Search the Community

The Twins made a few promotions of note recently, one being catcher Ben Rortvedt getting the call up to Fort Myers. He made his Miracle debut tonight and went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Check out what else happened across the system on Saturday.TRANSACTIONS -Jake Cave promoted to Minnesota with Tyler Duffey optioned to Rochester. -LaMonte Wade promoted to Rochester. -Jordan Balazovic and Robert Molina promoted to Cedar Rapids. RED WINGS REPORT Durham 3, Rochester 1 Box Score SP: D.J. Baxendale (3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K) HR: None Multi-hit games: Willians Astudillo The Willians Astudillo saga continues. He made his first appearance of the season at third base tonight, was 2-for-3 with an RBI and stolen base. You wouldn’t figure a guy listed at 5-foot-9, 225 pounds who’s primarily a catcher would be a threat on the bases, but that was Astudillo’s fifth steal of the season. Unfortunately, the Red Wings could muster only one run. This ended up being a bullpen game for Rochester, and the pitching staff performed admirably, all things consideed. D.J. Baxendale gave up one run over 3 2/3 innings and struck out five batters. Maybe the biggest item of note was the fact that Trevor May only pitched 1 2/3 innings in a night that Rochester could have used some length. He gave up a run on two hits and walked three batters. Gabriel Moya pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings and John Curtiss gave up a run in two frames of work. This was the seventh-straight loss for the Red Wings, who have now fallen below .500. LaMonte Wade was 0-for-4 in his Triple-A debut. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 7, Montgomery 4 Box Score W: Omar Bencomo (8.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K) HR: James Ramsey (2) Multi-hit games: Brian Navarreto, Chris Paul The Lookouts had a 2-0 lead before they even recorded an out. This game opened with back-to-back singles which were followed by a two-run triple from Edgar Corcino. Catcher Brian Navarreto had a big night, going 3-for-4 with a couple of doubles and two RBIs. He now has 11 doubles on the season, which is just two shy of his career high. Omar Bencomo held the Biscuits to one run over eight innings. He improved his Southern League record to 5-0 and he now has a 1.94 ERA for the Lookouts. Left fielder James Ramsey hit a two-run homer. Chattanooga had a 7-1 lead heading into the ninth, but Tyler Jay surrendered three runs, two of which were earned. MIRACLE MATTERS Dunedin 6, Fort Myers 4 Box Score SP: Andro Cutura (5.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K) HR: None Multi-hit games: Luis Arraez, Brandon Lopez, Ben Rortvedt Fort Myers fell behind 6-0 in this one thanks in part to three errors in the field. They battled back to get the go-ahead run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning, but could not complete the comeback. Ben Rortvedt went 2-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs in what was his Florida State League debut. Luis Arraez led the team with three hits. Starter Andro Cutura gave up four runs, though only two were earned, over five innings. Andrew Vasquez gave up yet another unearned run in his two innings of work. Logan Lombana gave up an earned run over the final two innings. KERNELS NUGGETS Wisconsin 4, Cedar Rapids 0 Box Score SP: Edwar Colina (5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K) HR: None Multi-hit games: Royce Lewis The Kernels just could not get anything going on offense, as they combined for four hits, two of which came off the bat of Royce Lewis. Edwar Colina gave up four runs over five innings, though one run was unearned due to Lewis’ 10th error of the season. The Cedar Rapids bullpen provided three no-hit innings, as Carlos Suniaga handled the sixth and seventh innings and Jared Finkel covered the ninth. Trey Cabbage was 1-for-2 with a double and a walk. It’s only been six games, but Cabbage is hitting .389/.455/.722 so far this month. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Omar Bencomo, Chattanooga Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day: Brian Navarreto, Chattanooga TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Prospects performed: 1. Royce Lewis, CR: 2-for-4, 2B 2. Fernando Romero, MIN 3. Nick Gordon, ROC: 0-for-4 4. Stephen Gonsalves, ROC: Did not pitch 5. Alex Kirilloff, CR: 0-for-3, BB 6. Wander Javier: Out for the season with a shoulder injury. 7. Brent Rooker, CHAT: 1-for-5, R 8. Blayne Enlow, CR: Did not pitch. 9. Brusdar Graterol, CR: Did not pitch. 10. Akil Baddoo, CR: 0-for-4 11. Zack Littell, ROC: Did not pitch. 12. Lewis Thorpe, CHAT: Did not pitch. 13. Lewin Diaz, FM: 1-for-5, 2B 14. LaMonte Wade, ROC: 0-for-4 15. Mitch Garver, MIN 16. Ben Rortvedt, FM: 2-for-4, 2 RBI 17. Travis Blankenhorn, FM: 0-for-1 18. Yunior Severino: Expected to join E-Town this month. 19. Tyler Jay, CHAT: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K 20. Felix Jorge: Out with injury. SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Durham, 12:05 pm CT - Zack Littell Chattanooga at Montgomery, 5:05 pm CT - Kohl Stewart Fort Myers vs. Dunedin, 3:00 pm CT - Tyler Wells Cedar Rapids at Wisconsin, 1:05 pm CT - Melvi Acosta Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the games. Click here to view the article

On Monday, we announced that Todd Van Steensel was our choice for May Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month. Today, it’s time to announce the Twins Daily choice for the May Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month. There were a few really good choices, guys that put up strong numbers during the month.Our April Starting Pitcher of the Month was Aaron Slegers. Before we get to our Top 4 starting pitchers for the month of May, here is a list of a couple others who deserve to be recognized for a solid final month of the season. HONORABLE MENTION Randy LeBlanc - Chattanooga Lookouts - 4 GS, 21.1 IP, 3-0, 2.11 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 20 H, 4 BB, 18 KStephen Gonsalves - Rochester Red Wings - 6 GS, 27.0 IP, 4-1, 4.00 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 19 H, 16 BB, 33 KSean Poppen - Ft. Myers Miracle/Chattanooga Lookouts - 4 GS, 20.2 IP, 1-2, 2.61 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 17 H, 11 BB, 24 KTyler Wells - Ft. Myers Miracle - 4 GS, 18.2 IP, 1-0, 2.89 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 18 H, 5 BB, 13 K..THE TOP FOUR STARTING PITCHERS #4 - RHP Zack Littell - Rochester Red Wings - 5 G, 4 GS, 1-1, 2.57 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 28.0 IP, 20 H, 10 BB, 30 K You may have heard that Littell will be making his Major League debut on Tuesday for the Twins. Littell came to the Twins before the trade deadline last year. The Twins got their one start from Jaime Garcia and then dealt him to the Yankees in exchange for Littell and Dietrich Enns. After an incredible 2017 season between three teams (in High A and Double A), Littell struggled in April at Chattanooga, but he was promoted to Rochester in late April. All five of his appearances in May were for the Red Wings. Littell went six innings in all four of his starts. Each was a quality start. He worked four innings, piggybacking after Trevor May made a May 17 start for the Red Wings. Opponents hit just .200/.274/.340 (.614) in May. #3 - LHP Bryan Sammons - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 4 GS, 1-1, 2.42 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 22.1 IP, 15 H, 6 BB, 18 K Sammons was the Twins eighth-round pick a year ago out of Western Carolina. The left-handed starter has had a solid season for the Kernels yet has just one win to show for it. In May, he picked up just one win despite pitching well. Opponents hit just .192/.284/.333 (.617) against him. He gave up two or fewer runs in each of his May starts and ended the month with his best outing. It included a career-high eight strikeouts over six innings. #2- Omar Bencomo - Chattanooga Lookouts/Rochester Red Wings - 6 G, 4-0, 1.98 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 36.1 IP, 29 H, 3 BB, 27 K The 29-year-old from Venezuela began playing pro ball in 2007. He spent the 2016 season between Chattanooga and Rochester. Last year, he was in the Marlins organization. He’s again proven valuable to the Twins in the upper levels, filling in rotation spots in the upper levels wherever needed. He made six appearances during the month. His last start came with the Red Wings and he threw six, one-hit, scoreless innings. For the month, opponents hit just .218/.241/.323 (564) against him for the month. And the Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month is: Cedar Rapids Kernels - RHP Brusdar Graterol - 4 GS, 2-1, 1.66 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 21.2 IP, 14 H, 6 BB, 29 K “It’s pretty impressive. He’s just a freak. You just don’t see guys like that very often. I have a hard time thinking back on anybody that I remember having that type of arm.” Those are the words and phrases that Cedar Rapids manager Toby Gardenhire used to describe hard-throwing Brusdar Graterol. Graterol is the hard-throwing 19-year-old from Venezuela who has been dominant during his short stint with the Kernels. In each of his starts, he has hit triple digits multiple times, topping out at 101 mph. In addition, Graterol has a sharp slider and a pretty good changeup. “Pretty good” isn’t a ringing endorsement, but Graterol is young and will continue to develop it. Gardenhire continued, speaking to Graterol’s pitches, but also his inconsistency. “It’s a very smooth arm action. That’s going to allow him to develop a good breaking ball, and it’s going to allow him to develop a good change up too which is going to be really impressive to see once he gets going. You see signs of it now where you’ll be like ‘Wow, that’ was a good breaking ball’ or ‘that was a good changeup.’ But he’s just having trouble being consistent with it because he’s 19-years-old. He had one start here where he gave up one hit through five (innings). Nobody was going to hit him. You could have put him in a Double A game and nobody would have hit him. We also see where he’s inconsistent, he does things a little different. He misses the zone a little. And that’s going to happen too. It’s all part of the learning curve. You just don’t see guys with that much talent and ability and strength and everything. He’s a rock.” The right-hander has a very strong, thick base which helps him generate so much power. In May, opponents hit just .179/.238/.256 (.495) against him. The sky is the limit with him. Graterol had Tommy John surgery in mid-2015 and missed the entire 2016 season. He returned in 2017 and split time between Extended Spring Training, the GCL and Elizabethton. Gardenhire added, “When he’s good, he really starts sinking it too. You see a little bit of movement. Yesterday (last Saturday), he struggled with that. He flattens out a little when he gets a little bit off. When he’s got the movement going. I mean, he’s throwing 100 with movement and a a slider and a changeup. That’s the potential. He’s got the potential to be a big league Ace. ” Graterol is currently on the disabled list of the Kernels with a hand contusion. Seth Scouting Report Since I saw Graterol in Cedar Rapids last weekend, I thought it would be fun to write up something about it. So here it goes. I’ve never seen a better pitching prospect than Brusdar Graterol. Yes, he has the fastball that hits 101. But what’s impressive is that his delivery is so smooth that it doesn’t look like he’s throwing that hard. Having watched him in the bullpen, his slider is sharp and bites late. As Gardenhire said, it can be inconsistent, as you would expect. But when I saw it break like it’s supposed to, it could be a huge strikeout pitch. And, I saw him throw several changeups. It appears to me to be a pitch that could be at least average in time, if not even better than that. He uses the same delivery, and he gets a little arm-side tail to it. Teammates talked about his work ethic, particularly in the weight room. He is strong and lifts a ton. I watched a few of Fernando Romero’s Triple A starts online this year, and I’ve watched him MLB starts. He has been much better in the big leagues than he was in AAA. I don’t feel like I’m going too far out on a limb to say that Graterol has a better fastball, a better slider, a better changeup, works quicker and has been control than Romero. Now. (And again, this is not a knock on Fernando Romero who is a very good prospect who ranks highly and has a lot of room for growth.) In other words, if he can stay healthy, he is a guy who could move up very quickly. I have little doubt that he should end this season in Ft. Myers with some possibility of a few appearances in Chattanooga. I could see him getting a spring training invite, and if so, the big league staff will want him around. I could see him starting next season in Chattanooga and being called up by the All-Star break. There are several IFs in that timeline, but I don’t feel like it is far-fetched by any means. Congratulations to our Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month of May, Cedar Rapids right-hander Brusdar Graterol. Feel free to discuss and ask questions. Click here to view the article

CEDAR RAPIDS - This report comes to you directly from Cedar Rapids where I will be the next few days. Tomorrow will be a busy day with some interviews and a double header, but it will be a fun day. On this night, Kennys Vargas and newcomer Chris Carter provided some power for the Red Wings. Chattanooga got a strong start, and so did the Kernels. There was a near cycle in Cedar Rapids too.Keep reading to find out more on the night in the Twins minor league system on Friday. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS RHP Logan Lombana reinstated from the DL for Ft. Myers.LHP Paco Rodriguez promoted to Chattanooga.For Chattanooga, LHP Casey Crosby was placed on the DL with a left elbow impingement.The Lookouts also placed RHP Kohl Stewart on the temporary inactive list.IF Sean Miller was sent to Chattanooga from Rochester.The Red Wings added OF Jake Cave back to their roster.1B Chris Carter reported to Rochester.1B Brock Stassi was released by the organization.RED WINGS REPORTGame 1 - Rochester 8, Buffalo 9 Box Score He was due for a rough one, and on Friday night, Aaron Slegers had a rough one. He came into the game with a shiny 1.97 ERA through his first eight starts. After giving up nine runs on 11 hits over just 4 2/3 innings on Friday night, his season ERA jumped to 3.27. Jake Reed and Gabriel Moya got the final four outs which gave the Red Wings a chance to come back. The Red Wings had plenty of offense. Kennys Vargas went 2-for-4 with two, three-run home runs. He’s got five on the season now. Newcomer Chris Carter went 2-for-3 with a walk and a home run in his first game for the Red Wings. Zack Granite went 2-for-4 with his second double of the year. Jake Cave went 3-for-4 and added his second home run. He also made a couple of nice plays on defense. Game 2 - Rochester 1, Buffalo 2 Box Score Game 2 was much more of a pitcher’s game. Miles Jaye started and gave up two runs on just two hits. He did walk four and struck out three. Luke Bard worked a scoreless seventh inning. Nick Gordon went 2-for-3 and, and Leonardo Reginnato hit his first home run of the season. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Montgomery 1 Box Score The Lookouts got strong pitching and enough hitting to come up with a nice win on this night. Omar Bencomo improved to 4-0 with seven strong innings. He gave up one run on four hits. He gave up four hits, walked two and struck out seven. Todd Van Steensel picked up his fourth save with two scoreless innings. He gave up one hit, walked one and struck out tree. Tanner English led the offense. He went 2-for-2 with two walks and stole his ninth base. Chris Paul was 1-for-3 with a walk and his 13th double. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers , Charlotte Box Score Rain in for Ft. Myers postponed this game. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 9, Clinton 2 Box Score Bryan Sammons came into this game without a win despite a solid 2.91 ERA in his first seven starts of the season. On this night, he pitched his best game of the season, and his offense provided him with plenty of run support. The 23-year-old lefty gave up just a solo home run over his six innings. He gave up a total of three hits, walked none and struck out eight. Nick Brown came on and recorded his first save with three innings of work. He gave up only a solo home run and struck out two. The two Clinton home runs were hit by first baseman Ryan Costello, who had three of the LumberKings’ five hits. The Kernels scored nine runs on 13 hits. They were led by Jean Carlos Arias who was a home run shy of the cycle. He hit his third double and second triple of the season. Ben Rortvedt also had a strong night at the plate. The catcher went 3-for-3 with a walk and his second triple. Shane Carrier crushed his fourth and fifth doubles of the season. Royce Lewis had his fifth double and drove in three runs. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Kennys Vargas, Rochester Red Wings (2-6, 2 home runs, 6 RBI) Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Bryan Sammons, Cedar Rapids Kernels (6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, 2B(5), 3 RBI, K #2 - Fernando Romero (Minnesota) - Pitching late on Friday night. #3 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 2-7, 2 K #4 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #5 - Alex Kirilloff (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, BB, R #7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) - 1-4, K #8 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Pitch #9 - Brusdar Graterol (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) - Disabled List #11 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #12 - Lewis Thorpe (Chattanooga) - Did Not Pitch #13 - Lewin Diaz (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out #14 - LaMonte Wade (Chattanooga) - Disabled List #15 - Mitch Garver (Minnesota) - Late Game #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Cedar Rapids) - 3-3, BB, 3B(2), R #17 - Travis Blankenhorn (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out #19 - Tyler Jay (Chattanooga) - Did Not Pitch SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Buffalo @ Rochester (6:05 CST) - LHP Dietrich Enns (2-0, 2 6.03 ERA) Montgomery @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - LHP Anthony Marzi (0-2, 6.04 ERA) Ft. Myers @ Charlotte (DH @ 3:00 CST) - RHP Tyler Wells (3-2, 3.09 ERA), TBD Cltinton @ Cedar Rapids (DH @ 5:05 CST) - RHP Brusdar Graterol (2-0, 0.93 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions about Friday’s full schedule of games, or ask any questions you may have. Click here to view the article

Weather continues to impact baseball across most of the northern regions of the country. The Twins had seen snow fall during a game in Pittsburgh and played in some cold temperatures on Saturday but Sunday marked their first postponement in 2018. Rochester has yet to play a game and that streak continued on Sunday. Cedar Rapids also saw the weather get in the way. With other teams waiting out the cold, let’s turn our attention to Chattanooga and Fort Myers. Would any performances stand out above the crowd?RED WINGS REPORT Rochester --, Buffalo -- Box Score Rochester’s game was postponed on Sunday due to snow and cold. All three of the games from this weekend will need to be made up later in the season with the dates still yet to be determined. Rochester will attempt to get their first game in on Monday against the Syracuse Chiefs. Monday and Tuesday’s game start times have been moved up an hour to try to avoid some cold. With three postponements to start the season, Rochester already has as many postponements at home as last year. It is the first time since 1983 that the first three home games have been postponed. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 0, Birmingham 4 (Game 1) Box Score Birmingham got out to an early lead in this one with Randy LeBlanc on the mound. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases before LeBlanc could record an out. He’d settle in from there as he didn’t allow another run and struck out five batters over five innings. Sam Clay took over for LeBlanc and allowed two runs without giving up a hit. His three walks over two innings didn’t help the situation. Last season at Double-A, Clay struggled with 13 walks and four strikeouts in 2.1 innings. Offensively, the hits were few and far between. LaMonte Wade reached base three times including a pair of walks. Nick Gordon and Brent Rooker each went 1-for-3. For Rooker, it was his first hit of the season. Zander Wiel finished 1-for-2. Overall, the team went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base. Chattanooga 2, Birmingham 4 (Game 2) Box Score Lewis Thorpe made his Double-A debut in this one and struggled to keep the ball in the park. In 4.1 innings, he allowed four runs on seven hits including two home runs. He struck out five, walked one, and unleashed a couple of wild pitches. Overall, Thorpe threw 70 pitches and 44 were for strikes. Omar Bencomo pitched 2.2 scoreless innings to end the game. He walked three and struck out one. After trailing 4-0, Chattanooga tried to mount a comeback in the sixth inning. Tanner English tripled to start the frame. Sean Miller drove in English with an infield single and moved to second on a throwing error by the shortstop. Nick Gordon kept the hit parade going with a single to move Miller to third. With one out in the inning, LaMonte Wade drove in the second run of the inning on a sacrifice fly. Unfortunately, that’s where the scoring stopped. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, Charlotte 4 Box Score Jaylin Davis helped Fort Myers get out to an early lead with a solo home run in the fourth inning. From there, the offense went cold as the team wasn’t able to scrape together another run. Only three batters came to the plate with a runner in scoring position and the team left eight runners on base. Davis and Jimmy Kerrigan each finished with a pair of hits in four trips to the plate. Kerrigan also stole his first base Nelson Molina and Brandon Lopez each went 1-for-4. Brady Anderson started for Fort Myers and was charged with his first loss of the season. He pitched six innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits. He struck out three and didn’t allow a walk. Anderson threw 62 pitches with 42 being strikes. Hector Lujan pitched the final two innings. He allowed a pair of runs on three hits with a strikeout. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids --, Quad Cities -- Box Score Much like in Rochester and the Twin Cities, the winter weather wasn’t cooperating enough for baseball. Sunday’s game between Cedar Rapids and Quad Cities will be made up later this season with the date still yet to be determined. The Kernels ship out to Peoria for a four-game series to start this week before returning home next weekend. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Jaylin Davis, Fort Myers (2-for-4, HR) Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Omar Bencomo, Chattanooga (2.2 IP, 0 ER, K) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY Here is a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #3 - Nick Gordon (Chattanooga) - 2-6 #7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) – 1-6, 2 K #12 – Lewis Thorpe (Chattanooga)- 4.1 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 5 K, 1 BB #14 - LaMonte Wade (Chattanooga) - 1-3, 2 BB, RBI #17 - Travis Blankenhorn (Ft. Myers) - 0-3, BB, K MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Syracuse @ Rochester (4:35 CST) - RHP Aaron Slegers Birmingham @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - RHP Kohl Stewart Florida @ Ft. Myers (6:00 CST) - RHP Clark Beeker Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (6:30 CST) – RHP Blayne Enlow Please feel free to ask any questions about Sunday’s games, or ask any questions you may have. Click here to view the article

A week ago, we ran our first Winter League report of the season (offseason?). Play had begun in Venezuela a couple of weeks earlier. The Dominican Winter League began Friday of a week ago. Last night the Puerto Rican Winter League began its schedule. We are still a couple of weeks from the start the Australian Winter League.Here is a quick look at how Twins players have started in their winter leagues. VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE The following players have played so far in Venezuela: Luis Arraez played five games this past week. He went 5-20 with a double. Overall, in 17 games, he is hitting .270/.288/.349 (.637) with three doubles and a triple in 63 at-bats. Niko Goodrum also played in five games this week for Caribes. He went 5-17 with two doubles and scored four runs. In 71 total at-bats, he is hitting .282/.350/.394 (.744) with six doubles and a triple. Heiker Meneses went 6-18 in his five games this past week. He had a double. In 15 total games and 51 at-bats, he is hitting .314/.375/.471 (846) with three doubles, a triple and a home run. Jairo Rodriguez played in four games this week. He went 4-9, which included a two-run double. In 12 total games and 34 at-bats, he is hitting .294/.300/.324 (.624) with the double and six RBIs. Reynaldo Rodriguez played in five games this week and went 5-12 with a double and a homer. Overall, he has 69 at bats in 18 games. He’s hitting .348/.384/.594 (.978) with three doubles, a triple, four homers and 14 RBIs. He will play for Colombia in the World Baseball Classic next spring. Wilfredo Tovar went 4-21 with two doubles over five games this week. In 18 games, he is already 25-75 and hitting .333/.383/.427 (.809) with seven doubles. Victor Tademo pinch ran once this week. He has played in four games, all pinch-running. He has one stolen base and scored a run. Omar Bencomo made one start this week. In it he gave up two runs on seven hits and a walk in six innings. He struck out five. He has thrown 20.1 total innings in four stars. He is 1-0 with a 2.21 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP. Opponents are hitting just .234 off of him. He has two walks and 13 strikeouts. Lefty Nick Greenwood did well in his start. He gave up one run on three hits in six innings. He struck out three and walked none. In his three starts, he is 1-1 with a 5.79 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. In his 14 innings, he has given up 14 hits, walked two and struck out seven. Opponents are hitting .269 off of him. Ryan O’Rourke pitched in three more games. He accumulated just 1.2 innings and gave up two runs on three hits and a walk. Overall, he has worked 3.2 innings in eight appearances.His ERA is north of 19 and his WHIP is approaching three. Left-handed batters are hitting just .143 against him. However, right-handers are hitting a robust .545 off of him. Edwar Colina pitched a scoreless inning in his only appearance to this point. He gave up two hits. In the DSL this year, he posted a 2.30 ERA in 58 innings. Of these players, Meneses, both Rodriguez’s, Tovar, Bencomo and Greenwood will likely all become free agents following the completion of the World Series. DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE Last week, the DSL was just one game old. This week, they put in a full week of action. Daniel Palka has now played in six games. He it hitting .240/.240/.240 (.480). He is 6-25 on the young season with no walks and seven strikeouts. Carlos Paulino has played in seven games and is 6-24. He is hitting .250/.250/.250 (.500). He can become a free agent at the end of the World Series. PUERTO RICAN WINTER LEAGUE The schedule started on Friday night. Juan Centeno went 0-5 last night for Tiburones de Aquadilla. Nelson Molina went 0-2 with a strikeout and a run scored. He is playing for Indios de Mayaguez. A quick glance at the league rosters shows that several Twins players are on rosters. It will be interesting to see who plays when, or if at all. On Molina’s Mayaguez roster are Jose Berrios, Kennys Vargas, and Eddie Rosario. Also, Dereck Rodriguez is on the roster. Hector Santiago, JJ Fernandez and Lean Marrero are on the Carolina roster. AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE The ABL will begin in mid-November. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss these players and leagues. Click here to view the article

You get an award, you get an award, everybody gets an AWARD! While this might not be completely true, two full-season leagues announced their post-season All-Star teams on Tuesday. Daniel Palka and Zack Granite were both named to the Southern Leage Post-Season All-Star team. It was the second career Post-Season All-Star selection for both players. The Rochester Red Wings had one representative make the International League Post-Season All-Star team. Relief pitcher Edward Mujica only signed with the club in August and has pitched in three games for the squad. During that time he has not given up a run and he's struck out four. Before joining the Twins organization, he had been pitching in the IL for the Phillies organization and he leads the IL in saves.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 5, Syracuse 1 Box Score After a third inning injury to starter David Hurlbut, Rochester used an interesting conglomeration of pitchers to make it through this victory. Hurlbut cruised through the first two frames as he only allowed two base runners and struck out one. He didn't make a pitch in the third. Omar Bencomo replaced Hurlbut and pitched well as he struck out seven and limited the Chiefs to one run across 4.2 innings. Bencomo ran into a little trouble in the top of the seventh inning as he surrendered the first Syracuse run. Neil Ramirez came on in relief and left a runner in scoring position. Ramirez pitched the next inning as well and racked up three strikeouts along the way. Daniel Palka and Adam Brett Walker continued to match each other in the home run department. Palka hit a solo shot in the seventh inning, his 33rd of the year and his 13th with Rochester. Walker is keeping the home run race close as he smacked his 27th long ball an inning later. Rochester is 3.5 games behind Lehigh Valley for the IL Wild Card spot with six games to play. Luckily five of their remaining games are against Lehigh Valley so their fate is in their own hands. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 3, Mississippi 6 Box Score Chattanooga held a slim 3-2 lead entering the final frame but Raul Fernandez struggled to get out of his second inning on the mound. After getting the last out of the eighth, Fernandez came back for the ninth and was charged with four runs on five hits with a strikeout and a walk. Ryan Eades started and went six strong innings, giving up two earned runs and striking out seven. Luke Bard pitched two shutout frames with three strikeouts. Tanner Witt went 3-for-4 with a triple and a run scored. Zack Granite and Edgar Corcino were both 2-for-4 while Granite stole his 53rd base on the season. D.J Hicks reached base three times and scored a run. Overall, the team went 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left six runners on base. The loss drops the Lookouts to 71-63 on the season and they currently sit at 35-28 in the second-half standings. With six games to play, the Lookouts are 2.5 games behind Montgomery for a playoff spot. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers --, Palm Beach -- (Postponed) The Miracle and the Cardinals were postponed on Tuesday night due to rain. The game will be made up as part of doubleheader (two seven-inning contests) on Wednesday with the first game beginning at 5 p.m. Fort Myers sits three games back of the St. Lucie Mets for first place in the FSL South second-half standings. Their elimination number currently stands at four with the Jupiter Hammerheads also ahead of them in the standings. E-TOWN E-NOTES Elizabethton 4, Greeneville 10 Box Score The E-Twins never held a lead in this game until the bottom of the eighth inning. With the club trailing 3-1, Luis Martinez and Ariel Montesino walked to start the frame. After a fly out, Mitchel Kranson brought home a run to make the score 3-2. A two-out wild pitch scored the tying run before Shane Carrier drove in the go-ahead run to cap a three-run inning. Elizabethton was limited to three hits but the team coaxed seven walks. Montesino, Martinez, and Amaurys Minier drew two walks each. Kranson, Carrier, and Caleb Hamilton were the lone batters with a hit to their name. After allowing five runs in five innings the last time out, Alex Schick put the E-Twins in position to win. He was charged with two earned runs and struck out five. It was his first appearance without giving up a walk since July 16. Austin Tribby took over for Schick and went 2.1 innings while giving up a run. Things blew up in the ninth. Colton Davis struck out the first batter before a walk, a single, and a hit by pitch left the bases loaded. Patrick McGuff came into the mess and allowed four runs to score. That isn't counting the three inherited runs that were charged to Davis. Overall, seven runs crossed the plate and the game was out of hand. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 7, GCL Rays 4 Box Score Earning a win is a weird statistic for pitchers. Bo Hellquist had given up a total of three earned runs in his last two starts (9.2 innings) and he took the loss in both of those appearances. In this game, he gave up three earned runs and came away with a win. Those three earned runs pushed his season ERA over 2.00 for the first time since the beginning of August. He struck out six and walked none. Zach Strecker earned his sixth save after pitching 3.2 innings while striking out three. Justin Hazard and Gorge Munoz led the way on the offensive side. Both players went 2-for-5 with a home run and Munoz drove in three RBIs. The top three batters in the order (Aaron Whitefield, Lean Marrero, and Kidany Salva) combined to go 7-for-14 with each batter collecting multiple hits. Marrero reached base three times and picked up his fifth double along with two RBIs. With the win the GCL Twins are tied with the GCL Red Sox for the top spot in the GCL South standings. This is the only division in the league that has yet to be determined. The GCL Twins have two games remaining on their schedule and both are against the GCL Rays. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Omar Bencomo, Rochester Red Wings Hitter of the Day – Gorge Munoz, GCL Twins WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Syracuse (6:05 CST) - RHP Jose Berrios (10-5, 2.44 ERA) Chattanooga vs. Mississippi (1:15 CST) - RHP Felix Jorge (2-4, 4.17 ERA) Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (4:00 CST) - RHP Miles Nordgren (1-4, 5.08 ERA) Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (Game 2) - TBD Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (7:05 CST) - RHP Sean Poppen (0-0, 1.00 ERA) Elizabethton vs. Greenville (6:00 CST)- LHP Domenick Carlini (0-0, 0.00 ERA) GCL Twins vs. GCL Rays (11:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Tuesday’s games. Click here to view the article

If the season had started 10 games ago, the Twins would have the second best record in the American League. Too bad the Twins had been terrible for the better part of four months before this brief stretch. To make things worse, the Twins sent struggling Byron Buxton to Rochester to make room for Trevor Plouffe who was activated from the disabled list.Continue reading to find out more detail about Sunday in the Twins farm system: RED WINGS REPORT Rochester @ Lehigh Valley IronPigs Box Score Byung Ho Park had another rough day, 0-4 with a strikeout, as the Red Wings were rocked by the IronPigs. Buck Britton led the offensive charge, 2-4 with a double and a run scored. The pitching staff didn't fare much better, as starter Jason Wheeler gave up four earned runs over 6.0 innings. He gave up eight hits, walked four, struck out one and gave up a home run. Alex Wimmers had a terrible relief stint, managing just 0.2 innings, giving up five runs (three earned), via five hits. Sean Burnett finished the inning, striking out the only batter he faced. Neil Ramirez gave up a run in the bottom of the eighth to finish the game. Final: Red Wings 1, IronPigs 10 LOOKOUTS LOOK-IN Jacksonville Suns @ Chattanooga Box Score More Omar Bencomo, more of the time! Bencomo gave the Suns fits over 7.0 innings. Bencomo gave up just two hits. He walked one and struck out five. Raul Fernandez and Ryan Eades each gave the Lookouts an inning of scoreless relief to complete a 3-hit shutout. The Lookouts only tallied six hits of their own, but two of them were doubles, and two more of them went over the fence, so that was plenty. Ryan Walker led the way with a 2-3 game, with a double, a home run, two runs scored, two RBIs, and a walk. Nike Goodrum had a two-run dinger as part of his 1-4 night. Zach Granite had a nice night as well, 2-4 with a double and a run scored. Final: Suns 0, Lookouts 4 MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers @ Charlotte Stone Crabs Box Score Fort Myers only gave up one hit, but they gave up TWO runs! To make matters worse, they managed only three hits of their own, scoring just one run, in a tough loss. Dereck Rodriguez was tagged with the loss in his Fort Myers debut, despite 7.0 innings of one-hit ball. He gave up two runs, walked two and struck out six. Cam Booser added a clean inning of relief, sending the Stone Crabs down 1-2-3. Tough night with the sticks for the Miracle, who teamed up for seven strikeouts, two walks, and those same three hits. The Miracle scored their lone run on a solo home run from Chris Paul (1-4). Final: Miracle 1, Stone Crabs 2 KERNELS KORNER Peoria Chiefs @ Cedar Rapids Box Score The Chiefs put up three runs in the top of the first against Tyler Beardsley, and then had just one more hit the rest of the night. Beardsley pitched 5.0 innings, gave up three hits, three runs, walked four and struck out one. He was replaced by Williams Ramirez, who had a spectacular relief outing, going three full innings giving up just one hit. Max Cordy pitched the bottom of the ninth. He was a little rocky, walking two batters, but struck out two and kept the Chiefs off the board. Leadoff man Christian Ibarra led the way for the Kernels, he was 2-4 with a solo home run. Luis Arraez and Casey Scoggins each added two hits of their own. Final: Chiefs 3, Kernels 2 E-TWINS E-NOTES Danville Braves @ Elizabethton Postponed, rain. Will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Monday. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day - Ryan Walker - Chattanooga Pitcher of the Day - Omar Bencomo - Chattanooga MONDAY'S PROBABLES Rochester - OFF Chattanooga - David Hurlbut (7-6, 3.62) Fort Myers - Keaton Steele (5-9, 4.21) Cedar Rapids - Sam Gibbons (5-3, 5.00) E-Twins - Game 1 - Jose Martinez (1-3, 7.36) E-Twins - Game 2 - TBD GCL Twins - TBD DSL Twins - TBD Please ask questions and discuss the Sunday games. -ERolf Click here to view the article

If the season started 10 games ago, the Twins would have the second best record in the American League. Too bad the twins have been terrible for the better part of four months. To make things worse, the Twins sent struggling Byron Buxton to Rochester to make room for Trevor Plouffe who is activated from the Disabled List. Continue reading to find out more detail about Saturday in the Twins farm system: RED WINGS REPORT Rochester @ Lehigh Valley IronPigs Box Score Byung Ho Park had another rough day, 0-4 with a strike out, as the Red Wings were rocked by the IronPigs. Buck Britton led the offensive charge, 2-4 with a double and a run scored. The pitching staff didn't fare much better, as starter Jason Wheeler gave up four earned runs over 6.0 innings. He gave up eight hits, walked four, struck out one and gave up a home run. Alex Wimmers had a terrible relief stint, managing just 0.2 innings, giving up five runs (three earned), via five hits. Sean Burnett finished the inning, striking out the only batter he faced. Neil Ramirez gave up a run in the bottom of the eighth to finish the game. Final: Red Wings 1, IronPigs 10 LOOKOUTS LOOK-IN Jacksonville Suns @ Chattanooga Box Score More Omar Bencomo, more of the time! Bencomo gave the Suns fits over 7.0 innings. Bencomo gave up just two hits. He walked one and struck out five. Raul Fernandez and Ryan Eades each gave the Lookouts an inning of scoreless relief to complete a 3-hit shutout. The Lookouts only tallied six hits of their own, but two of them were doubles, and two more of them went over the fence, so that was plenty. Ryan Walker led the way with a 2-3 night, with a double, a home run, two runs scored, two RBIs, and a walk. Nike Goodrum had a two-run dinger as part of his 1-4 night. Zach Granite had a nice night as well, 2-4 with a double and a run scored. Final: Suns 0, Lookouts 4 MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers @ Charlotte Stone Crabs Box Score Fort Myers only gave up one hit, but they gave up TWO runs! To make matters worse, they only managed three hits of their own, scoring just one run, in a tough loss. Dereck Rodriguez was tagged with the loss in his Fort Myers debut, despite 7.0 innings of one hit ball. He gave up two runs, walked two, and struck out six. Cam Booser added a clean inning of relief, sending the Stone Crabs down 1-2-3. Tough night with the sticks for the Miracle, who teamed up for seven strike outs, two walks, and those same three hits. The Miracle scored their lone run on a solo home run from Chris Paul (1-4). Final: Miracle 1, Stone Crabs 2 KERNELS KORNER Peoria Chiefs @ Cedar Rapids Box Score The Chiefs put up three runs in the top of the first against Tyler Beardsley, and then had just one more hit the rest of the night. Beardsley pitched 5.0 innings, gave up three hits, three runs, walked four and struck out one. He was replaced by Williams Ramirez, who had a spectacular relief outing, going three full innings giving up just one hit. Max Cordy pitched the bottom of the ninth. He was a little rocky, walking two batters, but struck out two and kept the Chiefs off the board. Leadoff man Christian Ibarra led the way for the Kernels, he was 2-4 with a solo home run. Luis Arraez and Casey Scoggins each added two hits of their own. Final: Chiefs 3, Kernels 2 E-TWINS E-NOTES Danville Braves @ Elizabethton Postponed, rain. Will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Monday. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day - Ryan Walker - Chattanooga Pitcher of the Day - Omar Bencomo - Chattanooga MONDAY'S PROBABLES Rochester - OFF Chattanooga - David Hurlbut (7-6, 3.62) Fort Myers - Keaton Steele (5-9, 4.21) Cedar Rapids - Sam Gibbons (5-3, 5.00) E-Twins - Game 1 - Jose Martinez (1-3, 7.36) E-Twins - Game 2 - TBD GCL Twins - TBD DSL Twins - TBD Please ask questions and discuss the Sunday games. -ERolf

After being laughed out of the Bronx the Twins traveled to Baltimore and took out their frustrations on the Orioles with a 15-2 butt-kicking that included another Miguel Sano home run (his tenth) and a 1-6 night from Byron Buxton in his return to MLB action. RED WINGS REPORT Scheduled off day LOOKOUTS LOOK-IN Chattanooga Lookouts @ Pensacola Blue Wahoos Box Score Lookouts starter Aaron Slegers cruised through six innings giving up just a single run, but ran into trouble and was lifted with two outs in the seventh for J.T. Chargois. Slegers finished the night giving up six hits, three runs, two walks, and he struck out seven. Chargois came in after the damage was done and struck out the only batter he faced in the seventh and pitched a scoreless eighth. The Lookouts managed just six hits against the Blue Wahoos and the only man with a multi-hit night was the number nine hitter and DH, Levi Michael. Michael was 2-3 with a run scored. Max Kepler played center field and was 1-3 with an RBI and a walk. Final: Lookouts 1, Blue Wahoos 3 MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers Miracle @ Bradenton Marauders Box Score Starting for the Fort Myers Miracle on Thursday night was none other than Omar Bencomo. You win all of the bonus points if you know who Omar Bencomo is and how he ended up on the Fort Myers Miracle. If you don't know who he is, you're not alone. Bencomo hasn't played affiliated baseball since 2011, when he was a 22 year-old in the Midwest League for the Tampa Bay Rays. Since then he spent a couple of years playing in the Venezuelan Winter League, and in 2015 he played for two different Independent League teams (Wichita Wingnuts, Laredo Lemurs) before finding his way onto the Fort Myers squad. But I digress. Bencomo pitched seven innings of three hit baseball. He gave up no runs, walked no one, and struck out four, picking up his first win of the season. Tyler Jay, the Twins top draft pick in this year's draft, came in to pitch the eighth and faced the minimum and recorded a strike out. Todd Van Steensel picked up his thirteenth save of the year and a pair of strike outs in the ninth. The pitching was working for the Miracle on Thursday and the bats did just enough, pushing across a single run in the seventh inning thanks to a two-out RBI from Logan Wade. Wade finished the night 2-4. Mitch Garver also had a pair of hits for the Miracle, 2-4 with a run scored. The rest of the squad was pretty quiet. Final: Miracle 1, Marauders 0 KERNELS KORNER Kane County Cougars @ Cedar Rapids Kernels Box Score Kernels starter Ethan Mildren continues to work his way back from a recent demotion to the bullpen, and as a result is on a pretty limiting pitch count, which pulled him from the game after just four innings. Mildren gave up just three hits, one a costly solo home run. He walked one, and struck out two. He was replaced by Yorman Landa who pitched two hitless innings to earn his second win of the year. Zach Tillery picked up a two-inning hold (his first of the year), and John Curtiss picked up the save, preserving the one-run lead. Only one of the Kernels runs was earned, and it came off an RBI from Brian Navarreto. He was 1-3 with an RBI, and he scored the other run. Navarreto actually picked up his RBI and run scored on the same play, as he singled home Zack Larson and then scored on a throwing error by the catcher. That was all the offense the Kernels would get the whole night, winning the game 2-1 despite only four hits. Final: Cougars 1, Kernels 2 E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton Twins @ Pulaski Yankees Box Score The Twins had a 2-0 lead for most of the game before giving up a four-spot in the seventh inning. Starter Samuel Clay pitched four scoreless innings that included four strike outs and no walks, but reliever Nate Gercken, working into his third inning of relief, gave up three hits and a walk before being lifted in the seventh. Tyler Stirewalt replaced Gercken and proceeded to walk the first three batters he faced, pushing in two more runs, before inducing a double play to escape the inning. Because of the way baseball works, Stirewalk wasn't charged with any of those runs, and his statline looks fairly clean. No hits, no runs, no strike outs, but three walks and a wild pitch. Jose Abreu pitched the eighth with the Twins then down 4-2, to finish the game. The E-Twins bats were fairly inactive, as they recorded just six hits in the contest. Only LaMonte Wade had multiple hits, both for extra bases. Wade hit his fourth triple of the year and his eighth home run of the year, a solo shot in the third. No other hitter recorded multiple hits, and leadoff hitter Jermain Palacios kept the Twins out of any rallies with an 0-4 night that included three strike outs. Final: Twins 2, Yankees 4 GCL Twins Gulf Coast League Twins @ GCL Orioles Box Score Lachlan Wells earned his fifth win of the year pitching five innings and giving up just one run on a solor home run in the fourth. Wells struck out five, walked one, and gave up just four hits. He was replaced by Luis Hernandez who gave up three runs on a walk and a hit in the sixth, recording just two outs. He was replaced by Hector Lujan who pitched two and a third innings of three hit baseball to earn his first Hold of the year. Closer Johan Quezada picked up a pair of strikeouts in the ninth, as well as his seventh save. Final: Twins 5, Orioles 4 TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day - Omar Bencomo, Fort Myers Miracle Pitcher of the Day - LaMonte Wade, Elizabethton Twins FRIDAY'S PROBABLES Rochester @ Scranton/WB - Jose Berrios (3-2, 3.38) vs. Kyle Davies Chattanooga @ Pensacola - TBD vs. Cody Reed Fort Myers @ Bradenton - TBD vs. Frank Duncan Cedar Rapids @ Clinton - Randy Rosario (1-4, 4.50) vs. Lukas Schiraldi Elizabethton @ Pulaski - Dereck Rodriguez (5-1, 1.75) vs. TBD Gulf Coast Twins @ GCL Red Sox - TBD vs. TBD