Cleveland Sports Forum

Minor League Recap for April 13th, 2024

Columbus Clippers (AAA)

Game 1

COL 5 - LOU 4

The Columbus Clippers split a double header on Friday against the Louisville Bats (CIN). In Game 1 the team had to go into extra innings to secure the win 5-4.

Will Dion was the starting pitcher for Columbus going 4.1 innings, with 4 H, 4 R, 5 BB, and 3 Ks. Anthony Banda replaced Dion in the 5th inning, giving 1.2 innings of no-hit baseball. Banda struckout 2 with 1 walk in his relief work. Anthony Gose finished Game 1 with 2 innings of shutout baseball. Allowing no hits, no walks, with 1 strikeout.

Walks were the biggest issue for both starting pitchers. Right hander, Lyon Richardson also gave up 5 walks, 2 of which were in the first inning. The bases were loaded for Jhonkensy Noel who slapped a single to right field allowing Myles Straw and Kyle Manzardo to score.

The 2nd inning saw a walk from Daniel Schneemann that was brought in off of a Myles Straw double. In the top of the 4th Myles Straw continued to deliver extra base hits with a triple to right field. Designated hitter Jonathan Rodriguez singled to center field to bring in Myles. The offense was relatively quiet for the remainder of the game, until the 8th inning when a triple from Bryan Lavastida drove in ghost runner Daniel Schneemann in what would ultimately be the last run of the game.

Notable performances for game 1:

Anthony Gose has been looking great so far in his first season back after having Tommy John surgery late 2022. I am patiently awaiting his return to the major league bullpen.

Kyle Manzardo walked 4 times in Game 1. There were whispers of worry that Kyle was starting the year slow, but he is quickly returning to form and will continue to excite fans as a prospect.

Game 2

COL 0 - LOU 2

Game 2 was relatively quiet for both teams until the end of the 6th inning Columbus reliever Tanner Burns gave up a single and a walk before Louisville catcher Michael Trautwein hit a single to right field, scoring Erik González. With a runner on 2nd and 3rd, Burn balked, advancing the runners then loading the bases with a walk. P.J. Higgins had a sac fly to right field, scoring Levi Jordan.

Kyle Manzardo (2-3) and Myles Straw (1-3) were the only Columbus players to record a hit in Game 2. Jonathan Rodriguez and Juan Brito both recorded a walk each rounding out Columbus’ night at the plate.


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Akron Rubber Ducks (AA)

AKR 2 - RIC 3

The Rubber Ducks faced the Richmond Flying Squirrels (SF) in what started as a high energy game that ultimately ended in a loss.

Akron started the game with a Chase DeLauter single and an Aaron Bracho walk. With two out Dayan Frias singled on a ground ball, scoring Chase DeLauter from 2nd base

In the 2nd inning Kody Huff found his first home run on the season.

Starting pitcher Tommy Mace gave 5 strong, scoreless innings before putting two batters on base via a single and a walk to start the 6th. Right handed reliever Jack Leftwich replaced Mace and immediately gave up a home run to shortstop Will Wilson.

The rest of the game remained rather undramatic with Akron only recording 3 walks and 1 hit in the remaining innings.


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Lake County Captains (High-A)

LC 7 - FW 6

The Lake County Captains bested the Fort Wayne TinCaps (SD) Friday night starting the game with 4 walks, a single, and a double. Cooper Ingle’s 2 run single and Alex Mooney’s 2 run double put the Captains up 4-0 with only 1 out.

Lake County starting pitcher Steve Hajjar did not start the night much better, giving up 3 walks, a single, and a double in the 2nd inning - allowing 2 runs in the process.

The TinCaps continued to fight back, adding 2 more to the box score to tie the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the 3rd. The Captains would not be able to answer until the top of the 6th inning. First baseman Malick Collado singled, then reached 2nd on a wild pitch. Justin Boyd reached 2nd on a fielding error, advancing Collado to 3rd. Guy Lipscomb had a beautiful 2 run triple to center field.

Lipscomb was able to score on a balk before batter Jake Fox recorded the 3rd out in a pop out to the Fort Wayne shortstop.

Fort Wayne responded with an RBI single in both the bottom of the 6th and bottom of the 7th, but were unable to overtake the Captains.


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Lynchburg Hillcats (Low-A)

LYN 12 - FBG 7

The Lynchburg Hillcats had an exciting win off the Fredericksburg Nationals (WSH). Alex Clemmey struggled to lock in to start the game. Clemmey threw 26 pitches in the first inning, giving up 1 hit, 2 walks, and committing a throwing error, but was able to keep it scoreless for the Lynchburg offense. In the bottom of the 1st, aggressive base running and dominant batting led to the Hillcats taking the lead 5-0.

The Nationals were able to close the gap with a 2 run home run from their 3rd baseman Nathaniel Ochoa Leyva in the top of the 2nd, but the Hillcats were able to return in kind in the Bottom of the 3rd. Angel Genao started the 3rd with a single, advancing to 2nd on a balk. Jose Pastrano and Tommy Hawke both walked to load the bases. Roberto Lopez would be the final batter for the Nationals’ starting pitcher, who also took a walk, scoring Genao. Relief pitcher Jose Atencio came in and gave up a 2 run double to both Luis Durango and Juan Benjamin, putting Lynchburg up 10-2 going into the 4th.

The Hillcats were able to strike again in the bottom of the 4th when a force out from Wuilfredo Antunez scored Jaison Chourio. Through the 6th and 7th innings, Fredericksburg would continue to pick away at the Lynchburg league, scoring two runs from two separate passed balls by catcher Robert Lopez. Going into the bottom of the 7th the Hillcats would still have a 4 run lead that turned into a 5 run lead with a single by Tommy Hawke and Roberto Lopez. With runners on the corners, Juan Benjamin drove in the final run of the game on a forceout to 2nd.

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Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 4/13/24

JUSTIN LADA

APR 14

Scoreboard

Triple-A: Columbus Clippers 7, Louisville Bats 5
Double-A: Akron RubberDucks 6, Richmond Flying Squirrels 4
High-A: Fort Wayne TinCaps 3, Lake County Captains 3 (Game 1);
High-A: Fort Wayne TinCaps 3, Lake County Captains 0 (Game 2)
Single-A: Fredericksburg Nationals 4, Lynchburg Hillcats 1 (Game 1);
Single-A: Lynchburg Hillcats 4, Fredericksburg Nationals 2 (Game 2)

“Rehab”

Angel Martinez (DH, Columbus): 0-1 - It looks like Martinez left with some pain in his hand in his firs swing of the game. He’s already in Columbus on “rehab” for his foot contusion. The question now is, if he’s hurt, does he continue to stay on the MLB IL and accrue MLB service time or does a new injury change that? Should be interesting but unfortunately rule to find out.

Highlights

Kyle Manzardo (1B, Columbus): 3-5, 2 2B, RBI - Five hits in two games took Manzardo from .179/.333/.321 to .278/.383/.444, which feels much better and more on track. The Guardians may need his bat sooner than later.

Lorenzo Cedrola (DH, Columbus): 2-3, 3B, BB - Cedrola came in for Martinez and had himself a nice day.

Alex Mooney (SS, Lake County): 1-3, HR, RBI - Mooney has shown some good pop early in the season so far hitting his second homer already.

CJ Kayfus (1B, Lake County): 1-3, HR, 2 RBI - Kayfus also went deep for the first time this season and has had a weird start, hitting for more power than contact early.

Parker Messick (SP, Lake County): 4.2IP, 4H, ER, 2BB, 7K - Messick needed 82 pitches to get through 4.2 IP but fanned seven and punched out Padres C prospect Ethan Salas twice in the process. Messick should be absorbing Ethan Hankins’ innings at Double-A now that he’s on the IL again.

Austin Peterson (SP, Lake County): 5IP, 6H, 2ER, 8K - In 10 innings this year, Austin Peterson has 17 K’s, which is really interesting because he didn’t miss as many bats at Low-A last season.

Matt Wilkinson (SP, Lynchburg): 4IP, H, BB, 8K - The Tugboat threw 65% strikes in his one and his command continues to overwhelm hitters at Low-A.

Ralphy Velazquez (1B-DH, Lynchburg): 3-7, 2B, 2 RBI - Quite the day for Velazquez who played both ends of the double header and continues to swing the bat well.

Notable Performances

Jhonkensy Noel (RF, Columbus): 1-3, HR, 2 RBI - Normal performance for Noel, he hit a loud 115 MPH homer but was unimpressive in other at bats. Perhaps Cleveland could even use that?

Daniel Schneemann (2B, Akron): 1-3, HR, 2 RBI - Schneemann homered off of brief, old friend Ian Gibaut.

Juan Brito (SS, Columbus): 0-4 - Tough day offensively for Brito and also notable for playing short, even though I’m not sure he can handle it.

Nic Enright (RP, Columbus): IP, 2H, BB, 2K - Enright was 92-94 and got five whiffs on his slider as he continues to be tough to hit at Triple-A.

Chase DeLauter (LF, Akron): 1-4, 2B, BB - Another day where DeLauter got on base twice. That’ll help the OBP while he gets the bat going eventually.

Petey Halpin (CF, Akron): 1-5, 3B, 2 RBI - Halpin adds to his great start despite just one hit.

Aaron Bracho (DH, Akron): 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, K - Not much has changed so far in 2024, Bracho ‘s only hits are homers.

Dayan Frias (SS, Akron): 1-4, HR, RBI - Frias has shown a bit of power so far at Double-A despite some struggles. It’s also nice to see him get a look at short to see how much of an option that is for him.

https://x.com/AkronRubberDuck/status/17 ... 0652298313

Andrew Walters (RP, Akron): IP, BB, 3K - Walters has retired 13 batters in three outings so far and 10 of them via the strikeout. He could be ready by summer and he may need to be if the Guardians bullpen continues to get overtaxed.

Nate Furman (3B, Lake County): 2-5, 2B - Furman is off to a slow start offensively but at least managed an extra base hit in this one.

Jaison Chourio (CF, Lynchburg): 1-3, HR, RBI - Chourio notched his first homer above the complex leagues in game one of the double-header.

Christian Knapcyzk (2B, Lynchburg): 1-3, 2B, BB - Knazpcyzk has been pretty solid early on, but given that he played in the ACC last year, this is what you want to see in Low-A.


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Jaison Chourio hits first homer of season in Lynchburg win, Akron bullpen refuses to allow a hit

Cleveland Guardians minor league recap for Sunday, April 14, 2024

By Brian Hemminger@BrianHemminger Apr 14, 2024, 12:00pm EDT

Columbus Clippers 7, Louisville Bats 5

Clippers improve to 6-7

The Columbus Clippers offense showed up in a big way, turning a close 1-2 deficit into a 7-2 laugher with six runs in the seventh and eighth innings before surviving a dicey bottom of the ninth.

Johnkensy Noel and Daniel Schneemann both blasted off, with Noel also getting hit a pitch and Schneemann also walking. Both home runs were two-run bombs, with Schneemann’s putting the Clippers in front for good.

Kyle Manzardo had his best day at the plate this season, going 3-for-5 with two doubles. Johnathan Rodriguez also doubled while Lorenzo Cedrola came off the bench to go 2-for-3 with a triple and a walk.

Starting pitcher Adam Oller was respectable, allowing two runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts in five innings. Nic Enright earned the win with a scoreless sixth inning of relief and Erik Sabrowski picked up a hold with a scoreless seventh inning.

Jaime Barria was fine in the eighth inning, but he came back out for the ninth and things got interesting. With the bases loaded, he gave up a double, then a wild pitch to score all three before getting the final out.

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Akron RubberDucks 6, Richmond Flying Squirrels 4

RubberDucks improve to 5-3

Akron outhit Richmond 10-3, but the RubberDucks had to pull off some late heroics because Richmond managed to bunch its hits together early with a 3-run home run in the third inning to take a 4-3 lead.

The RubberDucks initially took the lead in the first inning on a two-run bomb from Aaron Bracho, his second of the season. Dayan Frias hit a solo shot in the sixth inning to tie the game 4-4.

The big blow in the game was a two-run triple from Petey Halpin in the top of the ninth inning, which put Akron on top for good.

Chase DeLauter doubled and walked while Joe Lampe went 1-for-3 with a walk and both Kody Huff and Yordys Valdes both went 2-for-4.

Rodney Boone got the call with the start, allowing four runs on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts in four innings, also hitting two batters with pitches.

The bullpen was tremendous, not allowing a single hit in five innings of scoreless work. Jaime Arias struck out one in a perfect inning, Trey Benton struck out three in two scoreless innings, and then the elite law firm of Walters and Torres shut Richmond down. Andrew Walters struck out the side in the eighth and Torres earned his third save with a walk and a strikeout in the ninth, facing the minimum by having a double play turned to end it.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1779310726793867425

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Lake County Captains 3, Fort Wayne TinCaps 4 G1 (F/7)

Lake County Captains 0, Fort Wayne TinCaps 3 G2 (F/7)

Captains fall to 4-3

Lake County appeared to have game one of Saturday’s doubleheader well in hand, but a late bullpen blowup blew a 3-1 lead and turned it into a 4-3 loss in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Before the blowup, the Captains were in control thanks to a solo home run from Alex Mooney in the second inning and then a two-run blast by CJ Kayfus in the sixth inning.

Cooper Ingle walked twice while Jorge Burgos went 1-for-2 with a walk.

Starting pitcher Parker Messick was solid, allowing one run on four hits with seventh strikeouts and two walks in 4 2⁄3 innings.

Juan Zapata closed out the fifth inning fine, then pitched a 1-2-3 sixth inning, but he failed to get an out after being brought out for his third inning of work in the bottom of the seventh, allowing a double, triple, walk and then a pair of singles to give up the goat.

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Game two of the doubleheader was over in the first inning as Fort Wayne got all the runs it needed. Lake County was shut out, with Nate Furman going 2-for-4 with a double and Maick Collado and Justin Boyd both walking twice as the lone Captains to reach base safely two times.

Starting pitcher Austin Peterson was fine, allowing two runs on six hits with eight strikeouts and no walks in five innings, but he didn’t get any help from his offense.

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Lynchburg Hillcats 4, Fredericksburg Nationals 2 G1 (F/7)

Lynchburg Hillcats 1, Fredericksburg Nationals 4 G2 (F/7)

Hillcats move to 2-5

Lynchburg got another big day from its two youngest star position players in game one as Jaison Chourio launched his first home run at the full-season level.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1779270136404361389

Ralphy Velasquez continues his hot-hitting, going 2-for-3 with two runs batted in. Jose Pastrano had a pair of walks and Tommy Hawke went 1-for-2 with a walk to both reach base safely twice.

Starting pitcher Matt Wilkinson was dominant, striking out eight batters in four scoreless innings on one hit and one walk. He’s been a bright spot for the Lynchburg rotation thus far.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1779275475526754575

Josh Harlow pitched a perfect ninth inning with a strikeout to record his first career save.

Lynchburg’s offense was much less refined in the second game, managing just two hits. The good news is both hits were for extra bases as Christian Knapczyk opened the game with a leadoff triple and Velasquez followed with an RBI double. That was it for Lynchburg’s scoring (and hits) for the rest of the game, however. Juan Benjamin did walk twice and stole two bases.

Starting pitcher Yorman Gomez allowed three earned runs on six hits with six strikeouts and a walk in 4 2⁄3 innings. Reliever Abel Brito followed with 2 1⁄3 solid innings, allowing one unearned run on no hits with four strikeouts and a pair of walks.

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Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 4/14/24

ARTHUR KINNEY

APR 15

SCOREBOARD

Triple-A - Louisville Bats 3, Columbus Clippers 2 (10 innings)
Double-A - Richmond Flying Squirrels 5, Akron RubberDucks 1
High-A - Fort Wayne TinCaps 8, Lake County Captains 7
Single-A - Lynchburg Hillcats 7, Fredericksburg Nationals 5

HIGHLIGHTS

Petey Halpin (Akron, RF): 2-4, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SB - The Halpin Hype is real. His second season as a RubberDuck is off to a stratospheric start. Sunday’s two-hit performance extended his season-opening hit streak to eight games and actually saw his OPS take a slight hit (from 1.164 to 1.156) due to the lack of extra-base hits.

Christian Cairo (Akron, 2B): 3-4, 1 2B, 1 K - A less-hyped name that is putting up Halpinesque numbers (1.059 OPS) - in his first season at Double-A, no less - is Christian Cairo. He has reached base in every game all five games he has played so far this season, including two multi-hit efforts - both including a double. He has also stolen four bases (on as many attempts) and has a K:BB ratio under 1.00 at 3:4. Do not sleep on this guy. He is off to a hot start, to say the least.

Yordys Valdes (Akron, SS): 0-2, 2 BB, 1 K - Wrapping up the trifecta of Small Sample Size All-Stars is Valdes, who extended his season-opening on-base streak to six games despite going hitless on Sunday. Like the two men profiled immediately preceding him, Yordys has a four-figure OPS (1.045) to start his debut campaign as a RubberDuck.

C.J. Kayfus (Lake County, 1B): 2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB - Speaking of impressive starts at a new level, Kayfus has followed up a hitless High-A debut at the Corner of SOM Center and Vine with three hits - including a homer - and an equal number of RBI in Fort Wayne last week.

Cooper Ingle (Lake County, C): 3-5, 2 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 1 E - Ingle’s season-best performance was an offensive tour de force the likes of which may get him moved from behind the plate if he keeps repeating it frequently enough.

Ralphy Velazquez (Lynchburg, 1B): 2-3, 2 BB - Speaking of moving out from behind the dish, Velazquez continues to show why he is no longer donning the tools of ignorance as he made it 5-for-5 in terms of multi-base games in the Hillcats home opening series.

Jaison Chourio (Lynchburg, CF): 0-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 1 CS - Chourio is adjusting to April baseball quite well (.333/.500/.542 slash line. So much so, in fact, that even on a hitless day, he still reached thrice.

Angel Genao (Lynchburg, 2B): 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB - Genao’s first homer of his second full season as a Hillcat was a big one as his three-run blast to right center started the scoring in a five-run first-frame.

Wuilfredo Antunez (Lynchburg, RF): 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI - Two batters later, Antunez added the other two runs with a line drive over the right field fence - also his first round-tripper of the 2024 campaign.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Myles Straw (Columbus, DH): 1-4, 1 R, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K - Straw rebounded from Saturday’s golden sombrero to highlight Sunday’s pitchers’ duel for the Clipper offense with an RBI triple.

Daniel Schneemann (Columbus, 3B): 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 Sac Bunt, 1 K - Schneemann drove in Straw for the other Clipper run in the following at-bat. That single made it 12 of 13 games this season in which Daniel has reached safely.

Juan Brito (Columbus, PH-2B): 1-1, 1 2B - Brito came into the game as a pinch hitter in the tenth and proceeded to hit a double for the second and final Clipper extra-base hit of the day. It would’ve been a bigger deal had C Dom Nunez hadn’t bunted into an inning-opening double play right before, wiping extra runner CF Lorenzo Cedrola off of the basepaths.

Alexfri Planez (Akron, LF): 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K - The entirety of the scoring for the Mallards of Main Street on Sunday came from an unlikely source.

Aaron Davenport (Akron, SP): ND, 4.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R (unearned), 3 BB, 2 K - Davenport’s ERA remains unscathed through nearly ten frames (9.2) despite a run scoring due to a fielding miscue by Kahlil Watson in his official pro debut as a center fielder.

Tyresse Turner (Lake County, 3B): 1-3, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 SB - An impressive day at the plate at any rate - even moreso from the nine hole.

Jose Devers (Lake County, SS): 2-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 K - After starting his High-A career 2-for-20, this two-hit effort gives hope that Devers is starting to acclimate to the level.

Guy Lipscomb (Lake County, CF): 1-4, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SB, 1 E - Lipscomb kept his five-game (season-opening) on-base and four-game hit streaks going with his second two-RBI game out of the three he played in during the Fort Wayne roadtrip.

Jorge Burgos (Lake County, RF): 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K - Burgos extended his hitting streak to four games with a fourth-inning RBI single.

Carter Spivey (Lake County, SP): ND, 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R (both earned), 3 K - Despite the late-inning pitching troubles, it would be wrong to overlook this solid outing from an offseason undrafted free agent signing who made his pro debut last summer for the Florence Y’alls of the Frontier League (same circuit as the Lake Erie Crushers).

Christian Knapczyk (Lynchburg, 3B): 0-3, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 2 SB - Knapczyk combined good plate discipline and good baserunning into a good day despite going hitless.

Robert Lopez (Lynchburg, C): 1-2, 2 BB, 1 PB - Lopez reached three or more times two days out of three this past weekend. Pretty solid production from the catcher position.

Tommy Hawke (Lynchburg, LF): 1-4, 1 RBI - Hawke’s season-opening six-game on-base streak (as well as a five-game hit streak) remains intact after he drove in an insurance run on a sixth-inning line drive single to left.

Alonzo Richardson (Lynchburg, SP): W (1-1), 5 IP, 2 R (both earned), 3 BB, 1 BK, 3 K - Richardson rebounded from a disastrous season debut (6 ER in 3 IP) with this solid effort.

Matt Jachec (Lynchburg, RP): S (1), 3.1 IP, 1 H, 3 K - Jachec picked up his first professional save in ten-out fashion after a rough two-thirds of the sixth for Jake Berry.


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Ralphy Velaszquez stays hot, Angel Genao homers as Lynchburg picks up lone win for Guardians affiliates

Cleveland Guardians minor league recap for Monday, April 15, 2024

By Brian Hemminger@BrianHemminger Apr 15, 2024, 10:00am EDT

Columbus Clippers 2, Louisville Bats 3 (F/10)

Clippers fall to 6-8

It was a rough day at the plate for the Clippers offense as Myles Straw accounted for all of the team’s runs, going 1-for-4 with a walk, a triple, a run scored and a run batted in.

The only other offensive standouts were Daniel Shneemann going 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and a run batted in, Jhonkensy Noel walking and getting hit by a pitch and Juan Brito pinch hitting and getting a double in his lone at bat.

The Clippers had a bullpen game and got some strong performances from several members of the staff. Kent opened the game with a scoreless inning. Mason Hickman tossed two innings of relief, although he allowed an inherited runner to score. Franco Aleman pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning before Randy Labaut took the loss by allowing the ghost runner to score in the 10th inning in his third inning of work. Labaut also walked three, gave up a hit and had two wild pitches.

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Akron RubberDucks 1, Richmond Flying Squirrels 5

RubberDucks fall to 5-4

Akron had seven hits and six walks, but only one run to show for it because the RubberDucks went a whopping 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 runners on base.

Christian Cairo had a big day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double. Yordys Valdes had a pair of walks as the two middle infielders continue to impress in the early part of the season, both holding an OPS near 1.050.

Petey Halpin continued his torrid start to the season, going 2-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base. Milen Tolentino also walked twice.

Akron’s lone run was the result of a solo homer from the bat of Alexfri Planez, his first of the season and also first ever at the Double-A level after missing most of last season with an injury. This ball was annihilated.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1779573754521072060

Outside getting timely hits, Akron’s defense was the primary issue in this one as all five runs scored in the game were unearned due to a pair of errors.

Starting pitcher Aaron Davenport was rock solid, giving up one unearned run on six hits while striking out two and walking three in 4 2⁄3 innings of work. Bradley Hanner got stuck with four unearned runs in 1 1⁄3 innings of relief, getting strikeouts on three of his four outs.

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Lake County Captains 7, Fort Wayne TinCaps 8

Captains fall to 4-4

Lake County got into a slugfest on Sunday, and its bullpen wasn’t able to hold a five-run lead late in the game.

Cooper Ingle continued his strong start to the season, going 3-for-5 with two doubles. CJ Kayfus also has been hot in a small sample size, going 2-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base.

Jose Devers went 2-for-5 with a double while Tyresse Turner went 1-for-3 with two walks, a stolen base and a solo home run.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1779588862165008506

Guy Lipscomb went 1-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base as well.

Starting pitcher Carter Spivey was rock solid, allowing two runs on six hits with three strikeouts and no walks in five innings of work. The rest of the bullpen? Not so much.

Handed a 7-2 lead, Adam Tulloch gave up four runs in two innings, then the final two runs were the responsibility of Zane Morehouse, who lasted just 1⁄3 of an inning before being yanked to take the loss and get his first blown save of the season.

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Lynchburg Hillcats 7, Fredericksburg Nationals 5

Hillcats improve to 3-6

Lynchburg jumped all over Fredericksburg with five runs in the first inning, then held on to pick up the victory.

Ralphy Velasquez continues to be a revelation at the plate, going 2-for-3 with pair of walks to reach base safely four times in five plate appearances. This kid just gets on base.

Jaison Chourio also showed his ability to get on base with three walks, although he got caught stealing for the second time this season.

Catcher Robert Lopez reached base safely three times, going 1-for-2 with a pair of walks, while Manuel Mejias went 1-for-3 with a walk. Leadoff hitter Christian Knapczyk walked twice and stole a pair of bases.

The big blows came off the bats of Angel Genao, who went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run and a walk; and Wuilfredo Antunez, who went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run. Both were in the first inning.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1779710691160502314

Starting pitcher Alonzo Richardson had a strong bounce-back performance, allowing two runs on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts in five innings of work.

Reliever Jake Berry struggled, allowing three runs (two earned) in just 2⁄3 of an inning, but he was picked up by Matt Jachec, who was rock solid out of the pen in long relief, tossing 3 1⁄3 innings with three strikeouts, no walks, no runs and just one hit allowed, to earn a well-deserved save. The 2023 18th round draft pick also stranded two inherited runners in the sixth inning.

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Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 4/16/24

JUSTIN LADA

APR 17

Triple-A - Columbus Clippers 7, Buffalo Bisons 4
Double-A - Akron RubberDucks 6, Erie SeaWolves 0
High-A - Lansing Lugnuts 5, Lake County Captains 4
Single-A - Lynchburg Hillcats 11, Salem Red Sox 4

HIGHLIGHTS

Micah Pries (LF, Columbus): 2-4, HR, RBI - Pries hit a 417 foot banger for his first rounder tripper of the season and has a solid .847 OPS.

Jose Tena (2B, Columbus): 3-4, 2B, 3 RBI - Tena’s three hits all went over 90 EV off the bat which is a good sign for him. He’s been off to a really slow start overall this year.

Daniel Schneemann (SS, Columbus): 1-2, 2B, 2 BB - Another nice game for Schneemann, who worked two walks and hit a 104 MPH 2B. I keep seeing people talking about Schneemann coming up at some point this year. Perhaps he will. But at the moment, it’s hard to see where he fits on the 40 and 26. Not saying he’s not worth a look in a utility role but it’s just hard to see how they make it work for now.

Nic Enright (RP, Columbus): IP, 3K - Unusual to put a middle reliever on the highlights section? Sure. But Enright induced six swings in his 12 pitch inning, and five of them were whiffs. He was 92-94. I’m not sure why Cleveland keeps acquiring all these random arms like Parsons or Avila when Enright would be just as good an option, unless they want to create depth they are ok DFA later, and may not want to do that with Enright. But either way, he’s also ready for a major league look but is kind of in the same boat as Schneemann.

Chase DeLauter (CF, Akron): 2-3, HR, 2 RBI - DeLauter ripped off his first homer of the year at Double-A off Tigers pitching prospect Troy Melton, a fourth rounder in 2022. After one hit in his first four games, DeLauter now has a modest five game hit streak and maintains a .341 OPB.

Kahlil Watson (2B, Akron): 2-4, 3B, K - Watson’s first two hit game of the year. He had hits in his first five games of the year, but took a few 0-for’s. He does have strikeouts in four straight, six total. Something to watch as swing and miss has been his issue.

Ryan Webb (SP, Akron): 5IP, 3H, 0R, BB, 6 K - Webb was efficient, throwing just 56 pitches in five innings in a good second Double-A outing. I won’t be surprised if he takes off this year, and should have better control after a year of reps back from TJ.

Andrew Walters (RP, Akron): IP, BB, 2K - Not sure how much longer Walters needs to stay at Double-A. It’s pretty clear he’s nearly a finished product minus just consistency and building up his arm.

Cooper Ingle (C, Lake County): 2-4, 2B - Ingle keeps up his hot hitting to start the year, which isnt a shock considering High-A is about the same level as the good ACC pitching last year.

Trenton Denholm (SP, Lake County): 6IP, 4H, 2ER, 0 BB, 7K - Nice to see Denholm go six innings after a lot of shorter outings in 2023 and this year missing some bats.

Ralphy Velazquez (1B, Lynchburg): 1-5, HR, 2 RBI - Only one hit for Ralphy but it was yet another homer, a 109 shot off a lefty, 23 year old lefty Noah Dean. Dean was a 5th rounder for the Red Sox in 2022 but is 23 in Low-A and not dominating. He should be. But you’ll always take a 19 year old hitting a homer off a 23 year old in the minors.

Jaison Choruio (CF, Lynchburg): 2-3, 2 BB - Chourio is already piling up multi hit and multi-on base games like crazy in Low-A, showing mastery of the zone.

Angel Genao (SS, Lynchburg): 3-4, 2 RBI, BB - Genao showed off the hit tool in this one with hits from both sides of the plate, looking much more confident in the box this year.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Juan Brito (3B, Columbus): 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI - Brito has also been off to something of a slow start too but hit this double 103 off the bat.

Yordy Valdes (3B, Akron): 2-4, 2B - Valdes is off to another hot start in 2024, this time at Double-A Akron. Last year in High-A Lake County, he was also off to a hot start, but fell off eventually. Beware but still hope considering his slick glove.

Ross Carver/Jack Leftwich (RP, Akron): 3IP, H, BB, 2K - Carver allowed the hit and walk in this group, but it’s pretty clear both are relievers at this time. Which seems strange and disappointing. This team is chock full of relief prospects.

Alex Mooney (3B, Lake County): 2-4 - Mooney also stays hot with two more hits.

CJ Kayfus (1B, Lake County): 1-4, 2 RBI, K - Kayfus drove in two runs with a single and is off to a solid start.

Manuel Mejias (DH, Lynchburg): 3-5, RBI - Mejias had a big night at the dish for the Hillcats with three hits and an RBI and has been solid so far this year.

Esteban Gonzalez (LF, Lynchburg): 2-3, 2B, RBI, BB - This year is the first real challenge for Gonzalez, who put up good complex numbers at a bit of an older age. He’s off to a slow start but had a good night Tuesday.

Josh Harlow (RP, Lynchburg): 2IP, H, 3K - Harlow has been really good so far in the early going, looking like a solid late round pick with some development to go.


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Chase DeLauter and Ralphy Velazquez homer in offense-filled day for Guards affiliates

Cleveland Guardians minor league recap for Wednesday, April 17, 2024

By Brian Hemminger@BrianHemminger Apr 17, 2024, 10:00am EDT 9 Comments / 9 New

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Columbus Clippers 7, Buffalo Bisons 4

Clippers improve to 7-8

After falling behind 2-0, the Clippers scored seven unanswered runs on Tuesday, which was more than enough to pull off the victory.

Jose Tena was the offensive star of the day, going 3-for-4 with a double and three runs batted in. Daniel Schneemann also had a big day at the dish, going 1-for-2 with a double and two walks while Juan Brito went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and a hit by pitch.

Myles Straw, Bryan Lavastida and Kyle Manzardo all had a single and a walk to reach base safely twice, with both Straw and Lavastida stealing a base.

Micah Pries went 2-for-4 with his first home run of the season.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1780378448193630628

Columbus had a bullpen game. Nic Enright had the best performance out of seven relievers, striking out all three batters he faced. He still sports a 0.00 ERA after six appearances.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1780482512877166632

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Akron RubberDucks 6, Erie SeaWolves 0

RubberDucks improve to 6-4

Akron had a complete game, both on the pitching and hitting sides of the equation.

A whopping four RubberDucks had multi-hit games, led by top prospect Chase DeLauter, who went 2-for-3 with his first home run of the season, a third-inning blast.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1780378861785461147

DeLauter also got an RBI on a sacrifice fly. He also got caught stealing.

Khalil Watson went 2-for-4 with a triple while Yordys Valdes went 2-for-4 with a double and a pair of runs batted in. Aaron Bracho went 2-for-4.

Three other Akron players reached base multiple times, with Dayan Frias and Milan Tolento both walking twice while Joe Lampe went 1-for-3 with a walk.

Starting pitcher Ryan Webb was outstanding, tossing five shutout innings with three walks, six strikeouts and just one walk in his best performance of the young season.

Ross Carver added two scoreless innings while Bryan Leftwich and Andrew Walters closed out the game by each pitching a scoreless frame.

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Lake County Captains 4, Lansing Lugnuts 5

Captains fall to 4-5

Lake County had plenty of opportunities Tuesday but didn’t take good enough advantage of them as they came up short despite having three players with multi-hit games.

Jose Devers went 2-for-4 and Cooper Ingle went 2-for-4 with a double while Alex Mooney went 2-for-4 as well. Ingle and Mooney both are off to red hot starts, sporting an OPS over 1.000. CJ Kayfus also kept his OPS over 1.000 with a double.

Starting pitcher Trenton Denholm was rock solid, allowing two runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and no walks in six innings of work.

The bullpen let Denholm down, however, as Josh Wolf gave up two runs in his inning and then Magnus Ellerts couldn’t make it through an inning as Lansing broke the tie in the top of the ninth inning.

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Lynchburg Hillcats 11, Salem Red Sox 4

Hillcats improve to 4-6

Don’t look now, but Lynchburg’s offense has been heating up something fierce lately.

Young star Jaison Chourio led the way, going 2-for-3 with a pair of walks, a double and a stolen base, reaching base safely four times and scoring three runs.

Angel Genao followed suit, also reaching base four times by going 3-for-4 with a walk. Manuel Mejias went 3-for-5 while Wuilfredo Antunez went 2-for-5 with a double. Esteban Gonzalez went 2-for-3 with a walk and a double while the big blow in the game came off the bat of 2023 first round pick Ralphy Velazquez, who blasted his third home run of the season to raise his OPS to 1.127.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1780373461401035224

With 15 hits and 11 runs scored, the Hillcats didn’t need much pitching on Tuesday, but they got a solid effort from Wardquelin Vasquez out of the bullpen. Vasquez tossed three innings of long relief, not allowing any runs while striking out three, walking one and giving up one hit.

Josh Harlow was superb, tossing two scoreless one-hit innings with three strikeouts while Reny Artiles closed out the victory with a scoreless ninth inning.

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Lynchburg Hillcats batter Salem 11-4 in first "460 Rivalry" matchup of season

by Dave WallsWed, April 17th 2024 at 5:08 AM

SALEM, Va. (WSET) — Early deficit? No problem. Road crowd? Big deal.

Nothing was shaking the Lynchburg Hillcats on Tuesday night, overcoming an early three-run deficit to the Salem Red Sox, en route to an 11-4 win at Carilion Clinic Field.

Lynchburg (4-6) scored first on Angel Genao's RBI single to left that plated Jaison Chourio. However, Salem (5-5) delivered what felt like a crushing blow in the 2nd. With the bases loaded, Miguel Bleis blasted a double down the left field line that cleared the bases of all three runners. Moments later, Bleis stole third base, then came home on catcher Robert Lopez's throwing error to make it a 4-1 game after two innings, sending the home fans into a frenzy.

The Hillcats remained undeterred, chipping away at the deficit in the third, as Ralphy Velazquez continued his hot start to the season with a two run home run to right field, his third home run of the season.

From there, Lynchburg used small ball to tie, then take the lead in the 4th. Rafael Ramirez Jr tied it on a single to right field that plated Manuel Mejias. Moments later, a errant throw on a pickoff attempt left Wuilfredo Antunez score from third base to take a 5-4 lead. Lynchburg would expand the lead on Esteban Gonzalezs' RBI double, then on a wild pitch that sent Gonzalez home to make it a 7-4 game.

Lynchburg pitching settled in after the early bumps in the road. Starter Rorik Maltrud (ND, 5.14 ERA) allowed 4 runs -- 3 earned -- while walking 3 and striking out two over 3 innings pitched. But the bullpen behind him allowed just 2 hits over the final 6 innings, with Wardquelin Vasquez (W, 1-0, 3.60 ERA) picking up the win with three strikeouts and no runs in three innings pitched.

Salem pitches had a rough outing, with 5th round draft pick Noah Dean (ND, 5.14 ERA) and Francis Hernandez (L, 0-1, 9.31 ERA) allowing 10 runs over 5 2/3 innings pitched. Lynchburg powered out 15 hits on the day, while Salem could only muster 6.

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Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 4/17/24

MATTHEW KENNELL

APR 18

Scoreboard

Triple-A: Buffalo Bisons 12, Columbus Clippers 9 (F/10)
Double-A: Erie SeaWolves 4, Akron RubberDucks 0
High-A: Lansing Lugnuts 6, Lake County Captains 1
Single-A: Lynchburg Hillcats 7, Salem Red Sox 2

Highlights

2B Jose Tena (Columbus): 3-for-6, 2 R, 2 HRs, 4 RBIs, E4F, DP - It was a banner day for Tena as he left the yard twice - his second multi-homerun game in Columbus - on a day that included a game-tying blast in the ninth. His fourth inning homerun was hit at over 110 mph off the bat and his additional homerun was hit at over 105 mph. He added a single hit at 104 mph off the bat as well and a ball put in play for an out at over 100 mph. It is now back-to-back games in the series with three hits after not having a multi-hit game prior to the start of the week.

RF Johnathan Rodriguez (Columbus): 3-for-6, 2 R, HR, 3 RBIs - It was a three-hit day for Rodriguez, including a homerun in the bottom of the first inning to help counter a three-run first for the opponents. The round tripper was his second of the season and was hit at 109.9 mph off the bat (406 feet). He also delivered a run in the bottom of the tenth, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit from the Bison four-spot in the top half of the inning. His .863 OPS leads the Clippers starters in the young season.

RP Franco Aleman (Columbus): 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BBs, 3 Ks, HBP - The only baserunner allowed by the reliever Aleman was a hit by pitch and he struck out three of the seven batters he faced. All but four of his 28 pitches had speed behind them as fastballs or sinkers. His pitch chart was wild, but effective with three whiffs.

SP Jaime Arias (Akron): L (0-1), 4.0 IP, 4 H, R, 0 BBs, 5 Ks - Although saddled with the loss, it was an effective outing for Arias that kept the RubberDucks in the game. The southpaw allowed just one run, scattered four hits and struck out five. He peppered the strike zone for 40 strikes on 56 pitches. Erie led off the game with a triple, but that runner was left stranded. Of note, his warmup was disrupted by a popup shower that delayed the start of the game.

RP Jordan Jones (Akron): 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 4 Ks - The Akron bats did not show up, but Jones tossed scoreless eighth and ninth innings to give them a chance to make a late rally. He struck out four batters and induced two groundball outs. This was the longest and most effective relief appearance Jones has had in 2024.

1B CJ Kayfus (Lake County): 2-for-4, R, HR, RBI - Kayfus was responsible for the only Captains run of the day via a first inning homerun on a line drive to center field. It is his second homerun of the season and four of his five games played in 2024 have features a run driven in by the 22-year-old. He was one of three players in the lineup for Lake County to not strike out.

1B Ralphy Velasquez (Lynchburg): 1-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBIs, 2 BBs - The power surge continued for Velasquez with his fourth homerun already in nine games played in 2024. His two-run bomb increased Lynchburg’s lead to 6-2 at the time in the top of the sixth. He also drew two walks as opponents are starting to fear the pop in this 18-year-old’s bat.

C Manuel Mejias (Lynchburg): 2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI, BB, DP - Also reaching base three times in the game was the catcher Mejias. He had two hits including a double, the only other extra-base hit besides Velasquez’s homerun. His walk came with the bases loaded to plate a run.

RP Jack Jasiak (Lynchburg): W (2-0), 4.0 IP, R, 0 BBs, 4 Ks - Jasiak came out of the bullpen and picked up the win on the mound after striking out four in his four innings of work. After a rough start, he settled in and retired the final eight batters he faced.

Notable Performances:

DH Miles Straw (Columbus): 2-for-5, RBI, IBB - Straw laced a line drive single to left to plate a run in the eighth and help the Clippers come back from down four.

1B Kyle Manzardo (Columbus): 2-for-5, 2 R, 2B, BB, DP - Manzardo was a constant on the basepaths and came around to score twice after reaching three times.

C Dom Nunez (Columbus): 2-for-4, R, 2B, BB - Nunez had a similar stat line with a pair of hits and a walk to help round out the bottom part of the order.

CF Lorenzo Cedrola (Columbus): 2-for-4, BB - Cedrola got on base three times too to help set the table for the top of the order.

LF Micah Pries (Columbus): 1-for-5, R, HR, RBI - He had just one hit in his five plate appearances, but Pries made the most of it with a solo shot over 110 mph off the bat.

1B Joe Naranjo (Akron): 2-for-3, 2B - Naranjo was the only man with multiple hits in Akron on Wednesday with a double being the highlight.

3B Maick Collado (Lake County): 2-for-4 - Multiple singles for Collado earn him a spot on the noticeable performances.

RF Guy Lipscomb (Lake County): 2-for-4 - Lipscomb had two hits as well as this sliding catch in the right field corner.

LF Justin Boyd (Lake County): 1-for-4, 2B, SB - Boyd added a second extra-base hit on the day for the Captains and tallied his first stolen base of the year.

RP Jay Driver (Lake County): 1.1 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BBs, K, HBP - No runs on his ledger, but he did allow an inherited run to cross the plate.

SP Kyle Scott (Lynchburg): 4.0 IP, 4 H, R, 2 BBs, K - Scott did not get the win after going four of the required five innings, but it was certainly not a bad outing for the 22-year-old after he allowed just one run.

RP Steven Perez (Lynchburg): 1.0 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 3 Ks - The southpaw danced around some traffic in the ninth, but kept the goose egg in the run column behind three strikeouts in the frame.

RF Wuilfredo Antunez (Lynchburg): 2-for-4, R, BB, SB, OF assist/DP - Along with reaching base three times, the 21-year-old swiped second base and had an outfield assist that turned into a double play on a runner trying to score on a flyball.

LF Tommy Hawke (Lynchburg): 2-for-4, R, BB, 2 SBs - Hawke got on base often and wrecked havoc once he was on with a pair of stolen bases.


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Jose Tena blasts two bombs in Columbus slugfest, Ralphy Velazquez homers again for Lynchburg

Cleveland Guardians minor league recap for Thursday, April 18, 2024

By Brian Hemminger@BrianHemminger Apr 18, 2024, 10:00am EDT



Columbus Clippers 9, Buffalo Bisons 12 (F/10)

Clippers fall to 7-9


Trailing 8-5 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Jose Tena rose to the occasion and blasted a game-tying three-run bomb to send the game into extra innings.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1780675000808177956

Tena had a monster game, going 3-for-6 with two home runs overall.

Johnathan Rodriguez also was huge at the dish, also going 3-for-6 and blasting a home run, a two-run shot in the first inning.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1780641587900432764

Several players had big days at the dish as Kyle Manzardo reached base three times, going 2-for-5 with a double and a walk, Myles Straw went 2-for-5 with a walk, Dom Nunez went 2-for-4 with a double, a triple and a walk and Lorenzo Cedrola went 2-for-4 with a walk. Micah Pries only had one hit, but it was a laser home run with 110.2 mph exit velocity.

With all that offense, it’s crazy that Columbus lost the game, but that was because three of the four pitchers who appeared had rough days. The lone arm that had a good day was Franco Aleman, who tossed two scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts and zero walks or hits allowed.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1780691153714618528


Akron RubberDucks 0, Erie SeaWolves 4

RubberDucks fall to 6-5

It was a rough day at the plate for the Akron offense as the top six members of the lineup went a combined 0-for-21 with no walks.

Joe Naranjo was the lone standout, going 2-for-3 with a double while Christian Cairo singled and stole a base.

That was it.

Starting pitcher Jaime Arias wasn’t bad, allowing one run on four hits with five strikeouts and no walks in four innings, but that one run allowed was enough to take the loss.

Jordan Jones was excellent out of the bullpen, striking out four batters with one walk in two scoreless innings of relief.


Lake County Captains 1, Lansing Lugnuts 6

Captains fall to 4-5


Lake County had eight base runners, but went hitless with runners in scoring position.

The lone run was scored on a solo blast off the bat of 2023 third round pick CJ Kayfus, who continues his scorching start tot he season, going 2-for-4 with a 1.186 OPS.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1780657398996217864

Maick Collado and Guy Lipscomb Jr. both went 2-for-4 while Justin Boyd went 1-for-4 with a double and a stolen base.

Starting pitcher Jake Miller took the loss, giving up two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and no walks in four innings. Jay Driver tossed 1 1⁄3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen with a strikeout.


Lynchburg Hillcats 7, Salem Red Sox 2

Hillcats improve to 5-6


The Ralphy Velazquez show continues in Lynchburg. The 2023 first round pick went 1-for-4 with his fourth home run of the season and a pair of walks, raising his OPS to 1.172.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1780652000616603735

Lynchburg terrorized the basepaths on Wednesday as Luis Durango, Rafael Ramirez Jr., Juan Benjamin, Angel Ganao and Wuilfredo Antunez all stole a base while Tommy Hawke stole two bases.

Jaison Chourio walked twice, Mejias went 2-for-4 with a double and a walk, Antunez and Hawk also both went 2-for-4 with a walk while Ramirez Jr. and Genao both went 1-for-4 with a walk and Benjamin went 1-for-5 with a walk. The Hillcats reached base a whopping 20 times with walks and hits combined.

Starting pitcher Kyle Scott was effective, allowing one run on four hits with a strikeout and two walks in four innings. Jack Jasiak earned the win with four innings of stellar long relief, striking out four and allowing one run on four hits with no walks. Steven Perez closed out the game with a scoreless ninth inning.

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Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 4/18/24

JUSTIN LADA

APR 19

Scoreboard

Triple-A: Buffalo Bisons 8, Columbus Clippers 7
Double-A: Erie SeaWolves 9, Akron RubberDucks 3
High-A: Lake County Captains 6, Lansing Lugnuts 5
Single-A: Salem Red Sox 5, Lynchburg Hillcats 4



Highlights

Johnathan Rodriguez (RF, Columbus): 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, K - J-Rod’s double was 95 off the bat but on the ground as he he’s not been able to get the ball in the air as much as you’d like in the early going. He’s hitting despite that, however.

Chase DeLauter (CF, Akron): 2-4, SB, 2 K - DeLauter did strikeout twice but managed two hits because his average is lagging behind his OBP and he’s not hitting for power yet. The stolen base was good as well.

Nate Furman (2B, Lake County): 2-5, HR, 4 RBI - Good to see friend of the site/podcast Nate Furman get his first career homer - a grand slam at that. His homer was a reported 106 off the bat (h/t former GBI writer Pat Ellington and the Captain gameday crew for that), as well as another ball over 90 off the bat for Furman. He needs some more thump off his bat showing his contact skills and that was a good showing.

https://x.com/LCCaptains/status/1781114672176910701

Angel Genao (SS, Lynchburg): 2-4, HR, 2 RBI - Genao had another single and a homer in this one. The soon to be 20 year old is in his third partial stint in Single-A and looks very comfortable there. He could be one of the first players to get a promotion from Single-A if playing time at High-A opens up.

Notable Performances

Bryan Lavastida (C, Columbus): 1-4, 2B, BB - Lavastida is hitting the ball well so far this year. He’s carrying a huge BABIP right now that is unsustainable but also he’s hitting the ball hard (.357 xWOBA) which is a good sign. Good to see Lavastida finding his bat again.

Will Dion (SP, Columbus): 5IP, 5H, 3ER, 2BB, 5K - Dion kept the ball in the ballpark and got 10 whiffs, which is good from where he’s been so far this year. He’s still only throwing 88-91, so we’ll see if he’s able to keep getting outs at that velocity and how much the rest of his arsenal plays against Triple-A hitters.

Kahlil Watson (LF, Akron): 1-5, HR, RBI, K - Another homer is good for Watson, but came with another K. If he can hit in spite of the K’s it won’t matter. Also notable that he played left field so he continues to play some outfield, second, third and short, which can only help him.

https://x.com/AkronRubberDuck/status/17 ... 5673950407

Christian Cairo (3B, Akron): 1-4, HR - Cairo is off to a strong start and still is proving to be a solid utility player in the system. He did strike out twice though.

Tommy Mace (SP, Akron): 4.1IP, 3H, 5R (3ER), 3BB, 4K - Mace was pitching good moving into the fifth where things kind of imploded between defense and starting to miss spots. Perhaps he’ll be able to find what he did well in the first four innings and carry that a little more, because it was off to one of the better starts Id seen him make.

Jorge Burgos (LF, Lake County): 2-4, 2B, BB, K, SB - A nice day at the plate for the second year Captain.

Zane Moorehouse (RP, Lake County): IP, 3H, 3K - Moorehouse has had a shaky start and allowed three hits here but came around to fan three.

Christian Knapcyzk (2B, Lynchburg): 1-5, 3B, RBI - It’s been a tad inconsistent Knapcyzk in the early going, as expected, but he’s also racked up a few extra base hits that have been more unexpected.

Tommy Hawke (CF, Lynchburg): 2-4 - Just two singles for Hawke, but not surprised he can hit Single-A pitching. ACC pitching last year was probably better, even on his own team. He’s also made some great OF plays so far too.

Alex Clemmey (SP, Lynchburg): 2.2IP, 2H, 4H, 5BB, 5K - Watching this one confirmed a lot of things that we already knew about Clemmey. He has three potentially plus pitches, was up to 95 with his fastball. And he got whiffs on all three. He’s very hard to hit, even at 19 in his third pro start. But strike throwing is a hard thing as is repeating his delivery with his long limbs with a lot of moving parts. High quality stuff but strike throwing is going to take time for Clemmey.

https://x.com/JL_Baseball/status/1781106122817946101

Matt Jachec (RP, Lynchburg): 3.1IP, H, BB, 5K - Jachcec continues to pitch well early in a bulk/piggyback role.


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Rodriguez extends his on-base streak to 16 games, Cairo and Watson hit a pair of homers for Akron

Cleveland Guardians minor league recap for Friday, April 19, 2024

By Bwalsh52@Cle_Brendan52 Apr 19, 2024, 2:17pm EDT



Columbus Clippers 7, Buffalo Bisons 8

Clippers fall to 7-10


Johnathan Rodriguez went 2-4 with a walk and a double. He has gotten on base at least once in every game he’s played in so far this season.

Other two-hit performances came from center fielder Myles Straw and left fielder Micah Pries. Every Clipper besides first baseman Kyle Manzardo was able to reach base safely.

Though the Clippers put on an offensive clinic today, the pitching staff let the win slip through their fingers. Left hander Will Dion threw five innings even of three-run baseball, K’ing five while giving up five hits and issuing two walks. The bullpen had some troubles of their own, giving up five runs. Peter Strzelecki gave up two of them while striking two out, while blown saves were charged to Jaime Barria in the 8th and Anthony Gose in the 9th.

Both blown saves are their season-firsts.


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Akron RubberDucks 3, Erie Seawolves 9

RubberDucks sink to 6-6


A pair of blasts were hit by Christian Cairo and Kahlil Watson — both being their first of the season.

The top half of the lineup provided most of the heavy lifting today, with Chase DeLauter starting to heat up by going 2-4 on the day. Three out of the bottom four batters in the order didn’t hit safely, with only Cairo providing the aforementioned home run.

Tommy Mace was making good pace until he wasn’t. Only allowing two baserunners in the first four innings while striking out four, it seemed like he might’ve been in for a quality start. But Mace began to lose command after he took the mound for the 5th and allowed five baserunners (one being the result of an error by shortstop Milan Tolentino). He was charged for the insuing five runs, both on his accord and on Lenny Torres Jr.’s. Erik Sabrowski and Tyler Thornton fanned five while giving up four additional runs during their turns on the mound.



Lake County Captains 6, Lansing Lugnuts 5

Captains improve to 5-6


Nate Furman went deep in grand fashion for his first long ball of this young season. In the bottom of the third, he sent a grand slam into the right-center field lawn at Classic Park, netting him four ribbies on the day. That was his second hit of the day, and Jorge Burgos and Tommy Tincher provided the other two runs for the Captains.

Austin Peterson earned himself the W; he threw five innings, striking out three and giving up three runs on six hits. He improves to 2-1 on the season. The bullpen handled business from there. Aside from a comeback scare in the 7th with Juan Zapata (Hold-1) on the mound, no other noise was made on the Lugnuts’ side. The last 6 batters of the game for them were all fanned by Zach Jacobs (Hold-1) and Zane Morehouse (Save-1) as the Captains held onto the one run lead.


Lynchburg Hillcats 4, Salem Red Sox 5

Hillcats skid to 5-7


Angel Genao hit a 2-run bomb while the rest of the Lynchburg lineup wasn’t able to execute with runners on base. Christian Knapczyk and Jose Pestrano drove in the other two runs, but the Hillcats as a whole went 2-9 with runners in scoring position. Though they had 12 baserunners, they left 7 stranding.

Alex Clemmey was charged with his second loss of the season as he gave up four runs in the third, prominently ushering him off the mound. Struggling with his command, he issued a lot of walks during his start. His final line: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 5 K.

Abel Brito and Matt Jahchec, on the other hand, gave up only one run in 5.1 IP, striking out six and allowing nine baserunners.

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BA notes the early redhot players who rate good chance to crash onto the top 100 soon, including our 2 dynamos in Lynchburg,
Velazquez, with his 4 homers, plus plenty of walks.
Churio lots of walks and steals and hits and a solid outfielder.

Genoa is doing very well, too.
A great trio of 18 year olds.

First on their list:

Ralphy Velazquez, 1B, Guardians
Velazquez was a catcher in high school when the Guardians drafted him in the first round (23rd overall) last year, but it was his ability in the batter’s box that stood out the most. A move to first base always seemed like a high probability, with the Guardians already pushing him to first base. Between last year in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League and this year in Low-A Lynchburg, Velazquez is hitting .345/.414/.741 with six home runs in 15 games. He’s still 18 and has a simple, fluid swing from the left side with good balance, helping him track pitches well with the ability to stay back and drive the ball with all fields. With the mix of hitting ability, strike-zone judgment and power, Velazquez has the offensive upside to push himself into Top 100 conversations this year if he keeps performing.

and fifth:

Jaison Chourio, OF, Guardians
While Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio is a dynamic athlete with a tantalizing power/speed mix, younger brother Jaison stands out more for his polished approach and hitting ability. A high-profile prospect as an amateur as well—Jaison signed for $1.2 million in 2022—he’s a switch-hitter with strong bat-to-ball skills and an excellent eye for the strike zone, something he has shown with 95 walks and 81 strikeouts through 97 career games. Those keen swing decisions have continued this year as the 18-year-old center fielder is hitting .333/.524/.533 with more walks (11) than strikeouts (7) in 42 plate appearances for Low-A Lynchburg, with the foundation to be a high on-base threat with a hit-over-power profile.

Glad to see you're back Civ

Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 4/19/24

Forget it, he's rolling...

ARTHUR KINNEY

APR 20



SCOREBOARD


Triple-A - Columbus Clippers 9, Buffalo Bisons 3
Double-A - Erie SeaWolves 7, Akron RubberDucks 2
High-A - Lansing Lugnuts 5, Lake County Captains 2
Single-A - Lynchburg Hillcats 4, Salem Red Sox 3


REHAB

Sam Hentges (Akron, rehab SP): 1 IP, H, 1 K - Yes, it was against Double-A hitting, but seeing Hentges back on the mound and near his usual velocity (topped out at 93 compared to his usual 95-96) was an excellent sign.

HIGHLIGHTS

Kyle Manzardo (Columbus, DH): 3-4, 2 R, 2 2B, 1 RBI - Manzardo’s pair of doubles, including a line drive to right in the seventh that gave the Clippers the lead for good, brought his season total to six out of sixteen overall hits (a number that also includes one home run).

Johnathan Rodriguez (Columbus, LF): 2-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 K - Rodriguez's three-RBI night included a two-run blast to left center in the first that gave the Clip Show an early 2-1 lead.

Daniel Schneemann (Columbus, RF): 2-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB - The highlight of Schneemann’s all-around impressive night was a two-run shot to right center that capped off Columbus’ six-run seventh-inning comeback.

Adam Oller (Columbus, SP): ND, 5 IP, 2 H, 3 (all earned), 2 BB, 10 K, 2 HR allowed - Despite the fact that the two hits Oller allowed were both homers, preventing him from earning the individual victory, his outing was nonetheless impressive - especially the ten strikeouts, which equaled his total from his first three outings of the season (ten combined innings).

Nic Enright (Columbus, RP): W (2-0), 2 IP, perfect, 3 K - Enright remains unscored upon this season following this perfect effort. The first at-bat of his outing gave a hint of the quality to follow as he struck out Buffalo 2B Orelvis Martinez (who has been a Clipper killer this week) in a six-pitch battle that saw Nic throw five sliders.

Alex Mooney (Lake County, SS): 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K, 1 SB - Mooney continues to impress in his first full professional season, rebounding from his second hitless game of the season (and first with more than two plate appearances) on Wednesday by providing both Lake county extra-base hits in a performance that brought his OPS back over 1.000 (1.021) after it briefly dropped below .900 (.887) following his midweek 0-fer.

Matt Wilkinson (Lynchburg, SP): W (1-0), 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R (earned), 1 BB, 1 HBP, 9 K - Wilkinson is effectively a pro rookie (pitched one inning in relief for the ACL Guardians last season) ans is starting his career impressively to say the least. He followed up nine shutout frames over the course of his first few starts with this stellar effort to earn his first individual victory. Yes, it is only three starts. Yes, it is only Single-A. That aid, a 0.61 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, .125 opponents’ batting average, and 26:5 K:BB ratio is an incredible start for anyone, much less a tenth-round selection.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Myles Straw (Columbus, CF): 1-5, 1 R, 1 K - Straw now has a hit in five straight and seven of his last eight games.

Juan Brito (Columbus, 2B): 2-5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 K - Brito’s two-hit game was the third of his current five-game on-base streak.

Micah Pries (Columbus, 1B): 1-2, 2 R, 1 2B, 2 BB, 1 SB - Pries has been on a roll this week against Bisons pitching, going 6-for-14 with five runs scored and two driven in while drawing his first four walks of the season. This hot week has improved his slash line from .208/.240/.458 to .289/.372/.632.

Bryan Lavastida (Columbus, C): 1-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 K - Speaking of rolling, no one’s been rolling like Lavastida since Bluto Blutarsky waxed eloquent about the Germans bombing Pearl Harbor in the film National Lampoon’s Animal House. Bryan has reached safely in eight of the ten games he has played in so far this season, resulting in a .324/.439/.529 slash line.

Petey Halpin (Akron, CF): 1-5, 1 R, 1 K - Even the lone bright spot in a lineup full of guys ranging from flirting with the Mendoza Line to practically married to it couldn’t muster more than a hit on an abysmal evening at the corner of State and Main.

Kahlil Watson (Akron, SS): 2-5, 1 R, 1 K, 1 SB - Watson, on the other hand, did manage not only multiple hits but also his second stolen base of the 2024 campaign. While Watson has seen the basepaths consistently to start his Double-A career, reaching safely in nine of his ten games so far, his first two multi-hit games have come this week vs. the SeaWolves. This is not surprising as he is adjusting to the biggest jump within the minor leagues.

Aaron Bracho (Akron, 2B): 1-4, 1 RBI - Bracho’s eighth RBI of the season was the only one the Mallards of Main Street would get on Friday night.

Rodney Boone (Akron, scheduled SP): ND, 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R (both earned), 7 K, 1 HR allowed - Boone came in after Hentges’ rehab work was done and hurled an impressive five frames during which he improved his season K:BB ratio to 12:3.

C.J. Kayfus (Lake County, 1B): 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 K, 1 SB - While Kayfus’ Friday was not as impressive as Mooney’s, his start to his first full season as a pro has been similarly impressive, with his slash line now standing tall at .333/.391/.667 as he extended his hitting streak to five games and his season-opening on-base streak to six.

Jose Devers (Lake County, DH): 2-4, 1 K, 1 SB - Devers has improved significantly following a rough start with Friday’s two-hit evening being his third in his last five games played.

Nate Furman (Lake County, 3B): 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB<, 1 SB, 1 E - Furman has been on a tear lately, with his six-game hitting streak raising his lash line from a trio of .083s to .237/.275/.368. You gotta love the small sample size world of April baseball. His single up the middle was 106 off the bat (h/t to Mike Mahoney of the Captains gameday crew).

Parker Messick (Lake County, SP): L (0-2), 4.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R (all earned), 1 BB, 1 WP, 7 K, 1 HR allowed - Messick, much like Boone, had a solid outing ruined by the longball and lack of run support.

Christian Knapczyk (Lynchburg, 2B): 0-3, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 E - Knapczyk has not only started his pro career with a nine-game on-base streak, but has also scored in seven of them.

Ralphy Velazquez (Lynchburg, 1B): 1-4, 1 BB,2 K - Velazquez has begun his non-complex career in similar fashion, getting a hit in nine of his first ten pro games in front of a significant number of fans - including an active eight-game hit streak.

Jaison Chourio (Lynchburg, CF): 0-5, 2 RBI, 1 K, 1 SB - Chourio’s first two-RBI game of the season came in an unusual way - namely, on a pair of groundouts.

Robert Lopez (Lynchburg, DH): 0-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K - Lopez picked up the other Hillcat RBI on a bases loaded go-ahead walk in the third (There were only three RBI as the other run scored on a throwing error.).

Manuel Mejias (Lynchburg, C): 1-3, 2 BB, 2 K - Mejias reached thrice on Friday to improve his on-base percentage to .439.

Jose Pastrano (Lynchburg, 3B): 2-3, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 K - On a night when the Hillcats generated offense in a variety of unorthodox ways, Pastrano got his the old-fashioned way - with his bat.


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Minor League Recap - Columbus Bests the Bisons and Sam Hentges Starts for Akron

Minor League Recap for Saturday, April 20th 2024

By Nicole_W22 Apr 20, 2024, 10:00am EDT



Columbus Clippers - AAA

BUF 3 - COL 9

The Columbus Clippers took on the Toronto Blue Jays AAA Affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons on Friday night in Columbus. RHP Adam Oller started for the Clippers, going 5 innings on 82 pitches, giving up 3 runs and 2 walks but striking out 10. Oller is currently sitting at a 4.20 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP with a record of 0-1 on 4 games. Oller’s four-seamer sits in the mid 90’s which Buffalo’s second baseman Orelvis Martinez took advantage of in the 1st inning when he put the Bisons on top with a homerun to left field. Martinez would strike again in the top of the 3rd. With one on base, Martinez hit a 2 run home run to left center field. This would be the last run a Columbus pitcher would give up. RHP Nic Enright (W, 2-0) and LHP Anthony Banda would both pitch 2 scoreless innings.

The Clippers offense was ready to roll with 7 of the 9 batters recorded at least one hit on the night. Jonathan Rodriguez and Daniel Schneemann both contributed 2 out 2 RBI home runs to the box score while Kyle Manzardo went 3-for-4.

After 18 games this season, the offensive stats are starting to settle out a bit making it impossible to ignore the success of some players. Kyle Manzardo has worked back to the batter fans have been anticipating with a .276 BA and a .797 OPS. Jonathan Rodriguez has been making a splash hitting with a .306 BA and .951 OPS. Daniel Schneemann continues to make his name known with a .250 BA and a .935 OPS.


Akron RubberDucks - AA

ERI 7 - AKR 2


The RubberDucks fell to the Erie SeaWolves (DET) on Friday. Akron saw Guardians relief pitcher Sam Hentges in a rehab start. Sam went 1 inning with 1 hit and 1 strikeout.


https://twitter.com/i/status/1781478369823011312


The remaining Akron pitchers would be unable to carry that momentum through. Giving up 4 earned runs on 5 hits, RHP Jack Leftwich would record the loss bringing his record on the season to 0-2.

The Akron offense was equally as quiet. Kahlil Watson would be the only batter to have a multi-hit night going 2-for-5. Watson’s single in the 1st would result in the last earned run for SeaWolves pitching. The first run of the game came from a balk after Petey Halpin went first to third on the Watson single.

With sample sizes starting to grow, three names keep finding their way into conversation. Petey Halpin is currently batting a .304 BA with a .863 OPS making a strong case for a promotion to AAA should an outfield spot open in Columbus. Kahlil Watson is only batting .233 with a .655 OPS, but has been proving himself a utility player having already played 2B, 3B, SS, LF, and CF. A lot of eyes are on Chase DeLauter. The outfielder is currently batting .220 with a .668 OPS. DeLauter is starting to look more confident against AA pitching and is making strides in the batter’s box. Here’s to hoping a hot streak is in his future once the weather warms up.


Lake County Captains - High A

LAN 5 - LC 2


The Lake County Captains were unable to get it done in front of a home crowd on Friday. The Lansing Lugnuts (OAK) got the jump on lefty Parker Messick putting up the first run of the night in the top of the 2nd. The Captains would answer in the 3rd to tie. C.J. Kayfus singled on a ground ball, scoring Nate Furman. Messick and left handed reliever Adam Tulloch would each give up a RBI hit to Lugnut center fielder Henry Bolte. The Captains’ last run of the night would come off the bat of SS Alex Mooney.


https://twitter.com/i/status/1781494541708574810


Nate Furman, Jose Devers, and Jonah Advincula also recorded hits on the night, but the team was unable to monopolize and convert the hits to runs.


Lynchburg Hillcats - Low A

LYN 4 - SAL 3


Lynchburg was successful against the Salem Red Sox (BOS) in a close game. Starting LHP Matt Wilkinson has been stunning this season and is currently sitting at a 0.61 ERA with a 0.75 WHIP in 14.2 IP. Same sample size aside, if this is any indicator of Wilkinson’s potential, expect to see him in Lake County soon.

In the top of the 3rd Robert Lopez was walked with the bases loaded, scoring Luis Durango who originally reached base on a HBP. Ralphy Velazquez reached on a fielder’s choice in the top of the 7th scoring Jose Pastrano. In 39 AB, Ralphy is currently sporting a .333 BA with a 1.118 OPS. Jaison Chourio continues to shine as a Hillcat with 2, RBI ground outs on the night. He is currently batting a .286 with a .925 OPS.

The Hillcats record is currently 6-7, but with the talent both on the mound and in the batter’s box, it looks like the players are in for a fun season.

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Relievers off to red hot starts:

Nic Enright at Columbus. 27 year old RH; was selected from Cle in Rule 5 but returned.
This spring: 9 innings, 4 hits, 1 walk. 19 strikeouts, no runs. [19 of 32 batters faced struck out]

Andrew Walters 23 year old RH, taken at the end of 2023 second round and made his pro debut this season at very far advanced AA Akron
5 2/3 innings 3 hits, 2 walks, 1 run, 13 strikeouts [13 of 23 batters faced struck out]

Big day for the big three with Lynchburg:

Chourio [age 18] with the biggest day: his 2nd homer; his 4th and 5th double; and a walk; 4 RBI he's hitting 325/491/600
Velazquez [age 18] 2 singles and a sac fly. He's not homer or nothing. Hitting 349/434/674
Genoa [age 19] his 4th double and a sac fly. He's hit 2 homers already too. Hitting 353/393/549
For him this is a big improvement over a so-so 2023 at the same level when he hit 263/345/385 when he was only 18

Manzardo hit 2 homers yesterday and singled That makes 3 homers; 306/387/464 801

Not as much attention paid to J. Rodriguez but his numbers are better and he plays a more important defensive role in RF and is a RH hitter which is more of a void in the big league lineup than a LH 1B/DH He's cut back his strikeouts a little to 26.9% from 29.3% and increased his walks nicely from 10.6% to 15.4%

Thanks for the continued coverage civ!