Sunday, August 27, 2011

E-Twins Clinch Playoff Spot

Rock Cats Getting Closer

 

·         Be sure to listen to Thursday night’s episode of Twins Minor League Weekly.

·         Check out Roger’s Weekly Minor League Report at Twinkie Town.

The Twins lost yet again. They are bad.  Oh yeah, I started with that yesterday. Well, it remains true… The story was different for a couple of the Twins minor league affiliates

ELIZABETHTON TWINS CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTH

Ray Smith has led his Elizabethton team back to the playoffs in 2011. The E-Twins clinched a playoff spot on Saturday with a 5-3 win over Bluefield. Derek Christensen started and gave up just one run on three hits in six innings. He walked three, hit one and struck out five. Justin Parker and Cole Johnson pitched a scoreless inning each. Corey Williams came in for the ninth, but he gave up a hit and walked a batter before Matt Summers was brought in and got the final three outs. The save was Summers’ sixth of the year, and Christensen improved to 5-2.

The E-Twins box scores have become must-see internet! Whenever the team is playing, it’s almost necessary to watch the box score to see what Eddie Rosario and Miguel Sano can do next. On Saturday, Rosario went 3-5 with his eighth triple and his 16th and 17th stolen bases. Sano went 2-4 with a walk and his 18th home run. Max Kepler went 2-4 with a walk. Rory Rhodes went 0-1 with three walks.

NEW BRITAIN ROCK CATS WIN LATE AGAIN

The Rock Cats had won with some late inning heroics the previous two games. Could they do it again? The Rock Cats jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to Joe Benson’s 15th home run, a two-run blast. They added two, but in the bottom of the fourth, Matt Schuld gave up four runs and the game was tied at four. It remained that way until the top of the seventh inning. The Rock Cats loaded the bases for Chris Parmelee who came up with a big two-run single. On the play, there was also an error that allowed Joe Benson to score from first base. The Rock Cats had a 7-4 lead that they were able to hold on to.

Schuld started and gave up those four run on five hits in four innings. He walked none and struck out three. Bret Jacobson threw two scoreless innings, and the Dakota Watts pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the 7th inning for his second AA save. Chris Herrmann went 2-3. Benson was 1-2 with two walks and that big home run.

Hurricane Irene did affect things. The teams were supposed to play two games (they had moved Sunday’s game to Saturday), but the second game was postponed. Looking at where Trenton is and where New Britain is, I can definitely understand why! The Reading Phillies played two games on Saturday and split which means that the Rock Cats currently have a ½ game lead for the wild card spot. The Rock Cats are 2.5 games back of Harrisburg for the division title.

THE REST STILL MATTER

The Ft. Myers Miracle traveled to Charlotte and swept a double header. In game 1, they won 3-0. Edgar Ibarra started and went five shutout innings. He allowed four hits, walked two and struck out five. Matt Hauser struck out three in the final two innings for his seventh save. Angel Morales went 2-4 with his sixth double. Anderson Hidalgo was 1-1 with two walks and his sixth home run.

In Game 2, the Miracle won 6-1. Caleb Thielbar started and threw two scoreless innings despite giving up a hit and walking three. Clinton Dempster gave up one run on four hits over the next two innings. Shooter Hunt threw four shutout innings. He gave up no hits, walked four and struck out four. Dan Rohlfing went 2-4 with his second home run. Aaron Hicks went 2-3 with a walk. James Beresford and Reggie Williams each went 2-4. Oswaldo Arcia went 1-3 with a walk, his 14th double and two RBI.

The GCL Twins beat the GCL Red Sox 3-2. Angel Mata went four shutout innings. He gave up two hits, walked two and struck out five. Josue Montanez gave up one run on two hits and a walk. In two innings, he struck out three. Kyle Wahl improved to 5-1. He gave up one run on three hits in three innings. He walked one and struck out three. The Twins had just five hits. Drew Leachman was 1-2 with a walk. Stephen Wickens walked two.

The Rochester Red Wings fell 4-3 to Stephen Strasburg and Syracuse. The hard-throwing right-hander rehabbing from his Tommy John surgery went five innings. He gave up one run on two hits. He walked none and struck out seven. Andy Baldwin was on the mound for the Red Wings. He gave up two runs on four hits and a walk in six innings. He struck out six. Cole DeVries gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in his inning. Kyle Waldrop threw a scoreless inning. Ray Chang went 3-5. Toby Gardenhire went 2-3.

Beloit lost 6-2 to Clinton. Ryan O’Rourke started and gave up four runs on eight hits. In six innings, he walked none and struck out nine. Nelvin Fuentes gave up two unearned runs on two hits and two walks. Michael Tonkin threw a scoreless inning. Jairo Perez went 2-5 with his tenth steal. Lance Ray went 2-3 with a walk and his tenth stolen base. Andy Leer and Tobias Streich each hit a double.

Any thoughts? Comment here.

 

 

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