The Twins are having an awful year so far. Captain obvious right? The 12-20 record, fewest runs scored in baseball as well as the most runs given up could have told anyone that.

The 2010 American League Central division champions suffered a few losses in the off season but still looked to contend in 2011.

What's happened? Well, there have been a ton of injuries, important players like Joe Mauer, Jim Thome, Delmon Young etc... There have been guys having troubles coming back from injury. Justin Morneau and Joe Nathan come immediately to mind. And most of the rest of the regulars have just been bad.

The Twins have had to call on double digit callups, from what Keith Law has ranked as the 7th best minor league system, to help bail the team out. It hasn't worked out.

The system has a lot of great prospects. With a system this good, how come none of the call-ups haven't helped?

Well, out of all of the call-ups, only 4 made my top 50 rankings. Lets have a look at them.

#9 Ben Revere: Revere made his MLB debut in 2010. In just 12 plate appearances in 2011, Revere is 1-12 with a single. He has also made a couple of nice plays in the OF. At just 23 and with only 92 ABs at AAA, Revere is probably not offensively ready for the major leagues. He profiles as a slap hitter that will get on base and run. He hasn't gotten on base too much yet.

The other 3 were all profiled here & here: 

Rene Tosoni #30: Tosoni made his MLB debut on April 28th with 2 hits. He has only 3 hits since. In 30 plate appearances, Rene has a .179/.233/.179. Tosoni is 24 and missed most of last season due to injury. He profiles as a near league average OF once he reaches his potential. Right now, he is not MLB ready. He has only gotten 70 ABs in AAA prior to his call-up.

Trevor Plouffe #35: Plouffe made his his debut in 2010. Recently called up, Plouffe has gone 3-10 with 2 walks in 12 plate appearances and a stolen base. Plouffe was to be given every chance to make the major league roster, unfortunately he too may be on the way to the DL. A minor league system that is very weak in middle infield depth already will have a hard time supporting the roster the injury ravaged Twins roster. Would a DL stint open a chance for Steve Singleton?

Luke Hughes #44: Hughes made his MLB debut in 2010. Playing sporadically, Hughes has posted a .245/.273/.321 line plus a stolen base. Hughes is a guy who profiles as a right handed bench bat. He has had streaky offensive runs in the minor leagues and it isn't out of the realm of possibility that he could go on a hot streak in the majors. Having said that, his numbers are not too far lower than what should probably be expected from Hughes.

What does this say about the Twins prospects? Very little really. Only Revere is ranked higher than #30 on my list and he is probably not major league ready. Others have been called up, such as guys like Steve Holm, Anthony Swarzak, James Hoey. These guys profile as mostly bottom of the 25 man roster types to guys that really don't belong on a major league roster at all. The results have been typical.

The Twins have a farm stacked with really good prospects. The problem for the Twins is, there is not much MLB ready talent for 2011. Kyle Gibson should see the MLB roster in 2011. He will probably improve the look of the minor league depth a little.

Here at Twins Target, we just finished counting down the top 15 Twins prospects. At my other site, I counted down the rest of the Twins top 50. I figured I'd post them at minor league musings.

-With Rob Delaney being let go, I added a new #50 and moved everyone up one.

50. Bradley Tippett Starter 2/11/1988.
He was signed in 2006 out of Sidney, Australia. He went 0-2 with a 6.28 ERA for Fort Myers in 28.2 innings. He missed most of the season due to injury. He had a nice year in 2009. He went 9-8 with a 3.21 ERA in 25 appearances/24 starts/146 innings for Beloit, giving up 131 hits while striking out 107 and walking 25. He doesn't throw very hard, reports are a fastball in the high 80s, but has great control. If he can continue to strike out a fair amount of hitters and keep the hits under one per inning he has to be considered one of the better Twins starter prospects.
-2011 Outlook: Hopefully he can return healthy and have a good year for Fort Myers.

49. Jair Fernandez Catcher 12/10/1986.
He was traded from the Mariners for R.A. Dickey in 2008. (Ya know, before the Twins re-signed Dickey in 2009) He had a .241/.332/.347 line at 3 levels, including a .267/.326/.409 line at AA New Britain. He's a decent defensive catcher (he's thrown out 43% base-runners in his career) , though, not a third baseman (I saw him play a poor third base this past season). He could be a useful backup catcher someday.
- 2011 Outlook: With the Twins lack of Catching depth, Fernandez could be near the top of the backup list, but will probably start the year in AA.

46. Deolis Guerra Starter 4/17/1989.
He was acquired by the Twins in 2008 as part of the Johan Santana trade. After a couple of ordinary seasons since coming over, he had a terrible year in 2010. He went 2-13 with a 6.36 ERA, for AA New Britain and AAA Rochester. He struck out 85 and walked 45 in 127.1 innings. His K rate dropped and walk rate increased in 2010, but he was also unlucky. His hit and HR rate really soared in 2010. He is still young for his level, but he isn't THAT young anymore, he hasn't progressed. I have seen him in person and he has a nice breaking pitch and change up, his fastball tops at around 89. It doesn't look like his fastball will get to the 95 he had in the Mets system again.  He has some skill, but no longer looks close to the top prospect he was in 2008. I had him at #19 last year.
- 2011 Outlook: May start a third year in AA.

44. Luke Hughes Infield/Outfield 8/2/1984.
He was signed in 2002 out of Perth, Australia. Luke battled injuries in 2010, hitting .257/.313/.405 in only 22 games for AAA Rochester.  He did make his major league debut in 2010, becoming the 106th player in MLB history to HR in his first at-bat. Hughes rocketed up prospect boards with a .309/.369/.524 line for AA New Britain in 2008, but injuries have sent Hughes in reverse. He goes into 2011 as an intriguing right-handed bat and questionable glove but has a hard time staying healthy. Hughes could really be a useful right handed bat for the Twins if he could just stay on the field. I had him as my number 33 prospect last season.
- 2011 Outlook: Start the year in AAA, probably given a final shot at 2B. He could be a RH bench bat option & will probably be one of the first injury call-ups.

Last season, the Twins signed Miguel Angel Sano from the Dominican Republic for a $3.15 million signing bonus. This was, by far, the largest bonus the Twins had ever given to an international free agent. The biggest bonus had been $750,000. This was the second largest bonus in MLB history for a Dominican amateur. He was also given the second largest signing bonus in Twins history, behind what Joe Mauer got as the #1 pick in the 2001 draft. This was a big deal! The Twins really stepped up. This financial commitment to a 16 year old was the exact kind of move Twins fans have been waiting for. It's a year later, how is he doing?

Sano, just 17, spent just 20 games and 80 plate appearances with the Twins Dominican league team. His .344/.463/.547 line demanded that he come to America and some tougher competition. He spent the rest of the summer with the Gulf Coast Twins, hitting .291/.338/.473 in 161 plate appearances. He hit a HR in his first state-side professional at bat, while posting respectable numbers against the league. His OPS was 11th best in the league. Every one in the top 10 was at least 13 months older than Sano.

He is very young and at least 3 years away from the majors. Signed as a shortstop, the already 6'3" 195 lb Sano looks to end up at 3rd base or in the outfield. Baseball America's 94th ranked prospect in 2010, Sano is already playing more games at third than at shortstop. So, what to make of Sano's GCL numbers? Not many 17 year olds reach the GCL, but a player I compare to Sano did. Miguel Cabrera had an MVP caliber season with Detroit in 2010, hitting .328/.420/.622. As a 17 year old in the GCL, Cabrera hit .260/.344/.352 in 250 plate appearances. He did not match the .810 OPS Sano put up this year, until he was a 20 year old in AA. Another example of 17 year old in rookie ball, Pablo Sandoval's had a .266/.287/.373 line. Players such as Hanley Ramirez had awesome first years in Gulf Coast, but most players don't reach the level until they are 18 or older. There are very few examples of a player doing as well as Sano did as a 17 year old.

Sano does have a lot of work to do. He struckout 43 times in 161 plate appearances with only 10 walks. He will most likely start the season in the GCL again and probably not get past high rookie Elizabethtown in the 2011 season. It will be interesting to see how he does in his second pro year. He has  a lot of work to do but, for a guy who will be just 18, he has looked every bit the prospect that the Twins are paying him to be. Give it a few years, he might be the, right-handed, middle of the order bat that Twins fans have been waiting for.

Oswaldo Arcia had a great season in Elizabethtown this year! The 19 year old had an awesome .375/.424/.672 line in 283 plate appearances at rookie Elizabethtown. His OPS took a .300+ spike over his previous 2 seasons. So, is Arcia a stud prospect now? I had him as my #25 prospect last season and would have to rank him near the top if I used the same formula as I did last season. He has become a guy that the bloggers have gotten excited about. He seems like the kind of guy to tell all of my casual Twins fan buddies about, but is he for real?

Last year, I had Josmil Pinto as my top overall prospect. He had a .332/.387/.610 line as a 20 year old last season for Elizabethtown. How did he do this season? Well, in low A Beloit, he posted a line of .225/.295/.378. The placing of Pinto as my #1 prospect was roundly questioned. I used a formula based on age and level that seems to be flawed, certainly when evaluating rookie ball players vs. players on full season teams. I'm guessing the same formula would have a hard time placing Pinto in the top 50 this season. In 2008, Angel Morales, as an 18 year old, posted a .301/.413/.623 in E-town. The following season, he went .266/.329/.455 in Beloit. He started this season in Beloit as well, before moving up. Morales is still a decent prospect, but going into his 21st year, he certainly is not as regarded as he was in E-town.

So, what do we make of Arcia's season? His OPS is even higher than those of Morales in 08 and Pinto in 09. He was a lightly regarded prospect prior to 2010, but largely unknown. If his OPS drops to .775 as a 20 year old in Beloit, he'll still be looked at as a decent prospect, but not nearly as regarded as now. How do you think he'll do next year? Where should he rank in the Twins prospects? I'm guessing, I'll rank him in the teens. The rank will be based on age and rookie ball stats.

Arcia is very young, but if his E-town season is a reasonable indicator, he could be another high end outfield prospect in the Twins system. Hopefully he hits when he gets to Wisconsin!

In the world of social media, one has an opportunity to connect to people much easier than in the past. Famous people, semi-famous people, even Twins minor league players. I have been Kane Holbrooks "friend" on Facebook for some time. He once interjected on a Facebook post I had written: "I think u forgot to mention that Kane holbrooks is throwing 99 not to mention just overall sexy" On Sept 2, he posted on his page: "Everybody dakota watts hit 99 tonight. I will hear about this for at least 2 months. Until he hits 100. Then I'm removing his arm from his body." When he & Dakota Watts got promoted to New Britain the next day, I wrote: "Congrats on the promotion, who will throw harder at New Britain? Dakota or you?" Kane responded with "Haha come on you know I throw harder than his little pansy ass".

Kane seems like a funny guy and seems to have a friendly competition with Dakota. Without knowing either of them personally, they seem to have a lot in common. They were both picked in the later in the 2009 draft, they are both tall right-handers & both born in 1987. Could they both be Minnesota Twins someday?

Holbrooks was selected in the 21st round of the draft out of Texas State. He started slow in 2009, compiling a 5.04 ERA on 25 innings at rookie Elizabethtown. He has been great in 2010. He went 5-3 with 9 saves and a 1.67 ERA in Beloit. Pitching mostly in relief, he had 71 strikeouts and 13 walks in 54 innings. He made the transition to starter and was promoted to Fort Myers in mid July. He was 3-3 with a 2.27 ERA with 36 Ks and 15 walks in 43.2 innings. As he has stated above, he throws hard. He also has a good slider and changeup.

Watts was selected in the 16th round of the draft out of Cal State Stanislaus. He had a 4.60 ERA in 29.1 innings at 3 levels in 2009. He also had a great year in 2010. He went 2-1 with 2 saves and a 2.31 ERA with Beloit. He had 55 strikeouts and 30 walks in 46.2 innings. He was promoted to Fort Myers a couple days before Holbrooks and went 4-2 with 6 saves and a 3.19 ERA. He struck out 29 and walked 12 in 31 innings. He is another guy who throws hard and has a good slider.

Both pitchers had breakout years in the Twins system, spending the whole year together at 3 levels. Both have great stuff. Both guys will probably start the season back in Fort Myers and could be on the fast track to the major leagues. Both could be premium relievers or Holbrooks could start. Watts could close out those starts. It will be interesting to watch the careers of these two "Twins" as they make their unexpected rise up prospect lists. For now, they'll have to settle for being Fort Myers "Twins" or New Britain "Twins", but someday it would be great if they were both Minnesota Twins.

Whenever a potential move needs to be  made by the Twins, the name Estarlin De Los Santos finds its way to the top of the blogosphere's drop list. If Anthony Slama needs to be added to the 40 man, the Twins can take off De Los Santos. If Justin Morneau comes off the 60 day DL, the Twins can DFA (designate for assignment) De Los Santos, etc.... So who is Estarlin De Los Santos? Is he so terrible?

De Los Santos was signed by the Twins in 2005 out of Villa Mella, Dominican Republic. He was added to the 40 man roster after the 2009 season. Coming into his 23rd year, this surprised a lot of fans. As a 22 year old, he hit .290/.330/.397 in High A Fort Myers with 11 stolen bases in 15 attempts. He had decent numbers at Fort Myers and is very good defensively but by no means, was he an overwhelming prospect.

One thing in De Los Santos favor is there were only 5 other players to play SS on the Twins 40 man. Trevor Plouffe, Alexi Casilla and J.J. Hardy were the only other SS, with Matt Tolbert and Nick Punto also able to play short. In fact, the system is nearly bereft of shortstops. It seemed like an odd choice at the time, but De Los Santos was the next best middle infielder in need of protecting. With his age, speed, a little bat and good defense at a premium position, it shouldn't have come as such a shock that he'd be added to the 40 man roster. His numbers as a 23 year old in A+ ball are similar to those of Matt Tolbert put up at the same age and level.

In 2010, De Los Santos has been slightly disappointing. After hitting .274/.340/.346 with 13 steals in 15 attempts in a return to Fort Myers, he was promoted to AA New Britain. Once promoted, he struggled big time. He hit only .177/.249/.245 with 6 steals in 14 attempts. When fans see those numbers, it makes sense that they'd think De Los Santos would be dropped off the roster, the first time the Twins need a roster spot. But it hasn't happened.

I think there is a real chance De Los Santos isn't dropped from the roster after the season. Hardy will probably be retained by the club for 2011, but second baseman Orlando Hudson will probably not be retained. Taking Hudson's spot will be either Alexi Casilla or Trevor Plouffe with Matt Tolbert also available. Nick Punto will most likely be let go due to a $5 million club option, injury and declining skill.

There are not a lot of options to add to the roster in the system at SS or even 2b. James Beresford might be one SS to add to the roster. He will only be 22. He hit .295/.347/.360 and stole 14 bases in 28 attempts in his second year at low A ball Beloit. He is 2 years younger than De Los Santos, but also 2 levels behind him in the system. The Twins could also choose to add Steve Singleton to the 40 man roster, though they didn't protect him following 2009. Singleton had a .267/.325/.410 for New Britain, playing mostly 2b. These numbers are similar to his 2009 numbers. He is a year and a half older than De Los Santos and has a little bit better bat, but will most likely go unclaimed again.

Estarlin De Los Santos is not a great prospect by any means. Soon to be 24, he is not terribly young anymore. He would return to AA next season and will profile as the next closest shortstop prospect to the major leagues. While no one should be too disappointed if he is removed from the 40 man roster, no one should be too surprised if he is left on the roster. Should the Twins drop him and add Beresford or Singleton or both? Do they add Beresford and keep De Los Santos on the 40 man? Do they find depth elsewhere? Do they go into 2011 with only 5 middle infielders, including Luke Hughes on the 40 man? I'm guessing he has one more year to grow, before the Twins give up their protection of him. They could drop him and he may go unclaimed, but another team may need SS depth. I believe he stays on the 40 man roster. He will return as the 40 man pariah.

Let me introduce myself, My name is Shawn Berg, I am the author of OntheroadwithShawn. It's a baseball blog where I tackle various Twins, minor league and general baseball topics. For TwinsTarget, I will be posting minor league thoughts a couple times a week, or as inspiration dictates.

With my first post, I will introduce you to my favorite Twins prospect, Joe Benson. He plays all outfield positions and is capable of playing a very good center field. The 22 year old was a Twins 2nd round draft pick in 2006 out of Joliet Catholic Academy in Joliet, Illinois. He is not as highly thought of in Twins prospect circles as Aaron Hicks, Ben Revere, or Angel Morales, but he should be. He is a similar, if more advanced player than Aaron Hicks and Angel Morales. Hicks most likely will walk a little more than Benson. He is the same age as Revere and has much more power and is a better fielder, if not as fast a runner.

In 2009, he batted .285/.414/.403 for Fort Myers with 14 stolen bases in 21 attempts. He ranked #4 overall in my Twins prospect list coming into 2010. At the time, I said "he is developing into a prototypical lead off or #2 hitter. He's another of many high-end outfield prospects in the Twins organization." Well in 2010, his power has taken off. The 6'2" 211 lb. Benson finally added power that his frame would suggest. Prior to 2010, Benson topped out at 5 HRs in a season. He had a .259/.343/.538 line with 27 HRs, 31 doubles and 8 triples for Fort Myers and New Britain. He also stole 19 bases in 28 tries. His .527 slugging percentage at New Britain ranked 5th in the Eastern League of players with 300 plus plate appearances. His .862 OPS ranked 11th of players with 300 plus PA. His 23 HRs ranked 4th in the league. He probably isn't a going to be a 1 or 2 hitter after-all, though he hits at the top of the order for New Britain.

I have seen him play 3 times this season. When he was named as one of seven Twins to make the Arizona Fall league, I posted a scouting report on the 7 players.

This was my scouting report on Benson:

I saw him in June and wrote this: He's 22 and LaVelle E. Neal thinks he'll arrive in 2012. For some reason, he was sent back to Fort Myers this year. I personally think he is a better player than Revere right now. He certainly looks to have more upside. He is almost as fast as Revere but also has power. He went 2-5 with a 2B and a walk on Wednesday and 1-4 with a HR in Thursday's game. He leads New Britain with 9 HRs. The bounce in power is great especially since he is considered more of a speed guy. He already has 13 HRs in 2010 between Fort Myers/New Britain. He's never had more than 5 HRs in a season. If Micheal Cuddyer were traded in the off-season, Benson may be better equipped then Revere to replace some of his offense by next season.

I also saw him in August: He went 0-5 and some of his swings were really hard. Carlos Gomez hard. He is certainly the best prospect in AA for the Twins currently, but he has some work to do. I love watching him in the field and he has legitimate power. He also might be wound to tight. He got mad a couple times during the game, tossing his helmet hard into the dugout and also on the field after just missing his pitch and flying out. The kind of reaction usually reserved for strikeouts. Benson has a ton of tools and potential that is starting to show. I hope he is able to keep his emotions in check and just enjoy the game a little more. He has enough ability to go a long way someday soon.

Benson is a 5 tool player that could be a future star for the Twins. He can hit, hit for power, steal a base, plays great defense and has a good arm. He is more than capable in center field but may eventually shift to a corner. When he is in the lineup with Ben Revere, Revere has played center. Benson has also improved his on-base skills in the last couple of seasons.

The one flaw in his game is his strikeout rate. Benson struck out 136 times in 519 plate appearances in 2010. His 115 Eastern League K's ranked 11th and his total of 136 would have placed him in 6th place for the league. That's a strikeout every 3.82 plate appearances. Many mention his strikeout rate as a reason to keep Benson in AA for another season and it may be a fair reaction. Give him more time to work on this flaw before promoting him to AAA or the majors. As a comparison, the Twins strikeout leader this year is Jason Kubel. He has 102 strikeouts in 515 plate appearances. Kubel never had more than 59 Ks in any minor league season. Benson's strikeouts are a problem. Mark Reynolds and Adam Dunn never struck out that much in the minors.

Joe Benson will be added to the 40 man roster over the winter and will get a look in spring training before he gets sent back to AA. Between Arizona Fall league and his return to New Britain, Benson should be tasked with lowering his K rate. If he can do that, he will be ready to make an impact with the big league club as soon as mid-season. Guys like Aaron Hicks, Angel Morales and Ben Revere could be great players for the Twins, but Joe Benson is the most likely to do it first.

Rochester Wrap

Columbus 5 Rochester 3 (29-45)

• The Red Wings suffered a tough hard fought game yesterday as they had decent pitching and decent hitting, but it was not enough as the Red Wings went down to the Clippers by a score of 5-3. Matt Fox got the start and if you take away a three run top of the first he was pretty decent, but you can’t so it is a so-so outing. Fox went just three innings and gave up three runs on seven hits along with an uncharacteristic three walks while striking out three to raise his era on the year to 3.94 and drop his record to 4-6. Matt Fox has generally been a pretty consistent pitcher for the Red Wings as they normally have a chance to win when he is on the mound. This was another one of those games although he only went three because of pitch count when he left the game it was only 3-1 so the Red Wings had a good chance to pull off the win. Jose Lugo then came in and id what the Wings needed him to do and that was to eat up innings with Fox only going three innings. Lugo went four innings and gave up two runs on three hits on two solo homeruns along with two walks and three strikeouts to lower his era on the year to 6.88. Kyle Waldrop continued his wonderful season by pitching a scoreless inning of relief on one hit and a walk to lower his team leading era down to 1.07 on the year. Anthony Slama worked the ninth and tried to keep up with Waldrop to see who ends the season with the lowest era. Slama went one inning and did not give up a run on only one hit along with a strikeout to lower his era down to 1.49.

• The Red Wings offense did some decent things in this one, but just could not take advantage of all the chances they had in this game. Rochester scored three runs on 13 hits along with drawing a walk and leaving an unbelievable 11 guys on base in this one. When you leave 11 guys on base you are not going to win very many games and the Red Wings were not able to overcome it yesterday. The Red Wings were led offensively by Toby Gardenhire who continued his hot string by going 3-4 at the plate with his 10th rbi to bring his average up to .278. Trevor Plouffe went 2-5 to bring his average up to .269. Dustin Martin went 2-5 at the plate with his 17th double to bring his average up to .286. Jacque Jones went 2-4 with his 17th rbi and brought his average up to .307. Jose Morales went 1-4 at the plate with his eighth double. Brock Peterson went 1-5 with his 15th double of the year. D’Angelo Jimenez went 1-5 at the plate with his second double and first rbi. Brian Dinkelman also added a base hit in the losing cause for the Red Wings yesterday in Rochester.

• Tonight, the Red Wings travel to Scranton to take on the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees as it will be a bullpen game with Jeff Manship with the Twins. Gametime is at 6:05 in Scranton as the Red Wings try to break their three game losing streak with a victory.

New Britain Business

Binghamton 5 New Britain 1 (19-53)

• The Rockcats could not follow up a win with another win as they saw a close game get away from them in the middle innings last night in a 5-1 loss to Binghamton. Mike Mccardell got the start and did well for six innings holding a 1-0 lead going into the seventh inning, before everything fell apart in the seventh and before you knew it the Rockcats were behind 5-1. Mccardell went 6+ innings and gave up four runs on six hits along with a walk and four strikeouts to raise his era on the year to 5.22 along with dropping his record to 0-8. Cole Devries came on with the bases loaded and nobody out in a 1-1 game. What did Devries do well he gave up a grand slam to the first guy he faced to put the game away. Devries did fine after that going 1-2-3, but the damage was done. Devries went one inning and gave up a run on a hit along with a strikeout to raise his era up to 6.17. Tony Davis then came in and pitched a shutout inning of relief with a walk and a strikeout.

• Just like most games the Rockcats could not do anything offensively and it really hurts in a game like this that they could have won with a key hit and a key hit there. New Britain scored just one run on five hits along with drawing two walks and leaving seven guys on base. That is not a terrible amount to leave on, but in a close game like this you need to get those guys in to win games. The Rockcats were led offensively by Steve Singleton who went 1-4 at the plate with his team leading 20th double of the year. Joe Benson went 1-4 at the plate with his ninth homerun for the Rockcats and overall his organization leading 13th overall. Benson also drove in his 17th run of the year for the Rockcats. Mark Dolenc went 1-4 at the plate with his eighth double of the year. Ben Revere made his return to the lineup after missing a week with an arm laceration and went 1-4. Danny Lehman added a base hit in the losing cause for the Rockcats.

• Tonight, the Rockcats begin a series with Portland as Deolis Guerra gets the start for New Britain. Gametime is at 5:35pm in Portland as the Rockcats try to bounce back from last night and get back on the winning track.

• The Miracle got their second half off to a good start as they pitched very well and got just enough big hits to pull out a 3-1 victory over Charlotte last night in Fort Myers. Bobby Lanigan got the start for the Miracle and was very good, but because he missed so much time his pitch count was limited so he was not able to go long. Lanigan went four innings and did not give up a run on only one hit along with a walk and a strikeout to lower his era on the year to 2.23. Fellow starter Bruce Pugh, also returning from injury, came on and went the next 2.2 innings and also did not give up a run on only two hits along with a walk and three strikeouts to lower his era down to 3.71 along with improving his record to 3-5. Jose Gonzalez then came on and worked 1.1 scoreless innings on just two hits to lower his era on the year to 1.17. Billy Bulluck pitched the ninth and gave up a run on two hits to pick up his 14th save, while raising his era on the year to still a very good 3.62.

• The Miracle offense did not do much against Charlotte pitching in this one, but they did enough to get the lead and turn it over to the pitching staff that was really on. Fort Myers scored three runs on eight hits along with drawing a walk and leaving just five guys on base so the Miracle did a nice job of not wasting the runners that they had. Bruce Pugh committed his first error of the year in the victory for Fort Myers. The Miracle were led offensively by Brian Dozier who continued his hot streak by going 2-4 at the plate with his first homerun and 14th and 15th rbi’s to bring his average up to .284. After getting off to a slow start in Fort Myers Dozier is showing he is the shortstop version of Ben Revere in that he does not have much power, but man can the guy hit. Dozier in his last 10 games is hitting a robust .415 with an on base percentage of .467 so he is really hot right now. Esterlin De Los Santos also went 2-4 at the plate with his eighth rbi of the year to bring his average up to .314. De Los Santos has done enough in my mind to warrant sending him back up to AA and that move would open up a spot in Fort Myers for another deserving infielder in James Beresford. Drew Thompson went 1-3 at the plate with his ninth double of the year. Angel Morales went 1-3 with his second double and is rebounding after a slow start since his promotion to get his average up to .233. After starting out 3-19 in his first six games with the Miracle, Morales has rebounded in his last three to go 4-11 which is much better. Nathan Hanson and Jon Goncalves each contributed base hits in the winning cause for the Miracle.

• Tonight, the Miracle continue their series with Charlotte as Shooter Hunt is scheduled to pitch for Fort Myers. Gametime is at 6:05 in Fort Myers as the Miracle attempt to keep up the winning ways.

• The Snappers had their final day off of the All-Star Break last night. Tonight, the Snappers begin a series with Clinton as Brad Stillings gets the start for Beloit. Gametime is at 7:00pm in Clinton as the Snappers try to get the second half off the same way they ended the first half.

• The E-Town Twins got the season off to a good start with a nice comeback in the ninth inning to steal one in Bristol. Trailing 4-3 going into the ninth after Zach See gave up three in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Twins scored two runs in the ninth behind a two run single by Brian Burke to score Jamaal Hawkins and Gunner Glad. However, it was not over an error by closer David Gutierrez put a guy on third with only one out, but Jamaal Hawkins threw the guy out at the plate to preserve the victory. Ryan O’Roarke got the start for the Twins and was very good in this one. O’Roarke went five innings and gave up just one run on five hits along with two walks and four strikeouts to bring his era to 1.80. Nelson Fuentes then came in and went two innings and gave up a run on a hit along with two walks to bring his era to 3.00. Zach See then came in and was not very good, but still got the win to go to 1-0. See went 1.1 innings and gave up two runs on two hits along with a walk to bring his era to 7.71. Closer David Gutierrez then came in and got two outs to pick up his first save of the year and his career.

• The E-Town Twins did not do anything offensively until the seventh inning and still found a way to get the job done. Elizabethton scored five runs on 11 hits along with drawing five walks and leaving eight guys on base in the victory for the Twins. The Twins committed three errors in this one that did not help things. Jamaal Hawkins committed his first and second errors of the year, while David Gutierrez committed his first. The Twins were led offensively for the third straight game by Oswaldo Arcia who went 2-5 with his third homerun and fifth rbi to bring his average up to .538. Gunner Glad went 2-5 at the plate to bring his average to an even .500. Brian Burke went 2-5 at the plate with his first two rbi’s of the year to bring his average up to .222. Daniel Ortiz went 2-4 at the plate with his second and third doubles of the year to bring his average up to .250. Kyle Knudson went 1-3 with his first double of the year. Jamaal Hawkins and Lance Ray contributed base hits in the winning cause for the Twins.

• Tonight, the Twins begin a series with Kingsport as Matire Garcia is scheduled to pitch for Elizabethton. Gametime is at 6:00 p.m. in Elizabethton as the Twins try to make it two straight and continue their winning ways.

Rochester Wrap

Columbus 11  Rochester 2  (29-44)

• The Red Wings continued their rough first half and Glen Perkins edged himself to a possible release with another rough start in the Red Wings 11-2 loss to Columbus last night.  Glen Perkins got the start for the Wings and was awful once again.  Perkins only lasted 3.2 innings and gave up six runs on eight hits along with a homerun with a season high four walks and two strikeouts.  With the six runs allowed Perkins era ballooned up to 8.10 on the year and dropped his record down to 1-8.  I really don’t know what to say about Perkins anymore as we have all waited for him to get back into form, but I am thinking it is not going to happen.  He has zero trade value and the best thing might be to just give him what he wants and give him his release.  Tim Lahey then came on and continued his recent good pitching string by going 3.1 innings and did not give up a run on only two strikeouts to lower his era on the year to 5.21.  Pat Neshek then came on and got totally hammered as he only got one out and gave up five runs on six hits along with a strikeout to raise his era on the year to 6.10.  Neshek will have his good days and bad days as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery.  This is just a bump in the row and I have no doubt that he eventually will come all the way back it just will take a while.  Kyle Waldrop then came in and got two outs on a hit to lower his era on the year to 1.09.  Rob Delaney pitched the ninth inning and struck out the side to lower his era on the year to 4.79.

• The Red Wings did not do anything on offense against Columbus pitching and they couldn’t have that with the way they pitched.  Rochester scored just two runs on six hits along with drawing a walk and leaving nine guys on base.  Rochester was led offensively by Trevor Plouffe who went 1-4 at the plate with his 12^th double of the year.  Jacque Jones went 1-4 at the plate with his 13^th double of the year.  Jose Morales went 1-3 with his seventh double of the year.  D’Angelo Jimenez went 1-4 with his first double.  Brian Dinkelman and Brock Peterson each contributed a base hit in the loss for the Red Wings while Peterson had two rbi’s to bring his season total up to 40.

• Today, the Red Wings continue their series with Columbus as Matt Fox gets the start for Rochester.  Gametime is at 12:05 as the Red Wings try to stop their two game losing streak.

New Britain Business

New Britain 10  (19-52)  Binghamton 2

• The Rockcats finally combined a good pitching performance with a good hitting performance for one of the few times all year.  If they could have done this more often they wouldn’t be 50 games out of first.  Carlos Gutierrez got the start for the Rockcats and had his best start in quite a while.  Gutierrez went six innings and gave up just one run on six hits along with two walks and three strikeouts to drop his era on the year to 4.65 and improved his record up to 3-5.  Chris Province then came in and gave up a run on three hits in his two innings of work to lower his era on the year to 5.48.  Cole Devries then came on and pitched a scoreless inning of relief to lower his era on the year to 6.09.

• The Rockcats finally got a good night offensively in this one as they put up some good offensive numbers.  New Britain scored 10 runs on 17 hits along with drawing six walks and leaving 11 guys on base.  It was a wonderful night offensively for the Rockcats as they took advantage of their hits and just had a good night.  Jair Fernandez committed his second error of the year in the winning cause for the Rockcats.  The Rockcats were led offensively by Chris Parmelee who went 3-4 at the plate with his 16^th and 17^th rbi’s of the year to bring his average up to .239.  Mark Dolenc went 3-5 at the plate with his seventh double and drove in four runs to bring his season total up to 21 and brought his average up to .278.  Erik Lis went 3-5 at the plate to bring his average on the year to .285.  Joe Benson went 2-5 at the plate with his seventh double to bring his average up to .248.  Jair Fernandez went 2-3 at the plate to bring  his average up to .297.  Steve Singleton went 2-3 at the plate with his 19^th double and 23^rd rbi to bring his average up to .262.  Chris Cates and Juan Portes also contributed base hits in the winning cause for the Rockcats.  

• Tonight, the Rockcats continue their series with Binghamton as Mike Mccardell gets the start for New Britain.  Gametime is at 5:35 in Binghamton as the Rockcats try to continue their winning ways from last night.

Fort Myers Minutes

Fort Myers 9  (28-42)  Palm Beach 6

• The Miracle finished their first half on a winning track after having a disappointing half.  The Miracle put a nice combination of good hitting and adequate pitching to beat Palm Beach by a score of 9-6 last night and hopefully it is a beginning of good things in the second half.  Santos Arias got the start for the Miracle and really struggled in this one.  Arias went four innings and gave up three runs on six hits along with three strikeouts to raise his era on the year to 3.00.  Michael Tarsi got used to his role in the bullpen by going 1.1 innings and gave up two runs on four hits along with a walk and a strikeout to raise his era up to 5.84.  Andrei Lobanov continued his strong start for the Miracle by pitching 2.2 innings and gave up a run on three hits along with a walk and a strikeout to lower his era on the year to 2.02 and improved his record to 2-0.  Billy Bulluck finished the game by pitching a perfect inning of relief to pick up his 13^th save on two strikeouts to lower his era on the year to 3.47.

• The Miracle had a nice offensive game in this one as they really stepped it up.  Fort Myers scored nine runs on a season high 17 hits along with drawing six walks and left 12 guys on base in this one.  The Miracle were led offensively by Brian Dozier who went 4-6 at the plate with his 13^th rbi to bring his average up to .276.  Evan Bigley went 3-5 with three rbi’s to bring his season total up to 22 and brought his average up to .222.  Esterlin De Los Santos went 3-5 at the plate with his seventh rbi and brought his average up to .307.  Nathan Hanson went 2-4 at the plate to bring his average up to .232.  Angel Morales also went 2-4 with his first double and first rbi to bring his average up to .222.  Jon Goncalves went 1-3 at the plate with his fourth double and ninth rbi.  Nick Romero and Deibinson Romero each contributed a base hit in the winning cause for the Miracle to end the first half.

• Tonight, the Miracle begin their second half at home against Charlotte as Bobby Lanigan gets the start for Fort Myers.  Gametime is at 6:05 as the Miracle tries to get the second half on a good start.

Beloit Beat

• The Snappers had yesterday off as they get ready to begin their second half with a series against Clinton tomorrow night.

E-Town Tidbits

Bristol 8  E-town 4  (1-1)

• The Twins actually have the ability to lose a game.  I know that is a little bit of an exaggeration, but they win so much that you are surprised when they don’t win.  However, just like in any level if you don’t pitch well you are not going to win very many games.  Blayne Weller got the start for the Twins and was not very good in this one.  It was probably the worst start of his career as he had such a wonderful season in 2009.  Weller went just four innings and gave up four earned runs on a whopping nine hits along with two strikeouts to bring his era to 9.00.  Weller will get much better as the year goes on and this was just a one start thing so don’t expect starts like this very often.  Sam Spangler then came in and went two innings and gave up a run on two hits along with two strikeouts to bring his era to 4.50.  David Gutierrez then came in and pitched a scoreless inning along with two strikeouts.  He was followed by Kyle Necke who did not do too well giving up two runs on three hits in one inning of work along with a walk and two strikeouts to bring his era up to 18.00.

• The E-Town Twins offense had a decent game offensively, but they could not pitch very good.  E-Town scored four runs on seven hits along with taking a walk and leaving two guys on base.  Jonathon Arias committed his first error of the year in the loss.  The Twins were led offensively by Oswaldo Arcia who continued his hot start by going 2-4 at the plate with his second homerun and first triple and fourth rbi to bring his average up to .625.  Jamaal Hawkins, Hyeong-rok Choi, Kyle Knudson each contributed a base hit in the loss.  Brandon Henderson went 2-2 at the plate to bring his average up to .400 on the year.

• Tonight, the E-Town Twins continue their series with Bristol as Ryan 0’ Roarke gets the start for Elizabethton.  Gametime is at 6:00pm in Bristol as the Twins try to rebound from their loss last night.