Twins Minor League Report (8/1): Kirilloff Drives in Five, Graterol Continues Comeback

TRANSACTIONS

OF Ramon Flores signed by Minnesota and assigned to Rochester.

3B Jake Hirabayashi assigned to Rochester from GCL Twins.

RHP Anthony Vizcaya placed on the 7-day IL with Pensacola.

RHP Marcos Diplan acquired in trade with/ MIL and assigned to Pensacola.

RHP Kai-Wei Ten to SF as part of the Sam Dyson deal.

RHP Carlos Suniaga on 7-day IL with Pensacola.

RHP Josh Winder on 7-day IL with Pensacola.

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 5, Scranton/WB 3

Box Score

Kohl Stewart got the nod for the Red Wings on Thursday afternoon. He pitched into the sixth inning (5 2/3 innings) and held the RailRiders to one run on six hits with two strikeouts and two walks. Jake Reed struggled in taking over for Stewart. He allowed two earned runs without allowing a hit. He struck out three and walked one in 1 1/3 innings.

In the second inning, Alejandro De Aza got the scoring started with a solo-home run, his fourth long-ball of the year. Rochester added another in the fourth. De Aza and Zander Wiel both singled before Ramon Flores doubled in a run. De Aza was in the middle of the action in the fifth inning as well. Tomas Telis singled with two outs and De Aza cracked his second home run of the day. Jake Cave added his seventh home run in the seventh.

Fernando Romero and Sam Clay finished off the game with two scoreless innings. Romero pitched 1 2/3 innings and limited Scranton/WB to one hit while striking out two and walking one. Clay was asked to get only one out and he recorded his first save.

BLUE WAHOO BITES

Pensacola 11, Birmingham 8

Box Score

Pensacola needed every one of Alex Kirilloff’s five RBIs in this one as they battled through a slugfest. Kirilloff finished 2-for-5 with his 14th double and his fifth home run, a three-run shot. Ivan De Jesus Jr also had a big night at the plate by going 3-for-4 with four RBIs including a three-run home run. Ben Rortvedt drove in a pair of runs with two outs in the inning. Overall, the club went 7-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

Griffin Jax started and got roughed up. He allowed five runs on 11 hits with two strikeouts and a walk. Jorge Alcala pitched out the of the bullpen and surrendered one run on two hits with a strikeout in 1 2/3 innings. Andrew Vasquez blew the save but was credited with the win. He allowed two runs in two innings and struck out three. Jonathan Cheshire earned his first save since joining the Twins organization with a perfect ninth inning.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Ft. Myers 3, Dunedin 0 (Game 1- 7 Innings)

Box Score

Cole Sands was outstanding even with a weather delay that impacted the start time of Game 1. He pitched six shutout innings and limited Dunedin to two hits. He struck out seven and walked one. Joe Record earned his third save with a perfect seventh inning.

CJ Cron, on rehab assignment, got things started in the third inning with a solo home run. Jose Miranda also scored in that inning on a wild pitch. Miranda was also involved in the final run of the game. Jacob Pearson drove him in for an important insurance run in the bottom of the fifth. Andrew Bechtold reached base three times and was the lone Fort Myers batter with multiple hits.

Ft. Myers 2, Dunedin 6 (Game 2- 7 Innings)

Box Score

Fort Myers got smoked for six runs in the third inning and it was tough to mount a comeback. Chris Vallimont was charged with all six earned runs as he couldn’t make it out of the third inning. Melvi Acosta pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings by striking out two.

Gabriel Maciel got the Miracle on the scoreboard with a run-scoring triple in the fourth inning. Ernie De La Trinidad and Yelstin Encarnacion both doubled in the fifth to score another run but that was it for the Miracle.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 4, Beloit 2

Box Score

Cedar Rapids and Luis Rijo allowed two runs in the first inning but that’s where the scoring stopped for the Snappers. Rijo settled in after the first and threw five straight scoreless frames. He compiled three strikeouts and one walk. He has pitched six innings or more in every start since July 4.

Alex Schick and Rickey Ramirez combined for three shutout innings to end the game. Schick picked up his fourth win as he recorded four strikeouts out of the six outs he was asked to collect. Ramirez pitched a perfect ninth inning and added a strikeout.

Tyler Webb led off the third inning with a single before Daniel Ozoria knocked his first home run of the season. The game remained tied until the ninth inning. Webb struck out to start the inning but reached first on a wild pitch. Ricky De La Torre walked to move a runner into scoring position. Ozoria bunted both runners over and then two batters later Gabe Snyder doubled, his 20th, to plate two runs.

GCL TWINS TAKES

GCL Twins 3, GCL Braves 2

Box Score

Brusdar Graterol continued his comeback by making his second appearance in the GCL. He faced the minimum in the first inning as he allowed a single and then erased that runner on a double play. He was able to hit over 100 mph again. In his second inning, the first batter flew out to center. Then he struck out each of the next two batters on three pitches and they were all swinging strikes. Would the Twins consider adding him to the bullpen for the stretch run?

https://twitter.com/AndrewBern12/status/1156958794825555969

With two outs in the third inning, Taylor Grzelakowski walked before moving to second on a Jesus Feliz single. Victor Heredia doubled, his third of the year, to drive in both runners. The GCL Twins added to their lead in the fourth when Sergio Toribio singled and moved to second on a wild pitch. After a ground out moved him to third, Yunior Severino drove in what turned out to be the game winning run.

Regi Grace took over from Graterol and was credited with his first win. He pitched four innings and allowed one run, a solo home run, with four strikeouts and three walks. Petru Balan came in for the top of the seventh, but he walked the first two batters and was removed. Bradley Hanner stepped in to finish the game with three shutout innings. He struck out two and walked one.

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

TD Pitcher of the Day- Cole Sands, Fort Myers (6.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 7 K, BB)

TD Hitter of the Day- Alejandro De Aza, Rochester (3-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R, K)

PROSPECT SUMMARY

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

#1 - Royce Lewis (Pensacola) – 1-4, R, K

#2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – 2-4, 5 RBI, HR, 2B, 2 R, K

#3 - Brusdar Graterol (GCL Twins- Rehab) – 2.0 IP, H, 0 ER, 2 K

#4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) – 0-4, 3 K

#5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – Did not play

#6 - Jordan Balazovic (Fort Myers) – Did not pitch

#7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL) – 1-4, 3 K

#8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – Injured list

#9 - Jhoan Duran (Fort Myers) – Did not pitch

#10 - Blayne Enlow (Fort Myers) - Did not pitch

#11 - Lewis Thorpe (Minnesota) – Did not pitch

#12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 0-5

#13 - Ryan Jeffers (Pensacola) – Did not play

#14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) – 1-6, R

#15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) – 1-4, R, RBI, BB, K

#16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – 1-3, 2 RBI, R

#17 - Akil Baddoo (Fort Myers) - Injured List (Tommy John surgery)

#18 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) – 1.2 IP, ER, 2 H, K

#19 - Misael Urbina (DSL) – Did not play

#20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) – Injured list

FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester @ Pawtucket (6:05 CST) – TBD

Pensacola vs. Birmingham (6:35 CST) – RHP Jhoan Duran (3-9, 3.04 ERA)

Fort Myers @ Lakeland (5:30 CST) – LHP Tyler Watson (1-4, 3.88 ERA)

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

Elizabethton vs. Bristol (5:30 CST) – TBD

GCL Twins vs. GCL Red Sox (11:00 AM CST) – TBD

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