Twins Minor League Report (7/25): Baddoo Goes Boom, Wells Locks it Down

TRANSACTIONS

Chattanooga Lookouts

DEL C Brian Olson transferred to DL

ADD RHP Ryan Eades transferred from DL

RED WINGS REPORT

Indianapolis 3, Rochester 1

Box Score

Tonight the Red Wings employed the opener strategy again and while Gabriel Moya pitched a scoreless first inning, there just wasn’t enough offense to back Kohl Stewart. Working five innings for Rochester, Stewart allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits while walking two and striking out three.

Indianapolis got on the board first with a run in the third inning. Thanks to a solo shot by Willians Astudillo, the lead was erased in the top half of the fourth. Ceding single runs in both the 5th and 6th innings, the Red Wings weren’t able to muster another tally with their five hits on the night. The series is now knotted at one game each with the rubber match scheduled for tomorrow night.

LaMonte Wade recorded the lone multi-hit effort with a two-hit game, and Miguel Sano went 1-4 with his first double for the Red Wings.

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Pensacola 5, Chattanooga 4

Box Score

As has been somewhat of a trend through the Twins minor league system of late, the Chattanooga Lookouts went with the opener strategy in this one again. Paco Rodriguez worked one inning to begin the game, and the three-run deficit was one the home team never found themselves able to overcome.

Rodriguez worked into the second inning but recorded just three outs. Chattanooga found themselves trailing 5-0 entering the sixth inning. After taking over for Rodriguez in the second, Sean Poppen turned in seven solid innings for the Lookouts. He allowed just two runs on his own (one earned) and surrendered five hits. The traditional starter also fanned seven while allowing just one free pass.

In the bottom of the sixth, Chattanooga tallied their first runs. Jaylin Davis knocked his seventh double of the season to right field. With the bases loaded Luis Arraez, Chris Paul, and Mitchell Kranson all came around to score. Despite entering the inning with a large deficit, Chattanooga had cut the Blue Wahoos lead to just two.

Entering the ninth, the Lookouts were up against it needing a rally to extend this one. Recently reinstated from the disabled list, Chris Paul picked up his 21st double of the season to drive in Brent Rooker. Tanner English then took over as a pinch runner and was in scoring position with two outs. After intentionally walking Kranson, Pensacola was able to set down Davis on strikes. The rally came up just short and Chattanooga dropped the contest 5-4.

Looking to even the series, Chattanooga plays host again tomorrow night. A win would allow the Twins Double-A affiliate an opportunity to take the series in game five on Friday.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Fort Myers 2, Jupiter 1

Box Score

Tyler Wells was on the mound for the Miracle in this one, which means that the Twins affiliate was bound to get a good start. When the dust settled, that’s exactly what Wells turned in. Twirling eight innings of one-run baseball, Wells allowed just three hits and one walk while striking out 10. His dominant outing was backed by just enough offense to get on the right side of the final score tonight.

The scoring started in the fourth inning, thanks to a Taylor Grzelakowski double. With Royce Lewis coming around to score on the play, Fort Myers had the first run of the game. Alex Kirilloff then continued his hot hitting, and a single was enough to drive in Grzelakowski.

Those two runs were all Fort Myers could muster out of their six hits on the evening. Thanks to Wells’ dominance however, that proved to be enough to get the job done. Kirilloff was the lone Miracle hitter to record a multi-hit effort, and that brings his streak of games accomplishing that feat to five. Now batting .374 through 30 games at High-A, he’s making this level look plenty easy as well.

Fort Myers was able to take the series over Jupiter with tonight’s victory, and they’ll head to Daytona Beach for a four game set with the Tortugas beginning tomorrow night.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 7, Clinton 2

Box Score

Edwar Colina was on the bump to start this one for the Kernels, and thanks to seven strong innings of work, he picked up his fourth victory on the season. The Cedar Rapids starter allowed two runs on six hits but fanned nine and issued zero free passes.

The lineup got Colina some breathing room in their first at-bats of the game. Akil Baddoo led off the bottom half of the inning with his ninth long ball of the season and put the home team on top 1-0.

With the scoring ceasing for a few innings, it wasn’t until the middle innings that another run was tallied. Michael Davis hit a solo blast of his own, and the first in his time with Cedar Rapids, to stretch the lead to 2-0. With Baddoo on the bases, Jose Miranda dropped a single into centerfield and picked up an RBI in the process. Leaving the bottom of the fifth inning, the Kernels led 3-0.

Looking to add some insurance in the late innings, another spark came for the Kernels in the seventh. Ryan Jeffers singled in David Banuelos, and Miranda drove in Davis on his second RBI single of the evening. Capping off the inning, Robby Rinn got in on the action. Lifting an RBI single to center, Baddoo and Jeffers were able to cross the plate as well.

Calling it a night for his start after 89 pitches, Colina gave way to Rickey Ramirez and had him staked to a 7-0 lead. Clinton pushed across two runs in the top half of the eighth inning, but that’s all they’d get and this one was never in doubt.

Taking the opener of the series, Cedar Rapids will look for similar success in games two and three the next two nights.

E-TWINS E-TALK

Elizabethton 6, Burlington 5

Box Score

Moving to 20-11 on the year, offense has not ever been an issue for the E-Twins in 2018. Picking up six runs on 10 hits today, Tyler Palm was handed a lead and Elizabethton continued to tack on.

As the away team, the E-Twins wasted no time in getting on the board. Trevor Larnach drove a sac fly out to left field and Michael Helman came in to score on the play. In the second, Helman did damage on his own, picking up an RBI on an infield single to third. Alex Robles then followed up with a single to center allowing Lean Marrero to cross the plate. Despite giving a run back in the bottom half of the inning, the E-Twins led 3-1 going into the third.

Helman, who was 3-for-4 on the day, picked up his second RBI on a fourth inning single to left. As Tyler Webb scored, the E-Twins lead grew to 4-1. In the fifth, an error and a blast allowed Burlington grabbed the lead for the first time. Up 5-4, they’d look to hang on against the powerful Elizabethton offense.

Fortunately for the good guys, Marrero ripped his third double of the year in the sixth and Webb scored again. Now knotted up at five all it was time for Elizabethton to regain the lead for good. Robert Molina singled in the top half of the seventh inning, plating Chris Williams and putting the E-Twins back on top. The 6-5 score would hold over the final two innings and was how this one ended.

Elizabethton will look for the three game road sweep of Burlington tomorrow evening.

GCL TWINS TAKES

GCL Twins 3, GCL Rays 0

Box Score

Hailing from the Netherlands, 18-year-old Donny Breek was on top of his game today for the GCL Twins. He went five scoreless innings and gave up just one hit while walking one and fanning nine. Getting scoreless relief work from the bullpen, including 2018 drafty pick Erik Cha’s first pro save, the Twins blanked the Rays in this one.

The scoring started in the second inning of this contest. Charles Mack drew a leadoff walk and was followed by both Hunter Lee and Kidany Silva. Having the bases loaded as he stepped to the plate, Victor Tademo grounded out. On the play, both Mack and Lee came around to score. The GCL Twins couldn’t push anything else across in the inning, but they had grabbed the 2-0 lead.

As the GCL Rays were able to muster just two hits in this contest, there wasn’t much in the form of scoring chances. The Twins added another insurance run in the top half of the ninth to push the lead to 3-0. Erick Rivera singled to pick up his second hit on the day, and later came around to score on a LaRon Smith fielder’s choice.

These two teams will square off again tomorrow morning, but the Twins will play as the home team in Fort Myers.

STARS OF THE DAY

Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Tyler Wells 8.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K

Twins Daily Hitter of the Day – Akil Baddoo 2-3, 3 R, RBI, HR(9)

TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY

#1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) – 1-3, R

#2 - Alex Kirilloff (Ft. Myers) – 2-4, RBI, 2B

#4 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 0-4, K

#6 - Trevor Larnach (Elizabethton) – 0-4, R

#7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) – 1-4, R, BB

#8 - Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) – 2-3, 3 R, RBI, HR(9)

#12 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) – 2-4

#13 - Travis Blankenhorn (Ft. Myers) – 0-4, K

#15 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) – 0-4

#18 - Ryan Jeffers (Cedar Rapids) – 1-4, R, RBI

#20 - Luis Arraez (Chattanooga) – 1-2, R, BB

THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester @ Indianapolis (6:05PM CST) – RHP Fernando Romero (2-2, 2.66 ERA)

Pensacola @ Chattanooga (6:15AM CST) – TBD

Fort Myers @ Daytona Beach (6:05PM CST) – RHP Griffin Jax (1-1, 3.08 ERA)

Clinton @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) – LHP Tyler Watson (3-4, 4.80 ERA)

Elizabethton @ Burlington (6:00PM CST) – TBD

GCL Rays vs GCL Twins (11:00AM CST) - TBD

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