Twins Minor League Report (8/18): Saturday In The Minor League Parks

Keep reading to find out more on the night in the Twins minor league system on Saturday. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions.

TRANSACTIONS

• On Friday night, the Kernels announced that right-hander Calvin Faucher had been placed on the DL with elbow tendinitis. On Saturday afternoon, they announced that right-hander Johan Quezada has been promoted from Elizabethton to the Kernels.
  
• Following the Twins game, Paul Molitor announced that Johnny Field would be sent back to Rochester. He will be optioned with, most likely, Robbie Grossman returning from the Disabled List.
  

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 3, Toledo 2

Box Score

The Red Wings got some strong pitching and enough offense to get the win in this game. In the first inning, Byron Buxton doubled and scored on a double by Robbie Grossman. Buxton went 2-for-5 in with his sixth and seventh doubles. Grossman went 2-for-4 and is expected to return to Minneapolis on Sunday. Kennys Vargas went 2-for-4 including his 18th home run.

Jake Reed was the “opener” for the Red Wings. He gave up one run on two hits and a walk in the first inning. He struck out one. Chase De Jong came on and gave up one run on five hits over seven innings. He walked one and struck out four. DJ Baxendale worked a scoreless ninth inning to secure De Jong’s first win in the Twins organization and his first save of the season for the Red Wings.

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Game 1: Chattanooga 0, Mississippi 1

Box Score

Sean Poppen gave the Lookouts exactly what they needed in the first game on Saturday, a complete game. The right-hander from Harvard gave up just one run over six innings. The lone run came on the 16th home run of the season for Mississippi’s cleanup hitter Travis Demeritte.

Unfortunately, he only needed to go six innings because the Lookouts were shut out. The team had just five hits. Luis Arraez and Brian Navarreto each had two singles.

Game 2: Chattanooga 7, Mississippi 10

Box Score

The Lookouts went with an all-lefty bullpen game in Game 2. Andrew Vasquez started and gave up nothing over the first two innings. He struck out three. Sam Clay came on and got just two outs. He gave up four runs on four hits and a walk. Devin Smeltzer came on and got the next four outs, three on strikeouts. However, he was also charged with an unearned run on three hits. Tyler Jay got the final two innings. He gave up five runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks.

Jaylin Davis led the offense. He went 1-for-3, but he hit his fifth home run, a three-run shot and added a fourth RBI. Brent Rooker was 2-for-5 with his 31st double. Luis Arraez went 3-for-4. It was his third straight multi-hit game. Brian Navarreto was 2-for-3 with a walk. Luke Raley went 1-for-1 with two walks and was also hit by a pitch. Zander Wiel had a single and two walks.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Ft. Myers 0, Clearwater 4

Box Score

The Miracle bats just were not able to figure out Clearwater’s Mauricio Llovera. Well, except for Taylor Grzelakowski. “Gelly” had three of the team’s four hits. Royce Lewis had a single for the other.

Charlie Barnes started and gave up four runs on six hits and two walks over 3 1/3 innings. He struck out two. Colton Davis got the next five outs, three of them on strikeouts. He walked two. Alex Robinson threw two scoreless innings. Adam Bray threw two zeroes on the board as well.

Alex Kirilloff went 0-for-3 with a walk. It was his second straight game without a hit. He hadn’t gone back-to-back games without a hit since July 7th and 8th.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 1, Wisconsin 2

Box Score

This was quite the pitcher’s duel. Jhoan Duran threw seven innings and gave up just one run on five hits. He struck out a career-high nine batters while not issuing a walk. Unfortunately, the TimberRattlers’ starter, Dylan File, also threw seven innings of one-run ball.

Starter Randy Dobnak, whose most recent appearance lasted just one inning before the rains came, worked a scoreless eighth inning. However, an error to lead off the ninth was followed by two strikeouts. Unfortunately, they were followed by two singles which ended the game.

Strikeouts were a big part of this game. Kernels pitchers combined to strike out 11. Meanwhile, Kernels batters struck out 13 times. Michael Helman led the way by going 3-for-4 including his first triple with the Kernels.

E-TWINS E-TALK

Elizabethton 3, Bluefield 4

Box Score

Big runs in the ninth, but unfortunately Bluefield ended their ninth with one more run and the win.

Austin Schulfer started for the Twins and worked five shutout innings. He gave up two hits, walked three and struck out four. Jacob Blank came on and gave up two runs on four hits over his two innings. He also struck out four. But then came the rain and there was a delay. When the game returned, Zach Neff worked a scoreless eighth inning.

Yunior Severino went 2-for-4 with his eighth double. Alex Robles hit his ninth double. But the score was tied 2-2 going into the ninth.

Chris Williams, who had a sacrifice fly earlier in the game, blasted his 15th home run to give the E-Twins a 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth.

https://twitter.com/Mike_Gally21/status/1031006558258262016

However, Neff returned for the ninth inning. He gave up a solo homer to lead off the inning to re-tie the game, this time at three. He gave up a single, and then on a sacrifice bunt, Neff had an error. He was able to coax a double play, but a two-out single ended the game.

GCL TWINS TALK

Game 1 - GCL Twins 2, GCL Red Sox 4

Box Score

This game started on Friday and went four innings before the rains came and the game was suspended. Donny Breek had started and went the first 3 1/3 innings. He gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks. He struck out five. Denny Bentley came on and got the next two outs, one on a strikeout.

When play resumed on Saturday morning, Landon Leach took the mound. He worked two scoreless, hitless innings. He walked one, hit one and struck out two batters. Petru Balan pitched the final inning. He gave up a hit and a walk, but no runs.

Rehabbing Shane Carrier went 2-for-3 with both of the Twins RBIs. Tyler Webb added a double. Austin Hale had a walk and his second double.

Game 2 - GCL Twins 2, GCL Red Sox 4

Box Score

Kai-Wei Teng gave up three runs in the first inning, but the right-hander from Taiwan went four innings and gave up four total runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out four batters. Osiris German struck out the side in the fifth inning, and Junior Navas worked a scoreless inning as well.

Victor Tademo led the offense with a 3-for-3 game. Agustin Marte went 2-for-4. Alberoni Nunez hit his first triple. Tyler Webb added his third double.

STARS OF THE DAY

Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Luis Arraez, Chattanooga Lookouts (5-7).

Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Jhoan Duran, Cedar Rapids Kernels (7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K)

PROSPECT SUMMARY

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

#1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - 1-4

#2 - Alex Kirilloff (Ft. Myers) - 0-3, BB

#3 - Brusdar Graterol (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch

#4 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 1-5, RBI, 3K, SB(10)

#5 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Did not pitch

#6 - Trevor Larnach (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, RBI, 2 K

#7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) - 0-3, K | 2-5, 2B(31), 2 R, K

#8 - Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 3K

#9 -Wander Javier - out of for the season

#10 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did not pitch

#11 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - Did not pitch

#12 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - 0-4, K

#13 - Travis Blankenhorn (Ft. Myers) - 0-4, 2 K

#14 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did not pitch

#15 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - 0-4

#16 - Yunior Severino (Elizabethton) - 2-4, 2B(8), R, K

#17 - Lewin Diaz (Ft. Myers) - Out for the season (wrist)

#18 - Ryan Jeffers (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 2K

#19 - Jacob Pearson (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3

#20 - Luis Arraez (Chattanooga) - 2-3 | 3-4

#21 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - 0-3, BB

*Since Wander Javier is out, I’d add #21 to the list.

SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester @ Toledo (5:05 CST) - LHP Stephen Gonsalves (9-3, 2.96 ERA)

Chattanooga @ Montgomery (5:05 CST) - RHP Jorge Alcala (2-5, 3.99 ERA)

Clearwater @ Ft. Myers (1:00 CST) - RHP Griffin Jax (3-1, 3.16 ERA)

Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (1:05 CST) - RHP Edwar Colina (6-4, 2.55 ERA)

Johnson City @ Elizabethton (DH @ 5:00 CST) - TBD, TBD

GCL Twins - No Games Scheduled on Sundays

Please feel free to ask any questions about Saturday’s games, or ask any questions you may have.