Cleveland Baseball Insider

Guardians Farm Report: Nikhazy Sets Career High With 10 Strikeouts In Captains Victory

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

Todd Paquette

In this story:

Full day of action throughout the Cleveland Guardians farm system on Friday as all seven teams playing games.

Triple-A Columbus Clippers

Indianapolis 12 Columbus 7

Indianapolis would put up a nine spot in the third inning knocking out Columbus starter Tobias Myers and essentially sealing the Clippers fate Saturday night. The ugly loss drops Columbus record to 34-25 on the season. 

The Clippers did have some bright spots on offense including Will Brennan reaching base five times on four hits and a walk while knocking in two runs. Brennan over a current five game hitting streak is hitting an insane .650 with six RBI's.

Both Alex Call and Mitchell Tolman would each hit home runs Call a two run shot his sixth on the year and Tolman a solo big fly for his seventh on the season. Nolan Jones would stay hot and his 6-for-10 over his last three games adding two hits including a two-run double.

Top Performers:

  • Will Brennan 4-4 R 2RBI BB 
  • Alex Call 1-3 R HR 2RBI 2BB 
  • Nolan Jones 2-4 2B 2RBI 
  • Mitchell Tolman 1-4 R HR RBI 
  • Will Benson 1-4 2R BB SB 
  • Jake Jewell 1.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 2SO

Double-A Akron RubberDucks

Somerset 6 Akron 0

Akron was completed dominated on Saturday evening by Somerset being shut out on three hits. 

RubberDucks outfielder Julian Escobedo would collect two of those hits with first baseman Micah Pries hitting his eighth double of the season for the third.

Starter Tanner Burns making his second start coming back from a shoulder strain would go two and two thirds innings allowing two runs on two hits while striking out three Patriots.

With the loss the Ducks fall to 31-25 on the season.

Top Performers: 

  • Julian Escobedo 2-4 
  • Micah Pries 1-3 2B 
  • Jonathan Engelmann 0-1 3BB 
  • Daniel Schneemann 0-2 2BB SB 
  • Tanner Burns 2.2(IP) 2H 2R 2ER 0BB 3SO 
  • Brett Daniels 1.1(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1SO

High-A Lake County Captains

Lake County 4 Fort Wayne 0

The only runs in the entire game between both teams would come in the sixth inning on one mammoth home run by Captains Alexfri Planez on a 441-foot grand slam. For Planez it was his third home run of the season two of which have been grand slams. He missed a big chunk of time with a wrist injury earlier in the year but nobody in the Guardians farm system has more power potential outside of teammate Jhonkensy Noel.

Lake County would shut out Fort Wayne on two hits with left-handed starter Doug Nikhazy setting career highs in strikeouts with 10 and innings pitched at six and two thirds. Nikhazy who got off to a slow start of the season picked up his first career win and lowered his ERA to 3.35 on the year. The 22-year-old has 51 strikeouts over 37.1 innings in his first professional season.

The Captains improve to 29-26 on the season looking to take the series finale on Sunday.

Top Performers:

  • Alexfri Planez 2-4 R HR 4RBI SB 
  • Angel Martinez 1-3 R BB 
  • Jhonkensy Noel 1-3 R BB 
  • Ray Delgado 1-4 R 
  • Connor Kokx 1-4 2B 
  • Doug Nikhazy 6.2(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 1BB 10SO (W)

Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats

Fredericksburg 2 Lynchburg 1

Hillcats starter Jack Leftwich was absolutely dealing last night over six innings allowing just one hit walking none and striking out eight Nationals. The only thing that stopped Leftwich from continuing in the game as he was just at 68 pitches through six was a rain delay. 

Unfortunately for Lynchburg they would lose Leftwich, a 1-to-0 lead and the game over the last three innings returning from the delay. With the loss Lynchburg falls to 29-27 on the year losing four of the first five games against Fredericksburg in the road series.

Top Performers:

  • Dayan Frias 1-3 RBI BB 
  • Richard Paz 1-3 BB 
  • Isaiah Greene 1-4 R 
  • Milan Tolentino 1-4 BB 
  • Jack Leftwich 6.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 8SO

Arizona Complex League Guardians

ACL Reds 7 ACL Guardians 3

The ACL Guardians would be their own worst enemy on Saturday night walking 10 batters in the game leading to seven runs in the game for the Reds. After starting the season 3-0 the Guardians have dropped their last two games and are now 3-2 to start the year.

On offense Juan Benjamin would reach base three times on two hits and a walk including his second double of the season. Benjamin has five RBI's and is hitting .400 through his first four games.

Top Performers:

  • Juan Benjamin 2-4 2B RBI BB 
  • Jose Pastrano 1-4 2RBI 
  • Lexer Saduy 1-2 2R 2BB 
  • Angel Contreras 1-2 2BB 
  • Marlin Made 1-3 BB 
  • Frank Alduey 1-4 R B
  • Albert Breton 1.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 1BB 2SO 
  • Steven Perez 1.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1SO

Dominican Summer League Guardians (Blue)

DSL Guardians (Blue) 9 DSL Guardians (Red) 4

The Cleveland Guardians organization has two Dominican Summer League teams and Saturday marked the second time this year they would face off against each other. The Red squad took the win the first time they squared off but the Blue team would take the second match winning 9-to-4 and improve to 4-2 on the season.

Jose Cedeno would continue his impressive start to his pro-career reaching base six times in the game going 2-for-2 walking four times scoring once and driving in his ninth RBI already on the 2022 season.

Erickson Sarita would lead the way driving in three runs in the game for the Blue squad on three hits. Lead off man Jose Gomez also had a nice game reaching base four times scoring twice on three walks and one base hit and stealing his first base on the year.

Guardians Blue starter Austin Aldeano would make his second start of the week throwing four scoreless innings in each outing. Aldeano struck out four in the game Saturday and now has nine strikeouts to start the season over his eight scoreless frames.

Top Performers:

  • Jose Cedeno 2-2 R RBI 4BB
  • Erickson Sarita 3-5 R 3RBI BB
  • Jose Gomez 1-3 2R 3BB SB
  • Alberto Mendez 1-3 2R 2B 3BB
  • Austin Aldeano 4.0(IP) 3H 0R 0ER 2BB 4SO

Dominican Summer League Guardians (Red)

DSL Guardians (Blue) 9 DSL Guardians (Red) 4

The DSL Guardians Red squad walked 15 batters in the game in a losing effort and fall to 3-3 to start the season.

On offense outfielder Christopher Espinola drove in two runs in the game reaching base four times on a couple hits and two walks. Fellow outfielder Ronald Pena would collect two hits and an RBI including his second double on the season. Pena is off to a strong start to his year hitting .556 over his first four games and has reached base 12 times good for a .765 OBP.

Top Performers:

  • Christopher Espinola 2-3 R 2RBI 2BB
  • Ronald Pena 2-3 2B RBI BB
  • Pedro Hernandez 1-3 R 2BB
  • Yanki Jean-Baptiste 1-4 R 2B BB

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Todd Paquette
TODD PAQUETTE

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