Cleveland Baseball Insider

Guardians Farm Report: Leftwich Strikes Out A Career High 11 Batters In Dominate Start For Lake County

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

Todd Paquette

In this story:

Six of the Cleveland Guardians seven minor league teams were in action on Tuesday with Double-A Akron having their game at Bowie postponed by rain.

Triple-A Columbus Clippers

Indianapolis 5 Columbus 2

Guardians top left-handed pitching prospect Logan Allen made his third start for Columbus Tuesday night after being recently promoted from Akron. For Allen the start resulted in mix results as he would look dominate at times striking out nine throwing 70.5% strikes but also walked five giving up three runs over just four and two thirds' innings. He would make an early exit with his pitch count reaching 95 pitches in the fifth inning.

The Clippers would trail in the ninth inning 5-to-1 with the team's offense only collecting four hits up to this point in the contest off Indians pitching. 

Down to their final out Columbus shortstop Gabriel Arias would launch a solo homerun to right field making it a 5-to-2 game. The home run for Arias would be his fifth long ball of the season.

Indianapolis would put any comeback attempt to bed getting Bo Naylor to ground out to second base in the next at bat and hold onto win the opening game of the series.

The loss drops Columbus record to 47-38 on the year.

Top Performers:

  • Gabreil Arias 1-4 R HR RBI 
  • Tyler Freeman 1-4 RBI 
  • Trenton Brooks 1-3 R 2B 
  • Richie Palacios 1-2 2BB SB 
  • Bo Naylor 1-4 
  • Logan Allen 4.2(IP) 5H 3R 3ER 5BB 9SO 
  • Tim Herrin 2.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 2SO

Double-A Akron RubberDucks

Akron @ Bowie

High-A Lake County Captains

Lake County 1 Dayton 0

Lake County and Dayton would be locked up in a pitching duel on Tuesday with the Captains and starter Jack Leftwich coming out on top.

Leftwich making just his second start with Lake County since his promotion from Lynchburg dominated the Dragons striking out a career high 11 batters over six scoreless innings allowing just two hits while not walking a single batter.

In two starts now for the Captains Leftwich has yet to allow a run over 12.1 innings pitched giving up a measly three hits and striking out 15 batters. On the season he is now 6-2 with a 1.98 ERA with 99 strikeouts over 72.2 innings pitched.

Lake County's lone run would come off the bat of Alexfri Planez in the third inning as he would drive home teammate Connor Kokx from third base after he had walked earlier in the inning. 

For Planez the RBI base hit would extend his hitting streak to a Midwest League and Guardians organizational best on the season to 22 straight games.

Lake County's right-handed reliever Davis Sharpe would close out the game with a two inning save striking out three allowing just one hit. The save was Sharpe's first with the Captains.

The series opening win over the Dragons improves the Captains record to 43-39 on the year.

Top Performers:

  • Alexfri Planez 1-4 RBI 
  • Joe Naranjo 1-3 BB 
  • Micael Ramirez 1-3 
  • Connor Kokx 0-2 R BB SB 
  • Jack Leftwich 6.0(IP) 2H 0R 0ER 0BB 11SO (W) 
  • Davis Sharpe 2.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 3SO (SV)

Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats

Charleston 10 Lynchburg 4 (Six Innings rain shortened)

Lynchburg's starter Trenton Denholm who had been pitching really well with a 2.30 ERA over his last eight starts coming into tonight would get hit hard early and often against Charleston. 

Denholm would allow nine runs in total on 12 hits with six of the runs being earned over his four innings of work. 

The Hillcats were down 10-to-0 in the sixth inning when they would finally get on the board plating four runs in the inning including back-to-back RBI doubles by shortstop Dayan Frias and catcher Joe Donovan. 

With the score now 10-to-4 heading into the seventh inning the game would go into a rain delay and eventually be called handing Charleston a rain shortened victory.

The loss for Lynchburg puts their record at 40-42 on the season.

Top performers:

  • Isaiah Greene 2-3 R 
  • Dayan Frias 1-3 R 2B RBI 
  • Joe Donovan 1-3 2B RBI 
  • Yordys Valdes 1-3 RBI 
  • Will Bartlett 1-3 R 
  • Yeury Gervacio 1.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1SO

Arizona Complex League Guardians

ACL Guardians 5 ACL Brewers (Blue) 3

The storyline for the ACL Guardians usually revolves around the team's terrific offense but Tuesday night the pitching would take center stage.

The game would start off with the Guardians pitching prospect Cody Morris making his 2022 debut in a rehab appearance. Morris scheduled to pitch just one inning returning from a (lat strain) injury that had kept him out all year would throw a scoreless first striking out two Brewers batters. 

Alonzo Richardson who came into the game leading the league in ERA at 2.05 on the season would hold the Brewers to just one run over the next five innings on five hits while striking out three.

Richardson who would have started the game if not for the Morris rehab appearance would pick up his fourth win of the season and lower his ERA to an even 2.00 on the year.

The ACL Guardians offense would put up five runs on the night on seven hits led by catcher Manuel Mejias and center fielder Wuilfredo Antunez. Mejias would drive home two of the teams runs on the night going 1-for-4 with a double while Antunez would hit a solo home run his third on the season.

The ACL Guardians are now an impressive 18-9 on the season.

Top Performers:

  • Manuel Mejias 1-4 R 2B 2RBI 
  • Wuilfredo Antunez 1-5 R HR RBI 
  • Sterling Romero 1-4 2R SB 
  • Angel Genao 2-5 SB 
  • Maick Collado 1-4 BB 
  • Alonzo Richardson 5.0(IP) 5H 1R 1ER 0BB 3SO (W) 
  • Cody Morris 1.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 2SO (Rehab)

Dominican Summer League Guardians (Blue)

DSL Guardians (Blue) 9 DSL Astros (Blue) 6

The DSL Guardians (Blue) squad move to 15-13 on the season getting another strong start out of 18-year-old RHP Evelio Hernandez.

Hernandez pitching in his first professional season would strike out seven over four innings allowing three unearned runs on just two hits to lower his ERA to 1.06 on the year.

On offense the team was led by 17-year-old Alberto Mendez who would reach base five times in the contest going 4-for-4 with a triple and a walk. Mendez would score twice and drive in two of the teams nine runs.

Guardians 18-year-old right-handed reliever Julio Zapata would close out the game earning a two inning save to seal the victory.

Top Performers: 

  • Alberto Mendez 4-4 2R 3B 2RBI BB 
  • Oscar Cedeno 2-5 R RBI 
  • Samuel Parra 2-5 RBI 
  • Luis Aparicio 1-5 R 2B RBI 
  • Jose Cedeno 1-1 BB 
  • Evelio Hernandez 4.0(IP) 2H 3R 0ER 0BB 7SO 
  • Julio Zapata 2.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 1SO

Dominican Summer League Guardians (Red)

DSL Guardians (Red) 9 DSL Red Sox (Blue) 8

The 8-19 DSL Guardians (Red) team would face off against the 23-4 Red Sox (Blue) squad on Monday and hand them their fifth loss of the season. Surprisingly the Guardians (Red) have handed the Red Sox (Blue) team two of their five losses on the season.

On offense second baseman Emerson Purroy would hit a 2-run home run in a five run seventh inning for the Guardians. The homerun was Purroy's first of his career.

Center fielder Jaison Chourio remained red hot at the plate with two more hits and two RBI's. Chourio is 7-for-12 over his last three games driving in five runs. He is now hitting .319 on the season with a .500 OBP over 19 games.

The DSL Guardians (Red) victory improves their record to 9-19 on the season.

Top Performers:

  • Emerson Purroy 1-4 2R HR 2RBI BB 
  • Jaison Chourio 2-4 R 2RBI SB 
  • Alex Parades 1-4 R 3B 2RBI SB 
  • Pedro Hernandez 1-3 R RBI 2BB 
  • Kevin Rivas 1-2 R BB SB 
  • Ronald Pena 1-2 R 2B 
  • Robert Cruz 2.1(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 2SO

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Read More:

Is There Some Hostility Growing Between The Guardians And White Sox?

Guardians Back In Win Column, Start Homestand With 8-4 Victory Over White Sox

Guardians Vs. White Sox Series Preview: Guardians Return Home After Rough Road Trip

Guardians Standout Player Of The Week: July 11

Guardians Farm Report: Planez Extends Hitting Streak To 21 Games With Clutch HR For Lake County

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Todd Paquette
TODD PAQUETTE

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