Twins Minor League Report (8/25): Tyler Wells Continues to Impress for Chattanooga

TRANSACTIONS

To Fort Myers: RHP Edwar Colina

To Cedar Rapids: LHP Zach Neff, RHP Carlos Suniaga

Also, Jordan Balazovic was placed on the Kernels’ DL and it was reported that Michael Pineda’s rehab assignment has been put on hold due to concerns over some soreness in his knees.

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 3, Syracuse 1

Box Score

W: Luke Bard (3.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K)

SV: John Curtiss (1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K)

SP: Ryan Eades (3.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K)

HR: None

Multi-hit games: None

Rochester scored all three of their runs on a two-out rally in the fifth inning. It all started with catcher Juan Graterol drawing a walk. Alex Perez followed with a single, which chased Syracuse’s starter from the game. Byron Buxton was hit by a pitch to load the bases, then Nick Gordon drew an RBI walk. Gregorio Petit capped it off with a two-run single.

D.J. Baxendale had an impressive night, striking out four of the six batters he faced over 1 2/3 scoreless innings. John Curtiss struggled some with his control, throwing just 17 of his 33 pitches for strikes, but still picked up his ninth save.

Buxton was 1-for-3 with a single, a hit-by-pitch and two strikeouts. He also threw out a runner at home to end the sixth inning.

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Jacksonville 5, Chattanooga 4

Box Score

SP: Tyler Wells (6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K)

HR: Andy Wilkins (8)

Multi-hit games: Tanner English (2-for-2, 3B)

This game started out as a pitchers duel, with Tyler Wells absolutely dealing for the Lookouts. The first run of the game didn’t come until the top of the eighth inning when Jacksonville took a 1-0 lead. Things got real interesting from there.

Chattanooga responded with four runs in the bottom of the eighth, but their bullpen could not make that lead hold up, as they surrendered four runs right back to Jacksonville in the top of the ninth. Andy Wilkins delivered the big hit for Chattanooga, hitting a go-ahead, three-run homer with two outs in the eighth.

Circling back to Wells, after six innings of shutout ball, his ERA is down to 1.67 since joining the Lookouts. He threw 63 of his 92 pitches for strikes and punched out seven batters. He’s given up just five earned runs in 27 innings for Chattanooga and has struck out 31 batters in the process.

MIRACLE MATTERS

St. Lucie 5, Fort Myers 2

Box Score

SP: Griffin Jax (5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 1 K)

HR: Alex Kirilloff (5)

Multi-hit games: Alex Kirilloff (2-for-4, HR), Robbie Rinn (2-for-4)

Griffin Jax had his worst start of the season and the Miracle could not recover. Jax tied a season high with four earned runs and issued four walks in a start for the first time in 24 professional appearances.

Alex Kirilloff hit a home run, his fifth with the Miracle and 18th overall this season. Adam Bray pitched the final three innings, giving up one run on two hits to go along with three strikeouts. The Minneapolis native and South Dakota State product has a 1.27 ERA in 17 games with Fort Myers.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 6, Kane County 2

Box Score

W: Carlos Suniaga (5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K)

HR: Michael Davis (7)

Multi-hit games: Akil Baddoo (3-for-4, BB), Michael Helman (2-for-5, 2B), Trevor Larnach (2-for-4), Michael Davis 2-for-4, HR)

The Kernels had two runs on the board before they even made an out in the bottom of the first inning and cruised to victory. Leadoff man Akil Baddoo filled up the stat sheet, reaching base four times. He also stole his 22nd base of the season.

A quartet of 2018 draftees had big games as well. First-round pick Trevor Larnach was 2-for-4, pushing his batting average since joining the Kernels to .310, and drove in two runs. Michael Helman, an 11th-round pick, was 2-for-5 with a double and is hitting .368 in 19 games with Cedar Rapids. Michael Davis, selected in the 24th round, hit a two-run homer, his seventh with the Kernels. Finally, 31st-round pick Zach Neff logged 2 2/3 scoreless innings of one-hit ball to go with three strikeouts in his Midwest League debut.

E-TWINS E-NOTES

Elizabethton 7, Bristol 5

Box Score

W: Josh Winder (5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 7 K)

SV: Erik Cha (2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K)

HR: Yunior Severino (7), Gilberto Celestino (1)

Multi-hit games: Gilberto Celestino (3-for-4, HR), Yelstin Encarnacion (2-for-4)

E-Town jumped out to an early 4-0 lead and fended off multiple comeback attempts by the Pirates to improve their record to 36-26 this season. Josh Winder put together a solid start and Yunior Severino socked a two-run homer in the second inning. Gilberto Celestino, acquired in the Ryan Pressly deal, hit his first homer since joining the Twins and finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs.

Erik Cha, making his Appy League debut, inherited a one-run lead with one out and a runner on in the seventh inning. He gave up one hit and one walk over 2 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the save, striking out five of the 11 batters he faced in the process.

GCL TWINS TAKES

GCL Twins 7, GCL Red Sox 6 (13 innings)

Box Score

W: Michael Montero (3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K)

SP: Kai-Wei Teng (4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K)

HR: Shane Carrier (1)

Multi-hit games: Estamy Urena (3-for-5), Shane Carrier (2-for-5, HR)

Michael Montero entered this game with one out in the top of the 10th inning, after the Red Sox had scored the go-ahead run. He got out of a jam, recording the last two outs with runners on first and second base. Charles Mack tied it back up with a sac fly in the bottom of the 10th, and Montero just kept cruising.

Despite having a runner start on second base each inning, Montero posted zeros in the 11th, 12th and 13th innings. Finally, in the bottom of the 13th Hunter Lee hit a walk-off single.

Shane Carrier hit a three-run homer with two outs in the seventh inning.

STARS OF THE DAY

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Tyler Wells, Chattanooga

Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day: Gilberto Celestino, Elizabethton

TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY

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

1. Royce Lewis (FM): 1-for-5, R, K

2. Alex Kirilloff (FM): 2-for-4, HR, RBi, R

3. Brusdar Graterol (FM): Did not pitch.

4. Nick Gordon (ROC): 1-for-2, 2 BB, RBI

5. Stephen Gonsalves (MIN): Promoted to the Twins.

6. Trevor Larnach (CR): 2-for-4, 2 RBI, K

7. Brent Rooker (CHAT): 1-for-4, R, K

8. Akil Baddoo (CR): 3-for-4, BB, 2 R, K, SB

9. Wander Javier: Out of for the season

10. Zack Littell (ROC): Did not pitch.

11. Blayne Enlow (CR): Did not pitch.

12. LaMonte Wade (ROC): Did not play.

13. Travis Blankenhorn (FM): 0-for-4, K

14. Lewis Thorpe (CHAT): Did not pitch.

15. Ben Rortvedt (FM): 1-for-4

16. Yunior Severino (ET): 1-for-3, HR, 2 BB, 2 RBI, 2 R, K)

17. Lewin Diaz (FM): Out for the season.

18. Ryan Jeffers (CR): Did not play.

19. Jacob Pearson (CR): 1-for-4, R, K

20. Luis Arraez (CHAT): 0-for-1, K (as a pinch hitter)

SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester at Syracuse, 12:05 pm CT: Lewis Thorpe

Chattanooga vs. Jacksonville, 1:15 pm CT: TBD

Fort Myers at St. Lucie, 11:00 am CT: TBD

Cedar Rapids vs. Kane County, 2:05 pm CT: Tyler Watson

Elizabethton at Bristol, 5:00 pm CT: TBD

GCL Twins: Off

Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the games.