Twins Minor League Report (7/11): Wiel Drives the Red Wings Bus

Find out everything that happened happened in the Twins system on Thursday, starting with the transactions of the day.

TRANSACTIONS

• RH RP Cody Allen was reinstated from the temporary inactive list and promoted from Ft. Myers to Rochester.
  
• IF Brian Schales was promoted from Pensacola to Rochester.
  
• The Red Wings officially received recently-optioned RHP Kohl Stewart and LHP Devin Smeltzer from the Twins.
  
• DJ Baxendale was placed on the Red Wings Injured List.
  
• LH RP Andrew Vasquez was sent from Rochester to Pensacola.
  
• The Blue Wahoos also announced that the Twins have signed veteran infielder (and former big leaguer) Ivan De Jesus, Jr. to a minor league deal and assigned him to Pensacola.
  
• RHP Edwar Colina was promoted from Ft. Myers to Pensacola.
  
• RH RP Moises Gomez was promoted from Cedar Rapids to Ft. Myers.
  
• RH RP Nate Hadley, the Twins 25th round pick last month, was promoted to the Kernels from Elizabethton.
  

RED WINGS REPORT

Game 1 - Rochester 13, Lehigh Valley 5

Box Score

Zander Wiel continues to quietly put up big numbers for the Red Wings this year. In this game, he hit his 23rd and 24th doubles and his 14th and 15th home runs. He drove in seven runs. That is a good week!

https://twitter.com/RocRedWings/status/1149469182062317570

Ronald Torreyes knocked his sixth and seventh homers and drove in four runs. He went 3-for-4. Wilin Rosario was also 3-for-4 in the game. Jaylin Davis went 2-for-4. Nick Gordon drove in two runs with a single.

Sean Poppen started Game 1 and gave up three runs on four hits and four walks over four innings. He also struck out four batters. Carlos Torres came on to start the fifth inning. He went the final three innings and gave up two runs on three hits. He walked three and struck out three… to win his third game since joining the Red Wings.

Game 2 - Rochester, Lehigh Valley

Box Score

Game is in progress. This will be updated upon game's completion.

BLUE WAHOO BITES

Pensacola 2, Montgomery 6

Box Score

Lefty Bryan Sammons started and gave up four runs on four hits over the first four innings. He walked one, hit two batters, and struck out three batters. Zack Weiss came on and gave up one run on one hit over 2 1/3 innings. He walked four and struck out one batter. Alex Phillips gave up two runs on two hits over the next two innings. He walked three and struck out one. Hector Lujan got the final two outs of the top of the ninth inning, but not before allowing an inherited runner to score and two more of his own. He gave up three hits and struck out one batter.

Travis Blankenhorn led the offense. He went 2-for-4 with his 14th double.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Ft. Myers, Daytona

Box Score

Game cancelled by Rain. It will not be made up.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 1, Great Lakes 3

Box Score

Luis Rijo put together one of the best starts in the organization in his most recent starts, and he followed it with another really strong start. The right-hander started with six shutout innings. He gave up two runs in the seventh. In 6 2/3 innings, he gave up those two runs on seven hits and two walks. He struck out six batters. Alex Schick came on and gave up one run on two hits over the final 2 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out two batters.

For the second straight game, Trevor Casanova hit a home run, his third in 15 games since joining the Kernels. A catcher, he has been playing often in the Kernels outfield, and on this night he threw out a runner at home. It provided the team their lone run. Gabe Snyder went 2-for-3 with a walk.

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In case you missed it, on Wednesday night in Cedar Rapids, they introduced their 2019 Hall of Fame class. The group included long-time Board of Directors member Gary Keoppel, players Jerry Reuss and Hector Cruz ,and manager Jake Mauer. Jeff Johnson chatted with Mauer about getting away from the game, what he misses and what he’s up to these days.

E-TWINS E-NOTES

E-Twins 0, Burlington 5

Box Score

The E-Twins had a rough game. The offense only managed four hits, the same number of errors that they had in the night.

Spencer Steer hit a triple, the team’s lone extra-base hit. Matt Wallner had a single, and he also threw out a runner at third base from right field.

Ben Gross made the start for the E-Twins. He went the first four innings and gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits. He struck out six without a walk. Lefty Erik Cha came on and gave up three runs on five hits and two walks in two innings. He struck out three. Steven Cruz struck out six batters in three scoreless, hitless innings. He walked one.

GCL TWINS TAKES

GCL Twins 3, GCL Orioles 2

Box Score

German right-hander Niklas Rimmel made the start for the Twins on Thursday afternoon. He gave up two runs (one earned) on six hits over five innings .He struck out five without walking any, though he did hit one batter. Venezuelan righty Miguel Rodriguez came on and tossed three scoreless innings for his second straight outing. On this day, he gave up one hit, walked one and struck out seven batters. Lefty Evan Gillespie, recently signed out of Faulkner University, gave up one hit in a scoreless ninth. He was credited with his first professional win.

The Twins entered the bottom of the ninth inning down 2-0. With one out, Wander Valdez, Francisco Martinez and Bryson Gandy all singled to load the bases. Alec Craig walked to bring in the team’s first run. Martinez scored on a wild pitch to tie the game. Jesus Feliz walked to reload the bases. Parker Phillips ended the game with a sacrifice fly deep enough to score Bryson Gandy with the winning run.

LaRon Smith went 2-for-4. Along with the game-winning RBI, Phillips went 2-for-4. Wander Valdez entered the game late and went 2-for-2.

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Luis Rijo, Cedar Rapids Kernels

Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Zander Wiel, Rochester Red Wings

PROSPECT SUMMARY

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

#1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out

#2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - 0-4, RBI, 3 K

#3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured List (shoulder)

#4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out

#5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 2 K

#6 - Jordan Balazovic (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch

#7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL Twins) - Did Not Play

#8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - Game 2 (

#9 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch

#10 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch

#11 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch

#12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Game 1 (1-4, R, 2 RBI), Game 2 (

#13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out

#14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) - All Star Break

#15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) - 1-3, 2 K, OF Assist

#16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - 1-4, K

#17 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Injured (Tommy John)

#18 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch

#19 - Misael Urbina (DSL Twins) - 0-3, 2 BB, R, RBI

#20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) - 2-4, 2B(14), RBI

FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Lehigh Valley @ Rochester (5:05 CST) - LHP Lewis Thorpe (4-4, 5.50 ERA)

Montgomery @ Pensacola (6:35 CST) - RHP Randy Dobnak (4-0, 2.92 ERA)

Ft. Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 CST) - RHP Blayne Enlow (2-2, 1.95 ERA)

Great Lakes @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - RHP Josh Winder (6-1, 2.32 ERA)

Burlington @ Elizabethton (5:30 CST) - Andriu Marin (1-1, 2.77 ERA)

GCL Twins @ GCL Red Sox (11:00 CST) - TBD

Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Thursday games or any other minor league topics you would like.