Twins Minor League Report (7/4): Hits Aplenty and Another Strong Gonsalves Start

TRANSACTIONS

Rochester Red Wings

Add LHP Adalberto Mejia optioned from Minnesota

ADD RHP Trevor May reinstated from DL

Chattanooga Lookouts

Add INF Luis Arraez promoted from Fort Myers

DEL INF Sean Miller placed on restricted list

RED WINGS REPORT

Pawtucket 6, Rochester 5

Box Score

Stephen Gonsalves was on the bump for this one, and as the Twins draw closer to a selloff, each strong start gets him closer to his big league debut. In this one, the lefty was both sharp and dominant, twirling six shutout innings while striking out six and walking just one. Unfortunately, a late rally by Pawtucket would dash the Red Wings hopes for a Fourth of July victory.

Kennys Vargas continued his hot streak, starting the scoring off with a two-run blast in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Red Wings then added a third run on Cameron Rupp’s third home run of the year in the 5th.

Pawtucket made things interesting with a two-run shot of their own in the eighth, and the Rochester lead was now just one. Before handing the ball over to their closer, Rochester grabbed a couple of insurance runs. A LaMonte Wade triple and Gregorio Petit sac fly pushed the tally to 5-2.

In the ninth, Pawtucket knocked around John Curtiss to the tune of four runs (three earned). The Rochester closer went on to take his first blown save and second loss of the season. Only Wade recorded a multi-hit night, while Byron Buxton led off, going 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 6, Tennessee 2

Box Score

Sean Poppen took the ball for the Lookouts in this one, and allowing just two runs on three hits over six innings, the home squad was well positioned to earn him his second victory of the season.

The Lookouts scored early in this one, and the large lead amassed by the third inning held up throughout the game. In the bottom of the first, Alex Perez scored the game’s first run on a wild pitch. Zander Wiel then drove in Brent Roker on a sac fly, and Chris Paul did the same to score Andy Wilkins. To cap off the inning, Jaylin Davis launched a solo blast for his second homer with Chattanooga. By the second time Poppen toed the rubber, he was handed a three-run cushion.

Looking to create a bit more separation, the third inning saw more scoring from the Lookout. Another wild pitch scored Wiel, and Ryan Walker clubbed his third dinger of the year Up 6-0, the two-run homer surrendered by Poppen in the fifth ended up being irrelevant.

Tyler Jay worked two scoreless innings in this one for Chattanooga, while leadoff man Alex Perez had a perfect 5-for-5 evening.

MIRACLE MATTERS

PPD

KERNELS NUGGETS

Wisconsin 8, Cedar Rapids 6

Box Score

Despite productive at-bats cracking all evening long, the Kernels dropped this one 8-6 while outhitting the Timber Rattlers by a tally of 11-8.

Cedar Rapids got on the board first with Jacob Pearson driving in Akil Baddoo on a fielder’s choice. That lead was extended to 2-0 after David Banuelos’ ninth double of 2018 pushed Robby Rinn across the plate.

By the 7th inning the Kernels lead had evaporated, and they were now battling against a 7-2 deficit. The rally back began the seventh, as the hot-hitting Pearson picked up his third triple of the season. Baddoo scored his second run of the game, and an error on a Jose Miranda batted ball allowed Pearson to cross the plate. With two frames left, the Kernels needed to make up three runs trailing 7-4.

In the eighth inning, Baddoo found himself getting into the box score. His sixth triple of the season scored both Ben Rodriguez and Jard Akins, giving Cedar Rapids six runs on the evening. The Timber Rattlers had already added their eighth run in the top half of the eighth inning, and the two run spread is where this one ended.

Pearson has been hot at the top of Toby Gardenhire’s lineup, and Pearson got into the action as well tonight. Royce Lewis went 2-4 extending his hitting streak to eight games, and his on-base streak to 17. We should be running up against the end of the Twins top prospect’s time in Iowa.

E-TWINS E-NOTES

Elizabethton 4, Princeton 3

Box Score

Following suit with many of the other contests throughout the Twins farm system today, the E-Twins found themselves tallying hits in bunches. Accumulating 12 on their own, and combining for 22 with Kingsport, they were on the right side of the run column as well.

Tyler Palm turned in another good outing for E-Town, and his offense did enough to keep the hometown team on top at the end. Things started out a bit rocky for Palm as he gave up two runs in the first, but from there he shut the Mets down.

Yunior Severino was the first Twins player to answer. His first double of the year scored Ariel Montesino and halve the Kingsport lead. 2018 draftee Chris Williams then continued his hot streak, launching his fifth homer to knot the game 2-2 in the fourth.

Runs would be at a premium despite all of the base hits, but the Twins took their first lead on a DaShawn Keirsey Jr. single in the sixth. As Lean Marrero came around to score, the lead was a neat 3-2 tally. After drawing back even in the seventh, the Mets watched the Twins walk it off in the ninth. A Trevor Cassanova single scored Ryan Jeffers to move Elizabethton to 8-6 on the season.

Second-round 2018 draft pick Ryan Jeffers was 2-for-4 on the night, raising his average to .408 on the year. Four other E-Twins recorded two hit nights as well.

GCL TWINS TAKES

GCL Orioles 6, GCL Twins 4

Box Score

In a game that had a lot of offense, the Twins came out on the wrong side of the box score. Combining for 20 hits and 10 runs, the GCL Orioles edged the GCL Twins by a final tally of 6-4.

Squaring off against starter Tyler Benninghoff, the Orioles plated three early runs in the first inning. Despite collecting plenty of hits in this one, the Twins wouldn’t answer with their first run until the top of the fifth inning. Alberoni Nunez doubled, and Yeltsin Encarnacion stayed hot with an RBI single to drive him in. With Gabe Snyder at the dish, Encarnacion would come around to score on a wild pitch. Entering the bottom half of the fifth, the GCL squad had cut the deficit to one.

2018 draft pick Regi Grace entered the game for his professional debut. He would work two complete innings giving up three unearned runs on two hits while striking out three and walking one.

The GCL Orioles hung another three spot on the Twins in the bottom of the sixth, and the score then read 6-2. Looking for a rally, the away squad pushed two of their own across in the top of the ninth. Another Encarnacion RBI single drove in the third run of the game, while a bases-loaded walk to Janigson Villalobos plated the Twins final run. Victor Tademo flied out to end it leaving the bases loaded for the GCL Twins.

On Thursday, these two teams will get a chance to go at it again, this time in Fort Myers.

STARS OF THE DAY

Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Stephen Gonsalves 6.0 IP 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

Twins Daily Hitter of the Day – Akil Badoo 3-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 3B

TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY

1. Royce Lewis (Cedar Rapids) – 2-4, 2B

4. Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) – 6.0 IP 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

7. Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) – 2-4, R, 2B

10. Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) – 3-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 3B

14. LaMonte Wade (Rochester) – 2-4, R, RBI

15. Mitch Garver (Minnesota) – 0-3

18. Yunior Severino (Elizabethton Twins) – 2-5, 2B

19. Tyler Jay (Chattanooga) – 2.0 IP 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB 2 K

THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Pawtucket @ Rochester (4:05PM CST) – LHP Adalberto Mejia (4-2, 2.74 ERA)

Chattanooga @ Birmingham (6:15PM CST) – RHP Anthony Marzi (0-5, 7.27 ERA)

Dunedin @ Fort Myers (4:30PM CST)/Game 2 follows – RHP Tyler Wells (7-3, 2.54 ERA)

Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) – RHP Bailey Ober (4-1, 5.36 ERA)

Kingsport @ Elizabethton (6:00PM CST) – RHP Andrew Cabezas (0-1, 8.31 ERA)

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

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