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The Twins received some outstanding hitting performances in the minors, Edouard Julien and Christian Encarnacion-Strand teamed up to do major damage, and Cole Sands overpowered his opponents. Read all about that and more in this edition of the minor league report. TRANSACTIONS OF Kennie Taylor placed on 7-day IL INF Tim Beckham contract selected by Minnesota OF Mark Contreras recalled by Minnesota Saints Sentinel St. Paul 7, Iowa 1 Box Score Cole Sands: 5 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Braden Bishop (2-for-4, 3B, 2 RBI) St. Paul smoked Iowa on Saturday. Cole Sands did the darn thing, pitching five quality innings with a single earned run, and seven punched tickets; that’s the kind of effort that could earn him a promotion back to the majors. Until then, Sands can bask in a great start. St. Paul’s bats only scored in one inning, but they made it count; a seven-run 2nd frame drowned Iowa for good. It was a classic gang-up; Braden Bishop, Jake Cave, Jermaine Palacios, and Roy Morales all obtained RBIs for their work in aiding the scoring. Old, uhhh, acquaintance Andrelton Simmons struck out three times in four tries for the Iowa Cubs. Daniel Gossett, Brad Peacock, Evan Sisk, and Drew Strotman combined for four shutout innings with six strikeouts. At least one of those arms will probably be on the Twins soon. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 11, NW Arkansas 3 Box Score Brent Headrick: 4 IP, 0 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K HR: Edouard Julien 2 (11, 12), Christian Encarnacion-Strand (5) Multi-hit games: Edouard Julien (2-for-4, 2 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI), Christian Encarnacion-Strand (2-for-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI), Jair Camargo (2-for-4), Cole Sturgeon (2-for-3, 2B, 2 R, RBI, BB) The Wind Surge bludgeoned their opponent on Saturday. It all began where you would expect: at the top of the lineup. Edouard Julien, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Jair Camargo all had multiple hits; Julien cleaned up four RBIs and scored three runs, charged largely by two home runs. Wichita did dabble in democracy, as every batter contributed at least one hit towards a 14-hit total. The pitchers established order early; Brent Headrick allowed no hits but does have an earned run on his ledger as the scored run reached base off a walk. You don’t see that every day. Cody Laweryson was even more effective, punching our four batters over two clean innings of relief. Wichita netted seven extra-base hits; NW Arkansas had three hits total. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 6, Wisconsin 7 Box Score Travis Adams: 3 1/3 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K HR: Yunior Severino (9), Aaron Sabato (14) Multi-hit games: Alerick Soularie (2-for-5, 2B, 2 R, RBI) Cedar Rapids lost a close game on Saturday. Travis Adams couldn’t find a break; Wisconsin touched up the righty for seven runs, with four coming via the “earned” variety. A first-inning three-run homer following an error was the culprit. Cedar Rapids struck early as well; their bats plated six runs across the first two frames in support of Adams. Yunior Severino continued a truly blistering July with a two-run homer; Alerick Soularie then doubled home another run in the following inning. Aaron Sabato, always sure to never miss out on the fun, blasted a two-run home run to conclude the Kernels’ onslaught. While Cedar Rapids’ bats receded following their early-game attack, the arms established order; Ryan Shreve, Jon Olsen, and Hunter McMahon combined for 4 2/3 scoreless innings with seven punch outs. Mussel Matters Game one: Fort Myers 2, Tampa 5 (7 innings) Box Score Steve Hajjar: 4 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 8 K HR: None Multi-hit games: None The Mighty Mussels were quiet in game one on Saturday. Steve Hajjar commanded the ball, striking out eight batters against no walks; two home runs proved to be his earned-run downfall. This was Hajjar’s second start since returning from the IL, and it was his longest; rain capped his previous outing to two outs. Fort Myers’ offense struggled to match Tampa’s offense; just three batters gained a hit, and three other ones walked, but the team could only plate a pair of runs. Noah Miller slugged a double—a notable event given his recent power struggle—while Misael Urbina also doubles—a notable event as Urbina has smashed the ball since returning. Game two: Fort Myers 4, Tampa 2 Box Score Mike Paredes: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K HR: Nelson Roberto (3), Mikey Perez (8) Multi-hit games: Mikey Perez (2-for-3, HR, 2 R, RBI) Fort Myers returned the gesture in game two. Mike Paredes established the tone, allowing two measly runs over six efficient innings. Paredes is an easy name to overlook, but he holds a 2.19 ERA on the season; that has to count for something. Mikey Perez lead the offensive in this effort; the speedy infielder blasted his eighth homer while also stealing his 32nd base. Outside of a Nelson Roberto homer, the offense remained quiet, but they could afford to; Perez’s outburst ensured they would not require more runs to win. Juan Mendez struck out the side to end the game. Complex Chronicles FCL Twins 2, FCL Red Sox 3 (11 innings) Box Score Matt Canterino: 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K HR: None Multi-hit games: None The FCL Twins lost a slim affair. Matt Canterino returned to the mound for the second time since his rehab assignment began earlier in the week. The righty worked five outs with three strikeouts and one run allowed. Offense evaded the FCL Twins all day; the team netted two hits with a lone RBI and four walks in the game. Fredy Michel stole his 11th base on the season. Dominican Dailies DSL Twins 5, DSL Rockies 0 Box Score Cesar Lares: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K HR: None Multi-hit games: None The DSL Twins shut out the DSL Rockies on Saturday. The game was an example of poor defense dominating the lower minors; the DSL Rockies allowed two unearned runs off four misplays in nine innings. Yasser Mercedes stole his 17th base of the season; Yasser Mercedes has played 28 games. Cesar Lares continued his impressive start to professional baseball; the lefty fanned four batters over four innings with no earned runs. Lares now owns a 2.43 ERA. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Cole Sands Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Edouard Julien, PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #5 - Matt Canterino (Rehab) - 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K #6 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 0-3, R, 2 BB, 2 K #8 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 1-4, 2B, RBI, K #12 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-4, BB, 2 K #15 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 2-for-4, 2 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI #16 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Wichita) - 2-for-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI #17 - Cole Sands (St. Paul) - 5 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K #19 - Steve Hajjar (Ft. Myers) - 4 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 8 K SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Iowa @ St. Paul (2:07 PM) - RHP Ariel Jurado NW Arkansas @ Wichita (1:05 PM) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (1:10 PM) - TBD Tampa @ Fort Myers (12:00 PM) - TBD View full article

Tuesday saw the return of a pair of top pitching prospects in Double-A, but it was power from the lineups for Cedar Rapids and Wichita that led their teams to victories. TRANSACTIONS There were a slew of transactions in the system leading into Tuesday’s games. RHP Tyler Viza was released from the St. Paul Saints roster, and RHP Daniel Gosset was assigned from the Wind Surge in his place.. In Double-A, RHP Francis Peguero was assigned to Wichita from Cedar Rapids, RHP Simeon Woods Richardson, and RHP Blayne Enlow were activated from the injured list. SS Kevin Merrell was released, and RHP Melvi Acosta was placed on the development list. In Fort Myers, LHP Ryan Horstman was sent on a rehab assignment with the FCL Twins, and LHP Jesus Toledo was released. SAINTS SENTINEL Iowa 6, St. Paul 2 Box Score Devin Smeltzer took the hill for the Saints on Tuesday and was solid through his five innings. He allowed just one run on four hits and a walk while punching out six Cubs hitters. Despite that effort, he wasn’t in line for a win as his offense struggled just as much against the opposing pitchers. They did manage to tie the game at one in the bottom of the fifth by stringing together three singles, the third of which was the RBI variety off the bat of Tim Beckham. Drew Strotman was summoned for the sixth inning and allowed a hit, a walk, and an unearned run for the Cubs to retake the lead. Juan Minaya came on for the seventh and delivered a scoreless inning. In the bottom half, the Saints put together a two-out rally, started by a Spencer Steer walk. Jake Cave then brought him home with a double to tie the game at two. Back out for the eighth, Minaya ran into trouble and a fielders choice grounder allowed another go-ahead run to score for the Cubs. Minaya finished 1 1/3, striking out one. With rain and lightning rearing its head by this point, the game was at risk of being suspended at any point. They made it into the top of the ninth inning and Evan Sisk had recorded three outs by that point, including two K’s, but a single and a walk in the ninth came before being delayed. When play resumed, Wladamir Pinto was brought in to pitch, and it didn’t go well. A double, walk, and sac fly resulted in three more runs for the Cubs, and a 6-2 lead. A pair of walks to start the bottom of the ninth gave some good vibes, but they were quickly erased by a double-play ball from Steer, and a strikeout from Cave to end the game. The Saints got multi-hit efforts from Beckham (2-for-4, RBI, K) and Jermaine Palacios (2-for-4, 2 K). As a team, they were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base. WIND SURGE WISDOM NW Arkansas 3, Wichita 9 Box Score Wichita took the lead early and never looked back in this one, putting it well out of reach late. Blayne Enlow was given the start after being activated from the injured list and pitched the first two innings. He faced the minimum and allowed just a walk, and struck out one. Simeon Woods Richardson joined him on the return from the IL, and went the next two innings, allowing one hit and striking out two. The Wind Surge had taken a 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a two-run home run from Chris Williams, his 18th of the season. The game was relatively quiet from there until the seventh, when Wichita extended their lead to 5-0 thanks to a three-run bomb from Cole Sturgeon. They tacked on four more in the eighth thanks to a two-run single from Christian Encarnacion-Strand, sac fly from Williams, and RBI double from Andrew Bechtold. After Enlow and Woods Richardson were done, Cody Laweryson (3 IP, 4 H, BB, 2 K), Alex Phillips (2/3 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, K), and Denny Bentley (1 1/3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, K) finished off the win for Wichita. Encarnacion-Strand (2-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, K), Sturgeon (2-for-3, R, HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB), Bechtold (2-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB, K), and Nash Knight (2-for-3, R, BB, K) each had two hits in the win. Out of the leadoff spot, Edouard Julien went 1-for-4, scored two runs, and drew a walk. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 10, Wisconsin 4 Box Score The Kernels fell behind 4-1 through four innings in this one but came back big late to take care of the Timber Rattlers. John Stankiewicz made the start and completed three innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits and two walks, while striking out two. While warming up for the fourth inning, he appeared to suffer an injury and had to leave the game. Tyler Palm replaced him and went the next two innings. He allowed two runs of his own on two hits and two walks. Cedar Rapids got on the scoreboard first in the opening frame, when Yunior Severino doubled, and a relay throw got away from the shortstop allowing Aaron Sabato, who had drawn a walk, to scamper home. They didn’t score again until the sixth, and that’s when the tides began to turn. They closed the gap to 4-3 thanks to a Severino two-run homer. They tied it at four in the seventh on a sac fly from Will Holland to score Wander Javier, who had led off the inning with a double. They took a 5-4 lead in the eighth when, you guessed it, Severino added another RBI double to his ledger. Orlando Rodriguez (2 IP, 3 H, 2 K), Hunter McMahon (1 IP, 2 K), and Jon Olsen (1 IP, 2 K) combined to shutout Wisconsin after the fourth inning. In the ninth, the Kernels blew it wide open thanks to some wild pitching, and a big blast from one of their sluggers. Javier led off with a single, then a pair of walks and a hit by pitch scored the first run, and left the bases loaded for Sabato. He cleared them on a 3-1 pitch, sending a 436-foot blast out of the stadium in dead center to put an exclamation on the win. Sabato finished 1-for-3, but reached base three times and scored three runs, in addition to the grand slam. Severino drove in four with his 3-for-5 night, including two doubles and a home run of his own. Javier also chipped in two hits, including a double, drew a walk, and scored two runs (don’t look now, but Javier has an .870 OPS since the start of June). MUSSEL MATTERS Tampa 7, Fort Myers 2 (10 innings) Box Score Jaylen Nowlin took the mound for the Mighty Mussels and was solid over his five innings. He allowed two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out five. Both runs came in the third inning, in which he allowed three singles. Jackson Hicks pitched two scoreless innings of relief, walking one and striking out three. He was followed by John Wilson who got them to extra innings with two scoreless frames. Back out for the tenth, however, he was charged with three earned runs on two hits and two walks, striking out one in his 2 2/3 innings. The Fort Myers lineup was actually being no-hit through six innings, but Noah Miller finally led off the seventh with a single to end that bid. He was caught stealing during the next at-bat, but Keoni Cavaco added a single of his own and two players were hit by pitches to load the bases, but they weren’t able to cash in. In the bottom of the ninth, it was again Miller getting a rally started, as he drew a leadoff walk. Cavaco and Kala’i Rosario then each followed with a single to get the Mighty Mussels on the board, before a pair of groundouts were enough to get Cavaco home to tie the game and send it to extra innings. But it unraveled pretty quickly for Wilson on the mound, and Johnathan Lavallee wasn’t able to limit the damage either, allowing two hits, a walk, and two runs (one earned) of his own as they fell behind 7-2. Cavaco’s two hits led the offense, who had just four hits on the night as a team. They were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left only six men on base for the game. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Braves 2, FCL Twins 5 (6+ innings) Box Score There were several games in the Florida Complex League on Tuesday that were affected by rain, and the Twins game was called official after being suspended in the top of the seventh. Brayan Medina pitched the first four innings, allowing two runs on a homer in the first inning, but didn’t allow any other damage after that, retiring 11 to finish his outing. He walked none and struck out four. Ryan Horstman (1 IP, K), Zaquiel Puentes (1 IP, 2 BB), and Yon Landaeta (2 BB) made appearances out of the bullpen. The Twins tied the game in the second inning, thanks to a two-run double from Ismael Perez. In the third, Danny De Andrade put them in front for good with a solo home run, his second of the season. Perez added another RBI double in the fourth, then a sac fly in the sixth to cap the scoring before the game was called. Perez (2-for-2, 2 2B, 4 RBI) and Gregory Duran (2-for-2, R, BB) each had two hits in the win. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 3, DSL Colorado 6 Box Score The Twins got a solid start from right-hander Miguel Olivares, who finished five scoreless innings and left with his team-leading 3-0. He allowed just one hit, walked two, and struck out three. Relievers Oscar Paredes (2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB, K) and Leonardo Lugo (2/3 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, K) combined to allow six runs and Colorado to come back. Jose Brito got the last out of the game for the Twins. Leading the lineup was Jose Rodriguez, who went 2-for-4 including a two-run home run, his ninth of the season. Bryan Acuna also had two hits, including a double, and stole a base. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Devin Smeltzer, St. Paul Saints (5 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 6 K) Hitter of the Day - Yunior Severino, Cedar Rapids Kernels (3-for-5, R, 2 2B, HR, 4 RBI, K) PROSPECT SUMMARY #4 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - 2 IP, H, 2 K #6 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, R, BB #8 - Noah Miller (Fort Myers) - 1-for-3, R, BB, K #12 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, 2 K #13 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 2 IP, BB, K #15 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-for-4, 2 R, BB #16 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Wichita) - 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Iowa @ St. Paul (1:07 PM CDT) - RHP Aaron Sanchez (3-1, 4.50 ERA) NW Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP Casey Legumina Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (12:10 PM CDT) - TBD Tampa @ Fort Myers, Game 1 (3:30 PM CDT) - RHP Pierson Ohl (4-5, 4.37 ERA) Tampa @ Fort Myers, Game 2 - TBD DSL Cardinals @ DSL Twins (10:00 AM CDT) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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Christian Encarnacion-Strand continued his mammoth season while Kody Funderburk pitched a gem to propel the Wind Surge to victory. TRANSACTIONS INF Spencer Steer reported to Future's Game OF Matt Wallner reported to Future's Game C Caleb Hamilton promoted from Triple-A St. Paul to Minnesota Twins RHP Hunter Wood on 7-Day IL for the Saints. RHP Tyler Palm promoted from High-A Cedar Rapids to Double-A Wichita RHP Alex Scherff placed on IL SAINTS SENTINEL Toledo 7, St. Paul 3 Box Score Jake Cave (2-for-4, 2 2B, 2 R) and Jermaine Palacios (2-for-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, R) contributed the bulk of the Saints offense and all of their extra-base hits, an effort that was ultimately not enough to best the Mud Hens. Miguel Sanó finished 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. Aaron Sanchez started for St. Paul and allowed four runs in 5 2/3 innings. Ian Hamilton and Juan Minaya pitched the final 3 1/3 innings and combined to surrender three runs. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 9, Arkansas 2 Box Score It’s Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s world and we’re all just living in it. The Twins’ best power bat in the minors continued his incredible season with a two, home run performance in only his second Double-A game. He now has 26 to go along with 26 doubles and a .996 OPS in 98 career Minor League games. But his bat wasn’t the only one lighting up the night sky in Wichita Friday evening. Chris Williams (2-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB) also launched two home runs—his 14th and 15th of the season—while DeShawn Keirsey Jr. (4-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 R) *only* hit one. In total, the Wind Surge erupted for 12 hits with seven going for extra bases. On the mound, lefty Kody Funderburk did more than enough. He pitched six innings and struck out eight while surrendering only one run and allowing five Travelers to reach base. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Beloit 2 Box Score Aaron Sabato’s 10th home run of the season could not have come at a better time. The solo shot gave the Kernels a 3-2 lead in the top of the 8th inning, a lead they would ultimately not surrender. He finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Seth Gray drove in two runs and finished 1-for-3 with a double and a walk. Sean Mooney was lights out on the mound after the first inning when he allowed two runs after Cedar Rapids scored two of their own in the top of the frame. Mooney finished with nine strikeouts and zero walks. Miguel Rodriguez and Bobby Milacki allowed only one Sky Carp batter to reach base in four innings of relief. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 6, Clearwater 1 Box Score Fort Myers 7, Clearwater 4 Box Score The Might Mussels came away with two victories over the Threshers in Fort Myers Friday. They took Game 1 behind the bats of Carlos Aguiar (2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R), Noah Cardenas (2-for-3, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 R), and Rubel Cespedes (1-for-3, 2B, RBI, R). Marco Raya and Malik Barrington combined to strike out seven and walk five, but the duo allowed only a single run and no extra-base hits. During the second game, it was the bats of Misael Urbina (2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, BB, R), Noah Miller (3-for-3, BB, R), Mikey Perez (2-for-3, 2 2B, RBI, R), and Keoni Cavaco (1-for-4, 2B, RBI, R) that pushed Fort Myers over Clearwater. The Mighty Mussels pitching staff once again struggled with walks—they allowed six compared to seven strikeouts—but they were able to limit the damage thanks to only one of the Threshers’ six hits going for extra bases (a double). COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Red Sox 9, FCL Twins 3 Box Score It was a difficult day at the plate and on the mound for the FCL Twins. Only one batter—Alexander Peña (2-for-3, BB)—registered multiple hits, both being singles. Danny De Andrade (1-for-4) and Breilin Ramirez (1-for-4, RBI, R) each contributed doubles. Juan Nuñez started on the bump and struck out eight batters across four innings of work. However, he was saddled with the loss after surrendering three runs, two of them earned. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Angels 5, DSL Twins 3 Box Score Bryan Acuña (2-for-3, BB, R), José Rodriguez (1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI), and Yasser Mercedes (1-for-4, 3B, R) provided the thump for the DSL Twins lineup Friday afternoon, but it wasn’t enough to cover the DSL Angels and their 12 hits. Christian Jimenez, Eduardo Soriano, and Juan Mercedes struck out seven combined and did not allow a walk, but ultimately weren’t able to overcome the Angles’ lineup. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Kody Funderburk (Wichita): 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 8 K Hitter of the Day – Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Wichita): 2-for-3, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 2 R PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #8 - Noah Miller (Fort Myers) - 3-for-6, BB, R #9 - Marco Raya (Fort Myers) - 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 4 K #15 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-for-4, R #16 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Wichita) - 2-for-3, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 2 R SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul vs. Toledo (7:07 PM CST) - RHP Mario Sanchez (4-3, 3.24 ERA) Wichita vs. Arkansas (6:05 PM CST) - RHP Daniel Gossett (1-1, 2.22 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (6:35 PM CST) - LHP Brent Headrick (7-2, 2.39 ERA) Fort Myers vs. Clearwater (6:00 PM CST) - RHP Pierson Ohl (4-4, 4.42 ERA) View full article

Before any action above the Complex League took place today, the big news was Matt Wallner and Christian Encarnacion-Strand earning their promotions. Wallner is now back home in Minnesota at Triple-A, while Encarnacion-Strand heads to Double-A Wichita. Transactions: OF Matt Wallner has been promoted to Triple-A St. Paul C David Banuelos activated off IL by St. Paul RHP Ben Heller signed by Minnesota and assigned to Triple-A St. Paul INF Christian Encarnacion-Strand has been promoted to Double-A Wichita C Roy Morales transferred to Double-A Wichita from St. Paul C Frank Nigro was transferred to Single-A Fort Myers from Wichita C Alex Rodriguez was transferred to FCL Twins from Fort Myers CF Kennie Taylor activated off IL by Cedar Rapids C Jair Camargo begins rehab assignment for Wichita with FCL INF Ernie Yake begins rehab assignment for Wichita with FCL Making his Double-A debut this season, Wallner raked after a slow start. Across 78 games he posted a .299/.436/.597 slash line with 24 home runs. He’s reigned in the strikeouts to the tune of a manageable 107/62 K/BB, and he finished his time with the Wind Surge putting up a 4-for-4 effort on Wednesday night. Encarnacion-Strand was Minnesota’s 4th round pick in 2021, and he spent 74 games this year with High-A Cedar Rapids. Encarnacion-Strand got off to a hot start and has maintained the production to the tune of a .296/.370/.599 slash line. His 20 home runs are eye-popping, and the power plays well from the hot corner. Both players will now get extended run at the next level of the farm, likely remaining there through the duration of the season. Wallner joins teammate Spencer Steer as representatives for the MLB Futures Game taking place on Saturday in Los Angeles as part of the All-Star festivities. SAINTS SENTINEL Toledo 10, St. Paul 1 Box Score Former top Twins pitching prospect Jordan Balazovic was on the bump for the Saints tonight. He’s really struggled this year and couldn’t escape that same fate tonight. He went just two innings and allowed four runs on five hits. Balazovic gave up a walk, and a homer, while striking out one. Toledo scored first tallying two in the first frame. Then Kody Clemens, son of Roger Clemens, crushed a two-run bomb in the next frame. Down 4-0 in the third inning, rehabbing Miguel Sano roped a line drive single to plate Spencer Steer for the Saints first run. It continued to go sideways from there and by the time St. Paul batted in the 7th inning, they trailed 8-1. Failing to score in their half of the frame, the Saints Ariel Jurado served up two more on an 8th inning Mud Hens blast. Wallner was hitless to this point, and Sano's two raps didn't matter. It was a laugher at 10-1. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 11, Arkansas 5 Box Score Wichita went with Cody Laweryson tonight and he turned in a good outing. Working 3 1/3 innings, the righty allowed no runs on three hits. He allowed two walks but also struck out two batters. The Wind Surge jumped ahead early when Andrew Bechtold blasted his 12th homer of the year, a solo shot to left-center. Chris Williams continued his hot hitting, and his 13th double scored Cole Sturgeon to give the good guys a 2-0 lead in the 2nd inning. Not content with the first bit of production, Wichita went back to work in the 3rd inning. Williams hit his 12th homer of the year, this one a grand slam, to drive in Roy Morales, Bechtold, and Sturgeon. Then Edouard Julien took advantage of a fielding error allowing Anthony Prato to race home and make it a 7-0 lead. The Travelers got on the board with a 5th inning solo blast, but it was quickly negated when Prato scored on Ozoria’s fielder’s choice. Then the newly-promoted Christian Encarnacion-Strand recorded his first Double-A hit, a double, scoring both Ozoria and Julien making it 10-1. Offense remained the name of this game into the late innings. Arkansas drew closer with four runs in the 6th inning, but Williams answered with his 13th homer, and second of the game, to push the lead back up to 11-5. Bechtold and finished with four hits tonight while Williams had three hits and six RBI. Sturgeon also had a multi-hit game. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Beloit 1 Box Score David Festa has cruised this season for the Kernels and tonight was more of the same. He worked six innings allowing a single run on four hits. The righty picked up six punchouts and walked three. His ERA on the year is down to 1.86. Run production was in short supply tonight. Kyle Fedko ripped a solo shot in the 1st inning to make it 1-0, and then a passed ball allowed Alerick Soularie to scamper home. Despite giving up a run in the 6th inning, Cedar Rapids maintained the tight lead. After both Fedko and Soularie reached base in the 8th inning, Yunior Severino doubled the lead on a single and gave the Kernels breathing room to the tune of 4-1. Will Holland wanted to make sure a save situation wasn’t necessary, so his sacrifice fly in the 9th inning scored Wander Javier did just that. With eight hits total on the night, two hits came from each of Fedko, Severino, and Pat Winkel. MUSSEL MATTERS Postponed Tonight's game has been postponed due to unplayable field conditions. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Pirates 7, FCL Twins 4 Box Score Infielder Ernie Yake was rehabbing while on the injured list today with the FCL Twins. He was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and played second base. Jair Camargo was also playing as part of a rehab assignment. As the designated hitter, Camargo was 1-for-4 with a triple and an RBI. Luis Rijo was recently removed from the 60-day injured list and transferred to the FCL so he could continue to rehab. Today, he made another start. He went four innings while allowing two runs and striking out four. It was the first of his six appearances this season in which he’s allowed an earned run. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 6, DSL Colorado 5 Box Score Outfielder Yasser Mercedes was 4-for-5 including a leadoff homer in this one for the Twins. Anderson Nova also had a two-hit game while Anthony Narvaez punched out four across 2 2/3 innings of one-hit relief work. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Chris Williams (Wichita) - 3-4, 2 R, 6 RBI, 2B, 2 HR(13) PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #6 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 1-2, R, BB, K #7 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 2.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K #12 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-3, K #15 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-4, R #16 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Wichita) - 1-5, 2 RBI, 2B, K #18 - David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Toledo @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - RHP Aaron Sanchez Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - LHP Kody Funderburk Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (6:35PM CST) - RHP Sean Mooney Clearwater @ Fort Myers (3:30PM CST/Game 2 to follow) - TBD/TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates and the two Complex Season affiliates back and playing, View full article

Matt Wallner had four hits. Christian Encarnacion-Strand homered again. Jaylen Nowlin continued to strike out batters. 54 runs were scored throughout the Twins’ minor league system tonight. Read about this and more in Wednesday’s Minor League Report! Let’s see what happened this Wednesday in the Twins organization. TRANSACTIONS The Twins activated RHP Joe Smith from the 15-day IL RHP Josh Winder was optioned to AAA St. Paul AAA St. Paul released RHP JC Ramirez SAINTS (AAA) GAME 1 (CONTINUATION OF 7/12) St. Paul 11, Toledo 6 Box Score The Saints continued the game from Tuesday in which they only played 1+ innings before getting suspended. On Tuesday, Cole Sands started and gave up three runs in two innings. The Saints, however, gave him some support thanks to a homer from Michael Helman, an RBI double from Mark Contreras, and a two-run double from Miguel Sano. This game was picked up in the bottom of the second, where the Saints' rally (which ended after Sano’s double) was put to a halt to end the second inning. After the continuation, the Saints decided to use a bullpen game for the remaining seven innings. Tyler Viza, Hunter Wood, and Wladimir Pinto each threw two innings. Viza allowed two runs, and the other two didn’t allow any runs. The trio struck out seven batters and allowed four hits over six innings. The Saints got some offensive fireworks in the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, Jake Cave hit a two-run homer for his 12th of the season. One inning later, Caleb Hamilton hit a two-run shot for his 10th of the season, and Helman hit his second of the game, sixth of the season, to give the Saints a 10-5 lead. In the eighth, Contreras added another RBI double to pad the lead. Toledo scored one run in the top of the ninth, but it wasn’t enough as the Saints cruised to a five-run victory backed by four homers. Viza picked up the win for the Saints. Tim Beckham and Contreras had 3-hit games. Helman added two hits, and John Andreoli scored three runs. The Saints improved their record to 41-43 with the win. GAME 2 St. Paul 2, Toledo 8 Box Score The Saints should’ve saved some runs for game two. Through two innings, it looked like it was going to be a pitchers’ duel. Ronny Henriquez started for the Saints, cruising through two innings as he had struck out three and not allowed a run. On the other side, it was Shea Spitzbarth for Toledo. He, like Henriquez, had skated through two without allowing a run. Unlike Henriquez, Spitzbarth didn’t blow up in the third. For Toledo, Kody Clemens hit a three-run homer off of Henriquez to give Toledo their first lead of the game. Toledo went to their bullpen in the fourth, which backfired when Caleb Hamilton laced a two-run double into the left-field corner. Hamilton has been on fire in July, slashing .308/.400/.808 (1.208) across 26 at-bats. Sadly, those would end up being the only runs of the game for the Saints. Tyler Thornburg came in and had a disastrous outing, allowing four runs in a third of an inning. He went into a one-run game in the top of the sixth with a runner on first. He allowed a single, got a guy to ground out, walked a batter, then allowed a bases-clearing double and a two-run homer. He exited, and the Saints had a six-run deficit with six outs to play. After the sixth, the Saints couldn’t get anything going offensively, and they took the disappointing loss 8-2. Henriquez picked up the loss for the Saints as his record fell to 1-4. Helman went 2-for-3 to lead the offense, along with Hamilton’s two RBI. The Saints had to resort to a doubleheader split as their record fell to 41-44. WIND SURGE (AA) Wichita 16, Arkansas 12 Box Score The Wichita Wind Surge won in an absolute slugfest on Wednesday afternoon by a score of 16-12. The game was all Wichita early on. In the first inning, Cole Sturgeon started the scoring with a three-run homer, his seventh of the year. Later that inning, DaShawn Keirsey hit an RBI single to give Wichita an early 4-0 lead. In the second, Chris Williams scored Matt Wallner with an RBI single. In the third, Keirsey hit another RBI single, Wallner hit a two-run single, and Chris Williams hit a three-run homer to increase the lead to 11. And in the fourth, Daniel Ozoria hit an RBI single, Wallner hit another RBI single, and Edouard Julien hit a sac-fly to increase the lead to 14-0 early on. But Arkansas said not so fast. After Wichita starter Sawyer Gipson-Long survived the first four innings, only allowing three hits and no runs, he blew up in the fifth. Arkansas scored nine runs in the fifth, seven off of Gipson-Long, and two off of reliever Steven Klimek thanks to five doubles and a homer. Denny Bentley came in to pitch in the sixth, hoping to settle things down, and he did, throwing three strong innings, allowing one run, and striking out two. The lead was down to four, but Wichita increased it back to six in the bottom of the eighth thanks to an RBI single from Anthony Prato and a sac-fly from Wallner. Manuel Acosta allowed a two-run homer in the ninth, but it was not enough for Arkansas as the Wind Surge held on for a 16-12 win. Bentley picked up the win for Wichita, his second of the year. Wallner and Prato each had four hits to lead the offense. Sturgeon and Keirsey had three hits apiece, while Julien, Williams, and Nash Knight had two to help the offense. Every Wind Surge starter recorded a hit as the offense recorded 20 hits in the win. Wallner and Williams drove in four runs each in a memorable win for Wichita as they improved their record to 42-40. KERNELS (HIGH-A) Cedar Rapids 4, Beloit 2 Box Score The Kernels rode an all-around solid pitching performance and one particular hot bat to a victory Wednesday night that put them nearly 20 games above .500. The Kernels got off to a hot start in the top of the first when Christian Encarnacion-Strand belted his 20th homer of the season. Encarnacion-Strand has burst onto the scene this year in his first full professional season and has an impressive .969 OPS. Like the Saints, the Kernels went with a bullpen game. Jon Olsen started on the mound for Cedar Rapids and allowed two runs in the first. These proved to be the game's only runs for Beloit as the rest of the pitching staff was shut down. Matthew Swain gave two scoreless innings of relief, Orlando Rodriguez gave three, Tyler Palm gave two, and Ryan Shreve gave one. The four only allowed three hits in eight innings while striking out seven batters and not walking any. The Kernels took the lead for good in the top of the fifth when who else, but Encarnacion-Strand hit a two-run double to score Charles Mack and Kyler Fedko. Seth Gray followed with an RBI single to give the lead a little padding. With the win, the Kernels improve to 51-32 on the year. Rodriguez picked up his third win, and Shreve got the save, his first of the year. Encarnacion-Strand went 3-for-4 with three RBI to lead the offense, and Gray added two hits in the contest. MIGHTY MUSSELS (LOW-A) Fort Myers 6, Clearwater 2 Box Score The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels continued their dominant season on Wednesday with a convincing 6-2 win over Clearwater. Jaylen Nowlin made a start for Fort Myers in this one. He threw four innings, allowing one unearned run on four hits while striking out seven batters. In 2022, Nowlin has struck out 14.69 batters per nine innings, which ranks second in the Florida State League among pitchers with at least 40 innings. Fort Myers got the scoring started in the bottom of the first when Misael Urbina hit a leadoff double, and Noah Miller followed with a single, scoring Urbina to give the Mighty Mussels a 1-0 lead early. Clearwater responded with an unearned run in the top of the second after a Keoni Cavaco throwing error allowed a runner to reach base. The runner came around to score on a two-out RBI single. Fort Myers broke the game open at the bottom of the fourth inning. The game was tied 1-1 when Mikey Perez roped a two-run single to left, scoring Miller and Kala’i Rosario. One pitch later, Noah Cardenas hit a two-run homer, his fourth of the year, to give Fort Myers a 5-1 lead. Manager Brian Meyer called on Juan Mendez to relieve Nowlin in the top of the fifth with a four-run lead. Mendez threw two perfect innings of relief to keep the score intact while striking out two batters. After Mendez was done, Anthony Escobar came in and threw two scoreless innings of his own, lowering his season ERA to 0.93. Alex Rodriguez (no, not that one) plated Luis Baez with an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to give Fort Myers another insurance run. Clearwater plated a run in the top of the ninth, but it wouldn’t be enough as the Mighty Mussels held on for the victory. Mendez picked up the win on the mound for Fort Myers, and multi-hit games led the offense from Rosario and Cardenas. Baez stole two bases, and Miller reached base three times in the win. Fort Myers improved their record to 46-32 with the win. DOMINICAN DAILIES GAME ONE DSL Twins 7, DSL Nationals 2 (Continuation of Suspended Game) Box Score Starting Pitcher: Jeferson Lopez (0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K) Winning Pitcher: Roger Duran (3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K) Multi-Hit Games: Daniel Pena (2-for-2) 2B: Anderson Nova (1) HR: Rafael Cruz (1) GAME TWO DSL Twins 8, DSL Nationals 0 Box Score Starting Pitcher: Jose Betancourt (0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K) Winning Pitcher: Ledwin Taveras (4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K) Multi-Hit Games: Junior Marino (3-for-3), Jose Rodriguez (2-for-4), Anderson Nova (2-for-4) 2B: Nova (2), Rodriguez (7) TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Jaylen Nowlin (Fort Myers) - 4 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K) Hitter of the Day – Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 4-for-4, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2B (15), BB PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins' top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #8 - Noah Miller (Fort Myers) - 1-for-2, R, RBI, 2 BB #12 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 4-for-4, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2B (15), BB #14 - Ronny Henriquez (St. Paul) - 4 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K #15 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 2-for-4, 2 R, RBI, 3B (2), BB #16 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 3-for-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B (23), HR (20), SB (7) #17 - Cole Sands (St. Paul) - 2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K #20 - Sawyer Gipson-Long (Wichita) - 4 2/3 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 0 BB, 6 K THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Toledo @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CST) - RHP Jordan Balazovic (0-3, 9.55 ERA) Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05 PM CST) - RHP Cody Laweryson (1-0, 0.87 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (6:35 PM CST) - RHP David Festa (5-0, 1.91 ERA) Clearwater @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CST) - RHP Mike Paredes (4-2, 2.19 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games! Thank you for reading, and Go Twins! View full article

The affiliates of the Minnesota Twins put up some impressive offensive numbers on Tuesday. But they also had a couple of their Top pitching prospects working. Find out how they did, and which teams were able to win. We'll give you one here. The Cedar Rapids Kernels became the first Midwest League team to win 50 games. Minnesota Twins affiliates got a lot of hits on Tuesday night, and they went big with them as well. One of their opponents would have been happy if even half of the hits they allowed to the good guys went for singles, but instead, 80% of them went for extra bases in a blowout. Multiple hitters didn’t produce an out in their games, including one who collected four doubles in a breakout performance. There was even a walk-off home run, from a player who had done the same thing just days ago. This is all without even mentioning a pitcher by the name of Cade Povich, who would be the lead story for his performance on almost any other night... Heck, just keep reading, you’re not going to want to miss the action from Tuesday night! TRANSACTIONS The Twins send 3B Miguel Sano on a rehab assignment to the St. Paul Saints. The Wichita Wind Surge activated RHP Alex Phillips. Blayne Enlow and Jordan Gore placed on the Covid IL. C Alex Rodriguez was assigned from the FCL Twins to the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. According to his twitter page, and some great artwork, RHP Ben Heller announced he had signed with the Twins. He pitched for the Yankees in 2020 and in 2021, he has a stress fracture in his elbow. SAINTS SENTINEL Toledo 3, St. Paul 4 (suspended in the bottom of 2nd inning) Box Score While the Twins were able to keep their game going across the river in Minneapolis, the Saints didn’t have as much luck over in Lowertown St. Paul. After taking a 4-3 lead on a two-RBI double from the rehabbing Miguel Sano, the game was delayed and not able to be resumed. It will be completed on Wednesday in full, and be followed by a regularly scheduled seven-inning contest. Cole Sands made the start and allowed three runs on four hits and two walks in his two innings, though he did strike out four. Mark Contreras and John Andreoli had contributed doubles, and Michael Helman had slugged his fifth home run with the Saints before play was stopped. WIND SURGE WISDOM Arkansas 8, Wichita 10 Box Score After building a big lead early, the Wind Surge risked squandering a solid effort from right-hander Louie Varland late at home on Tuesday against the Travelers. They built an 8-1 lead after four innings, largely behind the bat of outfielder DeShawn Keirsey Jr. His first double in the second inning got them on the board, and he would score their second run on an RBI single from Anthony Prato. His second double of the game in the third inning plated two more runs, and he’d eventually score from third when Matt Wallner was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded that made the score 7-1. They pushed it to 8-1 in the fourth after a single from Keirsey Jr. loaded the bases, and Prato followed up with another RBI single. Varland was solid through his first five innings, scattering four hits and one walk, but finally got into trouble he couldn’t overcome in the sixth. Three consecutive singles and a walk put an end to his game after 5 1/3 innings pitched. His final line included three earned runs on seven hits and two walks, while striking out four. Alex Scherff got the Wind Surge out of the sixth inning without allowing another run, but the Travelers jumped on him in the seventh. A pair of walks, two doubles, and a grand slam brought Bryan Sammons out from the bullpen, and he allowed a double of his own that ended up tying the game at eight. Sammons was able to pitch a one-two-three eighth inning to keep the game tied, but the offense had gone cold since the fourth. Besides Keirsey Jr., that is. He tacked on doubles in each of the sixth and eighth innings, giving him four on the game, but his teammates weren’t able to get on base in front of him or drive him in after. Alex Phillips struck out two in a perfect ninth inning, and after the Wind Surge went down in similar fashion the game went to extras, where Osiris German was tabbed. He got a strikeout before allowing an infield single but was able to induce an unassisted double-play liner to first baseman Chris Williams to keep the game knotted at eight. In the bottom half, Andrew Bechtold wasted little time, taking the second pitch of his leadoff at-bat into the bullpen in right-center, for his 11th home run of the year, and the walk-off exclamation win. It was his second walk-off homer in less that a week. The Wind Surge finished the game with fifteen hits, led by Keirsey Jr’s 5-for-5 game that included four doubles, two runs scored, three RBI, and his 24th stolen base of the season. Edouard Julien (2-for-5, R, BB, 2 K), Bechtold (2-for-5, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K), and Prato (3-for-5, 2 RBI) also had multiple hits in the win. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 11, Beloit 0 Box Score Rather than ramble on-and-on about how thoroughly the Cedar Rapids Kernels took care of former Twins affiliate Beloit tonight, I’ll just give you my watching-the-game-Tweet-synopsis: The Kernels ended the game with 15 hits, and 12 were for extra-bases. Kyler Fedko and Jake Rucker each had two doubles. Jeferson Morales had a double and a triple. Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Wander Javier each had a double and a home run. In fact, the only hitters in the lineup to not collect an XBH, were third baseman Seth Gray and catcher Pat Winkel. Encarnacion-Strand and Javier each drove in three runs, and CES’s home run was remarked on the broadcast as being one of the longest balls hit in Beloit on the season as it exited the stadium over the bullpen in left field. While the offensive onslaught was more than impressive, it also shouldn’t overshadow the starting pitching effort from left-hander Cade Povich. He picked up an easy win, his sixth of the season, by completing six scoreless innings. He allowed just three hits, walked one, and struck out 10 Sky Carp hitters on the night. He was in command all game, with 59 of his 88 pitches going for strikes (67%), including an eye-popping 18 swinging strikes. While his last outing wasn’t the greatest in the end result, combined with this one he has struck out 21 hitters in his last 11 innings pitched and has a K-rate of 12.5/9IP on the season. Derek Molina was also impressive out of the bullpen for two innings, retiring every hitter he faced, including four strikeouts of his own. Matt Mullenbach finished the game for the Kernels with one-two-three ninth, making sure to end the pain as quickly as possible for the home team. MUSSEL MATTERS Clearwater 5, Fort Myers 9 Box Score Both teams scored runs in each of the first three innings of this game, but the Mighty Mussels were the only ones to put up crooked numbers and jumped out to a big lead. Starting pitcher Travis Adams worked hard to get through 4 2/3 innings, allowing four total runs working into the fifth inning. He allowed six hits, walked two, and struck out one. Samuel Perez got the final out of the fifth and worked a scoreless sixth, allowing a run of his own on a homer, and striking out one. Despite that, Fort Myers was always out front thanks to their offense. Misael Urbina led off the game for the home team with a single, and would later score on an RBI groundout from Kala’i Rosario. Mikey Perez followed that with a double to score Noah Miller, who had drawn a walk, and it was 2-1 after one. In the second frame, Nelson Roberto delivered an RBI triple and was followed by a sac fly from Urbina that made it 4-2. In the third Rosario led off the inning with a home run, then four consecutive hitters reached base, with Carlos Aguiar’s double driving in two more that made the score 7-3. Aguiar made it 8-5 with a home run of his own in the fifth, before Urbina reached on an error to lead off the sixth, moved to third on a groundout, and scored on a wild-pitch to account for all the Mighty Mussels' scoring. Jordan Carr finished off the final three innings, allowing just one hit and striking out one to be credited with the win. Aguiar led the offense with his big 4-for-4 night. He scored two runs, stole a base, and drove in three. Miller (2-for-4, R, BB, K, SB) and Rosario (2-for-4, R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, K) also joined him with multi-hit games. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 4, FCL Pirates 5 Box Score Down in the Florida Complex League, the FCL Twins made a late rally and had the tying run just 90 feet away, but fell short on the road against the FCL Pirates. Juan Rojas took the mound to start the game for the Twins and allowed two runs on four hits and a walk in his four innings. Highly notable, however, was that of his 12 outs recorded, a whopping 10 of them came on strikeouts, including the first six hitters of the game, and eight of the first nine. He likely wore down a little, as both of his runs and three of his hits allowed, came in his final inning. But that’s a nice game to hold your hat on for the 18-year-old lefty from Venezuela who was a standout in the DSL last season. Francis Peguero notched a scoreless inning in the fifth, allowing one hit and striking out one. He was followed by Develson Aria who went the final three innings, allowing three runs in the sixth, but recovered to throw scoreless frames in his final two. The Twins got on the board in the sixth inning thanks to an error after Danny De Andrade and Ricardo Olivar reached base by a hit-by-pitch and walk, respectively, to start it. Down 5-9 in the ninth, Fredy Michel got a one-out rally started by drawing a walk, and was followed by singles from Yonardy Soto and De Andrade to bring him home. Alexander Pena then drove them both in with a triple that made it 5-4, but Andres Centeno went down swinging to end the game. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 7, DSL Angels 5 Box Score The DSL Twins used two big innings, including a four-run ninth, to overcome the Angels and pick up the win on Tuesday. In the fifth inning, they took advantage of poor defense and wild pitches to score their first runs of the game. After Anderson Nova led off the inning with a single, three consecutive errors and a pair of wild pitches led to three runs and the lead for the Twins. Miguel Olivares made the start and went five strong innings. He allowed two runs on two hits and one walk, while striking out five. In 21 1/3 innings on the year, Olivares owns a 2.11 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and has struck out 25. Leonardo Lugo was charged with a blown save in his 2 1/3 innings, allowing the Angels to retake the lead with two runs allowed on three hits (including a home run) and three walks. He struck out one. Jose Brito picked up the win by finishing the final 1 2/3, allowing one run on two hits and a walk, while picking up two K’s. Down 4-3 heading into the ninth, the Twins again took advantage of poor defense. Bryan Acuna led off with a single, then two more errors allowed him to score. A walk and a sac fly later, and the Twins had the lead again, but Luis Rodriguez also tacked on some insurance runs with a two-RBI single to close the scoring. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Cade Povich, Cedar Rapids Kernels (W, 6 IP, 3 H, BB, 10 K) Hitter of the Day - Carlos Aguiar, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (4-for-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI) DeShawn Keirsey Jr, Wichita Wind Surge (5-for-5, 2 R, 4 2B, 3 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY #8 - Noah Miller (Fort Myers) - 2-for-4, R, BB, K, SB (18) #10 - Cade Povich (Cedar Rapids) - W, 6 IP, 3 H, BB, 10 K #11 - Louie Varland (Wichita) - 5 1/3 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K #12 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 0-for-4, RBI, BB, HBP, 3 K #15 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 2-for-5, R, BB, 2 K #16 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-5, R, 2B, HR (19), 3 RBI #17 - Cole Sands (St. Paul) - 2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (game suspended) WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Toledo @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CDT) - RHP Ronny Henriquez (1-3, 6.15 ERA) Arkansas @ Wichita (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long (1-4, 7.54 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (7:35 PM CDT) - TBD Clearwater @ Fort Myers (11:00 AM CDT) - RHP Jaylen Nowlin (3-3, 4.78 ERA) DSL Twins @ DSL Nationals (10:00 AM CDT) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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The Twins avoided a sweep in Texas but only the Kernels joined their MLB counterparts in the victory column on Sunday afternoon. The Saints and Wind Surge found themselves in the loss column while the Mighty Mussels were rained out. TRANSACTIONS Fort Myers Might Mussels reinstated LHP Steve Hajjar from the 7-day injured list. Cedar Rapids activated LHP Brent Headrick from the Injured List. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 4, Louisville 5 Box score SP: Dereck Rodriguez - 5.2 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K HR: Caleb Hamilton (9), Curtis Terry (8) Multi-Hit games: Hamilton (2-4, R, HR, 2 RBI (31), K), Jermaine Palacios (2-4, R, 2B) The Saints wrapped up their second road trip to Louisville Sunday afternoon looking to split the series with the Reds Triple-A affiliate. Dereck Rodriguez was on the mound for the Saints and had a tough start as he allowed nine base runners on eight hits and a walk that turned into all five runs the Bats needed to win. Rodriguez did have six strikeouts for the afternoon and roughly two-thirds of his 94 pitches landed in the strike zone, even with two wild pitches in the afternoon. Through the first four innings of the game, the Saints were able to hold the lead thanks to two home runs, one from DH Caleb Hamilton and the other from first baseman Curtis Terry, both coming in the top of the fourth. The Bats were able to get a run back in the bottom of the fourth and the Saints responded in the top of the fifth with an RBI single from Hamilton that scored Elliot Soto. The bottom of the sixth was when the Bats retook their lead for the win and knocked Rodriguez out of the game scoring three runs on five hits. The Saints were able to escape more damage in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a diving double play started by Soto. St. Paul was unable to get any more runs and lost by a final score of 5-4. The loss brings the Saints overall record to 40-42 on the season. The Saints will return home Tuesday for a six-game series against the Toledo Mudhens which will feature former Twins prospect Akil Baddoo and former Twins reliever from the 2021 bullpen Derek Law. First pitch for Tuesday night’s opener is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. CT. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 3, Amarillo 4 Box Score SP: Daniel Gossett - 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K HR: Matt Wallner (21), Andrew Bechtold (10) Multi-Hit games: Wallner (3-5, R, HR, RBI (59)), Cole Sturgeon (2-3, R, BB, CS) Wichita completed the first half of a 12-game homestand with a loss in their series finale against the Amarillo Sod Poodles. Daniel Gossett made his fourth start since being sent down to Wichita from the Saints and held his own. Gossett allowed six hits, including one homer, through six innings but kept the Sod Poodles at two runs with five strikeouts. Twins future All-Star selection Matt Wallner carried the Wind Surge offense Sunday afternoon. Wallner led off the bottom of the first with a home run for the Wind Surge to start the day and put them up 1-0. Wallner reached base twice more on singles and had an outfield assist in the top of the third throwing out a runner at home to end the inning. Going into the top of the ninth, the Wind Surge held a 3-2 lead and looked to finish the game in their favor. The lead-off hitter was hit by a pitch. Amarillo rallied with two outs in the top of the ninth with a walk and a double to give themselves a 4-3 lead. Wichita was unable to score in the bottom of the ninth. The loss brings the Wind Surge record to an even 40-40 through 80 games on the season. The Wind Surge begin their next series at home on Tuesday against Arkansas with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Quad Cities 4 Box Score SP: Brent Headrick 4 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K HR: Christian Encarnacion-Strand (18), Wander Javier (8) Multi-Hit Games: Jake Rucker (2-4, R, K, CS), Kyler Fedko (2-5, R, 2 RBI (25), K) Cedar Rapids completed their latest homestand with a series victory with four wins in six games over the Quad Cities River Bandits. The Kernels won 6-4 over the River Bandits on Sunday thanks to the power of Christian Encarnacion-Strand and multi-hit games from Jake Rucker and Kyler Fedko. Brent Headrick was on the mound for his 14th start of the season. The lefty had a shortened start of four innings on Sunday, but only made one mistake in his outing with a home run given up to River Bandits catcher Luca Tresh. Aside from the homer, Headrick dominated, striking out five on 42 pitches with 31 strikes. Entering the bottom of the third, the Kernels were down 1-0. In the bottom of the fourth, they scored four runs. The big hit was Encarnacion-Strand’s two-run home run. There was also a bases-loaded walk from Charles Mack. This gave the Kernels a 4-1 lead that they maintained until the top of the fifth when the River Bandits scored one more to make it a 4-2 game. In the top of the eighth, the River Bandits tied the game up 4-4 on an RBI single from shortstop Tyler Tolbert. The Kernels answered in the bottom half of the inning on Wander Javier’s eighth homer of the season and an RBI single from Kyler Fedko. The Kernels improve their season record to 49-32, tied for the best record in the Midwest League with the Great Lakes Loons, the Dodgers High-A affiliate. Next series for the Kernels begins on the road against the Beloit Sky Carp Tuesday night with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. CT. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers, Tampa Postponed The Mighty Mussels had their series finale against the Tampa Tarpons postponed due to rain on Sunday. The rainout was the second of the series for the Mighty Mussels in Tampa. Steve Hajjar, who was activated from the 7-Day IL Sunday, was set to start for the Mighty Mussels but will have his first start back from the IL on Tuesday against Clearwater. The Mighty Mussels return home Tuesday for a six game series against the Clearwater Threshers with first pitch set for 6:00 p.m. CT. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins off day. Resume Monday against FCL Orioles at 11 a.m. CT. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins off day. Resume Monday against DSL Dodgers Mega team at 10 a.m. CT TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Brent Headrick (Cedar Rapids) 4 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K Hitter of the Day – Matt Wallner (Wichita) (3-5, R, HR, RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #12 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 3-5, R, HR, RBI (59) #15 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 0-3, 2 BB, K #16 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R, HR (18), 2 RBI (62), BB, K TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS All Twins Minor League Affiliates are off on Monday and will resume their games on Tuesday, July 12. The only remaining minor league games on Mondays this season are for the Saints in September and DSL and FCL games. Toledo @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CST) - TBD Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05 PM CST) - TBD Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (6:35 PM CST) - TBD Clearwater @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CST) - Steve Hajjar FCL Twins @ FCL Orioles (11:00 AM CST) - TBD DSL Dodgers @ DSL Twins (10:00 AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games View full article

Also, Blayne Enlow looked good, David Festa shoved, and Miguel Sanó helped bring victory to the Twins Complex. TRANSACTIONS RHP Jon Olsen activated from 60-day IL, assigned to High-A Cedar Rapids RHP Pierce Banks transferred from High-A Cedar Rapids to Rookie Ball FCL Twins SAINTS SENTINEL Louisville 4, St. Paul 1 Box Score The Saints fell short on Friday night due in large part to an offense that sputtered all evening. Spencer Steer (2-for-3, 2B, BB) was the lone St. Paul batter to register multiple hits. His .876 OPS is currently third on the team behind Tim Beckham (1.090) and Jake Cave (.878). (Jake Cave's 49-game on-base streak ended during the loss.) Elliot Soto—the Saints’ No. 9 hitter—drove in the team’s lone run with a solo home run, his third of the season. Mario Sanchez started on the bump for St. Paul and surrendered four runs and two home runs across 3 1/3 innings. Ariel Jurado pitched the bulk of the remaining innings, striking out three and allowing only a single base runner during the game’s final four innings. Austin Schulfer lowered his ERA to 2.70 and picked up two strikeouts. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 6, Amarillo 4, F/11 Box Score An Andrew Bechtold walk-off three-run home run sent the Wind Surge home victorious over the Sod Poodles on Friday. It was Bechtold's ninth dinger of the year. Leobaldo Cabrera (2-for-3, RBI, BB) joined the Wichita third basemen in the homer column with his sixth. Anthony Prato (2-for-5, RBI) and Edouard Julien (1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB, R) each contributed a double. Blayne Enlow put together perhaps his best performance of the campaign, striking out five and allowing a single unearned run in four innings. His fastball touched 94 mph and sat 92-93 mph while his breaking ball sat in the low-80s and featured sharp, downward break. Osiris German, Bryan Sammons, Steven Cruz, Jordan Gore, and Andrew Cabezas pitched spectacularly out of the bullpen, combining to strike out five and not allow an earned run in seven innings. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 9, Quad Cities 2 Box Score The Kernels coasted to a victory over their intrastate rivals thanks to a standout performance by David Festa as well as their bats. Festa improved his High-A record to 5-0 on the season after striking out eight batters and not allowing a single run in six innings of work. He now owns a 1.91 ERA to go along with 45 strikeouts in 42 1/3 innings with Cedar Rapids. At the plate, the Kernels popped with aplomb, smoking five extra-base hits, four of which were home runs. Seth Gray (2-for-5, 3 RBI), Jake Rucker (1-for-2, 2 RBI), Dylan Neuse (1-for-4, RBI), and Alerick Soularie (1-for-5, 3 RBI) all hit long balls. Christian Encarnacion-Strand went 2-for-4 with a double, walk, and two runs scored. MUSSEL MATTERS Tampa 5, Fort Myers 3 Box Score Tampa 3, Fort Myers 1 Box Score The Mighty Mussels dropped both of their contests to the Tarpons on Friday, despite an offense that collected 13 hits combined. Mike Paredes started and pitched admirably in the first game, striking out three and allowing a single run on a solo shot across four innings. But Tampa touched John Wilson for four runs in the sixth inning, which ultimately gave them the win. Rubel Cespedes (2-for-3, 2 RBI) was the lone Fort Myers batter to pick up multiple hits. Cespedes also picked up two hits in three at-bats in the second game, contributing his seventh double of the season. He was joined by Kala’i Rosario (2-for-2) whose ninth home run plated the Mighty Mussels only run. Malik Barrington punched out six batters but surrendered three runs in three innings. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 2, FCL Red Sox 0 Box Score Old friend Miguel Sanó hit a double, walked twice, and drove in a run as the FCL Twins took down the Red Sox on Friday. Andres Centeno (2-for-3, BB) drove in the game's only other run. Luis Rijo tossed the first three innings for the Twins and struck out five batters. Alex Phillips, Cleiber Maldonado, and Danny Moreno combined to strike out five batters in six innings of hitless work out of the bullpen. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 7, DSL Giants Orange 5 Box Score Independence Day may have been earlier this week, but that didn’t stop the DSL Twins from lighting off some fireworks on Friday. Jose Rodriguez (3-for-5, RBI, BB) led the Twins' offensive charge with all three of his going for two bases. Yasser Mercedes (1-for-2, 3 BB, 2 R) was particularly pesky on the base paths, stealing three bags bringing his total to eight on the season. Rafael Cruz (2-for-4, 3 RBI, BB, R) hit his third home run. On the mound, Christian Jimenez pitched five innings, striking out six and allowing only one earned run. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 8 K Hitter of the Day – Andrew Bechtold (Wichita) - 2-for-5, HR (9), 3 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul) - IL (ACL surgery) #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - Did Not Play #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Fort Myers) - IL (Knee surgery) #4 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - (Covid IL) #5 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - (IL-elbow/forearm) #6 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 2-for-3, 2B, BB #13 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 4 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K #15 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB, R #16 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, 2B, BB, 2 R #18 - David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 8 K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (6:05 PM CST) - RHP Aaron Sanchez (3-0, 4.21 ERA) Wichita vs. Amarillo (6:05 PM CST) - LHP Kody Funderburk (6-2, 3.06 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. Quad Cities (6:35 PM CST) - LHP Aaron Rozek (6-2, 3.35 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. Quad Cities (TBD) - TBD Fort Myers @ Tampa (5:30 PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya (3-1, 2.77 ERA) View full article

In a month that saw a decrease in stellar pitching performances the bats were hopping across the Twins' farm system. After deep thought and consideration, see who we've selected as Minor League Hitter of the Month for June. Previous Hitters of the Month April Hitter of the Month: Christian Encarnacion-Strand May Hitter of the Month: Spencer Steer The 2022 minor-league season has passed its halfway point. Three full months have been played. In June, there were a lot of impressive offensive performances. So before we jump to our Top 5 Twins Hitters in the month, take a look at several players who have earned recognition. Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order) Tim Beckham (St. Paul Saints) - 17 G, 27-67, .403/.494/.597 (1.091), 11 R, 21 RBI, 4 2B, 3 HR, 9 BB, 2 SB Junior Del Valle (DSL Twins) - 15 G, 12-39, .308/.440/.462 (.902), 9 R, 4 RBI, 2 2B, HR, 7 BB, 3 SB Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids Kernels) - 22 G, 22-79, .278/.374/.506 (.880), 13 R, 16 RBI, 3 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 7 BB, SB Edouard Julien (Wichita Wind Surge) - 25 G, 27-90, .300/.417/.556 (.973), 14 R, 18 RBI, 5 2B, 6 HR, 18 BB, 4 SB Ricardo Olivar (FCL Twins) - 13 G, 13-26, .361/.432/.417 (.849), 2 R, 8 RBI, 2 2B, 4 BB, 2 BB Alexander Pena (FCL Twins) - 14 G, 19-51, .373/.389/.667 (1.056), 9 R, 11 RBI, 7 2B, 3B, 7 HR Emmanuel Rodriguez (Fort Myers Mighty Mussels) - 6 G, 6-15, .400/.583/1.067 (1.650), 4 R, 5 RBI, 5 2B, 4 BB (had knee surgery) Alerick Soularie (Cedar Rapids Kernels) - 22 G, 21-84, .250/.357/.488/ (.845), 16 R, 13 RBI, 6 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 13 BB, 5 SB Number Five: Rubel Cespedes (Fort Myers Mighty Mussels) - 22 G, 24-37, .312/.369/.403, 9 R, 9 RBI, 4 2B, HR, SB Promoted to the Mighty Mussels from the FCL Twins on June 3, Cespedes' hit the ground running in Fort Myers. A pure contact hitter, the 21-year-old hit safely in his first four games at the Low-A level and went on an electric 10-game hitting streak through the middle of the month. On a team known for dominant pitching, Cespedes and a hot Kala'i Rosario have the potential to craft an offensive identity for a team that often wins primarily on arms. Number Four: Michael Helman (St. Paul Saints) - 25 G, 25-89, .292/.376/.483 (.859), 21 R, 10 RBI, 5 2B, 4 HR, 10 BB, 2 SB Called up from Double-A Wichita at the end of May, Michael Helman made his first rodeo at Triple-A a good one. One of the top utility prospects in the organization, the Nebraska native served as a rock in the heart of the Saints' lineup and hit safely in 16 of 25 games played. Helman put together a nice six-game hit streak in the middle of the month that included three multi-hit games. Making the transition from Double-A to Triple-A is never easy and Helman navigated it like a true pro. After success in Cedar Rapids last year and a quick transition from Wichita to St. Paul this season, Helman is riding a career-high and is posed to have an exciting finish to the 2022 season with the Saints. Number Three: Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids Kernels) - 23 G, 27-94 .287/.368/.368/.702 (1.070), 19 R, 21 RBI, 12 2B, 9 HR, 9 BB, SB Our April Minor League Hitter of the Month continued to destroy the baseball in the month of June. After a lackluster May, Encarnacion-Strand compiled an electric month, touting a team-leading .287 batting average and whopping 20 extra-base hits. Nine of those extra-base hits were homers, one of which was a walk-off against West Michigan on June 25th. Unfortunately, his month ended a couple of days early. He was hit in the head by a pitch on Tuesday night and was placed on the Injured List with a concussion. The purest of power hitters, Encarnacion-Strand totaled an impressive 11 multi-hit games. Despite striking out 29 times, Encarnacion-Strand's rebound after a tough May shows hints of consistency. for the top-tier prospect. Like Wallner, expect the 22-year-old to level out his plate appearances as he strives to become a more complete hitter. Number Two: Jake Cave (St. Paul Saints) - 23 G, 29-89, .326/.417/,629 (1.046), 17 R, 10 RBI, 7 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 13 BB Any sour taste for Cave in the mouths of Twins fans should be gone after his monstrous June campaign in St. Paul. What's not to like about a guy who puts together a 44-game on-base streak? Cave hit safely in 20 of 23 games and is currently on an 11-game hit streak, including a beautiful triple in Thursday night's game. Consistency is a beautiful thing in baseball; it's even more beautiful when it occurs with a player who has struggled with it in the past. Barring injury, it's unlikely that Cave will appear with the Twins this season. Regardless, he's making a rock-solid case that he has what it takes to play at the MLB level. Twin Daily Minor League Hitter of the Month Matt Wallner (Wichita Wind Surge) - 27 G, 29-84, .345/.500/.714 (1.214), 24 R, 17 RBI, 5 2B, 3B, 8 HR, 24 BB, 4 SB Son of the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Southern Miss star. Destroyer of baseballs. While an influx of hitting performances provides light for the Twins organization, there was one prospect who made this month's decision a no-brainer. Forest Lake, Minnesota native Matt Wallner. Emerging as the face of offense power in the Twins' Minor League system, Wallner defied the nay-sayers by hitting for power and average while even stealing a base or two. Wallner's .345/.500/.714 (1.214) slash line speaks for itself. The outfielder's June OPS of 1.214 led all Twins' minor leaguers with at least 15 games and was second-best in the entire Texas League. His .714 SLG ranked fifth in the league and his 24 walks were the most in the Texas League through the month. The walk stat is important; known as a strikeout-privy hitter, Wallner's 24 walks show that pitchers are becoming wearier when throwing to Wallner. Tallying 12 walks in April and 16 in May, the trend demonstrates that Wallner isn't just the 'go big or go home' guy anymore. Wallner still struck out 33 times but recorded a whopping 29 hits, the most hits he's ever recorded in a month through his professional career. The versatility is growing, but the power is still there. Wallner roped five doubles, a triple, and six homers through the month. The force from Forest Lake recorded his third multi-homer game of the season on Thursday night's win. To top it off Wallner stole four bases in June and was only caught stealing once. To top it off, Wallner was named Minor League Player of the Week for the Twins Organization on June 27 for perhaps the finest week in baseball that the organization has seen this year. All signs are pointing towards Wallner having an incredible career in professional baseball. It's almost certain that he'll reach MLB play in the coming two years. While it's likely he'll stay in Wichita for the summer, a call-up to Triple-A St. Paul at some point wouldn't be shocking. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Any other players that you think are worthy of Hitter of the Month accolades? Discuss and comment below! View full article

As the second half of the minor league seasons got started for Minnesota Twins affiliates on Tuesday, a fun observation I made while perusing the games on MiLB.tv was that I have been to one at every stadium the full-season teams were playing at. The actual games were not that fun to observe however, as every team lost, including the Wind Surge who had a decent lead late. At least the Cedar Rapids Kernels were spared that fate due to rain (but they are currently winning!). TRANSACTIONS The Minnesota Twins optioned OF Mark Contreras back to the St. Paul Saints, and recalled RHP Josh Winder for their doubleheader. SAINTS SENTINEL Omaha 11, St. Paul 2 Box Score It didn’t matter who was pitching for the Saints on Tuesday night, the Storm Chasers made every one of them pay in an 11-2 bombardment at CHS Field that ended a seven-game home winning streak for St. Paul. Starter Dereck Rodriguez was hit for just his second loss of the season, as he allowed four earned runs on four hits and three walks in his 4 2/3 innings. He did strike out six, but two home runs allowed put his team in an early hole. Yennier Cano was the first arm out of the bullpen and got them through the sixth. He allowed one run of his own on one hit and one walk, while striking out two. Tyler Viza was roughed up for four runs (three earned) and didn’t record an out in the eighth inning after pitching a scoreless seventh. He struck out two. Wladimir Pinto finished the game with two innings, allowing two runs of his own on four hits, though he did strike out four. The Saints put the ball in play all night, striking out only four times as a team, but didn’t have many opportunities to put anything together to score runs. Jake Cave finished 2-for-3 with a home run and a double, but Michael Helman was the only other hitter to go for extra bases with a double to lead off the third inning. They finished just 1-for-3 with runners in scoring position, and left only two men on base for the game. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 8, Springfield 12 Box Score The Wind Surge came out swinging in this one, taking a 3-0 lead before their starting pitcher, Daniel Gossett, had taken the mound. Matt Wallner led off the game by being hit by a pitch and was followed by an Edouard Julien double to move him to third, before Austin Martin’s two-RBI single scored the game's first runs. Martin was moved to third on a Chris Williams single before he was able to score on a groundout from DeShawn Kiersey Jr. Gossett kept his team in the lead for 4 2/3 innings, finishing with three earned runs on six hits and a walk, while striking out six. He had allowed just a single run before a two-run shot in the fifth to make it 4-3 Wichita put an end to his night. In the sixth inning the Wind Surge tacked on a couple more runs when Anthony Prato delivered an RBI double, and was followed by a sac fly from Wallner that made it 6-3. They got two more insurance runs in the eighth thanks to an RBI single from Kevin Merrel, and a throwing error on a Prato infield single that allowed another runner to score. Left-hander Kody Funderburk came on in relief of Gossett and pitched 2 1/3 innings. He allowed one run on four hits, a walk, and struck out one. Andrew Cabezas came on to start the eighth inning, and promptly gave up a leadoff home run to Malcom Nunez that made the score 8-5. Cabezas wouldn’t record an out, and before the inning was over Jordan Gore and Bryan Sammons had also been summoned from the bullpen, and Nunez added a grand slam that put the Cardinals out front 12-8. It took just seven pitches for Wichita to go down in the ninth, and they fell to just one game above .500 on the season, and lost in spectacular fashion to start their second half. The lineup got multiple hits from Williams (2-for-5, RBI, 2 K), Andrew Bechtold (2-for-3, 2 R, BB), and Prato (2-for-4, 2B, RBI). Martin finished 1-for-2 with a run scored, two RBI, and drew three walks. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Wisconsin 0 (suspended in the third inning) Box Score The Kernels matchup with the Timber Rattlers was suspended due to rain before the bottom of the third inning, with Cedar Rapids leading 5-0. They will resume play tomorrow afternoon to complete a full nine innings, followed by a seven-inning game two. Brent Headrick made the start and completed two scoreless innings. He allowed three hits and struck out one. Christian Encarnacion-Strand hit a two-run homer, his 17th of the season, in the first, and back-to-back-to-back RBI doubles by Kyler Fedko, Yunior Severino, and Pat Winkel led to three runs in the top of the third before play was suspended. MUSSEL MATTERS Dunedin 2, Fort Myers 0 Box Score The Mighty Mussels got a decent outing from starting pitcher Travis Adams, but the offense wasn’t able to mount any offensive against the Blue Jays on Tuesday at Hammond Stadium. Adams went five innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and three walks, while striking out three. Juan Mendez (2 IP, H, BB, 2 K) and Samuel Perez (2 IP, BB) each added two scoreless innings to give the home team a chance. Unfortunately, the Fort Myers lineup managed just four hits of their own, the biggest being a double from Keini Cavaco. Noah Miller, Rubel Cespedes, and Luis Baez each had a single. As a team, they went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, and left only three men on base for the game. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 3, FCL Rays 4 Box Score Brayan Medina made the start for the Twins and went the first 3 2/3 innings, likely reaching a pitch limit after a two-out error was committed in the fourth inning. He allowed one run on one hit and two walks, while striking out four. It was tied at two heading into the ninth inning thanks to a sac fly from Danny De Andrade in the third and a Wilfri Castro solo home run in the fourth. The Twins took the lead thanks to a wild pitch in the top of the tenth, but an error on a double in the bottom half led to two runs and a walk-off loss for the good guys. As a team, they struck out 20 times versus no walks, and were unable to cash in any other opportunities as they were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, and collected just five hits. Tanner Gaff (1/3 IP, K), Jon Olsen (1 IP, H, K), Jose Oliveras (4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, BB, 3 K), and Giovahniey German (H, 2 R, BB) also pitched for the Twins. DOMINICAN DAILIES Scheduled day off. The DSL Twins had Tuesday off. They’re back in action at 10:00 AM CDT tomorrow against the DSL Cleveland Blue squad. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Samuel Perez, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (2 IP, BB) Hitter of the Day - Austin Martin, Wichita Wind Surge (1-for-2, 2 R, 2 RBI, 3 BB) PROSPECT SUMMARY #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 1-for-2, 2 R, 2 RBI, 3 BB #3 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - 3-for-7, R, 2B, HR, RBI (2 games) #7 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 1-for-4 #9 - Noah Miller (Fort Myers) - 1-for-4, K, CS #15 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 0-for-3, R, RBI, 3 K #16 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-for-5, R, 2B, 2 K #18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-1, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI (game suspended) WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Omaha @ St. Paul (1:07 PM CDT) - RHP Cole Sands (0-4, 5.20 ERA) Wichita @ Springfield (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP Casey Legumina (1-3, 6.57 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (12:10 PM CDT) - RHP David Festa (3-0, 2.05 ERA) Dunedin @ Fort Myers (11:00 AM CDT) - RHP Pierson Ohl (3-3, 4.70 ERA) DSL Twins @ DSL Cleveland Blue (10:00 AM CDT) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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From stellar pitching from the Mighty Mussels to Matt Wallner's three-homer series for the Wind Surge, there was a myriad of action across the Twins Minor League system over the past week. Catch up on all the details and get prepared for the final set of series' before the Fourth of July! TRANSACTIONS Minnesota Twins recalled LHP Jovani Moran from St. Paul Saints. OF Mark Contreras recalled by the Minnesota Twins RHP Josh Winder optioned to the St. Paul Saints after being activated from IL RHP Jake Faria released by the Minnesota Twins organization RHP Cody Laweryson promoted from Cedar Rapids to Wichita. RHP Hunter McMahon promoted from Ft. Myers to Cedar Rapids. RHP Jonathan Lavallee joined the Mighty Mussels from the Complex. RESULTS Previous: Week in Review (6/14-6/20): Wallner Continues to Rake Tuesday, June 21: Matt Wallner is Surging Wednesday, June 22: Gray Goes Deep, Winder Continues Return Thursday, June 23: Saints Roll While Others Play Close Friday, June 24: Nary A Win To Be Found Saturday, June 25: Christian Encarnacion-Strand Blasts a Walk-Off Homer Sunday, June 26: Quiet Bats, Stellar Arms, and Jake Cave Dominates Again MORE TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE CONTENT Identifying Prospects the Twins Could Move at the Trade Deadline Are the Twins Brewing up Steals in the Minors? Twins Daily Draft Coverage: A Lot of Mocks, A Lot of Directions Royce Lewis Had ACL Surgery With a Twist MONDAY'S SHORT SEASON RESULTS FCL Twins 4, FCL Pirates 2 (10 Innings) Box Score Runs count, regardless of how you get them. The FCL Twins relied on crafty baserunning and an excellent outing from the pitching staff to secure an extra-innings win against the FCL Pirates on Monday afternoon. The FCL Twins got on the board in a unique fashion in their opening frame at the plate. After drawing an opening walk, Misael Urbina advanced to second on a balk and eventually stole third base. With two outs and Yonardy Soto at the plate, FCL Pirates pitcher Alessandro Ercolani balked again, allowing Urbina to score and put the Twins on the board. Urbina would strike again. With Ismael Perez on base, Urbina squeaked an RBI double to left field to tie the game at two. And with the game tied at two in the tenth, Urbina would put the nail in the coffee with his speedy baserunning. Starting the inning on second, Urbina advanced to third on a ground ball and would later score on a wild pitch to give the FCL Twins a 3-2 lead. Moments later, Danny De Andrade scored on another wild pitch to add an insurance run. The real winner of the day was the Twins' pitching staff. Starter Develson Aria pitched a near-perfect two innings, striking out for batters and allowing just one hit. Fellow LHP Juan Rojas followed suit with four innings of one-run, two-hit ball while striking out six. Miguelangel Boadas took the next three innings, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out two. Boadas earned the rare win (2-0) and blown save (1) combo on the day. With a two-run lead, Isaiah Rivera closed the door in the tenth by striking out three of the four batters he faced. The FCL Twins are now 9-7 on the season. DSL Mariners 7, DSL Twins 5 Box Score Bullpen blunders and ducks left on the pond plagued the DSL Twins in a 7-5 loss to the Mariners' Dominican Summer League team on Monday. The Twins left nine runners on base and were 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position on the day. The Twins went with 'Johnny Wholestaff' on the bump, utilizing five different pitchers in incrementing amounts through seven innings. RHP Jeferson Lopez started the game strong by mowing down all three batters with strikeouts in the first. Juan Mercedes followed suit with a perfect second inning. Oscar Parades allowed one run on two hits in the third inning but did record all three outs with strikeouts. The trouble began in the fourth. Orlando Rubio (L, 1-2) allowed four runs (three of which came in the fourth) on four hits and a walk through two innings. Leonardo Lugo surrendered a run in the sixth and seventh inning to cap off the rocky day for the bullpen. Daniel Pena was the only Twins player with multiple hits. Pena led off the sixth inning with a single and eventually scored on a fielding error. Pena singled again in the seventh inning but was thrown out at home to end the game. The loss puts the DSL Twins at 7-10 on the year. WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints Week: 2-4, on the road against Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays affiliate) Season: 35-36 overall After entering the week one game over the .500 mark (33-32), the Saints roll back into St. Paul one game below the mark. Runs were scored against the streaking Buffalo Bisons (41-30); in fact, the Saints outscored the Bisons 28-23 in the six-game series in upstate New York. Sometimes in life, the cards just don't swing your way. That was the case for the Saints last week, falling short by just one run in each of their four losses. The trend wasn't unfamiliar. Two weeks ago against Columbus, five of six games were decided by one run with St. Paul losing two of those games en route to going 3-3 on the week (their third loss was a 10-1 blowout). The Saints were on the right side of a blowout this past, crunching the Bisons 7-1 on Wednesday thanks to a pair of homers from Spencer Steer and Caleb Hamilton and a total team effort from the St. Paul pitching staff. St. Paul won their other game of the week on Saturday by a score of 7-4 thanks to a two-homer rodeo by Michael Helman and a one-run, four-hit masterpiece from the Saints' bullpen. The four one-run losses weren't anyone's fault in particular. Late run innings plagued the Saints on Tuesday and Wednesday, and Friday, and the Saints' bats simply ran dry on Sunday in a 2-1 defeat. There was a boatload of highlights for the Saints throughout the week. Michael Helman hit safely in three of six games and tallied six hits on the series, including a three-hit clinic with two homers on Saturday. Helman is now slashing .305/.394/.500 in the month of June and .284/.372/.350 on the season. Despite his rocky 6.93 ERA, Jordan Balazovic pitched a stellar three innings of two-hit, scoreless ball while striking out three in Thursday's 7-1 victory. The bullpen was even more impressive, specifically, Derek Rodríguez. D-Rod pitched four innings of scoreless relief while allowing just one hit and striking out three en route to his fifth win of the season. Jake Cave hit safely in all five games that he played in the series against Buffalo. Tallying multi-hit games on Friday and Saturday, Cave mashed his fourth triple of the year on Thursday and notched a single in all five games. Cave struck his seventh homer of the year in Sunday's 2-1 loss. The former Twin is now slashing an impressive .312/.418/.584 through the month of June. Shortstop Jermaine Palacios hit .357/.444/.643 over the past week with a homer, double, and four RBI What’s Next? The Saints head home to CHS Field with a six-game series against the Omaha Storm Chasers (34-36). The Saints went 1-5 on a road series against the Storm Chasers in May. All six scheduled pitchers for the series are righties. Probable Pitchers: TBD, RHP Cole Sands, RHP Jordan Balazovic, RHP Ronny Henriquez, RHP Aaron Sanchez, RHP Ariel Jurado Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge Week: 2-4, hosting San Antonio (San Diego Padres affiliate) Season: 35-33 overall After going 1-6 the prior week against Tulsa, the Surge notched two wins in a tough series against the Padres Double-A affiliate. Despite getting blown out in two of the team's four losses, there was a myriad of positives from the week. Most notably, Matt Wallner was named Texas League Player of the Week after knocking nine hits, three homers, and six RBI over the past week. The Minnesota native slashed .429/.556/.952 over the past week and is hitting an incredible .285/.422/.992 on the season. Wallner was also named Minor League Player of the Week by the Twins organization. Here are some other highlights from the week for the Wind Surge. Shortstop Kevin Merrell slashed an incredible .400/.526/.533 on the week with six hits (two doubles) in 15 at-bats Sawyer Gipson-Long pitched ten innings throughout the course of the week, going 1-1 with eight strikeouts while allowing four runs on nine hits. Minnesota-made pitcher Louie Varland had one of his poorer outings of the season (and it still wasn't that bad). Through five innings on Saturday, Varland allowed three runs on five hits while striking out four and walking three in a loss. Varland still touts a 3.42 ERA and 1.24 WHIP through 12 starts. The St. Paul native is 6-2 on the season. Outfielder Cole Sturgeon racked up two homers and seven RBI on the week while slashing .296/.296/.511 on the week in 27 at-bats. What's Next? The Surge head to Illinois to take on Springfield Cardinals (St. Louis' Double-A affiliate). The Cardinals are 31-38 on the season and the Surge went 4-2 against the Cardinals in a series back in May. Probable Pitchers: RHP Daniel Gossett, RHP Casey Legumina, RHP Louie Varland, RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long, RHP Blayne Enlow, LHP Kody Funderburk High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels Week: 3-3, hosting Western Michigan (Detroit Tigers affiliate) Season: 44-25 overall A trio of tight victories led the Kernels to a solid week against the Whitecaps at home. Christian Encarnacion-Strand was certainly the highlight of the week, knocking an RBI double to spark Cedar Rapids' come-from-behind victory in the series opener last Tuesday. Encarnacion-Strand's biggest impact of the week came on Saturday when he launched a solo homer in the ninth to walk off the Kernels to a 6-5 victory. That wasn't the only big homer of the week. Wednesday's matchup was a pitching duel that saw Brent Headrick (W, 7-2) pitch beautifully. Yet the win wouldn't have happened without a monster two-run second-inning homer from Seth Gray that provided Headrick and the pitching staff the buffer that they needed. Headrick's masterpiece on Wednesday wasn't the only pitching clinic of the week. RHP John Stankiewicz allowed just one run on three hits while striking out three through six innings in his Sunday afternoon start. Unfortunately for the Kernels, the bats stayed dry throughout the course of the game and the Whitecaps were able to scrap enough runs off of the Cedar Rapids bullpen to pull off a 4-3 victory in ten innings. Some other notable performances from the week: Outfielder Kennie Taylor slashed an impressive .500/.538/.500 through 12 at-bats in four games, striking out just once. All six of Taylor's hits were singles. Talented shortstop Wander Javier had his struggles, striking out eight times in 17 at-bats. However, Javier did notch a double, triple, and home run on the week. Talented prospect and recent draft pick Cade Povich had a rough start in Friday's shootout, allowing seven runs (five earned) on eight hits through 4 2/3 innings. Catcher Pat Winkel blasted his first homer since June 15 in Sunday's 4-3 extra-innings loss. The two-run shot tied the game in the eighth and allowed the Kernels the chance to compete in extras. With a playoff birth already secured, the Kernels still hold a commanding 4.5-game lead in the West division of the Midwest League. What's Next? The Kernels head to the Badger State to take on the Wisconsin Rattlers (Brewers affiliate), their biggest competition in the division. Wisconsin is sitting at 39-29 and the two teams split a six-game series in Cedar Rapids back in May. Probable Pitchers: Cedar Rapids has yet to release their starting pitchers for the upcoming series. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Week: 3-2, at Lakeland (Detroit Tigers affiliate) Season: 42-24 overall Beaches, Jimmy Buffett, and Mighty Mussels baseball...oh, and rain. Florida's identity was on true display for the Mussels' series in Lakeland this past week. After getting through the first three games of the series, rain blanketed the Sunshine State skies on Friday and Saturday, resulting in the Mussels playing a double-header on Sunday afternoon and only getting five games in on the series. Yet the inclement weather didn't muddy the waters for the Fort Myers pitching staff throughout the course of the week. Fort Myers' starting pitching staff allowed just five earned runs and tallied a whopping 25 strikeouts through the course of the week. Perhaps the finest outing of the week came in game one of Sunday's double-header courtesy of reliever Mike Paredes. After top prospect, Marco Raya exited the game (for unknown reasons) after striking out the first two batters, Paredes pitched 4 1/3 innings of perfect baseball, striking out two hitters in the process. There were glimpses of stellar moments at the plate for the Mussels. Outfielder Nelson Roberto cranked a 10th-inning two-run homer to propel Fort Myers to an extra-innings victory on Thursday. Keoni Cavaco hit his first triple since May 25 in the series opener, scoring the game's first run and one that would prove to be the difference in a 3-2 win. A team that is certainly grounded in outstanding pitching, the Mussels have begun to flex their muscles at the plate in important situations. The fire at the plate and ice on the mound certainly shows in the results; on pace to tout a top seed in the playoffs, the Mussels hold a dominant seven-game lead in the West division of the Florida State League. Some more notable observations from the past week: Dillon Tatum may have only played in two of the five games, but he made them count. In seven plate appearances, Tatum noticed a single, double, and two walks; a .571 OBP for the week? Not too shabby. Talented prospect Noah Miller slashed .250/.286/.300 through 21 plate appearances on the week. RHP Pierson Ohl arguably had the most dominant start of the series. Ohl cruised to eight strikeouts while allowing just one run and one walk through six innings en route to the team's 6-4 win. Ohl now has a 4.70 ERA and 1.39 WHIP on the season. LHP Jaylen Nowlin got the most bang for his buck on the bump amongst Fort Myers starters. Nowlin struck out seven batters and kept the Flying Tigers from scoring through 3 2/3 innings in Sunday's second game. What's Next? The Mighty Mussels head home to Hammond Stadium to host Dunedin (Blue Jays affiliate) in a six-game series. The two teams split a six-game series in Dunedin back in April. Probable Pitchers: RHP Travis Adams, RHP Pierson Ohl, TBD, TBD, TBD PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Hitter of the Week: Matt Wallner, Wichita Wind Surge He may have won this last week but it's tough not to award a guy who slashed .426/.556/.952 (1.508) over his last six games. Wallner has emerged as one of the organization's elite offensive prospects and the Forest Lake native hit safely in all six games against San Antonio, including two multi-hit games. Wallner's three home runs against San Antonio are the most he's hit in one series in his professional baseball career. Leading the Wind Surge with his .286 batting average, the 2022 season looks as if be Wallner's breakout year (despite being pretty darn good last year). There's certainly validity in keeping Wallner where he's at but if continues to hit the way he is, the only way forward is up. Pitcher of the Week: RHP Pierson Ohl, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels There's no shortage of depth on the Fort Myers pitching staff. Yet amongst a flurry of talented prospects, Pierson Ohl's name can sometimes be forgotten. Not this week. Ohl tossed a beauty of a game for the Mussels last Thursday, striking out eight while allowing just one run on three hits and a walk. A 14th-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, Ohl has a 3-3 record along with a 4.70 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in his first full season. In his past three starts, the Grand Canyon University alum has decreased the number of hits he's given up while increasing the length of each start. Things look like they're headed in the right direction for this talented arm that could serve as a 'sleeper prospect' in a talented farm system. PROSPECT SUMMARY This Prospect Summary shows our current Twins Top 20 Prospect Rankings and how they performed last week and this season. The Prospect Tracker will be updated on the first of each month throughout the season. Notice that these pages now include stats and splits, as well as past article links, video and more. #1 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul) - Out for Season (ACL) #1 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - Out of Season (ACL) #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 6 G, 6-for-14 (.316), 0-2B, 0-3B, 0-HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K (Season: 51 G, .242/.366/.309 (.675), 8-2B, 2-3B, 1-HR, 42 R, 15 RBI, 28 BB, 39 K, 22 SB, 3 CS) #3 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - (Season: 40 G, .229/.268/.492 (.551), 9-2B, 4-HR, 10 R, 16 RBI, 6 BB, 31 K) #4 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 1 GS, 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K (Season: 7 GS, 22.0 IP, 22 R, 17 ER, 33 H, 12 BB, 21 K, 0-2, 6.93 ERA, 1.99 WHIP, 5.11 BB/9, 8.03 K/9) #5 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - Injured list (Season: 11 GS, 53.0 IP, 21 R, 20 ER, 41 H, 19 BB, 53 K, 2-3, 3.40 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 3.2 BB/9, 9.0 K/9) #6 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - Injured List (Season: 11 G, 10 GS, 34.1 IP, 8 R, 7 ER, 17 H, 22 BB, 50 K, 0-1, 1.83 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 5.8 BB/9, 13.1 K/9) #7 - Spencer Steer (Wichita) - (Season: 35 G, .307/.385/.591 (.976), 13-2B, 1-3B, 8-HR, 27 R, 30 RBI, 14 BB, 23 K) #7 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 6 G, 5-for-23 (.217), 1-2B, 2-HR, 5 RBI, 5 BB, 4 K, SB (Season: 28 G, .244/.336/.571 (.907), 6-2B, 0-3B, 11-HR, 25 R, 28 RBI, 14 BB, 27 K) #8 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Ft. Myers) - Injured List (Season: 47 G, .272/.493/.552 (1.044), 5-2B, 3-3B, 9-HR, 35 R, 25 RBI, 57 BB, 52 K) #9 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 5 G, 5-for-20 (.250), 1-2B, 0-3B, 0-HR, 1 RBI, BB, 7 K, SB (Season: 59 G, .240/.370/.323 (.693), 8-2B, 2-3B, 2 HR, 38 R, 14 RBI, 43 BB, 68 K) #10 - Marco Raya (Ft. Myers) - 1 GS, 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K (Season: 10 G, 9 GS, 36 IP, 15 R, 12 ER, 26 H, 13 BB, 42 K, 3-1, 3.00 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 3.25 BB/9, 10.5 K/9) #11 - Cade Povich (Cedar Rapids) - 1 GS, 4.2 IP, 7 R, 5 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 5 K (Season: 11 GS, 52.2 IP, 29 R, 23 ER, 45 H, 19 BB, 73 K, 5-4, 3.93 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 3.25 BB/9, 12.47 K/9) #12 - Louie Varland (Wichita) - 1 GS, 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 4 K (Season: 13 G, 12 GS, 68.1 IP, 29 R, 26 ER, 57 H, 28 BB, 79 K, 6-2, 3.42 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 3.7 BB/9, 10.4 K/9) #13 - Ronny Henriquez (St. Paul) - 1 GS, 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 5 K (Season: 11 G, 8 GS, 44.0 IP, 34 R, 51 H, 18 BB, 46 K, 0-3, 6.95 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, 3.68 BB/9, 9.41 K/9) #14 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 1 G, 3.2 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 K (Season: 7 G, 6 GS, 24 IP, 17 R, 14 ER, 24 H, 13 BB, 28 K, 0-2, 5.25 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 4.9 BB/9, 10.5 K/9) #15 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 6 G, 9-for-21 (.429), 2-2B, 0-3B, 3-HR, 6 RBI, 6 BB, 7 K (Season: 65 G, .285/.422/.570 (.922), 13-2B, 1-3B, 16-HR, 48 R, 49 RBI, 50 BB, 92 K) #16 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 5 G, 5-for-18 (.278), 1-2B, 0-HR, 2 R, 6 RBI, 5 BB, 5 K (Season: 47 G, .273/.421/.409 (.830), 7-2B, 1-3B, 4-HR, 24 R, 20 RBI, 41 BB, 53 K) #17 - Cole Sands (St. Paul) - 1 GS, 5.0 IP, 3 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 6 K (Season: 8 G, 7 GS, 27.2 IP, 19 R, 31 H, 8 BB, 30 K, 0-4, 5.20 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 2.6 BB/9, 9.76 K/9) #18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 6 G, 6-for-24 (.250), 2-2B, 0-3B, 2-HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 8 K (Season: 66 G, .291/.357/.567 (.924), 20-2B, 3-3B, 16-HR, 43 R, 58 RBI, 25 BB, 78 K) #19 - Steve Hajjar (Ft. Myers) - On Injured List (Season: 9 GS, 35.1 IP, 10 R, 8 ER, 17 H, 19 BB, 59 K, 2-1, 2.04 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 4.8 BB/9, 15.0 K/9) #20 - David Festa (Ft. Myers) - (Season: 2 G, 4.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 6 K, (Season: 0-0, 6.75 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 0.0 BB/9, 13.5 K/9) #20 - David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 1 GS, 6 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 4 BB, 3 K (Season: 6 G, 4 GS, 30.2 IP, 7 ER, 22 H, 8 BB, 30 K, 3-0, 2.05 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 2.35 BB/9, 8.8 K/9) What's your takeaway from the past week across the farm? Be sure to comment and discuss below! View full article

A lot of people hit homers today, like a lot; someone hit a walk-off, Chris Sale pitched against a team in the low minors, and someone else hit two homers. Read all about that and more in this edition of the minor league report. TRANSACTIONS OF Mark Contreras recalled by the Minnesota Twins Saints Sentinel St. Paul 7, Buffalo 4 Box Score Aaron Sanchez: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 3 K HR: Michael Helman 2 (3, 4), John Andreoli (6) Multi-hit games: Jake Cave (2-for-5), Tim Beckham (2-for-4), Michael Helman (3-for-5, 2 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI), Elliot Soto (4-for-5, R, 3 RBI), John Andreoli (2-for-5, HR, R, RBI) The Saints won handily on Saturday. Former AL ERA champ Aaron Sanchez received the nod on Saturday. He was sporadic, walking a batter an inning while allowing three runners to score; he ended the day with a 2.00 WHIP. But the Saints’ bats pulled through. One-day big-leaguer, Elliot Soto, brought home a pair of runs with a single in the 4th inning. The Buffalo Bisons then chipped back, netting a few runs before parking themselves firmly in front of St. Paul at a 3-2 clip. Michael Helman wanted no part of that, and he sent a solo shot out to left before John Andreoli blasted his own homer, this time to center. If you thought Helman was done, then you would be wrong, my friend. Helman sent another solo homer out to left, this time staking a three-run lead that expanded after Soto brought him one final run with an RBI single. The Saints may have found good fortune on Saturday; their pitchers walked more batters than they struck out (eight to seven), but Buffalo could not take advantage of the free passes. Sometimes, it’s better to be lucky than good. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 2, San Antonio 4 Box Score Louie Varland: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Cole Sturgeon (2-for-5, HR, R, RBI), Kevin Merrell (2-for-3, 2 B, R) Wichita lost a weird one on Saturday. Every batter for Wichita, outside of one got a hit on Saturday; they had 10 in total. Yet, the team went a hearty 0-7 with RISP, and that’s how you score two runs off 10 hits. Heck, half of their RBIs on Saturday came from a bases-loaded walk. Cole Sturgeon realized that if you hit a homer, then you’re always in scoring position, and simply blasted a ball out to right field for his sixth homer of the season. Kevin Merrell had the other extra-base hit: a double in the 6th. Louie Varland was just good, not his usual dominant self on Saturday. The righty had a full stat line, allowing eight runners against five strikeouts with three earned runs bookending his start. Cody Laweryson made his AA debut after receiving a promotion on Friday. The righty worked two scoreless innings with three strikeouts and two singles allowed. He did work himself into some trouble in the 9th inning, but Chris Williams threw out a runner to end the inning. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 6, West Michigan 5 Box Score Sean Mooney: 4 ⅔ IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K HR: Wander Javier (6), Christian Encarnacion-Strand (16) Multi-hit games: Seth Gray (2-for-4, 2 RBI) The Kernels won a walk-off on Saturday. Sean Mooney started the game and did an adequate job keeping his team in the game, allowing two runs over 4 ⅔ innings. Mooney also struck out six. Cedar Rapids’ bats picked up immediately on Saturday; Kyler Fedko brought home two runs on a 1st inning triple, giving the Kernels the quick advantage. The Whitecaps scratched back with a pair of sacrifice flies in the 3rd and 5th innings to tie the game. West Michigan didn’t stop there. A pair of plays involving errors from Charles Mack allowed the Whitecaps to take a two-run lead. With two on in the bottom of the 8th inning, Wander Javier launched a go-ahead three-run homer to centerfield, giving the Kernels their first lead since the 1st inning. The Whitecaps tied up the game in the 9th inning with a solo homer, but Christian Encarnacion-Strand punished such silliness by cracking a walk-off shot in the bottom of the inning. It was Encarnacion-Strand’s 16th home run of the season. Mussel Matters The Mighty Mussels were supposed to play a doubleheader, but rain intervened, and neither game occurred. Fort Myers will play two games on Sunday starting at 10:30 AM. Complex Chronicles FCL Twins 7, FCL Red Sox 6 (10 innings) Box Score Cleiber Maldonado: 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Jefferson De La Cruz (3-for-5, 2 R), Andres Centeno (2-for-5, 2B, 2 R, RBI), Breilin Ramirez (3-for-5, 2 R) The FCL Twins won in extra-innings on Saturday. Rehabbing big-leaguer Chris Sale started for the FCL Red Sox. Sale ended up striking out six over 2 ⅔ IP—because of course he did—but the FCL Twins did knock out three hits against him. Cleiber Maldonado, now the owner of my favorite name in the system, was phenomenal on Saturday. The lefty punched out six batters while allowing just one run over 4 innings; he dominated by any metric. The FCL Twins had three players with multiple hits and fortunately, all three batters hit back-to-back-to-back; six of the Twins’ runs came from Jefferson De La Cruz, Andres Centeno, and Breilin Ramirez. Dominican Dailies DSL Twins 0, DSL Mariners 4 Box Score Cesar Lares: 4 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 6 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Yasser Mercedes (2-for-3, 2B) The DSL Twins lost in a shutout on Saturday. Yasser Mercedes nabbed one of the two extra-base hits for the DSL Twins; Junior Del Valle had the other. Del Valle also stole a base. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Cleiber Maldonado Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Michael Helman PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - Injured List #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 0-1, K #3 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - 1-for-3, 2B, R, RBI, 2 K #4 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch #5 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - IL #6 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - IL #7 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 1-4, RBI, BB #8 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Ft. Myers) - IL #9 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - Did not play #10 - Marco Raya (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #11 - Cade Povich (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Pitch #12 - Louie Varland (Wichita) - 5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K #13 - Ronny Hendriquez (St. Paul) - Did not pitch #14 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - Did not pitch #15 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 1-4, BB, 2 K #16 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-4, RBI, BB, K #17 - Cole Sands (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch #18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, HR, R, RBI, BB, 2 K #19 - Steve Hajjar (Ft. Myers) - IL #20 - David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - Did not pitch SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Buffalo (12:05 PM) - RHP Mario Sanchez San Antonio @ Wichita (1:05 PM) - RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long Western Michigan @ Cedar Rapids (2:05 PM) - RHP John Stankiewicz Fort Myers @ Lakeland (10:30 AM) - LHP Jaylen Nowlin View full article

The Twins weren't the only team to lose Friday night. Literally the entire farm system did as well! TRANSACTIONS RHP Josh Winder was optioned to the St. Paul Saints after being activated from IL RHP Jake Faria was released by the Minnesota Twins organization RHP Cody Laweryson was promoted from Cedar Rapids to Wichita. RHP Hunter McMahon was promoted from Ft. Myers to Cedar Rapids. RHP Jonathan Lavallee joined the Mighty Mussels from the Complex. SAINTS SENTINEL Buffalo 5, St. Paul 4, F/10 Box Score Home runs by John Andreoli (two-run) and Spencer Steer—a solo and his 11th of the Triple-A season—gave the Saints a 4-1 lead in the fourth inning, but St. Paul was unable to drive in any more runs as they ultimately fell in extra innings. Despite coming out on the losing end, the Saints pitching staff by and large pitched phenomenally as a group. Cole Sands took the rubber to start and pitched five innings, striking out six and surrendering only three hits. Unfortunately, an error by Jermaine Palacios resulted in the Bisons scoring three runs, though none of them were earned. Hunter Wood and Evan Sisk eached tossed a scoreless inning in relief, but Yennier Cano and Ian Hamilton gave up one run apiece in the eighth and 10th innings, respectively, to give Buffalo the win. In total, the St. Paul pitching staff struck out 11 batters and allowed only a single earned run. WIND SURGE WISDOM San Antonio 11, Wichita 2 Box Score The Wind Surge were handed a good old-fashioned beat down at the hands of the Missions on Friday in Wichita. San Antonio touched Casey Legumina and Melvi Acosta for five runs each across the second, sixth, and seventh innings. Matt Wallner was the only Wind Surge batter who put up a fight, going 2-for-4 with a double, home run, and two runs scored. Wallner’s batting average and OPS have risen to .286 and 1.007, respectively, since beginning the season 3-for-41. He is another Twins prospect who is due for a promotion to the Twin Cities. KERNELS NUGGETS West Michigan 10, Cedar Rapids 8 Box Score Despite a strong offensive night and with lefty Cade Povich on the mound, the Kernels were unable to overcome the Whitecaps on Friday. Alerick Soularie led off the bottom of the first innings with his seventh home run of the season; he finished the night 2-for-5 and now owns a .704 OPS after getting off to an extremely slow start to begin the season. Wander Javier also went 2-for-5—he contributed a double and a triple—and drove in two runs. But it was Christian Encarnacion-Strand who led Cedar Rapids at the dish, going 2-for-4 with a double, home run, and three RBI. Thirty-eight of his 76 hits have gone for extra bases and the former Oklahoma State slugger possess a .923 OPS in 64 games at High-A. Don’t be surprised if he earns a promotion to Double-A in the not so distant future. Cade Povich struggled to miss bats across his 4 ⅔ innings of work. His fastball sat in the low-90s according to the broadcast and the Whitecap batters did a good job of not chasing his breaking stuff outside of the zone. He finished with five strikeouts and two walks and surrendered seven runs with five of them earned. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers @ Lakeland, PPD COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Red Sox 1, FCL Twins 0 Box Score FCL Red Sox 4, FCL Twins 1 Box Score Fredy Michel’s solo home run—his second of the season—drove in the FCL Twins' lone run in 14 innings of play. Righty Tomas Cleto tossed four innings of scoreless ball to begin the second game of the double-header, striking out five and walking none. Prospect Luis Rijo—who is on rehab assignment—threw two innings in the first game, in which he allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out three. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Angels 8, DSL Twins 7 Box Score Starting pitcher Cristian Jimenez was dominant for the Twins across four innings of work, striking out seven and surrendering only one walk, hit, and run. Unfortunately, the bullpen gave up seven runs—only three earned—over the course of the final three innings. Shortstop Isaac Pena (2-for-4, 2 R) was the lone Twin to pick up an extra-base hit, his third double of the young season. Second baseman Rafael Cruz also picked up a multi-hit game, going 3-for-3 with an RBI, walk, and two runs scored. Catcher Daniel Pena (1-for-3) led the team with three RBI. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Cole Sands (St. Paul): 5 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-4, 2B (20), HR (15), 3 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 1-for-4 #3 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - 0-for-3 #7 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 1-for-5, HR, RBI #15 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 2-for-4, 2B (13), HR (16), RBI, 2 R #18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, 2B (20), HR (15), 3 RBI FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Buffalo (3:05 PM CST) - RHP Aaron Sanchez (1-0, 4.62 ERA) Wichita vs. San Antonio (6:05 PM CST) - RHP Louie Varland (6-1, 3.27 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. West Michigan (6:35 PM CST) - RHP Sean Mooney (2-2, 2.40 ERA) Fort Myers @ Lakeland (3:00 PM CST) - TBD Fort Myers @ Lakeland (TBD) - TBD View full article