Pair of Wings named Twins MiLB POTM
First baseman/outfielder Chris Colabello and left-handed pitcher Aaron Thompson were named the Twins Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month for May, the Red Wings announced on Monday.
Colabello, who received his first ever Major League promotion during the month, hit .425 with 6 home runs and 20 RBI with the Red Wings, while Thompson posted a 1.26 ERA with 5 saves in 11 relief appearances between New Britain (AA) and Rochester.
Prior to his call-up on May 22, Colabello was leading all of baseball in hits, extra-base hits, doubles and total bases in May. The 29-year-old, Triple-A rookie made his Major League debut on May 22 with Minnesota and picked up his first Major League hit three days later on May 25 with a single against Detroit's Doug Fister.
With the Wings, Colabello hit in 19 of his 20 games played and recorded multiple hits in 10 of those contests.
Thompson made his Red Wings debut on May 20 after being promoted from New Britain where he left with a 12.1-inning scoreless streak. The former first-round pick of the Marlins in 2005 extended that streak to 17.1 innings with the Wings until Charlotte's Jim Gallagher's bloop double on May 26 scored the first two runs against Thompson since April 17. The southpaw notched 15 strikeouts against just three walks in 14.1 innings during the month.
Red Wings lefty Andrew Albers was named the Twins Minor League Player of the Week after going 2-0 with a 2.40 ERA in 15 innings - including his first career complete-game shutout in Friday's series finale in Gwinnett.
Cedar Rapids (A) outfielder Byron Buxton and Ft. Myers' right-handed pitcher D.J. Baxendale, now with New Britain, were named the Twins Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month in April.
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The Rochester Red Wings are in their 11th season as the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. The Red Wings are operated by Rochester Community Baseball, Inc. and have been a community-owned pro baseball franchise since 1957. Rochester's pro baseball history dates back to 1885.