Twins Minor League Report (7/10): Jay Makes AA Debut

To find out how it all went down in the minors on Sunday, keep reading!

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 3, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 2

Box Score

In the seventh inning Rochester got all the offense they would need to take the lead and keep it, when they scored all three of their runs.

Jorge Polanco led off the inning with his seventh AA home run of the year to make it 2-1. Daniel Palka followed with a double and moved to third on a Byung-Ho Park single. They each moved up a base on a passed ball to tie the game at two, before Wilfredo Tovar drove in Park with a double of his own for the lead.

Andrew Albers made the start for the Red Wings, and it was of the quality variety. He picked up the win to improve to 7-3, going six innings and allowing two earned runs on seven hits and two walks, while striking out six.

Marcus Walden pitched two perfect innings, striking out one, and Alex Wimmers picked up his eighth save with a one-two-three ninth, punctuating the end game with a strikeout.

Palka was the only hitter in the Red Wings lineup with multiple hits, going 2-2 with a run scored, double, and two walks.

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 4, Tennessee 5

Box Score

Lefty Tyler Jay was on the mound for the Lookouts in this one, making his AA debut. He ran into some early trouble, but finished five innings and didn’t factor into the decision.

Chattanooga’s offense gave him an early 3-0 lead, as a two-run double from D.J. Hicks in the first was followed by an RBI single from Zach Granite in the second.

In the Smokies half of the second inning it was a walk and four singles, including three ground balls that found their way through the infield that led to a 3-3 tie. It remained that way until the fifth, when Jay gave up his first AA home run to the leadoff man. All told, Jay allowed four earned runs on six hits and two walks, while striking out four.

The Lookouts again tied the game in the sixth, as back-to-back doubles from Travis Harrison and Leonardo Reginatto made it 4-4.

Ryan Eades came on in relief of Jay, and would finish the game but also ended up with the loss when he allowed a solo-home run to the second batter he faced. He went three innings, allowing the lone run on three hits and a walk. He struck out five.

Chattanooga’s lineup got multi-hit efforts from Granite (2-3, R, RBI, 2 BB), Reginatto (2-4, 2B, RBI), and Niko Goodrum (2-4, R, 2B). Granite added two outfield assists from center on the defensive side.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Dunedin 6, Fort Myers 1

Box score

Dominican pitcher Fernando Romero made his fourth start with the Miracle in 2016, and scattered six hits over five innings before a fifty-five minute rain delay ended his game. He allowed two runs (one earned), and struck out 3.

The Blue Jays got single runs off of him in the first and second innings for an early 2-1 lead, and that would be all they needed as the Miracle offense was held at bay.

Fort Myers was outhit in the game just 10-8, but their lone run didn’t come until the bottom of the ninth with the game seemingly out of reach. Alex Perez singled in Nick Gordon, who had doubled two batters earlier.

For the game the Miracle were just 1-9 with runners in scoring position, and left only six men on base. Gordon and Joe Maloney were each 2-4. T.J. White added a double out of the leadoff spot.

In relief of Romero, John Curtiss and Todd Van Steensel each pitched two innings and allowed two runs. Between them there were four hits allowed, two walks, and they each struck out three.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Kane County 11, Cedar Rapids 9

Box Score

Both the Kernels and Cougars brought their bats in this one, as the teams combined for twenty runs on twenty-seven hits and nine walks.

Cedar Rapids got on the board with three runs in the bottom of the first. It was a single, sacrifice bunt, single, RBI single, pop-out, double-steal of home, and RBI single sequence to score them. Zander Wiel and Nelson Molina picked up the RBI’s, and Jaylin Davis got the steal of home.

Kernel’s starter Sam Gibbons lost his early lead in the top of the second when he gave up a 2-RBI triple that was followed by a two-run home run. Kane County added two more in the fourth with a based loaded 2-RBI single to make it 6-3 to end Gibbons start. He went 3.1 innings, allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks, while striking out four. Andrew Vasquez came on in relief and stranded two runners, and Cedar Rapids would get those runs back and more in their half of the frame

Casey Scoggins reached on an error to lead off, and Jaylin Davis drew a two-out walk to bring up Wiel. His 2-RBI triple was followed by a two-run home run from J.J. Fernandez for a 7-6 score. It would stay that way until the seventh, as Vasquez finished two more scoreless innings. He walked one and struck out two in 2.2 innings.

Kuo Hua Lo came on for the seventh, but before the inning was done it was 8-7 Cougars and he had a blown save added to his line. He also pitched the eighth, but allowed two runs on three hits and one walk in two innings. He notched three K’s. Michael Cederoth pitched the ninth, and had a worse go, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits and a walk in his inning. He picked up two of the outs via strikeouts.

The Kernels added two runs in the bottom of the ninth thanks to a Brian Olson double to score Davis and Molina, who had singled and walked respectively, but Rainis Silva grounded out to end the game.

Jermaine Palacios (3-5, R) and Fernandez (3-5, R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI) each had three hits. Zander Wiel was 2-5 with the triple, two runs scored, a stolen base, and three RBI. Molina (2-3, R, RBI, BB), Davis (2-3, 3 R’s, 2 BB, SB) also collected multiple hits for the home team.

E-TWINS E-NOTES

Greeneville 4, Elizabethton 1

Box Score

Amaurys Minier slugged his third home run of the year as part of a 3-4 game at the plate, but the rest of his teammates combined for just three other hits in twenty-nine at-bats. Minier’s home run came in the seventh inning to pull the Twins within one of the Astros at the time. Lewin Diaz and Minier also added doubles.

Right-hander Sean Poppen made the start for Elizabethton and went the first five innings. He allowed one run on four hits and a walk, while striking out six. Austin Tribby was the first reliever up, and pitched into the seventh. He allowed one run on three hits in 1.1 innings. All four of his outs came on strikeouts. Quin Grogan went the next 1.1 innings. He gave up two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out one.Patrick McGuff then made his Appalachian League debut. In his 1.1 innings he walked one and struck out two.

The E-Twins fall to 7-10 on the young season and will wrap up their three game series with the Astros in a rubber match Monday night.

GCL TWINS TAKES

The GCL Twins, like the rest of the Gulf Coast League, enjoyed the afternoon off on Sunday. They get back to action tomorrow morning against the GCL Orioles.

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Pitcher of the Day – Andrew Albers, Rochester Red Wings (W, 6.0IP, 2 ER’s, 7 H’s, 2 BB, 6 K’s)

Hitter of the Day – J.J. Fernandez, Cedar Rapids Kernels (3-5, R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI

MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester – All Star break

Chattanooga @ Tennessee (6:05PM CST) – Felix Jorge (first AA start)

Dunedin @ Fort Myers (10:35AM CST) – RHP Miles Nordgren (first Miracle start)

Kane County @ Cedar Rapids (12:05PM PM CST) – RHP Eduardo Del Rosario (0-2, 6.25 ERA)

Greeneville @ Elizabethton (6:00PM CST) – TBD

GCL Orioles @ GCL Twins (11:00AM CST) – LHP Taylor Clemensia

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