Saturday in the Minor League Parks

It’s been fairly easy to write the Twins minor league reports the past four or five days. Aside from the Ft. Myers Miracle, the other Twins affiliates have each missed games this week due to weather. The Cedar Rapids Kernels haven’t played since Monday.

So, on a Saturday, it all came together. Four Twins affiliates played a total of six games. Rochester and Cedar Rapids played doubleheaders. The Twins nearly got no hit by Matt Harvey in their fifth straight loss to fall to 4-7 on the season. Wilkin Ramirez was put on the Paternity List following the game, so we’ll find out the corresponding move soon. Could the Miracle win their ninth straight game to start the season? Keep reading, and find out…[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]

Game 1 - Rochester Red Wings 1, Pawtucket Red Sox 7

Box Score

The Red Wings managed just four hits in the first. Chris Colabello drove in the lone run. Chris Herrmann went 1-2 with a walk. Shairon Martis started and gave up one run on four hits in 3.2 innings. He walked four and struckout four. Tyler Robertson got the next three outs. He gave up no runs despite two hits and a walk allowed. Anthony Slama had a rough one and took the loss. In just 0.1 innings, he gave up four runs on two hits and two walks. Of his 18 pitches, just five of them were strikes. Caleb Thielbar got the final three outs, but not before giving up two runs on two hits. He did strikeout two.

Game 2 - Rochester Red Wings 1, Pawtucket Red Sox 7

Box Score

The Red Wings had just four hits in Game 1, and that was twice as many hits as they managed in Game 2. Eric Farris had a single. Chris Colabello launched his fourth home runs of the season. On the mound, veteran Virgil Vasquez gave up three runs on seven hits and a walk. In four innings, he struckout three. Bruce Pugh’s struggles continued. He gave up three runs on two hits and a walk in his inning. Michael O’Connor pitched the sixth frame and gave up one run on two hits.

Andrew Albers is set to take the mound for the Red Wings on Sunday afternoon.

New Britain Rock Cats 5, Portland Sea Dogs 6 (10 innings)

Box Score

Alex Meyer made his second start for the Rock Cats. He gave up a leadoff single and two, RBI doubles in the first innings before settling down. He gave up just those two runs on six hits and two walks in five innings. He struckout six. Bobby Lanigan came on and gave up one run on one walk in 1.2 innings. He struckout two. Jose Gonzalez walked the one batter he came in the face. Michael Tonkin came on and gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in 1.1 innings. Edgar Ibarra worked two innings and gave up the 10^th inning run on three hits and two walks. He struckout three.

Antoan Richardson went 2-4 with a walk. He stole his third and fourth bases. Nate Hanson went 2-4. Curt Smith was 2-5 with a double. Evan Bigley was 2-5.

Blake Martin will take the ball for the Rock Cats on Sunday afternoon.

Ft. Myers Miracle 8, Jupiter Hammerheads 7

Box Score

With the win, the Miracle are now 9-0 and tied with the 1994 Miracle for the best start in franchise history. The team got plenty of offense led by centerfielder Angel Morales. He went 3-5 with his fifth and sixth doubles. Eddie Rosario was 2-5 with a stolen base. Kyle Knudson was 2-4 with his first double. Lance Ray and Miguel Sano each doubled. Kennys Vargas was 1-3 with two walks and a big, three-run home run.

Madison Boer started and worked the first six innings. He gave up three runs on seven hits. He walked none and struckout three. Miguel Munoz made things close. He gave up four runs on four hits over two innings. Corey Williams worked a 1-2-3 ninths for his third save.

DJ Baxendale will make his second Miracle start on Sunday.

Game 1 - Cedar Rapids Kernels 4, Clinton LumberKings 3

Box Score

Hudson Boyd was back on the mound for the Kernels as they returned to action against the LumberKings. The right-hander gave up three runs on four hits and a walk in five innings. Following the game, he tweeted me saying, “It felt good today. Let the athletes behind me do most of the work” That may be true, but he also struckout six. Brett Lee came on and gave up two hits but no runs in his inning. Chris Mazza recorded his second save. He gave up a walk in a scoreless seventh inning.

Niko Goodrum hit his first two doubles of the season in this game. Dalton Hicks hit his fourth double. Jorge Polanco walked twice. Byron Buxton was 1-3 with a walk.

Game 2 - Cedar Rapids Kernels 2, Clinton LumberKings 1

Box Score

If fans wanted to see all the action of this double header, they could have watched the first game and just the first inning of the second game. In the top of the first, Dalton Hicks knocked in two runs with his fifth double. It scored Byron Buxton and Candido Pimentel. In the bottom of the first inning, Mason Melotakis gave up a leadoff home run. That was it for the scoring.

Melotakis went the first five innings and gave up one run on three hits. He walked one and struckout seven. Steven Gruver gave up one hit and struckout four over the final two innings to record his first save. Pimentel went 1-2 with a walk and his second stolen base. JD Williams had a walk and stole his fifth base of the season. The Kernels are now 6-1 on the season.

Tyler Duffey and David Hurlbut will pitch for the Kernels on Sunday afternoon.