Twins Minor League Report (6/1): Offensive Fireworks in Cedar Rapids and Emmanuel Rodriguez Is On Fire

[Andrew Mahlke]

The Saints lost 13-3 one day after winning by that score. The Wind Surge lost to Jack Leiter in Game 1 of their doubleheader but were able to salvage it thanks to a big offensive game from Jair Camargo. Kyler Fedko had an amazing game. Emmanuel Rodriguez continued to show why he is one of the Twins’ best prospects, and Steve Hajjar continued to dominate.

 

 

 

Let’s see what happened this Wednesday in the Twins organization.

TRANSACTIONS

• The Twins optioned Cole Sands to AAA following Tuesday’s doubleheader
• The St. Paul Saints activated Jake Petricka from the 7-day IL
• The Cedar Rapids Kernels activated Yunior Severino from the 7-day IL

SAINTS (AAA)
St. Paul 3, Iowa 13
Box Score

The St. Paul Saints dropped a tough one to the Iowa Cubs on Wednesday by a score of 13-3. Daniel Gossett made his fourth start of the year for the Saints and struggled mightily. Gossett only went two innings, allowing nine runs (seven earned) on eight hits and three walks and not striking out any batters. Gossett took the loss, dropping his record to 1-2 on the year. In his last two outings, he has allowed 14 earned runs in only five innings, as his ERA has skyrocketed to an unimpressive 10.65.

The Saints were down 9-0 after the second inning, so the rest of the game was simply a formality. In the top of the fourth, Jake Cave closed the deficit to eight with a solo home run, his fifth homer of the year. In the fifth inning, Elliot Soto scored on a Spencer Steer groundout to make it a 9-2 game.

Wladimir Pinto came on in relief of Gossett and gave up two earned runs in three innings of work, striking out five. Pinto has been very solid for the Saints this year, only allowing three earned runs in 20 innings for an ERA of 1.35. He has also struck out 27 batters in those 20 innings.

In his first game since being activated from the 7-day IL, Jake Petricka came on in relief of Pinto and threw two scoreless innings, not allowing a hit and striking out two batters. His season ERA is now down to 4.22.

Tim Beckham singled in Michael Helman in the top of the eighth to make it 11-3, but the Saints stranded two runners on base to end the inning. Beckham, Cave, and Jose Godoy all had multi-hit games for the Saints.

With the loss, the Saints record falls to 21-28 on the year. They will be back in action on Thursday against Iowa.

WIND SURGE (AA)
Game 1: Wichita 0, Frisco 3
Box Score

In a game that was picked up in the second inning after being delayed Tuesday, the bats were delayed too as the Wind Surge lost 3-0 to Frisco and Rangers’ top prospect Jack Leiter.

Blayne Enlow took the mound when the game re-started on Wednesday, and he pitched well, going 2 2/3 innings, allowing no runs, and striking out four. Bryan Sammons and Alex Scherff each pitched in relief of Enlow, allowing two and zero runs respectively. Sammons went three innings, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out three. Sammons took the loss as his record moved to 1-3 on the year. Scherff pitched the final two innings, allowing one run on two hits and two walks.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Wind Surge had a chance to tie the game but they stranded runners on first and second after DaShawn Keirsey and Leobaldo Cabrera singled.

Keirsey went 2-for-3 with a walk and stole his 14th base of the year. Cabrera was 1-for-2 with a walk, Edouard Julien was 1-for-3 with a walk, and Ernie Yake picked up the only other hit for the Wind Surge in a disappointing loss. With the loss, the Wind Surge dropped to 26-18, half a game behind Tulsa for the best record in the Texas League.

Game 2: Wichita 7, Frisco 1
Box Score

The Wind Surge bounced back in Game 2, salvaging a doubleheader split with Frisco by winning 7-1 to improve to 27-18 on the season.

Kody Funderburk got the ball in game two, throwing four scoreless innings in his debut as a starter. Funderburk struck out four batters and only allowed two hits. Denny Bentley, Steven Cruz, and Steve Klimek all threw in relief of Funderburk, and the only run allowed was by Cruz, but was unearned. Klimek picked up his first win of the season. 

The Wind Surge got the offense going early in this one, as Austin Martin led off the bottom half of the first with his second triple of the year and Jair Camargo followed that with a homer to make it 2-0. This was Camargo's first hit as a member of the Wind Surge. Three batters later, Dennis Ortega drove in Alex Isola with his seventh double of the year to make it 3-0.

In the bottom of the second, Isola hit his sixth homer of the season to make it a 5-0 game. Isola started off June strong after a month of May where he had a .925 OPS in 68 at-bats. In the fourth, Camargo hit another two-run bomb to make it 7-0.

The Wind Surge were resilient and split the double-header. Martin, Camargo, and Isola all had multi-hit games and Camargo picked up four RBI. They will send one of the Twins’ top prospects to the mound tomorrow in Matt Canterino. 

KERNELS (HIGH-A)
Cedar Rapids 10, Lansing 2
Box Score

The Cedar Rapids Kernels won in dominating fashion on Wednesday by a score of 10-2. The win pushed their record to 30-17, the best record in the West division of the Midwest league by a one-game margin.

Sawyer Gipson-Long started on the mound for the Kernels and picked up his fourth win of the year. Gipson-Long went six innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks while striking out three batters. His season ERA improved to a very good 2.06. Orlando Rodriguez and Ryan Shreve pitched in relief of Gipson-Long. Rodriguez went two innings, allowing only one run despite walking three batters. Shreve pitched the final inning, only needing eight pitches to put the final touches on a Kernel victory.

The Kernels put on a show offensively in this one, and it started right away when Anthony Prato led off the game with his eighth double of the year. Prato came around to score on a run-scoring single by Kyler Fedko. One batter later, Yunior Severino tripled in his first at-bat since being activated from the IL Fedko scored. Severino came around to score on a throwing error to give the Kernels a 3-0 lead before Gipson-Long had even thrown a pitch.

In the top of the third, Alerick Soularie blasted a two-out, three-run homer to give the Kernels a 6-0 lead. The homer was Soularie’s fourth of the year. Two innings later, Fedko picked up his third hit of the game with a solo homer to right-field for his third homer of the season.

Fedko finished 3-for-4 with four runs scored, two RBI, a walk, and a homer. His season OPS is now up to .913. Severino went 2-for-3 with two runs, a triple, and two walks. Soularie finished 1-for-2 with two runs, four RBI, the homer, and three walks.

MIGHTY MUSSELS (LOW-A)
Fort Myers 1, Tampa 2
Box Score

The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels dropped a tough contest 2-1 on Wednesday, dropping their record to a still great 31-15.

Steve Hajjar took the mound for Fort Myers, throwing 4.1 innings while allowing one run on two hits and two walks. Hajjar struck out seven batters, continuing his utter dominance over Low-A hitters in 2022. He has struck out 57 batters in 33 innings at Low-A and if he keeps dominating, he may not be in Fort Myers for much longer.

Jorge Alcala made a rehab stint, throwing one inning and allowing one unearned run while striking out one batter. He took the loss in this one but his fastball averaged 96 miles per hour and he was up to 99, so it is safe to say he is feeling healthy.

One unknown pitcher who has been dominant is Matthew Swain. Swain threw two scoreless innings in this game, making it 21 innings so far this year without allowing an earned run. He has struck out 31 batters while only allowing four hits and five walks on the year.

Emmanuel Rodriguez continued to do Emmanuel Rodriguez things in this game, hitting his eighth homer of the year and drawing two walks. His season OPS is now up to .998, which leads the Florida State League by over 100 points, and he is one of the highest upside players in the Twins whole system as he is still only 19 years old.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day – Sawyer Gipson-Long (Cedar Rapids) - 6 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Hitter of the Day – Kyler Fedko (Cedar Rapids) - 3-for-4, 4 R, 2 RBI, HR (3), BB

PROSPECT SUMMARY
We will again keep tabs on the Twins' top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. 

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

#2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 2-for-8, 2 R, 3B (2), K
#3 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - 0-for-3, 3 K
#5 - Simeon Woods-Richardson (Wichita) - 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (24 pitches, 11 strikes (45.8%)) (Tuesday)
#7 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 0-for-5, RBI
#8 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-2, R, HR (8), RBI, 2 BB
#9 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
#14 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K (65 pitches, 38 strikes (58.5%)
#15 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 1-for-7, 2 K
#16 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-for-3, BB, K
#18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-5, R, 2B (9), BB, K
#19 - Steve Hajjar (Ft. Myers) - 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K (81 pitches, 47 strikes (58%))

THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
St. Paul @ Iowa (12:08 CST) - RHP Mario Sanchez (3-1, 3.99 ERA)
Frisco @ Wichita (7:05 CST) - RHP Matt Canterino (0-1, 2.05 ERA)
Cedar Rapids @ Lansing (6:05 PM CST) - RHP John Stankiewicz (2-2, 6.38 ERA)
Tampa @ Ft. Myers (6:00 PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya (3-1, 2.48 ERA)

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

Thank you for reading, and Go Twins!

 

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[Monkeypaws]

Glad to Yunior Severino back in action. Good prospect.

He was placed on the 7 day injured list April 12. Man that was a long week!

[roger]

The best news of the day, Andrew, was that Jorge Alcala was on the mound, pitching with a 96+ mph fastball.  Huge.  Barring a setback, he should be on track to join the Twins by June 10, or soon thereafter, when he can come off the 60-day IL.  They sure as heck need him badly, assuming he is still the pitcher he became late last year.

Rodriguez has to be exciting for both the fans and Twins.  Don't know much about his outfield defense.  I see he is 10-14 in stolen bases, so should have some speed.  Is his defense solid, plus or so-so?

Does anyone know anything about Swain?  He sure is getting results after a solid, but not outstanding 2021.

[jmlease1]

I agree: having Alcala throwing 96mph and touching 99 is a great sign. I hope he feels great today and doesn't have any lingering problems. Can't wait to see him back up with the Twins.

Rodriguez: wow. really impressive start for a guy in his first year of full-season pro ball. Be great if he and Noah Miller push each other all the way through the minors as elite prospects! The only concern I have about him right now is I'd like to see him make more contact? the SLG% is really impressive for the FSL and his ability to take walks at 19 is pretty remarkable, but I always get a little twitchy when I see the lower BA because sometimes that drops off more as guys advance and the ability to make enough hard contact is the sort of thing that limited Rooker and gives everyone pause about Wallner. (Rodriguez has tools those two guys did not, of course). It's the one area he hasn't really nailed yet. Which is saying something. he could be really, really good. It'll be interesting to see how aggressive the team is in pushing him up.

Glad to see Enlow have another outing. I just wish good health for him this season and maybe by the end of the year be back to full strength. I still believe in his talent, so hopefully he can stay on the comeback trail.

Sawyer Gipson-Long gets more interesting all the time. Glad to see another starter in the pipeline! He's certainly in line to get a look in AA this year.

[Doctor Gast]

Love it to see E Rod doing well, I've also got an eye on our catchers, so it's nice to see Godoy w/ 2hits & Isola hiting a HR.

Also good to hear that Alcala is up & starting to pitch. Wish him a speedy revamp.

[2wins87]

24 minutes ago, jmlease1 said:

Rodriguez: wow. really impressive start for a guy in his first year of full-season pro ball. Be great if he and Noah Miller push each other all the way through the minors as elite prospects! The only concern I have about him right now is I'd like to see him make more contact? the SLG% is really impressive for the FSL and his ability to take walks at 19 is pretty remarkable, but I always get a little twitchy when I see the lower BA because sometimes that drops off more as guys advance and the ability to make enough hard contact is the sort of thing that limited Rooker and gives everyone pause about Wallner. (Rodriguez has tools those two guys did not, of course). It's the one area he hasn't really nailed yet. Which is saying something. he could be really, really good. It'll be interesting to see how aggressive the team is in pushing him up.

He went from a 36% K rate in the complex league last year to 27% in low A this year.  I think that's actually a pretty remarkable improvement for a guy moving up a level.  I'd definitely like to see continued improvement, but I usually see 30% as the line between ok and worrysome.  It'll be something to watch as he moves up, but for now I don't think it should temper excitement too much.

[DocBauer]

Great news throughout the system and some great performances, but I was mostly focused on the pitching side of things.

Enlow contuning to ramp up and improve is awesome. He looked to be taking that next step early in 2021 before his injury. I'm not so worried about great final numbers this year for him, just throwing hard, getting a feel for his pitches again, and getting ready for a strong 2023.

Alcala throwing hard and pain free would be huge for the Twins. I think they've really missed him. I'm not saying they don't need to add someone to keep the pen strong and the team in contention, but what a boost a healthy Alacala is for depth and to lower some other guys down a notch or so.

Been impressed by Hajjar's SO and the sudden lowering of BB totals the past couple of games. And I'm probably being way to nick-picky, but 81 pitches to get through 4 and 1/3 seems pretty high. I know it's his first season, lower grade umpiring can miss calls, errors can lead to additional pitches thrown, etc, but I'd sure like to see a better economical use of his pitches. I see future ML stud back end RP as a worst case scenario for him. A little more command, and time of course, I could easily see an innings eating mid to top of the rotation SP  with his velocity and strong build.

[Cap'n Piranha]

Challenge time for Rodriguez, imo.  Send him up to Iowa, and see how he does.  If he's the prospect we hope, having him hold his own (say a .750 OPS or better) as a 19 year old would be massive in validating that.

[chaderic20]

I was at the Saints game, and Gossett was getting absolutely destroyed, even the outs were loud, he was not fooling anyone with anything. I was surprised he even came out for the second inning. Pinto actually looked pretty good minus a couple mistakes that Iowa made him pay for and Petricka looked pretty good too. Also, an Iowa pitcher was charged with a ball due to the pitch clock expiring, which I'd never actually seen happen before.