Twins Minor League Report (7/29): Graterol's Return

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

AWARDS

• RHP Randy Dobnak was named the Pitcher of the Week for the International League. Dobnak made two starts for the Red Wings and went 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA. In 12 1/3 innings, he gave up just seven hits, hit one batter, walked three and struck out ten batters.
  

TRANSACTIONS

• Blake Parker elected to become a free agent after being outrighted.
  
• Brusdar Graterol began his rehab assignment in the GCL.
  
• Yunior Severino began his rehab assignment in the GCL.
  

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 5, Buffalo 6

Box Score

The game was tied at 3-3 heading into the bottom of the eighth. Cody Allen came on for the Red Wings. He gave up a single which was followed by a sacrifice bunt. After an error, a double put Buffalo ahead by one. Following a strikeout, Allen gave up a two-run single. The batter was thrown out at second by Alejandro de Aza to end the inning. Allen was charged with three runs (just one earned) on three hits.

Drew Hutchison started and gave up three runs (2 earned) on three hits in the first five innings. He walked five and struck out four batters. Sam Clay struck out three over two scoreless, one-hit innings. He walked two.

Down 6-3 going into the ninth inning, Jaylin Davis hit a two-run homer to cut the lead to one, but they were unable to score another.

Nick Gordon went 2-for-4 with his 26th and 27th doubles. Jake Cave was 2-for-4 with his 16th double. Rochester hitters were hit by five pitches.

BLUE WAHOOS BITES

Pensacola 0, Jacksonville 1

Box Score

The Blue Wahoos faced one of baseball’s best pitching prospects, Marlins RHP Sixto Sanchez. He came as advertised. He went six innings and gave up just two hits, including a double off the bat of Royce Lewis. The Wahoos ended the game with just three total hits. Mark Contreras walked twice.

Lefty Bryan Sammons started. He gave up a run on three hits over the first 4 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out six batters. Anthony Vizcaya went the next 2 2/3 innings. He struck out four and gave up just one hit. Tom Hackimer came on and got the final two outs, though he did hit a batter.

In case you were wondering, Lewin Diaz went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in his Jumbo Shrimp debut.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Ft. Myers

Box Score

No Game Scheduled.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 7, Clinton 9

Box Score

The Kernels fell behind 6-1 after just a couple of innings. They clawed their way back and had the tying-run on base when the game ended in a loss.

Tyler Palm started and gave up six runs (2 earned) in 4 2/3 innings. He gave up seven hits, walked none and struck out three. Carlos Suniaga gave up two runs on four hits over the next two innings. Ricky Ramirez gave up an unearned run over the final 2 1/3 innings.

Trevor Casanova went 3-for-4 in the game and drove in two runs. Gilberto Celestino went 2-for-5 with his 20th double. Alex Isola hit his second Kernels home run, a two-run blast in the 7th inning. He drove in three runs. Jared Akins walked three times.

E-TWINS E-NOTES

E-Twins 1, Burlington 5

Box Score

Elizabethton got behind early and were unable to muster enough offense to mount a comeback.

Tyler Benninghoff started and gave up five runs on five hits over 4 1/3 innings. He walked four and struck out four batters. Erik Cha worked the final 3 2/3 innings. He gave up one hit, walked three and struck out four batters. He also got a couple of double plays to help him pitch zeroes.

Max Smith went 2-for-4 with his fourth and fifth doubles. Kidany Salva went 2-for-3. The Twins got their lone run on the first professional home run of first baseman Trevor Jenson.

https://twitter.com/ETwinsBaseball/status/1155985338906505217

GCL TWINS TAKES

GCL Twins 4, GCL Rays 1

Box Score

The big news is that Brusdar Graterol made his return to the mound in a rehab start. He threw the first inning and worked a perfect first inning with two strikeouts. The fastball was mostly at 100 mph per reports.

Other big news is the performance of 18-year-old Anthony Escobar. On this day, he worked seven innings and gave up just one run on five hits. He walked two and struck out six batters. He is now 3-1 with a 2.10 ERA in 25 2/3 innings. Jose Guevara picked up the save with a scoreless ninth inning.

There were other rehabbing players. Taylor Grzelakowski (ankle) went 0-for-2 with two walks in the game. Also, Yunior Severino (thumb) returned and played second base. He went 1-for-3 with a first-inning double.

Francisco Martinez led the offense by hitting his third and fourth double of the season.

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Anthony Escobar, GCL Twins

Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Nick Gordon, Rochester Red Wings

PROSPECT SUMMARY

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

#1 - Royce Lewis (Pensacola) - 1-4, 2B(2)

#2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - Did Not Play

#3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Rehab in GCL, 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

#4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) - 1-4, 3 K

#5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, 2 R, RBI, SB(2)

#6 - Jordan Balazovic (Ft. Myers) - Temporary Inactive List (Pan Am Games)

#7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL Twins) - 0-4, 2 K

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

#9 - Jhoan Duran (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch

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

#11 - Lewis Thorpe (Minnesota) - No Game Scheduled

#12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 2-4, 2-2B(27), HBP, R

#13 - Ryan Jeffers (Pensacola) - 0-4

#14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) - Did Not Play

#15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) - 0-4, 2 K

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

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

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

#19 - Misael Urbina (DSL Twins) - 0-3, BB, K, CS

#20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) - Injured List

TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester @ Buffalo (1:05 CST) - LHP Devin Smeltzer (1-3, 3.02 ERA)

Pensacola @ Jacksonville (6:05 CST) - RHP Edwar Colina (1-0, 1.64 ERA)

Dunedin @ Ft. Myers (6:00 CST) - RHP Dakota Chalmers (1st Miracle start)

Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (6:30 CST) - TBD

Elizabethton @ Burlington (5:30 CST) - RHP Ben Gross (3-1, 2 64 ERA)

GCL Twins @ GCL Rays (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.