Liam Hendriks has nothing to learn in AAA. Neither does Chris Parmelee. Max Kepler homers again. The Rock Cats treat their fans right.
ROCHESTER 4, NORFOLK 1 IN NORFOLK (15 INNINGS)
Batting stars: Chris Parmelee was 2-for-5 with two doubles, two walks, and three RBIs. Matt Carson was 2-for-5 with two walks and a home run, his eighth. Ray Chang was 2-for-5.
Pitching stars: Liam Hendriks struck out six in seven innings, giving up one run on five hits and a walk. Caleb Theilbar worked 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing one hit. Lester Oliveros struck out three in three shutout innings, giving up one hit.
Opposition stars: L. J. Hoes and Zelous Wheeler were each 2-for-5. Greg Burke threw three shutout innings, allowing one hit.
Key inning: The fifteenth, obviously. The score was tied at one. Singles by Rene Rivera and Pedro Florimon and a walk to Carson loaded the bases with two out. Parmelee delivered a bases-clearing double to provide the margin of victory.
NEW BRITAIN 8, NEW HAMPSHIRE 0 IN NEW BRITAIN (6 INNINGS—RAIN)
Batting star: Deibinson Romero was 2-for-2 with two doubles and a walk.
Pitching star: David Bromberg pitched a complete game, giving up two hits and three walks.
Opposition stars: None.
Key inning: The fourth. The Rock Cats led 2-0. With two out and one on, an error, three singles, and another error produced four runs. Aaron Hicks and Estarlin De Los Santos each had RBI singles.
Other: Even though it was an official game, New Britain will allow any used tickets to be exchanged for a ticket to another game later in the season.
DUNEDIN 4, FORT MYERS 1 IN FORT MYERS
Batting star: Levi Michael was 3-for-4.
Pitching star: Pat Dean allowed two runs on six hits in six innings, walking none and striking out five.
Opposition stars: Kevin Pillar and Ryan Schimpf were each 2-for-5 with a double. Egan Smith worked six shutout innings, giving up three hits and two walks while striking out six.
Key inning: The eighth. Leading 2-0, the Blue Jays loaded the bases with none out. Jack Murphy then hit a pop-up single to shortstop that brought in two runs and gave Dunedin a comfortable lead. In the bottom of the inning, the Miracle also loaded the bases with none out, but could only score on a sacrifice fly.
LANSING AT BELOIT
Rained out. Will be made up as part of a doubleheader today.
JOHNSON CITY 6, ELIZABETHTON 4 IN ELIZABETHTON
Batting stars: Max Kepler was 2-for-5 with a home run, his third in three days. Adam Walker was 2-for-4. Rory Rhodes was 2-for-5.
Pitching star: J. T. Chargois pitched a perfect inning.
Opposition stars: Bruce Caldwell was 2-for-5. Mariano Llorens struck out six in two shutout innings, walking one and hitting one.
Key inning: The fifth. The Twins had scored twice in the fourth to cut the Cardinal lead to 3-2. A pair of walks, a pair of stolen bases, a sacrifice fly, and Caldwell’s RBI single put Johnson City back ahead by three.
GCL RAYS 7, TWINS 6 AT TWINS
Batting stars: Kelvin Ortiz was 2-for-4 with two doubles. Bryan Haar was 2-for-3. Jorge Fernandez was 2-for-4.
Pitching stars: Felix Jorge struck out two in two perfect innings. Yorman Landa threw 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and a walk.
Opposition stars: Bralin Jackson was 3-for-5. Benjamin Kline was 2-for-5 with three RBIs.
Key inning: The ninth. Trailing 6-4, the Rays came back with three in the ninth to win the game. A walk, a single, and another walk loaded the bases. Kline delivered a two-run single to tie the game, and the go-ahead run scored on a force out.
DSL DIAMONDBACKS 2, TWINS 0 AT TWINS (6 INNINGS—RAIN)
Batting star: Carlos Martinez got the lone hit for the Twins, a single.
Pitching star: Reudis Reyes threw two shutout innings, allowing one hit.
Opposition stars: Yorman Garcia was 2-for-3. Erick Leal went all the way, striking out three with no walks.
Key inning: The first. A single, a stolen base, and an error produced the only run the Diamondbacks would need.
Other: Martinez’ single came on the last at-bat before play was stopped.
TODAY’S TILTS
9:30 DSL Twins at Diamondbacks
11:00 GCL Twins at Rays
11:15 Rochester at Norfolk TBA v. Jason Birken
5:30 Lansing at Beloit TBA v. TBA
Lansing at Beloit TBA v. TBA
5:30 Fort Myers at Lakeland Matthew Summers v. Luis Angel Sanz
6:00 Johnson City at Elizabethton Stalyn Lopez v. TBA
6:00 New Britain at Harrisburg TBA v. TBA
TBA must have a rubber arm. And lots of frequent flier miles.
Free Hendriks! His xFIP in the majors is 4.48, which is over a run better than the overall ERA of starters this year.
I agree, not because I think he's going to start pitching to his xFIP, but because, as the padre stated, he has nothing more to learn at the AAA level. If he's a part of the Twins' future, he may as well start learning on the job.
I don't really expect much from Hendriks, and I'm not opposed to him learning on the job in the bigs. But I wonder if he actually would? Of course, it's not like he's learning in AAA either, since he can get by on this other stuff. I suppose there'll be some "necessity is the mother of invention" effect in the majors. I guess what I'm really saying here is that I have absolutely no expectations for Hendriks, and if he busts I wouldn't even be particularly frustrated by it (other prospects busting kills me, but for some reason, I just don't care about Hendriks. If he works out? Bonus.)
I'm higher on Hendriks than you are, but we agree on the main point. Keeping him in Rochester isn't helping him at this point--he already knows how to get AAA hitters out. Whatever he needs to learn, he's only going to learn it in the big leagues, so it's time to run him out there every five days and see if he can. Plus, it's not exactly like we have a rotation of Cy Young candidates standing in his way.
Truthfully, that's about where I'm at with him, too. It's just that this is a lost season, and we may as well see what he's got, since he's not going to get any better in AAA.
If he could keep it in the park, he'd do.
I agree on Hendriks but not on Parmalee. There aren't enough at bats for Parmalee with the Twins. He is better off at AAA right now.
I agree that Parmelee is better off playing in Rochester than sitting in Minnesota. If I was in charge, though, I'd find ways to play him in Minnesota. My best thought is to ship out Butera, make Doumit the reserve catcher, and use Parmelee as DH, playing him at first once in a while to give Morneau a rest. He doesn't necessarily have to play every single day, but he'd play in about two-thirds of the games.
I don't see much use in "platooning" Parmelee and Morneau or having him DH. If Parmelee was a righty, I most certainly would agree with you.
I'd make Morneau the first baseman and Parmelee DH, just flipping them once in a while to give Morneau a day off. Mauer could still DH once in a while, too, and you might sit Parmelee against some particularly tough left-handers. That's why I say it'd work out to Parmelee playing in about two-thirds of the games. I'd rather have him learning to hit big-league pitching than dominating AAA pitching.
I'd rather see Parmelee AND Morneau sitting against tough lefties. Or a rightie alternative.
I'd go along with that, but I don't know who the righty alternative would be.
hopefully someone who is also a starting pitcher
Wait a minute! The Twins don't have to keep Butera on the roster?! Does the front office know about this?
no.
Until they trade Liriano they do have to keep him, apparently.
Thielbar-Thielbar! Clap-Clap-ClapClapClap!
All these clowns the Twins keep bringing up from the minors and Thielbar hasn't received his shot yet. No justice!
These are a couple of the best baseball names I've seen in a while. And they play on the same team, even! Wonderful.