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Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew is generally considered the greatest Twins player in their 58-year history in Minnesota. He was an imposing figure on the field, capable of altering a game with one swing of his mighty bat. Off the field, Killebrew was said to be one of the most genuinely compassionate men, respectful and helpful. Following the Hall of Famer’s death in 2011, the Twins announced the initiation of the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service. One player from each of the four Twins full-season affiliates would be presented with the award in recognition of their work in their community. Over the coming days, we’ll share with you the four 2018 recipients of the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service.The 2018 Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service recipient for the Rochester Red Wings is right-handed relief pitcher Jake Reed. On the field, it was a real solid season for the hard-throwing right-hander. His overall numbers were terrific. He posted a 1.89 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP. In 47 2/3 innings, he walked 21, but he struck out 50 batters. He missed some time early in the season, but since June 1, he was tremendous. Over the season’s final three months, his ERA was just 1.43 and opponents hit just .167 off of him. It is difficult to understand why he did not receive a September call up based on his statistical line, especially late in the season. As impressive as he was on the mound for the Red Wings, he made a strong impression in the Rochester community as well. Red Wings General Manager Dan Mason nominated Reed saying, “Jake has been a phenomenal representative for the Red Wings and the Twins in our community this season volunteering at a variety of both corporate partner events as well as community events.” The list of activities that Reed helped with in the community was quite lengthy. Mason continued, “Some of the community events he participated in include: delivering meals with Meals on Wheels. Speaking engagement for Rochester Regional Hospital, Foodlink Summer kickoff, USSSA clinic, School of the Holy Childhood ( for mentally challenged kids) clinic, Challenger Baseball World Series here at Frontier Field, Red Wings Baseball camp, and another Challenger baseball camp. ” Reed truly appreciated the opportunities he had to work in and for the community thanks to the Red Wings. He said, “The Red Wings have been one of the best organizations I have ever seen as far as the opportunities they give us players to get out into the community and serve. We have done everything from visiting hospitals and running baseball camps, to delivering meals to less fortunate families and working alongside the Challenger baseball league in Rochester, which has been my favorite.” But, according to Mason, Reed went above and beyond the team-sponsored activities. “On his own time, without anyone in our office asking him, Jake visited a Challenger baseball field on his own on a Saturday morning in June. He also can often be seen before games chatting with fans and signing autographs, doing his best to provide lifelong memories for our fans. He truly understands his responsibilities as a professional baseball player on and off the field.” Reed deserved a September call up because of his work on the field for the Red Wings in 2018. However, he fully understands his role in society and the opportunities and the platform he’s been given and chooses to use it for good. He noted recently that he really appreciates receiving the honor and having his name associated with someone like Harmon Killebrew. He said, “This award actually means a lot. I will be honest. Not getting the call at the end of the season was disappointing. But getting this reward definitely reminded me of why God actually has me playing this game. It’s not about baseball. It really isn’t. It’s about loving and serving the people that you come into contact with, and the great thing about baseball is it gives us players plenty of opportunity to do so. I think men like Harmon Killebrew have set the example for us as far as what it looks like to be more than a baseball player.” Reed joined Episode 7 of Seth’s Twins On Deck Podcastlast offseason to talk about the work he’s done on the field, but also to discuss his faith as it is a very important an instrumental part of his life. Previous Red Wings Killebrew Award winners: 2011 - Kyle Gibson 2012 - JR Towles 2013 - Brian Dinkelman 2014 - Logan Darnell 2015 - Logan Darnell 2016 - Logan Darnell 2017 - DJ Baxendale 2018 - Jake Reed Congratulations to Jake Reed on earning the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service for the Rochester Red Wings. Over the coming days, we will share the stories of the Killebrew Award winners for the Chattanooga Lookouts, Ft. Myers Miracle and Cedar Rapids Kernels (in which there is an interesting tie to Killebrew himself). Click here to view the article

All week, we’ve been getting to know the Twins 2016 minor league recipients of the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service. The award was established in honor of the Twins Hall of Famer and all he did for people in the communities he lived and played. The Twins organization is full of very good people, and certainly it is difficult for the teams to select just one. Today we celebrate the Rochester Red Wings recipient of the award. For the third straight season, Logan Darnell is the Red Wings recipient of the Harmon Killebrew Award. It was a tough season for the southpaw on the field. He had been removed from the Twins 40-man roster last year at this time. He cleared waivers and stayed with the Twins. He had a strong showing in spring training and was one of the final players sent down to minor league camp. Unfortunately, he didn’t get back to the big leagues in 2016. He went 8-8 with a 3.53 ERA in 18 starts before his season came to an end in mid-July with a shoulder injury. Even after that, he remained busy in the Rochester community. If you missed any of the previous winners, see below. Cedar Rapids Kernels: Nelson Molina Ft. Myers Miracle: Trey Vavra Chattanooga Lookouts: David Hurlbut Rochester Red Wings: Logan Darnell Previous Winners: 2015, 2014, 2013,2016 marked the third straight season in which LHP Logan Darnell received the Killebrew Award. That isn’t to say that he hasn’t had teammates who were active in the community. It is a great indicator of the type of person that Logan Darnell is. Red Wings general manager Dan Mason recently told Twins Daily, “Once again this year we were very fortunate to have some outstanding baseball players represent the Twins and the Red Wings, but we also had some outstanding human beings. We had many players represent us in the community at a variety of functions, but none did as many appearances for us than Logan Darnell.” Of receiving the Killebrew Award again, Darnell said, “It means a lot! I’ve met a lot of great people in Rochester and made good friends over the past years.” Darnell stayed active in the community throughout the entire season. In fact, for much longer than that. Mason added, “In his four seasons with the Red Wings, he has done an amazing job interacting with fans here at the ballpark and throughout the Rochester area. He has really embraced Rochester as his second home and has given back so much of his time and energy to help make Rochester a better place to live, work and play.” Darnell’s big event the last two seasons has been Darnell's Alzheimer’s Night in Rochester. Proceeds from the event go to the Alzheimer’s Association of Rochester. It's a very special cause for Darnell as his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Darnell reached into his own pockets and designed jerseys for the Red Wings to wear in a game. The jerseys were then auctioned and given away following the game. The Twins were big supporters as well with several players sending autographed items. 2015 was the first year of the event. It was a big success, so he took it to another level in 2016. According to Mason, “This year he stepped up to the plate again. He sponsored and designed the jersey and stirrups that the players wore and then auctioned off during the game. Proceeds benefited the Alzheimer's Association, Rochester and Finger Lakes Region.” Darnell added, “The Alzheimer’s Association in Rochester is very dear to me. All the people there working for the association are great and are doing an amazing job in the community. I'm lucky to know them and help. Having a mother sick with the disease really drives me to help and do everything I can to help because I understand the struggle. We raised close to $28.000 the last two years with events the Red Wings helped sponsor, and my teammates which makes me forever thankful.” He didn’t just plan and participate in one event. Mason said Darnell remained busy during most home stands. “He also arranged for a celebrity bartenders night at a local restaurant and over half the team and coaching staff were there to help raise funds for the Alzheimer's Association. He headed up a golf tourney allowing fans the opportunity to Swing with the Wings to benefit the same organization. In addition to all his work raising money for the Alzheimer's Association, he made numerous appearances at schools, hospitals, sponsors, youth baseball clinics, and he participated in the City of Rochester Clean Sweep in which residents spend a morning picking up debris and beautifying Rochester.” Darnell mentioned a few of the other events, and again credited leadership within the organization for what they do and how they encourage community involvement. “We did a golf event, jersey night, bar tending event, and we helped out with whatever the association needed. That with so many other great places that the team was involved with. The Wings are so great in the community. And it starts with (Red Wings GM) Dan Mason and Naomi (Silver)! They are awesome. Not to mention the guys are awesome.” Darnell ended the season on the disabled list with a shoulder issue. He was not on the 40-man roster all season. He can become a minor league free agent at the end of the World Series. Wherever he winds up, his work will continue. “The battle isn't won, and it's something I will always try and help until a cure is found.” Mason summarizes Darnell’s work, his caring attitude and his award by saying the following. “Logan Darnell is the kind of gentleman that Harmon Killebrew would be proud to have win his award.” Click here to view the article

Fort Myers, Florida and the Minnesota Twins spring training complex played host to the 2016 Florida State League All-Star Game on Saturday night. This will be the first of two All-Star Games hosted by Twins minor league affiliates this season as the Cedar Rapids Kernels will host the Midwest League All-Star Game. It was a low scoring affair as the FSL North used 11 pitchers to combine for a 1-0 shutout of the South squad. Miracle relief pitcher Yorman Landa gave up the lone run in the game. The first batter he faced cracked a double. He struck out the next two batters and the Hammond Stadium radar gun had him hitting 102 miles per hour and 100 miles per hour three more times. However a two-out ground ball single scored the run that would be the difference in the game. To see the full box score of the FSL All-Star Game, click here and read on to see how the other Twins affiliates did on Saturday.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 5, Toledo 1 Box Score Logan Darnell has been one of the most consistent starters for Rochester this season as he helped the club to their 41st win on Saturday night. He pitched seven strong innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out six and walking two. The six strikeouts were a season high for him.It was his eighth victory on the season which is the most wins by any pitcher in the International League. Marcus Walden and JT Chargois both put up zeros on the board to seal the victory. Walden allowed one hit and struck out two. Chargois had a couple batters reach against him but he didn't walk anyone and he lowered his season ERA to 0.57. Rochester's two biggest hits came off the bats of Jorge Polanco and John Ryan Murphy. Polanco gave the Red Wings an early 2-0 when he drove in a pair of runs on a two-out double. Murphy went 2-for-3 and knocked in two runs of his own. Adam Brett Walker reached base twice and didn't strike out. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Montgomery 2 Box Score The top four batters in the Lookouts line-up lead the offensive attack on Saturday night. This group combined for 10 of the team's 11 hits with each player having multiple-hit nights. Daniel Palka continued his impressive season by going 3-for-5 with a triple and a double. Engelb Vielma scored three runs and collected three hits including his third double. Travis Harrison reached base three times and drove in a pair of runs. With the top end of the line-up supporting him, Aaron Slegers was able to earn his fifth victory. He scattered three hits over 6.1 innings to limit the Biscuits offense to two runs. He struck out four and walked three. Jake Reed earned his ninth hold by pitching 1.2 perfect innings. Trevor Hildenberger collected his 11th save with a perfect ninth inning. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Quad Cities 3 Box Score With their first half playoff hopes on the line, the Kernels rallied late to tie this game but they ended up falling by one run. The team was officially knocked out of the playoff race with the loss. Dereck Rodriguez posted his best start of the season. Across six innings, he struck out eight and walked one as he allowed two runs (one earned run) on five hits. Cam Booser took the loss, his second, as he allowed the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. Booser pitched two innings without giving up a hit but walked two and struck out three. Cedar Rapids was held to four hits and the team left eight men on base. Overall, the team went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring positions so the team couldn't find that big hit. Sean Miller drew two walks and scored two runs. J.J Fernandez drove in both of the team's runs as part of a 1-for-4 day. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day- Logan Darnell, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day- Daniel Palka, Chattanooga Lookouts SUNDAY'S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Toledo (5:05 CST)- LHP Nick Greenwood (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Chattanooga @ Montgomery (6:35 CST)- RHP Kohl Stewart (1-1, 3.14 ERA) Cedar Rapids@ Quad Cities (6:00 CST)- LHP Sam Clay (4-2, 2.64 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Saturday games. Click here to view the article

Two games in the Minnesota Twins organization were in the afternoon. One involved a Twins affiliate able to muster just two hits. The other involved a Twins prospect hitting two home runs. In night games, the Miracle game was postponed thanks to some intense rains. And Kernels had their top pitching prospect on the mound.That was the short story. Continue reading if you would like just a little bit more information from your Minor League Report. In case you missed it, late on Monday night, Miguel Sano went on the DL and Max Kepler was promoted to the Twins. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 0, Indianapolis 2 Box Score With one out in the 9th, James Beresford cracked a solid single to center field to break up Indianapolis’s no-hit bid. Jorge Polanco singled right after, but the Red Wings were unable to score and fell 2-0. Pirates top pitching prospect Tyler Glasnow was on the mound for Indy. He worked five no-hit innings, striking out three and walking four. And then the rains came and there was a delay. Cory Luebke came on and struck out five batters in two innings. Trey Haley struck out the side in the eighth. Jorge Rondon pitched the ninth to pick up the save, though he couldn’t hold the no-hitter. Logan Darnell started and worked the five, pre-rain delay innings for the Red Wings. He gave up one run on two hits. He struck out three without issuing a walk. Marcus Walden came on following the delay. He gave up a run on a hit and a walk over two innings. He struck out two. Dan Runzler worked a perfect ninth. After going 19-10 in May, the Red Wings begin June with a loss and fall to 29-24 on the season. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 7, Birmingham 4 Box Score The Lookouts pushed four across in the second inning, added two more in the eighth and held on to a 7-4 win in Birmingham. In the second inning, Daniel Palka launched a two-run homer to give the team a 2-0 lead. Several batters later, Levi Michael’s first double of the year scored two more to put the Lookouts up 4-0. Nick Greenwood was in control from there. The left-hander gave up two runs on four hits over seven innings. He struck out four without issuing a walk. Jake Reed came on for the eighth inning and gave up two runs on three hits. Trevor Hildenberger got the ninth inning and pitched a 1-2-3 inning to drop his AA ERA to 1.06 and record his sixth save as a member of the Lookouts. The Lookouts scored two in the eighth inning, the big hit being Leonardo Reginnato’s second triple of the year. In the ninth, Palka gave the team another insurance run with his second homer of the day and ninth of the season. Zach Granite went 2-5 in the game. Meanwhile, TJ White and Mitch Garver each had a single and a walk. White stole his sixth base. With the win, the Lookouts improved to 24-28 on the season. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers , St. Lucie Box Score This game was postponed due to a massive amount of rain in a hurry. They will play a doubleheader on Thursday. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 8, Beloit 2 Box Score Fernando Romero was back on the mound for the Kernels, making his third start. The powerful right-hander gave up two runs on four hits over six innings. He walked one and struck out five. It was his first quality start since 2013 in the GCL He is now 3-0 after three starts in his return from Tommy John surgery. Michael Cederoth came out of the bullpen and, despite a hit and two walks, threw two shutout innings. Kuo Hua Lo was given the ninth inning and he retired the side in order. AJ Murray led the offense. He went 3-5. Daniel Kihle was 2-4 with a walk. Brad Hartong went 2-5 in the game with his third double. Jermaine Palacios went 1-3 with two walks. Sean Miller had a single to extend his hitting streak to 14 games. The win gives the Kernels their 30th win of the year. They are now 30-22. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Fernando Romero, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Daniel Palka, Chattanooga Lookouts THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Indianapolis (6:05 p.m. CST) - LHP Tommy Milone Chattanooga @ Birmingham (7:05 CST) - LHP David Hurlbut St. Lucie @ Ft. Myers (DH starting at 3:05 CST) – RHP, Keaton Steele, RHP Felix Jorge Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (7:00 CST) – RHP Dereck Rodriguez Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Wednesday games. Click here to view the article

It was a long day for those who follow the Twins minor leagues. The Miracle played a game at 10:30 eastern time. The Red Wings played at 1:00 eastern. Then there were two night games. There was an incredible pitching performance in Rochester, though the three other starters on the day struggled. Of course Daniel Palka kept hitting while a couple of other top prospects had multi-hit games with extra-base hits.Continue to to read all about the events in the Minnesota Twins minor leagues on Thursday. TRANSACTIONS Early on Thursday morning, the Kernels announced the RHP John Curtiss and OF Max Murphy had been promoted to Ft. Myers. OF Daniel Kihle moved up to Cedar Rapids from extended spring. Kuo Hua Lo was also promoted from extended spring training, though he was never actually sent back to Ft. Myers after being “demoted” a few days earlier. Though there was no announcement, LHP Mason Melotakis was back pitching for Chattanooga on Thursday which means he was removed from the DL. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Buffalo 0 Box Score The story of this game, without question, was left-hander Logan Darnell. Left off the Twins 40-man roster this offseason, Darnell cleared waivers and was happy to stay with the Twins. He had a strong spring training and was one of the last cuts. On this day, Darnell needed just 105 pitches (71 strikes) to complete nine innings of shutout ball. He gave up four hits, walked four and struck out none. Byron Buxton went 2-5. He had a triple late in the game. Earlier in the game, he had a double but was thrown out trying to turn it into a triple. To make things even, he also threw out a guy trying to advance to third in the game too. Wilfredo Tovar went 2-3 with a walk and his seventh stolen base. Adam Brett Walker and Juan Centeno each went 2-4. Stephen Wickens knocked his first home run of the season, his first AAA homer. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 1, Montgomery 6 Box Score DJ Baxendale gave up four first-inning runs and another in the second, but then responded with four scoreless innings. In total, he gave up five runs on five hits. He walked four and struck out five. Mason Melotakis returned from the DL and pitched a scoreless inning. Despite allowing one hit he needed just seven pitches. Trevor Hildenberger made his AA debut with a scoreless inning. He struck out two. He also needed just 12 pitches and ten were strikes. Nick Burdi gave up one run on two hits in an inning. Offensively, Daniel Palka was about it. He went 2-2 with a walk and was hit by a pitch. Travis Harrison drove in the lone run with an RBI double. Pitching for Montgomery was former Twins prospect Chih-Wei Hu. The right-hander from Taiwan gave up one run on four hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out four. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 3, Jupiter 12 Box Score The Miracle played a 9:30 game in Jupiter. It didn’t go well for top picher Tyler Jay. The left-hander gave up six runs (5 earned) on ten hits in 4.1 innings. He walked none but also struck out none. Luke Bard came on and gave up two runs on three hits in 1.2 innings. Brian Gilbert then gave up four runs on three hits and three walks in 1.2 inning. Todd Van Steensel came in and got the final out. Nick Gordon led the offense by going 2-4 with his second triple. He had two errors in the field, giving him six on the season. Logan Wade added his second triple of the year. Chad Christensen knocked his second home run. Alex Real was 2-3 in the game. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, West Michigan 6 Box Score Down 6-5 going into the bottom of the ninth, the Kernels loaded the bases. JJ Fernandez singled in the game-tying run. After a pitching change, a wild pitch scored the winning run. The game started out poorly. Sam Gibbons went the first five innings. He gave up six runs (five earned) on five hits and five walks. He struck out one. Logan Lombana came in and calmed things. He worked three scoreless innings, striking out four batters. Nick Anderson struck out one in a scoreless inning. JJ Fernandez came up with the big hit. It was the third hit for him on the day. Jermaine Palacios and Christian Cavaness each went 1-3 with a walk. Daniel Kihle made his Kernels debut. Unfortunately, early in the game, he had a collision with Jermaine Palacios on a pop fly in the outfield. Kihle left the game. LaMonte Wade came on, playing for the first time in five days due to a hamstring injury. Still not 100%, Wade went 1-2 with a walk. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Logan Darnell, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Byron Buxton, Rochester Red Wings FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton/Wilkes Barre @ Rochester (DH 4:05 CST) - (LHP Pat Dean, LHP Taylor Rogers) Montgomery @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - LHP David Hurlbut Ft. Myers @ Charlotte (5:35 CST) – RHP Keaton Steele South Bend @Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) – LHP Sam Clay Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Thursday games. Click here to view the article

A week before the season, we learned the right-hander Nick Burdi had been shut down for a couple of weeks due to some tightness in his forearm. He has been on a throwing program since and over the last ten days has been pitching an inning at a time in extended spring training games. On Friday, he was activated and is now on the Lookouts roster. Continue on to read about the pitchers and the hitter highlights from Friday night.TRANSACTIONS On Friday, the Lookouts put LHP Mason Melotakis on the disabled list. Nick Burdi was activated. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 8, Buffalo 3 Box Score Adam Brett Walker missed just over a week with an oblique injury. It’s taken him a couple of days to get back to form, but on Friday, he broke out with his best game for the Red Wings. Walker helped the Wings get off to a hot start. They scored four runs in the first inning including two on Walker’s second home run of the year. Walker went 3-4 and added his second double as well. James Beresford got things going with an RBI double. He went 2-4, the double was his third and he had two RBIs. Juan Centeno and Buck Britton each went 2-4. Logan Darnell put together another strong start in front of Terry Ryan. The southpaw went the first six innings. He gave up one run on four hits. He walked two and struck out four. Dan Runzler came in and faced two batters to start the seventh inning. He hit one and gave up a hit. David Martinez got the team out of that mess, but he gave up two runs of his own over the next two innings. JR Graham struck out two in a perfect ninth frame. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Birmingham 0 Box Score Jason Wheeler has certainly had some ups and downs the last couple of years, but on Friday night, he put together one of his best starts. He threw seven shutout innings. He gave up just four hits, walked one and struck out nine to improve to 1-1 with a 1.88 ERA. Marcus Walden came on for the final two innings. He maintained the shutout though he gave up a hit and walked one. He struck out two. Zach Granite led the way with two doubles in three at-bats. Shannon Wilkerson was 2-3 with a double. Dalton Hicks and Engelb Vielma were each 2-3. Hicks stole a base, his second of the year. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 2, Charlotte 4 Box Score On Friday, Keaton Steele went six innings in a game for the first time this year, but he got hit a little bit. In those six innings, he gave up four runs (three earned) on seven hits. He walked one, hit one and struck out four. Luke Westphal came on and pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts. He walked one, hit one and gave up a hit. Brian Gilbert struck out two over the final two innings. No surprise, but it was again Nick Gordon who led the offense. The Miracle mustered just six hits and Gordon had three of them and is back up to .349 after a mini-slump. Ryan Walker went 2-3. Trey Vavra added the lone extra base hit, his fourth double of the year. Quick Note - Danny Santana played his first rehab game for the Miracle. He started in center field and led off. He went 0-3 with two strikeouts. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Clinton 5 Box Score After rain won the day on Thursday, the Kernels were back in action on Friday at Clinton. Sam Gibbons had an extra day of rest, but it wasn’t helpful. The right-hander from Australia went six innings, but he gave up five runs. He allowed eight hits, walked two and hit one. He did strike out three batters. CK Irby came on and threw another scoreless inning. He’s started the year with 7.2 shutout frames. Mike Theofanopoulos pitched a scoreless ninth despite a hit and a walk. The Kernels managed just five hits in the game. Manuel Guzman went 2-2 with a walk. LaMonte Wade went 2-4 and his now hitting .368. AJ Murray was 1-2 with a walk. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Jason Wheeler, Chattanooga Lookouts Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Adam Brett Walker, Rochester Red Wings SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Buffalo @ Rochester (12:35 CST) - RHP Tyler Duffey Birmingham @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) – RHP DJ Baxendale Charlotte @ Ft. Myers (5:05 CST) – RHP Felix Jorge Cedar Rapids @ Clinton (DH @ 5:00 CST) – LHP Sam Clay, RHP Dereck Rodriguez Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Friday games. Click here to view the article

Minnesota's minor league affiliates are starting to hit their stride as the season is underway and players are beginning to settle into their roles with the club. The weather is still chilly in many parts of the country and this can impact both pitchers and hitters at this early junction of the season. Over the last two weeks, I've tried to pick out some breakout minor league players on both sides of the ball. Some of the hitters I selected are off to decent starts and I expect their bats to heat up as the weather improves. Pitchers can be up and down but one of the players I picked had a tremendous start on Tuesday night. Let's dive into the action.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 1, Lehigh Valley 6 Box Score (Game 1- 7 Innings) Lehigh Valley wasted little time jumping on Logan Darnell as the IronPigs used a two-run home run in the first inning to take the lead and never looked back. Darnell allowed six earned runs on seven hits in five innings of work. Buddy Boshers and Dan Runzler put up zeros the rest of the way but there wasn't enough offensive firepower in game 1. Rochester was held with out an extra-base hit and Reynaldo Rodriguez was the only batter to record multiple hits. Jorge Polanco knocked in the team's only run with a sacrifice fly and he ended the game hitting .462 so far this season. Rochester 0, Lehigh Valley 4 Box Score (Game 2- 7 Innings) Mark Appel showed Rochester why he was the first overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft. He pitched into the sixth inning while scattering five hits and striking out five. David Martinez started opposite Appel and was pulled after 6.1 innings as he allowed three earned runs on seven hits. Ryan O'Rourke recorded the last two outs but not before allowing the final run to score. Both Rochester pitchers failed to strike out a batter. Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with a couple of singles to complete a four-hit day. Juan Centeno had the team's only extra-base hit, a double, and it was his first double of the season. The team saw very limited action with runners in scoring position (0-for-3 with RISP) and left seven men on base. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 3, Jackson 4 Box Score A day after the Twins competed in their home opener the Lookouts returned to Chattanooga for a home opener of their own. The Lookouts have struggled out of the gate this season (1-5 record) and that trend continued on Monday as the club lost a back-and-forth battle with Jackson. Jason Wheeler started the night on the mound and he did not allow an earned run in six frames. However, an Engelb Vielma error at shortstop led to three unearned runs in the top of the fourth inning. One inning later, Travis Harrison collected a two-out RBI single after Zach Granite had started the inning with a double. Granite went 2-for-5 while scoring twice. Leonardo Reginatto, Stuart Turner and Joe Maloney all had doubles but the team left 10 runners on base and was 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position. Alex Wimmers pitched a perfect seventh inning with a strikeout and no walks. Mason Melotakis was charged with his first loss of the season as he gave up the go-ahead run in the eighth frame. J.T. Chargois struck out a pair of batters to close out the ninth. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 2, Brevard County 1 Box Score Randy Rosario was the story of this game as he took a perfect game into the sixth inning and the Miracle were able to survive with a 2-1 victory. Rosario retired the first 16 batters and struck out four batters in the first two frames. By the time he was removed, he had eight strikeouts across six innings with no walks and two hits. Luke Bard got into some trouble by allowing a single and a double before inducing a double play and a ground out. Yorman Landa earned a hold even though he allowed the Manatees one run. Todd Van Steensel earned his first save with one strike out and a walk in the ninth. The scoring got started early for the Miracle as Chad Christensen blasted a two-run home run in the first inning. Tanner English started the game with a walk and stole second before the home run. Nick Gordon reached base two times in four trips and T.J. White ended the game 2-for-4, his third multi-hit game. Trey Vavra extended his hitting streak to five games. Every batter in the line-up recorded at least one hit with the exception of Brian Navarreto. With the win, the Miracle improved to 3-3 and send Stephen Gonsalves, one of the organization's top pitching prospects, to the mound on Wednesday night. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Kane County 2 Box Score In his first start in the Midwest League, Miles Nordgren took a no-hitter into the fifth inning before back-to-back batters reached base. He ended the day with five innings pitched and one earned run on one hit with two strikeouts and two walks. Cody Stashak was nearly as impressive in relief. He allowed one earned run on two hits in four innings of work for his first professional save. Cedar Rapids got their scoring started in the third inning. A pair of walks and an infield hit left the bases loaded. Sean Miller hit a foul ball that was deep enough to score the game's first run. LaMonte Wade followed this up with a sacrifice fly of his own to push the lead to 2-0. Chris Paul was the only Kernel with multiple hits as he went 2-for-5 with a pair of runs scored. Jermain Palacios plated a pair of runs and Wade cracked his third double of the young season. The Kernels improved to 5-1 with the win and sit atop the Midwest League Western division. Cedar Rapids will look to take the series from Kane County in tomorrow morning's (11:00 am CST) rubber match with Randy LeBlanc on the mound. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day- Randy Rosario, Fort Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day- Chad Christensen, Fort Myers Miracle WEDNESDAY'S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Lehigh Valley (12:35 CST)- RHP Tyler Duffey (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Chattanooga vs. Jackson (10:15 am CST)- RHP DJ Baxendale (0-1, 4.50 ERA) Fort Myers vs. Brevard County (6:05 CST)- LHP Stephen Gonsalves (0-1, 4.50 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (11:00 am CST)- RHP Randy LeBlanc (1-0, 1.80 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Tuesday games. Click here to view the article

On Tuesday morning, the Twins made four roster moves leaving their roster at 25. The Twins optioned LH RP Ryan O'Rourke and RHP Tyler Duffey to Rochester. They also re-assigned LH RP Logan Darnell and RH RP Brandon Kintzler to minor league camp.In dropping four players and getting the spring training roster to 25, the Twins most likely have their Opening Day roster. That said, with five days until Opening Day, anything can happen. LH RP Fernando Abad has not yet been added to the Twins 40-man roster. The Twins theoretically could still take Michael Tonkin off of their 40-man roster if there is someone else they would like to add from another organization. There were a couple of big stories in today's transactions. First, Ricky Nolasco "wins" the 5th starter job. Tyler Duffey was optioned to Rochester where he will work through some things. It was clear that he would need a third pitch (probably the change-up he's been working on to be a viable long-term starter. He was asked at the beginning of spring training to work on it. He did, and he struggled. So it makes sense to send him to Rochester where he can continue to work on that pitch. But it was more than that. Duffey noted that in some games hitters were sitting on his curveball, and hitting his fastball. While fans (and in my opinion, the Twins) wanted Duffey to be in the rotation to start the season, it is clear that he needs to work through a couple of things. I expect Duffey will be back with the Twins within four to six weeks, though Jose Berrios will likely factor into the timing as well. As for Nolasco, it is my opinion that his salary got him an opportunity to be in the rotation, but it was more about Duffey's issues that allowed him to actually be in the rotation. His numbers were certainly not inspiring in spring training. Then again, he's healthy and his curveball is terrific. It would be nice if he could return to the form from his days in Miami. I don't know that I would expect it. (I wouldn't.) His leash could (and should) be short. The other possibly controversial decision is keeping Michael Tonkin on the roster. While he is out of options, he really struggled for the first month of spring training. However, he has been very good his last three or four outings. He throws 94-96 and he does have a slider that can be effective. He's certainly not a guy who you would want to lose for nothing. As their roster is currently set, the Twins really don't have any relievers who can throw more than two innings. If the starters do their job most times out, that shouldn't be an issue, but a couple of consecutive sub-four inning starts and it could create issues. Then again, they are fully capable of calling down to Rochester and calling guys up in those scenarios. Brandon Kintzler is a veteran who will go to Rochester. No word on whether he's got an opt-out at some point in the season. It does appear that Fernando Abad has made the roster. He will still need to be added to the 40-man roster before Monday. Two weeks ago, Mike Strong was removed from the 40-man roster so there is a spot. Abad is the only left-hander in the bullpen aside from closer Glen Perkins. Ryan O'Rourke and Logan Darnell had very solid camps. O'Rourke did what O'Rourke does. He gets lefties out, and did better (in the small sample) against right-handed bats. Logan Darnell would have been the options as a long-reliever. So, as of right now, the Twins Opening Day roster looks like this (subject to change): SP - Ervin Santana, Kyle Gibson, Phil Hughes, Tommy Milone, Ricky Nolasco RP - Glen Perkins, Kevin Jepsen, Trevor May, Casey Fien, Michael Tonkin, Ryan Pressly, Fernando Abad C - Kurt Suzuki, John Ryan Murphy IF - Joe Mauer, Brian Dozier, Trevor Plouffe, Eduardo Escobar, Eduardo Nunez, Byung Ho Park OF - Eddie Rosario, Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, Oswaldo Arcia, Danny Santana Click here to view the article

It’s been awhile since we provided the Twins Daily readers with an update on how Twins players are performing (or have performed) in the Winter Leagues. There have been 13 Twins players to play in Venezuela so far this winter. Eight Twins have played in the Dominican Winter League. Seven current Twins (and several former Twins) have played in the Australian Baseball League this year. Finally, Reynaldo Rodriguez is playing in the Mexican Winter League.Below you will find how they’re doing. AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE There are six current Twins players who are participating in the Australian Baseball League. There are a lot of former Twins and Twins farmhands. For instance, Luke Hughes is hitting under .200, but he’s in the middle of the Perth lineup. Allan de San Miguel, twice a member of the organization, has six home runs. He spent time with Rochester last year. There are several, such as Josh Dean and Jacob Younis who didn’t get out of the rookie leagues with the Twins. For Melbourne, Tanner Vavra has played primarily shortstop and second base and bats second. He is hitting .317/.430/.416 (.846) with five doubles, a triple and a home run. He has 12 walks to go with 12 strikeouts. He has also been hit by a pitch eight times in 33 games.Trey Vavra has primarily been playing first base, but has made a handful of starts at second base as well. In 34 games, he is now hitting .281/.363/.469 (.832) with six doubles and six home runs. He has walked 14 times and struck out 16 times.Logan Wade has returned for Brisbane after missing about a month with injury. In 13 games, he has hit .256/.304/.349 (.653) with a double and a homer.Aaron Whitefield has played in 15 games for Brisbane. He is hitting .325/.325/.350 (.675) with a double.Aaron Thompson, who spent much of the first half of 2015 with the Twins, has pitched 8.1 innings over seven games with Canberra. He’s 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA. He’s given up nine hits, walked seven and struck out 12.Loek Van Mil has pitched just four times so far for Adelaine. He’s 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA. In 3.2 innings, he has given up three hits, walked one and struck out three.Todd Van Steensel just returned to the mound for Sydney. He’s pitched just three times over the last week. He has given up two runs on two hits and three walks in just 2.1 innings.DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE The Dominican League can be tough as well. There are eight current members of the Twins organization who have played in the league at some point this winter. Five of them spent time with the Twins in 2015. Recently-signed Buck Britton played two games in the DWL in late October and early November and went 1-5.Miguel Sano played 15 games before being shut down to concentrate on his conditioning and learning the outfield. In that time, he hit .241/.344/.426 (.770) with four doubles and two homers. He walked eight times.Danny Santana has settled in at second base after playing around the diamond early in the season. In 25 games, he has hit .305/.320/.411 (.730) with five doubles, a triple and a home run.Eduardo Nunez just recently started playing. He has played in just five games, but he is hitting .316/.356/.368 (.718) with a double in those games.Jorge Polanco has played in 37 games. He is hitting .238/.329/.320 (.648). He has one doubles, three triples and a home run thus far.Catcher Carlos Paulino has played in 35 games. He is hitting .259/.322/.463 (.785) with five doubles, a triple and five home runs.Ryan O’Rourke pitched in four games in a one-week stretch in the Dominican. He worked three innings. He gave up three earned runs on three hits and a walk. He struck out two.Recently-signed Fernando Abad has pitched six times including two starts. He has worked a total of eight innings. He’s given up nine earned runs on 13 hits and four walks. He has also struck out ten.MEXICAN WINTER LEAGUE As of right now, just one Twins player is playing in the Mexican Winter League. Reynaldo Rodriguez has already had 162 at bats over 46 games played. He is hitting .247/.346/.494 (.839) with eight doubles, a triple and ten home runs.VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE There are a lot of current, former and future Minnesota Twins playing in the Venezuelan Winter League. Eduardo Escobar has played in 14 games. In 51 at-bats, he has hit .314/.327/.412 (.739) with five doubles.Heiker Meneses was brought back and gets a second-straight spring training invite with the Twins. He’s played in 39 games already and has hit .230/.322/.270 (.592) with four doubles.Another non-roster invite to spring training in Wilfredo Tovar. He’s now played in just two games and is 2-8.Engelb Vielma began the year playing. He played in 18 games and hit .208/.269/.250 (519) with two doubles. He then spent some time in Ft. Myers working on his strength.Luis Arraez was an intriguing name to get to know in the GCL this year. He has played in 10 games and is 6-22. He’s hitting .273/.333/.364 (.697) with a triple.Levi Michael got off to a slow start in Venezuela, but through ten games, he is now hitting .314/.467/.400 (.867) with three doubles. He has eight walks to go with nine strikeouts.Omar Bencomo has made 11 starts in the VWL. He is 3-3 with an impressive 2.97 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. In 57.2 innings, he’s given up 57 hits, walked 12 and inexplicably struck out just 18.Logan Darnell has pitched in ten games including six starts. In 37.2 innings, he has allowed 39 hits, walked six and struck out 20. He is 1-2 with a 2.87 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP.Yorman Landa was recently added to the Twins 40-man roster. He’s pitched in 8.1 innings over 10 appearances. He’s given up five earned runs on five hits and five walks. He’s struck out four. He is 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA but a 1.08 WHIP.Recently signed Buddy Boshers has pitched 32 innings over 25 appearances already. He is 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP. He has given up just 22 hits, walked eight and struck out 35.David Hurlbut has made the most of his opportunity in Margarita. Last night, he threw five shutout innings. A week earlier, he threw five shutout innings. Six days prior to that, he gave up one run in five innings. So, in 15 total innings, he has given up just one run on ten hits. He has walked seven and struck out just five. He is 1-0 with a 0.60 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP.Sometimes opportunities are brief in Venezuela. DJ Baxendale made two appearances before Thanksgiving. In just 1.1 innings, he gave up five earned runs on four hits and two walks.Brett Lee made two appearances early in the season as well. In 6.1 innings, he gave up four runs on four hits and two walks. He struck out two.Feel free to leave any questions or comments below Click here to view the article

All week here at Twins Daily, we have handed out awards for on-field performance. Today, we recognize Twins minor leaguers for their work off the field. Following the death of Minnesota Twins legend and Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew, the organization announced initiated the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service. One player from each Twins minor league affiliate is recognized for their efforts in the community. Killebrew was a powerful man and an intimidating presence on the baseball field. However, he was known as a genuinely compassionate man, respectful and helpful.Twins Daily would like to congratulate the 2015 Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service winners: Rochester Red Wings – Logan DarnellChattanooga Lookouts – Tim ShibuyaFt. Myers Miracle – Tanner VavraCedar Rapids Kernels – Jared WilsonHere is a little bit more on each of them. LOGAN DARNELL - Rochester Red Wings Darnell is a repeat winner for the Rochester Red Wings. A year ago, he wrote about work he had done with the Mary Cariola Children’s Center, a school for kids born with disabilities. He continued to do a lot of work in Rochester during the 2015 season as well. Darnell said, “It’s a privilege to be recognized with the award. Knowing all the other great teammates that I have, to be picked is an honor.” Red Wings GM Dan Mason raved about what Darnell has meant to the team and the city the last couple of years. “Logan’s humble and outgoing demeanor have endeared him to so many people in our community. There are a ton of reasons why he won this award again. He led our team in appearances in the community once again this year. Basically, when we have requests from schools, corporations, hospitals, charities, little leagues, we have a flyer in the clubhouse and ask for volunteers. Logan probably averaged two to three appearances per home stand. He did them because he enjoyed dealing with people and he knows and understands the kind of impact he can have on people as a professional baseball player. He really gets it. We were blessed to have many, many guys on our team this season who were first class and did a lot of appearances as well, but he did more than anyone.” The highlight event was one that Darnell himself sponsored. Here is Mason’s take on the event. “In April, Logan approached me and told me he wanted to sponsor a jersey auction night to raise money and awareness for the Alzheimer’s Association. He explained that he wanted to do something to honor his mom, and he wanted to use his current position in life as a professional baseball player to make a difference. He explained that his Dad and brother take care of his Mom and that because he’s on the road, he wanted to do something to give back. He said he wanted to sponsor the jersey for the local chapter. He also said that only one or two other players on our team were aware that his mom suffered from the disease, but that he was ready to let the world know so he could do his part to help others fight the disease. Our next step was to meet with the local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, and it was quite honestly one of the more powerful meetings I’ve ever been a part of. He had a chance to meet the people from the local chapter and talk about what his family was going through and together we concocted a plan to raise some money and awareness. Logan then went to work. He designed the jerseys himself and bought purple stirrups for every player to wear as well that night. I called Gene Glynn who sent me 15-20 autographed items from members of the Twins which we auctioned off that night as well. We auctioned off the game-worn signed jerseys of each player. Bryan Donaldson of the Twins also helped by sending several authentic items for the auction. We ended up raising over $7000.” In a classy showing, the Red Wings flew Logan’s Dad and brother in for the game so they could be here and throw out a first pitch. Mason explained, “They spent the majority of the game mingling with our fans, many of whom told them of how Logan had impacted them over the course of his two-plus seasons with the Wings. It was the first time we’ve ever had a player sponsor a promotion and the event received a great deal of publicity for the Alzheimer’s Association.” It was a day that meant a lot to Darnell. He said, “The Alzheimer’s Day was awesome. Words can’t describe it. Having an idea and something that means a lot to me come together like it did was amazing. With the help of my teammates, the Red Wings, and guys in Minnesota at the time, helped raise around $7500 for that chapter!” Mason called it “a shining example of why Logan is a special person and extremely worthy of the Harmon Killebrew Award.” TIM SHIBUYA - Chattanooga Lookouts Tim Shibuya was the Twins 23rd round pick in 2011. When healthy, he has been a very productive pitcher. In 2015, he was healthy throughout the full season. He began with the Miracle, moved up to Chattanooga for a couple of months and then finished the season with a month with the Red Wings. Shibuya said, “The 2015 season was a productive year. It was nice to be able to move up and compete t a higher level and learn from some of the older guys. To be able to clinch a playoff spot was special. The best part of the year is being able to go to the field every day and be around the team.” In 2014, Shibuya was the Ft. Myers Miracle choice for the Killebrew Award for, among many other things, his work and time spent at the Buckingham Exceptional Student Center. This year, he continued his excellent work in the community and is the choice as the recipient for the Chattanooga Lookouts. “It’s an honor, especially considering how many other teammates are deserving of the award. I am lucky to be surrounded with such good people, from teammates, to coaches, and front office staff. It is just as special as last year. I am glad to have the opportunity to do work in the communities year after year.” Last offseason Shibuya spent his time in Ft. Myers kept himself busy. “I volunteered at the Lee County Animal Shelter. I worked a variety of baseball camps and even gave a speech at a high school banquet. I visited some of the local elementary schools and hospitals.” One event stood out for Shibuya this past season. “By far the most special moment was when I visited with a boy in Chattanooga with leukemia. He was the most positive and happy kid and his family and friends were an amazing support system. In late May, he could not get out of bed due to the treatment, but his attitude was amazing. And a couple months later, with his doctor's approval, he threw the ceremonial first pitch. The strength of kids never ceases to amaze me.” Shibuya represents the Minnesota Twins organization well. His attitude is simply, “If something pops up, I will try to help out at the event.” TANNER VAVRA - Ft. Myers Miracle Tanner Vavra was the Twins 30th round pick in 2013 out of Valparaiso University. He was the Killebrew Award winner for the Cedar Rapids Kernels in 2014. This year, he was the choice for the Ft. Myers Miracle. Ashley Adams, the Miracle’s Manager of Community Relations, said, “What made Tanner stand out among others was that he genuinely enjoyed volunteering his time this past season. That was the biggest thing I noticed. He got really interactive with the kids wherever we were. It was cool because at their ages, they sometimes don’t comprehend what he’s talking about, but love to interact! Tanner was really cool about talking about experiences he had or currently has in professional baseball. They would really get into it and ask a lot of questions.” Vavra is honored to receive the award for a second straight season. “It means a great deal. I try to give back to the community I am playing in as much as possible, and being recognized with an award like this is an honor.” He finds it very rewarding. “Volunteering in Ft. Myers was a lot different than Cedar Rapids, but it was equally rewarding. In Ft. Myers, we went to different schools, hospitals, and special needs facilities to speak to kids about various things.” In 85 games with the Miracle, Vavra hit .258/.346/.300 (.646). Solid numbers, but consider that he began the season by getting just one hit in 26 at bats (.038) through the season’s first month. However, at that point, he turned things around. Over his final 72 games played, he hit .285/.368/.332 (.700) with all nine of his extra base hits. “The FSL is known to be a tough league for hitters. Regardless, my start was extremely frustrating. After a few hitless games, I began to press too much and forgot about the process and began only to worry about the results. Once I settled down some and got back to what I was doing in spring training, I began to feel more comfortable. Once the second half started, I finally understood how to handle my role, and then I started to get some results. Then I began to play some more and I felt like it took off a little bit for me. I think playing more and more and knowing I was probably going to be in the lineup that day helped me get into a rhythm. Very happy with my second half and overall our team’s success finishing with the best record on our side is something to be proud of regardless of whether or not we made the playoffs.” Vavra will head to Australia soon where he will team with his brother, Trey, to play for Melbourne in the Australian Baseball League. Not only that, the brothers will play for their father, Twins bench coach Joe Vavra. “Australia is going to happen and I as well as my family are looking forward to it. It will be a great opportunity not only to play with my brother again and for my father to manage us, but also to learn from my dad and pay attention to the coaching/managing side of things.” JARED WILSON - Cedar Rapids Kernels The Twins really liked Wilson, enough that they drafted him after his junior season of college in 2012 and in the 19th round following his senior season in 2013. After pitching out of the bullpen most of 2013 and 2014, he began the 2015 season in the Kernels starting rotation. He made 12 starts for Cedar Rapids and a spot start in Ft. Myers. He was a Midwest League All-Star, and then he was moved back to the bullpen in the Kernels second half. He was also recently named the Kernels recipient of the Harmon Killebrew Award. Of the award, he said, “It’s an incredible honor to receive the Harmon Killebrew Award. Not only was he a Hall of Fame talent on the field, but a role model for all off the field. He's a legend in the Twins organization, not just for his incredible talent, but for his attentiveness and care towards others and I couldn't think of a higher honor than to be associated with his name. The fact that people never fail to mention his character and greatness as a person, as opposed to focusing strictly on his playing career, is a true testament to how special of a man he was.” According to Ryne George, the Kernels Community Relations Manager, “The first thing I noticed about Jared was his maturity as a baseball player on and off the field. Jared understood right away that kids in the Cedar Rapids community look up to Kernels players and Jared embraced that role without hesitation. Jared was my number one guy in the clubhouse I could approach if I needed a player for an appearance on short notice. Having somebody like that in the clubhouse is huge because then he can encourage other players to go out in the community more.” Wilson enjoyed the opportunity to get out in the community. “We are given a lot of opportunities through the Kernels to help out in the Cedar Rapids communities. We are given opportunities to help out at some of the local schools and their reading programs, which is my personal favorite, along with other events in the community such at the farmers' markets and street fairs. This year, we were also given the opportunity to help out with some of the youth teams in the area, and participate in a summer camp outing for children with hemophilia. It's a really good program that we have here and everyone takes a part in it. I'm very lucky to have had the opportunity to play for the Kernels. It's a great organization to be a part of, and a top notch Minor League affiliate. The people of Cedar Rapids are great and I can't thank my host family, Linda and LeRoy Mann, enough for all they have provided me throughout my time here.” George continued, “Jared also has a great sense of humor and was more than happy to co-star as a catcher in a Minion video put together to help promote Minion Night at the ballpark.” (Chris Mazza and Randy LeBlanc are also in the video.) George comments that in the last 12 months, they have scheduled over 150 community appearances with their mascot, Mr. Shucks, and just over 50 player appearances. He says, “Supporting the Cedar Rapids community isn’t restricted to just the Community Relations Manager. Different Kernels front office staff have helped out with programs that support military veterans, provide baseball equipment to kids who can’t afford to play and national programs like Junior Achievement and Big Brothers Big Sisters.” ----- One thing I have learned from following the Minnesota Twins organization from the big league level to rookie ball is that there are a lot of really good people, a lot of guys that are very happy to volunteer in the community. The four recipients of the 2015 Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service exemplify what it means to be part of their communities and giving back. Congratulations to Logan Darnell, Tim Shibuya, Tanner Vavra, and Jared Wilson, the 2015 Killebrew Award winners for community service. 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

The GCL Twins season ended in unfortunate circumstances. The game was cancelled by more rain. Cedar Rapids was able to complete their two games. The Miracle took all the free passes that they could. And two left-handers in the upper levels were remarkable on Saturday night. Two Red Wings made strong cases for getting back into a Twins uniform in September.It was a busy night in the Twins farm system. Check out all the game stories and highlights below. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 5, Pawtucket 1 Box Score On August 7th, Logan Darnell pitched a scoreless inning in relief for the Red Wings. It dropped his season ERA to 4.20. Through his first 30 games this year (two spot starts, but the rest out of the bullpen) batters hit .307 against him in 45 innings. On August 13th, he got another start and gave up just one run on one hit over 5.1 innings. Five days later, he gave up no runs in 5.2 innings. On Monday, he threw a five-hit, complete game shutout for the Red Wings. One run over three starts and 20 innings is pretty impressive, so how did he do on this night? Darnell started with five shutout innings and was terrific again. In all, he gave up one run (in the sixth inning) on five hits and a walk. He struck out eight. As impressive, he was efficient. He needed just 91 pitches to work the eight innings, 69 of them were strikes. With Terry Ryan in attendance, he’s made a strong showing in hopes of a September call-up. Michael Tonkin gave up two hits in a scoreless ninth inning. By the way, after his four starts, he is now 5-1 and his ERA is down to 2.84 on the season. The offense managed just six hits, but they too were efficient. Danny Santana led off with his first Red Wings home run. In his second at bat, he hit his second homer. James Beresford drove in two runs with a single. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Birmingham 2 Box Score The Lookouts also got a terrific start from a left-hander. David Hurlbut gave up only an unearned run over the first seven innings. He gave up five hits, walked two and struck out five. He improved to 10-6 with a 3.66 ERA. DJ Johnson gave up one run on three hits and a walk over the final two innings. Stuart Turner went 2-3 with a walk and his 13th double. Travis Harrison was 2-5. Max Kepler went 1-3 with two walks. Niko Goodrum hit his sixth double. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 7, Bradenton 3 Box Score The Miracle scored seven runs and it’s fair to say that they should have had twice as many runs. They had nine hits in the game and 12 walks. The first six hitters in the lineup each got to first base via walk or hit batter at least once. Engelb Vielma led off and went 1-3 with three walks. He stole his 33rd base of the season. Marcus Knecht went 1-3 with two walks. Logan Wade went 1-3 with two walks and his 20th double. Jason Kanzler went 2-5 with his eighth triple. Blake Schmit went 2-5. Mitch Garver and Chad Christensen both walked twice. Stephen Gonsalves didn’t have his best stuff. He went just 4.2 innings and gave up three runs on five hits. He walked four and struck out three. Trevor Hildenberger came on and went the next 2.1 innings. He walked one and struck one out but allowed no runs. Zack Jones struck out three over the final two scoreless innings. KERNELS NUGGETS Game 1 – Cedar Rapids 2, Kane County 6 Box Score Lewis Thorpe made the trek up to Cedar Rapids to watch fellow Australian Sam Gibbons. The right-hander gave up four runs (three earned) on 11 hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out one. Jared Wilson gave up two runs (one earned) on one hit over two innings. He struck out one. TJ White went 2-2 with a walk. Austin Diemer went 2-3. Nick Gordon added his 22nd double. Edgar Corcino and Max Murphy each threw out a base runner at home. Game 2 – Cedar Rapids 4, Kane County 3 (9 Innings) Box Score Randy LeBlanc got the start. He got two outs in the fifth inning, but three runs scored in that inning before he was removed from the game. In his 4.2 innings, he gave up three runs on eight hits. He struck out five without allowing a walk. Luke Bard replaced him. He went 2.1 innings without allowing a run. He gave up one hit, walked two and struck out one. Jeff Johnson from The Gazette in Cedar Rapids tweeted that Bard was “throwing mid-90s and a tad higher.” Nick Anderson came on and threw a scoreless eighth inning. However, he gave up a solo home run in the ninth, the first run he’s allowed in professional baseball, to take the loss. The Kernels scattered eight hits in the second game. Nick Gordon went 2-4. . E-TOWN E-NOTES Elizabethton 2, Kingsport 5 Box Score Christian Cavaness picked up his first E-Twins hit in the first inning when he led off with a triple. He scored when second-place hitter Jermaine Palacios grounded out. Zander Wiel was also 1-3 with a walk. Miles Nordgren started and went the first five innings. He gave up five runs (four earned) on eight hits and three walk. He struck out three. CK Irby came on and gave up no hits and no runs over the final four innings. He walked one, hit one and struck out five. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins, GCL Red Sox The teams were supposed to be playing the final regular season game of the GCL season. However, they were unable to play due to rain and the game was cancelled. The Red Sox end the season with a 41-17 record and will advance in the playoffs. The Twins end the year at 27-32. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Logan Darnell, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Danny Santana, Rochester Red Wings SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Pawtucket @ Rochester (12:35 CST) – LHP Pat Dean Chattanooga @ Birmingham (DH @ 1:30 CST) – RHP Greg Peavey, LHP Brett Lee Bradenton @ Ft. Myers (5:05 CST) – TBD Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (5:00 CST) – RHP Keaton Steele Kingsport @ Elizabethton (5:00 CST) – RHP Andro Cutura GCL Twins @ GCL Red Sox (9:00) – TBD (final game of their season) Feel free to leave any questions or comments below Click here to view the article