Cleveland Sports Forum

completion of yesterday's games

Akron got 4 hits and even scored a run Top average in the lineup 254.

Beede stayed in 3 innings and allowed 8 runs.
Noel singled and walked; he's up to 254
in May: 209/381/620,
He's on the 40 man roster. Deserves a look see
As is Valera who managed a single to stay near the Mendoza line, at 198
Why did Brito leave after one plate appearance, a walk?

Lake County offense stalled and they lost 4-2.
one single each for Furman, Lipscomb, Kayfus, Fox, Devers. Mooney and the catcher who's name escapes me both had the day off
nice work by Parker Messick: 6 2 1 1 2 64. Moved up midseason last year. Could see him in Akron soon

Hillcats lost too; but the big 3 all had somethings positive in the box score
Velazquez 2 walks and hbp; Genao a single and sac fly; Chourio 3 singles
Chourio is on the one who has sneaked into the bottom of the BA Top 100. Genao's numbers are better but he's a year older

Tena and Valera each with a homer and a single in their first 3 at bats [add a walk for Valera] and Clippers lead 3-0
Will Dion with one of his rare AAA good outings, but he was out after 3 2/3 with 5 strikeouts.

Akron up 4-3 on 4 singles, 4 walks, a sac fly and 3 steals including a successful double steal including home
Davenport not as sharp as usual, 3 runs in 5 innings

Lake County just broke through with 2 runs, down 3-2 in the 5th.
Neither Furman nor Kayfus in the lineup: Promoted?
Wilkinson about the same as his first High A start: 4 4 3 2 1 6 Probably will be back for more
while I was typing Alex Mooney singled in the tying run
and now moved ahead on Cooper Ingle single

Lynchburg is in good shape: ahead 11-0 in the 8th
Monsieur Maltrud with5 shutout innings and Senor Vasquez with 3 more
All the big names are out of the lineup here today, too, What's up?
Instead W. Antunez with single triple and 2nd homer for 5 rbi
E Gonzalez double and 5th homer for 3 rbi
ifs Knapczyk and Benjamin a pair of hits each.

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Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 5/31/24

ARTHUR KINNEY

JUN 1

Scoreboard

Triple-A - Columbus Clippers 5, Lehigh Valley IronPigs 2
Double-A - Akron RubberDucks 8, New Hampshire Fisher Cats 3
High-A - Cedar Rapids Kernels 7, Lake County Captains 4
Single-A - Lynchburg Hillcats 11, Salem Red Sox 1
ACL - Guardians 4, Royals 3

HIGHLIGHTS

Jose Tena (Columbus, SS): 3-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 CS - Tena finishes May with a .376/.424/.587 slash line after concluding the month with his third multi-hit game of the current series - with one of those hits being his eighth home run of the season, which drove in his 33rd RBI of he 2024 campaign.

Jhonkensy Noel (Columbus, RF): 1-5, 2 RBI - Noel extended his RBI streak to four games (7 total RBI in that stretch) with a pair that tied him with Daniel Schneemann for the team lead and sixth in the International league at 39.

Wuilfredo Antunez (Lynchburg, RF): 3-5, 1 R, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI - After seeing an eight-game hitting streak (which wrapped up with a trio of three-base efforts) come to an end on Thursday, Antunez got right back to mashing on Friday - and I do mean MASHING. The three hits, eight total bases, and five RBI were all season highs for Wuilfredo, with the RBI matching his career best and the bases setting a new personal high water mark.

Esteban Gonzalez (Lynchburg, CF): 2-4, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K - On any other night, this might well have been the highlight of the night for the entire organization, so it’s important that this offensive masterpiece doesn't get lost in the bright lights of Antunez’s career night.

Christian Knapczyk (Lynchburg, SS): 2-6, 3 R, 1 K, 1 SB, 1 E - While it may not have had the gaudy power numbers of Antunez or Gonzalez’s performances, three runs scored and his eleventh steal of the season make Knapczyk’s Friday one to celebrate.

Rorik Maltrud (Lynchburg, SP): W (2-1), 5 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 4 K - Maltrud’s longest outing of his rookie season was also his best. Hopefully, this is a preview of coming attractions from Rorik.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Angel Martinez (Columbus, starting 2B): 2-2, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 1 CS - Martinez reached safely in all four plate appearances in an impressive return to non-rehab action.

George Valera (Columbus, LF): 2-3, 1 R, 1,HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB - Valera continues to improve as he is back over the Mendoza Line following his third multi-base game in his last five.

Will Dion (Columbus, SP): ND, 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 5 K - As impressive as this outing was, the fact that it ended mid-inning with Dion only at 58 pitches is cause for concern.

Tanner Burns (Columbus, RP): W (2-2), 2.1 IP, perfect, 4 K - Burns filled in admirably in long relief following Dion’s early exit from the contest.

Peter Strzelecki (Columbus, RP): S (5), 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K - Strzelecki rebounded from allowing four runs on Tuesday by remaining perfect in his five save opportunities this season.

Milan Tolentino (Akron, SS): 2-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB - Tolentino broke out of a three-game 0-for-8 mini-slump with one of the RubberDucks’ two multi-hit efforts on Friday evening.

Aaron Bracho (Akron, DH): 2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 SB - Bracho had the other two-hit performance for his second in his last five games.

Dayan Frias (Akron, 3B): 1-4, 1 R, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 CS - Surprisingly, given the score, Frias; two-RBI night was the only one for the Mallards of Main Street last night.

Petey Halpin (Akron, starting RF): 0-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SB, 1 E - While it wasn’t a full game, it was good to see Halpin back on the field.

Aaron Davenport (Akron, SP): W (4-1), 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R (all earned), 2 BB, 1 HBP, 1 WP, 1 BK, 4 K - Even on one of his worst nights of the season so far, Davenport limited the damage and got the job done.

Lenny Torres Jr. (Akron, RP): H (1), 2 IP, 1 H, 1 K - After an obstacle-ridden Captains tenure, Torres Jr. seems to be hitting his stride at the Corner of State and main

Bradley Hanner (Akron, RP): 1 IP, 1 BB - Hanner remains untouchable, having allowed only one earned run in his last 14,1 IP innings (0.63 ERA in that stretch).

Cooper Ingle (Lake County, C): 2-4, 1 RBI, 1 E - Ingle finishes the month of May with .348/.458/.464 slash line and on a ten-game hitting streak.

Maick Collado (Lake County, 1B): 2-4, 1 R, 1 E - Colldo has a hit in seven straight following the Captains’ other two-hit performance of Friday night.

Angel Zarate (Lake County, RF): 1-3, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB - Zarate's fifth-inning single was responsible for half of the Eatlake nine’s scoring last night.

Matt Wilkinson (Lake County, SP): ND, 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R (2 earned), 1 BB, 1 WP, 8 K, 1 HR allowed - While Tugboat is not quite as dominant in High-A as he was in the Carolina circuit, one thing that has continued unabated is the barrage of strikeouts, with his combined season total now standing at 87 on 50.1 IP (a staggering 15,56 K/9!).

Fran Alduey (Lynchburg, 2B): 1-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 E - Alduey got his second non-complex game ever off to a great start with a second-inning RBI double.

Robert Lopez (Lynchburg, C): 1-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB - Lopez has multiple total bases in each of his last three games and four of his last six.

Wardquelin Vasquez (Lynchburg, RP): H (2), 3.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (earned), 1 BB, 6 K - While his strikeout rate hasn’t quite been Tugboatesque, 10.72 K/9 is nothing to sneeze at.

Carlos Gutierrez (ACL, LF): 2-5, 1 R, 1 2B, .2 SB - Gutierrez broke out of an 0-for11 slump with a return to his impressive mid-May form.

Heribert Silva (ACL, RF): 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K - Silva's ninth-inning go-ahead solo shot - the first stateside homer of his career - highlighted his best night of the 2024 campaign so far.

Welbyn Francisca (ACL, 2B) 1-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI - Francisca’s fourth and fifth RBI of the season provided the difference between victory and defeat on Friday night in Surprise.

Kendeglys Virguez (ACL, RP): S (1), 1 IP, perfect ,3 K - Virguez struck out the side in order (ACL boxcscores don’t include pitch counts, so no idea if it was an immaculate inning or not) to earn his first professional save.


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Saturday performances by players of note:

Columbus:
Tena single and walk. Avg keeps moving up, now at 293 and OPS passes 800
Brito double and 2 singles and 2 rbi Avg still only 232 with OPS 774. Since May 1: 270/370/540, 16 walks 16 strikeouts He's only 22 and except for 3 games is a AAA newcomer. Tena's 23 in his second AAA, unlike Brito he can play SS. He has 8 homers this year matching last year's season total.
I'll take either one, but not sure where to play them!

in the bullpen, Mikolajchak shoutout inning with a strikeout and a walk; Gose shutout inning with a hit and 2 walks and 2 strikeouts

Akron managed 3 runs on 6 hits led by Planez with triple and homer.
DeLauter of course did not play.
Lefty Ryan Webb 6 4 3 3 1 5 3.40
Righty Jack Leftwich 3 2 1 1 1 6 3.42

Lake County as usual with the big offensive performance: 11 runs on 13 hits
Cooper Ingle solid hitting catcher from 2023 draft: homered, 2 sngles; he's now team leader at 354; OPS 965
Kayfus hitless, a walk; still leads OPS at 1003; avg falls to 331
Mooney 8th HR and a walk; 314 889
Furman's homerun flurry has ended but he can still hit: triple and single and walk 342 992

Lynchburg wins in 10, 7-6
Velazquez the hitting star with a pair of doubles and sngle. 280/873 and a steal
Chourio single and 17th steal
Genao off his game 0-4 with 3 strikeouts

Hi! I’m Mandy Bell and I’m in my sixth season on the Cleveland beat. I’m looking forward to delivering Guardians insight to your inbox all season long. Let’s get into the good stuff:

Let’s check in on the Guardians' 2023 Draft class.

I wanted to find the one guy from last year’s list of draftees who is standing out so much that it gives fans reasons to be even more excited for the way this year’s No. 1 overall pick could go. But the more I looked at everyone’s numbers, the more I realized there was no way to highlight just one prospect. So, let’s take a look at the top three guys who were drafted last year and are already giving fans reasons to be optimistic about the future.




1. RHP Andrew Walters (No. 24 on Guardians’ Top 30 Prospects list), Triple-A Columbus

Walters was selected in Competitive Balance Round B (No. 62 overall) in last year’s Draft, and already has his sights set on Cleveland in his first professional season. He dazzled in Double-A Akron to start the year, racking up 38 strikeouts in 20 innings with eight walks and a sparkling 1.35 ERA in 17 appearances. He was promoted to Triple-A Columbus on May 28 and struggled in his first outing, allowing four earned runs in one inning, but the Guardians are more than confident that he’ll settle in. And once he does, it won’t be long before fans are begging for the triple-digit-throwing righty to join Cleveland’s bullpen.




2. 1B C.J. Kayfus (No. 28), High-A Lake County

Kayfus was selected in the third round (No. 93 overall) of last year’s Draft and was able to get into some game action in 2023, joining Single-A Lynchburg for 17 games. In that span, he hit .271 with a .971 OPS, four homers and 19 RBIs -- giving everyone a taste of what he’s capable of. This year, he picked up right where he left off, playing at High-A Lake County instead. In his first 38 games, he hit .340 with a 1.025 OPS, seven homers, 11 doubles, two triples and 36 RBIs. Drafted as a hit-before-power bat, Kayfus is already displaying his ability to tap into more slug, which can only help an organization that’s looking for more strength. MLB Pipeline projects Kayfus to be Major League ready in 2026, but he’s already proving he’s worth keeping an eye on now.




3. 1B Ralphy Velazquez (No. 4), Single-A Lynchburg

And now to last year’s top pick. Velazquez was drafted as a catcher, but the Guardians have already made the decision that he’s better defensively at first base. The reason to select him wasn’t his defense, anyway. It was his bat that wowed everyone, especially for a kid coming out of high school. So far, he’s giving a preview of why he’s so intriguing. He got off to a hot start to the season, slashing .288/.379/.507 in the month of April. His performance wasn’t as consistent in May, but last week, he enjoyed a six-game hitting streak in which he went 10-for-24 with four doubles and a homer.



To close out every Pipeline Newsletter, we always want to go around the horn and make sure we hit on a standout player from every part of Cleveland’s farm system. Since we already touched on Triple-A, High-A and Single-A, let’s give some love to Double-A, too.

Double-A Akron: He may not have come from last year’s Draft class, but righty Aaron Davenport has been solid all season long. In 10 starts, he’s pitched to a 1.87 ERA with 47 strikeouts and 19 walks in 53 innings.



IN THE NEWS




• How have these six position switches across MLB gone? (Spoiler alert: A Guardian made the list.)

• One thing is for sure across the Guardians’ clubhouse: everyone is positive that David Fry’s breakout season is not a fluke.



IT’S LOU GEHRIG DAY!




Most of you already know how much this day means to me, but in the off chance that you don’t, I want to take a minute to explain.

My baseball bestie, Sarah Langs, went public with her ALS diagnosis nearly two years ago. This horrible and debilitating disease robs so many people of their hobbies, their muscles and eventually their lives. I have no words to describe how inspired I am by the way Sarah has refused to let ALS define her. Every night, she still watches every single MLB game and gives us all the best stats and cutest videos through her X page, @Slangsonsports. She travels to cover baseball. She reports on games from press boxes. And she’s not letting ALS stop her.

I’m still so moved to think that a year and a half ago, so many of you helped Sarah’s fight by donating to my GoFundMe page as I prepared to run my first (and only … never again) half marathon. I wanted to do that because it has always been Sarah’s favorite activity (girl, what is wrong with you? Who runs for fun?). Somehow, we ended up raising $105,000. It’s 17 months later and I still can’t process that.

If you want more information on my friendship with Sarah, feel free to click here to read the tribute I wrote for her last Lou Gehrig Day. If you’d rather, you can watch this video tribute I worked on with MLB Network for her.

So, today, I urge you to please help fight this relentless disease. There are plenty of places that you can donate, if you’re willing and able. First, Sarah still has her #FistBumps4ALS campaign going on her socials. If you’d like to win some autographed memorabilia, you can take part in MLB’s auction to raise money for ALS research here (there’s a Josh Naylor baseball card in there!). Or you can always go to the Project ALS website and donate directly to Sarah’s favorite organization. Thank you all so, so much. From the bottom of both of our hearts.

Love you, Slangs.

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Cleveland Guardians Prospects Report 6/1/24

MATTHEW KENNELL

JUN 2

Scoreboard:

Triple-A: Lehigh Valley IronPigs 8, Columbus Clippers 6 (F/10)
Double-A: New Hampshire Fisher Cats 4, Akron RubberDucks 3
High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels 7, Lake County Captains 4
Single-A: Lynchburg Hillcats 7, Salem Red Sox 6 (F/10)
Arizona Complex League: ACL Guardians 4, ACL White Sox 3 (F/8)

Rehab:

C Richard Paz (ACL Guardians): 1-for-4, R - Paz moved a runner from second to third thanks to his single in the fourth that eventually resulted in a run. He would be the game-winning run placed on second base at the start of the eighth inning. Paz is 2-for-12 in his rehab stint.

Highlights:

2B Juan Brito (Columbus): 3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBIs, 2 E4Fs - Brito led the Clippers with three hits and two RBIs, but he also led in errors with two. He had an RBI double to get the scoring started all the way back in the first inning and tied the game up at six apiece with a single to right with two outs to cap off a four-run inning for the team and send it to extra innings. He picks up where he left off after leading the organization in extra base hits in the month of May.

SS Jose Tena (Columbus): 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 BBs - Tena was on base constantly on Saturday evening and came around to score twice in the team’s 8-6 loss. The 23-year-old walked to lead off the bottom of the first and later scored on Brito’s double. He was the tying run after drawing another walk in the sixth and scored once more off the bat of Brito. He added a single in the bottom of the eighth as well. Tena was a .376 hitter in the month of May and is off to a good start in June as well.

RF Alexfri Planez (Akron): 2-for-4, R, 3B, HR, 2 RBIs - Seven total bases for Planez on the day thanks to a solo homerun and a triple. It is just the third time this year that Planez has had multiple extra base hits and first triple since the 2021 season. His triple in the fifth helped tie the game at three and each of his hits came with two outs in the inning. The homerun was hit 434 feet - an absolute nuke.

LF Christian Cairo (Akron): 1-for-3, R, 2 BBs, 2 SBs - The speed of Cairo was on display on Saturday with a pair of stolen bases. He was able to put himself in scoring position and it paid off in the fifth inning when Planez tripled to tie the game. 13 stolen bases on the year are already more than the California native had in the 2023 or 2022 seasons.

SP Carter Spivey (Lake County): W (4-1), 6.0 IP, 5 H, R, 2 BBs, 5 Ks, HBP - The East Carolina University alum had a sizable advantage before stepping on to the mound on Saturday, but that did not stop him from dealing. He went six strong innings and allowed a single run in the win, the run coming off a solo homerun on the first batter he faced. The second inning was the only frame where he went 1-2-3, but he was effective in spacing the baserunners he allowed. The right-hander has been up and down this year, but this one was an up for sure.

C Cooper Ingle (Lake County): 3-for-5, R, HR, 4 RBIs - Ingle successfully extended his hit streak to 11 games in the very first inning when he deposited a pitch over the right field wall, a grand slam in the midst of a ten-run top of the first. He is hitting an incredible .354 on the season with an OPS of .965, with a multi-hit game in seven of his last nine contests. He added singles later in the first and sixth innings to cap his night.

CF Justin Boyd (Lake County): 3-for-5, R - Boyd contributed with a three-hit night as well to match Ingle, however he had three singles in the game. He has now reached base safely in ten straight contests and has turned his season around in the month of May and now it is continuing into June with his first multi-hit game of 2024.

3B Nate Furman (Lake County): 2-for-5, 2 R, 3B, 2 RBIs, BB, SB - The 22-year-old has now reached base in 16 consecutive games thanks to a two-run triple in the first. In total, he was on three times with a walk and a stolen base to start Saturday’s game and a single in the seventh inning. Furman was a red hot .388 in the month of May and the phrase “Rake County” looks to be true heading into the month of June as well.

SS Alex Mooney (Lake County): 1-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBIs, BB, GIDP - Both times that Mooney reached base were in the first inning after drawing a walk in his first at-bat and following it up with a two-run homerun later in the frame. He now has a hit in each of the last six games.

1B Ralphy Velasquez (Lynchburg): 3-for-5, 2 R, 2 2Bs, 2 RBIs, SB, DP - The 19-year-old first round pick played hero on Saturday night with a two-run double in the bottom of the tenth to walk off against the Salem Red Sox. His three-hit affair also featured a double in the third and a single that led off the eighth. After some struggles late in the month of May, turning the calendar to June might be the heat source Velasquez needs to get an opportunity in Lake County.

LF Lexar Saduy (Lynchburg): 1-for-4, 2 R, HR, RBI, SB - After falling behind 4-0 in the opening innings, Saduy got the Hillcats (the Skunks as they were known on this day) on the board with a solo homerun, his second of the season. Each of his longballs have come in his last four games. He would spark an offense that brought the game back to even by the end of the fourth inning.

RP Deretd Parra (ACL Guardians): W (2-0), 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BBs, 3 Ks - The 23-year-old was called upon in the seventh to keep the Guardians in striking distance and the team would tie the game after his 1-2-3 frame with a pair of K’s. The regularly scheduled seven-inning contest went to extra and he left the placed baserunner on second base with a groundout, strikeout and groundout to set up the team for the win. Parra has 20 strikeouts in 11.0 innings this year.

3B Jeffrey Mercedes (ACL Guardians): 1-for-3, 2 RBIs, SF - Two run-scoring at-bats for the 19-year-old on the day on top of a base hit as well. His groundout in the sixth inning plated one and he would win the game with a sacrifice fly in the eighth. His single led off the top of the third and he was 90 feet from home with no outs, but the top of the order was unable to execute to secure a run. He has a hit in two of his last three games.

Notable Performances:

3B Raynel Delgado (Columbus): 1-for-4, R, HR, RBI - One swing of the bat changed the dynamic of the day for Delgado as he slugged his second homerun of 2024 on Saturday.

RF Lorenzo Cedrola (Columbus): 2-for-4, R, HBP - Cedrola is 4-for-9 since moving up to the number two slot in the Columbus order and had a pair of hits and was plunked against Lehigh Valley.

RP Nick Mikolajchak (Columbus): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, K, PO - Mikolajchak erased the only baserunner he allowed with a pickoff move at first base.

SP Ryan Webb (Akron): 6.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, BB, 5 Ks, HBP - The right-hander went through the lineup the first time without missing a beat. After nine up, nine down, Webb ran into trouble in the fourth, but a key double play helped him get out of the inning with a tie game. A two-out single in the fifth plated a third run, but he went out there in the sixth and got a 1-2-3 inning.

RP Jack Leftwich (Akron): L (2-3), 3.0 IP, 2 H, R, BB, 6 Ks - Despite receiving the loss, the former University of Florida Gator pitched well after surrendering a homerun to begin his outing. He struck out the side following the long ball and retired six batters on strikes.

C Micael Ramirez (Akron): 2-for-4 - A multi-hit day for Ramirez, the third in the last five games for the RubberDucks backstop.

1B Maick Collado (Lake County): 2-for-5, 2 R, 2 RBIs - Collado recorded a pair of runs batted in during the ten-run first inning and added a second hit later in the game.

RF Jonah Advincula (Lake County): 1-for-3, RBI, 2 BBs - The man who turned the lineup over for the Captains reached base three times with a single and two walks.

RP Jack Jasiak (Lynchburg): W (4-2), 3.0 IP, 3 H, R, 0 ER, 0 BBs, 5 Ks - Upon entering the game in the eighth, Jasiak struck out the side and then forced extras with three straight outs in the ninth. The runner placed on second came around to score, but a baserunning blunder by Salem helped him get out of the tenth without any earned runs on his ledger.

2B Christian Knapczyk (Lynchburg): 1-for-3, R, RBI, BB, SB - Knapczyk reached base twice in the game with a hit and a walk. His single up the middle in the eighth tied the game at five and helped get the team to extra innings.

DH Luis Durango (Lynchburg): 1-for-3, R, 3B, RBI, HBP, SB - Durango legged out a triple that led to a run scored in the fourth and now has hits in two of his first three games upon returning from the injured list.

SP Jogly Garcia (ACL Guardians): 4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, BB, 5 Ks - The starter Garcia retired the first seven batters of the game. A two-out double in the third scored two, but he would work a scoreless fourth before exiting.

RF Barrett Riebock (ACL Guardians): 0-for-1, RBI, SF, BB - The 21-year-old drove the first Guardians run with a sacrifice fly and drew a walk on the day for a couple of productive at-bats.

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Rake County scores 10 runs in one inning, Ralphy Velazquez walks it off for Lynchburg

Cleveland Guardians minor league recap for Thursday, May 30, 2024

By Brian Hemminger@BrianHemminger Jun 2, 2024, 10:30am EDT


Columbus Clippers 6, Lehigh Valley IronPigs 8 (F/10)
Clippers fall to 21-34


Juan Brito led the way offensively in this one, going 3-for-5 with a double and a pair of runs batted in.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1797075490156552602

Jose Tena also reached base safely three times, going 1-for-3 with a pair of walks, as did Lorenzo Cedrola, who went 2-for-4 with a hit by pitch.

Raynel Delgado crushed a home run and Myles Straw went 1-for-4 with a walk.

Starting pitcher Darren McCaughan gave up five runs on six hits in 5 1⁄3 innings. He struck out eight and walked one.

Nick Mikolajchak and Anthony Gose both pitched scoreless innings of relief. Mason Hickman took the loss, giving up two runs (one earned) in the top of the 10th inning after a hit and two walks.


Akron RubberDucks 3, New Hampshire Fisher Cats 4
RubberDucks fall to 29-21


Alexfri Planez was the highlight for Akron offensively. He went 2-for-4 with a triple and a home run.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1797047734202953751

Christian Cairo reached base safely three times, going 1-for-3 with two walks and two stolen bases. Yordys Valdes went 1-for-3 with a walk and Micael Ramirez went 2-for-4.

Starting pitcher Ryan Webb had a quality start, giving up three runs on four hits in six innings with five strikeouts and a walk. Jack Leftwitch finished off the game with three innings, giving up one run on two hits with six strikeouts and a walk.


Lake County Captains 11, Cedar Rapids Kernals 3
Captains improve to 29-21


Rake County jumped all over Cedar Rapids on Saturday, blasting off for 10 runs in the first inning.

After the first three runners reached base, Cooper Ingle blasted off for a grand slam. It was his second grand slam in the past week. He finished the game 3-for-5, raising his OPS to a ridiculous .965.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1797053496761463207

The team batted around, giving leadoff hitter Nate Furman a chance to do some more damage and he smoked a two-run triple. He finished the game 2-for-5 with a triple, a walk and a stolen base.

Alex Mooney then capped off the inning by blasting a two-run home run. He finished the day 1-for-4 with a homer and a walk.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1797057748833546252

The Captains got major contributions from all over the batting order. No. 9 hitter Jonah Advincula went 1-for-3 with two walks. Justin Boyd has started to heat up. The No. 8 hitter went 3-for-5 whiel Maick Collado went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and two runs batted in.

The pitching was rock solid as well. Carter Spivey allowed just one run in six innings on five hits with five strikeouts and a pair of walks.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1797154072274903155

Alan Hernandez closed out the game by striking out the side in the ninth inning.


Lynchburg Hillcats 7, Salem Red Sox 6 (F/10)
Hillcats improve to 28-22


This was a wild one, and Ralphy Valazquez almost single-handedly willed his team to victory. The 2023 first-round pick went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored and two runs batted in, including the game-winning RBI in the bottom of the 10th inning. He also stole a base.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1797093726789018020

Lexer Saduy blasted his second home run of the season just a few days after hitting his first, also stealing a base. Christian Knapczyk went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen basewhile Luis Durango tripled and was hit by a pitch. Jaison Chourio also went 1-for-4 with his 17th stolen base of the season.


ACL Guardians 4, ACL White Sox 3 (F/8)
Guardians improve to 8-12


No players had particularly standout offensive games for the Guardians, but the offense managed one run in the sixth, seventh and then eighth inning to walk it off against the White Sox.

Alberto Mendez doubled while Heribert Silva went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and a stolen base. Jeffrey Mercedez went 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and two runs batted in and Carlos Gutierrez walked twice.

Starting pitcher Jogly Garcia allowed two runs on three hits in four innings. He walked one and struck out five.

Deretd Parra earned the win with two perfect innings of relief, striking out two.

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Curry had an amazing first inning today for the Clippers
Leadoff man HR
Next man up HR
Next guy Double
And then HR
Overall he allowed 4 homers and his ERA moved closer to 10.
Walters with a shutout inning

Offensively:
Noel double and 14th homer
Angel Martinez off the DL, playing CF, 1-4 2 rbi
Tena and Brito both hitless; Valera singled in 5 AB; Myles Straw, remember him? 1-4

That second clip of Ralphy Valazquez going to the opposite field shows some super bat control. This guy is a hitter.

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Yeah, he's hardly a HomeRun or Bust hitter

Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 6/2/24

ARTHUR KINNEY

JUN 3


Scoreboard

Triple-A - Lehigh Valley IronPigs 7, Columbus Clippers 6
Double-A - Akron RubberDucks 7, New Hampshire Fisher Cats 6
High-A - Lake County Captains 8, Cedar Rapids Kernels 1
Single-A - Lynchburg Hillcats 4, Salem Red Sox 1

HIGHLIGHTS

Jhonkensy Noel (Columbus, DH): 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K - Following a rare hitless effort on Saturday, Noel wrapped up a highly successful week at the Corner of Neil and Nationwide with a pair of extra-base hits. The IronPigs pitching staff is probably glad to not have to face him next week, as he went 9-for-22 with a double, two homers, four walks and nine RBI (.409/.500/.727) against them in the recently completed series.

Alexfri Planez (Akron, RF): 4-5, 2 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 E - Planez, whose second double of the afternoon was of the walk-off variety, has started June in incredible fashion, amassing 16 total bases in nine at-bats over the last two days while driving in a quartet of runs. While five extra-base hits (2 2B, 1 3B)> 2 HR) out of six total hits and a .500/.500/1.750 is obviously not a sustainable pace, it;s certainly a sign that Alexfri is capable of more than the .625 OPS he entered the month with.

Kahlil Watson (Akron, 2B): 3-5, 2 R, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 2 K, 1 E - Watson’s first three-hit game since May 22 - which included a game-tying single in the bottom of the ninth - was a pleasantly stark contrast to the 1-for-25 (.040) slump that Kahlil found himself in between the offensive explosions. Hopefully, more consistency on the days he is not absolutely mashing is in his future.

Milan Tolentino (Akron, SS): 2-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K - Tolentino’s third homer of the campaign came at an opportune time for the Mallards of Main Street as it started their three-run ninth-inning rally. While he has had three of his six 2024 two-hit games in his last seven appearances, this has come at the expense of consistency, with Milan going hitless in the other four.

C.J. Kayfus (Lake County, starting 1B): 2-3, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI - Kayfus, who was pulled in the sixth for pinch hitter Zac Fascia, likely in preparation for his impending promotion to Double-A Akron, finished his time in a captains uniform with a bang. While High-A to Double-A is a big jump within the minors, C.J.’s 1.015 OPS with Memorial Day in the rearview mirror clearly indicates that it is one that he is ready for.

Trenton Denholm (Lake County, SP): W (6-1), 5 IP, 6 H, 1 R (earned), 4 K - Denholm backed up his stellar series opener with a near carbon copy in the finale. Between the two contests, he held the Cedar Rapids lineup to two earned runs in 10.2 frames while striking out eight and only walking one. While the ten hits may be a little high, the lack of walks made that total more than acceptable. If he can keep this up, he might be making his own trip to Summit County.

Esteban Gonzalez (Lynchburg, LF): 3-4, 2 R, 1 3B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K, 1 SB - While Gnzalez stayed in the thick of the Carolina League stolen base race by stealing his 22nd base - good for a tie for second begins Carolina Mudcats (Brewers) LF Yhoswar Garcia’s 23, the real story on Sunday was Esteban’s bat. He came within the double of the cycle in a performance that boosted his slugging percentage by 42 points (from .451 to .493).

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Angel Martinez (Columbus, CF): 1-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB - Martinez has hit the ground running post-rehab stint, going a combined 3-for-6 with a run scored, two driven in, and a pair of walks since coming off the Injured List.

Dom Nunez (Columbus, C): 2-3, 2 R, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K - Nunez provided a welcome offensive boost from the eighth spot in the lineup with his third multi-extra-base hit game of the season.

Ray Delgado (Columbus, 3B): 1-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB - Speaking of the bottom of the order, Delgado also had a big day hitting ninth.

Christian Cairo (Akron, 3B): 2-4, 1 K - Cairo has reached safely in eleven of his last twelve games after ethos multi-hit series finale.

Joe Naranjo (Akron, 1B): 2-4, 1 R, 1 K - Naranjo picked up a much-needed multi-hit day in yesterday’s slugfest.

Jonah Advincula (Lake County, CF): 2-4, 1 R, 2 SB - After stealing only three bases in May, Advincula’s pair of Sunday robberies was reminiscent of his seven-theft April.

Nate Furman (Lake County, 3B): 0-2, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K - Furman makes the jump to Double-A on a 17-game on-base streak. While he is virtually certain not to replicate his .338/.417/.500 slash line in Akron, it will be interesting to see how he adjusts to major leap in competition.

Alex Mooney (Lake County, 2B): 0-4, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K - Mooney, who at this time is not headed south on 271, has been similarly impressive this season, posting a .306/.363/.509 slash line with thirty RBI in 42 game.

Jay Driver (Lake County, RP): 1 IP, 2 H, 3 K - Driver’s ERA is now 0.57 as the earned run he allowed in his second outing of the season on April 13 in Fort Wayne remains the only tally he has permitted during the 2024 campaign, earned or otherwise.

Magnus Ellerts (Lake County, RP): 1 IP, 1 BB, 2 K - Ellerts was impressive as usual in a rare low-leverage appearance (first non-save situation for Magnus since May 19).

Angel Genao (Lynchburg, SS): 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B - Genao's 14th double of the season puts him in a tie for second in the Carolina League and only one behind Red Sox LF Nelly Taylor’s league lead.

Ralphy Velazquez (Lynchburg, 1B): 1-4, 1 2B - Velazquez isn’t far behind Genao for the team lead (which he will likely soon have with Genao being rumored to be Eastlake-bound), with his 13 two-baggers placing him in a tie for fourth on the league leaderboard.

Wuilfredo Antunez (Lynchburg, RF): 1-4, 1 3B, 1 SB, 1 CS - Speaking of Carolina League extra-base hit leaderboards, Antunez hit his sixth triple of the 2024 campaign yesterday to go to solo second behind Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs) LF Jacob Wetzel’s seven.

Jackson Humphries (Lynchburg, SP): ND, 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R (earned), 1 BB, 4 K - After a rough mid-May (0 ER in 5 IP between his 5/16 and 5/22 starts), Humphries has allowed only one earned run in 6.2 frames across his last two appearances.

Matt Jachec (Lynchburg, RP): W (2-2), 3 IP, 2 H, 4 K - Jachec is off to a hot start to this summer, not allowing an earned run in 6 innings going back to Memorial Day weekend.

Steven Perez (Lynchburg, RP): S (3), 2 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 3 K - After entering the week with only one save opportunity (which he successfully converted) so far this season, Perez tripled that total this week by earning saves in both of his outings against Salem.


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Jhonkensy Noel hits homer No. 14, Alexfri Planez walks it off for Akron

Cleveland Guardians minor league recap for Monday, June 3, 2024

By Brian Hemminger@BrianHemminger Jun 3, 2024, 10:10am EDT


Columbus Clippers 6, Lehigh Valley IronPigs 7
Clippers fall to 21-35


The Clippers had multiple offensive standouts, hitting six extra-base hits out of their eight hits in total. Jhonkensy Noel led the way, going 2-for-4 with a home run, double and a walk.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1797469545386713265

Dom Nunez went 2-for-3 with two doubles and a walk. Other standouts included Angel Martinez, who went 1-for-4 with a walk, Myles Straw who doubled and walked, and Raynel Delgado, who went 1-for-2 with two walks.

Unfortunately, starting pitcher Xzavion Curry could not avoid the long ball, giving up four home runs out of his six hits allowed, accounting for six runs given up in 4 1⁄3 innings pitched. He walked one and struck out five.

The bullpen was pretty solid, with Andrew Walters tossing a scoreless frame in his second appearance at Triple-A. Tanner Burns added 1 2⁄3 scoreless innings.


Akron RubberDucks 7, New Hampshire Fisher Cats 6
RubberDucks improve to 30-21


Alexfri Planez was the highlight for Akron offensively for the second game in a row. A day after homering, he went 4-for-5 at the dish with another home run and two doubles. His second double walked it off for Akron, which scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to win it.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1797363812187705844

Christian Cairo went 2-for-4, Kahlil Watson went 3-for-5 with two doubles, Milen Tolentino went 2-for-4 with a home run and Joe Naranjo went 2-for-4.

Starting pitcher Doug Nikhazy was stellar, opening the game with five scoreless innings before running into trouble in the sixth. He finished with two runs allowed on five hits and three walks in 5 1⁄3 innings with a pair of strikeouts.

Trey Benton was the lone reliever who was effective, tossing a scoreless inning out of the pen.


Lake County Captains 8, Cedar Rapids Kernals 1
Captains improve to 30-21


Death, taxes and Rake County blasting off against a poor, unsuspecting pitcher.

In his final game as a Captain before being promoted to Double-A, C.J. Kayfus went out with a bang, going 2-for-3 with a double. Nate Furman also is being promoted to Akron and he walked twice in his final game at Lake County.

Jake Fox doubled and walked, as did Jose Devers. Jonah Advincula went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases.

The true highlight of the game was the pitching. Trenton Denholm was outstanding, allowing one run on six hits in five innings while walking none and striking out four.

The bullpen closed the game out with four scoreless innings as Jake Miller, Jay Driver, Zane Morehouse and Magnus Ellerts eached tossed a scoreless frame, adding six more strikeouts and just one walk

https://twitter.com/i/status/1797371660686839887


Lynchburg Hillcats 4, Salem Red Sox 1
Hillcats improve to 28-22


Sunday was the Esteban Gonzalez show. The Lynchburg leadoff hitter went 3-for-4 with a triple and a home run, raising his season OPS to .852. He also stole his 22nd base of the season. He appears to be a player worth keeping an eye on.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1797411997245489382

In his last game before being promoted to High-A, Angel Genao also put on a show, going 2-for-4 with a double. Ralphy Velazquez doubled and Wuilfredo Antunez tripled and stole a base.

Starting pitcher Jackson Humphries bounced back with a strong performance, allowing one run on three hits in four innings while striking out four and walking one.

Steve Jachec and Steven Perez combined for five stellar innings of scoreless long relief, striking out an additional seven batters along the way.

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No one makes the 20 man Hot Prospect list this week

Promotions, as anticipated,:

Angel Genao to Lake County

Nate Furman to Akron
CJ Kayfus to Akron

not as anticipated:
Christian Cairo to Columbus

released:
Joe Naranjo from Akron

placed on the inactive list:
Reynald Delgado from Columbus

2023 3rd round pick Kayfus debuted in AA in style with 2 doubles and a single and 2 rbi in 4 at bats. OPS stands at 2000
Furman 2022 4th rounder debuted with a walk in 5 times at the plate
Petey Halpin walked and single, and 3 K, hitting 255 is tops of the guys on this team since Day 1
A. Planez has been showing some power 1-4 yesterday is at 253 727 Has 7 homers. Also has 7 walks for the season vs 43 strikeouts
Tommy Mace HAD BEEN pitching well, not yesterday: 3 1/3 11 7 7 3 3 ERA still 2.69

Genao's debut delayed due to rain.

His old team Lynchburg
Velazquez triple walk 2 striktous
Chourio day off
Antunez homer single 2 rbi 278/823