Twins prospects Lewis, Balazovic shine in MLB Futures Game

The Minnesota Twins made their presence known in the 2019 MLB Futures Game.

The 2019 Futures Game, the league’s premier showcase event for the top prospects in the game, was a pitcher’s duel. There wasn’t a single hit for either team until the fourth inning, and the game ended in a 2-2 tie after one extra inning.

Minnesota had two prospects play in the game — shortstop Royce Lewis and right-handed pitcher Jordan Balazovic. Lewis, ranked as the Twins’ top prospect by MLB.com, entered the game in the fifth inning and hit a single to left field in the sixth. He went 1 for 2 in the game.

Balazovic pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the American League Futures team. He got Arizona prospect Daulton Varsho to pop out and Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Gavin Lux to ground out. Atlanta’s Cristian Pache reached on an error, but he was caught attempting to steal second base on the very next pitch.

The 2019 All-Star Game will be held Tuesday at Progressive Field in Cleveland. Minnesota is sending three players to the game — pitchers Jake Odorizzi and Jose Berrios as well as shortstop Jorge Polanco. Polanco will start for the American League, while Odorizzi will not play due to a blister on his middle finger.