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Guardians Farm Report: Nikhazy Falls One Out Shy Of No-Hitter Striking Out A Career High 11 for Lake County

Here is a recap of what happened with the Guardians minor league teams last night

Todd Paquette

In this story:

All seven of the Cleveland Guardians minor league teams were in action on Saturday including a doubleheader for High-A Lake County.

Triple-A Columbus Clippers

Nashville 6 Columbus 2

Nashville's domination over Columbus continued Saturday night with the Clippers dropping their fifth straight game at home to the Sounds.

The Sounds would plate three of their six runs in the first off reliever Aaron Pinto who opened the game for the Clippers in a bullpen game. The team would use seven relievers in all during the contest.

Clippers catcher David Fry and right fielder Alex Call would provide all the offense as they would be the only two players to collect hits in the game.

Call would have a terrific game at the plate going 4-for-4 with two doubles scoring one run. He is now hitting .283 on the year with a .922 OPS over 68 games on the season.

Fry would collect two hits in the contest including a solo HR in the second inning. He now has 13 homeruns and 52 RBI's on the year.

The loss drops the Columbus to 46-37 on the season.

Top Performers:

  • David Fry 2-4 R HR RBI 
  • Alex Call 4-4 R 2(2B) 
  • Will Benson 0-3 BB 
  • Tim Herrin 1.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 3SO 
  • Adam Scott 1.1(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 2BB 2SO

Double-A Akron RubberDucks

Akron 7 Altoona 3

RubberDucks starter Tanner Burns would fall one out short of picking up the win Saturday as he would hit his pitch count after throwing four and two thirds' inning. Burns would allow just one run to Altoona on four hits while allowing three walks and striking out seven.

Left fielder Julian Escobedo would give Akron an early 2-to-1 lead in the fourth inning on a two-run home run his fourth of the season.

With the Ducks now up 4-to-1 in the seventh inning shortstop Jose Tena would provide an insurance run crushing his fifth long ball of the year over the right field wall. The home run for Tena was his second over his last three games for Akron.

Akron would hold onto win by the final of 7-to-3 and improve their record to 44-35 on the year.

Top Performers:

  • Julian Escobedo 2-4 R HR 2RBI 
  • Jose Tena 2-5 R 2B HR RBI 
  • Brayan Rocchio 2-3 R BB 
  • Chris Roller 2-4 R RBI 
  • Ray Delgado 2-4 R 
  • Tanner Burns 4.2(IP) 4H 1R 1ER 3BB 7SO 
  • Zach Hart 2.1(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 2BB 3SO (W)

High-A Lake County Captains

Fort Wayne 3 Lake County 2 (Game 1)

Cleveland Guardians 22-year-old left-handed pitching prospect Doug Nikhazy would come one strike away of throwing a seven-inning no-hitter vs Fort Wayne in game one of a doubleheader Saturday. 

After walking the first batter in the seventh Nikhazy would record back-to-back strikeouts. Needing one more out he would induce a groundball to third baseman Gabriel Rodriguez on an 0-2 count. Rodriguez would look to get the lead runner at second base, but Milan Tolentino would fail to get over in time to cover the bag and Rodriguez would double clutch and have to throw to first. The mental lapse by Tolentino would lead the TinCaps first hit as the batter would beat Rodriguez's throw and was called safe.

Now with the no-hitter gone and still needing just one more out for the complete game shutout win Nikhazy would give up a single to right field as Fort Wayne would score their first run.

He would be removed from the game for reliever Alaska Abney. The TinCaps would tie the game without a hit as catcher Mike Amditis was charged with a passed ball allowing the runner to score from third. The run would be charged to Nikhazy. Abney would get Lake County out of the inning now tied at 2-to-2.

Nikhazy would end up with a no-decision throwing six and two thirds inning allowing two runs only one earned on two hits while striking out a career high 11 batters. 

Now in extra innings the Captains would fail to score in the top of the eighth inning with the runner starting on second base. The TinCaps would take advantage as Abney still in the game would allow a single and a walk to load the bases with nobody out. Abney would walk the next batter handing Fort Wayne a 3-to-2 win on a walk-off walk.

The heartbreaking would drop Lake County's record to 41-38 on the year.

Lake County's two-runs in the contest came off the bat of shortstop Angel Martinez in the third inning as he would hit a two-run homerun his eighth big fly of the season.

Top Performers:

  • Angel Martinez 1-4 R HR 2RBI 
  • Petey Halpin 2-4 
  • Johnathan Rodriguez 1-3 BB 
  • Connor Kokx 1-3 2B 
  • Doug Nikhazy 6.2(IP) 2H 2R 1ER 3BB 11SO

Fort Wayne 6 Lake County 2 (Game 2)

Game two was all Fort Wayne as Lake County would fail to recover after the tough luck loss in game one.

The only two runs the Captains would plate in the contest came off the bat of Milan Tolentino who hit his first home run in High-A ball with Lake County on a two-run blast in the third inning. The homerun was Tolentino's second overall on the season.

Right fielder Alexfri Planez who did not play in game one did extend his hitting streak to 20 straight games with a single in the third inning. The hitting streak is currently the longest in the Midwest League this season as well as the longest in the Guardians farm system.

The doubleheader sweep drops the Captains record to 41-39 on the year.

Top Performers:

  • Milan Tolentino 1-3 R HR 2RBI BB 
  • Micael Ramirez 1-2 BB 
  • Quentin Holmes 1-3 R 
  • Alexfri Planez 1-3 
  • Gabriel Rodriguez 1-3 
  • Brauny Munoz 4.0(IP) 3H 2R 2ER 3BB 2SO

Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats

Fredericksburg 10 Lynchburg 6

Guardians 23-year-old left-handed pitching prospect Ryan Webb made his Hillcats debut on Saturday after making four starts in the Arizona Complex League. 

Webb would allow two runs on five hits walking two and striking out two over three and third innings against the Nationals.

Webb the organizations 2021 fourth round pick is coming off TJ surgery and still is on a limited pitch count. 

First baseman Will Bartlett would lead the way on offense driving in three runs one a pair of hits including his 17th double of the season. Lynchburg's center fielder Jake Fox would remain red hot at the plate collecting two more hits including a double of his own.

Tied 6-to-6 in the eighth inning Fredericksburg would score four times off reliever Miguel Vinicio on three hits and a walk. Vinicio just returning from TJ surgery himself would be charged with the loss.

Lynchburg drops back to .500 on the year at 40 wins and 40 losses.

Top Performers:

  • Will Bartlett 2-5 R 2B 3RBI 
  • Jake Fox 2-5 R 2B 
  • Dayan Frias 2-5 2B RBI 
  • Jorge Burgos 2-3 2R 2BB 
  • Isaiah Greene 1-3 R 2BB 
  • Sergio Morillo 1.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 3SO

Arizona Complex League Guardians

ACL Reds 6 ACL Guardians 4

Tied 3-to-3 in the eighth inning the ACL Guardians would allow three runs to the Reds as they would take a 6-to-3 lead. The Guardians would plate one run of their own in the bottom half of the inning but would be held scoreless in the ninth losing by a final of 6-to-4.

On offense 20-year-old left fielder Sterling Romero led the way with two hits extending his current hitting streak to six straight games. Romero would score once and steal a base as well.

The loss drops the ACL Guardians record to 16-9 on the season.

Top Performers:

  • Robert Lopez 1-2 R 2B RBI BB 
  • Sterling Romero 2-4 R SB 
  • Angel Mendoza 1-3 3B RBI 
  • Maick Collado 1-4 R 2B 
  • Marlin Made 1-4 R RBI 
  • Abel Brito 5.0(IP) 4H 3R 3ER 1BB 4SO

Dominican Summer League Guardians (Blue)

DSL Guardians (Blue) 7 DSL Royals (Stewart) 6

The DSL Guardians would get a walk-off win Saturday on a wild pitch allowing center fielder Moises Molero to score from third base.

Luis Garcia would earn his third win on the season throwing three innings allowing one unearned run and striking out three in relief.

The win moves the DSL Guardians (Blue) squad back to .500 on the year at 13-13.

Top Performers:

  • Jeffrey Mercedes 1-2 2R 2B 2BB 
  • Jose Cedeno 1-4 R 2B RBI 
  • Moises Molero 1-3 R RBI BB SB 
  • Carlos Gutierrez 1-4 RBI BB 
  • Erickson Sarita 1-3 R RBI 
  • Luis Garcia 3.0(IP) 3H 1R 0ER 1BB 3SO (W)

Dominican Summer League Guardians (Red)

DSL Red Sox (Blue) 19 DSL Guardians (Red) 7

The DSL Guardians (Red) team falls to 8-18 on the season as their pitching woes continued allowing 19 runs to the Red Sox on 14 hits and eight walks in the contest. 

The offense did manage to score seven runs led by left fielder Miguel Lopez who would reach base three times driving in three runs on two hits including a triple and a walk.

Top Performers:

  • Miguel Lopez 2-3 R 3B 3RBI BB 
  • Emerson Purroy 1-2 2R RBI 2BB 
  • Yefri Rivera 3-4 SB 
  • Jaison Chourio 2-4 R BB 
  • Diovel Mariano 2.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 1SO

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Todd Paquette
TODD PAQUETTE

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