Article: Twins Minor League Report (6/12): Thorpe Deals, Bechtold Blasts, and Wahoos Walk Off

[Ted Schwerzler]

Tonight the farm saw a handful of total team efforts. Lewis Thorpe looked as sharp as he’s been at any point this year, while Andrew Bechtold put up a strong performance for Cedar Rapids. The Wahoos walked it off in extras and there were fireworks from a former Twins minor league coach.RED WINGS REPORT

Columbus 3, Rochester 2

Box Score

 

All good things must come to an end, and unfortunately in this one that end was for the Red Wings winning streak. Dropping this one by a single run, their eight-game winning streak comes to a halt. Lewis Thorpe was on the bump and his nine strikeouts and one hit over five innings kept the Clippers down in the early going.

 

 

La Tortuga kept up his hot hitting with a first inning solo shot, his third in just four games. A Nick Gordon RBI double in the eighth inning was the only other run the home team could muster, and it wouldn’t be enough to match the three plated by Columbus.

 

 

Zack Littell continues to work in relief for Rochester. Going two innings tonight, he allowed one run on two hits but fanned five. The Red Wings can get revenge tomorrow when the two square off in the rubber match.

 

BLUE WAHOO BITES

Pensacola 7, Tennessee 6 (12 innings)

Box Score

 

Bryan Sammons put in five innings of work and the bats kept him in it despite allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits. He did also record six punchouts. The Blue Wahoos nearly got four scoreless from Anthony Vizcaya and Sam Clay in relief, but a ninth inning run spoiled the near-spotless effort.

 

Taylor Grzelakowski knotted things at one with an RBI single in the 2nd, and Joe Cronin’s three-run shot in the fourth gave the Blue Wahoos their first lead. After allowing Tennessee to take the lead 5-4 in the sixth, Pensacola got back in front in the bottom half. Travis Blankenhorn stayed hot to drive in the tying run, and Jaylin Davis record an RBI on a sac fly scoring Cronin. Unfortunately, the Smokies plated a run in the top of the ninth to draw back even.

 

Clay wound up working three innings in relief, with that ninth inning run being the only one he allowed. Former Triple-A Rochester hitting coach Chad Allen was ejected in the middle of the 11th but Pensacola couldn’t continue the fireworks in the bottom half.

 

After getting two shutdown innings from Zack Weiss, Ben Rortvedt stepped to the dish. With Travis Blankenhorn on the bases thanks to international rule, a single allowed him to cross the plate and the Wahoos walked it off.

 

MIRACLE MATTERS

Tampa 6, Fort Myers 2

Box Score

 

Fresh off of a doubleheader sweep to clinch first half FSL South Division title, the Miracle couldn’t keep up the winning ways. Despite being outhit by just one, Fort Myers mustered just two runs in the contest. Jordan Balazovic fanned seven over five innings, but he also gave up four runs on six hits.

 

Miracle runs came in the third and sixth innings on Mark Contreras and Jose Miranda RBI singles. Rehabbing New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton played again for the Tarpons, and tonight he launched two homers and accounted for three of the runs driven in.

 

Tampa plays host to Fort Myers again tomorrow night for the final game of the series.

 

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 4, Wisconsin 3

Box Score

 

For the second night in a row it was four runs that were enough to get the Kernels in the win column. Kody Funderburk made it to just one out into the fifth inning but leaving having allowed only three runs, the rest of his team picked him up. Jose Martinez and Moises Gomez combined to throw 4 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball allowing just three hits and punching out five.

 

Cedar Rapids answered twice in this one thanks to a two-RBI double from Gabriel Maciel in the second, and a Yeltsin Encarnacion sac fly in the fifth. Andrew Bechtold put the good guys ahead in a decisive manner after launching his fifth homer of the season in the bottom of the sixth inning. The homer rounded out a nice game for Bechtold who went 2-for-2 with a walk on the day.

 

A series sweep is possible if Cedar Rapids can take a third straight from the Timber Rattlers tomorrow night.

 

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

TD Pitcher of the Day- Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K

TD Hitter of the Day- Andrew Bechtold (Cedar Rapids) – 2-2, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB

 

PROSPECT SUMMARY

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

#1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) – Did Not Play

#2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – Injured list

#3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) – Injured list (shoulder)

#4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) – 0-4

#5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – Did Not Play

#6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – 0-4, 2 K

#7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) – Did Not Pitch

#8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) –5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K

#9 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) – Did Not Pitch

#10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) – Injured List (Tommy John surgery)

#11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 2-4, RBI, 2B

#12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) – Injured list (elbow)

#13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) – 1-4, R

#14 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – 2-6, RBI, K

#15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) – Injured List (thumb)

#16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) – 1-4, K

#17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) – 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K

#18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) – Did Not Play

#19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) – Did Not Pitch

#20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) – 2-3, RBI, BB

 

THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester vs. Columbus (11:35AM CST) – RHP Sean Poppen (3-1, 1.57 ERA)

Pensacola vs. Tennessee (6:35PM CST) – TBD

Fort Myers @ Tampa (5:30PM CST) – TBD

Cedar Rapids vs. Wisconsin (6:35PM CST) – TBD

 

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

 

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[sftwinsfan]

Balazovic finally showed he was human, although 3 of the 4 runs he gave up were due to Giancarlo Stanton homeruns so he seems to have pitched better than the numbers indicate.  Nice test for him to give him something to improve upon.  

[Aerodeliria]

What about a call up for Thorpe? We need one/two inning help in the BP. I think he looks ready as anyone else around there.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

What about a call up for Thorpe? We need one/two inning help in the BP. I think he looks ready as anyone else around there.

 

Me thinks Littell is being groomed for that. With most of AAA starters on the 40 man hurt, your depth right now is Thorpe and Smeltzer. You may see it a bit later in the season where that depth is less critical.

[rdehring]

Urbina went 0-4, however, the DSL Twins pitching staff threw a shutout against the Yankees for a 2-0 win.  Cedar Rapids won, yet, remained a game behind Burlington in their attempt to make the first half playoffs.

 

Great seeing Thorpe finally get the results we saw so often last year, although he needs to find a way to get beyond 5 innings.  See that Arraez is in a bit of a slump, was last night his second or third straight without a hit?

[Han Joelo]

In the first AB, Stanton K’d on three pitches. Apparently he adjusted, but it does speak to Balazovic’s stuff.

[MMMordabito]

 

In the first AB, Stanton K’d on three pitches. Apparently he adjusted, but it does speak to Balazovic’s stuff.

 

And only Yankees get front page MLB articles when they homer in rehab games:

 

https://www.mlb.com/news/giancarlo-stanton-homers-in-consecutive-rehab-games

 

F$%#$%rs

[DocBauer]

I dont think Thorpe gets near enough credit or praise. By age, hes actually a little young for AAA and is only in his second full season of action after missing two full seasons. And despite some ups and downs, he is largely performing well.

 

Just imagine how good he could be by the end of the season and going in to next season. IMO, he will be a solid, quality #4 SP with real potential to be a #3.

[Trov]

 

I dont think Thorpe gets near enough credit or praise. By age, hes actually a little young for AAA and is only in his second full season of action after missing two full seasons. And despite some ups and downs, he is largely performing well.

Just imagine how good he could be by the end of the season and going in to next season. IMO, he will be a solid, quality #4 SP with real potential to be a #3.

Unless he can decrease his pitches per inning I am not sure if starter is in his future.  I hope he does, but if not he may be a great arm out of the pen.  

[DocBauer]

Unless he can decrease his pitches per inning I am not sure if starter is in his future. I hope he does, but if not he may be a great arm out of the pen.

Agreed. But let's not forget young arms are not only built up for heavier workloads over time...again he is pretty young and missed 2 full seasons...but milb starters are sometimes pulled to mandatory pitch counts as well as wanting relief prospects to get in their work.

 

Thorpe only pitched 4 or 5 games at AAA last year, so this is his first season at that level. What you hope for is learning HOW to pitch in order to economize and get outs on fewer pitches.

 

I think hes got a real chance. And I would hate to remove him from a SP role, but I could see him as a RP for the Twins the second half.