Twins Minor League Report (7/27): Del Rosario is Stunning and Rooker Goes Yard

Find out everything that happened in the Twins minor league system on Thursday.

Transactions: Anthony Recker promoted to Rochester from Chattanooga, taking Murphy’s spot, Brian Navarreto was promoted from Fort Myers to Chattanooga to take Recker’s spot, and the Lookouts also added LHP Gabriel Moya (the return for John Ryan Murphy). Twins signed Indy baller Jimmy Kerrigan and have assigned him to Cedar Rapids, and he’ll join the team Saturday.

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 3 @ Indianapolis 1

Box Score

I just don’t even know what to do about Kyle Gibson. He started on Thursday night for the Red Wings and tossed 5.0 innings of 1-hit baseball. He struck out five and didn’t walk a soul. Alex Wimmers replaced Gibson, throwing 2.1 innings and giving up no runs, two hits, a walk and grabbed a strikeout. Michael Tonkin threw in 0.2 innings of scoreless ball but then ran into trouble in the ninth, giving up a walk and a pair of hits to start the ninth before striking out the next batter and being replaced by John Curtiss with one out in the ninth and the bases loaded. Curtiss induced a sacrifice fly to give Indianapolis their first run of the night (charged to Tonkin), and then struck out the final batter of the game to earn the save.

The Wings used efficient team play, as they had just seven hits, only one for extra bases, a double, to push three runs across, thanks to a lousy 1-10 performance with runners in scoring position. No Wings player had more than one hit, although Kennys Vargas was 1-2 with a double and two walks, and Tommy Field had a pair of walks as well. Niko Goodrum was 1-3 with a walk and a run scored, plus a pair of stolen bases.

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Birmingham 9 @ Chattanooga 6

Box Score

The Lookouts played from behind most of the night, despite taking an early 1-0 in the first inning. They gave up multiple runs in the third, fourth, sixth and seventh innings, allowing nine runs to cross the plate. Not a great game for the pitching staff. The hitters tallied 11 hits, six for extra bases and threw in another three walks, led by Carlos Paulino, the nine-hitter, who was 2-3 with an RBI, a walk and two runs scored. Nick Gordon was 1-5 with a pair of RBI at the top of the order, and former first-rounder Levi Michael was 2-5 with a solo home run, and 2 RBI.

Starter Dereck Rodriguez went 5.2, giving up seven runs, all earned, on six hits and four walks. He struck out four. He was lifted for Randy LeBlanc, who lasted 2.1 innings giving up five hits of his own, and two more runs before Luke Bard came in for the ninth, holding the Barons hitless and grabbing a strike out.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Fort Myers 9 @ Lakeland 2

Box Score

The two best performances from the Twins system both came in Lakeland on Thursday night as Eduardo Del Rosario was nearly flawless in his Florida State League debut, and Jermaine Palacios nearly hit the cover off the baseball. Del Rosario pitched 8.0 innings and gave up only gave up one hit, one unearned run, one walk, and he struck out four. This is the second time Del Rosario has thrown 8.0 innings on the year, and might be his best start (though a 7.0 inning shutout game with 10K's back on April 25^th is a strong contender as well). Del Rosario turned the ball over to Anthony McIver in the ninth, who ran into a wee bit of trouble and came out after 0.2 innings, after giving up a pair of hits and an unearned run. He was replaced by Andrew Vasquez who struck out the only batter he faced to end the game.

Big day with the sticks for the Miracle as Tanner English, Jermaine Palacios and Brent Rooker all went deep as part of a nine-run outburst. Palacios led the way with a 4-5 night that included a solo home run, and three RBI. Zander Wiel also had a nice day, 3-5 with a run scored.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 1 @ Peoria 3 (Game 1)

Box Score

In the first game of two 7-inning games on Thursday night (making up for a rain out on Wednesday) the Kernels took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first but gave up a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning and never scored again. The Kernels were just 1-5 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base. No player had multiple hits, but three of the five hits were doubles, one each from Travis Blankenhorn, Ben Rortvedt and Amaurys Minier.

The Kernels got a full game out of their starter Tyler Beardsley on just six innings, saving the bullpen for game two. Beardsley pitched 6.0 innings, gave up six hits, three earned runs, struck out one, and gave up a home run. Beardsley gave up a fair number of hits, but was fairly efficient over six innings, throwing just 80 pitches. Quick game at Dozer Park in Peoria, even for a 7-inning game, clocking in just under an hour and a half at 87 minutes.

Cedar Rapids 0 @ Peoria 4 (Game 2)

Box Score

Kernels starter Evan Sanders struggled through 4.0 innings, giving up just three hits, but he walked six and gave up four earned runs. He also struck out four. With a fully rested bullpen after the first game, it was time to bring in a reliever and Patrick McGuff got the call in the fifth. McGuff gave Cedar Rapids 2.0 innings of scoreless ball, giving up a pair of hits and recording three strikeouts.

After not scoring for the final six innings in the early game, the Kernels extended their scoreless streak to 13 innings, failing to bring anyone home. The Kernels had just three hits, and a pair of walks for five base runners, and were 0-3 with runners in scoring position. Travis Blankenhorn, Lewin Diaz and Trey Cabbage all had singles. Lewin Diaz and Caleb Hamilton walked.

E-Twins E-Notes

Elizabethton @ Princeton

Postponed, Rain

GCL Twins Takes

GCL Twins 8 @ GCL Orioles 14

Box Score

It takes a lot to blow a 5-0 lead, but after seeing the Twins do in earlier this week, the GCL Twins figured they’d give it a try as well. Up 5-0 heading into the bottom of the third, the GCL Twins gave up 11 runs. A lot of things have to go wrong to give up 11 runs in an inning. But three errors, a passed ball, a home run, a walk, a pair of intentional walks, a walk, six singles and a double will pretty much do it every time. All that before an inning-ending double play. Not a great day for starter Taylor Clemensia who gave up seven runs, but just two earned, through 2.1 innings. Amilcar Cruz suffered as well, giving up four runs, all earned, over 2.2 innings before turning the ball over to Joe Rosenstein who got into the run-giving up game as well, giving up a three spot over 2.2 innings. Dane Hutcheon, mercifully, ended the eighth, and the night for GCL Twins pitchers, striking out the only batter he faced. Hutcheon, you may not be aware, is an infielder.

The GCL Twins did manage put eight runs across the plate, so a couple of guys had pretty solid days, led by Benjamin Rodriguez 3-5 with a double, a run scored and 3 RBI. Royce Lewis was 2-4 with three runs scored. Every other GCL Twins player had a hit, except Roni Tapia, who was 0-4 with a K.

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Eduardo Del Rosario, Fort Myers Miracle

Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Jermaine Palacios, Fort Myers Miracle

FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester @ Toledo (6:05pm) – Tim Melville (3-3, 2.63)

Birmingham @ Chattanooga (6:15pm) – Fernando Romero (9-6, 2.68)

Fort Myers @Lakeland (5:30pm) – Brady Anderson (4-6, 4.65)

Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (7:00pm) – Domenick Carlini (3-8, 5.40)

Elizabethton @ Princeton (4:00pm) – Bryan Sammons (1-0, 1.83)

GCL Red Sox @ GCL Twins (11:00am)

Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Thursday's games.