The Columbus Clippers needed somebody new to grab the wheel on Saturday, and C.J. Kayfus answered. With several of the club’s top bats already moved up, the Clippers got a big lift from a fresh face in a 13-11, 10-inning win over the Omaha Storm Chasers.
Kayfus finished 2-for-4 with a home run, a hit by pitch and a walk, while Angel Genao added more punch with a two-hit night that included a homer, a double, a walk and a stolen base. Columbus also got power from Ralphy Velazquez, who hit his second home run in Columbus and went 2-for-5 with a walk, and from Milan Tolentino, who turned in a 3-for-5 game with a home run and a double. Juan Brito chipped in with a single and two walks.
The Clippers had to claw back from a rough outing by Pedro Avila, who gave up seven runs on four hits and four walks in only 1.2 innings. The bullpen steadied things after that.
Tommy Mace worked 2.1 scoreless innings, Hunter Stanley added 2.0 more, and Steven Perez and Jack Leftwich each delivered a scoreless frame. Jake Miller was charged with four runs, three earned, in 1.1 innings, and Cody Heuer closed it out by recording the final two outs for the save.
Akron’s slide continued in a 7-6 loss to the Richmond Flying Squirrels, dropping the RubberDucks to 36-38 and extending their skid to eight losses in their last 10 games. The offense showed up, though, with four different players collecting multi-hit games.
Jacob Cozart led the way for Akron, going 2-for-4 with a home run and a walk. Wuilfredo Antunez also went deep, finishing 2-for-3 with a walk. Maick Collado was 2-for-4 with a stolen base, Jose Devers went 2-for-5 with a double, and Jaison Chourio drew two walks.
The pitching staff couldn’t quite hold it together. Dylan DeLucia allowed four runs on four hits in 2.1 innings, and Jay Driver surrendered two more runs in 1.2 innings. Sean Matson and Alaska Abney combined for 3.0 scoreless innings to settle things down, but Reid Johnston took the loss after allowing the go-ahead run in the eighth.
Lake County had a much cleaner afternoon, blanking the Fort Wayne TinCaps 6-0 to improve to 41-31. Welbyn Francisca stayed hot after coming off the injured list, going 2-for-3 with a home run and a walk.
Dean Curley was perfect at the plate, going 1-for-1 with a home run and three walks, and Bennett Thompson also homered and walked. Aaron Walton finished 2-for-4 with a walk, while Anthony Martinez went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk.
On the mound, Jackson Humphries worked 3.0 scoreless, one-hit innings with four strikeouts and five walks. Cam Walty followed with 3.0 more scoreless innings, striking out five without issuing a walk and allowing just one hit. The bullpen handled the final 3.0 innings, with three different pitchers each giving up at least one hit but keeping Fort Wayne off the board.
The Hill City Howlers kept rolling too, beating the Hickory Crawdads 9-4 and moving to 32-42. Juneiker Caceres stayed locked in, going 3-for-4 with a home run and a double, falling a triple short of the cycle.
Gabriel Rodriguez had the loudest day of all, going 2-for-5 with two home runs in a breakout showing. Luis De La Cruz also homered and finished 2-for-4, while Dauri Fernandez tripled. Yelferth Castillo went 2-for-4 with a walk, and Yaikel Mijares was 2-for-4.
Miguel Flores started for Hill City and allowed four runs on five hits over 5.0 innings, striking out four and walking two. Chase Mobley then turned in a scoreless, hitless inning, striking out the side and walking one batter. Zane Petty finished the final 3.0 innings, allowing three hits but no runs.
In Other News...
Former Guardians Coach Suddenly Looms Large In Mets Chaos
Kai Correas move from Cleveland to Queens was supposed to give the Mets a fresh voice in the dugout, and the former Guardians coach quickly found himself in a prominent spot under Carlos Mendoza. Instead, a rough start to the season has pushed the organization into another reset, with the focus now on how the club sorts through its next move after Mendozas dismissal. Correas background makes him part of the conversation, especially for a team trying to stabilize both its daily operations and its long-term direction.
The bigger issue for the Mets is that the problems have not been limited to the standings. Their defensive slippage has been a recurring headache, and the organizational picture has only grown messier as pressure builds around the staff and the roster. Correas lack of big league managerial experience has been one of the questions hanging over him, and in a season already defined by second-guessing, it is the kind of detail that keeps his name in the middle of the discussion even as the next decision takes shape. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Hedges Had A Heated Message For Josh Naylor In Reunion
A tense reunion between Austin Hedges and Josh Naylor added another layer to a close Cleveland win over Seattle, with the two former Guardians teammates exchanging words after a pitch sequence that quickly turned testy. The game itself still mattered most, and Cleveland came away with a 6-5 victory behind contributions from Gavin Williams, Matt Festa and Cade Smith as the club climbed to 44-40.
Hedges and Naylor were at the center of the flashpoint, which grew out of a strange plate appearance and an interpretation that left both sides with plenty to say. Naylor kept the interaction going through the end of the inning, underscoring how little had changed between the two, and Cleveland now turns its attention to a next series against the Texas Rangers with the memory of that scene still fresh. [Read more 🡒]
How Are The Guardians Still Holding Off Trouble In The Central
Clevelands grip on the AL Central has held even through a rough stretch of injuries that could have knocked a less balanced club off course. Instead, the Guardians have kept answering with the kind of depth and flexibility that has become a hallmark of the roster, as younger players have been asked to do more and the pitching staff has continued to steady the team from behind the scenes.
The front offices decision to build around a broad base of contributors rather than lean on one or two stars has suddenly looked even more important. Cleveland has found a way to keep the lineup moving and the rotation settled, but the larger question is how long that kind of margin can last if the injuries keep piling up and the division race stays this tight. [Read more 🡒]