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Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano ran out of magic on Thursday night as the pair lost for the first time while playing in the lineup together, snapping the Twins' longest winning streak since 2011. With September call-ups less than a week away, let's take a look at some of the action down in the minor leagues.RED WINGS REPORT Syracuse Chiefs @ Rochester Red Wings Box Score The Red Wings pitching staff limited the Chiefs to just six hits while racking up thirteen strikeouts and not a single walk. Red Wings starting pitcher Michael Bowden picked up his tenth win of the year with seven scoreless innings. Bowden gave up five hits and struck out nine, bringing his season ERA down to 2.68. Bowden, a former first-round pick by the Red Sox, has pitched in parts of six MLB seasons, but hasn't been in the show since 2013. Mark Hamburger pitched the final two innings in relief. Hamburger gave up a hit and struck out four. The Red Wings did pretty well with the the sticks as well, notching nine hits, including multi-hit games from their one, two, and four hitters. Danny Santana led off and was 2-4 with a double and a run scored. Two-hitter James Beresford was 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Cleanup man Kennys Vargas was 2-4 with a run scored and a strikeout. Josmil Pinto picked up four RBIs with a grand slam in the first inning. Just Pinto's seventh homer of the year. Pinto was once a player the Twins had high hopes for but his defense hasn't been up to par at catcher, and as a DH his .229/308/.373 line is not impressive. Final: Chiefs 0, Red Wings 6 LOOKOUTS LOOK-IN Tennessee Smokies @ Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score The Smokies pounded the Lookouts on Thursday night, taking a six-run lead before the Lookouts were on the board. D.J. Baxendale pitched the first five innings, giving up eight hits, four runs (all earned), a walk and three strikeouts. Brandon Peterson gave up a pair of unearned runs in the sixth on the back of two Lookouts errors, one each from Niko Goodrum and Levi Michael. Corey Williams pitched two strong innings of relief after the Lookouts were well out of the game, giving up one hit, struck out three and walked one. J.T. Chargois pitched the ninth, yielding a pair of hits and a run. The Lookouts struggled at the plate, especially at the top of the order as the first five hitters combined to go 1-16. Levi Michael and Jair Rodriguez had the best nights for Chattanooga. Both players had a pair of singles. Final: Smokies 7, Lookouts 1 MIRACLE MATTERS Bradenton Marauders @ Fort Myers Miracle Box Score Miracle pitchers held the Marauders hitters from scoring until the top of the ninth and then hung on for dear life. Ethan Mildren got things started for the Miracle, pitching six shutout innings. Mildren gave up five hits, one walk, and he struck out three. Jake Reed picked up a hold, his second, with a scoreless inning (facing the minimum). Zach Jones gave up a pair of hits in the eighth, but escaped unharmed for his first hold of the year. Trevor Hildenberger gave up a pair of runs in the ninth but still earned his third save of the year thanks to a three-run cushion. The Miracle couldn't grab an extra base hit on Thursday night, but nine singles and a pair of sacrifice flies put them in the driver's seat. Zach Granite was 2-4 with a run scored, as was Engelb Vielma who added in a stolen base for good measure. Anderlin Meija was 0-2 but he had both of the Fort Myers sacrifice flies, driving in a pair of runs. Final: Marauders 2, Miracle 3 KERNELS KORNER Kane County Cougars @ Cedar Rapids Kernes Box Score The Kernels out-hit the Cougars 8-6 but were 0-11 with runners in scoring position, stranding twelve runners in the process. Alex Real had a nice night at the plate, 3-3 with a double and a HBP to reach four times. Real is a 2014 twenty-fourth round draftee out of New Mexico. The six-foot right-hander is hitting .270/315/.382 but has played just 54 games because he started the year serving a 50-game suspension for a positive PED test. Starter Randy Rosario took the loss to drop to 1-5 on the year. He pitched six innings of four-hit ball and gave up just one earned run. Rosario didn't help his own cause in the second inning earning an error on a missed catch which led to an unearned run. In the third a passed ball led to another unearned run. Yorman Landa gave up a pair of unearned runs in the eighth inning despite giving up just one hit, one walk and striking out three. Zach Tillery pitched the ninth, giving up a hit and recording a strikeout. Final: Cougars 5, Kernels 0 E-TWINS E-NOTES Kingsport Mets @ Elizabethton Twins Box Score The Elizabethton Twins battled back from an early 3-0 defecit to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth. Zander Wiel powered the offense with a 2-4 night with a double and two RBIs. Jermain Palacios also had a pair of hits with a double from the leadoff spot. Starter Eduardo Del Rosario gave up six hits, three runs, walked no one, struck out three and gave up a long ball over his four innings of work. Logan Lombana pitched three scoreless innings of relief and struck out five while walking one and giving up a pair of hits. Tyler Stirewalt pitched a clean eighth inning, but with the game tied 3-3 in the top of the ninth, he came back out for a second inning of relief and was tagged with the loss as three runs scored as Stirewalt unraveled. He gave up a double, an intentional walk, hit a batter, a fielder's choice that resulted in no outs, and a single before the damage was done. Then the Twins went down in order in the bottom of the ninth. Final: Mets 6, Twins 3 GCL Twins GCL Rays @ GCL Twins Box Score Matz Schutte struggled through 4.2 innings, giving up five hits, five runs, a walk and struck out six. He was replaced by Luis Hernandez who pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless baseball. Andrew Vasquez gave up a pair of unearned runs in the eighth, walked three and struck out two. Hector Lujan finished the game, giving up a hit but otherwise putting up zeros. The Twins managed just five hits, with two coming from Roberto Gonzalez on a 2-4 night that included a run scored. Kolton Kendrick was 1-4 with a triple, two RBIs, a run scored and a pair of strike outs. Final: Rays 7, Twins 3 TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day - Alex Real, Cedar Rapids Kernels Pitcher of the Day - Michael Bowden, Rochester Red Wings FRIDAY'S PROBABLES Syracuse @ Rochester - Paolo Espino vs. Taylor Rogers (9-11, 3.91) Chattanooga @ Birmingham - TBD vs. TBD Bradenton @ Fort Myers - TBD vs. Mat Batts (7-4, 2.54) Kane County @ Cedar Rapids - Josh Taylor vs. Sam Bibbons (7-3, 2.72) Kingsport @ Elizabethton - Nabil Crismatt vs. Onesimo Hernandez (5-1, 3,79) GCL Red Sox @ GCL Twins - TBD vs. TBD Click here to view the article

Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano ran out of magic on Thursday night as the pair lost for the first time while playing in the lineup together, snapping the Twins' longest winning streak since 2011. With September call-ups less than a week away, let's take a look at some of the action down in the Minor Leagues. RED WINGS REPORT Syracuse Chiefs @ Rochester Red Wings Box Score The Red Wings pitching staff limited the Chiefs to just six hits while racking up thirteen strike outs and not a single walk. Red Wings starting pitcher Michael Bowden picked up his tenth win of the year with seven scoreless innings. Bowden gave up five hits and struck out nine, bringing his season ERA down to 2.68. Bowden, a former first round pick by the Red Sox, has pitched in parts of six MLB seasons, but hasn't been in the show since 2013. Mark Hamburger pitched the final two innings in relief. Hamburger gave up a hit and struck out four. The Red Wings did pretty well with the the sticks as well, notching nine hits, including multi-hit games from their one, two, and four hitters. Danny Santana led off and was 2-4 with a double and a run scored. two-hitter James Beresford was 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Cleanup man Kennys Vargas was 2-4 with a run scored and a strike out. Josmil Pinto picked up four RBIs with a grand slam in the first inning. Just Pinto's seventh homer of the year. Pinto was once a player the Twins had high hopes for but his defense hasn't been up to par at catcher, and as a DH his .229/308/.373 line is not impressive. Final: Chiefs 0, Red Wings 6 LOOKOUTS LOOK-IN Tennessee Smokies @ Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score The Smokies pounded the Lookouts on Thursday night, taking a six run lead before the Lookouts were on the board. D.J. Baxendale pitched the first five innings, giving up eight hits, four runs (all earned), a walk and three strike outs. Brandon Peterson gave up a pair of unearned runs in the sixth on the back of two Lookouts errors, one each from Niko Goodrum and Levi Michael. Corey Williams pitched two strong innings of relief after the Lookouts were well out of the game, he gave up one hit, struck out three and walked one. J.T. Chargois pitched the ninth, giving up a pair of hits and a run. The Lookouts struggled at the plate, especially at the top of the order as the first five hitters combined to go 1-16. Levi Michael and Jair Rodriguez had the best nights for Chattanooga. Both players had a pair of singles. Final: Smokies 7, Lookouts 1 MIRACLE MATTERS Bradenton Marauders @ Fort Myers Miracle Box Score Miracle pitchers held the Marauders hitters from scoring until the top of the ninth and then hung on for dear life. Ethan Mildren got things started for the Miracle, pitching six shutout innings. Mildren gave up five hits, one walk, and he struck out three. Jake Reed picked up a hold, his second, with a scoreless inning (facing the minimum). Zach Jones gave up a pair of hits in the eighth, but escaped unharmed for his first hold of the year. Trevor Hildenberger gave up a pair of runs in the ninth but still earned his third save of the year thanks to a three-run cushion. The Miracle couldn't grab an extra base hit on Thursday night, but nine singles and a pair of sacrifice flies put them in the driver's seat. Zach Granite was 2-4 with a run scored, as was Engelb Vielma who added in a stolen base for good measure. Anderlin Meija was 0-2 but he had both of the Fort Myers sacrifice flies, driving in a pair of runs. Final: Marauders 2, Miracle 3 KERNELS KORNER Kane County Cougars @ Cedar Rapids Kernes Box Score The Kernels out hit the Cougars 8-6 but were 0-11 with runnings in scoring position, stranding twelve runners in the process. Alex Real had a nice night at the plate, 3-3 with a double and a HBP to reach four times. Real is a 2014 twenty-fourth round draftee out of New Mexico. The six-foot right hander is hitting .270/315/.382 but has played just 54 games because he started the year serving a 50-game suspension for a positive PED test. Starter Randy Rosario took the loss to drop to 1-5 on the year. He pitched six innings of four hit ball and gave up just one earned run. Rosario didn't help his own cause in the second inning earning an error on a missed catch which led to an unearned run. In the third a passed ball led to another unearned run. Yorman Landa gave up a pair of unearned runs in the eighth inning despite giving up just one hit, one walk, and striking out three. Zach Tillery pitched the ninth, giving up a hit and recording a strike out. Final: Cougars 5, Kernels 0 E-TWINS E-NOTES Kingsport Mets @ Elizabethton Twins Box Score The Elizabethton Twins battled back from an early 3-0 defecit to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth. Zander Wiel powered the offense with a 2-4 night with a double and two RBIs. Jermain Palacios also had a pair of hits and a double from the leadoff spot. Starter Eduardo Del Rosario gae up six hits, three runs, walked no one, struck out three and gave up a long ball over his four innings of work. Logan Lombana pitched THREE scoreless innings of relief and struck out five while walking one and giving up a pair of hits. Tyler Stirewalt pitched a clean eighth inning, but with the game tied 3-3 in the top of the ninth, he came back out for a second inning of relief and was tagged with the loss as three runs scored as Stirewalt unraveled. He gave up a double, an intentional walk, hit a batter, a fielder's choice that resulted in no outs, and a single before the damage was done. Then the Twins went down in order in the bottom of the ninth. Final: Mets 6, Twins 3 GCL Twins GCL Rays @ GCL Twins Box Score Matz Schutte struggled through 4.2 innings, giving up five hits, five runs, a walk and struck out six. He was replaced by Luis Hernandez who pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless baseball. Andrew Vasquez gave up a pair of unearned runs in the eighth, walked three and struck out two. Hector Lujan finished the game, giving up a hit but otherwise putting up zeros. The Twins managed just five hits, with two coming from Roberto Gonzalez on a 2-4 night that included a run scored. Kolton Kendrick was 1-4 with a triple, two RBIs, a run scored and a pair of strike outs. Final: Rays 7, Twins 3 TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day - Alex Real, Cedar Rapids Kernels Pitcher of the Day - Michael Bowden, Rochester Red Wings FRIDAY'S PROBABLES Syracuse @ Rochester - Paolo Espino vs. Taylor Rogers (9-11, 3.91) Chattanooga @ Birmingham - TBD vs. TBD Bradenton @ Fort Myers - TBD vs. Mat Batts (7-4, 2.54) Kane County @ Cedar Rapids - Josh Taylor vs. Sam Bibbons (7-3, 2.72) Kingsport @ Elizabethton - Nabil Crismatt vs. Onesimo Hernandez (5-1, 3,79) GCL Red Sox @ GCL Twins - TBD vs. TBD

Six games in one night. That’s what happened in the Twins farm system on Friday night thanks to two rain-affected games on Thursday. The Red Wings, Lookouts and Kernels each played a game and got great offensive production in it. Some of the biggest prospects had big games again. And be sure to check out the minor league organization leader board here on Saturday morning!Continue to read for everything that happened in the Twins minor leagues on Friday night. Remember to check back on Saturday morning when I will update the Twins minor league leader board. TRANSACTIONS The lone transaction of the day came when the Rochester Red Wings announced that they had released 1B/DH Brock Peterson to make room for Tyler Duffey on the roster.Duffey will enter the Red Wings starting rotation. On Friday the team announced that Alex Meyer was being moved to the bullpen.RED WINGS REPORTGame 1 – Rochester 11, Norfolk 4 Box Score When the Twins sent Kennys Vargas down to Rochester after Sunday’s game, they said that he needed to drive the ball more and be more of a run producer to meet his potential. In his first game with the Red Wings, he had three hits. In this game, he homered in his first two at-bats, driving in four runs. Pretty solid run production! Everyone in the lineup contributed to this win. Norfolk started big league veteran Bud Norris. They were able to get to him, scoring nine runs on 12 hits and a walk in just 2.2 innings. All nine starters had at least one hit. Eric Farris went 3-5 with his first double, two RBIs and his third stolen base. James Beresford went 2-4 with his seventh double and two RBIs. Josmil Pinto was 2-4 with his seventh double and two RBIs. Ryan Wheeler went 2-4 with his second double. Danny Ortiz and Doug Bernier both went 2-4. Pat Dean made the start. He was charged with four runs (two earned) on seven hits in 6.2 innings. Ryan O’Rourke came in and after an RBI single, got a strikeout to end the game. Game 2 – Rochester 0, Norfolk 3 Box Score The Red Wings likely wish they could have used some of their Game 1 runs in Game 2, but that’s not how it works. In the second game, the Red Wings were shut out. They had just five hits in the seven-inning game. James Beresford went 2-3 to raise his average to .344. Taylor Rogers threw a complete, six-inning game for the Red Wings in the second game. He gave up three runs on nine hits. He did not walk or strikeout any batters. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Game 1 – Chattanooga 13, Mobile 2 (completion of suspended game) Box Score On Thursday night, the Lookouts game was delayed at the start. Then they played just over two innings before it was suspended by rain. The teams completed the game on Friday. The Lookouts lineup was pretty impressive as the game continued. Byron Buxton went 3-6 with his fifth double, league-leading 10th triple and four RBI. Max Kepler went 3-5 with his 10th and 11th doubles and three RBI. Adam Brett Walker was 3-5 with his league-leading 11th home run and four RBI. Mike Gonzales went 3-4. Stephen Wickens went 2-4 with a walk and his third double. Miguel Sano went 2-4 with a walk. Travis Harrison was 2-5 with his league-leading 15th double. On Thursday, Alex Wimmers had given up two hits over two shutout innings. When they started play again on Friday, Madison Boer took the mound. He threw three shutout innings and gave up two hits and walked two. Cole Johnson struck out four over two shutout innings. Dallas Gallant gave up two runs on one hit and two walks in his two innings. Game 2 - Chattanooga 2, Mobile 7 Box Score Like the Red Wings, the Lookouts bats were quieted in their second game of the night. They managed just four hits in the regularly-scheduled game. Stuart Turner hit his fifth double. Buxton, Kepler and Jorge Polanco each had a single. Buxton stole his 12th base, while Kepler stole his sixth. David Hurlbut likely envisioned his Double-A debut going a bit differently. In the first inning, he gave up six runs on seven hits. In the second inning, he gave up a solo homer. In his three innings, he gave up those seven runs on eight hits. He walked one and struck out three. Nick Burdi came on and gave up four hits over two scoreless innings. He did not issue a walk and struck out two. In fact, 24 of his 33 pitches were strikes. DJ Johnson worked a perfect sixth inning. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, Brevard County 2 Box Score With Hurlbut promoted, Luke Westphal returned to the rotation for a spot start. The lefty from Wisconsin gave up one run on three hits over three innings. He walked one and struck out three. Brian Gilbert came on and worked the next three innings. He gave up one run on one hit, he walked two and struck out four. Todd Van Steensel gave up four hits, but no runs, in two innings. He walked one and struck out four. Alex Muren struck out three in the ninth inning. The Miracle offense had six hits in the game. Alex Swim went 2-4 with his fourth double. He drove in the team’s lone run. His double scored Jason Kanzler who had singled and stolen second before it. Chad Christensen is now at .299 after a 2-4 night. Bryan Haar hit his eighth double. Kanzler stole his ninth and tenth bases. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Beloit 3 Box Score The Kernels used some late-game offense to improve to 26-16. The game was tied 2-2 going into the eighth inning. The Kernels scored two runs in the top of the eighth and three runs in the top of the ninth. TJ White went 3-4 with his sixth double. Nick Gordon went 2-4 with a walk and his third double. Trey Vavra went 2-5. Vavra, Max Murphy and Zack Larson were the 3,4 and 5 hitters of the Kernels. Each of them had two RBI. Jared Wilson made the start for Cedar Rapids. He gave up two runs on four hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out three. Randy LeBlanc improved to 4-0 while reducing his ERA to 2.74 with three shutout innings. He walked two and struck out two. Luke Bard made his Kernels debut. He pitched just one inning and gave up one run on one hit. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Randy LeBlanc, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Kennys Vargas, Rochester Red Wings SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Norfolk (6:05 CST) – RHP Tyler Duffey Chattanooga @ Mobile (7:05 CST) – RHP JO Berrios Brevard County @ Ft. Myers (6:05 CST) – LHP Mat Batts Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (2:00 CST) – RHP Keaton Steele Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Friday games. Click here to view the article

Another Monday means that each minor league level announces their player of the week honors. Twins-affiliated players have been littering the awards so far this season and that trend continued on Monday. Left-handed pitcher Tommy Milone was named the International League Pitcher of the Week. He only made one start over the last week but he tossed eight shutout innings while allowing three hits, all singles, striking out 12 without issuing a walk. To start the game, he struck out five straight batters. No batters reached scoring position against him and he faced the minimum in six of his eight innings of work. Top prospect Jose Berrios was also honored on Monday. The right-handed pitcher was honored as the Southern League's Pitcher of the Week. He tossed a nine innings complete game shutout for his fourth win of the season. He struck out eight and walked two while limiting the opposition to two hits, both singles. Both pitchers were scheduled to be on the mound today so let's see how they fared.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Durham 0 Box Score Tommy Milone is sick of being in the minor leagues and he is making that pretty clear with his performance since being demoted. On 115 pitches, Milone tossed a complete game shutout. He scattered six hits but used 13 strikeouts to get out of any jams. In three starts since being demoted, he has yet to allow a run and he has struck out 33 batters in 23.1 innings. (As Seth writes today, Tommy Milone Is Making A Statement.) Josmil Pinto provided the most important hit when he cranked a two-run home run with two outs in the sixth inning. Eric Farris reached base three times, scored a pair of runs and stole a base. James Beresford drove in a run and collected a double. Wilkin Ramirez hit his second double of the season. With the win, Rochester improved to 21-16 ahead of their double header with Durham tomorrow. The team has won three of their last four games and they haven't lost a series since May 8-9 against Louisville. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 2, Montgomery 4 Box Score Jose Berrios couldn't follow up his memorable performance from last week. He was limited to five innings in this game as he allowed three runs on five hits while striking out five and walking one. Some of the outs he gave up were long fly balls so the results look better than they could have been. Even with the rough day, Berrios still has an ERA under 2.90 for the season. The bullpen trio of Nick Burdi, Zack Jones, and DJ Johnson combined to pitch four perfect innings. Burdi struck out three in two innings of work and Jones struck out the side in the eighth. Dallas Gallant gave up a run on a couple of hits without recording an out. The Lookouts didn't have many opportunities on the offensive side of the ball as the team went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Jorge Polanco picked up a couple of hits to raise his average to .314. Max Kepler had the only other hit in the game, a two-run home run. It was his first of the season. With the loss, Chattanooga drops to 23-15 on the season. It was their second consecutive loss after winning five games in a row. The Lookouts had not lost two game in a row this month until today. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 11, Bradenton 5 Box Score The fireworks were out in Fort Myers on Monday evening as the club pounded out 12 hits and 11 runs including two three-run innings. Chad Christensen went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles and a run. Jason Kanzler scored three times, drove in three runs, and both his hits were for extra-bases. Engelb Vielma hit his second double, scored two runs and stole his tenth base. Niko Goodrum also crossed the plate twice. The offensive explosion meant the Miracle were able to dance around three fielding errors. Vielma had a throwing error, his sixth of the season. Goodrum was charged with a fielding error, his eight of the season. Logan Wade was the only starter not to reach base and he had his sixth error. Aaron Slegers started and didn't allow an earned run over five innings of work. He struck out two and walked two. Alex Muren pitched two perfect innings while striking out one. Todd Van Steensel got beat up a little in his two innings of work as he allowed three runs on five hits but he did strike out three. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Peoria 3 Box Score Completion from 5/14 In a game started last Thursday when the first four innings were played, Cedar Rapids found themselves in an early hole after Stephen Gonsalves surrendered two runs in the top of the first inning but the Kernels offense came pouring back. Over the next two innings, Cedar Rapids plated six runs to take the lead for good. The only thing that slowed the offense down was rain and a wet playing surface that suspended play before the fifth inning. Trey Vavra had a good game at the plate with two hits including his fourth home run and his eighth double. He knocked in three of the team's runs and all of his RBIs came with two outs. Tanner English reached base three times via a triple, single and walk as he scored two runs. Nick Gordon drove in a run and scored two runs. After the rough top of the first, Gonsalves calmed down before the rain started to fall. He pitched four innings while allowing two earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts and no walks. Keaton Steele started the game today in his Kernels debut and earned his first victory. He pitched five innings, allowed one earned run and had six strikeouts. Cedar Rapids 0, Peoria 1 (7 innings) Box Score Regularly Scheduled Game The Kernels bats cooled off for the second game of the night. In fact, the team was one Zack Larson single away from being part of a seven inning no-hitter. Nick Gordon had the only opportunity to bat with a runner in scoring position after Tanner English had stolen second base with two outs. This is the closest the Kernels came to scoring a run. Matt Batts took the loss after pitching all six innings but he put together some impressive numbers. He only allowed one earned run and he struck out 12 including multiple strikeouts in five of his six frames. It was the first time all season he struck out more than seven and it was his first loss of the month. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Tommy Milone, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Chad Christensen, Fort Myers Miracle TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Durham (10:05 am CST) – RHP Chih-Wei Hu (Triple-A Debut) Rochester vs. Durham (6:05 CST) – RHP Alex Meyer Chattanooga vs. Montgomery (6:15 CST)- RHP Greg Peavey Ft. Myers vs. Bradenton (6:05 CST) – RHP Ethan Mildren Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (11:00 am CST) - RHP John Curtiss Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Monday games. Click here to view the article

Following Rochester’s 4-0 win against Toledo on Monday night, Democrat and Chronicle Red Wings beat writer Kevin Oklobzija tweeted, “Aaron Hicks is headed to the #MNTwins.” His manager Mike Quade called it “a no-brainer, really.” Although there isn’t a consensus among Twins fans about Hicks’ readiness, his time and opportunity are upon us. On Monday, Hicks went 2-4 with a double to raise his batting average to .336 on the season. He will likely be in Detroit on Tuesday night and make his 2015 debut with the Twins. No corresponding move has been announced by the Twins at this time.There are certainly some options. The easiest might be optioning Eddie Rosario back to Rochester. The other potential moves would likely involve a player being designated for assignment. The Twins could choose to DFA Jordan Schafer who has struggled mightily until the last ten games of the season. They could DFA Shane Robinson who they signed on a minor league free agent deal before the season, though he has played well and is terrific defensively. They could option or DFA Doug Bernier as well in hopes he returns to Rochester unclaimed. Of course, there could also be an “injury” that we are not currently aware of.The Twins will announce that move sometime before the Twins and Tigers start their series. However there are other players in Rochester who are playing very well and could be candidates for promotion to the big league club if they continue to play well and the Twins have a need. As we are now in the middle of May, we could also see some promotions throughout the minor league system. Below are some candidates for promotion: Rochester Red Wings C – JOSMIL PINTO With his 0-4 on Monday night, the 26-year-old Pinto’s batting average has dropped to .290. He has been struggling the last few games, with just one hit in his last four games, 14 at-bats. His overall numbers are .290/.383/.419 (.803). He has three doubles and three home runs as well. Defensively, at 26, he is what he is. That is, a DH or pinch hitter, who can be an emergency catcher. Best case, he can be an offensive backup catcher. RH RP – AJ ACHTER He has been pushed into the closer’s role for the Red Wings since Michael Tonkin’s promotion. Achter is currently 3-2 with two saves. He’s got a 2.40 ERA and an impressive WHIP of just 0.67. In 15 innings, he has given up just five hits, walked five and struck out 13 batters. Though he may not profile as an eighth or ninth inning guy, the 26-year-old could certainly fill a role in a big league bullpen. RH RP – LESTER OLIVEROS Oliveros has been talked about already this year due to his impressive strikeout rate. Though it has regressed toward the mean, his K-rate is now at 14.1 per nine innings. In ten appearances, he is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. In his 14 innings pitched, he has just four walks and 22 strikeouts. The 27-year-old is not on the 40-man roster. Other Notes: Beyond those three, obviously lefties Tommy Milone and Caleb Thielbar would be ready to contribute at any time. James Beresford is still hitting nearly .350, but he likely would need an injury to Brian Dozier to get a promotion. Eric Fryer has an OPS over 1.000, but he has not played a lot. Chattanooga Lookouts There are several others who may not be pushing for a big league promotion, but they could be ready to move up a level. RH SP – TYLER DUFFEY Duffey ended the 2014 season with three starts in Rochester, but he begins the 2015 season back in AA with the Lookouts. The 24-year-old started the season with three strong starts. He had a couple of rough starts, but even in them he was able to eat innings by keeping his pitch count down. In 38.2 innings, he has eight walks and 37 strikeouts. RH RP – ZACK JONES The issue for Jones through his career has been lack of control. Through ten games and ten innings, he has issued just one walk to go with 17 strikeouts. He is 2-0 with six saves. He has posted a 0.90 ERA and a 0.70 WHIP. 2014 was a tough year for the hard-thrower due to an aneurysm and a blood clot, but he has come back strong. Other notes: DJ Baxendale is 3-0 with a 1.24 ERA in 36.1 innings through his first six starts. After being hurt most of the last two seasons, I think he just needs to keep working and getting innings under his belt with the Lookouts. JO Berrios is 3-1 with a 3.25 ERA in his six starts. In 36 innings, he has 45 strikeouts. He also has a WHIP of 1.33. His biggest trouble to this point has been that he has struggled in the fifth and sixth innings of games. He went eight innings in his most recent start, so he may not be far off. Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano have started to shake the rust and turn things around in the last couple of weeks, but they still need more time and more at-bats. Another month from now, we could be writing about promotions for each of them. Ft. Myers Miracle Tim Shibuya was our Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month for April. He was promoted to AA Chattanooga on May 1. Soon after, Madison Boer was also promoted. Here are others deserving for promotion. RH RP – BRANDON PETERSON A year ago at this time, Minnesotan Brandon Peterson earned his promotion from Cedar Rapids to Ft. Myers. He returned to the Miracle to start this season. In 11 appearances this year, he has a 1.62 ERA. In his 16.2 innings, he has 12 walks and 23 strikeouts. RH RP – TODD VAN STEENSEL Todd Van Steensel was still in extended spring training at this time last year. He moved up to Cedar Rapids and quickly moved up to the Miracle. He has posted a 1.89 ERA in 19 innings. He has 11 walks and 29 strikeouts. The Australian is in his second tour of duty in the Twins organization after they released him three years ago. He came back last year and was a different pitcher. Others: Chih-Wei Hu is 4-0 with a 1.24 ERA in five starts. In 26 innings, he has walked four and struck out 30. In another month, if he’s putting up numbers even close to what he has so far, he is a candidate for a promotion. Lefty Brett Lee missed the first three or four weeks of the season, but he’s posted a 2.95 ERA since his return. He could move up to Chattanooga after a few more starts. Cedar Rapids Kernels RH RP – TREVOR HILDENBERGER After four years at the University of California (Berkley), Trevor Hildenberger was the Twins second round pick a year ago. He’s already 24 and dominating the Midwest League. In 18 innings over nine games, he has posted a 0.50 ERA, a 0.50 WHIP and a two walk to 23 strikeout ratio. The side-winding right-hander throws pretty hard, and he’s ready to move up a level. LH RP – CAMERON BOOSER Booser is a great story, one we’ve written about here at Twins Daily. He just turned 23 and is healthy for the first time since his high school days. Blessed with a fastball that reaches into the upper-90s, the southpaw is intimidating and has been dominant. He has pitched 14 innings over nine games. He is 1-0 with three saves. He has a 0.64 ERA, a 0.86 WHIP and a strikeout to walk ratio of 25 to 6. LH SP – STEPHEN GONSALVES Gonsalves was the Starting Pitcher of the Month in April. He is now 3-1 with a 1.41 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP for the Kernels. The lefty’s only loss on the season came when the Kernels were no-hit in a game. In 32 innings, he has walked seven and struck out 43. Gonsalves is advanced on the mound considering his age. He made eight starts for the Kernels a year ago. He should be well-equipped to advance. LH SP – MAT BATTS Yes, he writes for Twins Daily on occasion, but he has always been really good at his full-time job too. The 23-year-old lefty has started the season 3-1 with a 2.04 ERA. In 30.2 innings, he has given up 21 hits, walked six and struck out 28 batters. He made six appearances for the Kernels a season ago. Others: Jared Wilson is 25-years-old and being given an opportunity to start for the Kernels. He is 4-0 with a 1.98 ERA. If he were to move up, it could be out of the bullpen. Zach Tillery is 3-0 with a 1.86 ERA and more than a strikeout per inning, but he would likely be given an opportunity to start first. Aaron Hicks has been promoted. We don’t know the other half of that move yet but in the near future we will find out. It will be interesting to see if others throughout the organization start moving as well. Click here to view the article

We know that Twins Daily readers follow the Twins farm system each day with these reports. I would imagine you were equally excited to see Eddie Rosario promoted to the big leagues, and even more excited when he launched the first MLB pitch he saw into the bleachers in left centerfield. His Rochester Red Wings didn’t get much offense, and neither did the potent bats in Chattanooga. Ft. Myers and Cedar Rapids have been really struggling to generate offense, but on this night, they both got strong hitting to go with their usually stellar pitching.Read below for all of the scores and highlights from the Twins minor league system, starting with some transactions. TRANSACTIONS Rochester lost Doug Bernier as he was promoted to the Twins.Levi Michael was put on the 7-day disabled list with his ankle sprain.After the game, the Miracle promoted Madison Boer to ChattanoogaBefore the Miracle game, Brandon Peterson and Todd Van Steensel were sent to extended spring training while Jose Velez and Alexis Tapia came across the parking lot to play for the Miracle. (As they had done earlier in the year; this is procedural after the Miracle played two more extra innings games prior to Wednesday.)RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 1, Indianapolis 3 Box Score Minor league teams rarely fly. Those long bus rides are famous, or infamous, in the minors. However, the International League is spread all over the eastern half of the country. The Red Wings had an early-morning flight to Indianapolis. Pat Dean made the start and the left-hander went the first 5.2 innings. He gave up three runs on nine hits and three walks. He struck out just one. Mark Hamburger made his return to the bullpen and got five outs. He gave up no runs despite giving up two hits and a walk. Ryan O’Rourke got the final two outs. The Red Wings didn’t produce much offense on this day. They had six hits, but were able to cross home plate just once. That happened on a solo home run off the bat of Josmil Pinto. The Red Wings saw a couple of old friends in this game. Right-hander Deolis Guerra got the win. He gave up three hits and struck out one in 2.1 innings out of the bullpen. Third baseman Deibinson Romero went 2-4 with two doubles. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 3, Jackson 4 Box Score The Lookouts got close but weren’t able to catch Jackson on this night, falling by one. Alex Wimmers made the start. He gave up two runs on three hits over six innings. He walked four and struck out seven. Tim Shibuya came on and gave up two runs on two hits and a walk in his two innings. Cole Johnson struck out two in his perfect inning. Max Kepler went 2-4 in the game. In the bottom of the ninth, he drove a ball that was caught at the wall in center field. Travis Harrison had a walk and his eighth double. Adam Brett Walker added an RBI double. Byron Buxton’s eight-game hitting streak came to an end after an 0-4 night. He did have an RBI. Miguel Sano went 0-3 and walked once. He also committed his sixth error. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 9, Bradenton 0 Box Score The Miracle scored three runs in the first inning. In the third, they put up a five-spot. They received very good pitching and got a needed win, in regulation. The top four hitters in the Miracle lineup each had two hits. Zach Granite, Engelb Vielma and Alex Swim went 2-5. Brian Haar was 2-4. Niko Goodrum provided power with his two-run home in the first inning. It was his fourth of the season. Tanner Vavra added his second double. Chih-Wei Hu made the start. The right-hander from Taiwan threw five shutout innings. He gave up five hits, walked one and struck out two. He needed just 79 pitches and 51 of them were strikes. Lefty Jose Velez came on and struck out four (and walked none) in three perfect innings. Right-hander Alexis Tapia gave up a hit in a scoreless inning. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 8, Wisconsin 2 Box Score Through five innings, the score of this game was 2-2. John Curtiss worked the first six, got a lead, and then the two most dominant relievers in the Midwest League came on to, well, dominate the final three innings and close out the team’s 16th win. Curtiss was charged with two runs on six hits in those six innings. He struck out eight without issuing a walk. Trevor Hildenberger came on and struck out three in two perfect innings. Cam Booser got the final three batters out, two of them on strikeouts. Hildenberger’s season ERA now sits at 0.60 while Booser’s is at 0.69. The Kernels scored three runs in the sixth and another three runs in the seventh to take control of this game. Max Murphy led the way. He went 3-5 with his third triple and three RBI. Trey Vavra went 3-5. He also had another outfield assist. Tanner English added a double. Rainis Silva, who was recently promoted when Brian Navarreto went on the DL, went 1-3 with a walk. He doubled in his first MWL at bat. The 19-year-old is the youngest player on the Kernels roster, about five months younger than Nick Gordon. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Jose Velez, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Max Murphy, Cedar Rapids Kernels THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Indianapolis (10:05 am CST) – LHP Taylor Rogers Jackson @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) – RHP Tyler Duffey Jupiter @ Ft. Myers (6:05 CST) – RHP Ethan Mildren Clinton @ Cedar Rapids (6:30 CST) – LHP Stephen Gonsalves Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Wednesday games. Click here to view the article

It was an interesting Friday night in the Twins organization. The big league club got a great start from Kyle Gibson to beat the White Sox. The Lookouts’ bats got rolling. The Miracle and Kernels’ bats did not get going. In fact, one of those teams was involved in a no-hitter. As important to the Twins as anything, Byron Buxton remained on fire, collecting three more hits in the game. Continue reading below to find out everything that happened in the organization on Friday.(NOTE - The Weekly Leaderboard will return next week. In the next days, we'll be posting our Twins Daily Minor League Hitter, Starting Pitcher and Relief Pitcher of the Month of April.) TRANSACTIONS There were several transactions in the Minnesota Twins minor leagues on Friday, but the biggest came following the Twins 1-0 win over the Chicago White Sox. Ricky Nolasco is scheduled to start on Saturday, so he and Brian Duensing were reinstated from the disabled list. To make room, the Twins optioned lefties Tommy Milone and Caleb Thielbar. Earlier in the day, the Twins had played RHP Tim Stauffer on the disabled list with a strained right intercostal muscle. He was replaced by Ryan Pressly. Tim Shibuya was promoted from Ft. Myers to Chattanooga to take the roster spot vacated by the suspended Adrian Salcedo. Outfielder Zach Granite was promoted to the Miracle. J.J. Fernandez was activated from the disabled list and back in the Kernels lineup. Keep up with the Twins minor league transactions here. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Norfolk 4 Box Score Lefty Pat Dean, who posted a 0.90 ERA in three April starts, was back on the mound for the Red Wings on this night. He gave up a run in the first inning, but then he put up zeroes until the sixth inning. In all, he gave up four earned runs on 11 hits in 7.1 innings. He walked one and struck out one. A.J. Achter came in with a runner on and one out in the eighth inning, but he got a double play to get out of that inning and then worked a quiet ninth inning. He struck out two in 1.2 scoreless innings. Unfortunately, the Red Wings were not able to muster enough offense to win this one and fell 4-3. Josmil Pinto hit his second home run of the season, a two-run shot. The other run scored on a wild pitch. The Red Wings had just five hits in the game. The only other extra base hit was Danny Ortiz’s third double. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 7, Jacksonville 3 Box Score Let’s start out with this… Byron Buxton is Back!! The talented outfielder struggled mightily to start the season .Through April 22, 50 at-bats, he was hitting just .180. He had nine hits and four of them came in just one game. He had four walks to go with 14 strikeouts. Manager Doug Mientkiewicz gave him the next two games off to clear his head. On Friday night, Buxton went 3-4 with a double. In the seven games since he sat, Buxton has gone 11-26 (.408) with a double, triple and a home run. As important, in those seven games, he has six walks and just one strikeout. Sure, it’s just a week, but it’s certainly encouraging. His batting average is up to .263 for the season. The Lookouts had several bats that came to play on this night. Jorge Polanco went 2-4 with his fourth double. Travis Harrison went 2-4 with his seventh double. Adam Brett Walker was also 2-4. Dalton Hicks and Stuart Turner each doubled. Levi Michael added a triple. Tyler Duffey made the start for the team. The right-hander went the first seven innings. He gave up three runs on just four hits. He walked two and struck out four. Tim Shibuya made his first Double-A appearance after a strong April in Ft. Myers. He walked one and struck out three over two, one-hit innings. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, Charlotte 2 Box Score The positive… Zach Granite made his Florida State debut. He left Cedar Rapids with a ten-game hitting streak. He had a single in the game to extend the now two-league, two-team streak. Niko Goodrum went 2-2 with two walks. Alex Swim went 2-3 with a walk. He scored the team’s lone run. After he doubled, a Jason Kanzler singled plated him. That was it for the offense. Ethan Mildren falls to 0-3 despite giving up just two runs over five innings. He gave up seven hits, walked two and struck out two. Brandon Peterson continued his dominance of the Florida State League. He struck out four in two scoreless innings. He walked one. Brian Gilbert struck out two and walked one in a scoreless frame. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, Clinton 2 Box Score Daniel Missaki came into this game with an 0-1 record, a 4.84 ERA and 27 hits allowed in 22.1 innings pitched. The 19-year-old found a way to keep the Kernels’ bats quiet, even hitless through seven innings. The only blemish was a two-out walk to Trey Vavra in the seventh inning. He was replaced in the eighth inning by Kody Kerski who threw a 1-2-3 inning. Troy Scott came on for the ninth inning. He walked Tanner English with two outs, but he struck out Nick Gordon to end the game and complete the no-hitter. The Kernels struck out 10 times. Clinton, an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, found a way to keep Stephen Gonsalves from beating them. All it took was throwing a no-hitter against his team. I wonder if other teams will try that strategy. The Kernels have scored a total of just seven runs over their last seven games. Gonsalves was good. The lefty gave up two runs on five hits, a walk and a hit batter. He struck out eight. One of the hits was a solo homer off the bat of left fielder Estarlyn Morales. Mike Theofanopoulos struck out one over the final two innings without allowing a base runner. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Stephen Gonsalves, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Byron Buxton, Chattanooga Lookouts SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Norfolk @ Rochester (12:35 CST) – LHP Taylor Rogers Jacksonville @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) – RHP J.O. Berrios Ft. Myers @ Charlotte (5:30 CST) – RHP Ryan Eades Clinton @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) – RHP Michael Cederoth Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Friday games. Click here to view the article

On Wednesday night, the Twins traded veteran minor league catcher Dan Rohlfing to the New York Mets for cash considerations. Rohlfing had been the Twins’ 14th round draft pick in 2007 out of high school in St. Louis. He was one of the longest-tenured players in the Twins organization. Below, you will find a list of the 10 players who have been in the Twins organization the longest, without interruption. In other words, Torii Hunter, who signed with the Twins in 1993, is not included on this list.To make the this list, a player had to have been signed before 2008. There are some interesting names that you may not have realized have been with the Twins for as long as they have. In fact, there may be a couple that you have never heard of and I’ll add a few more names to take us to 2008. So, here you have it, a look at the 10 longest-tenured players in the Minnesota Twins organization: Honorable Mention There are still six players drafted by the Twins in 2008 who are still in the organization. We’ll call them all tied for 11th place. Aaron Hicks (1) – The Twins top pick (14th overall) is currently in AAA Rochester after starting the last two seasons as the Twins Opening Day center fielder.Danny Ortiz (4) – Ortiz split 2014 between AA New Britain and AAA Rochester. He re-signed with the Twins as a free agent this winter and went to big league camp with the Twins. He is also in Rochester.BJ Hermsen (6) – Hermsen was the Twins minor league pitcher of the year in 2012 and was on the 40-man roster in 2013. He injured his oblique and wasn’t able to regain his form. He pitched in the bullpen much of 2014 and re-signed with the Twins this offseason. He had Tommy John surgery earlier this month.Michael Gonzales (9) – The big, burly first baseman/DH is currently hitting in the middle of the Chattanooga Lookouts lineup. Drafted after a year at junior college, he has slowly worked his way up the system.Nate Hanson (28) – Hanson was drafted after his junior season at the University of Minnesota. He quickly worked his way up to AA and has split time between AA and AAA the last two years. He is currently with the Rochester Red Wings.Michael Tonkin (30) – He is also on the 40-man roster and has spent time with the Twins during the past two seasons. He was sent to Rochester to start this season, though he will certainly spend time with the Twins again this year.The Top Ten #10 – Also in December of 2007, the Twins signed shortstop Danny Santana from the Dominican Republic. He moved up basically one level each year. In 2014, it was a surprise when he was promoted to the Twins after just 24 games, but he put together a strong rookie campaign while playing a new position, center field. He has moved back to his shortstop position this season. #9 – In November of 2007, the Twins signed a slender 16-year-old from the Dominican Republic, Adrian Salcedo. At one point in the low minors, he was a top ten prospect. In 2012, he injured his shoulder and elbow and missed most of the year. He moved to the bullpen in 2013. He struck out 76 batters in 73 innings in 2013 in New Britain. He re-signed with the Twins this offseason and was invited to big league spring training. He returns to AA in 2015, this time to Chattanooga. #8 – On July 4, 2007, the Twins signed a left-handed hitting outfielder named Oswaldo Arcia. Arcia debuted as a 21-year-old in April of 2013 and has certainly shown signs of being the type of power-hitter that the Twins and their fans long for. He has 35 big league home runs and won’t turn 24 for two weeks. #7 – Jairo Rodriguez signed with the Twins in May of 2007. The last two years, he signed quickly to return to the Twins as a backup minor league catcher. In 2013, he played for Cedar Rapids, New Britain and even played in a game with Rochester. In 2014, he split time between Ft. Myers and New Britain. The now-26 year old is not currently on a roster, but he is reportedly in Chattanooga if there would be a need for a catcher. #6 – Josmil Pinto signed with the Twins in February of 2006. He could have become a minor league free agent following the World Series in 2012, but he decided to avoid that and return to the Twins. They added him to the 40-man roster a year ago and he had another strong season in 2013, including a tremendous showing with the Twins in September. He showed flashes of a solid bat in his time with the Twins in 2014, though he was quite inconsistent. The 26-year-old is currently mashing in Rochester and should be up with the Twins, in some capacity, soon. #5 – James Beresford, from Australia, signed with the Twins in August of 2005 as a skinny kid. His missed a season due to injury and has gradually worked his way up the system. He had the opportunity to become a minor league free agent the last couple of offseasons and each time came back to the Twins. He got to AAA in the second half of 2013 and put together a solid 2014. He was again at big league spring training this year and returned to Rochester where he is the team’s second baseman. #4 – Brian Duensing was one of two third-round picks by the Twins in 2005, out of the University of Nebraska. He moved quickly through the Twins minor league system as a starter. He was given a couple opportunities as a starter with the Twins, but his inability to get right-handers out while dominating lefties meant he was given an opportunity out of the bullpen. He’s been a solid left-handed reliever the last couple of years. He is currently on the disabled list for the first time in his seven big league seasons. The Twins had five first-round draft picks in 2004 due to losing Eddie Guardado and LaTroy Hawkins. #2b – With the 22nd overall pick in '04, the Twins drafted local, selecting lefty Glen Perkins from the University of Minnesota. He came through the organization as a starter. In fact, he won 12 games as a rookie in 2008. He moved to the bullpen in 2011 and was the Twins closer by the middle of 2012. He has been an All-Star the last couple of seasons and is signed through 2017 with an option for 2018. #2a –With the 20th overall pick, the Twins selected shortstop Trevor Plouffe. As you know, he’s been the Twins starting third baseman the last couple of seasons. He became much more consistent offensively and defensively in 2014. He is in the second of four arbitration seasons. #1 – Joe Mauer remains the longest-tenured Twins player, having signed in 2001 after being the #1 overall pick in the draft. No need to get into all of his accolades, like his AL MVP, the three batting titles, the Gold Glove Awards, the Silver Sluggers, etc. He moved to first base in 2014 after his Hall of Fame-caliber first decade in a Twins uniform at catcher. He’s played every game this season as he looks to rebound from a sub-Mauer season in 2014. So there it is, the players in the Twins organization who have been in the system the longest, consecutively. Some of the names may not surprise you, but I’m pretty sure that you wouldn’t have guessed everyone on this list. Feel free to leave your thoughts, or let me know if I forgot anyone. Click here to view the article

The Twins surprised everyone and won on Thursday afternoon, taking two out of three against the Royals to win their first series of the year. Down on the farm, things did not go as well with every affiliate in action taking the loss.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 7, Pawtucket PawSox 8 Box Score Despite seven runs on twelve hits, the Red Wings lost to the PawSox in the bottom of the ninth when Ryan Pressly, working in his third inning of the evening, gave up a one out home run to Pawtucket's Bryce Brentz. Pressly, who entered the game with two outs in the sixth, was charged with a blown save and a loss. Red Wings' starter Taylor Rogers was lucky to escape without a decision after giving up five runs, all earned, in six innings. Rogers struck out seven, but he also walked three and gave up two long balls. Logan Darnell came on the start the sixth and put two men on base before yielding to Pressly who gave up a double, allowing both inherited runners to score and tagging Darnell with two earned runs. Twelve hits and seven walks led to plenty of scoring opportunities for the Red Wings, who failed to tally an extra-base hit and left ten runners on base despite going 4-10 with runners in scoring position. Reynaldo Rodriguez was 3-4 with a walk and an RBI to pace Rochester. Eddie Rosario (2-4), Josmil Pinto (2-2, 3BB), and Jose Martinez (2-4) all collected two hits. Pinto is now hitting .417, including six hits in his last seven at-bats, plus those two walks. He has to be wondering how much longer it will be until he is back with the Minnesota Twins. LOOKOUTS LOOK-IN Birmingham Barons @ Chattanooga POSTPONED - Jose Berrios will have an extra day of rest as the Lookouts were rained out tonight in Chattanooga. MIRACLE MATTERS Tampa Yankees 7, Fort Myers 6 (10 innings) Box Score Down 6-2 in the bottom of the eighth, the Miracle rallied for four runs on a Logan Wade grand slam to send the game into extra innings. Aaron Slegers, Fort Myers' starter, went just 5.2 innings, surrendering six runs, four earned. He walked one batter and struck out five. Madison Boer finished the sixth for Slegers and pitched two more scoreless innings after that to get the Miracle through the eighth. With the game now tied, Todd Van Steensel pitched 1.2 scoreless innings before yielding to Brandon Peterson, with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the tenth. Peterson quickly got ahead of Angelo Gumbs 0-2 on a pair of breaking balls and then balked in a run when he dropped the ball while he was standing on the rubber, before eventually striking out Gumbs to retire the side. The Miracle were aided by four Tampa errors, but Engelb Vielma and Alex Swim managed to go 0-10 at the top of the order, leaving Fort Myers to manufacture runs without their table setters on base. Logan Wade's grand slam was part of his 2-4 night and was the punctuation mark on the night for the Miracle hitters. Marcus Knecht was the only other Miracle hitter with multiple hits, 2-4 with a double, a walk, and an RBI. Niko Goodrum finished the night 1-4 with a single and two walks. With a runner on second in the bottom of the tenth, Max Kepler was caught looking to end the game. Kepler, DHing on Thursday night, ended 1-5 with a walk and two strike- outs. KERNELS KORNER Peoria Chiefs 3, Cedar Rapids 1 Box Score A quick ballgame on Thursday in Iowa, lasting just two hours and five minutes. Kernels' starter John Curtiss cruised through five innings, but gave up three runs in the sixth inning to take the loss. The Kernels now need a win tomorrow night to avoid being swept at home by the Chiefs. Curtiss scattered ten hits, struck out six and walked just a single batter. His ERA now sits at 4.63 on the young season. Michael Theofanopoulos pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings, and C.K. Irby finished the game with an interesting ninth, walking two and striking out two. There was not a lot of offense for the Kernels against Peoria's Austin Gomber, who struck out eight Cedar Rapids batsmen and yielded just a single run on an RBI single by Zack Larson in the bottom of the third. That Larson RBI gave the Kernels their first lead of the series against the Chiefs, but the Kernels did not have the hits to keep pace. Zach Granite was the bright spot for Cedar Rapids, going 3-4 with a double, raising his season average to .458 while extending his hitting streak to five games. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day - Josmil Pinto, Rochester Red Wings Pitcher of the Day - Michael Theofanopoulos, Cedar Rapids Kernels THURSDAY'S PROBABLES Rochester @ Pawtucket - Jason Wheeler (0-1, 2.70) vs. Henry Owens (0-0, 1.42) Birmingham @ Chattanooga - Mike Recchia (0-0, 5.40) vs. Jose Berrios (1-0, 1.42) St. Lucie @ Fort Myers - Marcos Molina (0-0, 3.) vs. Chih-Wei Hu (0-0 3.60) Peoria @ Cedar Rapids - Daniel Poncedeleon (1-0, 0.00) vs. Stephen Gonsalves (1-0, 1.50) On the most recent episode of the Talk to Contact podcast, Seth Stohs identified Gonsalves as his pick to be the Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Click here to view the article

On Saturday, the Twins farm system was complete with no-hit bids, big home runs and clutch hits, shutouts and a walkoff win. A couple of the Twins big prospects connected for their first home runs of the spring. On Sunday, the Cedar Rapids Kernels will be playing their home opener. I’ll be reporting from Cedar Rapids throughout the three-game series.Jeremy Nygaard, Cody Christie and I are excited about the start of the 2015 Minor League season and are offering the 2015 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook in paperback right now at a 15% discount. Get your copy today, if you haven’t already. It’s also available as an electronic book which is available for immediate download. We have had two days’ worth of Twins Daily readers participating in this year’s Adopt-A-Prospect. At this point, feel free to adopt more players – whether you have or haven’t – and start by posting their initial bio/profile in the Adopt-A-Prospect 2015 forum. Let’s get to today’s report. The Rochester Red Wings announced following their game that Pat Dean would be taking Trevor May’s spot in their rotation RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Buffalo 0 Box Score After being weathered out on Friday, the Rochester Red Wings played their home opener on Saturday afternoon against Buffalo. Fans in attendance watched quite the pitcher’s duel, and then were sent home in dramatic fashion. Lefty Taylor Rogers was given the nod to start and was fantastic. He didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning. He finished the day with seven shutout innings. He gave up six hits, walked two and struck out six. In that fifth inning, he gave up three straight singles to start the inning. On the third, he got help from Aaron Hicks who threw a runner out at the plate. The next batter hit into a double play. Ryan Pressly threw a perfect seventh and got the first two outs of the ninth inning. Caleb Thielbar recorded the final out of the top of the ninth inning, maintaining the shutout. Meanwhile, Bisons starter Scott Copeland was really dealing as well. He had a perfect game into the fifth inning when Brock Peterson walked. He gave up a single with one out in the seventh inning to lose the no-hitter. Ironically, it was an infield single by Josmil Pinto. The Red Wings did nothing in the eighth and the first two hitters of the ninth struck out. However, with two outs, Eddie Rosario walked. That brought Pinto to the plate, and he ended the game with a walk-off home run. The Red Wings are now 2-0 on the young season. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Montgomery 3 Box Score Nick Burdi got another save opportunity in this one. Things got interesting, but the team was able to hang on for their second win of the season. The power bats showed up in this one too. Greg Peavey, who was the Twins minor league Rule 5 selection from the New York Mets organization, made his first start for the Lookouts. He gave up single runs in the first two innings, but provided his team with a quality start. He gave up two runs on six hits and a walk in 6.1 innings. He struck out six. Adrian Salcedo came on and got the final two outs of the seventh inning. Jake Reed was given the eighth inning. He gave up two hits and hit a batter, but he was able to get out of the inning without allowing a run. Then Nick Burdi came on for the ninth, given a two-run lead. He got the first two batters out, but then he walked the next two and gave up a run-scoring single to cut the lead to one. Fortunately, he ended the inning and the game with a strikeout, his second of the outing. In the fourth inning, Mike Gonzales hit a two-run double that tied the game. The 2-2 score remained until the seventh inning when Adam Brett Walker led off the inning with his first home run of the year, a line drive to right centerfield. Two outs later, Byron Buxton connected for his first home run of the year. Travis Harrison led the offense by collecting three hits, including a double. Miguel Sano was 1-3 with a walk and a stolen base. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 4, Charlotte 3 (11 innings) Box Score The Miracle needed a miracle, or at least some clutch hitting, as well as some extra innings to steal this win from Charlotte. The Miracle were down 3-0 heading into the seventh inning. Chih-Wei Hu started and was charged with two runs on three hits in five innings. He struck out six and did not issue a walk. Tim Shibuya pitched the sixth and seventh innings. He gave up one run on three hits and a walk. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Chad Christensen led off with a double. He later scored on a single off the bat of Engelb Vielma. The Miracle remained behind 3-1 until the bottom of the ninth. Down two, Michael Quesada led off with a walk, and Marcus Knecht “knechted” with a two-run, game-tying home run! Todd Van Steensel pitched a scoreless eighth inning. Brandon Peterson gave up two hits but no runs in his two innings. He struck out five. Madison Boer pitched a scoreless 11th inning for the Miracle. With one out in the bottom of the 11th inning, Marcus Knecht singled, which was followed by an Engelb Vielma single. With one out, a wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third, so Goodrum was intentionally walked. Alex Swim then singled in a run to give the Miracle the win. Knecht, a Candian outfielder signed by the Twins after he was released by the Blue Jays, went 3-4 with a walk and the home run. Vielma and Swim each had two hits. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Kane County 3 Box Score The Kernels jumped to an early lead and got strong pitching to gain the three-game sweep in Kane County. They will head home and play their home opener on Sunday against Beloit. Left-hander Stephen Gonsalves made the start for the Kernels. He gave up a home run to River Falls native Marty Herum in the bottom of the first inning and then settled down. He went six innings and gave up just that one run. He gave up five hits, walked none and struck out nine for the win. Randy LeBlanc came on and threw two shutout innings, allowing two hits and striking out two. Trevor Hildenberger got the ninth. He was charged with two unearned runs but struck out two to end the game. After going 3-5 in his first game action on Friday, Jorge Fernandez had two doubles in four at-bats on Saturday. Zach Granite set the tone at the top of the order. The speedy outfielder went 2-3 with two walks. His speed came in to play. He had a hustle double. At one point, on second base. Nick Gordon tried to bunt for a base hit. He was barely thrown out at first base, but on the play Granite scored from second base easily. Gordon went 0-4 but drove in two runs. Trey Vavra hit his first double of the season in this game. He had 20 doubles in fifty games at Elizabethton last year after being drafted. T.J. White added a triple. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Taylor Rogers, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Marcus Knecht, Ft. Myers Miracle SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Buffalo @ Rochester (12:35 CST) – LHP Jason Wheeler Chattanooga @ Montgomery (2:05 CST) – RHP DJ Baxendale Ft. Myers @ Charlotte (12:00 CST) – RHP Ethan Mildren Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (4:05 CST) – RHP Michael Cederoth Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Saturday games. Click here to view the article

On Monday, the Rochester Red Wings announced their Opening Day roster for the 2015 season. The team from western New York will play its 13th season as the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. A year ago, they went 77-67, just missing the International League playoffs.Here is a look at the Opening Day roster of the Red Wings in some detail: 16 of these players have spent time in the major leagues. Starting Pitchers: Trevor May, Alex Meyer, Taylor Rogers (LHP), Jason Wheeler (LHP), Mark Hamburger This is a pretty strong group of prospects. Hamburger is the “old man” having turned 28 years old in February. May and Meyer pitched pretty well with the Red Wings in 2015 and their time with the team could be short-lived if they get off to a fast start in April and May. Hamburger impressed in spring training and will likely pitch as a starter but also can be successful out of the bullpen. Rogers spent the 2014 season in New Britain and pitched quite well. Jason Wheeler spent the first half of 2014 in Ft. Myers with the Miracle before he was promoted to New Britain. He was added to the Twins 40-man roster after the season and had a terrific spring. Bullpen: AJ Achter, Logan Darnell (LHP), Pat Dean (LHP), Lester Oliveros, Ryan Pressly, Stephen Pryor, Caleb Thielbar (LHP), Michael Tonkin. This is another interesting group of guys, several having big league experience. Caleb Thielbar and Ryan Pressly have spent significant time with the Twins the last two seasons. Tonkin has made the flight from Rochester to Minneapolis many times the last two seasons. Pryor and Oliveros both cleared waivers this spring after being removed from the 40-man roster. AJ Achter, former 46th round draft pick, made his well-earned major league debut in September. Darnell and Dean are left-handers who have spent their careers as starters. Both will begin the season in the bullpen. Catchers: Allan de San Miguel, Eric Fryer, Josmil Pinto, Dan Rohlfing Josmil Pinto and Eric Fryer were in big-league camp right until the end. Pinto likely would have made the Opening Day Twins roster if not for a concussion suffered two weeks ago. He had hit pretty well with the Red Wings the last couple of seasons. Fryer is liked by his pitchers for his work behind the plate. He also hit very well this spring. Rohlfing returned to the only organization he has played for since 2007 when the Twins made him their 14th round pick. He also was a late cut from spring training. De San Miguel signed with the Twins in 2004 from Australia and stayed in the organization through the 2011 season. He spent 2012 and 2013 in the Orioles organization before playing independent league baseball in 2014. He was signed by the Twins before spring training. Infielders: Doug Bernier, James Beresford, Argenis Diaz, Nate Hanson, Jose Martinez, Brock Peterson, Reynaldo Rodriguez Bernier was the final man sent to minor league camp for the Twins. The utility infielder played all over the diamond for the Red Wings in 2014 before his September call-up to the Twins. The still just 26-year-old Beresford signed with the Twins in 2005 from Australia. He returns for his third season with the Red Wings. Brock Peterson was a 49th round pick of the Twins way back in 2002. He played for Rochester from 2008 through 2010. He played independent league ball before the Cardinals gave him a chance, a chance that turned into time with the big league club in 2013. He returns to the Twins organization. Argenis Diaz and Jose Martinez signed with the organization as minor league free agents. They received spring training invites. Nate Hanson and Reynaldo Rodriguez return to the Twins. They have no more to prove in AA and hope to spend the full season with the Red Wings. Hanson has spent time each of the past two years in Rochester while Rodriguez got a brief showing with the team a year ago. Outfielders: Eric Farris, Aaron Hicks, Danny Ortiz, Eddie Rosario Aaron Hicks is likely disappointed to be with the Red Wings after being the Twins Opening Day center fielder the last two seasons. However, the 25-year-old will use his time with the Red Wings at the start of this season to try to re-establish himself as a big league center fielder. Eddie Rosario had a very disappointing 2014 season, but a decent showing at Twins spring training this year means that he advances to the Red Wings as well. Eric Farris and Danny Ortiz each were non-roster invites to big league camp as well. All four outfielders will play, and each will likely play all three outfield spots. Disabled List: Dan Turpen Manager/Coaching Staff: Mike Quade (MGR), Tim Doherty (Hitting Coach), Marty Mason (Pitching Coach). The one-time Chicago Cubs manager Mike Quade takes over as the Red Wings manager. He replaced Gene Glynn who turned around a losing culture with the Red Wings during his short stint. Doherty and Mason return for their third year in the organization. WHO ARE THE TOP PROSPECTS? Twins Daily Prospects: #5 Alex Meyer, #8 Eddie Rosario, #9 Trevor May, #15 Taylor Rogers Seth: #6 Alex Meyer, #8 Eddie Rosario, #9 Trevor May, #11 Taylor Rogers, #21 Jason Wheeler, #30 Logan Darnell Cody: #6 Alex Meyer, #8 Trevor May, #9 Eddie Rosario, #19 Taylor Rogers, #29 Jason Wheeler Jeremy: #5 Alex Meyer, #9 Eddie Rosario, #11 Trevor May, #15 Taylor Rogers *** If you didn’t get your copy of the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2015, be sure to order yours today. You can order a hardcopy or order an electronic copy for immediate download. Click here to view the article

Following the Minnesota Twins spring training game against Boston on Thursday night, the Twins finalized their Opening Day roster. Josmil Pinto was optioned to Rochester. Eric Fryer was reassigned to minor league camp. Doug Bernier was told that he will be reassigned to minor league camp at the end of spring training.So here is your Minnesota Twins opening day roster under the tutelage of manager Paul Molitor: STARTING PITCHERS Phil HughesErvin SantanaRicky NolascoKyle GibsonTommy MiloneRELIEF PITCHERS Glen PerkinsCasey FienBrian DuensingMike PelfreyBlaine BoyerTim StaufferJR GrahamCATCHERS Kurt SuzukiChris HerrmannJosmil Pinto was the favorite to be the backup catcher, but he just needs to get some at-bats down in Rochester. Missing over a week with the concussion really hurt his chances of making the roster. INFIELDERS Joe MauerBrian DozierTrevor PlouffeDanny SantanaEduardo EscobarEduardo NunezKennys VargasOUTFIELDERS Oswaldo ArciaJordan SchaferTorii HunterShane RobinsonThe Twins will play on Friday night and Saturday afternoon before packing up and heading to Detroit where they will take on David Price and the Tigers on Monday. Click here to view the article