Twins affiliates sweep! Miguel Sano hits two home runs! Alex Wimmers makes his AA debut.
ROCHESTER 3, BUFFALO 2 IN ROCHESTER
Batting stars: Brian Dozier doubled and homered, driving in all three runs. Ray Chang was 2-for-4.
Pitching stars: Carlos Gutierrez struck out three in two shutout innings of relief, giving up only a walk. Sam Deduno gave up two runs on five hits and two walks in five innings. Anthony Slama struck out two and allowed only a walk in a scoreless ninth.
Opposition stars: Garrett Olson gave up one run on four hits and two walks while striking out four in five innings. Chuck James pitched a scoreless inning, giving up only a walk.
Key inning: The seventh. After the first two batters went out, Tsuyoshi Nishioka walked and Dozier hit a two-run homer to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead.
NEW BRITAIN 6, HARRISBURG 3 IN NEW BRITAIN
Batting stars: Aaron Hicks singled and hit a three-run homer, driving in four for the game. Deibinson Romero was 3-for-4 with a double. Evan Bigley singled and doubled.
Pitching star: Deolis Guerra worked 2.2 scoreless innings, giving up two hits.
Opposition stars: Josh Johnson was 3-for-4 with a home run. Kevin Pucetas gave up three hits in 2.1 scoreless innings.
Key inning: The fifth. The Senators scored in the top of the inning to make the score 4-2 and left the tying run in scoring position. The Rock Cats came back to score twice in the bottom of the inning on a double and three singles to put the game out of reach.
Other: Alex Wimmers made his AA debut, giving up two runs on six hits and two walks in 4.1 innings. He had allowed only one run on three hits in four innings before running into trouble in the fifth.
FORT MYERS 3, JUPITER 1 IN FORT MYERS
Batting stars: Levi Michael was 3-for-4. Josmil Pinto singled and doubled. Jairo Perez hit a home run.
Pitching stars: Edgar Ibarra worked 2.2 scoreless innings, allowing three hits. Adrian Salcedo gave up a run on two hits and three walks in four innings.
Opposition stars: Noah Perio singled and doubled. Rett Varner struck out six while allowing an unearned run in four innings.
Key inning: The seventh. With the Miracle leading 2-1, the Hammerheads get two singles and a hit batsman but fail to score due to a caught stealing. The Miracle scored in the bottom of the inning and were never threatened again.
BELOIT 9, KANE COUNTY 7 IN KANE COUNTY
Batting stars: Miguel Sano hit two home runs, driving in five. He also walked twice. Adam Pettersen was 3-for-4 with a triple.
Pitching star: Starter Jason Wheeler gave up a run on five hits and a walk in four innings.
Opposition stars: Alex Llanos had two doubles and a single. Jorge Bonifacio singled, doubled, and walked three times.
Key inning: The eighth. The Snappers had taken a 7-4 lead, but the Cougars had come back to make it 7-6 after seven. Sano followed a Jon Goncalves single with his second home run of the day in the top of the eighth to put the game out of reach.
TODAY’S TILTS
12:00 Beloit at Kane County TBA v. TBA
12:05 Buffalo at Rochester Matt Harvey v. P. J. Walters
5:35 Harrisburg at New Britain Robert Gilliam v. Luke French
6:05 Jupiter at Fort Myers Edgar Olmos v. Marty Popham
It seems strange that so many starters have been TBA this early in this season. It could mean that teams don’t really know what they have, or it could be that they just haven’t gotten around to announcing it yet.
I really hope Dozier and Michael solve the Twins shortstop problem for years to come.
This makes me feel so much better about 0-4. Especially seeing the names "Hicks, Sano, Michael, Dozier, Gutierrez and Wimmers".
No doubt. Just think of the relief help we'll be able to get out of those guys.
....what...
I'm already looking at 2012 as a rebuilding year. It helps to see that we've at least purchased some of the lumber already.
Exactly. Though I long to see my avatar's name included.
I'm still a bit bummed Yangervis Solarte is in the Rangers' system now. I'm not sure how useful he woulda been for the Twins, but it was a great name.
Minors win as many games in a day as the Twins have lost all season.