Twins minor league report: AAA clicking for Casilla
BY KELSIE SMITH
Pioneer Press
In his first full season at Class AAA, infielder Alexi Casilla is getting things figured out.
Entering Friday's game, Casilla had an eight-game hitting streak, raising his average to .288 thanks to a .378 clip during the streak..
"Casilla is one of those guys that, when everything is over, he'll be over .300 I believe," said Twins director of minor leagues Jim Rantz said. "Being a switch hitter and being able to bunt and run as good as he does ... he'll wind up bunting for .300 if he needs to."
Casilla's hitting streak started with a 4 for 5 game on July 12, during which he drove in a run and scored two more. On Tuesday, Casilla scored the game-winning run - in the first inning. The second baseman led off the game with a solo home run, his second homer of the season, as Rochester went on to win 1-0 behind Kevin Slowey's complete-game shutout.
In 74 games this season Casilla has 13 doubles and one triple. He's driven in 19 runs and stolen 19 bases, though he also has been caught stealing 12 times. Casilla has nine errors but Rantz said for someone with his speed, that's not a worry.
"He's going to get errors because he gets to a lot of balls other guys wouldn't get to," Rantz said. "He's doing well. He just needs the experience of playing at the higher level which he never had prior to being called up here. The highest he'd ever played was Double-A. He makes things happen on the field, and he just needs to play under control a little better, and he's learning how to do that."
SLOWEY UPDATE
Slowey's readjustment to the International League didn't take long. The right-hander returned to Class AAA Rochester July 6 and threw his fourth complete game shutout of the season for the Red Wings in his second start back in rotation.
Slowey, who went 3-0 with a 5.84 earned-run average for the Twins, is once against leading the IL in ERA and complete games. He is 8-2 with a 1.59 ERA in 11 starts for the Red Wings. He's walked just six batters and struck out 70.
EMERGING CLOSER
Red Wings closer Bobby Korecky tied Rochester's single-season saves record when he recorded his 23rd save of the season July 13. The 27-year-old right-hander is on pace for 35 saves this season.
Before Friday's game, the Red Wings bullpen has 31 saves and needs just 11 more to tie Rochester's team record for most saves in a season, 42.
Briefly: First baseman Ken Harvey's knee troubles got worse last week when the first baseman opted to have season-ending surgery on his right knee - the same knee he had arthroscopic surgery on during spring training this year.
The Class AA all-star game, which was called off because of thick fog, is not going to be made up, Rantz said.
"The players change so much," Rantz said. "Since that all-star game was called, there's probably been 10 or 15 changes with the players moving up, so it would be pretty tough to redo it."
The Twins' rookie clubs remain in first place in their respective leagues. Entering Friday's games, the GCL Twins were 18-6 and Elizabethton was 22-6.
"These young players are going to think it's pretty easy," Rantz said.
Webposted July 22, 2007
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GCL Twins