ten games. He scored a run and drove in a run.

 

Jermaine Palacios also had a double among his two hits. He drove in two. It’s his second two-hit game in a row.

 

Nelson Molina had two hits and Brad Hartong added a double. Austin Diemer chipped in two outfield assists.

 

E-TOWN E-NOTES

Elizabethton vs Johnson City

 

The E-Twins got off to a 4-0 start to their season and Monday’s game was delayed by rain.

 

GCL TWINS TAKES

GCL Twins 0, GCL Orioles 4

Box Score

 

Joe Cronin picked up two of the team’s three hits on Monday. He’s now hitting 5-for-11 on the young season and also stole his second base of the year. The only other hit was a Zach Featherstone single, his first professional hit. Jean Carlos Arias walked twice.

 

Quinton Grogan pitched four innings in his first professional game. He allowed a run on three hits and a walk. He struck out four and was charged with the loss. Callan Pearce and Matz Schutte both pitched scoreless frames. Clark Beeker gave up three runs (two earned) in his first professional inning. Garrett Kelly gave up two hits and struck out a batter in an inning.

 

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

 

Pitcher of the Day – Quinton Grogan, GCL Twins

Hitter of the Day – Trey Vavra, Fort Myers

TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

 

Rochester vs Pawtucket (6:05PM CST) – RHP Jose Berrios (6-3, 2.92 ERA)

Fort Myers at Palm Beach (5:30PM CST) - RHP Fernando Romero (0-0, 3.60 ERA)

Cedar Rapids at Quad Cities (7:00PM CST) - LHP Sam Clay (4-4, 2.83 ERA)

Elizabethton at Johnson City (6:00PM CST) - RHP Sean Poppen (0-0, -.-- ERA)

GCL Orioles at GCL Twins (11:00AM CST - TBD

 

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

 

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[wsnydes]

I'm going to need a new computer monitor after reading that Sano was in RF again.  They aren't as resistant to fists as I'd hoped.

[Gagne Fan]

Bax seems to be thriving in his bullpen role

That's where I also thought he could be a big league contributor

Long relief or 7th inning guy

[FormerMinnasotan]

Looks like Kohl is still struggling to generate strike outs. This seems to be a trend since he first started in the minors. At what point do we accept he might not reach the lofty expectations we have for him (it's rare that frontline starters average less than 7 k's per 9 anymore).

[Mike Sixel]

 

Looks like Kohl is still struggling to generate strike outs. This seems to be a trend since he first started in the minors. At what point do we accept he might not reach the lofty expectations we have for him (it's rare that frontline starters average less than 7 k's per 9 anymore).

 

He didn't start baseball full time until 2+ years ago. I think any time before next year is too soon to make any type of "conclusion" on him, though I always felt this year would be a good indicator. He's 21+ and in AA and not being awful......I'm good with his progress at this point. Others may not be.

[Vanimal46]

Agreed. For a HS arm he appears to be progressing along nicely. I would imagine next year Stewart repeats AA for a month or 2, then moves up to AAA. All depending on his performance, of course. 

[bluechipper]

 

I'm going to need a new computer monitor after reading that Sano was in RF again.  They aren't as resistant to fists as I'd hoped.

I guess the good news is that he committed an error out there. But yeah, it's just completely ridiculous that they're continuing to entertain the idea of Sano in RF.

[bluechipper]

Eddie Rosario is in a little cold spell too. He's 0-18 in his last 4 games.

[bluechipper]

 

He didn't start baseball full time until 2+ years ago. I think any time before next year is too soon to make any type of "conclusion" on him, though I always felt this year would be a good indicator. He's 21+ and in AA and not being awful......I'm good with his progress at this point. Others may not be.

I'd also consider this year a success so far. In repeating Ft. Myers, he lowered his ERA from 3.20 to 2.61, and probably the more important part is increasing his K/9 from 4.9 to 7.7.

 

It is also interesting how we consider Stewart as maybe not living up to expectations even though he was a 2 sport guy out of high school, and he's got a 2.93 ERA in his minor league career.

[Old Twins Cap]

Stewart throws a heavy ball, isn't that it?  Lots of ground balls, very few HRs.

 

That's repeatable.

[MplsFan]

How long does the Sano in RF experiment continue?  Wouldn't this rehab assignment be a great opportunity to get him back up to speed on 3B?

[Seth Stohs]

 

I'd also consider this year a success so far. In repeating Ft. Myers, he lowered his ERA from 3.20 to 2.61, and probably the more important part is increasing his K/9 from 4.9 to 7.7.

 

It is also interesting how we consider Stewart as maybe not living up to expectations even though he was a 2 sport guy out of high school, and he's got a 2.93 ERA in his minor league career.

 

Just to point this out though... they're all two-sport guys in high school. Sure, there are some guys who specialize in just baseball, but that's rarely a good thing.

 

I'm encouraged by what he's done this year. I like how he doesn't get hit real hard still. He's a 21-year-old in AA. That's pretty good. Though most of his career, he's been a half-year ahead of Gonsalves. Can't help but wonder what type of numbers Stewart would have if he'd gone on the same schedule as Gonsalves. I don't know the answer, but would be interesting. 

[bluechipper]

 

How long does the Sano in RF experiment continue?  Wouldn't this rehab assignment be a great opportunity to get him back up to speed on 3B?

I was hoping it was 3B only now, especially when he started his first few games there.

[Badsmerf]

The biggest thing to be about Stewart, is that guys just don't make very good contract. He has only allowed a handful of hr (10 in 300+ ip). Weak ground balls and inf are the worst kind of contact, and he induces a lot of them. The strike outs are coming along. Six scoreless innings are nothing to ignore.

 

Twins have been pretty aggressive with him. I don't think they would be if they didn't feel he was ready. I'm just going they can further develop his out pitch to get more strike outs. He is still very very young.