Twins Minor League Report (4/18): Valera Leads Kernels to Victory

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 1, Pawtucket 3 (10 innings)

Box Score

The 3,320 people in attendance were treated to a duel between two highly-regarded pitchers (who are no longer considered “prospects”).

Tyler Duffey completed seven innings (104 pitches, 69 strikes) in picking up a no-decision tonight. He gave up one run on seven hits. He struck out six and, most importantly, walked only one. He lowered his ERA to 1.72.

Rochester scored their only run on a 389-foot third-inning home run by Reynaldo Rodriguez. Rodriguez also had a first-inning single and was the only Red Wing to have a multi-hit game. He did strike out twice, though, and the team combined for 12 strikeouts.

Adam Brett Walker returned to the lineup for the first time since April 10, but went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts as the designated hitter. David Murphy, who has a May 1st opt-out, also went 0-for-4. Stephen Wickens delivered his first AAA hit and stole his first AAA base.

Brandon Kintzler pitched two shutout innings before giving way to J.R. Graham in the 10th inning. After connecting for a leadoff single, the PawSox sacrificed the runner to second and Graham coaxed a fly out for the second out of the innings. Then the wheels fell off. Graham threw a wild pitch and then walked Rusney Castillo to put runners on first and third. A Blake Swihart single put the PawSox ahead with runners on first and second. Castillo and Swihart successfully pulled off a double-steal and Graham walked the next two runners to push another run across the plate. Buddy Boshers had to record the last out.

The trio of Wilfredo Tovar, Wickens and Darin Mastroianni - all of who had a hit - went down 1-2-3 to end the game.

The Red Wings fall to 4-7 early in the season.

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 3, Mississippi 5

Box Score

An eighth-inning rally ended in a double-play and the Lookouts dropped Monday’s game to the Braves.

D.J. Baxendale took the loss, allowing two runs in six innings on five hits. He struck out six. Brandon Peterson struggled in his inning, giving up three hits and walking two. He surrendered three runs. Brett Lee struck out two in a perfect frame.

Stuart Turner hit an eighth-inning two-run home run, his first of the season, and now sports a .360 average. Mitch Garver got the Lookouts on the board with a two-out RBI single in the fourth-inning. Levi Michael contributed two hits in the team’s six-hit effort. Travis Harrison added a single and a stolen base.

The Lookouts drop to 4-8.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Fort Myers 1, Daytona 4

Box Score

The Miracle struck first, getting Chris Paul on base when he was hit. Paul advanced to third on Ryan Walker’s single and scored on an Alex Real groundout. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much offense after that.

Nick Gordon led off the fourth inning with a triple, which extended his hitting streak to six games. He’s also hit safely in ten on his eleven games. You could say that Nick Gordon is swinging a hot bat and you wouldn’t be wrong.

The third and final hit was a single in the 6th inning by Chad Christensen. Tanner English stole his fourth base of the season.

Randy Rosario threw 48 strikes in 78 pitches. He was relieved in the sixth inning after allowing five hits and two runs. He walked three and failed to strike out any. It was a far cry from his season debut last week when he struck out eight - and walked none - in six shutout innings.

Todd Van Steensel allowed one hit and collected five outs. Luke Bard struggled in his frame, giving up three hits and two runs.

With the loss, the Miracle fall to 7-5.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 7, Burlington 3

Box Score

Cody Stashak made the first full-season start of his career and didn’t disappoint. He struck out five in six one-run, three-hit innings (on only 77 pitches). That’s two runs in ten innings combined so far this season.

The offense was equally impressive. Seven runs on 10 hits and five walks, and all but the eight- and nine-hitters contributed in the hits column. Rafael Valera, getting his at-bats as the DH, doubled twice and added a single. He scored once.

LaMonte Wade continued to tear up low-A pitchers. He’s hit safely in all 12 games he’s played. On Monday, it was two hits, two runs and an RBI. While Wade is hitting .409, the 2-for-4 night actually dropped his OBP from .469 to .463 and saw his OPS drop by 20 points and now sits at 1.099.

Max Murphy and Jermaine Palacios each stole a base.

Michael Theofanopoulos struck out three in two innings. Nick Anderson allowed two runs (one earned) in his inning of work.

The Kernels improve to 8-4.

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Pitcher of the Day – Cody Stashak

Hitter of the Day – Rafael Valera

TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Pawtucket @ Rochester (5:35PM CST) – LHP Pat Dean (0-2, 2.06 ERA)

Chattanooga @ Mississippi (7:00PM CST) – LHP David Hurlbut (1-0, 4.00 ERA)

Jupiter @ Fort Myers (6:05PM CST) – LHP Stephen Gonsalves (1-1, 2.25 ERA)

Cedar Rapids @ Burlington (11:30AM CST) – RHP Randy LeBlanc (1-1, 2.45 ERA)

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