Twins fun facts from Twins 3/22 ST notes

TWINS WIN!!: The Twins beat the Rays last night at Hammond Stadium by a score of 5-2, snapping their five-game losing streak and winning for the first time since Monday, March 13, a 1-0 victory over the Yankees in Fort Myers. Sonny Gray was the starter and winner, allowing two runs on five hits in 5 innings pitched, allowing his first runs of the spring on solo home runs by René Pinto and Luke Raley. Jovani Moran and Jorge López made their return from the WBC (Puerto Rico) and each pitched 1 scoreless inning. The offense recorded just four hits, led by Carlos Correa, who went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer in the first inning. Byron Buxton played in his first official spring training game and went 1-for-3 with a leadoff double and run scored.

SPRING FLING: Tonight the Twins will play the 25th of 32 scheduled Grapefruit League games. The Twins also played one World Baseball Classic exhibition against Team Dominican Republic March 9, after tonight, three more games will be played at Hammond Stadium and four more games will be played on the road.

NEXT LEVEL JEFF: Ryan Jeffers is playing in his 11th spring game today, he has posted a .916 OPS this spring, including a .333 on-base percentage and a .583 slugging percentage. He made the Twins 2022 Opening Day roster for second time in career (also 2021) and was club’s catcher on Opening Day, April 8 vs. Seattle, going 1-for-2 with a walk. Jeffers posted a 3.59 catcher ERA, lowest of his career.

The Minnesota Twins announced tonight that they have reassigned right-handed pitchers Randy Dobnak and Brock Stewart, catcher Jair Camargo, infielder Andrew Bechtold and outfielder Mark Contreras to minor league camp. The Twins now have 45 active players in camp (13 non-roster): 22 pitchers (5 non-roster), five catchers (3 non-roster), eight infielders (2 non-roster) and 10 outfielders (3 non-roster), plus two players on the 60-day Injured List.

Twins Minor League POW are Jermaine Palacios & Jovani Moran

In week 14 the Twins have named AA – Wichita infielder Jermaine Palacios and AAA – St. Paul left-handed pitcher Jovani Moran as the club’s minor league Player and Pitcher of the Week. Both are repeat winners of the award this year.

Twins Minor League POW are Michael Helman & Jovani Moran

In week 10 we have High-A Cedar Rapids Kernels outfielder Michael Helman winning this weeks Minnesota Twins minor league position player of the week.  Helman was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 11th round of the 2018 MLB June Amateur Draft from Texas A&M University (College Station, TX). Helman reportedly signed for a $220,000 signing bonus.

The 25-year-old Helman played in six games for the Kernels, hitting .409 (9-for-22) with one double, two home runs, four RBI, one walk, a .458 on-base percentage and a 1.186 OPS. The right-handed hitting Helman started his career as a second baseman and had appeared there in a few games but is primarily being used in the outfield in 2021. On the season Helman has an average slash line of .217/.310/.411.

Twins Minor League Players of the Week – Alex Kirilloff, Edwar Colina & Jovani Moran

The Twins have named Single-A Cedar Rapids outfielder Alex Kirilloff ML Player of the Week and Single-A Cedar Rapids right-handed pitcher Edwar Colina and left-handed pitcher Jovani Moran Co-ML Pitchers of the Week.

Kirilloff

This past week the 20-year old Kirilloff who was the Twins first round pick in 2016 and 15th overall hit .333 (8-for-24) with 4 doubles, a home run had 6 RBI helping lead the Kernels to a 4-1 record. Season-to-date the lefty outfielder is hitting .278 with 4 home runs and 23 RBI. Kirilloff has struck out 19 times in 90 at bats.

Colina and Moran overcame six walks and two errors, combining for the Kernels’ first no-hitter in five years as Cedar Rapids beat South Bend, 10-0, on Tuesday at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium. 

Colina

The right-handed Colina earned his second win of the season when he tossed 6.0 innings with five walks and two strikeouts just two days before his 21st birthday. This season the Venezuela native has pitched 15 innings in his 3 starts and is 2-0 with a miniscule 0.60 ERA while striking out 7 and walking 11. Colina is in his third season of organized ball in the Twins system. 

Moran

Moran, a lefty, being used strictly as a relief pitcher finished the no-hitter game with 3.0 innings facing only 9 batters with a walk, HBP, and a strike-out in his longest outing of the season. Moran was the Twins seventh round selection in 2015 from Puerto Rico and is also in his third season working for the Twins.

 

 

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