Twins Minor League Report (7/24): Rochester Rakes, Sammons Sizzles, and E-Twins Walk Off

TRANSACTIONS

Rochester

RHP Zack Littell optioned by Minnesota

LHP Devin Smeltzer recalled by Minnesota

RHP Carlos Torres contract purchased by Minnesota

Fort Myers

RHP Jordan Balazovic placed on temporary inactive list (Pan Am Games)

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 10, Norfolk 5

Box Score

Triple-A baseball has seen a meteoric rise in scoring this year with the juiced MLB ball introduced, but the Rochester Red Wings have now scored 26 runs over the last two games. Drew Hutchison made the start and went five innings allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out nine and walking just one.

After a first inning run to put the home team on the board, Rochester added a crooked number in the third. Three singles scored three runs and the lead was four. Doubling the tally in the third with another trio of singles and a fielding error, Rochester was up 8-0 before Norfolk could answer.

The Tides clawed back a bit in the 5th posting a five spot, but Jimmy Kerrigan notched his 4th home run and Jaylin Davis ripped an RBI double to complete a two-run 7th inning for the Red Wings. When the dust settled 15 runs were on the board and the combined hits sat at 29. Rochester was on the right side of both categories in this one however.

Four different Red Wings batters had three-hit nights including last night’s power bat Wilin Rosario. These two clubs will put a bow on the series tomorrow morning.

BLUE WAHOOS BITES

Pensacola 4, Mobile 2

Box Score

Following a postponed tilt yesterday Pensacola got this one in. Playing just one game tonight the Blue Wahoos doubled up the BayBears to get the win. Bryan Sammons was on the bump and turned in six innings of solid work giving up just two runs on four hits. He struck out six and picked up his third victory on the season.

Mobile raced out ahead plating two in the third inning, but Pensacola’s answer came quickly. Following a successful stolen base and a pair of throwing errors Aaron Whitefield scored the first run for Pensacola. A three run fifth inning came on the backs of a Trevor Larnach double and Joe Cronin single. Doubling up the opposition after a wild pitch allowed Mark Contreras to score from third, the 4-2 lead held up the rest of the way.

Andrew Vasquez was strong in two innings of relief work while Alex Phillips picked up his first save.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Game Postponed

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 4, Wisconsin 3

Box Score

Josh Winder toed the rubber for the Kernels and came up just one out shy of going six complete. He allowed three runs on five hits and struck out four. Upon his departure he was in line for the win.

After their off day Alex Isola got the scoring started with a two-RBI double in the 2nd inning. Needing one more out to escape a jam in the 6th, Cedar Rapids couldn’t slam the door on the Timber Rattlers. Giving back the lead by a 3-2 tally they’d need to rally over the final four frames.

A lead change didn’t take long as Trevor Casanova scored on a 7th inning error to tie things up, and Gilberto Celestino drove in Ricky De La Torre later in the inning to take the lead. Isola’s two-hit game was the lone multi-hit effort, and scratching across four on six hits was a total team effort.

E-TWINS E-NOTES

Elizabethton 7, Princeton 6 (10 innings)

Box Score

Ben Gross took the ball for the Twins tonight and went four and two-thirds. Ceding three runs on three hits, Elizabethton went with the early hook. Getting strong relief work from a trio of arms, the game was winnable in extras.

Following a Princeton three-run top of the 5th, Max Smith smacked his 4th home run to answer in the bottom half. The Rays added three more between the 7th and 8th innings to push their lead to three, 5-2. Elizabehton got one back on an Anthony Prato ground out in the 8th and went to the 9th down two.

A pair of wild pitches from the Princeton reliever allowed the tying run to score and force extras. After giving up a run in the top of the 10th a familiar theme came back into play. Elizabethton evened things up on a fielding error, and then following a Matt Wallner strikeout Willie Joe Garry Jr. scored the winning run on yet another wild pitch.

The crazy finish capped off a sloppy night on the mound for the away team and gave the Twins a hard fought victory.

GCL TWINS TAKES

GCL Orioles 9, GCL Twins 5

Box Score

Anthony Escobar began this one for the Twins side, but it was recently signed Yennier Cano that drew eyes. After four innings of work from Escobar, and just two runs in, Cano came on to make his professional debut. According to Steve Buhr who was on site, there was lots of heat and no command. Cano walked four, gave up four runs (three earned) and allowed just a single base hit.

All five of the Twins runs were of the unearned variety and they came in the 8th inning. 2019 first round pick Keoni Cavaco recorded his 4th double on the season and Victor Heredia notched the lone two-hit game.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Pitcher of the Day – Bryan Sammons (Pensacola) 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K

Hitter of the Day – Jimmy Kerrigan (Rochester) 3-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR(4)

PROSPECT SUMMARY

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

#1 - Royce Lewis (Fort Myers) – Game Postponed

#2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – 1-4

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

#4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) – 1-3, R, BB, 2B

#5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 1-4, 2 K

#6 - Jordan Balazovic (Fort Myers) - Did not pitch

#7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL) - Game postponed

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

#9 - Jhoan Duran (Fort Myers) – Game Postponed

#10 - Blayne Enlow (Fort Myers) – Game Postponed

#11 - Lewis Thorpe (Minnesota) - Game in progress

#12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 3-5, R, RBI, 2B

#13 - Ryan Jeffers (Fort Myers) – Game Postponed

#14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) - Game in progress

#15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) – 0-5, 3 K

#16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – Did Not Play

#17 - Akil Baddoo (Fort Myers) - Injured List (Tommy John surgery)

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

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

#20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) – Did Not Play

THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Norfolk @ Rochester (10:05AM CST) - TBD

Mobile @ Pensacola (5:00PM CST) – Gm 1 RHP Edwar Colina (0-0, 4.50 ERA) Gm 2 LHP Charlie Barnes (2-2, 3.29 ERA)

Lakeland @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - LHP Tyler Watson (1-4, 4.10 ERA)

Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Luis Rijo (3-6, 2.67 ERA)

Princeton @ Elizabethton (5:30PM CST) - RHP Andriu Marin (1-2, 4.64 ERA)

GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (11:00AM CST) - TBD

Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games!