Twins Minor League Report (8/31): E-Twins Take Game 1

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

TRANSACTIONS

• The Twins announced that Matt Belisle would be activated from the DL on Saturday.
  
• September call ups for Saturday will include: Johnny Field, Chris Gimenez and Tyler Duffey. There had been reports from Rochester that Zack Littell left the field with his duffle bag. It's possible that they just aren't going to activate him until Sunday or something.
  It appears LHP Andrew Vasquez has been called up as well. He began the 2018 season in Ft. Myers..
  

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 1, Lehigh Valley 3

Box Score

Lewis Thorpe made his final minor league start of the 2018 season on Friday night, though he still took the loss. The southpaw from Australia worked the first seven innings. He was charged with three unearned runs on four hits and a walk. He struck out eight. He gave up the three runs in the sixth innings. With one out, Thorpe committed an error, then walked a batter. The big blow was a three-run homer that followed. Ryne Harper worked two scoreless, hitless innings.

The Red Wings managed just five hits. Jon Kemmer had two hits. Zander Wiel added a single and a walk. Byron Buxton was 0-for-3 with a strikeout. He was also hit by a pitch.

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 4, Jackson 1

Box Score

It’s been a terrific season for righty Tyler Wells. He gave up just one run on five hits over 5 2/3 innings. He uncharacteristically walked four, but he (characteristically) struck out eight. Casey Crosby got the final out of the sixth inning and worked a scoreless seventh frame as well. Tyler Jay worked a scoreless eighth inning, and Devin Smeltzer recorded his third save with a perfect ninth.

Jimmy Kerrigan led the offense. He went 3-for-4 with his seventh double. Luis Arraez added two singles. Mitchell Kranson singled and walked twice. Luke Raley was 1-for-3 with a walk and drove in two runs.

MIRACLE MATTERS

Ft. Myers 2, Clearwater 10

Box Score

The Miracle came into the season’s final weekend with a 1 1/2 game lead for a playoff spot. On this night, they were unable to help their own cause.

Griffin Jax had his first rough start of the season. He gave up six runs (five earned) on eight hits and two walks in just 2 2/3 innings. Kevin Marnon came on and gave up two runs on five hits, a walk and a hit batter over the next two innings. Alex Phillip made his Twins debut and threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings without even giving up a base runner. He struck out two. Adam Bray was charged with two runs on six hits over the final two innings. He struck one out.

Phillips was signed out of the independent Frontier League this week. Reports indicate that he is aggressive in the strike zone. His fastball sits 91 to 93 mph and he has both a slider and a curveball, both of which were referred to as “good pitches.”

Royce Lewis went 2-for-4 in the game. Alex Kirilloff went 1-for-1 with three walks. He homered in his first at-bat of the game. It was his 20th overall of the season. He also has 101 RBI.

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 5, Burlington 2

Box Score

How did Michael Davis last until the 24th round in this year’s draft. All he’s done since signing is mash to the tune of a .308 average with now nine home runs. The biggest came tonight when, down a run in the bottom of the eighth inning, he crushed a grand slam that proved to be the game winner.

Gabriel Maciel went 3-for-4. Victor Tademo was 2-for-3 with a walk and his first Midwest League double.

Melvi Acosta started. The righty gave up two runs on five hits and a walk in just five innings. He struck out two. Moises Gomez came on and threw two zeroes on the scoreboard. Zach Neff worked both the eighth and ninth frames to be credited with the Win.

E-TWINS E-TALK

Elizabethton 7, Kingsport 3

Box Score

The E-Twins began their annual playoff run with a game in Kingsport. After the win, Game 2 (and Game 3, if necessary) will be played in Elizabethton.

The offense showed up, but it was a terrific start by 2018 pick Josh Winder. The seventh-round pick gave up one run on four hits over the first six innings. He walked none and struck out eight. JT Perez came in for the seventh and got two outs. However, he gave up one run on one hit and three walks. Both outs he recorded came on strikeouts. Jacob Blank got the final seven outs to record the save. Five of the outs came on strikeouts. He gave up one run on one hit and two walks.

Yunior Severino and Ricky De La Torre, the youngest players on the team, each had three hits. Severino had a double. Gilberto Celestino went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer. Alex Robles had two hits and drove in three runs. Chris Williams had a single and two walks.

STARS OF THE DAY

Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Yunior Severino, Elizabethton Twins (3-5, 2B, 2 R).

Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Josh Winder, Elizabethton Twins (6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K)

PROSPECT SUMMARY

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

#1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - 2-4,K

#2 - Alex Kirilloff (Ft. Myers) - 1-1, 3 BB, HR(7), R, RBI

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

#4 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 0-4, 2 K, R, K

#5 - Stephen Gonsalves (Minnesota) - 3.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 0 K.

#6 - Trevor Larnach (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, BB, K

#7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) - 0-4, IBB, K

#8 - Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) - did not play

#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) - 1-4, 2B(9)

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

#14 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - 7 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K

#15 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - 0-3, BB, RBI

#16 - Yunior Severino (Elizabethton) - 3-5, 2B, 2 R, K

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

#18 - Ryan Jeffers (Cedar Rapids) - did not play

#19 - Jacob Pearson (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R, K

#20 - Luis Arraez (Chattanooga) - 2-5, 2 R, K

#21 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - 1-4, R, K

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

SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Lehigh Valley @ Rochester (5:05 CST) - RHP Fernando Romero (5-5, 3.49 ERA)

Chattanooga @ Jackson (6:05 CST) - LHP Dietrich Enns (4-5, 4.01 ERA)

Clearwater @ Ft. Myers (5:00 CST) - RHP Edwar Colina (0-1, 5.79 ERA)

Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (7:00 CST) - RHP Carlos Suniaga (3-4, 3.89 ERA)

Kingsport @ Elizabethton (5:00 CST) - RHP Luis Rijo

GCL Twins - Season Completed

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