Minor League Report (5/17): Close Battles

There was also some action on the roster front, as one (surprise?) major leaguer was sent to AAA, and a few pitching spots were shuffled.

Read on to find out what happened across all four affiliates!

TRANSACTIONS

First, there was some notable roster movement announced after the action today. DH Kennys Vargas was optioned by the Twins, and will head to Rochester where he can work every day as the Twins face a National League lineup on Tuesday in Pittsburgh after a day off tomorrow. Eduardo Nunez has been activated from the disabled list to take his spot.

In the Midwest League, pitchers Sam Clay and C.K. Irby will head back to extended spring training, while Yorman Landa (recovered from shoulder surgery) and Keaton Steele have been called up.

RED WINGS REPORT

Lehigh Valley 3, Rochester 5

Box Score

The Red Wings were the first to put a tally on the scoreboard in the fourth inning, when Wilkin Ramirez, Ryan Wheeler, and Nate Hanson all singled to start the frame. Hanson’s single brought home Ramirez, but he was erased on a double-play ball and Wheeler was stranded at third to end the inning.

Rochester added its final four runs in the fifth inning, providing plenty of insurance for the home team.

James Beresford led off the inning with a walk, Eric Fryer was hit by a pitch, and Josmil Pinto singled home Beresford for the first run. Danny Ortiz then drew a walk to load the bases and force a pitching change. Ramirez lifted a sac fly to center field, scoring Fryer, before Wheeler doubled to bring home Pinto and Ortiz for a 5-0 lead.

Taylor Rogers made the start for Rochester, and made quick work of the Iron Pigs. He needed just sixty-four pitches to finish six innings. Rogers allowed one earned run on four hits, walked none, and struck out four while improving his record to 3-2 with a 3.31 ERA on the season.

Tim Stauffer came out for the seventh inning and was able to work a scoreless inning around two walks and a single. He wouldn’t be as lucky in the eighth.

Three consecutive singles loaded the bases, and Lester Oliveros was summoned. The only batter he faced hit a sac fly to make the score 5-2, and Caleb Thielbar then gave up a run-scoring single before ending the inning.

A.J. Achter pitched a one-two-three ninth inning to notch his fourth save of the season.

Rochester’s lineup tallied eleven hits on the game, with Fryer (2-4, R), Pinto (2-4, R, RBI), and Wheeler (3-4, 2B, 2 RBI) collecting multiple hits. Hanson and Ramirez each also collected an RBI.

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Montgomery 2, Chattanooga 1

Box Score

The Lookouts game on Sunday was a pitcher’s duel throughout, as both teams managed just three combined runs on the day.

Chattanooga scored theirs quickly, when they jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning. Byron Buxton reached on an error, Jorge Polanco singled, and Max Kepler drew a walk to load the bases. Adam Brett Walker II then stepped into the box, and drew an RBI walk for a 1-0 lead.

The score remained 1-0 until the top of fifth, when a leadoff triple put the tying run ninety feet away against Lookouts starter Tyler Duffey. Duffey struck out the next two hitters, but a double from Johnny Field finally brought in the run and tied the game at one. Duffey would then strike out the next hitter for the third out.

Though Duffey finished seven innings and was very good, he did allow some loud contact as six of his seven hits allowed went for extra bases (five doubles, one triple). He was able to limit the damage, however, by striking out a career high twelve batters. Duffey lowered his ERA to 2.56 on the season, and his fifty-four strikeouts give him the Southern League lead over teammate Jose Berrios, who pitches tomorrow.

Madison Boer came on for the eighth inning, and escaped a two-out threat with a groundout to end the inning after consecutive singles and a wild pitch put runners on second and third. He wouldn’t be so lucky in the ninth, as a single, sacrifice bunt, and groundout put the go-ahead runner on third, and a single brought him home for the 2-1 lead.

Mike Gonzalez led off the bottom of the ninth for the Lookouts, and was called out on strikes on what was likely a controversial call, because hitting coach Chad Allen was subsequently ejected. Carlos Paulino and Heiker Meneses both followed that by grounding out to third, ending the game.

The Chattanooga lineup managed just six hits, and they were all picked up by just three hitters. Jorge Polanco and Paulino both were 2-4, while Max Kepler kept up his hot-hitting ways, going 2-2 on the night with two walks. The other hitters in the lineup combined to go 0-22 with eleven strikeouts (three each for Sano and Mike Gonzalez, two each for Buxton and Walker). As a team, the lineup went 0-10 with runners in scoring position, and left eight men on base.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Fort Myers 5, Jupiter 3

Box Score

Kohl Stewart was on the hill for his second start after coming off the disabled list, and pitched much better in this one. He was left with a no-decision, but went five innings, scattering six hits and a walk, allowing just two runs (one earned) while striking out four. He allowed the runs in the first inning after two doubles, and in the fifth after a lead-off single and error put a runner on third base. The single that followed brought him home. Stewart finished his day with the game tied 2-2.

Luke Westphal came on and picked up the win after throwing 1.1 innings of relief. He allowed one run on two hits and a walk, but struck out three. Brian Gilbert went the next 1.2 innings, finishing the eighth inning with a scoreless outing. J.T Chargois picked up his third save of the year with a one-two-three ninth, striking out the last hitter of the game looking.

Fort Myers took the lead for good in the seventh inning when Zach Granite opened the inning with a walk, a Chad Christensen double brought him home, and a Michael Quesada single scored Christensen to make the score 4-2.

The Miracle would give back one of the runs in the bottom half of the inning, but added another insurance run in the eighth on a wild pitch to score Logan Wade, who had led off the inning with a single.

The lineup was led by Chad Christensen who picked up three hits, including two doubles, scored two runs, and drove in two. Jason Kanzler (2-5, R) and Marcus Knecht (2-4, 2B, RBI) also picked up multiple hits, and Kanzler stole his eighth base of the year.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Quad Cities 6, Cedar Rapids 5

Box Score

It was a back and forth affair in Cedar Rapids on Sunday afternoon, but the Kernels weren’t able to stay on top, eventually falling 6-5 after they were unable to match the go-ahead run scored in the top of the ninth with one of their own in the bottom half.

Quad Cities took the first lead in the third inning, when the first run of the game scored on a sac fly. Cedar Rapids jumped ahead in their turn in the third when Pat Kelly led off the inning with a triple to right field, and Tanner English, Trey Vavra, and T.J. White were all hit by pitches. A single from Blake Schmit scored Kelly and the final HBP to White forced home English.

The Kernels added a run in the fifth inning when singles by White and Brett Doe put runners on the corners, then a wild pitch allowed White to scamper home.

The home team didn’t hold their 3-1 lead for long, as the River Bandits tied the game in the sixth with two runs off starter Jared Wilson to end his night. He finished the sixth inning, but a leadoff walk and home run from Sean McMullen made it 3-3 when he exited.

Cedar Rapids quickly responded to take back the lead in the bottom of the sixth, taking advantage of two Quad Cities errors to put Schmit and Max Murphy on first and second for Zack Larson, who singled to make the score 4-3.

This lead wouldn’t last either, as Zach Tillery came on in relief, and promptly allowed a double and a hit batter to put two runners on to start the inning, and then an RBI single and sac fly scored two runs to make it 5-4 in favor of the River Bandits.

Trey Vavra took it upon himself to tie the game 5-5 in the bottom of the eighth, when he clubbed his fourth home run of the year to center field (actually his fifth, but that one came in a suspended game that will be finished tomorrow, so he is not yet credited for it), but Tillery was unable to keep the scoreboard knotted in the eighth, as an RBI single with two outs brought in the go-ahead run.

The Kernels threatened in the bottom of the ninth, as Tyler Kuresa doubled with one out, and was lifted for pinch-runner Nick Gordon, but Pat Kelly struck out swinging and Tanner English grounded out to strand him at second and end the game.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Pitcher of the Day – Tyler Duffey, Chattanooga Lookouts (7.0 IP, 1 R, 7 H’s, 3 BB’s, 12 K’s)

Hitter of the Day –Chad Christensen, Fort Myers Miracle (3-4, 2 R’s, 2 2B’s, 2 RBI)

MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Durham @ Rochester (6:05 CST) – LHP Tommy Milone (2-0, 0.00 ERA)

Montgomery @ Chattanooga (10:15 AM CST) – RHP Jose Berrios (4-1, 2.60 ERA)

Fort Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 PM CST) – RHP Aaron Slegers (1-2, 3.63 ERA)

Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (Regularly scheduled game to finish after postponed game, 7:00 PM CST) – RHP Mat Batts (3-1, 2.34 ERA)

Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (5:00 PM CST, finish of postponement of May 14^th game, Cedar Rapids leads 6-2 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning)

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