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Guardians Farm Report: Lake County Moves One Step Closer To Playoffs On Valdes Walk-Off Winner Friday

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

Todd Paquette

In this story:

All four Cleveland Guardians minor league affiliate teams were in action on Friday.

Triple-A Columbus Clippers

Louisville 7 Columbus 5

Clippers starter Tanner Tully was hit hard early and often in his start Friday allowing six runs over the first four innings against the Bats on 10 hits including two home runs. Tully would be tagged with his fourth loss of the season and see his ERA rise to 4.37 on the year.

On offense Columbus right fielder George Valera would hit his 21st home run of the season in the fourth inning an opposite field solo shot to left center field. Valera would reach base three times in the game on a pair of hits and a walk. He now has an .864 OPS over his 26 games since being promoted to Triple-A.

Clippers center fielder Will Brennan would collect three more hits and drive in a run on his 37th double of the season. Brennan now has four straight multi-hit games during which he is 11-for-21 hitting for a .524 average.

The loss drops Columbus record to 76-55 on the season.

Top Performers:

  • George Valera 2-3 2R HR RBI BB 
  • Will Brennan 3-5 R 2B RBI 
  • David Fry 1-3 R 2B RBI BB 
  • Bo Naylor 1-4 2B RBI 
  • Oscar Mercado 1-2 R RBI BB 
  • Carlos Vargas 2.0(IP) 1H 1R 1ER 1BB 6SO 
  • Kevin Kelly 1.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 2SO

Double-A Akron RubberDucks

Akron 5 Harrisburg 0

Three Akron pitchers combined to shut out Harrisburg on one hit Friday night in their 5-to-0 win. RubberDucks left-hander Doug Nikhazy made his second start with the team since his promotion from Lake County. Nikhazy would strikeout nine batters over his four and two thirds' innings of work but had to work in and out of trouble allowing six walks in the game.

Relievers Jerson Ramirez and Eli Lingos would combine to throw four and a third innings of hitless relief after Nikhazy exited the game. Ramirez picked up his fifth win over an inning and a third of work and Lingos his first save closing out the last three innings.

On offense right fielder Johnathan Rodriguez remained red hot crushing his 23rd home run on the season to right center field. The solo home run was his second home run with Akron since his promotion to Double-A. Over his last seven games he is hitting .357 with four doubles, a triple, two home runs and seven runs batted in.

The win improves the Ducks season record to 74-56.

Top Performers:

  • Ray Delgado 1-3 2R RBI BB SB 
  • Jose Tena 2-5 2RBI 
  • Johnathan Rodriguez 1-5 R HR RBI 
  • Jhonkensy Noel 2-4 BB 
  • Doug Nikhazy 4.2(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 6BB 9SO 
  • Eli Lingos 3.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 2BB 2SO (SV)

High-A Lake County Captains

Lake County 6 Fort Wayne 5

Lake County trailed 5-to-3 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning Friday night needing a win to move closer to clinching the second half Midwest Eastern League title and a playoff birth.

The first batter of the ninth inning for the Captains right fielder Alexfri Planez would get the team one run closer at 5-to-4 on a solo home run his 19th of the season.

Lake County would then get three straight singles by Petey Halpin, Connor Kokx and Cesar Idrogo. Idrogo's base hit would tie the game up at five runs apiece.

With runners on first and second Fort Wayne would get their first out of the inning on a line drive to left field by Micael Ramirez that would advance Kokx from second to third base.

The Captains number nine hitter Yordys Valdes would step up and on the first pitch he saw hit a line drive over the head of the TinCaps left fielder scoring Kokx from third base handing Lake County the 6-to-5 comeback walk-off win.

The win improves the Captains to 75-53 on the year and their magic number is now just 1.0 to clinch a playoff birth.

Top Performers:

  • Milan Tolentino 1-4 2B 3RBI 
  • Yordys Valdes 2-4 R RBI 
  • Alexfri Planez 1-4 R HR RBI 
  • Connor Kokx 1-2 2R 2BB SB 
  • Petey Halpin 2-4 2R 
  • Cesar Idrogo 2-4 RBI 
  • Tommy Mace 5.1(IP) 3H 2R 2ER 0BB 8SO

Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats

Fayetteville 4 Lynchburg 3 (11 Innings)

Lynchburg would jump out to an early 1-to-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI base hit by catcher Richard Paz. For Paz the hit would extend his current on-base streak to 14 straight games.

Fayetteville would bounce right back plating two runs in the second and one in the third off Hillcats starter Juan Zapata.

Trailing 3-to-1 in the top of the fourth inning Lynchburg would tie the game up at 3-to-3 on an RBI base hit by shortstop Angel Genao then an RBI groundout to first by second baseman Jake Fox.

The game would remain tied at 3-to-3 with both teams holding each other scoreless over the next six innings. Entering into the 11th inning the Woodpeckers would hold the Hillcats scoreless in the top half of the frame. 

Fayetteville's Garrett McGowan would lead off the bottom half of the inning hitting a walk-off double on the first pitch he saw handing Lynchburg a 4-to-3 loss.

The extra inning loss drops the Hillcats to 63-67 on the year.

Top Performers:

  • Angel Genao 1-4 RBI BB 
  • Richard Paz 1-4 RBI BB 
  • Dayan Frias 1-3 2BB 
  • Isaiah Greene 0-4 R BB 2SB 
  • Juan Zapata 6.0(IP) 7H 3R 3ER 0BB 5SO 
  • Zach Pettway 2.0(IP) 3H 0R 0ER 1BB 3SO

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Read More:

Guardians Farm Report: Noel Stays Red Hot Homering In Second Straight Game For Akron

Enyel De Los Santos Has Turned Around Career With Guardians

Guardians Pitcher Cody Morris Already Showing Promise

Terry Francona Hoping Myles Straw Can Heat Up In Final Month Of The Season For The Guardians

Guardians Farm Report: Naylor Puts On Power Display For Columbus

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Todd Paquette
TODD PAQUETTE

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