Article: Twins Minor League Report (6/30): Grand Night for Cedar Rapids

[Tom Froemming]

Before they even played in the field, the Cedar Rapids Kernels had a grand slam and seven runs on the board. Once their starting pitcher finally did get on the mound, he was every bit as dominant as their lineup had been. Keep reading for more on that and six more games from Saturday night.TRANSACTIONS

The roster move of Adalberto Mejia being called up to the Twins and Alan Busenitz being sent back down to Rochester was made official this morning.

Ervin Santana was transferred to Fort Myers to continue his rehab assignment. He started for the Miracle today.

 

RED WINGS REPORT

Lehigh Valley 6, Rochester 2

Box Score

 

SP: Aaron Slegers (6.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 8 K)

HR: Chris Carter (7)

Multi-hit games: LaMonte Wade, Zack Granite

 

Interesting start from Aaron Slegers tonight. Coming into this start he hadn’t struck out more than five batters in a game all season. While he picked up eight Ks, that came with three walks and four earned runs over his six innings of work.

 

Gabriel Moya pitched two scoreless innings to lower his ERA to 1.64 on the season, but John Curtiss gave up a pair of runs in the ninth. It’s been difficult for younger guys to get looks on the big club, so Curtiss posting a 4.76 ERA over nine appearances in June isn’t going to help his cause.

 

Chris Carter hit his seventh homer with the Wings and 20th overall on the season and Zack Granite added an RBI double. LaMonte Wade was 2-for-4 and scored a run.

 

Byron Buxton was 0-for-3 with a walk and Jorge Polanco was 1-for-3 with a walk of his own.

 

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Tennessee 2, Chattanooga 0

Box Score

 

SP: Dietrich Enns (7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K)

HR: None

Multi-hit games: None

 

Second baseman Alex Perez had the only Lookouts hit, a single in the sixth inning. Dietrich Enns, 27, made his first Double A appearance since 2016. He was relieved by 29-year-old Ryne Harper, who pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

 

MIRACLE MATTERS

Lake land 3, Fort Myers 1

Box Score

 

SP: Ervin Santana (3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K)

HR: None

Multi-hit games: Luis Arraez, Alex Kirilloff

 

Ervin Santana returned to action, pitching the third game of his rehab assignment and first in a month. The results were solid (see above), but he’s still got a little ways to go before he’s back up to full speed. Literally.

Luis Arraez was 2-for-4, picking up his 27th-straight multi-hit game. OK, that’s not true at all, but it sure seems like it could be. He’s been on fire. Alex Kirilloff was also 2-for-4 and had the Miracle’s only extra-base hit (a double). He’s now 13-for-40 (.325) in his first nine games with Fort Myers.

 

Griffin Jax pitched the final six innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on eight hits. Miguel Sano was 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter.

 

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 11, Burlington 3

Box Score

 

W: Jordan Balazovic (6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 K)

SV: Tanner Kiest (3.0 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K)

HR: Trey Cabbage (6), Royce Lewis (8)

Multi-hit games: Lewis, Jacob Pearson, Akil Baddoo, Cabbage

 

Here’s how this game started:

 

Akil Baddoo single.

Jacob Pearson single.

Royce Lewis single, Baddoo scores.

Robby Rinn hit by a pitch.

Trey Cabbage grand slam.

Andrew Bechtold walk.

 

That was it for the Burlington starting pitcher, whose identity shall not be revealed out of respect for the victim and his family.

 

When it was all said and done, Jordan Balazovic had a 7-0 lead by the time he took to the mound. He responded exactly as you’d hope. The Canadian right-hander attacked batters, racking up 10 strikeouts while allowing just one hit in six innings. A fifth-round pick back in 2016, Balazovic now has 41 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings pitched this season (13.8 K/9).

 

Pearson and Lewis both had three-hit nights and each also drew a walk. Cabbage had another hit and a walk in addition to his granny and Baddoo had a pair of hits, including a double.

 

Cabbage was a monster for the Kernels in June. He had a .279/.342/.559 (.901 OPS) line in 19 games this month.

 

E-TWINS E-NOTES

Elizabethton 3, Danville 2

Box Score

 

W: Austin Schulfer (3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K)

SV: Ricky Ramirez (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K)

SP: Josh Winder (3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K)

HR: Chris Williams (2)

Multi-hit games: Williams

 

E-Town only collected five hits in this game, but they made ‘em count. They picked up two runs in the fourth thanks to a Ryan Jeffers single, a Chris Williams double, an RBI single from Alex Robles and then a sacrifice fly from Ricky De La Torre. Then in the sixth, Williams hit a home run to put the Twins up for good.

 

Josh Winder, the Twins’ seventh-round pick earlier this month, had an impressive professional debut. He gave up an unearned run on one hit and had three strikeouts while not issuing any walks over three innings. He threw 30 of his 43 pitches for strikes (69.8 percent).

 

GCL TWINS TAKES

GCL Twins 6, GCL Red Sox 5 (Game 1)

Box Score

 

W: Amilcar Cruz (2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K)

SP: Donny Breek (4.0 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K

HR: None

Multi-hit games: Tyler Webb, Janigson Villalobos, Samuel Vasquez

 

The Twins trailed 5-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh and final inning (they played a doubleheader today). Yelsin Encarnacion reached base on an error to lead things off, and as everybody knows, errors will come back to terror. Tyler Webb was hit by a pitch and Gabe Snyder hit a single, but Encarnacion was thrown out at home trying to score the game-tying run.

 

Webb eventually scored the tying run on a fielder’s choice and Yanigson Villalobos ended it with a walk-off single that brought home Snyder.

 

GCL Red Sox 4, GCL Twins 2

Box Score

 

SP: Landon Leach (1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K)

HR: None

Multi-hit games: Estamy Urena, Tyler Webb

 

Landon Leach made his 2018 debut in this one, though he wasn’t on the mound for long. He only faced five batters, but it was in an eventful inning. Leach gave up a leadoff single, which was followed by a sacrifice bunt. He gave up another single, but the Red Sox ran into an out on the play. The next batter reached on an error, bringing home a run, before Leach coaxed an inning-ending flyout.

 

The Twins got a run in the fourth inning thanks to consecutive singles from Austin Hale, Willie Joe Garry Jr. and Estamy Urena. The added another run in the sixth when Garry Jr. walked, Urena hit another single and Yelstin Encarnasion hit an RBI ground out.

 

STARS OF THE DAY

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Jordan Balazovic, Cedar Rapids

Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day: Trey Cabbage, Cedar Rapids

 

TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY

Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Prospects performed:

 

1. Royce Lewis, CR: 3-for-4, HR, 3 RBIs, 2 Rs, BB

2. Fernando Romero, ROC: Did not pitch.

3. Nick Gordon, ROC: 0-for-3, BB

4. Stephen Gonsalves, ROC: Did not pitch.

5. Alex Kirilloff, FM: 2-for-4, 2B, R, K

6. Wander Javier: Out for the season with a shoulder injury.

7. Brent Rooker, CHAT: 0-for-3, 2 Ks

8. Blayne Enlow, CR: Did not pitch.

9. Brusdar Graterol, FM: Did not pitch.

10. Akil Baddoo, CR: 2-for-6, 2B, R

11. Zack Littell, ROC: Did not pitch.

12. Lewis Thorpe, CHAT: Did not pitch.

13. Lewin Diaz, FM: 1-for-4, RBI

14. LaMonte Wade, ROC: 2-for-4, R

15. Mitch Garver, MIN

16. Ben Rortvedt, FM: 0-for-3, BB, K

17. Travis Blankenhorn, FM: 0-for-4, 3 Ks

18. Yunior Severino, ET: 0-for-4, K

19. Tyler Jay, CHAT: Did not pitch.

20. Felix Jorge, GCL: Did not pitch.

 

SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester vs. Lehigh Valley, 12:05 pm CT: TBD

Chattanooga at Tennessee, 5:40 pm CT: Lewis Thorpe

Fort Myers vs. Lakeland, 3:00 pm CT: Brusdar Graterol

Cedar Rapids at Burlington, 2 pm CT: Bryan Sammons

Elizabethton at Princeton, 4:00 pm CT: TBD

GCL Twins: Off

 

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

 

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[Darius]

Curtiss' 4.97 ERA in June is lights out relative to some of the guys on the big club.

[Rosterman]

Senior Citizens day on the mound in Chattanooga!

[Mike Sixel]

Why is Lewis not promoted yet?

[jokin]

Why is Lewis not promoted yet?

Absolutely none. No one blocking at Ft Myers. He's improved at the plate each month from April to May to June. It would be nice to have him working with Arraez at 2nd, and batting 2nd , sandwiched between Arraez and Kiriloff at the top of the Ft Myers order.

 

His June split is .339 BA/.984 OPS. with 5 of his 8 HRs in June. 20 2Bs and 19 SBs on the season. Ridiculous at 19 years old.

 

They are being very cautious on his ongoing physical condition with his over-use injury. So maybe that's the reason. Disappointing, because his current trajectory could put him in place to become Twins starting SS, possibly by opening day, 2020. (Which means they would not be forced to re-sign Dozier long-term, especially if Gordon can stick in 2019).

Edited July 1, 2018 by jokin

[diehardtwinsfan]

liking Blazovich so far. Seems as if he's shrugged off the effects of TJS.

[mikelink45]

Is Kiriloff such a natural that we could bring him up for a couple weeks and see if he could replace a lot of mediocrity in MLB?

[Dman]

 

Why is Lewis not promoted yet?

I think Arraez should be promoted as well.  He looks like he ready to handle AA pitching at this point.

[rdehring]

Another nice outing for Jax.  Seems like he is getting stronger every time out.  After struggling a bit last year, Balazovic is starting to look like he may be something special.  Could the Twins be so fortunate as to have Graterol and Balazovic both step into the rotation by the end of 2020 or start of 2021?  

 

There hasn't been much mention here about the DSL Twins.  Yet, they are having a great season.  After 25 games, they are 17-8 and only a game behind the first place Cardinals Blue squad.

 

The team is led by three young men from Venezuela.  Two of their top three hitters are catchers, 19-year old Jeferson Morales (.377 average) and 18-year old Victor Heredia (.300 average).  Their top pitcher is Anthony Escobar who has a 1.82 ERA and 0.64 WHIP.  Considering he is only 17, Escobar could be someone we are going to hear a lot of in the coming years.  It is the first year of professional ball for both Morales and Escobar.  

[jokin]

Senior Citizens day on the mound in Chattanooga!

Isn't it obvious that Falvine are looking for that same veteran pitching presence that has served the Twins pen so well with Belisle?

[DocBauer]

I think Arraez should be promoted as well.  He looks like he ready to handle AA pitching at this point.

 

Although he may be working on his defense before promotion, I think what's keeping him down is the simple fact he missed all but 3 games in 2017. He was at Cedar Rapids in 2016, so really, he's already been promoted 1 level.

 

Every time I look at the future Twins infield, I keep seeing Polanco, Lewis, Gordon, Javier, (damn the baseball gods for his injury this season), with guys like Blakenhorn, Bechtold, Miranda and maybe Cabbage just a notch behind but talented. But I am starting to really think about a hit and OB machine like Arraez as part of the equation.

[DocBauer]

Side note: Jax didn't start the game, of course, but he essentially produced the equivalent of another quality start. He's a little bit older due to his military commitment taking away development time. But I think he's a guy to keep an eye on and could vault up the prospect charts by the end of the year.

[Dman]

 

Although he may be working on his defense before promotion, I think what's keeping him down is the simple fact he missed all but 3 games in 2017. He was at Cedar Rapids in 2016, so really, he's already been promoted 1 level. Every time I look at the future Twins infield, I keep seeing Polanco, Lewis, Gordon, Javier, (damn the baseball gods for his injury this season), with guys like Blakenhorn, Bechtold, Miranda and maybe Cabbage just a notch behind but talented. But I am starting to really think about a hit and OB machine like Arraez as part of the equation.

I agree.  I am sure they taking things slow and steady with him.  Its just that with that many muti-hit games it seems like he should be challenged more.  The sooner he is ready the sooner we can plug him into the Twins lineup.