The Minnesota Twins’ High-A affiliate Fort Myers Miracle of the Florida State League have put together a ten game win streak, winning their last seven of the first half of the season, and the first three of the second half, outscoring opponents 46-24 over the ten-game span.
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One of the most exciting games during the stretch came on Friday night against the visiting Charlotte Stone Crabs (Rays) as the game went to 15 innings, with Miracle pitchers accumulating 20 strikeouts, ten of which came from starter Chih-Wei Hu, and another five coming from 23 year old Alex Muren. The ten strikeouts by Hu matches a season-high. Minnesota Twins 2015 first round pick (6th overall) Tyler Jay also made his professional debut in that game, pitching a scoreless eighth while striking out one and allowing one hit.
Six of the ten games have been one-run affairs, with the only true blowout coming on June 22, a 10-3 drubbing of the Palm Beach Cardinals. 21 year old shortstop Engelb Vielma has arguably been the Miracle’s hottest hitter, batting .370 over the stretch with four rbi and six runs scored, although 24 year old catcher/DH Mitch Garver could certainly give him a run for his money. Garver is batting .342 with seven runs batted in and five runs scored in this span.
D.J. Johnson has been on fire out of the bullpen, totaling seven scoreless innings of work, while allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out nine. In fact, Johnson has yet to allow a run as a member of the Miracle in nine innings pitched. He started the season with the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts, but was sent to Fort Myers after accruing a 6.65 ERA in 23 innings.
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One of the best names on the team, Mat Batts (if only for the fact that the number of “t’s” in each name are typically reversed) has started two of the ten games, totaling 13 innings pitched, nine hits allowed, three earned and has struck out twelve, all good for a 2.08 ERA. The lefty was promoted from Low-A Cedar Rapids in the second half of May, and has yet to allow more than two earned runs as a member of Fort Myers. The last time he allowed three earned runs was back on April 29, the only time that has happened all season, giving him a cumulative ERA of 2.02 between the Kernels and the Miracle.
Fort Myers continues their four-game set with game two against the Dunedin Blue Jays on Sunday at 5pm EST. The Miracle are 3-2 against Dunedin on the season after last night’s win. Mat Batts is scheduled to start for Fort Myers while the Blue jays starter remains a mystery.