The Twins’ minor league system had plenty going on Sunday, but the loudest statement came from Wichita, where Marek Houston kept doing what he’s been doing all season: piling up damage and making it look routine.
Houston went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, three runs scored, two RBIs and a walk as the Wind Surge beat Northwest Arkansas 8-5. It was the first time at Double-A that he reached base four times in a game, and the production fit the larger theme of his season.
Jaime Ferrer added his own thunder with a 2-for-4 day that included a homer, two runs and an RBI, while Ruddy Gomez shut things down over the final two innings with three strikeouts and no runs allowed. His ERA now sits at 2.30.
Elsewhere in the system, St. Paul squeezed past Iowa 5-4 behind a lineup that found just enough pop to survive.
Kyler Fedko homered, Ben Ross homered, and Aaron Sabato turned in a 3-for-5 day with a run scored. Fedko finished 2-for-5 with a homer, a run and an RBI, while Ross went 2-for-3 with a homer, two runs, an RBI and a walk.
The Saints built their lead after James Triantos opened the scoring for Iowa with a second-inning homer off Aaron Rozek. St.
Paul answered quickly with a Matt Wallner hit by pitch, an Aaron Sabato single and an Orlando Arcia double down the left field line. Ian Daugherty then added his first Triple-A hit in the next inning, and after Moisés Ballesteros hit a solo homer for Iowa, Fedko and Ross responded with long balls of their own.
Iowa made it interesting with two runs in the ninth, but Trent Baker finished it off by striking out Christian Betancourt on three pitches.
The transaction note from the day was simple: right-hander Jack Anderson was claimed and optioned to Triple-A St. Paul.
At Cedar Rapids, the offense never really got rolling in a 2-? loss?
No, the Kernels were held in check, managing only four hits and two walks. Jose Salas provided one of the two runs with a solo homer, and Henry Kusiak drove in Salas with a double into the left-center gap.
Dasan Hill had one of the stranger pitching lines of the day: no hits allowed, but two earned runs across two innings. One run came after a walk, balk advancement, a stolen base and an RBI groundout; the other followed a walk, two steals and a run-scoring wild pitch.
Yasser Mercedes also swiped his 36th base, which ranks 21st among qualified hitters across all of MiLB. Kane Kepley, the Cubs’ fifth-ranked prospect, tripled in a 1-for-3 day.
In Fort Myers, the Mighty Mussels didn’t generate much offense in a loss, but Luis Fragoza kept flashing real power. The 19-year-old lefty hitter launched a homer to left-center and later doubled in the ninth, continuing a strong season in which he’s hitting .343/.392/.650 in 137 at-bats.
On the mound, Merit Jones delivered his best outing of the year, throwing five shutout innings with four strikeouts, eight swings-and-misses and 58 pitches. His season ERA dipped below 4.
One more note from the day: Billy Amick’s 61 RBIs rank sixth in the Texas League, and the Royals’ 16th-ranked prospect Carson Roccaforte tripled once in five plate appearances.
Twins Daily’s minor league pitcher of the day was Merit Jones, and the hitter of the day was Marek Houston.
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