Twins Minor League Report (5/31): Lewis Continues Power Surge, Enns Spins Quality Start

Transactions

-Twins recalled Tyler Duffey and optioned Aaron Slegers to Rochester.

-Sean Poppen promoted to Chattanooga from Fort Myers.

-Cedar Rapids activated Tanner Kiest from the restricted list.

-Jordan Balazovic assigned to Elizabethton from Cedar Rapids.

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 5, Durham 4

Box Score

Rochester led 3-0 after four and a half innings, and had a 5-2 lead going into the bottom of the ninth and just held on for a 5-4 victory. The Red Wings were powered by three home runs, one each from Jake Cave (solo), Kennys Vargas (solo), and Taylor Featherston (two-run). Featherston had one of his best nights with the stick, going 2-for-3 with a run scored, a home run, three RBIs and a walk. Who is Taylor Featherston? He’s spent part of the last three seasons in the big leagues for the Angels, Phillies, and Rays respectively, getting traded from Los Angeles to Philladelphia, and then purchased from Philly by the Rays. After last season he was granted free agency and signed with the Twins.

The Red Wings got a solid start out of Dietrich Enns, who went six full innings, giving up just a pair of runs as he walked two and struck out seven, scattering six hits. D.J. Baxendale pitched two innings, gave up just a single hit and struck out three. Luke Bard earned his first save of the year for Rochester with a sloppy, but ultimately effective ninth inning. He gave up two runs on a home run and walked a couple of dudes, but the Red Wings held on for the win so all is forgiven.

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Birmingham 3, Chattanooga 0

Box Score

Sean Poppen, just promoted from Fort Myers, ran into trouble in the first inning, giving up three runs thanks to a leadoff single followed by a walk and a three-run homer. Poppen settled down after that retiring the next three batters in order, and thanks to a couple of timely doubleplays, faced just 9 more batters over the next 3 innings. Poppen ran into some trouble in the bottom of the fifth and was lifted for Tyler Jay. Jay did his job retiring the first batter he faced to get out of the inning, and then gave the Lookouts two more innings. Overall he went 2 1/3 innings, gave up two hits, two walks, and struck out three. He was replaced by Williams Ramirez who gave up a couple of hits in the eighth, but struck out three to escape the inning without further damage.

Despite giving up just those three first-inning runs, the Lookouts were stymied at the plate. The Lookouts could only muster two hits, one each from Brian Navarreto and Sean Miller, the eight and nine hitters in the Lookouts lineup.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Clearwater 5, Fort Myers 1

Box Score

Fort Myers managed just one run on a Lewin Diaz single in the seventh inning. The Miracle had just four hits as a team, and no one had multiple hits. Jimmy Kerrigan, 1-for-4, had the only extra-base hit, a double. The pitchers didn’t fare much better as starter Clark Beeker gave up four runs over six innings. And Kevin Marnon let in another run over two innings, and it could have been a lot worse as Clearwater stranded 10 runners and was 3-13 with runners in scoring position.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Wisconsin 7, Cedar Rapids 2

Box Score

Cedar Rapids tied the game at two in the bottom of the third inning, but gave up five more runs the rest of the way to fall 7-2. Superstar Royce Lewis was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles to lead the team offensively, with Jose Miranda not far behind (2-for-4 with 2 RBI). Alex Kirilloff struggled at the plate going 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts.

Freshly activated Tanner Kiest went just three innings. He gave up four hits, two runs (one earned), walked three and struck out four. With the game tied, Carlos Suniaga gave up two runs on three hits over four innings. He struck out four and walked one. Jared Finkel finished off the final two innings, giving up three runs on three hits and he walked one and struck out a pair.

STARS OF THE DAY

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Dietrich Enns, Rochester Red Wings

Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Royce Lewis, Cedar Rapids Kernels

TOP 20 PROSPECT PERFORMANCE

1. Royce Lewis, Cedar Rapids – 2-4, 2 2B

3. Nick Gordon, Rochester – 2-4, 1 BB, 1 K

5. Alex Kirilloff, Cedar Rapids – 0-4, 2 K

7. Brent Rooker, Chattanooga – 0-4, 2 K

10. Akil Baddoo, Cedar Rapids – 1-4, 1 R, 1 K

13. Lewin Diaz, Fort Myers – 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 K

14. LaMonte Wade, Chattanooga – 0-3

17. Travis Blankenhorn, Fort Myers – 0-3, 1 BB

19. Tyler Jay, Chattanooga – 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K

FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester (6:05pm) Adalberto Mejia (0-1, 5.19 ERA)

Chattanooga (7:05pm) Anthony Marzi (0-2, 6.41 ERA)

Fort Myers (4:00 pm) Continuation of suspended game.

Fort Myers (5:30pm) TBD

Cedar Rapids (6:30pm) Randy Dobnak (3-2, 5.26 ERA)

Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Thursday's games.