E-Twins claim game one, DSL Twins done

Elizabethton 7 at Pulaski 4

W: D. Rondon (1-0, 0.00); L: N. Czyz (0-1, 18.00); SV: S. Blevins (1)
HR: ELI: E. Bigley (1).

The Elizabethton Twins took early lead, held off a mid-game rally and went on to defeat the Pulaski Mariners, 7-4 in game one of the best-of-five Appalachian League Championship series.

Reliever Danny Rondon would claim the win for the E-Twins, while Steve Blevins, a 2008 promotion to the E-Twins from the GCL, handled the save.

With two outs on the board in the first inning, Jon Waltenbury would take a walk. Evan Bigley would then double him in to put the Twins on the board.

They extended their lead in the top of the second with Angel Morales singling his way onto base. Jeff Lanning would fly out, but James Beresford knocked a ground ball single to left and Dominic De La Osa took a walk to load the bags. Nick Romero then hit a ground rule double to center to plate Morales and Beresford. Waltenbury sacrificing in De La Osa to give the Twins a 4-0 lead.

Brad Tippett left the game after only two outs in the first with an injured elbow, with Curtis Leavitt replacing him on he mound. The California hurler found trouble in the bottom of the fourth, allowing back-to-back doubles to Kris Sanchez and Jose Rivero, getting the Mariners on the board. Guy Welsh took a walk. A sac-bunt by George Soto advanced the runners, and a ground out by Jacob Shaffer plated Rivero to cut the Twins lead in half.

Waltenbury singled in the top of the 5th, and Bigley reached on a force attempt in which Soto at second misplayed the ball. Mike Harrington then doubled to drive in Walt for an insurance run.

They'd need it, as Gabriel Noriega walked to start the the bottom of the fifth. Mario Martinez singled, which prompted Ray Smith to call for a pitching change getting Leavitt off the hill and putting Rondon in. The GCL Twins ace closer from 2007 would allow a double to Juan Fuentes which scored Noriega and Martinez, making it 5-4 Twins. He'd get Kris Sanchez to fly out however and Rivero and Welsh to strike out, ending the inning.

Lanning would get plunked by a pitch, with Baby Bearcat singling him to second. De La Osa would also get plunked, loading the bags. Romero would sacrifice in Lanning, but Waltenbury would pop out and Bigley line out, retiring the side.

Leavitt would get charged with 4 runs on four hits and a pair of walks while striking out 4 over 3.1 innings. Rondon would give up 2 hits and fan 3 over the next 2 innings with Jarred Eacott coming in for the seventh and eighth, allowing one walk and fanning three.

Bigley would homer in the top of the 9th, a solo shot, for the Twins 7th run of the night. Blevins would strike out Noriega and Martinez in the bottom half of the final set, with Fuentes claiming a single. Sanchez hit into a force out however, ending the contest.

Beresford was 2-for-4 with a run, and Bigley, the game's yard bird, was 2-for-5 with a double, a run and two RBIs. Walt finished up 1-for-3 with a pair of runs and 1 RBI. Lanning was also 1-for-3 with a run.

Romero, Harrington, and Morales were all 1-for-4, Romero with a double and 3 RBIs, Harrington with a double and a run scored, and Morales with a run.

The two teams rematch tonight at Joe O'Brien Stadium for game two of the series. The first pitch is due out at 7:00 P.M.

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DSL Mariners 1 at DSL Twins 0

W: F. Bautista (1-0, 0.00); L: E. Santana (0-1, 3.00); SV: H. Perez (1)
HR: None.

The DSL Mariners blanked the DSL Twins at Baseball City Thursday, ending the Twins bid for a DSL Championship.

Victor Ozuna took a triple off reliever Eddy Santana and scored on a missed catch by Manuel Soliman at 3rd base.

The D-Twins actually out hit the Mariners, but could not convert on their chances. Yorby Martinez would double in the bottom of the fifth, and after Soliman went down on strikes, try to go home on a Wilfy Gil single to left. He was taken out at the plate however, as Angel Zapata riffled the ball in to Mariners' catcher Hassiel Jimenez, who got the tag on Martinez.

Danny Santana would single in the bottom of the sixth, then steal 2nd. He'd get caught trying to take 3rd however.

Six different Twins had hits, with Carlos Vasquez, Martinez and Gil going 1-for-3 at the plate; Vasquez with a walk, and Martinez with a double. Santana, Jean Carlos Mercedes and Jairo Rodriguez finished up 1-for-4, all one-hit wonders.

Jhonatan Arias is already schedule to make an appearance State-side at Fall Instructional League, but it will certainly be interesting to see which of this talented group of young men will join the 2009 GCL Squad.

The DSL Angels will face the DSL Nationals1 in the Semi-final round, while the DSL Mariners take on the DSL Giants. Thanks to the DSL Twins for all their hard work this season, and a big thanks ti Director of Latin American Operations Jose Marzan for answering countless questions as we explored the Latin American Leagues in depth for the first time, here at Rookie Whites.

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Thanks also to everyone who has stopped in to see how our Twins farm system was fairing. I hope I have not failed you too badly despite the hardware problems that have plagued me this summer.

While the regular seasons winding down for our twins prospects, we will continue to follow our boys through Arizona Fall League, Fall Instructional League and of course, Venezuelan Winter League.

Celestino shuts down DSL Twins

DSL Twins 3 at DSL Mariners 6

W: M. Celestino (1-0, 0.00); L: A. Salcedo (0-1, 2.25)
HR: None.

The DSL Twins dropped game two of their best of three series to the DSL Mariners Wednesday at the Eppy Guerrero Complex in Villa Mella.

The Mariners would jump on a throwing error by shortstop Yorby Martinez to start out, allowing Victor Ozuna to reach, and then advance to 2nd when the ball went into the dugout. A sac-bunt by Ramon Moria advanced the runner and Rudy van Heydoorn doubled out to left to score Osuna. Axel Wei would ground out, moving van Heydoorn to 3rd. He'd score when Twins starter Adrian Salcedo unleashed a wild pitch. Hassiel Jimenez would go down on strikes to end the inning.

Ozuna would single in the bottom of the third, then come home on a van Heydoorn double to make it 3-0 Seattle.

The Twins best scoring opportunity in the early part of the game came in the top of the 1st inning when Danny Santana singled and Jairo Perez took a walk. A wild pitch by Seattle's Miguel Celestino put runners at 2nd and 3rd, but Jairo Rodriguez ground out, stranding the men.

Celestino would work 8 innings, scattering 4 hits and a pair of walks over that period while fanning four.

Eddy Santana would take over for Salcedo in the bottom of the 5th. He'd work the next two allowing only 3 hits before giving way to Raynard Doran, who worked the seventh.

In the top of the 7th, Rodriguez would double for the Twins. Jean Carlos Mercedes went down on strikes and Felix Caro flew out. It looked like Rodriguez would be stranded at 2nd, but a error by Angel Zapata in left allowed Manuel Soliman to reach and Rodriguez to score, putting the Twins on the board.

Lesmir Vargas took over the mound for the Twins in the 8th inning and allowed a lead off walk to Moria. Van Heydoorn flew out, but Wei and Jimenez hit back-to-back singles to load up the bags. Leonardo Parra would be summoned from the bullpen, but the new pitcher gave up a double to Hector Mercedes, which cleaned off the bases, making it 6-1 Mariners.

Bruno Mercedes took over for the nearly unhittable Celestino in the top of the 9th. Rodriguez would ground out, but Mercedes knocked a single out to left. Caro would get hit by a pitch putting two men on. Solimen flew out to center before Carlos Vasquez doubled to bring in the two Twins runners. But Vasquez would be picked off at 2nd, ending the game.

The two teams rematch Thursday at Baseball City at 10:30 AM for the decisive 3rd game of the series.

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Sloppy Twins hand Pirates a win

GCL Twins 1 at GCL Pirates 3

W: I. Herrera-Rusova (1-0, 3.86); L: M. Garcia (2-2, 3.25)
HR: None.

Sloppy play and sloppy weather saw the GCL Twins fall to the GCL Pirates 3-1 in Bradenton despite giving up only one hit in six innings to the Bucs.

AFter getting Adenson Chouno out on strikes in the bottom of the first inning, Martire Garcia would walk Ben Gonzalez. Jarek Cunningham would fall to strikes as well, at which point Gonzalez stole 2nd. A throwing error by Javier Brown at 2nd base allowed Gonzalez to score and Edward Garcia to reach, giving the Pirates a one run lead.

Garcia would work the next four innings, allowing a walk to Craig Perry in the bottom of the 4th and hitting Victor Sanchez in the bottom of the 5th.

Gabriel Alvarado was equally good for the Pirates. in the top of the sixth, with one out, Javier Brown singled, but would be caught stealing. Jon Goncalves singled and Aaron Hicks walked. Ivan Herrera-Rusova replaced Alvarado at that point and walked Anderson Hidalgo. A passed ball by Jesus Aguilera saw Goncalves score, tying up the game.

Chourino reached on fielding error by Garcia. Gonzalez would move him to 2nd with a sac bunt, and wild pitch by Garcia advanced him to 3rd. Cunningham then took a walk, putting men on the corners. Miguel Munoz would come in at that point and walked Edward Garcia to load the bags. Parry would go down on strikes, but Carlos Silva singled, driving in two. Silve then stole 2nd, but Sachez ground out to end the inning.

At the point the game was stopped due to rain, so the Twins never had a chance to catch up.

The Twins fall to two games back with five left to play. They will host the GCL Orioles for two of those game, Sunday at 11:00 at the Lee County Sportsplex.

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DSL Indians 2 at the DSL Twins 4

W: O. Villaroel (4-4, 2.51); L: J. Campos (4-3, 3.32); SV: E. Alvarez (15)
HR: None.

Orlando Villaroel picked up the win, his 4th of the season, and Edison Alvarez recorded his 15th save as the DSL Twins topped the DSL Indians 4-2 at Baseball City Saturday, winning the Boca Chica North Division.

Manuel Soliman singled in the bottom of the 3rd, but Yorby Martinez hit into a ground out that nabbed him at 2nd. Jhonatan Arias doubled, and Martinez scored from first to give the Twins a one run lead.

Soliman again singled in the bottom of the fifth and would try to stretch it for a double, being taken out at second. Martinez and Arias hit back-to-back singles before Wilfy Gil ground into a force out, leaving runners at the corners. Danny Santana reached on a throwing error that allowed Martinez to score. Gil then stole 3rd and a trowing error by catcher Henry Moreno sent him scurrying home for the 3rd Twins run. Jean Carlos Mercedes took a walk and Jairo Perez singled allowing Santana to cross the plate for run number four.

In the top of the sixth, Argenis Martinez took a walk with one out on the board for the Tribe. Jesus Aguilar doubled . Darling Read singled to plate the two, making it 4-2 Twins, but Roman Vinicio ground out and Yileiviu Fernandez struck out to retire the side.

Despite a single and a stolen base in the top of the 7th, the Indians never really threatened after that, as the Twins went on to clinch the Division title.

Soliman was 3-for-4 at the plate but did not factor into the scoring. Perez was 2-for-4 and Arias was 2-for-3 with a double and a RBI. Martinez, 1-for-3 had a pair of runs, while Santana (1-for-4) and Gil (0-for-4) had a run each.

The DSL Giants won the Boca Chica South Division by 6.5 games. The DSL Rangers 1 won the San Pedro division by less than half a game, .667 to .662 over the DSL Angels.

The DSL Mariners took the Santo Domingo North Division by 6.5 games, and the DSL Nationals1 won the Santo Domingo West Division by a whopping 25 games.

The first game of the playoffs is scheduled for Monday with the Twins hosting either the Mariners or the Giants at Baseball City and the wild card Angels take on the Rangers at Towers Baseball Academy.

(The DSL article says they host the Mariners, but then it goes on to say that the Nationals and the Mariners wait for the Winner of these two series for the second semifinal series B.) The games start, as always at 10:30 AM and I believe are a best of 3 game format.

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E-Twins clinch, Apply League All-Star list released

Elizabethton 12 at Danville 3

W: T. Wright (4-0, 3.20); L: P. Clemens (3-3, 3.39); SV: S. Blevins (1)
HR: None.

The Elizabethton Twins clinched their playoff berth Friday night with a resounding defeat of the Danville Braves.

Chris Shehan singled off Elizabethton starter Thom Wright in the bottom of the 2nd, then stole 2nd. A wild pitch by Wright moved Shehan to 3rd and Mike Elkerson doubled him in to give the Braves an early one run lead.

Nathan Hanson reached on a fielding error in the top of the 3rd. James Beresford laid down a sac-bunt, but a throwing error by Braves pitcher Paul Clemens sent Hanson to 3rd and Beresford to 1st. Dominic De La Osa singled, loading the bases. Nick Romero's follow up single scored Hanson. Jon Waltenbury sacrificed Beresford in, and one out later, a wild pitch by Clemens allowed De La Osa to score. Romero would be left stranded when Michael Harrington was called out on strikes.

Shehan again singled in the bottom of the sixth then stole 2nd base. With 2 outs on the board, Mike Elkerson singled. Elizabethton Field manager Ray Smith called for a pitching change, getting Steve Blevins onto the mound to replace Wright. Jesus Sucre singled off Blevins to plate Shehan, but the former GCL Twin then struck out L. V. Ware, leaving two men stranded.

Hanson took a walk in the top of the 7th with one out on the board. The Braves would bring Brandon Beachy in to replace Clemens, and Beresford greeted the new hurler with a single. De La Osa drew a walk. and a wild pitch by Beachy moved the pair. Romero sacrificing in Beresford to make it 4-2 Twins.

Evan Bigly would reach on a fielding error by Ware in the top of the 8th. Harrintong would single and a fielding error by Camilo Parra advanced the runners. Alex Soto singled out to left to drive in Bigley, and a wild pitch by Beachy put Harrington over the plate. Angel Morales would fly out to right and Hanson would be hit by a pitch before the Braves replaced Beachy with Derick Himpsi, who got Beresford to ground into a double play to retire the Twins.

Shehan would take a triple of Blevins in the bottom of the 8ths and come home on Parra's ground out. Blevins got Shayne Moody to ground out as well then struck out Mike Elkerson to send the Twins up to bat again.

With a 7-3 lead, De La Osa and Romero would take back-to-back walks to start the ninth. Waltenbury ground into a force out, that put runners at the corners. Evan Bigley reached on a fielder's choice, but the Braves could not make the play at the plate, and De La Osa scored. Harrington doubled in the the remaining runners to make it 10-3 Twins. Soto took a walk, and wild pitch by Himpsi put Harrington on 3rd. Morales then walked the bases full. Hanson reached on a force attempt that scored Harrington. De La Osa, batting around the order, took a walk as well to force in Soto to make the game 12-3. The Braves would have to call in pitcher Rico Reid to get Romero to pop out, getting them out of the bases loaded jam.

Romero was 2-for-4 at the plate with a walk and a pair of RBIs. Harrington was 2-for-5 with a double, two runs and two RBIs. De La Osa was 1-for-3 with 3 walks, a pair of runs and a run scored. Soto and Beresford were 1-for-4 each; Soto with a walk, a run and a run scored, a Beresford with a pair of runs.

The win was Wright's fourth, Blevins picked up the save, his first since his promotion from the GCL Twins.

In defeating the Braves, the Twins also allowed Pulaski to clinch, so the 2008 Appalachian League playoff match is now set.

Elizabethton faces Danville one more time on Saturday night with a 7:00 PM start, then hosts Princeton for a three game homestand to complete their regular season.

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The Elizabethton Twins dominated the Appalachian League's All-Star Team list, filling eight selections. Dan Osterbrock was named Pitcher of the Year. The University of Cincinnati product leads the league with 100 strikeouts and 73 innings pitched and ranks second with seven wins. The 21-year-old southpaw is 7-2 with a 3.08 ERA in a dozen starts, was named Pitcher of the Week on July 7 and has held opponents to a .239 batting average.

Osterbrock struck out 12 batters in consecutive starts on July 24-30. He's fanned at least 10 in five of his last seven starts, allowing 15 earned runs in that span.

GCL alumni Mark Hamburger was named Reliever of the Year; outfielders Evan Bigley and Angel Morales were named to the list as was first baseman Jon Waltenbury in the designed hitter role. Brad Tippett was also added to the All-star pitchers' list.

Elizabethton's Ryan Hedwell was named trainer of the year by the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society.

Bigley ranks second in the league with 14 homers and 46 RBIs. He hit .394 in June and cemented his spot on the All-Star roster last week when he hit two homers and drove in five runs against Princeton.

Tippett opened eyes last season for the Twins with an 0.93 ERA. The Australian was 8-3 with a 2.63 ERA in 13 starts this season. Hamburger, a Minnesota native, has 13 saves and 39 strikeouts over 35 2/3 innings.

Morales was the Twins' third-round pick in 2007 and hit .313 in his second Minor League season with Elizabethton. The center fielder, who spent his first professional season with the GCL Twins, leads the Appy League with 15 homers to go with 28 RBIs.

Waltenbury, a 2006 seventh-rounder and member of the 2007 GCL Twins squad, is hitting .331 with 10 homers and 43 RBIs. (TriCities Sports)

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DSL Twins 5 at DSL White Sox 1

W: C. Ciurcina (3-2, 3.68); L: Y. Rodriguez (2-2, 2.65)
HR: None.

The DSL Twins defeated the DSL White Sox while the DSL Indians did the Twins a favor, blanking the DSL Yankees2 to leave the Twins alone atop the DSL Boca Chica North Division.

The Twins wasted no time getting on the board as Wilfy Gil reached on a fielding error and made his way to 3rd base. Danny Santana sacrificed him in to put the Twins on the board. A fielding error by Lara would prove costly however, as Santana, who would have been safe at first tried to make it to second, but was take out at the base. Oswaldo Arcia doubled before Jairo Perez reached on a fielding error, moving Arcia to 3rd. Jairo Rodriguez singled Arcia home. A passed ball by Daniel Yepez moved the two runners. Eliel Sierra hit into a ground out, allowing Perez to score and giving the Twins a 3-0 lead.

The Sox took out back in the bottom of the inning with Jeffer Patinod doubling, then coming home on a Angel Ferreiras single.

The Twins answered back in the top of the 2nd however, as Yorby Martinez drew a walk to lead off. Yancarlo Franco would ground into a force out, but Gil was then hit by a pitch, moving Franco to 3nd. Sanatana singled, but Franco would be taken down at home leaving runners on 2nd and 3rd. Arcia singled to bring in Gil. Santana would try to come home as well, but was taken down at the plate, sending the Sox up to bat again.

No worries though. Cesar Ciurcina would hold the White Sox to only 4 hits over five innings while striking out six. Renzi Reveroi took over for the next two allowing 2 hits and walk and striking out 4. Jhonny Garcia struck out 2 in the 8th inning.

Ronny Juma would be on the mound for the Twins in the top of the 9th and would take Manuel Soliman and Martinez out on strikes before walking Franco, who then stole 2nd. Gil then tripled him in for an extra marker before Santana popped out, putting the Twins defensive unit back into play.

Edison Alvarez used three quick outs to end the game.

If the Twins can defeat the Indians on Saturday at Baseball City, or if both the Twins and the Yankees2 drop their final games, the Twins, who have won their last six, will clinch their playoff berth.

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Rain forces game cancelations in final week of GCL play

Continued thundershowers in the wake of Hurricane Fay saw the start of cancellations for Gulf Coast League teams as they enter their final weekend of play.

Games between the GCL Blue Jays and GCL Tigers, and GCL Yankees and GCL Phillies were both cancelled.

The double header between the Indians and Braves was postponed at was the game between the GCL Marlins and the GCL Nationals. The game between the Orioles and Reds Sox was suspended, and is scheduled to resume on Wednesday, August 27, which would make back-to-back double headers for Boston, as they are schedule to play two against the GCL Twins on Tuesday.

The Dodgers and the Cardinals got 8 innings in, with the Dodgers leading 11-2 at the time, claiming the win in the rain shortened contest.

In Bradenton, the GCL Reds defeated the GCL Pirates, holding them to a one game lead over the Twins. The Phillies are leading in the North Division and the Dodgers in the East, but Nationals are just half a game behind.

The idle Twins continue to lead the wild card race by a wide margin. Right now, it looks like the Twins will end up playing the Pirates in the single-game elimination round of the GCL playoffs.

After two days off, the boys should be ready to rock the Pirates tomorrow morning in Bradenton!

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Joe Testa's second start for the GCL Twins did not go as well as his first. Testa started Wednesday's game in Lakeland against the Flying Tigers and gave up 6 runs, five earned on 6 hits and 3 walks while fanning 3.

Even so, the rookie's done will after taking a walk across the parking lot.

There was still a nice article - or at least a part of it, in the Brick Township Bulletin about him.

"I jumped over two levels — Advanced Rookie and Low A," Testa was quoted as saying the article. "It's exciting, and I got my first start."

It should be noted however that in these cases where a prospect is moved in an emergency call up situation, they rarely stay at the same level for the following year.

Yangervis Solarte stayed with Fort Myers for quite a while at the mid-season mark before being reassigned to Low A Beloit to finish off the year. Jeff Manship, who started his career with the Miracle in 2006, was sent to Beloit in 2007 to begin the season.

Still Testa pitched well, but will have to learn to switch up his pitches more. While the fastball and the cutter worked the first time out, the seasoned FSL pitchers will tell you that at least 3 pitches are needed - including the off speed change up - to be successful at the High A level.

Photos of Testa making his FSL debut are available now on our sister site at www.miraclefans.com.

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Fay dropped a lot of rain on southwest Florida, but left little damage or flooding in the Fort Myers and Cape Coral areas. My mother seemed let down that wasn't wading around in water up to my waste after seeing the devastation in other parts of the state on TV.

However, we're all fine, as is the ballpark and we're all ready to play a little hardball, just as soon as the Thunderstorms stop.

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For former GCL Twin Loek van Mil, pitching in the Olympics was a huge honor. However, the tall Dutchman didn't even get into one game, as he suffered a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament during a bullpen session in China. He left the site of the Olympics to return to the Twin Cities to be checked by team doctors.

Van Mil had been with the Low A Beloit Snappers before leaving for the Olympics. He enjoyed a a good deal of success in the league after being prompted to throw as hard as he could, increasing his velocity to 94-95 miles an hour from his previous 87 miles per hour.

The 7'1" right hander received a good deal of media coverage with the Snappers this year as the tallest player in professional baseball. A strange twist of fate landed him on the team with shortstop Chris Cates, who at 5'3" is the shortest player in professional baseball.

Van Mil was a starter for the GCL Twins in 2006. He was moved back to the bullpen to start the 2007 season with short season Elizabethton and has prospered in the reliever's role.

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DSL Orioles 6 at DSL Twins 12

W: L. Parra (6-1, 1.48); L: J. Sosa (0-2, 9.43)
HR: None.

The host DSL Twins doubled up the DSL Orioles Thursday morning, take a huge 12-6 win over the visiting team.

The Orioles would get on the board first, taking six runs, only 2 earned, on six hits from starter Adrian Salcedo, who fanned 3 over 2 innings.

A pair of passed balled by catcher Jhonatan Arias and a fielding error by centerfielder Wilfy Gil contributed to the unearned runs.

The Twins would strike back in the bottom of the fourth, with Oswaldo Arcia doubling, and then advancing to 3rd on a fielding error. Jairo Perez sacrificed him in to put the Twins on the board. Jean Carlos Mercedes singled, and Eliel Sierra double to put runners in scoring position. Rafael Sanchez would be called out on strikes, but Juan Blanco reached on a fielding error which also scored Mercedes. Yorby Martinez would single in Sierra before Gil ground into a force out to end the inning.

Danny Santana would get hit by a pitch in the bottom of the 5th. A wild pitch from the Orioles' Julio Sanchez moved Santana to 2nd. Arcia would fly out, but Perez would get plunked by a pitch next. Another wild pitch from Sanchez advanced the pair of runners. Mercedes would take walk to load the bases. Sierra singled to drive in Santana before Isreal Sosa came in to replace the struggling Sanchez, getting two quick outs to preserve the O's lead.

The Twins had other ideas however. Martinez and Gil would draw back-to-back walks to start the inning, prompting another pitching change. This time Jose Sosa took over the mound. Santana greeted him with single which combined with a fielding error, scored Martinez and put Gil on 3rd. Aracia's grounder to center plated Arcia for the tying run. A wild pitch from Sosa advanced the two runners before Perez reached on a fielding error that also allowed Santana to score. Mercedes ground out plated Arcia before Sierra would be hit by pitch. Pinch hitter Jairo Rodriguez singled to load up the bags again. William Princivil would be brought in to get the O's out of their jam, but unleashed a wild pitch instead, sending Perez over the plate. He would then get Blanco out on strikes before Martinez flew out to end the inning with the Twins leading 9-6.

A triple by Santana added another pair of runs in the 7th while a double by Martinez and a pair of wild pitches made it an even dozen in the 8th.

Raynard Doran and Leonardo Parra tossed six hitless innings for the Twins, with Parra picking up the win, his sixth of the season.

With the Win, the Twins tie up the DSL Yankees2 for the top spot in the B.C. North Division. There are two more games remaining as the Twins visit the DSL White Sox on Friday and host the DSL Indians on Sunday to finish off the season.

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Twins top O's on wild pitch

GCL Orioles 6 at GCL Twins 7

W: K. Mota (2-0, 1.21); L: J. Reyes (0-3, 3.32)
HR: None.

The GCL Twins scored in the bottom of the 10th inning to pick up a 7-6 win over the GCL Orioles on Thursday at the Lee County Sportsplex.

The Orioles jumped on Jean Mijares early when Garabez Rosa doubling with one out on the board. Luis Ramirez flew out, but Jerome Hoes and Edinho Meyer both took walks to load the bags. Omar Casamayor doubled to clean them off. Casamayor would try to stretch it for a triple however and was taken out at 3rd on the throw, letting the Twins have a turn at the plate.

Anderson Hidalgo took a walk then stole 2nd base. A throwing error by catcher Janensis Guerrero advanced him to 3rd. Danny Ortiz would take a walk before Mike Gonzalez doubled to plate Hidalgo. Jae-Hyung Jang struck out and Reggie Wiliams popped out to end the inning.

Hyun-wook Choi singled out to right, then stole second. Wang-Wei Lin, newly reactivated off the DL, took a walk. Juan Sanchez singled to fill the bases. Hicks would pop out before Hidalgo sacrificed in Wook to make it 3-2 O's.

The Twins would tie it up in the 3rd with Mike Gonzales singling. J.J. would reach on a force attempt and Williams single again saw three men on. Wook sacrificed Gonzales in this time for the equalizer.

Miguel Achil replaced Donis De La Cruz for the bottom of the 4th, and got Hicks and Hidalgo to ground out before allowing a line drive single to center. Ortiz then stole 2nd, and would be doubled in by Gonzales to put the Twins on top. Jakub Hajtmar would replace Gonzales as a pitch runner, and J.J. singled Hajtmar in. A wild pitch ty Achil moved J.J. to 3rd, but Williams would ground out to end the inning.

Mijares would hit Xavier Avery with a pitch in the top of the 5th. After Rosa flew out and Ramirez popped out, Avery stole 2nd. Hoes then singled to drive Avery in, to put the Orioles down by only one.

Marcus Moore replaced Achil in the bottom of the sixth, and Hicks singled. Hidalgo doubled to drive in Hicks restoring the two run lead.

The top of the eighth saw Ramirez and Hoes hit back-to-back singles. Meyers' sac-bunt moved the pair and a single to Casamayor scored Ramierz. Grolman Gonzalez sacrificed in Hoes to tie up the game.

Kelvin Mota would replace Tonkin for the top of the ninth. Despite allowing singles to Avery and Rosa, he'd manged to keep the O's off the board. Neither could the Twins capitalize on Hidalgo's walk in the bottom half of the stanza, so the game went into extra innings.

Edinho Meyer singled in the top of the 10th, but Mota took Casamayor out on strikes and got Gonzalez and Guerro to ground out to send the Twins to the plate.

Jean Carlos Reyes took over the pitching for the Orioles and allowed a lead off single to Williams. Wook's sac-bunt moved him to 2nd and a wild pitch by Reyes got him to 3rd. Reyes then unleashed a second wild pitch, putting Williams over the plate and handing the Twins the win.

Gonzales finished up 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, a run and a pair of RBIs. Williams was 2-for-5 with a run. Wook and Sanchez were both 1-for-3, Wook with a run and a RBI and Sanchez with a walk.

Hidalgo was 1-for-2 with a pair of walks, a double, a run and two runs scored. Ortiz was 1-for-4 with a walk and a run and J.J. and Hicks were each 1-for-5, J.J. with a RBI, Hicks with a run.

The Twins face the Reds on Friday at the Lee County Sportsplex for a noon game; they travel to the City of Palms complex on Saturday for a 10:00 AM contest.

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DSL Twins 6 at DSL Diamondbacks/Reds 1

W: A. Salcedo (4-4, 1.42); L: T. Gutierrez (1-8, 4.19)
HR: None.

The DSL Twins knocked out six run on 10 hits to down the DSL Diamondbacks/Reds on the road Thursday morning.

Henry Rodriguez tripled in the bottom of the first for the Dia-Reds, and came home one out later on a Angel Logrono single for the only host run.

Randy Pina doubled, then moved to 3rd on a Carlos Vasquez sac-bunt in the top of the 3rd. Danny Santana singled him in, then stole 2nd base. Yorby Martinez would reach on fielding error, plating Santana for the second Twins run.

Vasquez singled in the top of the fifth, then advanced on back-to-back ground outs by Santana and Martinez. Mercedes would single him in, for the insurance run.

Gustavo Delgado would replace Dia-Reds starter Teo Gutierrez for the top of the six. Felix Caro flew out before Yancarlo Franco singled and advanced to 2nd on Delgado's throwing error. Juan Blanco took a walk and Pina would be hit by a pitch to load the bags. Franco would try to steal home but would be caught. He should have stayed where he was as Vasquez was then walked. Mario Lujan was brought in to replace Delgado, and Danny Santana doubled off him to clean off the plates, scoring three.

Blanco and Pina were both 2-for-3, Blanco with a triple and a run and Pina with a double and a pair of runs to lead the attack. Danny Santana was 2-for-5 with a double, a run and 4 RBIs. Vasquez was 1-for-2 with a walk and 2 runs.

Mercedes and Franco finished up 1-for-4 each at the plate, Mercedes with a walk and a RBI, while Franco shared the one his wonder title with Jairo Rodriguez, who ended the game 1-for-5.

Adrian Salcedo picked up his 4th win of the season, allowing 1 earned run on 3 hits and a pair of walks while striking out 8 over 5.2 innings.

The Twins host the DSL Cubs1 on Friday for a 10:30 AM Dominican time game. The two teams are tied at 40-24 each for third place in the DSL B.C. North Division, 2 games behind the division leading DSL Yankees2.

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Pirates down Twins, pull ahead in playoff race

GCL Twins 1 at GCL Pirates 4

W: G. Amato (2-0, 0.00); L: A. Sanchez (2-3, 3.71)
HR: None.

The GCL Pirates roughed up Twins starter Angelo Sanchez, taking 3 earned runs of him on 7 hit and a pair of walks over 3 innings at Pirate City in Bradenton.

Meanwhile Gabrial Alvarado limited the GCL Twins to just one hit and pair of walks over the first four innings.

Adenson Chourio singled in the bottom of the 1st then moved to 2nd on Edwin Roman's sac bunt. Jarek Cunningham would fly out before Edward Garcia singled in Chourio to put the Pirates on the board in the bottom of the first.

Cunningham would single in the bottom of the 3rd with one out on the board. Sanchez then unleashed a pair of wild pitches that advanced Cunningham to 3rd. Garcia would take walk before Carlos Silva doubled in Cunningham. Craig Parry's follow up single to center scored Garcia. Sanchez would get Andury Acevedo out on strikes, but issued a walk to Jesus Aguilera to load up the bags. Happily, Kyle Saukko ground into a force out to to end the inning.

Ian Mopas replaced Sanchez for the fourth. After getting Chourio to pop out, he'd give up back-to-back singles to Roman and Cunningham. A throwing error on the Roman's single advanced to him 2nd and he'd come home on Cunningham's line drive. Mopas then picked Cunningham off at first, but walked Garcia and advanced him to second on a balk. Silva ground out however to get Mopas out of the inning.

Ivan Herrera-Rusova replaced Alvarado at the top of the fifth. The top of the seventh would see Josmir Pinto double. Ladendorf ground out, and the Pirates brought in Gary Amato to replace Herrera-Rusova. Amato would get Javier Brown out on strikes, but Jon Goncalves doubled to score Pinto for the lone Twins run.

Pinto would finish up 2-for-4 at the plate with a pair of doubles and a run. Aaron Hicks and Juan Sanchez were both 1-for-4, while Andres Diaz, Brown and Goncalves were all 1-for-3, Diaz and Brown with walks and Goncavles with a double and a RBI.

Sanchez would take the loss, his third of the season. Mopas worked three allowing 1 run, unearned, on 2 hits and 2 walks, striking out just one. Khol Nanney worked the last 2 innings, allowing just one Pirates hit.

The Pirates pull out to a 1.5 game lead in the South Division, while the Twins still head up the wild card race.

The GCL Orioles come into the Lee County Sportsplex for a game against the GCL Twins Thursday at noon. They Twins remain at home to take on the GCL Reds on Friday.

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DSL Yankees2 3 at DSL Twins 2

W: W. Eusebio (4-5, 5.40); L: E. Alvarez (0-3, 2.34)
HR: DSL TWI: D. Santana (1).

Despite a home run by Danny Santana, the Twins fell in extra innings to the DSL Yankees2 at home. Closer Edison Alvarez would suffer the loss, his third of the season.

Santana put a ball over the center field all in the bottom of the first with one out. Yankee's starter Victor Beriguete worked 5.2 innings for the Yankees.

Following a ground out to Oswaldo Arcia in the top of the sixth, Jairo Perez tripled. Eliel Sierra would sacrifice him in. Manuel Soliman would take a walk before Beriguete was lifted in favor of Sherssy Cruz, who finished the inning by getting Jhonatan Arias to ground into a force out.

Beriguete exited the game allowing 2 earned runs on 4 hits and 3 walks while fanning 2.

The Yankees would take an unearned run from Eliecer Cardenas in the third inning. Juan Rijo singled, and Julio Rojas advanced him on a sac bunt. But a throwing error by Yancarlo Franco as 3rd base allowed Rojas to reach and while Rijo took an extra base, moving to 3rd. Keny Rodriguez hit into a double play, but Rijo came home while the Twins were busy taking Rojas out at 2nd.

Alvarez took over in the to of the 8th. In the top of the ninth, Kelvin De Leon tripled off the Twins closer. After Reymond Nunez went down on strikes, Henry Pena would reach on a fielder's choice. The play at the plate failed however, as De Leon scored to tie up the contest.

Eduardo Sosa tripled in the top of the 10th, then came home on a De Leon single one out later. The Twins could find no offense in the bottom half of the stanza to counter with, as Felix Caro went down swinging to end it.

Santana, Arcia, and Perez were all 1-for-4 with Santana and Perez added a run each. Yorby Martinez was 1-for-2 with a walk and a double. Meanwhile the Yankees put seven hits on the board off the Twins pitchers.

The Twins are on the road Thursday against the DSL Diamondbacks/Reds. Game time, as always, is 10:30 AM Dominican time.

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Twins surrender first place to Pirates

GCL Pirates 5 at GCL Twins 2

W: T. Cox (2-2, 1.98); L: M. Tonkin (0-1, 6.00); SV: J. Charry (3)
HR: None.

The games between these two teams have been hard fought all year and this one was really no different.

Jean Mijares took the start for the GCL Twins and held the Pirates off until the 3rd inning. Pirate Matt Capps, pitching on a major league rehab assignment, was not so lucky.

Aaron Hicks and Jakub Hajtmar both pounced on Capps for a back-to-backs singles to lead off the bottom of the first. A fielding error by Victor Sanchez on Hajtmar's line drive allowed the speedy Hicks to score and moved Hajtmar to second. He'd get no farther than 3rd however on Mike Gonzales ground out one out later as Henry Sanchez went down on strikes to end the inning.

Mijares would walk Jesus Aguilara in the top of the 3rd. Edwin Roman bunted, but the Twins chose to take Aguilera out at 2nd. A wild pitch by Mijares sent Roman to second however. After Adenson Chourio went down on strikes, Mijares issued a walk to Ben Gonzalez. Jarek Cunningham then singled to plate Roman and put Gonzalez on 3rd. Alex Vargas ground out however, keeping the score tied.

Michael Tonkin replaced Mijares in the top of the sixth and walked Cunningham. Vargas would ground into a force out, but Edward Garcia then singled to move him to 2nd. Victor Sanchez doubled in Vargas. After Tonkin plunked Andury Acevedo with a pitch, Aguilera singled to bring in Garcia.

Capps would only work one inning before giving way to Tyler Cox who as baffled the Twins most of the season. He'd work the next five, scattering a pair of hits and fanning 4. Emilis Guerrero took over for the seventh inning.

With one out on the board, Anderson Hidalgo singled, then moved to 2nd on a throwing error by Guerrero. A wild pitch got him to 3rd, and he'd score on Josmil Pinto's ground out. Juan Sanchez and Herbert Lara hit back-to-back singles getting Sanchez to 2nd, but Hicks ground out to send the Pirates to the plate again.

Nick Lobanov Worked the seventh and the eighth, giving way to Bruce Pugh in the ninth. Pugh would walk Aguilera and Roman. Chourio singled to load up the bags, and Pugh walked Gonzalez to force in a run. Cunningham would sacrifice in Roman to give the Pirates an extra two points before Vargas popped out and Garcia lined out to send the Twins up to bat again.

Pinto would triple off Jorge Charry but got no support from "Hank the Tank" and Hidalgo, with both going down on strikes. Juan Sanchez's strike out would then end the contest.

The Twins out hit the Pirates, 9-8, but it's not a home run derby so it's not the hits that count. Hidalgo and Pinto were both 2-for-4, with Hidalgo recording a run and Pinto double and a triple, plus a run scored. Juan was 1-for-3 as was Herbert Lara. Hicks, Hajtmar and Ortiz were all 1-for-4, Hicks with a run. Henry Sanchez fell one strike out short of the Golden Sombrero. Sorry kid, no prize for you this time.

The Twins play the GCL Orioles Saturday at the Lee County Sports center for a 10:00 AM game. They are on the road Sunday vs the GCL Reds.

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DSL Diamondbacks 1 at DSL Twins 4

W: A. Salcedo (3-4, 1.40); L: G. Martinez (3-4, 3.92)
HR: None.

The DSL Twins took a lead in the fourth, added to it in the sixth and held on for a win at home over the DSL Diamondbacks Friday morning.

Lesther Galvin walked in the bottom of the fourth, then one out later, stole 2nd. Jairo Perez would go down on strikes, but Jairo Rodriguez reached on a fielding error by Damil Taveras which also brought in Galvan for the first Twins run.

Danny Santana lead off the bottom of the sixth with a single. Galvan would ground out, advancing Santana to 2nd. Oswaldo Arcia took a walk. The Diamondbacks would make a pitching change then, bringing in Juan Roasrio to replace the outgoing Gustavo Martinez. Perez singled to plate Santana and Rodriguez's follow up grounder brought in Arcia. Perez would be taken out at home on the throw. However, Eliel Sierra would get plunked with a pitch, moving Rodriguez to 2nd, and a Felix Caro single to center got Rodriguez over the plate for the fourth Twins run.

Adrian Salcedo worked seven inning, scattering 4 hits and fanning 4. Jhonny Garcia took care of the last two, giving up 1 run in the ninth on 3 hits.

Santana was 3-for-4 at the plate with a run, while Perez was 2-for-4. Rodriguez and Caro were both 1-for-4, Rodriguez with a run and a run scored, Caro with a RBI.

Arcia was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run, and Galvan, who would finish up 0-or-3 at the plate, had a walk and a run.

The DSL Twins also play the Orioles, or at least, the DSL version of them, but they will do so on the road for a 10:30 AM Dominican time game.

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Snappers blanked, DSL Twins blank Yankees2

Beloit 0 at South Bend 3

W: J. Collmenter (11-5, 2.99); L: D. Bromberg (6-7, 4.51); SV: D. Stange (1)
HR: SOU: C. Wheeless (6).

Much like the Fort Myers Miracle, the Beloit Snappers lost their third straight, suffering a shut out at the hands of the South Bend Silverhawks.

Both teams would record five hits, but the difference was in the fielding for the Snappers as Beloit starter David Bromberg was changed with 2 runs, neither earned, on four hits and a pair of walks while striking out six.

The first four inning were a scoreless affair with both teams playing well. After taking Jimmy Principe and Matthew Oxendine out on strikes in the bottom of the fifth, Bromberg hit Joseph Batten with a pitch. Batten then stole second base and Collin Cowgill took a walk. A fielding error by Jeanfred Brito then allowed Taylor Harbin to reach and Batten to score.

Despite a single to Juan Richardson, a sac bunt by Mark Dolenc and a walk to Greg Yersich, the Snappers could not turn a run in the top of the 7th.

The bottom of the stanza would see Matthew Oxendine and Batten hit back-to-back singled. Batten would hit out to Mark Dolenc who over threw the ball back in from right, resulting in Oxendine crossing the plate for the second South Bend tally.

A pitching change, with Daniel Stange replacing Josh Collmenter for South Bend did nothing to improve the Snappers chances. Mike Allen would take over for Bromberg however, and the hard throwing Floridian would give up a home run to Chance Wheeless, with the ball clearing the right field wall.

Ben Revere was 1-for-4 with a double for the Snappers while Richardson, Yangervis Solarte, Andrew Schmiesing and Estarlin De Los Santos all having singles for Beloit.

Game two of the three game series is Thursday at 7:00 PM at Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium.

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Snappers
Silverhawks

From MiLB.com:

THE SEASON SO FAR: The Snappers are 17-11 in the second half and in second place in the Western Division.

WHO'S HOT: OF Mark Dolenc is batting .429 (15-for-35) with a home run, six RBIs and 14 runs scored over his last 10 games. In 77 games this season he's hitting .271 (62-for-229) with seven doubles, two triples, two home runs and 28 RBIs.

WHO'S NOT: C Allan de San Miguel is batting just .095 (2-for-21) over his last seven games to lower his season average to .237 (14-for-59) with 17 strikeouts in 20 games.

ROSTER MOVES: IF Deibinson Romero was placed on the disabled list Saturday with a fractured right leg injured while falling into the home dugout during Friday's game. To fill his spot on the roster, IF Juan Richardson joined the team from the Elizabethton Twins, where he batted .250 with three doubles and 10 RBIs in 15 games.

DID YOU KNOW: Romero is making his second disabled list stint this season after hitting .264 with three home runs and 18 RBIs in 39 games. He was coming off a left knee injury that had sidelined him from April 28 to June 18. Signed by the Twins as a non-drafted free agent in July 2004, Romero was key in the Snappers' 2007 playoff run. He was promoted to Beloit from Elizabethton last September, a week before the Snappers began the postseason, and helped lead the squad to the Midwest League Finals where they would eventually fall to the West Michigan Whitecaps.

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Greenville 7 at Elizabethton 2

W: K. Greenwalt (5-1, 3.16); L: B. Lanigan (2-3, 3.38)
HR: GRE: F. Almonte (4), J. Altuve (2).

The skid continues for the Elizabethton Twins, now up to 4-games, as Bobby Lanigan gave up 4 runs, 3 earned, on 11 hits while striking out 3 over five innings, leading to a 7-2 loss to the Greeneville Astros.

Jose Aluve homered in the top of the 3rd to get the scoring started for the Astros. One out later, Renzo Tello singled and then advanced to 2nd on a throwing error by E-Twins shortstop James Beresford. Frank Almonte singled to drive in Tello, giving the 'Stros and early two run lead.

Tello would single in the top of the 5th, then watch Almonte put his 4th home run of the season over the left field fence to Greeneville.

Danny Rondon would replace Lanigan in the top of the 6th and after getting Devon Torrence out on strikes, would watch Torrence take 1st base anyway on a passed ball by Alex Soto. A pick off attempt went wrong and Torrence advanced to 2nd. He'd go to 3rd on Ricardo Bonfante's ground out, and a second error by Beresford allowed the Astros left fielder to score and Jose Alluve to reach. Alluve would go to second on the play and would cross the plate on Jay Austin's line drive single.

A fielding error by Jon Waltenbury allowed Kody Hinze on base in the top of the seven. After Ebert Rosario flew out, Pedro Gonzalez hit a grounder to center to advance Hinze to 2nd. Torrence would take a walk to load the bags, while Bonfante's ground out plated Hinze to finish off the Astro's scoring.

The E-Twins finally found some offense as Michael Harrington took a walk off Colton Ptkin. He'd move to 2nd on Evan Bigley's ground out, and Angel Morales walked to fill the space. Beresford then singled to plate Harrington, saving Elizabethton from a shut out.

They'd take one more in the bottom of the 8th, with Harrington doubling and Bigley tripling him in.

Beresford was 2-for-3 with a walk and a RBI, while Bigley was 2-for-4 Harrington had a pair of runs after going 1-for-3 at the plate with a walk. Adam Severino and Waltenbury each doubled for the E-Twins and Sevarino took a walk as well, but neither factored into the scoring.

Game two of the 3-game set is Thursday at 7:00 PM at Joe O'Brien Stadium.

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DSL Yankees2 0 at DSL Twins 3

W: L. Parra (4-1, 1.29); L: J. Ramirez (0-1, 3.80); SV: E. Alvarez (10)
HR: None.

The DSL Twins shut out the DSL Yankees2 proving that more is not better in terms of player development. Ramon Acosta worked 4 innings, scattering 3 hits and walk while striking out 4 to keep his 0.00 ERA. Leonardo Perra worked the next four innings, giving up a pair of hits and fanning two to pick up his 4th win of the season. Edison Alvarez logged his 10th save of the season.

Danny Santana would be hit by a pitch in the bottom of the first, then steal 2nd. He'd advance to 3rd on Jhonatan Arias' ground out and came home on another ground out, this one by Mauel Soliman.

Oswaldo Arcia singled in the bottom of the 4th, then moved to 2nd on Jair Rodriguez ground out. Jair Perez singled to move him to 3rd, a wild pitch by Yankees2 starter Jose Ramirez plated him.

Santana would single in the bottom of the seventh, and a throwing error on a pick off attempt saw Santana move to 3rd. Arias sacrificed him in for the Twins third run.

Jean Carlos Mercedes was 2-for-3 but did not factor into the scoring. Santana was 1-for-2 with a walk and two runs in the lead off position. Soliman had a double and Arcia and Jairo Perez each had a single.

The DSL Twins are on the road Thursday against the DSL Diamonback/Reds for a 10:30 AM Dominican time contest.

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Twins top Red Sox, 3-1

GCL Twins 3 at GCL Red Sox 1

W: J. Mijares (2-1, 0.82); L: M. Jimenez (0-1, 0.00); SV: K. Mota (5)
HR: None.

Tyler Ladendorf went 2-for-4 with a run Thursday a the GCL Twins topped the GCL Red Sox, 3-1 at the City of Palms Complex. The Twins second round pick in the 2008 first year player draft has been struggling at the plate, and it was good to see the Illinois native his game going.

Ladendorf hit a line drive off Red Sox start Wang-Yi Lin. Mike Gonzales would reach on a fielding error by Roberto Feliz out in left, which allowed Ladendorf time to slip over the plate for the first run of the game. Gonzales would find himself at 2nd and then move to 3rd on a wild pitch by Wang-Yi Lin. Andres Diaz walked, but Reggie Williams ground into a double play that took Gonazales out at home. Diaz would end up at 3rd, but Lin got Josmil Pinto out on strikes to strand the runner.

The bottom of the 3rd saw Christan Vazquez take a walk of Angelo Sanchez. Kenneth Roque also picked up a free pass and Wilfrend Pichardo would be taken out on a sac bunt that advanced the runners. Andrew Frezza singled to plate Vazquez, tying up the game, before Michael Almanzar ground into a double play to end the inning.

Sanchez would work five innings for the Twins and aside from the one run allowed only 3 hits and 3 walks while fanning five before giving way to Jose Mijares.

Lin would work 4 allowing 3 hits and 1 walks while striking out 4 before giving way to Michael Lennox. Manuel Jimenez would get the nod for the seventh inning.

Jimenez got Diaz to pop out before allowing a walk to Williams. Pinto then singled, and a passed ball by Vazquez moved Williams to 3rd and Pinto to 2nd. Following a ground out to Herbert Lara, a fielding error by Red Sox shortstop Joantoni Garcia allowed Brandon Roberts to reach and Williams to score. It would prove to be the game winning run, and Mijares would pick up his second win.

With Anatanaer Batista on the mound for the top of the 9th, Pinto would take a walk with one out on the board. Juan Sanchez then replaced Pinto as a pinch runner, but Lara would ground into a force out that took Sanchez out at 2nd. Jon Goncalves then singled out to left moving Lara to 3rd. Javier Brown would reach on a fielding error by Garcia. Lara would score on the play, but Goncalves would be caught at 3rd, trying to take an extra base.

Kelvin Mota would pick up his 5th save of the season for the GCL Twins, working the 8th and 9th innings, and allowing only 1 run while striking out one.

Goncalves, Javier Brown, Aaron Hicks and Pinto all had singles. Pinto had a walk as well while the other three share in the one hit wonder of the game title.

The Twins rest on Friday and host the GCL Pirates at home on Friday for a 10 AM contest.

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Dugout Central Blog

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DSL Twins 6 at DSL Rockies 2

W: C. Ciurcina (2-2, 5.14); L: V. Mayo (1-3, 5.96)
HR: None.

The DSL Twins pounded the DSL Rockies for six hits in the first half of the game, then blanked them from the fifth inning on to pick up a big win on the road.

Jhonatan Arias singled and was doubled in by Jean Carlos Mercedes in the top of the 2nd to put the Twins on the board. The Rockies answered back however, with Smit Valera reaching on a force out then stealing 2nd. Engels Castillo singled him in, helped in part by a throwing error charged to Yorby Martinez.

Wilfy Gil singled then stole 2nd. Kelvin De Jesus would try to catch him, but over threw the base allowing Gil to advance to 3rd. After a fly out by Juan Blanco, Danny Santana reached on a fielding error by Miguel Perez, and Gil scored on the play putting the Twins on top again.

Lesther Galvin opened up the top of the fourth with a walk then stole 2nd. After Arias went down on strikes, Mercedes would get plunked with a pitch. Martinez then doubled out to center to score the two runners prompting a pitching change with Scarly Morillo replacing Rockies' starter Vianney Mayo. Scarly Would walk Xavier Gonzalez, but to Wilfy Gil out on strikes to retire the Twins.

Cesar Ciurcina would walk John Rogers in the bottom of the fourth, and the Rockies right fielder would then steal 2nd. Two outs later, Engels Castillo would single, but Rogers would be taken out at the plate to save the run, ending the inning.

Juan Blanco reached on a fielding error by Jose Soto in the top of the 5th, then moved to second on a wild pitch from Morillo. Danny Santana reach on a throwing error which saw Blanco to 3rd. Another wild pitch by Morillo moved Santana to 2nd and Jairo Rodriguez drew a walk to load the bags. Jefri Hernandez came in to replace Morillo and got Galvan and Arias to hit into ground outs, but Blanco and Santana still scored on the plays. Hernadez would then get Mercedes out on strikes to retire the Twins offense.

In the bottom half of the stanza, Moises Charles singled with one out on the board. Robert De La Cruz doubled him in one out later to the final Rockies tally.

Gil and Santana were both 2-for-5 with a run each, Santana also had a RBI. Mercedes (1-for-3) and Martinez (1-for-4) each and a double, Mercedes with a run and a RBI, Martinez with a pair of runs scored.

The DSL Twins are back home on Friday against the DSL Diamondbacks for a 10:30 AM Dominican time contest.

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The sounds of silence?

Elizabethton 0 at Greeneville 3

W: C. Pitkin (1-0, 0.60); L: B. Tippett (3-1, 2.25)
HR: None.

Greeneville's Henry Villar and Colton Pitkin combined to hold the Elizabethton Twins to only 4 hits, no walks - and most importantly no runs - Thursday night at Pioneer Park.

Nick Romero, Jon Waltenbury, and Danny Rams were all one hit wonders for the E-Twins, who aren't used to such struggles. Michael Harrinton was 1-for-3 at the plate with a double.

Brad Tippett would take the start for the E-Twins and was equally as daunting on the mound. In the 7th however, he'd allowed a single to Kory Hinze and a double to Renzo Tello. Richardo Bonfante knocked them both in with a line drive to left.

Nathon Fritz would replace Tippy on the mound for the 8th, and allowed a single to Wilton Infante. Infante would be caught trying to steal, but Jay Austin took a free pass off Fritz. Jose Alluve singled, moving Austin to 3rd, and the freeloader was sacrificed in by Ebert Rosario.

The E-Twins, after an unusual 1-2 series against the Astros, head over to Bristol to face face the Chicago White Sox affiliate there. Game time for the Independence day contest is 7:00 PM.

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Thursday:
G-Sun
E-Star
E-Star Notebook

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DSL Twins 8 at DSL DiamondbackReds 0

W: E. Cardenas (3-1, 1.29); L: T. Gutierrez (0-2, 5.40)
HR: None.

Danny Santana was 3-for-5 at the plate with a run and 2 RBIs as the visiting DSL Twins banged out 8 runs on 14 hits blanking the DSL DiamondbackReds, 8-0.

Eliecer Cardenas scattered 5 hits and a walk over six innings in his start for the Twins. He'd strike out 8 Dia-Reds players during his tenure on the mound. Carlos Carrillo and Renzo Reverol finished up the contest.

Eliel Sierra doubled and Manuel Soliman and Jhontan Arias hit back-to-back singles which plate Sierra to open up the scoring for the D-Twins. A wild pitch by Teo Gutierrez put Soliman on 3rd. 2 outs later, Santana's single would score Soliman, while Arias high tailed it home on the throw in from right by Jose Victor.

Arias doubled in the top of the fourth Yancarlo Franco drew a walk. Xavier Gonzalez would be taken out on strikes before Santana walked to load up the bases. Lesther Galvan then walked to force in Arias, making it 4-0 D-Twins.

Felix Caro would single in the top of the seventh, then be replaced by pinch runner Yorby Martinez. Oswaldo Arcia and Siera hit back-to-back singles that scored Martinez, for the D-Twins 5th run.

Franco triple to lead off the top of the eighth. After Gonzalez when down on strikes Santana doubled to score Franco. Galvan singled and following a pitcher change that saw Victor Navarro to the mound, a passed ball by Alberto Restrepo moved Galvin to 2nd. Martinez would ground out, but Santana came home on the play. Galvin would score on Arcia's follow up single. Sierra and Soliman would both be hit by pitches, but Arias lined into the final out to retire the side.

Siera and Arias were both 2-for-4, Sierra with a run and a RBI, Arias with a pair of runs and a walk. Arcia was 2-for-5 with a RBI. Galvan, Soliman and Franco were all 1-for-4 with a run, Galvan and Soliman with RBIs as well.

The D-Twins host the DSL Cubs1 for a 10:30 AM Dominican time game on Friday.

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