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With less than a month left in the minor league season, teams need to make their moves for any potential playoff run. For Minnesota's affiliates, Tuesday's action came with a ton of roster moves throughout the system. Infielders Travis Blankenhorn and Brandon Lopez moved up from Elizabethton to Cedar Rapids. In a corresponding move, Christian Ibarra was promoted to Fort Myers and Manuel Guzman was moved down to Elizabethton. Rochester sent out quite the updated list of roster moves. Three players were added to the roster. Byron Buxton was optioned from Minnesota and Mitch Garver and Leonardo Reginatto were transferred from Double-A Chattanooga. Infielder Heiker Meneses came off the disabled list and was sent to Double-A while RHP Marcus Walden was added to the DL with a right shoulder strain. TJ White was also moved from Fort Myers up to Chattanooga.Baseball can be a cruel game too for players trying to find a spot on a roster. After all the other moves of the day, outfielder Darin Mastroianni and infielder Buck Britton were released from their contracts. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Syracuse 6 Box Score Pat Dean ran into a little bit of a buzzsaw in the third inning of this contest. After making it through the first two innings, Dean was knocked around for six runs in the third while collecting only one out. He did not make it out of the frame after allowing 10 hits. The Rochester bullpen trio of DJ Baxendale, Ryan O'Rourke and Pat Light didn't allow a run the rest of the way as the Red Wings attempted their comeback. Daniel Palka had gotten Rochester out to an early lead with a solo home run to lead off the top of the second. Tommy Field doubled to start the sixth but was left at second with two outs. Adam Brett Walker didn't leave him hanging as he cracked his third triple of the season. James Beresford joined Walker with a triple of his own in the seventh inning before a Wilfredo Tovar single brought him home. Rochester got the tying run on base in the ninth inning but the comeback stopped there. Walker and Field both collected three hits while Beresford crossed the plate twice. Byron Buxton wasn't in the starting line-up but made an appearance as a pinch runner in the final inning. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 0, Jacksonville 3 Box Score Before tonight's action, the Lookouts reset their rotation for the rest of the season. LHP Stephen Gonsalves was given an extra day of rest before re-entering the rotation. RHP Felix Jorge starts tonight's contest followed by Gonsalves, RHP Aaron Slegers, RHP Kohl Stewart, and LHP David Hurlbut. Jorge and the Lookouts were locked up in a pitchers' duel in this one. Jorge put up zeros through five innings before allowing a solo home run in the sixth. He came out for the seventh and collected the first two outs quickly before three straight hits pushed across two runs and he exited the game. Jorge struck out two and walked one. Zack Jones finished off the seventh inning and worked a perfect eighth frame while collecting three strikeouts. Jake Reed pitched a shutout ninth inning with a strikeout. The Lookouts were limited to five hits in the game with no batters collecting multiple hits. The team only had one opportunity to bat with runners in scoring position and it came with two outs in the inning. Every batter besides Shannon Wilkerson reached base at least once. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 0, St. Lucie 1 (7 Innings- Game 1) Box Score After being rained out on Monday night, the Miracle found themselves in a pitchers' duel in the first game of their double header. Keaton Steele pitched all seven innings for Fort Myers but ended up taking the tough luck loss. After allowing a lead-off double in the fourth frame, he almost wriggled out of the inning unscathed. Unfortunately, a two-out double pushed across the only run of the game. Steele dropped to 5-10 with the loss but it was his third straight start where he pitched at least six innings and gave up two earned runs or fewer. He struck out three and walked one. Only three Miracle batters were able to record hits. AJ Murray reached base twice in his three plate appearances before being lifted for a pinch runner. Joe Maloney and Chris Paul both went 1-for-3. Fort Myers never had a runner reach second base. Fort Myers --, St. Lucie -- (PPD- Game 2) Tuesday's second game was washed out and has been rescheduled as part of a doubleheader on Wednesday night. The Miracle will try to play two seven-inning games on Wednesday if the weather cooperates. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Peoria 8 Box Score Cedar Rapids looked to be sailing to their 62nd victory as they took a 5-2 lead into the final inning. Brady Anderson pitched six solid innings as the only run scored against him was unearned. He found his way out of four walks and five hits but the Kernels were in position to win when he left the mound. Zander Wiel got the scoring started with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first. It was his 14th home run of the season. Cedar Rapids pushed another run across in the fourth. Casey Scoggins walked in front of a Sean Miller single to put two runners on base. Luis Arraes doubled to score Scoggins from second but the Kernels left two runners on base in the frame. JJ Fernandez started the seventh with a triple before being knocked in by a Rainis Silva single. Silva later scored on a fielding error to make the lead 5-2. The ninth inning got ugly in a hurry for the bullpen. Andrew Vasquez pitched the seventh and eighth without any issues but he allowed the first two batters to reach in the ninth. Max Cordy didn't fare much better as the first two batters he faced collected singles before a Jaylin Davis fielding error allowed another run to score. After coaxing two outs, Cordy hurled a wild pitch that was followed by a single and a double as the game slipped out of reach. E-TOWN E-NOTES Elizabethton 6, Danville 3 Box Score The E-Twins took advantage of six (yeah, count'em... six) fielding errors by Danville on their way to their 23rd victory of the season. Elizabethton didn't record an extra-base hit but the team went 3-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Ben Rortvedt was the lone batter with multiple hits, including an RBI. Shane Carrier scored two runs and first-round pick Alex Kirilloff was 1-for-4. Tyler Wells put together his best start of the season for his second win. He went six strong innings while scattering five hit and two earned runs. Wells struck out four and walked two. Domenick Carlini earned his first save in unconventional fashion by tossing three frames. He allowed one unearned run and struck out four. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Keaton Steele, Fort Myers Miracle Hitter of the Day – Adam Brett Walker, Rochester Red Wings WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester at Syracuse (5:35 CST) - LHP Adalberto Mejia (0-1, 2.57 ERA) Chattanooga- Scheduled Off Day Fort Myers vs St. Lucie (4:00 CST) -RHP Randy LeBlanc (4-5, 4.25 ERA) Fort Myers vs St. Lucie (Game 2- Makeup of 8/9 PPD)- LHP Sam Clay (1-1, 4.15 ERA) Elizabethton at Kingsport (6:00 CST) - TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (11:00AM CST) - TBD GCL Twins vs. GCL Orioles (Game 2- Makeup of 8/9 PPD)- TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Tuesday’s games. Click here to view the article

It's getting to that point in the season where minor league teams need to decide if they are contenders or pretenders. Players get promoted and demoted but each team has the goal of reaching the playoffs and finding success in the post-season tournament. Twins minor league squads have fared well in recent years. Can this year's crop of teams live up to those that have come before them? Read on to see which teams are trending in the right direction.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 6, Durham 7 (10 Innings) Box Score It was Christmas in July night in Rochester but the Red Wings took a while to open their gifts to their fans. Darin Mastroianni led off the first inning with a triple and was driven in by a James Beresford sacrifice fly to put Rochester up 1-0 before the offense went into a Christmas freeze. Things picked up again in the eighth inning with Rochester trailing 6-1. After Wildfredo Tovar reached on a single and Logan Schafter walked, Darin Mastroianni was hit by a pitch to load the bases. James Beresford, who is in the midst of an eight-game hitting streak, drove in another pair of runs with a single. Jorge Polanco cleared the bases with his ninth home run. Pat Dean started for Rochester and allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings of work. Marcus Walden took over for Dean and gave up a pair of runs (one earned) in two frames. J.T. Chargois took the loss as he was asked to come out for a second inning of work and he couldn't make it out of the tenth. After getting the first batter to fly out, the next two men reached and he exited. Sean Burnett was on the mound when the go-ahead run was scored but it was charged to Chargois. Rochester remains 4.5 games behind first place Scranton/WB, which also lost on Tuesday night. It was the second straight extra-innings affair between these two teams with Durham winning both contests. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Lakeland 5 Box Score Keaton Steele got off to a rough start in this one as the Flying Tigers pounced on him for two first inning runs. He would recover for a few innings before surrendering three more runs in the fifth inning. Steele went five frames and scattered seven hits while striking out six and walking three. His nine losses are tied for the second most in the Florida State League. The bullpen did well to keep the Miracle within striking distance. John Curtiss, Michael Theofanopoulos, and Nick Anderson combined to toss four shutout innings on three hits. None of the relief arms allowed a batter to get further than second base. It took a while for the Fort Myers offense to wake up in this one but the team tried to mount a comeback in the late innings. Alex Perez led off the eighth inning with a single in front of a TJ White walk. Following a ground out and a pop out, the runners were still in scoring position. LaMonte Wade brought them home with a three-run home run. It was the second straight loss for the Miracle after winning three straight over the weekend. The club currently sits at three games over .500 for the entire season. In the second half standings, they are 15-11 and are near the top of the Florida State League South. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 9, Kingsport 8 Box Score If you are a fan of offense, there were plenty of fireworks in Elizabethton on Tuesday night. The E-Twins pounded out 13 hits but it took multiple comebacks for the squad to end up the victors. Elizabethton entered the sixth frame trailing 7-2 as starter Tyler Beardsley couldn't make it out of the fifth frame. He was charged with five earned runs (seven total runs) in 4.2 innings while striking out three and walking one. Quin Grogan and Johan Quezada allowed one unearned run the rest of the way to set the stage for what was to come. The E-Twins scored three runs in the sixth inning but only managed one hit in the frame, an RBI single from Alex Kirilloff. Before Kirilloff's hit, the first two batters reached with walks. Then a force attempt coaxed a throwing error by the second baseman to load the bases. A wild pitch and a ground out scored two runs before Kirilloff drove in the third run of the frame. In the next inning, the club continued their comeback. Mitchell Kranson singled and moved to second on a Caleb Hamilton walk. Andre Jernigan cracked his third double to drive in both runners and the score was now tied at 7-7. After allowing an unearned run in the top of the ninth, the E-Twins needed to find one more comeback. With one out, Jernigan reached on a fielding error to put some pressure on the pitcher. Luis Martinez flew out for the second out of the inning but Ariel Montesino walked to put the game-winning runner on base. After a pitching change, Shane Carrier ripped a double to score both runners and send the fans home happy. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 4, GCL Rays 2 Box Score After giving up a first inning run, Bo Hellquist settled in nicely for the GCL Twins. He scattered six hits over five innings while striking out seven and walking none. His season ERA dropped to 2.08 and this was his first professional victory. Hellquist, a Minnesota-Duluth product, set career highs in innings pitched and strikeouts. Garret Kelly picked up his second hold in relief of Hellquist by limiting the Rays to one base runner in two shutout innings. Callan Pearce got in a little trouble in the later innings but not enough to surrender the lead. He allowed one run, an unearned run, while striking out three and walking two in two innings. It was his second save and he has yet to allow an earned run this season. Jean Carlos Arias came up with the first big hit for the Twins. He drove in a pair of runs after Jhon Alvarez walked, Gorge Munoz was hit by a pitch and Heiker Meneses singled. This put the GCL Twins up 2-1 in the third frame. Things got a little wild in the sixth frame. Joe Cronin was hit by a pitch with one out in the inning. This was followed by a pair of wild pitches that allowed Cronin to move all the way around to third. Zach Featherstone drove him in with a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 3-1. Tyree Davis didn't want the scoring to end there. He singled and stole second before advancing to third on a throwing error by the catcher. He would come in to score on a wild pitch to cap the GCL Twins scoring for the day. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Bo Hellquist, GCL Twins (5 IP, 1 ER, 7 K, first professional win) Hitter of the Day – Tyree Davis, GCL Twins (3-for-4, 2 doubles) WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Durham @ Rochester (10:05 AM CST) – TBD Chattanooga @ Jackson (7:05 PM CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart (3-4, 3.78 ERA) Lakeland @ Fort Myers (6:05 PM CST) – LHP Randy Rosario (5-6, 3.73 ERA) Bowling Green @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CST) – LHP Lachlan Wells (2-1, 1.27 ERA) Kingsport @ Elizabethton (6:00 PM CST) – LHP Domenick Carlini (1-3, 4.71 ERA) GCL Twins @ GCL Rays (11:00 AM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Tuesday’s games. Click here to view the article

My Fourth of July weekend started a bit early. A little much-needed time off from my 8-5 job (which has been more like 8-8 the last month) allows me to hang out and relax for a few days. Maybe even ride around in a truck in the woods, looking for a deer friend. Sorry! But hey, the Twins minor leaguers still play ball, and we at Twins Daily will still cover it. They gave us plenty to talk about on Thursday night. Adam Brett Walker lived up to his twitter handle (@walkoff28) with a HUGE homer in Game 1 tonight for the Red Wings. A couple of Twins' second-round picks had real solid games in Ft. Myers, where another starter has quietly had a solid season. Chattanooga played and it was still June, so of course Daniel Palka homered, again. And another 2016 pick played in his first professional game.All that, and much more, in today’s Twins Minor League Report. RED WINGS REPORT Game 1 - Rochester 5, Pawtucket 1 (8 innings) Box Score I think we know that Adam Brett Walker is what he is on the baseball field, and sometimes that works out really, really well for his team. Game 1 on Thursday was one of those times. He came up big with the walk off grand slam. The Red Wings had just five hits in the game. James Beresford went 2-4 with his 11th double. Logan Schafer hit his first Red Wings triple. Andrew Albers was very good as well. The lefty gave up one run on five hits over seven innings. He struck out three and didn’t issue a walk. JT Chargois gets the win after a perfect, two-strikeout inning. Game 2 - Rochester 1, Pawtucket 6 Box Score There was a different, less exciting script in the second game of the doubleheader, especially for the Red Wings. Nick Greenwood gave up four runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings. He struck out four without a walk. Ryan O’Rourke came on with a runner on in the sixth and got one out, on a strikeout. However he gave up an intentional walk and a hit and both runners scored. David Martinez got the final out of the sixth and worked through the seventh. Eddie Rosario went 2-3 with his 14th double. Miguel Sano added a double. Tommy Field hit his first Red Wings triple. Stephen Wickens was also 2-3. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 7, Pensacola 3 Box Score The Lookouts had a touchdown and PAT and held Pensacola to just a field goal for the Thursday night win. Ryan Eades improved to 5-3 with six strong innings. He gave up just one run on four hits. He walked three and struck out six. Jake Reed worked the next two innings. He gave up two runs on three hits and two hit batters. He did strike out four. Mason Melotakis struck out two in a perfect ninth inning. Daniel Palka ended an incredible June with yet another homer, his 20th of the season and two RBI. He ends June with 13 homers and 30 RBI in the month. Not too shabby. Shannon Wilkerson entered the game in center field, replacing Zach Granite (who went 1-2). Wilkerson went 2-3 with his seventh double and his second home run. It was a two-run blast to give the Lookouts a cushion in the eighth inning. Dalton Hicks went 2-4 with his 16th double. Ryan Walker was 2-4. Stuart Turner had a single, and he also stole his first two bases of the season. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 2, Palm Beach 0 Box Score Keaton Steele is the least known of the Miracle rotation, but he has quietly put together a solid season. He had one of his best starts on Thursday night. He threw 6.2 shutout innings. He gave up four hits, walked two and struck out two. He is now 4-6 but has a solid 3.66 ERA. Steele was replaced by Luke Bard who got the next four outs. Mike Theofanopoulos came in for the ninth inning. He gave up one hit, but he recorded his first Florida State League save. Joe Maloney led the offense. He went 2-4 and also stole his first two bases with the Miracle. AJ Murray notched his third triple. Nick Gordon recorded the lone RBI on a single. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Quad Cities 6 Box Score Eduardo del Rosario started and worked six innings. However, he gave up six runs on six hits (two homers). He walked three and struck out four. Anthony McIver and Cameron Booser each worked scoreless innings. Booser did so while walking one and giving up one hit. Luis Arraez continued to hit. He went 2-4. Nelson Molina, batting third, went 2-4 with his fifth double. Zander Wiel added an RBI double, his 15th of the year. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 1, Pulaski 3 Box Score Travis Blankenhorn gave the E-Twins a 1-0 lead in the first inning with his third homer of the season. But that was it in terms of runs scored. Jaylin Davis was 1-3 and had a walk. Lewin Diaz added his third double. Alex Kiriloff batted sixth again, but this time, he played left field. He went 1-4. Brandon Lopez made his professional debut. He signed a little later since Miami was playing in the College World Series. He went 1-3 with a walk. He batted fifth and played shortstop. Domenick Carlini actually pitched pretty well, but a couple of errors led to a couple of unearned runs, and he took the loss. He gave up the two unearned runs on just one hit. He walked two and struck out one. Hector Lujan went the final three innings. He gave up one run on three hits. He walked one and struck out two. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 2, GCL Orioles 0 Box Score Bo Hellquist, a non-drafted free agent from Savage (Burnsville HS) and Minnesota-Duluth, made his pro debut. The crafty lefty threw 4.1 scoreless innings before meeting his pitch limit. He gave up three hits, walked none and struck out five. Daniel Martinez struck out two over 1.2 perfect innings to record his first win. Callan Pearce struck out three over two shutout innings. Garrett Kelly recorded his first save. He struck out two in a perfect ninth. Akil Baddoo led off and went 2-4 with his first stolen base. Jose Miranda went 2-3 with a walk and his first stolen base. He also drove in both Twins runs. Australian Aaron Whitefield went 2-4. Jorge Munoz went 1-3 with a walk and his first steal. Manuel Guzman, in his first rehab game, went 1-3 with a with a stolen base. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Keaton Steele, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Shannon Wilkerson, Chattanooga Lookouts FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Syracuse @ Rochester (6:05 CST) - LHP Jason Wheeler Chattanooga @ Pensacola (6:30 CST) - LHP Stephen Gonsalves Jupiter @ Ft. Myers (6:05 CST) - TBD Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (7:00 CST) – RHP Cody Stashak Pulaski @ Elizabethton (6:00 CST) - TBD GCL Red Sox @ GCL Twins (11:00 am CST) - RHP Miguel de Jesus Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Wednesday's games. Click here to view the article

It’s hard to believe that April is almost complete and May is nearly upon us. The season is now a little over three weeks old. It was a full schedule in the Twins minor leagues on Friday, including a doubleheader for Rochester. The least talked about member of the Miracle rotation had a terrific outing, while a college reliever-turned starter had another strong game. Continue reading for much more information on the day in the Twins farm system.TRANSACTIONS Though it was reported several days ago, the Rochester Red Wings officially announced the Andrew Albers acqisition on Friday. He will pitch on Saturday. Cedar Rapids infielder Manuel Guzman was placed on the disabled list with a strained quad. Nelson Molina was promoted to the Kernels from extended spring training. RED WINGS REPORT Game 1 - Rochester 4, Scranton/Wilkes Barre 6 Box Score Last time out, JR Graham bent, but did not break. He entered the game with a four- run lead and gave up three before getting the third out and assuring a Red Wings win. He wasn’t as fortunate on Friday night. He came into the game for the top of the 7th inning, holding a one-run lead. The inning started out with two singles, a wild pitch, a triple and a double. He gave up three runs and took the loss. Pat Dean started and gave up two runs on five hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out five. Marcus Walden gave up a run on three hits in the seventh. Graham gave up three runs on four hits. The Red Wings managed just two hits in the first game. Kennys Vargas hit his first home run of the season. It’s been a struggle for him again this year. He came up to the Twins in 2014 and immediately produced. The Twins gave him ample opportunity at the start of the 2015 season and even a second time before finally sending him down to AA. It proved to be a good move as he found his swing again and carried it back up to AAA.Unfortunately he is again off to a slow start in 2016. Max Kepler went 1-3 with a walk and a double. James Beresford was 0-0 with three walks. Byron Buxton was 0-4 with two strikeouts. Game 2 - Rochester 2, Scranton/Wilkes Barre 10 Box Score Taylor Rogers got his first start. He threw 63 pitches, so it’s possible he is being extended to rejoin the rotation. Unfortunately, he was able to complete only three innings. He gave up seven runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk. Alex Wimmers came on and worked two innings. He was charged with two runs on one hit, one hit batter and two walks. He struck out three. Dan Runzler then gave up one run on three hits. He struck out two. Darin Mastroianni went 2-3 with his second double. He also stole his sixth base of the year. Max Kepler went 1-3 with a walk and a triple. Byron Buxton went 1-3 with a walk and a strikeout. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Montgomery 4 Box Score The Lookouts got off to a fast start and the bullpen was barely able to hang on for the win. Mitch Garver led the offense. He went 3-5 with his fourth and fifth doubles. Joe Maloney went 2-3 with a walk. Leonardo Reginnato went 2-4. David Hurlbut started and gave up just one run over the first six innings. He gave up seven hits, walked one and struck out six. Luke Westphal made his AA debut. He gave up one run on two hits in one inning. He also hit a batter and struck out two. Jake Reed gave up one run on three hits in one inning. He walked one and struck out one. JT Chargios got the ninth. He was charged with an unearned run on one hit and one walk. He struck out one. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 5, Charlotte 0 Box Score When people talk about the starting rotation in Ft. Myers, they generally refer to The Big Five. Keaton Steele is almost forgotten, an after-thought, but he shouldn’t be. The 6-3, 225 pound right-hander was the team’s eighth-round pick in 2014 out of the University of Missouri. He spent about half of the 2015 season in Cedar Rapids and still opened the season in Ft. Myers. On this night, he was quite good. Over seven shutout innings, he gave up just one hit. He walked three and struck out four to improve to 1-2 with a 2.28 ERA. Raul Fernandez came on and worked the final two innings. He gave up just one hit and struck one out. Logan Wade homered for the first time in 2016. He was 1-3 with a walk. Ryan Walker went 2-4. Nick Gordon added his sixth double. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, South Bend 1 Box Score Sam Clay continued his terrific started to the season by ending his April with another strong performance. The left-hander gave up one run on five hits over 5.2 innings. He walked three and struck out four. He now boasts a 0.79 ERA. Kuo Hua Lo came on and got four outs. He gave up one hit and walked two. CK Irby continued his dominant April with two more shutout innings. He walked one and struck out one. LaMonte Wade made his first start in a week. He went 2-4 with his third stolen base in his return from a hamstring strain. JJ Fernandez went 2-4 with his second double. Zander Wiel was also 2-4. Rafael Valera added a walk and his sixth double, while AJ Murray hit his fifth double. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Keaton Steele, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Mitch Garver, Chattanooga Lookouts SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton/Wilkes Barre @ Rochester (12:35 CST) - LHP Andrew Albers) Montgomery @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - RHP Aaron Slegers Ft. Myers @ Charlotte (5:05 CST) – RHP Felix Jorge South Bend @Cedar Rapids (4:05 CST) –RHP Dereck Rodriguez Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Friday games. Click here to view the article

The Twins lost both ends of a split double header and find themselves two and a half games behind the Astros for the second wild card spot. Now losers of five straight, the Twins are also a game behind the Angels and just a game and a half ahead of the Indians, all fighting for that final postseason spot. In the Minor Leagues, both the Cedar Rapids Kernels and the Chattanooga Lookouts returned home for the third game of their Championship Series. Let's see how things went. Biloxi Shuckers @ Chattanooga Lookouts Tyler Wagner vs. Greg Peavey Final: Shuckers 2, Lookouts 0 Box In the top of the first inning, Greg Peavey gave up a single and a double to the first two batters of the game to put runners at second and third with no outs. Peavey managed to limit the damage, with only one run scoring on a sacrifice fly, sandwiched between a pair of infield popups. Greg Peavey made it through the next three innings without giving up an additional run, but not without drama as he put the leadoff batter on base in every inning. In the fifth, Peavey again put the leadoff man on base, via a double. After a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk to Orlando Arcia, Manager Doug Mientkiewicz decided he had seen enough and lifted Peavey in favor of D. J. Johnson. Johnson walked the first batter he faced to load the bases. The next batter hit into a fielder's choice, but the Lookouts couldn't turn two, only grabbing the out at second base, allowing a run to score. D.J. Johnson managed to keep more runs off the board, despite throwing a wild pitch and walking the next batter before striking out Biloxi's centerfielder, Brett Phillips. Johnson recorded one out in the seventh before being lifted for Brett Lee. Brett Lee and Jake Reed finished things up, allowing just two hits the rest of the way. Two runs were plenty for the Shuckers as the Lookouts were 0-8 with runners in scoring position, stranding ten runners in the process. Shuckers pitchers Tyler Wagner and Yhonathan Barrios combined to strike out ten and walked just two, giving up eight total hits. The first three hitters in the Lookouts lineup, Stephen Wickens, Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler, went a combined 0-12. Cleanup hitter Travis Harrison had a great night, 3-3 with a walk and a double, but without anyone on base ahead of him, he didn't have any chances to drive in runs. Centerfielder and number nine hitter Shannon Wilkerson also had a pair of hits, 2-4 and a strike out. The Shuckers and the Lookouts are back on the field Sunday at 1:15pm. The Lookouts need a win to stay alive. West Michigan Whitecaps @ Cedar Rapids Kernels Artie Lewicki vs. Keaton Steele Final: Whitecaps 1, Kernels 2 Box The Kernels took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning on a Rafael P. Valera sacrifice fly, but then gave a run back to the Whitecaps in the top of the fourth to knot things at one-one. The game continued on, deadlocked, until the top of the ninth. Pitching his second inning of relief, Luke Bard walked the leadoff hitter and then found himself with a runner on second and one out after a sacrifice bunt. A single to centerfield scored the go-ahead run, and Wade capped the inning on back-to-back strike outs, with the Kernels now down 2-1, down to their last three outs. Edgar Corcino doubled to start things off for the Kernels in the bottom of the ninth, and then T.J. White came up with a double of his own, off of the left fielder's glove. Because the ball was nearly caught, Corcino was holding up and only advanced to third. With runners on second and third with no outs, the Whitecaps brought in their closer Joe Jimenez was was 5-1 with a 1.47 ERA in the regular season, converting on 17-20 save opportunities and racking up 61 strike outs against just 11 walks in 43 innings. Jimenez proceeded to walk the first batter he faced, LaMonte Wade, loading up the bases for Chris Paul. Paul struck out swinging. Max Murphy came up to bat with the bases still loaded and delivered a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Edgar Corcino and tying the game at 2-2, putting runners at the corner for Brian Navarreto. Navarreto worked deep into the count, with LaMonte Wade advancing to second on defensive indifference midway through the at bat. Navarreto fouled off a couple of pitches before hitting something close to a Baltimore Chop, a high bouncer that came down midway between the pitchers mound and third base. With T.J. White running home on contact, the only play for Whitecaps third basemen Francisco Contreras was at first. Navarreto beat the throw and the Kernels walk-off winners and are just one win away from winning the Midwest League Championship! Kernels pitching held the Whitecaps to just five hits all night, led by Keaton Steele who pitched seven innings, struck out five, walked one and gave up four hits. Luke Bard picked up the win thanks to those ninth inning heroics, giving up a hit, a run, striking out two and walking two. Kernels hitters struggled a bit, recording just seven hits, but three of them came in the ninth when they needed them most. Navarreto's infield single was his only hit of the night 1-4, and T.J. White, who scored the winning run, was the only Kernel with multiple hits, 2-4 with a double. The Kernels will play for the Midwest League Championship at 2:05pm on Sunday.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels began their second round of the Midwest League playoffs with a game in Peoria. After sweeping Quad Cities, the Kernels sent RHP Keaton Steele to the mound on Saturday night. Safe to say, he came through in a big way for the Kernels.KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Peoria 2 Box Score The Kernels got a perfect combination of very strong start coupled with a couple of big hits and held on to win Game 1 of the second round of the Midwest League playoffs. Cedar Rapids got on the board right away in the top of the first inning. Rafael Valera led off the game with a walk. Two outs later, TJ White walked as well. That brought LaMonte Wade to the plate and he drove a ball to deep right-center. It hit the warning track and bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double. Valera scored, but had the ball stayed in play the Kernels would likely have scored two. Wade went 2-4 on the night. Keaton Steele struggled at the start. He gave up a leadoff single and hit the second batter. After a fielder’s choice, the clean-up man, Harrison Bader, drove in Peoria’s Darren Seferina to tie the game at one. Steele and Peoria’s starter Matt Pearce exchanged zeroes through the sixth inning. However, the Kernels were able to get to Pearce in the seventh. The inning began with Chris Paul being hit by a pitch. After a wild pitch, Max Murphy hit a long home run to give the Kernels a 3-1 lead. Murphy, the Twins ninth-round pick in 2014 out of Bradley University was back in familiar territory. The Bradley baseball team plays at Dozer Park, the same field that the Peoria Chiefs call home. Steele completed eight innings and gave up just the one run. He gave up two hits, did not walk anyone and struck out a season-high nine batters. Nick Anderson came in for the ninth inning after recording saves in the Kernels two wins in the first round. It was a little nerve-wracking. The leadoff man tripled and scored on a single. However, Anderson struck out the next three batters to record his third save of the postseason. On Sunday afternoon at 4:05 in Cedar Rapids, left-hander Randy Rosario will take the mound for the Kernels in Game 2. Should a Game 3 be necessary, Randy LeBlanc is scheduled to start on Monday in Cedar Rapids. Click here to view the article

It’s hard to believe that it’s September already. The full minor league seasons will be complete on Labor Day. Both short-season affiliates are now done with their seasons as well. But before we start thinking too much about the 2015 season, let’s take a look at some of the top performers. Today we start with the starting pitchers. As Terry Ryan told local media on Tuesday night, he saw a lot of great performances in the last week while in Rochester.Before getting to the Top 5 starters for the month of August, here are a few starters who just missed the cut but deserve recognition. Honorable Mention LHP – Luke Westphal – Ft. Myers – 5 GS, 1-2, 1.75 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 25.2 IP, 21 H, 6 BB, 22 KRHP – Kohl Stewart – Ft. Myers – 4 GS, 2-1, 2.39 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 26.1 IP, 25 H, 6 BB, 16 KRHP – Andro Cutura – Elizabethton – 5 GS, 1-1, 1.75 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 25.2 IP, 25 H, 7 BB, 22 KLHP – Lachlan Wells – GCL Twins – 4 GS, 3-1, 1.50 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 18.0 IP, 12 H, 5 BB, 17 K--- Number 5 – Cedar Rapids Kernels – RHP Keaton Steele – 5 G, 4-1, 2.57 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 35.0 IP, 26 H, 2 BB, 22 K Third time is the charm. After being drafted by the Rays in 2012 and the Royals in 2013, he signed when the Twins used their eighth-round pick in 2014 on the University of Missouri right-hander. He went 2-1 with a 2.93 ERA in 19 games out of the bullpen for Elizabethton last year. He began this season in extended spring training, but in mid-May he came up and did well out of the rotation. He missed three weeks in July, but has returned strong. In August, opponents hit just .210/.238/.298 (.537). He was 5-5 in quality starts. Overall this year, he is 6-4 with a 3.33 ERA in 14 games (13 starts) for the Kernels. Number 4 – Rochester Red Wings – LHP Logan Darnell – 5 G, 3-1, 2.25 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 32.0 IP, 23 H, 7 BB, 26 K Darnell was the Twins sixth-round draft pick in 2010 out of Kentucky. He made seven appearances, including four starts, for the Twins in 2014. He went to spring training with the Twins this year as a bullpen arm, a role he held through the season’s first four months. However, he made a spot start early in August and stayed in the rotation and put up tremendous numbers. He gave up two runs in 28 innings during his four starts. His third start, he threw a complete game shutout. In his final start of the month, he gave up one run over eight innings. Opponents hit just .195/.238/.280 (.518) against him, making a September call up a possibility. Number 3 – Rochester Red Wings – LHP Pat Dean - 6 GS, 4-2, 2.28 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 43.1 IP, 37 H, 7 BB, 25 K Dean was the Twins third-round pick in 2010 out of Boston College. We Got To Know the southpaw last week in a story in which he talks about his impressive, surprising, successful 2015 season. Overall, he’s 11-11 with a 2.91 ERA in 26 starts and 170 innings. Opponents hit just 233/.265/.277 (.542) against him. His monthly numbers are more impressive when you consider that he gave up seven runs in six innings in one start. However, he threw two complete game shutouts and an eight-inning shutout in the month as well. Number 2 – Rochester Red Wings – RHP JO Berrios - 6 GS, 2-0, 2.03 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 40.0 IP, 30 H, 3 BB, 48 K I think it’s fair to say that JO Berrios has been the biggest topic among Twins fans, with the exception of one Miguel Sano. He continued to put up great numbers through the month of August. Just yesterday, GM Terry Ryan finally announced the Berrios would not be getting called up to the Twins this year. Instead, he will head home for the offseason. He made six starts and the final two were in front of the Twins GM. His worst start, statistically, of the month came against Scranton/Wilkes Barre when he gave up four runs on six hits in six innings. You may recall, he had a no-hitter through six innings in that game. In other words, take away that one inning and the numbers look even more astonishing. On the season, between AA and AAA, he is now 13-5 with a 2.90 ERA. In 26 starts and 161.1 innings, he has walked just 37 while striking out 170 batters, the most in minor league baseball. We’ve all seen , and when I wrote about him being the Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year in 2014, teammates raved about him and his work ethic. He even did an interview for Twins Daily in both English and Spanish.And the Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month is: Chattanooga Lookouts – LHP Brett Lee - 6 GS, 5-0, 1.30 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 41.2 IP, 29 H, 9 BB, 27 K Lee was drafted by the Pirates in 2009 and the Dodgers in 2010 before signing with the Twins as their 10th round pick in 2011. He was an All-Star in the Florida State League last year, but he missed time with injury. He began this season late again and made six starts for the Miracle before moving up to AA Chattanooga. He struggled some in his transition to the Southern League. Not in terms of runs allowed, but he wasn’t getting through five innings most starts. That changed in August. All six of his starts this month were quality starts. During the month, he reduced his ERA from 4.25 to 2.89. Twins Daily caught up with Lee following his tremendous August performance. Asked if there was a difficult adjustment from the Florida State League to the Southern League, he said, “It was a little tougher adjusting to the smaller strike zone. The hitters are more disciplined at the plate. They have better approaches and know what they’re trying to do. That made me have to make good pitches more consistently, and get ahead in the count.” So to progress, he had to make some adjustments. “I’d say a huge factor for me was lengthening my stride, following through and developing a slider.” He was quick to give credit to his pitching coach with the Lookouts, Stu Cliburn. “Cliburn helped me a lot with it. He showed me some new grips with it, and some things I can do to make sure I can repeat my delivery.” It was a strong month for Brett Lee, but also for several members of the Triple-A Rochester rotation. It’s exciting to see so many strong performances in the upper levels of the Twins minor league system. So there you have it. The top pitchers in the Minnesota Twins farm system in August. What do you think? How would you rank these starting pitchers? Click here to view the article

What a night in the Twins system! The Twins found another way to lose to the Yankees. Byron Buxton continued to hit. Two top-ten prospects threw complete games for the Ft. Myers Miracle. With that true, the top pitching performance of the night came from Cedar Rapids. That says a lot when you consider the Elizabethton starter didn’t give up a hit.All that and more can be found as you work your way through today’s minor league report. TRANSACTIONS There were a couple of transactions in the Twins system on Tuesday: Lefty David Hurlbut, promoted to Rochester over the weekend for one start, was returned to AA Chattanooga.RHP Matt Summer was sent down to Ft. Myers.Danny Santana was activated from the 7-day disabled list. Eric Farris was placed on the DL for Rochester.In former Twins minor league news, as of last week when he was released from the Rochester roster, Nate Hanson has signed with the 62-19 St. Paul Saints. He was in their lineup on Tuesday night.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 6, Buffalo 5 Box Score Byron Buxton extended his hitting streak to all 12 games he’s spent with the Red Wings. He went 2-4 with his second double. Danny Santana was 2-4 with his seventh double and fourth triple. James Beresford was also 2-4. Kennys Vargas’s fifth double drove in two runs. Logan Darnell made the start and the lefty worked into the sixth inning. In 5.2 innings, he gave up three unearned runs. He allowed three hits, walked five and struck out three. Tim Shibuya, the Twins 23rd round pick in 2011, made his AAA debut. He gave up two hits over 1.1 scoreless innings in relief. Aaron Thompson came on to start the eighth, but he gave up two hits and walked a batter without recording an out. Mark Hamburger came in and allowed two of the inherited runners to score on a hit, but he got through the eighth inning holding a one-run lead. Michael Tonkin came on and pitched a perfect ninth for his 14th save. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Pensacola 8 Box Score Greg Peavey had a rough one. He gave up six runs on four hits and four walks and recorded just four outs. Alex Wimmers came on and struck out three over 2.2 perfect innings. Brandon Peterson struck out one in a flawless inning. Nick Burdi gave up two runs on three hits and two walks over 1.2 innings. He struck out two. DJ Johnson got the final out with a strikeout. The Lookouts went 1-2-3 in the first two innings. Niko Goodrum led off the third inning with his fifth home run. He went 2-3 in the game. Max Kepler was 1-3 with a walk. MIRACLE MATTERS Game 1 – Ft. Myers 4, Charlotte 1 Box Score Stephen Gonsalves continues a remarkable 2015 season. The left-hander went all seven innings of game one. He gave up just one run on four hits. He walked one and struck out seven. He improved to 6-1 with a 2.23 ERA with the Miracle. Josmil Pinto was added to the Miracle roster after DHing in four games with the GCL Twins. He was the DH and third hitter in this game. He went 1-4 but hit a solo home run. The other big hit came off the bat of Tanner Vavra. He hit a two-run single in a three-run fifth inning. Logan Wade hit his 17th double. Game 2 – Ft. Myers 5, Charlotte 2 Box Score Kohl Stewart followed Gonsalves’s complete game with one of his own. He gave up two runs on six hits over seven innings. He did not walk a batter. He struck out two and recorded 13 groundouts. He is now 6-7 with a 3.21 ERA on the season. Tanner Vavra again led the way. He went 2-2 with a walk. Aderlin Mejia went 1-2 with his eighth double and two RBI KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, Kane County 1 Box Score Keaton Steele deserved better. The right-hander gave up just one run on three hits over eight innings. He walked none and struck out four. However, he took the loss. The Kernels bats just couldn’t get anything going. They managed just six hits in the game. Zach Larson went 2-3 with his 18th double. Edgar Corcino went 2-4. E-TOWN E-NOTES Elizabethton 6, Danville 2 Box Score Cody Stashak was back on the mound. Through five innings, he gave up only an unearned run. He gave up no hits, walked two and struck out six. He came out of the game and was replaced by Logan Lombana. He gave up one run on four hits over two innings. He struck out two and didn’t walk a batter. Kuo Hua Lo struck out four over the final two innings to drop his ERA to 1.03. Stashak improved to 5-1 with a 1.58 ERA. Kamran Young led the offense. He went 2-4 with his sixth double, his second triple and four RBI. LaMonte Wade went 1-2 with two walks. He also stole his sixth and seventh bases. Manuel Guzman walked twice. He stole his 16th, 17th and 18th bases. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 3, GCL Orioles 5 Box Score Christian Cavaness led off the game by being hit by a pitch. He stayed in the game and scored a run, but he was replaced by Jorge Andrade who went 3-3 for the rest of the game. He also stole his ninth base. Roberto Gonzalez went 2-4 in the game. Ariel Montesino had a single and a walk. Blake Schmit went 1-4 and drove in two runs. He has hit .324 in his rehab stint. Williams Ramirez started and gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits. In 4.2 innings, he walked once and struck out four. Max Cordy came on and worked the next 2.1 innings. He gave up one run on two hits. He struck out two. Johan Quezada gave up one run on one hit and one walk in his inning. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Keaton Steele, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Tanner Vavra, Ft. Myers Miracle WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Buffalo @ Rochester (12:35 CST) – LHP Pat Dean Chattanooga @ Pensacola (6:35 CST) – LHP Brett Lee Ft. Myers @ Charlotte (6:00 CST) – TBD Cedar Rapids @ Ft. Myers (6:35 CST) – RHP Felix Jorge Elizabethton – No Game Scheduled GCL Orioles @ GCL Twins (11:00 CST) – TBD Feel free to leave any questions or comments below Click here to view the article

It was a busy Tuesday in the Minnesota Twins minor league system. All six full-season affiliates played, with the GCL Twins playing two games. Max Kepler got on base four times, and he wasn’t even the hitter of the day. Kennys Vargas did a couple of things that will probably surprise you. Zach Granite made a web gem for Ft. Myers. And you’ll be impressed by the top of the Cedar Rapids lineup.All that and more in the coming paragraphs of today’s Twins Minor League Report. TRANSACTIONS With Tyler Duffey promoted to the Twins, Jason Wheeler was promoted from the Lookouts to the Red Wings. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Gwinnett 5 Box Score Michael Bowden made his second Red Wings start. In this one, he gave up two runs on seven hits over 5.2 innings. He walked two and struck out one. Aaron Thompson came on and got the final out of the sixth. He got one out in the seventh as well before leaving with two men on base. Michael Tonkin came on having not allowed a run in over 16 innings. However, he gave up a three run homer that provided the final 5-2 score. The Red Wings had eight hits. James Beresford and Jose Martinez each had two hits. Reynaldo Rodriguez and Danny Ortiz each hit their 28th doubles. Chris Herrmann went 1-2 with a walk and stole his third base. Danny Santana went 0-4 and is now 1-12 since his return from the Twins. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 10, Jackson 3 Box Score Down 3-2 going into the seventh inning, Chattanooga scored five times in the seventh and three times in the eighth to get a commanding win. Catcher Jairo Rodriguez was the only Lookouts hitter without a hit. Kennys Vargas was moved to the ninth spot in the lineup. He went 2-5 with a triple (yes, really) and his fifth home run. Max Kepler went 2-3 with two walks. He also stole his 14th and 15th bases. Stephen Wickens went 2-4 with a walk and his tenth double. Dalton Hicks and Heiker Meneses each went 2-5. Jorge Polanco hit a single and walked twice. Adam Brett Walker doubled for the 24th time this season and drove in his 85th and 86th runs of the season. With Jason Wheeler moving back up to AAA, the Lookouts needed to go with a bullpen game. Tim Shibuya started and gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits in three innings. Adrian Salcedo gave up one run on two hits and a walk in two innings. DJ Johnson gave up a hit and a walk, but no runs, in two innings. Alex Wimmers struck out three over two perfect innings. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 4, St. Lucie 7 Box Score Mat Batts had a great July, but this August started out poorly. He gave up three runs in the first inning and another in the fourth. In all, he went five innings and gave up four runs (3 earned) on nine hits and a walk. He struck out three. He falls to 5-3 with a 2.04 ERA. Brian Gilbert gave up three runs on five hits in his inning. Zack Jones came on and struck out four over two perfect innings. Corey Williams struck out one in his scoreless inning. Marcus Knecht went 2-4 with a walk and his 18th Miracle double. Engelb Vielma was 2-4 with a walk. He stole his 25th and 26th bases. Aderlin Mejia went 2-5 with his sixth double. Zach Granite hit his third triple. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 8, Dayton 1 Box Score The Kernels got strong pitching in this one, but the story in this game was the offense. The Kernels knocked out 15 hits to go with five walks. The top of the lineup definitely set the table. Leadoff man Tanner English led the way. He went 5-5 with three doubles (19 for the season) and three RBIs. He also stole his organization-leading 34th base. Nick Gordon hit second and went 3-4 with a walk. Brian Navarreto went 2-3 with a walk. Tyler Kuresa went 1-3 with two walks. On the mound, Keaton Steele got the job done and evened his season record at 3-3. He gave up one run on five hits over seven innings. He struck out three without walking a batter. Luke Bard gave up one hit over two scoreless innings. E-TOWN E-NOTES Elizabethton 2, Johnson City 5 Box Score One tough inning was the difference in this game. Jermaine Palacios has been great with the bat, but his fifth inning error led to four unearned runs. Andro Cutura was charged with five runs, though just one was earned, in five innings. He gave up seven hits, walked one and hit one while striking out four. Tyler Stirewalt gave up just one hit and hit a batter over three shutout innings. Manuel Guzman led the offense. He went 3-4 with his second double. Jermaine Palacios went 2-5 with his fourth double in four games with the E-Twins. Travis Blankenhorn went 2-4. GCL TWINS TAKES Game 1 – GCL Twins 7, GCL Orioles 0 Box Score The Twins had a tremendous effort with the bats and the arms in Game 1 on Tuesday. Lachlan Wells made the start. The Austalian righty gave his team five innings of shutout ball. He gave up just two hits, walked one and struck out two. He is now 3-1 with a 2.10 ERA on the season. Brandon Poulson came on and worked two perfect innings. He struck out two. When Jermaine Palacios was promoted to Elizabethton, Ariel Montesino was sent back to the GCL. In this game, he went 2-3 with a walk, a double and a home run. Luis Martinez went 2-3 with two RBI. Lewin Diaz went 1-2 with two walks. Christian Cavaness made his first start and went 1-2 with a walk. A rehabbing Blake Schmit went 1-3 with a walk. Game 2 – GCL Twins 4, GCL Orioles 5 (8 innings) Box Score The second game needed an extra inning. Eduardo del Rosario made the start and he continued to pitch very well. He gave up just one hit over five shutout innings. He walked two and struck out five. Then Max Cordy came on for the sixth inning. He gave up two runs on one hit and a walk in just 2/3 of an inning. Johan Quezada came on and got the final out of the sixth and then worked the seventh. He gave up an unearned run on two hits. He struck out two. Hector Lujan came on and got two outs in the eighth. However, he gave up two runs on three hits to take the loss. Lean Marrero, the Twins 16th-round pick in June out of Puerto Rico, went 2-4 in the game with his first professional home run. Lewin Diaz went 2-3 with a walk. Roberto Molina went 2-4 with two RBI. Luis Arraez went 1-3 with two walks. Blake Schmit went 1-4 and stole a base. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Keaton Steele, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Tanner English, Cedar Rapids Kernels WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Gwinnett (6:35 CST) – LHP Taylor Rogers (8-8, 3.65 ERA) Chattanooga @ Jackson (7:05 CST) – RH Greg Peavey (6-3, 4.41 ERA) St. Lucie @ Ft. Myers (6:05 CST) – LHP Stephen Gonsalves (5-1, 2.11 ERA) Dayton @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) – RHP Felix Jorge (5-4, 2.49 ERA) Elizabethton – No Game Scheduled GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (11:00 CST) – TBD Feel free to leave any questions or comments below Click here to view the article

The Twins walked-off the St. Louis Cardinals to split a four-game home-and-home series with the NL Central leaders. Big things happened in the Minnesota Twins farm system as well. Max Kepler is white hot right now, and his team reached a milestone in Chattanooga. Today's Twins Minor League Report.RED WINGS REPORT Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders @ Rochester Box Score Scranton (home of one of the world's finest paper companies) scored seven runs (ONLY ONE EARNED), all charged to Red Wings starter Jason Wheeler in the third inning of Thursday night's game in front of 4,431 fans at Frontie Field in Rochester, NY. Wheeler took the loss and dropped to 1-7 on the season, surviving for just 2.2 innings before being lifted for Alex Meyer. Meyer went four innings out of the pen, struck out two, gave up four hits, and was charged with two unearned runs. Logan Darnell came into the seventh, finished up the frame for Meyer, plus the eighth inning. Darnell was charged with one unearned run on a hit, a walk and two strike outs. Mark Hamburger pitched a third of an inning, and Ryan O'Rourke finished the ninth and closed the door on a game that saw the Red Wings give up NINE unearned runs. Danny Santana was just 1-5 from the leadoff spot, but his lone hit was a triple. Reynaldo Rodriguez provided most of the Red Wings offense. He was 3-3 with a run scored, a double, a home run and FIVE RBIs. Eric Fryer also had three hits on a 3-4 night with two runs scored and a walk. Final: RailRiders 10, Red Wings 7 LOOKOUTS LOOK-IN Jacksonville Suns @ Chattanooga Box Score Pitching in front of 2,534 friendly faces at AT&T Field in Chattanooga, TN, David Hurlbut earned his third win of the year with seven innings of five-hit baseball. He gave up three runs (two earned) walked one, struck out four, and gave up a home run. Zach Jones pitched an ugly eighth, giving up a pair of runs, and just to make things little more interesting, J.T. Chargois gave up a run in the ninth (and earned himself a save). Despite a poor outing form the bullpen the Lookouts held on to win thanks to eight early runs, clinching the Southern League first half title. Max Kepler went 3-4 with two runs scored and a pair of triples. The young German is now hitting .341 on the year and could be in line for a promotion to Triple-A Rochester. Adam Brett Walker was the only other Lookouts hitter with multiple hits, going 2-3 with a run scored and a pair of RBIs, with a home run and a walk. The win clinched a spot for the Lookouts in the Southern League Playoffs. *With three hits on Thursday (following four-hit games on Tuesday and Wednesday), Max Kepler is now 11-14 in his last three games, and 16-25 (.640) in his last seven games. Final Score: Suns 6, Lookouts 8 MIRACLE MATTERS Daytona Tortugas @ Fort Myers Box Score AAaron Slegers pitched six scoreless innings to the delight of the 2,941 fans at CenturyLink Sports Complex in Fort Myers, FL. Slegers struck out five, walked two, and gave up just two hits to earn a win and even his record at 4-4. D.J. Johnson pitched a pair of scoreless innings and Alex Muren pitched a rocky ninth, giving up a run. The Miracle held on for the win. The Miracle were 3-9 with runners in scoring position and knocked off the Dayton Tortugas thanks to some timely hitting from Marcus Knecht. Knecht was 3-3 with a run scored, an RBI and a walk. What a night! The cause was aided by a 2-4 night at the plate from Mitch Garver, who also had an RBI. Final score: Tortugas 1, Miracle 4 KERNELS KORNER Burlington Bees @ Cedar Rapids Box Score Keaton Steele pitched nine scoreless innings for the Cedar Rapids Kernels in front of a home crowd of 4,173 fans at Perfect Game Field and still didn't factor into the decision as the Kernels ultimately fell in eleven innings. Steele gave up just six hits, struck out seven and walked nobody. Michael Theofanopoulos pitched a scoreless tenth but ran into trouble in the eleventh, giving up a couple of runs thanks to an error and a wild pitch. When you don't score any runs in an eleven inning game, there isn't a lot to talk about for the guys with the bats. The Kernels managed just five hits off of five different Bees pitchers. Nick Gordon had a pair of singles and was the only Kernels hitter with multiple hits. The other three hits came from Tanner English (1-5), Max Murphy (1-3) and Pat Kelly (1-4). Final Score: Bees 2, Kernels 0 TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day - Max Kepler, Chattanooga Lookouts Pitcher of the Day - Keaton Steele, Cedar Rapids Kernels FRIDAY'S PROBABLES Louisville @ Rochester - Keyvius Sampson vs. Taylor Rogers (6-4, 3.23) Jacksonville @ Chattanooga - Austin Brice vs. Alex Wimmers (4-1, 4.84) Fort Myers - OFF Cedar Rapids @ Clinton - Zach Tillery (4-1, 2.13) vs. Zack Littell [ZACH/K ATTACK!!!] Click here to view the article

The Twins walked-off the St. Louis Cardinals to split a four-game home-and-home series with the NL Central leaders. RED WINGS REPORT Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders @ Rochester Box Score Scranton (home of one of the world's finest paper companies) scored seven runs (ONLY ONE EARNED), all charged to Red Wings starter Jason Wheeler in the third inning of Thursday night's game in front of 4,431 fans at Frontie Field in Rochester, NY. Wheeler took the loss and dropped to 1-7 on the season, surviving for just 2.2 innings before being lifted for Alex Meyer. Meyer went four innings out of the pen, struck out two, gave up four hits, and was charged with two unearned runs. Logan Darnell came into the seventh, finished up the frame for Meyer, plus the eighth inning. Darnell was charged with one unearned run on a hit, a walk and two strike outs. Mark Hamburger pitched a third of an inning, and Ryan O'Rourke finished the ninth and closed the door on a game that saw the Red Wings give up NINE unearned runs. Danny Santana was just 1-5 from the leadoff spot, but his lone hit was a triple. Reynaldo Rodriguez provided most of the Red Wings offense, he was 3-3 with a run scored, a double, a home run and FIVE RBIs. Eric Fryer also had three hits on a 3-4 night with two runs scored and a walk. Final: RailRiders 10, Red Wings 7 LOOKOUTS LOOK-IN Jacksonville Suns @ Chattanooga Box Score Pitching in front of 2,534 friendly faces at AT&T Field in Chattanooga, TN, David Hurlbut earned his third win of the year with seven innings of five hit baseball. He gave up three runs (two earned) walked one, struck out four, and gave up a home run. Zach Jones pitched an ugly eighth, giving up a pair of runs, and just to make things little more interesting, J.T. Chargois gave up a run in the ninth (and earned himself a save). Despite a poor outing form the bullpen, the Lookouts held on to win thanks to eight early runs, clinching the Southern League first half title. Max Kepler went 3-4 with two runs scored and a pair of triples. The young German is now hitting .341 on the year and could be in line for a promotion to Triple-A Rochester. Adam Brett Walker was the only other Lookouts hitter with multiple hits, he was 2-3 with a run scored and a pair of RBIs, with a home run and a walk. Final Score: Suns 6, Lookouts 8 MIRACLE MATTERS Daytona Tortugas @ Fort Myers Box Score Aaron Slegers pitched six scoreless innings to the delight of the 2,941 fans at CenturyLink Sports Complex in Fort Myers, FL. Slegers struck out five, walked two, and gave up just two hits to earn a win and even his record at 4-4. D.J. Johnson pitched a pair of scoreless innings, and Alex Muren pitched a rocky night, giving up a run, but the Miracle held on for the win. The Miracle were 3-9 with runners in scoring position and knocked off the Dayton Tortugas thanks to some timely hitting from Marcus Knecht. Knecht was 3-3 with a run scored, and RBI and a walk, what a night! He was aided by a 2-4 night from Mitch Garver, who also had an RBI. Final score: Tortugas 1, Miracle 4 KERNELS KORNER Burlington Bees @ Cedar Rapids Box Score Keaton Steele pitched nine scoreless innings for the Cedar Rapids Kernels in front of a home crowd of 4,173 fans at Perfect Game Field and still didn't factor into the decision as the Kernels ultimately fell in eleven innings. Stele gave up just six hits, struck out seven and walked nobody. Michael Theofanopoulos pitched a scoreless tenth but ran into trouble in the eleventh, giving up a couple of runs thanks to an error and a wild pitch. When you don't score any runs in an eleven inning game, there isn't a lot to talk about for the guys with the bats. The Kernels managed just five hits off of five different Bees pitchers. Nick Gordon had a pair of singles and was the only Kernels hitter with multiple hits. The other three hits came from Tanner English (1-5), Max Murphy (1-3) and Pat Kelly (1-4). Final Score: Bees 2, Kernels 0 TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day - Max Kepler, Chattanooga Lookouts Pitcher of the Day - Keaton Steele, Cedar Rapids Kernels FRIDAY'S PROBABLES Louisville @ Rochester - Keyvius Sampson vs. Taylor Rogers (6-4, 3.23) Jacksonville @ Chattanooga - Austin Brice vs. Alex Wimmers (4-1, 4.84) Fort Myers - OFF Cedar Rapids @ Clinton - Zach Tillery (4-1, 2.13) vs. Zack Littell [ZACH/K ATTACK!!!]

The Twins fell to the Blue Jays thanks to one of our favorite Old Friends. Chris Colabello’s two-run homer off Glen Perkins was the difference in the Jays 6-4 win. Colabello is a good reminder of why these minor league reports are so important. He was a minor league free agent signed after eight seasons in independent ball. He has made it to the big leagues and contributed. In these daily reports, we don’t solely focus on the prospects. We focus on all players who deserve to be recognized because you never know which ones will get to The Show. Colabello was mentioned frequently in these reports in his two-plus seasons in the organization.With that, here’s what happened on Friday in the Minnesota Twins minor league system: TRANSACTIONS Casey Fien’s rehab stint in Rochester ended as he was activated by the Twins. To make room for him, Michael Tonkin was optioned yet again to Rochester.Ethan Mildren was played on the disabled list by the Ft. Myers Miracle. Matt Summers was removed from the Chattanooga disabled list and sent to the Miracle.RED WINGS REPORT The Red Wings had a few games rained out in the season’s first week. Tonight, Rochester played a doubleheader in Buffalo because of a rain out in early April. Game 1 – Rochester 2, Buffalo 1 Box Score In the top of the second inning, Danny Ortiz walked. Two batters later, Ryan Wheeler hit his first Red Wings home run to give the team a 2-0 lead. That was all of the run scoring for the Red Wings. It was also one of just five hits for the team in Game 1. Doug Bernier’s fifth double was the lone extra base hit. Fortunately, lefty Pat Dean was up to the challenge. The left-hander gave up a run in the bottom of the second inning, and that was it. He got one out in the bottom of the seventh before AJ Achter came in to get the final two outs and record his seventh save. Dean went 6.1 innings and gave up just the one run on six hits. He walked two and struck out two. Game 2 – Rochester 2, Buffalo 4 Box Score The Red Wings jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in Game 2. Danny Ortiz doubled in two runs in the third inning. However, the Bisons followed that with a big four-run inning in the bottom half of the third frame. Tyler Duffey made his second AAA start of the season. In the first two innings, he gave up just one hit. He gave up the four runs in the third inning, but then got another five outs. Duffey was charged with four runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks in 4.2 innings. He struck out three. Logan Darnell came on and got the final out of the fifth inning as well as the first two outs in the sixth inning. He had one walk and one strikeout. Alex Meyer came on to get the final out of the inning. He got it, on a strikeout. Ortiz led the offense. He was 2-3 with his 12th double. Josmil Pinto entered the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh and doubled. Following the split, the Red Wings are now 27-22. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 2, Biloxi 3 Box Score Greg Peavey has really turned around his season after a very slow start in April. He gave up two runs in the second inning, but then he settled in and went six innings. The Lookouts tied the game at two in the fifth. With Carlos Paulino on second base and Byron Buxton on first base, Jorge Polanco hit a long single. Paulino scored, but the throw from the outfield got away from the catcher and Buxton scored all the way from first base. That’s where the game remained until the top of the eighth. Tim Shibuya came out for his second inning after a scoreless seventh frame. He gave up a run on three hits. The Lookouts tried to come back in the bottom of the ninth. With two outs, Buxton walked and then stole second on the first pitch. However, Polanco grounded out to end the game. The Lookouts had just five hits in the game. Stephen Wickens went 2-4. Buxton had a walk and a single. The stolen base was his 14th of the year. He also was credited with two outfield assists. Peavey gave another quality start. He was charged with only those two runs. He gave up three hits, walked three and struck out two. Shibuya took the loss. He gave up the one run on three hits. He struck one out and didn’t walk anyone. D.J. Johnson pitched the ninth inning. He gave up one hit and struck out two. Miguel Sano was out of the lineup for the second straight games. Before the Twins game on Friday night, GM Terry Ryan told the writers that Sano had a jammed finger. Chattanooga, the top team in the Southern League’s North Division is now 29-18. Biloxi, the leader in the Southern League’s South Division, is 29-19. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 6, Clearwater 7 Box Score Kohl Stewart was back on the mound following the best start of his season. On this night, he wasn’t his best. He gave up four runs in the first inning. Overall, he gave up six runs (five earned) on ten hits. He walked none and struck out one. Brian Gilbert came on and struck out one over two perfect innings. Matt Summers made his first appearance in a game this season. He struck out one in a perfect inning. Alex Muren pitched a scoreless eighth inning. However, he gave up the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to take the loss. The Miracle offense showed up. They had 15 hits in the game. Zach Granite went 3-5 with his fifth Miracle double. Alex Swim, Ryan Walker and Niko Goodrum were each 2-5 in the game. Bryan Haar went 2-4. Tanner Vavra came in later. He had a pinch-hit RBI single and added a second RBI single later in the game. With the loss, the Miracle are now 24-24. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Clinton 2 Box Score Keaton Steele made just his second start for the Kernels, and it was a good one. The right-hander went seven innings and gave up just one run on five hits. He walked three and struck out six. Randy LeBlanc recorded his first save of the year with two scoreless innings. Pat Kelly had a terrific game. He went 3-4 with his third triple of the year. Brett Doe was also 3-4 with his fifth double and two RBI. Zack Larson went 1-3 with a walk and his fifth double. The Kernels improved to 31-18. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Keaton Steele, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Pat Kelly, Cedar Rapids Kernels SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (4:05 CST) – LHP Tommy Milone Biloxi @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) – RHP DJ Baxendale Ft. Myers @ St. Lucie (5:30 CST) – RHP Chih-Wei Hu Clinton @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) – RHP Zach Tillery Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Friday games. Click here to view the article