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Guardians Farm Report: Clutch Home Run By Freeman Helps Columbus Earn Series Sweep

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

Todd Paquette

In this story:

Lots of action down on the farm Sunday with all four Guardians affiliates in action including a couple of double headers for Columbus and Akron.

Triple-A Columbus Clippers

Columbus 5 St. Paul 3 (Game 1)

Clippers starter Konnor Pilkington pitched well over his four innings of work only allowing one run on a solo home run in the third inning. 

Trailing 1-to-0 in the bottom of the third inning Columbus would break through off Minnesota Twins rehabbing starter Bailey Ober when Will Benson would connect on two-run home run his fifth of the season.

The Clippers would add three more runs in the fourth inning on a two-run error by the Saints third baseman and an RBI single by Mitchell Tolman.

St. Paul would add two runs in the sixth inning making it a 5-to-3 game. Reliever Jake Jewell would shut the door in the seventh earning his first save of the year securing a game one win.

Top Performers:

  • Will Benson 1-3 R HR 2RBI
  • Mitchell Tolman 3-3 R RBI
  • Oscar Gonzalez 1-3 R
  • Alex Call 1-3 R
  • Konnor Pilkington 4.0(IP) 5H 1R 1ER 1BB 3SO
  • Jake Jewell 1.1(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 1BB 2SO (SV)

Columbus 5 St. Paul 4 (Game 2)

Columbus was down to their final out trailing 4-to-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning when Tyler Freeman would come up clutch with a huge home run to tie the game up at 4-to-4 which would send the game into extra innings. It was Freeman's first home run of the season and first Triple-A home run after joining the club just a couple weeks ago.

Clippers left-handed reliever Alex Young would hold the Saints scoreless in the top of the eighth inning allowing the Clippers a chance for a walk-off win.

Alex Call who was placed on second to begin the Clippers first at bat in extra innings would advance to third on a wild pitch with Oscar Gonzalez at the plate. Gonzalez would deliver driving home Call from third base on a sacrifice fly giving Columbus a 5-to-4 victory.

With the win Columbus would sweep the double header and the six game series with St. Paul improving their record to 24-12 on the year.

Top Performers:

  • Tyler Freeman 2-3 2R HR RBI BB SB
  • Oscar Gonzalez 1-3 3RBI
  • Alex Call 1-3 2R BB
  • Will Benson 1-4 R
  • Tanner Tully 6.0(IP) 8H 4R 2ER 1BB 2SO
  • Alex Young 1.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 1BB 2SO (SV)

Double-A Akron RubberDucks

Erie 9 Akron 0 (Game 1)

Erie would dominate Akron in game one of Sunday's double header as the SeaWolves would hold the RubberDucks to just one hit on the day while touching up the Ducks starter Logan Allen.

RubberDucks outfielder Will Brennan would provide that only hit on his 10th double of the season in the fifth inning off SeaWolves starter Reese Olson who went five scoreless innings striking out 10.

Akron starter Logan Allen would have a rare tough outing allowing the most runs in a start for his career as Erie would score seven times off Allen over five innings on 10 hits. Allen would still strikeout 10 in the game and did not walk a single batter. 

Top Performers:

  • Will Brennan 1-3 2B
  • Jerson Ramirez 1.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1SO
  • Logan Allen 5.0(IP) 10H 7R 7ER 0BB 10SO

Akron 3 Erie 2 (Game 2)

The RubberDucks trailed 2-to-1 heading to the bottom of the sixth inning and were in danger of getting swept in the double header. 

The first two batters of the bottom of the sixth inning would reach base on a walk and hit-batter. After a sac bunt moved the runners up catcher Eric Rodriguez would come up big with a RBI base hit to right field tying the game up at one apiece. With runners now one first and third and still just one out Daniel Schneeman would hit a sac fly giving Akron a 3-to-2 lead.

RubberDucks reliever Kevin Kelly would secure an Akron victory throwing a scoreless seventh inning lowering his ERA to 0.46 on the season.

With the split of the double header Sunday the Ducks are now 18-15 on the season.

Top Performers:

  • Eric Rodriguez 2-3 RBI
  • Daniel Schneemann 1-1 2RBI
  • George Valera 0-1 2R 2BB
  • Chris Roller 1-1 2B BB
  • Luis Oviedo 2.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 1BB 2SO
  • Kevin Kelly 1.1(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 2SO (W)

High-A Lake County Captains

Great Lakes 10 Lake County 9

Lake County's offense would come up big hitting four home runs off Great Lakes pitching scoring nine runs in the game. Unfortunately for the Captains their pitching staff could not take advantage of all the run support as they would cough up 10 runs allowing the Loons to come away with a 10-to-9 win and take the series.

The Captains got a huge day from Jhonkensy Noel who had four hits in the game including a double and two solo home runs. The home runs were Noel's eighth and ninth on the year tying him with Oscar Gonzalez for the most in the Guardians farm system. 

Gabriel Rodriguez would also have a nice day at the dish collecting two hits for Lake County including his first home run of the season. Captains Johnathan Rodriguez also provided some thump with a two-run home run of his own his second long ball of the year.

With the loss Lake County falls to 14-18 on the season.

Top Performers:

  • Jhonkensy Noel 4-5 3R 2B 2HR 2RBI SB
  • Gabriel Rodriguez 2-3 2R 2B HR RBI BB
  • Johnathan Rodriguez 2-4 R HR 2RBI BB
  • Korey Holland 1-4 R 2B 2RBI
  • Cade Smith 1.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 2SO

Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats

Down East 11 Lynchburg 2

Ugly game for the Hillcats on Sunday as they would allow 11 runs to the Wood Ducks in the first three innings of the game. Coming off his best start of the season his last time out Lynchburg starter Franco Aleman didn't make it out of the second inning allowing seven runs on eight hits.

Hillcats did get a solid outing from right hander Reid Johnston who has been piggybacking all with Aleman all season. Johnston would throw four scoreless innings allowing just two hits while striking out one.

Lynchburg's offense was shut out the whole game until they finally broke through scoring twice in the ninth inning. First baseman Will Bartlett would drive in one of those two runs on his second double of the game. 

Bartlett has really played well of late hitting .310 over his last 19 games including 10 extra base hits and a very nice .438 on-base percentage.

With the loss Lynchburg falls to 17-15 on the season.

Top Performers:

  • Will Bartlett 2-3 R 2(2B) RBI BB
  • Yordys Valdes 2-3 2B BB
  • Isaiah Greene 1-4 R 2B
  • Reid Johnston 4.0(IP) 2H 0R 0ER 0BB 1SO

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Todd Paquette
TODD PAQUETTE

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