Twins Minor League Report (9/2): The Final Countdown

It was a very eventful day all through Twins Territory. Read on for jammed-pack excitement... or at least a recap of what happened while you enjoyed the "unofficial" last day of Summer.

ROCHESTER RED WINGS 13, SCRANTON/WB RAILRIDERS 3

Box Score[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]

From today's pregame notes:

The Red Wings made a total of 140 transactions this year, which included housing 60 different players over the course of the season. That is the highest number since 1995 (62).

Only five players made it through the whole season on Rochester's roster: Shairon Martis, Eric Fryer, Jeff Clement, Brian Dinkelman and Ray Olmedo.

Scott Diamond will take the mound at 1:05 pm at Frontier Field in hopes of securing a win.

With a win, the Red Wings also need Norfolk to lose to clinch a playoff berth. That is the only way the Red Wings season doesn't end today.

In an effort to keep you up-to-date, I posted live updates throughout the Norfolk and Rochester game. If you still don't know - isn't the anticipation killing you? - you can re-live the moment. Right now.

UPDATE 12:25 CT

Scott Diamond gave up a run in the top of the 1st, but the Red Wings answered back in the bottom of the inning scoring three runs. They currently have runners on first and third with nobody out.

Durham and Norfolk are currently tied at 0 in the top of the 6th. Durham put a runner on base with a 2-out single.

Update 12:30 CT

Norfolk got out of the inning. Heading to the bottom of the 6th. Still scoreless.

Ray Olmedo singled home Jeff Clement. 4-1, still none out in the bottom of the first.

Update 12:40 CT

Norfolk started off the bottom of 6 with a double and a walk. Durham followed that with a strikeout and double-play. On to the 7th...

Meanwhile, Rochester is still batting in the 1st. Eduardo Escobar has doubled twice and has four RBI so far in a 9-1 game. Scranton/WB has made a pitching move already. (These Red Wings must really not want to re-join the Twins. #jajaja)

Update 1:30 CT

Durham just stranded a runner on second base. He singled and later stole second. But with one out, they went strikeout/weak groundout to end the inning.

Norfolk comes to bat in the bottom of the 9th.

Rochester, on the other hand, continues to pull away...

Update 1:34 CT

Strikeout, groundout... we're one out from extra innings.

Update 1:40 CT

Durham is now batting in the top of the 10th.

Eduardo Escobar is killing it, by the way. Two doubles and home run, so far.

Update 1:45 CT

Durham has a runner on first and third with one out in the top of the 10th.

Update 1:47 CT

A single scores the game's first runner. 1st and 2nd, one out. Red Wings gotta love this...

Update 1:49 CT

Inning over on double-play. Three outs from a Durham win.

Update 1:55 CT

Of course, Norfolk singles to lead off bottom of 10th. Former Twin Jason Pridie can't get him over to second. One out.

Update 1:57 CT

That's two swinging strikeouts in the bottom of 9 for closer Kirby Yates. One out to go...

Update 2:00 CT

It's an epic battle between Yates and Buck Britton... and it ends in another swinging strikeout.

It's all on the Red Wings now... a win and they're in.

Update 2:04 CT

I gotta take a break from all of this excitement.

Top of the 6th. 12 outs away.

FINAL UPDATE

They did it. They won and, by tiebreaker, are the International League Wild Card.

Scott Diamond gave up three runs over seven innings and Virgil Vasquez tossed the final two frames.

Diamond got a Olmedo-Beresford-Parmelee triple play behind him as well.

Escobar finished with three doubles, a home run and 5 RBI. Ray Olmedo and Antoan Richardson each finished with three hits.

The Red Wings will host the PawSox on Wednesday (Cole De Vries) and Thursday (P.J. Walters) before heading to Pawtucket for games Friday through Sunday, as necessary.

NEW BRITAIN ROCK CATS 2, READING PHILLIES 3

Box Score

Miguel Sano was getting the season finale off, until Evan Bigley was ejected. Sano finished the year with 2 Ks and a line-out to third.

Brad Boyer and Kyle Knudson ended their seasons with 2-hit games.

Danny Santana and Eddie Rosario each had a hit and a stolen base.

D.J. Baxendale struck out nine over 7.1 innings. He gave up 12 hits and 3 runs. Ryan O'Rourke recorded the final five outs, with 1 K.

FORT MYERS MIRACLE

The Miracle are off today and will kick off a three-game set tomorrow with Charlotte at 6:30 ET. Game 1 is on the road with Games 2 and 3 scheduled for Fort Myers.

CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS 15, CLINTON LUMBERKINGS 6

Box Score

Miguel Sulbaran improved to 9-4 on the season with a win today. He pitched five innings and allowed two runs. He struck out only one.

The bullpen handled the rest of the game in small pieces and most of them threw successfully. Hudson Boyd (H, K, IP), Josue Montanez (.2 IP, 2 H), Brandon Bixler (.1 IP, K) and Brian Gilbert (IP, H) all had scoreless efforts in relief. Dallas Gallant was had a bit of a hiccup. Gallant got three outs, but also gave up back-to-back home runs and a walk for four total runs. He struck out two.

The offense was pretty explosive today. They scored 15 runs on 14 hits. Adam Brett Walker (27) and Jonathan Murphy (2) both homered. Niko Goodrum, Jorge Polanco, Walker, Tyler Grimes and Michael Quesada all had doubles. Quesada actually reached base in all five of his plate appearances (two hits, three walks).

The 88-50 record that Cedar Rapids finished with ties a franchise record and, to my knowledge, was the most wins in baseball this year.

The Kernels will travel to Quad Cities for Game 1 on Wednesday night. Brett Lee is on the mound. The Kernels will return home for games Thursday and Friday night. Tim Shibuya and Tim Atherton (if necessary) are the scheduled starters.