Minor League Report (9/26): Eliminated

[Matt Braun]

The Saints crushed their opponents on Sunday while the Kernels season came to an end with a loss in the championship series Game 5.

TRANSACTIONS
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Saints Sentinel
St. Paul 11, Iowa 1
Box Score
Andrew Albers: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
HR: David Bañuelos (3)
Multi-hit games: Jose Miranda (3-for-6, 2B, R, 3 RBI), David Bañuelos (2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB)

The Saints steamrolled the Cubs on Sunday.

St. Paul took all the way until the 2nd inning to score a number of runs that would be wholly unnecessary for them to win. A wild pitch plated B.J. Boyd before Jose Miranda brought two more runners in safely with a single up the middle. Miranda racked up three RBIs in the game; his first time doing that since… Friday. 

David Bañuelos provided the firepower for the 3rd inning. He unclogged the bases with a two-run double that put St. Paul up 5-0 after the first third of the game. They would be far from done scoring. 

The 7th inning would prove to be the most fruitful for the Saints’ offense. Jose Miranda flexed his muscles once more and banged a run-scoring double to take the lead 7-1. Drew Maggi singled home a run before B.J. Boyd tripled home two more. Mr. Bañuelos added a solo homer in the 8th for good measure. 

In total, the Saints offense knocked ten hits, walked an astounding 13 times, and scored 11 runs. Somehow, actually, it seems that the Cubs got off easier than they should have.

But it did not matter as Andrew Albers and the rest of the Saints pitching staff carried the torch the rest of the way. Albers allowed a single run over his five excellent innings of work while Ian Hamilton, Derek Law, and Ian Gibaut combined to hold Iowa’s offense scoreless. In total, the three relievers struck out five, walked one, and allowed one hit en route to that lopsided victory. 

Kernels Nuggets
Cedar Rapids 0, Quad Cities 5
Box Score
Cody Laweryson: 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB
HR: None
Multi-hit games: None

The Kernels lost Game 5 to Quad Cities, finish second in High-A Central League.

Cody Laweryson was wild early. Four of the first five hitters he faced reached base, and he was pulled after throwing 26 pitches to net one out. Denny Bentley held the bleeding to just a pair of runs, but he was also touched up for two runs over his 2 2/3 innings of work. Derek Molina was the most effective out-getter of the night as he allowed no runs over 2 2/3 innings while striking out three batters.

Even if the River Bandits failed to score after the 1st inning, they still would have won the game. The Kernels’ offense was completely blanked in the game as, despite walking eight times, they were unable to score a run. 

In a unique outcome, the team left ten men on base despite only having two hits in the ballgame. The River Bandits gave the Kernels a plethora of opportunities to plate a run, but the offense could not find a single hit with a runner on base. 

DaShawn Keirsey tried to kick-start the bats with a 9th inning double-the only extra-base hit of the game for Cedar Rapids-but he was stranded at second. 

It was a tough loss for a team that was in the driver’s seat just two days ago. Cedar Rapids was up 2-1 in the series but lost on Saturday and Sunday, and they now find themselves as the second place team in the High-A Central, as they were in the regular season.

Nonetheless, it was an impressive season for the team as they were without Matt Canterino and Blayne Enlow for most of the year, and only had one healthy player from our Twins Daily Top 20 on the roster for the final game (Matt Wallner). 

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Andrew Albers
Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – David Bañuelos

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

#6 – Jose Miranda (St. Paul) - 3-6, 2B, R, 3 RBI
#12 – Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, K
#13 – Gilberto Celestino (St. Paul) - 1-5, R, K
#16 – Brent Rooker (Minnesota) - 0-2, 2 K
 

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[glunn]

I am disappointed about the Kernels loss, but pleased with their season.