Twins Minor League Report (8/2): Nick Gordon Exits After Being Hit in the Knee By a Pitch

TRANSACTIONS

OF Brandon Barnes assigned to Rochester. C Wynston Sawyer placed on the IL.

1B Taylor Grzelakowski assigned to Fort Myers. RHP Johan Quezada placed on the IL.

RHPs Cody Laweryson and Dylan Thomas assigned to Cedar Rapids.

RHP Tyler Beck assigned to Elizabethton.

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 7, Pawtucket 2

Box Score

Randy Dobnak: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 64.2% strikes (52 of 81 pitches)

HR: Tomas Telis (7), Zander Wiel (19)

Multi-hit games: Telis (3-for-4, 2B, HR), Wiel (2-for-4, 2B, HR), Jake Cave (2-for-4, 2B), Ramon Flores (2-for-4)

The Rochester lineup has experienced some turnover of late, but one guy who’s been a rock all year is Zander Wiel. He was at it again Friday night, hitting a two-run homer, his 19th of the season, to go with his 31st double of the year. Catcher Tomas Telis was also en fuego, going 3-for-4 with a double and homer of his own.

The Red Wings pitching staff not only held the PawSox to two runs, they even did it having to pitch around three Rochester errors. Jeremy Bleich pitched a scoreless first inning as the opener before Randy Dobnak took over. After giving up just one earned run over six innings, Dobnak’s ERA with Rochester is down to an even 2.00. Ian Krol finished things off with a pair of clean innings.

Nick Gordon exited this game after being hit by a pitch in the top of the sixth inning.

https://twitter.com/TFTwins/status/1157471405597974528

BLUE WAHOO BITES

Birmingham 8, Pensacola 5

Box Score

Jhoan Duran: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 67.9% strikes (57 of 84 pitches)

HR: Ryan Costello (2), Trevor Larnach (2)

Multi-hit games: Costello (2-for-3, HR, BB), Royce Lewis (2-for-5), Ryan Jeffers (2-for-4, BB)

Jhoan Duran was really, really good until he was really, really bad.

Duran carried a perfect game into the sixth inning, but Birmingham busted out with a five-run frame. Duran walked two batters, threw a pair of wild pitches and gave up a two-run homer that inning. The Blue Wahoos bats kept battling back but never managed to even things up again.

Ryan Jeffers continued his hot start with Pensacola, reaching safely in three of his five plate appearances, and Trevor Larnach slugged his second home run since joining the club, his eighth overall on the season.

https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/1157473448236597248

MIRACLE MATTERS

Lakeland 3, Fort Myers 2 (5 innings)

Box Score

Tyler Watson: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 2 K, 52.4% strikes (44 of 84 pitches)

HR: None

Multi-hit games: None

The Miracle jumped out to a lead in the top of the first thanks to an Ernie De La Trinidad two-out, two-run single. Unfortunately, Fort Myers starter Tyler Watson struggled with his control and the Miracle ran out of time to make a comeback after falling behind in the bottom of the second inning. This game was called off in the middle of the fifth inning due to heavy rain.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 3, Beloit 2

Box Score

Cody Laweryson: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 63.5% strikes (47 of 74 pitches)

HR: None

Multi-hit games: Jared Akins (2-for-3, BB), Daniel Ozoria (2-for-4, 2B)

Cedar Rapids entered the top of the ninth inning of this game trailing 2-1. After their leadoff man was retired, Wander Javier and Trevor Casanova followed with back-to-back walks. Jared Akins hit a single to right field to plate the game-tying run before Albee Weiss delivered the go-ahead run with a single of his own.

Jose Martinez, who had given up a run in the eighth inning, redeemed himself by making that one-run lead hold up in the bottom of the ninth. Cody Laweryson, a 14th-round pick from this year’s draft, had an impressive Midwest League debut, firing five shutout innings.

E-TWINS E-NOTES

Elizabethton 10, Bristol 6

Box Score

Erik Cha: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

HR: Charles Mack (6), Seth Gray (7)

Multi-hit games: Mack (2-for-4, 2B, HR), Kidany Salva (2-for-4)

Charles Mack hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning and Seth Gray blasted a two-run shot in the sixth to propel the E-Twins to victory. It was a rough night in the field, as the Twins committed five errors, but they were incredibly efficient on offense, scoring 10 runs on just eight hits.

Sawyer Gipson-Long had a rough start, giving up 11 hits in just 3 2/3 innings, but Erik Cha (3 1/3 scoreless innings) and Frandy Torres (one run over two innings) were excellent out of the bullpen.

GCL TWINS TAKES

GCL Twins 2, GCL Red Sox 1 (10 innings)

Box Score

Donny Breek: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K

HR: None

Multi-hit games: Jim Caceres (2-for-3, BB)

Donny Breek continued his impressive 2019 season with six shutout innings today. That lowered his ERA to 0.72 on the season, which spans 25 innings pitched. Jose Guevara also shined on the mound for the Twins, striking out five batters in three scoreless innings. He has not surrendered a run in 14 1/3 innings pitched this season.

This game was 0-0 through nine innings. The Red Sox managed to get their bonus runner around to score in the top of the 10th, but the Twins responded immediately. Victor Heredia tied the game 1-1 with a leadoff double in the bottom of the inning. He was later brought around to score on a Jim Caceres walk-off bunt single. Gotta love the GCL ...

C.J. Cron was 0-for-4 in this game, as was Yunior Severino.

STARS OF THE DAY

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Donny Breek, GCL Twins

Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day: Tomas Telis, Rochester

TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY

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

1. Royce Lewis (PNS): 2-for-5, 2 K

2. Alex Kirilloff (PNS): 1-for-5

4. Trevor Larnach (PNS): 1-for-4, HR, BB, 2 R, 2 RBI, K

5. Wander Javier (CR): 0-for-3, BB, R, K

9. Jhoan Duran (PNS): 6.0 IP, 3 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 67.9% strikes (57 of 84 pitches)

12. Nick Gordon (ROC): 0-for-1, RBI, K, HBP (exited early)

13. Ryan Jeffers (PNS): 2-for-4, BB, 2 R, K

15. Matt Wallner (ELZ): 1-for-4, R, E (fielding)

SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester at Pawtucket, 5:15 pm CT (TBD)

Pensacola vs. Birmingham, 6:05 pm CT (Bryan Sammons)

Fort Myers at Lakeland, 5:00 pm CT (Blayne Enlow)

Cedar Rapids vs. Burlington, 6:35 pm CT( TBD)

Elizabethton vs. Bristol, 5:30 pm CT (Ryley Widell)

GCL Twins at GCL Red Sox, 9:00 am CT (TBD)

Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the games.