What an interesting day in the Twins minor leagues. There was a tremendous pitching performance (or two) in St. Paul. Wichita fell behind early, but they nearly fought all the way back. The Kernels also fell behind early, and a big inning led them to a big win. Between those two teams, there were five three-hit games. And it might be wise for Twins fans to start learning how to spell and pronounce the name Jhomnardo.
TRANSACTIONS
The Twins put FCL Twins’ RHP Mitch Mueller on the 60-Day Injured List.
DSL Twins OF Carlos Taveras was also placed on the 60-Day IL.
SAINTS SENTINEL
St. Paul 2, Iowa 1
Box Score
2-1 is not the kind of score you see often, especially at CHS Field. Based on the first couple of months of this season, it certainly isn’t what you would expect in a Marco Raya start. Raya has really turned things around in his season and is pitching with much more confidence.
On this night, he earned his first Win of the season. He gave up just one run on three hits. In six innings, he had one walk and seven strikeouts. Because he was throwing so well, he reached 80 pitches. In his past six starts, he has given up seven earned runs over 30 2/3 innings (2.05 ERA). He’s given up 20 hits, walked 13 batters, and struck out 28 batters. Despite the high walk total, his WHIP is still a very solid 1.08. He has completed five innings in five of those six starts and this was his second straight game completing six innings. The only run he allowed came on an Owen Caissie homer.
Equally impressive was the relief performance of Pierson Ohl. The 25-year-old, former 14th-round pick, recorded his first Saints save in about as difficult a situation to record a save. He tossed three scoreless innings in a one-run game. Following the game, Ohl told Twins Daily the key to his success, “Changing speeds and getting ahead. Going 0-1 makes all the difference in the world, especially at this level. These hitters are great, so giving myself any advantage is huge. Keeping the changeup in the bottom of the zone and mixing in my other stuff at the right time.”
The Grand Canyon grad was quick to credit his backstop. “It was my first time throwing to Mickey (Gasper) back there, and I could feel his confidence, and it’s contagious.”
In his three weeks with the Saints, he has been working in the Travis Adams’ role. He’s made two starts and three relief appearances. He’s completed four innings twice and gone at least two innings in each outing.
Ohl said, “The Twins could be onto something with this new role. Time will tell, but for now, it’s been great.”
As for offense, there wasn’t much. Hats off to Chris Katchmar of the I-Cubs. He gave up a solo homer to Edouard Julien in the first inning. Julien went 2-for-3 in the game. It marked his eighth homer with the Saints this season.
In the fifth inning, Jonah Bride led off with a double. He advanced to third on a deep fly ball by Jose Miranda. After Anthony Prato, Italian god of hit-by-pitches, was, well, hit by a pitch for the 15th time already this season. He was hit nine times a season ago with the Saints, and six more times in his 2023 half-season with the Saints. Anyway, Will Holland drove a ball to center field and Bride easily scored the go-ahead run.
It was the third straight win in three attempts this week for the Saints. They’ll look to keep it going this weekend. Head out to CHS Field to see a couple of pretty solid teams.
WIND SURGE WISDOM
Wichita 6, San Antonio 8
Box Score
The Wind Surge fell behind early. They kept trying to come back but came up just short. Before the game, manager Brian Dinkelman spoke about Culpepper, the Futures Game and more.
Darren Bowen made the start for Wichita. He gave up four runs in the second inning, and then two more in the fourth inning, his final inning. He gave up six runs on seven hits and two walks. Joel Cesar came in and gave up two runs (1 earned) on three hits over three solid innings. Jacob Wosinski gave up a hit and a walk in a scoreless inning, and Tanner Andrews gave up three hits in a scoreless inning.
The Surge got on the scoreboard in the fourth inning. Kala’i Rosario walked and went to second on a single by Kyler Fedko. On a double steal, Rosario stole third base and scored on a throwing error. It was Rosario’s 19th stolen base of the season. It was Fedko’s 22nd stolen base, and moments later he stole his 23rd base, taking third.
Down 8-1 going to the bottom of the sixth inning, Gabriel Gonzalez led off with his second Surge homer. With one out, Fedko singled again and scored on a Ricardo Olivar double. With two outs, Olivar scored on a Nate Baez single which cut the deficit to 8-4.
That’s where the score stood until the bottom of the ninth inning. With one out, Jose Salas launched his first Double-A homer. Kaelen Culpepper followed with his third homer with the Surge. But that’s as close as the team got.
Culpepper led the offense. He went 3-for-5 with a homer. He is now hitting .368 since being promoted to Wichita. Fedko was 3-for-4 with two stolen bases. Baez went 2-for-4.
KERNELS NUGGETS
Cedar Rapids 9, Peoria 4
Box Score
The Kernels fell behind early, but a huge fifth inning led to a big win in Peoria.
Jose Olivares had a rough first inning. Three batters into the game, he gave up a single and two walks. The first run scored on a ground out. The second run scored on a balk, and the third run scored on another ground out.
I believe that more important than the stats, it was great to see Olivares make some adjustments and get through five innings without giving up another run. He gave up just two hits and had three walks. He also struck out four batters. He allowed the Kernels offense to do what they really like to do, put big numbers on the scoreboard.
That’s just what they did. Through four innings, the Kernels had just three singles and a hit batter. No runs. Then came the top of the fifth inning.
Caden Kendle tripled.
Maddux Houghton singled. Kendle scored.
Kyle DeBarge singled.
Billy Amick singled. Houghton scored.
Danny De Andrade singled. DeBarge scored.
Poncho Ruiz walked.
Brandon Winokur singled. Amick and De Andrade scored.
Double play.
Jaime Ferrer tripled. Winokur scored.
Kendle flew out.
That’s a quality six runs on seven hits and a walk.
And more importantly, they didn’t stand pat. In the seventh, Kyle Hess walked and scored on a Ferrer double. Ferrer then scored on a single by Kendle.
Brandon Winokur added one more insurance run in the top of the ninth inning with his 11th home run.
The bullpen did their part too. Kade Bragg struck out four batters, and walked one, over two scoreless, hitless innings. Hunter Hoopes struck out two batters in his hitless inning. Nick Trabacchi got the bottom of the ninth and gave up one run on two hits to end the game.
Winokur was hit by a pitch and went 3-for-4 with his 11th homer. Amick was 3-for-5. Ferrer went 3-for-5 with his ninth double and second triple. DeBarge went 2-for-5. De Andrade went 2-for-5. Kendle was 2-for-5 with his second triple. The Kernels had 17 hits and two walks.
MUSSEL MATTERS
Fort Myers 4, Clearwater 7
Box Score
Eli Jones took the mound for the Mussels. The 2024 draft pick went five innings. He was charged with four runs (2 earned) on three hits. He walked one and had five strikeouts. Matt Gabbert came on and gave up two runs on four hits over his two innings. He had two strikeouts. Tyler Stasiowski gave up a run on a solo homer in the eighth innings.
The Mussels had five hits and walked six times in the game. In the second inning, Byron Chourio scored on a Yohander Martinez double. The next time the Mussels scored came in the sixth inning. Martinez hit a fly ball to center, deep enough to drive in Caleb McNeely. Two batters later, Jose Rodriguez coaxed a walk to drive in Bryan Acuna. At that time, the Mussels were down just 4-3.
In the top of the seventh, the Mussels tied the game at four when Acuna grounded out but drove in Yasser Mercedes. Unfortunately, that was it for Fort Myers scoring The Threshers scored two in the home half of the seventh inning.
Then in the 8th inning, Dante Nori (son of Wolves lead assistant coach Micah Nori) hit his second home run of the season. Nori was the first-round pick of the Phillies, 27th overall, in 2024 out of high school in Michigan. The 20-year-old outfielder went 2-for-4 with his 14th doubles, second homer, three runs scored and two RBI. He also stole his 20th base of the season. He is hitting .261 with a .703 OPS.
COMPLEX CHRONICLES
FCL Twins 5, FCL Rays 2
Box Score
The FCL Twins started their day by completing a victory started two days earlier against the Rays. The Twins led 8-7 in the 8th inning when the game was suspended. They wound up winning that game 9-8.
The Twins also grabbed the win in the regularly-scheduled game thanks to some strong pitching. Melvin Rodriguez is making a strong case for being the first back-to-back Twins Daily Short-Season Minor League Pitcher of the Year. He earned the award last season when he pitched in the DSL, and he’s made a strong transition to the States in 2025. On Thursday afternoon, he gave up two runs on four hits over 5 1/3 innings. He walked two and had five strikeouts. He improved to 4-1 with a 3.13 ERA. Anderson Ramos followed with 1 2/3 scoreless innings. He gave up one hit, walked one and had one strikeout. He earned his fifth save of the season.
The Twins got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning when Irvin Nunez hit his first home run of the season.
The team then added three runs in the fifth frame. Merphy Hernandez led off with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Isaac Pena. Yilber Herrera and Edouard Beltre walked and moved up a base on a wild pitch. Jayson Bass drove in both runners with his first triple of the season.
The Twins got an insurance run in the sixth inning. Ricardo Paez walked, stole second. Went to third on a wild pitch and scored on another wild pitch.
Jayson Bass led the offense. He went 2-for-3 with the triple and two RBI. He is now hitting .300 on the season with an .850 OPS. Hernandez hit his first triple as well, and he added two stolen bases. Nunez went 1-for-2 with a walk and the homer.
DOMINICAN DAILIES
DSL Twins 3, DSL Rangers 13
Box Score
Watch Game
The Twins squad in the Dominican has been playing better of late and even pitching better. Thursday was not a good example of that. The Rangers jumped ahead with a five-run first inning, and they had innings in which they scored three and four runs to take a commanding lead and win.
Eli Urena started and didn’t get through the first frame. He was charged with four runs (1 earned) on no hits and the one out he recorded came on a strikeout. The unfortunate thing was the four walks, and two wild pitches, and an error mixed in doesn’t help either. Jensi Infante came in and gave up only an unearned run over the next 2 2/3 innings. He gave up two hits, walked none and had a strikeout. Aside from allowing all three of his inherited runners to score, it was a good outing.
Eliezer Lucena came in and tossed three innings. He was charged with four runs (3 earned) on seven hits and two walks, but he had three strikeouts. He was hurt by three wild pitches too. Juan Quinones was next. He gave up four runs on four hits and two walks in just 2/3 of an inning. Greidi Pina came in with two runners on and didn’t allow either to score. He went two scoreless innings and gave up one hit and two walks. Jamesson Val gave up one hit before recording the final out.
17-year-old Jhomnardo Reyes led the offense. He had two triples over four at-bats in the game and now has five on the season. Another 17-year-old, Yovanny Duran, continued his impressive run. He drove in a run with his third double. In seven games played in July so far, he has at least one hit in all seven games (and an eight-game hitting streak). In July, he is 13-for-25 (.520) with two doubles. He has walked twice and struck out just once. Six of his 12 stolen bases have come in July.
PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Hitter of the Day
Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids): 3-for-4, HBP, HR(11), 2 R, 3 RBI
Jaime Ferrer (Cedar Rapids): 3-for-5, 2B(9), 3B(2), R, 2 RBI, K.
Billy Amick (Cedar Rapids): 3-for-5, R, RBI, 2 K.
Kaelen Culpepper (Wichita): 3-for-5, HR(3), R, RBI, K
Kyler Fedko (Wichita): 3-for-4, 2 SB(23).
Jhomnardo Reyes (DSL Twins): 2-for-4, 2-3B(5), R, RBI, 2 K.
Pitcher of the Day
Marco Raya (St. Paul): Win, 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 7 K, 80 pitches, 49 strikes (61.3%)
Pierson Ohl (St. Paul): Save, 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 41 strikes, 28 strikes (68.3%)
PROSPECT SUMMARY
Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Thursday.
#1– Walker Jenkins (Wichita) – 0-for-4, BB, K (played CF)
#4 – Kaelen Culpepper (Wichita) – 3-for-5, HR(3), R, RBI, K (played 2B)
#9 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) – 3-for-4, HBP, HR(11), 2 R, 3 RBI (played SS)
#10 – Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids) – 2-for-5, R (played 2B)
#11 – Marco Raya (St. Paul) – 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 7 K, 80 pitches, 49 strikes (61.3%)
#12 – Billy Amick (Cedar Rapids) – 3-for-5, R, RBI, 2 K (DHd)
#13 – Gabriel Gonzalez (Wichita) – 1-for-5, HR(2), R, RBI, 2 K. (played LF)
#15 – Eduardo Beltre (FCL Twins) – 0-for-2, BB, R, K
#18 – Ricardo Olivar (Wichita) – 1-for-4, 2B(10), R, RBI, 2 K. (caught)
#19 – Danny De Andrade (Cedar Rapids) – 2-for-5, R, RBI, 2 K. (played 3B)
#20 – Payton Eeles (St. Paul) – 1-for-3, K (played SS)
FRIDAY PITCHING PROBABLES
Tampa Bay @ Minnesota (7:10 PM CT) – RHP Joe Ryan (8-4, 2.76 ERA) vs RHP Paul Skenes (4-7, 1.94 ERA)
Iowa @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CT) – RHP Randy Dobnak (1-5, 6.56 ERA)
San Antonio @ Wichita (7:05 PM CT) – LHP Christian MacLeod (0-1, 2.06 ERA)
Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (DH @ 4:30 PM) – Cole Peschl (3-1, 3.47 ERA), Chase Chaney (5-2, 3.57 ERA)
Fort Myers @ Clearwater (5:30 PM) – RHP Christian Becerra (1-1, 2.84 ERA)
FCL Red Sox @ FCL Twins (DH @ 10:00 AM) – TBD, TBD
DSL Twins @ DSL Phillies (10:00 AM) – TBD
CURRENT W-L Records
Minnesota Twins: 45-48
St. Paul Saints: 41-47
Wichita Wind Surge: 46-38
Cedar Rapids Kernels: 47-35
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 34-48
FCL Twins: 30-15
DSL Twins: 9-19
Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss Thursday’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related!
Interested in learning more about the Minnesota Twins’ top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!