Twins Minor League Report (5/15): Miracle Power Backs Gonsalves

RED WINGS REPORT

Syracuse @ Rochester - Postponed

The Red Wings game on Sunday afternoon was postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on June 30^th. Rochester finished their recent homestand with a 5-1 record and begins a seven-game road trip tomorrow night in Charlotte.

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Biloxi 1, Chattanooga 2

Box Score

There was little offense to be had for either team in this one, as both starting pitchers put in solid efforts. For the Shuckers, it was Jorge Ortega who held Chattanooga scoreless into the seventh inning, and for the Lookouts it was Nick Greenwood who limited Biloxi’s scoring chances for nearly the entire game.

Biloxi got on the board first in the third inning after a one-out double put a runner in scoring position who was later driven in from third on a ground out. But that would be it for the Shuckers as Greenwood allowed only three more hits over the next five innings. On the game he went eight innings, allowing just the one run on six hits and no walks, while striking out three.

The Lookouts were able to tie the game at one in the sixth when Daniel Palka and Travis Harrison clubbed back-to-back doubles with two outs.

In the seventh inning Chattanooga took the lead after Ryan Walker’s one-out triple chased Ortega from the game. Walker scored on a Joe Maloney single that against the Shucker’s bullpen.

In the ninth, it was Omar Bencomo who was summoned for his first save opportunity of the year. Although he allowed two singles, he finished the game and picked up the save by picking off one of the runners at first and inducing two easy ground balls around them.

Chattanooga was outhit 8-5 on the day, but cashed in on two of their four opportunities with runners in scoring position to pull out the victory.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Fort Myers 7, St. Lucie 1

Box Score

Early season stud left-hander Stephen Gonsalves took the mound for the Miracle on Sunday, and although he didn’t necessarily dominate as he had in other starts, he still picked up the win to improve to 5-1 on the season. He finished 5.1 innings, allowing just one earned run on four hits and a walk. He struck out three and if not for a Nick Gordon error in the sixth, may have been able to finish that inning. With one out and two men on base he was lifted for Brian Gilbert who induced an inning- ending double play.

Fort Myers took a 4-0 lead in the top of the third inning on home runs from Austin Diemer (solo) and Trey Vavra (three run), and extended that lead to 6-1 in the fourth after a Chad Christensen double, an Alex Real single, and a Diemer sac fly plated two more. Max Murphy added the seventh run in the eighth inning with a solo home run.

Gilbert finished a scoreless seventh inning as well and allowed only one hit in his 1.2 innings. Todd Van Steensel pitched the final two frames and allowed just one hit.

The Miracle offense got multi-hit efforts from Gordon (2-4, R), Vavra (2-4, R, HR, 3 RBI, SB), Christensen (2-4, R, 2B), and Diemer (3-3, R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI). Murphy scored two runs and walked once in addition to his fourth home run of the season.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 1, Wisconsin 7

Box Score

Cedar Rapids scored first in this one, taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning after a walk to Daniel Kihle and an error put him on third base, where he easily scampered home on a ground out from Sean Miller, but that would be it for the Kernels for the day as they managed just one hit the entire game against Wisconsin pitchers.

The Timber Rattlers took the lead for good in the bottom of the second after three singles and a double steal (of second and home) put them up 2-1.

Miles Nordgren made the start for the Kernels, and went just five innings. He allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits and three walks, but did strike out eight. Anthony McIver pitched the sixth inning, and allowed two runs on three hits and two walks, including a home run to his first batter. Nick Anderson calmed the storm for the final two innings, going one-two-three in both, along with four strikeouts.

Over his last six appearances, Anderson has pitched ten innings and allowed just one hit and one walk to opposing batters, while striking out eighteen of them. Quite a nice little stretch for the 2015 free agent out of the independent leagues.

As can be imagined when you only tally one hit as a team, Cedar Rapids had few opportunities for more runs in this game, despite getting six walks. They were 0-4 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base. The hit came off the bat of Zander Wiel in the first inning.

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Pitcher of the Day – Nick Greenwood, Chattanooga Lookouts (W, 8.0IP, 1 ER, 6 H’s, 0 BB’s, 3 K’s)

Hitter of the Day – Austin Diemer, Fort Myers Miracle (3-3, R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, OF-assist)

MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester @ Charlotte (6:05PM CST) – LHP Tommy Milone (1-0, 1.59 ERA)

Biloxi @ Chattanooga (6:15PM CST) – LHP David Hurlbut (2-2, 6.48 ERA)

Fort Myers @ Dunedin (5:30PM CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart (2-1, 2.08 ERA)

Cedar Rapids – Scheduled off-day

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