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There’s certainly been more than a handful of promising Twins players that just haven’t worked out for one reason or another. Maybe the prospect status wasn’t there, or perhaps the realization of talent never happened. No matter the situation, there’s more than a handful of guys that we had always wished would pan out. As we trudge through this ugly lockout and look forward to the Twins revamping their 2022 roster, I found myself thinking back to some of the guys that could have been. Maybe they were fan-favorites we had hoped for more from, or perhaps a flash in the pan never extended. At any rate, these were some names that immediately came to mind. Oswaldo Arcia Arcia had a decently-long career with the Twins playing in 251 games. He was a top 100 prospect in 2013 and owned a career .901 OPS in the minors. The body type just suggested he should be able to rake even if he was a poor defender. The problem was that he couldn’t make contact. The strikeout rates were egregious, and the on-base ability was non-existent. I held out hope for quite a while, but it became evident he didn’t have it. At 30, Arcia did tear up the Venezuelan Winter League this year. ByungHo Park If there’s a What Could Have Been in recent memory, it’s Park for me. On top of acclimating to new teammates in a new country, Park dealt with a wrist injury in 2016 that he played through for most of the season. The .684 OPS was indicative of a guy who lost his power bat, and even the .823 mark at Triple-A Rochester didn’t afford him another opportunity. After playing in 2017 at Triple-A, he returned to the KBO and immediately posted a 1.175 OPS. Now 35, he’s at the tail end of his career, but there was a productive player here had circumstances worked out differently. Fernando Romero Probably the last pitching prospect Twins fans dreamed on before this current crop, Romero was supposed to be an impact arm. He was a top 100 prospect as recently as 2018 and owned a 3.57 ERA at Triple-A that year. The strikeouts never came, and his command got completely lost after transitioning to the bullpen. Visa issues kept him from being an option for Minnesota in 2020, and he’s since gone to Japan trying to find it again as a 27-year-old. Kennys Vargas Debuting for Twins fans at Target Field during the Futures Game alongside Jose Berrios, Vargas drew plenty of fanfare. He was seen as a David Ortiz protégé, and that’s a comparison no Minnesotan will ever turn away from. The 115 OPS+ in his debut season was a positive sign, but a .626 OPS the next year fell flat. Vargas seemed to come into his own for 47 games during 2016, where he posted an .833 OPS, but that was the height of his abilities. Vargas has been out of affiliated baseball since 2018 but did post strong numbers in Mexico and Puerto Rico this past season. At 31, though, it’s unlikely another chance is coming. Alex Burnett After posting a 1.85 ERA at Single and Double-A in 2009, it was hard not to get excited about Burnett pitching out of the pen. Making his debut in 2010, Burnett compiled a 5.40 ERA across 98 and 1/3 innings the next two seasons. He had mediocre defensive help, but his FIP still sat at just 4.60. He did manage a smoke-and-mirrors level of success with a 3.52 ERA in 2012 despite a 36/26 K/BB in 71 2/3 innings. It wasn’t ever that the ceiling was incredibly high, but I wanted to believe there was more for whatever reason. Max Kepler It’s understandably an egregious ask to put Kepler here, but given his ceiling, it also seems to make sense. Kepler has played 722 games for the Twins and posted just a .756 OPS. His .855 OPS in 2019 looked like a solid response to a contract extension, but it hasn’t been touched since. Kepler is an extraordinary defender, but the bat has always profiled as so much more, and a guy who deservedly flashed as a former top 100 prospect has largely failed to substantiate his ceiling. What other Twins players do you wish would have worked out? Are there some prospects you consistently expected to be great? View full article

When the calendar turns to May 5 over in Korea, we will officially have the Opening Day we never knew was necessary. Thanks to COVID-19 shelving Major League Baseball thus far in the United States, we are clamoring for sporting outlets. The NFL Draft drew massive numbers, and The Last Dance draws wonderfully on ESPN. Now, if you stay up late enough (rise early enough), we’ll get KBO action. It’s been weird to think about so little to cover as it relates to the Minnesota Twins or Major League Baseball I’d have numerous opinions and thoughts on the entire league, as well as the focal organization as a whole, but we have few things in the vein of new developments. That’s left Off the Baggy a bit light, as well as doing a similar number on go-to Twins site Twins Daily. Recently there however, I did write about a Minnesota slugger we never got to see in all his glory with the Twins. ByungHo Park was both injured and then ineffective when he traveled to the United States in hopes of continuing his KBO production. It was a perfect storm of unfortunate events and it never worked out for either party. Now back in his homeland, Park has been the pride of the KBO power production once again. Unfortunately, we won’t get a chance to see the Kiwoom Heroes on ESPN in the first week of broadcasts. The network is broadcasting one game a day and Kiwoom did not make the cut. For Opening Day central time zone viewers can catch first pitch between the NC Dinos and Samsung Lions at midnight. Karl Ravech and Eduardo Perez will be on the call. I’m looking forward to staying up for the experience, and any form of baseball is better than the state we’re currently in. It will be interesting to see how the KBO game is received here, but I certainly hope that it’s batflips proving a key component to defeating this virus and the boredom brought on by it wiping out sports.

The Byungho Park Era is officially over in Minnesota while some would argue it was over even before last season. Park is headed back to the KBO to play for his former team the Nexen Heroes. As part of his new deal, Park will earn $1.4 million or 1.5 billion South Korean won.Yonhap News reporter Jeejo Yoo was the first to report Park’s return to Korea. Park struggled with the transition to major league baseball. In 62 big league games, he hit .191/.275/.412 with 12 home runs and nine doubles. His 80 to 21 strikeout to walk ratio was a little tough to swallow. He fought through some injuries in his first season and he was never able to fully put it together. Park was removed from the Twins 40-man roster last off-season and played in 111 Triple-A games in 2017 while continuing to battle through injuries. He finished 2017 hitting .253/.308/.415 with 130 strikeouts in 111 games. Park added 14 home runs and 22 doubles but it still wasn’t enough to make it back to the big leagues. Park had two years and $6.5 million remaining on his initial contract with the Twins. He will turn 32 next season and it was probably in the best interests of both parties to go their separate ways. What was your favorite Byungho Park moment? Should the Twins have given him another shot? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

I really didn’t think I needed to write this article. I really didn’t think I’d let the awful commentary on social media get to me. I figured it would die down after a few days. I was wrong. Very wrong. For having signed two notable named Asian players, Twins Territory (and what I hope is a very vocal minority[see what I did there?]) sure is up-in-arms about potentially signing two more. With the news of the Twins actively pursuing both Yu Darvish (who comes with his own set of health concerns) and Shohei Ohtani (a young Japanese phenom who can pitch and hit), there seems to be a few comments on every article or Twitter comment thread about the fears of signing another Asian ballplayer. For being one of the largest continents on the planet (even encompassing parts of Russia), Asia is made up of 48 different countries. Some of the bigger countries of note are China, Russia, India, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and South Korea. Huh. There are a lot of countries in Asia where the people who reside there sure don’t look alike. In fact, they don’t even speak the same language or share a government. But for Twins fans, it’s been an almost daily occurrence where some Rube (see: casually racist social media user) has made a comment about not taking a chance on another Asian ballplayer since Tsuyoshi Nishioka and ByungHo Park didn’t pan out in the major leagues. Injuries aside, and the fact that they “look alike” (which they don’t at all, unless you just see a tan skinned person with black hair who comes from the same continent and assume they’re from the exact same place), the Twins have the potential to sign a possible once-in-a-lifetime player in Shohei Ohtani, and a 4-time All Star in Yu Darvish. Improvements to the one part of the team Twins fans have complained about improving for almost a decade: pitching. I jumped ahead though. Let’s go back to Nishioka and Park. Nishioka is a Japanese baseball player who plays in the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization, based in Japan. Byung-Ho Park is a Korean baseball player who plays in the Korean Baseball Organization, based in Korea. While those two countries are relatively close to each other, they are not the same. Neither are the Caucasian, Latino, and African ballplayers that have come through the Twins’ organization over the years, in much larger quantities too. Some Twins fans are now basing their choice to not pursue Ohtani specifically, based on the fact Nishioka and Park didn’t work out. Seems like an incredibly small sample size to base your opinion on, and it also comes off as racist. I don’t see these same people crying wolf that the Twins shouldn’t have chased after Royce Lewis, Hunter Greene, or Brendan McKay based on the fact that former Caucasian and African-American players didn’t pan out. If it didn’t matter then, why should it matter where Ohtani comes from? The Twins have an opportunity to sign a superstar ballplayer to join an already impressive young core of talent from the across the planet. Take a look at the Twins’ 25-man roster this season and see what countries all of the players that helped contribute to a postseason berth for the first time since 2010 call home. After you’ve done that, find it in yourself to consciously stop using the “Nishioka and Park” argument against signing Ohtani. If you’re incapable of doing so because you can’t figure out how to say you don’t trust an unproven player with no MiLB or MLB experience (there, I figured it out for you!), then maybe you should keep your awful opinions to yourself. And no, we don’t all look alike. – Panda Pete (South Korean)

The Rochester Red Wings maintained their grip on the International League wild card thanks to big nights from Aaron Slegers and ByungHo Park. With just three games remaining in the regular season, the Wings hold a two game lead over Lehigh Valley. Find out everything that happened in the Twins minor league system on Friday.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 6, Pawtucket 4 Box Score ByungHo Park hit a three-run homer and Aaron Slegers picked up his 15th win of the season for the Red Wings. Slegers, who I assume will get consideration to replace Dillon Gee in the Twins rotation, struck out 10 batters over 6.2 innings. He gave up three runs on six hits and a walk. Matt Hague and Leonardo Reginatto each had two hits. Dietrich Enns pitched for the first time since Aug. 15 and gave up a run over 1.2 innings, but he also struck out three batters. Alex Wimmers recorded the final out to earn his seventh save. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 3, Montgomery 2 (11 innings) Box Score LaMonte Wade drove in the game-tying run in the bottom of the eighth and Edgar Corcino hit a walk-off single in the 11th to keep Chattanooga rolling ahead toward the playoffs. Dereck Rodriguez pitched 6.0 innings and gave up two runs, though neither was earned. He surrendered just two hits, walked one batter and struck out seven. Alex Muren worked a scoreless seventh before both Cody Stashak and Gabriel Moya each provided two shutout innings. Moya’s stats are completely ridiculous. This was his sixth win of the season, he has 24 saves in 24 opportunities, a 0.77 ERA and matching 0.77 WHIP. Corcino and Nick Gordon both had three hits, while Wade and catcher Brian Navarreto each picked up a pair of hits. MIRACLE MATTERS Jupiter 1, Fort Myers 0 Box Score Anthony Marzi gave up a run in the bottom of the first and that was all the offense this game would see. The 24-year-old lefty went 6.0 innings and held Jupiter to four hits and two walks while striking out five. Sam Clay pitched the final two innings, lowering his ERA to 1.38 on the year. The Miracle could only muster six singles and drew a pair of walks. Leadoff man Sean Miller did his part, going 3-for-4, and cleanup man Zander Wiel had two hits. The big difference maker was that the Hammerheads turned three double plays KERNELS NUGGETS Burlington 5, Cedar Rapids 4 Box Score All the scoring in this one was done in the first five innings. Jimmy Kerrigan got things off to a great start, clubbing a two-run homer in the bottom of the first to put the Kernels up 2-0. The Bees tallied five unanswered runs before Kerrigan cracked yet another two-run blast to bring Cedar Rapids within a run. Unfortunately, the Burlington bullpen was on its game, as two relievers combined to strike out 10 batters over 4.0 no-hit innings. Charlie Barnes was the starter and gave up five runs (four earned) over 4.2 innings. The Kernels pen was also steller, as Max Cordy (2.1 IP) and Hector Lujan (2.0 IP) combined for 4.1 no-hit innings of their own. E-TWINS E-NOTES OFF Elizabethton’s regular season concluded Thursday. They play Greenville in the Appy League West Divison Finals beginning tonight at 5:00 pm CT. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Red Sox 5, GCL Twins 4 (Game 1, 7 innings) Box Score The Twins held a one-run lead heading into the bottom of the seventh and final inning, but Amilcar Cruz walked three batters in the inning and David Gerics threw a wild pitch that allowed the Red Sox to score the winning run. Left fielder Colton Burns was 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles and a walk. Right fielder Jared Akins hit a two-out, bases-clearing triple in the fourth inning. GCL Twins 9, GCL Red Sox (Game 2, 7 innings) Box Score The GCL Twins rebounded nicely from that disappointing loss, cruising to victory in Game 2. Third baseman Alex Robles was 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run. Burns, catcher Taylor Grzelakowski and shortstop Victor Tademo also had two RBI a piece. Taylor Clemensia was effectively wild over his 3.2 innings. Though he walked five batters, he also gave up just one hit and had seven strikeouts. The only run he gave up was unearned. Petru Balan took care of things from there, throwing 3.1 no-hit innings. He struck out four and walked one batter. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Aaron Slegers, Rochester (6.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 10 K) Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day: Jimmy Kerrigan, Cedar Rapids (2-for-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R) SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Pawtuckett, 5:05 pm CT, Felix Jorge (0-1, 4.50 ERA) Chattanooga vs. Montgomery, 6:15 pm CT, D.J. Baxendale 0-0, 1.62 ERA) Fort Myers vs. Jupiter, 5:05 pm CT, Lachlan Wells (4-10, 4.24 ERA) Cedar Rapids at Beloit, 7:00 pm CT, Bryan Sammons (2-1, 4.35 ERA) Elizabethton at Greenville, 5:00 pm CT, (TBD) GCL Twins vs. GCL Red Sox (Cancelled) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Friday's games. Click here to view the article

I have to admit, Tuesday’s minor league report was a lot less fun to write than last Friday’s was, when Twins affiliates combined to go 6-0. That’s because they flipped that record to 0-5 for this one. The only thing keeping them from completely flipping that to six, was because Rochester’s game with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre was suspended due to rain in the fourth inning. That was unfortunate too, as one of their hitters put himself in line for the player of the day award for the second day in a row to that point.To find out just how unlucky Twins affiliates were on Tuesday night, read on...at your own risk. TRANSACTIONS There were several transactions that were made official before the games on Tuesday. Nik Turley was optioned back to Rochester after the doubleheader yesterday. In AA, Kohl Stewart was put on the 7-day disabled list with left-knee tendinitis just a day after officially rejoining the Lookouts roster. Alex Muren was called up from Fort Myers and pitched in their game last night. Sam Clay was returned to Fort Myers. In Cedar Rapids, Christian Caveness was placed on the disabled list with a blood clot in his right shoulder. (Get well soon!) To take his roster spot Shane Kennedy was brought up from the Gulf Coast League. In the Appalachian League, Christian Broussard was activated from the DL and made the start last night. RED WINGS REPORT Scranton/WB 4, Rochester 4 (Suspended in top of fourth inning) Box Score Rain suspended the Red Wings game on Tuesday in the top of the fourth inning. The RailRiders had scored two runs in the first two innings to account for their runs, including two solo home runs off starter Aaron Slegers. Byungho Park accounted for all four of Rochester’s runs, with an RBI single in the first and a three run home run in the third. The game will be completed tomorrow before their regularly scheduled game. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Mississippi 6, Chattanooga 5 Box Score Starting for the Lookouts was Dereck Rodriguez, and he made it into the sixth inning before he was chased. In 5.2 innings the Braves scored five runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks. He allowed a solo home run and struck out two. Randy Rosario came on in relief with two outs in the sixth and promptly gave up a triple to score two inherited runners. He allowed a run of his own in the seventh and in total allowed four hits while picking up two K’s in 1.1 innings. Alex Muren finished the game with two scoreless frames. He gave up two hits, walked one and struck out two of his own. Chattanooga made a late comeback, getting to 6-5 in the bottom of the eighth, but couldn’t get the big hit to put them over the top. With the bases loaded in the seventh after three walks and a catcher interference play that allowed one to score, they were able to push just one other runner across on a double-play ball before LaMonte Wade flew out to end the threat. In the eighth, a solo home run from T.J. White got it to 6-5, and two more walks put the tying run in scoring position, but it wasn’t meant to be. Edgar Corcino (2-5, R, HR, RBI) and White (3-4, 2 R’s, 2B, HR, RBI) led the offense with multiple hits. Andy Wilkins had a double in four trips to the plate and Nick Gordon singled and picked up an RBI by drawing a bases-loaded walk. Levi Michael and Brian Navarreto each drew two walks. As a team the Lookouts were just 1-9 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 0, Clearwater 4 Box Score The Miracle were shut out in this one as they managed just four hits. Chris Paul was 2-3 with a triple and was also hit by a pitch to reach base three times. Brent Rooker and Mitchell Kranson collected the other two hits for the offense, both singles. As a team they struck out only six times, but were 0-5 with runners in scoring position. Randy LeBlanc made the start for Fort Myers and went the first five innings. He allowed three runs on seven hits while striking out four. The first run of the game for Clearwater came in the fourth inning and they added the other two against LeBlanc in the fifth. Michael Theofanopoulos pitched two scoreless innings of relief, walking two and striking out one. Williams Ramirez pitched the eighth inning, allowing one run on two hits and a walk. He struck out one. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Kane County 9 Box Score Kane County jumped all over Cedar Rapids pitching in this one, building a 7-0 lead before the Kernels put their lone run on the scoreboard. Bryan Sammons took the mound and went the first 3.2 innings. He gave up five runs (four earned) on three hits and four walks. He did strike out six. Patrick McGuff pitched the next 1.1 innings, striking out one but allowing four runs of his own on six hits, including a three-run home run. Logan Lombana finished the game for Cedar Rapids, keeping the Cougars from adding to their blowout in 3.0 scoreless innings. He walked two and struck out one. Lewin Diaz was responsible for the Kernels only run, slugging his 11th home run of the season in the fifth inning. Jimmy Kerrigan was 2-3 batting second in the lineup, and Shane Kennedy added the team's fourth hit. The Cedar Rapids offense did not have a single plate appearance with runners in scoring position as Kane County’s pitcher, Connor Grey, tossed a complete game. The loss halted the Kernels win streak at five and evened both team’s records at 29-29 in the second half of the Midwest League season. Kane County won the Western Division in the first half, and both are 8.5 games behind the second half -leading Quad Cities River Bandits, which Cedar Rapids plays next on their current road trip. E-TWINS E-NOTES Johnson City 4, Elizabethton 3 Box Score Elizabethton took the lead 3-2 in this one in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Andrew Bechtold’s tenth double of the year tied the game at two and a Mark Contreras single brought him in to put them out front. They weren’t able to hold that lead however. Their first run of the game came in the bottom of the third courtesy of a sac fly from Kolton Kendrick. Akil Baddoo finished 1-3 with two walks and stole his fourth base, but was also thrown out for the fourth time. Christian Broussard got the first inning for the Twins and walked the leadoff man, but got the next three. He was replaced by Edward Colina for the second inning. He went 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on six hits and a walk, with four K’s. Jovani Moran came on with two outs in the seventh and got the final out, but was charged with a blown save in the eighth when he gave up the go-ahead two-run home run to Elizabethton’s bitter rivals. To attempt to make up for that, he did strike out five in 2.1 innings to finish the game. The Twins offense did threaten with two outs in the eighth, but were unable to get a run across to tie the game and went down one-two-three in the bottom of the ninth, all on strikeouts. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 4, GCL Orioles 10 Box Score The Twins were outhit in this one 13-6, and it showed up on the scoreboard as they fell to the Orioles on the road. After the Orioles struck for five runs in the first two innings, the Twins did crawl back to make the score 5-4 after the top of the sixth, but five more runs from the Orioles to answer did them in for good. Tyler Benninghoff made the start and got just one out (likely plan for him coming back from injury is one inning appearances at this point, so don’t read too much into it). He walked two, gave up a two-run homer, and struck out one. Jordan Balazovic came in from there and got out of the first inning, but allowed three runs of his own in the second. He ended up finishing 3.2 innings, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out two along the way. Cody Stashak pitched a scoreless fifth inning but surrendered two runs on three hits overall in 1.2 innings, striking out two. Tyler Jay was the next man to get touched up, as he allowed both of Stashak’s inherited runners to score and one of his own while closing out the sixth, then two more on a home run in the seventh. He allowed four hits in 1.0 innings, while striking out one. Amilcar Cruz finally stabilized the scoreboard for the last four outs, walking two and striking out two. On the offensive side, two Twins hitters collected two hits. Benjamin Rodriguez was 2-4 with two runs scored, a homer, and two RBI. His home run was the blast that brought them within one. Ricky De La Torre was 2-3 with a walk, a home run, and RBI. His solo shot got the Twins on the board in the second inning. The rest of the team combined to go 2-25 with 12 K’s. They were just 1-2 with runners in scoring position and left only four men on base overall. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Logan Lombana, Cedar Rapids Kernels (3.0IP, 0 R’s, 2 BB’s, K) Hitter of the Day – T.J. White, Chattanooga Lookouts (3-4, 2 R’s, 2B, HR, RBI) WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton/Wilkes-Barre @ Rochester (6:05PM CST) – RHP Felix Jorge (0-0, -.--. AAA debut) Mississippi @ Chattanooga (6:15PM CST) – TBD Fort Myers @ Clearwater (6:00PM CST) – RHP Sean Poppen (2-2, 3.50 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (6:30PM CST) – LHP Tyler Watson (0-3, 6.06 ERA) Bristol @ Elizabethton (6:00PM CST) – TBD GCL Orioles @ GCL Twins (11:00AM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! Click here to view the article

The Twins played two games on Monday, and all of the Twins affiliates except Ft. Myers had games as well. The Red Wings and Lookouts played one-run games. Cedar Rapids got a big blast from a top prospect, though things got interesting and also ended in a one-run final score. The E-Twins didn’t have many hits and still won easily… How? The GCL Twins won by the same score… It was a busy day of transactions and game stories, and we have several quotes from Cedar Rapids, so check it out.Let’s start with the transactions of the day: The Twins made a couple of moves official on Monday before their first game in Chicago. Miguel Sano was placed on the disabled list, and Kenny Vargas was called back up. Tim Melville was added to the 40- and 25-man rosters. Nik Turley was optioned. He pitched for the Twins on Monday as their 26th man before returning to the Red Wings following the game. .Yohan Pino was again transferred from Chattanooga to Rochester. Buddy Boshers arrived and is now on the Red Wings roster.It seemed strange when Kohl Stewart was demoted from Rochester to Ft. Myers after picking up a win in his one start for the Red Wings. The next day, Lewis Thorpe picked up a win in his first start in Chattanooga. On Monday, it all made much more sense as Stewart was promoted back to the Lookouts with Thorpe returning to the Miracle.Tyler Wells was called back up to the Cedar Rapids Kernels. To make room, Evan Sanders was placed on the DL.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Scranton/Wilkes Barre 4 Box Score David Hurlbut started and gave up two runs over the first five innings. He gave up eight hits, walked four and struck out four. Yohan Pino came in and gave up two runs on four hits and a walk over the next three innings; both runs scored four batters into his outing before he settled in. John Curtiss walked one and struck out two over a scoreless inning. Byungho Park provided much of the offense. He went 2-4 with his 12th home run. Daniel Palka went 1-3 with a walk, and Leonardo Reginnato walked twice. Blankenhorn went 2-4. Joe Cronin went 2-3 and scored two of the team’s runs. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 8, Johnson City 1 Box Score I don’t know if the E-Twins bats really showed up, but their batter’s eyes sure did. The Twins scored eight runs on just four hits, but they were helped out with 12 walks on their way to an easy win. Nick Brown was the recipient of the run support, but he also put together his best start. He gave up one run on four hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out six. Jared Finkel picked up his second save with three shutout innings with just one hit allowed. He struck out two. Andrew Bechtold went 2-2 with a walk and a sacrifice fly. Wander Javier had a single and walked three times. Colton Waltner walked three times, and Jose Miranda walked twice. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 8, GCL Orioles 1 Box Score Down 1-0 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, the Twins scored four, then two and then two more to take a commanding lead and win in this game. Jean Carlos Arias went 2-3 with two walks. Alex Robles went 2-4. Shane Kennedy went 1-2 with a walk and a double. Emmanuel Morel was 1-3 with two walks. He added his 12th stolen base. Victor Tademo walked twice. He stole his fifth bag. Lefty Matt Jones made the start and gave up on run over 3.1 innings. He gave up three hits, walked three and struck out two. Jose Rosenstein gave up two hits and walked three but did not give up a run in his three innings of work. Zach Featherstone got the final two outs of the seventh inning. Derek Molina struck out three over the final two innings. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Nick Brown, Elizabethton Twins Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Byungho Park, Rochester Red Wings TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton/Wilkes Barre @ Rochester (6:05 CST) - RHP Aaron Slegers Mississippi @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - RHP Dereck Rodriguez Ft. Myers @ Clearwater (6:00 CST) - LHP Anthony McIver Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (6:30 CST) - LHP Bryant Sammons Johnson City @ Elizabethton (6:00 CST) - RHP Edwar Colina GCL Twins @ GCL O’s (11:00 CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Monday’s games. Click here to view the article

Coming into play on Tuesday, August 8th, the Rochester Red Wings have a record of 65-50. That puts them 8 ½ games back of International League North Division leading Scranton-Wilkes-Barre. They’re in third place, two games behind the Lehigh Valley IronPigs for second place in the division, and more important, in the wild card race. That’s why it’s understandable that the organization made the move to bring up lefty starter Stephen Gonsalves and righty reliever Luke Bard. The hope could be that the two will help bolster the Red Wings pitching staff and help them get into the playoffs. Well, that, along with some good experience in a playoff chase at a new level of development. Gonsalves will make his first AAA start on Thursday against Norfolk. When he and Bard make their Red Wings debuts, they will be the 37th and 38th pitchers to throw for the team this season, already a franchise record. With that, I thought I’d bring out a Triple-A version of Nick Nelson’s Three-Bagger series. Below you’ll find three players at Rochester of particular interest.Here are three Rochester Red Wings to pay particular attention to in the coming weeks. MITCH GARVER Those that follow me on Twitter know that I’ve been including the hashtag #CallHimUp on any of the tweets that mention Garver. He’s 26, and he’s put up tremendous numbers. In fact, someone close to the Red Wings said he’s “having one of the best seasons as a catcher in recent Red Wings history.” Through 81 games this season, he is hitting .276/.378/.521 (.898). He’s hit 23 doubles and 16 home runs. Since being drafted in the ninth round of the 2013 draft, after his senior season at the University of New Mexico, he has continued to improve each season. That’s great since he was the Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Year in 2014 while playing in Cedar Rapids. This year, he’s been impressive, showing a strong knowledge of the strike zone and attacking driveable pitches into the gaps and over the fence, to either field. As important in a catcher’s development, he’s improved tremendously behind the plate as well. He’s blessed with a very strong arm, and has always thrown out base stealers at a strong percent. While his pitch framing numbers aren’t as strong this year as last, pitchers rave about his ability to call a good game. My first thought was maybe Wilson Ramos put up some strong numbers for the Red Wings. However, in 71 games for the team in 2010, he hit .241/.280/.345 (.625) with 14 doubles and five home runs (as a 22 year old) in 71 games. In 2014, Josmil Pinto hit .279/.376/.457 (.833) with 17 doubles and six homers in 60 games for the Red Wings. In 2008, Jose Morales hit .315/.348/.426 (.774) with eight doubles and four homers in 54 games. In 2007, Morales hit .311/.366/.399 (.765) with 25 doubles and two homers in 108 games. In 2005, Rob Bowen hit .268/.368/.402 (.770) with 13 doubles and six homers. And that takes us back through the Twins affiliation with Rochester. I think it’s safe to say that the season Mitch Garver is putting together is the best in the last 15 years, to be sure. Meanwhile, Jason Castro is hitting .227/.322/.371 (.693) with 20 doubles and six homers in 80 games for the Twins. Backup Chris Gimenez is hitting .202/.317/.355 (.672) with four doubles and five homers in 47 games. Garver has versatility too. He’s caught in 61 games. He played first base in five games, and he’s played 14 games in left field. While his range may be that of a catcher in left field, he would be a right-handed bench or DH option for the Twins. There is no question that Mitch Garver will be called up for September. There should be little question that he should be given every opportunity next spring to break with the big league club. For good. MICHAEL TONKIN After starting the season 0-1 with a 6.55 ERA and a 2.18 WHIP through nine games and 11 innings for the Twins, the front office decided it was time to DFA the hard-throwing right-hander. Tonkin was drafted by the Twins in the 30th round of the 2008 draft out of high school in California. He was given some opportunity to start, but in 2010, he made the move to the bullpen. He quickly became one of the Twins top relief pitching minor leaguers. Blessed with a 95 mph fastball and a good slider, he showed good control while striking out ten or more batters per nine innings pitched. He got his first taste of the big leagues in 2013, and he went up and down for a few seasons. His first full season in the big leagues was 2016, his first season without options remaining. This spring, he again made the Opening Day roster, primarily due to the options situation. But as we mentioned, by early May, the decision was made to let him go. Fortunately for the club, Tonkin passed through waivers and has been pitching late innings for the Red Wings this season. And he’s been pitching well. In 23 games and 33 innings since joining the Red Wings, he is 3-2 with four saves. He has posted a 1.91 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. He’s walking 3.0 batters per nine while striking out an impressive 13.1 per nine (48 strikeouts in 33 innings). More impressive, in his last 15 games (21 innings), he has a 0.86 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP. He’s walked three batters and struck out 34! Tonkin is already 27, but maybe the extended trip back to AAA allowed him to figure something out. Maybe. Maybe not. But it does feel like he would warrant one last shot with the big league club to see what has stuck. If it looks legit, keep him on the roster. If not, you DFA him and let him become a free agent. TIM MELVILLE Every time the Twins sign someone out of independent leagues or promote a 27+ year old player to Rochester, I can always anticipate a certain faction of the Twins Daily readership cringing. I’m guessing that when the Twins signed RHP Tim Melville from the independent league Long Island Ducks earlier this season, several of you reading this hated it. But Melville has made himself interesting, or at least he should be interesting to Twins fans. The still-just-27-year-old righty is 3-3 with a 2.55 ERA for the Red Wings in 10 games (nine starts) since joining their roster nearly two months ago. He’s got a 1.07 WHIP. In 60 innings, he’s given up 44 hits, walked 20 and struck out 58. If he was 1-2 years younger, we’d be crying out for him to get an opportunity. Instead, Melville has had to live with the “bust” label, fair or not. He was a highly-touted prep player from Missouri. The Royals used a fourth-round draft pick, and a lot of cash ($1.25 million). He was a top prospect until he had Tommy John surgery in 2012. In 2014, he went 2-11 with a 5.50 ERA for the Royals AA affiliate and was let go by the organization. The Tigers swooped in and signed him for 2015. He went 7-10 with a 4.63 ERA in AAA. In 2016, he signed with the Reds. He was called up and made his MLB debut on April 10th. He went 0-1 with an 11.00 ERA in three games (two starts) for the Reds. He was DFAd on April 22nd and went to AAA where he got hurt. He found himself without an offer this spring, so he went the independent route. With the Ducks, he was 3-4 with a 3.45 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP in nine starts when the Twins signed him. While his background doesn’t necessarily convince you that he’d have success if the Twins promoted him, his ‘stuff’ might. In his starts, he has been between 93 and 96 mph and been able to maintain that throughout the game. He’s got a pretty good curveball that can get swings-and-misses, and often gets weak contact. And his changeup is about average. Now, I’m not saying he would come up and insert himself as a mid-rotation starter. Not at all. But maybe he can be the starting pitcher depth that Thad Levine talked about. Maybe he can be a guy at AAA who can make a few starts in the big leagues from time to time. Maybe not. But if the Twins bring him up in September and give him a shot, I certainly won’t feel bad about it. Maybe he can be a stop-gap until the new front office believes that the likes of Gonsalves, Romero, Jorge, Littell, Slegers are more ready for that role. RED WINGS NOTEBOOK OK, so I can’t stop at just three. Here are a few more Red Wings notes of note. Niko Goodrum is setting himself up to be a valuable utility player. So far this year, he has played first base (three games), second base (24 games), third base (16 games), shortstop (nine games), left field (one game), center field (13 games) and right field (40 games). In 106 games, he’s hitting .259/.308/.413 (.721) with 23 doubles, four triples and nine home runs.Matt Hague has quietly been very good for the Red Wings. In 110 games, he’s hit .294/.371/.405 (.777) with 21 doubles and eight homers. Very professional.Since his return from fractured fingers, Daniel Palka has hit .277/.329/.446 (.775) with a double, two triples and two homers in 16 games. Reports indicate that he’s been much better the last week or so and appears to be returning to form.Byungho Park started the season very slow, but he’s come on very strong. The 30-year-old is hitting .263/.321/.428 (.749) with 22 doubles and nine homers. In his last 57 games, he’s hitting .303/.351/.476 (.827) with 14 doubles and six homers.In 18 games since he returned to the Red Wings, Kennys Vargas is hitting .234/.338/.516 (.853). However, in his last two games, he has gone 5-8 with two doubles and a homer, which account for most of that stat line.Mason Melotakis has made 11 appearances (13.1 innings) since coming off the Twins 40-man roster for the Red Wings. He has a 2.03 ERA despite a 1.35 WHIP. Reports are that he’s been quite good despite the fact that his velocity has been way down from where has had been.Jake Reed is 1-0 with a 1.45 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP in 14 games (18.2 innings) since joining the Red Wings. He has 16 strikeouts and six walks. He’ll need to be added to the 40-man roster in the offseason, so a September call up should happen.John Curtiss has been with the Red Wings for about a month now. In 14 games (17.2 innings), he’s got a 2.04 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP. He’s got eight walks and 24 strikeouts, so he’s been a bit more wild, but he’s certainly a candidate for a September call up.Aaron Slegers’ eight-game winning streak came to an end with his most recent start, but he’s been terrific and appears to be a very strong candidate for International League Pitcher of the Year. . He is 12-4 with a 3.22 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP in 20 starts (123 innings). He’s got 91 strikeouts to go with just 27 walks. While he doesn’t profile as a top prospect because his “stuff” doesn’t grade out real high, Slegers knows how to pitch. He’ll give up some hits, but he won’t hurt himself with walks, and his home run rate has stayed down as well. He’s earned a shot at a September call up. However, the business side of the 40-man roster decisions and the Rule 5 implications may make him a tough choice.So there you have it. A whole bunch on the Twins AAA affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings. Feel free to discuss and ask questions. Click here to view the article

Yesterday, we wrote a bit about how well Aaron Slegers has pitched in his last seven or eight starts. For his last two starts, he was named the International League’s Pitcher of the Week. The major news on Monday, of course, was the Twins officially acquiring Jaime Garcia and Anthony Recker for Huascar Ynoa. But there was much more to the day including the decision to send back their Rule 5 pick. There are likely to be more transactions following the Monday night Twins game in Los Angeles, so we’ll update those below.Also, the E-Twins had another huge offensive inning. Brent Rooker had another solid showing. There was a #ParkBang. A Kernels reliever has a pretty impressive streak going. And, a second 2017 shortstop draft pick is playing well in the GCL. Find out everything and more that happened happened in the Twins system on Monday. Let’s start with the transactions of the day: It happened about four days after it was deemed “close,” but the Twins did officially acquire lefty Jaime Garcia from Atlanta, along with catcher Anthony Recker, in exchange for Elizabethton starting pitcher Huascar Ynoa.To make room, Rule 5 RHP Justin Haley was outrighted and sent back to the Boston Red Sox.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 1, Indianapolis 4 Box Score Niko Turley was on the mound for the Red Wings on Monday, and things didn’t go well. In 4.1 innings, he gave up four runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out three… and, well, this happened too. DJ Baxendale gave up a hit and walked two over 1.2 scoreless innings. Alex Wimmers struck out four over two perfect innings. Byungho Park led the Red Wings offense. He went 3-4 and launched his seventh home run. Matt Hague went 2-4 with his 19th double. Engelb Vielma added his seventh double. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga Box Score The Lookouts had an off day on the schedule. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 3, Tampa 7 Box Score Lewis Thorpe had his first real rough start since his return from missing two seasons. The lefty went just 3.2 innings and was charged with five runs (three earned) on four hits. He walked three and struck out two. He also hit one batter, threw two wild pitches and had a balk. Mike Theofanopoulos struck out two in 2.1 perfect innings. Alex Robinson walked three and struck out one in a scoreless inning. Andrew Vasquez gave up two unearned runs on four hits over two innings. He struck out two. Sean Miller led the offense. He went 3-4 with his 14th double. Brent Rooker went 1-2 with two walks and his first Miracle double. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Lansing 3 Box Score The Kernels won the season series against Lansing even though they fell in the finale on Monday afternoon. Anthony Marzi made the start and went the first seven innings. He gave up three runs, though just one was earned. He gave up six hits, walked none and struck out none. Colton Davis came in and did what he’s done all year… put up a zero. From Jeff Johnson’s article in The Gazette, “Davis has not allowed an earned run in his last 22 appearances out of the bullpen and given up only one run, period, in that span of 31 1/3 innings. The last time a team nicked him was way back on May 10.” He did need a little bit of help though. With a runner on second, Davis gave up a single to center. Aaron Whitefield charged the ball and came up throwing. He gunned down the base runner at home by at least five feet. Hector Lujan worked a scoreless ninth inning. The offense managed just one run. Whitefield and Christian Cavaness each went 1-3 with a walk. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 15, Pulaski 4 Box Score For the third time in a week, the E-Twins put together a huge, late-inning inning. In this one, they scored eight runs in the ninth inning. Jose Miranda went 4-5 with his sixth homer. He scored three runs and drove in three runs. TJ Dixon was 3-5 with his first pro home runs. He stole his third base. Ariel Montesino went 2-3 with two walks. Shane Carrier had two hits. Wander Javier walked twice and hit his seventh double. Carson had three RBI and his seventh double. JJ Robinson added his fifth home run. Ryley Widell made his second appearance. He gave up one run on two hits over 3.2 innings of work. He struck out three without issuing a walk. Moises Gomez gave up three runs on four hits in the final 5.1 innings. He walked four, but he struck out nine. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 3, GCL Orioles 5 Box Score Jordan Balazovic started for the GCL Twins on Monday. The right-hander from Canada gave up five runs (four earned) on seven hits in 5.2 innings. He walked one and struck out one. Juan Mojica walked two, but got four outs without being charged with a run. Amilcar Cruz came on and threw two shutout innings. Ricky De La Torre is now hitting .288 after going 2-3 with a walk. Darling Cuestro was also 2-3 with a walk in the game. Kidany Salva went 2-4 with his first double of the season. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Alex Wimmers, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Jose Miranda, Elizabethton Twins TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Indianapolis (6:05 CST) - TBD Birmingham @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - LHP Stephen Gonsalves Ft. Myers @ Lakeland (5:30 CST) - RHP Cody Stashak Cedar Rapids - No Game Scheduled Elizabethton @ Pulaski (6:00 CST) - TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (11:00am CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Monday’s games. Click here to view the article

It was a full day of game action throughout the Twins minor league system. Offense wasn’t real strong for many of the teams, but there were some really nice wins. There were a couple of strong pitching performances. There was also a position player who got to pitch, which is always fun. There were a few transactions including hearing part of a trade that will bring the Twins a left-handed starting pitcher. All that and more.Find out everything and more that happened happened in the Twins system on Monday. Let’s start with the transactions of the day: Rochester announced that Michael Kohn has been signed and placed on their disabled list. (Jeremy wrote this in yesterday’s report, but the Red Wings made it official on Thursday night.)The Red Wings also activated infielder Leonardo Reginnato from the DL, and Bengie Gonzalez was released.2016 supplemental second-round pick Akil Baddoo was promoted from the GCL to Elizabethton.Oh, there was also a report you may have read, that the Twins may be close to a deal with Atlanta which would bring lefty Jaime Garcia to Minnesota. Reportedly, it will cost the Twins a yet-to-be-determined prospect, and the Twins may or may not receive a low-level prospect as well.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 3, Toledo 6 Box Score After starting his Red Wings career with 15 scoreless innings, Gee was back on the mound on Thursday night. He gave up five runs on eight hits in six innings. He walked none and struck out five. DJ Baxendale gave up a run on three hits in the seventh. Jake Reed pitched a scoreless eighth inning, and Michael Tonkin struck out two in a scoreless ninth. JB Shuck led the offense. He went 3-4. Byungho Park stayed hot. He went 2-3 with a walk. Niko Goodrum went 2-5 with his fourth triple. Mitch Garver went 1-3 with a walk and he stole his first base of the season. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Mobile 1 Box Score The Lookouts got another nice win and did something difficult. They scored four runs on just three hits. Ryan Walker hit his third home run of the season. Later, they scored on a bases-loaded walk from LaMonte Wade, followed shortly by a Jonathan Rodriguez sacrifice fly. Kohl Stewart started again and improved to 4-4. In five innings, he gave up one run on just one hit. He walked four and struck out three. Of his 70 pitches, only 36 were strikes. Randy Rosario came on and threw two scoreless innings. He gave up three hits. Paul Clemens gave up just one hit in a scoreless eighth inning. Luke Bard recorded his fifth save with a scoreless ninth inning. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, Bradenton 4 Box Score Cedar Rapids native Mitch Keller is a pitching prospect in the Pittsburgh Pirates system. On this night, he shut down the Miracle offense. He was charged with an unearned run on one hit over six innings. He walked two and struck out four. The Miracle had just four total hits in the game. Jaylin Davis went 1-3 with a walk. Brent Rooker went 0-3 and is now 0-10 in three games since joining the Miracle. Cody Stashak started for the Miracle. He gave up four runs on seven hits in six innings.He walked two and struck out three. Alex Robinson came in for the final two innings. He gave up two hits, but no runs. He struck out four without issuing a walk. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, Great Lakes 10 Box Score It as a rough night for the Kernels which led to one of our favorite things in baseball… Position Player Pitching! Down 9-0 going into the ninth inning, infielder Joe Cronin was brought in to the game to pitch the ninth. How did he do? Well, you’ll just have to read on to find out. Let’s start at the top though. Tyler Beardsley started. He gave up four runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings. He struck out one. Max Cordy worked the next two innings. He gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits. He walked three and struck out five. Ryan Mason was charged with three runs (one earned) on four hits and a walk. That brings us to Cronin. He gave up one run on two hits and a walk in the ninth. He also struck out two. The Kernels offense managed just four hits. Aaron Whitefield went 1-3 with a walk. Caleb Hamilton walked twice. Christian Cavaness hit his tenth double. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 7, Bristol 1 Box Score Lefty Charlie Barnes got the start for the E-Twins on Thursday night. He gave up only an unearned run on four hits over five innings to improve to 2-1 and drop his ERA to 1.31 He walked one and struck out four. Nick Brown came on and struck out eight over four, two-hit innings. He didn’t issue any walks and recorded the save. Wander Javier drove in runs early. He had two RBI doubles. He was 2-5 and now has six doubles. Rainis Silva went 3-4 with his first homer. TJ Dixon was also 3-4. Ariel Montesino went 2-4 with a walk. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 1, GCL Rays 5 Box Score Rains came which cut this game short after just five innings. The Twins had just three hits. Ben Rodriguez drove in Alex Robles with the team’s lone run. Petru Balan started and gave up five runs on eight hits in 4.2 innings. He walked three and struck out four. Juan Mojica came on and recorded the final out of the fifth inning on a strikeout. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Charlie Barnes, Elizabethton Twins Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Rainis Silva, Elizabethton Twins FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Toledo @ Rochester (5:05 CST) - RHP Tim Melville Chattanooga @ Mobile (7:05 CST) - RHP Dereck Rodriguez Tampa @ Ft. Myers (6:05 CST) - RHP Sean Poppen Great Lakes @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - Evan Sanders Bluefield @ Elizabethton (6:00 CST) - TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Red Sox (11:00am CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Thursday’s games. Click here to view the article

Happy Independence Day! Monday was another Stephen Gonsalves start which is always must-see milb.tv. A former first-round pick provided the offense for the Lookouts. The Red Wings stayed hot, and Aaron Slegers kept a nice streak going. The Miracle used a big inning again to turn a deficit into a win. The Kernels got another terrific pitching performance from a newcomer. The E-Twins bats showed up again, and the GCL Twins played some extra innings. It was a full night in the system. It was also a big night for a former Twins minor leaguer. Right-hander Tim Shibuya, pitching for the Tulsa Drillers in the Texas League, kept a no-hitter intact until two outs in the ninth inning. He had to settle for a complete game, one-hit shutout instead. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Mississippi 2 Box Score It was another start for Stephen Gonsalves, which means that Stephen Gonsalves put together another quality start. The left-hander gave up two runs on eight hits over six innings. He struck out six without issuing a walk. He improved to 5-3 with a 2.67 ERA. Gonsalves was replaced by Todd Van Steensel whose season's ERA dropped to 1.72 with two more scoreless frames. He struck out three. Nick Anderson recorded his first AA save with a perfect ninth which included a strikeout. The offense did little early in the game. In fact, they had just two hits until the seventh inning when they put a three-spot on the board. The big hit again came off the bat of Levi Michael.He hit a three-run homer, his fourth of the season. They added another run in the eighth for the final tally. Edgar Corcino went 2-5 with his 14th double. Nick Gordon was 2-4. Alex Perez went 2-4 with his first AA double. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 10, St. Lucie 7 Box Score The game ended well after midnight in Ft. Myers. The start of the game was delayed, and then there was a longer delay in the third inning. On Sunday, the Miracle used an 11-run eighth inning to earn a big win. They used a big inning again on Monday to come back and win another game. Down 7-4 going into the bottom of the 7th inning, the Miracle scored six runs to take a three-run lead. Cody Stashak started and went the first three innings. Given a 4-1 lead, he loaded the bases in the top of the third. Tim Tebow launched a double to the fence in left center field to tie the game. (Tebow went 1-2 with 2 walks) That’s when the rains came. When the game continued, Williams Ramirez came into the game. He threw two shutout innings. Tom Hackimer worked the next two innings. He struck out two but was charged with an unearned run. Andrew Vasquez recorded his first Miracle save with two shutout innings. Zander Wiel went 2-5 with his 15th and 16th doubles. Kevin Garcia went 2-5 with a triple. Jaylin Davis went 2-3 and was hit by a pitch. Mitchell Kranson and Jermaine Palacios were both 2-5. Max Murphy went 1-3 with two walks. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Clinton 0 Box Score A night after Griffin Jax shut out Clinton in his first Kernels start, lefty Anthony Marzi started another shutout for the team. Signed over the weekend from the independent New Britain Bees, Marzi threw the first 6.2 innings. He gave up three hits, walked one and struck out eight batters. His pitching coach, JP Martinez, was impressed. “Marzi forced the ball inside all night which he told me he likes to. So his plan lined up with what we had on their hitters. He creates some deception, throws across his body and fills the zone. Push-pull with his changeup was good, and he put some right-handed hitters away with his slider, which was nice to see.” Ryan Mason came on and got the next four outs. Hector Lujan recorded his eighth save with a 1-2-3 ninth inning, including a strikeout. Lujan took over closer’s duties about a month ago, and he has been terrific. It’s a role he has enjoyed. “The biggest thing I've felt that has helped me get comfortable in these games is just having the mentality of attacking and getting ahead of hitters. Being able to get ahead in the count with any pitch depending on the hitter and what his approach has been the whole game. All in all, I'm just trying to be able to get out there and do what I can to help get a team W.” Martinez noted that Lujan was displaying some of the traits of a closer all season, even before claiming the role. “Hector has been poised and aggressive whenever we’ve thrown (in) him all year. He picked up a cutter in the offseason, and we’ve worked hard to refine it. It has become his bread and butter and is pretty firm, sitting 87-89. He’s got a lively fastball at 93-96, so it’s tough for guys to get comfortable against him. I’ve been really happy with his mentality, his work ethic, and his composure in those tight spots.” Ben Rortvedt drove in the first run with a single. He was 2-4. Lewin Diaz drove in the other run with a single. He also was 2-4. Joe Cronin was 2-4 with a triple. Lean Marrero was also 2-4. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 7, Danville 1 Box Score The E-Twins turned the tables in Danville on Monday night after Danville won on Sunday by the same score. Edwar Colina was very good. The right-hander gave up up one run on three hits over six innings. He walked three and struck out seven. The bullpen finished the job. Converted catcher Juan Gamez struck out two over two perfect innings. Jose Martinez struck out one in the ninth. 2017 ninth-round pick Mark Contreras went 3-5 with his first two doubles and his first triple as a pro. TJ Dixon went 2-5 with his first triple. Carson Crites went 2-6. Kolton Kendrick and Trey Cabbage both had a single and two walks. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 2, GCL Rays 3 (10 innings) Box Score Right-hander Tyler Beardsley hasn’t pitched in a game since he started for Cedar Rapids in May 21. On Monday, he made a rehab appearance in the GCl. He threw two scoreless innings. He gave up three hits, walked none and struck out three. Beardsley noted, "It felt good to be back out there competing. I've put a lot of hard work in these last six weeks to get back on the mound." Amilcar Cruz worked the next two innings. He gave up no runs on two hits, walked one and struck out two. Next to the mound for the Twins was Brusdar Graterol. He gave up two runs on four hits over five innings. He walked just one and struck out eight batters. Royce Lewis is now hitting .360 after this 2-5 game. He added his fourth double. Alex Robles went 2-4 with his second double. Ben Rodriguez added his first pro double. The game was tied going into the bottom of the 10th inning. Vadim Balan entered the game. He hit the first batter. The next guy laid down a bunt. Balan fielded it and threw it away. The runner came around from first base to score and end the game. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Anthony Marzi, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Mark Contreras, Elizabethton Twins TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Pawtucket @ Rochester (6:05 CST) - RHP Justin Haley Tennessee @ Chattanooga (5:15 CST) - RHP Kohl Stewart Ft. Myers @ Tampa (6:00 CST) - TBD Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (5:05 CST) - RHP Eduardo Del Rosario Princeton @ Elizabethton (6:00 CST) - RHP Huascar Ynoa GCL Rays @ GCL Twins (9:00 am CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Monday’s games. Click here to view the article

Happy Father's Day to all the dads, grandpas and great-grandpas across Twins Territory. Baseball can be quite the bonding experience for fathers and sons. This bond is passed down through the generations. My dad worked many long days as a UPS driver for over 30 years. I still remember waiting up for him to get home so we could play catch. He'd schedule his breaks so he could show up in his brown work uniform to play in the father-son baseball game. He took me to my first Twins game where I got to watch Kirby Puckett, the man I thought was a hero. It turns out the hero was the man who brought me to the game. The man who didn't have to play catch with me when he got home after a long work day. The man who didn't have to take his breaks so he could play in a kid's baseball game. These are the memories that stick with a person as other memories fade away. Thank you, Dad!RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Pawtucket 2 (Game 1- 8 Innings) Box Score Rochester scored in each of the first two frames to take an early 2-0 lead. After a Matt Hague walk, singles from Mitch Garver and ByungHo Park plated the first run. JB Shuck was hit by a pitch to start the second. Bengie Gonzalez and Engelb Vielma were walked to load the bases. Zach Granite singled to push the score to 2-0 with no outs. Unfortunately, the Red Wings would score only one with the bases loaded and no outs. Chris Heston started and allowed two earned runs on seven hits with a strikeout. Drew Rucinski didn't allow a run in two innings. Michael Tonkin picked up his second win after striking out four of the six batters he faced to end the game. Seven innings wasn't enough to decide the first game of the doubleheader. Lucky enough for Rochester fans, Matt Hague didn't wait long into extra-frames. He led off the top of the eighth inning with his fifth home run of the season which turned out to be the game-winning knock. Rochester 2, Pawtucket 1 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score Rochester found themselves in an early 1-0 hole but that's where the scoring would stop for the Red Sox. Tim Melville, in his second start with Rochester, pitched five innings and allowed one run. He danced around four walks and three hits but struck out four on the way to his first win. Trevor Hildenberger picked up save number five with two scoreless frames including three strikeouts. JB Shuck started the third with a double, his 15th on the season. Bengie Gonzlez was the next batter and he reached on a throwing error which allowed Shuck to score. In the top of the fifth, Tommy Field singled and scored on a single from Shuck. The play included two errors from the Red Sox outfield so neither of the runs scored by Rochester were earned. With two wins on Sunday, Rochester is now just one game under .500 at 32-33 on the season. They are 11 games out of first place in the International League North but they are only eight games back in the wild card race with plenty of baseball left to play. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 10, Tennessee 2 Box Score Chattanooga pounded out 12 hits and 10 runs on their way to the club's 42nd win this season. With the game tied at 1-1 in the top of the fourth, the Lookouts plated four runs. Ryan Walker started the inning with a single and moved to third on Nick Gordon's second double of the game. Levi Michael drove in one with a ground-out before LaMonte Wade added a run-scoring single. Wade stole second in front of an Andy Wilkins double. Then Dan Gamache doubled to bring in Wilkins and cap the four-run inning. TJ White broke the game open in the seventh inning with a three-run home run. It was his third homer of the season. Nick Gordon finished 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and three runs scored. Wade, Wilkins and Walker all had multi-hit games. Paul Clemens was able to put the game on cruise control to improve to 2-0 with the Lookouts. He scattered five hits over five innings while adding a strikeout and a walk. Alex Muren struck out two in two innings but did allow a solo home run. Todd Van Steensel pitched two scoreless innings to finish the contest, lowereing his ERA to 1.93. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 16, Clinton 3 Box Score With a chance to clinch a playoff spot on Sunday, the Kernels made quick work of the LumberKings. Cedar Rapids sent 13 men to the plate in the first inning on their way to scoring nine runs. Travis Blankenhorn scored twice in the frame including a two-run home run. Lewin Diaz added a two-run single and Christian Cavaness brought home two with a triple. The Kernels added to their lead in the second with an Aaron Whitefield two-run home run and a run scoring single from Blankenhorn. Their 12-0 lead was more than enough for the pitching staff. Whitefield finished with a career-high five runs batted in. Ben Rortvedt connected for his first career home run as part of a three-hit game. Blankenhorn went 4-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored, and three RBI. Every batter in the Kernels' starting line-up reached base. Max Cordy pitched into the fourth inning and allowed one run on three hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Alex Robinson was credited with the win. He tossed 2.1 scoreless innings with a strikeout and a walk. Logan Lombana allowed a pair of runs in one inning. Patrick McGuff finished off the game with two scoreless frames including two strikeouts. The Kernels qualified for the Midwest League playoffs for the fifth year in a row and secured the longest playoff streak in Cedar Rapids professional baseball history. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Michael Tonkin, Rochester Red Wings (2 IP, 4 K, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB) Hitter of the Day – Travis Blankenhorn, Cedar Rapids Kernels (4-for-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Buffalo (6:05 CST) - TBD Chattanooga - Scheduled Off-Day Fort Myers @ Jupiter (5:30 CST) - TBD Cedar Rapids - Scheduled Off-Day Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

Ft. Myers had their game postponed. The three Minnesota Twins affiliates did all play each received a quality start from their starting pitcher. That’s always good, at least enough to keep a team in a game until late. John Curtiss kept a streak going. And, Tommy Watkins experienced a first as a manager. To find out what it was, well, you’ll just have to keep reading.Find out everything and more that happened happened in the Twins system on Wednesday, starting with the transactions of the day. TRANSACTIONS Check out the transactions through the minor league system on Wednesday: Following their afternoon game on Wednesday, the Kernels announced that Tyler Beardsley was placed on the disabled list with right elbow bursitis. Also, OF Shane Carrier was sent down to extended spring training with OF Hank Morrison coming up to Cedar Rapids from EST.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 5, Durham 6 Box Score Mitch Garver got things going early for the Red Wings with his third home run of the season. The solo homer gave them a 1-0 lead. Aaron Slegers gave up two in the top of the third inning. In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Red Wings put together a rally. RBI doubles from Matt Hague, Niko Goodrum and Mitch Garver gave the Red Wings the lead. In the seventh, Niko Goodrum hit a sacrifice fly to score Engelb Vielma and give them a 5-2 lead. Aaron Slegers was strong again on this night. The right-hander went six innings and gave up just two runs on six hits. He struck out five without allowing a walk. Alan Busenitz came on and pitched a scoreless seventh inning. He started the eighth frame and got two outs. He left the game with a runner on first base. Buddy Boshers came on and gave up an RBI double. Boshers exited, replaced by Drew Rucinski. He gave up a run-scoring single followed by a two-run homer, and the Red Wings were down 6-5, then game’s final score. Alex Wimmers pitched a perfect ninth inning. Mitch Garver led the offense. He went 3-4 with his seventh double and third home run. Matt Hague was 2-5 with his sixth double. Byungho Park went 2-3 with a walk and his sixth double. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 2, Montgomery 0 Box Score The Lookouts got tremendous pitching through this shutout. Fernando Romero started and threw six scoreless innings. He gave up three hits, walked three and struck out five. Luke Bard came on and struck out four over the next two innings. He gave up two hits and walked one. John Curtiss recorded his eighth save, had two strikeouts in the ninth and kept his ERA for the year at 0.00. There wasn’t a lot of offense for the Lookouts either in this game. In fact, they scored both of their runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one out, Ryan Walker singled and Nick Gordon doubled him to third. Edgar Corcino came up and singled in both runs. The double was Gordon’s 12th of the season. TJ White went 1-2 with a walk and his third double. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers, Dunedin (Postponed) Box Score Rain forced the postponement of Wednesday night’s game in Dunedin. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Thursday. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Clinton 3 Box Score The Kernels played a matinee game at home against Clinton on Wednesday. Clark Beeker put together another quality start. The right-hander gave up two runs (one earned) on six hits. He struck out two without a walk. However, when he left, the Kernels were down 2-0. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Brandon Lopez doubled. Ben Rortvedt struck out, but the ball eluded the catcher and he reached first base. They took advantage of that wild pitch when Aaron Whitefield tripled to score both runs and tie the game. Alex Robinson came on and put two zeroes on the board. He struck out three. But after getting the first out of out the ninth, he gave up a walk and a single. Hector Lujan came on and gave up a single to load the bases. He then got a ground ball. Jermaine Palacios fielded the ball, threw to second base for the force out, allowing the lead runner to score. The throw was made to first base where the runner was safe, but when a second runner tried to score, he was thrown out at the plate to end the inning. Lopez led the offense. He went 3-4 with his third double. Ariel Montesino was 2-5. Lewin Diaz hit his 17th double. Whitefield’s two-run triple was his third of the season. It was an early game, and it came to an end early for manager Tommy Watkins who was ejected in the first inning for the first time as a manager. He was arguing an out call on an attempted steal of second by Ariel Montesino. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Fernando Romero, Chattanooga Lookouts Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Mitch Garver, Rochester Red Wings THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Durham @ Rochester (10:05 a.m. CST) - RHP Nick Tepesch (GAME POSTPONED BY RAIN) Montgomery @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - RHP Ryan Eades Ft. Myers @ Dunedin (DH at 4:05 CST) - RHP Brady Anderson Clinton @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - RHP Eduardo Del Rosario Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Wednesday’s games. Click here to view the article