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The longball was on display in wins for the Twins affiliates today while Edwar Colina turned in another impressive performance on the bump down in Fort Myers. With a few teams having the day off action could've been sparse, but that certainly wasn't the case thanks to some stand out performances.RED WINGS REPORT All-Star Break BLUE WAHOOS BITES Schedule Day Off MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 7, Daytona 6 (12 innings) Box Score Edwar Colina started this marathon for the Miracle and was nothing short of lights out. He picked up eight punchies en route to seven shutout innings. Giving up only three hits and walking none, it was a low-stress outing for most of the day. Royce Lewis has looked great in his brief return from the Futures Game and that was no different today. He got this one started stealing second, his 14th of the year, and an errant throw allowed him to come around and score. In the fifth Lewis blasted his eighth dinger on the season, and second in as many days. Trey Cabbage doubled in the eighth to put Fort Myers ahead 5-1. In the top of the ninth the wheels began to fall off. Daytona pushed across four runs of their own to force extras. Each team scored a run in the 10th inning, and it wasn’t until the bottom of the 12th inning that Cabbage plated the winning run. A groundout turned into an error and Gabriel Maciel raced across the plate to secure the victory. KERNELS NUGGETS Great Lakes 6, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score Tyler Palm took the ball for the Kernels in this one and he left with the home team in a good spot. Twirling six innings of three-run ball (two earned), he struck out six allowing only three free passes. Cedar Rapids jumped out to an early lead on a first inning triple from Gilberto Celestino. Trevor Casanova doubled the tally crushing his second dinger of the season. Unfortunately that's where the runs stopped for the Kernels. The Loons added runs in three separate frames to wipe away the deficit and take this one. Having ridden an eight-game winning streak, Cedar Rapids will look to get back in the win column tomorrow night when these two do battle again. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 8, Burlington 5 Box Score Tyler Benninghoff was the tasked starter for the E-Twins tonight and he was searching for his first win of the season. Throwing five innings of two-run baseball, he accomplished that thanks to a nice offensive output from the hometown lineup. After getting behind 1-0 in the top of the first Elizabethton evened the score and then some in the bottom half. Albee Weiss cracked a grand slam and then Max Smith drove in Seth Gray to put five on the board. Weiss homered again in the bottom of the second, his sixth of the season, and the E-Twins had a nice five-run cushion. Yeremi De La Cruz doubled in Will Holland in the third, and Smith put up another RBI in the fifth. Birmingham made this one interesting however. Trailing 8-2 after Smith's second RBI of the game, the Royals added runs in the sixth and seventh innings to draw within three. That was where the rally would end as Dylan Thomas slammed the door for a six out save. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Orioles 4, GCL Twins 3 Box Score Dakota Chalmers was on the bump for his second action of the season since returning from Tommy John surgery. He turned in three scoreless innings allowing just a single hit. The former Athletics prospect picked up six strikeouts and allowed three walks. The Twins got out ahead scoring all three of their runs before the Orioles could push anything across. Bryson Gandy doubled in his first pro RBI, then was at the plate for a balk-induced run before another single drove in his second of the game. In the eighth inning the wheels fell off for the away team. The Twins gave up three to part with the lead and then allowed a fielder’s choice to walk it off in the ninth. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Edwar Colina (Fort Myers) 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K Hitter of the Day – Albee Weiss (Elizabethton) 2-4, 2 HR(1 GS), 2 R, 5 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Fort Myers) – 2-5, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB, HR(8) #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – No Game #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured List (shoulder) #4 - Trevor Larnach (Fort Myers) - 3-4, R, BB, 2B #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, K #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Fort Myers) – Did Not Pitch #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL) – Did Not Play #8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - All-Star Break #9 - Jhoan Duran (Fort Myers) – Did Not Pitch #10 - Blayne Enlow (Fort Myers) – Did Not Pitch #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - All-Star Break #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - All-Star Break #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Fort Myers) – Did Not Play #14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) - All-Star Break #15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) - 1-4, K #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – No Game #17 - Akil Baddoo (Fort Myers) - Injured List (Tommy John surgery) #18 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) – No Game #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL) – 0-3, R, RBI, 2 BB #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) – No Game THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Lehigh Valley @ Rochester (4:35PM CST) – TBD/TBD (Doubleheader) Montgomery @ Pensacola (6:35PM EST) – LHP Bryan Sammons (2-1, 4.86 ERA) Daytona @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) – RHP Blayne Enlow (2-2, 1.95 ERA) Great Lakes @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Luis Rijo (2-5, 2.33 ERA) Burlington @ Elizabethton (5:30PM CST) – RHP Ben Gross (2-0, 2.81 ERA) GCL Orioles @ GCL Twins (11:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games! 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Both Blayne Enlow and Charlie Barnes made debuts at new levels tonight for the Twins, while top prospect Trevor Larnach had himself an impressive night and capped it off with a dinger. Plenty of action took place on the farm, check it out below.TRANSACTIONS Rochester Red Wings C Wynston Sawyer reinstated from the injured list RED WINGS REPORT Scranton 3, Rochester 1 (Game 1) Box Score Scheduled for a doubleheader, these two squads got in just one full game before the second was interrupted by weather. Randy Dobank made the start in the seven-inning affair and he came up one out shy of four full innings. Allowing three earned runs on three hits, it was the five walks that spelled disaster in this one. The lone Red Wings run came off a Nick Gordon solo shot to start the game. It was his first blast of the season and got the away team on the board. Despite the command issues, it wasn’t until the fourth inning that Scranton answered. A bases clearing single from Ryan Lavarnway gave the home team a 3-1 lead and that was enough to make the difference. These two teams will look for better weather tomorrow. BLUE WAHOO BITES Mississippi 6, Pensacola 3 Box Score Charlie Barnes made his Double-A debut in this one, and it was nothing short of exceptional. Working five innings, he fanned seven while allowing no free passes and giving up just four hits. The offensive support wasn’t there, but he certainly kept the home team in the contest. A solo dinger put the Wahoos behind in the sixth and a five run eighth inning put the game out of reach. With just single digit hits on the night, it was never going to be enough and Barnes watched as his debut gem was spoiled late. Pensacola battled, adding three in the bottom of the ninth inning on Mark Contreras’ first homer for the Wahoos, but the three-run deficit ended up being insurmountable. Splitting the first two in this five game set, there’s still plenty of time for the good guys to come out on top. Mitch Garver played in his first rehab game during this contest going 0-2 with a strikeout. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 7, Florida 1 Box Score Twins pitching prospect Blayne Enlow was making his High-A debut in this one, and things started out slow offensively. The former LSU commit went six innings allowing just one earned run on four hits and a walk while fanning five. In summary, he put up a dominant debut. Enlow earned the win thanks to a Ryan Jeffers RBI double in the first, and a Trevor Larnach sac fly in the fifth. Leading 2-0, the Miracle generated a three spot in the seventh and added two more, complete with Larnach’s fourth homer, for good measure in the ninth. Each of the top five batters in the Miracle lineup earned base hits tonight, and three of them recorded multi-hit games. Getting more from some of the higher profile prospects on the farm is a must, and the Miracle crew answered the call this evening. KERNELS NUGGETS Burlington 9, Cedar Rapids 4 Box Score Initially scheduled to square off for two contests today, only one would complete all of the action. Andrew Cabezas got the start in game one, and after being touched up for six runs recording just one out, he was lifted from action. Jacob Pearson drew a bases-loaded walk, and Andrew Becthold followed in his footsteps. Those two batters gave the Kernels a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom half of the first, but it’d be the last time they sniffed victory for the rest of the day. A seven-run first for Burlington gave them the lead for good, and despite Cedar Rapids plating two runs in the third, the Bees answered with two of their own in the fifth. This one was never close and the two squads will look to finish up suspended action tomorrow. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY TD Pitcher of the Day- Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) – 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB 5 K TD Hitter of the Day- Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) – 3-4, 2 R, 5 RBI, 2B, HR(4) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) – 1-4. R. K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – 0-3, BB, K #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) – Injured List #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) – 3-4, 2 R, 5 RBI, 2B, HR(4) #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 1-2, R, 2 BB, K #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – Injured List #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) – Did Not Pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – Did Not Pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) – 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB 5 K #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) – Injured List #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 1-4, R, RBI, HR(1), K #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) – Injured List #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) – 2-4, RBI, BB, K, 2 2B #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – 1—3, K #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) – Injured List #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) – 0-3, R, BB #17 - Zack Littell (Minnesota) – No Game #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) – 0-1, 2 BB, 1 K #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) – Did Not Pitch #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) – 1-4, RBI, BB, K THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Scranton/WB (5:35PM CST) – RHP Sean Poppen (2-0, 2.45 ERA) Pensacola vs. Mississippi (6:35 CST) – TBD Fort Myers @ Florida (11:00AM CST) – LHP Tyler Watson (1-4, 4.43 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Burlington (6:30PM CST) – LHP Kody Funderburk (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Wednesday’s games. Click here to view the article

At the highest level, one of the Twins most prized pitching prospects settled into a groove for his best start on the young season. A scary scene in Pensacola halted the action in the midst of a victory. Down in Fort Myers, it was a less than ideal way to end a road trip, but home cooking is on the horizon. Read about all the action below.TRANSACTIONS Cedar Rapids OF DaShawn Keirsey Jr. placed on 7-day IL with a right hip strain RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 5, Syracuse 4 Box Score Coming into 2019 Lewis Thorpe was among my favorite picks for a Twins prospect to debut at the big leagues sooner than anticipated. He’d put together a strong 2018, and looks the part of a rotation contributor at the highest level. Unfortunately his 2019 didn’t get off to a great start, but that changed today. Finishing one out shy of making it through six complete innings, Thorpe allowed just two runs on four hits while issuing a single free pass. The eye-popping number during his start was the 12 Syracuse batters he set down on strikes. He was also very efficient on the day, throwing 64 of 94 pitches for strikes. Scoring finally got underway in the middle innings. Randy Cesar drove in both LaMonte Wade and Wilin Rosario on a single to left fielder Tim Tebow. From there, Luke Raley helped to put up another pair of runs on his second homer of the season in the bottom half of the fifth. Thorpe ceded his two runs in the sixth, and while the Mets closed the deficit with single runs in the seventh and eighth, Rochester responded. Rosario, the former Rockies catcher, launched his fourth long ball of the year to put the good guys in the lead going into the ninth. Preston Guilmet was able to shut it down for the save. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Pensacola 5, Biloxi 2 Box Score Rolling through his start looking sharp, as he has all of 2019, Devin Smeltzer turned in four strong innings allowing two runs (one earned) while fanning four and walking one. Disaster struck when he was hit in the head by a comebacker sending him to the floor. He was able to walk off the field under his own power, but it was no doubt a scary scene nonetheless. The Blue Wahoos gave their starter a lead early in this one. Jimmy Kerrigan drew a bases-loaded walk to plate the first run in the top of the first inning. Adding two more in the second, singles from Jordan Gore and Brian Schales scored Joe Cronin and Luis Arraez respectively. After allowing the Shuckers to draw within one in the bottom half of the second, Pensacola added some distance in the sixth. Tanner English drove in Arraez to score his second run of the night, and a throwing error attempting to nail Schales gave Gore the chance to scamper home. Up by three with three innings to play, that was enough for Adam Bray and Sam Clay to slam the door. MIRACLE MATTERS St. Lucie 7, Fort Myers 2 Box Score Identical organizations squaring off as in the Triple-A action today, this one saw the Mets top the Twins farmhands. Jhoan Duran lasted just one out into the fourth inning, and needed 71 pitches to get there. Five strikeouts was a nice tally, but three runs and three walks while allowing four hits could’ve certainly been better. St. Lucie put up all of their damage in the fourth inning. Breaking a 0-0 tie, the Mets plated seven runs and raced out to a big lead. A Ryan Jeffers single in the sixth scored Jose Miranda, but the only other run came on Ryan Costello’s second home run of the year in the top of the ninth inning. Generating just five hits as a team, Fort Myers will look to wake up the offense again tomorrow when they host the Stone Crabs back home. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities Postponed- Rain TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – 5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 12 K Twins Daily Hitter(s) of the Day – Jordan Gore (Pensacola) 2-3, 2 R, RBI, 3 BB PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) – 0-5, 2 K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - Injured List #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) – Did Not Pitch #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) – 1-5 #5 - Wander Javier (EST) - No Game #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – 1-4, K #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) – 3.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – 5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 12 K #9 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Did Not Pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) – 0-4, BB, 2 K #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Injured List #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured List #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) – 1-4, RBI, 2 K #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) – Did Not Play #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) – No Game #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - Did not play #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) – 0-3, R WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Lehigh Valley (5:30PM CST) – RHP Zack Littell (0-2, 7.71 ERA) Pensacola @ Biloxi (6:35PM CST) – RHP Griffin Jax (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Charlotte @ Fort Myers (5:30PM CST) – LHP Tyler Watson (0-1, 4.09 ERA) Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) – RHP Jordan Balazovic (1-1, 2.79 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games! Click here to view the article

On the farm today, the Twins system had a split between day matinee action and nighttime offerings. Across the system, there were a couple of strong starting performances, and despite early offense, a few games saw things get a bit too close late. Check out all of the action below.TRANSACTIONS Minnesota Twins Recall LHP Andrew Vasquez Option RHP Chase De Jong to Triple-A Rochester Red Wings Received RHP Sean Poppen from Double-A Pensacola RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 8, Syracuse 2 Box Score Sean Poppen was promoted prior to the game in order to make his Triple-A debut. Although not lights out, he was more than good enough on Wednesday. Turning in five innings of work, Poppen scattered five hits and two runs while walking three and fanning five. In line for the win when he bowed out, the bullpen got the job done and secured his first victory at the new level. Rochester jumped out to an early lead in this one against former Twins starter Hector Santiago. Veteran Wilin Rosario smacked a two-run shot in the first that put the good guys in the lead. Damage against Poppen came in the form of a single run each of the next two innings, and the game headed to the third inning deadlocked at two. Another former Twins hurler, Ryan O’Rourke, was on the bump for Syracuse in the sixth when he uncorked a wild pitch. Jordany Valdespin made it hurt as he crossed home plate and put the Red Wings back on top. Looking for some breathing room, Rochester broke out in a big way to start the ninth inning. Randy Cesar ripped his third double to drive in LaMonte Wade. A Wynston Sawyer single scored both Cesar and Wilin Rosario pushing the tally to 6-2. Valdespin then notched his first double of the season to score Zander Wiel and Sawyer. The 8-2 score went unchanged as Austin Adams locked it down and recorded his first save of the season. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Pensacola 5, Jacksonville 4 Box Score Twins prospect Jorge Alcala was on the bump for this one, and he improved to 2-0 on the season after another strong outing. Going five innings, he ceded just two runs while issuing no free passes and striking out four. Leaving the game with a 4-2 lead, the bullpen and lineup made sure to preserve the victory. Drew Maggi started off the scoring in the second inning with a solo blast, his first dinger in the Twins organization. Jimmy Kerrigan then doubled to score Brian Schales and Pensacola headed to the third up 2-0. After a Brian Schales fourth inning homer, also his first of the year and in the organization, the Blue Wahoo stepped out to a 3-0 tally going into the 5th inning. The Jumbo Shrimp began to claw back making it 3-2 before the bottom half of the fifth, but a Jaylin Davis solo blast gave Pensacola some breathing room once again. Schales then helped the cause again in the seventh. After Jacksonville drew within one, his second double of the season plated Davis to put the Wahoos back up by two at 5-3. Jacksonville got within one before this contest was over, but Ryan Mason worked 1 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball to secure the victory and pick up his first save on the season. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 4, Dunedin 0 Box Score After having Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in their lineup the past few days, Dunedin looked to take the field without the uber-prospect today. Fort Myers gave Royce Lewis his first day of rest this season, and the Miracle threw up a shutout in the matinee. Bryan Sammons earned his first victory on the year finishing one out shy of six innings pitched. He allowed just two hits on the afternoon and fanned eight batters while walking three. Scoring in this one was hard to come by, and after the Miracle jumped out to an early lead, that was enough to be the difference. A three-run second inning was sparked by doubles from Aaron Whitefield and Mark Contreras. The two teams would go scoreless until the 8th when Lewin Diaz, last night’s hero, drove in Jose Miranda on a sac fly. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Kane County 4 Box Score Looking for their second win on the young season the Kernels sent Blayne Enlow to the mound. Hoping to rebound from an ugly 2019 debut, the Twins prospect left after five quality innings. Generating five strikeouts and walking just one while allowing only one run, this is a start the Louisiana product can build off of. Cedar Rapids found themselves in a 1-0 hole after the first inning, but they rebounded quickly with a run of their own in the second. Jean Carlos Arias reached first on a throwing error allowing Trey Cabbage to notch the first run for the home team. From there, the Kernels looked to put distance between themselves and the Cougars. A four-run fifth inning had the home team up by a 5-1 tally. Yunior Severino singled to right, and Chris Williams grabbed his first double of the season. Up 3-1 after those two at-bats, Williams came across after an error on a Trey Cabbage at bat, and Andrew Bechtold singled to drive in Cabbage. With the bases juiced in the eigth inning things got a bit dicey for Cedar Rapids. The Cougars ripped off a bases-clearing double that reduced the deficit to just one run. Joe Record came on in the ninth to slam the door however, and grabbed his first save of the season while striking out the side. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K Twins Daily Hitter(s) of the Day – Wilin Rosario (Rochester) – 1-4, HR(2), 2 R, 2 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) – Did Not Play #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - Injured List #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) – Did Not Pitch #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - 2-4 #5 - Wander Javier (EST) - No Game #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – 0-4, K #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) – 0-4 #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Injured List #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured List #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) – Did Not Play #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) – 0-2, R, BB, 2 K #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) – 1-4, RBI #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) – 0-4, R #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) – 2-3, 2 R, BB #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) – 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) – 1-3, R WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Syracuse (12:05PM CST) – LHP Lewis Thorpe (0-1, 20.25 ERA) Jacksonville @ Pensacola (6:35PM CST) – RHP Brusdar Graterol (0-0, 193 ERA) Dunedin @ Fort Myers (12:00PM CST) – RHP Jhoan Duran (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Kane County @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) – RHP Jordan Balazovic (1-0, 1.80 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games! Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins ended up just having two minor league affiliates in action tonight, but both found themselves on the right side of elimination games. The Miracle advanced to the Florida State League Championship Series thanks to a big performance by Alex Kirilloff, and Tyler Palm played a key role in an Elizabethton title.TRANSACTIONS Cedar Rapids Kernels Received LHP Bryan Sammons from Chattanooga Received INF Victor Tademo from Rochester Assigned LHP Carlos Suniaga to Elizabethton Assigned RHP Jared Finkel to GCL Twins MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Palm Beach 1 Box Score If this one looked like déjà vu in the box score, it’s because there was a good deal of that on the field. Fort Myers again used a two-run, and one-run inning to push themselves out to a 3-1 lead. This was game two of the series, but the result remained the same. With the victory, Fort Myers wins the 2018 Florida State League South Division Series and advances to the Championship Series. Both teams combined to hold serve through two innings in this one. Jose Miranda broke the action open with a two-run blast, scoring Alex Kirilloff, in the top of the third. Fort Myers did end up giving one of those back in the bottom half however. Fast forward to the sixth, and Mark Contreras drove in Travis Blankenhorn on a sacrifice fly to allow the Miracle some breathing room. Clark Beeker worked one out shy of five innings in this one, and despite allowing five hits, he gave up just one run with two walks and four strikeouts. Alex Phillips did some heavy lifting in relief, while Hector Lujan and Adam Bray locked up the victory. Although not overpowering with the bats, Fort Myers has pitched their way to dominance through two postseason games thus far. Kirilloff enjoyed a 5-for-5 night from the two hole this evening, and Shane Carrier joined him in perfection, going 3-for-3 on his own. The Miracle now awaits the winner of the Clearwater and Dayton series. KERNELS NUGGETS Game one of the series between Beloit and Cedar Rapids was rained out tonight. It will be played tomorrow night. E-TWINS E-TALK Elizabethton 2, Princeton 1 Box Score This one was a barnburner, and while pitching was where the game was won, it was the E-Twins that had enough to get the job done. Prelander Berroa turned in five strong innings allowing just one run on four hits and a walk, while striking out four. Tyler Palm who tallied the final four innings, picked up the win. Coming out on top 2-1, the Elizabethton Twins take home a second straight Appalachian League title, number eight for manager Ray Smith. After getting behind by a run in the third inning, DaShawn Keirsey doubled home Gilberto Celestino to knot things at one in the fourth. With the innings and at-bats dwindling, Celestino doubled to drive in Yunior Severino for the go-ahead run in the eighth. Elizabethton saw a handful of new and exciting prospects come and go this season, and the end result being a ring on their finger has to bookend a feeling of accomplishment. Many of these players are recent draftees or new to the organization, and coming together for the ultimate goal at this level is nothing short of impressive. Congratulations to the entire E-Twins club on a great 2018 season! STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Tyler Palm (Elizabethton) – 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K Twins Daily Hitter(s) of the Day – Alex Kirilloff (Fort Myers) – 5-5, R TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 - Royce Lewis (Fort Myers) – 0-5 #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Fort Myers) – 5-5, R #13 - Travis Blankenhorn (Fort Myers) – 0-3, R, K #16 - Yunior Severino (Elizabethton) – 0-3, R, 2 K THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (7:00PM CST) – RHP Jhoan Duran (7-5, 3.75 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games! Click here to view the article

Only the Rochester Red Wings were off today across the Minnesota Twins affiliates. Runs were put up in bunches across the lower three levels of the farm, and the long ball continued to be a fun theme across multiple lineups. Wednesday saw a professional first for a 2018 draftee, and Miguel Sano even got in on the action for Fort Myers. Read about all the action below.TRANSACTIONS Rochester Red Wings RHP Alan Busenitz recalled by Twins C Cameron Rupp released Fort Myers Miracle RHP Brady Anderson released LHP Kevin Marnon reinstated from the DL and sent to Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids Kernels LHP Jovani Moran promoted to Fort Myers RED WINGS REPORT The Red Wings were off tonight for the Triple-A All-Star game. However, Rochester representative Nick Anderson got in the contest and threw one inning of relief. He gave up one hit and struck out one for the International League All-Stars. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Jacksonville 8, Chattanooga 1 Box Score Looking to salvage a game in the series, the Lookouts sent Dietrich Enns to the bump. After trading zeroes with the Jumbo Shrimp through four innings, the scoring began in the fifth and not stop. Unfortunately for Chattanooga, the final tally saw them fall 8-1. Trailing by eight runs, the Lookouts needed a ninth inning rally to spark some sort of a comeback effort. Having quickly given up the first two outs, they found themselves backed against a wall. Taylor Motter drew a walk, and Zander Wiel then was put on intentionally. Given a scoring opportunity Mitchell Kranson camethrough with a single to center. After Motter crossed the plate, Chattanooga faced long odds to keep the rally going. A Jimmy Kerrigan strikeout on the next at-bat ended this one, and the Lookouts will head home and await the Biscuits. Having dropped to 5-15 in the second half, the Twins Double A squad will be hoping to right the ship in short order. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 7, Palm Beach 4 Box Score Called up today from Cedar Rapids, Jovani Moran found himself in the game after four innings from starter Charlie Barnes. Working one out shy of the innings in relief, Moran blanked the Cardinals and secured his first High A win. By the time Fort Myers came to the plate in the fourth inning, they faced a four-run deficit. Needing to climb back in the contest, Miguel Sano stepped to the plate and delivered in a big way. His second home run since joining the Miracle was a three-run blast that cut the Cardinals lead to one. In the sixth, Fort Myers drew even, and then took the lead. Mark Contreras ripped a solo shot, his fifth for the Miracle, and then Caleb Hamilton drove in Joe Cronin on a sac fly. Thanks to an errant throw from the shortstop, Alex Kirilloff would also score on the play. Not done yet, a Travis Blankenhorn single drove in Sano, and the sixth inning ended with Fort Myers holding onto a 7-4 lead. That would be enough to get the job done, and Adam Bray worked 2 1/3 innings to pick up his first save of the season. He lowered his ERA to 0.84 with the effort. The Miracle wrap up the series with Palm Beach tomorrow and need a win to grab a split. KERNELS NUGGETS Fort Wayne 8, Cedar Rapids 4 Box Score Tyler Watson was on the bump for the Kernels in this one, and while he lasted just shy of six innings, eight runs (six earned) crossed the plate. Despite getting 10 hits from the lineup, Cedar Rapids was only able to plate four runs on the evening and fell short in this one. Fort Wayne did their damage early and often. By the end of the fourth inning, the home team trailed 6-0. The Tin Caps would also add two in the sixth, and the deficit reached 8-0 before the Kernels found themselves pushing a run across the plate. Looking for a rally, the scoring came in the seventh inning for Toby Gardenhire’s squad. David Banuelos plated the first run, driving in Trey Cabbage on a sacrifice fly. Royce Lewis got in on the action blasting his ninth long ball of the season; a two-run shot that scored Jacob Pearson. Jose Miranda went back-to-back with his ninth as well, and the Kernels found themselves quickly halving the deficit. Unfortunately, that’s where the scoring ended. These same two clubs will square off tomorrow night in Iowa for game two of the series. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 10, Johnson City 6 Box Score Just a night after scoring 15 runs, the Twins put up 10 runs on 15 hits against Johnson City in another offensive outburst. Tyler Palm did his part on the mound, blanking the opposition over five strong innings to get his second win of the season. Trevor Casanova started things off in the first inning, scoring Lean Marrero on a groundout to short. Michael Davis then followed up his strong Tuesday game with an RBI single to drive in Yunior Severino. While his first took some time, Ryan Jeffers homered for the second straight night. His solo shot in the third inning put the Twins up 3-0. Another crooked number came in the top of the 4th. Colton Burns singled in Michael Davis, and then Hunter Lee drove in Albee Weiss. A wild pitch during Severino’s at-bat then allowed Burns to come around and touch the plate for himself. Going into the bottom half of the fourth, it was 6-0 good guys. Not done adding, Severino launched a homer for his second of the season. This one was of the three-run variety, plating both Lee and Marrero. Up 9-0 after six, this one looked to be well in hand. In case there were any doubts however, Ricky De La Torre picked up his first bomb of the year to make it 10-0 in the seventh. Johnson City answered with one in the seventh, and pushed across another five in the 9th, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback. Up two games to none in the series Elizabethton will look to secure the series victory in game three of four tomorrow night. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 7, GCL Rays 6 Box Score Down three going into the bottom half of the third inning, the Twins needed to find a way to claw back. With Rays top prospect Brendan McKay on the bump for a rehab start, this wasn’t going to be an easy task from the get go. The Twins got to him for one run however, and they’d mount a comeback after his departure. Janigson Villalobos got the GCL Twins on the board with a groundout to short, scoring Yeltsin Encarnacion. Later in the inning, Gabe Snyder doubled for the third time this season, and Samuel Vasquez scored on the play. Heading into the fourth, the Twins trailed by just one. In the sixth inning, it was time for the Twins to start doing some damage. Erick Rivera singled to drive in Edgar Herrera and knot the game at three. From there an Encarnacion single scored Victor Tademo, and a Vasquez single plated Rivera from third. Thanks to a throwing error from the right fielder, Encarnacion was also able to score on the play. Kidany Silva capped off the inning with his second double, driving in Vasquez and pushing the lead to a 7-3 tally. The Rays attempted to pull out the rally caps in the ninth, but their efforts fell just short. Despite the three-run inning, they came one shy of tying things up and forcing the Twins to their last raps. Regi Grace came on in relief for the GCL Twins in this one, and his three scoreless innings were enough to secure his first professional win. He’s now turned in five scoreless innings to begin his career. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Tyler Palm 5.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K Twins Daily Hitter of the Day – Yunior Severino (Elizabethton Twins) – 2-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B, HR(2) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY 1. Royce Lewis (Cedar Rapids) – 2-5, R, 2 RBI, HR(9) 5. Alex Kirilloff (Fort Myers) – 2-4, 2 R, 2B 7. Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) – 0-4 10. Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) – 1-4, BB, 2 K 17. Travis Blankenhorn (Fort Myers) – 1-3, RBI 18. Yunior Severino (Elizabethton Twins) – 2-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B, HR(2) 19. Tyler Jay (Chattanooga) – 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HR THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Scranton Wilkes-Barre (6:05PM CST) – LHP Adalberto Mejia (4-2, 2.68 ERA) Montgomery @ Chattanooga (6:15PM CST) – TBD Palm Beach @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) – RHP Tyler Wells (7-3, 2.58) Fort Wayne @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) – RHP Bailey Ober (5-1, 4.87 ERA) Elizabethton @ Johnson City (6:00PM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games! Click here to view the article

With the first half of the season quickly coming to a close for some of the Twins minor league affiliates, taking a couple extra victories before the second half remains the goal. In day matinee, Jose Miranda stole the show in a losing effort for the Kernels, while starting pitching was the focus for Rochester, Chattanooga, and Fort Myers. The Lookouts broke out the bats, and runs were put up in bunches. Read about the action below.TRANSACTIONS Fort Myers Miracle OF Jimmy Kerrigan promoted to Chattanooga RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 3 Box Score Dietrich Enns was on the bump for this one, and he turned in a strong start coming up just short of seven full innings. He left the game with a one run lead, and despite being outhit 11 to 5, the Red Wings had the upper hand in the only category that matters. Rochester would get the scoring started in the top of the 2nd inning. Wynston Sawyer would double in Chris Carter, and he'd then come around to score on an errant pickoff throw. The only damage done against Enns would be in the form of a Billy McKinney solo shot in the 4th. From there, the two teams would remain quiet on the scoreboad until the 8th inning. With Alan Busenitz on the mound, Scranton would push across the tying run on a Brandon Drury single. Willians Astudillo made sure that the Red Wings would answer however, as he blasted a two run shot in the top half of the 9th inning. Trevor May was given the 9th inning and locked down his second save of the year for Rochester. One run would come across, though it was of the unearned variety. May would allows two hits and a walk through his one inning of work. A rehabbing Joe Mauer played all nine innings in the field tonight, going 0-4 with a strikeout at the dish. He's tentatively expected to rejoin the Twins on Friday. With the win, the Red Wings were able to able to put an end to the 10 game losing streak they were on. They'll head to Buffalo for a four game set beginning tomorrow night. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 14, Montgomery 4 Box Score With Lewis Thorpe on the mound, and giving the Lookouts six very strong innings tonight, Chattanooga did something the parent club could not. Throughout the lineup, this team hit and put runs up in bunches over the course of the game. Thorpe's nine strikeouts and only one walk helped to punctuate a start that was only blemished by some slight trouble in the 7th. Right away in the first, Chattanooga jumped out to a lead. First Edgar Corcino drove in Sean Miller, and then Andy Wilkins would ground a single to right driving in Chris Paul. Taking an inning off, more runs were added in the top of the third inning. Paul would drive in Miller on a single of his own, and then Wilkins would notch his first homer of the season on a three run blast. Up 6-0 already in the 4th inning, Brent Rooker would get in on the action. A liner would drive in a run, and Paul would continue his nice night at the dish. Tallying his 17th double on the season, Paul would drive in both Rooker and Corcino, putting the good guys up 9-0. Wilkins would then rip his second homer of the night (and season) to center, and Jimmy Kerrigan would go back-to-back grabbing his first longball in his first Double-A game. By the 8th, Birmingham had scratched away a bit, and pushed four runs of their own across. Adding a bid of insurance, Corcino would score Ryan Walker on a ground out, and Paul would drive in Miller on a sac fly. Up 14-4 by the 9th, Ryan Eades would come on to grab the final three outs. It was a great way for the Lookouts to start their final series of the first half. They'll match up with the Barons again tomorrow evening. With just four games left in the 1st half, Chattanooga will be looking to pile on wins and overtake Jackson (1.0 GB) in the Southern League's North Division. MIRACLE MATTERS Palm Beach 7, Fort Myers 6 Box Score The recently reinstated Griffin Jax was on the bump for the Miracle in this one, and he turned in a very nice outing. Going six innings, he allowed just three runs (two earned), on six hits. Jax tallied five strikeouts and walked just two. Leaving the game before the Miracle scoring started, he found himself at the mercy of his offense. As noted, the Miracle got off to a slow start in the run column for this one. They found themselves down 3-0 through six innings and needed to get something going. From there though, runs would come in three straight frames. Joe Cronin got the party going with a two run homer (his 5th of the year) in the 7th. Caleb Hamilton would then join in with a two run homer of his own, and his first of the season. After seven innings, the Miracle had erased the three run deficit, and found themselves clinging to a one run lead. In the 8th, Ryan Mason found himself in trouble, and Palm Beach would push across four runs of their own. Fort Myers was tasked with answering in the 9th, and nearly did enough to grab the W. Travis Blankenhorn drove in Brandon Lopez on a sacrifice fly, and a Jaylin Davis brought in Luis Arraez cutting the lead to one. Unfortunately that's where the rally would end, and they'd come up one run short. Fort Myers outhit Palm Beach 12 to 11, but they combined to go 3-13 with runners in scoring position, as well as leaving eight runners on base. The Miracle will look to take the series and end the first half with a win tomorrow. KERNELS NUGGETS Kane County 6, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score Brusdar Graterol was on the bump for this one, and was looking to follow up his great performance from his last time out. While it wasn’t a blow up, the Kernels hurler surrendered three earned runs on five hits across four innings pitched. Despite coming out of the game with Cedar Rapids trailing just by two, the bats couldn’t turn hits into runs on the day. Right away in the first inning, the Kernels jumped out on top. Royce Lewis ripped his 14th double of the year, and Jose Miranda drove him in on an RBI single. That lead would hold until Graterol allowed a two-run homer in the bottom of the third inning. The Cougars would then add another in the 4th, and Cedar Rapids found themselves trailing 3-1 in the top half of the 5th. With the bases loaded, Andrew Bechtold would draw a walk and an RBI to bring Cedar Rapids back within one. Despite outhitting Kane County by a tally of 12 to 9, the two runs were all Toby Gardenhire’s squad could push across on the day. The Cougars would answer with a run of their own in the 5th, as well as two more in the 6th. That 6-2 total would hold through the last three innings, and push the two teams to a series split with a rubber match still to come. Miranda had a fine day at the plate going 3-4 with the RBI and a double of his own. Both Bechtold and Jean Carlos Arias would also record multi hit games, picking up two each. Seven of the Kernels nine hitters would tally a base hit, and all but one were able to reach base on the day. Jovani Moran did a great job in relief working three innings of no-hit, no-run ball. He struck out six and walked just two. The two clubs will meet tomorrow night to decide the series. Cedar Rapids will then head home for a three game set with Peoria to put a bow on the first half of the season. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Lewis Thorpe 6.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K Twins Daily Hitter of the Day – Andy Wilkins 3-4, 2 R, 6 RBI, 2 HR(1,2) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY 1. Royce Lewis (Cedar Rapids) – 1-5, R, 2B 3. Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 0-4, K 7. Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) – 1-5, R, RBI 9. Brusdar Graterol (Cedar Rapids) – 4.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K 10. Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) – 0-4, BB, K 12. Lewis Thorpe (Chattanooga) – 6.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K 13. Lewin Diaz (Fort Myers) – 0-5, K 14. LaMonte Wade (Rochester) – 0-4 17. Travis Blankenhorn (Fort Myers) – 1-3, RBI THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (6:05PM CST) – LHP Adalberto Mejia (1-2, 3.86 ERA) Chattanooga @ Birmingham (7:05PM CST) – TBD Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (5:30PM CST) – LHP Charlie Barnes (1-4, 4.14 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (6:30PM CST) – RHP Bailey Ober (2-1, 6.21 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games! Click here to view the article

The Fort Myers Miracle’s season has not been off to a great start, their record is 25-37. However, they have some All-Star worthy players on this year's team despite the losing record. The seven players that are going to Tampa to represent the Miracle are Andrew Vasquez, Taylor Grzelakowski, Jimmy Kerrigan, Travis Blankenhorn, Taylor Wells, Lewin Diaz and Jaylen Davis. Andrew Vasquez is a very consistent and reliable reliever who has a 1.44 ERA through 31.1 IP. He has struck out 33 batters and has given up 8 runs. Jimmy Kerrigan is one of the top hitters in the league. He leads the team in AVG., doubles, and hits. He is batting .293/.356/.506 with the team tying 6 homers. I had the opportunity to ask him how it feels and he said “It feels great. Very thankful!” Travis Blankenhorn leads the Miracle in RBI and is tied in home runs with Kerrigan with a total of 6 bombs. His defense is what really stands out though; Blankenhorn holds a Division leading .962 FPCT and has only made 2 errors all season Jaylen Davis made it to the All Star game is because he has not made an error in the outfield for 51 games straight. His slash line is .259/.418/.773 and he leads the team in walks drawn. Taylor Grzelakowski is a late addition to the roster, however, he is still one of the best catchers in the division. He has a slash line of .270/.359/.414 and has 5 homers with 13 RBI’s. Lewin Diaz is also a late addition, however it is still well deserved because he has gone yard 4 times and has brought in 24 runs. At 1st base he has made only 5 errors. Taylor Wells had a great 1st half of the season, however he was a late addition the South Division team. His record is 5-3 and he holds a 2.47 ERA and keeps the opposing hitters to a .185 AVG.

Half of the Minnesota Twins affiliates are in action this morning, with the Cedar Rapids Kernels playing a second straight doubleheader. On top of the big league action, and the final day of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft, it's a busy day across the organization. Check back throughout the day as the action unfolds throughout the systemTRANSACTIONS AND NEWS Rochester Red Wings Add RHP Zack Littell Release INF Jermaine Curtis Fort Myers Miracle Taylor Grzelakowski was named to the Florida State League All Star Game today. Cedar Rapids Kernels Activated C David Banuelos off DL Activated RHP Brusdar Graterol off DL Placed C Ben Rodriguez on DL Brusdar Graterol, Royce Lewis, Alex Kirilloff, and Jared Finkel were named to the Midwest League All Star Game RED WINGS REPORT Indianapolis 7, Rochester 2 Box Score In just a three game set with Indianapolis, the Red Wings were looking to take tonight's game in order to knot up the series. Giving up seven runs on 12 hits and mustering just four of their own, the effort fell short. Aaron Slegers was on the bump, and he was staked to a 1-0 lead after Rochester's first at-bat. Jake Cave was able to drive a ball deep enough, allowing Zack Granite to score from third. The sac fly was Cave's 25th RBI on the year. After allowing the Indians to draw even, Chris Carter put the home team back on top with his 4th HR of the season. Leading 2-1 through the 5th inning, that's where things went downhill for Rochester. Slegers would be removed from the game shortly after allowing a third run to score on a solo shot. In the 6th, another would follow, and runs were posted in both the 8th and 9th innings as well. A final of 7-2 dropped Rochester in a 2-0 series hole, with an ability to get one back during tomorrow's day game. Cameron Rupp made his Twins organization debut in this one. He batted seventh and went 0-2 with two strikeouts and two walks. He has a July 15th opt out that can be exercised should he not be placed on the big league roster by that point. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Mobile 15, Chattanooga 4 Box Score Coming off an 11-6 loss yesterday, the Lookouts were trying to exact some revenge against Mobile today. Despite getting out to a 1-0 lead early in the first inning, it wouldn’t hold up and the BayBears piled on. After a LaMonte Wade walk to start off the home half of the first, Brent Rooker drove in the game’s first run on his 13th double. Starter Anthony Marzi was given a lead, but the third inning would spell danger for the Chattanooga hurler. Mobile answered the Lookouts run with eight of their own, and the deficit only grew from there. Not rolling over, the Chattanooga offense responded with two runs in the bottom half of the third inning. A Zander Wiel single drove in LaMonte Wade and put Brent Rooker at third base. Edgar Corcino then scored Rooker on a sac fly during the very next at-bat. Rooker, the lone Lookout hitter to have a strong day at the dish, hit his eighth home run of the season in the fifth inning. Unfortunately for Chattanooga, that tally was their last of the game. With Mobile scoring four in the fifth, three in the sixth, and two more in the ninth, the final rested at 17-4. Both Alex Perez and Tanner English worked as position players on in relief to round out the eighth and ninth innings in this one. Having taken the middle three games of the series, Mobile will win the five game set. Chattanooga can look to salvage an extra game as they square off one last time tomorrow evening. MIRACLE MATTERS Palm Beach 9, Fort Myers 5 (10 innings) Box Score This game saw 14 runners cross the plate, and there was a total of 22 hits recorded. Unfortunately for the Miracle, the majority in both categories were recorded by Palm Beach. Having dropped the first two in the series, an offensive outburst was the result this club was looking for. Early on, things were going well for Fort Myers. Putting up a crooked number in the second inning, Luis Arraez doubled and Mitchell Kranson singled to score three runners. The lead wouldn't hold up however, as all three were given back in the top half of the 4th. Palm Beach then took their first lead in the 5th, to the tune of a 4-3 tally. A Shane Carrier single for the Miracle knotted things up in the bottom half, and the roller coaster affair would continue. Fort Myers then jumped back out on top in the bottom of the sixth, this time with Arraez delivering again, on a sac fly. As had been the case throughout the entirety of the game, the lead would be short lived. A Palm Beach home run off of Ryan Mason would send the Miracle to bat in the seventh tied at five. Neither team could push anything across in the 8th or 9th, and this one would head to extras. The final blow on the evening came against Miracle All-Star Andrew Vasquez. With the bases loaded, Palm Beach's Dylan Carlson lifted a grand slam to right field. Down 9-5, Fort Myers wasn't able to pull even again and they fell to 0-3 in the series. Looking to salvage a game, they'll have one last opportunity tomorrow night. KERNELS NUGGETS Game 1: Beloit 4, Cedar Rapids 3 (8 innings) Box Score Brusdar Graterol returned from the disabled list (hand contusion) to start this one for Cedar Rapids. He was on cruise control most of the game, and allowing just two runs over six strong innings, his final line was another good one. Beloit got the scoring started in the top half of the fifth inning, tallying one against Graterol. Andrew Bechtold scored on a David Banuelos single in the bottom half, to knot the game up. Unfortunately the lead was short lived with the Snappers striking again in the top of the 6th. Down to their last raps in the bottom of the seventh inning, Bechtold led off with his second double of the game. After two quick outs, Jordan Gore found himself at the dish with the game on the line. The Kernels were down to their final strike when Gore ground a single through the infield to right, scoring Bechtold and forcing extras. In the extra frame, Calvin Faucher came on for Toby Gardenhire, and was tasked with holding the automatic runner at second. After a Beloit sac bunt, the runner came in to score on a wild pitch. The Snappers added an insurance tally before their half of the inning was over, and Cedar Rapids faced a 4-2 deficit. Royce Lewis was tabbed the automatic runner for the Kernels in the bottom of the 8th, and he scored on a Robby Rinn two-out single. Needing to push one more across, the rally fell short as Jacob Pearson was caught stealing with Bechtold at the plate. A split of their second straight doubleheader would again be the goal in game two. Game 2: Beloit 3, Cedar Rapids 0 (7 innings) Box Score Tanner Kiest was making his second start in the Twins organization, and this one would be of the abbreviated sort. Despite allowing just two runs in the first frame, he needed 36 pitches to get through the inning. With the new organizational rule limiting minor leaguers at 35 pitches, he was then removed from the game. Randy Dobnak came on in relief, and he gave the Kernels everything they could ask for. Throwing six innings of one-run baseball, the three-run deficit was a score that allowed the offense opportunity to rally. The bats went cold after the seven-hit performance in the first game, and two base knocks were all the squad could muster. Having played four games in two days, the Kernels (and Snappers) will welcome a one game affair to close out the series tomorrow night. With the Kernels trailing three games to one in this set, they'll look to draw closer to even as the end the three day homestand. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Brent Rooker 2-2, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR(8), 2 BB Twins Daily Hitter of the Day – Brusdar Graterol 7.0 IP 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY 1. Royce Lewis (Cedar Rapids) – 0-4, R 3. Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 1-4 5. Alex Kirilloff (Cedar Rapids) – (2 Games) 1-5, 2 BB, K 7. Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) – 2-2, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR(8), 2 BB 9. Brusdar Graterol (Cedar Rapids) – 7.0 IP 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K 10. Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) – (2 Games) 1-5, 2 BB, 3 K 13. Lewin Diaz (Fort Myers) – 0-5, 2 K 14. LaMonte Wade (Chattanooga) – 0-3, 2 R, 2 BB 15. Mitch Garver (Minnesota) – 2-4, 2B 16. Ben Rortvedt (Cedar Rapids) – 0-3, K 17. Travis Blankenhorn (Fort Myers) – 0-4, BB, K THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Indianapolis @ Rochester (11:35AM CST) – LHP Dietrich Enns (4-5, 4.81 ERA) Mobile @ Chattanooga (6:15PM CST) – TBD Palm Beach @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) – RHP Griffin Jax (0-0, 5.79 ERA) Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) – RHP Bailey Ober (1-1, 7.86 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games! Click here to view the article

Today was filled with early action on the farm for the Minnesota Twins affiliates. Each of the four minor league teams played afternoon matinee games, and there was plenty of action. With Omar Bencomo replacing Aaron Slegers at Triple-A, and Jose Miranda putting on a show for the Kernels, highlights were long and across the board.TRANSACTIONS Minnesota Twins- Add RHP Aaron Slegers from Triple A Rochester Rochester Red Wings- Add RHP Omar Bencomo from Double A Chattanooga RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 5, Durham 2 Box Score For the Red Wings, Aaron Slegers was initially slated to start today’s matinee. With the Minnesota Twins having exhausted their bullpen in an extra-innings affair last night, he was needed to provide length in relief. In his place, Omar Bencomo came up from Double A Chattanooga. Bencomo last pitched for Rochester back in 2016. After spending 2017 in the Marlins organization, today represented his 2018 debut with the Twins Triple A affiliate. Suggesting that the outing went well would be an understatement. He shoved for 6 innings allowing just one hit and striking out four while walking none. By the time Rochester’s starter left, they were in command of the game. Facing former Minnesota prospect Chih-Wei Hu, Kennys Vargas homered in the top of the second inning. It was his seventh of the year and second in as many days. The Red Wings would then pile on against Hu in the fourth. Jake Cave drove in Nick Gordon (who picked up his first Triple A triple) on a single, while Chris Carter cleared the bases with a two-run shot. Nick Buss then tripled in Wynston Sawyer to put the away club up 5-0. Alan Busenitz came in to work two scoreless innings, which has become the expectation when he’s on the bump for Rochester. The reliever now owns a 0.54 ERA and a 24/5 K/BB ratio across 16 2/3 innings at Triple-A in 2018. Working the ninth inning, John Curtiss would get himself into a bit of a jam after allowing a walk and hit to give Durham runners on second and third with two outs. A throwing error by Nick Gordon on what would have been the final out allowed both Bulls runners to score. Curtiss would pick up his teammate and record the final out on the next batter however. Tomorrow night, Rochester goes for the three game series sweep. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Birmingham 7, Chattanooga 1 Box Score Kohl Stewart took the mound today for the Lookouts and was attempting to right the ship. After posting strong starts in five of his first six outings, he’d given up six runs in twoed of his last three. Unfortunately for both Stewart and the Lookouts, this one follow the latter pattern. From the second through fourth innings, the Barons hopped all over the Chattanooga starter. Yielding seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits and three walks, Kohl was able to fan just four. Headed into the top of the fifth inning against top 100 prospect Dane Dunning, Chattanooga was staring at a seven run deficit. Recently activated LaMonte Wade helped to push across the lone Lookouts run of the day. On an RBI single in the top of the sixth inning, Ryan Walker came around to score. With just five hits to their credit across the nine frames, Chattanooga wouldn’t be able to do enough to force a comeback. Sam Clay and Paco Rodriguez worked two innings each in relief of Stewart. Both held the Barons scoreless and they struck out three and two batters respectively. With the series knotted at one game apiece, Chattanooga will look to take back the advantage tomorrow evening. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 6, Clearwater 3 Box Score Hometown kid Brady Anderson was on the bump for the Miracle again today, and while he’s had an up and down season for the Miracle, this outing was good enough to keep them in it. Working 5 1/3 innings, Anderson scattered seven hits, allowed three runs, while both walking and striking out four batters. For his efforts, Anderson recorded his first win of 2018. Given a lead in the second inning, a Travis Blankenhorn double pushed across Jaylin Davis for the game’s first run. A wild pitch from Anderson in the third would knot the game at one, but that would be the last time Clearwater would draw even. Jimmy Kerrigan launched his sixth home run of the season in the top half of the sixth inning, and Taylor Grzelakowski doubled to drive in both Davis and Blankenhorn. Although a 4-3 lead may have held up, insurance was added in the ninth. Mark Contreras singled in Blankenhorn and Kerrigan then drove him in with a sharp single of his own. 6-3 into the final half inning was enough to grab the victory. Both Davis and Blankenhorn fueled the offense today for the Miracle, tallying three hits apiece. Blankenhorn busted out of a three game hitless streak in a nice way, while Davis continues to trend towards the .300 mark on the year. Wrapping up the three-game set with Clearwater tomorrow night, the Miracle find themselves positioned for a sweep. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 15, Wisconsin 4 Box Score Early and often was the mantra today for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. With Blayne Enlow on the bump, the home team knew a little run support should get them the victory. Luckily for manager Toby Gardenhire, the run support came in bunches and was highlighted by a massive finish. The Kernels jumped out to a quick lead with Royce Lewis driving in Akil Baddoo on an RBI single; he would then come around to score on a Jose Miranda double. In the second inning, already one time through the order, Lewis doubled in Baddoo and score on an Alex Kirilloff two-bagger. It was in the third inning that Enlow finally ran into some trouble. Giving back the lead, Cedar Rapids found themselves tied at four heading to the bottom half of the third frame. Ben Rortvedt quickly gave the home team some separation with an RBI double in the bottom half however. In the fourth, Miranda then tacked on another run, pushing the lead to 6-4, on his second RBI double of the game. Up by two runs heading into their final hacks, the Kernels decided to turn on the afterburners. In the bottom of the eighth, Miranda started things off with a grand slam, his fourth home run of the year. From there, Jacob Pearson launched his first career homer, and Robby Rinn followed with his first in the Twins organization. Not ready to be done, Jordan Gore doubled in Ben Rortvedt, and Akil Baddoo’s third long ball of the season put a stamp on things. When the dust settled, Cedar Rapids was able to head to the ninth holding a 15-4 lead. Jose Martinez came on for the final frame, and the 11 run lead would stay intact. The Kernels have now hung 21 runs on Wisconsin in the past two games to cement a series victory. They can go for the three game sweep tomorrow night. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Omar Bencomo, 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K Twins Daily Hitter of the Day – Jose Miranda 3-5, R, 6 RBI, 2 2B, GS HR(4) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY 1. Royce Lewis (Cedar Rapids) – 2-5, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2B 2. Fernando Romero (Minnesota) – 3. Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 1-4, R, 3B, 2 K 5. Alex Kirilloff (Cedar Rapids) – 1-4, R, RBI, BB, 2B, 2 K 7. Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) – 0-4, 2 K 8. Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – 3.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K 10. Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) – 1-3, 4 R, 2 RBI, 3 BB, HR(3), 2 K 14. LaMonte Wade (Chattanooga) – 1-4, RBI, K 15. Mitch Garver (Minnesota) – 16. Ben Rortvedt (Cedar Rapids) – 3-4, R, RBI, 2 2B, BB, K 17. Travis Blankenhorn (Fort Myers) – 3-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Durham (6:05PM CST) – LHP Dietrich Enns (3-5, 5.11 ERA) Chattanooga @ Birmingham (7:05PM CST) – TBD Fort Myers @ Clearwater (6:00PM CST) – RHP Clark Beeker (1-3, 2.93 ERA) Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games! Click here to view the article

At the beginning of the 2018 Minor League season a vast amount of people didn’t know who Jimmy Kerrigan was. However, after hitting .324/.394/.541 the Twins moved him from high-A Miracle to triple-A Rochester, he has been since moved back down to the Miracle. I had the chance to talk to Jimmy via. Twitter. Me: How do you feel about being bumped up from Fort Myers to Rochester? Jimmy: I'm actually back in Fort Myers now. I got sent back on Thursday. Rochester was awesome though, it was a great experience and I thought I did pretty well and hope to get that opportunity again. Me: So what were some things that you worked on to get better going into this season? Jimmy: I worked on my approach a lot, swinging at better pitches, being aggressive. Also, worked with my hitting coach in Ft Myers, Steve Singleton, and developed a leg lift which I believe has helped me so far this year. Me: What diets do you follow to keep healthy? Jimmy: Our pregame and post game meals are always healthy. Usually grilled chicken, steak, or some kind of meat, rice or potatoes and vegetables. So our staff makes it easy for us to stay in good shape. Me: Is there a MLB player that you try to play like? Jimmy: I try to play with a lot of intensity. I got that from watching Chase Utley play growing up when he was with the Phillies. He gives it 100% every single day and I have admired that since I was a kid. Me: So when you aren't playing baseball what other things interest you? Jimmy: Other than baseball i’m interested in fishing, golfing sometimes, going to the beach, seeing a movie, things like that. Me: Who or why was the reason you started playing baseball? Jimmy: I started playing when I was 6 when my sister was playing tee ball. My parents said I ran out on the field and asked if I could play on the team and ever since then I just loved it. Its always been my #1 sport. Me: What other sports did you play as a kid? Jimmy: Other than baseball I played football, and basketball mostly. I played soccer for a couple of years when I was really young but that's it. Me: Ok, what is one of your favorite memories playing baseball? Jimmy: I have a few haha. In High School we won three catholic league and city championships, and when I was at VCU we won the Atlantic 10 championship, won a regional and went to super regional against Miami. Me: So when did you realize that you could play baseball professionally? Jimmy: I always had the confidence that I could play at the highest level. I believe that my work ethic and respect for the game will get me to the top. I think I became the player that I am today throughout my junior and senior year of college and even last year when I played Indy ball for the River City Rascals of the Frontier League Me: If you could own any car in the world. What would it be? Jimmy: That's a tough one, i’m into older cars so I guess I would say i'd like to have a 69 Chevelle. I would like to thank Jimmy for this interview and I wish him the best of luck getting to the Majors!

After struggling his previous two seasons in the Minnesota Twins organization, Rortvedt is on fire to start 2018. He is finally coming into his own and becoming the catcher many thought he would become when drafted in the second round out of high school in 2016. After two subpar years, the great Tom Froemming and I were still high really high on Rortvedt. Still only 20, he has plenty of room for growth, and has the opportunity to be an All-Star catcher in the big leagues. Rortvedt was more known for his offense coming out of Verona Area High School in Wisconsin, but his offense has struggled so far in his first two seasons, while his defense has been a real positive. As a senior in high school, he finished the season with an on-base percentage of .568 and a slugging percentage of .667. He was considered the top offensive high school catcher in the 2016 draft. So, it was just a matter of time before his offense came around. His defense, on the other hand, has been a pleasant surprise. On defense, he threw out 36.2 percent of potential base stealers (30 of 83) last season. So far this year, he caught the only base runner trying to steal on him. His calling of the game is much-improved as well. In an article by Mike Berardino, he talked to Twins first base coach Jeff Smith. “He receives the ball well; he’s got real soft hands,” said Smith, in the Berardino article. “He gives a good target and has made huge strides in his game calling and his ability to work with his pitching coach and his pitchers. Ben can really throw, too.” http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Rortvedt2017c900-600x400.jpg In his first two seasons, the best average for him was .250 in 13 games in Elizabethton in 2016. In his other two stops, he hit .203 with the GCL Twins and .224 in his first full season with Cedar Rapids in 2017. Rortvedt, hitting .471 through four games in 2018, is off to a really nice start, which is surprising considering he started out really slow in both of his previous years. I know it is really early, but I believe he has turned a corner. He has eight hits in 17 at-bats in his four games so far. In 2016, as a rookie, he started off hitting .179 (12-67) in his first 22. It was even worse in Cedar Rapids last season, hitting just .145 (16-110) in his first two months of the season. But, to his credit, he was able to bounce back from both of those slow starts. In 2016, after starting out slow in both the Gulf Coast League and Elizabethton, Rortvedt hit .313 (10-32) in his final 11 games. Unfortunately, as I mentioned, he could not carry the positive momentum into 2017 from the ending to the previous season. However, he did have a decent ending. After the woeful beginning to the season, Rortvedt finished the season batting .224, but in his final three months, he hit .268. That does not seem great, but it is a definite improvement, especially in his first full season playing professional baseball. In those final three months, he hit all four of his homers on the year. He was also the second youngest player to play for the Kernels last year, only older than 2017 first overall pick Royce Lewis. If Rortvedt keeps it up with the Kernels, he should be in the state of Florida by the month of June, maybe even sooner. It would also clear up a spot for David Banuelos to become the every day catcher. Banuelos came over to the Twins in an offseason trade from the Seattle Mariners for International bonus pool money. Fort Myers lacks a powerful lineup, so Rortvedt would come in and make the Miracle lineup a force. Mitchell Kranson could be due for a promotion as well, which would clear up a spot for the Verona native. With his defense being a major strength already for him, when the offense comes around, which it is starting to, the sky is the limit for the youngster.

Alex Kirilloff busted out in a big way Wednesday evening, slugging his first two home runs for Cedar Rapids to lead a huge offensive output for the Kernels. Also tonight, Zack Littell tallied 10 strikeouts and Anthony Marzi hurled 6.1 shutout innings. Check out what else happened around the minors.RED WINGS REPORT Syracuse 7, Rochester 1 Box Score Dietrich Enns got his first action of the season for the Red Wings, and was unfortunately chased after just 3.2 IP. Leaving with a three run deficit, it was up to Rochester to mount a comeback, and the bats simply didn’t cooperate. Recently acquired Jake Cave clobbered his first homer as a member of the Twins organization, but that would be the only Red Wings tally of the night. In relief, D.J. Baxendale gave up an unearned run over 2.1 innings, Mason Melotakis surrendered a pair of runs over two frames but also struck out four batters and Jake Reed pitched a scoreless ninth inning. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Pensacola 6, Chattanooga 5 Box Score There was a little bit of everything tonight from the Lookouts. Starter Zack Littell racked up an impressive 10 strikeouts over just four innings pitched, but he also ave up three runs on seven hits and a walk. Both Todd Van Steensel (one earned run over 2.0 innings) and Zack Jones (two earned runs over 2.0 innings) allowed runs in relief, but the Lookouts pitching staff combined for 16 strikeouts on the night. The dormant offense awoke as the game wore on. A four-run rally in the ninth inning came up just one run short. Both Zander Wiel and Nick Gordon picked up multi-hit games on the night, and T.J. White launched his first homer of the season. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 9, Florida 0 Box Score Anthony Marzi got the nod for the Miracle tonight, and we has brilliant while getting plenty of support. Throwing 6.1 IP of efficient baseball, he scattered four hits while striking out five and walking none. Marzi threw 49 of his 74 pitches for strikes (66.2 percent). Logan Lombana threw the final 2.2 frames to complete the shutout. Jimmy Kerrigan notched his second homer of the season, and also added a double in a two-hit, four-RBI effort on the evening. Mitchell Kranson (3 for 4) and Alex Perez (2 for 4) also recorded multi-hit efforts fort the Miracle tonight. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 12, Peoria 9 Box Score Seven out of the nine batters in the Kernels lineup picked up a base hit tonight, and five of them tallied multi-hit games. Alex Kirilloff was no doubt the star of the game as he launched a pair of long balls en route to a six RBI night, but he wasn't the only bat to bust loose. Ben Rodriguez was 3-or-5 and hit his first Midwest League home run. David Banuelos also hit his first homer for the Kernels and had a single. Jordan Gore had a pair of hits and a walk and Ben Rortvedt was 2-for-5. Despite getting a short start from Randy Dobnak (3.2 innings), Calvin Faucher and Ryan Mason came on to shut down the Peoria lineup. Faucher pitched 2.1 shutout innings with four strikeouts and Ryan Mason earned his second save of the year after allowing one run over the final three innings. The Kernels have now improved to 5-0 on the 2018 season. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Anthony Marzi, Fort Myers Miracle (6.1 IP 4 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 5 K) Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day: Alex Kirilloff, Cedar Rapid Kernels (3-4 2 R 6 RBI 2 HR) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY Here's a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Prospects performed: 2. Nick Gordon 2-for-5, RBI 5. Alex Kirilloff 3-for-5, 2 R, 6 RBI, 2 HR 7. Brent Rooker 0-for-4, 3 K 10. Akil Baddoo 0-for-3, 2 R, BB 11. Zack Littell 4.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 10 K 14. LaMonte Wade 0-3, BB 16. Ben Rortvedt 2-for-5, 2B, R 17. Travis Blankenhorn 1-for-4, RBI THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Red Wings @ Gwinnett (6:05pm CST) – RHP Myles Jaye (0-0 0.00 ERA) Chattanooga @ Pensacola (6:35pm CST) – LHP Stephen Gonsalves (1-0 0.00 ERA) Miracle vs Florida (6:00pm CST) – Tyler Wells (0-0 2.25 ERA) Kernels @ Peoria (6:30pm CST) – Nick Brown (0-0 0.00 ERA) Click here to view the article

Travis Blankenhorn was drafted in the 3rd round in the 2015 MLB Draft out of Pottsville Area High School in Pennsylvania when he was 18. Blankenhorn has escalated to now be one of the top third baseman in the Twins farm system, with a career .260/.340/.463 slash line that will improve as he gets older and moves through the system. I got a chance to ask Travis a few questions via Instagram. Me: What is your favorite baseball memory with the Minnesota Twins organization so far? Travis Blankenhorn: Prob when I stole home when we were fighting for a playoff spot. Me: What are some exercise, workouts, or diets that you use to keep in shape while on the off-season? Travis Blankenhorn: I just use my trainers plan all off-season and try to stick to eat clean foods and trying to limit the junk foods. Me: What makes you strive to do your best and get better every day? Travis Blankenhorn: The end goal of trying to make it all the way to the majors. Me: If you were not playing baseball, what do you think would be your occupation? Travis Blankenhorn: I’d still be a college student somewhere. Me: Who is the most influential person in your life? Travis Blankenhorn: I would say both my parents, just how much they did for me to get to where I am today. It looks like Travis will be starting in Fort Myers this year and will hopefully tear it up on the Miracle’s and beyond! I would like to thank Travis for taking his time to get interviewed and I wish him luck on his way to the big leagues.