Twins Minor League Report (6/10): Big Scores and Big Performances

TRANSACTIONS

• RHP Luis Rijo activated from inactive list for Cedar Rapids
• OF Leobaldo Cabrera promoted to Double-A Wichita
• RHP Jason Garcia signed by Twins as a FA and assigned to Double-A Wichita

SAINTS SENTINEL
Omaha 16, St. Paul 9
Box Score

Byron Buxton being back in the lineup was the story for this one, but veteran Chandler Shepherd wore a tough outing. Giving up 11 runs on 14 hits and coming an out shy of four complete innings, this was one to forget for the Saints starter.

On the flip side, Buxton was playing tonight after wet conditions earned him a scratch last night. He went 2-for-3 with five RBI and two dingers on the evening. If there was any question about him being ready for a return to the Twins, they’ve been answered.

Down 5-0 before they stepped in, Buxton’s first brough St. Paul back in the sense of a 5-2 deficit. Trailing 10-2 when they batted again, both Keon Broxton and Buxton went deep to close the deficit by a 10-6 tally. Buxton then added a sac fly to drive in a run and make it 11-7 in the 4th, but Omaha went on to blow things open. Brent Rooker roped his 8th homer of the year, this one in the 7th, to make it 16-8, but the game was all but decided. Drew Maggi homered for the first time in 2021 to draw the deficit a bit closer, but Omaha was able to secure a final out.

Maggi and David Banuelos joined Buxton in the multi-hit category with the catcher adding three for his night.

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Tulsa 12, Wichita 10
Box Score

Twins top pitching prospect Jordan Balazovic got the start in this one and was chased after just two innings. Throwing 53 pitches, he allowed four runs on four hits while walking two and striking out three. Hector Lujan came on in immediate relief and his four strikeouts in 3.1 IP of hitless baseball may have been the difference.

Ernie De La Trinidad kept up his hot hitting while ripping a first inning dinger. B.J. Boyd then followed up with a homer that left the stadium entirely. After leading 3-0 through one, De La Trinidad took a HBP in the 2nd that scored another.

Tulsa drew back even after the 2nd, but Jermaine Palacios added a two-run blast in the 4th before Caleb Hamilton went yard on a solo shot in the 5th. Hamilton then plated a pair in the 6th on a single and Andrew Bechtold ripped his 3rd homer of the year in the 7th. Cedar Rapids held a commanding 10-4 lead heading into the bottom half of the 7th inning.

With two outs in the bottom of the 9th, Tulsa watched Carlos Rincon step in and blast a three-run shot to center that tied this one up. Calvin Faucher was tagged for five runs in the effort and Ryan Mason came on to force extras. While Mason was able to extend it to the 10th, Jeren Kendall got hit for a two-run homer that completed the comeback for the Drillers.

Hamilton, Bechtold, and Morales all recorded two hits on the evening for Wichita.

KERNELS NUGGETS
Cedar Rapids 10, Beloit 7
Box Score

Taking the ball to start this one, Jon Olsen lasted just one out into the fourth inning. He gave up four runs on five hits while walking three and fanning four. It was a tough go, but Cedar Rapids battled and was well positioned late.

After trailing 1-0 to start this one, Trey Cabbage ripped a bases clearing single that put Cedar Rapids ahead 4-1 in the 3rd inning. Beloit knotted things up and took the lead in the 4th, while Griffin Conine used his 9th homer of the season extending things to 7-4 by the bottom of the 5th. From there the Kernels came answering back. Michael Helman went deep on a two-run shot in the 6th, before Trey Cabbage blasted his 5th dinger in the 7th to put Cedar Rapids back out ahead.

Ryan Shreve recorded seven outs for Cedar Rapids in relief, and while allowing zero hits and a single walk, he punched out five. Alex Isola ripped his third homer of the season in the 9th and scored Gabe Snyder, to put the final tally at 10-7.

Cabbage and Helman were the long Cedar Rapids hitters to grab two tallies in the hit column. Melvi Acosta picked up his third saved while recording five outs and punching out three.

MUSSELS MATTERS
Fort Myers 19, Jupiter 3
Box Score

Sean Mooney was great tonight for Fort Myers, but with 19 runs, he certainly didn’t need to be. At any rate, he blanked Jupiter across four hitless innings allowing just a single walk. He struck out seven and exited with an ERA that now stands at 0.57.

The offense came early and often in this one. Aaron Sabato started his big night with a first inning double that scored the game’s first run. Kyle Schmidt then reached on a fielder’s choice that plated two more with an error. Jeferson Morales made it hurt with his fourth homer extending the lead to 5-0.

In the 5th, Schmidt singled plating recently signed Nick Anderson, and Edouard Julien kept up his hot hitting with a double that scored Sabato. In the 6th Anderson singled on a play that plated two, and Sabato drove in both Misael Urbina and Anderson on his own. Up 11-0 before Jupiter scored in the top of the 7th, Fort Myers had this one in the bag.

Sabato capped off his impressive night with the third homer of his season, coming in the 8th inning. Morales doubled plating Yunior Severino and then Severino would drive in Sabato on a double of his own in the 9th. When the dust settled on the final inning the Mighty Mussels added another three and had scored in six of nine innings.

Every Fort Myers batter recorded a hit in this one (save for Cavaco who walked prior to being lifted), and six batters had multi-hit efforts. It was every bit the rout you’d expect in a 19-run effort.

Sabato had a three hit night and was joined by Edouard Julien (3), Severino (3), Morales (2), Justin Washington (4), and Ruben Santana (2) with multi-hit efforts.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day – Sean Mooney (Fort Myers) 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Hitter of the Day – Aaron Sabato (Fort Myers) – 3-for-4, 4 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 2B, HR(3)

PROSPECT SUMMARY
Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed:

#1 - Alex Kirilloff (Minnesota) –1-for-1 (left with ankle injury)
#2 - Royce Lewis (Rehab) - Out for Season (torn ACL)
#3 - Trevor Larnach (Minnesota) – 1-for-3, BB
#4 - Ryan Jeffers (Minnesota) – Did not play
#5 - Jhoan Duran (St. Paul) – Did not pitch
#6 - Jordan Balazovic (Wichita) – Did not pitch
#7 - Keoni Cavaco (Fort Myers) – 0-for-0, R, BB
#8 - Aaron Sabato (Fort Myers) – 3-for-4, 4 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 2B, HR(3)
#9 - Matt Canterino (Cedar Rapids) – Did not pitch
#10 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Injured List (Tommy John surgery)
#11 - Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) – 1-for-4
#12 - Brent Rooker (St. Paul) – 1-for-4, R, RBI, BB, K, HR(8)
#13 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) – Injured List (wrist sprain)
#14 - Misael Urbina (Fort Myers) – 1-for-6, 2 R, BB, 3 K
#15 - Cole Sands (Wichita) – Did not pitch
#16 - Edwar Colina (Rehab) - 60-Day IL (elbow)
#17 - Ben Rortvedt (Minnesota) – 0-for-2, K
#18 - Alerick Soularie (Complex) – N/A
#19 - Jose Miranda (Wichita) –  0-for-4, 2 R, BB, K
#20 - Bailey Ober (Minnesota) – Did Not Pitch 

FRIDAY'S PROBABLE STARTERS
Omaha @ St. Paul (7:05PM CST) – RHP Rob Whalen (0-1, 1.08 ERA)
Wichita @ Tulsa (7:05PM CST) – RHP Chase Vallimont (0-2, 5.63 ERA)
Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (6:35PM CST) – RHP Andrew Cabezas (2-1, 2.42 ERA)
Fort Myers @ Jupiter (5:30PM CST) – RHP Miguel Rodriguez (1-0, 1.35 ERA)

Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games!