Twins Minor League Report (4/14): Kohl Stewart Looks Like An Ace

Continue reading to find out more detail about Thursday in the Twins farm system:

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester @ Buffalo Bisons

Box Score

Rochester was in Buffalo on Thursday afternoon facing the Buffalo Bisons and former Minnesota Twins pitcher Scott Diamond. Scott Diamond gave the Bisons a workman like 7.0 innings of six hit, one run ball to go along with six strikeouts, really keeping the Red Wings' bats at bay. Only Buck Britton (on of my favorite names in the Twins farm system) managed more than one hit. He had two, one was the Red Wings' only extra base hit of the day, a run scoring double in the top of the 6th inning to give Rochester a short-lived lead. Britton was a one man machine for the Red Wings. Big bopper Kennys Vargas was 0-3 with a walk and no strike outs.

Also a one-man show - Pat Dean. Pat Dean pitched 8.0 innings of 5 hit, 2 run ball (1 earned) and was charged with the loss to fall to 0-2 despite a shiny 2.08 ERA. Dean induced 14 ground ball outs, but did not record a single strikeout. Dean was cruising through five before a Dalton Pompey double followed by an Andy Burns RBI single knotted the game at 1-1. An inning later, Jesus Montero (yes, that Jesus Montero) reached on a throwing error by third basement Heiker Meneses and was eventually doubled in by Junior Lake, giving the Bisons the lead, and ultimately the ball game.

Final: Red Wings 1, Bisons 2

Alex Meyer will make his first start of the 2016 season on Friday. Meyer has previously pitched 4.0 scoreless innings of relief on April 10th against Scranton.

LOOKOUTS LOOK-IN

Jackson Generals @ Chattanooga

Box Score

After his first game back at third base since 2014 last night, Travis Harrison was back in the outfield on Thursday night. He finished the evening 1-5 and is hitting just .214 on the year. Daniel Palka came into Thursday's game with a team-leading four-game hitting streak and extended his streak to five games with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth. Mitch Garver was the big offensive force for the Lookouts, their only multi-hit player of the evening, going 2-3 with two walks, an RBI and a strikeout. The real story of this game isn't just these individual performances, but the way the team rallied, down six runs. The Lookouts got a big crooked number in the sixth with five runs, and four more in the seventh to come from behind and take the game 11-8. With just one hitter with multiple hits, this was a big team effort.

David Hurlbut, the only Lookouts starter to record a decision in every game he started last year, left Thursday's game without a decision. Hurlbut pitched 4.0 innings, surrendering five runs (just two earned), on six hits, two walks, a home run and three strikeouts. In addition to 17 starts for Chattanooga in 2015, Hurlbut also threw briefly for the Miracle after starting the season on the DL, and made a spot start for the Rochester Red Wings. Hurlbut throws a 90+ mph fastball and will mix in a cutter, change and slider. Hurlbut gave way to Mike Strong in the top of the fifth with Chattanooga down 5-2. Strong gave up a double and then walked the next two batters he faced before being lifted for Corey Williams. All three of Strong's runners would eventually come around to score before the inning was over. With the Lookouts down 8-2, the pitching staff shut down the Generals for the next four innings. Corey Williams would pitch two scoreless innings, Jake Reed earned the W with two scoreless innings of his own and J.T. Chargois picked up his first save of the year with a scoreless ninth inning.

Final: Generals 8, Lookouts 11

MIRACLE MATTERS

Brevard County Manatees @ Fort Myers

Box Score

Tanner English led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run to left center field. The Miracle added two more runs in the inning to go out in front 3-0 and held the lead the rest of the way. As a team, Fort Myers racked up 13 hits and 5 walks to counter seven strikeouts. Tanner English was 2-4 with that home run, a single and a walk. Logan Wade had a multi-hit night as well, 2-5 with an RBI. Chad Christensen and Austin Diemer also had a pair of hits. Diemer also added a stolen base.

Defensively, the Miracle had a poor night, kicking things off with a fielding error by third basement Chris Paul on the first hitter of the night. The Miracle commited three more errors in the first six innings. Kohl Stewart, starting his second game of the year, was unfazed by the poor defense behind him, going 6.0 innings with 6 strikeouts and just one walk. Stewart allowed just one hit and moved his record to 1-0 while lowering his ERA to 1.50. Raul Fernandez replaced Stewart and covered the seventh and eighth innings without allowing an earned run, but not without some trouble, walking three batters, allowing a pair of hits and being charged with an unearned run. Brian Gilbert allowed another run in the ninth, walking one, giving up one hit, and he stuck out one.

Final: Manatees 2, Miracle 7

KERNELS KORNER

Clinton Lumber Kings @ Cedar Rapids

Box Score

The Lumber Kings put a run on the board in the top of the first inning to put the Kernels down 1-0, but they rallied in the bottom half of the inning with three runs of their own. Kernels starting pitcher Andro Cutura allowed one more run in the top of the third, but otherwise pitched a very solid 6.0 innings. Cutura gave up just two hits, walked two, struck out six and was charged with two runs (one earned). Cutura is now 2-0 for the Kernels with a 2.45 ERA. Cutura was replaced by C. K. Irby who pitched two scoreless innings of relief and Nick Anderson finished the game for Cedar Rapids to seal the victory.

The Kernels leadoff man Luis Arraez put on a show with a home run and a pair of singles as part of a 3-4 night with two runs scored and two RBIs. Rafael Valera and LaMonte Wade, hitting second and third, were each 2-4, giving the Kernels seven hits from the top of their order. Sean Miller, the number eight hitter, also picked up a pair of hits, going 2-3 with two runs scored. All told the Kernels had 11 hits, four for extra bases.

Final: Lumber Kings 3, Kernels 7

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Hitter of the Day - Luis Arraez - Cedar Rapids Kernels

Pitcher of the Day - Kohl Stewart - Fort Myers Miracle

FRIDAY'S PROBABLES

Rochester @ Buffalo (5:05pm, MiLB.tv) - Alex Meyer (0-0, 0.00) vs. Wade LeBlanc

Jackson @ Chattanooga (6:15pm) - Sam Gaviglio vs. Aaron Slegers (0-0, 3.00)

Fort Myers @ Daytona (6:05pm) - Tyler Jay (1-0, 1.80) vs. TBD

Clinton @ Cedar Rapids (6:35pm) - Kyle Wilcox vs. Sam Gibbons (1-0, 1.80)

Please ask questions and discuss the Thursday games.

-ERolf