Minnesota Twins MiLB Weekly: All-Star Edition
The Minnesota Twins had plenty of Minor League All-Stars to show off their talents.
The Minnesota Twins single-a teams, the Fort Myers Miracle and Cedar Rapids Kernels, hosted its respective all-star game. The Chattanooga Lookouts didn’t host an all-star game but did have five player representatives. The Miracle had a league high eight players while the Kernels had just three.
All in all, the Twins had 16 minor league players participate in an all-star game.
Southern League All-Star Game
The Lookouts sent position players Daniel Palka, Travis Harrison, Mitch Garver as well as pitchers DJ Baxendale, and Trevor Hildenberger.
Palka and Baxendale lead the group of five as premier first-half performers. Palka led the Southern League with 16 home runs and was top five in RBI while Baxendale was second in the league in innings pitched.
The Lookouts coaching staff, which included former Twins first baseman and Lookouts manager Doug Mientkiewicz was selected to manage the North Division All-Stars.
@ChattLookouts AA All Star Game pic.twitter.com/l99cbfVV4z
— Ivan Arteaga (@ivanarteaga) June 21, 2016
The North Division All-Stars were shutout through most of the game. The team didn’t score until the top of the ninth inning. By that point, it was too late for a comeback.
The South Division All-Stars were propelled to victory by a grand slam hit by Phil Ervin, part of a five-run fifth inning. It was the lone home run of the game and gave the South Division the 5-1 win.
Palka played the entire game as the DH. Batting fourth in the lineup he didn’t do much at the plate. He was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
Garver started the game behind the plate batting sixth. Like Palka, he didn’t have a great day at the plate. He was 0-for-2 with two strikeouts.
Harrison came in as a replacement at left field in the fifth inning. He was able to get two at-bats in the eighth spot. He was 1-for-2 with the one hit an infield single.
Baxendale and Hildenberger combined to pitch one inning. Neither pitcher allowed any base runners and didn’t strikeout any batters.
The Twins single-A all-stars faired better than the double-A all-stars did.
Next: Single-A Teams Host All-Star Games
Florida State League All-Star Game
The Fort Myers Miracle hosted the FSL All-Star game for the first time since 2009. The Miracle had eight player representatives; pitchers Stephen Gonsalves, Tyler Jay, Yorman Landa, Felix Jorge, Todd Van Steensel, and position players Edgar Corcino, Nick Gordon, and Trey Vavra.
Mitch Walding won the home run derby, which took place before the all-star game. Vavra took part in the derby put didn’t make it to the final round.
LIVE on #Periscope: Final round... McBroom and Walding! #FSLASG https://t.co/nzqfoYyhyr
— Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (@MightyMussels) June 18, 2016
The game was a pitchers duel throughout, ending in a 1-0 North Division All-Stars win.
Jorge started for South Division All-Stars. He pitched one inning while allowing one hit, striking out one, and walking one batter.
Gonsalves replaced Jorge and pitched one inning. He didn’t walk or strike out any batters but did allow one hit.
Jay pitched in the fourth inning. He had the same pitching line as Gonsalves.
Landa came into pitch the top of the sixth inning. He gave up a two-out single that plated the game’s only run.
Van Steensel pitched in the seventh inning giving up one hit while not walking or striking out any batters.
Corcino batted seventh and played the entire game in center field. He went 1-for-4, collecting one of the South Division All-Stars’ four hits.
Gordon started at third base batting in the lead off spot. He went 1-for-1 with one walk.
Vavra came as a replacement at first base in the top of the sixth inning. He went 0-for-2.
A few days after the all-star festivities, the Twins promoted Gonsalves to double-a Chattanooga. He has made one start for the Lookouts, in which he earned his first win at the double-a level.
Midwest League All-Star Game
The Twins single-a affiliate Cedar Rapids Kernels hosted the MWL All-Star game. The Kernels last hosted the event in 2004. The team isn’t scheduled to host an All-Star game until 2031.
With that in mind, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to watch my first game at Perfect Game Field in Cedar Rapids. Sitting close to home plate, behind five rows of MLB scouts, I had a perfect view of the night’s festivities.
View from my seats. 6th row behind home plate. pic.twitter.com/7HZ2wLudu3
— Martin Schlegel (@mschlegel34) June 21, 2016
AJ Murray of the Kernels participated in the home run derby but did not advance to the final round. Brett Sullivan, from the East All-Stars, defeated West All-Star David Denson in the home run derby.
The All-Star game itself was a high scoring affair. The West All-Stars scored four in the first, one in the second, and three more runs in the third inning. After three innings the West All-Stars led 8-1, but going into the fifth the West All-Stars’ lead shrunk to 8-6.
In the top of the ninth inning Eloy Jimenez hit a massive three-run home run to near dead center field to tie the game up. Later in the inning, the East went ahead 11-10 on an RBI single from Willi Castro. The West couldn’t rebound in the bottom of the inning and the game ended 11-10.
The Kernels represented were Murray (catcher), LaMonte Wade (outfielder), Luis Arraez (infielder), and Sam Clay (pitcher).
Clay started the game for the West All-Stars. He pitched a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout.
Arraez started at second base and led off. He went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Wade started in center field and batted second. He went 1-for-2 with a run scored. He drove in 2 RBI with a single in the third inning. Wade was also hit by a pitch in the first inning.
Murray came in as a replacement behind the plate and hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning. He came up again in the ninth with a chance to win the game for the West with another home run. Instead, he flew out to medium deep center field to end the game.