Twins Minor League Report (7/14): By the Hairs of their Chins

[Ted Schwerzler]

The name of the game was tight contests tonight on the farm. With Fort Myers postponed for the evening, two of the three contests player were barnburners.

TRANSACTIONS

It isn't an official transaction yet, but we can confirm that LHP Charlie Barnes will be called up to the Twins from St. Paul and make his MLB debut this weekend. Phil Miller (Star-Tribune) reported that he will start on Friday night. 

• RHPs Luis Blanco and Carlos Velasquez and OF Fernando Vargas were released.
• The Twins released RHP Jordan Milbrath, the Minnesotan who was pitching for the Wichita Wind Surge. They signed RHP Mitchell Osnowitz and assigned him to Wichita. 

 

SAINTS SENTINEL
St. Paul 9, Columbus 8
Box Score

Ian Hamilton worked as an opener for the Saints in this one and went three innings allowing a single run on just one hit. He fanned four and walked one. The lone run came on a solo shot.

Following the Clippers lead in the 3rd, St. Paul came roaring back. Jimmy Kerrigan stayed hot driving his eighth homer, a two-run blast, in the bottom half of the 3rd inning. Brent Rooker followed up his big night with a sacrifice fly in his second at bat that pushed Keon Broxton across the plate.

The Saints surrendered the lead in the top of the 4th, but Broxton singled in Damek Tomscha to knot things at four in the bottom half of the inning. A pair of homers put Columbus ahead 7-4 going into the bottom half, but the Saints weren’t done either. Broxton continued his heroics, this time with a solo blast. Jose Miranda followed with a dinger of his own, and Brent Rooker then left the yard for his 18th Saints homer. Three blasts had things all even at seven.

Needing to break the tie, it was back to the longball, and this time from Drew Maggi. A two-run shot scored Tomscha and gave the Saints just enough breathing room to withstand a 9th inning Columbus run. The 12 hits for St. Paul were spread across the board with only Maggi and Broxton recording multi-hit games.

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Wichita 9, Tulsa 3
Box Score

While the final tally is noteworthy given the win secured for Wichita, a key takeaway in this one is that starter Cole Sands was back on the bump. After missing time due to injury, he pitched two innings and allowed just two hits and punched out three. Following his abbreviated return, recently-promoted Kody Funderburk made his Double-A debut. He went five innings allowing one unearned run on four hits. Funderburk struck out five and walked just two.

Converted-infielder Jordan Gore also made his Double-A debut in relief for the Wind Surge. He went 1 2/3 innings and allowed one walk while recording a strikeout.

Wichita got on the board early in this one. Andrew Bechtold drove in Trey Cabbage on a 2nd inning single before Jermaine Palacios plated Bechtold with a single of his own. Wilbis Santiago then doubled to score both Palacios and Chris Williams making it a four-run bottom half.

After giving up a run in the top of the third, Wichita answered in a big way. A five-run bottom half was sparked by a Bechtold double, Palacios single, and Williams three-run blast. Tulsa tacked on two runs late, but the six-run cushion was enough to get a victory.

Aaron Whitefield joined the aforementioned performers with a multi-hit effort of his own.

KERNELS NUGGETS
South Bend 8, Cedar Rapids 7
Box Score

Tyler Beck got the start for Cedar Rapids and went five strong innings. He allowed just two runs on three hits while striking out six and walking one.

Cedar Rapids scored first when Alex Isola blasted a solo shot as the second batter of the game. After allowing South Bend a one-run lead in the 2nd, Gabriel Maciel hit his second homer of the year for the Kernels to knot it at two. A balk then scored Edouard Julien in the 5th before the Cubs pushed across three in the 6th.

Once again, some poor play afforded Cedar Rapids an opportunity, and Julien took advantage, racing home on a wild pitch. South Bend got the errant run back in the bottom of the 7th, but another wild pitch in the top of the 8th allowed Jair Camargo to score and brought the Kernels within one. Isola then stepped in and ripped his ninth double, plating both Michael Helman and Max Smith. Now leading 7-6, Cedar Rapids was ahead for the first time since the second batter of the game.

The lead didn't last long as South Bend was able to draw even before the close of the 9th. After failing to plate the runner from second in the top half, Cedar Rapids gave up a bunt single allowing a run on a throwing error to take a tough luck loss in the bottom of the 10th.

MUSSEL MATTERS
Postponed - Rain

COMPLEX CHRONICLES
No game scheduled

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Pitcher of the Day – Ian Hamilton (St. Paul) – 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Hitter of the Day – Keon Broxton (St. Paul) – 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, K, HR(5)

PROSPECT SUMMARY

Take note that we have finished our midseason update, so there is a new list! Here is a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed:

#1 – Royce Lewis (Rehab) – Out for season (torn ACL)
#2 – Jhoan Duran (St. Paul) – Injured List (elbow strain)
#3 – Jordan Balazovic (Wichita) – Did not pitch
#4 – Matt Canterino (Cedar Rapids) – Injured List (right elbow strain)
#5 – Jose Miranda (St. Paul) – 1-4, R, RBI, HR(5)
#6 – Keoni Cavaco (Fort Myers) – Postponed
#7 – Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) – All Star Break
#8 – Josh Winder (St. Paul) – Did not pitch
#9 – Aaron Sabato (Fort Myers) – Postponed
#10 – Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) – Injured List (wrist sprain)
#11 – Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Out for Season (Tommy John surgery)
#12 – Bailey Ober (Minnesota) – All Star Break
#13 – Cole Sands Cole Sands (Wichita) – 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
#14 – Brent Rooker (St. Paul) – 1-3, R, 2 RBI, HR(18)
#15 – Misael Urbina (Fort Myers) – Postponed
#16 – Spencer Steer (Wichita) – Did not play
#17 – Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 0-5, 2 K
#18 – Alerick Soularie (Complex) – N/A (foot injury)
#19 – Edwar Colina (Rehab) – Injured List (elbow)
#20 – Chris Vallimont (Wichita) – Did not pitch

THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Columbus @ St. Paul (7:05PM CST) – RHP Chandler Shepherd (3-4, 6.75 ERA)
Tulsa @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) – Jordan Balazovic (1-1, 3.56 ERA)
Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (6:05PM CST) – RHP Louie Varland (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Jupiter @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) – LHP Aaron Rozek (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

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

View full article

[Dman]

St Paul is stacked with HR hitters.  Rooker just needs to stay hot to the deadline and he will be back with the big club.  

Man Bechtold is on fire right now.  He has to have figured something out as he is slugging 781 for July that is not his OPS I repeat that is not his OPS just his slugging for July.  His OPS is 1,228.  That is some good hitting.  Nice to see Sands back and hopefully he stays healthy to the end of the season now.  Funderburk just keeps surprising me.  I keep waiting for him to fail as a starter and he just keeps pitching well.  We will see if his numbers fall off as he moves up but that was a very good debut.

Kernals just didn't pitch well down the stretch but I believe that is their first lose in a while.  Isola had a great game and I wouldn't be surprised if he gets promoted once some of the draft picks get signed and start moving.  Camargo still has his K issues but has kept a healthy OPS for a 21 year old.  

Bats are starting to heat up and pitchers are starting to have more trouble.  Will be fun to see where the newly drafted prospects end up and hopefully as guys have improved we see more promotions.

[mikelink45]

Lets hope Balazovic does great today and we start seeing  him get closer to MN

 

[roger]

First thing I check every morning is how Javier did.  Was 0-5, so that was an off night.  Need to get him back on base starting tonight.  Gonna have to start checking Isola every game as he sure is getting it done.

Interesting reading Dman's comment above about Bechtold.  If my memory is right, he was drafted either the same year or a year after Miranda.  Always looked at them as two guys battling for the same 3B job with a future Twins team.  Always looked at Miranda being the hitter and Bechtold the defensive specialist.  Other than a handful of Wichita games I have watched this year, I have never seen Bechtold play an inning at third.  So my viewing him as this defensive whiz may not be all that accurate.  Expect there are others here today that know better how strong he is at the hot corner.  But he sure has been hitting the ball well this year.  One of these pair should sure as heck be ready to replace Donaldson either next year or certainly by 2023.  Heck, wouldn't it be great if they both played their way into deserving the position?

Saw Whitefield continues hitting the ball well.  Very interesting and exciting prospect.  Will be back watching Wichita tonight as Balazovic is on the hill. 

[dbminn]

This is a fun time of the year to follow minor leaguers that aren't big prospects. Three guys that are on a roll:

• Jordan Gore having success as a RP. He should be a good coach if he doesn't make it to the Twins. How many coaches have made it to AA as both a middle infielder and a pitcher? If he does make it to the bigs, he presents some interesting flexibility as a PR and emergency defensive substitution.
• As Dman said, Bechtold has figured something out.
• How about Alex Isola? A late 2019 draft pick (paid overslot), he's progressed every month. In June, he took a ton of walks and hit with power. In July, he's slashing .340/.415/.617 while sharing C duties with Camargo. Has anyone seen him live this year? 

 

[MMMordabito]

Damn, seems Isola was robbed on that Hitter of the Day award.

Also, it seems that Chris Williams just needed some stiffer competition to start playing better.