Twins Minor League Report (7/8): A Busy Saturday Night

Outfielder Edgar Corcino was promoted to take the place of Zack Granite. The Red Wings still have an open roster spot - and only three active outfielders - so Granite’s presumptive return after Sunday’s game won’t necessitate Corcino being sent back to Chattanooga.

In turn, the Lookouts added outfielder Max Murphy to take Corcino’s place and also received starting pitcher Felix Jorge back from the Twins. The Lookouts had room for both after moving shortstop Nick Gordon to the temporarily inactive list due to his participation in the Futures Game on Sunday afternoon. His return will need to have a corresponding move.

Fort Myers added second baseman Dane Hutcheon from the GCL Twins to fill out their roster, though that move sounds only temporary as it was reported that lefty reliever Alex Robinson is being promoted from Cedar Rapids to Fort Myers.

There are other dominos likely to fall as well over the next couple of days as the #TwitterRumorverse was ablaze with talk of first overall pick's impending move from the GCL to Elizabethton. And who is going to join the Kernels? Brent Rooker, anyone?

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Let’s check in on all of Saturday’s games.

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 2, Syracuse 0

Box Score

Aside from a fourth inning ByungHo Park triple that scored Tommy Field, which followed a wild pitch that scored Niko Goodrum - both of who had walked - there wasn’t a whole lot of offensive action in a game that saw the Red Wings score two runs on only three hits. Field also reached base on his 22nd double of the season.

Corcino went 0-3 with a strikeout in his AAA debut with the Twins organization. (He actually got four at-bats in a three-game cameo for Toledo in Detroit’s organization in 2012 -- when he 20.)

Aaron Slegers pitched very well. He left with two outs in the eighth inning. After allowing a leadoff single in his final frame, he erased the runner with a ground ball double play, but was lifted when he allowed another hit. Jake Reed recorded the final four outs for his third save of the season.

Slegers improved to 9-4. He struck out three and scattered seven hits over 7.2 scoreless innings.

The Red Wings improved to 48-39 but still sit five games out of the wild card standings.

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 4, Tennessee 5

Box Score

The Lookouts surrendered a first-inning lead and fell after allowing the game-winning run to break a tie in the top of the ninth.

Stephen Gonsalves only last four innings (and one batter into the fifth), but threw 97 pitches. He allowed three runs on four hits and two walks. He struck out three and took a no-decision.

Raul Fernandez did a nice job pitching three scoreless frames before turning it over to Luke Bard. Bard allowed a game-tying home run in the eight, blowing the save, and allowed another run in the ninth to take the loss. It is his first blown save and second loss of the season.

The offense was led by multi-hit games from Ryan Walker, Jonathan Rodriguez and Alex Perez. Walker, Levi Michael and Carlos Paulino all doubled.

The first-half champion Lookouts have a five-game second-half lead, but fall to 13-3.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Fort Myers 9, Palm Beach 2

Box Score

The Miracle laid in the weeds for most of the game, trailing 2-0 as they headed into the home half of the seventh. A three-run seventh inning, followed by a six-run eighth-inning, meant the home team never got to bat again.

Each member of the starting lineup got a hit or two. Jermaine Palacios hit his first High-A home run (and his 12th of the season) among two hits. Jaylin Davis was 2-4 with a triple, an RBI and two runs scored. Sean Miller (double), Mitch Kranson and Tanner English (home run, two RBI, two runs) joined Palacios and Davis in the two-hit club.

Anthony McIver pitched four innings, allowing five hits, one run, one walk and striking out one, but didn’t last long enough to factor into the decision. David Fischer struck out four in three innings, surrendering one run on three hits, and picked up the win, improving to 4-6.

Sam Clay earned his fifth save for the Miracle, walking two batters over two scoreless, no-hit innings.

At 11-4 in the second half, Fort Myers is pacing the FSL North division by a game and a half.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 6, Peoria 5

Box Score

An early four-run inning evaporated in the middle innings and the Kernels needed a walk-off hit by Travis Blankenhorn to break the ninth-inning tie.

Griffin Jax lasted 5.2 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits. He struck out four. Patrick McGuff retired all four batters he faced. Hector Lujan, who was brought in to protect the save, blew it by giving up a home run, and picked up the win instead, improving to 3-0.

The Kenels offense popped for 12 hits. Aaron Whitefield was 2-4 with his 19th stolen base, a double and a triple. Gorge Munez also tripled. Blankenhorn, Amaurys Minier, Caleb Hamilton and Andre Jernigan all had doubles as well. Jernigan and Munoz each drove in two.

Minier committed two errors at first base.

The playoff-bound Kernels dropped to 9-8 in the second half.

E-TWINS E-NOTES

Elizabethton 4, Johnson City 3

Box Score

Brent Rooker continues to tear up rookie-league pitching. On Saturday, he went 3-4 with a double and a home run, his fifth of the season. Shane Carrier also went 3-4 and hit home run number two. 2016 comp round pick Jose Miranda also homered, his third.

Bryan Sammons struck out six in 3.2 innings. He also walked three, allowing only one hit. Nick Brown worked four innings in relief, striking out five, but also allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits. Blair Lasko picked up his first win, working four scoreless outs.

The E-Twins are 12-5, a half-game behind Greeneville.

GCL TWINS TAKES

GCL Twins 5, GCL Orioles 2

Box Score

The pitching on Saturday consisted of four guys who combined to throw a shutout.

Tyler Beardsley allowed only one hit over three innings, with two strikeouts. Taylor Clemensia picked up the win… but did walk five in three innings. He allowed a hit and struck out three.

Austin Bizzle, pitching in only his second game since turning professional, threw his first multi-inning game. Bizzle picked up the hold by coaxing five ground ball outs and striking out one in two innings.

Vadim Balan picked up the save.

Colton Burns led the offense going 2-3 with a walk, two stolen bases, RBI and run. Royce Lewis went 1-4 with a strikeout.

The GCL Twins improve to 9-3, atop the FSL South by two games..

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Pitcher of the Day – Aaron Slegers, Rochester

Hitter of the Day – Tanner English, Fort Myers

SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester vs Syracuse (12:35 CST) - RHP Justin Haley (REHAB) (0-0, 4.50 ERA)

Chattanooga vs Pensacola (4:05 CST) - TBD

Fort Myers vs Palm Beach (3:05 CST) - RHP Sean Poppen (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Cedar Rapids vs Peoria (2:05 CST) - LHP Anthony Marzi (1-0, 0.00 ERA)

Elizabethton vs Pulaski (5:00 CST) - RHP Edwar Colina (2-0, 2.93 ERA)

Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Saturday’s games.