David Youngs

Minnesota native Louie Varland isn’t just living out his dream of playing professional baseball. He’s doing it at a high level when his team needs it the most. Look at Cedar Rapids Kernels pitcher Louie Varland’s stat line and you’d think he was a Division I standout drafted in the first few rounds of the MLB Draft. Not a 15th round pick who played college ball at Division II Concordia-St. Paul. These aren’t just part of the home-grown star’s identity; they’re things that have motivated him unlike anything else. “It definitely has been a chip on my shoulder, but it came down to the fact that ‘I’ve got something to prove,” Varland said. “I wasn’t a DI guy, but I came in to prove my own and show that I can compete at this level.” The confidence from that chip has shown. Since being promoted to Cedar Rapids from Low-A Fort Myers on July 13, Varland is 2-0 with a 0.83 ERA in four starts for the Kernels. That second win came Friday night when Varland tossed 5 2/3 innings of two-run, five-strikeout ball to lead the Kernels to a critical win over league-leading Quad Cities in front of a season-high attendance at Perfect Game Field. The Maplewood, Minnesota native and North St. Paul High School graduate began the season with the Mighty Mussels and was nothing short of rock-solid. Varland appeared in ten games and made eight starts for Fort Myers, going 4-2 with a 2.06 ERA. He was named Low-A Pitcher of the Week on June 14 after pitching 12 consecutive scoreless innings and striking out 17 in that period. Yet as the competition increased upon his arrival to High-A, so did the difficulty for batters to hit Varland. Opposing batters mustered up a meager .228 batting average against Louie in the Sunshine State. That number has dipped to an incredible .173 average throughout his time in Cedar Rapids so far. “I feel great. I feel confident on the mound. I’ve got my stuff working for me,” Varland said. That confidence was crafted in the in Fort Myers earlier this year at the Twins’ spring training site and courtesy of the Mussels’ staff with a dash of technology. “I had some mechanical flaws earlier in the year, so down at the Low-A level, we have simulation cameras (that helped), and Pete (Larson) and the coaching staff helped me fix those issues to create a more efficient arm path, leading to more strikes,” Varland said. “I can throw harder, my delivery is cleaner, and I feel ready to go.” Is this Heaven? No, it’s Iowa After exiting a stellar pitching staff in Fort Myers, Varland arguably joined an even more dominant one in Cedar Rapids. The Kernels staff touts a league-leading 3.66 ERA and an impressive 1.23 WHIP. Ben Gross has led the starting pitching staff with his 4-1 record and 3.27 ERA. He’s also been an incredible asset to the newest member of the pitching staff. “It’s absolutely helped (having other successful pitchers), especially Ben Gross,” Varland said. “He’s really helped me dive into the preparation part of things; what to throw and when to throw certain pitches. He’s helped me dive into opposing hitters, which he’s really big into, and that’s helped me out a lot.” And while Varland is surrounded by a strong group of players on the field, the greatest asset of his Iowa promotion may be off the field. Cedar Rapids is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the Twins Cities metro, where Varland’s family still resides. “It’s especially nice for my family,” Varland said. “It’s the closest affiliate of all the affiliates to my hometown. Every trip (for my family) to Cedar Rapids, Beloit, and Wisconsin (Appleton) are all roughly four and a half hours away so it’s great for them.” Varland’s dad Wade, who played a huge role in mentoring Louie and his brother Gus, can attend games more frequently. The family is even taking a trip to Tulsa to watch Gus pitch for Dodgers’ Double-A affiliate Tulsa later this month. “It’s just really nice to have my family back in the stands watching me play,” Louie said. Sprint to the Finish Now that Varland has gotten his feet wet in Cedar Rapids, his dominance couldn’t have come at a more critical time. The Kernels are amidst a playoff race that looks like it will come down to the wire. While there are two divisions in the High-A Central League, only two teams will qualify for the playoffs, regardless of division. Quad Cities (Royals affiliate) holds a commanding ten-game-lead in the league with a 54-26 record. Cedar Rapids and Great Lakes (Dodgers affiliate) are tied for second, sitting at 45-37. Lake County (Cleveland affiliate) and Dayton (Reds affiliate) are within two and a half games from Great Lakes and the Kernels. It’s going to be exhilarating. And only one team can make it. The good news for the Kernels? They arguably control their destiny. Cedar Rapids and Quad Cities will play each other eight more times before the end of the season, all at Perfect Game Field in Cedar Rapids. “The atmosphere is really competitive. Every game, we’re fighting for a playoff spot," Varland said. "With six and a half weeks left, every game counts, especially these against Quad Cities. Hopefully, we can win this series.” The Kernels face off against Quad Cities tonight at 6:35 PM CST in Cedar Rapids. Tickets are available at www.kernels.com, and the game can be viewed on MiLB.TV. More on Louie Varland from Twins Daily Twins Prospect Louie Varland Won't Stop at Pretty Good Twins Spotlight: Louie Varland View full article

Over 20 runs were scored in Wichita and pitching dominated in St Paul. Read up on all the minor league highlights from across the Twins organization from Thursday! TRANSACTIONS Minnesota Twins optioned SS Nick Gordon to St. Paul Saints and activated Rob Refsnyder. SAINTS SENTINEL Louisville 1, St. Paul 0 Box Score After a rough first outing in a Saints uniform, new Twins organization pitcher Drew Strotman was excellent on Wednesday night. In fact, the entire pitching staff was. Unfortunately, on Thursday night, Louisville was the only team to squeak out a run in a tightly contested pitchers duel at CHS Field. Despite getting the loss, Strotman (7-3) was as good as one could ask for, pitching five innings of one-run ball while striking out three. His lone run allowed came in the second inning from a walked batter scored on an RBI double. The Saints bullpen was just as efficient after Strotman left the game. Jovani Moran and recent addition Edgar Garcia combined for four innings of perfect ball to complete the game, striking out five and walking none. Moran now has a 2.16 ERA on the year and Garcia a 2.96 ERA. The Saints' lone hits came from Nick Gordon and Mark Contreras. Gordon has a .275 average with the Saints this year, and Contreras has a .254 batting average. Joe Ryan at the Olympics New Twin/Saint Joe Ryan made his second starting pitching appearance in the 2020 Tokyo Games and was nothing short of brilliant. Ryan tossed 4 1/3 innings of one-run, four-hit baseball while striking out three en route to a 7-2 victory over South Korea. The win advances Team USA to the Gold Medal game against Japan. Ryan has been rock-solid in his two starting pitching endeavors with Team USA. He's pitched 11 innings and only given up two earned runs on nine hits and eight strikeouts. While it's unlikely that Ryan will pitch in the Gold Medal game, the Twins can't wait to have him back in St. Paul. Well done, Joe! WIND SURGE WISDOM Midland 13, Wichita 12 Box Score A dozen runs would typically win a baseball game for the Wichita Wind Sure. Unfortunately for the Twins’ AA affiliate, however, they were outscored in a slugfest on Thursday night at Riverfront Stadium. The Surge saw seven of nine batters reach base, with six of nine gaining hits on the night. Roy Morales, Trey Cabbage, Jermaine Palacios, and Ernie De La Trinidad all tallied multi-hit games. That run was just a precursor to what Wichita would do in the third. Cabbage led off the third with a solo shot to left-center (7) to pull the Surge within two. Palacios then doubled, stole third base, and scored on an RBI single from Palacios to cut the lead to one. Facing a four-run deficit after the first inning, the Surge began to chip away at the lead. With the bases loaded in the second, Spencer Steer was hit by a pitch, scoring De La Trinidad. That was followed by a pair of walks and a fielder's choice courtesy of Aaron Whitefield. Spencer Steer took advantage of the bases-loaded situation, bringing in DJ Burt from third on an RBI sac fly. Morales followed suit with a two-out, two-run RBI double, scoring Whitefield and Austin Martin to give the Surge a 7-4 lead. Wichita would tack on two more runs in the fourth, thanks to a two-run RBI single from Austin Martin. Martin has now hit safely in his first three games with the Wind Surge and as a member of the Twins organization. Midland added four runs in the eighth, but thanks to solo shots from Andrew Bechtold and Palacios, the Surge were able to keep a 12-10 lead going into the ninth. Yet, with the lead in hand, Midland was able to scrap across two runs to tie the game in the ninth and force the contest into extra innings. They tacked on the go-ahead run in the 10th inning that would secure them the win. Highly touted pitching prospect Jordan Balazovic didn’t have his best night on the mound. Balazovic went 4 2/3 innings on the night, giving up six runs on eight hits and two walks. He struck out four batters. The Surge bullpen ended up surrendering seven runs of their own to Midland. Yet, there was one excellent pitching performance on the night for Wichita. Jhoanleider Salinas was the first of four Wichita relief pitchers to take the bump and was excellent, pitching 1 2/3 innings of scoreless ball on three walks and three strikeouts. The loss puts the Wind Surge at 46-35, still three games ahead of Arkansas for the second playoff spot in the Double-A Central Division. KERNELS NUGGETS Quad Cities 8, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score Strong offensive performances from Deshaun Kiersey and Seth Gray weren’t enough to propel the Kernels to a win against league-leading Quad Cities on Thursday night at Perfect Game Field. Gray punched his second triple of the season in the second inning along with a single in the ninth to give the Kernels some action at the plate. Kiersey added to the action with a two-run homer (3) in the fifth to put the Kernels on the board. Yet despite moments of brilliance, the River Bandits were just too good at the plate and on the bump throughout the night. Jair Camargo also had a strong night at the plate for Cedar Rapids, hitting his fifth double of the year in addition to a single. Those two hits bumped his batting average up from .234 to .239. Starting pitcher Ben Gross, who has been dominant all season, didn’t have his best night, giving up seven runs on eight hits in 4 ⅓ innings. Gross (L, 4-1), still has a 3.27 ERA and will surely rebound after a night where he just didn’t have his stuff. Twins Daily Minor League Reliever of the Month Erik Manoah Jr. entered the game following Gross and put up solid numbers. The Miami native tossed 1 ⅔ innings of one-run, three-hit ball while striking out four. RHP Tyler Palm had the strongest pitching performance of the night, throwing three scoreless innings while only giving up one hit and striking out two. As always, a loss to a division rival is unfortunate. The good news? The Kernels will have the chance to gain ground on the River Bandits. The two teams play each other nine more times before the end of the season, all at Perfect Game Field in Cedar Rapids. MUSSEL MATTERS Dunedin 8, Fort Myers 0 Box Score Despite a pair of nail-biters on Wednesday night, the Mussels were trounced by the Dunedin Blue Jays by a score of 8-0 on Thursday night at Hammond Stadium. Jefferson Morales and Jesus Feliz tallied the only two hits for Fort Myers on a night that was dominated by Blue Jay bats and pitching. Ironically, Morales’ hit came in the first at-bat of the game for the Mussels, punching a 1-1 pitch into right field for a single. Fort Myers would fail to see a hit again until the eighth when Feliz laced his third double of the year to center field. Starting pitcher Landon Leach had a rocky night on the hill, giving up four earned runs on six hits with two walks in five innings pitched. Leach did strike out five batters. Reliever Juan Pichardo didn’t have his best day at the office either, pitching 1 ⅔ innings of three run, three hit ball with two walks and two strikeouts. Yet despite the rocky outing for their first two pitchers, the Mussels saw excellent outings from their back two pitchers on the night. Bradley Hanner followed Pichardo and pitched 1 ⅓ innings of scoreless ball, striking out four. Zaquiel Puentes finished the game with an inning of one-hit ball, surrendering only one run that wasn’t credited to him. The loss puts Fort Myers at 41-37 on the year. COMPLEX CHRONICLES Game Postponed- Rain The FCL Twins were unable to take the field on Thursday due to another rainout in the Sunshine State. The team will make up the game against the FCL Orioles Orange on August 18. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day- Drew Strotman (St. Paul), 5 IP, 4 H, R, ER, 3 BB, 3 K Hitter of the Day- Ernie De La Trinidad (Wichita)- 3-for-5, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, SO PROSPECT SUMMARY Take note that we have finished our midseason update, so there is a new list! Here is a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 – Royce Lewis (Rehab) – Out for season (torn ACL) #2 – Jhoan Duran (St. Paul) – Injured List (elbow strain) #3 – Jordan Balazovic (Wichita) –4.2 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 4 K #4 – Matt Canterino (Cedar Rapids) – Injured List (right elbow strain) #5 – Jose Miranda (St. Paul) – 0-for-3, K #6 – Keoni Cavaco (Fort Myers) – 0-for-4, K #7 – Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) – Did not play #8 – Josh Winder (St. Paul) – Did not pitch #9 – Aaron Sabato (Fort Myers) – 0-for-3 #10 – Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) – 0-for-3, BB, K #11 – Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Out for Season (Tommy John surgery) #12 – Bailey Ober (Minnesota) – All-Star Break #13 – Cole Sands (Wichita) –Did not pitch #14 – Brent Rooker (Minnesota) – 1-for-4, K #15 – Misael Urbina (Fort Myers) – 0-for-3 #16 – Spencer Steer (Wichita) – 1-for-4, 2 RBI #17 – Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – Did not play #18 – Alerick Soularie (Complex) – N/A (foot injury) #19 – Edwar Colina (Rehab) – Injured List (elbow) #20 – Chris Vallimont (Wichita) – Did not pitch FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Louisville @ St. Paul (7:05PM CST) – RHP Chandler Shepherd (5-5, 6.41 ERA) Midland @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) – RHP Chris Vallimont (3-4, 5.11 ERA) Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:05PM CST) – RHP Louie Varland (1-0, 0.00 ERA) Dunedin @ Ft. Myers (6:00PM CST) – RHP Bobby Milacki (0-2, 4.09 ERA) View full article

100% agree. The team's got nothing to lose. Worst case scenario: he doesn't perform and the team finishes with a record that they probably would've had without him. Best case: He turns out to be excellent and the Twins have a prime set-up guy for years to come. Low risk, high reward.

Agreed. Out of the three recent waiver signings (Garcia, Burrows, and Garza), I feel the best about this one.

The Twins claimed RHP Ralph Garza Jr. off of waivers from the Houston Astros on Wednesday afternoon. Here’s what you need to know about the newest member of the 40-man roster. On Wednesday, the Twins filled the final spot on their 40-man roster by claiming 27-year-old Ralph Garza Jr. off waivers. Garza Jr. will report to Triple-A St. Paul. Drafted from the University of Oklahoma by the Astros in the 26th round of the 2015 draft, Garza Jr. made his MLB debut earlier this season with Houston. Garza pitched 11 innings in nine games for the Astros, going 1-2 with a 4.91 ERA while striking out 14. He pitched against the Twins on June 2, hurling two innings of one-run ball while striking out two in a 14-3 win against Minnesota at Target Field. Garza was designated for assignment by the Astros when the team activated RHP Josh James from the 60-day IL. Even though Garza’s small sample of numbers at the MLB level isn’t great, he’s been excellent at the AAA level. The reliever posted an impressive 1.96 ERA for Houston's Triple-A affiliate Sugar Land this season in ten appearances. In that span, he gave up just five hits and two runs while striking out 17 in 14 1/3 innings pitched. Garza was even more successful in 2019 with former Houston AAA affiliate Round Rock. Garza was electric, serving as both a closer and a set-up man, posting nine saves and 16 holds en route to an 8-1 record with a 4.04 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 78 innings. Although he’s got six pitches in his arsenal, Garza relies primarily on his sinker, four-seam fastball, and slider. Garza’s fastball averages about 92 MPH, and his sinker floats around 90 MPH. Yet his greatest asset is the contrast between his heat and offspeed pitches. The Texas native’s curveball averages just 75 MPH and is his primary strikeout pitch. That contrast landed him an excellent 25.8 strikeout percentage in Triple-A and 14 strikeouts at the big league level in 2021. Of all the waiver signings that the franchise has made in 2021, this one has the potential to be one of the better ones. Garza has consistently dominated in Triple-A and frankly hasn’t had that many opportunities to prove himself in MLB play. Expect the Saints to implement Garza into the back end of their bullpen immediately. And while it isn’t a given, successful results in St. Paul could earn Garza a spot in the Twins bullpen by the end of the season. View full article

Amidst a flurry of trade rumors, the Twins claimed RHP Edgar Garcia off of waivers from the Cincinnati Reds on the Friday afternoon of the trade deadline. García, who has had major league appearances with the Phillies, Rays, and Reds in the past three seasons, will report to Triple-A Saint Paul. García pitched in five games for the Reds earlier this season, going 0-1 with a 16.62 ERA. Originally signed as a free agent by the Phillies in 2014, García has an MLB career record of 2-1 with a 7.14 ERA (46.2 IP, 37 ER) in 46 major league appearances. Primarily a reliever, García found success at Triple-A Louisville before his rocky 2021 campaign in Cincinnati. The Dominican native boasted a 3.38 ERA with 17 holds and 29 strikeouts in 24 games for the Louisville Bats before being called up on July 19. García also saw success in 2019 with the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate Lehigh Valley, posting a 2.48 ERA in 25 appearances. After being called up midway through the 2019 season, he posted admirable numbers for the ‘Phils, going 2-0 with a 5.77 ERA in 37 appearances. While his time in the majors has been brief, García primarily relies on four pitches; four-seam fastball, sinker, slider, and changeup. 53% of his pitches thrown in 2021 have been sinkers, averaging at 94.2 MPH. The other majority of his 2021 pitches have come courtesy of his slider averaging 86.6 MPH. It’s tough to judge García on his limited MLB experience, but there’s no doubt that the 24-year-old has shown moments of brilliance in the minors. He’s had five minor league seasons with an ERA under four, and his experience as a set-up man could indeed be valuable for an organization that is seeing quite a bit of movement on all levels of their pitching department. After a roller coasted 2021 season, García will have a chance to get back to the success he saw at Triple-A with the Saints. View full article

The Mussels staff has been lights out all year! They've got a team ERA of 4.02 (third best in Low-A Southeast) and have held opposing hitting to just a .231 batting average. Hopefully they can wake up the bats...40-33 with a team batting average of .220 (third worst in the Low-A Southeast). Imagine how good they can be when hitting!

Agreed. Both Wallner and Miranda were expected to be solid but it's been incredible to see how fast both guys are progressing! Wallner has been so fun to watch after coming back from his injury- playing even better than prior to it. Wouldn't be surprised if Miranda gets a crack at the MLB level by the end of the year.

Balls were flying all across the Twins' farm on Wednesday night. Check out all the action here! TRANSACTIONS There were no reported transactions today. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 10, Indianapolis 5 Box Score One of just three teams in the Triple-A Midwest Division with a winning record, the Saints looked to gain ground on Toledo (41-30) against Indianapolis on Wednesday night. After Indy put two on the board in the top of the first, the Saints responded with a run of their our in the bottom of the inning. With two outs, Rob Refsnyder laced a double to right field to continue his red-hot rehab assignment. Ben Rortvedt followed suit with a single to left that scored Refsnyder to cut the lead to one. And while the run in the first got the party started, the main act took place in the third and fourth innings for St. Paul, racking up seven runs in the two innings. Sensational prospect Jose Miranda led off the third inning with his ninth home run on the season to knot the game at two. Later in the inning with the bases loaded, Sherman Johnson knocked his fifth double of the year, plating all three runners to give the Saints a 5-2 lead. Miranda once again led the offensive forge in the fourth inning, knocking a double to left. After a Mark Contreras walk, Refsnyder crushed a homer over the right field wall to expand the St. Paul lead to 8-2. And while extra-base hits and the long ball dictated the Saints’ scoring early on, the club would add two more insurance runs in the seventh thanks to a pair of singles from Rortvedt and Jimmy Kerrigan. Miranda, Rortvedt, and Refsynder all tallied multi-hit games for the Saints. Miranda now has a .355 batting average, the highest on the team. The offensive at CHS Field was nothing short of spectacular for the Saints on Wednesday night. Yet many fans may wonder why starting pitcher Charlie Barnes only tossed one inning on the night. No, it’s not an injury or trade situation. It’s probable that the Twins will need Barnes’ arm later this week given the excess of pitchers the major league club has used in the past few days and the trade deadline. And while Barnes wasn’t amazing in his one inning, the Saints bullpen sure was. Yennier Cano (W, 1-1), Jovani Moran, Ian Hamilton, and Kyle Barraclough combined for eight innings of three run ball, giving up only three hits and striking out nine. Well done, gentlemen! The Saints’ second straight win puts them at 39-34 on the season. Unfortunately for St. Paul, Toledo also won on the evening, keeping the club three games above the Saints in the standings. Yet if there’s one thing for sure it’s that the Saints are starting to get hot when it matters. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 8, NW Arkansas 5 Box Score A night after scoring a season-high 18 runs the Wind Surge brought the bats to the Walmart-state once again on Wednesday night. Andrew Bechtold got the frenzy started in the second inning thanks to a leadoff double. BJ Boyd followed that up with his own double, scoring Bechtold from second. Aussie Aaron Whitefield decided to one-up Bechtold and Boyd with his fourth triple on the year, scoring Boyd. Whitefield scored on the next at-bat thanks to a failed pick-off move. Boyd continued his hot night with an RBI single in the third, scoring Spencer Steer from second to make it 4-0. After NW Arkansas gained a run back in the fourth, the Surge turned on the jets in the fifth for a four-run inning. Spencer Steer knocked a two-run homer to extend the lead to 6-1 and BJ Boyd followed up with a solo-shot of his own. Trey Cabbage finished off the strong inning by doubling in Aaron Whitefield to give Wichita an 8-1 lead. Starting pitcher Austin Schulfer was excellent through five innings, giving up only three hits and one run while striking out eight. Schulfer ran into trouble in the sixth, giving up back-to-back homers before striking out his final batter of the night. Schulfer has been an absolute workhorse for the Surge all season, leading his team with 16 total starts. After Schulfer left the game the Wichita bullpen sprung into action. Zach Neff, Jordan Gore, and Ryan Mason were electric, allowing zero runs in 3.2 innings while striking out six. Mason now has six saves on the year. Wichita’s win puts them at 43-31 on the year, a steady 3.5 games ahead of Arkansas for the lead in the Double-A Central North Division. The Surge are 7-3 in their last ten games and have a +46 run differential on the season. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 9, Wisconsin 6 (8) Box Score Three-hit performances from Wander Javier and Matt Wallner propelled the Kernels to a high-scoring win over Wisconsin on Wednesday night in a shortened game due to rain. Wallner continued his dominant return with a two-run homer and a double and Javier laced two singles and a triple to push the Kernels to a 42-32 record in the High-A Central West division. The Kernels got things going in the second inning thanks to a Jair Camargo double that scored Yunior Severino to put the Kernels on the board. And after Wisconsin plated three of their own runs in the third, Cedar Rapids responded with seven runs in the fifth and six innings. Michael Helman led off the fifth with a leadoff first-pitch triple to center field to get the rally started. Two batters later Edouard Julien launched a homer over the right-center field wall to tie the game at three. Seth Gray followed suit with a single and was later scored by Javier’s triple. The fifth inning was only a sneak peak to what the sixth inning would offer from the Kernels’ bats. After a Helman walk Max Smith smacked his fifth homer of the year to give Cedar Rapids an 8-5 lead. Matt Wallner would follow suit with his own two-run shot in the inning to add some insurance to the Kernels’ lead. Wednesday proved that the Cedar Rapids offense is firing on as good of cylinders as they have all year. Yet there were still moments of brightness on the pitching staff that shouldn’t go unnoticed. Starting pitcher Jon Olsen struck out four batters, and relievers Derek Molina and Osiris German struck out a combined seven on the night. 11 K’s on the night for a staff? Not bad. MUSSEL MATTERS Game Postponed Wednesday’s scheduled game at Clearwater was postponed due to rain and will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Thursday. Game one will begin at 3:00 pm CST and game two will begin shortly after the completion of game one. Both games will be seven innings. COMPLEX CHRONICLES No Game The Florida Complex League Twins had an off day. However, multiple players have had standout seasons so far. Right fielder Ka’lai Rosario is off to a hot start, slashing .293/.333/.533 (.867) in 75 at-bats. The Hawaii native is among league leaders in a number of stats. He’s tied for fourth-most hits (22), is second in RBI (21), and leads the league with four triples. While he doesn’t have the at-bats of Rosario, first basemen Alexander Pena has been electric, slashing .426/.481/.532 (1.013) with 20 hits and five doubles. RHP Giovahniey German has been solid through his first four starts, going 1-1 with a 3.71 ERA and 1.46 WHIP. Opposing hitters have just a .219 AVG when facing German. Throw 'em the heater, Giovahniey! The GCL Twins return to action tomorrow afternoon, facing the FCL Pirates Black at noon. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day- Ryan Mason (Wichita)- (S, 6) 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, SO Hitter of the Day- BJ Boyd (Wichita)- 3-for-5, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, SO PROSPECT SUMMARY Take note that we have finished our midseason update, so there is a new list! Here is a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 – Royce Lewis (Rehab) – Out for season (torn ACL) #2 – Jhoan Duran (St. Paul) – Injured List (elbow strain) #3 – Jordan Balazovic (Wichita) –Did not play #4 – Matt Canterino (Cedar Rapids) – Injured List (right elbow strain) #5 – Jose Miranda (St. Paul) – 2-for-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB #6 – Keoni Cavaco (Fort Myers) – Game postponed #7 – Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) – Did not play #8 – Josh Winder (St. Paul) – Did not pitch #9 – Aaron Sabato (Fort Myers) – Game postponed #10 – Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) – 3-for-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, SO, #11 – Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Out for Season (Tommy John surgery) #12 – Bailey Ober (Minnesota) – Did not pitch #13 – Cole Sands (Wichita) –Did not pitch #14 – Brent Rooker (Minnesota) – 2-for-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB #15 – Misael Urbina (Fort Myers) – Game postponed #16 – Spencer Steer (Wichita) – 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI #17 – Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 3-for-5, RBI #18 – Alerick Soularie (Complex) – N/A (foot injury) #19 – Edwar Colina (Rehab) – Injured List (elbow) #20 – Chris Vallimont (Wichita) – Did not pitch THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Indianapolis @ St. Paul (7:05PM CST) – RHP Matt Shoemaker (1-0, 2.77 ERA) Wichita @ NW Arkansas (7:05PM CST) – LHP Bryan Sammons (2-3 6.29 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (7:05PM CST) – LHP Tyler Watson ( 2-0. 1.87 ERA) Fort Myers @ Clearwater- Game One (3:00PM CST) – LHP Brent Headrick (3-4, 3.44 ERA) Game Two (makeup from July 28) - RHP Landon Leach (0-0, 2.25 ERA) View full article

Projected to finish below the Yankees and Rays, the Red Sox have shone with flying colors so far in 2021. Boston is all-in on a deep playoff run. What additional tools will they add, and are any a fit with the Twins? What’s Their Situation? Coming off a 2020 season in the cellar of the AL East, the Red Sox have been one of the most pleasant surprises in baseball so far in 2021. After two playoff-less seasons, the BoSox sit atop the East with a 62-39 record, tied with White Sox for the best record in the American League. It’s no secret that the AL East has always been a powerhouse with money, talent, and results. 2021 is no different. The Rays are only a game and a half back from Boston, and the Yankees have gained some steam as of recent, although a gut-wrenching loss to the Sox on Sunday put a dagger in that. The Red Sox have held their own thus far against their division rivals, going 4-2 against the Rays in the first half and 7-2 against the Bronx Bombers. That says something but the Sox will have to continue their division dominance in the second half as they play a combined 21 games against the Rays and Yankees. Could the Yankees continue their hot streak and run the table on the division? Sure. But if we’re honest, the East will most likely come down to the Sox and the Rays. Given the lack of performance in the AL Central, it’s probable that two teams from the East will make the playoffs if things continue the way they stand as of current. Yet few venues provide home-field advantage like Fenway, and it’s safe to say that this squad will be gunning for a division title. What Do They Need? Similar to the Twins, the Red Sox have the gift of versatility on the field. An infielder by trade, Enrique 'Kiké' Hernández has been a staple of the Boston outfield this year. Former Twins Marwin Gonzales and Danny Santana have also contributed at a number of positions. Yet while versatility is a strength, stability is a gift. One that the Red Sox don’t have at first base. Rookie Bobby Dalbec is nothing short of a fun story but has struggled to contribute at the plate, slashing .217/.259/.402. The Sox rank 28th in the league at the position in batting average (.204) and are dead last for OPS (.204). That ain’t gonna cut it for a team with a .257 batting average, fifth-best in the entire league. On the other side of the ball, Boston’s starting pitching staff is solid, but the team doesn’t really have an ace. That will likely change when Chris Sale rejoins the team from the Injured List, but who knows how long it will take him to get up to speed. Nathan Eovaldi leads the staff with a 9-5 record and 3.57 ERA, yet the team has an average ERA of 4.10, sandwiched at 14th in the league. It’s unlikely that Boston will gun for a true ace given Sale’s return, but it wouldn’t hurt to add another quality arm for depth. And like any other team, you can never have enough relief pitching. Closer Matt Barnes is an all-star caliber pitcher, but reinforcements are valuable, especially in the postseason. Which Twins Are the Best Fit? José Berríos and Michael Pineda are two very different pitchers but could both be potential fits for the Sox depending on what direction Chaim Boom’s front office wants to go. If the Sox are looking for a less expensive four/five starter, they could certainly go for Pineda. Big Mike has fallen short of expectations so far in 2021, primarily as of recent. He’s 1-3 in his last five starts and has a season ERA of 3.98. That isn’t horrific by any means, but Pineda has struggled to go deep in games and hasn’t mirrored his dominant 2019 and 2020 self. Still, it’s evident that Pineda has value, and perhaps he’d thrive in an environment as a lower leverage starter versus being a “Big Three” guy in Minnesota. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s got a strong background in the AL East, pitching for the Yankees from 2014-17. On the other hand, if Boom and the Sox want to make starting pitching their deadline priority, they could gun for Berríos. Jose may not have the street cred of Sale, but he would almost certainly be a top-two starter for the Red Sox. There are two angles that this trade could go: The Sox could trade for Berríos because they aren’t confident that Sale will return to his dominant self, or they could trade for him because they are confident in Sale and adding Berríos would create one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball. Taylor Rogers also fits as a potential trade target for the Red Sox. Bullpen staples Matt Barnes and Adam Ottovino will become free agents in 2022, and it’s unlikely both will stay in Boston. Rogers would not only be an excellent 2021 addition to the Boston pen but a potential long-term weapon if he chooses to sign a multi-year contract. It’s doubtful that the Twins would trade a young stud like Alex Kirilloff to help fill Boston’s first base void. And given his poor 2021 showing and influx of streakiness, Boston will almost certainly stay away from Miguel Sano. Bottom line? If the Red Sox snag anyone from the Twins, it’s going to be pitching. . Who Could The Twins Get Back? The Red Sox have the #24 ranked farm system in the league. Don’t let that fool you. While many of their top prospects are young, the organization has made several solid moves and acquisitions over the past few years that could be big for the franchise’s future. Triston Casas, 1B, 21 years old – The power-hitting big man is Boston’s top prospect and was ranked #44 in MLB.com’s Top 100 Prospect Rankings. Casas could potentially fill a hole at first if Miguel Sano continues to decline. The move would also allow Alex Kirilloff to live predominantly in the outfield, his position by trade. Casas is in AA Portland right now for the Sox and is the crowned jewel of the Boston farm. The Twins’ only chance of securing him would be if they were to give up Berrios. Bryan Mata, RHP, 22 years old – Ranked #4 on Boston’s Top 30 Prospect List, Mata could add to a list of potential rock-solid pitchers in the Twins’ farm. With a two-seamer that ranges from 93-97 MPH and a four-seamer that touches triple digits, Mata is known as a ground ball, contact pitcher more than a strikeout guy. He’s run into injuries, but the upside is up there. View full article

The long ball was flying and gutsy pitching performances shined on Wednesday night across the Twins' farm. Read up on all the action across the organization! TRANSACTIONS St. Paul Saints activated RHP Robinson Leyer from the 7-day injured list. The Twins/Surge signed LHP Chris Nunn and added him to the 7-day development roster. Minnesota Twins recalled 1B Willians Astudillo from St. Paul Saints. Tennessee Volunteers 3B Jake Rucker signs contract with Minnesota Twins. Minnesota Twins sign RHP Malik Barrington, LHP Jordan Carr, RHP Jackson Hicks, and RHP Ricardo Valdez from USPBL. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 7, Omaha 6 Box Score A perfect storm of power hitting, small ball, and a gutsy bullpen performance guided the Saints to a exciting win over Omaha on Thursday night. With a one-run lead in the eighth inning the Saints ran into trouble, loading the bases with no-one out. Insert Nick Vincent. Vincent pitched with ice in his veins, striking out the next three batters on 12 pitches to get out of the jam and hold a lead that would prove to be the final score. As a whole it wasn't the prettiest of days for the Saints pitching staff. That didn't matter thanks to the fire that the Saints' offense brought to the plate in the first two innings. Rob Refsnyder and Brent Rooker each recorded RBI's in the first inning to put St. Paul on the board and Sherman Johnson followed suit in the second inning with his second home run on the year. The Storm Chasers added their share of runs in the middle innings to take a 5-3 lead going into the seventh inning. The tables then turned courtesy of a whopper inning thanks to Jose Miranda and Keon Broxton. Both men launched two-run homers to take the lead that would hold for the rest of the game. Miranda's shot scored Johnson, who reached on a single to start the inning. Broxton's scored Jake Cave, who also reached on a single in the inning. Cave, Johnson, Rooker, and Refsnyder each recorded multi-hit games on the night. Yet it was J.T. Riddle's two-out triple in the fourth that perhaps provided the most excitement of any hit that stayed in the park. Riddle laced a 1-0 pitch to center field to record his second triple on the year. And while he didn't score, one things for certain. This guy can fly! For the first time all season the Saints are now three games above .500 (35-32). They look to continue that success tomorrow night when Matt Shoemaker makes his second appearance on the bump for the Saints. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 6, Arkansas 4 Box Score It hasn't been uncommon for the high-powered Wichita offense to tally double digits in the hits column on any given night. That wasn't the case on Thursday night, with only six hits recorded for the Surge. That didn't matter because three of those six were home runs. Trey Cabbage, BJ Boyd, and Andrew Bechtold all launched dingers to propel the Surge to win number eight in their last ten games. Cabbage kicked off the Bomba bonanza in the second inning when he mashed a 1-1 pitch over the right field wall for a solo shot and his fifth homer of the year. Boyd opened things up in the fourth with a three-run homer (5) and Bechtold sealed the deal with his two run dinger in the sixth (12). And while the home runs may have been the story line the Surge also saw multi-hit games from Ernie De La Trinidad and Cabbage. De La Trinidad punched singles in both the first and fourth inning and touched home in the fourth thanks to Boyd's homer. The two hits bumped the Canadian's batting average to .300 sharp, the highest on the Wichita roster. Cabbage knocked a single in the sixth in addition to his second inning blast. It's suiting that Trey's last name is a vegetable because he's been nothing but healthy at the plate as of late. The Knoxville, TN native has tallied multi-hit games in back to back nights and has completed the feat 17 times this season. And while July hasn't been as fruitful for Cabbage in comparison to June his recent success indicates that he's headed in the right direction. Starting pitcher Cole Sands was excellent in his second start since being activated from the Injured List. Sands tossed three innings of scoreless ball, surrendering only one hit and striking out four. Bryan Sammons picked up a bulk of the relief for the Surge and picked up the win (2-3), tossing three innings and striking out three. Calvin Faucher and Ryan Mason picked up the remaining innings and were both excellent. Faucher pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless ball to hold the Wind Surge lead and Mason closed the door on the Travelers, earning his fourth save in four attempts on the season. Wichita now has a three game lead in the division over rival Tulsa. The Surge look to win three in a row tomorrow night when RHP Chris Vallimont (2-4, 4.71 ERA) takes the bump. KERNELS NUGGETS Beloit 1, Cedar Rapids 0 (11) Box Score Minnesota native Louie Varland was absolutely spectacular on the bump against former Twins affiliate Beloit. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to squeak out a win on Thursday evening at Perfect Game Field. The Snappers scored a run in the top of the 11th to edge past the Kernels in a pitching extravaganza that included 18 strikeouts from the Cedar Rapids pitching staff. Varland pitched five innings of nearly perfect baseball, striking out nine, walking two, and only surrendering one hit. Since being promoted to high-A Varland has only given up five hits in two starts and has yet to give up a run. Relievers Ryan Shreve and Erik Manoah Jr put together five perfect innings to follow up Varland's act. The two men struck out a total of nine batters and failed to give up a walk or a hit. Well done! And even though Osiris German received the loss in the stats column he was far from bad, striking out one and only giving up one hit. If this year's extra-inning format was nonexistent the game outcome could have been very different. Wander Javier, Matt Wallner, Jair Camargo, Kyle Schmidt, and Gabe Maciel all recorded singles for the Kernels. Yet while the team saw runners on base all night they were unable to convert, leaving 11 men on base and going 0-10 with runners in scoring position. On a positive note, star hitter and Forest Lake, MN native Matt Wallner hit safety once again since being reinstated from the Injured List on Wednesday. Welcome back, Matt! MUSSEL MATTERS Daytona 7, Fort Myers 1 Box Score A quality night of pitching from Sawyer Gipson-Long wasn't enough to wake up the Mussel bats in a loss to the Tortugas on Wednesday night in Fort Myers. Gipson-Long (L, 4-4) tossed a career-tying 11 strikeouts in six innings of two-run ball while surrendering six hits on the night. The Georgia native was electric early on, striking out six of the first nine batters. He now has 80 strikeouts on the year and a 1.38 WHIP. The Mussels actually struck the scoreboard first thanks to a string of base hits in the second inning. Yunior Severino led off the inning with a single and was then moved to second thanks to a Will Holland sacrifice bunt. Charlie Mack then ripped an RBI single to left field that scored Severino. Mack now has 16 RBI on the year. Misael Urbina and Aaron Sabato recorded the only other hits on the night for Fort Myers. And while hits were few and far between, the pair made sure that theirs counted. Urbina ripped a sixth inning pitch to center field for his fourth triple of the year. Sabato followed suit in the seventh with a double to right field, his 13th on the season. The extra-base hit was an absolute rocket, clocking at 105.4 MPH off Sabato's stick. Fort Myers kept the train on the tracks through the sixth, trailing by a score of 2-1. Things changed in the seventh when the Tortugas came out of their shells, scoring five runs in the final three innings. The Mussels will look to turn things around tomorrow night when LHP James Headrick (3-4, 3.65 ERA) takes the bump against Daytona at 6 PM CST. COMPLEX CHRONICLES Did not play. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day- Louie Varland (Cedar Rapids)- 5 IP, 0 R, H, 2, 9 K Hitter of the Day- Sherman Johnson (St. Paul)- 2-for-4, 2 R, RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY Take note that we have finished our midseason update, so there is a new list! Here is a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 – Royce Lewis (Rehab) – Out for season (torn ACL) #2 – Jhoan Duran (St. Paul) – Injured List (elbow strain) #3 – Jordan Balazovic (Wichita) – Did not pitch #4 – Matt Canterino (Cedar Rapids) – Injured List (right elbow strain) #5 – Jose Miranda (St. Paul) – 1-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, K #6 – Keoni Cavaco (Fort Myers) – Did not play #7 – Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) – Did not play #8 – Josh Winder (St. Paul) – 5.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 2 HR #9 – Aaron Sabato (Fort Myers) – 1-for-3, 2B (13), BB, K #10 – Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-4, BB, 2 K #11 – Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Out for Season (Tommy John surgery) #12 – Bailey Ober (Minnesota) – Did not pitch #13 – Cole Sands (Wichita) – 3 IP, H, 0 R, 4 K #14 – Brent Rooker (St. Paul) – 2-for-4, RBI, K #15 – Misael Urbina (Fort Myers) – 1-for-4, 3B (4) #16 – Spencer Steer (Wichita) – 0-for-4, 2 K #17 – Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-5, K #18 – Alerick Soularie (Complex) – N/A (foot injury) #19 – Edwar Colina (Rehab) – Injured List (elbow) #20 – Chris Vallimont (Wichita) – Did not pitch THURSDAY'S PROBABLE STARTERS Omaha @ St. Paul (7:05PM CST) – RHP Matt Shoemaker (1-0, 0.00) Wichita @ Arkansas (6:10PM CST) – RHP Chris Vallimont (2-4, 4.71 ERA) Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (6:05PM CST) – RHP Jon Olsen (0-3, 3.78) Daytona @ Fort Myers- (6:00PM CST) – LHP Brent Headrick (3-4, 3.65 ERA) View full article

Jordan Balazovic was as good as he's ever been and Mitch Garver had a breakout night in his efforts to get back to Target Field. Read up on all the action across the Twins' farm from Thursday night. TRANSACTIONS Charlie Barnes promoted from Triple-A St. Paul to Minnesota Twins. Cedar Rapids Kernels placed RHP Owen Griffith on the 7-day injured list retroactive to July 14, 2021. Right forearm strain. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 9, Columbus 5 Box Score The St. Paul Saints had scored 28 runs in the past two games going into Thursday night’s contest against Columbus (that’s four touchdowns, Vikings fans). And on Irish Night the Saints continued to dazzle at the plate, crunching the Clippers 9-5 in a regionally televised game. Mark Contreras knocked a second-inning homer to kickstart another dominant offensive performance from the Saints, who saw seven of nine starters record hits. Contreras’ blast was his sixth in fifteen games, bringing his season total to 11. Jose Miranda and Mitch Garver each recorded three-hit games with the two men combining for a total of 3 RBI. And while a triple from Drew Maggi, Contreras’ homer, and Brent Rooker’s continued success were certainly all notable, the main attractions were the rehab assignments of Garver and Jake Cave. Both players tallied in the hit column but perhaps the most electric play of the night came from Cave’s leather in the fifth inning. St. Paul starter Chandler Shepard was magnificent for most of the night, striking out five and allowing only one run through the first six innings. And when he ran into trouble in the seventh, the Saints’ bullpen showed in full force to save the day. Yennier Cano and Kyle Barraclough combined for three innings of scoreless and hitless relief to hold a St. Paul lead that was later widened courtesy of a Willians Astudillo force out and some luck of the Irish. There are few words to describe how dominant the Saints offense has been as of recent. The squad has hit 12 home runs in their last 25 innings and has scored over 40% of their total runs on the season thanks to the longball. Power is great, but the ability to score on the ground is just as important. When a team can do both? Good things happen. The Saints saw that tonight, with nine of their 11 hits being singles. A team that can score nine runs on nine singles, a homer, and a triple has the potential to do some damage. Look for the Saints offense to continue to sprout into midseason form as the month continues. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 9, Tulsa 0 Box Score Jordan Balazovic proved why he’s one of the brightest pitching prospects in the league on Thursday night, drilling through the Tulsa lineup in a 9-0 Wind Surge win. Balazovic was lights out, fanning 11 in seven innings of shutout baseball. The Ontario native was electric in his last start, striking out seven in six shutout innings. Yet if that was gold, tonight’s performance was 24 Karat. The 2016 draft pick now has 51 strikeouts on the year and an outstanding ERA of 2.89 through eight starts. Even better? He’s only walked three batters in his last five starts. Balazovic’s performance on the bump was echoed by his teammates at the plate. Spencer Steer, Aaron Whitefield, and Roy Morales both recorded multi-hit games for the Surge, including Steer’s fifth home run of the year. Morales recorded three hits on the night and Whitefield knocked two, including his third triple of the year. Yet as we’ve seen all year, the method behind the madness of the Wichita offense was not one player, but an entire team effort. Ernie De La Trinidad launched his second homer of the year, Morales and Jermaine Palacios each tallied RBI, and BJ Boyd tallied a hit. Total team effort. And to cap things off, the Wichita bullpen sealed the deal with a flawless performance. Ryan Mason followed Balazovic’s gem with his own scoreless inning and Adam Lau capped things off with a 1-2-3 ninth inning. There have been few things as exciting to watch as the Wind Surge offense this season. Now that pitching has begun to come through there’s nothing out of reach for the Wichita ball club. KERNELS NUGGETS South Bend 2, Cedar Rapids 1 (10) Box Score Minnesota native Louie Varland was absolutely brilliant on the bump in his first start at the High-A level after being called up from Fort Myers. And while the Concordia-St. Paul alum dazzled, the Cubs got the last laugh, sneaking by the Kernels in extra innings. Just two days after being called up, Varland was electric, pitching six scoreless innings and striking out five. And while he didn’t get the win, Varland now holds an outstanding 1.86 ERA through 53 1/3 innings on the year. Pretty good. Varland wasn’t the only July 13th callup that impressed on the mound for the Kernels. Reliever Osiris German made his High-A debut after Varland was removed from the game. He didn’t disappoint. German pitched two innings of perfect relief while striking out three against the Clippers. He now holds a 2.14 ERA and 0.92 WHIP on the year. Also pretty good, The Kernels scored their lone run in the sixth inning thanks to an Edouard Julien RBI double that scored Yeltsin Encarnacion. The double was Julien’s fourth of the year and ninth RBI. After being called up from Fort Myers at the end of June, Julien has slashed .263/.453/.421 through the month of July with the Kernels. Alex Isola, Wander Javier, and Gabriel Maciel accounted for the other three hits for Cedar Rapids, each knocking singles. Maciel is now hitting .257 on the year. MUSSEL MATTERS Game One: Jupiter 9, Fort Myers 2 Box Score The Mussels played a twin-bill on Thursday night against the Marlins Low-A affiliate Juniper Hammerheads. And while there were only 14 innings played on the night, there were more than two touchdowns of action at Hammond Stadium on the night. Fort Myers stayed neck in neck in the first seven-inning contest of the night, pushing Juniper to extra-innings. Yet a seven-inning eighth was too much for the Mussels, leading to a 9-2 loss. Starting pitcher Aaron Rozek was electric for the Mussels, striking out seven in five innings of scoreless ball for Fort Myers. The lefty surrendered only three hits and walked none in his strongest outing of the year. After three innings of scoreless baseball, the Mussels struck in the fourth inning thanks to a pair of walks and a Nick Anderson single. Yunior Severino led off the inning with a six-pitch walk. Will Holland was then hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. The next batter Anderson wasted no time, pulling a 2-1 pitch to right field that scored Severino to give the Mussels the lead. Just when it looked like the Mussels might sneak away with a pitcher’s duel win, the Hammerheads plated two runs in the top of the sixth. With their backs against the wall in the bottom of the seventh, Fort Myers found some magic to keep the game going. Kohl McKinnon led off the inning with a single to right field to spark a rally. Following a Justin Washington walk, McKinnon advanced to third on a wild pitch and eventually scored thanks to a Misael Urbina sac-fly. And while eighth-inning woes kept the Mussels from a win there were moments of brilliance for Fort Myers. Reliever Zarion Sharpe pitched an inning of scoreless baseball, striking out one and walking none. Twins Daily Top 20 Prospect Aaron Sabato stole his first base on the season. And a first-inning single from Severino put his batting average at .250, tied for best on the team. Game Two: Jupiter 2, Fort Myers 1 Box Score Justin Washington’s first home run of the year and a solid pitching outing from Sawyer Gipson-Long weren’t enough to push the Mussels to a victory in the nightcap against Juniper on Thursday. Gipson-Long struck out five batters in six innings on the mound in the second of two seven-inning games for the Mussels. Unfortunately, the two runs he gave up were too much for the Fort Myers offense to overcome. Washington and shortstop Will Holland provided the two offensive highlights for Fort Myers. Washington’s fifth-inning solo shot put the Mussels on the board and within a run of the Hammerheads late in the game. Holland punched singles in his first two at-bats to register as the only multi-hit batter for the Mussels on the night. Reliever Denny Bentley also provided a bright spot for the Mussels, pitching a scoreless seventh inning to keep Fort Myers in the game. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Pirates Gold 4, FCL Twins 2 Box Score Multi-hit games for Alexander Pena and Wander Valdez weren’t enough to propel the FCL Twins to a win against the FCL Pirates on Thursday evening in the Sunshine State. The Twins scored their two runs thanks to an RBI groundout from Yonardy Soto in the second and a bases-loaded walk from Breilin Ramirez in the fourth. The fourth inning run was sparked by a leadoff double courtesy of Baez. Baez now has two doubles on the young season. The FCL Twins’ pitching staff was solid but was plagued by seven walks throughout the course of the evening. The highlight on the bump came from Erasmo Moreno, who pitched 3.1 innings of scoreless relief, striking out two and only giving up two hits. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day- Jordan Balazovic (Wichita)- (W, 2-1), 7 IP, 0 R, H, BB, 11 K Hitter of the Day- Mitch Garver (St. Paul)- 3-for-4, R, 2 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY Take note that we have finished our midseason update, so there is a new list! Here is a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 – Royce Lewis (Rehab) – Out for season (torn ACL) #2 – Jhoan Duran (St. Paul) – Injured List (elbow strain) #3 – Jordan Balazovic (Wichita) – 7 IP, 0 R, H, BB, 11 K #4 – Matt Canterino (Cedar Rapids) – Injured List (right elbow strain) #5 – Jose Miranda (St. Paul) – 3-for-4, R, RBI, BB #6 – Keoni Cavaco (Fort Myers) – Did not play #7 – Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) – All-Star Break #8 – Josh Winder (St. Paul) – Did not pitch #9 – Aaron Sabato (Fort Myers) – 1-for-6, BB, K #10 – Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) – Injured List (wrist sprain) #11 – Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Out for Season (Tommy John surgery) #12 – Bailey Ober (Minnesota) – All-Star Break #13 – Cole Sands (Wichita) –Did not pitch #14 – Brent Rooker (St. Paul) – 1-for-4, R, RBI, BB, K #15 – Misael Urbina (Fort Myers) – 1-for-5, RBI, BB, K #16 – Spencer Steer (Wichita) – 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI #17 – Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-4, 2 K #18 – Alerick Soularie (Complex) – N/A (foot injury) #19 – Edwar Colina (Rehab) – Injured List (elbow) #20 – Chris Vallimont (Wichita) – Did not pitch FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Columbus @ St. Paul (7:05PM CST) – RHP Josh Winder (1-0 3.52 ERA) Tulsa @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) – LHP Bryan Sammons (0-3 6.19 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (6:05PM CST) – RHP Jon Olsen ( 0-1, 3.59 ERA) Juniper @ Fort Myers- (6:00PM CST) – RHP Bobby Milacki (0-1, 4.22 ERA) View full article

When their teams' needed it most, the bullpens stepped up with some stellar performances across the Twins' farm on Thursday night. TRANSACTIONS Minnesota Twins optioned RHP Griffin Jax to St. Paul Saints. 2B Peter Mooney retired (last game on Tuesday, July 6) SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 4, Iowa 2 Box Score Despite a scary opening to the game, the Saints were able to rally behind a stellar bullpen and a strong fourth inning for a win on a Wednesday night in Des Moines. Coming off a dazzling Triple-A debut last week, starting pitcher Josh Winder looked to repeat on Wednesday night. His outing was unfortunately cut short due to a line-drive off the neck area in the third. Winder was able to walk off the field under his own power. According to sources, manager Toby Gardenhire says that Winder is "feeling fine." Heal up, Josh! Coming in after a scary injury is never easy, yet reliever Juan Minaya handled himself on the mound as well as he could following Winder’s exit. Minaya pitched two innings of scoreless ball to keep the Saints in a position to mount their fourth inning attack. Once St. Paul had the lead, the Saints bullpen was spotless. Andrew Vasquez followed Minaya with three strikeouts in 1.1 innings. Yennier Cano then took his share of no-hit ball, pitching a scoreless 2.1 innings. New signee Nick Vincent finished the masterpiece in a 1.1 inning hitless save (3). 3 in 4 Trailing 2-0 in the fourth with only one hit on the board, the Saints took the bats by storm. Dreg Maggi used his legs to lead off the inning, reaching on a bunt single. Brent Rooker kept the momentum going with sharp liner to left field for a double. The ball was deflected off the Cubs’ third basemen, allowing Maggi to score all the way from first. Willians Astudillo followed suit with a single, moving Rooker 90 feet from home. Both Astudillo and Rooker would advance thanks to a RBI sac-fly from Mark Contreras. And while we know that La Tortuga can hit, the big man can run the bases as well. Astudillo stole third for his third swiped bag of the year and eventually scored on a Damek Tomscha single. The Saints tacked on an insurance run in the seventh thanks to a walk, pair of singles, and a fielding error. And while Keon Broxton's and Derek Pena's singles were important, it was the drawer of the walk who had the most memorable inning. After drawing a six-pitch walk Drew Stankiewicz reached second on Broxton's single and an error and was later plated on Pena's hit. The run is Stankiewicz's first at the Triple-A level in his eight-year professional baseball career. However, it wasn't his first as a St. Paul Saint. Stankiewicz scored ten runs in 2020 for the Saints when they were an independent team that played in the American Association. Congrats on the wonderful achievement, Drew! There’s clear power in this Saints lineup, but it’s always good to see teams find offense through good, old fashioned small ball. It’s always better to have two weapons instead of one! WIND SURGE WISDOM NW Arkansas 8, Wichita 5 Box Score Wichita's sprinkle of runs across the game wasn't enough to combat NW Arkansas' seven-run dagger on Wednesday night. The Naturals seven of their eight runs in the fourth and fifth innings to secure a win over the Surge. The strongest offensive performance on the night came from Surge catcher Roy Morales, who knocked three hits including a double and his 12th and 13th RBI on the season. Morales is now batting .280 on the year. Andrew Bechtold and Leoboldo Cabrera also had multi-hit games, with Bechtold knocking singles in the fourth and eighth innings, and Cabrera adding his own in the third and eighth. There were bright spots in the Wichita bullpen. Jordan Milbrath pitched 2 1/3 innings of one-hit six strike out relief late in the game. Adam Lau followed suit by retiring the final two batters that the Surge would see. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Peoria 3 Box Score Despite their shortest start of the year, the Kernels' pitching staff was able to muster themselves to a victory thanks to a lights out bullpen performance. After Cody Lawyerson was taking out after 2/3 of an inning, the Cedar Rapids pen allowed zero earned runs (two were inherited) for the remaining 8 1/3 innings of the game. Melvi Acosta, Jordan Gore, Erik Manoah Jr, and Zach Featherstone struck out 13 and only gave up only four hits in their total appearance. And while all played a role, Manoah Jr's stellar performance may be the most feel-good story of the night. Manoah Jr. has been playing pro ball for eight years, bouncing between Low-A, to High-A, to Indy ball. The Twins signed him on June 9 and he was promoted from Low-A Fort Myers to High-A Cedar Rapids on July 1 after a strong set out outings in the Sunshine State. His two innings of hitless baseball with two strike is another step of progress for a guy who's hard not to root for. "He's been really good and has thrown the ball well in his first three outings for us," manager Brian Dinkelman said. "The Twins signed him from Indy ball and he did well in Fort Myers so we hope he continues to throw the ball well here." On the other side of the ball the Kernels saw a strong day at the plate from Michael Helman who went 1-for-2 with a double, extending his hitting streak to four consecutive games. "Mike's had good at-bats for us all season," Dinkelman said. "He puts the ball in play a lot and is able to drive the ball." Cedar Rapids also saw extra-base hits from Eduoard Julien with a first-inning double and Jair Carmago with a homer in the same inning. Julien's double and a walk from Wander Javier provided the baserunners for Carmago's three-run shot. The Kernels would score the go-ahead and insurance run in the fifth thanks to Helman's leadoff double Gabriel Maciel that with a walk. Two batters later, Helman would score thanks to a sac-fly from Yeltsin Encarnacion with a error by the Peoria shortstop. Advancing on the error, Maciel would later score on a sac-fly courtesy of Julien. MUSSEL MATTERS St. Lucie 6, Fort Myers 2 Box Score A stellar bullpen outing and multi-hit game from Misael Urbina wasn’t enough to push the Mussels past St. Lucie in an early-afternoon game in the Sunshine State. St. Lucie piled on five runs in the first four innings to grab a lead that wouldn’t be surrendered. Mussels starter Brent Headrick didn’t have his best outing of the year, tossing 3 2/3 innings and giving up four earned runs on six hits and two walks. Headrick did strike out three. The bullpen tandem of Osiris German, Steve Cruz, and Zaquiel Puentas put together 4 1/3 innings of two-hit, one-run ball to keep the Mussels in the game. Cruz pitched the most of the three, striking out four of six batters in two innings. Both of Fort Myers’ runs came in the fifth inning. With two outs, Misael Urbina and Keoni Cavaco nailed consecutive full-count pitches to the center field grass to put runners on base. Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Prospect Aaron Sabato followed suit by drilling his own 3-2 pitch, driving in both Urbina and Cavaco on an RBI double. Yunior Severino, Will Holland, Willie Joe Garry Jr, and Justin Washington also tallied hits for the Mussels. And while he didn’t put together a game to write home about, it sure is great to see Keoni Cavaco hitting the baseball again. The Twins Daily #6 Midseason Prospect was activated just yesterday from the Injured List and has hits in both games since returning. He leads the Mussels with a .265 batting average. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Jordan Gore Jr, Cedar Rapids Kernels (W (5-1), 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K) Hitter of the Day – Roy Morales, Wichita Wind Surge (3-for-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI, BB) PROSPECT SUMMARY Take note that we have finished our midseason update, so there is a new list! Here is a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 – Royce Lewis (Rehab) – Out for season (torn ACL) #2 – Jhoan Duran (St. Paul) – Injured List (elbow strain) #3 – Jordan Balazovic (Wichita) – Did not pitch #4 – Matt Canterino (Cedar Rapids) – Injured List (right elbow strain) #5 – Jose Miranda (St. Paul) – 0-for-3, BB, K #6 – Keoni Cavaco (Fort Myers) – 1-for-3, R, BB, K #7 – Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) – Did not play #8 – Josh Winder (St. Paul) – 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (left game with neck injury) #9 – Aaron Sabato (Fort Myers) – 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K #10 – Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) – Injured List (hamate bone surgery) #11 – Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Out for Season (Tommy John surgery) #12 – Bailey Ober (Minnesota) – Did not pitch #13 – Cole Sands (Wichita) – Did not pitch #14 – Brent Rooker (St. Paul) – 1-for-4, 2B, R, RBI, #15 – Misael Urbina (Fort Myers) – 2-for-4, R #16 – Spencer Steer (Wichita) – 0-for-4, RBI, 2 K #17 – Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-2, BB, K #18 – Alerick Soularie (Complex) – N/A (foot injury) #19 – Edwar Colina (Rehab) – Injured List (elbow) #20 – Chris Vallimont (Wichita) – 4.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 6 K THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Iowa (7:08 PM CST) – LHP Charlie Barnes (4-2, 3.76 ERA) NW Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) – RHP Austin Schulfer (2-4, 3.73 ERA) Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) – RHP Tyler Beck (1-1, 2.20 ERA) Fort Myers @ St. Lucie (5:10PM CST) – RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long (4-2, 4.97 ERA) FCL Twins vs. FCL Orioles Orange (11:00AM CST)- TBA Feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games! 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It is indeed! George Strait!

Thanks for that Roger, you're a good man! Got it switched! And yes, The Mussels staff has been damn good. Just gotta find some spark at the plate now that Julien is gone!