Twins Minor League Report (5/3): Dreary Tuesday on the Farm

[Steve Lein]

There were multiple top pitching prospects and early season standout performers scheduled to pitch for Minnesota Twins affiliates on Tuesday, but mother nature and opposing lineups had something to say about that when it came to the results. One game never got started, another ended early, and the one team to get a good start fell apart late, leading to an 0-3 night on the farm.

 

SAINTS SENTINEL
Iowa 7, St. Paul 3
Box Score

Left-hander Devin Smeltzer was on the mound for the Saints, looking to continue his early season run of success against Iowa. Unfortunately, the Cubs ambushed him early and the Saints weren’t able to recover. The first three hitters of the game singled, before a sac fly got the scoring started for the visiting team. That was followed by a two-RBI double and RBI single to make it 4-0 before St. Paul had an at-bat. The Cubs tacked on two more in the second inning to end Smeltzer’s night.

The home team did also score runs in each of the first two innings, but they weren’t crooked numbers like their opponent’s. Jake Cave drew a walk and came around to score on a Curtis Terry double in the first, and Elliot Soto drove in a runner with a single in the second that made it 6-2.

Jake Petricka was summoned to begin the third and went two innings, allowing one run of his own on one hit and one walk, while striking out four. Ian Hamilton (2 IP, BB, 2 K) and Tyler Bashlor (2 IP, BB) then combined for four scoreless innings, before Yennier Cano (1 IP, H, BB, K) finished it off for the Saints with a scoreless ninth.

The Saints closed the gap to 7-3 in the bottom of the fifth, when Alex Kirilloff delivered an RBI single to score Royce Lewis, who had drawn a walk and stolen his sixth base of the season in front of him.

Mark Contreras (2-for-3, BB) and Jose Godoy (2-for-4, R, K) had multiple hits in the effort for the Saints. As a team they were 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position, but Terry’s double was their only extra-base hit, resulting in nine men being left on base for the game.

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Tulsa @ Wichita - Postponed, Rain

The Wind Surge versus Drillers series opener was postponed on Tuesday due to rain. Right-hander Louie Varland was scheduled to start this one against his brother Gus, a matchup that will likely will just be moved back a day.

KERNELS NUGGETS
Quad Cities 3, Cedar Rapids 2
Box Score

The Kernels got a solid start out of Cody Laweryson, who went the first four scoreless innings. He allowed just two hits and struck out four, needing only 49 pitches (34 for strikes) to do so. Bobby Milacki (2 IP, 3 K) and Melvi Acosta (2 IP, H, BB, K) then followed him with four more scoreless innings to keep their team in line for a win against their in-state rivals.

The home team took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth when Jair Camargo led off the inning with a single. Wander Javier followed with a double for their first run, and would later score the second on another double courtesy of Willie Joe Garry, Jr.

It stayed that way until the top of the ninth when Cedar Rapids sent out reliever Derek Molina, who has been excellent thus far on the season with a 1.29 ERA and sub 1.00 WHIP, looking for his second save of the year. It didn’t go as planned, and he was replaced after walking the first two hitters to put the tying runner on base. Denny Bentley was then summoned and promptly allowed an RBI double, and then a two-RBI single, that put the Kernels behind 3-2.

They were unable to mount a rally in the bottom half and fell to a still excellent 15-7 on the season. Each team had just five hits in the game, but the River Bandits got them when they counted late and were able to steal one. 

Christian Encarnacion-Strand finished this one 1-for-3 with a base on balls, and Seth Gray reached base twice via a walk to lead the lineup.

MUSSEL MATTERS
Fort Myers 1, Lakeland 2 (5 innings, Rain)
Box Score

In his last time on the mound before getting his wisdom teeth pulled, right-hander Marco Raya introduced himself as a prospect with a one-hit effort over six innings. He struck out 10 while facing the minimum against the Dunedin Blue Jays. This game started out just as good, with a quick one-two-three first inning on just eight pitches in his return to action. But in the second, an error on a groundball from the first hitter sent things off the rails. Before it was over Raya had thrown 35 pitches in the frame, collecting only two outs around a single and three walks that brought in two runs, before being removed from the game. 

Hunter McMahon came on for the final out of the second and also completed the next two innings. He allowed one hit, one walk, and struck out one to stabilize the game after Raya's early exit.

The Mighty Mussels were able to put a run on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth thanks to the third home run of the season from Kala’i Rosario to make it 2-1, but the weather put an end to any further comeback attempt.

John Wilson came on to start the bottom of the fifth inning and got two outs before thunderstorms ended the game early with the home team at-bat and leading.

Fort Myers’ only other hit of the game, was a Mikey Perez single after the Rosario homer, and he proceeded to steal his fourth base of the season.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day - Bobby Milacki, Cedar Rapids Kernels (2 IP, 3 K)
Hitter of the Day - Kala’i Rosario, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (1-for-2, R, HR, RBI, K)

PROSPECT SUMMARY
#1 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul) - 0-for-4, R, BB
#3 - Joe Ryan (Minnesota) - 4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, BB, 3 K
#4 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - 1-for-5, 2B, RBI (first MLB hit)
#11 - Noah Miller (Fort Myers) - 0-for-2, K
#15 - Marco Raya (Fort Myers) - L, 1.2 IP, H, 2 R (1 ER), 3 BB, K
#18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-3, BB

WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
Iowa @ St. Paul (6:37 PM CDT) - RHP Ronny Henriquez (0-1, 6.35 ERA)
Tulsa @ Wichita (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP Louie Varland (2-1, 3.05 ERA)
Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CDT) - LHP Brent Headrick (2-1, 2.55 ERA)
Fort Myers @ Lakeland (5:30 PM CDT) - RHP David Festa (1-1, 1.93 ERA)

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

 

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[RJA]

Great summary, Steve.  I was really excited for the Varland matchup, so I hope that is on for today.  I have a couple of thoughts.  First, I have not seen Cavaco play this year, but is he struggling as badly this year as it looks from the boxscores?  That is a concern.  Second, it doesn't appear as if Raya struggled too badly.  I think they probably pulled him because of his pitch count in the second inning.  Sometimes an error can disrupt a young pitcher's rhythm.  Finally, CES and Sabato are really going in opposite directions as prospects.  Sabato just can't seem to make any solid contact, while Strand is playing very consistently, drawing a few walks and hitting with some power.

[Steve Lein]

8 minutes ago, RJA said:

Second, it doesn't appear as if Raya struggled too badly.  I think they probably pulled him because of his pitch count in the second inning.  Sometimes an error can disrupt a young pitcher's rhythm.  

They definitely pulled Raya because of the pitch count. I believe the Twins have a plan for all pitchers, that if they throw 30+ pitches in a single inning, their outing is done. He was a bit all over the place judging by the pitch locations. Just a blip on the radar, I'm certain!