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Following the completion of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, organizations kick off their short season leagues. For the Minnesota Twins, their Gulf Coast team stays at the southern headquarters in Fort Myers, while the Appalachian League Elizabethton Twins head out to Tennessee. Both teams had plenty of intriguing names on them this season, and kicking off the awards swing, it’s the Twins Daily 2019 Short Season Hitter of the Year.A list of previous winners of this award is comprised of an interesting trio. In 2016 it was the recently traded Lewin Diaz. Having broken out in a big way during 2019, he became a hot commodity and was the piece Miami coveted in exchange for big league reliever Sergio Romo. For his efforts in 2017 Akil Baddoo took home the honors. He played in just 29 games for High-A Fort Myers before needing season ending elbow surgery. Last year’s winner was Chris Williams who split time between Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers this season. The goal with the Short Season Hitter of the Year award is to put a focus on both the GCL and Elizabethton clubs. While promotions are great for players, only their exploits in those respective leagues are to be considered. The seasons are shorter and the stats obviously have less ability to accumulate, but these bats all made an immediate and powerful impact. Previous Winners: 2016: Lewin Diaz 2017: Akil Baddoo 2018: Chris Williams Stay tuned to Twins Daily for the announcements of the rest of the minor league awards in the coming days. Before we profile the top five, here’re the guys that rounded out the Short Season Hitter of the Year ballots. Others Receiving Votes: Jeferson Morales, GCL Twins: 26-110, .236/.373/.436, 7 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 16 RBISeth Gray, Elizabethton Twins: 49-218, .225/.336/.445, 15 2B, 11 HR, 36 RBIParker Phillips, GCL Twins/Elizabethton Twins: 54-204, .265/.367/.407, 9 2B, 3B, 6 HR, 26 RBIShort Season Hitter of the Year: Here are the top five players for the Twins Daily Short Season Hitter of the Year 5. Albee Weiss, Elizabethton Twins: 25-96, .260/.295/.604, 4 2B, 3B, 9 HR, 25 RBI Weiss was selected in the 23rd round of the 2018 MLB draft. He played the entire season last year at Elizabethton and mustered just a .610 OPS in 36 games. Repeating the level this year, his power played significantly higher and he parlayed that in to opportunities with both Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers. He’s split time between left field and first base during his professional career. 4. Max Smith, Elizabethton Twins: 61-213, .286/.353/.451, 12 2B, 3B, 7 HR, 28 RBI The Twins took Smith in the 31st round of the 2019 MLB draft out of UNLV. The Tucson, Arizona native was a senior sign and turned in a respectable debut season in pro ball. Power isn’t really his game, but seeing seven long balls show up in his first year is a nice development. A left-handed bat, he played primarily in left field for Elizabethton, but can man all three outfield spots. 3. Spencer Steer, Elizabethton Twins: 25-77, .325/.442/.506, 6 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 13 RBI Minnesota made the former Oregon Ducks shortstop their third-round pick in the most recent amateur draft. It’s not surprising that a talent taken that high would be better than the rookie ball level, but Steer proved it quickly. He hit on a nightly basis and left Elizabethton with a .949 OPS. Moving up to Cedar Rapids, he was an important cog for a team with postseason aspirations. This is definitely a player to watch in the Twins system going forward. 2. Wander Valdez, GCL Twins: 30-93, .323/.382/.516, 6 2B, 4 HR, 13 RBI Signed on the July 2 International Free Agent date back in 2016 as a 16-year-old, Valdez spent the past two seasons playing in the Dominican Summer League. In his first season on US soil the Twins got to see plenty of excitement from a talent they doled out a half-million to. Still young, power should be a developing aspect of the corner infielder’s game, but the impressive output during 29 games of GCL action is something to build off of. 1. Matt Wallner, Elizabethton Twins: 56-208, .269/.361/.451, 18 2B, 3B, 6 HR, 28 RBI A hometown star from Forest Lake, Minnesota, Wallner was grabbed by the Twins with their 39th overall selection in the most recent MLB draft. After three great seasons for Southern Mississippi, and a handful of shattered Conference USA records, it was time to go pro. Wallner has an electric arm, but was drafted as a hitter for Minnesota. The power stroke is something of a calling card for him, and putting him in the same system as 2017 draftee Brent Rooker gives Minnesota two of the most accomplished Division I ballplayers of recent memory. For the Golden Eagles Wallner hit at least 16 homers in each of his collegiate seasons, and topped out with 23 as a junior in 2019. He owned a career 1.113 OPS across 189 games in Conference USA and left his mark all over the program. Talking with Wallner after the draft in June, he mentioned the level of excitement being taken by his hometown team saying, “It’s a dream come true and can’t wait to get started with the Twins organization.” Wallner was actually selected by the Twins out of high school in the 32nd round, but the intention then was always to go to school. He mentioned comparisons of his power-lefty style to Justin Morneau, and Minnesota fans would be elated to see that replicate itself at the highest level. Wallner earned a late season promotion to Cedar Rapids, and has been involved in a postseason run that will no doubt help development and growth down the line through valuable experience. Matt has operated entirely as a right fielder for Minnesota, and continuing to see his power play from that role as he helps teams at different levels throughout his journey to the big leagues will be must-watch excitement. The Ballots In an attempt to be transparent, here are the votes from our Twins Daily minor league writers: Seth Stohs- 1) Matt Wallner 2) Max Smith 3) Seth Gray 4) Parker Phillips 5) Wander ValdezTom Froemming- 1) Matt Wallner 2) Albee Weiss 3) Seth Gray 4) Jeferson Morales 5) Wander ValdezCody Christie- 1) Wander Valdez 2) Matt Wallner 3) Max Smith 4) Spencer Steer 5) Jeferson MoralesMatt Braun- 1) Spencer Steer 2) Wander Valdez 3) Jeferson Morales 4) Albee Weiss 5) Matt WallnerTed Schwerzler- 1) Spencer Steer 2) Albee Weiss 3) Wander Valdez 4) Matt Wallner 5) Jeferson MoralesSteve Lein- 1) Matt Wallner 2) Max Smith 3) Wander Valdez 4) Seth Gray 5) Jeferson MoralesFeel free to discuss. What do you think of our rankings? How would you rank them? How would your ballot look? Click here to view the article

With a week and a half until the trade deadline, the Twins still haven’t made any moves. To many of us, these players are names we follow, but some players lives will be drastically changed before next Wednesday. They will have to acclimate themselves to a new organization and a new set of teammates amid some important end of season games. Which prospects won’t be in the organization after next week? For now, read about the prospects that impact games on Sunday.AWARDS The Twins announced their weekly Hitter and Pitcher of the Week: Hitter of the Week: Jaylin Davis, RochesterIn seven games for the Red Wings, Davis hit .458 (11-for-24) with five home runs, 11 RBI, five walks, 12 runs scored and a 1.664 OPS. Davis, 25, was selected in the 24th round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of Appalachian State University.Pitcher of the Week: Kai-Wei Teng, Cedar RapidsTeng made the start last Sunday for the Kernels, pitching 6.0 shutout innings with five hits allowed no walks and a season-high 10 strikeouts. Teng, 20, was signed by the Twins as an undrafted free agent in October of 2017 out of Taichung, Taiwan. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 1, Gwinnett 12 Box Score Sean Poppen ran into some trouble and couldn’t make it out of the fourth inning. In 3 1/3 innings, he was charged with eight earned runs on six hits. He walked four and struck out two. Jake Reed had his own share of problems in relief. He took over for Poppen and surrendered four runs on five hit in two innings. Gabriel Moya and Carlos Torres combined for 2 2/3 shutout innings to end the game. Moya walked two and struck out two. Torres pitched a perfect ninth. It was his first appearances since July 5 where he didn’t allow an earned run. Zander Wiel and Alejandro De Aza both had multi-hit efforts in the loss. Wiel had been held hitless in four-straight games before going 2-for-4 and scoring the team’s only run. Both of Wiel’s hits were doubles which gives him 26 for the season. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 3, Mississippi 8 Box Score Pensacola got things going early as Alex Kirilloff singled with one out in the first. Trevor Larnach moved him to second after being hit by a pitch. A Lewin Diaz single and a Caleb Hamilton sacrifice fly allowed two runs to score and Pensacola had an early 2-0 lead. In the third, Larnach extended the lead with a solo-home run, his first at the Double-A level. That’s where the scoring would end for the Blue Wahoos. For the second straight Sunday, Jorge Alcala struggled. He allowed four earned runs on six hits in 2 2/3 innings. His season ERA is up to 6.36 and he’s only made it through six innings in one of his last 10 appearances. Anthony Vizcaya bounced around some trouble as he allowed six hits in 1 2/3 innings but wasn’t charged with any earned runs. Andrew Vazquez is down in Double-A trying to find himself. His ERA is 5.40 after he allowed one earned run in 1 2/3 innings. Jovani Moran had some control issues as he walked three batters in 2/3 of an inning. He allowed three earned runs. Hector Lujan got the last four outs and didn’t allow a run. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 3, Florida 2 (Top of the 9th - Rain) Box Score Bailey Ober bounced back nicely in this one after allowing a season high three-earned runs and failing to get out of the fifth inning in his previous start. Ober pitched five strong innings and limited Florida to one run on five hits. He struck out seven and walked one. In the top of the fourth, Ryan Costello started the inning by reaching on a throwing error. Jose Miranda moved him to second with a single before Trey Cabbage doubled to score both runners. With one out in the eighth inning, Jacob Pearson doubled, his second since being promoted. One batter later, Ryan Jeffers drove him in with a single to put Fort Myers up 3-2. Melvi Acosta earned a three-inning save as he allowed one run on one hit, a home run. He struck out five and didn’t walk any. The game was shortened by rain KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Fort Wayne 8 Box Score In the second inning, Trevor Casanova lead off with a walk and he moved to third on a double by Albee Weiss. Ricky De La Torre drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly and Yeltsin Encarnacion followed with a single to make the score 2-0. Gilberto Celestino knocked his sixth homer of the year, a solo shot in the third. Weiss homered in top of the fourth and Spencer Steer came around to score a run after two wild pitches and a balk. The Kernels had their biggest lead of the day at 5-1. Unfortunately, things would fall apart for the Kernels pitching staff during the fourth inning. Austin Schulfer couldn’t make it through five innings for the second consecutive start. He allowed seven runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings. Brian Rapp allowed an inherited runner to score but then he put up zeros for three innings. He walked two and struck out two. J.T. Perez pitched a scoreless eighth before some trouble in the ninth. With the game tied, he allowed back-to-back singles to start the inning. After a sacrifice bunt, a walk would load the bases. Perez coaxed a short line-out for the second out and it kept the runners from advancing. Wander Javier was charged with a fielding error on the final play of the game. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 4, Bluefield 7 Box Score Elizabethton took a first inning lead after Willie Joe Gary Jr doubled to lead off the game. He moved to third on a wild pitch and Max Smith brought him home with a ground out. From there the bats would go quiet until the late innings. In the sixth, the E-Twins would score a run because of an error, a walk, and two hit by pitches. Smith and Seth Gray clocked back-to-back homers to start the seventh frame. On the mound, Ryley Widell took his fifth loss, but he was only charged with one earned run. He pitched 5 2/3 innings by striking out seven batters and allowing one walk. He’s allowed one run in three of his six starts this season. Frandy Torres allowed two earned runs on four hits in the final 2 1/3 innings. He was asked to get seven outs and he got five of them via the strikeout. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY TD Pitcher of the Day- Bailey Ober, Fort Myers (5.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 7 K, 1 BB) TD Hitter of the Day- Albee Weiss, Cedar Rapids (2-for-3, HR, 2B, 3 R, RBI, BB, K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) – Did not play #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – 2-4, R #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured list #4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) – 1-2, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 1-4, 2 K #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Ft. Myers) – Did not pitch #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL Twins) – No scheduled game #8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – Injured list #9 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch #10 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – Did not pitch #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 1-4 #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) – 1-4, RBI, K #14 - Luis Arraez (Twins) – 3-5, R #15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) – 0-2, 2 BB #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – Did not play #17 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Out for year with Tommy John surgery #18 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) – 2.2 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, K, BB #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL Twins) – No scheduled game #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) – Injured list MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester – Scheduled Off-Day Pensacola vs. Mobile (6:35 CST) – RHP Griffin Jax (3-3, 2.53 ERA) Fort Myers @ Dunedin (5:30 CST) – RHP Cole Sands (3-2, 2.04 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Fort Wayne (6:05 CST) – RHP Tyler Palm (2-5 (3.82 ERA) Elizabethton @ Bluefield (5:30 CST) – RHP Tyler Benninghoff (2-1, 6.38 ERA) GCL Twins @ GCL Pirates (11:00 am CST) – TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Pirates (Game 2) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

A pitcher in the Twins organization came in to deliver an impressive multi-inning effort to earn his team a victory. No, I’m not talking about Taylor Rogers. Jordan Balazovic, who had his schedule altered a bit due to the Futures Game, pitched the final four innings for Fort Myers tonight, giving up just one hit while striking out six.TRANSACTIONS Rochester activated Fernando Romero from the IL and released Chase De Jong. Williams Ramirez started a rehab assignment with the GCL Twins. Fort Myers sent Derek Molina to the 7-day IL due to shoulder bicipital tendinitis and activated Bailey Ober from the IL. Elizabethton placed Tanner Brubaker, Casey Legumina, Luis Varland and Brent Headrick on the 7-day IL. RED WINGS REPORT Lehigh Valley 7, Rochester 6 Box Score Lewis Thorpe: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 68.5% strikes (50 of 73 pitches) HR: Wilin Rosario (10), Nick Gordon (3) Multi-hit games: Wilin Rosario (2-for-3, 2B, HR, BB), Nick Gordon (2-for-4, HR, BB) Fernando Romero pitched for the first time since June 19, serving as the opener. He retired the first two batters on ground balls before a Nick Gordon fielding error extended the inning. From there, Romero surrendered a single and a three-run homer. Lewis Thorpe took over in the second inning and was solid in his four innings. The Red Wings chipped away at the lead, with Wilin Rosario hitting a two-run homer and Gordon providing a solo blast. Cody Allen made his Rochester debut. He struck out the first batter he faced, then gave up a home run. He walked the next batter (old friend Shane Robinson) before ending the inning on a double play. Next out of the pen was Cody Stashak. He struck out two batters over a pair of no-hit innings. The right-hander now has a 1.40 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and has 29 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings for Rochester. Rosario hit a two-run double in the bottom of the eighth to tie this game, but Gabriel Moya gave those runs right back in the top of the ninth. The Red Wings got a run across thanks to a bases-loaded walk from Gordon, but could not plate the tying run. Drew Maggi was hit in the leg by a pitch, which would have driven in the game-tying run, but the home plate umpire declared that Maggi turned into the pitch and did not award him first base. Wings manager Joel Skinner came out to argue and was eventually ejected. Brent Rooker was also ejected earlier in the game after a very tame episode in which he argued a called third strike. KERNELS NUGGETS Great Lakes 7, Cedar Rapids 0 Box Score Josh Winder: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 67.8% strikes (61 of 90 pitches) HR: None Multi-hit games: None The Kernels lineup mustered just four hits, the only extra-base hit being a double for Gabe Snyder. Several of Cedar Rapids’ top prospects continue to struggle at the plate, including Wander Javier, who went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts tonight. Jeff Johnson of the Cedar Rapids Gazette wrote about some of Javier’s struggles and spoke at length about him with Kernels manager Brian Dinkelman. Here’s a link to that piece. Josh Winder had an uncharacteristically poor start, as he surrendered three home runs, and Nate Hadley, 2019 25th-round pick, made his Kernels debut, striking out two batters over a pair of perfect innings. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 16, Burlington 6 Box Score Andriu Marin: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 54.4% strikes (43 of 79 pitches) Osiris German: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 76.9% strikes (30 of 39 pitches) HR: Albee Weiss 2 (8), Seth Gray (3), Janigson Villalobos 2 (2) Multi-hit games: Spencer Steer (5-for-5, 2 2B, BB), Albee Weiss (4-for-5, 2B, 2 HR), Janigson Villalobos (3-for-5, 2 HR), Seth Gray (3-for-4, HR, BB), Max Smith (2-for-6) Sweet 16! The E-Town offense was en fuego Friday night. Albee Weiss racked up 10 total bases and drove in six runs. He and Janigson Villalobos each hit two home runs. Spencer Steer reached base safely in all six of his plate appearances. Osiris German starred on the mound for Elizabethton. After striking out six in three shutout inning tonight, he now has a 0.60 ERA and 25 strikeouts over 15 innings this season. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 8, GCL Red Sox 3 Box Score HR: Wander Valdez (1), Jeferson Morales (2) Multi-hit games: Erick Rivera (3-for-5, 2B), Wander Valdez (2-for-5, 2B, HR), Francisco Martinez (2-for-5) Wander Valdez got things rolling with a home run in the first inning, and by the end of the third the Twins had already built up a 6-0 lead. Matthew Swain, the Twins’ 23rd-round pick from this year’s draft, held the Red Sox scoreless over the first two innings. He’s now opened his professional career with 7 1/3 scoreless frames. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Jordan Balazovic, Fort Myers Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day: Albee Weiss, Elizabethton TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Prospects performed: 1. Royce Lewis (FM): 1-for-5, 2 K 2. Alex Kirilloff (PNS): 0-for-4, 2 K 4. Trevor Larnach (FM): 2-for-4, HR (6), BB, 3 RBI, R, K 5. Wander Javier (CR): 0-for-4, 3 K 6. Jordan Balazovic (FM): 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 70.9% strikes (39 of 55 pitches) 7: Keoni Cavaco (GCL): 0-for-4, 3 K 8. Brent Rooker (ROC): 0-for-3, 2 K (ejected in the sixth inning) 10. Blayne Enlow (FM): 3.0 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 60.9% strikes (42 of 69 pitches) 11. Lewis Thorpe (ROC): 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 68.5% strikes (50 of 73 pitches) 12. Nick Gordon (ROC): 2-for-4, HR (3), BB, 2 RBI, 2 R, K, 2 E 13. Ryan Jeffers (FM): 0-for-4, BB, K 15. Matt Wallner (ELZ): 1-for-6, RBI, 2 K 16. Ben Rortvedt (PNS): 0-for-4 K 19. Misael Urbina (DSL): 0-for-2, 2 BB, R, 2 SB (15) 20. Travis Blankenhorn (PNS): 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, 2 K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Lehigh Valley, 5:05 pm CT (Kohl Stewart) Pensacola vs. Montgomery, 6:05 pm CT (Charlie Barnes) Fort Myers at Bradenton, 5:30 pm CT (Lachlan Wells) Cedar Rapids vs. Lansing, 6:35 pm CT (Andrew Cabezas) Elizabethton vs. Johnson City, 5:30 pm CT (Ryan Shreve) GCL Twins vs. GCL Red Sox, 9:00 am CT (TBD) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the games. Click here to view the article

A full seven games were played in the land of the Twins minor league system thanks to a doubleheader. Ignoring the panic this caused the writer to undergo, all was recorded and written about. Josh Winder was great again, Lewin Diaz continued to rake, and a longtime MLB relief pitcher threw in the Twins system for the first time ever, all that and more in this edition of the Minor League Report.TRANSACTIONS RHP Cody Allen transferred to A+ Fort Myers from AA Pensacola RHP Zack Littell optioned to AAA Rochester from the Twins RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 9, Pawtucket 6 Box Score Preston Guilmet: 2 ⅔ IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 66.0% strikes (33 of 50 pitches) HR: Jaylin Davis (4), Wilin Rosario (9) Multi-hit games: Wilin Rosario (2-for-5, HR, 2B, R, 3 RBI), Zander Wiel (2-for-4, RBI), Tomas Telis (3-for-4, 2B, R), Ronald Torreyes (3-for-4, 2B, R, RBI) The Red Wings won another game and have clawed their way back to one game under .500 despite their slow start. The Red Wings ran a bullpen game and the five pitchers used combined for four earned runs while punching out eleven batters. Every Red Wings batter reached base in some way and all but one did so by getting a hit. In total, they had six extra-base hits in the game. Jaylin Davis continued to terrorize AAA pitchers as he blasted his fourth AAA home run in just his twelfth game at the level. Unfortunately for him, there are other outfielders on the 40-man roster so a callup in the near future seems unlikely, but it is still great to see him hit well. Video evidence of Wilin Rosario capping off a clutch six run 8th inning: BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 5, Biloxi 1 Box Score Griffin Jax: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 68.3% (56 of 82 pitches) HR: None Multi-hit games: Lewin Diaz (2-for-4, 2 2B, R), Jimmy Kerrigan (2-for-4, 2B, 2 R) In the least surprising event of the day, Griffin Jax had another great outing. His ERA on the year now sits at an astonishingly low 1.67. Lewin Diaz continues to rake at the plate as he hit a pair of doubles in the game. His AA OPS sits at .977 now and really I am running out of ways to compliment how well he is doing at the plate. All I can do is pray for whatever poor pitcher has to face him next. Travis Blankenhorn collected an RBI single in the fifth inning and then ended the game with this great play at second base: MIRACLE MATTERS Game one: Ft. Myers 2, Bradenton 5 (8 innings) Box Score Tyler Watson: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 77.3% strikes (51 of 66 pitches) HR: Royce Lewis (6) Multi-hit games: None The Miracle lost the first game of their doubleheader in extra innings against the Bradenton Marauders. Royce Lewis cracked his sixth home run of the year as he continues to fight through the slump that he has been in for basically the entire season. He has shown signs of breaking free and the recent power surge could be him getting back to the old Royce Lewis we all know and love. Cody Allen came in to the game in the seventh inning and threw a scoreless inning with a strikeout and topped out at 91 MPH on the fastball. The Twins obviously are interested enough in potentially coaxing the old Cody Allen out of him and how he performs in the coming weeks will affect how the Twins work the trade deadline. Game Two: Ft. Myers 1, Bradenton 4 (7 innings) Box Score Jordan Balazovic: 4 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 62.2% strikes (51 of 82 pitches) HR: None Multi-hit games: Royce Lewis (2-for-4) The Miracle also unfortunately dropped the second game of their doubleheader against Bradenton. The Marauders became one of the few teams that could actually slow down Jordan Balazovic. I suspect foul play or at the very least some good old-fashioned voodoo as Balazovic has been a buzzsaw for most of the season Royce Lewis built off his home run in the prior game by having a multi-hit game, yet another potential sign that good things are in store in the second half for the young shortstop. Despite slapping seven hits and drawing three walks, the Miracle were only able to put up a single run as they went just 2-for-11 with RISP. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Kane County 0 Box Score Josh Winder: 8 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, 67.4% strikes (64 of 95 pitches) HR: None Multi-hit games: Jacob Pearson (2-for-4, 3B, R, RBI), Gilberto Celestino (2-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI), Estamy Urena (3-for-4, 2B, 2 R) It was all Cedar Rapids in their impressive 6-0 shutout of Kane County. Josh Winder was spectacular as he threw eight shutout innings while punching out eight. Kane County’s hitters were utterly baffled all night as Winder navigated their lineup with the ability of a grizzled mariner through a stormy sea. The Kernels set the tone early as they put up a four spot in the very first inning thanks to a Yeltsin Encarnacion single and a Gilberto Celestino bases-clearing double. Although, they really just needed the one run with the way Winder tossed the ball in the game. E-Town E-Notes Elizabethton 8, Greeneville 1 Box Score Andriu Marin: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 64.4% strikes (47 of 74 pitches) HR: Albee Weiss 2 (2), Anthony Prato (1) Multi-hit games: Albee Weiss (2-for-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI), Matt Wallner (2-for-5, 2 R) The young Twins gave the business to Greeneville in an 8-1 rout. Andriu Marin and Ryan Shreve combined for nine innings without any earned runs and a combined fourteen strikeouts, an outstanding pitching showing from the both of them. There were many Elizabethton batters who performed well in the game, but Albee Weiss stands out as he blasted his first two home runs of the year to help lead the offensive charge. In total, all but two Elizabethton batters reached base safely via a hit and thirteen total hits rained down from the bats of the other Twins. GCL Twins Takes GCL Twins 0, GCL Red Sox 2 Box Score Miguel Rodriguez: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HR: None Multi-hit games: Victor Heredia (2-for-2, BB) Four GCL Twins pitchers threw in the game and they combined for a total of twelve strikeouts. Keoni Cavaco was absent from the lineup after being pulled early from the game yesterday. It is only speculation, but I assume they are playing it safe with the recent first-round draft pick. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Josh Winder Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Albee Weiss PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - 3-for-8, HR, R, RBI, K (Two games) #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - 0-for-3 #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured list #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-3, BB, K #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, R, BB, K #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - 0-for-2, R, 2 BB, 2 K #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - With the Twins #9 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Tommy John surgery, out for year #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 1-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, K #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured list #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - 2-for-7, BB, 2 K (Two games) #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - 0-for-3, BB #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured list #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - 2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2K #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - Did not play #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did not pitch #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-7, K (Two games) SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Pawtucket @ Rochester (12:05 P.M.) - RHP Kohl Stewart Pensacola @ Mississippi (5:05 P.M.) - RHP Andro Cutura Bradenton @ Fort Myers (12:00 P.M.) - TBD Kane County @ Cedar Rapids (2:05 P.M.) - RHP Andrew Cabezas Elizabethton @ Greeneville (4:00 P.M.) - RHP Cody Laweryson Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Saturday’s games. Click here to view the article