Bo Naylor put on a show Thursday, but Columbus still came up short in a 8-7 loss to Lehigh Valley.
Naylor finished 2-for-4 with a grand slam and a double, while Angel Genao stayed scorching hot with a 3-for-4 night that included a home run. Genao is batting .303 at Triple-A with an .870 OPS, and Milan Tolentino added a 2-for-4 effort with a double. Joe Lampe also chipped in a double.
The Clippers’ pitching staff never really settled in. Austin Peterson couldn’t get out of the second inning, giving up three runs on three hits with two walks and no strikeouts.
Tommy Mace followed and allowed three more runs on four hits over 3.1 innings. Ryan Webb provided 2.2 scoreless innings, and Daniel Espino gave up a solo homer in his inning of work.
Akron handled Chesapeake 5-3 behind a strong night from the top of the order and a sharp outing from Caden Favors.
Nick Mitchell went 2-for-4 with a home run, and Jaison Chourio also finished 2-for-4. Tyresse Turner went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base, while Jacob Cozart doubled in two runs.
Favors was steady over 5.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Matt Jachec followed with 1.2 scoreless innings in which he struck out all five outs he recorded, and Alaska Abney gave up an unearned run while earning the save.
Lake County outlasted Lansing 8-7 in a game that turned into a full lineup effort.
Eight different Captains contributed to an offense that produced four home runs. Esteban Gonzalez had the biggest night, going 2-for-4 with a home run and a double.
Jace LaViolette, Nolan Schubart and Ryan Cesarini also went deep, with each of those homers accounting for their only hit of the game. Schubart’s blast was his 20th of the season.
Garrett Howe went 2-for-4 with a triple, Aaron Walton went 2-for-4 with two doubles, and Tommy Hawke also finished 2-for-4 with a double.
Michael Kennedy turned in one of his better outings of the year, allowing two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and one walk across 5.0 innings. The bullpen had a rougher time, giving up five runs in 4.0 innings, but Lake County’s offense had already done enough to hold on.
In the Carolina League, Hill City beat Charleston 7-3 thanks to a big night from Juneiker Caceres.
Fresh off being named the Carolina League Player of the Month, the 18-year-old delivered a three-run homer and a sacrifice fly for four RBIs. Riley Nelson went 2-for-3, Cannon Peebles was 2-for-3 with a triple and a walk, and Gabriel Rodriguez reached base three times with a 1-for-2 line and two walks.
Ryan Prager was used as an opener and threw a scoreless inning with two strikeouts. Luke Fernandez handled 4.0 innings of long relief, allowing four walks and two hits while keeping things under control. Conner Whittaker, recently activated, followed with 2.0 scoreless innings, and Angel Perez allowed three runs over the final 2.0 innings after Hill City had already built a seven-run cushion.
The ACL Guardians also picked up a win, topping the ACL Giants 6-3.
Alejandro Blasco stayed locked in at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a walk and a sacrifice fly to push his season OPS to 1.382. Randy Martinez homered and walked, and Estivel Morillo doubled and walked.
In Other News...
Guardians Just Made The Outfield Pick Fans Have Been Waiting For
After opening the MLB Draft with pitchers Liam Peterson and Logan Schmidt, the Guardians finally turned to the outfield in the third round with Houstons Tre Broussard. Cleveland used the No. 95 pick on a player whose appeal is pretty easy to see: he brings speed, contact skills and the kind of profile that fits the organizations preference for athletic, versatile position players.
Broussards track record at Houston gives the pick some real intrigue, especially after he was successful on 56 of 64 stolen-base attempts over the past two years and hit .344 last season. The Guardians still have to get all of their draft picks signed, but if Broussard develops the way they hope, he could become part of the long-term outfield picture in a system that is always looking for the next reliable bat. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Pitching Depth Just Took Another Hit Fans Feared
The Guardians pitching pipeline has already been thinned by a run of recent moves, and Khal Stephens latest setback only adds to the pressure on a staff that has been asked to absorb plenty of turnover. Cleveland has seen depth pieces and rotation help move in and out through trades, leaving the organization with less margin for error than it would like as it tries to keep innings covered over the long haul.
Stephen is now expected to be sidelined for 10-12 months after a right ulnar collateral ligament repair, a development that removes another arm from the equation at a time when the club can least afford it. If the Guardians need to patch together a spot start or two, names such as Logan Allen, Austin Peterson and Yorman Gmez could come into play, but the bigger concern is how quickly the depth chart can absorb yet another blow. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Just Made Another Draft Bet Fans Know All Too Well
The Guardians went back to a familiar draft lane on Sunday, taking University of Houston outfielder Tre Broussard in the third round with the 95th overall pick. It is the kind of selection Cleveland has long been willing to make: a player whose game is built on speed, defense and enough offensive feel to make you think there could be more coming as he develops.
Broussard brings center-field ability, contact skills and a base-stealing element that fits the organizations usual appetite for athleticism up the middle. MLB Pipeline had him 91st on its draft board, which gives the pick a little more credibility than a pure flier, but the real appeal is the same one Cleveland keeps chasing in this part of the draft - a young college player with tools, movement and room to grow into something more. [Read more 🡒]