Search the Community

A pitcher threw six, two-hit innings, and he wasn't the pitcher of the day. A hitter had a home run and two triples, and wasn't the hitter of the day. It was a day of strong performances and Wins in the Twins organization. It was a full day in the Twins minor league system on Thursday. The Twins got back to winning. Rochester got a great start and some serious run production. Pensacola swept a double-header with strong pitching and big hits. Ft. Myers got a strong start and enough power to score seven runs. The Kernels needed ten shutout innings to get a win. Great day in terms wins in the Twins organization.Find out everything that happened happened in the Twins system on Thursday, starting with the transactions of the day... well, after a Misael Urbina update from the DSL. Game 2 - Pensacola 11, Jacksonville 4 Box Score The bottom of the Wahoos lineup led them to a big Game 2 win. A four-run fourth inning was followed by a five-run fifth inning. The six through nine hitters combined to go 6-for-11 with seven runs on nine RBI. Sixth-place hitter Caleb Hamilton went 2-for-3 with his 11th double and fifth homer. He drove in three runs. Next up was Michael Davis. After hitting his first homer in Game 1, he hit his first two triples in Double-A. Brian Navarreto drove in two runs with his second home run, and nine-hole hitter Joe Cronin hit a two-run homer. It was his third Double-A homer. It was a bullpen game for Pensacola. Anthony Vizcaya got them off to a fast start. He needed just 42 pitches to get through three scoreless innings. He gave up two hits, walked one and struck out six batters. Williams Ramirez came on and gave up two runs (1 earned) on two hits and a walk in his inning. Cody Stashak gave up two runs over his two innings. Zack Weiss pitched a scoreless final frame and struck out two. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 7, Florida 4 Box Score Jordan Balazovic was really good again on Thursday night and improved to 4-0 since joining the Miracle a month ago. In this one, he started with five scoreless innings. He did give up a run in the sixth frame, so his final line had him giving up one run on five hits over 5 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out seven. Calvin Faucher gave up three runs (one earned) on three hits over two innings. Melvi Acosta pitched in another different role. This time he was the closer and came on for the final four outs to record his first save. He struck out two. Royce Lewis led off and led the way for the offense. He went 3-for-5 with his 13th double. Ernie De La Trinidad also had three hits, including a triple. Jose Miranda went 2-for-3 with a walk and his 12th double. Lewin Diaz added his 11th home run. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Clinton 0 (10 innings) Box Score For the second straight night, there wasn’t much scoring in Clinton, but the Kernels were able to scratch one across in the top of the tenth to take a 1-0 win. Wander Javier came to the plate with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the tenth and grounded into a fielder’s choice. The out was made at third base while the runner, Ricky De La Torre, crossed home plate. Jared Akins went 2-for-4. Gilberto Celestino had a single and a walk. The story, of course, was on the mound where Kernels starters struck out 15 batters over 10 shutout innings. Kody Funderburk made the start and worked five scoreless, one-hit innings. He struck out seven without a walk. Alex Schick came on and tossed two scoreless innings. Derek Molina followed with four strikeouts over the next two innings. Zack Neff came on for the bottom of the 10th inning and kept the LumberKings from scoring. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Sean Poppen, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Jake Cave, Rochester Red Wings PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - 3-5, 2B(13), R, RBI #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - Injured List #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured List (shoulder) #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - 1-5, 2K #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, BB, RBI #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - 2-5, RBI, 2K #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch. #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch. #9 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch. #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Injured List (Tommy John surgery) #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 1-5, R, RBI, 2B(8) #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured List (elbow) #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - 0-3, BB #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - Game 1 (0-3, 2K), Game 2 (1-4, R, K) #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List (thumb) #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, BB, K #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - 1-5, 2B(6), R, 2 RBI, 2K #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - 2-3, BB, 2B(12), R, RBI FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Pawtucket (DH @ 4:05 CST) - RHP Kohl Stewart (4-3, 3.95 ERA), TBD Pensacola @ Biloxi (6:35 CST) - LHP Charlie Barnes (0-0, 3.60 ERA) Jupiter @ Ft. Myers (6:00 CST) - RHP Jhoan Duran (0-5, 3.61 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (6:35 CST) - RHP Tyler Palm (1-4, 4.75 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Thursday games or any other minor league topics you would like. Click here to view the article

The Twins (and all other organizations) have had more than their fair share of Tommy John surgeries. In recent years, pitchers like Lewis Thorpe, Fernando Romero and Brusdar Graterol have missed two seasons due to the elbow surgery. With less fanfare, Andro Cutura also missed nearly two full years due to the UCL surgery. Today, the former seventh-round draft pick from Southeastern Louisiana University tells us more about the injury, the rehab and the impressive return to the mound in 2018.Drafted in 2014, Andro Cutura did a Get To Know ‘Em Q&A for Twins Daily after the 2015 season. He began the 2016 season in Cedar Rapids where he went 3-1 in six starts, but in mid-May, his season came to an end. Rest-and-Rehab was attempted, but it didn’t work, so he had Tommy John surgery. In late April of 2018, Cutura returned to the mound with the Ft. Myers Miracle, and he pitched well, helping the team to the Florida State League championship. Let’s get to the Q&A. After reading it, be sure to ask questions and leave comments and congratulations in the Comments for Andro. Seth Stohs (SS): Let’s go back a couple of years. Early 2016, you’re in Cedar Rapids, pitch in a few games. Can you describe what happened to your elbow? Did you feel something abruptly, or did it just get worse over time? Andro Cutura (AC): I believe I had 5 starts in 2016 and the second to last one was when I started to feel my forearm/elbow bother me. I did not feel a “pop” on a single pitch, it was kind of a build up between two starts. SS: What was the process and who was involved in your eventual decision to have Tommy John surgery? AC: It was a very mentally straining process because it ultimately took me 5 months of rehab before I actually got TJ. First it was a little strain and I stayed in Cedar Rapids and rehabbed for about a month with the team. I then get sent down to Fort Myers and after not having progress I was advised to get PRP injections and take a few months off before even starting a throwing program. That was probably the most frustrating part of the whole thing, waiting all this time and going through a lengthy throwing program just to have my elbow blow up again when I got to 90 feet. At that moment I knew it was time for TJ and it was almost like a relief to be honest. I just wish I hadn’t wasted a season of my career. However, hindsight is always 20/20. SS: What was the worst part about the rehab process? How hard was it to be patient with the entire rehab time frame? AC: I think the worst part about the rehab process was the feeling of “falling behind”. You see all the guys you get drafted with moving up the ladder and you just feel stagnant in the rehab world. The key that I learned was to never get comfortable and even if there wasn’t something you could do physically, you could always learn more about the game by watching from a different point of view. It was hard to be patient because you want to be out there competing with a team. But you have to realize that everyone has a different path and you have to make the most out of it. SS: You were able to rehab with others who were going through the rehab with you. There are also several others in the organization who have been through Tommy John surgery too. Was it helpful to go through it with other teammates, and were there other Twins players who you were able to talk to when you had questions? What was some of the advice you got from them? AC: I was blessed to have such a hardworking group of guys to rehab with. Guys like JT Chargois, Zack Jones, Logan Darnell, Nick Burdi were a few of the guys I was surrounded by and if you know those guys, you know how hard of workers they are. Whether it be conditioning or in the gym, we were always pushing each other to the limit and I am very thankful for that. Every single one of us had a mindset of getting healthy and getting to the big leagues. The goals were so high and I think that showed me what it takes to be the best. Towards the end of my rehab stint, I was fortunate to spend some time with Glen Perkins and Phil Hughes in the training room and was able to pick their brains a little. SS: I think going through something like that, knowing it would take a long time to recover, what was your support system like and how important was that to you? AC: I couldn’t have done any of this if it weren’t for my wife, Nina. She was there for me every step of the way. My frustrating days and my best days, she was there helping me through it no matter what the circumstance. Any time I would lose hope, she would remind me how much I loved this game and how hard I’ve worked to get to this point. My family was also there for me and always believed in me. I couldn’t have gotten through it without all the thoughts and prayers. I would also say my Faith was a big support system for me. I kept faith that God had a plan for me and that this was all just part of a grander plan. SS: April 20th, you get back on the mound for the Miracle, your first game in nearly two years. What do you recall about the emotions going into that game, and then coming to the mound? AC: I was so excited. It was a looooong awaited time and I just wanted to get out there. I came out of the bullpen for my first outing so I had to sit around all game, which I’m not very used to. Haha. I remember stepping on the mound and the view of a backdrop and stadium really threw me off. I had been throwing in the bullpens and back fields in FM with chain linked fences. It was a different view for me, just needed my eyes to adjust a little I guess. My adrenaline was pumping pretty good, so I just remember pumping in fastballs and overthrowing sliders and changeups. Haha. SS: Was there a point in the season where you felt like you were back to 100%, comfortable with the elbow to air it out as needed? AC: Luckily, I never had any setbacks in my throwing program and never had any issues with my elbow as the season went on. I was never scared to let it loose. SS: What pitches do you throw, and how did each respond to the rehab and then throughout the season? AC: I throw a 4-seam Fastball, Sinker, Changeup, and Slider. Currently working on a cutter. They all responded quite well, however, some took a little longer than others. The command took some time with all my pitches but I was working every bullpen with Henry Bonilla to work on mechanical things until I found that groove. It took me a little while to get the feel of my slider back. That was the most challenging pitch for me to get back. As the end of the season rolled around I started to settle in and kinda found a good groove with all my pitches and sequencing. SS: You’ve had a couple of months since the season ended. Have you had the chance (or taken the time) to reflect on your season and really the whole three seasons. AC: Yeah, occasionally I will look back and review my season; the highs and the lows. I learned so much this season about myself and mastering my craft. Sounds crazy but after being out of pitching in games for almost two years, you almost forget what it feels like to give up hits or strike guys out or just having that in game experience. It took some time to adjust just because it had been so long. I look back at the whole three seasons and obviously wish I was on the field more and in the training room less, but I am really thankful for all the lessons I learned in the training room and how to take care of myself and learn about the game from a different point of view and on different levels. SS: How has it been to have a ‘regular’ offseason? When do you start working out and preparing yourself for the 2019 season? AC: It feels great to have a regular offseason! Just got married in September and got to spend time with my wife. We didn’t get to see each other much during the season so it’s nice to be able to make up for lost time with her. I took about a month off after the season to rest my body and then started ramping up workouts in October. I started tossing a little earlier this year, around Thanksgiving time. Right now I am working on finding my release points with my pitches and finding that consistency. SS: What do you enjoy doing to get away from the game of baseball in the offseason? AC: I enjoy golfing, game nights, hunting and fishing when I can, and just spending time with my family. SS: Have you given any thought yet to goals for 2019? Where would you like to start or end the season, and what are the numbers that you tend to look at to measure yourself? AC: I honestly feel so different going into this season than I did going into the 2018 season. Last season I went in not really knowing where I was going and how I would translate to games, just because it had been so long. I knew it was going to be a season of adjustments and figuring out who I am again. I want to start this season in Pensacola. I feel like I’m going into this season with a much bigger goal and a much bigger confidence. I was really happy with the way I ended my 2018 season and I’m itching to continue it into the 2019 season. People may call my crazy, but my goal this year is to contribute at the big league level. I am hungrier than ever, I know what I can do, and I know I can compete at the highest level. I want to stress to myself this season to get ahead of hitters and get into pitchers counts. I want my first pitch strike % up, strikeouts up, and walks down. I also want to be the best pitcher in the league with runners in scoring position. I realized how vital that is in the game of baseball. Bottom line, I want to get outs. A big Thank You to Andro Cutura for taking time to answer these questions so diligently and thoughtfully. We certainly wish him the best of luck in 2019 and beyond. Leave your questions and well wishes below. Click here to view the article

Starting pitching wins, right? Elizabethton just won an Appy League championship in large part because of their starting pitching and that is shown below. There are some new names on this list and one guy whose name we’ve seen most months this year. But this month’s winner is a tremendous story. He missed almost exactly two years of playing time due to a major surgery, but he’s come back strong. And don’t misinterpret that comment as saying it’s just a nice story, but this month’s winner also has some good upside which we might see when some of the reins are loosened next year. Previous Starting Pitchers of the Month for 2018: April 2018: Aaron Slegers, Rochester Red Wings May 2018: Brusdar Graterol, Cedar Rapids Kernels June 2018: Tyler Wells, Fort Myers Miracle July 2018: Bailey Ober, Cedar Rapids Kernels August 2018: Keep reading (or look at the graphic for this story)Before we share our choices for the Twins Minor League Top Five Starters for August, there are some terrific starting performers that just missed the cut. In fact, I find this month’s rankings really difficult, so I’m going to rank a Top Six instead of Top Five. You can discuss who should rank higher or lower. HONORABLE MENTION Edwar Colina - Cedar Rapids Kernels/Ft. Myers Miracle - 4 GS, 26.0 IP, 1.73 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 17 H, 8 BB, 30 KRandy Dobnak - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 6 G, 5 GS, 27.2 IP, 1.63 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 9 H, 8 BB, 19 KBrusdar Graterol - Ft. Myers Miracle - 5 G, 30.0 IP, 1.80 ERA, 1.10 ERA, 26 H, 7 BB, 25 KCarlos Suniaga - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 4 G, 2 GS, 18.0 IP, 1.00 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 15 H, 2 BB, 16 KKai-Wei Teng - GCL Twins - 4 G, 18.2 IP, 2.89 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 16 H, 5 BB, 19 KTHE TOP SIX STARTING PITCHERS #6 - RHP Tyler Wells - Chattanooga Lookouts - 6 G, 5 GS, 1.65 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 32.2 IP, 23 H, 14 BB, 39 K Tyler Wells has had a tremendous season. Interestingly, after pitching well in Ft. Myers and earning his promotion, a case could be made the he was even better upon joining the Lookouts. He really did a nice job of limiting runs and base runners. He also has enough stuff to miss bats and accumulate strikeouts. For the month, opponents hit just .205/.291/.286 (.572) against him. Wells was the Twins 15th-round pick in 2015 out of Cal State-San Bernadino. He worked hard, losing 25+ pounds last offseason and it’s paid off in his results. #5 - RHP Austin Schulfer - Elizabethton Twins - 5 G, 4 GS, 0.00 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 20.0 IP, 14 H, 8 BB, 18 K The E-Twins got some incredible starting pitching in August. Schulfer is the first of three that made this Top 6 list. Schulfer was the Twins 19th-round pick this June out of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Please tell me that I should have had him higher on this list. I mean, he did not give up an earned run (three unearned runs) the whole month, in 20 innings. Opponents hit just .206/.325/.250 (.575) off of him for the month.Overall, he went 3-0 with a 1.58 ERA over 40 innings in his pro debut. And he (and the other E-Twins listed below) will get their championship rings in March. #4 - RHP Luis Rijo - Elizabethton Twins - 5 GS, 1.27 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 21.1 IP, 15 H, 4 BB, 17 K Luis Rijo came to the Twins with Tyler Austin in a July 31st trade from the Yankees for Lance Lynn. Earlier in the year, he made one start for the High-A club in Tampa (2 runs in 6 IP). He also made one start for the Yankees affiliate in the New York-Penn League (6 IP, 2 R). The Twins didn’t have him go real long in games after joining his new team, but they got some really strong innings. Rijo doesn’t profile as a top of the line starter, but he’s produced so far. Also, he just turned 20 years old this week. For the month, opponents hit .195/.253/.286 off of him. #3 - RHP Jhoan Duran - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 5 GS, 2.48 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 29.0 IP, 19 H, 9 BB, 36 K The Twins acquired Duran from the Arizona Diamondback as part of the Eduardo Escobar trade in late July. He began the season in the Midwest League and was 5-4 with a 4.73 ERA in 15 starts for Kane County. As impressive as his August numbers were, I’d remind you that it does not include his July 30th Twins organization debut when he threw seven no-hit innings for the Kernels. Duran’s certainly got intriguing upside. For the month, opponents hit just .186/.257/.265 (.521) off of him. He struck out ten in the Kernels first playoff game as well. #2- RHP Andrew Cabezas - Elizabethton Twins - 5 G, 2.35 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 23.0 IP, 12 H, 6 BB, 21 K Cabezas was Cleveland’s 34th-round pick in 2015 out of high school in southeast Florida. Instead of signing, he stayed close to home and pitched for three seasons at the University of Miami. The Twins picked him this year in the 18th round. The E-Twins starting pitchers have been tremendous, particularly in August, and Cabezas has been a leader for the group. In August, opponents hit just .146/.222/.232 (.454) off of the right-hander. And the Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month is: Ft. Myers Miracle - RHP Andro Cutura - 5 G, 4 GS, 0.87 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 31.0 IP, 17 H, 7 BB, 25 K On May 12, 2016, Andro Cutura walked three and struck out three over two scoreless innings in a game against Wisconsin. He left the game, and on April 20, 2018, he returned to the mound for the Ft. Myers Miracle. Two long years after an elbow injury that led to Tommy John surgery and the rehab that followed. But the recently-turned-25-year-old has come back strong and was at his best in August. For the month, opponents hit just .160/.233/.245 (.478) off of him. He limited hits. He limited walks. He recorded some strikeouts. Despite returning to the mound only in late April, he has accumulated 101 innings this season. Overall, he is 4-6 with a 3.65 ERA, but more important, he’s back at 100% and starting to show what he can do. Cutura was the Twins seventh-round pick in 2014 out of Southeastern Louisiana University. Congratulations to our Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month of August, Ft. Myers Miracle right-hander Andro Cutura. Feel free to discuss and ask questions. Click here to view the article

Three of the Minnesota Twins six minor league affiliates have made it to the postseason, and two of those series got started on Tuesday night. Both starters went seven innings and with the help of two of the biggest power bats in the system this season, each pulled out a game one victory. The bullpens also were not taxed, as each team needed just one arm besides the starter to close them out. Keep reading to check out how the Fort Myers Miracle and Elizabethton Twins took 1-0 leads in postseason play!TRANSACTIONS There was only one transaction on Tuesday leading into the first two of the Minnesota Twins three affiliates getting playoff action started, with the Elizabethton Twins receiving RHP Carlos Suniaga back from the Cedar Rapids Kernels. MIRACLE MATTERS Palm Beach 1, Fort Myers 3 Box Score Fort Myers got a strong start from Andro Cutura and contributions from a couple of their stars to pull out a game one victory against Palm Beach. Cutura scattered four hits and two walks in the first seven innings of this one, striking out nine in the process. He got one-two-three innings in each of the first, third, fifth, and seventh frames. His only run allowed came in the fourth when he got into a bases-loaded situation with one out. The run scored on a groundball where only the front end of a double-play was completed with a force at second. He retired the next hitter to limit the damage. That would be it for the Cardinals as they finished 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position on the game while leaving only six men on base. The Miracle took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, as Alex Kirilloff blasted a solo home run to right field. Also in the clip above was Royce Lewis, who led off the third inning with a single, stole second base to get into scoring position, and would later score on a Ryan Costello single to make it 2-0. Jose Miranda followed Costello with a double and it was a 3-0 lead for the home team in game one. After closing it to 3-1 against Cutura in the fourth, the Cardinals wouldn’t get any more good opportunities until the ninth inning. Righthander Ryan Mason replaced Cutura for the eighth and set the hitters down in order. Back out for the ninth, an error from Travis Blankenhorn and single from the next hitter put the tying runners on base, but Mason locked it down from there. He coaxed a double-play ball out of the next hitter, and then picked up a strikeout to punctuate the game one victory in Fort Myers. The lineup for the Miracle managed just six hits but was enough where it counted, on the scoreboard. Kirilloff finished 2-for-4 and was the only batter with multiple hits. Costello was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. As a team they were 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base. KERNELS NUGGETS The Cedar Rapids Kernels and Beloit Snappers will start their Midwest League playoff series on Wednesday night in Beloit. Games two and three (if necessary) will be in Cedar Rapids. Right-hander Jhoan Duran takes the hill in game one, after finishing 7-5 with a 3.75 ERA in the Midwest League on the year. He went 2-1 with a 2.00 ERA in six starts for the Kernels after coming over in the Eduardo Escobar trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks. E-TWINS E-TALK Elizabethton 7, Princeton 4 Box Score A couple of big blasts from Elizabethton hitters were the difference in this one as they took game one of the Appalachian League Championship series. The Twins got the scoring started in the top of the first as Gilberto Celestino drew a two-out walk that was followed by a Chris Williams home run for an early 2-0 lead. Princeton stormed ahead 3-2 after two innings thanks to an RBI triple and home run off Elizabethton starter Austin Schulfer. For the next three innings however, Schulfer faced the minimum as his lineup took back the lead for him. In the top of the fourth it was the second of those home runs that put them back out front, this one off the bat of Jean Carlos Arias to also score Alex Robles who had singled a batter earlier. That made the score 4-3 Elizabethton. They stretched that lead to 5-3 in the top of the sixth when Williams led off the inning with a single, and Robles delivered at two-out double to bring him in. In the bottom half of the sixth the Rays got one more back against Schulfer as he hit the leadoff man with a pitch and then moved him to second on a wild-pitch. He later scored on a single to make it 5-4 in favor of the Twins. In the top of the seventh Elizabethton added on a couple of insurance runs thanks to an RBI single off the bat of Yunior Severino, then a wild pitch after an intentional walk to Williams that loaded the bases. Schulfer took his 7-4 lead in the seventh and delivered a one-two-three frame to end his night. Overall, he gave up four runs on eight hits in his seven innings to pick up the win. He struck out six. Jacob Blank came on for the eighth inning and walked the two first hitters he faced, but from there he retired the next six hitters, including five strikeouts, to close out the game and pick up the save. With thirteen hits as a team the Twins got multiple knocks from Severino (2-for-5, R, RBI, 2 K), Lean Marrero (2-for-5, 2B, K), Williams (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K), Robles (2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI), and Yeltsin Encarnacion (3-for-4, R). Game two will start at 6:00PM CST time Wednesday night in Elizabethton. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Andro Cutura, Fort Myers Miracle (W, 7 IP, ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 9 K) Twins Daily Hitter(s) of the Day – Chris Williams, Elizabethton Twins (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 - Royce Lewis (Fort Myers) – 1-for-4, R, SB #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Fort Myers) – 2-for-4, R, HR, RBI #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Fort Myers) – Did not pitch #5 - Stephen Gonsalves (Minnesota) – Did not pitch. #6 - Trevor Larnach (Cedar Rapids) – Scheduled Day Off #8 - Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) – Scheduled Day Off #10 - Zack Littell (Minnesota) – Did not pitch. #11 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Scheduled Day Off #13 - Travis Blankenhorn (Fort Myers) – 0-for-4, 2 K #15 - Ben Rortvedt (Fort Myers) – 0-for-3, 2 K #16 - Yunior Severino (Elizabethton) – 2-for-5, R, RBI, 2 K #17 - Lewin Diaz (Fort Myers) – Out for the season. #18 - Ryan Jeffers (Cedar Rapids) – Scheduled Day Off #19 - Jacob Pearson (Cedar Rapids) – Scheduled Day Off WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (5:30PM CST) – RHP Clark Beeker (5-7, 4.59 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (7:00PM CST) – RHP Jhoan Duran (7-5, 3.75 ERA) Princeton @ Elizabethton (6:00PM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! Click here to view the article

On Tuesday there was a long overdue doubleheader played in Rochester where the home team took both games, a postseason all-star was named, and another team got a walk-off win in extra innings to bring them within a half-game of playoff spot. To find out what happened in those games and how all your favorite Minnesota Twins prospects fared on Tuesday, keep reading and be sure to add to the discussion in the comments!TRANSACTIONS There were a few roster moves and an All-Star announcement in the system on Tuesday: In Chattanooga, infielder Sean Miller was released. No corresponding move was made at this time. Miller was a 10th-round pick for the Twins in the 2015 draft out of South Carolina.It was busy in Fort Myers, as the Twins signed pitcher Alex Phillips out of the independent Frontier League and assigned him to the Miracle where he would play a part in their game. They also placed Taylor Grzelakowski on the 7-day disabled list while activating Shane Carrier.Kennys Vargas was named an International League Postseason All-Star, and slots as the designated hitter on the roster. Vargas has been fantastic of late, with 20 hits including five home runs and 18 RBI since August 14th (14 games). RED WINGS REPORT Game 1: Buffalo 4, Rochester 5 (seven innings) Box Score In their regularly scheduled game, the Red Wings used one big inning and a timely hit from Byron Buxton late to secure a victory. Zack Littell made the start for Rochester, and completed six of the game’s seven innings. He allowed a single run in each of the first and third innings, then two in the fourth to tie the game. He gave his offense a chance by holding the Bisons scoreless in his final two innings, including striking out the last two hitters he faced with a runner in scoring position. He ended up with a win to even his record at 6-6 on the season when the home team struck in the bottom half of his final frame. The game was tied as the Red Wings lineup strung together five hits and a sacrifice fly in the third inning that was good for four runs of their own. Alex Perez, Byron Buxton, and Nick Gordon loaded the bases with singles to start it, Gregorio Petit drove in two of them with a double, then an RBI single from LaMonte Wade and sac fly from Zander Wiel finished it. In the bottom of the sixth Juan Graterol doubled to put himself in scoring position, then with two outs Buxton traded places with him for the deciding run. Lefty Andrew Vasquez got his first save opportunity since being promoted to Triple A in the top of the seventh, and while it got interesting, escaped a no-out situation with runners on second and third to record his first save with Rochester. He struck out the final two hitters to do so after fantastic barehanded fielder’s choice play from Petit at third base to cut a runner down at home: The top of the Red Wings lineup (Buxton, Gordon, Petit) combined to go 6-for-11 with three runs scored, four doubles, and three RBI on the game. Wade and Graterol also picked up multiple hits. Game 2: Buffalo 4, Rochester 6 (seven innings, makeup of 4/8 postponement) Box Score In game two, a makeup of a postponement due to snow all the way back in early April, Rochester pitched a bullpen game. D.J. Baxendale started and finished the first 2 1/3 innings. He allowed one run in the second and ran into some more trouble in the third, finishing with two runs allowed on five hits and a walk. He struck out one. Nick Anderson got his team through the fifth inning, allowing one run on two hits and a walk in 2 2/3, striking out four. He notched his seventh win of the season. John Curtiss closed out the final two innings for his tenth save. He gave up a run on a solo-homer that made it the final of 6-4, but also struck out two. The Red Wings runs came courtesy of RBI doubles from Jeremy Hazelbaker and Alex Perez in the second inning, a two-run double from Kennys Vargas and RBI single from Hazelbaker in the third, and finally an RBI single from Nick Gordon in the fifth. They racked up eleven hits as a team with Gordon leading the way with a 3-for-4 showing, along with multiple hits from Gregorio Petit (2-for-4, R, 2B) and Hazelbaker (2-for-3, R, 2B, 2 RBI). CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Jacksonville 9, Chattanooga 2 Box Score Tyler Jay got the opener role in this one and delivered a scoreless first inning. He gave up one hit and struck out one leading into ‘starter’ Sean Poppen’s game. The Jumbo Shrimp jumped all over Poppen and the Lookouts were not able to recover. Although he finished four innings, Poppen’s line included seven runs (six earned) on ten hits and one walk in his time. He struck out three and allowed two home runs. Anthony Marzi came on for the sixth and would finish 1 2/3, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks along with picking up two K’s. Sam Clay finished the seventh and added a scoreless eighth, striking out four of the five hitters he faced. Williams Ramirez finished off the game for the home team with a one-two-three ninth, striking out one. On offense Chattanooga tallied seven hits and two walks, but they didn’t lead to many scoring opportunities as they were just 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and grounded into four double plays. Jordan Gore collected multiple hits with a 2-for-3 night. Brent Rooker finished 1-for-4 while an Andy Wilkins home run and Jimmy Kerrigan sac fly led to their only runs. It was the Lookouts final home game of the season and they close it out with a five-game set across the state of Tennessee in Jackson starting on Thursday. MIRACLE MATTERS Bradenton 1, Fort Myers 2 (10 innings) Box Score The Miracle’s tilt with the Marauders on Tuesday was a good old-fashioned pitcher’s duel, with the score being just 1-0 Fort Myers heading into the top of the ninth inning. Starting for the home team was Andro Cutura, and he delivered six scoreless innings in his start, scattering five hits and one walk while striking out five. In the sixth, he worked around a hit-by-pitch and a double to start the inning by getting a shallow fly out and two K’s to end his night. The Miracle took the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third after Travis Blankenhorn led of the frame with his 21st double and would later score on a sac fly from Ernie De La Trinidad. Hits were scarce for them, as they had just five as a team through nine. Ryan Mason came on from the bullpen for the seventh and eighth frames, keeping his team in front by allowing just one hit and a walk while striking out three. Adam Bray and his 1.27 ERA with Fort Myers came out for the top of the ninth and Bradenton was able to tie the game with three singles and saddle him with his first blown save of the year. The newly signed Alex Phillips was summoned for the tenth and got all three hitters he faced, including a K, to keep the Marauders off the board. In the bottom of the inning, after an intentional walk to Caleb Hamilton and a passed ball to advance the runners to second and third, Blankenhorn brought in the walk-off run with a single to center field. The win brings the Miracle to within a half-game of the Charlotte Stone Crabs in the Florida State League South division with five games to play. KERNELS NUGGETS Scheduled Day Off The Kernels wrapped up a Midwest League title in the second half on Monday and will finish off their regular season with a five-game series at home against the Burlington Bees starting Wednesday. They will kick off the MWL playoffs a week from Wednesday, against whomever comes out on top of a current half-game difference in the Western Division standings between Kane County, Beloit, and Wisconsin (Quad Cities and Peoria already qualified in the first half, so are ineligible). E-TWINS E-TALK Pulaski 5, Elizabethton 8 Box Score The E-Twins got all the run support they would need in the third inning when they batted around and plated six runs, but they also had pushed a run across in each of the first two innings to account for their eight runs on the scoreboard. Yunior Severino got them started with his eighth home run in the first, and they made it 2-0 on a bases-loaded passed ball in the second before the big outburst in the third. Gilberto Celestino (2-for-4, R, 2B, K), Jared Akins (2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, RBI, BB, K, SB), and Lean Marrero (2-for-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI, K) collected multiple hits in the contest to lead the way. Andrew Cabezas got the start and served as an opener, pitching just the first inning. He went one-two-three including strikeouts of the game’s first two hitters. Prelander Berroa went the next 2 1/3, allowing three runs on two hits and three walks while striking out two. Juan Gomez got the win with the next 2 2/3, where he allowed an unearned run on four hits and two walks. He struck out three. J.T. Perez was the next man up and allowed a run on three hits, along with picking up four K’s in two innings. Jacob Blank closed it out for his first professional save with a one-two-three ninth, striking out two. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Andro Cutura, Fort Myers Miracle (6 IP, 0 R, 5 H, BB, 5 K) Twins Daily Hitter(s) of the Day – Travis Blankenhorn, Fort Myers Miracle (2-for-4, R, 2B, Game Winning RBI) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 - Royce Lewis (Fort Myers) – 0-for-4, 2 K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Fort Myers) – 0-for-4, K #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Fort Myers) – Did not pitch #4 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – (2 games) 4-for-8, 2 R, RBI, K #5 - Stephen Gonsalves (Minnesota) – Did not pitch. #6 - Trevor Larnach (Cedar Rapids) – Scheduled Day Off #7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) – 1-for-4 #8 - Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) – Scheduled Day Off #9 -Wander Javier – Out for the season. #10 - Zack Littell (Rochester) –.W, 6 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, BB, 5 K #11 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Scheduled Day Off #12 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) – (2 games) 2-for-6, RBI, K #13 - Travis Blankenhorn (Fort Myers) – 2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI #14 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – Did not pitch #15 - Ben Rortvedt (Fort Myers) – Did not play #16 - Yunior Severino (Elizabethton) – 1-for-5, HR (8), 2 K #17 - Lewin Diaz (Fort Myers) – Out for the season. #18 - Ryan Jeffers (Cedar Rapids) – Scheduled Day Off #19 - Jacob Pearson (Cedar Rapids) – Scheduled Day Off #20 - Luis Arraez (Chattanooga) – Did not play WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Buffalo @ Rochester (6:05PM CST) – RHP Chase De Jong (1-3, 3.81 ERA) Bradenton @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) – RHP Clark Beeker (4-7, 4.73 ERA) Burlington @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) – RHP Blayne Enlow (3-5, 3.24 ERA) Pulaski @ Elizabethton (6:00PM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! Click here to view the article

One of the new Miracle players hit a huge home run in the ninth inning to help the team to a come-from-behind win. Another newcomer fell a double away from a cycle. A 2018 draft pick was a home run from a cycle. And another prospect whose name has graced these minor league reports nearly every day this season had yet another multi-hit game. And a former top pick and top prospect found out that he is heading to the big leagues.Keep reading to find out more on the night in the Twins minor league system on Friday. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS The Twins announced their trade of Fernando Rodney late on Thursday night. On Friday morning, they announced that Adalberto Mejia was headed to the disabled list (wrist). Those two roster spots were filled by RHP Tyler Duffey and 1B/DH Tyler Austin.Reports surfaced on Friday late afternoon that RHP Kohl Stewart had been scratched from his Friday night start in Rochester. He was called up to the Twins and will start on Sunday.RHP DJ Baxendale and OF LaMonte Wade were activated from the Rochester DL.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 2, Charlotte 8 Box Score DJ Baxendale returned from the DL and made the start. He worked a perfect first inning, but all three batters he faced in the second inning got on base. Luke Bard came in and gave up five runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings. He struck out three. Nick Anderson came on and threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out three. John Curtiss struck out two over three, one-hit innings. Alan Busenitz pitched a scoreless ninth inning. The Red Wings had six hits in the game.Only LaMonte Wade, also just off the DL, had two hits. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 8, Jackson 2 Box Score Luke Raley had a breakout game for the Lookouts. He hit his second Chattanooga home run and his first triple. He had three hits. Brent Rooker had three walks to go with a single and three runs scored. Zander Wiel had two hits and a walk while Jaylin Davis had two hits as well. Jordan Gore added this second triple. Dietrich Enns started and went the first 4 2/3 innings. He gave up two runs on six hits and a walk. He struck out seven. Omar Bencomo came on and struck out three over 4 1/3 scoreless innings. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 6, Florida 4 Box Score Down 4-3 going into the top of the ninth inning, Ryan Costello hit a game-tying, leadoff home run. Aaron Whitefield (pinch running for Ben Rortvedt) later scored on a wild pitch. Ernie De La Trinidad provided some insurance with an RBI single to score Royce Lewis. Alex Kirilloff led the offense. He went 3-for-3 with his 17th double. He also threw out a runner trying to advance to second base. Costello went 3-for-4. The homer was his second with the Miracle. De La Trinidad went 2-for-5. Lewis was 1-for-3 with a walk. He was also hit by a pitch. Andro Cutura started and worked the first seven innings. He gave up two runs on six hits and a walk. He walked one and struck out six. Jovani Moran struggled a bit, but he got the win. He went two innings and gave up one run on two hits and three walks. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, Clinton 1 Box Score It was a low-scoring game in Clinton. Blayne Enlow started and gave up a second-inning run. Enlow gave up only the one run on three hits over five innings. He walked one, hit two, and struck out four. Jared Finkel came on and gave up two hits over three shutout innings. He struck out one. The Kernels managed just five hits and were unable to cross the plate. Trevor Larnach went 2-for-4 with his second double. Trey Cabbage added his 17th double. E-TWINS E-TALK Elizabethton , Bluefield Box Score The game was postponed by rain. The teams will play two games on Saturday. GCL TWINS TALK GCL Twins 5, GCL Red Sox 6 Box Score Casey Crosby made another rehab start for the Twins. The lefty gave up two runs (one earned) on one hit and two walks in 1 2/3 innings. He struck out two. Niklas Rimmel came on. He gave up four runs (three earned) on seven hits over 2 1/3 innings. Dylan Stowell and Denny Bentley each threw two scoreless innings. Bentley struck out three. Charlie Mack led the offense. He had a single, his third double and his first triple in this game. Estamy Urena went 2-for-4. Erick Rivera walked twice. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Ryan Costello, Ft. Myers Miracle (3-4, HR(2)). Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Andro Cutura, Ft. Myers Miracle (7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K) 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 (Ft. Myers) - 1-3, BB, 2 R, K, HBP #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Ft. Myers) - 3-3, 2B(17), R, RBI #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch #4 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 1-4, RBI, K #5 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Did not pitch #6 - Trevor Larnach (Elizabethton) - 2-4, 2B (2) #7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) - 1-2, 3 BB, 3 R #8 - Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, K #9 -Wander Javier - out of for the season #10 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did not play #11 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 2 HBP #12 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - 2-4, K #13 - Travis Blankenhorn (Ft. Myers) - 0-2, HBP, SH #14 - Lewis Thorpe (Chattanooga) - Did not pitch. #15 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - 1-3, BB #16 - Yunior Severino (Elizabethton) - Rained Out. #17 - Lewin Diaz (Ft. Myers) - Out for the season (wrist). #18 - Ryan Jeffers (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, K #19 - Jacob Pearson (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, K, SH #20 - Luis Arraez (Chattanooga) - 1-4, R #21 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - 0-5 *Since Wander Javier is out, I’d add #21 to the list. SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Charlotte @ Rochester (6:05 CST) - RHP Fernando Romero (4-3, 2.71 ERA) Jackson @ Chattanooga - RHP Sean Poppen (5-5, 3.63 ERA) Ft. Myers @ Florida (5:31 CST) - RHP Michael Pineda (rehab) Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities - RHP Jordan Balazovic (5-3, 4.18 ERA) Bluefield @ Elizabethton (DH @ 4:00 CST) - RHP Carlos Suniago, RHP Austin Schulfer GCL Red Sox @ GCL Twins (9:00 am CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions about Friday’s games, or ask any questions you may have. Click here to view the article

The top six affiliates in the Twins’ minor league system combined to score a grand total of just nine runs Saturday night. On the bright side, there was still a multi-home run game from Jaylin Davis, a walk-off homer from Mark Contreras and a dominant pitching performance from Andro Cutura.TRANSACTIONS Aaron Slegers began his rehab assignment with Rochester. The Red Wings also added recent waiver claim Johnny Field to the roster and placed LaMonte Wade on the DL with a right hamstring strain. RED WINGS REPORT Pawtucket 8, Rochester 1 Box Score SP: Aaron Slegers (1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K) HR: None Multi-hit games: Willians Astudillo (2-for-4) Not a real encouraging first time back out for Slegers, who last pitched on July 10. Kohl Stewart was the innings eater for Rochester, as he went 5 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. Stewart gave up four runs on eight hits and a pair of walks while striking out two. Johnny Field was 1-for-4 with a stolen base in his debut in the Twins’ system. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Mississippi 6, Chattanooga 2 Box Score SP: Anthony Marzi (1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K) HR: Jaylin Davis 2 (4) Multi-hit games: Jaylin Davis (3-for-4, 2 HR, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R) Anthony Marzi started this game and was piggy-backed by Omar Bencomo, who struck out seven batters over 5 1/3 innings. Devin Smeltzer, part of the Brian Dozier trade, made his first appearance in the Twins system. He faced five batters and the Braves recorded a run-scoring single, added another run on an error and a two-run double while Smeltzer was on the mound. All the offense for Chattanooga came from Jaylin Davis. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 1, Florida 0 Box Score W: Adam Bray (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K) SP: Andro Cutura (7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K) HR: Mark Contreras (7) Multi-hit games: Aaron Whitefield (2-for-2, BB, 2 SB) This game was tied 0-0 heading into the bottom of the ninth, but Mark Contreras finished it with a two-out walk-off homer. Let’s call this a Florida State League special. The two teams combined for one run on five hits. KERNELS NUGGETS Beloit 5, Cedar Rapids 3 Box Score SP: Jordan Balazovic (6.0 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 7 K) HR: None Multi-hit games: Akil Baddoo (2-for-4, 3B, 2 R), Ryan Jeffers (2-for-3, 2B, BB, RBI, R) Five of Cedar Rapids’ eight hits went for extra bases, but the Kernels could only tally three runs. Jordan Balazovic gave up two home runs, the first time anybody has taken him deep in seven starts. Jared Finkel threw three scoreless innings out of the bullpen and racked up four strikeouts. E-TWINS E-NOTES Pulaski 1, Elizabethton 0 Box Score SP: Austin Schulfer (4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K) HR: None Multi-hit games: Trevor Casanova (3-for-4), Trevor Larnach (2-for3, BB) Huh, well I guess you can have an FSL special in the Appy League too. Much like the Miracle game tonight, this one was tied 0-0 going into the bottom of the ninth. Unfortunately, the Yankees walked off E-Town. After Austin Schulfer started things with four shutout innings, Carlos Suniaga followed suit with four scoreless frames of his own. Luis Gil, who the Twins traded for Jake Cave, struck out seven batters over five two-hit innings. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Red Sox 4, GCL Twins 2 Box Score SP: Landon Leach (4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K) HR: None Multi-hit games: None Estamy Urena delivered a two-run double, but that was all the offense the Twins could muster. Only one of the four runs the pitching staff gave up was earned, as the Twins’ defense committed five errors. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Andro Cutura, Fort Myers Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day: Jaylin Davis, Chattanooga TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed 1. Royce Lewis (FM): 0-for-4, K 2. Alex Kirilloff (FM): Did not play. 3. Brusdar Graterol (FM): Did not pitch. 4. Nick Gordon (ROC): 1-for-4, K 5. Stephen Gonsalves (ROC): Did not pitch. 6. Trevor Larnach (ET): 2-for-3, BB 7. Brent Rooker (CHAT): 1-for-4, 2B 8. Akil Baddoo (CR): 2-for-4. 3B, 2 R 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): Did not play. 13. Travis Blankenhorn (FM): 1-for-4 14. Lewis Thorpe (CHAT): Did not pitch. 15. Ben Rortvedt (FM): 0-for-4, K 16. Yunior Severino (ET): 0-for-4, K 17. Lewin Diaz (FM): Out with injury. 18. Ryan Jeffers (CR): 2-for-3, 2B, BB, RBI, R 19. Jacob Pearson (CR): Did not play. 20. Luis Arraez (CHAT): 1-for-4, 2B SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester at Pawtuckett, 12:35 pm CT: Fernando Romero Chattanooga vs. Mississippi, 1:15 pm CT: Sean Poppen Fort Myers vs. Florida, 3:00 pm CT: Bryan Sammons Cedar Rapids vs. Beliot, 2:05 pm CT: Jhoan Duran Elizabethton at Pulaski, 6:00 pm CT: TBD GCL Twins: Off Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the games. Click here to view the article

It was a full night in the Twins minor league system on Friday. Rochester welcomed home one of their all-time favorite players, but it was another #OldFriend who hurt them on this night. The Lookouts had another late-inning, comeback game. Find out who the heroes were in this one. The top four hitters for the Miracle certainly helped them to a nice win, though a quality start deserves notice too. And, it was another Brusdar Graterol night in Cedar Rapids where they wore Nickelodeon's Paw Patrol jerseys which were auctioned during the game. And as a bonus, the Minnesota Twins beat the White Sox!Keep reading to find out more on the night in the Twins minor league system on Friday. And as always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. APRIL AWARDS In case you missed any of the Twins Daily Minor League Awards for April, here they are: Relief Pitcher - Nick Anderson, Rochester Red WingsStarting Pitcher - Aaron Slegers, Rochester Red WingsHitter - Zander Wiel, Chattanooga LookoutsTRANSACTIONSRHP Zack Littell was promoted from Chattanooga to Rochester and will start on Saturday.LHP Anthony Marzi was promoted from Ft. Myers to Chattanooga.RHP Nick Brown came off of the disabled list for Cedar Rapids.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 3, Lehigh Valley 11 Box Score While the folks in Rochester were excited for the return of Trevor Plouffe to Frontier Field, it was another former Red Wings player who really hurt the Twins in this game. The Twins fell behind 6-0 after two innings in large part due to the power of outfielder Danny Ortiz. The Twins fourth-round pick in 2008, who made his major-league debut in 2017 with the Pirates, joined the Phillies organization this offseason. He hit two-run homers in his first two at-bats of this game and now has eight already on the season for the IronPigs. Ortiz had spent the second half of 2014 and all of 2105 with the Red Wings and hit 25 homers for the team. DJ Baxendale made the start for the Red Wings. He was charged with six runs on six hits and a walk in just 1 2/3 innings. Tyler Duffey came on and gave up four runs (3 earned) on three hits and three walks in 2 1/3 innings. Luke Bard came on for his Red Wings return. He faced six batters and got them all out, two on strikeouts. Mason Melotakis gave up three runs on two hits and two walks over the next two innings. He struck out three. Casey Crosby struck out two in a perfect ninth frame. The Red Wings had seven hits and six walks but were able to score just three runs. Jake Cave went 2-for-4 with a walk. Wynston Sawyer was 1-for-3 with a walk and a double. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Mobile 2 Box Score The Lookouts offense did pretty much nothing through the first eight innings in their game tonight, but a four-run rally in the ninth frame gave them another big win. And, Tanner English got to play hero again. Zack Littell was scheduled to pitch for the Lookouts, but he was promoted to Rochester. So Omar Bencomo stepped in. The right-handed veteran threw five innings. He gave up two runs on six hits. He struck out two. Anthony McIver struck out two over the next two innings of scoreless relief. He gave up two hits and a walk. Sam Clay gave up a hit and walked two, but he struck out four over two scoreless innings. Brian Olson recorded his first hit of the season, and his second, and his third. While one was a double, his third hit got things going in the ninth inning. His single scored Chris Paul to put the Lookouts on the board. It was followed by a two-run triple by Tanner English who then scored on a LaMonte Wade single. Rickey Ramirez came on and gave up two runs on three hits over the next two innings. Moises Gomez worked the final two innings. He gave up two runs on three hits and two walks. He struck out two. The Kernels didn’t get much offense. In fact, they had just three hits in the game. Their run came in the first inning when Akil Baddoo scored from first base on an Alex Kirilloff opposite-field double off the wall. It was Kirilloff’s eighth double and gives him an organization-leading 23 RBI. Royce Lewis went 1-for-3 (to drop his average to .353) with a walk. He stole his seventh and eighth bases. The Twins photographer (Brace Hemmelgarn) was in Cedar Rapids and posted this photo blog. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Brian Olson, Chattanooga Lookouts (3-4, 2B, RBI) Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Brusdar Graterol, Cedar Rapids Kernels (5 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, BB, 2 SB(8) #3 - Nick Gordon (Chattanooga) - 0-4, BB, K #5 - Alex Kirilloff (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, 2B(8), 2 RBI, 2 K #9 - Brusdar Graterol (Cedar Rapids) - 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K (73 pitches, 46 strikes) #10 - Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, BB, K, R #13 - Lewin Diaz (Ft. Myers) - 2-4, HR(3), 2 RBI, R #14 - LaMonte Wade (Chattanooga) - 1-5, RBI, K, SB(3) #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, K #17 - Travis Blankenhorn (Ft. Myers) - 0-4, K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Lehigh Valley @ Rochester (12:05 CST) - RHP Zack Littell (AAA debut) Chattanooga @ Mobile (7:05 CST) - RHP Randy LeBlanc (3-1, 2.22 ERA) Jupiter @ Ft. Myers (5:00 CST) - RHP Brady Anderson (0-2, 6.75 ERA) West Michigan @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - RHP Blayne Enlow (0-1, 5.00 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions about Friday’s full schedule of games, or ask any questions you may have. Click here to view the article

It was the first Friday night in the Minor League schedule. At the end of the day, despite a couple of questionable weather situations, all four Twins full-season affiliates have completed two games. All four starting pitchers went at least five innings, and three of the starters had more than a strikeout per inning. Not a ton of offense in any of the games, but enough to get a couple of wins.Any feedback would be welcomed on these reports, positive or negative. What do you enjoy, and what would you like to see more of (or any of). RED WINGS REPORT Game 1 - Rochester 3, Scranton/Wilkes Barre 0 (Completion of Suspended Game) Box Score The teams got through four innings on Thursday’s opening night, but that was it. On Friday afternoon, Brandon Kintzler replaced Tyler Duffey who had thrown four shutout innings. Kintzler threw two scoreless innings, striking out four and giving up just one hit. Taylor Rogers went the next two innings. He gave up a walk and a hit, but no runs and struck out one. JR Graham pitched a scoreless ninth, striking out one, for his first save. Jorge Polanco led the way going 3-4 with two triples. He scored twice thanks to Max Kepler. First, Kepler grounded out to score Polanco with the team’s first run of the season. Later, Kepler knocked a sacrifice fly to score Polanco with the second run. Kepler was 1-3 with two RBI. His hit was a single to left. Adam Brett Walker provided the power for the third run with his first AAA home run. He was 1-3 with a walk and two strikeouts. Kennys Vargas went 2-3. Game 2 - Rochester 2, Scranton/Wilkes Barre 7 (Regularly-Scheduled Game) Box Score Pat Dean was terrific through five innings. He started the sixth inning and gave up a single and a double before being replaced by Loek Van Mil. Van Mil allowed both runners to score, then gave up four more hits and they all scored (3 earned). He also walked one. Dan Runzler came on and threw a wild pitch to score one more before getting the final out of the bottom of the 6th inning. The six-run inning was too much to overcome. Through five innings, Dean had given up just an unearned run on two hits and a walk. He struck out six. However, because of the 6th inning, his final line is three runs (2 earned) on four hits and a walk in five innings. Five errors by the Red Wings certainly didn’t help the cause in this game. Jorge Polanco, playing second base again, had two of the errors. Juan Centeno gave the Red Wings a 2-0 lead in the second inning with a single. He was 1-2 with a walk and a stolen base. Buck Britton went 2-3 with a double. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 2, Biloxi 6 Box Score Biloxi knocked three home runs in this game to even the series at one game a piece. Two of the homers came later to give them some breathing room. However, the first homer came in the first. DJ Baxendale was on the mound. He got the first batter out but then gave up back-to-back doubles before prospect Jacob Nottingham hit a home run to give them a 3-0 lead. After that, Baxendale was terrific. Following the home run, he faced 17 more batters. He gave up just three singles and two of them were erased with double plays by the next batter. So Baxendale ended with a quality start. He completed six innings and was charged with three runs on six hits. He walked none and struck out five. He was replaced by lefty Mason Melotakis who threw his first game in about 20 months after Tommy John surgery. He gave up a solo home run in the 7th to make it 4-2. Jake Reed got the eighth inning. He got the first two batters out quickly, one on a strikeout. He then gave up a single and a long home run to make the score 6-2. He ended the inning with a second strikeout. The Miracle offense wasn’t able to do much. In fact, through five innings against former Twins draft pick Javi Salas (38th round, 2013, went back to Miami for senior season) the only base runner was Stuart Turner who was hit by a pitch. In the 6th, Turner got the team’s first hit, a double (his second in as many games). He moved to third on a bunt and scored on a Zach Granite ground out. An inning later, Mitch Garver cut the deficit to 3-2 with his first home run of the season. Turner and Garver have each started one game at DH and one game behind the plate. Turner is hitting .500 (2-4 with a walk and a HBP) so far with two doubles. Garver is 2-7 with the home run. Daniel Palka was again not in the starting lineup. He did pinch hit for Turner in the 7th inning and popped out. The Lookouts 3-5 hitters went 0-12 in this game with eight strikeouts. It was a theme as the Lookouts struck out 13 times in the game without drawing a walk. That doesn’t work often when recording just four hits. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 3, Bradenton 2 Box Score The story of this game was definitely the performance of Kohl Stewart. The former #1 pick made his first start of the year. He gave up two runs on four hits and a walk in six innings. He struck out seven. He gave up a two-run homer in the fifth inning. According to Miracle play-by-play man Brice Zimmerman, Stewart’s fastball was sitting 94-96 mph and hit 97 at times. Stewart was replaced in the 7th inning by lefty Luke Westphal who struck out two (and walked one) in the inning. Because the Miracle took the lead after his inning, he gets credit for the win. Yorman Landa came on for the 8th frame. He gave up no runs on one hit. He struck out one to help get out of the inning despite his own error. Down 2-0 going into the sixth, the Miracle got on the board in the 6th. Ryan Walker led off with a walk. With one out, Nick Gordon singled. An error on the center fielder allowed Walker to score. In the 7th inning, Trey Vavra was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. He went to third on a single by Logan Wade. A single by Alex Real scored Vavra. Chad Christensen bunted the runners to second and third. Following a pitching change, Ryan Walker came through with an RBI single to put the Miracle up 4-3. Trevor Hildenberger, our choice for Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year in 2015, came on to protect a one-run lead. The first batter hit a slow roller to third but the runner was safe at first. Hildenberger struck out the next two batters before another slow hopper to the right side resulted in another infield hit. With two on and two outs, Hildenberger got the final out on a fly ball to Tanner English in center. Ryan Walker went 2-2 with a walk and that game-winning RBI. Alex Real went 2-3. Nick Gordon went 1-4, and Trey Vavra was 1-3 with a hit by pitch. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Quad Cities 2 Box Score It was cold in Cedar Rapids on Friday night. Late in the game, the temp dropped to 32 degrees. Earlier in the game, there were snow flurries flying. They got the game in and the Kernels found a way to get their second win in as many chances. Andro Cutura got things going right. He struck out three in the first inning. Through four shutout innings, he had seven strikeouts. He gave up two runs in the fifth, but ended the inning with his eighth strikeout and five complete innings. CK Irby struck out two over two scoreless innings. Brainerd native (and Mayville State grad) Nick Anderson struck out two over two scoreless innings to end it. In the 2nd inning, Max Murphy led off with a single and advanced to third on a Zander Wiel double. JJ Fernandez hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Murphy. It was deep enough to allow Wiel to advance to third base. He then scored on a wild pitch. An inning later, Rafael Valera led off with a triple. A couple of batters later, Max Murphy tripled him in. Murphy then scored on a Wiel sacrifice fly. The Kernels scored two more late in the game thanks to four wild pitches to make it 6-2. Murphy went 2-4 with the triple. Wiel was 1-2 with a walk, a double and the sacrifice fly. LaMonte Wade was 1-3 with a walk. Chris Paul walked twice. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Kohl Stewart, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Ryan Walker, Ft. Myers Miracle SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS The Rochester Red Wings announced on Friday that Saturday’s home opener has been postponed and will be played at a later date. The Red Wings new home opener will be played on Sunday with Jose Berrios on the mound. Chattanooga @ Biloxi (7:10 CST) – LHP David Hurlbut Bradenton @ Ft. Myers (5:30 CST) – LHP Tyler Jay Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (1:15 CST) – RHP Sam Gibbons Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Friday games. Click here to view the article

Andro Cutura was the Twins seventh-round pick in 2014 out of Southeastern Louisiana. An injury meant that he spent that season rehabbing. This season, he pitched in Elizabethton and was terrific. In 11 starts, he went 3-2 with a 1.34 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP. He walked just 15 and struck out 49. Following the Elizabethton season, he joined the Ft. Myers Miracle, though he didn’t get into a game. Cutura was kind enough to answer our questions recently. So continue reading to learn a little more about the 22-year-old right-hander. Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Louisiana, who was your favorite team to follow, and who were some of your favorite players? Andro Cutura (AC): Growing up in Louisiana you were either an Astros fan or a Braves so I kind of kept up with both but leaned more towards the Astros. Greg Maddux was and will always be one of my favorite pitchers mainly because of the similarities we possess. I try to mirror my game to his. SS: What were some of your favorite high school memories, from baseball or other activities you were involved in? AC: I would say my most memorable moment would be winning the district championship in soccer my senior year and all the fans rushing the field for the dog pile. Another great memory was helping Pearl River High School baseball to win their first playoff game my junior year. SS: You then chose Southeastern Louisiana for your college ball. What were some of your favorite memories from your three years there? AC: This is a tough one because there were so many great memories from my three years there. It all started with my freshman year getting my first collegiate win against Mississippi State, all the way to dog piling as conference tournament champions my junior year. It was all topped off with getting to a regional for the first time in 20 years and finally getting a start against LSU. We fell short but it was an awesome experience with my teammates. SS: Drafted by the Twins in the seventh round in 2014. Is that about where you thought you might be selected coming into the draft? What were your thoughts when you heard your name called by the Twins? AC: I mean yes, I was definitely planning on going earlier, but I knew I would drop mainly because of an injury at the end of my junior season that played a pretty big factor in the selection process. However, I was so thankful that I had people who still believed in me and my work ethic and gave me the opportunity to move on to the next level. I was so excited when I heard my name called. Everything happened so fast! My whole body was shaking, but when I heard my name it was great to give my parents and coaches a big hug and thank them for everything. SS: You spent the rest of 2014 rehabbing an injury. How frustrating was it for you to have signed and then have to wait to get to actually play? AC: It was very frustrating, especially with the longevity of the rehab process. It took a lot longer to heal than we expected so that was definitely a low moment in my career where I thought it would never get better. The main thing I had to focus on was staying positive and trusting in faith because I knew God had a plan for me. I am so thankful that I had a great training staff that stayed on me and kept me positive through the lengthy process. SS: What was the biggest adjustment you had to make, going from college or amateur ball to the pro game? On or off the field? AC: I think the biggest thing for me was to understand that yes, this is every kid’s dream and we are out here to have fun, but now this is my job. The coaches aren’t going to be on your tail at all times to do the right thing, it is up to you to get your work done and perform or else you will be looking for another job. SS: How would you describe yourself as a pitcher? What do you throw, and what are you doing when you are at your best (your strengths)? AC: I would say I have more of the bulldog mentality with sort of a controlled fire within me. I will be on the rubber telling the batter to step in the box because I’m ready to get you out; you’re not going to beat me. That is my mentality with every hitter. I throw more of a power sinker for the most part, I will mix in a few four seams, and I also have a slider and a change-up. I think I am at my best when I am down in the zone and have a good feel for all three pitches mixing them in any count. SS: What are the things that you feel you need to improve over the offseason and going forward? AC: The main thing for me is building more overall strength and stamina. Rehabbing for 7-8 months and not being able to do any lifting or running for the most part was very tough for me. I lost weight due to lack of muscle mass in my legs and upper body. I want to get stronger and increase my stamina to be able to go deeper into games. As far as the pitching side I really want to work on my fastball location and consistency of my off-speed pitches. SS: What was the Elizabethton experience like for you, on and off the field? AC: E-Town was great! I had a great landlord who was extremely helpful along with awesome roommates. I stayed in a house about two blocks from the field and right next to a river so I couldn’t complain. We had a very close-knit group players and coaches and the town as a whole was very supportive of their team. SS: What are your plans for the offseason? (Baseball training, but also what do you enjoy doing away from the game of baseball?) AC: I’ve spent a lot of time visiting the family and watching the siblings play their sports. I also plan of doing a lot of fishing and duck hunting while I’m home. SS: Who are some of the coaches and others who have helped you get to this point in your career? AC: There is such a long list of names that have led me to where I am now. I will start off saying my parents getting me through the tee-ball stages as my coaches and throwing with me in the front yard growing up. Here’s a little list of the shoutouts : Coach Wayne Chambers, Ron Hollier, Jack Pineiro, Gary Funel, Al Barrileaux, Rick Cavers, Randy Buck, Albert Garza, Vinny Dicarlo, Steve Bullock, Gee, John Crawford, Derek Bicham, Jacques Jobert, Jay Artigues, Matt Riser, Daniel Latham, Zack Zulli, Louis Ramirez, JP Martinez, Virgil Vasquez and any others that I may be leaving out. I thank my parents and many of my coaches for getting me to tournaments and practices and being so helpful. Thank you to Andro Cutura for taking time to thoughtfully respond to our questions! Please feel free to comment and ask questions below. Click here to view the article

This week, we have handed out the Twins Daily Minor League Awards, and today we get to the final award. Yesterday, Jeremy wrote about the top performing short-season hitters. Today, we will look at the Twins short-season pitchers who put up great numbers. There were several quality arms who spent time with the GCL Twins and the Elizabethton Twins.First, a reminder of our previous awards: Hitter of the Year – Max KeplerStarting Pitcher of the Year – JO BerriosRelief Pitcher of the Year – Trevor HildenbergerShort-Season Hitter of the Year – Jermaine PalaciosShort profiles of our top five are to follow, but first, some players worthy of Honorable Mention. Honorable Mention: Lachlan Wells, GCL Twins: 10 G, 9 GS, 5-2, 2.09 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 47.1 IP, 35 H, 11 BB, 49 K.Cody Stashak, Elizabethton Twins: 10 GS, 5-2, 3.43 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 44.2 IP, 39 H, 11 BB, 53 K.Miles Nordgren, Cedar Rapids Kernels/Elizabethton Twins: 17 G, 11 GS, 1-3, 2.62 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 72.0 IP, 82 H, 13 BB, 42.Pitcher of the Year Here are the top six vote-getters for Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year. #4 (Tie) – Eduardo del Rosario, GCL Twins/Elizabethton Twins: 11 GS, 3-2, 2.81 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 51.1 IP, 42 H, 9 BB, 53 K. Eduardo del Rosario signed with the Twins in 2012 out of the Dominican Republic. He spent one season in the Dominican Summer League. He came to the States in 2014. As a 19-year-old, he went 4-1 with a 3.49 ERA in 17 games out of the bullpen. He returned to the GCL this year, but this time he was given an opportunity to start. He went 3-2 with a 1.90 ERA in 10 starts before finishing with one start in Elizabethton. He continued to be a strike-thrower. #4 (Tie) – Kuo Hua Lo, Elizabethton Twins: 19 G, 14-1, 1.44 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 31.1 IP, 15 H, 8 B, 43 K. Lo was signed by the Twins in June of 2011 out of Taiwan. He spent one season in the GCL, but he has spent the last three seasons in Elizabethton. As a 20-year-old in 2013, he went 2-1 with a 2.37 ERA in 38 innings. In 2014, he was 3-0 with a 3.98 ERA. This year, he was the Appalachian League Relief Pitcher of the Year. He was incredibly dominant. He gave up less than a hit every other inning. He had decent control, and he became a big strikeout pitcher. #3 – Andro Cutura, Elizabethton Twins: 11 GS, 3-2, 1.34 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 60.2 IP, 46 H, 15 BB, 49 K. Cutura was the Twins seventh-round pick in 2014 out of Southeastern Louisiana. However, he didn’t pitch last year due to injury. He was slowed in spring training and went to extended spring training. The 22-year-old has very good control and does a very good job of keeping the ball in the ballpark. With health, he will start 2016 in Cedar Rapids, but could pitch at a couple of levels. #2 – Dereck Rodriguez, Elizabethton Twins/Cedar Rapids Kernels/Fort Myers Miracle: 15 G, 14 GS, 6-4, 3.35 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 75.1 IP, 74 H, 19 BB, 66 K. Rodriguez was the Twins sixth-round pick in 2011 out of high school in Florida. The son of Ivan Rodriguez was drafted as an outfielder and spent that summer and the next in the GCL. He hit .222 with 11 doubles and three homers in 2013 in Elizabethton. After that season, he became a pitcher. In 2014, he went 2-2 with a 1.05 ERA in 17 games out of the bullpen for the E-Twins. In 2015, he became a starter and pitched well. While waiting for the Appalachian League season to start, he pitched in one game (two shutout innings) for the Miracle. He also went up to Cedar Rapids and gave up seven runs in seven innings over two starts. He was the opening night starter for the E-Twins and pitched well enough to be named the Appalachian League’s Pitcher of the Year. He was 6-3 with a 2.85 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. Genetics has provided him with a very strong arm. Patience will be needed to keep pushing forward. Starting Pitcher of the Year – Williams Ramirez, GCL Twins: 11 G, 10 GS, 4-3, 1.05 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 51.1 IP, 25 H, 20 BB, 58 K. The Twins signed Ramirez in December of 2012 out of San Juan, Dominican Republic. He had only just started pitching. Previously, he was an outfielder and third baseman. He began pitching just over three years ago. He has a very strong arm and a good feel for his secondary pitches. He just had never pitched before. He turned 23 late in the season, but with the arm he has, he remains at least an intriguing prospect. He spent two seasons in the Dominican Summer League. He went 3-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 2013 as a 20-year-old. In 2014, he went 4-1 with a 1.81 ERA. In his first six games this year, he gave up just one run in 26.1 innings (0.34 ERA). Opponents hit just .088/.207/.113 (.319). Then in his final five games started, he posted a 1.80 ERA in 25 innings despite a 1-3 record. In his starts, he never gave up more than two earned runs. Clearly he will need to work on his control, but there is strong potential for him to become special. There you have it, the top pitchers in the short season. What do you think? How would you rank them? The Ballots In an attempt to be transparent, here are the votes from our Twins Daily minor league writers: Seth Stohs – 1) Williams Ramirez, 2.) Eddie del Rosario, 3.) Miguel Gonzalez, 4.) Kuo Hua Lo, 5.) Andro CuturaJeremy Nygaard – 1) Dereck Rodriguez, 2.) Williams Ramirez, 3.) Andro Cutura, 4.) Cody Stashak, 5.) Miguel GonzalezCody Christie – 1) Williams Ramirez, 2.) Dereck Rodriguez, 3.) Eduardo del Rosario, 4.) Andro Cutura, 5.) Kuo Hua LoSteve Lein – 1) Williams Ramirez, 2.) Kuo Hua Lo, 3.) Cody Stashak, 4.) Andro Cutura, 5.) Miguel GonzalezEric Pleiss – 1) Andro Cutura, 2.) Williams Ramirez, 3.) Dereck Rodriguez, 4.) Miles NordgrenFeel free to discuss. How would your ballot look? Click here to view the article

The Twins started an important road trip with a frustrating extra inning loss to the Evil Empire (New York Yankees). Let's take a look down into the Twins' farm system to see if better things are on the way to Minnesota. RED WINGS REPORT Buffalo Bisons @ Rochester Red Wings Box Score The Red Wings were out hit 11-8, but came out victorious thanks to a couple of solo home runs and holding the Bisons to just 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position. Taylor Rogers gave up ten hits in 6.2 innings but managed to give up just three runs (two earned). Rogers walked one, and struck out three batters. Rogers picked up a win to move to 9-10 with an ERA of 3.85, nearly a run higher than it was ten starts ago when he was 7-4 with a 2.97 ERA. Over his last 10 Rogers is just 2-6 with a 5.14 ERA with a 1.522 WHIP and a 2.35/1 strikeout to walk ratio. Rogers' Monday night start was the first time since June 24 that he gave up two runs or fewer in a start. Rogers turned things over to the bullpen in the seventh and Cole Johnson pitched two-thirds of an inning spanning the seventh and the eighth, striking out one and giving up no runs, hits, or walks. Aaron Thompson finished the eighth in scoreless fashion and Michael Tonkin fanned two of the three batters he faced in the ninth to pick up his thirteenth save of the year. Xavier Avery hit a solo home run in the second inning to give the Red Wings an early lead. The Bisons came stampeding back and were up 3-1 when a Reynaldo Rodriguez single in the fifth inning evened the score. In the sixth inning Jose Martinez homered to left field, giving the Red Wings the lead and Rogers and the bullpen kept the Bisons bats silent the rest of the evening. Kennys Vargas started at designated hitter in the three hole and was 0-4 with a strike out. Vargas is 6-23 with five strike outs and seven walks with more multi-walk games than multi-strike out games since an August 11 promotion back to Rochester. Final: Bisons 3, Red Wings 4 LOOKOUTS LOOK-IN SCHEDULED OFF DAY MIRACLE MATTERS Charlotte Stone Crabs @ Fort Myers Miracle POSTPONED DUE TO RAIN KERNELS KORNER SCHEDULED OFF DAY E-TWINS E-NOTES Danville Braves @ Elizabethton Twins Box Score Andro Cutura pitched six strong innings for the E-Twins, giving up no runs on just three hits. He walked two and struck out four. His ERA is now 1.08 over his first nine starts for Elizabethton. Cutura, a Slidell, Louisiana native, was drafted by the Twins in the seventh round of the 2014 draft out of Southeastern Louisiana University. After Cutura's exit, Anthony Mciver pitched two scoreless, giving up a hit, a walk, and he struck out three. Alex Robinson pitched the ninth, giving up a hit and earning a strike out to preserve the victory for the Twins. E-Town's ninth hitter, second basemen Manuel Guzman had one of the best games of his young career, 4-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and a run scored. Catcher A.J. Murray had a nice game as well, 3-4 with a double, an RBI, a run scored and a strike out. Final: Braves 0, Twins 6 GCL Twins GCL Orioles @ GCL Twins Box Score The GCL Twins gave up a pair of runs in the first, second and sixth innings, and a single run in the seventh to fall by a score of 7-3 to the GCL Orioles. Starter Jovani Moran was making just the fourth start of his career, drafted in the seventh round of the 2015 draft out of the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy in Puerto Rico. Jovani has yet to pitch more than four innings in a start, and Monday night was no exception. Moran gave up four hits, four runs, and two walks. He struck out just one of the fifteen batters he faced. Reliever Matz Schutte didn't fare much better, giving up a pair of runs in the sixth before being lifted for Rich Condeelis. Condeelis gave up a run on three hits, but struck out three and walked just one in two innings. Andrew Vasquez pitched a scoreless ninth, but worked harder than he needed to, giving up a two-out single, then throwing a wild pitch before walking the next batter. Vasquez then struck out the final batter of the game to end the suffering for Twins pitchers. Leadoff hitter Christian Cavaness was 2-4 and first basemen Bryant Hayman was 2-4 with a double, the only hitters with multi hit gams. The Twins did rack up four doubles, half of their eight hits on the night. In addition to Hayman's double, Blake Schmit, Robert Molina and Roberto Gonzalez also added two baggers. Final: Orioles 7, Twins 3 TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day - Manuel Guzman, Elizabethton Twins Pitcher of the Day - Andro Cutura, Elizabethton Twins FRIDAY'S PROBABLES Buffalo @ Rochester - Jeff Francis vs. Logan Darnell (2-1, 1.54) Chattanooga @ Pensacola - Greg Peavey (6-4, 4.40) vs. Daniel Wright Charlotte @ Fort Myers (Double Header) - Buddy Borden vs. Stephen Gonsalves (5-1, 2.34), Greg Harris vs. TBD Kane County @ Cedar Rapids - Josh Taylor vs. Keaton Steele (4-3, 3.65) Danville @ Elizabethton - TBD vs. Josh Stashak (4-1, 1.80) Gulf Coast Twins @ Gulf Coast Orioles - TBD vs TBD

On Tuesday, we named Jermaine Palacios the Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month. Today, it is time for us to unveil the starting pitcher of the month of July and recognize others who performed well in the month. I don’t think I’ve ever had this many candidates for pitcher of the month. Consider this. I am going to place Rochester’s JO Berrios in the Honorable Mention, but he probably would rank 15th or 16th this month. Lots of great performances from starters, which is obviously a good thing.With that, let's start our list of the Top 6 Starting Pitchers for July. We had a chance to catch up with this month’s choice as well. We begin with the big lot of players deserving of honorable mention. Rochester RHP JO Berrios – 5 GS, 2-0, 3.52 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 31.1 IP, 26 H, 10 BB, 30 KRochester LHP Pat Dean – 6 GS, 2-2, 3.20 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 39.1 IP, 41 H, 10 BB, 23 KChattanooga LHP Jason Wheeler – 5 GS, 2-1, 2.84 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 31.2 IP, 32 H, 5 BB, 26 KCedar Rapids RHP Felix Jorge – 5 GS, 3-1, 2.78 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 32.1 IP, 29 H, 9 BB, 27 KCedar Rapids RHP Sam Gibbons – 4 GS, 2-0, 2.42 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 22.1 IP, 23 H, 7 BB, 15 KCedar Rapids LHP Randy Rosario – 5 GS, 1-2, 2.42 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 22.1 IP, 23 H, 7 BB, 16 KElizabethton Twins RHP Cody Stashak – 5 GS, 2-1, 2.42 ERA, 26.0 IP, 24 H, 4 BB, 27 KGCL Twins RHP Jose Martinez – 5 GS, 1-2, 2.57 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 21.0 IP, 16 H, 7 BB, 11 KGCL Twins LHP Lachlan Wells – 5 GS, 2-1, 2.31 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 23.1 IP, 19 H, 6 BB, 22 KGCL Twins RHP Eduardo del Rosario – 5 GS, 2-0, 1.57 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 23.0 IP, 15 H, 5 BB, 28 KTOP 6 STARTING PITCHERS IN JULY Number 6 – Ft. Myers Miracle – LHP Stephen Gonsalves - 5 GS, 3-1, 0.96 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 28.0 IP, 21 H, 13 BB, 21 K Seriously, Gonsalves had a 0.96 ERA over 28 innings in the month and isn’t higher than sixth this month. Gonsalves was the Twins fourth-round pick in 2013 out of high school in San Diego. He began the season by making nine starts with Cedar Rapids. He went 6-1 with a 1.15 ERA in 55 innings. He has now made nine starts with the Miracle and is 5-1 with a 2.11 ERA. 11-2 with a 1.59 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP is pretty solid for the recently-turned 21 year old. In July, batters hit just .206/.296/.225 (.521) against him. Number 5 – Rochester Red Wings – RHP Tyler Duffey - 5 GS, 1-2, 2.48 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 32.2 IP, 25 H, 10 BB, 20 K So, his major league debut didn’t exactly go well, but Duffey was the right choice. He was easily the best pitcher available in Rochester, the most ready. His final start of the month wasn’t real strong, but he still has terrific numbers for the month. The Twins fifth-round pick in 2012 out of Rice, he has been a strong performer as a starter since moving into that role. Generally, he is a ground ball pitcher with good control. He really does typically keep the ball in the park. He can be a solid major league starter, and should they decide to move him to the bullpen in time, he can be very good. Opponents hit just .205/.264/.279 (.542) against him. Number 4 – Elizabethton Twins – RHP Dereck Rodriguez - 5 GS, 2-1, 1.33 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 27.0 IP, 22 H, 6 BB, 19 K Rodriguez was the Twins sixth-round pick way back in 2011 out of high school in Florida. The son of Pudge Rodriguez, Dereck is a lanky 6-1 and maybe 180 pounds. He began his career as a potential five-tool outfielder, but that didn’t work. So before the 2014 season, he was moved to the mound. After working out of the bullpen last year, he has been starting for the Elizabethton Twins this year. He had short stints with the Miracle and Kernels when they needed an arm earlier in the year. Overall with the E-Twins, he is 4-1 with a 1.37 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. He is 23-years-old, but patience will be important in this transition. In July, opponents hit just .216/.279/.245 (.524) off of him. Number 3 – Elizabethton Twins – RHP Andro Cutura - 5 GS, 1-1, 1.20 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 30.0 IP, 18 H, 6 BB, 21 K Cutura was the Twins seventh-round draft pick in 2014 out of Southeastern Louisiana University. He didn’t pitch at all last year with injury and spent much of the first half rehabbing. He’s now starting at E-Town and pitching well. Overall, he is 2-2 with a 1.12 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP in 40 innings over seven starts. For the month, opponents hit just .170/.221/.236 (.457). Number 2 – GCL Twins – RHP Williams Ramirez - 5 GS, 2-1, 0.71 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 27.0 IP, 7 H, 13 BB, 29 K Ramirez will turn 23-years-old on Saturday. So, why is he still in the GCL, you ask? He signed when he was a little older and was moved from a hitter to a pitcher at that time. He spent two years developing in the Dominican Summer League, and he has greatly improved his pitching this year. He was a third baseman/outfielder who had never pitched, but he had a strong arm and a good sense for secondary pitches. It’s all coming together. Hitters in the GCL hit ..092/.233/.118 (.352) against him in July. And the Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month is: Ft. Myers Miracle – LHP Mat Batts – 5 GS, 3-0, 1.15 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 31.1 IP, 20 H, 7 BB, 30 K Mat Batts was the Twins 17th round pick just a year ago after pitching for five years and UNC-Wilmington. He began his career in June of 2014 with three outings in the GCL before making four starts for Elizabethton. He ended the season with six appearances with the Cedar Rapids Kernels. He returned to the Kernels to start this season. In seven starts, he went 3-2 with a 2.21 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. He was promoted to the Miracle where he has now gone 5-3 with a 2.04 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. Within a twelve month period, Batts pitched for five teams (UNC-W and four affiliates). However, he feels like he was well-prepared for all of this. “I don't know if I really ever thought about it. I will say that pitching in college for five years really prepared me for what I've faced in pro ball these past two years. I think college teaches everybody how to fail and how to make adjustments when you fail. Had I not gone through the experiences I did in college, I don't think I would be prepared for the demands of pro baseball. ” Listed at 5-11 (maybe, Mat?) and 190 pounds, Batts has walked just 23 batters while striking out 105 batters in 111.1 innings. He has made the transition from the Midwest League to the Florida State League look simple. He told us, “There wasn’t a huge difference between the two leagues. Hitters in the Florida State league definitely barrel up more balls, especially if you get behind in the count, but I’d say the benefit of the larger fields makes this league as much of a pitcher’s league as any out there.” That said, with the larger fields, you’d think there could be more hits. In July, opponents hit just .179/.233/.214 (.448) against the left-hander. Though he isn’t a flame-thrower, Batts is able to work with a five-pitch mix. He throws a two-seam and a four-seam fastball. He also has a curveball, a changeup and a slider. There is no truth to the rumor than he also throws a kitchen sink from time to time. In fact, if you ask him about it, he will likely tell you that a kitchen sink would be too heavy to throw and could mess up an arm real quick. As far as what he considers his best pitch, he is non-committal. “It really depends on the day for which pitch is best. I think I can get outs with all four but a lot of it depends on the hitter’s approach and what they are looking to do up there. Generally we look to mix speeds early in the game with the change up but it doesn't always play out exactly how you plan.” Batts has been part of a very impressive, deep, six-man rotation in Ft. Myers. Being around other starters with that much talent certainly pushes the teammates. “We do have a great group of guys in this rotation. Obviously losing Hu last week, and now Slegers, it will be a different group moving forward but I'd say absolutely we feed off one another and compete with each other. Nobody wants to be the guy that can't do their job when it's their turn to pitch.” One key to success for any player is to understand himself as a player. Batts understands why he has been successful and what he needs to do to remain successful as he moves forward, and moves up the organizational ladder. Batts said, “I'd say my biggest key to success is just throwing strikes and being the aggressor. The more you attack hitters with quality strikes the more they are going to get themselves out, regardless of your stuff.” Overall this season, Batts is 8-5 with a 2.10 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP in 19 total starts. It is likely that Batts will stick with the Miracle for the remainder of the 2015 season as they hope to get into a playoff position in the 2nd half. Please feel free to post your comments on Mat Batts and the rest of the Twins minor league starting pitchers who pitched well in July. How do you feel about the rankings? We’ll be back tomorrow with the Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month. Click here to view the article