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A Player of the Month, three All-Star nods, the longest home stand of the season and a little bit of magic sum up the past two weeks for St. Paul’s boys of summer. With that much good to tell you about, let’s get right into all the action. The awards and accolades continue to roll in for the 2017 Saints team. It was announced July 1 that first baseman Brady Shoemaker was awarded June’s American Association Rawlings Player of the Month. Shoemaker reached base safely in 26 out of the 27 games, including two eight-game hitting streaks. He also hit for a .341 average, scored 25 runs, had six round trippers, drove in 15 and coaxed 21 walks. Congrats Brady, what a month!The mid-season honor of being voted on to the All-Star team is being enjoyed by three Saints this summer. Ace Mark Hamburger, infielder Tony Thomas and outfielder Anthony Gallas all will be representing the American Association as they take on the Can-Am League All-Stars, July 25th in Ottawa. Now, on to the games; starting with longest home stand of the season for the Saints, ten games in eleven days. Winnipeg Goldeyes (June 22-25) Kicking off the home stand was a four-game set versus the Winnipeg Goldeyes. The Saints quickly dispatched the visitors, sweeping the second-place team in the North and extending their lead in the division. The sweep included a couple of lopsided victories to begin the series and concluded with a walk-off solo homer by Brady Shoemaker to close out the Goldeyes. This was also the first time in franchise history the Saints had swept Winnipeg in a four-game series. By far the best moment of the series happened during Saturday night’s game. Returning for the 25th anniversary of the Saints first league title in 1993, former world champion Kevin Millar stepped in for the final at bat of his professional career - and holy cow did he not disappoint. On a 1-0 count Millar got a fastball he did not miss, crushing a no-doubter over the left field wall to ride off into the sunset with a two-run blast. What a moment for Millar and Saints fans together, and what a way to end a career. Pure magic. Way to go Kevin!!! Sioux City Explorers (June 26-29) Next up at CHS Field was a three-gamer against the Sioux City Explorers. The first two games didn’t end in favor of the Saints with the away team putting eight on the board in each to take a 2-0 series lead. Avoiding being swept at home has been a strength of Saints teams since they moved into CHS Field. In fact, they have never been swept in their Lowertown home. Luckily this year’s team remembered that fact and took care of business in game three against the Explorers, defeating the visitors 6-3 to salvage the series finale. Gary SouthShore Railcats (June 30-July 2) Closing out the longest home stand of the season for the Saints was a visit from the Gary SouthShore Railcats. This time the Saints jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the series with a dominating 10-0 complete game shutout by pitcher Benji Waite, his first career complete game shutout. Danny Oh had a career night, finishing with five hits and six RBI, both personal bests for the Saints outfielder. Unfortunately, after the great start the Saints came up short in the next two games, dropping both by one run, and losing the series two games to one. After ending their latest home stand with an overall 6-4 record; the Saints immediately hit the road for six straight, with quick three-game stops in both South and North Dakota. At Sioux City Explorers (July 3-5) and Fargo-Moorehead Redhawks (July 6-8) First up on the road trip was South Dakota and the Sioux City Explorers. Losing the first game of the series 4-2, the Saints endured something they haven’t all season long, a three-game losing streak. Thankfully this was a taste they didn’t like, rebounding in a big way with a 12-1 thrashing of the home team in game two. Sadly, that would be all the Saints could muster versus the Explorers dropping the last game 4-1, and the series 2-1. The final stop on the mini road trip was up to Fargo to face North Division rival, the Redhawks. After losing the first game 6-1, the Saints took control winning the final two games 11-7 and 4-2 and clinching the series victory. In the finale, pitcher Mark Hamburger struck out a career high 11 Redhawks en route to his league-leading ninth victory of the season. Next up – Sioux Falls Canaries (July 10-13) & Fargo-Moorehead Redhawks (July 14-16) With another successful home stand and road trip in their rear-view mirror, your first-place Saints return to CHS Field starting Monday, July 10th. The local nine, sporting a 30-18 record for second best in the league, will face off against two division foes in their next seven games in St. Paul. Upcoming promotions for the home stand include, Monday Night Variety Night with musical guest Chris Hawkey (July 10th), The 30th Birthday of the Simpsons (July 12th), and German Night along with the 2017 team card set giveaway (July 16th). And, don’t forget about Twins Daily Night at the ballpark Friday, July 14th. It includes a picnic and game ticket all for a minor league (and family-friendly) price. The promotion for that evening is also Biggie or Tupac, East Coast vs West Coast, followed by Friday Night Fireworks. I’ll see you there! Click here to view the article

The Saints opened the season in front of a sellout crowd of 8294 at CHS Field on Thursday, May 18th. Even through the rain and cold, good baseball and fun prevailed, with St. Paul defeating the Gary Southshore Railcats en route to taking the series three games to one.The first game of the series used a formulas that the Saints hope will work all year: solid pitching + longball = win. Starter Mark Hamburger pitched 8.1 strong innings allowing only two unearned runs and striking out eight. Tony Thomas and Nate Hanson both sent a pitch over the fence to provide all the offense the team would need in the 5-2 win. The second game saw the pitching staff stand strong again and hold off the Railcats for a 2-1 victory. Four different St. Paul pitchers combined to keep the Gary Southshore offense at bay, while the Saints offense did just enough to secure the win. Tanner Vavra scored the winning tally in the bottom of the seventh on a RBI fielder’s choice by Breland Almadova. Saturday’s game three was postponed due to rain and rescheduled as part of a doubleheader Sunday afternoon. In the American Association, a doubleheader is a little different than in the major leagues. The teams play two seven-inning games back to back with only a twenty minute break in between. Game one followed the same script as the first two games of the series. John Straka pitched 5 scoreless innings followed by the Saints bullpen shutting down the Railcats for the remainder of the tilt. Tim Colwell hit a solo shot and Tony Thomas blasted his second homer of the home stand to secure the 4-0 win for our local team. The final game saw something that the Saints had not run into before in an opening series at CHS Field: a loss. Gary scored early and often while holding off a couple of Saints rallies for a 10-3 victory. My MVP for the home stand is Tony Thomas. Thomas reminded us quickly that he is one of the Saints big boppers this season. He hit .286 with a double, 5 runs scored, 2 HRs and 4 RBI in the first four games. Now, on to the fun. Opening night began with local musician, HarMar Superstar, singing a rocking version of the Mary Tyler Moore theme song by home plate. Live musicians are an aspect the Saints and musical director Andy Crowley have been infusing more and more into the pregame and in-between inning festivities. I think it really adds to the fun atmosphere in the ballpark. It wouldn’t be a Saints game without all the zaniness that goes on in the stands and on the field during the inning breaks. Entertainment Director, Brian Kelly and his team of Ushertainers, along with Director of Marketing and Promotions, Sierra Bailey and her team continue to put on a great show for the fans. From between-inning races to Chef Sharte taking a pie to the face, the fun never stops. Keep up the great work everybody! One promotional change from the weekend due to the rainout is that Star Wars Night has been rescheduled to Sunday, August 6th. After the second game of the doubleheader, the team boarded their bus and headed out on the road for a quick three-game series against North Division foe, the Sioux Falls Canaries. To say there was some runs scored in this series may be an understatement. The Saints cruised to a 12-5 victory in game one behind two Tony Caldwell home runs and a 5 for 6 night for Breland Almadova. Almadova also had 3 RBI and was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle. The second game saw Mark Hamburger toss a complete game and the offense put up a crooked number again, taking down the Canaries, 8-3. This was Hamburger’s 13th career complete game putting him one behind the American Association record held by Ben Moore. If, and more than likely when, Hamburger ties and breaks the record the most eye-popping stat will be how many fewer games it took him to get there. Ben Moore tossed 14 complete games in 121 starts. It has only taken Hamburger 43 starts to get to 13. Game three, we lost 16-3. Enough said. After a day off the Saints return home Friday, May 26th to face the Kansas City T-Bones for three games. KC comes into the series with a 1-5 record. While the Saints sit at 5-2 on the young season. Promotions for the holiday weekend include the first bobble head of the year, double fireworks and food trucks. Starting off the fun is Friday Night Fireworks shooting off to the music of the Beatles.The first 1,500 fans Saturday will receive an Ila Borders 25th Anniversary Season bobble head during You Play Like a Girl! Night. And Sunday is Military Appreciation Night followed by a Food Truck rally on the field and a Fireworks Super Show. After the upcoming home stand the Saints head back out on the road for 13 straight games. This is the team’s longest road trip of the year, due to the high school baseball tournament being played at CHS Field. The boys first make a stop in Cleburne, TX for four games against the Railroaders and three against the Salina Stockade. Then they travel to Grand Prairie, TX for three against the AirHogs. Lastly they stop in Kansas City for three against the T-Bones, finally returning home again, June 12th. That’s a pretty long time to be away from the ballpark; you might want to swing by during this weekend’s gorgeous weather…. For more on the Saints, including tickets to this weekend's games, stop by SaintsBaseball.com Click here to view the article

A discussion of the greatest players in Minnesota Twins history is certain to prominently include Harmon Killebrew. In the batter’s box, he was an imposing figure, capable of altering a game at any time. His name appears at or near the top of most statistical categories in Twins history. However, he was also known as a genuinely compassionate man, respectful and helpful. Recently, the Twins announced the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service, given to one Twins minor leaguer at each of the four four-season affiliates. Each affiliate’s GM nominated a recipient who exemplifies Killebrew through his work in the community.Twins Daily would like to congratulate the 2014 Harmon Killebrew Award winners: Rochester Red Wings – Logan DarnellNew Britain Rock Cats – Tony ThomasFt. Myers Miracle – Tim ShibuyaCedar Rapids Kernels – Tanner VavraTwins Minor League Director Brad Steil said, “In partnership with our minor league affiliates, we encourage our players to be active in their community and emphasize the importance of having a positive impact in society beyond the playing field. In the minor leagues, our players take part in all kinds of activities, including school reading programs, hospital visits, working with disabled youth and youth baseball clinics. These experiences help our players understand responsibility, compassion and giving back. Ultimately it helps them mature and grow as people.” Here is a little bit more on each of the winners. LOGAN DARNELL It was an exciting year for the left-hander whom the Twins drafted in the sixth round in 2010 out of the University of Kentucky. Following the 2013 season, the Twins added him to their 40 man roster. He went to big league camp in February before heading to Rochester to start the season. On May 2, Logan Darnell was promoted to the Minnesota Twins and four days later he made his debut with three perfect innings out of the bullpen. It was his lone appearance during his two-week stint with the Twins before heading back to Rochester where he remained until he was a September call-up. With the Red Wings, he went 7-6 with a 3.60 ERA. However, he also was important to the community of Rochester which is why he was the winner of the award. Recently Logan Darnell told Twins Daily, “It’s a great honor to get (the Killebrew Award). After baseball, it’s things like this that I’ll remember more than any athletic awards.” Minor league players are encouraged to participate in various activities in the community during their seasons. Darnell said that he “did a lot of camps, and whatever they asked us to do.” However, he certainly had a project that he was very proud of supporting. “My favorite was working with an organization called Mary Cariola which is a school for kids that were born with disabilities. It is a great thing they do at that school. It makes you realize that sports aren’t everything, and you can make their day just by showing up.” (Learn more about the Mary Cariola Children’s Center on their website or on Twitter.) TONY THOMAS 28-year-old Tony Thomas signed a minor league contract with the Twins shortly before spring training. He was the Cubs third round pick in 2007 and stayed with them through the 2010 season. He spent 2011 through 2013 with the Red Sox organization where he primarily played for AAA Pawtucket. He was sent to AA New Britain where he was an Eastern League All-Star in 2014. He did a little bit of everything for the Rock Cats. He played 53 games at second base, 33 games at shortstop and three games at third base. He also played 27 games in left field and 12 games in right field. At the plate, he hit .241/.302/.411 (.712) with 29 doubles, six triples and 12 home runs. Thomas was quite active in various community activities in New Britain. He said, “I have been to the Children’s Hospital. I have done a few baseball camps and clinics in our stadium and offsite, going to Little Leagues. Also, I went to the public library to read to kids.” Though Thomas was new to the Twins organization and never met Killebrew, he understands fully the meaning of this award. “To win any award named after a Hall of Famer is an honor in itself. To win one named after Harmon Killebrew in the Twins organization is unbelievable. The man took pride in what he did, and it showed in his performance on and off the field. It makes me proud to be in the Minnesota Twins organization.” TIM SHIBUYA Tim Shibuya was the Twins 23rd round pick in 2011. He began this season in Ft. Myers where he went 7-4 with a 3.64 ERA. He made 28 appearances, including 10 starts. He was willing to pitch in a variety of roles for Doug Mientkiewicz’s Miracle staff. His season ended prematurely with an arm injury, but his work in the community continued. The Miracle have an event every year that players really enjoy. They host an annual special needs camp. Shibuya noted, “The entire Miracle team worked a special needs camp with the Dave Clark Foundation. About 30 kids came out for this camp and we were all blown away by the kids and their families. It was a great experience, one none of us will forget about anytime soon. ” Shibuya involved himself in other functions as well. “I was lucky enough to be able to visit Buckingham Exceptional Student Center and spend time with students with moderate-to-severe disabilities. We played T-ball with them, and it was so inspiring to see their excitement being outside and enjoying baseball. Some students struggled sitting up on their own power so we laid down in the grass or in their classrooms and hung out with them and enjoyed being in their company. ” Shibuya is not one to take his job for granted and understands his role in positively effecting young kids lives. “I spoke with a few foster kids and their legal guardians and showed them around our temporary home of Jet Blue Park. Hearing their stories and understanding their situation makes you realize how special of a job we have. The strength and maturity of these kids is amazing considering how much they have gone through.” Though Shibuya never had the chance to meet Killebrew, he is honored to win this award. “To win an award like this is a great honor, especially when it is named after someone like Mr. Killebrew. There is a reason the community award is named after such a legendary figure. When you hear his name you think about humility, class, professionalism and character.” TANNER VAVRA Tanner Vavra was the Twins 30th round pick in 2013 out of Valparaiso University. He starred in the Northwoods League during his collegiate years as well. With Cedar Rapids this year, he played in 81 games and hit .258/.345/.326 (.671) with 16 extra base hits. Vavra is a baseball guy from a baseball family. His father, Joe, is the Twins third base coach. His brother, Trey, was a Twins draft choice in 2014 and one of the better hitters for Elizabethton this year. Vavra knows baseball, but he also understands the role of being involved in the community and embraced that in Cedar Rapids. Vavra noted, “I try to do anything and everything I can in the community. Here in Cedar Rapids, they do a great job of helping out and getting in the community. I was happy to have the opportunity to get out and volunteer.” Though Vavra isn’t certain if he ever met Killebrew, he knows about his greatness. “I have heard his countless stories and attitude toward this great game of baseball and how he gave back to the communities around the country.” He continued, “It’s an honor to have received this award, and a privilege to have given back to the Cedar Rapids community.” ----- One thing you would learn if you follow the Minnesota Twins organization from the big league level to rookie ball is that there are a lot of really good people, a lot of guys that are very happy to volunteer in the community. Darnell said, “There are a lot of guys on the Rochester team that went out and helped too. (It was a) great group of guys there that care for the community. There are a lot of guys with a gift of serving others and guys that like to have fun!” Congratulations to Logan Darnell, Tony Thomas, Tim Shibuya and Tanner Vavra, the deserving 2014 Killebrew Award winners for community service. Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins exploded for six runs in the top of the tenth inning after they squandered three early game runs and beat the Kansas City Royals. Jordan Schafer continues to hit the ball well for the Twins and he had three more hits on Thursday against Kansas City. Down in the minor leagues the season is entering the final weekend. Let's take a look at the affiliates.Red Wings Report Rochester 6, Syracuse 3 Box The Red Wings took the lead in the seventh inning and went on to defeat the Syracuse Chiefs and are now just two games out of the wild card spot with four games to go. The Wings control their own postseason fate and could squeeze into a spot with wins in their final four games, with two against Buffalo and finishing the season with a pair against Wild Card leading Pawtucket. Virgil Vasquez, one of Rochester's most reliable starters, lasted only four innings. He gave up five hits, four walks, two earned runs and he struck out five. Vasquez turned things over to Logan Darnell, making a rare appearance out of the bullpen, and gave the Wings 3.2 innings of one-hit baseball. The one hit went over the fence for a solo home run, but with Rochester scoring five runs between the sixth and eighth innings, Darnell picked up the win. Stephen Pryor pitched a scoreless inning and Michael Tonkin earned a one-out save to close out the victory. Pedro Florimon led the way for the Red Wings, going 3-4 with a run scored, a triple and three RBIs. Chris Herrmann hit a home run for the second night in a row and finished 2-4. Chris Rahl, making his first start since an early August DL trip, was 2-4 as well. Rock Cats Review New Britain 5, Binghamton 3 Box Jason Wheeler pitched seven innings of one run baseball and has nothing to show for it after Edgar Ibarra gave up two runs in the bottom of the eighth and left Wheeler with no decision. Wheeler struck out four, walked one and gave up his only run on a solo home run in the first inning. Ibarra, despite blowing the save, earned the win when the Rock Cats scored three runs in the top of the ninth. Ibarra pitched two innings, gave up two runs, struck out two and walked one. The Rock Cats used a slew of singles to score those runs in the ninth, with RBIs coming from Mike Gonzales, Reynaldo Rodriguez and Tony Thomas as part of four consecutive singles for New Britain. Other than those four ninth inning hits, the Rock Cats had just six hits in the first eight innings. Eddie Rosario, headed to the Arizona Fall League in a couple weeks, was 0-4 with a strike out and is hitting just .234/.277/.378 in 75 games in New Britain. In addition to his ninth inning RBI, Tony Thomas had two more RBIs, including a solo home run in the second inning. Miracle Matters The Fort Myers and Jupiter were rained out and the game will be made up on Friday as part of a double header. Kernels Nuggets Cane County 3, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Having already clinched a postseason birth, the Kernels fell in regulation to the best team in the Midwest League, The Kane County Cougars (89-47). Chih-Wei Hu gave up three first inning runs, all earned, but hung on to pitch four innings. He struck out five, walked three, and scattered four hits. Hudson Boyd pitched three scoreless innings of relief and Chris Mazza pitched the final two innings and struck out five. The Kernels went into the ninth inning down by two runs and despite a late rally could plate only one run and lost 3-2. The Kernels were paced by Jonatan Hinojosa who was 3-4 with a walk and a strikeout. Tanner Vavra had two hits, including a double. E-Twins E-Notes Kingsport 6, Elizabethton 13 Box Kingsport chased starter Derrick Penilla after three innings. Penilla gave up five runs, all earned, on eight hits. He struck out four and walked none. Zach Tillery pitched three innings in relief, giving up one run, no walks and he struck out two. Kuo Hua Low pitched two scoreless innings and was the beneficiary of a nine-run inning from the Twins and he picked up his third win of the year. Keaton Steele pitched the ninth to finish the game. The Twins scored 13 runs on 15 hits, including five for extra bases. Nick Gordon led the way with a 3-5 night. He had a triple, four RBIs and no strikeouts. Will Hurt --GREAT baseball name-- was 3-5 with a run scored. Trey Vavra, Tyler Mautner and Austin Diemer also all had multi-hit nights. Mautner had a big night with both his hits going for extra bases, a double and a solo home run. GCL Twins Takes GCL Twins 1, GCL Rays 3 Box The GCL Twins were in a hole from the beginning and could not string together enough timely hitting to steal a win from the Rays, going 1-8 with runners in scoring position,. The Twins used only two pitchers, Alexis Tapia, who pitched five innings and gave up three runs and Miles Nordgren who pitched three innings of scoreless relief. Joel Polanco was the only Twins player with multiple hits. He was 2-4 with a run scored and two strikeouts. Jake Barrie had the Twins' only extra-base hit, a double, and Dubal Baez had their only walk. TwinsDaily Minor League Hitter and Pitcher of the Day TwinsDaily Hitter of the Day - Pedro Florimon, Rochester TwinsDaily Pitcher of the Day - Jason Wheeler, New Britain Friday's Probables Buffalo @ Rochester (6:15pm) - Sean Gilmartin New Hampshire @ New Britain (6:05) - Pat Dean Jupiter @ Fort Myers (4:00, Game 2 to follow) - TBD, TBD Kane County @ Cedar Rapids (6:35) - Mat Batts Kingsport @ Elizabethton - TBD Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins exploded for six runs in the top of the tenth inning after they squandered three early game runs and beat the Kansas City Royals. Jordan Schafer continues to hit the ball well for the Twins, and had three more hits on Thursday against Kansas City. Down in the Minor Leagues the season is entering the final weekend, let's take a look at the Affiliates. Red Wings Report Rochester 6, Syracuse 3 Box The Red Wings took the lead late (in the seventh) to defeat the Syracuse Chiefs and are now just two games out of the Wild Card spot with four games to control. The Wings control their own postseason fate and could squeeze in a spot with wins in their final four games (two against Buffalo, and finishing up the season with a pair against Wild Card leading Pawtucket). Virgil Vasquez, one of Rochester's most reliable starters, lasted only four innings. Vasquez gave up five hits, four walks, two earned runs and he struck out five. Vasquez turned things over to Logan Darnell, making a rare appearance out of the bullpen, and gave the Wings 3.2 innings of 1-hit baseball. The one hit went over the fence for a solo home run, but with Rochester scoring five runs between the sixth and eighth innings, Darnell picked up the W. Stephen Pryor pitched a scoreless inning, and Michael Tonkin earned a one out save to close out the victory. Pedro Florimon led the way for the Red Wings, he was 3-4 with a run scored, a triple, and three RBI. Chris Herrmann hit a home run for the second night in the row and finished 2-4. Chris Rahl, making his first start since an early August DL trip, was 2-4 as well. Rock Cats Review New Britain 5, Binghamton 3 Box Jason Wheeler pitched seven innings of one run baseball and had nothing to show for it after Edgar Ibarra gave up two runs in the bottom of the eighth and left Wheeler with a no decision. Wheeler struck out four, walked one, and gave up his only run on a solo home run in the first inning. Ibarra, despite blowing the save, earned the win when he Rock Cats scored three runs in the top of the ninth. Ibarra pitched two innings, gave up two runs, struck out two and walked one. The Rock Cats used a slew of singles to score those runs in the ninth, with RBIs coming from Mike Gonzales, Reynaldo Rodriguez and Tony Thomas as part of four consecutive singles for New Britain. Other than those four ninth inning hits, the Rock Cats had just six hits in the first eight innings. Eddie Rosario, headed to the Arizona Fall League in a couple of weeks, was 0-4 with a strike out and is hitting just .234/.277/.378 in 75 games in New Britain. In addition to his ninth inning RBI, Tony Thomas had two more RBIs, including a solo home run in the second inning. Miracle Matters The Fort Myers and Jupiter were rained out and the game will be made up on Friday as part of a double header. Kernels Nuggets Cane County 3, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Having already clinched a postseason birth, the Kernels fell in regulation to the best team in the Midwest League, The Kane County Cougars (89-47). Chih-Wei Hu gave up three first inning runs, all earned, but hung on to pitch four innings. He struck out five, walked three, and scattered four hits. Hudson Boyd pitched three scoreless innings of relief and Chris Mazza pitched the final two innings and struck out five. The Kernels went into the ninth inning down by two runs, and despite a late rally, could only plate one run and lost 3-2. The Kernels were paced by Jonatan Hinojosa who was 3-4 with a walk and a strike out. Tanner Vavra had two hits, including a double. E-Twins E-Notes Kingsport 6, Elizabethton 13 Box Kingsport chased starter Derrick Penilla after three innings. Penilla gave up five runs, all earned, on eight hits. He struck out four and walked none. Zach Tillery pitched three innings in relief, giving up one run, no walks, and he struck out two. Kuo Hua Low pitched two scoreless innings and was the beneficiary of a nine-run inning from the Twins and he picked up his third win of the year. Keaton Steele pitched the ninth to finish the game. The Twins scored 13 runs on 15 hits, including five for extra bases. Nick Gordon led the way with a 3-5 night. He had a triple, four RBI and no strike outs. Will Hurt (GREAT baseball name) was 3-5 with a run scored. Trey Vavra, Tyler Mautner, and Austin Diemer also all had multi-hit nights. Mautner had a big night with both of his hits going for extra bases with a double and a solo home run. GCL Twins Takes GCL Twins 1, GCL Rays 3 Box The GCL Twins were in a hole from the beginning and could not string together enough timely hitting (1-8 with runners in scoring position) to steal a win from the Rays. The Twins used only two pitchers, Alexis Tapia, who pitched five innings and gave up three runs, and Miles Nordgren who pitched three innings of scoreless relief. Joel Polanco was the only Twins player with multiple hits, he was 2-4 with a run scored and two strike outs. Jake Barrie had the Twins' only extra base hit, a double, and Dubal Baez had their only walk. TwinsDaily Minor League Hitter and Pitcher of the Day TwinsDaily Hitter of the Day - Pedro Florimon, Rochester TwinsDaily Pitcher of the Day - Jason Wheeler, New Britain Friday's Probables Buffalo @ Rochester (6:15pm) - Sean Gilmartin New Hampshire @ New Britain (6:05) - Pat Dean Jupiter @ Fort Myers (4:00, Game 2 to follow) - TBD, TBD Kane County @ Cedar Rapids (6:35) - Mat Batts Kingsport @ Elizabethton - TBD

It was a tough night for the Twins top two pitching prospects. Trevor May’s much-anticipated major eague debut didn’t go as well as planned, and in Rochester, Alex Meyer didn’t fare much better. On a more positive note, JO Berrios will return to the mound on Sunday afternoon for the New Britain Rock Cats. Also, Taylor Rogers returned tonight for the Rock Cats after missing nearly three months. Another of the Twins top pitching prospects put together his best start of the season. Check out all of that and much more in tonight’s Minor League Report:RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 5, Indianapolis 14 Box Score Trevor May was on the mound for the Twins, and Alex Meyer was on the mound for the Red Wings. At the end of the day, neither had the type of performance he would have wanted. Meyer needed 64 pitches to get through just two innings. He was charged with four runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out four. A 40-pitch second inning meant that he would not get a third inning. AJ Achter came on and threw two scoreless innings. However, in the fifth, he recorded just one out and was charged with two runs after two walks. Deolis Guerra got the final two outs of the fifth but not before both of Achter’s runners and four more runs scored. He pitched one more inning. Then Aaron Thompson gave up four runs on five hits and a walk in his inning. Catcher/Outfielder Dan Rohlfing pitched for the second time in a week, and for the second time, he did not allow a run. Pedro Florimon went 3-4 with his 11th double. Josmil Pinto hit his 11th and 12th doubles. Wilkin Ramirez went 2-4 with his 22nd double. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 8, Erie 3 Box Score Taylor Rogers had been on the disabled list for since July 19 with a biceps injury. He returned to the mound on Saturday night and worked four scoreless innings. He gave up four hits, walked one and struck out one. Dan Turpen came in for the fifth inning and gave up three runs on three hits and two walks. Edgar Ibarra came on and gave up only one hit over two scoreless innings. Ryan O’Rourke finished the game with three strikeouts in two scoreless innings. Tony Thomas went 3-5 and hit his eighth home run of the year. Mike Kvasnicka went 3-4 with his 21st and 22nd doubles. Reynaldo Rodriguez hit his 16th home run. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 4, Palm Beach 0 Box Score The Miracle had been really struggling of late, so they have got to be happy with the pitching the last two nights. On Friday night, lefty Brett Lee threw a complete game shutout for the Miracle. On Saturday, another lefty got the ball. Steven Gruver gave up just one hit and two walks in five scoreless innings. He struck out three. Then BJ Hermsen and Brandon Peterson each threw two scoreless innings and struck out two batters. Adam Walker hit a two-run homer in the game and now has 24 home runs and 85 RBI on the season. Aderlin Mejia went 3-4 with his 11th double. Travis Harrison hit his 29th and 30th doubles. Byron Buxton went 2-4. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Kane County 2 Box Score Lewis Thorpe posted his best start of the season. The Australian left-hander gave up only an unearned run over six innings. He allowed three hits, walked two and struck out seven. Dallas Gallant gave up one run on one hit over two innings. He walked one and struck out three. Nick Burdi came on and recorded his fourth save of the season. He gave up a hit and struck out one. Joe Mauer went 2-4, though his manager and brother, Jake, didn’t see either of the hits as he was ejected before Mauer got his first hit. Logan Wade was also 2-4 and hit a solo homer, his first of the year. Alex Swim was also 2-4. Max Murphy had the biggest hit though. He hit a two-run homer, his second since joining the Kernels, in the 5th inning. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 1, Danville 11 Box Score Sam Gibbons made the start for the E-Twins and gave up four runs on eight hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out five. Keaton Steele came on and gave up one run on three hits over two innings. Randy LeBlanc got an inning and was charged with five runs, though just one was earned, on three hits. Kuo Hua Lo gave up one run on two hits in his inning. Trey Vavra hit his 10th and 11th doubles. Austin Diemer was 2-4 and stole his seventh base. Blake Schmidt hit his first professional double, and Nick Gordon doubled for the fifth time. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins, GCL Red Sox Box Score This game was suspended due to rain after three innings. The score was already 10-3 at that point, not in the Twins favor. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Steve Gruver, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Tony Thomas, New Britain Rock Cats THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Indianapolis (12:35 CST) – Kris Johnson New Britain @ Erie (12:35 CST) – JO Berrios Ft. Myers @ Palm Beach (12:05 CST) – Aaron Slegers Kane County @ Cedar Rapids (2:05 CST) – Ricky Nolasco Danville @ Elizabethton (5:0 CST) – TBD GCL Twins – No Games Scheduled on Sundays Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Saturday games. Click here to view the article