Angel Genao went out with a bang before his promotion, and the Columbus Clippers rode that surge to a runaway win Tuesday.
Columbus hammered Syracuse 15-7 behind a 16-hit, eight-walk barrage, and Genao was right in the middle of it. The top infield prospect launched two home runs, both leaving the bat at over 100 mph, and finished 2-for-5 with a walk. Ralphy Velazquez kept rolling too, going 3-for-5 and connecting for his eighth homer at Triple-A.
The Clippers had production all over the lineup. Kahlil Watson was perfect at the plate, finishing 4-for-4 with a double. George Valera added a 2-for-5 night that included a home run and a walk, Blake Perkins chipped in a triple after the recent acquisition, and Coopre Ingle went 2-for-5 with a double and a walk.
Austin Peterson handled the start for Columbus, giving up four runs, only one of them earned, on five hits across 6.0 innings. He struck out three and didn’t issue a walk. Ryan Webb allowed one run in his inning, Hunter Stanley gave up two in his lone frame, and Daniel Espino turned in a perfect inning with two strikeouts.
Akron was just as loud at the plate, burying Somerset 17-3 with 13 hits and 11 walks. Nolan Schubart led the way with a 4-for-6 effort and a double, while Maick Collado also went 4-for-6, drove in four runs, and added a double. Ryan Cesarini finished 2-for-3 with a double, two walks and a stolen base, and Bennett Thompson went 1-for-4 with a walk, a hit by pitch and a stolen base.
Aaron Walton reached safely four times, drawing three walks and getting hit by a pitch. Jaison Chourio added a double and three RBIs.
On the mound, Rafe Schlesinger kept Akron in control with 6.0 innings of two-run ball. He allowed six hits, struck out six and walked four. Jack Jasiack and Adam Tulloch each followed with a scoreless inning of relief.
Lake County had a tougher finish, as a late push fell short in a 7-6 loss to Lansing. Welbyn Francisca was the only Captains hitter with multiple hits, going 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles. Cannon Peebles also made noise, homering and drawing two walks in a 1-for-2 game.
Jonah Advincula tripled, Garrett Howe went 1-for-3 with a walk, and both Esteban Gonzalez and Luis De La Cruz doubled. Gonzalez also swiped a base.
Ben Lively continued his rehab start, allowing two runs on four hits over 2.2 innings with three strikeouts and a walk. Will McCausland followed as the piggyback arm and was tagged for five runs on six hits in 5.1 innings, striking out three and walking one.
Hill City dropped a 6-3 game to Wilson, but Riley Nelson still reached base three times with a 1-for-2 line, a double and two walks. Jonathan Martinez went 2-for-4 with two doubles, Johan Rodriguez homered, and Alejandro Blasco tripled.
In Other News...
Guardians Just Lost A Familiar Infielder In A Roster Squeeze
A familiar glove is out of the picture in Cleveland after the Guardians moved on from Gabriel Arias, a player who had been part of the organization since 2022 and gave the club a useful defensive presence around the infield. His versatility helped keep him in the mix, even as the bat never really caught up, which made him a tricky fit once the roster needed to make room for younger talent.
The decision came with a bigger organizational purpose, as the Guardians cleared space on the 40-man roster for top prospect Angel Genao. Arias was placed on waivers and did not stay there long, turning a Cleveland roster squeeze into a fresh opportunity elsewhere and leaving the Guardians to sort out how they want to rework their infield depth going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Ralphy Velazquez Is Making Clevelands First Base Future Hard To Ignore
The Guardians spent the deadline reinforcing the roster with five veteran additions without having to dip into the top of their prospect pool, a sign the organization still feels good about the young talent it has coming. Among the names pushing to matter soon is Ralphy Velazquez, the Triple-A first baseman who has kept making a case with steady offensive production and the kind of power that tends to travel quickly up an organizations depth chart.
Velazquezs path is not wide open, though, because Cleveland also brought in Nathaniel Lowe, giving the club a more established option at first base while it keeps sorting out the long term. Even so, Velazquez keeps forcing the conversation with his bat, and the more he keeps hitting in Columbus, the harder it gets to treat him like just another name in the system. [Read more 🡒]
Nathaniel Lowe Is Giving Cleveland Hope At A Position Still In Flux
The Guardians came out of the trade deadline with five new players and, so far, not much relief from the skid that has them looking for answers. They have dropped five of their last six, including three since the deadline, but Nathaniel Lowe has at least given them an immediate jolt at first base after arriving from Cincinnati. In three games, he has settled in quickly and offered the kind of steady production Cleveland has been missing.
That matters because first base remains a spot in flux, even with Kyle Manzardo back in the organizations plans after being sent down following a step back this season. Cleveland still wants Manzardo to develop into a long-term option, especially against right-handed pitching, but Lowes early work has complicated the picture in a good way. The Guardians needed somebody to make the position feel less unsettled, and now they have a short-term answer that could force some bigger decisions before long. [Read more 🡒]