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  • Twins Minor League Report (8/4): Larnach Perfect at Plate for Pensacola


    Seth Stohs

    The Twins most certainly have been willing to go to their Triple-A players throughout the year, and few have performed as well as Devin Smeltzer. And he did it again on Sunday. Trevor Larnach led the potent Pensacola lineup on Sunday with a perfect day at the plate. Wilin Rosario is pushing for another opportunity in the big leagues. Gabriel Maciel and Bailey Ober were great for the Miracle.

    Image courtesy of Seth Stohs, Twins Daily (photo of Trevor Larnach)

    Twins Video

    Find out everything that happened happened in the Twins system on Sunday, starting with the awards of the week and the transactions of the day.

    AWARDS

    • Hitter of the Week: Gilberto Celestino, OF, Cedar Rapids Kernels - Celestino is the choice for the second straight week. In his six games this week, he hit .458 with a double, a homer and an OPS of 1.144. He came to the Twins a year ago with Jorge Alcala in the Ryan Pressly trade.
    • Pitcher of the Week: Bailey Ober, RHP, Ft. Myers Miracle - He went 1-0 on the week and gave up only an unearned run on six hits over 6 1/3 innings. He was the 12th-round pick of the Twins in 2017 out of the College of Charleston.

    TRANSACTIONS

    • Devin Smeltzer was called up to the Twins (And he had a terrific game!). Sam Dyson to the injured list.

    RED WINGS REPORT

    Rochester 3, Pawtucket 7

    Box Score

    With Devin Smeltzer getting called up to start for the Twins, it was a bullpen game for the Red Wings. Adam Bray started. He went three innings and gave up four hits and a walk. He gave up four runs in the second inning. Fernando Romero walked one and struck out three over two scoreless, no-hit innings. Jake Reed got the sixth inning and gave up three runs on three hits and a walk. Sam Clay and Jeremy Bleich each worked a scoreless in relief.

    Wilin Rosario continues to mash. He went 3-for-5 with his 16th home run. Ronald Torreyes went 2-or-4. Zander Wiel hit his 32nd double.

    BLUE WAHOOS BITES

    Pensacola 10, Birmingham 1

    Box Score

    The lineup powered the Blue Wahoos to another win, but the pitching was really good too.

    Edwar Colina started and improved to 3-0 with a 1.25 ERA since his promotion to Pensacola last month. He gave up one run on two hits over five innings. He walked three and struck out five. Jovan Moran struck out two over two scoreless innings. Jorge Alcala gave up two hits over two scoreless innings to end the game.

    Trevor Larnach was perfect on the game. He went 3-for-3 and walked twice. Royce Lewis went 1-for-3 with two walks. He also stole a base. Alex Kirilloff hit his sixth Wahoos homer. Jordan Gore was 2-for-4 with his third home run. Ryan Costello provided some late-inning insurance with his fourth homer.

    MIRACLE MATTERS

    Ft. Myers 7, Lakeland 8

    Box Score

    The Miracle jumped out to a 7-1 lead after six innings, but Lakeland scored one in the seventh, three in the eighth and three more in the ninth to walk off the Miracle.

    Bailey Ober continued his fantastic-when-healthy season for the Miracle. He gave up one run on four hits over six innings. He struck out eight batters without issuing a walk.

    https://twitter.com/AndrewBern12/status/1158086367169175552

    Moises Gomez came on and gave up four runs on five hits in 1 1/3 innings Three of the hits were home runs. Joe Record got three outs. He gave up three runs on four hits and a walk. With one out and runners on second and third in the bottom of the ninth, Melvi Acosta came in with the game tied. He intentionally walked a batter to load the bases. It is a fine strategy to try to set up an inning-ending (and game-continuing) double play. Unfortunately, Acosta also walked the next batter which ended the game.

    Gabriel Maciel was terrific out of the leadoff spot. He went 4-for-5 with his third homer. He also stole his 13th base. Andrew Bechtold and Jacob Pearson each went 2-for-4 with their fifth doubles. Jose Miranda was also 2-for-4. Trey Cabbage hit his sixth home run, and Chris Williams hit his first Miracle home run since his promotion last week.

    KERNELS NUGGETS

    Cedar Rapids 12, Burlington 4

    Box Score

    The Kernels used big innings to help them in this one. They had a three-run inning, a four-run innings and a five-run bottom of the eighth to put this one away. In the second inning, Gilberto Celestino cleared the bases with his 21st double. In the fifth inning, Albee Weiss hit a three-run homer. In the eighth inning, Tyler Webb homered and Wander Javier had a two-run double.

    Weiss led the offense. He went 2-for-3 with his sixth double and third home run. Tyler Webb was also 2-for-3 with his second Kernels homer. Javier had a walk in addition to his fifth double. Leadoff man, Spencer Steer, got on base three times. He walked twice and was hit by a pitch.

    E-TWINS E-NOTES

    E-Twins 1, Bristol 4

    Box Score

    Tyler Benninghoff put together a strong, quality start. The right-hander gave up three runs on seven this and a walk over six innings. He struck out four. Ryan Shreve came on and gave up one run over two innings. Steven Cruz struck out two in a one-hit inning.

    Max Smith led the offense. He went 2-for-4 with his seventh double. Seth Gray and Matt Wallner each added a double. DaShawn Keirsey and Trevor Jenson each went 1-for-3 with a walk.

    GCL TWINS TAKES

    GCL Twins

    Box Score

    No Game Scheduled.

    TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

    Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Bailey Ober, Ft. Myers Miracle

    Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Trevor Larnach, Pensacola Blue Wahoos

    PROSPECT SUMMARY

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

    #1 - Royce Lewis (Pensacola) - 1-3, 2 BB, 2 R, K, SB(2)

    #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - 1-4, BB, HR(6), R, 2 RBI

    #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Rehabbing in GCL

    #4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) - 3-3, 2 BB, 2 R, 2 RBI

    #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, BB, HBP, 2B(5), R, 3 RBI.

    #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Ft. Myers) - Temporary Inactive List (Pan Am Games)

    #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL Twins) - No Game Scheduled

    #8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - Injured List (groin).

    #9 - Jhoan Duran (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch

    #10 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch.

    #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch.

    #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Did Not Play.

    #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Pensacola) - Did Not Play.

    #14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) - 2-3, BB, 2 R

    #15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) - 1-4, 2B(15), K

    #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - 1-5, R, 2 K

    #17 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Injured (Tommy John)

    #18 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - 2 IP

    #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL Twins) - No Game Scheduled

    #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) - Injured List

    MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

    Rochester - No Game Scheduled.

    Birmingham @ Pensacola (6:35 CST) - TBD

    Ft. Myers @ St. Lucie (5:30 CST) - LHP Lachlan Wells (1-2, 5.25 ERA)

    Burlington @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - RHP Andrew Cabezas (4-6, 3.93 ERA)

    Elizabethton @ Kingsport (5:30 CST) - RHP Ben Gross (3-1, 3.98 ERA)

    GCL Twins @ GCL Pirates (DH @ 9:00 CST) - TBD, TBD

    Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Sunday games or any other minor league topics you would like.

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    I don't know, man... nothing about Edwar Colina is Lite... dude is hefty with Graterolesque strong legs and back side!! He's really good too!

    Seth - how about "Big Sexy" lite?

     

    Does that work for you?

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    My outside the box thinking is to approach Royce Lewis about being the Marwin Gonzalez replacement.  I think he has the makeup for it and he likely has the ability to be a plus defender at many of the positions.

     

    I like outside the box thinking, and I don't think this is a bad take necessarily. I do know, however, that I do not envy the job of whoever would be tasked with telling Royce he is going to be a super-utility guy. I suspect he views himself (rightly so) as a guy who will be put in the lineup at the same spot for 150+ games per season.

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    If Buxton injury heads into September and Cave is still not providing much offense, would Larnach be considered for a Sep callup? The guy seems pretty seasoned to me from his college career and full year in the minors.

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    So Kepler is going to the bench, then?

    Sounds like people are saying take the best offense in major league history and do a complete rebuild, interesting at best.

    Since a bunch of the other part of that offense is free agents in just over a year from now. (Cron, Cruz, Gonzalez)

     

     

    Edited by Tomj14
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    When selecting last year's deadline to this year, you must take into consideration that he got injured in August last year and played injured for some time.  I don't recall exactly how long, but it seemed like the better part of a month.  

     

    That may have had something to do with it. He also was among the top 5 for swinging outside the strike zone last year. He has no plan and no discipline. He would be a perennial all-star if he had an approach comparable to Arreaz or probably even with average plate discipline but his approach is horrible. 

     

    What about his numbers this year? He is 9th on the team in fWAR as well as wPA+. Arreaz has already passed him in fWAR with exactly half as many games played. He has had a couple streaks during his career when he has been awesome so some fans ignore the big picture. He is not a player I would extend. As a matter of fact, I hope we have a couple OFers making so much noise that the FO feels they can deal Rosario this off season or at the deadline next year. 

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    I don't understand why so many people act as if he is irreplaceable or someone we should extend for that matter. 

     

    The Stat-centric FO likely has determined that extending Rosario is a less than 50-50 proposition (or he probably would have already had his contract redrawn- they haven't done so). Obviously, at least one of the AA/AAA OFs is going to have to make the case that they'll be ready to claim LF by or before the deadline in 2020. My guess is the FO is thinking the odds are good on just that occurrence.

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    That may have had something to do with it. He also was among the top 5 for swinging outside the strike zone last year. He has no plan and no discipline. He would be a perennial all-star if he had an approach comparable to Arreaz or probably even with average plate discipline but his approach is horrible. 

     

    What about his numbers this year? He is 9th on the team in fWAR as well as wPA+. Arreaz has already passed him in fWAR with exactly half as many games played. He has had a couple streaks during his career when he has been awesome so some fans ignore the big picture. He is not a player I would extend. As a matter of fact, I hope we have a couple OFers making so much noise that the FO feels they can deal Rosario this off season or at the deadline next year. 

     

    I really do love Rosario the player.  I love the aggressiveness, the fearlessness and yet I also hate the aggressiveness that leads to easy outs and fearlessness to hit the ball in areas that are hard to hit the ball square.  He is an enigma to me.

     

    I agree with you that just a touch of plate discipline could launch him to superstar status, but he is just to eager to swing.  It is a cat and mouse game.  He needs to take pitches that are strikes sometimes.  Bait the pitcher into throwing him better pitches.  Most pitchers attack him on the edges because he will swing at pitchers pitches.  The defense is taking away his strength which is the right side of the field his pull side.  He needs to even out his his approach to be more successful.  

     

    I keep hoping for him to adjust but I just don't think he is going to.  He is who he is.  A guy with fantastic hand eye coordination who can get by on that talent alone.  If he wants to move to the next level he has some serious work to do if he chooses to do it. 

    Edited by Dman
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    Eddie's aggressiveness has its pros (able to get a big hit even off a pitcher's pitch and able to get the extra base even inducing some errors by the opponent) and its cons (popping up on one pitch after a pitcher has thrown 6 straight balls and getting thrown out at third with two outs).  These are reminiscent of Torii when he was that age and he improved as he matured.

     

    The reason I wouldn't wear Eddie's number nor use him as an example to follow is his lack of professionalism.  Since the All-Star Break alone we've seen him lolly-gag into the LF corner allowing a double to become a triple, miss a lazy fly, and this weekend admire his well struck ball that was an easy double that he turned into an out by getting stuck in a run down between first and second.

     

    The catch to trading him of course is that he's the flashy player that fans have attached to "Eddie!, Eddie!, Eddie!"

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    Eddie's aggressiveness has its pros (able to get a big hit even off a pitcher's pitch and able to get the extra base even inducing some errors by the opponent) and its cons (popping up on one pitch after a pitcher has thrown 6 straight balls and getting thrown out at third with two outs).  These are reminiscent of Torii when he was that age and he improved as he matured.

     

    The reason I wouldn't wear Eddie's number nor use him as an example to follow is his lack of professionalism.  Since the All-Star Break alone we've seen him lolly-gag into the LF corner allowing a double to become a triple, miss a lazy fly, and this weekend admire his well struck ball that was an easy double that he turned into an out by getting stuck in a run down between first and second.

     

    The catch to trading him of course is that he's the flashy player that fans have attached to "Eddie!, Eddie!, Eddie!"

     

    Next year we have a 26 man roster. One of our OF prospects is going to become the 4th outfielder. I would love to see Eddie mature and keep his spot but I would bet one of those prospects ends up earning the starting spot. This was not hard to see coming. Eddie was a favorite of my wife and I but I told her in his 2nd year he would need to improve his approach or ML pitchers would get the better of him. What is really frustrating is that he seems plenty capable in terms of pitch recognition. He is simply that undisciplined. We hear often that coached don't want o take away a players aggressiveness but allowing a player to continue to take poor ABs does not make sense. Did anyone notice during the series with the Yankee ... their players make the pitcher throw the ball over the plate.

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