Guardians Farm Report: Rodriguez Homers Again In The Captains Win Over The Cubs

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

Todd Paquette | Jul 31, 2022

In this story:

Cleveland Guardians

Five of the Cleveland Guardians seven minor league teams were in action on Saturday. The organizations Arizona Rookie League team was postponed by lightening while the Dominican Summer League (Blue) squad had their game suspended by rain.

Triple-A Columbus Clippers

Louisville 3 Columbus 2

Columbus lost a heartbreaker Saturday night after tying the game up at 2-to-2 in the top of the ninth inning only to lose on a walk-off base hit in the bottom half of the inning.

Clippers starter Peyton Battenfield had a nice bounce back start from a rough last outing. Battenfield went six innings only allowing two runs on just four hits while striking out three Bats hitters on the night.

#Guardians 24yr old RHP prospect Peyton Battenfield with a nice bounce back start tonight for Columbus against Louisville.

Line - 6.0(IP) 4H 2R 2ER 2BB 3SO (93 Pitches 56 Strikes)@PBattenfield @CLBClippers #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/JYAACcOwTn
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 31, 2022

On offense Will Brennan stayed red hot reaching base four more times on three hits and a walk including a triple. For Brennan he extended his hitting streak to 10 straight games. He is now hitting .343 with Columbus over 52 games.

#Guardians 24yr old OF prospect Will Brennan Will Brennan extended his current hitting streak to 10 straight games reaching base 4x going (3-4 R 3B BB) tonight for Columbus.

During streak:

15-39 5R 2(2B) 1(3B) 2HR 13RBI 2BB 2SB .385 AVG@Silly_Willy18 @CLBClippers #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/AtdOos0m36
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 31, 2022

Tyler Freeman was able to extend his on-base streak to 13 straight games finishing 1-for-5 with a run in the game. Freeman is hitting .423 with a .508 OBP during the streak. Will Benson also extended his hitting streak to 12 straight going 1-for-5 at the plate. Benson has a .404 AVG with a .456 OBP over the 12 games.

The loss drops the Clippers record to 55-42 on the year.

Top Performers:

Will Brennan 3-4 R 3B BB
Gabriel Arias 1-3 2RBI BB
Oscar Mercado 2-3 BB SB
Bo Naylor 1-4 SB
Tyler Freeman 1-5 R
Payten Battenfield 6.0(IP) 4H 2R 2ER 2BB 3SO

Double-A Akron RubberDucks

Akron 4 Harrisburg 3

The Harrisburg Senators scored one run in the top of the eighth inning to tie the game at three runs apiece. Akron would respond however with a clutch two out base hit off the bat of Jhonkensy Noel that would score the go ahead and eventual game winning run from second base.

#Guardians 21yr INF/OF prospect Jhonkensy Noel drives in the go ahead run in the bottom of the 8th inning for Akron giving a 4-to-3 lead over Harrisburg. Noel is now 2-for-4 with 2 RBI's on the night.@jhonkensy15 @AkronRubberDuck #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/tDVQl47mol
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 31, 2022

Ducks RHP Thomas Ponticelli would stay on for a second inning of relief and pick up the win holding the Senators scoreless in the ninth inning. The win improves the Rubberducks record to 50-43 on the season.

For Akron LHP Joey Cantillo made his first start in over a month and picked up right where he left off throwing three scoreless frames allowing just one hit while striking out four on the night. Cantillo lowered his ERA to a ridiculous 1.93 on the season. He's only given up 38 hits in 60.2 innings pitched on the year.

#Guardians 22yr old LHP prospect Joey Cantillo picked up right where he left off making his 1st start in over a month tonight for Akron!

Line -3.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 2BB 4SO (49 Pitches 31 Strikes)

Season - 60.2(IP) 38H 17R 13ER 28 BB 87SO 1.93 ERA@joeyycantillo #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/x3jL9s2Rlf
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 31, 2022

Top Performers:

Jhonkensy Noel 2-4 2RBI
Brayan Rocchio 2-4 2R 2B
Oscar Gonzalez 1-3 R RBI BB (Rehab)
George Valera 1-3 R BB
Joey Cantillo 3.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 2BB 4SO
Manuel Alvarez 2.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1SO

High-A Lake County Captains

Lake County 7 South Bend 2

Lake County would take a 4-to-0 lead in the first inning and never look back taking down South Bend and improve to 51-42 on the season.

The big blow in the four run first came off the bat of 22-year-old Johnathan Rodriguez who would absolutely crush a three-run home run to dead center over the batter's eye. For Rodriguez it was his 14th long ball of the year now doubling his previous career high of seven from 2021 in 16 less games.

Rodriguez has been on an absolute tear in his breakout season over his last 27 games he's hitting .367 with 10 doubles 12 home runs and 28 runs driven in. On the year overall now he's hitting .283 with a .870 OPS over 66 games played.

#Guardians 22yr old OF prospect Johnathan Rodriguez with a monster 3-run HR for Lake County in the 1st inning to center field that cleared the batter's eye! The HR was Rodriguez's now 14th of the season. @jjrodz55 @LCCaptains #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/kL7E6wRF2c
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 30, 2022

The other offensive star for the Captains on the night was 20-year-old Milan Tolentino who launched his second home run of the season with Lake County and third home run overall in the ninth inning of the game topping off his big night.

Tolentino stuffed the stat line collecting two hits, two walks while scoring three times, driving in a run and stealing tow bags.

#Guardians 20yr INF prospect Milan Tolentino with a big game tonight including this solo bomb in the 9th inning for Lake County! The HR was Tolentino's 2nd w/ the Captains & 3rd overall on the year. He finished (2-3 3R HR RBI 2BB 2SB) on the night.@milantolentino #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/EkDNfIisP6
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 31, 2022

The bullpen duo of Davis Sharpe and Mason Hickman would through four and a third scoreless innings of relief with Sharpe picking up the win.

Top Performers:

Milan Tolentino 2-3 3R HR RBI 2BB 2SB
Johnathan Rodriguez 2-5 R HR 3RBI
Alexfri Planez 1-4 R 2RBI
Gabriel Rodriguez 2-4 R
Joe Naranjo 1-4 R
Davis Sharpe 2.1(IP) 2H 0R 0ER 0BB 1SO (W)
Mason Hickman 2.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 2BB 3SO

Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats

Delmarva 5 Lynchburg 4

Lynchburg's struggles continued Saturday as the team is playing shorthanded with multiple players inactive due to covid.

Hillcats catcher Joe Donovan did his best to keep the team in the game driving home two runs in the contest on a double and a home run. The home run was Donovan's fourth of the season.

#Guardians 23yr old (C) prospect Joe Donovan with a solo blast in the 4th inning tonight for Lynchburg! The HR for Donovan was his 4th long ball on the season. @LynHillcats #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/H70RiekdKP
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 31, 2022

The Hillcats actually held a 4-to-2 lead after five innings but were blanked over the final four frames as the Shorebirds would come back and outscore them 3-to-0 in that span to take the win.

The loss drops Lynchburg to 46-49 on the season.

Top Performers:

Joe Donovan 2-4 R 2B HR 2RBI
Yordys Valdes 2-4 R
Isaiah Greene 1-4 RBI SB
Lexer Saduy 1-4 R
Victor Planchart 1-4 R
Miguel Vinicio 1.1(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 3SO

Dominican Summer League Guardians (Red)

DSL Guardians (Red) 8 DSL Marlins 2 (6 Innings)

The DSL Guardians (Red) team was able to end their losing streak Saturday in a rain shortened affair with the Marlins. The win improved the teams record to just 11-29 on the year.

In the game 18-year-old INF/OF prospect Yefri Rivera extended his hitting streak to 11 straight games going 1-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and a stolen base. He also has reached base now in 16 straight games.

#Guardians 18yr old switch-hitting INF/OF prospect Yefri Rivera extended his hitting streak to 11 straight games on Saturday in the Dominican Summer League going (1-3 RBI SB) against the Marlins.

During hitting streak:

14-39 8R 2(2B) 5RBI 2BB 5SB .359 AVG .405 OBP#ForTheLand
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 31, 2022