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The Twins got a nice 2-1, 10-inning win in Chicago against the White Sox. Eduardo Escobar, who came to the Twins last July from the South Siders, beat out an infield single to shortstop. Ryan Doumit advanced to third base and then went home when Jeff Keppinger was unable to cleanly catch the one-hop throw from Alexei Ramirez. Finally, Glen Perkins came on to record the save. There were also a couple of one-run games in the Twins farm system. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]A big home run helped Rochester to a win, giving them their first back-to-back wins of the season. The Ft. Myers Miracle also played an entertaining one-run game, but you’ll have to keep reading to see whether or not they won. Byron Buxton’s batting average dropped to .420, but how did the Kernels play? Were the Rock Cats able to bounce back from a big loss a night earlier? Check down below, and please feel free to discuss. Rochester Red Wings 5, Pawtucket Red Sox 4 Box Score It was a back-and-forth game on Saturday afternoon between these two teams. Fortunately, the Red Wings managed to score last on Chris Colabello’s sixth home run of the season. Colabello went 2-4 with that organization-leading sixth home run. Clete Thomas went 2-3 with a walk. Joe Benson was 2-4. Andrew Albers started and really struggled. Typically an aggressive control pitcher, Albers walked three in just two innings. He gave up three runs on four hits and struck out just one. Caleb Thielbar came on pitched well. The lefty gave up two hits and a walk in three scoreless frames. He struck out three. Shairon Martis gave up a solo home run. He gave up just that one run on three hits and a walk in two innings. Tim Wood’s rehab stint continued with his first appearance in Rochester. He had been the International League Relief Pitcher of the Year in 2012 and struck out two on this day. Anthony Slama came in for the ninth and went 1, 2, 3 for his second save of the year. New Britain Rock Cats 1, Portland Sea Dogs 7 Box Score After losing 12-1 on Friday night, it was important for the Rock Cats to get off to a fast start on Saturday afternoon. Danny Santana led off the game with his second triple. James Beresford drove him in with a sacrifice fly. That was about it for the Rock Cats offense. Santana was 2-4. Reynaldo Rodriguez hit his sixth double. Danny Ortiz hit his seventh double. Logan Darnell started for New Britain. The left-hander gave up five runs (3 earned) on seven hits and two walks. In five innings, he struck out six. AJ Achter gave up two runs on four hits and two walks in his 1.2 innings. He struck out two. Aaron Thompson came on and gave up two hits but no runs in 1.1 innings. Ft. Myers Miracle 5, St. Lucie Mets 6 Box Score So Close! On Saturday night, Ft. Myers was inches away from a Miracle win in St. Lucie. Down 6-2 going into the ninth frame, Eddie Rosario singled. Then three straight Miracle hitters walked which cut the lead to 6-3. Another reliever came on and gave up a single to Kennys Vargas to cut the lead to 6-4. Eight and nine hitters, Lance Ray and Andy Leer, struck out. That brought up AJ Pettersen. Pettersen hit a hard ground ball off of a diving first baseman. The single scored one run. However, pinch runner Stephen Wickens attempted to score from second on the play but was thrown out at the plate. The Miracle were that close to keeping the game going, but unfortunately, they fall to 14-2 with the 6-5 loss. Tom Stuifbergen started and gave up just one run through the first six innings. In the bottom of the 7th, a one-out single was followed by a controversial hit batter. The Miracle believed that the ball hit the batter’s bat. With the runner attempting to steal third, the next batter grounded to third base, but Miguel Sano committed his fourth error of the year which loaded the bases. TJ Rivera then hit a bases-clearing double that opened up the game. That was the end of the line for Stuifbergen. In total, he went 6.1 innings and gave up five runs (3 earned) on seven hits. He walked none and struck out five. Adrian Salcedo came in and gave up a run on three hits in 1.2 innings. Miguel Sano went 2-3 with a walk and his fifth double. photo to the right is courtesy of Cedar Rapids Kernels Facebook page. Be sure to "Like" it. Cedar Rapids Kernels 11, Peoria Chiefs 2 Box Score If you can put up crooked numbers on the scoreboard, it’s always a good thing. The Red Wings scored six runs in the first inning and another five runs in the fourth inning to jump out to a huge lead. The Kernels collected 17 hits in the game. Drew Leachman led the offense with a 4-5 day. He was playing for just the fourth time on the season and came into the game hitting .142 (2-14). He now is hitting .316 after missing almost two weeks with a shoulder injury. Niko Goodrum went 2-4 with two walks and had two RBI. Romy Jimenez went 2-4 with his second double and four RBI. He had a bases-clearing double in the first inning. Jhonatan Arias went 2-5, his first two hits of the season. Travis Harrison was 2-4 with a walk. Adam Walker was 2-4. Jorge Polanco was 2-6. Byron Buxton’s batting average dropped to .420 with an 0-4 game. He did, however, walk twice in the long first inning. Lefty Mason Melotakis started and gave up one run on four hits. Unfortunately with the run support he got, Melotakis was only able to go 3.1 innings, in part because of four walks. Steve Gruver came on for an “easy” “Win” but pitched well. The southpaw gave up one run on four hits in 4.2 innings. He walked none and struck out four. Tyler Jones pitched the ninth inning and gave up a hit, but no runs. Please feel free to comment or ask questions below. View full article

Yesterday we looked at the top hitters in the Twins system in May and today we’ll be taking a look at the top pitching performances of April. It will be separated into two blog postings, one for the relievers and this one for the starting pitchers. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] While the hitting leaders were primarily in the lower levels of the Twins farm system, there are a couple of starting pitchers that appear on today’s list that may not be too far from contributing to the Twins. With that, let's jump to the starting pitchers. Here are the Top 5 Starting Pitchers for April: Number 5 - Rochester – Kyle Gibson - 5 GS, 1-3, 3.33 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 27.0 IP, 21 H, 9 BB, 26 K Gibson’s return from Tommy John surgery has been filled with ups and some downs. He had one start in which he gave up five runs in 4.1 innings. It is a process, to be sure. However, the 25-year-old has been able to strike out nearly a batter per inning. The general belief is that he is getting close to being able to contribute to the Twins. Twins Director of Minor League Operations Brad Steil said, “Kyle is making good progress. He pitched into the 7th inning in his last outing, which was good to see.” Number 4 – New Britain – Alex Meyer - 5 GS, 2-1, 2.57 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 28.0 IP, 26 H, 11 BB, 34 K In Meyer’s most recent start, he gave up four runs in six innings, but all four runs came in the third inning. If we were nice and we could just pretend that one inning didn’t happen his ERA for the month would be 1.33. Certainly his walk total is a little high, but his strikeouts are encouraging, even exciting. Meyer is blessed with an upper-90s fastball, a hammer for a curveball, a sharp slider and an ever-improving change up. Still just 23 years old, Meyer could rise quickly. Number 3 – Ft. Myers – Tom Stuifbergen - 5 GS, 1-1, 2.60 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 27.2 IP, 23 H, 0 BB, 18 K The 24 year-old is back with the Miracle for the third straight year. Stuifbergen doesn’t get a lot of strikeouts, but he also doesn't walk many. Zero walks in 27.2 innings?! He also doesn’t give up many home runs. He gave up two homers in his first start of the year and in 22.2 innings since has given up none. He has the pitches, he just needs the opportunity to advance. Steil said, “He just needs to keep doing what he’s doing and be ready when there’s an opportunity. When he’s pitching well, it’s usually because he’s changing speeds effectively and keeping hitters off balance.” Number 2 – Cedar Rapids – Tyler Duffey - 4 GS, 3-1, 2.60 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, 27.2 IP, 18 H, 3 BB, 21 K Last year the Twins used their fifth round pick on Duffey, a relief pitcher from Rice. As would be expected, he dominated the Appalachian League out of the bullpen. The Twins were committed to giving Duffey (and several other college relievers) an opportunity to start. Duffey got that opportunity, and he has made the best of it. In his first start of the season, he threw seven perfect innings for the Kernels, and two pitchers completed the no-hitter. With a six-man rotation and the weather issues this year, Duffey made just four starts in the month. He has shown impeccable control and a general ability to keep runners off base. He is efficient with his pitches and has been able to complete seven innings in three of his four starts. And the Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month is: Photo by Greg Wagner Ft. Myers – DJ Baxendale - 5 GS, 4-0, 1.84 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 29.1 IP, 21 H, 6 BB, 25 K Baxendale was the top starter of the Arkansas Razorbacks team that advanced to the College World Series. During that season he set the Arkansas record with 20 starts. He went 8-5 with a 3.11 ERA. The Twins were thrilled to use their 10th round pick on the right-hander as they believed he had the talent to be selected much earlier. He began his pro career with the Elizabethton Twins but quickly moved up to Beloit. Combined, he walked just two and struck out 31 in 18.2 innings. He pitched out of the bullpen primarily because of the 107 innings he threw during the college season. The plan was for him to move to a starter's role this season, but it was somewhat surprising that he began the season with the Miracle. However, as Steil said, the things he’s done so well in April are the things that got him pushed to Ft. Myers. “He’s been locating well, keeping hitters off balance by changing speeds and keeping the ball down. Along with (those things), just his maturity and poise on the mound.” Take a look at the numbers: 4-0 with a sub-2.00 ERA and a sub-1.00 WHIP. He has limited long balls and walks. The Miracle were 21-4 in April, and Baxendale was a big part of it. So, what does he throw? A scouting report will tell you that he throws both a 2-seam and a 4-seam fastball that range from 87 to 92 mph. He has a big bending curveball in the low 70s, with downward break, which makes it a pitch that induces ground balls. He also has a very good, late-breaking slider in the 78 to 82 mph range. He has terrific control of it and when he spots it on the outside corner he can get hitters to chase. He also has good arm speed and sink on his changeup. What would Baxendale himself say? “I throw a four-seam fastball, sinker, change-up, curve ball and slider. I try to use the slider and curveball both as strikeout pitches in order to keep the hitters guessing what pitch I will come with ahead in the count.” Baxendale has great command and makeup. He has the ability to move the ball around the strike zone very well. He can pitch to all zones of the plate, up and down, inside and out. He gets a lot of swings and misses outside of the zone, in part, because he hides the ball well. He is competitive and wants to win at everything. He has a knack of getting out of jams, and has grittiness and intensity on the mound. Baxendale credits his pitching coach and his control for his success so far this year. “The biggest key to my success so far is throwing low, quality strikes with all of my pitches. I’ve been working hard with pitching coach Ivan Arteaga to be able to consistently repeat my mechanics which improves my command and control of all pitches.” It’s also been about making adjustments to the professional game. Baxendale explained, “The biggest adjustment I’ve made so far in pro ball is to be efficient in my innings and keep the pitch count down. I’ve done this by pitching to contact, throwing the ball down in the zone and getting outs in early counts.” For Baxendale to continue to develop and rise through the Twins system, he may need to get a little bigger and strong. By adding some weight and strength, he would likely see a little increased velocity. But for now, Baxendale is happy to be part of this tremendous Miracle team. “Being part of a talented team is always fun. We are all really competitive so we want to win. It’s pretty special to be a part of a team that is as talented as we are because every game is fun to watch.” There were a lot of great hitting performances in April, but several pitchers threw the ball very well and were quite successful in the season’s opening month as well. DJ Baxendale is the choice for April Starting Pitcher of the Year, but Tyler Duffey, Tom Stuifbergen, Alex Meyer and Kyle Gibson all performed quite well during the month. We’ll be back tomorrow to discuss the Relief Pitcher of the Month. Please feel free to comment and ask questions. View full article

A day after several of the Twins minor league affiliates’ games were rained out, it was nearly a full schedule on Tuesday night. Elizabethton had the night off, but Rochester played two games to make up for it. A Honkball star showed what he is capable of in New Britain. A big time international signing from last year celebrated this year’s International Signing Day with a nice game. A couple big relief pitching prospects who hadn’t pitched in about ten days got back into action. A couple pitchers from the Twins' opening day roster took the mound in the minors.. Lots happened, including another homer from a guy in Cedar Rapids who quietly is putting up some monster power numbers in the shadow of Chris Colabello and Miguel Sano.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Speaking of the Kernels, were they able to continue their winning streak? Check out that and what else happened in the Twins farm system on Tuesday: Game 1 - Rochester Red Wings 2, Syracuse Chiefs 5 Box Score Cole De Vries was on the mound to start Game 1. The righty gave up three runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings. He walked two and struck out three. Michael Tonkin came on after being out for ten days due to soreness in his shoulder. He went one inning and gave up two runs on three hits. They are his first earned runs in two months. Blake Martin relieved and got the final two outs. Ray Olmedo went 2-3, the only Red Wing hitter with more than one hit. Antoan Richardson doubled for the eighth time. Game 2 - Rochester Red Wings 6, Syracuse Chiefs 5 Box Score Vance Worley was not terribly impressive in Game 2. The Twins Opening Day starter gave up four runs on six hits and in 5.1 innings he walked five and struck out just two. And, for his efforts, he improved to 5-3. Aaron Thompson gave up one run on two hits in the next inning. Luis Perdomo picked up his sixth save by getting the final two outs. The offense came through in this game though. Eric Farris was 2-4 with his 14th stolen base. James Beresford went 2-3 with his first double. Eric Fryer drilled a two-run double (his sixth). Deibinson Romero was 1-2 with a walk, his fifth double and two RBI. New Britain Rock Cats 3, New Hampshire Fisher Cats 1 Box Score It’s been an up-and-down season so far for Tom Stuifbergen, and on this night he was very good. He threw 6.1 shutout innings, giving up four hits, walking one and striking out three. Edgar Ibara got the next four outs, two of them on strikeouts. Dan Turpen recorded his second save. He gave up one run on two hits and a walk in 1.1 innings; he struck out two. The Rock Cats won despite just six hits. Josmil Pinto had his 19th double. Fisher Cats' 2012 first-round pick Marcus Stroman was very good. In 6.1 innings he walked one and struck out 13. He was charged with all three runs and took the loss. Ft. Myers Miracle 5, Bradenton Marauders 2 Box Score Tyler Duffey put together his best start for the Miracle. The right-hander threw seven shutout innings and used his defense to do so. He gave up four hits, walked one and struck out zero. Jose Gonzalez came on and worked a perfect eighth frame. Zack Jones made his first appearance since June 23rd and was a little rusty. In his inning, he gave up two runs on a hit and two walks. Jhon Goncalves went 2-3 with a walk, his 15th double and fifth stolen base. Byron Buxton went 2-4. In Buxton’s first three games with the Miracle, he went 2-13. His last three games have all been multi-hit games through which he is 7-12. Now, he is hitting .360 with the Miracle. He is 19 years old. Just saying. Cedar Rapids Kernels 4, Beloit Snappers 5 Box Score JO Berrios was on the mound, hoping to extend the Kernels 2nd half start to 12-0. He struggled. In just 4.1 innings, he gave up five runs (3 earned) on seven hits. He walked one and struck out six. Madison Boer came on in relief and gave up two hits over 2.2 innings. Steven Gruver came on and struck out two in the final inning. Jonathan Murphy, in his second game with the Kernels, went 3-4 with a double. JD Williams went 2-4 in his first game back since being hit by a pitch in the knee on Saturday. On the organization's home run leader board, Travis Harrison took over third place with his 14th. The loss ends the Kernels 11 game post-All-Star break winning streak. The team is 11-1 in the second half. Beloit won for the fifth straight time, and they are 10-2 in the second half. Elizabethton Twins No Game Scheduled. GCL Twins 2, GCL Orioles 3 Box Score It’s only been about ten days, but Amaurys Minier has already experienced the ups and downs of pro ball. Monday, he was very good. He went 3-3 with his second and third doubles. Brian Navaretto was 1-2 with a walk and his first double. Sam Gibbons started and worked the first three innings. He gave up no runs on four hits. He neither walked nor struck out a batter. He did hit one. Lewis Thorpe came in for the next two innings and didn't allow a run. He gave up one hit, walked one and struck out two. Derek Penilla made his first professional appearance. He gave up one run on two hits in an inning. Dan Sattler had Tommy John surgery last August, and he made his first rehab appearance. He gave up two runs on two hits and recorded two outs, one on a strikeout. Sattler took the loss when Miguel Gonzalez came on and gave up a game-winning hit. Please feel free to comment or ask questions below. View full article