Article: Twins Minor League Report (7/21): Albers the Ace and E-Town E-Ruptions

[Jeremy Nygaard]

The Twins opened up a four-game series in Boston on Thursday night, getting their last chance to see former Twin David Ortiz in person before he retires at the conclusion of the season.

 

Luckily for you, if you didn’t watch the Twins game, you can skip right to the affiliated action.

 

Rochester made some moves Thursday, adding Neil Ramirez to the bullpen in place of Buddy Boshers. They also activated last year’s team MVP Reynaldo Rodriguez and transferred him to Fort Myers. To make room for Rodriguez, the Miracle sent Brad Hartong across the road to the GCL Twins.RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 6, Syracuse 1

Box Score

 

The Twins could have used Andrew Albers in Boston tonight. Going the distance, Albers allowed only one run on six hits. He struck out five and improves to 9-3 on the season. Albers could very easily fill a rotation spot with the Twins during August and September.

 

Daniel Palka got three hits… but no home runs! He did double and is now batting .319.

 

Adam Brett Walker did hit a home run, his 19th, a 423-foot blast. Byung Ho Park had his 3rd AAA ParkBang as well. Thursday’s was a 3-run shot.

 

John Ryan Murphy got a hit and drove in a run. But he’s only batting .203 and is hitting in the 9-hole.

 

The Red Wings are 58-42 and a game and a half back in the wild card standings.

 

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 0, Jackson 6

Box Score

 

Not a lot to say about the Lookouts game.

 

David Hurlbut allowed six runs on nine hits and three walks in six innings. He struck out one. Hurlbut was relieved by Brandon Peterson, who struck out two in a perfect frame. Ryan Eades finished the game with a strikeout in a perfect inning of his own.

 

D.J. Hicks singled twice. The first baseman accounted for all of the team’s hits.

 

The Lookouts are 52-45. If you’re in the Chattanooga area, they’ll be giving away a Byron Buxton lunch box next Friday and a Buxton bobblehead on Saturday.

 

MIRACLE MATTERS

Fort Myers 2, Clearwater 3

Box Score

 

Another affiliate with only two hits, but these were more productive. The newly-reinstated Reynaldo Rodriguez provided a solo home run in the seventh to break up the no-hitter. Chris Paul added the second hit, a single that scored Alex Perez, who had walked. The hit almost tied the game as pinch-runner Daniel Kihle, who was running for A.J. Murray, who also had walked, was thrown out at home.

 

Randy LeBlanc struck out six over six innings, allowing six hits and three walks. Three runs scored and LeBlanc lost his fourth game as a member of the Miracle rotation. Todd Van Steensel relieved LeBlanc and pitched two shutout innings. He struck out one.

 

The Miracle are 15-13 in the second half, a game and a half being the FSL South-leading St. Lucie Mets.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 1, Bowling Green 3

Box Score

 

Dereck Rodriguez lost his perfect game in the fifth. He lost his no-hitter in the sixth. He gave up his second run - enough to get hung with the loss - in the seventh. He handed the ball over in the eighth. Despite a good start, Rodriguez dropped to 2-11 on the season, allowing three runs in 7.1 innings.

 

Kuo Hua Lo gave up a hit and struck out a batter in 1.2 innings.

 

Chris Ibarra got two hits. Nelson Molina tripled and singled. Zander Wiel, featured earlier in the day on milb.com, hit his 21st double and walked.

 

The Kernels dropped to 15-12 in the second half of the season.

 

E-TOWN E-NOTES

Elizabethton 17, Kingsport 3

Box Score

 

There was a lot of offense for the home team in Elizabethton on Thursday night. Of the nine players in the lineup, all scored and got a hit. The first eight batters all scored twice. Seven of the nine batters had multi-hit games. Four batters drove in multiple runs.

 

Shane Carrier led the charge. An eighth-rounder from Fullerton, Carrier doubled twice and hit a home run. He drove in four runs and scored twice. Alex Kirilloff singled three times to raise his batting average to .346. Andre Jernigan got three hits, including a double. Lewin Diaz also doubled among his two hits while driving in four. Brandon Lopez, Caleb Hamilton and Robert Molina each singled twice.

 

Tyler Wells made the start and pitched five innings. He struck out six while allowing eight hits and a walk. Three runs scored, but Wells picked up his first professional win.

 

Ryan Mason came in and finished the last four innings, picking up the ultra-rare save in a 14-run game. He allowed three hits, pitching a shutout.

 

Elizabethton is 11-16.

 

GCL TWINS TAKES

GCL Twins 3, GCL Rays 4 (12 innings)

Box Score

 

One day after winning a 15-inning affair, the GCL affiliate dropped a one-run game in 12 innings.

 

Despite getting outhit 10 to 4, the Twins were able to push the game to extra innings. Tyree Davis led the offense with two walks and a double. Jean Carlos Arias, Zach Featherstone and Juan Gamez provided the rest of the hits. Featherstone and Gamez drove in runs. Joe Cronin stole his fifth base of the year.

 

Huascar Ynoa struck out three in four innings. He allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits and a walk. Zack Strecker pitched four shutout innings, striking out five. Tyler Fox gave up a run and struck out two in one inning. Garrett Kelly picked up the loss, but struck out five in 2.1innings. He allowed the runner that scored the winning run. Callan Pearce came into the game with the bases loaded but walked a batter before ending the inning with a double play.

 

The GCL Twins are 11-11

 

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

 

Pitcher of the Day – Andrew Albers, Rochester

Hitter of the Day – Shane Carrier, Elizabethton

FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

 

Rochester vs Syracuse (6:05 CST) - RHP Jose Berrios (9-4, 2.42 ERA)

Chattanooga at Jackson (7:05 CST) - RHP Omar Bencomo (2-5, 4.50 ERA)

Fort Myers at Clearwater (5:15 CST) - TBD

Bowling Green at Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - LHP Sam Gibbons (3-3, 6.09 ERA)

Elizabethton vs Johnson City (6:00 CST) - TBD

GCL Twins at GCL Red Sox (11:00AM CST) - TBD

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

 

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[scottz]

Looking forward to another minor league start by JO Berrios tomorrow. Go Red Wings! Enjoy!

[goulik]

With all these extra inning games in the GCL lately, our prospects are getting extra live action practice in. I like it!

[Seth Stohs]

 

With all these extra inning games in the GCL lately, our prospects are getting extra live action practice in. I like it!

 

True, but it's very important not to look too much at stats from the GCL. Some of the high draft picks play more often, but some of the players get into a game every three days, so it's kind of an interesting league. Hard to get into much of a groove.

 

But yes, it is extra at bats for a few guys.

[70charger]

Eades is in the bullpen now?

 

Also, how do you get a save with a fourteen run lead?

[wsnydes]

 

Eades is in the bullpen now?

Also, how do you get a save with a fourteen run lead?

He pitched the last 4 innings.  One can earn a save for pitching 3+ innings, provided nobody pitches after him.

Edited July 22, 2016 by wsnydes

[clutterheart]

Id be interested to hear impressions on Dereck Rodriguez from some of the Cedar Rapids contingent. Does he show anything more than a fastball?

[Cast of Thousands]

Nice to see the shiny new draft pick, Kirilloff, continue to rake at E-town!

 

Also nice to see Wimmers having some success in Rochester, he's been lights out for over a month now.  Maybe there's a remote chance he's not a 1st-round bust?

 

I'm sure we'll see him up in August so it'll be interesting to see how he does!

[MplsFan]

Brandon Lopez fires me up. Shortstop from a big time college program, hitting .353 at E-Town. Obviously a bit old for the league but he's dominating as he should. Twins should definitely give him a taste of Cedar Rapids before year's end.

[John Kelsey]

Looks like that Kirilloff kid can really hit. He's even been playing some CF, which is nice to see. 

 

I know he won't play there in the bigs but I would assume he has some decent range if they're sticking him out there. 

[Seth Stohs]

 

Brandon Lopez fires me up. Shortstop from a big time college program, hitting .353 at E-Town. Obviously a bit old for the league but he's dominating as he should. Twins should definitely give him a taste of Cedar Rapids before year's end.

 

10th round pick. Senior sign. But yeah, he had a nice college career and he's playing well in his debut. He could move up.

[Seth Stohs]

 

Eades is in the bullpen now?

Also, how do you get a save with a fourteen run lead?

 

Eades was moved to the bullpen when Jay and Jorge came up. It hasn't gone well for him to this point there. He actually was good as a starter in June. 

 

And, as someone else said. If a pitcher throws 3+ innings in relief and finishes the game, he can get a save regardless of the score.

[Thrylos]

"Albers could very easily fill a rotation spot with the Twins during August and September."

 

If that happens, Antony should get the boot at the spot.   Albers was part of the problem with the Twins and will never be in their future, so it is totally unreasonable to have him up, instead of Berrios, Meyer (if healthy,) Wheeler and Baxendale; and all of the healthy 3 mentioned have pitched better than Albers...

[Seth Stohs]

 

[70charger]

He pitched the last 4 innings.  One can earn a save for pitching 3+ innings, provided nobody pitches after him.

I knew TD would come through. Thanks.

[wsnydes]

 

On the 3 inning save -- isn't it scorer's discretion? I recall a crazy blowout MLB game a few years back where a guy finished with 3 innings but did not get awarded a save...

Could be, but my understanding has always been that score doesn't matter.  The verbiage of the rule doesn't say anything about it either, but I guess I don't know for sure.

[Otto von Ballpark]

I was wrong about 3 inning save discretion, at least in the 30-3 game back in 2007 -- the guy indeed got a save:

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BAL/BAL200708221.shtml

 

Of course, the score was "only" 14-3 when he came in, so...