Twins Minor League Report (6/21): Bash Brothers

The organization went 2-2 on the day. In the minors a come-from behind victory was sparked by a pair of bash-brothers in a single inning, and there were several standout bullpen performances.

Read on to find out about all the action on Sunday afternoon!

RED WINGS REPORT

Louisville 3, Rochester 2

Box Score

The Red Wings managed to score first and last in this contest, but were still handed a loss as Louisville put a crooked number on the scoreboard in an inning, while the Wings did not.

In the first inning Danny Santana led off the game for Rochester with a double and after being moved to third on a groundout he trotted home to score the game’s first run on a Danny Ortiz single and 1-0 lead.

It would remain that way until the third inning, when Red Wings starter Pat Dean gave up a solo home run to number eight hitter Ryan Lamarre to tie the game at one. Dean had retired the first seven hitters of the game to that point.

He ran into further trouble in the fourth inning as the middle of the lineup for Louisville came through with some more power. Number three hitter Hernan Iribarren singled to start the inning, and trotted home on a two-run home run from cleanup man Josh Satin, making the score 3-1.

Dean faced the minimum over the next nine outs before walking two around a strikeout to begin the top of the seventh. He was relieved by Alex Meyer who escaped the inning with no damage after two fly-outs.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, it was again Santana providing a spark for Rochester. His third triple in 12 games with the Red Wings allowed him to score on a sac fly to left field from James Beresford, moving the score to 3-2.

Meyer pitched a scoreless eighth inning, picking up two strikeouts along the way, to keep the game within striking distance for Rochester. Caleb Thielbar retired the side one-two-three in the ninth, bringing up the home team for their final at-bat.

Eric Farris singled with one out, then was erased on an Eric Fryer fielder’s choice. Fryer moved to second on a balk, placing the tying run in scoring position for the games star to that point, Danny Santana. Unfortunately, this at-bat ended in a groundout to second base instead of an extra-base hit, and Rochester fell 3-2.

Santana (2-5, 2 R’s, 2B, 3B) and Oswaldo Arcia (2-4) were the only hitters in the lineup with multiple hits and Reynaldo Rodriguez added a triple to lead the offense.

Dean managed a quality start, allowing the three runs on five hits and two walks in 6.1 innings, striking out five.

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Jacksonville 5, Chattanooga 6

Box Score

The Lookouts found themselves down 5-1 after the top-half of the sixth-inning, but the powerful bats in their lineup refused to let them stay there.

D.J. Baxendale made the start and pitched the first three frames in his first start returning from shoulder discomfort. He allowed zero runs on one hit and two walks, while striking out three.

Tim Shibuya came on for the fourth inning, and promptly allowed a solo home run to the first batter he faced, the rehabbing Michael Morse of the Miami Marlins, to tie the game at one. It didn’t get much better for Shibuya, as he allowed two runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings to put the Lookouts in a 5-1 hole. Brandon Peterson came on in the sixth inning with two outs and a runner on third, but picked up a strikeout to end the frame.

This is when the big boppers in the Chattanooga lineup came out to play.

Mike Gonzalez led off the bottom of the sixth with a walk, and Adam Brett Walker made the score 5-3 with his Southern League-leading 19^th home run of the year. Singles from Jairo Rodriguez and Levi Micheal around a Stephen Wickens fly out and a Niko Goodrum strikeout would bring Miguel Sano to the plate. His 13^th home run of the season put the Lookouts out front 6-5 and they never looked back.

Peterson picked up four more strikeouts and did not allow a single base runner in the seventh and eighth innings, before yielding the save opportunity to J.T. Chargois.

He walked one but retired the three other hitters to pick up his fifth save in eight appearances with the Lookouts. His ERA stands at 2.08 for the season and 1.17 with Chattanooga.

Assisting Sano (1-3, 2 R’s, HR, BB, 3 RBI) and Walker (1-4, R, HR, 2 RBI) with multiple hits in the comeback victory were Michael (2-4, R, BB, SB), and Rodriguez (2-4, R). Max Kepler was 0-2 but reached base via walk twice and stole his eleventh base from the cleanup spot in the lineup (behind Sano).

The Lookouts finish the first half of the Southern League season atop the North Division standings, and tied with the Biloxi Shuckers of the South Division with 43-25 records. The 43-25 mark is the Lookouts best first half record in the history of their home park, AT&T Field.

MIRACLE MATTERS

The Miracle enjoyed a day off on Sunday afternoon, and host the Palm Beach Cardinals for a three game series starting tomorrow at 6:05 PM CST at the Century Link Sports Complex and Hammond Stadium.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 5, Clinton 2

Box Score

Cedar Rapids jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning after Brett Doe led off the frame with an infield single and moved into scoring position when T.J. White was hit by a pitch. He scored on a Rafael Valera single.

Kernels starter Jared Wilson gave the run back in the bottom half when a two-out single brought home Joseph DeCarlo, who had doubled. Cedar Rapids responded by adding two runs in each of the third and fifth innings.

Max Murphy was the catalyst in both of those innings. In the third, he slugged his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot to make the score 3-1. In the fifth, his double put runners on second and third. A balk scored Alex Real and moved Murphy up to third, before a pick off attempt caught Pat Kelly between first and second base with two-outs. Kelly was savvy enough to make the LumberKings attempt multiple throws in a rundown, and Murphy was able to scamper home before they tagged out Kelly to end the inning.

Randy LeBlanc was the first pitcher in relief of Wilson, and he went three scoreless innings to improve his record to 5-0. He allowed just two hits and struck out two. These three scoreless innings improved his ongoing scoreless streak to 26 innings, tying him with Trevor Hildenberger for the team’s longest streak of the year and lowered his ERA to 1.52.

Lefty Cameron Booser came on for the eighth inning and allowed one run on a sac fly after a walk and two singles, but struck out the last two hitters he faced to escape with limited damage.

Hildenberger then came on for the ninth and recorded his eighth save by striking out the side. His ERA rests at 0.51 on the season and has not been above 1.00 since April 23^rd.

The Kernels got multiple hits from Real (2-5, 2 R’s, 2B), Murphy (2-4, 2 R’s, 2B, HR, 2 RBI) and Valera (2-3, BB, RBI) to lead the offense.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Pitcher of the Day – Brandon Peterson, Chattanooga Lookouts (W, 2.1 IP, 5 K’s)

Hitter of the Day – Miguel Sano, Chattanooga Lookouts (1-3, 2 R’s, GW 3-Run HR, 3 RBI)

MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester @ Pawtucket (6:05 PM CST) – LHP Tyler Duffey (1-4, 4.15 ERA)

Chattanooga – Scheduled Day Off.

Palm Beach @ Fort Myers (6:05 PM CST) – TBD

Cedar Rapids – MWL All-Star Break.

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