Jorge nearly throws no-no during twinbill

Felix Jorge followed a strong performance in a doubleheader with a stellar one.

The Twins' No. 12 prospect did not allow a hit over the first six innings of Rookie-level Elizabethton's 2-0 win at Bristol in the opener of Monday's twinbill. Though the Pirates singled twice to start the seventh, the righty finished off the shutout, sealing his second complete game for the Twins in a row.

Jorge (4-2) issued just one walk while fanning seven batters in the victory, which came about a week after he went home with a loss after holding Johnson City to two runs over seven innings. In that Aug. 3 game, he gave up four hits and rang up five strikeouts without handing out a base on balls.

On Monday, he sailed through the first two innings and recorded two outs in the third before Carlos Ozuna drew a walk. The 20-year-old retired the next 10 hitters he faced and took his no-hit bid into the seventh. Coincidentally, it would have been the organization's second no-no of the day, as Triple-A Rochester completed the feat at Durham.

Trae Arbet put that dream to rest by singling to left field to start the seventh. Jerrick Suiter followed with a single to center, but Jorge whiffed Daniel Arribas and Nick Buckner and induced a game-ending groundout from Enyel Vallejo.

After going 2-5 with a 9.00 ERA at Class A Cedar Rapids to start the year, the Dominican Republic native moved back down to Elizabethton, where he has compiled a 1.75 ERA that tops the Appalachian League. He paces the circuit with two complete games and joined Kingston's Andrew Church as the only hurlers to have twirled a shutout.

Additionally, Jorge ranks first in opponents' average (.205) among qualified starters, second in WHIP (0.99) to Burlington's Niklas Stephenson (0.90), fourth in innings pitched (51 1/3) and fifth in strikeouts (46).

His latest effort was supported by two-out RBI singles by Trey Vavra in the first and Tanner English in the fifth.

Bristol starter Jake Burnette (0-2) gave up one run on three hits and a walk over three innings.

The Pirates won the nightcap, 4-0, as Hector Garcia fired five two-hit innings with six strikeouts and reliever Luis Paula (2-1) tossed two one-hit innings with three strikeouts. After starting off with five one-hit innings, Twins starter Derrick Penilla struggled in the sixth. He was charged with three runs on four hits across 5 1/3 innings. He fanned three.