Twins Minor League Report (8/30): Winder Returns, Hamilton Debuts

TRANSACTIONS

• OF Billy Hamilton was officially assigned to the St. Paul Saints, and batted leadoff in their game, playing centerfield.
• RHP Josh Winder was also activated from the injured list and made the start for the Saints.
• IF Tim Beckham elected free agency after his DFA earlier in the week.

SAINTS SENTINEL
Omaha 6, St. Paul 10
Box Score

Josh Winder returned from the injured list and made the start in St. Paul on Tuesday, and Billy Hamilton was also making his organizational debut as the designated hitter in the leadoff spot. Besides those storylines, it was an entertaining game to watch for a variety of other reasons.

The Saints took little time putting a crooked number up on the scoreboard, as walks from Michael Helman and Matt Wallner preceded a three-run bomb from guess who? 

If you answered anything but Chris Williams, we need to have a chat.

It was William’s 7th home run with the Saints, in just his 16th game with the team (that’s a higher pace than Aaron Judge this year, if you were curious), and his 25th of the year in total.

On the mound Winder came out throwing 96MPH, looking plenty ready from a velocity standpoint, but was definitely shaking off some rust as he had just one appearance on his rehab assignment. He battled through it however, finishing four innings and allowing two runs on four hits and two walks, while striking out two. He threw 57 pitches, and could be brought back to the Twins later in some form as early as this week if there is a need.

The lineup added two more runs in the second inning after four consecutive walks and an RBI single from Mark Contreras. In that sequence, Hamilton and Helman also executed a double steal. 

Hamilton led off the fourth inning with a double, and would later score on a wild pitch that made the score 6-2. This is what his speed can do:

After Winder’s exit, the Saints got a scoreless fifth inning from Ben Heller (IP, BB, 2 K), but wildness from Tyler Thornburg (2/3 IP, 2 H, 4 R, K, 2 HBP) let the Storm Chasers tie the game in the sixth. Austin Schulfer stopped the bleeding and picked up the win with 1 1/3 innings, allowing one hit and striking out one, as the Saints took advantage of Omaha miscues in the bottom half of the sixth to pull back out front for good.

After drawing a walk in each of his prior three plate appearances, Wallner finally got a pitch he liked and cut it in half, almost literally, sending a screaming line drive into the gap in right center to start the inning. Mark Contreras drove him in with a double a batter later, then the Benny Hill theme song began to play. A Jermaine Palacios blooper fell in between three players in shallow right, John Andreoli put down a bunt nobody was ready for to drive in another run, and then a slow ground ball got under the glove of the third baseman for an error that allowed another run to score for a 9-6 lead. It was an odd sequence to watch live, trust me.

The Saints would add one more insurance run in the eighth, when Palacios hit a slow grounder away from a shift, and the throw was late and sailed over first base, allowing Contreras to scamper home after he had hit another double.

Jharel Cotton (IP, BB, 2 K) and Michael Feliz (IP, K) finished off the game for St. Paul with scoreless innings.

Contreras led the way with two doubles among his four hits on the night, Palacios was 3-for-5, and Williams drove in four runners. Hamilton, Helman, Wallner, and Contreras each scored two runs on the game, and as a team they swiped five bases, including three from Helman.

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Wichita 6, Springfield 7
Box Score

Always fun to write about a matchup in a stadium I’ve had the pleasure of watching multiple games at in my life, as the Wind Surge traveled to Springfield, MO and Hammons Field to face off with the Cardinals on Tuesday (check out Ebbets Field Bar if ever in the area!).

Wichita jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first as a two-out walk from Jair Camargo was followed by a two-run bomb from Alex Isola. They added to that lead in the fourth with another two-out rally, when Yunior Severino clubbed a double and was driven in by an Anthony Prato single.

Starter Daniel Gossett, thrower of a recent no-hitter, was solid through five innings in this one. Despite surrendering five walks, he allowed just two hits and struck out nine, so was able to limit the damage to just one run.

Unfortunately, his bullpen wouldn’t fare as well, as their 3-1 lead turned into a four run deficit after the seventh inning. Fireballer Steven Cruz pitched a scoreless sixth, but three singles and just one out chased him in the seventh. Blayne Enlow was brought on to try and limit the damage, but four singles and a sac fly led to three runs being charged to each of them. Enlow did add a scoreless eighth, going one-two-three with a clean slate.

Down 7-3 in the top of the ninth, Camargo sparked a comeback with a one-out solo home run. Isola then singled before Aaron Sabato got them within one with a bomb of his own.

Anthony Prato would reach base with a single to put the tying run on base, but a groundout would leave them falling short.

Isola (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI) and Prato (2-for-4, RBI) had multiple hits. With three of their eight hits going for home runs, the Wind Surge had just one at-bat with runners in scoring position, and left only two men on base for the game.

KERNELS NUGGETS
Cedar Rapids 6, Dayton 7
Box Score

In what would be a universal theme on the night, the Kernels were also able to take the first lead against the Dragons on the road. Of note in this one, is they did it against the Twins 2021 1st round draft pick, Chase Petty.

Singles from Kyler Fedko and Wander Javier started the second inning, and they loaded the bases when Jeferson Morales was hit by a pitch. One out later, Charles Mack delivered a two-run single to put them out front early. They’d tack on three more in the fourth thanks to an RBI triple from Willie Joe Garry Jr., that was followed by a home run from Jake Rucker for a 5-1 lead. Petty’s day would be done after four, allowing five runs on seven hits and two hit batters against his former organization. He did strike out six.

Starter Orlando Rodriguez was, in comparison, dominating for Cedar Rapids. In his five innings he allowed just one run on four hits, and struck out eight Dragons. Of his 66 pitches, 44 went for strikes (67%), including 11 swinging strikes.

Cedar Rapids would add a run in the sixth thanks to doubles from Morales and Rucker that made it 6-1.

That’s where the good things stopped for the Kernels, however. After Rodriguez’s exit, Dayton was quick to adjust to the bullpen. Matt Mullenbach got just one out in the sixth, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk. While Matthew Swain got them out of that inning, he ended up allowing three runs of his own in the seventh on two hits and a walk. Derek Molina came on in the seventh with one out, and gave up two doubles, allowing the Dragons to take a 7-6 lead and the Kernels were unable to respond.

Rucker (2-for-5, R, HR, 2 RBI, K), Morales (2-for-2, 2 R, 2B, SB), and Mack (2-for-3, 2B, 3 RBI, BB) had multiple hits in the game. The Twins 2022 1st round draft pick, Brooks Lee, was 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts, but did reach base when Petty hit him with a pitch in the first inning.

MUSSEL MATTERS
Fort Myers 9, Bradenton 11
Box Score

The Mighty Mussels also struck first in this one, taking advantage of a pair of walks from Misael Urbina and Noah Miller to lead off the game. A fly out from Tanner Schobel moved Urbina to third base, and he and Miller then executed a double steal for the game’s first run. They’d add another run in the top of the third when Miller reached base on a strikeout-wild-pitch to open the frame. He moved to third on two consecutive groundouts before Ben Ross drove him in with a single and a 2-0 lead.

In a bullpen game from Fort Myers, Michael Boyle got the start and pitched into the second inning. He walked two and struck out two in 1 1/3 innings. John Wilson got the final two outs in the second before giving way to Brock Stewart in the third. He promptly surrendered a solo home run to the first hitter he faced, but got out of the inning without any further damage.

In the top of the fourth the Mighty Mussels got their big inning after loading the bases with no outs. Noah Miller drew another walk with them juiced to score the first run, and then a sac fly from Schobel led to two more runs thanks to an error on the throw from center field. 

Back out for the fifth, Stewart was unable to finish the inning as walks and wild pitches led to a pair of runs. Mike Paredes got the final out of the fourth with the score 5-3, but would allow three of his own in the fifth to tie the game at six.

Fort Myers was able to add single runs in the fifth and sixth innings courtesy of an RBI single from Rubel Cespedes and Ben Ross sac fly, respectively, but the bullpen wasn’t able to hold their lead for long.

After Paredes delivered a scoreless sixth (2 1/3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K in total), A.J. Labas was brought on to start the seventh and the 7-6 lead turned into an 11-7 deficit heading into the ninth. 

The good guys made it interesting, as three straight singles scored a run and put ducks on the pond, before another pair of walks from Urbina and Miller brought in a second run and loaded the bases with two outs. It would end there however, as Schobel struck out swinging to end the game.

Four Mighty Mussels had multiple hits in the game, but Alec Sayre was the only one in the lineup to get one for extra bases, a double. Thanks to 12 free passes they were able to score their nine runs, as they went just 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position. Miller drew five walks total, scored two runs, and stole his 21st base of the season in the loss.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day - Orlando Rodriguez, Cedar Rapids Kernels (5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 8 K)
Hitter of the Day - Mark Contreras, St. Paul Saints (4-for-5, 2 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI)

PROSPECT SUMMARY
#2 - Brooks Lee (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, HBP, 2 K
#4 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 0-for-4
#7 - Noah Miller (Fort Myers) - 0-for-1, 2 R, 2 RBI, 5 BB, SB
#9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-for-2, 2 R, 2B, 3 BB
#14 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-for-4, K
#15 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 1 1/3 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, BB
#18 - Tanner Schobel (Fort Myers) - 0-for-4, RBI, BB, K
#20 - Kala’i Rosario (Fort Myers) - 1-for-5, R, K

WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
Omaha @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CDT) - RHP Louie Varland (1-0, 1.06 ERA)
Wichita @ Springfield (6:35 PM CDT) - TBD
Cedar Rapids @ Dayton (6:05 PM CDT) - RHP Luis Rijo (0-3, 7.80 ERA)
Fort Myers @ Bradenton (11:00 AM CDT) - RHP Pierson Ohl (6-7, 3.43 ERA)

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

We are also conducting a survey on Twins Daily’s minor league coverage, and would love for you to participate. Please take a few minutes to answer some questions and provide your feedback!