Twins Minor League Report (7/22): Contreras Provides Walkoff Win for Wahoos

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

TRANSACTIONS

• The Twins placed 1B CJ Cron on the IL (thumb), and they officially optioned RHP Zack Littell.
  
• LHP Lewis Thorpe was promoted while RHP Cody Stashak was added to the 40-man roster and then the 25-man roster.
  
• RHP Randy Dobnak was promoted to AAA Rochester.
  
• Infielder Michael Helman was placed on the Miracle Injured List with a right forearm fracture.
  

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester

Box Score

Travel Day for the Red Wings.

BLUE WAHOOS BITES

Pensacola 5, Mobile 3

Box Score

The Wahoos grabbed an early 2-1 lead in this game, and extended it to 3-1 in the 7th innings. However, Mobile grabbed one run in the 8th and another in the 9th inning to tie it. But outfielder Mark Contreras didn’t want extra innings and ended the game with a two-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth to give Pensacola the win.

https://twitter.com/BlueWahoosBBall/status/1153497247277092866

Contreras went 2-for-4 in the game. Alex Kirilloff went 2-for-4 as well. Brian Navarreto had a big game. The burly catcher went 2-for-3 with his fifth double and fifth home run of the year. Lewin Diaz added his fifth home run since joining the Blue Wahoos.

https://twitter.com/MiLB/status/1153493587126104067

Griffin Jax had a couple of tough starts of late, but he was in fine form on Monday night. He gave up two runs (1 earned) on four hits over seven innings. He walked two and struck out eight. Alex Phillips came on for the eighth inning. He gave up a run that inning. He then left the game with two runners on in the top of the ninth inning. Tom Hackimer came on and allowed one of the inherited runners to score. But he kept the game tied going to the bottom of the ninth inning.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Ft. Myers, Dunedin

Box Score

Rained out. Doubleheader tomorrow.

https://twitter.com/MiracleBaseball/status/1153413204564946947

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 2, Ft. Wayne 10

Box Score

It was not a great night for the Kernels pitchers. I mean, any time that two position players get to pitch in a game, things probably didn’t go as planned.

Tyler Palm started. He gave up five runs (2 earned) on six hits in just three innings. He walked four batters and struck out three. Alex Schick came on and was charged with three runs on two hits and three walks in 1 1/3 innings. He struck out two. Nate Hadley continued his impressive pro debut. He went 2 2/3 innings without allowing a run. He gave up just one hit, walked on and struck out three batters. Infielder Daniel Ozoria came on to start the bottom of the eighth inning. He recorded just one out and gave up two runs on five hits. Yeltsin Encarnacion then came in from second base. He needed ten pitches, but the one batter he faced grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Gilberto Celestino led the Kernels offense by going 3-for-4. Wander Javier added his fifth home run of the season.

One interesting thing to watch… Ft. Wayne outfielder Dwanya Williams-Sutton was hit by a pitch four times on Monday. Then again, the teams don’t play again in 2019.

Also for Ft. Wayne, infielder Luke Becker walked three times in the game. The Fairmont, MN, native now has 19 walks and just 14 strikeouts on the season. He was the Padres’ 9th round pick a year ago out of Kentucky.

E-TWINS E-NOTES

E-Twins, Bluefield

Box Score

Game postponed due to wet grounds.

https://twitter.com/ETwinsBaseball/status/1153427078907404288

GCL TWINS TAKES

Game 1 - GCL Twins 6, GCL Pirates 0

Box Score

Dakota Chalmers returned to the mound for another rehab start. The right-hander gave up just one hit over five shutout innings. He walked four and struck out five batters. Junior Navas gave up just one hit over the final two innings.

The Twins scored six runs. Sergio Toribio walked twice and had a sacrifice fly. He drove in two of the runs. Francisco Martinez tripled. LaRon Smith doubled. Keoni Cavaco had a single and an RBI.

Game 2 - GCL Twins 9, GCL Pirates 4

Box Score

The Twins came away with the doubleheader sweep. Wander Valdez hit a three-run homer, his fourth of the short-season. Francisco Martinez went 2-for-4 with a double. Jake Hirabayashi tripled.

Donny Breek started and went the first three innings. He was charged with an unearned run on one hit and four walks. He struck out three batters. Steven Theetge came on for his professional debut. He gave up one run on two hits and a walk over two innings to record his first professional Win. Petru Balan gave up two runs on three hits over the final two innings. He struck out three.

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Griffin Jax, Pensacola Blue Wahoos

Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Brian Navarreto, Pensacola Blue Wahoos

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) - 2-4, K

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

#4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) - 0-4, 3K

#5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R, RBI, HR(5)

#6 - Jordan Balazovic (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out

#7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL Twins) - 1-4, RBI, 3K

#8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - Injured List (groin).

#9 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out

#10 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out

#11 - Lewis Thorpe (Minnesota) - In Progress

#12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - No Game Scheduled.

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

#14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) - In Progress

#15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) - Rained Out

#16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - 0-4, 3 K

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

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

#19 - Misael Urbina (DSL Twins) - Did Not Play

#20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) - Injured List

TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Norfolk @ Rochester (6:05 CST) - TBD

Mobile @ Pensacola (6:35 CST) - LHP Bryan Sammons (2-3, 5.26 ERA)

Ft. Myers @ Dunedin (DH @ 12:00 CST) - RHP Cole Sands (3-2, 2.04 ERA), RHP Jhoan Duran (2-8, 3.16 ERA)

Cedar Rapids - No Game Scheduled

Princeton @ Elizabethton (5:30 CST) - RHP Tyler Benninghoff (2-1, 6.38 ERA)

GCL Pirates @ GCL Twins (11:00 CST) - TBD

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