Twins Minor League Report (4/14): Varland Victorious and Mussels Mighty

TRANSACTIONS

• St. Paul added both RHP Tyler Bashlor and RHP Jake Petricka to their active roster.
• Fort Myers added RHP Cody Stashak on an MLB rehab assignment

SAINTS SENTINEL 

The Saints were scheduled to play Indianapolis after being no-hit last night, and it would’ve been a perfect opportunity to get the bad taste out of their mouths. Unfortunately the Minnesota weather in April continues to be a disappointment, and a snowy day with temperatures in the low 30s also brought significant wind. The game will now be made up as a doubleheader on May 25.

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Wichita 7, NW Arkansas 1
Box Score

Wichita gave the ball to Louie Varland tonight and he certainly made it difficult to take back. Working 5 and 2/3 innings, Varland gave up just two hits while punching out ten and walking one. After a tough 2022 debut, he was back to dominance.

It wasn’t just Varland that did the dominating tonight for the Wind Surge either. The offense came through in a big way and it started from the jump. In the 1st inning Spencer Steer ripped a triple to score Austin Martin, who made his first start in the Twins organization at second base tonight. In the 3rd inning it was Steer again, this time launching a homer to drive in Cole Sturgeon.

Wichita piled on in the 6th inning after forcing NW Arkansas into a bad spot. Chris Williams drew a bases loaded walk before a Martin fielder’s choice plated another. Then Sturgeon came through with a two-run double and the 7-0 rout was on. Despite giving up a run in the 7th inning, this one was never in doubt for Wichita.

KERNELS NUGGETS
Game 1: Cedar Rapids 8, Quad Cities 5 (F/7)
Box Score

Playing a doubleheader after a postponement yesterday, Cedar Rapids turned to Sean Mooney in game one. He went three innings while allowing two runs on three hits and striking out seven. Although it was a shorter appearance, the damage was done only after the Kernels had six runs of their own.

Charles Mack started the scoring by driving in Seth Gray on a 2nd inning single. Will Holland then followed his lead and plated both Alerick Soularie and Mack. Up 3-0, Mack continued built on his strong night with a three-run blast to left center.

Quad Cities clawed back in the bottom half adding two, and then tacked on another in the 5th. Cedar Rapids looked for distance again quickly however, and they found in the form of an Anthony Prato sac fly, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand single. Now up 8-3 heading into the bottom of the 6th inning, a five-run lead provided enough buffer as the River Bandits did add two before this one was over.

Both Gray and Mack put up three-hit efforts in game one. Mack pushed his season OPS to a ridiculous 1.768, which surpasses even the hot start from Encarnacion-Strand.

Game 2: Quad Cities 4, Cedar Rapids 3 (F/7)
Box Score

Wanting to keep the perfect record going, the Kernels gave Casey Legumina the ball in game two. He worked 3 and 2/3 innings while allowing four earned runs on four hits. He did strike out five while walking two.

Prato started the scoring in the nightcap with a two-run blast that brought Wille Joe Garry Jr. home as well, but the lead was erased in the 4th inning. Quad Cities scored four runs to double up Cedar Rapids.

Not giving up, Gray continued his hot night with a solo shot in the 6th inning that halved the lead. Cedar Rapids made things interesting after Garry Jr. moved to second base in the 7th inning following a walk, but that was as far as the rally came. It took six games, but Cedar Rapids took their first loss of the season.

MUSSEL MATTERS
Fort Myers 8, Jupiter 7
Box Score

Pierson Ohl took the ball tonight for the Mighty Mussels and was lifted after 57 pitches. In his three innings of work he allowed six runs (five earned), on seven hits while punching out two. The longball was the story as he gave up two that left the yard.

After trading runs in the first inning, Fort Myers seeing Noah Miller scamper home on a wild pitch, the game was broken open in the 3rd inning. Ohl surrendered a pair of homers allowing Jupiter a five-run lead.

Fort Myers continued to battle though, and their next run would come on another error. Avoiding a pickoff and seeing the ball squirt away, Emmanuel Rodriguez raced across the plate in the 6th inning. After giving that tally back in the 7th inning, Dillon Tatum crushed his first professional homer, a three-run shot scoring Noah Cardenas and Kyler Fedko.

Down by two headed to their final at bats, the Mighty Mussels muscled up. Noah Miller led off the inning with a walk, and then was followed by Rodriguez. Cardenas was plunked and the bases were loaded. After a Fedko strikeout, Kala’i Rosario grounded into what should’ve been a game-ending double play. Instead Jupiter threw it away allowing two runs to cross the plate. 

After shutting down the Hammerheads in the top half of the 10th inning Fort Myers loaded the bases with one out in the bottom half. Jupiter attempted a 1-2-3 double-play on a ball back to the pitcher but the catcher threw it away and allowed Dylan Neuse to score the winning run anyways.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day – Louie Varland (Wichita) - 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K
Hitter of the Day – Charles Mack (Cedar Rapids) - 3-4, 3 R, 4 RBI, HR(1)

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:

#1 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 1-5, 2 R, RBI, 2B, K
#2 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul) - No Game
#3 - Jose Miranda (St. Paul) - No Game
#4 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - IL
#5 - Joe Ryan (Minnesota) - No Game
#6 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - Did Not Pitch
#7 - Jhoan Duran (Minnesota) - No Game
#8 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - Did Not Pitch
#9 - Josh Winder (Minnesota) - No Game
#10 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 1-5, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K
#11 - Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) - No Game
#12 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 0-5, 3 K
#13 - Cole Sands (St. Paul) - No Game
#14 - Louie Varland (Wichita) - 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K
#15 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Ft. Myers) - 2-2, 2 R, 3 BB
#16 - Ronny Hendriquez (Development List) - N/A
#17 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - IL 
#18 - Spencer Steer (Wichita) - 2-4, R, 3 RBI, 3B
#19 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - IL
#20 - Steve Hajjar (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch

FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
Indianapolis @ St. Paul (6:37 PM CST) - LHP Devin Smeltzer
Wichita @ NW Arkansas (7:05PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson 
Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:30 PM CST) - LHP Brent Headrick 
Jupiter @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CST) - TBD

Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates back and playing.