Twins Minor League Report (6/7): Rochester Scores 26 Runs In Doubleheader Sweep

TRANSACTIONS

-LHP Devin Smeltzer was optioned back to Rochester.

-C Trevor Casanova joined Fort Myers from extended spring.

-OF/1B Trey Cabbage also re-joined Fort Myers from the suspended list.

RED WINGS REPORT

Game 1: Rochester 19, Pawtucket 4 (7 innings)

Box Score

Kohl Stewart: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, 58.5% strikes (55 of 94 pitches)

HR: None

Multi-hit games: Luis Arraez (3-for-4, 2B, BB), Wilin Rosario (3-for-5, 2B), Nick Gordon (2-for-6, 2B), Zander Wiel (2-for-3, BB, HBP), Jake Cave (2-for-5, 2 2B), Wynston Sawyer (2-for-5, 2B)

How do you score 19 runs in a seven-inning game without the benefit of a home run? Well, drawing nine walks helps. So does going 12-for-19 with runners in scoring position. Every single hitter in Rochester’s lineup reached base at least twice.

Luis Arraez and Wilin Rosario both tallied three hits. Arraez drove in five runs from the leadoff spot while Rosario had four RBIs. Drew Maggi reached safely in four of his five plate appearances, hitting a double to go with three walks, and score three runs. Zander Wiel also reached base in four of his five plate appearances (two singles, a walk and a hit by pitch). Brent Rooker scored three runs … lots of crooked numbers. Kohl Stewart, the beneficiary of all that run support, improved to 5-3 on the year.

Game 2: Rochester 7, Pawtucket 4 (7 innings)

Box Score

Zack Littell: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 81.1% strikes (30 of 37 pitches)

HR: Drew Maggi 2 (5), Rooker (7)

Multi-hit games: Cave (2-for-4, 2B), Maggi (2-for-3, 2 HR)

The Wings trailed 4-2 entering the final inning, but Drew Maggi hit a game-tying home run, his second of the game, and Brent Rooker blasted a three-run homer to push Rochester ahead.

https://twitter.com/TFTwins/status/1137219192120336384

There were a lot of familiar names on the mound in this one. Gabriel Moya actually started this game. He recorded four outs before giving way to Zack Littell. I originally thought this may be an opener situation, but you don’t typically see the starting pitcher (or primary, whatever you want to call it) coming in to the middle of innings. Littell also only pitched 2 2/3 innings, throwing 37 pitches. The only hit Littell gave up was a solo home run.

Fernando Romero followed with two innings. He gave up three runs on four hits, including a solo homer. Trevor Hildenberger pitched a perfect bottom of the seventh to pick up his first save for Rochester.

BLUE WAHOO BITES

Biloxi 9, Pensacola 1

Box Score

Bryan Sammons: 3.2 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 65.9% strikes (54 of 82 pitches)

HR: Travis Blankenhorn (10)

Multi-hit games: None

Travis Blankenhorn led off this game with a home run. The Blue Wahoos managed just one more hit the entire rest of the game. Bryan Sammons also had a rough night on the mound, meaning Biloxi had a pretty comfortable evening.

Blankenhorn’s homer was his 10th already in just 40 games since being called up to Double-A. The Southern League leader came into today with 14 homers, so Travis is making quite the first impression.

Adam Bray was another positive for Pensacola. He pitched 3 1/3 shutout innings of two-hit ball while striking out four batters.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Fort Myers 6, Jupiter 2

Box Score

SP: Jhoan Duran: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 65.9% strikes (60 of 91 pitches)

HR: Lewin Diaz (12), Jose Miranda (3)

Multi-hit games: None

Another day, another Lewin Diaz home run. That’s 12 home runs over his last 31 games now. Speaking of Blankenhorn, he led the Miracle with 11 homers last year.

Jhoan Duran is another guy who’s been rolling for Fort Myers. He was hot, hot, hot tonight.

https://twitter.com/JimCrikket/status/1137138222130257920

Duran held Jupiter to one run on six hits over seven innings and struck out four. In his last three starts, Duran’s surrendered just 10 hits and three earned runs over 20 innings.

Jose Miranda hit his third homer of the year, drew a walk and scored twice. Trey Cabbage hit a double and drove in a pair of runs in his return to the Miracle. Royce Lewis got a single, stole his 11th base of the season and scored a run.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 5, Peoria 3

Box Score

Tyler Palm: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 61.7% strikes (37 of 60 pitches)

HR: None

Multi-hit games: Yeltsin Encarnacion (2-for-5), Gabriel Maciel (2-for-4)

Cedar Rapids stumbled a bit out of the gates, falling behind 3-0 after the first three innings, but they sure did finish strong. Carlos Suniaga, Jose Martinez and Moises Gomez combined to no-hit Peoria over the final seven innings of this game. Suniaga, the first man out of the bullpen, struck out five batters over his three innings. Martinez also delivered three innings before Gomez came in for the save in the ninth.

The bats had a nice rally in the fourth inning to get rolling. With one out, Jared Akins and Chris Williams drew back-to-back walks. Jacob Pearson hit an RBI single before Andrew Bechtold provided a run-scoring ground out. Gabriel Maciel tied the game with an RBI single.

Things stayed knotted up until the eighth inning. Gilberto Celestino hit a leadoff double and was driven home on a Williams triple. Celestino also helped provide an insurance run in the ninth, hitting a sacrifice fly.

STARS OF THE DAY

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Jhoan Duran, Fort Myers

Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day: Drew Maggi, Rochester

TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY

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

1. Royce Lewis (FM): 1-for-4, R, SB, K

4. Trevor Larnach (FM): 1-for-4, 2B, R, K

6. Brent Rooker (ROC): 2-for-6, HR (7), 3 BB, 4 R, 5 RBI, K, HBP

7. Jhoan Duran (FM): Jhoan Duran: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 65.9% strikes (60 of 91 pitches)

11. Nick Gordon (ROC): 3-for-10, 2B, 4 R, 2 RBI, 3 SB

13. Ryan Jeffers (FM): 0-for-2, K

14. Ben Rortvedt (PNS): 0-for-4, K

16. Gilberto Celestino (CR): 1-for-4, 2B, R, RBI

17. Zack Littell (ROC): 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 81.1% strikes (30 of 37 pitches)

18. LaMonte Wade (ROC): 2-for-6, 3 BB

20. Jose Miranda (FM): 1-for-3, HR (3), BB, 2 R, RBI

SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester at Pawtucket, 5:15 pm CT (Randy Dobnak)

Pensacola at Biloxi, 6:35 pm CT (Charlie Barnes)

Fort Myers vs. Jupiter, 5:00 pm CT (Cole Sands)

Cedar Rapids at Peoria, 6:35 pm CT (Josh Winder)

Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the games.