Minor League Report (7/7): Bullpens Bear Down

TRANSACTIONS

• Minnesota Twins optioned RHP Griffin Jax to St. Paul Saints.
• 2B Peter Mooney retired (last game on Tuesday, July 6)

SAINTS SENTINEL

St. Paul 4, Iowa 2

Box Score

Despite a scary opening to the game, the Saints were able to rally behind a stellar bullpen and a strong fourth inning for a win on a Wednesday night in Des Moines.

Coming off a dazzling Triple-A debut last week, starting pitcher Josh Winder looked to repeat on Wednesday night. His outing was unfortunately cut short due to a line-drive off the neck area in the third. Winder was able to walk off the field under his own power. According to sources, manager Toby Gardenhire says that Winder is "feeling fine." Heal up, Josh!

Coming in after a scary injury is never easy, yet reliever Juan Minaya handled himself on the mound as well as he could following Winder’s exit. Minaya pitched two innings of scoreless ball to keep the Saints in a position to mount their fourth inning attack. Once St. Paul had the lead, the Saints bullpen was spotless. Andrew Vasquez followed Minaya with three strikeouts in 1.1 innings. Yennier Cano then took his share of no-hit ball, pitching a scoreless 2.1 innings. New signee Nick Vincent finished the masterpiece in a 1.1 inning hitless save (3).

3 in 4

Trailing 2-0 in the fourth with only one hit on the board, the Saints took the bats by storm. Dreg Maggi used his legs to lead off the inning, reaching on a bunt single. Brent Rooker kept the momentum going with sharp liner to left field for a double. The ball was deflected off the Cubs’ third basemen, allowing Maggi to score all the way from first. 

Willians Astudillo followed suit with a single, moving Rooker 90 feet from home. Both Astudillo and Rooker would advance thanks to a RBI sac-fly from Mark Contreras. 

And while we know that La Tortuga can hit, the big man can run the bases as well. Astudillo stole third for his third swiped bag of the year and eventually scored on a Damek Tomscha single.

The Saints tacked on an insurance run in the seventh thanks to a walk, pair of singles, and a fielding error. And while Keon Broxton's and Derek Pena's singles were important, it was the drawer of the walk who had the most memorable inning. After drawing a six-pitch walk Drew Stankiewicz reached second on Broxton's single and an error and was later plated on Pena's hit. The run is Stankiewicz's first at the Triple-A level in his eight-year professional baseball career. However, it wasn't his first as a St. Paul Saint. Stankiewicz scored ten runs in 2020 for the Saints when they were an independent team that played in the American Association.

Congrats on the wonderful achievement, Drew!

There’s clear power in this Saints lineup, but it’s always good to see teams find offense through good, old fashioned small ball. It’s always better to have two weapons instead of one!

WIND SURGE WISDOM

NW Arkansas 8, Wichita 5 

Box Score

Wichita's sprinkle of runs across the game wasn't enough to combat NW Arkansas' seven-run dagger on Wednesday night. The Naturals seven of their eight runs in the fourth and fifth innings to secure a win over the Surge.

The strongest offensive performance on the night came from Surge catcher Roy Morales, who knocked three hits including a double and his 12th and 13th RBI on the season. Morales is now batting .280 on the year. Andrew Bechtold and Leoboldo Cabrera also had  multi-hit games, with Bechtold knocking singles in the fourth and eighth innings, and Cabrera adding his own in the third and eighth. 

There were bright spots in the Wichita bullpen. Jordan Milbrath pitched 2 1/3 innings of one-hit six strike out relief late in the game. Adam Lau followed suit by retiring the final two batters that the Surge would see.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 5, Peoria 3

Box Score

Despite their shortest start of the year, the Kernels' pitching staff was able to muster themselves to a victory thanks to a lights out bullpen performance. After Cody Lawyerson was taking out after 2/3 of an inning, the Cedar Rapids pen allowed zero earned runs (two were inherited) for the remaining 8 1/3 innings of the game.

Melvi Acosta, Jordan Gore, Erik Manoah Jr, and Zach Featherstone struck out 13 and only gave up only four hits in their total appearance. And while all played a role, Manoah Jr's  stellar performance may be the most feel-good story of the night.

Manoah Jr. has been playing pro ball for eight years, bouncing between Low-A, to High-A, to Indy ball. The Twins signed him on June 9 and he was promoted from Low-A Fort Myers to High-A Cedar Rapids on July 1 after a strong set out outings in the Sunshine State. His two innings of hitless baseball with two strike is another step of progress for a guy who's hard not to root for.

"He's been really good and has thrown the ball well in his first three outings for us," manager Brian Dinkelman said. "The Twins signed him from Indy ball and he did well in Fort Myers so we hope he continues to throw the ball well here."

On the other side of the ball the Kernels saw a strong day at the plate from Michael Helman who went 1-for-2 with a double, extending his hitting streak to four consecutive games.

"Mike's had good at-bats for us all season," Dinkelman said. "He puts the ball in play a lot and is able to drive the ball."

Cedar Rapids also saw extra-base hits from Eduoard Julien with a first-inning double and Jair Carmago with a homer in the same inning. Julien's double and a walk from Wander Javier provided the baserunners for Carmago's three-run shot.

The Kernels would score the go-ahead and insurance run in the fifth thanks to Helman's leadoff double Gabriel Maciel that with a walk. Two batters later, Helman would score thanks to a sac-fly from Yeltsin Encarnacion with a error by the Peoria shortstop. Advancing on the error, Maciel would later score on a sac-fly courtesy of Julien.

MUSSEL MATTERS

St. Lucie 6, Fort Myers 2

Box Score

A stellar bullpen outing and multi-hit game from Misael Urbina wasn’t enough to push the Mussels past St. Lucie in an early-afternoon game in the Sunshine State. 

St. Lucie piled on five runs in the first four innings to grab a lead that wouldn’t be surrendered. 

Mussels starter Brent Headrick didn’t have his best outing of the year, tossing 3 2/3 innings and giving up four earned runs on six hits and two walks. Headrick did strike out three. 

The bullpen tandem of Osiris German, Steve Cruz, and Zaquiel Puentas put together 4 1/3 innings of two-hit, one-run ball to keep the Mussels in the game. Cruz pitched the most of the three, striking out four of six batters in two innings. 

Both of Fort Myers’ runs came in the fifth inning. With two outs, Misael Urbina and Keoni Cavaco nailed consecutive full-count pitches to the center field grass to put runners on base. Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Prospect Aaron Sabato followed suit by drilling his own 3-2 pitch, driving in both Urbina and Cavaco on an RBI double. 

Yunior Severino, Will Holland, Willie Joe Garry Jr, and Justin Washington also tallied hits for the Mussels. 

And while he didn’t put together a game to write home about, it sure is great to see Keoni Cavaco hitting the baseball again. The Twins Daily #6 Midseason Prospect was activated just yesterday from the Injured List and has hits in both games since returning. He leads the Mussels with a .265 batting average. 

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Pitcher of the Day – Jordan Gore Jr, Cedar Rapids Kernels (W (5-1), 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K)

Hitter of the Day – Roy Morales, Wichita Wind Surge (3-for-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI, BB)

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) – 0-for-3, BB, K

#6 – Keoni Cavaco (Fort Myers) – 1-for-3, R, BB, K

#7 – Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) – Did not play

#8 – Josh Winder (St. Paul) – 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (left game with neck injury)

#9 – Aaron Sabato (Fort Myers) – 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K

#10 – Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) – Injured List (hamate bone surgery)

#11 – Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Out for Season (Tommy John surgery)

#12 – Bailey Ober (Minnesota) – Did not pitch

#13 – Cole Sands (Wichita) – Did not pitch

#14 – Brent Rooker (St. Paul) – 1-for-4, 2B, R, RBI, 

#15 – Misael Urbina (Fort Myers) – 2-for-4, R

#16 – Spencer Steer (Wichita) – 0-for-4, RBI, 2 K

#17 – Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-2, BB, K

#18 – Alerick Soularie (Complex) – N/A (foot injury)

#19 – Edwar Colina (Rehab) – Injured List (elbow)

#20 – Chris Vallimont (Wichita) – 4.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 6 K

THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

St. Paul @ Iowa (7:08 PM CST) – LHP Charlie Barnes (4-2, 3.76 ERA)

NW Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) – RHP Austin Schulfer (2-4, 3.73 ERA)

Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) – RHP Tyler Beck (1-1, 2.20 ERA)

Fort Myers @ St. Lucie (5:10PM CST) – RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long (4-2, 4.97 ERA)

FCL Twins vs. FCL Orioles Orange (11:00AM CST)- TBA

Feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games!