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Box Score
SP: Sonny Gray 5 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 4 K (90 pitches, 53 strikes (59 strike %))
Home Runs: None
Top 3 WPA: Jake Cave .665, Jhoan Duran .304, Carlos Correa .231
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

With Sonny Gray on the mound, the Twins had a good start to their Saturday evening, keeping the Giants shutout through the first two innings. Gray only allowed one base runner in the first two innings on a walk to Thairo Estrada.
In the bottom of the second inning, the Twins mounted a two-out threat against Giants starter Alex Cobb. Max Kepler and Gilberto Celestino reached base on back-to-back walks, but with two outs, a ground out to first ended the threat.
Even with no runs scored, the Twins still managed to get Cobb to throw 31 pitches in the second inning alone. He tallied 49 pitches in two innings of work. 
Gray faced trouble for the first time in the third when he walked back-to-back batters with one out. Fortunately, he got out of the jam by striking out former Twin LaMonte Wade Jr. and getting Wilmer Flores to ground out. 
The Twins once again mounted a two-out threat in the bottom of the fourth inning with singles from Gio Urshela and Kepler. A strikeout ended the inning. 
Gray started the fifth with another walk to Austin Slater, his fourth of the game. Slater took a risky lead off first and was picked off for the first out of the inning. The pickoff was only the seventh of Gray’s career.
The next at-bat saw Giants left fielder Luis Gonzalez get hit on the foot to reach base as Gray’s command continued to slip in the middle innings. Gray’s no-hit bid ended in the next at-bat when he gave up a double to Joey Bart to put runners on second and third with one out. 
The Giants took advantage with a Tommy La Stella sacrifice fly that scored Slater and put the Giants up 1-0. 
The Twins remained scoreless through five innings, but they were able to push Cobb’s pitch count to 99 pitches for the evening. Carlos Correa was the last Twins hitter to get a hit off him for the day.
Caleb Thielbar was the first reliever for the Twins, and he pitched an effective 1 1/3 innings, facing just four batters. When Thielbar was removed for Griffin Jax with one out in the seventh, Jorge Polanco also exited the game with a bum knee. Nick Gordon shifted to second base and Jake Cave came into the game in left field to bat in Polanco’s spot. 
 
In the bottom of the 7th inning, Max Kepler reached base for the third time in the game with an opposite-field single. The Twins struggles continued as the inning ended with a double play. Gary Sanchez came on to pinch hit for Leon and walked to keep the seventh alive. Luis Arraez came up looking to end his cold streak of one hit in his last 20 at-bats. Unfortunately, the streak continued as Arraez flew out to end the seventh. 
The Twins and Giants sat threw a 51-minute rain delay putting the eighth inning on hold. Once the delay was lifted, Trevor Megill came into the game for the Twins and retired the side on 11 pitches. 
A rain delay might have been just what the Twins needed. Carlos Correa led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a single and advanced to third on a Cave single. But again, scoring opposite wasted. 
Megill remained on the mound for the ninth and ran into trouble. He gave up three singles which were followed by a Slater sacrifice fly which put the Giants up 2-0. Megill got out of the jam, but the Twins now needed to score at least two runs in the bottom of the ninth just to keep the game alive.
Kepler led off the bottom of the ninth with a walk, but the next two batters got out. Arraez was the last hope for the Twins and kept the game alive with a walk. 
That brought up Correa for the opportunity to do what he does best (even though he hasn't very often this season). Shine in big moments. Could he walk-off for the Twins for the first time all season?
He didn’t walk it off, but the Twins caught a break on a base running communication that ended up with Kepler scoring and Arraez at third. Now down by just one run, Jake Cave came to the plate and delivered his biggest hit this season, a single to left to tie the game at 2-2..
The Twins were headed to extra frames for the sixth time in the month of August. 
Jhoan Duran was given the ball for the 10th. The Twins caught a huge break when the Manfred Man left second on a ground ball to Correa. The shortstop threw the ball to third base for an easy first out. Joey Bart, a slower runner, was left at first base with one out. Duran retired the next two hitters without another runner making it to first base. He was throwing hard and his fastest pitch at 102.3 MPH against Evan Longoria. 
Caleb Hamilton came into the game as the ghost runner in place of Jose Miranda. Nick Gordon placed a sacrifice bunt down the third base line to advance Hamilton to third, Gio Urshela followed with a walk and Kepler was given an intentional pass which loaded the bases with one out for Gilberto Celestino. He was unable to record a big hit but only because the Giants reliever Dominic Leone threw four pitches nowhere near the strike zone. Celestino took four pitches, jogged down to first base and Caleb Hamilton cross home plate to give the Twins a 3-2 victory. 
What’s Next? 
The Twins concluded their series against the Giants at 1:10 tomorrow afternoon. Aaron Sanchez is on the mound for the Twins against Jakob Junis. 
Postgame Interviews
The game was a nationally-televised game on Fox. No Bally Sports North broadcast, so no postgame video. 
Bullpen Usage Sheet

  TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT               Megill 8 0 23 0 35 66 Pagán 14 0 0 28 0 42 Fulmer 0 23 0 12 0 35 Duran 0 0 20 0 13 33 Smeltzer 0 27 0 0 0 27 Thielbar 0 0 0 0 22 22 López 0 0 18 0 0 18 Jax 0 0 6 0 8 14    
 

TRANSACTIONS 
Recently signed non-drafted free agent LHP Michael Boyle was assigned to Ft. Myers. 

So was MLB veteran RHP Brock Stewart who has worked his way back to affiliated ball after recovering from injuries the past few seasons? 
SAINTS SENTINEL 
Iowa 6, St. Paul 5
Box score 
Ronny Henriquez has been coming out of the bullpen for the Saints the past couple of months, generally still working multiple innings situations. He returned to the starting rotation this week and put together arguably his best start of the season. The right-hander gave up one run on three hits over five innings. He struck out six batters, and maybe most important for his development, he walked none. 
The bullpen came on and had some moments. Juan Minaya recorded the first two outs in the sixth inning. But, he gave up one run on two walks. Austin Schulfer came on and got the final out of that inning. Jharel Cotton gave up a run on one hit and one walk in the seventh inning. 
Heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, the Saints held a 5-3 lead. Jovani Moran came on and struck out two in the eighth inning. Unfortunately, he gave up three runs on two hits and two walks, and a hit batter to blow the save and take the loss. The outing bumps his Saints season ERA up to 6.00. Just 15 of his 31 pitches were strikes. There are openings in the Twins bullpen, and he certainly isn’t putting up the Triple-A numbers to force the Twins’ hand. 
Matt Wallner went 2-for-4 with a walk and his sixth double since joining the Saints. Jermaine Palacios went 2-for-5. Nash Knight went 2-for-4. 
WIND SURGE WISDOM
Frisco 2, Wichita 1
Box Score 
Lefty Kody Funderburk gave up two runs in the third inning, and that was it for the Frisco run-scoring on this night. Unfortunately, it was one run more than the Wind Surge were able to muster. 
Funderburk gave up those two runs on two hits and two walks. He struck out four. The bullpen followed with four scoreless, hitless innings. Denny Bentley walked one and struck one out over two innings. Alex Phillips and Steven Cruz each worked one inning. Cruz struck out two batters. 
The Wind Surge batters had twice as many hits as Frisco, but just half as many runs. Wichita had four hits, but the lone run came in the top of the seventh inning in the form of Jair Camargo’s eighth Double-A home run. Austin Martin found three different ways to get on base. He was hit by a pitch, walked, and had a single. He also stole his 31st bag.
KERNELS NUGGETS
Lake County 1, Cedar Rapids 5
Box Score
Cedar Rapids got some great pitching and kept the offense rolling, scoring their five runs in four different innings. 
Let’s start on the mound where David Festa improved to 7-2 with a 2.25 ERA with 5 2/3 scoreless innings. He gave up two hits, no walks, and he struck out six batters. Matt Mullenbach got four of the five batters he faced out. He did hit one batter. Bobby Milacki struck out four batters over the final two innings. The lone run allowed came on a ninth-inning home run. 
It’s been a tough season for outfielder Willie Joe Garry. He missed more than two months with injury, but since his return, the speedster has been playing very well. On this night, he went 3-for-4 with a single, double, and a home run. He drove in two of the Kernel runs and scored three runs. Jake Rucker went 2-for-3 with a walk and was hit by a pitch. 
If not the fewest in the league, the Minnesota Twins big-league club has very stolen bases. On Friday night, infielder Mikey Perez stole his 12th base since joining the Kernels. He had 32 stolen bases in Ft. Myers earlier in the season. 
Here are the organization’s Top 10 leaders in Stolen Bases in 2022: 

  Mikey Perez - 44
  DaShawn Keirsey, Jr. - 34
  Austin Martin - 32
  Michael Helman - 30
  Yasser Mercedes - 30
  Will Holland - 26
  Daniel Ozoria - 20
  Anthony Prato - 20
  Luis Baez - 19
  Noah Miller - 19
MUSSEL MATTERS
Lakeland, Fort Myers (Game Suspended in the 3rd inning)
Box Score
The Mighty Mussels played two games on Thursday but only completed two innings on Friday night due to rain. We’ll have more on this game when it is completed (hopefully on Saturday), but we’ll show you a little of what happened. 
30-year-old Brock Stewart started for the Mussels and went the first two innings. He gave up two runs on just one hit. Immediately following a hit batter in the second innings, he gave up a home run to Mike Rothenberg. 
But all that is the background to a potentially great story. Stewart was drafted by the Dodgers in the 6th round in 2014 out of Illinois State. Just two years after signing, he made his big-league debut. Between 2016 and 2019, he pitched in 36 games for the Dodgers, including 11 starts. He went 6-3 with a 6.05 ERA over 105 2/3 innings. When the Dodgers let him go, the Blue Jays claimed him and he went 4-0 over 10 late-season appearances. After that season, he was selected by the Cubs in the Rule 5 draft, but they let him go in late May of 2020 as the season was in doubt. He pitched in six games for the Chicago Deep Dish of the City of Champions Cup League.  The Dodgers signed him before the 2021 season, but he had Tommy John surgery in May of 2021 and rehabbed the rest of the season. He hadn’t pitched at all this year either, but after a tryout, the Twins signed him in mid-July to a minor league deal. 
Maybe it’s a long shot, but maybe he works his way back and gets to the big leagues in a bullpen role. Those are the kind of stories that are fun to tell when a game is suspended in the bottom of the third. 
Michael Boyle pitched a scoreless top of the third. He is 28 years old and hasn’t pitched since 2019 with the Dodgers’ Double-A affiliate in Tulsa. He’s healthy and attempting to come back. Hopefully we’ll continue to write about him the next year or so and get to know more about his story too. 
Noah Cardenas hit a solo home run in the second inning, his ninth of the year. In the bottom of the third inning, Misael Urbina led off with a double. Ben Ross drove him in with a double. One batter later, Ross stole third base and then scored on a Cardenas single. Kala’i Rosario followed with an RBI double, his 20th two-bagger of the season. And that’s when the game was delayed by rain. 
The teams will attempt to finish this game as part of a modified doubleheader on Saturday late afternoon. That will be a nine-inning game. The regularly-scheduled game will then be a seven-inning game. 
TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day –  David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K, (73 pitches, 47 strikes)
Hitter of the Day – Willie Joe Garry, Jr. (Cedar Rapids) - 3-4, 2B (9), HR (2), 3 R, 2 RBI, K
PROSPECT SUMMARY
Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed:

#2 - Brooks Lee (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, BB, RBI 
#4 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 1-2, BB, HBP, SB (31)
#9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 2-4, BB, R, RBI, 2 K 
#13 - David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K, (73 pitches, 47 strikes) 
#14 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 0-4, 2 K
#16 - Ronny Henriquez (St. Paul) - 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K (67 pitches, 45 strikes)  
#18 - Tanner Schobel (Fort Myers) - 0-2, 2 K
#20 - Kala'i Rosario (Fort Myers) - 1-2, 2B(20), RBI K
SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
Here are the start times and probables for their games. 

St. Paul @ Iowa (6:08 PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson
Wichita @ Frisco (7:05 PM CST) - LHP Aaron Rozek 
Cedar Rapids @ Lake County (5:35 PM CST) - LHP Jaylen Nowlin 
Lakeland @ Fort Myers (DH starting at 3:30 PM CST) - TBD, RHP Tomas Cleto
Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday's games
 
 

These Minor League Week in Reviews are getting long. They are filled with how Twins minor leaguers, from the Triple-A St. Paul Saints, down to the 17 and 18-year-old kids playing in the Dominican Summer League. Who played really well? How did the teams perform. While wins and losses are secondary to player development, it is a part of the game that matters to the players. There were several transactions on Monday. Both Rookie League affiliates played on Monday morning. There has been a lot of Twins minor league coverage all week, so be sure to keep checking back. 
Of course, we also look at the current Top 20 Twins prospects, and we enjoy seeing them do well. But, we (or at least I am) are just as excited to hear that a player like Elliot Soto is being called up by the Twins. Fun stories! 
If you missed it, read Nick's Twins Week in Review after you've read about the minor league week.
TRANSACTIONS 
With no Monday Minor League Report, here are the transactions from later on Sunday and on Monday: 
RHP Cole Sands was optioned to St. Paul. Infielder Elliot Soto’s contract was purchased and he joins the team in Seattle.  To make room, RHP Cody Stashak was placed on the 60-Day IL.  LHP Evan Sisk was promoted from Wichita to St. Paul.  RHP Jordan Gore was sent from St. Paul to Wichita, as was OF Cole Sturgeon.  RHP Argenis Angulo placed on the Development List for Wichita.  RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long promoted from Cedar Rapids to Wichita. C Jair Camargo activated from the Injured List.  OF Kennie Taylor and C Kyle Schmidt sent from Wichita to Cedar Rapids.   RESULTS
  Previous Week in Review (5/31-6/6):Another No-No, and Huge Offensive Performances   
  Tuesday: Gipson-Long Shucks Cubs, Steer Stays Hot 
  Wednesday: Encarnacion-Strand Continues to Mash, Emmanuel Rodriguez Injured 
  Thursday: Festa Fancy in Start, Steer Walks it Off 
  Friday: A Near Sweep 
  Saturday: Kirilloff, Saints Power Their Way to Sixth Straight Win 
  Sunday: Offensive Clinic from Cedar Rapids, Kirilloff Homers Again

MORE TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE CONTENT 
  (More Than) Three Questions With… Saints Infielder Spencer Steer (includes video) 
  Is Austin Martin Minnesota’s Best Trade Chip? 
  Partial ACL Tear Ends Lewis’s Season… Again! 
  Passing on What He Has Learned Is Elliot Soto’s Drive With the 2022 Saints 
MONDAY’S SHORT-SEASON RESULTS  
We don’t have a Minor League Report on Mondays since the full-season affiliates don’t play on Mondays. But, often the FCL Twins and DSL Twins do play. Here are their box scores and highlights.  
FCL Twins 6, FCL Rays 11 
Box Score
Starting Pitcher: Juan Rojas (4 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 6 K)
Multi-Hit Games: Gregory Duran (2-for-3, BB, 2B, R, RBI, K
2B: Gregory Duran (2)
Rehab Players: Daniel Robertson (0-for-2, K) 
Top Prospects: Danny De Andrade (0-for-3, HBP, K), Fredy Michel (1-for-3, 2 BB, K, 2 R, 1 RBI, SB). 

Summary: The GCL Twins fell behind 6-1 but clawed their way back to 6-5 going to the bottom of the eighth inning. That’s when the Rays scored five runs to put the game away. Just one of those five runs was earned as the Twins youngsters committed six errors in the game. 
DSL Twins 7, DSL Brewers (2) 6
Box Score
Starting Pitcher: Julio Bonilla (4 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K)
Multi-Hit Games: Denyerbe Gervis (2-for-2, 2B, R, RBI, SB), Isaac Pena (2-for-2, RBI), Junior Del Valle (2-for-3, R) 
2B: Denyerbe Gervis (3)
3B: Yilber Herrera (1)  
Top Prospects: Bryan Acuna (0-3, HBP, R, 2 K)    
WEEK IN REVIEW 
Triple-A: St. Paul Saints: 
Week: 6-0, hosting Rochester 
Season: 30-29 overall, 6th place out of ten teams in the International League West. They are 6.0 games behind Nashville. Despite the rough week, Rochester remains in first place, a half-game ahead of Lehigh Valley.  
 
The Saints were struggling, but it’s fair to say that they are playing much better now. They began the week at 24-29. The former Twins Triple-A affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings, came to St. Paul leading the East division of the International League. The Saints swept the series and are now back over .500 at 30-29. In reality, the Saints completely dominated #OldFriend Matthew Lecroy’s squad. They outscored the Wings 48-23. They reached double-digits in runs scored three times. Aside from a walk-off win on Thursday, none of the other games were particularly close. The Red Wings still lead their division by 1/2 game.  
Mario Sanchez had a four-inning save this week. He gave up no runs and no hits. He walked one and struck out six batters.  Joe Ryan made a rehab start on Thursday night. He struck out four batters over three scoreless, one-hit innings. He appears ready to make his next start with the Twins.  Jake Petricka worked three scoreless, one-hit innings over two appearances. He walked one and struck out three batters.  Tyler Thornburg threw two scoreless innings out of the bullpen. He gave up one hit and struck out three batters. He also threw 2 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings in his Twins debut on Sunday afternoon.  Jake Faria gave up one run on five hits in five innings in his start. He walked one and struck out two.  Alex Kirilloff played in all six games. He went 9-for-24 and hit .375/.423/.792 (1.215) with a double, three homers and seven RBI.  Tim Beckham played in four games. He went 9-for-17 and hit .529/.600/.765 (1.365) with a double, a homer, and nine RBI. He also had two stolen bases.  Spencer Steer played in the Saints first three games this week. In that time, he went 5-for-13 and hit .385/.500/.923 (1.423)  with a double and two home runs. On Thursday, he capped a four-run ninth inning with a two-run, walk-off homer.   
Jermaine Palacios returned to the Saints. In four games, he went 6-for-17, hitting .353/.389/.647 (1.036) with two doubles, a homer and four RBI.  Michael Helman went 6-for-19 (.316) with two doubles. Mark Contreras went 6-for-20 (.300) with three doubles.  Caleb Hamilton played in four games and went 4-for-12. He hit .333/.556/.583 (1.139) with a homer and two RBI. He also walked six times.  In six games, Jake Cave went 8-for-23 and hit .348/.444/.609 (1.053) with a double, triple, homer, and five RBI.   What’s Next? The Saints will be on the road the next two weeks. They will travel to Ohio and take on the Columbus Clippers this week. 

Pitching Probables (RHP Aaron Sanchez,  RHP Ronny Henriquez, RHP Jordan Balazovic, RHP Derek Rodriguez, RHP Jake Faria, TBD) 
Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge 
Week: 2-4, @ Arkansas 
Season: 32-23 overall, 1st place in the Texas League North Division. They remain 1 1/2 game ahead of Tulsa (30-24) and 2.0 games ahead of Arkansas (31-26).
The series began with 6-1 losses at the hands of Arkansas. After a rainout on Wednesday, they split a doubleheader Thursday. The Wind Surge were outscored 23-20 for the week. Only one game throughout the full week was decided by less than three runs. 
Here are some of the top performances for the Wind Surge this past week: 
Louie Varland had a terrific start this week. The Minnesota native tossed six scoreless innings. He gave up three hits, walked none, and struck out nine batters.  Melvi Acosta gave up just one hit over 4 2/3 innings in two appearances. He walked two and struck out four batters.  Lefty Evan Sisk struck out six batters over three scoreless, hitless innings. He walked two batters.  New Surge relievers, Denny Bentley and Andrew Cabezas each worked two scoreless innings and struck out two batters over two games. Anthony Prato had a good start to his Wichita days. He went 5-for-18 and hit .278/.417/.389 (.806) with two doubles and three walks.  Chris Williams went 5-for-22 (.227), but he had three doubles, a homer, and five RBI.   
Edouard Julien was 5-for-18 (.278), but he walked six times, giving him a .458 on-base percentage for the week.    What’s Next? The Wind Surge will remain on the road. They will head to Tulsa to play a seven-game series. They will play a doubleheader on Wednesday, making up for a rainout from early May.   

Pitching Probables (RHP Casey Legumina, Wednesday DH (TBD, TBD), TBD, TBD, TBD, TBD)    
High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels: 
Week: 4-2, @ South Bend    
Season: 37-20 overall, 1st place in the Midwest League West Division, 3.5 games ahead of Wisconsin (33-23).  
The Kernels dominated the series to the tune of a 37-16 run differential. They lost two close games and they won the other four games by an average of six runs. The Kernels were able to increase their lead in the division and put more space between themselves and third-place South Bend. 
David Festa continues his impressive, breakout season. In his start last week, the flamethrower struck out six batters over six scoreless innings. He gave up four hits and walked one batter. Lefty Aaron Rozek tossed four innings. He gave up no runs on two hits, one walk, one hit batter and struck out three batters.  Sawyer Gipson-Long gave up one run on three hits (a solo homer). He walked one and struck out six batters.  Cade Povich gave up one run on four hits over six innings on Sunday. He walked two and struck out five batters.  Brent Headrick had another strong start. In 5 2/3 innings, he gave up one run on six hits. He walked one and struck out seven batters.  Christian Encarnacion-Strand played all six games. He went 6-for-24 and hit .250/.333/.708 (1.041) with two doubles, three homers, and eight RBI.  Dylan Neuse played four games and went 3-for-10 at the plate. He hit .300/.533/.600 (1.133) with a homer. He walked four times.  Wander Javier went 6-for-17 in five games last week. He hit .353/.450/.529 (979) with a double, a triple, and four RBI.  In six games, Seth Gray went 7-for-22 and hit .318/.400/.636 (1.036) with a double, two homers, and seven RBI.   What’s Next? The Kernels will be home for the next two weeks. This week, they will be hosting Dayton. Dayton leads the Midwest League East Division with a 36-19 record and a 4 1/2 game lead over Great Lakes. Order Tickets here.   
Pitching Probables (RHP John Stankiewicz, RHP David Festa, LHP Brent Headrick, LHP Aaron Rozek, LHP Cade Povich, RHP Sean Mooney)   
Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels
Week: 1-5, @ Daytona  
Season: 35-21 overall, 1st place in the Florida State League West, 6.0 games ahead of Clearwater (29-27). 
It was a tough week for the Mussels. Marco Raya Steve Hajjar was terrific but only went two innings in his start. Emmanuel Rodriguez injured his leg on Wednesday. He is going to be out for three-to-four months after having surgery. Keoni Cavaco played in just one game but is expected to return to action this week. They were outscored by the Tortugas 17-37. 
Carlos Aguiar began the week by playing one game with the FCL Twins. He had a double in a 1-for-3 game. He also walked once. In four games with the Mussels, he had a double, a triple, a homer, and two walks.  Noah Cardenas played in six games. He went 3-for-12 (.250). He also walked six times and was on base 59% of the time and had a double too.  Jaylen Nowlin made one start. He went three scoreless innings. He gave up one hit, walked two and struck out six batters.  Sam Perez pitched twice, In three innings, he gave up one hit. He struck out two batters and didn’t walk anyone.  Travis Adams struck out eight batters in five innings. He gave up two runs on five hits and a walk.  Malik Barrington struck out four batters over three scoreless innings over two outings. He finished both games he pitched and recorded a save.   What’s Next? The Mighty Mussels head back to Hammond Stadium this week to take on the Bradenton Marauders (25-31).    
Pitching Probables (TBD, TBD,TBD, TBD, TBD, TBD)  
Rookie: Florida Complex League (FCL Twins)
Week: 3-2   
Season: 4-2
Alexander Pena is off to a fast start. In four games, he went 7-for-12. He hit .583/.600/.917 (1.517) with two doubles, a triple, and three home runs.  Fredy Michel also played four games. He went 5-for-13 and hit .385/.500/.538 (1.038) with two doubles and an RBI. Gregory Duran played four games and went 3-for-10. He hit .300/.563/.500 (1.063) with two doubles. He also walked five times.   Rehabbing Daniel Robertson went 4-for-12 over three games and hit .333/.429/667 (1.096) with a double, a homer and five RBI. He also walked twice.  Jose Olivares worked four relief innings. He gave up an unearned run on three hits. He walked two and struck out four batters.  Tomas Cleto recorded a Save in his outing. He tossed three scoreless innings. He gave up two hits, walked one and struck out four batters. Jon Olsen and Luis Rijo made their first rehab appearances since they had Tommy John surgery late last year.   Rookie: Dominican Summer league (DSL Twins): 
Week: 4-1. 
Season: 4-2
Cesar Lares struck out eight batters over four scoreless, hitless innings in his professional debut. He walked three and hit a batter. Miguel Olivares struck out five and walked one batter over four scoreless innings. He gave up one hit.  Roger Duran worked twice out of the bullpen. In five innings, he gave up one run on five hits. He walked one and struck out nine batters.  Rafael Cruz played in four games and went 5-for-11. He hit .455/.538/.727 (1.265) with a double, a triple, and two RBI.  Denyerbe Gervis went 6-for-12 in his four games and hit .500/.538/1.000 (1.538) with three doubles, a home run, and five RBI.  Isaac Pena played in five games. He went 7-for-11 and is hitting .636/.583/.818 (1.401) with a triple and three RBI.  Junior Del Valle went 5-for-8 in his four games played. He hit .625/.667/.875 (1.542) with two doubles.  PROSPECT SUMMARY
This Prospect Summary shows our current Twins Top 20 Prospect Rankings and how they performed last week and this season. The Prospect Tracker will be updated on the first of each month throughout the season. Notice that these pages now include stats and splits, as well as past article links, video and more.  

#1 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul) - Did Not Play (Season: 34 G, .313/.405/.534 (.940), 12-2B, 1-3B, 5-HR, 30 R, 14 RBI, 18 BB, 32 K)
#1 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - Did Not Play (.000), 0-2B, 0-HR, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 0 K (Season: 12 G, .300/.317/.550 (.867), 4-2B, 0-3B, 2-HR, 5 R, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 5 K) 
#2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 5 G, 1-for-14 (.071), 1-2B, 0-3B, 0-HR, 0 RBI, 2 BB, 6 K (Season: 51 G, .235/.360/.311 (.671), 8-2B, 2-3B, 1-HR, 37 R, 14 RBI, 25 BB, 34 K, 21 SB, 2 CS)
#3 - Jose Miranda (St. Paul) - In MLB (Season: 21 G, .256/.295/.442 (.737), 10-2B, 2-HR, 10 R, 12 RBI, 5 BB, 14 K)
#3 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - 5 G, 6-for-17 (.353), 2-2B, 0-HR, 4 RBI, 0 BB, 4 K (Season: 30 G, .226/.255/.415 (.670), 8-2B, 4-HR, 10 R, 15 RBI, 3 BB, 26 K)
#4 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 1 GS, 2.2 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 1 K  (Season: 6 GS, 19.0 IP, 22 R, 17 ER, 31 H, 12 BB, 18 K, 0-2, 8.05 ERA, 2.26 WHIP, 5.7 BB/9, 8.5 K/9)
#5 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - 1 GS, 5.0 IP,  4 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 K (Season: 11 GS, 53.0 IP, 21 R, 20 ER, 41 H, 19 BB, 53 K, 2-3, 3.40 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 3.2 BB/9, 9.0 K/9)

#6 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - Injured List (Season: 11 G, 10 GS, 34.1 IP, 8 R, 7 ER, 17 H, 22 BB, 50 K, 0-1, 1.83 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 5.8 BB/9, 13.1 K/9)
#7 - Spencer Steer (Wichita) - (Season: 35 G, .307/.385/.591 (.976), 13-2B, 1-3B, 8-HR, 27 R, 30 RBI, 14 BB, 23 K)
#7 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 3 G, 5-for-13 (.385), 1-2B, 2-HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K (Season: 16 G, .279/.380/.691 (1.071), 4-2B, 0-3B, 8-HR, 18 R, 19 RBI, 8 BB, 13 K)
#8 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Ft. Myers) - 2 G, 0-for-4 (.000), 0-2B, 0-3B, 0-HR, 0 RBI, 3 BB, 1 K (Season: 47 G, .272/.493/.552 (1.044), 5-2B, 3-3B, 9-HR, 35 R, 25 RBI, 57 BB, 52 K)
#9 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 5 G, 2-for-17 (.118), 0-2B, 0-3B, 0-HR, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 7 K (Season: 50 G, .243/.375/.335 (.710), 7-2B, 2-3B, 2 HR, 33 R, 13 RBI, 37 BB, 58 K)
#10 - Marco Raya (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch (Season: 8 G, 7 GS, 32.2 IP, 15 R, 12 ER, 26 H, 12 BB, 35 K, 3-1, 3.31 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 3.3 BB/9, 9.6 K/9) 
#11 - Cade Povich (Cedar Rapids) - 1 GS, 6 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 2 BB, 5 K (Season: 9 GS, 43.0 IP, 20 R, 16 ER, 34 H, 15 BB, 57 K, 4-4, 3.35 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 3.1 BB/9, 11.9 K/9) 
#12 - Louie Varland (Wichita) - 1 GS, 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 9 K  (Season: 11 G, 10 GS, 58.1 IP, 24 R, 21 ER, 46 H, 24 BB, 71 K, 5-1, 3.24 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 3.7 BB/9, 11.0 K/9)
#13 - Ronny Henriquez (St. Paul) - 1 GS, 5 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 6 K (Season: 9 G, 6 GS, 34.0 IP, 29 R, 42 H, 14 BB, 36 K, 0-2, 7.68 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 3.7 BB/9, 9.5 K/9)
#14 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 1 G, 3.1 IP, 3 R, 1 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 K (Season: 5 G, 4 GS, 16.2 IP, 13 R, 10 ER, 19 H, 9 BB, 21 K, 0-1, 5.40 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 4.9 BB/9, 11.3 K/9) 
#15 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 6 G, 4-for-19 (.211), 1-2B, 1-3B, 0--HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 9 K (Season: 52 G, .266/.380/.511 (.891), 10-2B, 1-3B, 11-HR, 35 R, 41 RBI, 33 BB, 77 K) 

#16 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 6 G, 5-for-18 (.278), 1-2B, 0-HR, 0 RBI, 6 BB, 9 K (Season: 35 G, .270/.424/.387 (.811), 5-2B, 1-3B, 2-HR, 19 R, 11 RBI, 31 BB, 37 K) 
#17 - Cole Sands (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch (Season: 6 G, 5 GS, 18.2 IP, 15 R, 23 H, 6 BB, 21 K, 0-4, 7.23 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 2.9 BB/9, 10.1 K/9)
#17 - Cole Sands (Minnesota) - 2 GS, 8.1 IP, 9 R, 13 H, 3 BB, 8 K (Season: 5 G, 3 GS, 16.1 IP, 12 ER, 14 H, 7 BB, 18 K, 0-3, 8.82 ERA, 1.78 WHIP, 3.9 BB/9, 9.1 K/9) 
#18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 6 G, 6-for-24 (.250), 2-2B, 0-3B, 3-HR, 8 RBI, 2 BB, 7 K (Season: 55 G, .207/.364/.568 (.932), 15-2B, 3-3B, 13-HR, 37 R, 51 RBI, 21 BB, 62 K)
#19 - Steve Hajjar (Ft. Myers) - 1 GS, 2 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K (Season: 9 GS, 35.1 IP, 10 R, 8 ER, 17 H, 19 BB, 59 K, 2-1, 2.04 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 4.8 BB/9, 15.0 K/9)
#20 - David Festa (Ft. Myers) - (Season: 2 G, 4.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 6 K, (Season: 0-0, 6.75 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 0.0 BB/9, 13.5 K/9)
#20 - David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 1 GS, 6 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 6 K (Season: 4 G, 2 GS, 19.2 IP, 4 ER, 14 H, 4 BB, 22 K, 3-0, 1.83 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 1.8 BB/9, 10.1 K/9)
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK 

Hitter of the Week: OF/1B Alex Kirilloff, St. Paul Saints    
Why is Alex Kirilloff such a great hitter? Let me count the ways. 

Last week, Kirilloff played in all six Saints wins. He went 9-for-24 and hit .475/.423/.792 (1.215) with a double, three homers, and seven RBI. He was the Twins choice for hitter of the week the previous, but we went with Spencer Steer. This week, the Twins went with Steer, and we are taking Kirilloff. 
 
Granted, he shouldn’t be in the minors. That wasn’t the plan. The plan was that his surgically-repaired wrist would be completely healed, and he would be hitting well in the middle of the Twins lineup. Instead, he went on the IL with some wrist pain, found out it wasn’t anything structural and was sent to St. Paul to basically get at-bats and regain confidence. 
In 25 games since he was optioned, he has hit .384/.465/.717 (1.182) with six doubles, nine homers, and 26 RBI. He also has 14 walks to go with 18 strikeouts. Seven of the home runs have come in the past nine games. 
And as soon as a position opens up and he can get very regular playing time, the former top pitch  will  turn to the big leagues. 
 
Pitcher of the Week: RHP Louie Varland, Wichita Wind Surge   
At 24, Varland is exactly one month younger than Alex Kirilloff. Their paths have been different, but they are both on the path to Target Field. Varland was a terrific pitcher at South St. Paul before joining his brother Gus at Concordia University in St. Paul. The Twins made him their15th round pick in 2019. He was the organization's minor league pitcher of the year last year, per the Twins and Twins Daily. 
This year, he has had outings on both sides of the spectrum. Generally speaking, it tends to be pretty directly tied to his control. Overall, he is 5-1 with a 3.24 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. In 58 1/3 innings, he has given up 46 hits (9 homers), walked 24, and struck out 71 batters. His fastball is sitting 94-96 mph and has touched 97 on occasions. His slider is generally a plus-pitch for him, and his changeup has had mixed results, but there have been several very good days. 
Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the players and the teams in the COMMENTS below.   
 

The daily Minor League Reports have been back for three days already, but tonight feels a little more special. It is Opening Night for the Wichita Wind Surge, the Cedar Rapids Kernels, and the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels. There was a big-time Minnesota connection in Wichita. The Kernels had a hitter make a very strong first impression. A couple of first-rounders had big nights in Ft. Myers and they held on for a close win. Oh, and the Saints got another win as a former prospect returned to the organization and pitched well. 
Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. 
TRANSACTIONS
On Friday, Cedar Rapids announced that seven players have been added to their roster, but on the Injured List. Added to the 60-Day IL are right-handed pitchers Jon Olsen (Tommy John), Luis Rijo (Tommy John), and lefty Zarion Sharpe (forearm strain). Placed on the 7-Day IL are right-handed pitchers Owen Griffith (forearm strain), Francis Peguero (low back strain), Ryan Shreve (shoulder impingement), and catcher Pat Winkel (low back strain).  SAINTS SENTINEL 
St. Paul 7, Louisville1
Box Score

Derek Rodriguez officially made his return to the organization when he made his first start of the season for the St. Paul Saints. The former outfielder-turned-pitcher who spent parts of three seasons pitching for the Giants after leaving the Twins via free agency went the first four innings. He gave up just one hit, walked two and struck out five batters without allowing a run. He threw 58 pitches (32 strikes). 
Drew Strotman came on in his new bullpen role. He provided three innings and gave up just one run on one hit. He walked three and struck out two batters. Wladimir Pinto struck out two batters over the final two innings. 
Jake Cave continues to lead the Saints’ offense. He led off tonight with Jose Miranda getting the game off. Cave went 2-for-3 with two walks and a triple in this game. He is currently hitting .500 with an OPS of 1.397. Royce Lewis had a single in five at bats. Trevor Larnach recorded his first hit of the season, and he also drove in the Saints first run with a sacrifice fly. Mark Contreras provided the big hit in a three-run third inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, he hit a solid single up the middle to drive in two runs. 
The Saints are now 3-1. 
WIND SURGE WISDOM
Wichita 4, Tulsa 5
Box Score

Lots of Minnesota connections in this one, but let’s talk about the game first. Matt Canterino made the start for the Wind Surge. He really struggled at the start. His game started rough. He gave up a single, then walked a batter. He gave up a run on a double. Then he walked another batter to load the bases. He got a pop up and a couple of strikeouts to get out of the inning, but he needed to throw 30 pitches. He did get a second inning, and recorded a third strikeout, but that was the end to his night. 
Louie Varland came in  to start the third inning. He got the same strike zone that Canterino and the Drillers starting pitcher got. He went 4 2/3 innings. He gave up four runs on five hits and five walks. He walked four batters. Evan Sisk got the next four outs without any more damage despite two walks. Steven Cruz pitched a scoreless ninth frame. 
That Drillers starter was none other than Louie’s brother Gus Varland. It had to be fun for the 19 or more family members that made the trek to Wichita. He went 4 1/3 scoreless innings and gave up just one hit. He walked four batters and struck out five. In addition, Inver Grove Heights native Michael Busch, a Dodgers top prospect, went 0-for-3 and walked twice. 
The Wind Surge didn’t get much offense and were unable to do much, until very late in the game. Down 5-0, the Wind Surge scored a run in the seventh inning. And in the eighth inning, outfielder Cole Sturgeon hit a three-run homer to cut the deficit to just one run. 
Michael Helman led the offense. He went 0-for-1 but walked three times. Forest Lake’s Matt Wallner walked twice in the game, as did Andrew Bechtold. 
However, in the ninth inning, the Tulsa closer struck out the side to end any walkoff hopes for the Wind Surge. 
Here is the Twins Spotlight episode with Louie and Gus Varland from before spring training if you missed it.  
KERNELS NUGGETS
Cedar Rapids 12, Beloit 5
Box Score

Pro ball is Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s world. That is all. Since the Twins selected him with their fourth-round pick last summer out of Oklahoma State, he has hit. In 22 games last year in Ft. Myers, he hit .391/.424/.598 (1.022) with two doubles, two triples, and four home runs.  
Now fast-forward to 2022, he is promoted to High-A Cedar Rapids, and despite freezing, cold temperatures, he went 4-for-5 with a grand slam in the seven-run fourth inning and a three-run homer in the sixth inning. He ended the game with nine RBI. Hey, guess who is going to be the minor-league hitter of the day? 
And how about the Kernels LED lights that they installed last season! 
Anthony Prato led off for the Kernels. He went 2-for-4 with a walk and three runs scored. He also stole a base. Batting ninth was Kennie Taylor went 2-for-4 with an RBI. 
Lefty Aaron Rozek started and went the first five innings to earn the Win in this game. He gave up three runs (2 earned) on five hits. He walked none and struck out six batters. Bradley Hanner came on and walked two over two scoreless, hitless innings. He struck out two batters. Tyler Palm worked the final two innings. He gave up two runs on four hits while striking out four batters. 
MUSSEL MATTERS
Fort Myers 6, Clearwater 5
Box Score

The Mighty Mussels got their season going with a nice win. They jumped out to a 6-2 lead through five innings and then held on for a one-run win. 
John Stankiewicz was the starter of the Mussels. The Fordham alum gave up two runs on two hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out eight batters and earned his first win of the season. Hunter McMahon came on and gave up three runs on three hits and a walk in two innings. He struck out two batters. Matthew Swain came on and tossed two perfect innings to record the save. The hard-throwing right-hander struck out three batters. 
Ft. Myers got on the board in the top of the third inning. With the bases loaded, Keoni Cavaco drilled a bases-clearing double. He went 3-for-5 in the game. In the fifth inning, Kala’i Rosario tripled in a run and then scored on a Kyler Fedko sacrifice to give the Mussels their sixth run. 
Noah Miller went 3-for-5 in the game as the team’s leadoff hitter. He also stole a base. Kyle Schmidt went 2-4 with the other RBI. 
TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Every day, we will select one hitter of the day and one pitcher of the day, and you can discuss who it should have been. Hopefully many days we will have many good options! 

Pitcher of the Day – John Stankiewicz (Ft. Myers) - 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 8 K
Hitter of the Day – Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 4-5, 2 R, 9 RBI 2 HR
PROSPECT SUMMARY

We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. 
Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed:
#1 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 0-5, 2 K, 2 Es
#2 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul) - 1-5, R, K, SB (3) 
#5 - Joe Ryan (Minnesota) - 4 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 1 HBP (70 pitches, 42 strikes)
#6 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 K (45 pitches, 26 strikes)
#7 - Jhoan Duran (Minnesota) - 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K (31 pitches, 22 strikes) 
#10 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 3-5, R, SB (1) 
#12 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 0-2, 2 BB, 2 K 
#14 - Louie Varland (Wichita) - 4.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 5 BB, 4 K, (86 pitches, 49 strikes)
#15 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Ft. Myers) - 0-3, 2 BB, R, K 
#18 - Spencer Steer (Wichita) - 1-3, BB, K
#19 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-4

SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

St. Paul @ Louisville (12:05PM CST) - LHP Devin Smeltzer
Tulsa @ Wichita (6:05PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson 
Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (2:05 PM CST) - LHP Brent Headrick 
Fort Myers @ Clearwater (5:05 PM CST) - RHP David Festa 
Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates back and playing.
 

On the first play of the game, Carlos Correa got a chance to show his defensive skill to the Fort Myers crowd. Fellow Puerto Rican Enrique Hernandez was at the plate, leading off for the Red Sox. Joe Ryan was on the mound and coaxed a hard ground ball up the middle. Correa rushed to his left and sprawled out with a dive. He fielded the ball, jumped to his feet, and made a strong, accurate throw to record the game's first out.  
Following his defensive gem in the top half of the first, Correa had his first at-bat in the bottom half of the inning. He lined a single over the third baseman and into left field. Max Kepler followed with a pop fly to the left fielder Alex Verdugo to end the inning. 
Joe Ryan pitched well in his second spring training start. His first time through the Red Sox lineup, Ryan only walked Verdugo and struck out four Red Sox hitters. Ryan finished out his afternoon by striking out Hernandez. His day was done after three scoreless innings. He gave up no hits, walked one and struck out five batters. 
After an exciting first inning for Correa, he didn't see any more balls hit his way at shortstop. In his second at-bat, Correa led off the bottom of the fourth and grounded out to Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers who threw him out. That ended his day as Daniel Robertson replaced him at shortstop. 
With two down in the fourth, Miguel Sano recorded his first hit of the game, smacking a line drive over Devers's head. He jumped and the ball hit off of his glove and landed safely. Red Sox reliever Jake Diekman struggled to find the strike zone in the two plate appearances that followed Sano's. He walked both Alex Kirilloff and Gary Sanchez.
With the bases now loaded, Gio Urshela's walked to score Sano from third. Diekman exited the game. The inning concluded with a strikeout of Ryan Jeffers, but they had a 1-0 lead. 
In the bottom half of the fifth frame, Correa joined the Bally Sports North broadcast from the dugout to talk with Richard Bremer and Justin Morneau about his time at Twins training camp so far. 
"I've got to be honest; it felt like a little kid out there once again. Whenever I get to play baseball, it's always fun, with a new team especially. This group of guys, getting to know them every single day during practice, and getting to share the field with them in a game is pretty special. I'm very happy," said Correa about wearing a Twins uniform for a game for the first time. 
Morneau later asked a question to Correa about his diving play to start the game, asking if there were any way he wouldn't lay out for the ball because it was spring training. 
"100 percent, you have to practice them. I'm not letting my boy from Puerto Rico, Kike, get that hit, so I had to dive for it," said Correa. 
Morneau later asked Correa what he had been doing to prepare with less time at camp for his on-field performance in Sunday's game. 
Correa responded by saying, "A lot of live at-bats. I like to get the rustiness out of the way in the back fields, not in a televised game. I will say the first day, I had like eight at-bats, probably eight strikeouts, and was seeing the fastballs 120 miles per hour, then got some work with the machine, and the eyes got adjusted. So I feel a lot better at the plate right now."   
The Red Sox got their offense in the top half of the sixth inning. With runners on second and third and Devers at the plate, he launched a ball deep enough for a two-run sacrifice fly. Scoring from second was pinch-runner Jarren Duran.
The Twins were still down 2-1 going into the bottom half of the eighth inning. They had two runners on base with one out and new Twins catcher Jose Godoy at the plate. Godoy singled to former Twins outfielder Rob Refsnyder in left field, scoring a run and tying the game 2-2. 
Another run scored after that thanks to a bases-loaded ground out from Jose Miranda. After Miranda's groundout, Trevor Larnach came to the plate for the second time Sunday afternoon and launched a fastball over the right-center field fence to make it a 6-2 Twins lead. 
The Twins had Jorge Alcala in for his spring training debut for the ninth. He gave up a home run to the leadoff man, Refsnyder, but he closed out the game to give the Twins a 6-3 victory over the Red Sox. 
The Twins are off tomorrow (Monday) and then will have eight consecutive games from Tuesday until April 5 to close out their spring training schedule. Bailey Ober is scheduled to start the Twins' next game on Tuesday against Tampa Bay at 1:05 ET, 12:05 CT.

The Twins and Red Sox play each other a handful of times every spring training. Given the close proximity of their homes, it makes for an easy opponent as far as travel is concerned. Rather than going across town today, the action with rookie and Single-A teams on the back fields seemed more appealing.
 
Minnesota put 2020 draft pick Marco Raya on the mound to start the game for the Single-A club. He looked the part of beginning to fill out his body and really filled up the strike zone. His stuff played well, and he looked to largely overmatch the Boston lineup. With the 2020 season being canceled and then dealing with injury much of last year, Raya has yet to make an appearance in a professional game. This upcoming season will be exciting for him, and he’s definitely one to watch.
Cade Povich drew the start against a loaded rookie-level Red Sox club on the opposite field. Both Red Sox top prospects, Marcelo Mayer and Blaze Jordan started, and Povich handled each of the talented competitors. The former Nebraska Husker struck out the side in one inning today and was largely dominant for Minnesota. He struck out nine batters in 4 2/3 innings.
 
It was hard to be unimpressed with Casey Legumina, who took over for Povich while he was dealing. Strikeouts were added in bunches as he displayed a strong pace and swagger on the mound. There's no assessing velocity without a radar gun on him, but the intent behind his fastball was more than evident.
Some general observations include the growth Keoni Cavaco has seen as he fills out his frame. The Single-A club displayed an impressive power outing with three homers in four batters (and a double in between), and despite the wind blowing out, catching prospect Noah Cardenas left the yard in a big way.
 
A few other notes from today include:
the roster cutting of six players being reassigned out of big-league camp. None of the names are shocking, but there’s more than a couple here that should be options for the Twins at some point in 2022. Big leaguers Luis Arraez and Alex Kirilloff both got at-bats on the back fields today. Carlos Correa saw his first live at bats since the World Series. Former teammates Sonny Gray and Gary Sanchez worked together during live at-bats today. Catching coach Hank Conger was heavily involved in their exchanges. The experimental rules in the minor leagues also became official today, as did the continuation of what’s incorrectly being dubbed a “ghost runner” in Major League extra innings.
 
Minnesota’s bats woke up en route to a 10-4 victory over the Red Sox today, and the highlight could have been Trevor Larnach’s three-run blast to the big part of the park. Tomorrow Tampa comes to town, although there is a good chance of rain in the forecast.
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