Twins Minor League Report (7/2): Winder Dazzles in Saints Debut

[Allen Post]

Josh Winder made the second impressive Triple-A debut of the week, there was walk-off drama in Fort Myers, and much more across the system. Check out tonight's Minor League Report:

TRANSACTIONS

• Minnesota Twins sign free agent RHP Joe Harvey to a minor league contract, Harvey assigned to Triple-A St. Paul

 

SAINTS SENTINEL 

St. Paul 7, Omaha 3

Box Score

 

Fresh off being named Twins Daily’s Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month, rising pitching prospect Josh Winder made his Triple-A debut tonight, starting the game for the Saints. Winder exceeded expectations, hurling a debut performance that rivals that of his fellow Triple-A call-up Jose Miranda. 

Facing one of the best offenses in the minor leagues, Winder had a no-hitter into the sixth and finished with the following line: 5.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K. The one run on his line was an inherited runner that stood on first base when Winder left the game. Robinson Leyer promptly allowed a two-run homer to score that runner and give Winder an undeserved blemish on his line. 

Nevertheless, Winder was dominant. The tall righty looked just as comfortable on the Triple-A stage as he had all year in Wichita. He mixed up his pitches effectively and missed bats and barrels throughout the outing. He was efficient, too, needing only 71 pitches (51 strikes) to get within an out of six full innings.

In the batter’s box, the Saints got the scoring going early with a Drew Maggi solo homer in the first. 

Then, Keon Broxton added on in the second with a homer of his own that counted for two. 

Broxton’s blast came with two outs in the inning, and it was somehow just the beginning. David Banuelos struck for a single and Miranda continued the two-out hitting and ripped a two-out RBI double to bring the score to 4-0. That was followed by a double for Maggi, which scored Miranda to make it 5-0. The Saints were retired in the next at-bat, but totaled four runs in the second, all with two outs.

Broxton was involved again in the fourth. The Saints center fielder singled to center and the ball was mishandled by Kyle Isbel, allowing Jimmy Kerrigan to score and Broxton to take second. Then, Broxton stole third, putting him in position to score on a sac fly from Miranda, 7-0.

The homer off Leyer made the game 7-2, and Omaha added another run off Leyer in the seventh, but that was all they got and the Saints took this one, 7-3. 

After Winder, Leyer pitched an inning and allowed three runs, but one was inherited (credited to Winder officially) and one was unearned. Yennier Cano got four scoreless outs (3 of which were strikeouts), and Andrew Vasquez delivered a hitless ninth. Four Saints had multi-hit games: Miranda, Maggi, Kerrigan, and Broxton.

 

WIND SURGE WISDOM

Amarillo 9, Wichita 5

Box Score

 

A seven-run seventh inning propelled Amarillo to a 9-5 win.

Chris Vallimont has been effective for the Wind Surge so far this season, but he didn’t have his best stuff in tonight’s start. Still, he managed his way through 3.1 IP, only allowing one run.

The Sod Poodles scored their run off Vallimont in the first on a bloop single from Renae Martinez. Then, in the second, Vallimont walked three to load the bases with only one out. The Surge starter buckled down though, getting a lineout and a strikeout to get out of the inning unscathed. Vallimont got through a scoreless third and got an out in the fourth, but his five walks on the night had his pitch count up and he was taken out of the game at that point. 

Unfortunately, Vallimont didn’t get much early support from his offense, as Amarillo starter Tommy Henry allowed no runs and only two hits through four. However, Leobaldo Cabrera got a big solo homer in the fifth to tie the game for Wichita. 

Stone Garrett would answer with a solo homer for Amarillo, though, and the Sod Poodles took a 2-1 lead.

The Sod Poodles broke it open in the seventh. They loaded the bases with one out through two walks and a hit batter. Unlike Vallimont, Adam Lau could not get out of the inning without significant damage. A run scored on a groundout, then, after another hit batter, Mikey Reynolds curled a fly ball around the foul pole in left for a grand slam. 

Despite the bases-clearing homer, Amarillo added two more to make it 9-1. Sheesh.

The Surge got four back in the ninth (3 on a Trey Cabbage blast), but it only served to make the score line slightly more attractive for Wichita.

Vallimont allowed one run in 3.1 IP, struck out six, and walked five. Calvin Faucher came on and allowed two earned over 2.2 IP. Adam Lau was primarily responsible for the seventh inning debacle and allowed six earned in 0.2 innings pitched. Jordan Milbrath was better, with 1.1 innings of scoreless work. No Wichita batters had a multi-hit game.

 

KERNELS NUGGETS

Quad Cities 3, Cedar Rapids 1

Box Score

 

The Cedar Rapids bats never got going in this one, and the second-place Kernels fall to the division-leading River Bandits, 3-1.

This game stayed scoreless through the first three innings, with Tyler Beck and Quad Cities starter A.J. Block both pitching well. The Kernels did get one in the fourth, though, on a solo shot from Alex Isola.

Beck also ran into trouble in the fourth, as the River Bandits loaded the bases without recording an out. Quad Cities ended up scoring three in the inning, with one run each coming in on an Isola fielding error, a Kyle Schmidt throwing error, and an infield single that bounced off Seth Gray at third base. 

Those three runs proved to be enough for the River Bandits as the Kernels offense was shut down for the rest of the night. Cedar Rapids barely posed a threat against relievers Peyton Gray and Garrett Davila, and ended the game with only four hits.

Beck finished with 4.2 innings pitched and just the three runs (only one earned) allowed. He struck out three. Erik Manoah Jr. (2 IP) and Zach Featherstone (1.1 IP) finished out the game and allowed no runs and only two hits between them. Isola and Max Smith were the only Kernels with hits on the night, but each had two. 

 

MUSSEL MATTERS

 

Fort Myers 7, Bradenton 4  (Game 1)

Box Score

 

The Mussels were out-hit 7-6 in the first game of their doubleheader today, but made use of Marauder mistakes and a timely hitting to take Bradenton in the run column, 7-4.

Fort Myers did their damage early, scoring two in the first and four in the second. The Mussels only needed two hits in the first to get their two runs, with men coming home on a wild pitch and a Misael Urbina single.

It was more of the same in the second, when Fort Myers turned three hits into four runs. Willie Joe Garry Jr. led off the inning and reached on a fielding error, then scored after singles from Justin Washington and Ruben Santana. Later, with two outs and two on, Yunior Severino made sure not to strand runners and belted a three-run blast to right center to bring the score to 6-0.

The Marauders got a run back in both the third and fourth, but Fort Myers added one in their half of the fourth as well, on a ground-ball double play from Yunior Severino.

Bradenton loaded the bases and scored two more in the top of the 7th, but Juan Pichardo wriggled out of trouble well enough to secure the 7-4 win for Fort Myers.

Zarion Sharpe got the start for Fort Myers and went 3.2, allowing two unearned runs and striking out three. He gave way to Matt Swain, who hurled two innings of scoreless ball. Pichardo added some drama to the proceedings, but closed the game; he pitched 1.1 innings and allowed two earned. No Mussels hitters had a multi-hit game.

Fort Myers 5, Bradenton 4  (Game 2)

Box Score

 

The Mussels blew a seventh-inning lead in this one, but it only set the stage for walk-off drama. Fort Myers sweeps the doubleheader, winning Game 2, 5-4.

Bradenton took an early lead in the second game, scoring two on a first-inning homer from Endy Rodriguez. Fort Myers had an answer, though. The Mussels scored three in their half of the first, through an RBI sac fly from Severino and a two run bomb from Will Holland.

Fort Myers added another in the fourth on an RBI triple from Nick Anderson, making the score 4-2. That score would last until the seventh, when Bradenton again posed a late threat. 

The Marauders loaded the bases with no outs, making use of two singles and a walk to populate the sacks. This time they completed the comeback, with runs scoring on a bases-loaded walk and a run-scoring double play, 4-4.

In the bottom of the seventh though, Willie Joe Garry Jr. singled to center, stole second, and advanced to third on a groundout, setting the stage for Jeferson Morales to dig in with the winning run 90 feet away with two outs. Morales drew a full count, then ripped a single to center to score Garry Jr. and walk off the game for Fort Myers.

Sawyer Gipson-Long got the start for Fort Myers and was excellent, going six full innings and allowing only one earned run on four hits. He struck out nine and walked none. Bradley Hanner took over to close out the seventh and blew the save, allowing two earned. Thanks to Morales’ heroics, Hanner gets the win. Only Morales had a multi-hit game.

 

COMPLEX CHRONICLES

FCL Twins 17, FCL Red Sox 7

Box Score

 

Pitching and defense were hard to come by in the complex game today, as the FCL Twins outslugged their Red Sox counterparts 17-7.

The Twins outhit their opponents 15-5 and scored multiple runs in all but three innings. Notable offensive contributions came from 2020 fifth round pick Kala’i Rosario (4-for-6, 3 R, 7 RBI, HR), Jesus Feliz (3-for-5, 4 R, 2 RBI, HR), and LaRon Smith (2-for-6, R, 2 RBI, HR). Four other hitters drove in at least one run (just check out the box score!).

On the mound, Elpidio Perez got the start and pitched three full innings, striking out two and only allowing one earned run. Matt Mullenbach took over with three scoreless innings of his own, striking out three in his outing. Cole Bellair was not as effective, allowing six runs (five earned) in the last three runs of the game. 

This was the Twins Complex team’s first win of the season, bringing their record to 1-2. They take on the Red Sox again tomorrow.

 

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Pitcher of the Day - Josh Winder (St. Paul)- 5.2 IP, 1 H,  1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

Hitter of the Day - Drew Maggi (St. Paul)- 3-for-4, R, 2 RBI, HR, K

 

PROSPECT SUMMARY

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

 #1 - Alex Kirilloff (Minnesota) – 2-for-4, RBI, 2 K

#2 - Royce Lewis (Rehab) - Out for Season (torn ACL)

#3 - Trevor Larnach (Minnesota) – 2-for-5, R, RBI, 2 K

#4 - Ryan Jeffers (Minnesota) – Did not play

#5 - Jhoan Duran (St. Paul) – 7-day IL (elbow strain)

#6 - Jordan Balazovic (Wichita) – Did not pitch

#7 - Keoni Cavaco (Complex) – 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, K

#8 - Aaron Sabato (Ft. Myers) – Game 1: 1-for-2, R, BB, K  Game 2: 0-for-3, K

#9 - Matt Canterino (Cedar Rapids) – Did not pitch

#10 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – IL (Tommy John surgery)

#11 - Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) – Did not play

#12 - Brent Rooker (St. Paul) – 0-for-4, K

#13 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) – IL (wrist sprain)

#14 - Misael Urbina (Fort Myers) – Game 1: 1-1, RBI, 2 BB  Game 2: 0-for-2, R, BB, K

#15 - Cole Sands (Wichita) – Did not pitch

#16 - Edwar Colina (Rehab) - 60-Day IL (elbow)

#17 - Ben Rortvedt (Minnesota) – 0-for-3, BB

#18 - Alerick Soularie (Complex) – N/A

#19 - Jose Miranda (St. Paul) – 2-for-3, R, 2 RBI, K

#20 - Bailey Ober (Minnesota) – Did not pitch

 

SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Omaha @ St. Paul (7:05PM CST) – LHP Charlie Barnes (3-2 3.94 ERA)

Wichita @ Amarillo (7:05PM CST) – RHP Austin Schulfer (2-3, 3.33 ERA)

Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:00PM CST) – LHP Kody Funderburk (1-2, 3.67 ERA)

Bradenton @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) – RHP Louie Varland (3-1, 1.98 ERA)

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[beckmt]

Get Winder up here, he can't be any worse than our group of starters!!

[Rosterman]

Looks like more than 20 of the 32 players currently on the Saints roster in some capacity are not homegrown Twins or prospects.

[roger]

Count me among those who do not want to rush Winder to Target Field.  Let him settle in for at least the full month of July with the Saints, then see how he does on the big stage.

Always good to see Urbina's name in the write up.  Yes, the kid is hitting just under .200, but he has a lot of walks and stolen bases.  Considering he turned 19 the week before the season started and hadn't played in over a year, I like this kid's future.

As one who truly misses Eddie Rosario, may have to start checking the box score each day to see how this new version of Rosario is doing.  Heck of a nice day yesterday.  And I am sorry, I really want to call that league the Florida Coast League, not whatever it is.

[operation mindcrime]

Welcome back Keoni Cavaco!!!!!! It seemed like he was out forever with that concussion. I hope he stays healthy and finishes the season strong!

[jmlease1]

Boy, Miranda sure hasn't been intimidated by the promotion! Love it. Hope he keeps crushing it. His rise certainly makes it easier to eat some contract to deal Donaldson, if that's on the table. 

[roger]

Are Miranda and Winder the Twins hitter and pitcher of the week tomorrow?

Really good following those two in an otherwise dismal summer.  

[Major League Ready]

2 hours ago, roger said:

Count me among those who do not want to rush Winder to Target Field.  Let him settle in for at least the full month of July with the Saints, then see how he does on the big stage.

Always good to see Urbina's name in the write up.  Yes, the kid is hitting just under .200, but he has a lot of walks and stolen bases.  Considering he turned 19 the week before the season started and hadn't played in over a year, I like this kid's future.

As one who truly misses Eddie Rosario, may have to start checking the box score each day to see how this new version of Rosario is doing.   

I can't imagining them rushing him.  What would be the purpose.  This season is lost.  What I am hoping is that he demonstrates he is ready.  Really hoping for Balazovic and Duran to step it up as well.  I would be great if they were battling for a spot but the landscape is pretty wide open. 

Rosario was one of my favorite Twins.  Then, he did not adapt to the league and he made a lot of mistakes players of his experience should not.  He has not been good since the first half of 2018 and I was quite firm in the need to let him go.  Since the 2018 tradeline he has produced a grand total of 2.2 Fwar.  I am very pleased we did not hold back a prospect for a guy playing at replacement level.  Just to be completely fair, he has generated .1 WAR this year in 297 PAs.