Twins Minor League Report: AFL Week 6

Let’s check out what happened in week 6!

Byron Buxton – Did not play.

Buxton had surgery on his fractured finger three weeks ago, and is expected to be ready to go for spring training.

Final AFL totals: 13 games, .263/.311/.298, 2 2B’s, 6 RBI, 4 BB, 12 K’s, 5 SB (6 attempts)

Eddie Rosario – 3 games, 2-13 (.154), 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K’s.

Rosario admittedly let the pressure of winning the League’s batting title affect him in the season’s final days, and the results showed. He had just two hits in thirteen at-bats, which resulted in a final batting average of .330 to finish second in the race.

Of course, it didn’t matter much two days later, as Rosario had his best game of a fantastic overall AFL season in the League Championship game.

Final AFL totals: 24 games, .330/.345/.410, 4 2B’s, 2 3B’s, 18 RBI, 5 BB, 19 K’s, 10 SB (14 attempts).

Max Kepler – 3 games, 7-14 (.500), 4 R’s, 2B, 3B, 1 RBI, 1 K.

Kepler had a strong final three games, racking up multiple hits in each contest to raise his average to .307 to finish the season.

In Monday’s 8-4 win he was 2-4 and scored two runs. The next night he was 2-5 with a run scored, double, and an RBI in a 4-4 eleven inning tie. Then in his final game of the week, Wednesday’s 4-5 loss, he was 3-5 with a run scored and a triple.

Final AFL totals: 18 games, .307/.366/.440, 4 2B’s, 3 3B’s, 7 RBI, 6 BB, 14K’s, 3 SB (3 attempts)

Taylor Rogers – 1 game, 1 IP, 0 H’s, 0 BB, 0 K’s.

Rogers made a single appearance in the final week of the AFL regular season, making the start in Tuesday’s 4-4 eleven inning tie.

He pitched two innings, and needed just twenty-two pitches, fourteen of which went for strikes.

In the first, Peoria’s leadoff man, top prospect Francisco Lindor, pushed a ground ball through the infield, but was nailed at second base while trying to stretch it into a double. Rogers struck out the next batter and induce a ground ball to end the inning 1-2-3.

In the second inning, Rogers again set the Javelina’s hitters down in order, inducing two easy ground ball outs and a fly out.

Final AFL totals: 3 appearances, 2 starts, 5.2 IP, 1.59 ERA, 4 H’s, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K’s, .211 BAA.

Jason Adam – 1 game, 1 IP, 5 R’s (2 ER), 4 H’s, 1 BB, 1 K. 18.00 ERA.

Adam also made a single appearance on the week. After a rough start to his AFL season he had gone five consecutive appearances without allowing a run. That streak ended in Thursday’s 8-5 loss, as Adam was charged with the blown save and the loss after coming into the game in relief of top prospect Archie Bradley in the third inning.

He was summoned with two outs after Bradley allowed Scottsdale to close an early lead of 4-0 to 4-3. Adam got the final out, but ran into trouble of his own in the fourth.

He walked the leadoff man and surrendered the tying and go-ahead runs after an RBI triple and sacrifice fly to the next two hitters. A throwing error and two consecutive singles loaded the bases before Adam picked up the second out of the inning by striking out Josh Bell for the inning's second out. But an RBI single and the second error of the inning ended his night and AFL season on a sour note.

Final AFL totals: 10 appearances, 1-1, 13.1 IP, 5.40 ERA, 23 H’s, 8 ER’s, 6 BB, 7 K’s, .371 BAA

Zack Jones – 2 games, 2 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 5 BB, 2 K’s, 1 Hold (6). 0.00 ERA.

Jones’ first appearance of the final week came during Monday’s victory, when he picked up his sixth AFL hold while making it interesting in the eighth inning. He walked two batters and hit another to load the bases, recording two outs before he was taken out of the game.

In Thursday’s 8-5 loss, he relieved Adam in the bottom of the fourth inning, and walked his first hitter to load the bases before escaping by inducing a foul pop up. In the fifth, the bases were again loaded after a single and two walks, but a strikeout of Dante Bichette Jr. preserved his 0.00 ERA in AFL League play, despite his odd overall numbers.

Final AFL totals: 11 appearances, 11.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 7 H’s, 0 R’s, 12 BB, 11 K’s, .171 BAA.

Jake Reed – 1 game, 1 IP, 1 ER, 2 H’s, 1 BB, 1 K. 9.00 ERA.

Reed made his only appearance of the week before the AFL championship game in Tuesday’s tie game. He gave up his first earned run of the AFL season, and only his second ER in 43.2 innings during his professional debut season.

He was charged with a blown save after entering the game to start the top of the eighth. He surrendered a leadoff double and a walk before striking out Patrick Leonard for the first out, but a ground ball single up the middle to Justin O’Connor brought in the run. The final two outs were recorded on plays during the next two at-bats, so he did limit the damage.

Final AFL totals: 10 appearances 12.2 IP, 0.71 ERA, 10 H’s, 1 R, 3 BB, 10 K’s, .213 BAA.

Notes/Links:

-Overall, Twins prospects fared very well in the Arizona Fall League.

-The Salt River Rafters won the AFL League Championship on Saturday, after defeating the Peoria Javelina’s 14-7 in Scottsdale.

-Rosario and Kepler combined to bat .333 with 1 2B, 1 3B, 4 R’s, 2 RBI, 1 BB, and 3 K’s during the week.

-Twins pitchers compiled a 5.09 ERA in 5.3 IP, allowing 3 ER’s on 8 H’s and 7 BB’s, while striking out 5 on the week.