Search the Community

Jose Berrios continued his dominance and struck out 11 Marlin batters as he threw seven scoreless innings. The Twins’ offense rebounded from their slow night last night and jumped on Sandy Alcantara for seven runs and ran him out of the game before he finished the fifth inning. Sean Poppen blew the shutout with a grand slam, but Rogers shut down their rally.Box Score Berrios: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 11 K, 69.1% strikes (56 of 81 pitches) Bullpen: 2 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 5 K Home Runs: Garver (20), Rosario (23), Kepler (29) Multi-Hit Games: Garver (2-for-4, HR), Rosario (2-for-4, HR, 2B) Top 3 WPA: Garver .241, Berrios .200, Kepler .158 Berrios Lights Out Bert Blyleven said before Berrios’ start that he would give him a high-five and a pat on the back if he threw a complete game shutout. He struck out a season-high 11 batters, had a 1-2-3 inning in six out of seven innings he pitched. Unfortunately, he was pulled after just seven innings throwing only 81 pitches. Berrios was perfect through four innings while striking out six of the nine batters he faced. In the fifth, he surrendered two weak-hit balls for singles, but followed it up by getting the next three batters out, one via a strikeout. In the sixth inning, he struck out the side to bring his total up to ten on the night. In his last inning, he picked up his season-high 11th strikeout of the night, but fell short of his career high of 12 after being pulled after just 81 pitches. Berrios was unstoppable on the mound tonight but was pulled before he was able to go for a complete game. Berrios is still deserving of a high-five and a pat on the back after he silenced this Marlins’ team. Bomba Squad After an unorthodox night from the Twins’ offense, they pounced on Sandy Alcantara for three home runs and forced him out of the game before he could even finish the fifth inning. Mitch Garver got things going after Jose Berrios battled a leadoff walk which was followed by Max Kepler’s second walk of the day. Garver ended an 0-for-17 streak with a 3-run bomba to capitalize on the leadoff walks. This was just the start of the hitting fun for the Twins tonight. Kepler led off the fifth inning with a solo shot for his 29th home run of the year to put him in third in the A.L. lead in home runs. The fifth inning wasn’t done for Alcantara, after Garver hit a swinging bunt down the third base line, Eddie Rosario hit the team’s third home run of the game. This was only Eddie’s hit fourth home run since June 5th in 31 games. After a walk and double, Alcantara’s night was done, but another run was surrendered on a Schoop single to add on to his rough night. Poppen Blows Shutout Sean Poppen came in after a stellar performance by Berrios and worked through the eighth inning with ease. The ninth was completely different as he gave up three straight singles to start the inning followed by a grand slam by Brian Anderson to cut the deficit to only three runs. Poppen picked up a strikeout on the following batter before Taylor Rogers came in to close out the game striking out the two batters he faced. Postgame With Baldelli Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet Click here for a review of the number of pitches thrown by each member of the bullpen over the past five days. Click here to view the article

Nelson Cruz and the Minnesota Twins continued their hitting hot-streak and jumped on Lucas Giolito and the White Sox. Jose Berrios finally got some run support and picked up his first win since June 6. Poppen put up two shutout innings as the Twins' bullpen gets another break.Box Score Berrios: 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 75.5% strikes (80 of 106 pitches) Bullpen (Poppen): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K Home Runs: Cruz 3 (25), Kepler (26), Sano (17) Multi-Hit Games: Cruz (3-5, 3 HR), Sano (2-4, HR), Buxton (2-4, 2 2B) Top 3 WPA: Berrios .111, Kepler .140, Cruz .377 Bottom 3 WPA: Buxton -.048, Garver -.040, Polanco -.034 Offense Continues to Thrive Nelson Cruz has now homered in the last four games, and has seven home runs in the last six games. He came into tonight’s game with 382 home runs in his career, but did something for the first time in his career tonight. It came against the ace of the Sox as he faced him three times and hit three home runs. Giolito came into this game giving up only 10 home runs, but surrendered five to the league’s best home run hitting team. His first home run was a solo shot and went 473 feet that set a record for the longest home run in Guaranteed Rate Stadium in the Statcast era. His second and third home runs traveled 433 and 430 feet, respectively, and came with a runner on. His home run distance added up to 1,336 total feet and all three balls went to three different spots on the field. Max Kepler and Miguel Sano each got in on the home run fun by hitting two-run home runs of their own. Byron Buxton brought his energy back to the lineup by extending a single into a double and hitting a stand-up double in the eighth. Berrios’ Quality Start After seeing some of the worst pitching of the season throughout the last series, Jose Berrios came in and showed why he is the ace of this ball club. Though this long start was a night late, it still came at a good time as most of the bullpen was able to have another night off. Though Berrios has been pitching outstanding this year, he hasn’t picked up a win since June 6 solely because of the lack of run support in those games. He had an ERA of 2.65 through seven starts in 44 2/3 innings. Tonight was no different from Berrios, but completely different from the offense. Berrios was locked in tonight as he gave up only two earned runs, one unearned, through seven innings. He managed to strikeout eight batters, getting five on his four-seam fastball, two with his changeup, and only one on his dirty slider. He also was able to get 17 swinging strikes. Poppen Continues AAA Success During a series that no Twins’ pitcher cares to remember, there were three standouts, and all of them were in AAA before the series started. With the bullpen getting worked so much recently, another move happened before today’s game that brought up Sean Poppen for the second time this year. After the three call-ups from last series gave up just two runs in 9 2/3 innings, Poppen continued their recent success tonight. In his first inning of work, Jose Abreu helped him out by not retouching second base on his way back to first after a fly ball and Rosario tossed it to Schoop to double him up. He then struck out James McCann to end the eighth. He worked through an easy 1-2-3 ninth inning to finish the game and his second appearance of the year. He got a weak ground ball and struck out the final two batters with his slider. Poppen’s stuff looked really good, but struggled with his control a little. His fastball has good movement on it and sits around 94-95 MPH and he really likes to use his sinker and sliders. They both have great movement and some White Sox hitters swung at some pitches in the other box. Postgame With Baldelli Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet Click here for a review of the number of pitches thrown by each member of the bullpen over the past five days. Click here to view the article

We certainly hope you had a fantastic Fourth of July, and maybe you were even able to catch a ball game. It was a busy game day in the Twins farm system. Not as busy as Friday night will be (due to two doubleheaders) but busy nonetheless. Luis Rijo and Sean Poppen were really good on the mound. The Red Wings offense all showed up. There were extra innings for Pensacola. Jared Akins powered the Kernels to a win. A couple of transactions. And, a partridge in a pear tree. Enjoy tonight’s Minor League Report.Find out everything that happened happened in the Twins system on Thursday, starting with the transactions of the day. TRANSACTIONS The Twins announced that LHP Andrew Vasquez had been outrirghted from the team’s 40-man roster to the Red Wings.The Kernels announced that OF Tyler Webb had been added to their roster with infielder Estamy Urena released.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 11, Scranton/Wilkes Barre 1 Box Score This was a great all-around game for the Red Wings. They got strong pitching and the team scored its 11 runs on 20 hits. All nine Red Wings had at least one hit. Seven of the nine had at least two hits. The top two hitters, Nick Gordon and Drew Maggi each had three hits while the team’s #3 hitter, Jake Cave, had four hits. Gordon, Cave and Zander Wiel each hit a double. Cave added a triple. Sean Poppen was the beneficiary of the run support, but he was really good too, to improve to 5-0 with the Red Wings. The right-hander gave up just one run over seven innings of work. Gabriel Moya and Andrew Vasquez each threw a scoreless inning as well. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 5, Birmingham 8 Box Score The Blue Wahoos clawed back after falling behind early to force an extra inning, but the game ended in the tenth on a three-run walk off home run. Caleb Hamilton led the offense with a single, his 12th double and his second triple of the year. Alex Kirilloff also had two hits in the effort. Joe Cronin was 3-for-4 in the game. Griffin Jax started and gave up four runs on eight hits over the game’s first six innings. His ERA jumped to 2.04 on the season. Anthony Vizcaya gave up a run over his two innings to bump his ERA up to 0.86 since joining Pensacola. Zack Weiss worked a scoreless ninth but gave up the home run in the bottom of the 10th. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers , Palm Beach Box Score The Miracle game was postponed by rain. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Burlington 2 Box Score The Kernels got another great start from Luis Rijo and a huge home run and held on for another win. Luis Rijo went the first seven innings. He gave up just one hit, walked none and struck out ten. He needed just 71 pitches and 56 of them were strikes. Jose Martinez gave up two runs in the ninth but they held on for a 4-2 win. Jared Akins provided the big hit for Kernels. His sixth-inning home run came with two runners on base and gave the Kernels a 3-0 lead. It was his ninth home run of the season. Gilberto Celestino went 2-for-3 with a walk and a triple. E-TWINS E-NOTES E-Twins 6, Kingsport 2 Box Score The E-Twins powered their way to this victory on Thursday. Alex Isola got things going with his first pro home run, a two-run shot in the second inning. In the seventh frame, Willie Joe Garry hit his first professional homer. Albee Weiss added his fourth of the 2019 season. Those three homers accounted for 60% of the E-Twins hits in this game. Ben Gross made the start. The Duke right-hander gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits over the first six innings. He walked one and struck out four batters. Stephen Cruz struck out two batters over his two scoreless innings, and Nathan Hadley struck out two in the ninth inning. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 4, GCL Braves 5 Box Score The Twins got out to an early lead with a three-run first inning, but were unable to hold the lead. Jeferson Morales had the big first-inning hit with a two-run homer. The Twins had just three hits. Keoni Cavaco (3rd) and Jesus Feliz (2nd) each doubled. Niklas Rimmel started and gave up just one run on two hits over the first five innings. The German right-hander walked two and struck out four batters. Niall Windeler came on for his pro debut. He gave up three runs on three hits and a walk in his inning. Bradley Hanner gave up one run on four hits over the final three innings. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Luis Rijo, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Jake Cave, Rochester Red Wings PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - Rained out #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - 2-5, RBI #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured List (shoulder) #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - Rained out #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, BB, 2K #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Ft. Myers) -Rained out #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL Twins) - 1-2, 2B(3), R, RBI #8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - 2-6, RBI #9 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Rained out #10 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) - Rained out #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 3-6, 2B(20) 2 R, 2 RBI, K #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - Rained out #14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) - 1-5 #15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) - 0-3, K, R #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - Did not play #17 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Injured (Tommy John) #18 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL Twins) - 0-0 (just came in as last-inning defensive replacement) #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) - 1-5, 2B(13), RBI FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Scranton/Wilkes Barre (DH @ 5:05 CST) - RHP Kohl Stewart (5-4, 5.64 ERA), LHP Lewis Thorpe (3-4, 5.71 ERA) Pensacola @ Birmingham (7:05 CST) - TBD Palm Beach @ Ft. Myers (DH @ 4:30 CST) - RHP Blayne Enlow (3-2, 3.09 ERA), LHP Tyler Watson (1-4, 4.56 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Burlington (6:35 CST) - RHP Josh Winder (6-1, 2.40 ERA) Kingsport @ Elizabethton (5:30 CST) - RHP Andriu Marin (1-1, 4.00 ERA) GCL Red Sox @ GCL Twins (11:00 CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Thursday games or any other minor league topics you would like. Click here to view the article

Three Twins affiliates did not play on Monday, but the three teams that did provided a lot of highlights. Keoni Cavaco and the 2019 GCL Twins played their first professional games. A couple of talented lefties made rehab appearances. Rochester powered their way to a win. Two Red Wings hit their first Triple-A homer. Sean Poppen made his first Red Wings start since his MLB debut. Griffin Jax was terrific. And Travis Blankenhorn kept raking. The Twins signed another draft pick, and we know where Cody Allen has been assigned.Find out everything that happened happened in the Twins system on Thursday, starting with the transactions of the day. TRANSACTIONS RHP Kohl Stewart returned to Rochester.OF Jimmy Kerrigan returned to Pensacola.LHP Andrew Vasquez and LHP Lachlan Wells began rehab assignments with the GCL Twins.Cody Allen will be assigned to Double-A Pensacola to start his minor league assignment. (he appears on the Blue Wahoos roster)In the GCL, Landon Leach and Seth Pinkerton were added to the 7 Day IL. Also, Zach Featherstone, Danny Moreno, Luis Gomez, Michael Montero, Sean Mooney, Jon Olsen and Fredderi Soto were placed on the 60 Day IL.RHP and 2019 draft pick Tyler Beck returned to the GCL Twins after his one appearance with the Ft. Myers Miracle.11th-round pick Tanner Brubaker has signed. That means that the Twins have signed 16 of their first 17 draft picks so far. Darren Wolfson tweeted that fifth-round pick Will Holland (Auburn) is expected to come to Target Field this week and sign. For more on the Twins draft pick signings, click here. Davis wasn’t the only Red Wings player to hit his first AAA home run on Monday night. Brian Schales hit his homer an inning earlier. Earlier in the game, Wilin Rosario hit his eighth home run of the season. Zander Wiel went 2-for-4. Schales was 2-for-3 with a walk. Wynston Sawyer went 3-for-4 with his 11th double. Sean Poppen made his first start for the Red Wings since his MLB debut last week. He struck out seven batters over 5 2/3 innings. He gave up three runs on six hits and two walks. Adam Bray came on and gave up two runs on four hits and a walk in 1 1/3 innings. DJ Baxendale struck out two batters in his inning. Krol gave up the solo homer and a walk in the ninth. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 2, Jacksonville 4 Box Score Griffin Jax put together arguably his best start of the season, but on this night the bullpen was unable to hold the lead. Jax started and threw seven shutout innings. He gave up just two hits, walked none and struck out five. He needed just 72 pitches to go seven innings and 56 of them were strikes. In the eighth inning, Jeff Ames came on. He faced three batters and gave up two hits and a walk. Still leading 2-1, Sam Clay was brought in with two runners on. Three hits later, the two inherited runners and one more scored. The Blue Wahoos were not able to generate much offense. Mark Contreras hit a fifth-inning homer, his third of the year. Travis Blankenhorn led off the game with his 13th home run with the Blue Wahoos, and 14th overall. Blankenhorn now has hits in 18 of his last 19 games. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers Box Score The Miracle had the day off. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids Box Score No game scheduled for the Kernels. E-TWINS E-NOTES E-Twins Box Score Elizabethton had their first day off since their season began a week ago. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 3, GCL Pirates 4 Box Score There are a lot of storylines in the GCL Twins opening game to their 2019 season. So let’s start with the game itself. The Twins fell behind 4-0. They attempted a comeback in the top of the ninth inning, but it fell just short. One big story is the return of LHP Lachlan wells to a game mound. It was the first time he has pitched in a regular season game since September 2, 2017. He had Tommy John surgery last May. In this game, he started with four scoreless innings, but he was charged with three runs in the fifth inning. He gave up six hits, walked none and struck out nine batters. Following the game, the still-22-year-old Wells told Twins Daily, “It felt awesome to be back out there competing again. Can’t wait for the rest of the season.” After Wells’ day was done, LHP Andrew Vasquez came on. He has been on the IL since June 4th with a left shoulder strain. He worked two hitless innings. He walked one and struck out six batters. German right-hander Niklas Rimmel pitched the eighth inning. He gave up one run on one hit and one walk. The other big story of the game was the professional debut of Keoni Cavaco. He played shortstop and batted second in the order. He flew out to center field the first two times to bat. He then grounded out to third base. In his final at bat, he singled to left. Bryon Gandy, the Twins 32nd-round pick out of Lurleen B Wallace St JC this year, went 2-for-3 in the game. Parker Phillips (27th round, Austin Peay) had a single and an RBI. Jake Hirabayashi (39th round, UCLA) also had a single and an RBI. For each, the hits were their first in pro baseball. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Griffin Jax, Pensacola Blue Wahoos Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Jaylin Davis, Rochester Red Wings PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - 1-4, 3K #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - 0-3, BB, K #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 0-5, R, K #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - 1-4, 2B(10), R, RBI, K TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton/Wilkes Barre @ Rochester (11:35 am CST) - RHP Kohl Stewart (5-3, 4.76 ERA) Biloxi @ Pensacola (6:35 CST) - LHP Bryan Sammons (1-1, 5.70 ERA) Ft. Myers @ Charlotte (5:30 CST) - RHP Jhoan Duran (1-6, 3.15 ERA) Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - RHP Kai-Wei Teng (2-0, 2.57 ERA) Bristol @ Elizabethton (5:30 CST) - TBD GCL Pirates @ GCL Twins (11:00 CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Monday games or any other minor league topics you would like. Click here to view the article

Yes, it is that time again!! It’s time to revisit our top Minnesota Twins prospect rankings. (Be sure to look back at the preseason 2019 Top 20 Prospects.) Sure, it’s a lot more fun to follow the Minnesota Twins big league club this year than it has been much of the decade, but it’s still important to know the minor leaguers as well. Already this season we have seen several prospects make their major-league debuts. Some are top prospects, but the Twins farm system is deep and several players that many hadn’t even heard of are getting an opportunity.Over the next two weeks, Twins Daily will be revealing the Twins Daily Midseason Top 40 Prospects rankings. Our preseason Top Prospect rankings go 20 deep. Our midseason rankings double that output and give some recognition to twice as many players. Several of our minor league writers provided player rankings. They were consolidated Continue reading, and then discussing, the Twins Daily choices for 36th through 40th prospects of the Minnesota Twins below. 40. Sean Poppen – RHP Age: 25 ETA: 2019 2019 Stats MLB: 4.0 IP, 6.75 ERA, 2.25 WHIP, 4.5 K/9, 9.0 BB/9, 0.50 K/BB MILB (AA/AAA): 57.2 IP, 2.97 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 11.4 K/9, 4.5 BB/9, 2.52 K/BB 2019 Preseason Ranking: NR Seth: 23 | Tom: NR | Cody: NR | Ted: NR | Steve: NR From a timing standpoint, we couldn’t ask for anything more. If you watched Poppen in his Major League debut on Wednesday night, you saw why he has impressed coaches and decision-makers in the organization over the last couple of months. The fastball is consistently 95 to 97 mph with movement. His mid-80s slider is sharp. He showed a few changeups as well, which is his clear third pitch. He struggled with control, something that he has done the last year or two, but if he can relax and throw more strikes with his stuff, he can be successful. Look at his strikeout numbers. They have increased dramatically the last year or so. The changeup may determine whether his future is in the bullpen or as a starter. Poppen was the Twins 19th-round pick in 2016 out of Harvard. 39. Zander Wiel - LF Age: 26 ETA: 2019 2019 Stats (AAA): .252/335/.472 (.807 OPS), 13 2B, 2 3B, 10 HR, 76 K, 23 BB 2019 Ranking: NR Seth: 42 | Tom: 35 | Cody: 47 | Ted: NR | Steve: NR Wiel was the Twins 12th-round draft pick in 2015 out of Vanderbilt University. He has gradually worked his way up the ladder, approximately one year at a time and continuing to be productive. He leads the 2019 Red Wings in home runs this season with ten. Wiel isn’t afraid to work a count, though he does strike out quite a bit. He has mostly played first base in 2019 after splitting his time in left field the past couple of seasons. Wiel is big and strong, but he has made himself a little more athletic in the last year or two and he runs well. He finds himself in a tough spot with CJ Cron as the primary first baseman but with the likes of Marwin Gonzalez and Ehire Adrianza and Willians Astudillo also getting time at first base. The Twins also have strong depth in the corner outfield positions. 38. Bailey Ober - RHP Age: 23 ETA: 2022 2019 Stats (High-A): 24.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 9.8 K/9, 1.1 BB/9, 8.67 K/BB 2019 Ranking: NR Seth: 30 | Tom: 39 | Cody: 44 | Ted: NR | Steve: NR Ober was the Twins 12th-round draft pick in 2017 out of the College of Charleston. He was the national freshman of the year his first year of college. Unfortunately injuries cost him much of the next two seasons, but the Twins saw enough to draft him. When the 6-9 right-hander has been healthy, he’s been really good. In 2018 in Cedar Rapids, he went 7-1 with a 3.84 ERA in 75 innings. His season began late and then ended early. His numbers (above) are from April when he was the runner-up in Starting Pitcher of the Month voting. But when the month ended, Ober went back on the IL with an elbow injury. 37. Kohl Stewart - RHP Age: 24 ETA: 2021 2019 Stats: MLB: 12.0 IP, 6.00 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 2.3 K/9, 3.8 BB/9, 0.60 K/BB MILB (AAA): 51.1 IP, 4.56 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 8.6 K/9, 4.6 BB/9, 1.88 K/BB 2019 Preseason Ranking: HM Seth: 44 | Tom: 37 | Cody: 30 | Ted: NR | Steve: NR The fourth overall pick in the 2014 draft out of high school, Stewart worked his way up the ladder. It was a surprise when he was called up last August, he showed some glimpses, and the same can be said with his two MLB starts so far in 2019. In late April, he gave up five runs over six innings at Houston. In mid-May, he earned a win with a quality start (6 IP, 3 ER) against Detroit. Stewart is approaching a career crossroads of sorts now. He could be a back-of-the-rotation MLB starter for some teams, or he could move to the bullpen and see what he can do in shorter stints. 36. Gabriel Maciel - OF ETA: 2018 Age: 20 2019 Stats (Low-A): ..309/.395/.377 (.771 OPS), 3 2B, 4 3B, 0 HR, 31 K, 23 BB. 2019 Ranking: HM Seth: 46 | Tom: 40 | Cody: 24 | Ted: 30 | Steve: 27 The Twins acquired Gabriel Maciel from the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Eduardo Escobar trade last July. He joined the Cedar Rapids Kernels and hit .263 (.683) with four doubles, two triples and two homers in 30 games. He began this season on the injured list. He returned to the Kernels and he has taken a step forward. He is not a big guy, but the Brazilian has a real solid approach at the plate and terrific speed. He has primarily played in center field this year but has seen quite a bit of time in right field too. That's it for now. Feel free to ask questions and leave comments below. Learn about another five pack of Twins prospects tomorrow. Click here to view the article

Lino Lakes man talks a good game at work on Thursday, but later, in the quiet of his living room, reveals that he knew better.The resurgent 2019 Twins have been a boon for Bruce Stoffer. The 3M account executive, known around the office for his omnipresent Twins cap and bobblehead collection, has had a field day talking to his newly interested co-workers about the team. Nowhere was this more apparent than on Thursday morning, when the subject of new reliever Sean Poppen came up. “Oh yeah, I’ve been following Poppen’s rise through the system for quite awhile now,” Stoffer lied to his assistant. “I think everyone was panicked that he’d falter and the bullpen would really get worked, but I had faith in his stuff. Stoffer continued this string of falsehoods over lunch. “I’ve always liked Poppen’s velo and figured it could translate in the bigs if he could throw strikes,” fibbed the 39-year-old bachelor to the table of co-workers at Jimmy John’s. “Definitely one of those arms that stands out when you’re breaking down the prospects.” The unrelenting wave of BS was capped off at the end of the day at a birthday celebration for Carly, his direct supervisor. “When the game finally ended on Tuesday night, I sent a text to my buddy Josh saying I bet they call up Poppen in the morning,” said Stoffer, in a whopper that defied belief and gravity, to his assembled co-workers over a sheet cake from Cub Foods. “When you follow the game, these are the nuances that register for you.” Later, alone and toggling between the Twins game and the NBA Draft on his television, he muted the volume and looked around his sparsely appointed living room. “I have no idea who that guy is,” he admitted to his cat, Otto. “I looked all that up on Baseball Prospectus when the game was on like everyone else did. I don’t know why I did this.” Stoffer promised the cat that he would not do the same thing regarding Timberwolves draft pick Jarrett Culver on Friday, who he had never heard of until he was drafted. He later admitted that the odds of this were 50/50 at best. Click here to view the article

After a seventeen inning struggle the night before, the Minnesota Twins were hoping to take the rubber game of this three-game series against the defending World Series champions. However, that was not meant to be as the Red Sox bats went off for 12 hits while drawing 10 walks off Twins pitching. Those 10 walks equals the season high set on April 10 against the New York Mets in the infamous Andrew Vasquez debacle.Box Score Gibson: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 5 BB, 3 K, 52.1% strikes (49 of 94 pitches) Home Runs: Astudillo (3), Kepler (19) Multi-Hit Games: Astudillo (3 for 4, HR), Rosario (2 for 4) WPA of +0.1: Astudillo .141, Arraez .127 WPA of -0.1: Gibson -.495, Cave -.144, Castro -.116 Download attachment: vs Red Sox 6-19-2019.PNG (Chart via FanGraphs) The Twins were able to get on the board with a run in the first inning, but they left you wondering if it could have been a bigger inning. After Max Kepler popped out to start the inning, C.J. Cron flared a single into right field. Then Nelson Cruz followed that up with a towering flyball that hit off the limestone in right field, deflecting the ball back towards the infield, however, Red Sox centerfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. was able to run the ball down and easily throw out Cron who was heading home, even though he should have definitely been held up. On the play, Cruz was able to advance to third, and scored on the next at-bat when Eddie Rosario beat the shift with a two-out RBI base-hit. It didn’t take the Red Sox long to respond, stringing a bunch of singles and walks together in the top of the second, and before you knew it the Twins were in a quick hole, down three to one. This was the first of two bad innings on the night for Kyle Gibson, who did not have his best command. In the fifth, Gibson was touched for three more runs after giving up another string of walks and hits. Gibson’s five walks allowed were his most since his first start of the 2018 season in Baltimore. In the bottom of the third, the Twins got another clutch two-out RBI base-hit, this time off the bat of Luis Arraez. Then it was Bomba time in the bottom of the fourth. Willians Astudillo carried over his hot bat from Triple-A Rochester, leading off the inning with a solo shot as part of a three-hit night. Max Kepler followed La Tortuga with a home run of his own just a couple of batters later, giving the Twins a four to three lead. This was already Kepler’s 19th home run of the season, just one shy of his previous career high 20 that he hit in 2018. The Twins made a couple of roster moves earlier this afternoon. The first was placing Marwin Gonzalez on the 10-day IL with a hamstring injury. Which is the reason why La Tortuga was back up with the MLB club tonight. The other move the Twins made was placing Blake Parker on the family medical emergency list, which forced them into bringing up reliever Sean Poppen to make his MLB debut. Poppen has been pitches lights out for the Rochester Red Wings, with a 1.55 ERA. 10.6 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9. Poppen was able to get into the game tonight and gave the Twins bullpen a much-needed night off, throwing four innings to finish the game. Poppen looked pretty sharp for three of the four innings but struggled in the eighth inning allowing three runs on four hits and two walks. It probably wasn’t exactly the debut that Poppen was hoping to have, but he served a big role, and will give the Twins a fresher bullpen heading into a four-game series against the Royals starting on Thursday. Postgame with Baldelli Bullpen Usage Here’s a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days: Download attachment: 6-19-2019 vs Red Sox.PNG Next Three Games Thur at KC, 7:15 pm CT (Odorizzi-TBD) Fri at KC, 7:15 pm CT (Perez-TBD) Sat at KC, 1:15 pm CT (Berrios-TBD) Last Game MIN 4, BOS 3: Twins Win in 17th Inning, Get First Walk-Off Click here to view the article

You may not have heard as much about him as other Twins prospects, but Sean Poppen is making himself a pitching prospect to watch in the season’s second half. The 25-year-old from Harvard hits 96 and has a good three-pitch mix. Meanwhile, a Tommy John pitcher was activated by the Miracle. A Kernels starter was terrific in his return from the IL. So much going on in the Twins minor league system. Misael Urbina Update - On Thursday, he went 2-for-5 and is now hitting .313.Find out everything that happened happened in the Twins system on Thursday, starting with the transactions of the day. TRANSACTIONS The Twins have signed several of their 2019 draft picks. Keep up with those who signed here.Ryan Eades was optioned to Rochester with Fernando Romero called up to the Twins.Ft. Myers announced the RHP Cole Sands was placed on the Injured List (blister). Taking his spot on the Miracle roster was RHP Dakota Chalmers. He came to the Twins organization last August in exchange for RHP Fernando Rodney. Chalmers had Tommy John surgery last May.Cedar Rapids announced that RHP Luis Rijo was activated from the Injured List. LHP JT Perez was sent to extended spring training.Several players were released from EST as 2019 draft picks sign and the short-season leagues begin. Released on Thursday include RHP Jose Bermudez, Cristian Castro, 2B Hunter Lee, infielder Agustin Marte, and infielder Victor Tademo.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 6, Columbus 2 Box Score The Red Wings scored three runs in the first inning and added on all while getting another strong pitching performance from Sean Poppen. The right-hander from Harvard has been really good with the Red Wings. On this afternoon, he gave up two runs (one earned) over six innings. He gave up five hits, walked one and struck out nine. He improved to 4-0 with a 1.55 ERA. Preston Guilmet got the final three outs. Before him, Jake Reed struck out three over two scoreless innings. You will notice a change in Reed that might surprise you. Tom put Jake Reed under the Prospect Spotlight. Wilin Rosario led the offense. He went 4-for-4 with two doubles and four RBIs. Luis Arraez went 3-for-5 with his third double. Jake Cave went 2-for-4. Nick Gordon was 2-for-5. And your Willians Astudillo update… he went 2-or-4 with two RBIs. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 3, Tennessee 4 (10 innings) Box Score Randy Dobnak made his return to the Blue Wahoos rotation. He gave up two runs on nine hits over 6 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out five batters. Jeff Ames came on and tossed 2 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings. He struck out four. The game went to extra innings tied at two. Tyler Palm came on, making his first appearance since being promoted from EST. He gave up two runs (one earned, due to 10th inning starting with a runner on second base). In the bottom of the 10th inning, Jordan Gore singled in a run, but the comeback fell short. Gore went 3-for-3 in the game with two RBIs. Ben Rortvedt went 2-for-4 with his second double. Jimmy Kerrigan and Joe Cronin both went 1-for-3 with a walk. Kerrigan hit his fifth double. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers, Tampa Box Score The game was cancelled due to rain. Ft. Myers begins its All-Star weekend. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, Wisconsin 2 Box Score Luis Rijo returned to the mound and pitched very well. The right-hander went five scoreless innings and gave up just one hit. He struck out three and didn’t walk a batter. On-site reports tell us that he hit 96 on the radar gun. Alex Schick came on and gave up two runs on two hits and a walk in the sixth inning. Zach Neff followed with two scoreless innings, and Carlos Suniaga pitched a scoreless ninth frame. Not much offense for the Kernels. They had just four hits. Gabe Snyder hit his 11th double. Yeltsin Encarnacion hit his third triple. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Luis Rijo, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Wilin Rosario, Rochester Red Wings PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out. #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - Injured List #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured List (shoulder) #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out. #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 3 K #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - 1-3, R, BB, 2K #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) -.Rained Out. #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch. #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Injured List (Tommy John surgery) #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 2-5, R, 2K #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured List (elbow) #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out. #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - 2-4, 2B(2), K #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List (thumb) #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, K #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch. #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - Did Not Play. #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch. #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out. FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Charlotte (6:05 CST) - RHP Kohl Stewart (5-3, 4.11 ERA) Tennessee @ Pensacola (6:35 CST) - LHP Charlie Barnes (0-1, 3.86 ERA) Ft. Myers - No Game Scheduled (All Star Break) Clinton @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - RHP Josh Winder (4-1, 2.64 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Thursday games or any other minor league topics you would like. Click here to view the article

Willians Astudillo and Jake Cave both spent time with the Twins this season. It’s also looking more and more like these two are going to try and hit their way back onto the Twins roster. Cave was named the team’s Minor League Hitter of the Week and La Tortuga has been almost impossible to get out since he was sent to Rochester. Would either player help the Red Wings to victory on Sunday?TRANSACTIONS RHP Cody Stashak promoted to Rochester from Pensacola. RHP Randy Dobnak transferred to Pensacola from Rochester. IF Randy Cesar transferred to Pensacola from Rochester. IF Ryan Costello transferred to Fort Myers from Pensacola. LHP J.T. Perez promoted to Cedar Rapids from Elizabethton. RHP Frandy Torres promoted to Cedar Rapids from GCL Twins. RHP Brian Rapp placed on the 7-day IL (lower back strain). IF Hunter Lee transferred to Elizabethton from Fort Myers. RHP Tyler Palm transferred to Elizabethton from Cedar Rapids. AWARDS The Twins announced their weekly Hitter and Pitcher of the Week: Hitter of the Week: Jake Cave, RochesterCave played in eight games for the Red Wings this week, hitting .417 (15-for-36) with seven doubles, two triples, one home run and nine RBI, which included a four-double game on Thursday at Syracuse. Since being optioned from Minnesota in mid-May, Cave has played in 27 games for the Red Wings, hitting .294 (32-for-109) with 11 doubles, two triples, three home runs, 21 RBI and a .861 OPS.Pitcher of the Week: Sean Poppen, RochesterPoppen started two games this week for the Red Wings, going 1-0, 0.75 ERA (12.0 IP, 1 ER) with five walks and 13 strikeouts. Poppen, 25, was selected by the Twins in the 19th round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of Harvard. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 5, Pawtucket 3 Box Score Rochester fell into an early hole as Chase De Jong allowed a first inning run to the Red Sox. He was able to settle in from there as he didn’t allow another run in his five innings pitched. He struck out one and walked one. The Red Wings offense took a little time to get going. In the third, Drew Maggi singled and Luis Arraez walked to put a runner in scoring position. Willians Astudillo singled to drive in Maggi and Rochester had tied the game at 1-1. Jake Cave wasn’t going to take his award lightly. He cracked his fourth home run of the season in the top of the sixth to put the Red Wings up 2-1. The eighth inning might have been the most important one for the Red Wings and they did all their damage with two outs. Nick Gordon started the damage with a single to right. La Tortuga stepped to the plate and crushed a two-run bomb. Rochester would win by two and this home run was the difference. Jake Reed was credited with his second win after he allowed one run, a home run, in two innings. He stuck out one and walked two. In one inning of work, D.J. Baxendale surrendered one run, a solo home run, but he struck out two. Zack Littell earned his first save with a perfect ninth inning where he struck out two. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 0, Tennessee 8 Box Score For Jorge Alcala, it was not his day. He allowed four first inning runs as he struggled to make it through three innings of work. Overall, he allowed five runs on five hits with a strikeout and a walk. Anthony Vizcaya took over for Alcala and struggled with his control. He walked three batters in 1 2/3 innings, but he only allowed one hit and he collected a pair of strikeouts. Pensacola had little offense to write home about. The team left eight runners on base and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. The team didn’t collect a walk in the entire game and not a single batter was able to register multiple hits. Jimmy Kerrigan had the only extra-base hit, a double. Williams Ramirez allowed one run in 2/3 of an inning. He struck out one and walked one. Zack Weiss was charged with pitching the final 2 2/3 inning of the game. He allowed two runs on five hits with four strike outs and two walks. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 0, Jupiter 8 Box Score Fort Myers struggled to find any offense in this one as the club was held to three hits. Michael Helman had the team’s only extra-base hit, a double. Trevor Larnach and Aaron Whitefield both went 1-for-4. With the hit, Larnach extended his hitting streak to eight games. Overall, the club left seven men on base but had only three opportunities to bat with runners in scoring position. Edwar Colina took the loss but he pitched well. In seven innings, he allowed three runs on six hits while striking out eight and walking one. He continued to reach triple digits with his fastball. Calvin Faucher ran into some issues later in the game. He allowed five runs in his two innings on the mound. Fort Myers currently sits in first place in the Florida State League South Division. The Miracle hold a 1.0 game lead over Bradenton and a 1.5 game lead over Palm Beach. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Peoria 2 (Game 1- 7 Innings) Box Score Cedar Rapids scored six runs in the game’s final three innings to come out victorious. Yeltsin Encarnacion went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Wander Javier reached base three times while scoring a run and driving in a run. Andrew Bechtold had an interesting day. He scored two runs without recording a hit because he walked in all four plate appearances. Andrew Cabezas went five innings and didn’t allow an earned run. He struck out five and walked two. Moises Gomez finished the final two innings. He allowed one run on two hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Cedar Rapids 1, Peoria 2 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score The Kernels couldn’t find the big hit in the second game of the double-header. Cedar Rapids went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base. Ricky Del La Torre had the team’s only run, a solo home run in the sixth inning. Peoria quickly answered back with the game-winning run in the bottom of the frame. Zach Neff struck out six batters in five innings of work. He limited Peoria to one run on three hits. Frandy Torres took the loss as he allowed the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth. He walked two and struck out one in his inning of work. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY TD Pitcher of the Day- Zach Neff, Cedar Rapids (5.0 IP, ER, 3 H, 6 K, 0 BB) TD Hitter of the Day- Willians Astudillo, Rochester (3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, R) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) – 0-4 #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – Injured list #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) – Injured list #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) – 1-3, BB, K #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 3-6, RBI, R, BB, 2 K #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – 1-3, BB, K #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) – Did not pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – Did not pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Did not pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) – Tommy John surgery, out for the year #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 1-4, R, 2 K #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) – Injured list #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) – Did not play #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – 0-4, K #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) – Injured List #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) – 1-4, RBI, BB, K #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) – 1.0 IP, SV, 2 K #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) – 1-4, RBI #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) – 3.0 IP, 5 ER, 5 H, K, BB #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) – 0-3, 3 K, BB MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester – Scheduled Off-Day Pensacola @ Biloxi (6:35 CST) – RHP Andro Cutura (1-2, 4.45 ERA) Fort Myers @ Tampa (3:30 CST) – TBD Fort Myers @ Tampa (Game 2) – TBD Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (11:05 AM CST) – RHP Kai-Wei Teng (0-0, 4.91 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

A pitcher threw six, two-hit innings, and he wasn't the pitcher of the day. A hitter had a home run and two triples, and wasn't the hitter of the day. It was a day of strong performances and Wins in the Twins organization. It was a full day in the Twins minor league system on Thursday. The Twins got back to winning. Rochester got a great start and some serious run production. Pensacola swept a double-header with strong pitching and big hits. Ft. Myers got a strong start and enough power to score seven runs. The Kernels needed ten shutout innings to get a win. Great day in terms wins in the Twins organization.Find out everything that happened happened in the Twins system on Thursday, starting with the transactions of the day... well, after a Misael Urbina update from the DSL. Game 2 - Pensacola 11, Jacksonville 4 Box Score The bottom of the Wahoos lineup led them to a big Game 2 win. A four-run fourth inning was followed by a five-run fifth inning. The six through nine hitters combined to go 6-for-11 with seven runs on nine RBI. Sixth-place hitter Caleb Hamilton went 2-for-3 with his 11th double and fifth homer. He drove in three runs. Next up was Michael Davis. After hitting his first homer in Game 1, he hit his first two triples in Double-A. Brian Navarreto drove in two runs with his second home run, and nine-hole hitter Joe Cronin hit a two-run homer. It was his third Double-A homer. It was a bullpen game for Pensacola. Anthony Vizcaya got them off to a fast start. He needed just 42 pitches to get through three scoreless innings. He gave up two hits, walked one and struck out six batters. Williams Ramirez came on and gave up two runs (1 earned) on two hits and a walk in his inning. Cody Stashak gave up two runs over his two innings. Zack Weiss pitched a scoreless final frame and struck out two. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 7, Florida 4 Box Score Jordan Balazovic was really good again on Thursday night and improved to 4-0 since joining the Miracle a month ago. In this one, he started with five scoreless innings. He did give up a run in the sixth frame, so his final line had him giving up one run on five hits over 5 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out seven. Calvin Faucher gave up three runs (one earned) on three hits over two innings. Melvi Acosta pitched in another different role. This time he was the closer and came on for the final four outs to record his first save. He struck out two. Royce Lewis led off and led the way for the offense. He went 3-for-5 with his 13th double. Ernie De La Trinidad also had three hits, including a triple. Jose Miranda went 2-for-3 with a walk and his 12th double. Lewin Diaz added his 11th home run. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Clinton 0 (10 innings) Box Score For the second straight night, there wasn’t much scoring in Clinton, but the Kernels were able to scratch one across in the top of the tenth to take a 1-0 win. Wander Javier came to the plate with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the tenth and grounded into a fielder’s choice. The out was made at third base while the runner, Ricky De La Torre, crossed home plate. Jared Akins went 2-for-4. Gilberto Celestino had a single and a walk. The story, of course, was on the mound where Kernels starters struck out 15 batters over 10 shutout innings. Kody Funderburk made the start and worked five scoreless, one-hit innings. He struck out seven without a walk. Alex Schick came on and tossed two scoreless innings. Derek Molina followed with four strikeouts over the next two innings. Zack Neff came on for the bottom of the 10th inning and kept the LumberKings from scoring. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Sean Poppen, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Jake Cave, Rochester Red Wings PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - 3-5, 2B(13), R, RBI #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - Injured List #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured List (shoulder) #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - 1-5, 2K #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, BB, RBI #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - 2-5, RBI, 2K #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch. #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch. #9 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch. #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Injured List (Tommy John surgery) #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 1-5, R, RBI, 2B(8) #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured List (elbow) #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - 0-3, BB #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - Game 1 (0-3, 2K), Game 2 (1-4, R, K) #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List (thumb) #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, BB, K #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - 1-5, 2B(6), R, 2 RBI, 2K #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - 2-3, BB, 2B(12), R, RBI FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Pawtucket (DH @ 4:05 CST) - RHP Kohl Stewart (4-3, 3.95 ERA), TBD Pensacola @ Biloxi (6:35 CST) - LHP Charlie Barnes (0-0, 3.60 ERA) Jupiter @ Ft. Myers (6:00 CST) - RHP Jhoan Duran (0-5, 3.61 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (6:35 CST) - RHP Tyler Palm (1-4, 4.75 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Thursday games or any other minor league topics you would like. Click here to view the article

The Miracle nearly had a no-hitter on Sunday and now the Kernels find themselves on the wrong side of a contest on Monday. Minor league contests are tough when it comes to strong pitching performances. How long can a starter last? How close can a club get to history? One team was able to make that happen on Monday night.TRANSACTIONS INF Ronald Torreyes placed on the temporary inactive list, retroactive to May 4. RHP Tom Hackimer promoted from Fort Myers to Pensacola. RHP Edwar Colina reinstated from 7-day IL for Fort Myers. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester enjoyed an off-day on Monday. The club currently sits at 12-16 before starting a three-game series with the Toledo Mud Hens. Rochester is currently 6.5 games behind Lehigh Valley. The club has a sub-.500 record at home and on the road. Brent Rooker could be one of the hitters to provide a boost in Rochester. Other than that, there might continue to be some struggles for Minnesota’s Triple-A squad. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 6, Mississippi 2 Box Score Pensacola used a five-run seventh inning to separate themselves from the Braves. Alex Kirilloff got things started for the Blue Wahoos with a run-scoring triple in the third frame. Tanner English got the scoring started in the seventh with a two-run double. Jordan Gore follow with a run-scoring single before Kirilloff drove him in with a single of his own. Kirilloff was able to score on fielding error. Sean Poppen started and lasted five frames. He scattered two runs on three hits, but he struggled with five walks. He was able to punch out seven batters and he lowered his season ERA to 2.84. Jeff Ames took over for Poppen. He pitched 1 2/3 innings and allowed one run on three hits. He struck out one and walked one. Cody Stashak continued to be tremendous in relief. He pitched 2 1/3 perfect innings by striking out three. He’s allowed only one run in his last five appearances while striking out 14 in 9 1/3 innings of work. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, Charlotte 6 Box Score Fort Myers had won five straight games, but the club struggled to find any offense on this night. Especially when their opponent scored six runs in the first four innings. In his first appearance this season, Edwar Colina struggled. Colina allowed six earned runs on eight hits in less than five innings of work. He struck out five and walked three. He was making his first appearance since the Florida State League clinching game last September. Rickey Ramirez did a great job in relief as he tossed 2 1/3 innings of shutout ball. He retired all seven batters he faced, and he struck out six, including the last five batters he saw. Joe Record also picked up the pitching staff with one perfect inning. He didn’t allow a hit and he struck out one. Overall, the pitching staff struck out 12 in eight innings of work. Fort Myers nearly matched Charlotte in hits (7 to 8) but the club couldn’t come up with the big one. Jose Miranda tried his best with a 3-for-4 night including his seventh double. He had three of the club’s four hits against the opposing starter. Royce Lewis collected his second triple. Overall, the club was 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and the team left eight men on base. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, South Bend 2 Box Score Cedar Rapids could literally muster nothing when it came to the offensive side of the ball. The Kernels found themselves on the wrong side of a no-hitter on Monday. Cedar Rapids had one base runner the entire night. Andrew Bechtold was able to break up the perfect game with a walk. Other than that, there was little to discuss on the offensive side of the ball. Josh Winder did all he could to keep Cedar Rapids in the game. He pitched a complete game, the first of his career, and limited the Cubs to two runs on three hits. He struck out six and walked two. Winder has pitched a minimum of five innings in every start and he has yet to surrender more than two earned runs. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY TD Pitcher of the Day- Josh Winder, Cedar Rapids (8 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 6 K, 2 BB) TD Hitter of the Day- Alex Kirilloff, Pensacola (3-5, 3B, 2 RBI, R) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) – 1-4, 3B #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – 3-5, 3B, 2 RBI, R #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) – Did not pitch #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) – 0-3, BB, 2 K #5 - Wander Javier (EST) - No Game #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – No Scheduled Game #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) – Did not pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – No Scheduled Game #9 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Did not pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) – 0-5, 4 K #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - No Game Scheduled #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured List #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) – 1-4, RBI, R, K #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) – 2-4, 2B #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) – Injured List #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) – 0-3 #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) – No Scheduled Game #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) – No Scheduled Game #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) – Did not pitch #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) – 3-4, 2B, R, K TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Toledo (5:35 CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart (2-2, 4.50 ERA) Pensacola @ Mississippi (6:35 CST) – RHP Jorge Alcala (4-1, 4.71 ERA) Fort Myers @ Charlotte (5:30 CST) – LHP Bryan Sammons (3-0, 0.40 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (6:05 CST) – RHP Luis Rijo (0-3, 3.43 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Monday’s games. Click here to view the article