Article: Twins Minor League Report (4/19): Jimmy Kerrigan Comes a Single Shy of the Cycle

[Eric R Pleiss]

The Twins were off on Thursday and so were half the Minor League affiliates. The Cedar Rapids Kernels were rained out for the sixth straight day and haven’t played since last Friday. With the Red Wings on a scheduled off day, there were just a couple of teams in action on Thursday night. The Lookouts and the Miracle both rode strong pitching performances to victories, find out more below.TRANSACTIONS

Fort Myers Miracle placed RHP Colton Davis on the 7-day disabled list and activated 2B Luis Arraez from the 7-day disabled list.

 

RED WINGS REPORT

OFF

 

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 3, Jacksonville 1

Box Score

 

The Lookouts put a three-spot on the board in the bottom of the first inning and then didn’t bother to score again as the pitching staff carried them the rest of the way, giving up just one run late in the game. Randy LeBlanc started and earned the win to move to 2-1 on the year with six innings of scoreless baseball.

 

LeBlanc scattered five hits, walked one, and struck out three. Zack Jones pitched a scoreless seventh inning, but not without challenge as he walked three and escaped unharmed thanks to a pair of strike outs. Williams Ramirez picked up his third save of the year, this one of the six-out variety. He gave up one run on one hit, he walked two and struck out one.

 

Bunching all of their runs in the first inning, the Lookouts sent seven men to the plate and could have scored more if not for making two outs on the base paths. Chris Paul had the Lookouts’ only extra-base hit of the night, during the first inning rally, his only hit of the night. He finished 1-for-3 with that double, a walk, and a run scored. Brent Rooker, T.J. White, and Brian Navarreto each added a pair of singles. A hero the last couple of days, Zander Wiel added another RBI as part of a 1-for-3 night that also included a walk.

 

MIRACLE MATTERS

Fort Myers 4, Dunedin 2

Box Score

 

Fort Myers committed three errors and still came out on top on Thursday night thanks to some excellent pitching that gave up just three hits and one earned run. Starter Tyler Wells moved to 2-0 on the year with five full innings of one-hit baseball. He struck out only two but did not issue a single walk. He was replaced by Max Cody who gave up an unearned run on one hit and a walk. Carlos Suniaga earned his first save of the year, also a two-inning save just like Williams Ramirez up in AA. He gave up a run on one hit, and a walk. He struck out two.

 

The Miracle scored three of their four runs on a pair of home runs. Jimmy Kerrigan, who finished a single short of the cycle as part of his 3-for-4 night hit a solo home run. The other dinger was a two-run shot off the bat of Joe Cronin in the seventh inning. Cronin was 2-for-3 with a double and that home run, and three RBIs. As a team, the Miracle had 10 hits, two walks, and they struck out eight times.

 

Luis Arraez played in his first game since April 8, 2017. He was 0-for-4 and made a pair of errors at second base.

 

 

KERNELS NUGGETS

Doubleheader Postponed - Rain

 

STARS OF THE DAY

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Randy LeBlanc, Chattanooga Lookouts

Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Jimmy Kerrigan, Fort Myers Miracle

 

TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY

Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily top 20 prospects performed:

#3. Nick Gordon – 0-4, 1R, 1SO

#7. Brent Rooker – 2-4, 1SO

#13. Lewin Diaz – 1-3, 3B, 1R, 1SO

#14. LaMonte Wade – 1-4, 1R

#17. Travis Blankenhorn – 2-4, 1R

 

FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

 

Rochester vs. Columbus, 5:35 pm CT - Adalberto Mejia

Chattanooga vs. Jacksonville, 6:15 pm CT - Lewis Thorpe

Fort Myers at Bradenton, 5:30 pm CT - Charlie Barnes

Cedar Rapids vs. Kane County, 6:36 pm CT - Blayne Enlow

 

Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Thursday's games.

 

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[David HK]

I like that Kerrigan kid.  What a start he's having!  

 

The only trouble is, when I first heard of him, I got him mixed up with this guy...

 

[nater79a]

Question from last nights wrap:  Noticed that Alex Robles was assigned to Fort Myers Miracle from Elizabethton (even though E-Town hasn't started yet).  Are players in extended spring training technically still on the roster of the affiliate that they finished up with last season?  

[108Stitches]

Wells rocking a .57 whip. Leads the league. And Kerrigan batting over 400 still. Impressive as hell.

[nowheresville]

The Kernels got "rained out" on a sunny 50 degree afternoon.....

 

Despite pushing the scheduled start time back by an hour, the Snappers grounds crew apparently couldn't get the field in suitable conditions for the game to be played. The 3rd base area was basically a mud pit, and there were still a few small snow piles in center field at the 5pm rescheduled start time. 

 

And as bad as the field was, the Grandstand was even worse, with 3 inches of snow over large parts of the covered metal bleachers that hadn't been shoveled at all. If they would have played, I don't know how they get through the game without a fan getting hurt!

 

But at least the Kernels got to enjoy a 3 hour bus trip to play a little catch in the outfield and have some of the pitchers do some bullpen work, and I suppose Toby Gardenhire got a reminder that things haven't changed much in Beloit since he was a Snappers player a decade ago.

[twinsfanstreif]

It feels like the Kernels have been postponed for like 2 weeks, I wonder if they ever make up all these games

[Seth Stohs]

 

Question from last nights wrap:  Noticed that Alex Robles was assigned to Fort Myers Miracle from Elizabethton (even though E-Town hasn't started yet).  Are players in extended spring training technically still on the roster of the affiliate that they finished up with last season?  

 

I think they can be on either GCL or ET roster, probably doesn't matter. They're all from EST. 

[Seth Stohs]

 

It feels like the Kernels have been postponed for like 2 weeks, I wonder if they ever make up all these games

 

It'll be interesting. According to a press release (I think that's where I saw it), Beloit and Cedar Rapids play just once more in the first half, a three-game series. The Midwest League has a rule that says teams can play doubleheaders on three straight games. So, they'll likely play those doubleheaders and then cancel the third game. Maybe they'll add it to the second-half schedule, but I don't know for sure. 

[jrod23]

There’s Luis!!!

[rdehring]

 

The Kernels got "rained out" on a sunny 50 degree afternoon.....

 

Despite pushing the scheduled start time back by an hour, the Snappers grounds crew apparently couldn't get the field in suitable conditions for the game to be played. The 3rd base area was basically a mud pit, and there were still a few small snow piles in center field at the 5pm rescheduled start time. 

 

And as bad as the field was, the Grandstand was even worse, with 3 inches of snow over large parts of the covered metal bleachers that hadn't been shoveled at all. If they would have played, I don't know how they get through the game without a fan getting hurt!

 

But at least the Kernels got to enjoy a 3 hour bus trip to play a little catch in the outfield and have some of the pitchers do some bullpen work, and I suppose Toby Gardenhire got a reminder that things haven't changed much in Beloit since he was a Snappers player a decade ago.

Thanks for all that information.  I drove past Beloit about 45 minutes before the first game was scheduled to start.  It was 51 degrees with a bright sun and not a cloud around.  I was certain the would get the double header in.  Might have been better for the official report to read "wet grounds" rather than rained out!  But maybe they don't do that.

[AZTwin]

Beloit has a 1 man grounds crew. they just don’t support the team well

[nowheresville]

 

It'll be interesting. According to a press release (I think that's where I saw it), Beloit and Cedar Rapids play just once more in the first half, a three-game series. The Midwest League has a rule that says teams can play doubleheaders on three straight games. So, they'll likely play those doubleheaders and then cancel the third game. Maybe they'll add it to the second-half schedule, but I don't know for sure. 

 

What I was told by a member of the Snappers staff is they can play up to 2 Doubleheaders in 3 days and up to 3 over 5 days. However, I've also seen plenty of cases where they simply cancel games, and I wouldn't be surprised if at least one of those games does get cancelled, especially when nearly every team in the league already has a long list of double headers now on their schedule. 

 

Looking at the schedule, both the Snappers and Kernels do have a scheduled off day on June 4th, right before starting their next series at Cedar Rapids (and both teams will already be in Iowa on 6/3), so it would be possible for them to squeeze in 6 games over 4 days, if they do need to make up all the games. 

[Han Joelo]

Suniaga did well enough for a kid who got jumped up.  According to my quick search, he was the TD #3 Short Season Pitcher of the Year in 2017, mostly pitching in the GCL, with a short stretch at Etown.  This may just be a short term fill in deal for him, but way to go seizing the opportunity.

[jrod23]

 

Beloit has a 1 man grounds crew. they just don’t support the team well

 

How much longer is Beloit going to keep a team?  What would it take for the likes of Rochester to get a team, or Mankato?  Basically, just get Minnesota a Midwest League team.  Loaded question, and tons of reasons why it wouldn't work.  But what if it did work?

[Seth Stohs]

 

Suniaga did well enough for a kid who got jumped up.  According to my quick search, he was the TD #3 Short Season Pitcher of the Year in 2017, mostly pitching in the GCL, with a short stretch at Etown.  This may just be a short term fill in deal for him, but way to go seizing the opportunity.

 

He's not a big guy, but he's fun to watch pitch. He's got some good stuff..

[Seth Stohs]

 

How much longer is Beloit going to keep a team?  What would it take for the likes of Rochester to get a team, or Mankato?  Basically, just get Minnesota a Midwest League team.  Loaded question, and tons of reasons why it wouldn't work.  But what if it did work?

 

Those have been topics for a long time. I believe the Midwest League's offices are in Beloit, so that was always part of the concern. 

[nowheresville]

 

Those have been topics for a long time. I believe the Midwest League's offices are in Beloit, so that was always part of the concern. 

 

Actually they aren't anymore. They were for years, because longtime Commissioner George Spelius was from Beloit, but he retired in 2015, and passed away in 2016.

 

The MWL offices are now in South Bend, which also happens to be where current Commissioner Richard Nussbaum lives.

 

[nowheresville]

 

How much longer is Beloit going to keep a team?  What would it take for the likes of Rochester to get a team, or Mankato?  Basically, just get Minnesota a Midwest League team.  Loaded question, and tons of reasons why it wouldn't work.  But what if it did work?

 

2020 could be the end of the line for Beloit. That's when the current major/minor league agreement ends, and when MiLB could easily take the franchise away. It won't happen until then, because the team is community owned and does just enough to break even, despite the abysmal leadership at the top of the franchise.

 

As far as what it would take to get a team to Minnesota: A miracle. The midwest league simply isn't coming to Minnesota . As has been discussed numerous times, the MWL footprint has been moving away from Minnesota for 2 decades, and even more importantly, when you've got the Northwoods League - that doesn't have to deal with the April and May games that are brutal even when you don't have a year as bad as this one - there's just no compelling reason for anyone to try and bring MiLB to Minnesota. 

[goulik]

It seemed to me that I was reading TJ Whites name a lot so far this year so I looked up his stats.

 

In 45 at bats, 5 White has 11 hits and 21 total bases. He has hit 1 double and 3 home runs accumulating 7 RBI's in 13 games to go with 5 runs he has scored. He has a .244/.277/.467 slash for a .743 OPS.

 

Huh... Nothing too exciting...