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Guardians Farm Report: Rocchio Helps Power Akron To Third Straight Win

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

Todd Paquette

In this story:

All four Guardians affiliates were in action Saturday including Lake County playing a double header vs Lansing.

Triple-A Columbus Clippers

Louisville 4 Columbus 3

Columbus was one out away from being shutout when shortstop Gabriel Arias with two men on would crush the first pitch he saw over the left field wall for his third home run of the year. 

The Clippers would avoid the shutout now trailing just 4-to-3 but the comeback would fall short when catcher Bryan Lavastida would strikeout following the Arias home run. With the loss Columbus falls to 15-8 on the season. 

Kirk McCarty would pitch well coming on in relief as he was piggybacking with the Clippers starter on the day Tobias Myers. McCarty entered the game in the fourth inning and would pitch the rest of the game allowing just one run to Louisville on five hits over five and a third innings pitched.

Top Performers:

  • Gabriel Arias 1-4 R HR 3RBI
  • Will Benson 2-3 R 2BB
  • David Fry 2-4 2B
  • Bryan Lavastida 1-4 BB
  • Mitch Tolman 1-4 2B
  • Kirk McCarty 5.1(IP) 5H 1R 1ER 1BB 3SO

Double-A Akron RubberDucks

Akron 4 Altoona 2

Akron would jump out to a 2-to-0 lead in the first inning on a Brayan Rocchio two-run home run and never look back. For Rocchio it was his third home run of the season and second in his last three games played.

Starting pitcher Tanner Burns continued his early season success holding Altoona to just one unearned run over five innings of work striking out six on the night. Burns lowered his ERA to 1.53 on the season.

Reliever Kevin Kelly would come on in the ninth inning up two runs and close the door for his third save of the season. The RubberDucks have now won three straight over the Curve moving back to .500 at 10-10 on the year.

Akron would also get offensive contributions from first baseman Marcos Gonzalez who hit his second home run of the season a solo shot in the second inning. Jose Tena would provide two hits including his second triple of the season and score once.

Top Performers:

  • Brayan Rocchio 1-3 R HR 2RBI BB
  • Marcos Gonzalez 1-4 R HR RBI
  • Jose Tena 2-4 R 3B
  • Will Brennan 0-3 RBI BB
  • Tanner Burns 5.0(IP) 4H 1R 0ER 1BB 6SO (W)
  • Timmy Herrin 2.1(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 2BB 3SO
  • Kevin Kelly 1.0(IP) 2H 0R 0ER 0BB 0SO (SV)

High-A Lake County Captains

Lake County 3 Lansing 0 (Game 1)

The Captains would get back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the first inning with one out and take a 3-to-0 lead over the Lugnuts. This would be the only runs scored by both teams in game one of the double header.

The first home run of the inning came on a two-run shot off the bat of Jhonkensy Noel driving in Petey Halpin who had reached base on an error. For Noel it was his fifth home run on the season. Outfielder Johnathan Rodriguez would follow Noel and go deep for his first big fly of the year.

The Captains starter Gavin Williams would hurl a gem continuing his early season dominance. Williams allowed just one hit over six scoreless innings striking out five Lugnuts on the day. Williams has only allowed six hits over 19.2 innings pitched on the season while striking out 29 batters. His ERA lowered to 1.83 on the year.

Reliever Cade Smith would come on and strike out the side in the seventh inning to earn his second save of the year.

Top Performers:

  • Jhonkensy Noel 1-3 R HR 2RBI
  • Johnathan Rodriguez 1-3 R HR RBI
  • Gabriel Rodriguez 1-3 2SB
  • Gavin Williams 6.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 1BB 5SO (W)
  • Cade Smith 1.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 3SO (SV)

Lansing 8 Lake County 0 (Game 2)

In game two the Lugnuts would take a no-hitter by starter Jeff Criswell into the seventh inning. Captains Christian Cairo would lead off the inning with a walk before Petey Halpin would then finally break up the no-hitter through singling to right field breaking up the no-hit bid. 

Criswell would go on to get the last three outs of the seventh throwing a one hit shutout of the Captains with a final score of 8-to-0. With the split of Saturday's double header Lake County is now 9-11 on the season.

Top Performers:

  • Petey Halpin 1-2 SB
  • Doug Nikhazy 4.0(IP) 7H 4R 4ER 2BB 5SO

Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats

Lynchburg 9 Salem 4

Don't look now but the Hillcats have won eight of their last nine games and improve to 11-9 on the season with last night's win. Lynchburg would get a sensational start by 21-year-old right hander Jake Miller who struck out nine Red Sox batters over four scoreless innings allowing just one hit.

Lynchburg would go onto strikeout 18 Salem hitters in the game for the second straight night! The Hillcats pitching staff over their last three games have recorded 53 strikeouts over just 27.0 innings of work!

The offense would score nine runs on just eight hits but would draw 11 walks in the contest. Richard Paz and Jake Fox would lead the way with two RBI's apiece on the night. Milan Tolentino would reach base four times and score three runs staying red hot. Tolentino is now hitting a robust .396 on the season second currently in the Carolina League.

Top Performers:

  • Milan Tolentino 1-2 3R 3BB SB
  • Richard Paz 1-3 R 2RBI 2BB
  • Jake Fox 1-3 2RBI 2BB
  • Luis Durango 2-5 R RBI SB
  • Jorge Burgos 2-4 2R BB
  • Will Bartlett 1-4 2R RBI BB
  • Jake Miller 4.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 2BB 9SO
  • Jack Leftwich 4.0(IP) 3H 4R 2ER 1BB 8SO (W)

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Todd Paquette
TODD PAQUETTE

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