Category Archives: Keeping Track

Where They Stand

Minnesota is 52-65, fourth in the AL Central, 10 games behind Detroit.  The Twins won their last game and are 2-8 in their last ten games.

Rochester is 48-72, sixth in the IL North, 21 games behind Pawtucket.  The Red Wings lost their last game and are 3-7 in their last ten games.

New Britain is 57-60, fourth in the EL East, 8 games behind New Hampshire.  The Rock Cats are two games out of the last playoff spot.  They won their last game and are 2-8 in their last ten games.

Ft. Myers is 19-27 in the second half, fifth in the FSL South, 9 games behind Bradenton.  The Miracle has won its last two games and is 4-6 in its last ten games.

Beloit is 21-25 in the second half, fourth in the ML West, 7 games behind Quad Cities.  The Snappers are three games out of the last playoff spot.  They won their last game and are 4-6 in their last ten games.

Elizabethton is 28-26, second in the AL West, 6 games behind Johnson City.  The Twins have a two game lead for the last playoff spot.  They have won their last three games and are 7-3 in their last ten games.

The GCL Twins are 20-25, fourth in the GCL South, 7.5 games behind the Orioles.  The Twins won their last game and are 3-7 in their last ten games.

The DSL Twins are 38-22, tied for first in the B. C. B. C.  The Twins have won their last seven games and are 8-2 in their last ten games.  The DSL season ends August 20.

This Week in Twins Transactions

Scott Baker was placed on the fifteen day disabled list by Minnesota.
Justin Morneau was sent to Rochester on a rehab assignment.
Trevor Plouffe was optioned from Minnesota to Rochester.
Kevin Slowey was recalled from Rochester to Minnesota.
Danny Lehmann was sent from Rochester to New Britain.
Deinys Suarez was promoted from New Britain to Rochester.
Logan Darnell was promoted from Ft. Myers to New Britain.
Matthew Tomshaw was promoted from the GCL Twins to Ft. Myers.
Brad Stillings was placed on the seven day disabled list by Ft. Myers.
B. J. Hermsen was promoted from Beloit to Ft. Myers.
Estarlin de los Santos was placed on the seven day disabled list by Ft. Myers.
Reggie Williams was promoted from Beloit to Ft. Myers.
Shooter Hunt was activated from the disabled list by Ft. Myers.
Pedro Guerra was promoted from Elizabethton to Beloit.
Madison Boer was promoted from Elizabethton to Beloit.
Kyle Knudson was activated from the disabled list by Beloit.
Nate Roberts was activated from the disabled list by Beloit.
Michael Gonzales was placed on the seven day disabled list by Beloit.
Tim Atherton was promoted from the GCL Twins to Elizabethton.
Marcus Limon was promoted from the GCL Twins to Elizabethton.
Matthew Koch signed and was assigned to Elizabethton.
Garrett Jewel was placed on the seven day disabled list by Elizabethton.
Kennys Vargas was placed on the restricted list by Elizabethton.
Ray Chang was assigned to the GCL Twins.

One assumes Justin Morneau will be activated to take Trevor Plouffe's spot, but that move has not yet appeared on the transaction lists.

This Week in Ex-Twins

Arizona organization (AAA Reno) activates Kevin Mulvey from the disabled list.
Baltimore organization signs Willie Eyre and assigns him to AAA Norfolk.
Houston organization (AAA Oklahoma City) activates Ryan Rowland-Smith from the disabled list.
Yankees organization (AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre) releases J. C. Romero.
Yankees organization (AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre) activates Terry Tiffee from the disabled list.
Seattle recalls Luis Rodriguez from AAA Tacoma.
Toronto organization (AAA Las Vegas) places Sean Henn on the seven day disabled list.

Minor Details: Games of 8/11

Durham 6, Rochester 1 in Durham.  The Bulls scored four in the second to take a 5-0 lead.  Dustin Martin's home run was the only run.  Justin Morneau was 0-for-4.  Liam Hendriks lasted five innings and surrendered six runs on seven hits and a walk.  Chuck James pitched three shutout innings, giving up four hits.

New Britain 6, Altoona 5 in New Britain.  The Rock Cats scored four in the first, then held on.  Mark Dolenc singled and tripled.  Evan Bigley and Deibinson Romero each singled and doubled, with Bigley driving in three.  Blake Martin got the win, allowing three runs on six hits and four walks with five strikeouts in five innings.  Deolis Guerra went two shutout innings, walking two.  Tyler Robertson got his thirteenth save despite allowing two runs on two hits and a walk in two innings while striking out two.

Ft. Myers 6, Bradenton 5 in Ft. Myers (Game 1--Scheduled 7 innings).  The Miracle led 5-1 after three, but the score was tied going to the bottom of the seventh.  Jamaal Hawkins doubled to lead off the seventh and scored on an error.  Josmil Pinto singled and doubled.  B. J. Hermsen allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits and two walks in 4.2 innings.  Ricky Bowen got the win with 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up a hit and a walk.

Bradenton 0, Ft. Myers 0 (Game 2--Scheduled 7 innings--game suspended in the top of the fourth).  So far there have been two hits in the game, both by the Miracle.  Matthew Tomshaw has struck out four in 3.2 hitless innings, walking one.

Beloit 6, Wisconsin 4 in Wisconsin.  The Snappers scored three in the sixth to break a 3-3 tie.  The Snappers were out-hit 10-4 but drew ten walks.  Ryan O'Rourke pitched six innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on seven hits and a walk.  Nelvin Fuentes struck out three in two innings, with the only player to reach base doing so on an error.  Madison Boer allowed a run on three hits in one inning to get the save.

GCL Twins 4, Rays 3 at Twins (Game 1--Scheduled 7 innings).  The Twins trailed 3-1 before scoring three in the fifth.  Phillip Chapman had two singles and a double, driving in three.  Starter Hein Robb threw three innings, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks.  Tyler Herr gave up a hit and a walk in two shutout innings to get the win.  Hung Yi Chen struck out four in two shutout innings, giving up two hits, to get the save.

GCL Orioles 6, Twins 1 at Orioles (Game 2--Scheduled 7 innings).  The Orioles scored five in the fifth to break a 1-1 tie.  The Twins had only two hits.  Starter Ricardo Arevalo allowed a run on a hit and two walks in 2.2 innings, striking out three.  Gonzalo Sanudo started the fifth, surrendering five runs (four earned) on five hits in two-thirds of an inning to take the loss.

DSL Twins 7, White Sox 5 at White Sox.  The Twins scored seven in the eighth to overcome a 5-0 deficit.  The Twins had one hit in the seventh, drawing five walks and receiving the benefit of five errors in the inning.  The Twins had only three hits in the game; Victor Arias had two of them.  Starter Javier Vargas allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk in three innings.  Jose Jimenez struck out four in three shutout innings, giving up three walks.  Elias Villasana got the win, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits in one inning.  Yeison Florentino got the save with two shutout innings, giving up a hit and a walk while striking out three.

Happy Birthday–August 12

Christy Mathewson (1880)
Ray Schalk (1892)
Harlond Clift (1912)
Fred Hutchinson (1919)
Bob Buhl (1928)
Kevin Cooney (1950)
Matt Clement (1974)
Lew Ford (1976)

Kevin Cooney was an eleventh round draft choice of the Twins in 1972.  He pitched in the Twins' organization for two seasons, then a shoulder injury ended his playing career.  He then became a college baseball coach.  He was the head coach at Montclair State from 1984-1987 and at Florida Atlantic from 1988-2008.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–August 12

Minor Details: Games of 8/10

Rochester 11, Durham 3 in Durham.  The Bulls scored first, but the Red Wings scored six in the third to take a 6-1 lead.  Justin Morneau singled and homered, scoring three times and driving in three.  Dustin Martin singled and doubled.  Mike Hollimon scored three times.  Jake Stevens gave up eight hits but only one run (unearned) in four innings.  Cole DeVries struck out four in three shutout innings, giving up two hits and a walk.

Altoona 5, New Britain 0 in New Britain (Game 1--Scheduled 7 innings).  The Curve led all the way, scoring in the first inning.  The Rock Cats had just five hits.  David Bromberg allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks in four innings.

Altoona 14, New Britain 1 in New Britain (Game 2--Scheduled 7 innings).  The Curve scored six in the first.  Mark Dolenc had two singles and a double.  Spencer Steedley was pulled out of the bullpen to start and lasted only one inning, surrendering seven runs on seven hits and four walks.

Bradenton at Ft. Myers.  Postponed.

Wisconsin 3, Beloit 1 in Wisconsin.  The Timber Rattlers led 2-1 after one inning.  The Snappers had just four hits.  Blayne Weller gave up two runs on three hits and a walk while striking out four in four innings.  Michael Tonkin struck out three in three innings, giving up a run on three hits and a walk.

Elizabethton 3, Danville 0 in Danville.  The Twins scored two in the fourth and one in the seventh.  The Braves out-hit the Twins 10-5.  Eddie Rosario singled and tripled, raising his average to .305.  Tim Shibuya went five innings, allowing eight hits but no walks.  Corey Williams and Steven Gruver each allowed one hit in two innings.  Williams walked two and struck out four while Gruver walked one and struck out two.

GCL Twins at Orioles.  Postponed.

DSL Twins 2, Diamondbacks 1 at Twins (Game 1--Scheduled 7 innings).  Joel Polanco singled in Jose Ramirez with two out in the seventh to drive in the winning run.  Ronald Jimenez had two hits.  Melcaides De La Cruz struck out five in three innings, giving up an unearned run on four hits and a walk.  Francisco Nunez got the win, striking out six in four innings while giving up three hits and a walk.

DSL Twins 9, Diamondbacks 1 at Diamondbacks (Game 2--Scheduled 7 innings).  The Twins put together three three-run innings, the first, the third, and the sixth.  Adonis Pacheco had two singles and a triple.  Ronald Jimenez had two hits.  Starter Yorman Landa worked four shutout innings, giving up just one hit and two walks while striking out four.  Ezequiel Zarzuela got the win, giving up an unearned run on two hits and a walk in two innings.

Minor Details: Games of 8/9

Durham 10, Rochester 6 in Durham.  The Red Wings scored first, but the Bulls took a 5-1 lead after three and were never threatened.  Justin Morneau had two doubles and a single, raising his average to .409 (9-for-22).  Dustin Martin had two singles and a triple.  Luke Hughes singled and homered.  Brian Dinkelman had two hits.  Scott Diamond surrendered eight runs (six earned) on eight hits and a walk while striking out five in four innings.

Altoona at New Britain.  Postponed.

Ft. Myers 6, Bradenton 3 in Ft. Myers.  The Miracle trailed 3-2 half-way through, but scored two in the fifth and two in the seventh.  Oswaldo Arcia had two doubles and a home run, driving in three.  James Beresford singled and doubled.  Angel Morales and Danny Rohlfing each had two hits.  Josmil Pinto homered.  Tom Stuifbergen pitched seven strong innings, giving up three runs on eight hits and no walks.  Bruce Pugh struck out two in two shutout innings to get his thirteenth save, giving up just one hit.

Beloit 12, Quad Cities 6 in Beloit (Game 1--Scheduled 7 innings).  The Snappers scored seven in the fifth to overcome a 6-5 deficit.  Lance Ray had two singles and a home run.  Daniel Ortiz singled and doubled.  Andy Leer hit a grand slam, driving in five for the game.  Jairo Perez hit a home run.  Starter A. J. Achter surrendered six runs (five earned) on nine hits and two walks in three innings, striking out three.  Bart Carter and Jose Gonzalez each worked two shutout innings, each giving up two hits and a walk.  Carter was the winning pitcher.

Quad Cities 6, Beloit 5 in Beloit (Game 2--Scheduled 7 innings).  The River Bandits led 6-2 and hung on to win.  Tyler Grimes singled and homered.  Pedro Guerra yielded six runs on six hits and three walks while striking out six in four innings.  Sam Spangler worked three shutout innings, allowing a hit and a walk.

Elizabethton 3, Danville 2 in Danville (10 innings).  Eddie Rosario doubled in two in the ninth to tie it and Kennys Vargas homered in the tenth for the win.  Vargas also doubled and singled, raising his average to .324.  Max Kepler singled and doubled.  Niko Goodrum was 2-for-2 with three walks.  David Hurlbut pitched six innings, giving up two runs on six hits and a walk.  Cole Johnson struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up two hits.  Steven Evans and Matthew Summers each threw a perfect innings, with Evans getting the win and Summers the save.

GCL Twins at Rays.  Postponed.

DSL Twins 18, Padres 3.  The Twins scored two in each of the first three innings, four in the fourth, and eight in the sixth.  They had only eleven hits, but drew thirteen walks and received five Padres errors.  Adonis Pacheco had three singles and a triple, driving in four.  Dubal Baez and Ronald Jimenez each had two hits.  Jimenez and Ernesto Ciprian each scored three times.  Starter Felix Jorge went four innings, giving up two unearned runs on three hits and a walk.  Jose Abreu got the win with three shutout innings, giving up a hit and two walks.

Happy Birthday–August 10

Jim Clinton (1850)
Odell Hale (1908)
Willie Wells (1908)
Taffy Wright (1911)
Buddy Lewis (1916)
Bob Porterfield (1923)
Rocky Colavito (1933)
Tom Brookens (1953)
Tim Brookens (1953)
Jerald Clark (1963)
Andy Stankiewicz (1964)
Gerald Williams (1966)
Sal Fasano (1971)
Wilson Ramos (1987)

Tim Brookens is the twin brother of Tom Brookens and played four years in the minors, reaching AA.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–August 10

Minor Details: Games of 8/8

Durham 6, Rochester 5 in Durham.  The Red Wings led 4-2 until the Bulls scored three in the third.  Luke Hughes had two doubles.  Justin Morneau was 2-for-4 with a double, making him 7-for-17 (.353).  Eric Hacker surrendered six runs (three earned) on ten hits and a walk while striking out six in four innings.  Chuck James struck out three in two shutout innings, giving up two hits.

New Britain.  No games scheduled.

Ft. Myers 7, Palm Beach 2 in Palm Beach (Game 1--Scheduled 7 innings).  The Miracle scored four in the third to take a 5-0 lead.  Danny Rohlfing had two hits.  Oswaldo Arcia hit a grand slam.  Starter Matthew Tomshaw pitched three shutout innings, giving up two hits and no walks.  Matt Hauser got the win with two shutout innings, giving up a hit and a walk.

Palm Beach 10, Ft. Myers 0 in Palm Beach (Game 2--Scheduled 7 innings).  The Cardinals led 3-0 after two, then scored seven in the third.  Tyler Lyons pitched a no-hitter for Palm Beach, allowing just one walk.  Pat Dean yielded ten runs (six earned) on nine hits and two walks in 2.2 innings.  Matthew Tone worked 3.1 scoreless innings, giving up no hits and two walks.  The Miracle made four errors.

Quad Cities at Beloit.  Postponed.

Pulaski 6, Elizabethton 3 in Pulaski.  The Mariners scored three in the fifth to break a 1-1 tie.  Rory Rhodes has two doubles and a single.  Adam Petterson, Eddie Rosario, and Matej Hejma each had two hits.  Starter Marcus Limon worked four innings, giving up an unearned run on four hits and no walks while striking out four.  Cesar Ciurcina took the loss, surrendering five runs (three earned) on six hits and a walk in just 1.1 innings.  Nicholas Alloway struck out four in 2.2 scoreless innings, giving up a hit and a walk.

GCL Rays 3, Twins 1.  The Rays scored two in the second and it was all they needed.  Kelvin Silvania had two hits.  Nathan Fawbush gave up two runs on two hits and no walks in five innings.  Luis Nunez worked two shutout innings, giving up a hit and striking out two.

DSL Twins 5, Reds 4 at Twins (Game 1--Scheduled 7 innings).  The Twins scored five in the fourth to overcome a 4-0 deficit.  Carlos Martinez had two hits.  Sterling Bonilla pitched five innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks while striking out six.  Francisco Nunez got the save, giving up a hit and a walk while working two-thirds of an inning.

DSL Twins 3, Reds 0 at Reds (Game 2--Scheduled 7 innings).  The Twins scored one in the fifth and two in the sixth.  Ernesto Ciprian and Adonis Pacheco each had two hits.  Junior Subero struck out nine in five innings, giving up four hits.  Ezequiel Zarzuela pitched two shutout innings, giving up two hits, to get the save.