Domincian Summer League

Somewhere between the Neurologist, the MRI and the EEG, the DSL Twins began playing and I missed it.

This may not seem important to even the die-hard prospect watchers, but these are the new kids on the block that I will see next year for the GCL - or at least some of them.

So, I figure no better time to get acquainted. Because of the political unrest in Venezuela, the Twins are not operating an academy there this year, so the Dominican school is the primary Latin American feeder for our system.

The 2008 DSL Twins are managed by Julio Paula, the batting coach is Claudio Almonte and the pitching coach is Pablo Frias.

And now we are ready to begin...

May 31: DSL Diamondbacks/Reds 6 at DSL Twins 7

W: R. Doran (1-0, 27.00); L: V. Navarro (0-1, 6.75)
HR: None.

The Twins took an early lead and held it up until the 9th inning when relievers Edison Alvarez and Raynard Doran, who is listed as an outfielder, combined to allow 6 runs, tying up the game.

However, Yancarlo Franco would be hit by a pitch, and moved to 2nd on a sac-bunt by Daniel Santana. A wild pitch off Dia-Reds starter Victor Navarro moved him to 3rd. The Dia-Reds would pull Navarro, replacing him with Eddy Santana. With Jhonatan Arias batting, a wild pitch by Santana scored Franco for the game winning run.

It as destiny.

In the first inning, Arias would reach on a fielding error by Dia-Reds second baseman Yermis Mijia. Jairo Perez was then hit by a pitch and Eliel Sierra walked to load the bags. Oswaldo Arcia would be called out on strikes before a single by Manuel Soliman brought in Arias and Perez. Sierra would be taken out at 3rd to end the inning, with the Twins ahead by two.

Franco would single in the bottom of the fifth, and move to second on a throwing error by Elvin Silvestre as he tried to pick Franco off first. Danny Santana then singled and stole 2nd. Arias would ground out before Perez singled to bring in Franco. Following a pitching change, Sierra doubled to bring in Santana and Perez, making it 5-0 Twins.

Sierra would double in Perez in the bottom of the 7th for the sixth Twins run.

Sierra finished up the game 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and three RBIs.

Starter Ramon Acosta worked 5 innings, allowing 3 hits and 1 walk while fanning 1. Jose Gonzalez worked 2 innings in relief, striking out 2.

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Log

June 2: DSL Twins 6 at DSL Cubs1 8

W: A. Ruiz (1-0, 0.00); L: L. Vargas (0-1, 13.50); SV: A. Florentino (1)
HR: DSL TWI: J. Perez 2 (2), E. Sierra (1). DSL CUB: J. Medina (1), A. Mejia (1).

The DSL Cubs1 took 5 runs in the third inning off Twins starter Pedro Guerra who allowed 5 hits and fanned 2 in the three innings he was out on the mound. Guerra hit two batters with pitches, and allowed a double and 2 home runs to put the five runs on the board.

He would be replace in the bottom of the fourth by Eliecer Cardenas after allowing back-to-back singles. Cardenas would get out of the jam however, allowing 3 hits over three innings while fanning 3.

Jairo Perez homered in the 1st to put the Twins on the board. Walks to Carlos Vasquez, Daniel Santana, Yorby Martinez and Perez would force in a run in the fifth inning.

Santana would double and Martinez single in the top of the 7th before Perez's second homer of the game, and the season, drove in three to tie up the score.

It was short lived however. Lesmire Vargas trotted out to the mound for the bottom of the 7th, and with one out on the board, allowed a single to Francisco Guzman. A steal and a wild pitch put Guzman at 3rd and he'd come in on Ramon Bonilla's ground out. Back-to-back singles, a steal and two unexplained plays - most likely a pair of wild pitches - brought in two more runs to make it 8-5 Cubs1.

Rightfielder Eliel Sierra would go yard in the 9th to add one more the Twins total, but the rally was short lived as Arias ground out to end the contest.

Santana, the Twins second baseman, was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run, Perez was 2-for-4 with a walk, 2 runs and 5 runs scored in the designed hitter role, and Sierra was 2-for-5 with a run and a run score scored. Five other Twins had runs, including centerfieder Oswaldo Arcia with a double.

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June 3: DSL Reds 4 at DSL Twins 0

W: J. Marizan (1-0, 0.00); L: A. Salcedo (0-1, 3.60)
HR: None.

Jose Marizan and two relievers combined to 5 hit the DSL Twins, keeping them from home plate and posting a 4-0 victory for the visiting DSL Reds.

Right hander Adrian Salcedo allowed 2 runs, earned, on 6 hits and 1 walk while fanning 3. Jose Gonzalez would give up 1 earned run on 2 hits in 2 innings. Daivi Germosen surrendered the final Reds run, earned on 1 hit, a double after he hit Mario Martinez with a pitch, and advanced him to second when he unleashed a wild one.

2nd baseman Juan Blanco, 1st baseman Jairo Perez, 3rd baseman Manuel Soliman, centerfielder Oswaldo Arcia and catcher Jhonatan Arias all had single hits for the Twins.

Soliman and Arcia hit in the bottom of the second and walk to Arias loaded the bags, but with 2 outs on the board, a ground out by Xavier Gonzalez kept them from scoring. It was their best chance although they did get runners to 2nd base on two separate occasions.

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That brings us up to Wednesday, as the DSL Twins are at the DSL Rockies for a 10:30 AM (Dominican Time) game.

The Elizabethton Twins begin play on June 17 against the Bluefield Orioles. The GCL Twins begin play on Thursday, June 19, at home against the GCL Pirates.

Roger, I have not forgotten you and will get a profile written on the new kids in the town for 2008 shortly. I had meant to do it this weekend, but as always find myself with too much to do and not enough time to do it all in.

The Miracle are on the road this weekend at Brevard County, and there is an extended game on Saturday at the Boston Complex, so I should be able to get to it by this weekend at the latest.