Twins Minor League Report (7/3): Shutouts and Scorebook Breaking Sequences

To understand just how bad I’m talking about, you’re going to have to keep reading! You wouldn't even be able to read the notes on my scorebook (I'm going to let you try, though). Also be sure to discuss all the other performances in the system on Tuesday in the comments!

TRANSACTIONS

There were a some transactions before a few of the games, with the MLB team shuffling a few pitchers at Triple A:

-The Red Wings activated catcher Jordan Pacheco from the seven-day disabled list, then had Zack Littell returned from the Twins while sending Gabriel Moya back up to the Minnesota Twins.

-In the Appalachian League, left-handed pitcher and 2018 31^st round draft choice out of Mississippe State, Zach Neff was assigned to Elizabethton.

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 2, Pawtucket 1

Box Score

After leading off yesterday’s game with a home run, Byron Buxton got this one started with a double. He scored on a Gregorio Petit single for a 1-0 lead. In the second inning Chris Carter led off with a double and later scored on an RBI single from Leonardo Reginatto.

Fernando Romero took it from there and was effectively wild to keep the Red Sox off the scoreboard. In 5 2/3 innings he allowed just three hits but walked five. He also struck out eight, but after a single to load the bases in the sixth and him at 98 pitches, Tyler Duffey was summoned from the ‘pen. He escaped the jam and would finish two scoreless innings. He allowed two hits and a walk while striking out one. Alan Busenitz came on for Duffey with two outs and two runners on in the eighth and also got the final out without a runner scoring. He remained in the game for the ninth and made it somewhat interesting by giving up a solo home run but got all three other hitters out, including a K, to pick up his fourth save of the year.

Petit finished with three hits including a double in five trips to the plate, and Edgar Corcino (2-for-4, K) and Reginatto (2-for-4, RBI) also had multiple hits to pace the lineup.

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 3, Tennessee 5

Box Score

This game was tied at three through six innings, but the Smokies were able to get to reliever Ryan Eades in the seventh, pushing two across for the game’s final score.

The Lookouts got multiple hit efforts from Alex Perez (2-for-5, R), Brent Rooker (2-for-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, K), and Mitchell Kranson (2-for-4, 2B, RBI). Rooker’s double in the third inning was of the two-RBIs variety and he has nine RBIs in his last ten games along with four homers as he continues coming on in AA. As a team Chattanooga was 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.

Omar Bencomo gets credit for a quality start, as he finished the first six innings and allowed three runs. Those came on nine hits and two walks and he struck out three along the way. Eades finished the game with a scoreless eighth, getting the next three hitters out including a pair of K’s after a leadoff double. He allowed four hits total and struck out three.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Fort Myers 0, Charlotte 1

Box Score

The Miracle faced off against the Tampa Bay Rays ace on Tuesday night, with Chris Archer taking the hill in his first rehab start since going on the major league disabled list in early June. He held Fort Myers hitless through his four innings, walking only Luis Arreaz in the first while striking out seven.

Fortunately for the good guys, Clark Beeker matched him in the run allowed column for those same innings. He allowed only an unearned run in 5 1/3 innings after an error in the fifth, and allowed four hits, walked one, and struck out one. Alex Robinson threw two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, allowing a hit and walk with three strikeouts. Tom Hackimer got their final two outs, striking out both hitters he faced.

Alex Kirilloff finally got a hit for Fort Myers in the seventh inning on a bloop single to center, but also got caught attempting to steal second. Caleb Hamilton added a single in the eighth and that was all the offense could muster. With the score still 1-0 in the top of the ninth, they went down one-two-three to fall to 35-45 on the season.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 4, Wisconsin 0

Box Score

Cedar Rapids got a fantastic start from right-hander Randy Dobnak and used a three-run second inning to take control of the game in a shutout of Wisconsin.

Dobnak went 7 2/3 innings to improve his record to 6-2 on the season. He allowed six hits (five singles), walked none, and struck out seven. Thanks to some help from his defense and Timber Rattlers base running, he had only faced the minimum through 17 hitters. At 90 pitches (66 for strikes) and after allowing a two-out single in the eighth, Jovani Moran came up for the final out of the inning and would also finish the game. Twins Daily’s MiLB Relief Pitcher of the Month for June started off his July by striking out all four hitters he faced.

In their three-run second inning, the Kernels got singles from Robby Rinn and Trey Cabbage, as well as doubles from Andrew Bechtold and Jordan Gore. Bechtold’s drove in one runner while Gore’s drove in two. They added an insurance run in the seventh on a sac fly from Jose Miranda.

Royce Lewis (2-for-5, 2B), Rinn (3-for-4, R, 2 2B, K), and Gore (2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, BB) collected multiple hits for Cedar Rapids.

E-TWINS E-NOTES

Game 1: Elizabethton 4, Princeton 5 (7 innings)

Box Score

In game one of their doubleheader, the E-Twins squandered an early 3-1 lead and fell to Princeton 5-4 in seven innings.

DaShawn Keirsey drew a walk to lead off the game and would score the game’s first run on a Ryan Jeffers single later for a 1-0 lead. They extended that to 3-1 after two thanks to a two-run from Colton Burns.

Starter Kyle Funderbunk went the first 2 1/3 innings for Elizabethton, where he allowed one earned run on two hits and three walks while striking out two. Seth Pinkerton went the next 1 1/3 and was on the mound to start the fifth, but two home runs and a walk put the Twins behind 4-3 before he could record another out. Johan Quezada finished the final two innings, allowing the go-ahead run in the sixth after a double and two pitches that got by the catcher.

In the top of the sixth Elizabethton tied the game at four on an RBI groundout from Alex Robles, but they would strand a runner on third via a double-play ball and couldn’t push a run across in the seventh.

Trevor Casanova reached base every time he came up, finishing 2-for-2 with a double, run scored, and a walk.

Game 2: Elizabethton 10, Princeton 6 (7 innings)

Box Score

In game two Elizabethton found themselves down 6-2 heading into the shortened game's final inning but would capitalize on pitching and defensive miscues galore to storm back and take this one in the seven innings.

Pedro Garcia got the start for the Twins and went just two innings. He allowed five runs (four earned) on three hits and three walks while striking out three. Moises Gomez got them through the fifth, allowing one run on two hits along with picking up two K’s. Assigned after inking his pro contract, Zach Neff picked up the win with two scoreless frames to finish the game. He waked one and struck out two.

In the top of the seventh, fourteen hitters stepped into the batter’s box for Elizabethton, and only one player produced any hits (two singles), but they still put up eight runs thanks to an epic collapse from the Rays defense and bullpen. Two walks led off the frame before DaShawn Keirsey singled to load the bases. The arm that came out of the Rays bullpen next had this sequence in your scorebook (bear with me, it’s ridiculous):

HBP (RBI)

SF-9, RBI, (1 out)

WP-BB/PB (unearned run)

K (2 out)

K/WP/E-3 (unearned run)

E-5 (unearned run)

E-3/BB

BB

Since that’s hard to decipher but still doesn’t tell the whole story, here’s how bad that sequence was in words:

Hit-by-pitch, RBI sac fly, wild pitch to advance a runner before the at-bat ended in a passed ball for ball four that allowed a run to score, strikeout, strikeout on a wild pitch combined with a missed catch error on the throw to the first baseman (would have been third out), error on ground ball to third, dropped ball error in foul territory on first baseman that ended as another walk, walk.

Needless to say it was over after that, but after a new pitcher was sacrificed, Keirsey delivered his second hit of the inning that brought in two more. Unfortunately, they weren’t RBI’s, as this single was of the infield variety and included another error on the shortstop. Neff ended the Rays suffering with a double-play ball and strikeout in the bottom half of the seventh.

The Twins had just five hits as a team, with Keirsey picking up three of them total (3-for-5, R, RBI). Ariel Montesino and Albee Weiss added doubles. Andrew Cosgrove drew three walks.

GCL TWINS TAKES

GCL Orioles 0, GCL Twins 4

Box Score

The Twins got some fantastic pitching throughout their staff on Tuesday, as four pitchers combined on a shutout, allowing just two hits and striking out eight.

Andriu Marin picked up his second win in three starts by going the first five innings. He allowed only one hit and struck out five. Tanner Howell got the next two innings, allowing the other hit and striking out one. Petru Balan and Frandy Torres each pitched scoreless innings to close out the game. They each struck out one, with Balan giving up a walk and Torres having a runner reach on an error.

On offense, the Twins racked up ten hits as a team led by Yeltsin Encarnacion who finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a solo home run to lead off the game. Gabe Snyder had two hits in four trips and Augustin Marte drove in two with a single in the fifth.

The Twins improve to 8-5 in Gulf Coast League play, tied for first in the South Division.

STARS OF THE DAY

Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Randy Dobnak, Cedar Rapids Kernels (W, 7.2 IP, 6 H, 7 K) GS: 81

Twins Daily Hitter of the Day – Yeltsin Encarnacion, GCL Twins (3-for-4, 2 R, HR, RBI)

TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY

1. Royce Lewis (Cedar Rapids) – 2-for-5, 2B (21)

2. Fernando Romero (Rochester) – (W, 5.2 IP, 3 H, 5 BB, 8 K)

3. Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 0-for-5, K

4. Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) – Did not pitch.

5. Alex Kirilloff (Fort Myers) – 1-for-3

6. Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – Out for season with injury.

7. Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) – 2-for-4, 2 2B (20), 2 RBI, K

8. Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Did not pitch.

9. Brusdar Graterol (Cedar Rapids) – Did not pitch.

10. Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-4, 2B (14), BB, 2 K

11. Zack Littell (Rochester) – Did not pitch.

12. Lewis Thorpe (Chattanooga) – Did not pitch.

13. Lewin Diaz (Fort Myers) – 0-for-3

14. LaMonte Wade (Rochester) – 1-for-4, 2 K

15. Mitch Garver (Minnesota) – Did not play.

16. Ben Rortvedt (Fort Myers) – Did not play.

17. Travis Blankenhorn (Fort Myers) – 0-for-4, 2 K

18. Yunior Severino (Elizabethton Twins) – 0-for-3, RBI, K

19. Tyler Jay (Chattanooga) – Did not pitch.

20. Felix Jorge (Rochester) – Did not pitch.

WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Pawtucket @ Rochester (6:05PM CST) – LHP Stephen Gonsalves (5-3, 4.30 ERA)

Chattanooga @ Birmingham (5:15PM CST) – TBD

Dunedin @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) – LHP Charlie Barnes (3-4, 3.15 ERA)

Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (5:05PM CST) – RHP Edwar Colina (3-2, 3.24 ERA)

Kingsport @ Elizabethton (6:00PM CST) – RHP Tyler Palm (1-1, 11.57 ERA)

GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (9:00AM CST) - TBD

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