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Byron Buxton hit a home run off former Minnesota Twins teammate José Berríos in a 3-1 Twins victory Friday. Highlights of that blast plus Bailey Ober, Jose Miranda, Beau Burrows, Jermaine Palacios, Austin Schulfer, Aaron Whitefield, DaShawn Keirsey, Edouard Julien and Alex Isola. View full video

Aaron Whitefield didn't play baseball until he was 17. He's now a key contributor to the winningest team in the 2021 Twins' organization and has no plans of stopping there. Dive into the life of an elite teenage baseball prospect, and you'd likely stumble across words like Division One offers, top club programs, and Perfect Game showcases. Perhaps you'd see their name at the top of recruiting websites, videos on Hudl, and maybe even a baseball card or two sprinkled in. For Twins' prospect Aaron Whitefield? Not so much. Born and raised in Brisbane, Australia, baseball wasn't a cornerstone in Whitefield's life the way it is for many boys who grow up to be pro ballplayers in the United States. "Occasionally, I'd watch Yankees and Red Sox when they were on TV when I was younger, but before that, there was nothing, no baseball," Whitefield said. In fact, Whitefield first picked up a baseball at age 17. You read that right. Not seven, but 17. Like many good parents, Whitefield's parents put him in various sports as a child to help him improve as an athlete and find his passion. The result was a young Aussie who played soccer, rugby, and fastpitch softball. The latter of those came as a byproduct of rugby injuries. "I started playing softball when I was going through some rugby injuries at 13 or 14," Whitefield said. "That eventually helped the conversion to baseball, but at the time, I still hadn't touched a baseball." That conversion took place when a Cincinnati Reds scout approached the 17-year-old Whitefield at a national fastpitch softball tournament. "I was at a national fastpitch softball tournament, and a scout who was there told me that I should try playing baseball for a year," Whitefield recalled. "Then I met a guy from my hometown who had already signed to play baseball in the US named Connor MacDonald." MacDonald and his family helped Aaron mold his softball skills to baseball, both on and off the field. "(The MacDonald's) are a beautiful family. They helped me to where I am today," Whitefield said. "Connor's dad helped me with not only the physical side of baseball but the mental side as well." In just a year after learning arguably one of the most complex sports out there, Aaron signed his first professional contract with the Minnesota Twins in 2015 at the ripe age of 18. Ups and Downs After a brief stint of games in 2015, Whitefield played his first full minor league baseball season in 2016 with the Gulf Coast League Twins. Whitefield game out with a bang, posting a .298/.370/.366 (.737) slash line in 51 games. 2017 was no different, with Whitefield slashing .262/.318/.414 (.732) in 151 games for Class A Cedar Rapids. After two successful seasons, Whitefield hit a rut in 2018 and 2019, posting just a .205 batting average with stints in Rookie Ball, Single-A, Double-A, and a brief tenure with the Twins. Not the greatest duo of years for an organization looking for outfielders that can also hit. Yet 2021 has been a beacon of light for Whitefield, who has been consistent at the plate all year. The Aussie slashed .306/.358/.458 in the month of May and,297/.381/.374 in June. The resurgence is something that Aaron credits to finding a routine, something he observed from his peers. "Watching guys that I've played with like (Alex) Kirilloff, (Trevor) Larnach, Travis Blankenhorn, I got to watch what made them successful, and it was sticking with their routine every day, whether they went 0-for-4 or 4-for-4," Whitefield said. "That was something that I hadn't done until this year." It's no secret that baseball is as mental of a sport as it is physical. The ability to stay grounded with a consistent approach to preparation and hitting has kept Whitefield sound through the good and bad. "The last couple of years in the minors, I feel like I'd do really well for a week or two, and then I'd hit a downfall and didn't know how to get out of that," he recalled. "Now, whether I have one, or two bad games, I'm gonna get back in there, reset, but the routine for every game is going to be the same. That's the biggest reason why I've been able to find success and be consistent this year. Baseball is a game of consistency, mental consistency as well." That routine consists of some of the old-fashioned tactics that are commonplace in professional ball; tee work, flips, angled flips, and other cage work. However, one thing differs for Whitefield; he doesn't take on-field batting practice before games unless he's playing at a new ballpark with an unfamiliar batter's eye. "I don't actually hit BP on the field so I can focus more on hitting low line drives," Whitefield said. "If I hit BP on the field, I tend to get a bit pull-happy." After referencing the similarities between his batting practice routine and Shohei Ohtani's, Whitefield chuckled back with, "Hopefully, I can hit as many homers as him someday." Whitefield may not be the Bomba-machine that Shohei is, but the guy knows how to get on base. His 11 doubles, four triples, and 30 stolen bases speak for themselves. Whitefield's commitment to his routine will prove critical as ever as the season nears an end. Despite a recent slump, Whitefield has posted hits in his last two games and looks to finish the season strong. Aussie Brethren Twins' fans know well that Whitefield isn't the only Aussie that has shown success in the organization. Names like Lewis Thorpe, Grant Balfour, Liam Hendricks, and Luke Hughes have become commonplace in recent franchise history. Whitefield credits players like Hughes in helping him develop as a pro ballplayer. Yet in a sport that idolizes names like Mantle, Mays, and Ruth, Whitefield's podium of heroes looks a bit different. Names like former Brewer David Nillson, who coached Whitefield and honed in on his mental game, pop up on his Mount Rushmore. Stefan Welch, a former St. Louis Cardinals organization player, and former Seattle pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith (a former Twins Rule 5 draft pick) serve as just a few names in Australian baseball lore that have inspired Whitefield. "I came into the game late, and I didn't know anything, so they were like the Derek Jeter's and David Ortiz's for me," Whitefield said. "They helped me become a baseball player a lot earlier than I should have been in the sense that guys begin playing this sport at age five. I was 15 years late." As Wichita dukes their way through the final six games of the year, Whitefield is excited for the Surge's quest towards a division title. Wichita sits three full games ahead of Frisco (Texas Rangers) as they head into their final series against Arkansas. And while the immediate goal revolves around winning games each night, Aaron has his sights set on reaching MLB play again. Whitefield knows that he doesn't have the extensive background that many of his peers have. That doesn't matter to him. "I think a lot of people forget how long that I've played baseball. My first two years, I was getting attention as a notable prospect, yet those were my first two years ever playing the sport," Whitefield said. "Then I had two bad years, and people were like 'ah this guy doesn't have it anymore.' This year is my sixth year of baseball, so kind of like coming out of playing high school and college. I want to show people that I can hit. My defense is there." Whitefield knows that he saw time with the Twins in 2019 because of his skills in the field and on the base path. Aaron knows the next step is proving that he can be a force at the plate, something he's confident he can accomplish through his new tactics. "I got up there because of my ability to base run and play defense; I need to show the Twins that I can be consistent at the plate, and my routine is huge for that." Check out more Twins Daily content on Aaron Whitefield! Get To Know: OF/2B Aaron Whitefield Aaron Whitefield: From Softball Diamonds to Diamond in the Rough Twins Spotlight: Aaron Whitefield View full article

The reality for the Minnesota Twins is that they’re facing a selloff come the 2021 Major League Baseball trade deadline. That’s because they’ve been a bad team to this point. In an effort to become more interesting down the stretch, who should get some at bats? Yesterday we looked at how the Minnesota Twins can shuffle their pitching in order to figure out what's left for 2022 and beyond. Today we turn to Rocco Baldelli's lineups and question where at bats can be doled out amongst the organization, and what players should be in line for a look. On the hitting side, here are some names to consider: Before doing individual deep dives here, it should be all but guaranteed Brent Rooker is on his way to take over Nelson Cruz’s at-bats when the veteran is ultimately traded. Rooker has to prove it at the big league level, but it’s clear he’s mastered Triple-A. Teammate Jose Miranda should also be heavily considered to be a lock for a big-league promotion at some point down the stretch as the jump to St. Paul has done nothing to slow down his torrid 2021. This is in conjunction with a continued run for players like Nick Gordon and Gilberto Celestino. Drew Maggi If there’s an organizational type of guy you want to reward in 2021, then Maggi might define that. He joined the Twins system in 2019 and has played over 1,000 minor league games without a big-league debut. At 32, he’s having a career year with an .806 OPS for the Saints. A true utility man who can play all over the diamond, this would be a hat tip type of move more than anything. Mark Contreras Selected in the 9th round of the 2017 MLB draft, Contreras is now 27 and at Triple-A. In 36 games for St. Paul, he owns an .852 OPS while playing a solid defensive outfield. There’s not much in the form of on-base skills here, but the bat has plenty of pop, and there’s some modest stolen base ability. Contreras probably isn’t the first choice for a fourth outfield spot, but he could certainly factor into the mix and is worth getting a look at. Andrew Bechtold Minnesota took Bechtold in the 5th round of the 2017 draft from Chipola College. His calling card was the bat, and it’s taken some time to get going. At Double-A now as a 25-year-old, Bechtold owns a .781 OPS in 55 games this season. He’s got the first double-digit homer tally of his pro career, and there are some solid walk skills for a power guy. Across his last 34 games since June 1, Bechtold owns a .906 OPS. Bumping him up a level makes sense from a progression and age standpoint. There’s not an immediate reason to make a big-league debut, but finding out what the bat can do may bring enough intrigue. Jermaine Palacios A light-hitting infield prospect, Palacios was flipped to the Tampa Bay Rays for Jake Odorizzi. After re-signing with the Twins this offseason, he’s having a breakout season at Double-A to the tune of a career-best .802 OPS. His 10 homers this year account for nearly one-third of his career total across more than 550 pro games. Palacios is just 24, and if this season is to be believed, a late-blooming guy up the middle is never a bad development. Aaron Whitefield Playing in three games for the Twins a season ago after spending time at the Alternate Site, Whitefield has spent all of 2021 at Double-A. His .761 OPS is a career-high, and it comes bolstered by average and on-base skills. Capable of playing a good center field, his bat-to-ball skills make him an ideal bench outfielder type. Given how many bodies the Twins have gone through in center alone, it’s somewhat surprising we haven’t seen his name called yet. Ernie De La Trinidad The other piece of the Eduardo Escobar trade, De La Trinidad is having a career year. The 25-year-old is at Double-A, and his .905 OPS will play just fine. In 40 games and 167 plate appearances, De La Trinidad has struck out just 29 times while batting .319. Power isn’t his forte, but this is another guy that could factor into an additional outfielder situation. With what Minnesota has run through this season, there’s little harm in getting him a step closer and seeing what translates. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

Minnesota’s depth in center field was tested this week after Rob Refsnyder plowed into the wall in Baltimore. With Byron Buxton still on the IL, let’s examine the organization’s depth in center field. The Call-Up: Gilberto Celestino (AAA) Celestino, the team's top center field prospect, has spent nearly all of 2021 at Double-A, but he was recently promoted to St. Paul. He never made it into a game with the Saints as he was needed at the big-league level. Entering the season, Celestino had only played 11 games above the Low-A level and three of those contests were back when he was in the Houston organization. In his last full season (2019), he hit .277/.349/.410 (.759) with 41 extra-base hits in 125 games. So far this season, his .725 OPS is 20 points lower than his career mark, but every at-bat has come against older pitching. He’s inclusion on the 40-man roster made him the easiest call-up choice as the team dealt without a true center fielder at the big-league level. Triple-A Journeyman: Keon Broxton (AAA) When Buxton was injured, some fans were clamoring for Keon Broxton to be called up. He played on three different teams back in 2019 and combined for a .517 OPS. Some of the positivity surrounding Broxton was based on his performance this spring with the Twins. He played in 22 spring games and hit .286/.394/.464 with three extra-base hits. Unfortunately, his time at Triple-A has been unmemorable so far in 2021. Through his first 20 games, Broxton is hitting .159/.224/.203 (.427), which is the second lowest OPS among qualified players in the Triple-A East. Also, he’s not on the 40-man roster and he hasn’t exactly played himself into a role with the big-league club. Other Options: Jimmy Kerrigan (AAA), Aaron Whitefield (AA) Another option at Triple-A is Jimmy Kerrigan who has played all three outfield positions this season. In 19 Triple-A games, he has hit .217/.304/.400 (.704), which is a higher OBP than his career average. He spent four seasons at the collegiate level before the Twins signed him back in 2017. Through most of his professional career, he has been older than the average age of the competition. At Triple-A this year, he is 27-years old and still looking for a big-league opportunity. Aaron Whitefield is another intriguing name because he got a brief cup of coffee with the Twins last season. He appeared in three games and only registered one plate appearance. He was removed from the team’s 40-man roster, but he passed through waivers and stayed in the organization. So far in 2021, he has played the entire year at Double-A and he is batting .310/.367/.460 (.827) with seven extra-base hits in 23 games. His current OPS is 177 points higher than his career mark in the minors. Which centerfielder gets the most playing time for the rest of the season? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

On Saturday morning, I chatted with Twins outfielder Aaron Whitefield about a variety of topics, including getting a big-league opportunity. Join the conversation live on the Twins Daily Twitter, Facebook or pages. The Twins signed outfielder Aaron Whitefield out of Australia despite very limited baseball experience. He was a star fast-pitch softball player and represented his country internationally in that sport. He's a great athlete with lots of tools, and he's gradually worked his way up the Twins organizational ladder. He reached Double-A Pensacola in 2019. He was likely headed there to start 2020, and then came a global pandemic. However, Whitefield was a surprise late addition to the Twins Summer Camp in July, and he made the Twins Opening Day roster. His big-league time was short-lived, but even in his two games played, his most elite tools were on display. Aaron Whitefield is fast. Really fast. And he's very good in centerfield. He also runs the bases well. Find out more about Whitefield, his story, and what else he's got going on Twins Spotlight. https://twitter.com/twinsdaily/status/1322569586970013696 More on Aaron Whitefield: Get to Know: OF/2B Aaron Whitefield (Dec. 2015) Aaron Whitefield: From Softball Diamonds to Diamond in the Rough (May 2017) Previous Episodes: View full article

Jake Cave hit a walk-off single for Rochester against old friend Buddy Boshers, and no, there’s nothing wrong with Jordan Balazovic. His start for Fort Myers was severely shortened due to a rain delay. Every affiliate won tonight, three of them by a single run. Come check out what else happened Friday night.TRANSACTIONS -RHP Cole Sands has been promoted from Cedar Rapids up to Fort Myers. -RHP Tanner Howell was activated from extended spring training and assigned to Fort Myers. -Fort Myers also placed RHP Ricky Ramirez on the 7-Day IL due to lumbar back spasms. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 5, Buffalo 4 (10 innings) Box Score Lewis Thorpe: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 66.3% strikes (55 of 83 pitches) HR: John Andreoli (6) Multi-hit games: Jake Cave (2-for-5) The Wings trailed 4-1 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning in this one, but battled back and ended up winning on a Jake Cave walk-off single. Buddy Boshers was on the mound, which is notable not only because he’s a former Twin, but also because Cave delivered against a lefty. Mitch Garver caught all nine innings, was 1-for-4 at the plate and scored a run. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 8, Lakeland 3 Box Score Melvi Acosta: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 57.1% strikes (36 of 63 pitches) HR: Aaron Whitefield (4), Ryan Jeffers (5) Multi-hit games: Whitefield (2-for-5, 2B, HR), Jeffers (2-for-5, HR), Trevor Larnach (2-for-4, BB), Hunter Lee (2-for-4) As I mentioned in the intro, Jordan Balazovic started this game. He struck out a couple batters in 1 1/3 innings of perfect ball before a rain delay forced him out of this game. Once play resumed, Melvi Acosta took over for the Miracle. Aaron Whitefield hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning. Whitefield also doubled and scored on a Hunter Lee two-run single in the eighth in what was another nice night for the Miracle lineup. Ryan Jeffers hit his fifth home run, Trevor Larnach reached safely in three of his five plate appearances and Lewin Diaz had a single and a walk. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Beloit 5 Box Score Tyler Palm: 3.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 61.3% strikes (46 of 75 pitches) HR: Andrew Bechtold (4) Multi-hit games: Ben Rodriguez (2-for-3, BB) The Kernels were trailing 4-3 after a busy first three innings, but things stayed that way until the eighth. Beloit retired the first two Cedar Rapids hitters, then melted down. Four straight walks followed by a fielding error by the pitcher resulted in a three-run inning for the Kernels. Jose Martinez was great over the middle innings for Cedar Rapids, throwing four one-hit innings while striking out four batters. Zach Neff gave up an unearned run over the final two frames and earned his first save of the season. The bats didn’t do a lot of damage. They combined for just five hits, and Andrew Bechtold’s solo home run was the only that went for extra bases. But they also drew six walks, two of which came from Jacob Pearson. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Jose Martinez, Cedar Rapids Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day: Jake Cave, Rochester TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed 1. Royce Lewis (FM): 0-for-5, 3 K 2. Alex Kirilloff (PNS): 0-for-1, 2 BB, E (fielding at 1B) 4. Trevor Larnach (FM): 2-for-4, BB, K 8. Lewis Thorpe (ROC): 6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 66.3% strikes (55 of 83 pitches) 11. Nick Gordon (ROC): 0-for-3, BB, R, RBI, 2 K 13. Ryan Jeffers (FM): 2-for-5, HR (5), R, RBI 14. Ben Rortvedt (PNS): 0-for-3, 2 K 16. Gilberto Celestino (CR): 0-for-5 18. LaMonte Wade (ROC): 1-for-4, HBP 20. Jose Miranda (FM): 1-for-5, R, K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Buffalo, 6:05 pm CT (Sean Poppen) Pensacola vs. Mississippi, 6:05 pm CT (Jeff Ames) Fort Myers at Lakeland, 5:00 pm CT (Jhoan Duran) Cedar Rapids at Beloit, 6:30 pm CT (Josh Winder) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the games. Click here to view the article

The Twins added quite the haul of prospects to the farm system at last year’s trade deadline. Devin Smeltzer was not among the names to receive the most attention at the time, but he’s off to as good a start as anybody in the entire system. Come check out what Smeltzer did, as well as everything else that happened across the minors Friday.TRANSACTIONS Yunior Severino was placed on the injured list with a left thumb fracture. Taking his spot on the Cedar Rapids roster is infielder Yeltsin Encarnacion. Also, Tanner English was activated from the Pensacola Injured List and RHP Jeff Ames was placed on the IL. RED WINGS REPORT Lehigh Valley 3, Rochester 0 Box Score Zack Littell: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, 61.6% strikes (53 of 86 pitches) HR: None Multi-hit games: None I put Littell’s line above, but it was actually Mike Morin who was the opener tonight. He pitched a clean inning before Littell took over. Tyler Duffey struck out five batters in his two innings of relief and Jake Reed also pitched a shutout inning, but none of that matters much when you can’t score any runs. The Red Wings mustered just two hits, a John Andreoli double and a single from LaMonte Wade. Their best scoring chance came in the seventh inning. After Wade’s single, Luke Raley drew a walk, putting a runner in scoring position with one out. Unfortunately, Wynston Sawyer grounded into an inning-ending double play. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 2, Jacksonville 0 Box Score Devin Smeltzer: 8.1 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 76.5% strikes (65 of 85 pitches) HR: None Multi-hit games: None Wow. Devin Smeltzer carried a shutout into the ninth inning tonight in an outing that followed an impressive 2019 season debut for Smeltzer. He’s now pitched 14 scoreless innings, has 17 strikeouts and has allowed just five hits and two walks. DaShawn Keirsey was removed from this game after the second inning. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Devin Smeltzer, Pensacola Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day: Jean Carlos Arias, Cedar Rapids TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed 1. Royce Lewis (FM): 0-for-3, 2 BB, RBI, SB (5), 2 K 6. Brent Rooker (ROC): 0-for-4, 2 K 10. Akil Baddoo (FM):0-for-6, 4 K 14. Ben Rortvedt (FM): 1-for-5, 2B, R 16. Gilberto Celestino (CR): 1-for-3, 2 BB, R, 2 SB (3), 2 K 17. Zack Littell (ROC): 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, 61.6% strikes (53 of 86 pitches) 18. LaMonte Wade (ROC): 1-for-3, BB 20. Jose Miranda (FM): 0-for-4, BB, RBI, K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Lehigh Valley, 12:05 pm CT (Chase De Jong) Pensacola vs. Jacksonville, 6:05 pm CT (Griffin Jax) Fort Myers at Clearwater, 5:30 pm CT (Bailey Ober) Cedar Rapids vs. Burlington, 5:05 pm CT (Josh Winder) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the games. Click here to view the article

Spoiler alert...Every team in the organization lost on Sunday. Now that that's out of the way, there were still some very strong performances. Three of the four minor league affiliates were within two runs or fewer. There were also some strong starting and relief appearances from minor league hurlers. Who shined on Sunday? I'm glad you asked...RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 0, Lehigh Valley 7 Box Score Rochester found themselves in an early hole. Zack Littell got knocked around for four first inning runs. He would settle in a little from there and pitch into the fifth inning. He ended up allowing five runs on seven hits while striking out two and walking two. The Red Wings were limited to six hits with only two of them being for extra bases. Jordany Valdespin went 2-for-3 out of the number nine spot in the order. He was the lone Red Wings hitter to collect multiple hits. John Andreoli reached base two times including his first double of the season. Randy Cesar collected his second double. Andrew Vasquez pitched 1 1/3 innings and struck out four. No… that’s not a typo. Ryan Eades ran into some trouble in the final frames. He gave up two runs on three hits in a little over two innings. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 1, Mobile 2 Box Score Griffin Jax was strong, but the Blue Wahoos lost for the first time on Sunday. Jax stranded base runners in all five innings he worked and left the game with a 1-0 lead. Blue Wahoos starters have allowed one run in 20.0 innings so far this season. Pensacola didn’t collect an extra-base hit for the first time this season and the club was limited to four hits in the entire game. Pensacola actually scored first in this one as Drew Maggi scored on a fielder’s choice by Brian Schales. That would be the lone run for the Blue Wahoos. It turned into a bullpen game for Pensacola. Jeff Ames took over for Jax. He allowed one run on three hits in just under two innings of work. Tyler Jay pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless ball. He was followed by Dusten Knight who tossed two scoreless frames with a pair of strikeouts. Sam Clay took the loss but it was more to do with the runner starting on second base in extra innings. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, Charlotte 2 (10 Innings) Box Score Royce Lewis helped to get things going in the first inning. With one out, he walked and then stole second, which one was of two steals on the day. Trevor Larnach advanced Lewis to third before Jose Miranda drove him in with an RBI-single. Bailey Ober was the story of this game as he dominated on the mound. In six innings of work, he scattered four hits and allowed one unearned run. He struck out 11 and walked only one. Calvin Faucher took over for Ober and was just as good. He struck out four in two innings and limited the Stone Crabs to one hit. Calvin Faucher pitched two scoreless frames and limited Charlotte to one hit while striking out four. Alex Phillips took the loss. He allowed the runner to score from second base in extra innings. However, he struck out four in 1 2/3 innings of work. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Wisconsin 4 (6 Innings- Rain Shortened) Box Score After trailing 2-0, the Kernels scored a pair of runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game. Joe Cronin walked before a Michael Davis singled moved him into scoring position. Gilberto Celestino plated a run with a line-drive single to cut the score to 2-1. DaShawn Keirsey singled to tie the game, but that’s when the scoring stopped for Cedar Rapids. Josh Winder started for the Kernels and pitched five innings. He allowed two runs on five hits while striking out five and walking three. Joe Record was saddled with the loss after he surrendered two unearned runs in less than an inning of work. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY TD Pitcher of the Day- Bailey Ober, Fort Myers (6.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 11 K, 1 BB) TD Hitter of the Day- Aaron Whitefield, Fort Myers (2-for-4, 2 2B) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - 0-3, BB, K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - Injured List #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - No Game #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) – 0-4, BB, 3K #5 - Wander Javier (EST) - No Game #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - 0-4, 2 K #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) – Did not pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did not pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Did not pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) – 0-for-4, BB, K #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Injured List #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured List #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) – 0-4 #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - 0-4, K #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) – Did not play #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) – 1-3, RBI, 2 K #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) – 4.1 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 2 K, 2 BB #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) – 0-3, BB, K #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) – Did not play #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) – 2-5, RBI, K MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Syracuse (5:35 CST) – LHP Justin Nicolino (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Pensacola @ Mobile (6:35 CST) – RHP Sean Poppen (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Fort Myers vs. Dunedin (5:30 CST) – LHP Charlie Barnes (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. Kane County (6:35 CST) – RHP Andrew Cabezas (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

A playoff atmosphere is circling the farm system. Fort Myers entered play on Sunday with the opportunity to clinch a second half South Division Championship. Elizabethton was facing a do-or-die Game 3 in the Appy League Playoff Semifinals. Cedar Rapids was amid an eight-game winning streak when play started on Sunday. There were lots of meaningful games so let’s jump right into the action.ROSTER MOVES INF Victor Tademo promoted from Cedar Rapids to RochesterRHP Zack Littell recalled by Minnesota from RochesterRED WINGS REPORT Rochester 6, Lehigh Valley 5 Box Score Rochester used a trio of three-run innings to take down Lehigh Valley. In the second inning, Kennys Vargas led off the frame with a double. Vargas moved to third on a hit-and-run before Zander Wiel brought him in with a sacrifice fly. Jeremy Hazelbaker homered to tie the game 2-2. Vargas was at the heart of the next two-run inning. Nick Gordon started the inning with a single before Vargas clocked his 21st home run on the season. Omar Bencomo started and allowed two runs in the first inning. From there he settled in before running into some trouble before finishing the seventh. He left after allowing five runs on five hits with six strikeouts and two walks. Nick Anderson pitched two scoreless frames with five strikeouts to pick up his eighth win. Rochester trailed by one entering the bottom of the ninth. Jon Kemmer put the tying run in scoring position with a sharp line drive double. Wiel sent everyone home happy with a walk-off two-run bomb. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 1, Jackson 2 Box Score Chattanooga’s offense was little and far between on Sunday. Trailing 2-0 in the final inning, Jaylin Davis doubled to start the frame. After a ground out moved him to third, Jimmy Kerrigan drove him in with a single. The Lookouts rally ended there as Brian Olson struck out and Joe Cronin flied out sharply to center. Kerrigan finished 2-for-4. Overall, the team went 1-for-5 and left seven men on base. Austin Adams started and pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Anthony Marzi allowed one run on five hits in 4 2/3 innings with three strikeouts. Cody Stashak allowed the run that ended up being the game winner. He pitched 1 1/3 innings and struck out one. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Clearwater 1 Box Score On the final day of the regular season, Fort Myers won the second half South Division title. It was the second straight season the team has won the second half crown. The Miracle actually finished with the same record as another team but they owned the head-to-head tiebreaker. Aaron Whitefield had the biggest offensive inning of the game for Fort Myers. In the fourth inning, Shane Carrier singled and eventually stole second base before moving to third on a throwing error. Aaron Whitefield singled to drive him in. He stole second and third before scoring on a throwing error. Brusdar Graterol pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings while striking out four and walking two. He only allowed three hits. Jovani Moran picked up the win after he allowed one run on two hits in 2 1/3 innings. Colton Davis earned his fourth save with two scoreless innings to close out the game. Game 1 of the South Division Championship Series starts on Tuesday night at Hammond Stadium. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Beloit 9 Box Score All good things must come to an end and Cedar Rapids saw their season-high eight-game winning come to an end. Beloit needed to win to keep their playoff hopes alive and they have a chance to play the Kernels in the first round. Ariel Montesino and Jacob Pearson hit back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning to help tie the game. Akil Baddoo finished 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles and an RBI. Ben Rodriguez reached base twice and drove in a run. Rodriguez extended his consecutive game on-base streak to 22. Randy Dobnak started and allowed one run on two hits in two innings. Derek Molina took over and surrendered three runs on six hits. Johan Quezada was charged with the loss even though both runs scored against him were unearned. In the final frame, Jose Martinez allowed three runs on four hits while striking out two. E-TWINS E-TALK Elizabethton 5, Kingsport 2 Box Score The E-Twins used a balanced approach to move into the Appy League Championship Series to defend their crown. On the mound, Andrew Cabezas pitched 4 1/3 innings by allowing one run on one hit. He walked five and struck out five. Brian Rapp pitched nearly four full innings out of the bullpen (3 2/3 innings). He saw one run score on four hits while striking out one and walking one. Tanner Howell earned his first save with a perfect ninth. Offensively, there was only one extra-base hit for the E-Twins but there were plenty of other ways to score some runs. Yunior Severino went 3-for-5 as he drove in a run and scored a run. Gillberto Celestino had one of the biggest hits of the night as he collected two RBI on a single in the fifth. DaShawn Keirsey reached base three times and scored a run. Elizabethton will open the Appy League Championship Series on Tuesday night. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Kennys Vargas, Rochester (2-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R) Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Nick Anderson, Rochester (2.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 K, 0 BB, 0 H) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed. Please note that this Prospect Summary has been updated. 1. Royce Lewis (FM): 0-for-4, 3 K 2. Alex Kirilloff (FM): 2-for-3, BB 3. Brusdar Graterol (FM): 4.2 IP, 0 ER, 4 K, 2 BB, 3 H 4. Nick Gordon (ROC): 1-for-3, BB 5. Stephen Gonsalves (MIN): Did not play. 6. Trevor Larnach (CR): Did not play. 7. Brent Rooker (CHAT): 1-for-4, K 8. Akil Baddoo (CR): 2-for-2, 2 2B, RBI 9. Wander Javier: Out of for the season 10. Zack Littell (MIN): 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 K, BB, 6 H 11. Blayne Enlow (CR): Did not play. 12. LaMonte Wade (ROC): 1-for-4, K 13. Travis Blankenhorn (FM): 1-for-4, K 14. Lewis Thorpe (ROC): Did not play. 15. Ben Rortvedt (FM): 0-for-4, 3 K 16. Yunior Severino (ET): 3-for-5, R, RBI 17. Lewin Diaz (FM): Did not play. 18. Ryan Jeffers (CR): 1-for-4, K 19. Jacob Pearson (CR): 1-for-3, HR, RBI, R, K 20. Luis Arraez (CHAT): Did not play. MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Lehigh Valley (12:05 CST) – RHP Chase De Jong (2-3, 3.41 ERA) Chattanooga vs. Jackson (2:05 CST) – RHP Sean Poppen (5-7, 3.90 ERA) Fort Myers – Playoffs start Tuesday Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (2:00 CST) – LHP Tyler Watson (5-6, 4.78 ERA) Elizabethton – Championship Series starts Tuesday Please feel free to ask any questions about Sunday’s games, or ask any questions you may have. Click here to view the article

Of the seven games in tonight’s report, four of them went into extra innings. Kohl Stewart had a great start, Brent Rooker hit another home run, Aaron Whitefield had a walk-off double, Akil Baddoo collected three more hits, a Cedar Rapids reliever went strikeout crazy and Chris Williams slugged another homer. Check out what else happened across the minors Thursday night.TRANSACTIONS Jeremy Hazelbaker was acquired from Tampa Bay for cash considerations and was assigned to Rochester. Another left-handed hitting outfielder, Hazelbaker has hit .258/.327/.500 (.827 OPS) over 285 plate appearances with the Cardinals and Diamondbacks. The 30-year-old was having a rough go of things for Durham, Tampa Bay’s Triple-A affiliate, hitting .210/.293/.397 (.690 OPS). Cody Stashak was placed on Chattanooga’s temporary Inactive List. Fort Myers placed Tom Hackimer on the 7-Day DL with an ankle sprain. RED WINGS REPORT Game 1: Norfolk 1, Rochester 0 (7 innings) Box Score SP: Kohl Stewart (6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K) HR: None Multi-hit games: Nick Gordon Rochester was held to just three hits, two from Nick Gordon, but Kohl Stewart was awesome. Making his fourth Triple-A start this season, Stewart gave up just one run on three hits, all singles, and two walks. He also struck out eight of the 22 batters he faced on the day. Stewart also went six innings and only gave up one run in his last start. Jeremy Hazelbaker was 0-for-2 with a strikeout in his debut in the organization. Game 2: Norfolk 1 Rochester, 0 (8 innings) Box Score SP: D.J. Baxendale (3.1 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K) HR: None Multi-hit games: None Yes, Rochester played two games, they lost both and the score was 1-0 in both contests. Also, both runs scored over the 15 innings of baseball were on sacrifice flies. This game was played in Rochester, but it was technically a road game for the Wings, er, they were the Plates tonight, I guess. They were making up a game that was rained out in Norflolk earlier in the season. That meant Rochester was walked off in their own ballpark, which had to feel a little weird. The only hits by the Plates in this one were a Juan Graterol double and a Jon Kremmer single. D.J Baxendale opened things with 3 1/3 shutout innings before Trevor May tuned in 2 1/3 frames of no-hit ball. Gabriel Moya pitched two innings and gave up the game-winner, though it’ll go down as an unearned run since that was the “bonus” runner that started the inning on second base. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Mobile 3 Box Score W: Omar Bencomo (5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K) SV: Tyler Jay (1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K) HR: Brent Rooker (16) Multi-hit games: Brent Rooker, Mitchell Kranson This one started with a Zander Wiel double followed by Brent Rooker’s 16th home run. The Lookouts built a 4-0 lead thanks to RBI singles from Mitchell Kranson and Rooker, but the BayBears battled back to pull within a run of Chattanooga. Brian Navarretto plated an insurance run in the top of the ninth on a sac fly and the bullpen locked it down. Omar Bencomo (29) gave up two runs and struck out seven batters over 5 1/3 innings. Williams Ramirez (who turns 26 in a few weeks) gave up a run in his inning of work before Sam Clay (25) delivered 1 1/3 innings of scoreless work. Tyler Jay (24) earned his second save by recording the final four outs. He gave up one hit and had three strikeouts. Why yes, the Lookouts do have the oldest pitching staff in the Southern League (second oldest in all of Double A), why do you ask? MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 4, Lakeland 3 (10 innings) Box Score W: Jovani Moran (3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K) SP: Griffin Jax (7.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K) HR: None Multi-hit games: None Hits were hard to come by for the Miracle, but they made the most of them. They managed to score four runs despite only being able to muster three well-timed hits. Alex Kirilloff hit a single to load the bases in the first inning, Joe Cronin drew a walk to score the first run and then Ben Rortvedt delivered a two-run single to put Fort Myers up 3-0 in the first inning. They didn’t get another baserunner until the seventh. In the meantime, the Flying Tigers stormed back to tie the game at 3-3. Griffin Jax gave up just one earned run over seven innings before handing the game off to Jovani Moran, who was making just his third appearance for the Miracle. Moran managed to fend off Lakeland for three innings, keeping the game knotted up. Things didn’t get off to a very good start in the bottom of the 10th for Fort Myers. Rortvedt was walked to try to set up the double play. To combat that, the Miracle bunted … into a double play. Since offense was impossible to come by, Fort Myers hadn’t recorded a hit since the first inning, they seemed doomed. Instead, Aaron Whitefield delivered a walk-off double that scored Rortvedt from second base. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Great Lakes 3 Box Score W: Tyler Watson (6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K) SV: Jose Martinez (2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB 6 K) HR: Ben Rodriguez (8), Jacob Pearson (4) Multi-hit games: Akil Baddoo Tyler Watson set the tone with six innings of shutout ball and Ben Rodriguez mashed a three-run homer that put the Kernels up 4-0 in the third inning, making for a low-stress night, especially when compared to how the other affiliates fared. Akil Baddoo had an excellent game, going 3-for-5 and was a homer shy of the cycle and Jacob Pearson hit his fourth home run of the season. Jose Martinez made sure things remained under control as he absolutely blew through the Loons’ lineup. Martinez faced seven men and he struck out six of them. He threw 21 of his 26 pitches for strikes. Wow. E-TWINS E-NOTES Greeneville 3, Elizabethton 2 (10 innings) Box Score SP: Andrew Cabezas (5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K) HR: Chris Williams (8) Multi-hit games: Yunior Severino, Andrew Cosgrove My goodness, is Chris Williams flexing his muscles or what!? The guy now has eight home runs through 26 pro games. Combined that with his numbers at Clemson this year Williams has 25 homers in 88 games this year. Again, my goodness! E-Towns’ other run came on a game-tying single from Trevor Larnach. Andrew Cabazas pitched five shutout innings of two-hit ball. Johan Quezada followed with two no-hit innings to go with four strikeouts. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 6, GCL Orioles 3 (11 innings) Box Score W: Petru Balan (3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K) SP: Kai-Wei Teng (5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K) HR: None Multi-hit games: Agustin Marte, Charles Mack, Victor Tedemo, Erick Rivera The Twins trailed 1-0 heading into the top of the ninth, but they tied it up on a pretty wild play. Here’s the description from the MiLB play log: “Victor Tademo out on a sacrifice bunt, left fielder Jacob Brown to third baseman Jared Gates. Alberoni Nunez scores. Charles Mack to 3rd. Victor Tademo out at 3rd. Victor Tademo out at 3rd, left fielder Jacob Brown to third baseman Jared Gates.” Uh ... say what now? Things continued to get interesting, as the Twins added another run in the top of the 10th thanks to a passed ball. But the O’s also scored in the bottom of that inning. The Twins really broke loose in the 11th, tallying four runs, the big blow being a Tademo double. Second baseman Agustin Marte was 3-for-5 with a double and Mack was 2-for-4 with a walk. Kai-Wei Tend delivered five frames of one-run ball before J.T. Perez pitched two scoreless innings. Petru Balan gave up an unearned run over his three innings of work and Osiris German also surrendered an unearned run in the 11th STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Jose Martinez, Cedar Rapids Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day: Brent Rooker, Chattanooga TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed. Please note that this Prospect Summary has been updated. 1. Royce Lewis (FM): 0-for-3, BB, R, E 2. Alex Kirilloff (FM): 1-for-4, R, K 3. Brusdar Graterol (FM): Did not pitch. 4. Nick Gordon (ROC): 2-for-6, SB 5. Stephen Gonsalves (ROC): Did not pitch. 6. Trevor Larnach (ET): 1-for-3, BB, RBI, K 7. Brent Rooker (CHAT): 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBIs, R 8. Akil Baddoo (CR): 3-for-5, 2B, 3B, 2 R, RBI 9. Wander Javier: Out of for the season 10. Zack Littell (ROC): Did not pitch. 11. Blayne Enlow (CR): Did not pitch. 12. LaMonte Wade (ROC): 0-for-6, 4 K 13. Travis Blankenhorn (FM): 0-for-3, K, E 14. Lewis Thorpe (CHAT): Did not pitch. 15. Ben Rortvedt (FM): 1-for-2, 2 BB, 2 RBI, R 16. Yunior Severino (ET): 2-for-5, R 17. Lewin Diaz (FM): 0-for-3, RBI, K 18. Ryan Jeffers (ET): 1-for-4, BB 19. Jacob Pearson (CR): 1-for-4, HR, RBI, R, K 20. Luis Arraez (CHAT): 1-for-4, 2B, R, K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Norfolk, 5:05 pm CT: Ervin Santana Chattanooga at Mobile, 7:05 pm CT: Sean Poppen Fort Myers vs. Lakeland, 6:00 pm CT: Brusdar Graterol Cedar Rapids at Great Lakes, 6:05 pm CT: Bailey Ober Elizabethton vs. Greeneville, 6:00 pm CT: TBD GCL Twins vs. GCL Red Sox, 11:00 am CT: TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the games. Click here to view the article

Prospect heads rejoice! It’s time to revisit the top prospects list. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be revealing the Twins Daily Midseason Top 40 Prospects List. That’s right, we’re expanding the size of the official site rankings, doubling upward from our preseason list. The journey starts today with numbers 40 through 36.40. Aaron Whitefield – CF Age: 21 ETA: 2020 2018 Stats (A+/Rk): .220/.301/.293 (.594 OPS), 3 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 23 K, 9 BB 2018 Ranking: NR | 2017 Ranking: NR Seth: 29 | Tom: NR | Cody: 42 Whitefield just recently returned to action with the MIracle. He suffered a broken hamate bone in late April, which forced him to miss all of May and most of June. He made a name for himself with the Kernels last year flashing both speed (33 stolen bases) and power (11 homers). He’s also a legit center fielder. Over the winter, Whitefield won his third-straight Claxton Shield (which is awarded to the Australian Baseball League champions). Here’s hoping he can get back healthy and continue to build momentum. 39. Jaylin Davis – RF Age: 24 ETA: 2019 2018 Stats (AA/A+): .265/.358/.395 (.753 OPS), 11 2B, 0 3B, 6 HR, 67 K, 27 BB 2018 Ranking: NR | 2017 Ranking: NR Seth: 41 | Tom: 43 | Cody: 35 Over his first two seasons in the system, Davis displayed impressive power but it came with a hefty number of strikeouts and not many walks to offset them. This season, he’s looked like a whole new hitter. After posting a career 30.2 K% and 6.8 BB%, Davis has improved those rates to 25.2 K% and 11.0 BB% in 2018. The power took a dip, but that was to be expected in the FSL. The higher-ups took note of the strides Davis was making, and promoted him up to Chattanooga a couple of weeks ago. 38. Ricky De La Torre – SS Age: 18 ETA: 2022 2018 Stats: .333/.417/.500 (.917 OPS), 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 7 K, 3 BB 2018 Ranking: NR | 2017 Ranking: NR Seth: 44 | Tom: 29 | Cody: 43 Drafted out of Puerto Rico, De La Torre made his pro debut last year as a 17-year-old and opted to sign with the Twins instead of heading to Auburn. He cracked three homers with the GCL Twins last year, which doesn’t sound like much, but only 15 batters went deep five or more times in that entire league last season. Shortstop is a crowded spot in the system, which is a good problem to have, but De La Torre may be the best suited of anyone to make the transition to third base due to his strong arm. 37. Lachlan Wells – LHP Age: 21 ETA: 2021 2018 Stats: None, injured. 2018 Ranking: NR | 2017 Ranking: NR Seth: 48 | Tom: 33 | Cody: 32 Another Australian! Wells had Tommy John surgery in mid May and will miss the entire 2018 season. Originally looked over due to his diminutive stature, Wells really filled out the past couple years, though he’ll still never be mistaken for Tyler Wells (who’s listed at 6-foot-8, 265 lbs). In 204 innings as a pro, Lachlan has a 2.74 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and has averaged 8.2 K/9 against just 2.0 BB/9. It’s a shame we won’t get to see him on the mound again for quite some time. 36. Aaron Slegers – RHP ETA: 2018 Age: 25 2018 Stats (AAA): 83.2 IP, 3.55 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 5.9 K/9, 2.0 BB/9, 2.89 K:BB 2018 Ranking: NR | 2017 Ranking: NR Seth: 33 | Tom: 34 | Cody: 45 Slegers lacks the kind of overpowering stuff that puts pitchers higher up on prospect lists, but there’s no questioning his track record of getting outs in the high minors. He’s made five appearances with the Twins over the past two years, but during that time he’s also 20-9 with a 3.38 ERA over 37 starts for Rochester. Slegers pitched the fifth-most innings in the Southern League in 2016, logged the fourth-most innings in the International League last season and is easily pacing his Red Wings teammates in innings so far this year. That's it for now, check another five pack of prospects tomorrow. Click here to view the article

As the short-season minor leagues get going, it’s a lot of fun to highlight a lot of Firsts: First hits, first doubles, first wins, etc. There were a lot of firsts in Elizabethton on Wednesday night. Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton both played in minor league games on Wednesday. Adalberto Mejia is also doing a good job of trying to get his name back on the forefront in the minds of Twins fans and front office personnel.Keep reading to find out more on the night in the Twins minor league system on Wednesday. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS Chattanooga’s Williams Ramirez pitched in the Southern League All- Star game on Tuesday night and was placed on the Lookouts disabled list on Wednesday.Lefty Andrew Vasquez returns to the Lookouts.RHP Colton Davis and RHP Brady Anderson were activated from the Miracle DL with LHP Kevin Marnon going on the DL.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 2, Syracuse 0 Box Score Lefty Adalberto Mejia celebrated his 25th birthday on Wednesday by tossing seven shutout innings. He gave up just three hits, walked one and struck out eight batters in the game. He improved to 3-2 while dropping his ERA to 2.91 on the season. Gabriel Moya pitched a scoreless eighth inning despite giving up a hit and walking a batter. Alan Busenitz came on for a perfect ninth inning, including a strikeout. It was just his second save of the season. The Red Wings offense didn't do much either. In fact, both of their runs came in the fourth inning. It had the making of a really big inning, but it also turned into a disaster. They had the bases loaded with nobody out, but two straight batters hit grounders that were fielded and the out was made at home. With two outs, Byron Buxton came through with a single that scored two, the second on a throwing error. Buxton was 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base. Willians Astudillo went 2-for-4 with his ninth and tenth doubles. Nick Gordon added a triple. LaMonte Wade was 0-for-2, but he walked twice. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga Box Score The Lookouts have the final day of their All-Star break on Wednesday. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, Tampa 5 Box Score Clark Beeker put together another quality start, but the Miracle offense was unable to provide enough support. Beeker gave up three runs on six hits and a walk over the first six innings. He struck out seven. Brady Anderson came on and gave up two runs on three hits and three walks over the final three innings. He struck out two. The Miracle managed just four hits in the game. Caleb Hamilton had the long extra -base hit, his ninth double of the season. Miguel Sano went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. Maybe more surprising, Luis Arraez went 0-for-4, though he did drive in a run. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids Box Score The Kernels enjoyed their final day of the All-Star break. They get back into game action on Thursday at home E-TWINS E-TALK Elizabethton Twins 15, Burlington 3 Box Score Less than two weeks ago, 6-9 starting pitcher Tyler Palm was working in the United Shores Professional Baseball League. On Wednesday night, Palm made his first start for an affiliated baseball club and did a nice job. He gave up two runs on seven hits over five innings. He struck out seven batters without issuing a walk. Derek Molina came on and struck out three in two scoreless, hitless innings. Juan Gamez threw the final two innings. He was charged with an unearned run on two hits and a walk. He struck out four. The E-Twins got contributions from several players on their way to 15 runs on 19 hits. Alex Robles went 4-for-4 with a walk. He drove in two runs and scored two runs. Trevor Casanova, playing in his first game, went 3-for-4 with two doubles. He was also hit by a pitch. Jared Akins had a double and a triple. Casanova’s fellow catcher at Cal State Northridge, Albee Weiss, has already been moved to the outfield. He had his first two professional hits in this game, including a double. Fourth-round pick Dashawn Keirsey went 2-for-5 with a triple, again, his first two hits. Yunior Severino had his first two hits in the Twins organization and drove in four runs. Eighth-round pick Chris Williams had his first hit, a double. GCL TWINS TALK GCL Twins 5, GCL Orioles 1 Box Score The GCL Twins improved to 3-0 on the season thanks to some strong pitching. Kai-Wai Teng’s first US start went well. In five innings, he gave up one run on three hits. He walked one and struck out six. Next, Dylan Stowell made his first pro appearance. The 2018 34th-round pick gave up three hits and hit a batter, but no runs, over two scoreless innings. Osiris German recorded the save with two scoreless innings. Aaron Whitefield batted second and started in centerfield. He went 1-for-3 with a double in the game. He had not played since April when he suffered a broken hamate bone. Gabe Snyder, 2018 pick from Wright State, picked up the first two hits of his professional career. Tyler Webb went 2-for-4. Snyder and Webb each stole their first base. Samuel Vasquez went 2-for-4 with a double. Janigson Villalobos had just one hit, but he drove in three of the team’s five runs. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Alex Robles, Elizabethton Twins (4-4, BB) Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day:Adalberto Mejia, Rochester Red Wings (7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Cedar Rapids) - All Star Break #2 - Fernando Romero (Minnesota) - Did not pitch #3 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 1-4, 3B(3) #4 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Did not pitch #5 - Alex Kirilloff (Cedar Rapids) - All Star Break, expect news of his promotion to Ft. Myers soon. #6 - Wander Javier - out of for the season #7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) - All Star Break #8 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - All Star Break #9 - Brusdar Graterol (Cedar Rapids) - All Star Break #10 - Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) - All Star Break #11 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did not pitch #12 - Lewis Thorpe (Chattanooga) - All Star Break #13 - Lewin Diaz (Ft. Myers) - 0-4 #14 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - 0-2, 2 BB, K #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - Did not play #17 - Travis Blankenhorn (Ft. Myers) - 0-2, BB, HBP, K #18 - Yunior Severino (Elizabethton Twins) - 2-5, R, 4 RBI, K #19 - Tyler Jay (Chattanooga) - All Star Break #20 - Felix Jorge (Chattanooga) - Disabled List, began rehab on June 19. THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Syracuse @ Rochester (6:05 CST) - RHP Zack Littell (1-3, 3.58 ERA) Biloxi @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - TBD Tampa Ft. Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 CST) - LHP Charlie Barnes (1-4, 3.88 ERA) Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - RHP Randy Dobnak (4-2, 4.01 ERA) Burlington @ Elizabethton (6:00 CST) - TBD GCL Twins - No Game Scheduled Please feel free to ask any questions about Wednesday’s games, or ask any questions you may have. Click here to view the article

The Twins bullpen left all of their scoreless appearances in Puerto Rico. One former first-round pick flourishes while another struggled badly. Not a lot of great news to share… except that it hit 60 degrees in the Midwest, so no more games snowed out! (Hopefully.) Keep reading to find out much more on the night in the Twins minor league system.TRANSACTIONS There was two transactions announced on Saturday by the affiliates. The Kernels sent pitcher Calvin Faucher to Fort Myers. Faucher made two relief appearances in Cedar Rapids. To fill his role, pitcher Carlos Suniaga was sent north from Fort Myers, where he appeared twice in relief. Rochester placed outfielder Zack Granite on the disabled list with a right shoulder contusion. Their roster remains two below the maximum (though the Twins optioned Gabriel Moya after Saturday’s game and he will join the Red Wings at some point soon). RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Columbus 4 (10 innings) Box Score Rochester drops to 5-6 with Saturday’s extra-innings loss. The new rule - where teams start each inning with a runner on second base - helped Columbus score a run in the top of the 10th, where they had two singles but also grounded into a double-play. The Red Wings started their half of the 10th with the same luxury, but struck out twice to end their threat. They ended their game with six strikeouts in their last seven outs. Columbus jumped out a two-run lead after scoring a single run in both the second and third inning. Rochester got on the board in the bottom half of the third inning when Leo Reginatto doubled in Nick Buss. After Columbus pushed the lead back to two runs, Rochester rallied in the eighth inning. After a Gregorio Petit single, Buss reached on an error, moving Petit to third base. Back-to-back singles by Reginatto and Jake Cave each drove in a run, tying the game. Aaron Slegers made a quality start, allowing three runs on seven hits in six innings. He struck out four. Nick Anderson pitched a scoreless pair of innings, striking out three. Mason Melotakis took the loss. The winning run is an unearned run, as it was the runner who started the inning on base. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 2, Jackson 13 Box Score Kohl Stewart was the story of the game… and not in a good way. Entering the game at 2-0 with a 3.48 ERA and a 14/1 K/BB ratio in 10 1/3 innings, many fans were hoping that Stewart had turned a corner. On Saturday, he turned the wrong corner. Recording only five outs, Stewart gave up six hits and a walk, resulting in seven runs (six earned). He struck out one, committed an error and took the loss. Todd Van Steensel and Zack Jones limited the damage, splitting the next 4 ⅓ scoreless innings, combining to strike out seven. Omar Bencomo finished the game, pitching two innings, allowing six runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks. He struck out two. The lineup didn’t do much to help, but neither did the defense. Besides Stewart error, there were four other fielding errors committed (Rooker, Corcino, Miller 2). Brent Rooker doubled in a two-hit performance. Zander Wiel also doubled and is hitting .396 on the young season. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 3, Bradenton 5 Box Score Fort Myers gave up two early game runs and despite tying the game in the sixth, couldn’t complete the comeback. The Miracle lineup provided nine hits, including three from Aaron Whitefield. Whitefield didn’t start the game, replacing Jaylin Davis in the fourth inning. Davis doubled in the second. No word on Davis’s status post-game. Jimmy Kerrigan had two more hits - both doubles - and is batting .407. Brady Anderson pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on five hits. He struck out one and served up one long ball. Hector Lujan took the loss, also giving up a home run, but he also was credited with two unearned runs due to a pair of Joseph Cronin errors. He struck out two. Ryan Mason pitched a perfect final frame, striking out one. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Kane County 9 Box Score Despite jumping to an early lead, Kane County mounted a comeback thanks mostly to a seven-run seventh inning. Royce Lewis was 4-for-4 and is now batting .323. Jose Miranda added two hits. Alex Kirilloff had the team’s lone RBI. Lewis scored the team’s only two runs. The Kernels went hit hitless in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position. Nick Brown pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing four hits and striking out four. Brown walked one. Derek Molina gave up two runs in 2/3 of an inning. Jose Martinez took the loss. He recorded four outs, giving up seven runs (five earned) on four hits and two walks. It was Martinez’s second game in a row allowing three or more runs. Jared Finkel had a one-hit appearance, pitching the last 2 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out two. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Royce Lewis, Cedar Rapids Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Nick Brown, Cedar Rapids TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Cedar Rapids) 4-4, 2 R, SB (2), CS (1) #3 - Nick Gordon (Chattanooga) 1-3, RBI (10), K #5 - Alex Kirilloff (Cedar Rapids) 1-4, 2B (3), RBI (11) #7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) 2-4, 2B (1), R, K # 10 - Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) 0-3, BB, K #13 - Lewin Diaz (Fort Myers) 1-4, RBI (6), K #15 - Mitch Garver (Twins) 0-4, K #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Cedar Rapids) 0-4, PB (1) SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs Columbus (12:05 CDT) - RHP Fernando Romero Chattanooga @ Jackson (2:05 CDT) - RHP Zack Littell Fort Myers @ Bradenton (12:00 CDT) - RHP Clark Beeker Cedar Rapids vs Kane County (2:05 CDT) - RHP Randy Dobnak Please feel free to ask any questions about Saturday’s games, or ask any questions you may have. Click here to view the article