Cleveland Baseball Insider

Guardians Farm Report: Captains Now One Win Away From A Championship After Huge Game From Valdes

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

Todd Paquette

In this story:

All four Cleveland Guardians affiliates were in action Sunday with both Lake County and Lynchburg starting game one of their Championship Series games in their respective leagues.

Triple-A Columbus Clippers

Columbus 4 Omaha 1

Four Columbus pitchers set a franchise record with 19 strikeouts on Sunday in their 4-to-1 win in what was a bullpen game for the team.

Guardians 25-year-old left-handed relief prospect Tim Herrin would start the game for the Clippers and lead the way striking out seven consecutive batters over his three scoreless innings of work.

Columbus relievers Adam Scott, Andrew Misiaszek and Nick Mikolajchak would combine to strikeout 12 Omaha batters over the final six innings allowing just one unearned run with Misiaszek picking up the win and Mikolajchak the save.

On offense left fielder Will Brennan would get Columbus on the board first with a solo home run in the third inning. For Brennan it was his 13th long ball on the season, and he has now homered in back-to-back games. The home run also extended his current hitting streak to 12 straight games.

Columbus and Omaha were tied at 1-to-1 until the bottom of the sixth inning when the Clippers would plate three runs on a Nolan Jones RBI single followed by a two-run double off the bat third baseman David Fry making it a 4-to-1 ballgame.

The win improved the Clippers record to 80-59 on the season.

Top Performers:

  • Will Brennan 1-4 R HR RBI 
  • David Fry 1-4 2B 2RBI 
  • Gabriel Arias 2-4 R 
  • Nolan Jones 1-2 R RBI 2BB 
  • Tim Herrin 3.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 7SO
  • Adam Scott 2.2(IP) 3H 1R 0ER 0BB 6SO
  • Andrew Misiaszek 2.1(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 5SO (W)
  • Nick Mikolajchak 1.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1SO (SV)

Double-A Akron RubberDucks

Akron 8 Bowie 5

The RubberDucks offense showed up in their final game of the 2022 season plating eight runs on 13 hits including three home runs. Akron finishes the year with an impressive 79-59 record but would not qualify for the Double-A Eastern League playoffs.

Guardians 21-year-old infield prospect Jose Tena would finish a triple short of a cycle for the Ducks in the game scoring four runs and driving in a run on his 13th home run on the season. For Tena he finished the season homering in back-to-back games and in three of his last five.

RubberDucks first baseman Jhonkensy Noel did not hit one of the teams three long balls in the game, but he did collect four hits including his 25th double of the season while driving in three runs. 

Noel finished the year at Akron hitting .330 with a .431 on-base percentage over his last 25 games. Over the 25 games he had 17 extra-base hits and drove in 20 runs. Even more impressive might be the fact that he drew 14 walks compared to just 17 strikeouts.

RubberDucks right fielder Johnathan Rodriguez and third baseman Marcos Gonzalez each would hit solo home runs in the game. For Rodriguez it was his 26th on the season which is the second most in the Guardians farm system only trailing his teammate Noel's 32. 

For Gonzalez the home run was just his third on the year, but it came in his first game and his first at bat since coming off the injured list. He had last played way back on July 2nd before suffering an oblique injury.

Left-handed reliever Randy Labaut would pick up the win throwing three scoreless innings allowing just one hit while striking out five Baysox batters.

Top Performers:

  • Jose Tena 3-4 4R 2B HR RBI BB 
  • Jhonkensy Noel 4-5 R 2B 3RBI 
  • Johnathan Rodriguez 1-3 R HR RBI BB 
  • Marcos Gonzalez 1-4 R HR RBI 
  • Angel Martinez 1-3 2RBI 
  • Randy Labaut 3.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 1BB 5SO (W)

High-A Lake County Captains

Lake County 11 South Bend 8 (Championship Game 1)

Lake County took down South Bend on the road in game one of the Midwest League Championship series with an impressive offensive performance scoring 11 runs on 17 hits and nine without the aid of a home run.

Guardians 21-year-old infield prospect Yordys Valdes would lead the way falling just a home run short of a cycle. Valdes would score four runs and drive in two on four hits including a double and a triple all from the nine spot in the order.

Valdes has been incredible over four playoff games for the Captains as he is 9-for-17 hitting for a .529 average with four doubles a triple and five runs batted in during that span.

Lake County right fielder Alexfri Planez and shortstop Milan Tolentino would lead the team along with Valdes each driving in a pair of runs. Tolentino would also reach base four times in the contest as would first baseman Joe Naranjo and left fielder Connor Kokx.

Lake County would get a tremendous performance out of the bullpen from left-hander Raymond Burgos who would hold the Cubs in check while the Captains took the lead later in the game. Burgos threw three scoreless frames allowing just one hit and did not walk a batter while striking out three.

The Captains have Monday off as they travel back home for Game 2 of the best of three series needing just one win to become Midwest League champions.

Top Performers:

  • Yordys Valdes 4-6 4R 2B 3B 2RBI 
  • Milan Tolentino 1-3 R 2RBI 3BB SB 
  • Alexfri Planez 2-6 2RBI SB 
  • Connor Kokx 2-4 R RBI 2BB SB 
  • Joe Naranjo 2-4 R RBI 2BB 
  • Korey Holland 3-6 R 2SB 
  • Raymond Burgos 3.0(IP) 1H 0ER 1BB 3SO

Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats

Charleston 7 Lynchburg 5 (Championship Game 1)

Lynchburg would drop game one of the Carolina League Championship on the road at Charleston by a final score of 7-to-5 Sunday.

The RiverDogs would get to Hillcats starter Reid Johnston tagging him for six runs over three innings with Johnston giving up three home runs.

On offense shortstop Dayan Frias would lead the way reaching base three times on a pair of hits and a walk while driving in one of the teams five runs. Frias is now 5-for-14 in four playoff games for Lynchburg hitting .357 with a .438 on base percentage.

Hillcats center fielder Isaiah Greene would go 2-for-4 in the contest with a double scoring one run while adding a stolen base. 

Guardians 18-year-old switch hitting infield prospect Angel Genao got the start at third base and would finish 1-4 scoring a run and riving in a run on an RBI double. Genao is the youngest player participating on both squads in the series.

Lynchburg did get a strong performance from right-hander Josh Wolf out of the bullpen. Wolf would set down all six batters he faced striking out four over two scoreless innings.

The series moves back to Lynchburg with game two set for Tuesday with the Hillcats needing a win to keep their championship hopes alive in the short three game set.

Top Performers:

  • Dayan Frias 2-3 RBI BB 
  • Isaiah Greene 2-4 R 2B SB 
  • Angel Genao 1-4 R 2B RBI 
  • Junior Sanquintin 1-4 R RBI 
  • Josh Wolf 2.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 4SO

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Todd Paquette
TODD PAQUETTE

Todd Paquette is a Cleveland-area sportswriter and minor league insider who covers the Cleveland Guardians and their farm system. He has been writing professionally since 2014 and has worked for Cleveland Guardians On SI since 2021.

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