Search the Community

FORT MYERS - The Minnesota Twins had a full off day on Tuesday. Except Kyle Gibson and Bobby Wilson. Gibson threw six innings in the Twins AAA game against the Rays' AAA squad and looked very good. You can listen to it here, or better yet, subscribe to it on your smartphone using the directions below. Seth discusses Gibson and other goings on from a busy day at Twins minor league spring training. Stephen Gonsalves and Fernando Romero also pitched on Tuesday.To add this podcast to your iPhone podcast app, do the following: 1. Open up this page in your iphone and copy this link: http://twinsdaily.libsyn.com/rss 2. Go into your iPhone podcast app and click on the "Library" tab at the bottom and then click on "Edit" in the upper right-hand corner: 3. Click on "Add a Podcast by URL..." 4. Paste the link you just copied into the dialog box and click on 'Subscribe'. Now you'll get every episode delivered to your phone to listen to whenever you want Click here to view the article

It's a night later than normal, but this week's Seth's Twins On Deck Podcast was a lot of fun, with five really strong guests. Starting at 8:00 central time, you can listen live to Episode 8. Of course, if that time doesn't work for you, feel free to download it at the same link after the show's completion. You can also find it on iTunes by searching "Minnesota Sports Weekly."First on the show tonight was the first overall pick of the 2017 draft, Royce Lewis. The infielder was fantastic as always, talking about his offseason, camaraderie with teammates at the academy in Ft. Myers and much more. Lewis was followed by former Twins prospect and current Miracle hitting coach Steve Singleton. We discussed his playing career and transitioning into coach. We also talked about the collaboration between hitting coaches at all levels of the system. Also, how tough can the Florida State League be? Prospect Trey Cabbage, who ended 2017 with the Kernels, batted third in our show lineup. We'll discuss his high school days, the transition to the pro game and his 2017 season. Also look ahead to his 2018. Infielder Sean Miller found out in January that he was heading to big league camp. He's been working out with the big leaguers as an additional non-roster invitee. He's played in pretty much all of the Twins games so far. We'll discuss his time in the Arizona Fall League, big league camp and look ahead to 2018. Finally, former Gopher and Twins prospect AJ Pettersen came on to talk about a variety of topics his playing days for the Gophers, in the Twins system and transitioning to his coaching career at Chanhassen High School. Find out what else he's up to post playing career. It was a super fun show, (Listen Here). Thank you to the guests and everyone else for listening. Click here to view the article

(This report includes the games played through 11/5) The AFL season turns the corner in Week 4, culminating in the Fall Stars Game where the top prospects (not necessarily performers) are showcased out in the desert. Tyler Jay was selected from the Twins and appeared in the game, recording the final two outs for the AFL West squad in their 4-2 loss. Besides that, the Surprise Saguaros went 2-3 during the week, with three of the Twins relievers posting scoreless lines for their squad. Sean Miller also continued his recent success, and LaMonte Wade continued putting up LaMonte Wade-like stat lines.Read on to find out how each of the Minnesota Twins prospects fared in the AFL during week 4 of the season! (links provided to each player’s overall AFL stats by clicking their name) Tyler Jay: One appearance, 1.0IP, 2 H’s, 3 ER’s, 2 HR, 2BB; 6.75 ERA (overall). Gave up two HR’s on 10/31. With Jay being the only Twins prospect selected to play in the AFL Stars game on Saturday, he made only one appearance on the week for the Saguaros, and it wasn’t a very good one. In Tuesday’s 9-2 loss against the Peoria Javelinas, Jay was summoned for the top of the sixth inning with the score 4-2 Peoria. He walked the first two batters he faced before getting a double play ball that gave him a chance to salvage a scoreless inning. He instead gave up back-to-back home runs to Ronald Acuna and Austin Riley, the number two and three hitters in the Javelinas lineup. With the score now 7-2, Jay got a ground out to end his inning. Playing for the AFL West team in the Fall Stars game, Jay was brought in during the bottom of the eighth inning with one out, two men on base, and the tying run already across the plate in the frame. A single to the first batter put the East squad out front 3-2, and a sacrifice fly to the next made the final score of 4-2. Jay got a strikeout to end the inning, and none of the runs were charged to him. On a positive note, the Gameday tracking had him sitting 94-95 MPH with his fastball in the outing and 13 of his 19 pitches went for strikes. LaMonte Wade: Four games, 4-15, 2 R’s, 2B, 3B, 3 BB’s, 4 K’s; .255/.369/.400 (overall). Wade saw action in all but one game on the week for Surprise, getting Halloween night off. As he is known to do, he reached base at least once in each game and raised his OBP in the AFL to .369. In Monday’s 6-3 win on the road against Peoria, Wade batted second in the lineup and finished 1-4 with an RBI triple, run scored, and a walk. His triple followed another one from the hitter in front of him and put the Saguaros up 4-2. Against the Mesa Solar Sox on Wednesday, Wade batted fifth in their 8-5 loss. After drawing a walk to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning, he advanced to third on a single and scored on sac fly to put Surprise up 2-0. He finished 0-3 with the run scored and two strikeouts. He also added an outfield assist, as he combined with Sean Miller to throw out a runner at home in the top of the eighth. Wade batted third on Thursday, his first time taking up that mantle for his AFL team, and he delivered in the 8-6 loss to Mesa. He doubled in the first inning but was left stranded and added a single in the fifth to account for his two hits on the day. He also drew a walk in the second inning, finishing 2-4. Back to batting fifth on Friday, he was 1-4 in their 4-1 win over the Salt River Rafters. He singled in the fourth inning but did not tally any other marks in his stat line. Chris Paul: Three games, 1-12, 2 R’s, 2B, BB, 4 K’s; .250/.308/.375 (overall). Paul played in three games during the week and was a bit quiet, with his only hit coming in the loss to Mesa on Thursday. That was a good game for him, however. In the Monday tilt against Peoria, he was 0-4 with two strikeouts in the Saguaros 6-3 win. On Halloween he also 0-4 in the 9-2 loss to the Javelinas, striking out once. Of note in this one, Paul saw his first action in left field during the AFL season. On Thursday, Paul closed out his week with a good line, finishing 1-4 with a double, walk, and two runs scored batting sixth in the order. His double came in the second inning and put runners on second and third before Surprise took a 4-3 with the single and three-run home run that followed. He led off the top of the sixth with a walk and later would his second run of the game on an RBI single that closed the score to 6-5 Mesa. Andrew Vasquez: Two appearances, 3.0IP, 3 H’s, 2 BB’s, 3 K’s; 0.87 ERA (overall). Vasquez again made an appearance in two games on the week, pitching multiple innings in their Halloween night loss, and another inning on Friday in a win. He came on following Jay for the top of the seventh inning against Peoria, and although he gave up three hits in his two inning none led to any damage on the scoreboard and he also struck out three. 25 of his 39 pitches in the outing went for strikes. In Friday’s win against Salt River, Vasquez picked up his second hold in the AFL as he came on in the seventh with his team up 3-1. He walked two batters in the frame, but worked around them to record another scoreless inning, and lower his ERA on the AFL season to below 1.00 on the week. Ryan Eades: Two appearances, 4.0IP, 3 H’s, 2 BB’s, 2 K’s; 0.00 ERA (overall). Righthander Ryan Eades also saw action in two games on the week, going two innings in each appearance and picking up his second AFL win. That came in Monday’s game on the road against Peoria, when he was pitching while his offense took the lead in the top half of the sixth. He had a one-two-three fifth inning, picking up the last two outs with strikeouts. In the sixth, he made it a little interesting after giving up a leadoff double, hitting a batter, and walking one to load the bases with one out, but got an infield fly ball and grounder to escape the jam and keep himself in line for that win. Against Salt River on Friday, Eades made his first start of the AFL season and pitched two scoreless frames. The first hitter of the game singled to center field, but later got erased on a steal attempt which proved fortuitous, as the next hitter tripled but ended up stranded on third. In the second inning, he gave up a two-out walk but retired the other three, including a strikeout. He threw 35 pitches in the start, with 23 going for strikes. Tom Hackimer: Two appearances, 2.2IP, H, 0 BB, 2 K’s; 3.12 ERA (overall). The sidewinding Hackimer saw action in the loss to Peoria on Tuesday, and in Friday’s win against Salt River. He entered the game on Halloween in the fourth inning, after a double had scored two and left runners on second and third with just one out. He stopped the bleeding with a grounder back to him on the mound that caught the runner on third out at home. Then, after plunking a batter, he got a fly out to end the inning. Back out for the fifth Hackimer faced just three hitters, striking out one and doubling off a runner on first on a bunt attempt after giving up a single. Hackimer also picked up his second hold of the season in Friday’s win, when he came in to start the sixth inning. He got a ground out and a K for the first two outs before he hit another batter, but that runner ended up out at second base on a play the recap did not qualify as a caught stealing attempt (did he try to pull the “Little Big League” move after getting hit by the pitch?! I guess we’ll never know…). Sean Miller: Three games, 3-12, 3 RBI, 3 K’s, SB (2); .316/.350/.342 (overall). Miller saw action in the Saguaros wins on Monday and Friday, and in Wednesday’s loss. He batted ninth, eighth, and second respectively in those games, playing second base in two and shortstop in the third. After piling up the hits last week, Miller continued his recent success by collecting one in each game. In fact, his lines were the same in each: 1-4 with an RBI. On Monday, his RBI single in the fifth inning tied the score at two. In Wednesday’s loss, he singled in the fourth inning, but collected his RBI in the ninth on a ground out that made the score 8-4. Miller final hit of the week came in the fifth inning on Friday, when his single to center brought in a runner that tied the game at one before they tacked on two more to take a 3-1 lead. Other AFL/Minor League Links: - Twins Daily’s own Seth Stohs has kicked off his offseason Top 50 prospects list with entries covering number 50 through 41, and 40 through 31. It’s hard enough for me to put together my top 10, so his work to go through 50 names you should know is truly extraordinary. You can’t beat the little information nuggets he puts out for these guys, either. It’s also very telling about the Twins system that he has several players who you should see on the MLB team soon populating these lists so early in his countdown. - Also be sure to check out the Twins Daily forums, where several 40-man roster moves happened to kick off this week. Pitcher Nik Turley was claimed by the Pirates, lefthander Randy Rosario was claimed by the Cubs, and power-hitting outfielder Daniel Palka was claimed by the White Sox among a few other purges to clear room on the roster. - Bill Mitchell of Baseball America, tackles the question the Twins have been wondering since drafting him with the sixth overall pick in 2015: Will Tyler Jay be a starter or reliever? Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the last week! Click here to view the article

(This report includes the games played through 10/29) Week 3 of the AFL season saw all four of the Twins pitchers make their appearances in the same two games. Not sure if that was planned, but I wouldn’t complain if it was as it’s more fun to write about when they do! They pitched 4.0 scoreless innings in Tuesday’s 4-3 victory over Salt River, and 4.2 innings in Friday’s 6-5 loss to Scottsdale. Despite one inning where one of them got wild (kind of…I’ll get to that…) in the latter, they were stellar with 8.2 total innings pitched, two earned runs allowed, and eleven strikeouts on the week. The hitters also had a good week all-around, but if you were to pick one who stood out the most, I’d reckon it wouldn’t be the one who did.To find out just how good each of the Minnesota Twins prospects performed in week 3 of the AFL season, keep reading! (links provided to each player’s overall AFL stats by clicking their name) Tyler Jay: 2 appearances, 2.0IP, 2 H’s, 3 K’s; 3.18 ERA (overall). In Tuesday’s win, Jay got the ball for the bottom of the sixth inning with his team up 3-0. He started his outing with a strikeout but then got himself into some trouble, surrendering a double and single that put runners on second and third. Instead of giving up any runs, he went right after the next two hitters and bulldogged it, striking them both out on three pitches with the K’s coming on a pair of 93 MPH swing-and-miss fastballs. His strikeout to start the frame also came on just three pitches, with an 83 MPH backdoor slider sending the hitter back to the dugout. 14 of his 17 pitches went for strikes in the outing. In the 6-5 loss to Scorpions on Friday, Jay again was summoned for the sixth inning, this time with his team down 4-2. The first batter reached on an infield error, but Jay retired the next three hitters for a scoreless inning. 13 of his 17 pitches in this one went for strikes as Jay continues to demonstrate his strong control after a tough season. LaMonte Wade: 4 games, 4-14, 3 R’s, 2 BB’s, 2 K’s; .250/.362/.375 (overall). In Monday’s 4-3 win against the Salt River Rafters, Wade batted second and played in right field. He drew a walk in the third inning but was retired on a double-play ball from the next batter. In the fifth, his single was the second of three consecutive to start the inning, and he was on third base when the Saguaros attempted a double steal. He was thrown out at home to end the inning, and the Surprise was only able to score one with the bases loaded and no outs. He finished this game 1-3 with a walk and a strikeout. Against the Rafters again on Tuesday, Wade batted fifth in the lineup and was in right field yet again. In typical fashion he picked up a single, scored a run, and drew another walk to finish his day 1-3. After singling in the fifth, Wade stole his first base in the AFL and then scored on a double for the first run of the game in the 4-3 win. In a 10-5 loss versus the Glendale Desert Dogs on Thursday, Wade finished 1-5 with a run scored batting second. His hit came in the first inning with a single and he didn’t reach base again until the ninth when he grounded into a fielder’s choice. The next batter tripled to bring him in for the Saguaros final run and a tally in his overall stat line. Wade finished his week on Friday with yet typical day. In the 6-5 loss he went 1-3 with a run scored and was also hit by a pitch to reach multiple times. That HBP loaded the bases for Surprise in the sixth inning, and the next hitter cleared them with a triple that put them out front 5-4. He singled in the top of the eighth, but was later thrown out at home representing the tying run as unfortunately this was the game where an appearance went awry for a Twins reliever. Chris Paul: 3 games, 3-10, 2 R’s, 2B, HR, RBI, BB, 3 K’s; .306/.359/.443 (overall). Paul started his week 3 with a bang after winning the Bowman Hitting Challenge on Saturday, as he slugged his first AFL home run in Monday’s win against Salt River. His solo shot led off the bottom of the fourth inning and tied the game at two. Paul was also hit by a pitch in this one, so he reached base multiple times. Paul was the only Twins prospect to appear in Wednesday’s 6-4 win over Glendale, but he wasn’t able to make much of an impact, finishing 0-4 with a strikeout. In their loss on Friday to Scottsdale, Paul was back in the cleanup spot after batting fifth in the prior two games, and stood in at third base instead of first. He led off the top of the second inning with a double, but ended up stranded on third base. In the sixth inning he drew a walk and scored on the same triple as Wade that put Surprise out front briefly. He also singled in the eighth inning but was erased on a double play ball. Andrew Vasquez: two appearances, 2.2IP, 0 H’s, BB, K; 1.23 ERA (overall). Vasquez got the eighth inning in the Twins bullpen game on Tuesday, and threw 21 pitches (12 for strikes) in a scoreless inning. He did walk a batter, but no damage was done in a good appearance in the 4-3 win. In Friday’s 6-5 loss, Vasquez was summoned in the middle of the fourth inning as starter Zach Lovvorn ran into trouble. With two runs already in and runners on first and second, Vasquez came on and…hit his first batter to load the bases. But he still wasn’t the pitcher who gave up runs in this game, as he got the next hitter to line into an inning-ending double play. Back out for the fifth, Vasquez pitched a one-two-three inning, striking out the first batter of the frame to close out his week. Ryan Eades: 2 appearances, 2.0IP, H, 4 K’s; 0.00 ERA (overall). In Tuesday’s win Eades was the first Twins prospect called in from the bullpen for the fifth inning and was untouchable against the middle of the Rafters lineup, striking out all three hitters he faced. 10 of his 12 pitches went for strikes, and they included three swinging strikes and only a few pitches hitters managed to foul off. The K’s came on two high fastballs at 92 MPH, and a curveball in the dirt for a swing-and-miss. On Friday, Eades pitched the eighth inning, finishing the game for Surprise in the 6-5 loss. He got two quick outs on just four pitches, including a three-pitch K, before surrendering a single on a grounder through the left side of the infield. He got the next batter to line out, finishing the inning on just seven pitches (six for strikes) and punctuating an efficient and dominant week for the right-hander. Tom Hackimer: 2 appearances, 2.0IP, 2 H’s, 2 ER’s, 4 BB, 3 K’s; 4.50 ERA (overall). Hackimer came in the game after Jay on Tuesday, pitching the seventh inning in their win against Salt River. Like Eades and Jay before him, Hackimer delivered a scoreless frame to keep the shutout intact to that point. He did give up a one-out double, but followed that with a groundout and a three-pitch strikeout on a 93 MPH fastball to slam the door. Surprise may have felt better about this game if they had another Twins prospect to run out there, as in the ninth the only non-Twins reliever gave up three runs on five hits that made it interesting. Since you haven’t read about the prospect who got wild yet, you would be correct in assuming it didn’t go as well for Hackimer in Friday’s 6-5 loss to the Scorpions. Hackimer again followed Jay in this one, coming on for the seventh inning with the Surprise up 5-4. He retired the first batter of the inning before things went off the rails – but I’m not blaming the pitcher after looking hard at what transpired. Two walks book-ended a single to load the bases and it looked like Hackimer might get out unscathed as he got the second out with a big K. Unfortunately for him (and I suggest you check out the Gameday pitch locations), he appeared to continue to be squeezed by the home plate umpire and two more walks brought in two runs before he got the final out with another K. If you don’t want to investigate the link above, I counted nine pitches tracked inside the zone that were called balls by the umpire, and you could argue as many as 17 called balls (17!) were strike-worthy (half his total pitches). Most are borderline I’ll concede, but something is amiss when that many show up in one inning. Here’s the most egregious example, for quick reference: It’s quite amazing how many similar pitches like that were tracked, and is why only 13 of Hackimer’s 34 total pitches went for strikes in the outing. Maybe that ump doesn’t like submariners?! I really don’t know how to explain it beyond that and the result was unfortunate for Hackimer and his Saguaros team. Sean Miller: 2 games, 5-7, 2 R’s, 2 RBI, BB, K, SB (1); .346/.393/.385 (overall). If I told you Sean Miller was top 10 in the AFL in batting average after week 3, would you believe me? Well, I aint lyin’… Miller took advantage of his two starts on the week to pile up five hits in seven at-bats, raising his average to .346, which would rank 10th in the circuit if he had enough plate appearances. Batting ninth and playing second base in their 4-3 win over Salt River on Tuesday, Miller went 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI to help turn his team’s lineup over. He may have gotten a little lucky, as both those hits were deflected by infielders, but you can’t argue with the results. His single in the fifth inning brought in a runner to make the score 2-0, and he followed that by stealing second base (his first SB of the AFL season) and scoring their third run of the frame. In Surprise’s 10-5 loss to Glendale on Thursday Miller really stood out, going 3-3 with a walk to reach base each time he stepped in the batter’s box. He drew a walk in his first plate appearance in the third inning, then singled in each of his final three at-bats. He drove in one in the fourth that put his team out front 2-0 before the Desert Dogs pulled away late. In the ninth after his third single, Miller scored along with Wade on a triple that accounted for their final tally of five runs in the loss. Other AFL/Minor League Links: - John Sickels of MinorLeagueBall.com started his offseason review of Team Top 20 Prospects lists, with the Minnesota Twins. I have always loved how John looks at prospects and while they may be short on elite talent, there is a ton of depth. I’m not sure I’ll put him that quite that high on a list, but I love where Brent Rooker comes in. - Also on MinorLeagueBall.com, Wayne Cavadi takes a deeper look at three Twins prospects you should know. They are the AFL’s Tyler Jay (2018 will be big year for him), Gabriel Moya who saw action late with the MLB team, and Lewis Thorpe who is one of my personal cheeseballs. Thorpe was dominant when I watched him in Cedar Rapids and was a great interview, but injury and illness have delayed his timeline a full two years. Don’t forget about him! - Moya also was named a winner of one of MiLB.com’s MiLBY awards, for Top Relief Pitcher during the 2017 season. To recap just how dominant he was for two organizations in AA, Moya made 47 appearances, pitching 58.1 innings and allowing just 30 hits and 15 walks while piling up 87 strikeouts on the year. He went 6-1 and converted all 24 of his save opportunities, finishing the season with a 0.77 ERA and WHIP before holding his own in 6.1 innings with the Twins. - Check out a great read on Tyler Jay and what he went through this season with injuries. While thoracic outlet syndrome was often in the notes on why he was missing in action, we found out later in the season that wasn’t the case. Jay cites unclean mechanics, and in the most interesting note to me, perhaps the fact he put on 20 pounds coming into the season. - Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com looks at all the Twins prospects participating in the AFL, with even more details on Tyler Jay and how starting helped him gain confidence in his changeup and how he viewed being switched to the bullpen for the 2017 season. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the last week! Click here to view the article

Sean Miller may not be a household name to all Twins fans, but the infielder has done a nice job so far in the Arizona Fall League. He has hit hit .333 as he has ten hits through his first eight games. Miller, the Twins 10th-round pick in 2015 out of USC-Aiken, turned 23 three weeks ago and spent the 2017 season with the Ft. Myers Miracle playing both middle infield positions.In June of 2016, I interviewed Sean Miller in Cedar Rapids. Today, we catch up with him and discuss his 2017 season, his time in the Arizona Fall League and more. Again, thank you to Sean for taking time out of his busy Arizona schedule to answer our questions. Let’s get to it. Seth Stohs (SS): Let’s start with where you are now. How did you find out about being invited to the Arizona Fall League? Is it something you had thought about growing up or in the minor leagues? Sean Miller (SM): I found out when I was at the mall with my girlfriend. Lep (Twins minor league coordinator Joel Lepel) called me, and it was such a great, rewarding feeling. Obviously it's something I've always read about and imagined myself doing! And now that I have the opportunity to be a part of the AFL, I'm just trying to take it all in. SS: Before heading to Arizona, what were some of your goals, or what did you want to try to accomplish in the Fall League? SM: My goals before heading here were to try and extend my at-bats. I have the same goal I've always had, which is to hopefully prove some people wrong. SS: The AFL season is about half over. What has the experience been like so far, and what have you found out about yourself from playing there so far? SM: The AFL experience has been awesome. I've already made lifelong friends. I've honestly found out that keeping a positive outlook on this game can change your own outlook on everything. SS: It’s been a couple of months since the end of the regular season, have you been able to put together your overall thoughts on your 2017 season in Ft. Myers? SM: My overall thoughts on the 2017 season are all positive! Playing for Doug (Mientkiewicz), Sing (Miracle hitting coach Steve Singleton), and Henry (Bonilla, pitching coach) was the most fun I've ever had playing ball. I've matured more as a player this year than I could have ever imagined. SS: You played a lot of shortstop and second base, but you also got to play a little in center field. What was it like standing out there for a few games? SM: At first, playing center field was crazy to me. But the more I was out there, the easier it got. Doug told me to play it like I was playing in the backyard which made it easier. SS: Tell me a little bit about playing for Doug Mientkiewicz and the coaches in Ft. Myers this year. SM: Like I said earlier, playing for Doug, Sing, and Henry was the most fun I've had playing the game. Those guys love what they do, and their passion for the game spreads to the players. playing for Doug, Henry, and Sing was an absolute blast. This year flew by playing for them. SS: What was the atmosphere like, especially in the second half when the Miracle took off and made their run into the playoffs? SM: The second half was so much fun. We were lucky enough to get some studs on our team to help us make a run. That shows us how deep this org really is. The atmosphere was great. We just played good baseball. Obviously winning was expected, but we actually learned how to win and play the game the right way. SS: In your opinion, what are your strengths on the field? What areas have you made the most improvement in? SM: I think my strengths on the field are that I can play defense with anybody, at any position. I'm trying to improve my ABs, And put some offensive numbers up like I know I can. SS: What are some areas of your game that you focused on in the AFL and will be throughout your offseason? SM: I'm trying to focus on the pitchers, and position players I'm getting a chance to play with and against. The guys down here are just so good, I try to make improvements on my game based on what I learn watching these guys play. SS: Whether on the baseball field or elsewhere, what is the best piece of advice that you have been given? SM: The best piece of advice I have been given is from my dad, who played pro ball for six years. He's always told me things went south for him when he lived in the past, or in the future. So regardless of what's going on with anything that has to do with baseball, I try to take it day by day. Obviously this isn't just baseball advice, this is the way I try to live life. SS: What are some of the things you do to get away from baseball? Any big, fun plans for once your offseason starts after the AFL? SM: The one thing I really enjoy is playing golf. I'll go out at 4 pm and play nine holes by myself three days a week. That's a week to week thing because golf frustrates me more than anything besides baseball. Thank you to Sean Miller for taking time out of his busy Arizona schedule to answer our questions. Please feel free to discuss in the comments below. Click here to view the article

(This report includes the games played through 10/22) Week two of the Arizona Fall League season saw the Surprise Saguaros compile a 2-3 record, with one prospect catching most of the headlines. He delivered a walk-off hit to start the week off on the right foot for his team, and ended it with a contest- winning performance in the Bowman Hitting Challenge on Saturday. The Saguaros also lost a couple of close games, including one in extra innings and another where they blew a three-run lead in the bottom of the ninth. After a stellar first week, the pitchers also hit a few bumps in the road in their appearances, but there were still some good performances from them as well.To learn how all the Minnesota Twins prospects fared in week 2, keep reading! (links provided to each player’s overall AFL stats by clicking their name) Tyler Jay: 2 appearances, 1.2 IP, 5 H’s, 2 ERs, BB, K; 4.91 ERA (overall). In week two Jay made appearances in the Saguaros 10-3 win over Peoria on Tuesday and their 7-6 meltdown loss to Mesa on Friday, but he wasn’t as sharp as in week one. In Tuesday’s victory, Jay came on for the bottom of the fifth inning with his Surprise team up 5-2. He recorded the first out with a swinging K on a 1-2 breaking ball before allowing a double to the next hitter that put a runner in scoring position. This was followed by a single to left field that put runners on the corners and Jay in a bit of a jam. He got exactly what he needed to escape unscathed however, as he induced an inning-ending double play ball to the next hitter. On Friday Jay again came out for the bottom of the sixth inning, this time with his team up 3-0, but he ran into trouble right away. The first hitter clubbed a ground-rule double which he followed with an off-target pitch that went for a passed ball to put that runner on third. He got a ground out before walking a batter to put runners on the corners. Consecutive singles then scored two runs to bring Mesa within one and summoned the pitching coach from the dugout. After that visit Jay plunked a batter to load the bases before getting an infield pop-up for his second out and an end to his day. Ryan Eades then came on for the third out. LaMonte Wade: 3 games, 4-12, R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, K; .231/.333/.423 (overall). Wade played right field in three games on the week for Surprise, batting ninth, seventh and second in the lineup in those contests. In Monday’s 9-8 come-from-behind victory against Scottsdale, Wade finished 1-4 with an RBI and one strikeout. The RBI came in the fifth inning right after Scorpions starter Justus Sheffield was removed from the game with runners on first and second. His ground ball through the left side closed the gap to 4-2 and Surprise would add another run before the inning was over. Wade had a forgettable day in 6-4 loss to Peoria on Wednesday, finishing 0-4 with three ground outs (including a double play) and fly out. He came back to close out the week with his best game so far in the AFL season, as he joined in on the show of power from the Saguaros lineup in building a 6-3 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth inning against the Solar Sox on Friday. He followed teammate Nicky Lopez’s double to start the game with a double of his own to give the Saguaros the early 1-0 lead. In the fifth inning he added a single to his line on a “pop up to the catcher” (which I’d like to know how that happened), before blasting his first AFL home run in the seventh that made the score 6-2. It was the second solo home run of the inning for Surprise and as a team they dropped four bombs in the game. Unfortunately, for all those offensive efforts, Saguaros reliever Jordan Hicks gave up four runs in the bottom of the ninth to end up on the losing end of a walk off. Of local note in Friday’s box score, is Coon Rapids, MN native Logan Shore of the Oakland Athletics organization made the start for Mesa. Chris Paul: 3 games, 3-14, 2 R’s, RBI, 5 K’s; .308/.333/.346 (overall). Paul saw action in each of the same games as Wade during week two, batting in the middle of the lineup, and got to play hero in their win on Monday versus Scottsdale. With the score 8-3 in favor of the Scorpions in the bottom of the eighth, Paul followed a walk by the Saguaros leadoff man with a single for his first hit of the game. They were both driven in by a triple from teammate Kevin Padio that brought them within three before Pidio scampered home on a ground out to put them within striking distance in the bottom of the ninth. A walk, hit by pitch, and bases clearing double brought Paul up again with the game tied and a runner in scoring position. He delivered the walk-off win with a single to center field to complete the five-run comeback for Surprise. The win also marked the first time Paul played third base during the AFL season. In Wednesday’s tilt, Paul again had an opportunity in the bottom of the ninth with a runner in scoring position and his team down 6-4, but he didn’t have the same result in this one as he was called out on strikes to end the game. He fared even worse than Wade in this one, finishing 0-5 game with two K’s and multiple missed opportunities. In Friday’s walk-off loss to Mesa, Paul led off the fourth inning with an infield single on a slow-roller to third, then promptly trotted home on a two-run shot from Andrew Knizner that gave Surprise a 3-0 lead. Paul finished 1-4 with three strikeouts leading into the Bowman Hitting Challenge on Saturday. It was there that Paul bookended his week with another memorable performance. He won the unique contest with a score of 2,750 points, edging New York Mets prospect Tomas Nido. Unlike a true home run derby, points are awarded in the event for hitting obstacles scattered throughout the field, and looks like a blast to participate in! Congrats Chris, and don’t blow all the prize money in one place! Andrew Vasquez: Two appearances, 2.2IP, 2 H’s, ER, 3 K’s; 1.93 ERA (overall). Vasquez again saw action in two games in week two, going more than one inning for the first time in the AFL on Monday against Scottsdale, and one more inning in a 6-4 extra-inning loss to Mesa on Thursday. He came on in the middle of the top of the fifth on Monday after one run had scored and runners remained on first on third. He struck out the first man he faced, but uncorked a wild pitch to the second that allowed an inherited runner to score and make it 4-1 Scorpions. He then got a ground out to end the inning and came back out for the sixth. He did his thing in this frame, setting the opposition down in order. In his 1.2 innings, 13 of his 20 pitches went for strikes, including three swinging strikes on his lone K of the outing. In Thursday’s tilt, Vasquez was called upon for the top of the seventh with the Saguaros up 4-3. He was charged with a blown save as he surrendered the tying run before escaping the jam of his own making. The leadoff man singled to start it, then advanced to second base on a balk. Vasquez then got the first out of the inning with a looking strikeout but that was followed by an RBI double. A wild pitch then advanced that runner to third, but he was bailed out on a grounder to the second baseman with the infield in that cut that runner down at home. He then plunked a batter to put runners on first and second before he notched his second K to escape with minimal damage given what had transpired. Ryan Eades: 2 appearances, 2.1IP, 3 H’s, K; 0.00 ERA (overall). Eades also was summoned from the bullpen in two games during the week, with his appearances coming against Peoria on Tuesday and Mesa on Friday. In the 10-3 win against the Javelinas he got the eighth inning, needing just twelve pitches (nine strikes) to record three outs. He struck out the first hitter of the inning and got a ground out for two quick outs before giving up a single, but ended the inning by inducing a grounder to the next hitter. In Friday’s heart-wrenching loss to Mesa, Eades picked up his first hold in the AFL with a scoreless 1.1 innings. After Jay had allowed in two runs in the sixth, it was Eades job to escape the bases-loaded jam with no further damage. He did so by getting a fly out to center field then worked around a couple of singles in the seventh for a scoreless inning before the bottom fell out for the Saguaros in the ninth. Tom Hackimer: 2 appearances, 3.0IP, 3 H’s, ER, 2 K’s; 2.25 ERA (overall). In two appearances on the week, Hackimer totaled 3.0 innings pitched as he also went multiple frames for the first time during the AFL season. In Monday’s dramatic win he came on after Vasquez for the top of the seventh inning with the score 4-3 in favor of Scottsdale. The first batter hit a hard ground ball that Paul deflected at third base and that ended up a single, but Hackimer got the next batter to ground into a 6-4-3 double play. Then some hard contact came in the form of consecutive doubles that increased the Scorpions lead to 5-3 before he got a strikeout to end the two-out rally. In Thursday’s 6-4 loss against Mesa that included free baseball, Hackimer saw his first multi-inning appearance in the AFL. He was summoned in the top of the eighth inning with the score tied at four and set the Solar Sox lineup down in order, including a swinging strikeout. Back out for the ninth, he made quick work of the 1-2-3 hitters for Mesa, needing just eleven pitches to record another one-two-three inning. Hackimer was replaced for the top of the tenth, and with a runner starting the inning on second base, Mesa quickly scored the go-ahead run with a lead off single, and added some insurance with a home run to pull out the 6-4 victory against the good guys. Sean Miller: 3 games (2 starts), 3-10, 2 R’s, 2B, BB, K; .211/.250/.263 (overall). Miller played in three games during the AFL season’s second week, making the start on Wednesday as the second baseman and batting second, and on Thursday as the DH batting ninth. He entered Tuesday’s contest in the sixth inning as a defensive replacement, and made the most of his hitting opportunities. In the seventh inning after entering the game to play shortstop, Miller drew a walk and scored on a double from the next hitter that made the score 8-2 Saguaros. In the top of the ninth he grounded out in his other plate appearance. In Wednesday’s 6-4 loss, Miller collected three hits in the top third of the lineup in his best game in the AFL so far. In the bottom of the first Miller followed a single from the leadoff man with a single of his own and got as far as second base. He then led off the bottom of the sixth inning with another single but didn’t move up any further. His biggest hit of the game came when he again led off an inning, this time in the eighth with the score 4-1 in favor of Peoria. He doubled to put himself into scoring position and two batters later another double brought him home to close the gap to 4-2. Like Paul, Miller also came up in the bottom of the ninth and represented the tying run, but flew out to center field for the inning's second out as they fell short of another comeback. Other AFL/Minor League Links: - After being selected in the third round of the 2017 draft and being given an above slot bonus to pry him away from LSU, Blayne Enlow was fantastic in the Gulf Coast League for the Twins. For his efforts, Baseball America named him to their GCL Top 20 Prospect list. - The Minnesota Twins announced their 2017 Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year, with Mitch Garver taking home the first honor, and Aaron Slegers the second. Garver finished first in Twins Daily’s Hitter of the Year voting, while Slegers finished third in our Starting Pitcher of the Year tally. - After his regular season that was cut short due to injury, Tyler Jay’s performance in the first week of the season was a positive development for the outlook on his health. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the last week! Click here to view the article

Brian Dozier was back in the lineup for the Twins as they played just their second game of the week after an off day on Monday and a rainout on Wednesday night. Dozier was a little rusty after his time off and struck out three times, but birthday boy Miguel Sano hit a birthday #powerbanana and the Twins held on to beat the White Sox 7-6. TRANSACTIONS On Thursday afternoon, Rochester announced that Drew Rucinski had reported to the Red Wings. To make room, Nik Turley had been sent down to extended spring training. That was a pretty large hint of things to come. You see, by sending Turley to extended rather than Chattanooga, he could be immediately recalled to the Red Wings whenever they needed another pitcher. But why would the Red Wings need another pitcher? Well, following the Twins game, the team announced that Jose Berrios would be called up prior to Saturday's game in Cleveland and make the start. A corresponding move will be made at that time as well.Find out everything that happened in the Twins minor league system on Thursday. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3 @ Pawtucket 2 Box Score The Red Wings pushed two runs across in the top of the ninth inning to earn a victory on Thursday night in Pawtucket. With two outs in the ninth, down by a run with runners on first and second, Bengie Gonzalez singled home Niko Goodrum to tie the game and a Zack Granite single scored John Ryan Murphy from third to put the Wings ahead. Ninth inning heroes Granite and Gonzalez were the only Red Wings with multiple hits, each with a pair of singles and an RBI. The other run was driven in earlier on a Leonardo Reginatto double in the fifth. Starter Adalberto Mejia gave the Red Wings 6.2 strong innings, scattering 7 hits and giving up two runs. He struck out a pair and did not walk anyone. Busenitz, Chapman and the recently demoted Drew Rucinski held the Red Sox scoreless for the rest of the night and Rucinski picked up the victory thanks to the ninth inning heroics. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 1 @ Montgomery 7 Box Score Chattanooga starter Matt Tracy gave up a 7-spot in the bottom of the second inning, putting the Lookouts in a big hole they could not dig out of. Tracy stayed in to finish the third inning, and then Randy Rosario gave the Lookouts three innings of one-hit baseball. He struck out four and walked one. Flame throwing Nick Burdi pitched the final two innings of the night, perfectly, and struck out three. Jon Rodriguez came into Thursday night riding a 14-game hitting streak, just one shy of Zack Granite’s season leading 15-game hitting streak, but was held hitless on the night, going 0-3 with a walk. In fact, almost all of the Lookouts were hitless, combining for just three hits, a trio of singles from Edgar Corcino, Ryan Walker and Dan “Rolfs are the best” Rohlfing. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 2 @ Charlotte 3 Box Score Fort Myers scored a run in the top of the first inning, but trailed the rest of the way as the Stone Crabs got to Lachlan Wells for three earned runs in the bottom of the first. Wells pitched six innings, gave up eight hits, just those three runs, and struck out two while not walking anyone. He was replaced by Brady Anderson who kept the Stone Crabs off the board for the final two innings, giving up a pair of hits and a walk in two innings. The Miracle had nine hits on the night, but were just 1-4 with men in scoring position and didn’t put many guys past first base. Brian Navarreto led the way for the Miracle, going 2-3 with a double and an RBI. Bradley Strong and Sean Miller each added two singles. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0 @ Bowling Green 10 Box Score The Kernels managed just four hits against Hot Rods starter Travis Ott, and did not manage to pick up any runs on a tough night in Bowling Green. The Kernels had opportunities, but were 0-5 with runners in scoring position and twice hit into double plays. Kernels starter Sean Poppen gave up five runs (three earned) over six innings, giving up nine hits and a walk against six strike outs. Max Cordy equaled Poppen’s results in just an inning, giving up five more runs in the seventh. Logan Lombana came in for mop up duty and managed an uneventful eighth inning, giving up a walk, but no hits and no runs to finish the day for Kernels hurlers. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Nick Burdi – Chattanooga Lookouts Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Brian Navarreto – Fort Myers Miracle FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Pawtucket (5:05pm) – LHP Jason Wheeler (2-1, 4.85) Chattanooga @ Montgomery (7:05pm) – RHP Felix Jorge (3-1, 3.71) Ft. Myers @ Charlotte (5:35pm) – RHP Chris Anderson (0-0, 14.14) Cedar Rapids @ Bowling Green (6:35pm) – LHP Domenick Carlini (0-2, 5.74) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Thursday's games. Click here to view the article

Rochester played its home opener on Friday. Could they send their over-11,000 fans home happy? Fernando Romero made his second start of the season for the Lookouts. Was it better than his first outing? The Miracle were able to break a five-game losing streak. Find out how. The Kernels game was delayed by almost two hours… And then they needed an extra inning to decide the winner. Let’s just say the ninth place hitters factored into the game.All that and more. Find out everything that happened in the Twins minor league system on Friday. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Buffalo 3 Box Score The Red Wings hosted their home opener on Friday afternoon. For the second straight game, the Red Wings got eight innings from their starting pitcher. Jose Berrios gave up an unearned run in eight innings on Thursday afternoon. On Friday, it was Nick Tepesch’s turn. The veteran right-hander gave up two runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out eight batters. Kennys Vargas got the game’s scoring started when he drove in Tommy Field with a single in the bottom of the first inning. Tepesch gave up two runs on five hits in the third inning. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Tommy Field’s sacrifice fly scored John Ryan Murphy to tie the game. The game remained tied until the top of the ninth inning. Drew Rucinski came in to replace Tepesch. He gave up a single and a walk before an RBI double. One more walk, and he was replaced by DJ Baxendale who got the final two outs without any further damage. In the bottom of the ninth, Syracuse called in their closer, Joe Nathan. The 42-year-old former Twins closer recorded a 1-2-3 inning to record his first save of the season. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 0, Jacksonville 4 Box Score Fernando Romero was back on the mound for his second start. His first start was shortened due to lack of control and pitch count. His second start was even shorter, though the reasons were the same. The right-hander gave up one run in each of the first three innings, and left with two outs in the third inning. In 2.2 innings, he gave up three runs on three hits. He struck out five, but he also walked five batters. Lefty Nik Turley came on and was impressive again. In 4.1 scoreless innings, he gave up two hits, walked one and struck out eight. That gives him one walk and 18 strikeouts in his 8.1 innings so far this season. Mason Melotakis pitched the eighth inning and gave up an unearned run on two hits. The Lookouts managed just seven hits in being shut out. Engelb Vielma went 2-4 with a walk. Ryan Walker had the lone extra base hit, his second double of the season. Old friend Omar Bencomo, who spent the last two seasons between the Lookouts and the Red Wings, shut out in the Lookouts for the first six innings. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 6, Daytona 0 Box Score After getting single runs in the first and second innings, the Miracle had a much needed big inning in the fifth inning of this game. RBI singles by Zander Wiel and Rafael Valera were followed by a two-run double by Sean Miller. And that was more than right-hander David Fischer needed to record his first win in the Twins organization. He went the first five innings and gave up just two hits. He walked three and struck out eight batters. Williams Ramirez walked two and struck out one over the next two innings. Anthony McIver gave up three hits, but he maintained the shutout with two shutout frames. Rafael Valera went 3-4 with his first triple. Alex Perez went 2-4 with a walk and his first triple. It boosts his season average to .429. Sean Miller went 2-3 with a walk, his third double and three RBI. The win broke a five-game losing streak for the Miracle. They are now 2-7. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Wisconsin 3 (10 innings) Box Score The game was delayed by rain for nearly two hours, and unfortunately for both teams, the bats never really arrived. Besides the late start, the game was scoreless through the first nine innings! Things started happening in the 10th though! Wisconsin starting pitcher Thomas Jankins was tremendous. He kept the Kernels hitters off balance and threw six shutout innings. The only hit he gave up came in the sixth inning when Lewin Diaz doubled, but he was stranded. Fortunately Kernels starter Sean Poppen was also very impressive and matched zeroes with Jankins. In fact, he was even better. The right-hander went 7.2 shutout innings, giving up just two hits and a walk to go with eight strikeouts in the no- decision. Alex Robinson came on and got the final out of the eighth inning and worked a scoreless ninth inning too. Unfortunately in the tenth inning, he gave up an infield single and a second single. He worked to two outs, but a three-run homer by ninth-place hitting Demi Orimoloye gave the TimberRattlers a 3-0 lead. Hector Lujan came on and got the final out of the tenth. In the bottom of the 10th inning, Caleb Hamilton reached base. With one out, Aaron Whitefield, the Kernels ninth-place hitter, drilled a two-run homer. But that was it for the scoring and the Kernels dropped the 3-2 decision. Whitefield went 2-4 with his first homer of the season. Lewin Diaz was 2-4 with his third double. Caleb Hamilton went 1-2 with two walks and a double. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Sean Poppen, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Sean Miller, Ft. Myers Miracle SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Syracuse @ Rochester (12:35 CST) - LHP Jason Wheeler Chattanooga @ Jacksonville - (5:05 CST) - RHP Felix Jorge Ft. Myers @ Daytona (6:05 CST) - RHP Keaton Steele Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (5:05 CST) - RHP Alex Schick Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins’ bats continued to rake in Cleveland with a third straight win, and a third straight double-digit output. The team is now 32-30 in their last 62 games. Mauer. Dozier. Kepler, Rosario. Pretty much everyone is producing right now. While the Twins have played three straight high-scoring blowout wins, the Twins affiliates all played some very close contests on Wednesday. There were a couple of transactions of note on Wednesday as well: Niko Goodrum came off of the disabled list for the Lookouts.While we noted that Tyler Jay was placed on the Lookouts disabled list with a “neck strain,” Rob Antony indicated to reporters before Wednesday’s game that there is some concern about Jay’s shoulder.RHP Brian Gilbert was released by the Twins and from the Miracle roster.LHP Cam Booser was promoted from the Kernels to the Miracle.RHP Brady Anderson, a non-drafted free agent from Florida Gulf Coast, was promoted from the GCL and started on Wednesday for the Kernels.Following Wednesday night’s game, Jeff Johnson (The Gazette in Cedar Rapids) reported that RHPs Cody Stashak and Dereck Rodriguez were also headed to Ft. Myers. He also noted the RHP Kuo Hua Lo had been released.Thursday is an exciting day for a couple of new Twins. Hector Santiago will make his Twins debut in Cleveland on Thursday morning. In Rochester, Adalberto Mejia will make his first start.With that, let’s get to the Minor League Report for Wednesday. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Pawtucket 2 Box Score This was a bit of an intense game. In fact, the game finished under protest by Pawtucket. At that time, Mike Quade, the Red Wings manager, was ejected. Pawtucket questioned which pitcher Quade signaled in from the bullpen. So, the International League will need to make a decision. If they decide to agree with the PawSox, the teams would start the game where it was in the 8th inning. Pat Dean started and gave up two runs on seven hits in 6.2 innings. He walked two and struck out six. Neil Ramirez gave up one hit but got the final out of the seventh inning. He gave up a single to lead off the eighth. Then came the controversy. Ryan O’Rourke came into the game and gave up a hit to the one batter he faced. It was a bunt single on which Reynaldo Rodriguez tried a swipe tag. The runner was ruled safe. Quade disagreed and was ejected. Pat Light then was summoned for his Twins organization debut against guys he was teammates with a couple of days ago. He gave up a hit which loaded the bases, but he was able to get out of the inning without the tying run being allowed to score. He even hit 100 mph on the radar gun a few times. Alex Wimmers came on for the ninth. He also kept it interesting. He gave up two hits and walked one but struck out two and didn’t allow the tying run to score. It was Wimmers’ ninth save with the Red Wings. Trevor Plouffe played seven innings at third base and came to the plate four times before being replaced to start the eighth inning. He was 0-3 with a walk. Reynaldo Rodriguez went 2-3. Daniel Palka was 1-3 with a walk. Darin Mastroianni went 1-2 with a walk and his eighth stolen base. Wilfredo Tovar went 1-3 with a walk and stole his 24th base and hit his first homer of the year. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Game 1 - Chattanooga 3, Mobile 4 Box Score David Hurlbut gave up three home runs in the first two innings to let the team get down 4-3. The Lookouts scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to cut the lead to 4-3 but fell one run shy and lost game 1. Hurlbut recovered well, however, completing all six innings. He gave up the four runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out six. Niko Goodrum hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning. It was his second Lookouts homer. Ryan Walker went 2-3 with a walk. Engelb Vielma went 2-2 with a walk and is now hitting .299. Travis Harrison walked twice. Game 2 - Chattanooga 4, Mobile 5 (11 innings) Box Score The game was tied at three going into the 11th inning. In the top half of the inning, Levi Michael scored on a wild pitch to give the Lookouts a 4-3 lead. Unfortunately, the Lookouts had their second blown save of the game and fell 5-4 after giving up two runs in the bottom of the inning. Felix Jorge started and went the first 5.2 innings. He gave up two runs on seven hits. He struck out four without a walk. Jake Reed went the next 1.1 innings and gave up one run on two hits, earning a blown save. He struck out two. Zack Jones worked the next two innings. He gave up one hit but no runs. He struck out five batters. Raul Fernandez pitched a scoreless tenth inning but he gave up the two runs in the 11th inning. The Lookouts had nine hits in the 11 innings. Zach Granite had two hits. Niko Goodrum had a two-run single, one of his two hits. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 5, Bradenton 9 Box Score The game was tied at five going into the bottom of the eighth, but Todd Van Steensel wasn’t able to keep the lead. Randy LeBlanc started and went just three innings. He gave up five runs on nine hits and a walk without a strikeout. Randy Rosario came out of the bullpen and threw two shutout innings. He gave up a hit and walked one but struck out four. Cam Booser made his first Miracle appearance. He walked one and struck one out in his inning. Van Steensel gave up four runs on four hits and a walk in the eighth inning and he also pitched the ninth. LaMonte Wade led the offense. He went 2-3, was hit by a pitch and added his seventh double. TJ White went 2-4 with his 12th double. Joe Maloney was also 2-4. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Clinton 3 Box Score Brady Anderson was pitching great in the GCL, but the Kernels needed a starter and Anderson got the call. He arrived and was placed right on the mound for his Midwest League debut. The right-hander went the first five innings. He gave up three runs on seven hits and a walk. He struck out two. He left the game with the bases loaded and no outs in the sixth inning. Williams Ramirez came on and got the next three batters out to avoid any further damage. Ramirez went two innings and gave up just one hit. Max Cordy worked the final two innings. He gave up just one hit and was credited with his first win. Sean Miller led the way. He got the offense going with his fourth home run of the year. Zander Wiel went 2-3 with a walk and his sixth triple. Chris Ibarra went 2-4. Kevin Garcia went 2-4. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Miller got things going with this 17th double. It was backed up by Garcia’s sixth double which proved to be the game-winning RBI. E-TWINS E-NOTES Box Score No Game Scheduled. In off-the-field news, Alex Kirilloff got engaged… in case you were wondering. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 3, GCL Rays 2 Box Score Jordan Balazovic made his first start. He gave up one run on four hits and two walks in three innings. Clark Beeker came on and gave up one run on three hits over 3.2 innings. He walked three and struck out three. Callan Pearce struck out two over 2.1 scoreless innings to end the game. He walked two and gave up one hit. The Twins had eight hits in the game, and six of them came in the final two innings. The team was down 2-0 going into the eighth inning. Dominic Blanco singled. Then Heiker Meneses singled. Then Aaron Whitefield had an RBI single. That was followed by an RBI single from Jean Carlos Arias to tie the game. Then in the bottom of the ninth inning, Jorge Munoz got things going with a single. He advanced to third base on a Jhon Alvarez double. Heiker Meneses was walked but on the final pitch, there was a passed ball and Munoz scored the winning run. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Pat Dean, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Sean Miller, Cedar Rapids Kernels THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Pawtucket @ Rochester (12:35 CST) - LHP Adalberto Mejia Chattanooga @ Mobile (6:35 CST) - LHP Stephen Gonsalves Ft. Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 CST) - LHP Sam Clay Clinton @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) – RHP Eduardo Del Rosario Elizabethton @ Johnson City (6:00 CST) - RHP Ryan Mason GCL Twins @ GCL Rays (11:00 am CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Wednesday's games. Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins were unable to complete their comeback against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday afternoon, but there were still five games to be played in the minor leagues for the organization. Left-hander Stephen Gonsalves was on the mound for the Lookouts, and put zeroes on the board for the first five innings of a game that went into extras. How did he and Chattanooga finish? Rochester got little offense and Elizabethton traded blows with their Appalachian League rival, Johnson City. Were they able to come out on top? 2016’s top draft pick also continued a hot stretch in the Appy League. Just how hot has it become?To find out the answers to those questions and how the rest of the affiliates fared on Sunday, keep reading! RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 0, Syracuse 6 Box Score Rochester starter Pat Dean got roughed up for six runs in five innings of work. He allowed eight hits, including two home runs, walked two and struck out two. Five of those six runs came in the third inning, and Dean did recover and finish two more innings. Ryan O’Rourke (1.2IP, 2 K’s), D.J. Baxendale (0.1IP, K), and J.T. Chargois (1.0IP, 1 H) combined to pitch three scoreless innings of relief. Top pitching prospect Reynaldo Lopez held the Red Wings to just four hits on the day, and they didn’t have a single plate appearance with a runner in scoring position. Lopez threw a complete game shutout, striking out seven along the way. John Ryan Murphy was 2-3 in the game. James Beresford and Jorge Polanco added the other singles for Rochester. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 3, Jackson 4 (12 innings) Box Score Chattanooga took the first lead of the game in the top of the fourth inning as they sent eight men to the plate and scored three runs on two hits and two walks in the inning. The big hit was an Edgar Corcino triple to score two and put the Lookouts out front 3-0. Lookout’s starter Stephen Gonsalves was effectively wild for the game's first five innings, as he held the Jackson Generals scoreless despite five walks and three hits allowed. He also did not strike out a single hitter. It finally caught up to him in the sixth. He walked the first two men he faced, and threw a wild pitch, before Raul Fernandez came in from the bullpen. Both inherited runners would score, one on a bases loaded passed ball, and the other on a ground out. Fernandez allowed a run of his own to on a single to tie the game at three. He came back out for the seventh and allowed a double, but struck out two to finish the inning. Mason Melotakis walked three hitters around two consecutive K’s in the eighth before Zack Jones was brought on with the bases loaded. He got a fly out to end the inning and keep the game tied. Jones added a scoreless bottom of the ninth to push the game to extra innings. Trevor Hildenberger was the next reliever up for the Lookouts, and went one-two-three in each of the tenth and eleventh innings, striking out two along the way. In the top of the twelfth and a runner on second base, Corcino sent a single into right field, but D.J. Hicks was out at home on the throw, keeping the game tied. Hildenberger came back out for the bottom of the twelfth and struck out the first batter of the inning, but a throwing error on a ground ball to third baseman Niko Goodrum put the winning run on base. A single to the next batter moved him to third and an intentional walk loaded the bases with one out. The next batter sent a ground ball through the hole on the right side and brought in the walk-off winning run for Jackson. The Lookouts have the day off on Monday and head back home for a five-game series starting on Tuesday against the Tennessee Smokies after losing the five-game set with the Generals 4-1. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Clearwater 7 Box score The Miracle fell behind early in the second inning as starter Miles Nordgren ran into trouble. The Threshers scored three runs on four singles and a wild pitch in the inning, and another potential run was erased on a 1-2-3 double play ball. Nordgren allowed one more unearned run in the fourth and finished five innings in the game. He allowed six hits and walked two while striking out three. The first three runs against Nordgren would be all Clearwater needed in the game, as Fort Myers managed just five hits. Reynaldo Rodriguez hit his second Florida State League home run of the year. Joe Maloney, Trey Vavra, Tanner Witt and Brian Olson all had singles. Michael Theofanopoulos threw a scoreless sixth and struck out two. Luke Westphal allowed three runs (zero earned) in the seventh to put the final score on the board, thanks to a throwing error charged to third baseman T.J. White. Yorman Landa started the eighth and struck out two, but allowed a double and two walks to load the bases before Nick Anderson came on and ended the threat with a strikeout of his own. The Miracle lost the four-game series with the Threshers 3-1 and are now an even 50-50 on the season. They return home to Fort Myers on Monday to take on the Palm Beach Cardinals. KERNELS NUGGETS Dayton 6, Cedar Rapids 10 Box Score Cedar Rapids fell behind 2-0 before their first at bat, but responded with six runs of their own in the first two innings to take an early 6-2 lead. An RBI double from Sean Miller, an RBI single from Jaylin Davis, and a two-run triple from Chris Ibarra put the Kernels out front 4-2 after one. A bases loaded walk from Luis Arreaz and a run scoring double play ball in the second made it 6-2 Kernels starter Cody Stashak recovered from the first inning runs to pitch four straight scoreless innings. He allowed two more runs in the sixth but finished the inning. In his six innings he allowed the four runs on six hits and two walks. He struck out four and improves to 7-5 on the season. Cedar Rapids added four more runs in the seventh inning thanks to bases loaded walks from Davis and Ibarra, and a two-RBI ground-rule double off the bat of Rainis Silva to make it 10-4. Reliever Andrew Vasquez picked up his first hold with the Kernels, throwing two scoreless innings and striking out four. Cam Booser allowed two runs on one hit and two walks in the ninth inning. He struck out one. The Kernels offense got multi-hit efforts from Miller (2-3, 2 R’s, 2B, RBI, BB) and Nelson Molina (2-4, R, 2B). Casey Scoggins drew four walks and scored three runs out of the leadoff spot. The Dragons and Kernels wrap up their three-game series with a high-noon rubber match tomorrow at Veterans Memorial Stadium. E-TWINS E-NOTES Johnson City 4, Elizabethton 5 Box Score The Twins and Cardinals traded blows in this one, as Elizabethton scored one in the bottom of the first to take the early lead thanks to an errant pick-off throw with runners on the corners. Right fielder Alex Kirilloff may have saved a run in the first inning, as he cut down a runner at third on a single for the outfield assist and the inning's first out. It was the beginning off a good day that brought his average on the year up to .383. He singled in the bottom of the inning to move Ariel Montesino into scoring position for the errant pickoff (Kirilloff was also thrown out at third trying to stretch the error into a two-base error). Johnson City scored two runs in the third against Elizabethton starter Jose Martinez to go up 2-1, and scored a third in the fourth thanks to an error. Kirilloff scored the Twins second run in the bottom of the fourth, as he singled and scored on a single from Shane Carrier to bring them within one. The Cardinals went up 4-2 in the top of the fifth as another Twins error led to another unearned run for their starter. Martinez would finish six innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on nine hits while striking out four. In the bottom of the fifth Elizabethton tied the game at four, with the tying run being driven in by none other than Alex Kirilloff. Luis Martinez had driven in Robert Molina with a double earlier in the inning. In the bottom of the sixth the Twins took back the lead thanks to an RBI single from Martinez to drive in Carrier, and the bullpen took it from there. Quin Grogan recorded five outs and allowed three hits and a walk, but got some help thanks to a 9-6-4 double play that was started by Kirilloff in right field. The runner on first also tagged on the fly and shortstop Montesino cut the throw off and nabbed the trailing runner at second. Kirilloff got credit for his second outfield assist of the game. Grogan got a double play ball in the eighth but then allowed a double that summoned Johan Quezada from the bullpen. He got the final out of the inning, and though he walked the bases loaded in the ninth, he also struck out two including the final out of the game to pick up his second save with Elizabethton. Kirilloff finished 3-4 with a run scored and RBI and is second in the Appalachian League in batting average. He also owns a ten game hitting streak over which time he is 21-44 (.477) with two doubles, three home runs, fourteen runs scored and ten RBIs. Carrier (2-4, R, RBI), Molina (2-4, R), and Martinez (2-3, R, RBI) also added multiple hits. GCL TWINS TAKES The GCL Twins, like most the rest of the Gulf Coast League, had the day off on Sunday. They get back to action tomorrow morning on the road against the GCL Orioles. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Andrew Vasquez, Cedar Rapids Kernels (Hold, 2.0IP, BB, 4 K’s) Hitter of the Day – Casey Scoggins, Cedar Rapids Kernels (0-1, 3 R’s, 4 BB) (Because I love a day like that out of a leadoff hitter!) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Pawtucket (6:05PM CST) – LHP Nick Greenwood (2-1, 3.75 ERA) Chattanooga – Scheduled day-off. Palm Beach @ Fort Myers (6:05PM CST) – RHP Keaton Steele (4-9, 4.64 ERA) Dayton @ Cedar Rapids (12:05PM PM CST) – LHP Lachlan Wells (2-2, 2.05 ERA) Elizabethton @ Pulaski (6:00PM CST) – TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (11:00AM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

The Kernels needed extra innings to pick up a big win on Wednesday night. It may not have been the most exciting way to win, but it works. The winning run was scored by a young man who reached base five times on the evening. A top prospect threw six shutout innings. Another starter put together a quality start. One pitcher, in his second professional start, threw five shutout innings. And there was much more throughout the system. And hey, within a period of 14 hours, the Twins earned two wins! With that, let’s get to the scores and highlights of the day in the Twins minor league system. But first, at around 11:00 p.m., Mike Berardino posted the following: Well earned, I think we can all agree.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 0, Lehigh Valley 2 Box Score Jason Wheeler put together yet another quality start for the Red Wings. The left-hander went six innings and gave up two runs on nine hits. He walked two and struck out six. Buddy Boshers came on and got the first two outs of the seventh inning. Marcus Walden got the final four outs without allowing a run. He gave up a hit and walked a batter. The Red Wings were just not able to muster any offense. They had just four hits. Adam Brett Walker went 1-3 with a walk and his 13th double. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 6, Birmingham 0 Box Score The Lookouts had a morning game on Wednesday, and they came ready to play. Stephen Gonsalves was a little wild, but he was able to avoid allowing runs and recorded his second AA win. The left-hander went the first six innings. He gave up no runs on just three hits. He walked five and struck out five. Jake Reed came on and was perfect for two innings. He struck out two. Trevor Hildenberger worked an uneventful ninth to drop his AA ERA to just 0.92. The Lookouts were able get a couple of runs off White Sox 2015 top pick Carson Fulmer. The scored two runs off of him despite his ten strikeouts. Fulmer falls to 4-9 with a 4.76 ERA. Zack Burdi, the White Sox #1 pick this June and younger brother of Twins prospect Nick Burdi, made his AA debut in the 6th inning. It didn’t go well. He faced five batters. He gave up one hit and walked four before being removed. He was charged with four runs. He walked Leonardo Reginnato and Stuart Turner to start the inning. He then gave up a single to Engelb Vielma. Zach Granite and Ryan Walker both walked to each drive in a run. After a pitching change and a Daniel Palka strikeout, Mitch Garver singled in Vielma and Dalton Hicks scored Granite on a sacrifice fly. Zach Granite went 2-4 with a walk in the game to push his season average to .301. Mitch Garver went 2-5. Stuart Turner added his 12th double. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 3, St. Lucie 4 Box Score Keaton Steele gave the Miracle six innings, but there was not enough offense. Steele fell to 4-7. He was charged with four runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out three. Yorman Landa threw two perfect inning of relief. The Miracle offense only managed five hits. Edgar Corcino hit his 13th double. AJ Murray drove one in with his fifth double. Joe Maloney hit a two-run homer, his first, with the Miracle. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 9, Wisconsin 8 (12 innings) Box Score In the 12th inning, Luis Arraez led off with a walk. It was the fifth time he had reached base in the game. Zander Wiel moved him to second base on a bunt. It was followed by an intentional walk of Nelson Molina. JJ Fernandez grounded out which brought up Jaylin Davis with the opportunity to play hero in his first game with the Kernels. On the second pitch, the ball went to the backstop. Arraez scored and the Kernels won. Arraez led the way. He went 4-5 with a walk and four RBI. Sean Miller went 3-6 with his 14th double and third home run, a three-run blast that gave the Kernels a 7-5 lead in the 8th inning. Rainis Silva went 2-4 with a walk and three runs scored. Daniel Kihle and Jermaine Palacios were both 2-5. Eduardo Del Rosario went the first 5.2 innings. He gave up three runs on eight hits. He walked one and struck out two. Anthony McIver came on and before getting the final out of the sixth, he gave up two more runs. He did strike out three in 1.1 innings. Michael Cederoth threw a scoreless inning. He walked one and gave up one hit. Kuo Hua Lo gave up a three-run homer that put the Kernels behind in the 9th inning. However, he worked three innings and gave up the three runs on two hits and four walks. Williams Ramirez pitched a scoreless 12th inning to pick up the win. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton, Bristol Box Score This game was postponed by rain. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 4, GCL Rays 2 Box Score This game was scoreless through the first five innings. Both starters tossed five shutout innings before the game was handed to the bullpens. For the Twins, it was right-hander Tyler Fox, an undrafted free agent from Nebraska-Omaha. He gave up just two hits and didn’t issue a walk in his five scoreless innings. He struck out four. The Twins manufactured a couple of runs in the sixth inning. Lean Marrero led off with a single and stole second base. He advanced to third base on a ground out. Dane Hutcheon walked and stole second. With runners now on second and third, Jorge Munoz singled to left to score both runners. The team added two more runs in the seventh inning. With one out, Tyree Davis hit his first home run of the season. After Juan Gamez and Lean Marrero walked, Jean Carlos Arias walked to load the bases. A Hutcheon ground out to the pitcher allowed Gamez to score the Twins fourth run of the game. Matz Schutte threw scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh. He gave up just an unearned run in the eighth inning. He struck out three. Callan Pearce recorded the save. He gave up an unearned run on two hits in the ninth. He struck out two. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Tyler Fox, GCL Twins Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Luis Arraez, Cedar Rapids Kernels THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Lehigh Valley (6:05 CST) - LHP Pat Dean Birmingham @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - RHP Aaron Slegers Bradenton @ Ft. Myers (6:05 CST) - LHP Randy Rosario (completion of a suspended game in the 4th inning from earlier this season first though) Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) – RHP Cody Stashak Elizabethton @ Bristol (DH @ 5:00 CST) - RHP Domenick Carlini, TBD GCL Rays @ GCL Twins (11:00am CST) - LHP Bo Hellquist Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Wednesday's games. Click here to view the article

Sean Miller grew up in Maryland. He is the son of a former professional ballplayer. Following high school, Miller went to the University of South Carolina in Aiken where he started in at least fifty games all three years. The Twins drafted him in the 10th round last June. After just 11 games in Elizabethton he was promoted to Cedar Rapids for the end of their season and their playoff run. In the last month, he has become one of the most reliable hitters in the Kernels lineup.However, things weren’t looking real good early in the season. On May 2nd, the 21-year-old infielder was hitting just .171/.188/.237 (.424) through the first 19 games with the Kernels. Not exactly numbers that earn a player a promotion, but when Nick Gordon went on the 7-Day disabled list in Ft. Myers, Miller was called up. In his week with the Miracle, Miller played in four games and hit just .125 (2-16). Gordon came off the DL, and Miller was shipped back to Cedar Rapids. Ironically, some of his baggage arrived in Ft. Myers after Miller returned to Iowa.. Back in Cedar Rapids, things changed. Miller got back to work and the results started showing immediately. “When I got back, I really started to get to work with Jake (Mauer) and Dink (hitting coach Brian Dinkelman), and they’ve really helped me turn things around. Once I started consistently doing it, it just took off for me. Once you get hot and get confident, it’s kind of hard to go back to... crap, which is what I was doing.” In 27 games since returning to the Kernels, Miller has hit an impressive.368/.372/.496 (.868) with nine doubles and three triples. In that time, he has hits in 25 of the 27 games, and he’s been on base in all but one game. Because of it, he finds himself hitting at the top of the Kernels lineup. Drafted in large part due to his ability to play shortstop, he has played all over the diamond for the Kernels already this season. “I’ve gotten used to playing third and second. I’ve played a lot at third this year. This is the first time I’ve ever played there, but I've learned a lot from Jake over there. He’s taught me and showed me different things.” Miller continued regarding the differences between shortstop and the hot corner, “Maybe the spin on the ball. Balls that are smoked and maybe top-spun, you just have to react. You don’t have time. At short, I have time to move my feet. At third it’s taking different angles and getting used to it.” Just one year ago, Miller had completed his junior season at USC-Aiken. He was back home with his family. He assumed he wouldn’t be drafted on Day 1, but he figured there was a really good chance he would be taken sometime on Day 2. “I was expecting to go in the Top 10 (rounds) somewhere, I just didn’t know where, I had no idea.” The draft is always unpredictable. Players may hear all kinds of opinions on where they might be selected. They talk to scouts, but even that doesn’t give them a whole lot of clues. “I met with one Twins scout, one time, in Charlotte, NC, and that’s the only time I talked to them. I got a couple of calls before the tenth (round), but nothing really worked out and all of a sudden I got that call, and it was awesome.” You’ll find that players hoping to be drafted will try to find anything to keep from following the draft too closely (while at the same time fully understanding what’s going on). His advisor was keeping him updated through much of the day, so Miller spent the morning golfing. However, he was at home during much of the draft. “I was playing golf, and then I went home sitting on the couch watching TV. My dad had it (the draft) on in the other room. I was done. I was over it. But then he called me into the room, and I said ‘Wow, I’m glad you called me in here.’” It was appropriate that he was able to share the draft day experience with his father, Steve. When asked who in his life helped him get to where he is today (playing pro ball and finding success), Miller answered very quickly. “I would say my dad. He played pro ball for several years. He’s been around. He knows more than me. He’s helped me prepare for it, to know to expect or not to expect. The highs and lows of playing. He coached me for two years in HS, freshman and sophomore years, and then he was done.” It was time for him just to enjoy watching his son play ball. Steve Miller was San Francisco’s 13th-round pick in 1983 and spent five years in the Giants organization. He spent a couple of years in AAA but fell just short of the big leagues. He was known for his glove and for his defense primarily. Some of the best advice the son has been given by his father? “Don’t get too low, or don’t get to high. If you go 0-20, don’t go out and stay out all night. Still have to treat it like you’re 10-20 or something.” Sean has an older brother who pitched for four years in college. While Sean is listed at about 5-11, his brother stands 6-7. So what were Miller’s goals heading into this season? “I moved up quick last year. I wanted to come in here and do that again, maybe move up at some point. Mainly I just want to get comfortable and show my skills at the plate. I know I can hit. I want to show everyone that I can hit, and I’m starting to. After a rough start, I’m starting to show that I can hit a little bit.” Though he hasn’t walked a lot through his hot stretch, Miller knows that getting on base will be a key skill for him. “For me I’ve got to get on base and run, use my speed. See more pitches. I mean, I can hit a lot of pitches, but hitting pitches that are in my zone is just going to help me so much. I’ll be successful.” But that doesn’t mean he he isn’t continuing to work hard on his defensive skills. “I’m definitely a defensive guy, but I want to show that I can swing the bat too. I’m not just a guy who’s going to get infield singles or bloop balls. I’ve got a little pop.” Miller is talked about as a leader on the team, a real team player on and off of it. He has been active in the Cedar Rapids community already, recently spending time meeting and playing games with elderly. Following each Sunday home game, the Kernels spend a half-hour in the outfield, giving autographs and taking pictures. It’s neat to see how the kids kind of gravitate to Miller. On the field, Miller continues to improve, and it is possible that at some point he could find himself in Ft. Myers for more than just one week. Click here to view the article