Cleveland Baseball Insider

Guardians Farm Report: Valera Homers in Second Straight Game For Akron

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

Todd Paquette

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Tough night for the Cleveland Guardians farm system Friday night as all four full-season minor league affiliate clubs would go down in defeat.

Triple-A Columbus Clippers

St. Paul 6 Columbus 5

Columbus was trailing 3-to-1 in the bottom of the third inning with one out when Will Benson would step up and launch a solo home run to center field. The home run for Benson was his 10th of the season for the Clippers. With the home run Benson became the first player in the Guardians farm system to have both double-digit totals in home runs 10 and stolen bases 13 on the 2022 season.

Still with just one out in the third inning after the Benson home run Tyler Freeman would walk followed be Franmil Reyes playing in his third rehab game would reach on an error. Will Brennan would connect on his second RBI double of the game scoring Freeman and tying the game at three runs apiece. Brennan now has 20 doubles and 57 RBI's on the season in just 56 games played between Akron and Columbus. 

St, Paul would add three runs one in the fourth and two in the ninth and hold a 6-to-3 lead needing just three more outs to secure victory.

The Clippers would plate two runs in the ninth inning on a RBI groundout by Will Benson and a two out base hit by Tyler Freeman cutting the Saints lead to 6-to-5. The rally would fall short as Nolan Jones would ground out to third following Freeman for the last out of the game.

With the loss Columbus falls to 37-27 on the season.

Top Performers:

  • Will Benson 1-4 R HR 2RBI 
  • Will Brennan 2-4 2(2B) 2RBI 
  • Tyler Freeman 2-4 R RBI BB 
  • Trenton Brooks 1-3 R 2B BB 
  • Franmil Reyes 1-3 R (Rehab)
  • Nic Enright 1.0(IP) 1H 0ER 0BB 2SO 
  • Andrew Misiaszek 1.0(IP) 0H 0ER 0BB 1SO

Double-A Akron RubberDucks

Hartford 4 Akron 2

Akron would draw first blood in the contest on a solo home run by George Valera in the second inning. With the home run Valera has now homered in back-to-back games for the RubberDucks and now has 11 total on the season.

Over his last 27 games for the Ducks Valera has hit for a .357 average with nine home runs and 31 RBI's. He is now hitting .292 on the season and has a .925 OPS.

Moving onto the top of the sixth inning with the game tied at 1-to-1 the recently promoted Ray Delgado would line a base hit up the middle scoring Julian Escobedo to give the RubberDucks a 2-to-1 lead.

Akron starter Xzavion Curry was cruising along until he allowed a double to start the bottom of the sixth inning then coughed up a two run home run to the next batter. Just like that Hartford now had a 3-to-2 lead. They would add another run against Curry in the inning before he was removed with two outs finishing his night.

The Yard Goats would hold the Ducks scoreless the final three innings and hold onto win by the final score of 4-to-2.

The loss snaps a four-game winning streak for Akron and drops their record to 35-26 on the year.

Top Performers:

  • George Valera 1-3 R HR RBI BB 
  • Brayan Rocchio 2-4 2B 
  • Julian Escobedo 1-3 R BB SB 
  • Ray Delgado 1-4 RBI 
  • Xzavion Curry 5.2(IP) 6H 4R 4ER 2BB 4SO 
  • Thomas Ponticelli 2.1(IP) 2H 0R 0ER 0BB 0SO

High-A Lake County Captains

Beloit 11 Lake County 1

This game would be all about one player and unfortunately for Lake County he played on the opposing team.

The Sky Carps second baseman Cody Morissette would go off hitting three home runs in the game and finish with six RBI's on four hits in all.

Captains starter Rodney Boone would struggle making his second start with the team allowing five runs in just three and two thirds of an inning before being removed. The bullpen did not fair much better.

The lone bright spot for Lake County came on an Alexfri Planez solo home run in the second inning. For Planez it was his fourth home run over his last nine games. He has now driven in 13 runs over that same time period.

Lake County could only muster two hits total in the game against Beloit pitching and fall to 31-29 on the year with the lopsided loss.

Top Performers:

  • Alexfri Planez 1-4 R HR RBI 
  • Aaron Bracho 1-3 
  • Trey Benton 1.1(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1SO

Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats

Down East 3 Lynchburg 1

Hillcats starter Jack Leftwich coming off being named the Carolina League pitcher of the week looked dominant once again. Leftwich would allow just one run on three hits over five and two thirds' innings while striking out eight Wood Ducks in the game.

Leftwich has been outstanding in his first professional season putting up a team leading 70 strikeouts in just 48.0 innings pitched with a 2.06 ERA.

Unfortunately for Leftwich and Lynchburg the offense would struggle to put any runs on the board. Tied and 1-to-1 in the top of the ninth inning Down East would plate two runs on reliever Samuel Vasquez to take a 3-to-1 lead.

The Hillcats in the bottom of the ninth inning would go down in order and take the loss falling to 31-30 on the season.

Top Performers:

  • Jordan Brown 2-3 R 2B 
  • Wilfri Peralta 1-3 RBI 
  • Isaiah Greene 2-4 SB 
  • Jorge Burgos 1-4 
  • Jack Leftwich 5.2(IP) 3H 1R 1ER 0BB 8SO 
  • Juan Zapata 2.1(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 4SO

Arizona Complex League Guardians

ACL Brewers (Gold) 5 ACL Guardians 0

The Arizona Complex League Guardians would suffer only their third loss of the season Friday night being blanked on just four hits by the ACL Brewers (Gold) squad.

An Interesting note on the season in the teams first nine games is that when top young shortstop prospect Angel Genao has played this year the team in undefeated at 6-0. In the three games he has not played they are 0-3. Genao has a 43 game on base streak dating back to last year and is off to an outstanding start in the ACL in 2022.

Top Performers: 

  • Juan Benjamin 1-3 2B BB 
  • Lexer Saduy 1-2 BB 
  • Jose Devers 1-2 BB 
  • Marlin Made 1-4 
  • Brian Eichhorn 2.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 3SO 
  • Adrian Rodriguez 1.1(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 1BB 2SO

Dominican Summer League Guardians (Blue)

DSL Guardians (Blue) 7 DSL Astros (Orange) 3 (Completion of 6/16/22 game)

The DSL Guardians (Blue) squad would complete their game from Thursday with the DSL Astros (Orange) that was suspended by rain and lightening.

Catcher David Leon would lead the way on offense going 3-for-4 with a coupe of doubles and an RBI scoring twice. Second baseman Guielle Borrome would also have a nice game platting two runs on two hits including a double.

18-year-old Evelio Hernandez started the game making his professional debut and allow just one hit over three scoreless innings of work.

Luis Garcia would earn the win starting the game when it resumed Friday and look impressive. Garcia struck out seven and allowed just one hit over his four scoreless innings of work.

The DSL Guardians (Blue) squad improved to 5-4 with the win.

Top Performers: 

  • David Leon 3-4 2R 2(2B) RBI 
  • Guielle Borrome 2-3 R 2B 2RBI 
  • Alberto Mendez 1-4 2RBI BB 
  • Jeffrey Mercedes 1-4 R 2B SB 
  • Evelio Hernandez 3.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 1BB 1SO 
  • Luis Garcia 4.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 7SO (W)

DSL Guardians (Blue) 9 DSL Astros (Orange) 5 

In the DSL Guardians (Blue) teams regularly scheduled game for Friday the would get yet another strong start from Austin Aldeano. Aldeano who just turned 18 two weeks ago would go five innings just allowing one run while walking none and striking out five.

Over his first three starts on the season he has a 0.69 ERA allowing just one run over 13.0 innings pitched. 

On offense the team would put up nine runs behind outfielder Samuel Parra's three hits including two doubles and an RBI. Center fielder Jose Gomez would extend his hitting streak to 8 straight games to start his career adding two more hits Friday with a triple and two RBI's.

The DSL Guardians (Blue) move to 6-4 on the season with the win.

Top Performers:

  • Samuel Parra 3-4 2R 2(2B) RBI 
  • Jose Gomez 2-4 3B 2RBI 
  • Nelson Aranguren 1-4 R 2B 2RBI 
  • Jose Cedeno 2-4 R 
  • Guielle Borrome 1-3 R BB SB 
  • Austin Aldeano 5.0(IP) 6H 1R 1ER 0BB 5SO

Dominican Summer League Guardians (Red)

DSL Guardians (Red) 11 DSL Astros 5 (Blue) 10 innings

Believe it or not this game was actually tied at 4-to-4 after regulation and head into extra innings.

In the top of the tenth inning the Guardians (Red) team would score seven runs with the big blow coming on a bases loaded triple by Christopher Espinola. 

The team would hold onto win by the final of 11-to-5 evening their record at 5-5 on the season.

Top Performers:

  • Christopher Espinola 2-5 2R 3B 3RBI 
  • Rafael Ramirez 2-5 R 3B RBI 
  • Brayan Guedez 1-5 R 2B 3RBI 
  • Yefri Rivera 1-4 2R RBI 
  • Logan Franco 2.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 4SO 
  • Robert Cruz 3.1(IP) 2H 1R 0ER 3BB 4SO (W)

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Todd Paquette
TODD PAQUETTE

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