3 lefties starting today
Allard in AAA Brennan with a leadoff homer to get things started well. He's hitting 333, 835 OPS In April: 381/428/512: that's before the homer is added in
Boone in AA
Hartle in HIgh A Lake County
RH Zibin for Lynchburg
Re: Minor Matters
13607As a Zibin fan, I'm happy to see him off to a very efficeint start: 2 innings, 17 pitches; a single.
Francisca with 2 singles and his 5th steal.
Hillcats up 3-0 after2
Francisca with 2 singles and his 5th steal.
Hillcats up 3-0 after2
Re: Minor Matters
13608After 3 1/3 scoreless innings and only 41 pitches, Zibin loses command; a 4 pitch walk; 3 balls in a row to the next hitter inlcuding a wild pitch; then a single; and 2 runs are in. He's far from a finished product! But he was a very highly rated high school pitcher and if he's healthy he could be valuable in time.
He's out of the 4th, and I'll guess done for the day after 51 pitches.
He's out of the 4th, and I'll guess done for the day after 51 pitches.
Re: Minor Matters
13609Captains up 3-0 after 5; Jose Devers with a surprising 5th homer; Rosario 2 singles; Hartle 4 shutout innings 3 hits 1 walk 5 K. ERA now 2.38. More of the package for Andres Giminez.
Re: Minor Matters
136112 singles for Velazquez today, nearly matches his 1-base hit season total coming in.
Re: Minor Matters
13612Akron up 1-0 mid 6. Rodney Boone with a 1 hitter, 1 walker, 3K, 58 pitches through 5
Kayfus with a double; Bazzana 0-3
Kayfus with a double; Bazzana 0-3
Re: Minor Matters
13613Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 4/20/25
Several infielders are having good offensive starts including Tolentino and Cairo in Columbus, Devers at Lake County and Mendez with Lynchburg
SCOREBOARD:
Louisville Bats 7, Columbus Clippers 4 (Statcast)
Erie SeaWolves 5, Akron RubberDucks 1
Lake County Captains 4, Fort Wayne TinCaps 1
Lynchburg Hillcats 5, Salem Red Sox 2
HIGHLIGHTS:
Milan Tolentino (2B, Columbus): 2-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBIs – Tolentino launched a two-run homerun in the bottom of the eighth inning on Sunday to draw Columbus to within one, but the team was unable to complete the comeback after Louisville added insurance in the ninth. In total, Tolentino had three balls tracked at 100 mph or more off the bat, his second homerun of the year being one of them, but two of them resulted in outs as well as the two hardest hit balls of the game for the Clippers from Johnathan Rodriguez.
Rodney Boone (SP, Akron): 5.0 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 3 Ks – The 25-year-old left-hander further lowered his ERA to 0.75 with five innings of shutout baseball where he allowed just one hit and one walk. Boone was ultra-efficient in needing 58 pitches to get through five frames (40 strikes). While he has not allowed hits, walks have been a slight issue so it was great to see him put both together in this start. Boone continues to impress with every outing.
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Ralphy Velasquez (1B, Lake County): 3-for-5, R, 2B – Velasquez has struggled early in the year with results but has been hitting the ball hard and starting finally see success. In all three series this season, Velasquez has a homerun at Great Lakes and versus West Michigan and now a three-hit game in the finale in Fort Wayne. Velasquez is still looking to improve his batting average above .200, but is close after a successful day on Sunday.
Alfonsin Rosario (CF, Lake County): 3-for-5, RBI – Rosario wrapped up his series against the TinCaps with three multi-hit games and this was his first three-hit game in High-A. The 20-year-old has 11 RBIs in as many games this year and those RBIs have been spread throughout nine different contests.
Josh Hartle (SP, Lake County): 4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, BB, 5 Ks – Pitcher Josh Hartle had another excellent start at the High-A level in the month of April. He tossed four scoreless innings and it is back-to-back starts with zero earned runs charged to the southpaw. He had five groundouts compared to one flyball out and in his three starts has a 2.17 GO/FO ratio.
Melkis Hernandez (RP, Lynchburg): W (1-1), 5.0 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 6 Ks – Hernandez excelled in his role as a piggyback starter on Sunday and got the win with five shutout innings from the fifth through ninth. He struck out six to tie his affiliate high and allowed just one hit. He was still going strong late in the appearance with two strikeouts in the ninth.
Alberto Mendez (2B, Lynchburg): 3-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBIs, CS – Mendez launched his first career affiliate homerun in the win on Sunday and recorded his first three-hit game in Single-A as well. He begins his affiliate career by reaching base in seven consecutive games and is hitting .375 in the early goings.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
Will Brennan (CF, Columbus): 1-for-4, R, HR, RBI, GIDP – Brennan led off the bottom of the first with a solo homerun, his second of 2025. He also extended his hit streak to eight consecutive games with that longball and he has reached base safely in all 16 games thus far in April.
Christian Cairo (3B, Columbus): 2-for-4, R, E5T – Cairo had a multi-hit game, his fourth of the season, to move his hit streak to five, however he was charged with an error at third base.
Dom Nunez (C, Columbus): 1-for-4, R, HR, RBI – Nunez also left the yard for Columbus on Sunday, his third homerun of the season. It was the top distance for any hitter in the game at 394 feet.
Khalil Watson (DH, Akron): 1-for-3, 3B, BB, SB – Watson was the lone RubberDuck to reach base twice in Sunday’s loss. He tripled to lead off the second, but was left stranded.
Jose Devers (SS, Lake County): 1-for-5, R, HR, 2 RBIs, DP – A two-run homerun by Devers was the biggest difference in scoring for the Captains. The 21-year-old already has five homeruns on the year, including two games in a row and he is batting .281.
Christian Knapczyk (2B, Lake County): 2-for-3, HBP, CS, E4T – Knapczyk was credited with a multi-hit game and reached base a third time after he was hit by a pitch in the sixth, but was caught stealing and charged with his first error of 2025.
Jay Driver (RP, Lake County): S (1), 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, K – Driver locked up his first save of the year in his first opportunity for such with a scoreless ninth.
Welbyn Francisca (DH, Lynchburg): 2-for-5, R, SB – Francisca used his speed against Salem to steal three bases for the series, including one in a multi-hit series finale.
Bennett Thompson (C, Lynchburg): 2-for-5, R, RBI – The former Oregon Duck carried his hot start to 2025 into a multi-hit game on Sunday. He has a .389 batting average and has recorded a hit in all ten games this season.
Ryan Cesarini (RF, Lynchburg): 2-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 SBs, GIDP – Cesarini added nearly 100 points to his batting average in five games against Salem and capped it off by reaching base three times and swiping two bags in the finale win.
Several infielders are having good offensive starts including Tolentino and Cairo in Columbus, Devers at Lake County and Mendez with Lynchburg
SCOREBOARD:
Louisville Bats 7, Columbus Clippers 4 (Statcast)
Erie SeaWolves 5, Akron RubberDucks 1
Lake County Captains 4, Fort Wayne TinCaps 1
Lynchburg Hillcats 5, Salem Red Sox 2
HIGHLIGHTS:
Milan Tolentino (2B, Columbus): 2-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBIs – Tolentino launched a two-run homerun in the bottom of the eighth inning on Sunday to draw Columbus to within one, but the team was unable to complete the comeback after Louisville added insurance in the ninth. In total, Tolentino had three balls tracked at 100 mph or more off the bat, his second homerun of the year being one of them, but two of them resulted in outs as well as the two hardest hit balls of the game for the Clippers from Johnathan Rodriguez.
Rodney Boone (SP, Akron): 5.0 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 3 Ks – The 25-year-old left-hander further lowered his ERA to 0.75 with five innings of shutout baseball where he allowed just one hit and one walk. Boone was ultra-efficient in needing 58 pitches to get through five frames (40 strikes). While he has not allowed hits, walks have been a slight issue so it was great to see him put both together in this start. Boone continues to impress with every outing.
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Ralphy Velasquez (1B, Lake County): 3-for-5, R, 2B – Velasquez has struggled early in the year with results but has been hitting the ball hard and starting finally see success. In all three series this season, Velasquez has a homerun at Great Lakes and versus West Michigan and now a three-hit game in the finale in Fort Wayne. Velasquez is still looking to improve his batting average above .200, but is close after a successful day on Sunday.
Alfonsin Rosario (CF, Lake County): 3-for-5, RBI – Rosario wrapped up his series against the TinCaps with three multi-hit games and this was his first three-hit game in High-A. The 20-year-old has 11 RBIs in as many games this year and those RBIs have been spread throughout nine different contests.
Josh Hartle (SP, Lake County): 4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, BB, 5 Ks – Pitcher Josh Hartle had another excellent start at the High-A level in the month of April. He tossed four scoreless innings and it is back-to-back starts with zero earned runs charged to the southpaw. He had five groundouts compared to one flyball out and in his three starts has a 2.17 GO/FO ratio.
Melkis Hernandez (RP, Lynchburg): W (1-1), 5.0 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 6 Ks – Hernandez excelled in his role as a piggyback starter on Sunday and got the win with five shutout innings from the fifth through ninth. He struck out six to tie his affiliate high and allowed just one hit. He was still going strong late in the appearance with two strikeouts in the ninth.
Alberto Mendez (2B, Lynchburg): 3-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBIs, CS – Mendez launched his first career affiliate homerun in the win on Sunday and recorded his first three-hit game in Single-A as well. He begins his affiliate career by reaching base in seven consecutive games and is hitting .375 in the early goings.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
Will Brennan (CF, Columbus): 1-for-4, R, HR, RBI, GIDP – Brennan led off the bottom of the first with a solo homerun, his second of 2025. He also extended his hit streak to eight consecutive games with that longball and he has reached base safely in all 16 games thus far in April.
Christian Cairo (3B, Columbus): 2-for-4, R, E5T – Cairo had a multi-hit game, his fourth of the season, to move his hit streak to five, however he was charged with an error at third base.
Dom Nunez (C, Columbus): 1-for-4, R, HR, RBI – Nunez also left the yard for Columbus on Sunday, his third homerun of the season. It was the top distance for any hitter in the game at 394 feet.
Khalil Watson (DH, Akron): 1-for-3, 3B, BB, SB – Watson was the lone RubberDuck to reach base twice in Sunday’s loss. He tripled to lead off the second, but was left stranded.
Jose Devers (SS, Lake County): 1-for-5, R, HR, 2 RBIs, DP – A two-run homerun by Devers was the biggest difference in scoring for the Captains. The 21-year-old already has five homeruns on the year, including two games in a row and he is batting .281.
Christian Knapczyk (2B, Lake County): 2-for-3, HBP, CS, E4T – Knapczyk was credited with a multi-hit game and reached base a third time after he was hit by a pitch in the sixth, but was caught stealing and charged with his first error of 2025.
Jay Driver (RP, Lake County): S (1), 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, K – Driver locked up his first save of the year in his first opportunity for such with a scoreless ninth.
Welbyn Francisca (DH, Lynchburg): 2-for-5, R, SB – Francisca used his speed against Salem to steal three bases for the series, including one in a multi-hit series finale.
Bennett Thompson (C, Lynchburg): 2-for-5, R, RBI – The former Oregon Duck carried his hot start to 2025 into a multi-hit game on Sunday. He has a .389 batting average and has recorded a hit in all ten games this season.
Ryan Cesarini (RF, Lynchburg): 2-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 SBs, GIDP – Cesarini added nearly 100 points to his batting average in five games against Salem and capped it off by reaching base three times and swiping two bags in the finale win.