Kirilloff posts third four-hit game of '18

With the way Alex Kirilloff has been hitting for Fort Myers over the last month, he may not want to leave. But if the Twins' No. 3 prospect has many more games like Wednesday's, he could be packing his bags again.
Kirilloff recorded his third four-hit game of the season, going 4-for-5 with a triple, three RBIs and two runs scored as Class A Advanced Fort Myers pounded St. Lucie, 13-7, at CenturyLink Sports Complex. His latest four-hit performance comes after he went 4-for-6 with a homer in his second game in the Florida State League. His first came eight days earlier on June 14, when he homered twice for Class A Cedar Rapids.

Gameday box score
Kirilloff capped his time with the Kernels three days later, finishing with a .333/.391/.607 slash line. Despite facing tougher pitching, he hasn't skipped a beat at the plate since his promotion, which he said he credits to a strong, consistent approach that he trusts can withstand any level of competition.
"I just try to keep it simple, one pitch at a time, one at-bat at a time," he said. "I feel like I'm playing my best when I'm not thinking about a whole lot. I have a pretty simple approach, and that simplicity is a big part of staying consistent this year."
After undergoing Tommy John surgery last March and missing the entire 2017 season, Kirilloff said his strong numbers are just icing on the cake. He's back to playing the game he loves, and being satisfied with playing every day has allowed the results to come naturally without any increased pressure.
"This whole rehab process, sometimes people think it means missing a year and falling behind, but sometimes things have a way of working out," he said. "This year off last year, I learned a lot of things I may not have had I played a full year. Right now, I'm not focused on the numbers because I just want to be out there every day."
Kirilloff sparked the Miracle's big night by poking an RBI single to left field in the first inning that scored Mark Contreras. With two outs, he came home on Shane Carrier's base hit to left to cap a four-run frame. After ending the second by flying to center, the 15th overall pick in the 2016 Draft singled Joe Cronin to third in the fifth, setting up a sacrifice fly by Twins No. 9 prospect Lewin Diaz. 
MLB.com's No. 66 overall prospect was caught stealing second by Ali Sanchez but grounded a single to right in the seventh for his third hit of the night. He broke open the game in the eighth with a two-run triple as the Miracle built a 12-7 cushion and raced home on Caleb Hamilton's groundout one batter later.

With some separation already, Kirilloff said his simple and relaxed, yet focused, approach at the dish helped take the statistical significance of a fourth hit off of his mind. At the same time, he found it easy to hone in on the importance of the moment in the aftermath of Wednesday's win.
"Anytime you can open up a lead a bit, it takes the air out and any hope a team has going into the top of the ninth," he said. "It puts confidence in a pitcher going out there, knowing he has more of a cushion.
"But when you go up to the plate with a lead, you don't want to give away an at-bat. Even when you're up a couple in the bottom of the eighth, I'm still thinking about the next pitch, one at-bat, one game, one inning."
Cronin finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored, while top Twins prospect Royce Lewis picked up his first Florida State League RBI on a single in the second and added a double in the five-run eighth. MLB.com's No. 11 overall prospect is 8-for-20 (.400) through five games on the circuit.