Twins Minor League Report (8/30): Bash Brothers, Bullpen Blow-Ups

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 5, Syracuse 1

Box Score

After a third inning injury to starter David Hurlbut, Rochester used an interesting conglomeration of pitchers to make it through this victory. Hurlbut cruised through the first two frames as he only allowed two base runners and struck out one. He didn't make a pitch in the third. Omar Bencomo replaced Hurlbut and pitched well as he struck out seven and limited the Chiefs to one run across 4.2 innings.

Bencomo ran into a little trouble in the top of the seventh inning as he surrendered the first Syracuse run. Neil Ramirez came on in relief and left a runner in scoring position. Ramirez pitched the next inning as well and racked up three strikeouts along the way.

Daniel Palka and Adam Brett Walker continued to match each other in the home run department. Palka hit a solo shot in the seventh inning, his 33rd of the year and his 13th with Rochester. Walker is keeping the home run race close as he smacked his 27th long ball an inning later.

Rochester is 3.5 games behind Lehigh Valley for the IL Wild Card spot with six games to play. Luckily five of their remaining games are against Lehigh Valley so their fate is in their own hands.

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 3, Mississippi 6

Box Score

Chattanooga held a slim 3-2 lead entering the final frame but Raul Fernandez struggled to get out of his second inning on the mound. After getting the last out of the eighth, Fernandez came back for the ninth and was charged with four runs on five hits with a strikeout and a walk. Ryan Eades started and went six strong innings, giving up two earned runs and striking out seven. Luke Bard pitched two shutout frames with three strikeouts.

Tanner Witt went 3-for-4 with a triple and a run scored. Zack Granite and Edgar Corcino were both 2-for-4 while Granite stole his 53rd base on the season. D.J Hicks reached base three times and scored a run. Overall, the team went 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left six runners on base.

The loss drops the Lookouts to 71-63 on the season and they currently sit at 35-28 in the second-half standings. With six games to play, the Lookouts are 2.5 games behind Montgomery for a playoff spot.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Fort Myers --, Palm Beach -- (Postponed)

The Miracle and the Cardinals were postponed on Tuesday night due to rain. The game will be made up as part of doubleheader (two seven-inning contests) on Wednesday with the first game beginning at 5 p.m. Fort Myers sits three games back of the St. Lucie Mets for first place in the FSL South second-half standings. Their elimination number currently stands at four with the Jupiter Hammerheads also ahead of them in the standings.

E-TOWN E-NOTES

Elizabethton 4, Greeneville 10

Box Score

The E-Twins never held a lead in this game until the bottom of the eighth inning. With the club trailing 3-1, Luis Martinez and Ariel Montesino walked to start the frame. After a fly out, Mitchel Kranson brought home a run to make the score 3-2. A two-out wild pitch scored the tying run before Shane Carrier drove in the go-ahead run to cap a three-run inning.

Elizabethton was limited to three hits but the team coaxed seven walks. Montesino, Martinez, and Amaurys Minier drew two walks each. Kranson, Carrier, and Caleb Hamilton were the lone batters with a hit to their name.

After allowing five runs in five innings the last time out, Alex Schick put the E-Twins in position to win. He was charged with two earned runs and struck out five. It was his first appearance without giving up a walk since July 16. Austin Tribby took over for Schick and went 2.1 innings while giving up a run.

Things blew up in the ninth. Colton Davis struck out the first batter before a walk, a single, and a hit by pitch left the bases loaded. Patrick McGuff came into the mess and allowed four runs to score. That isn't counting the three inherited runs that were charged to Davis. Overall, seven runs crossed the plate and the game was out of hand.

GCL TWINS TAKES

GCL Twins 7, GCL Rays 4

Box Score

Earning a win is a weird statistic for pitchers. Bo Hellquist had given up a total of three earned runs in his last two starts (9.2 innings) and he took the loss in both of those appearances. In this game, he gave up three earned runs and came away with a win. Those three earned runs pushed his season ERA over 2.00 for the first time since the beginning of August. He struck out six and walked none. Zach Strecker earned his sixth save after pitching 3.2 innings while striking out three.

Justin Hazard and Gorge Munoz led the way on the offensive side. Both players went 2-for-5 with a home run and Munoz drove in three RBIs. The top three batters in the order (Aaron Whitefield, Lean Marrero, and Kidany Salva) combined to go 7-for-14 with each batter collecting multiple hits. Marrero reached base three times and picked up his fifth double along with two RBIs.

With the win the GCL Twins are tied with the GCL Red Sox for the top spot in the GCL South standings. This is the only division in the league that has yet to be determined. The GCL Twins have two games remaining on their schedule and both are against the GCL Rays.

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Pitcher of the Day – Omar Bencomo, Rochester Red Wings

Hitter of the Day – Gorge Munoz, GCL Twins

WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester vs. Syracuse (6:05 CST) - RHP Jose Berrios (10-5, 2.44 ERA)

Chattanooga vs. Mississippi (1:15 CST) - RHP Felix Jorge (2-4, 4.17 ERA)

Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (4:00 CST) - RHP Miles Nordgren (1-4, 5.08 ERA)

Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (Game 2) - TBD

Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (7:05 CST) - RHP Sean Poppen (0-0, 1.00 ERA)

Elizabethton vs. Greenville (6:00 CST)- LHP Domenick Carlini (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

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

Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Tuesday’s games.