Guardians Baseball Insider

Photo credit: TCP Photography/Courtesy Lake County Captains

Scoreboard

Triple-A – Columbus Clippers 3, Memphis Redbirds 2
Double-A – Akron RubberDucks 5, Somerset Patriots 3 (10 innings)
High-A – Great Lakes Loons 4, Lake County Captains 3
Low-A – Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 3, Lynchburg Hillcats 2

HIGHLIGHTS

George Valera (Akron, LF): 2-5, 1 RBI, 1 K – Valera’s rapid adjustment to the Double-A level continued on Wednesday night as he improved to 3-for-8 at the level and drove in a run for the second time in as many games played for the RubberDucks.  Late in the game, however, is where George really shone, coming up clutch in each of the last two frames.  He made a crucial outfield assist to get Somerset CF Michael Beltre out advancing to second following a single.  Without this out, the Patriots very well may have won in regulation innings.  In the tenth, he singled to drive in the aforementioned insurance run and set the final score at 5-3 ‘Ducks.

Christian Cairo (Lake County, 2B): 2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI – Cairo, much like Valera a level above him, has adjusted to a higher level of competition very quickly.  Christian, who got a hit in his lone plate appearance on Tuesday, was similarly impressive in his first full game as a Captain, getting a multi-hit game at the level at the first time of asking (seeing as you can’t get two hits in one plate appearance) and opening his High-A RBI account.

MLB REHAB

Bobby Bradley (Lake County, DH): 0-3, 1 BB, 2 K – Bradley walked in the eighth to reach base for the first time in this rehab assignment,

BEST OF THE REST

Trenton Brooks (Columbus, 1B): 2-4, 1 R, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 2 K – Brooks’ two-double game was his second of the season, the other coming July 2 at the Toledo Mud Hens (Tigers).

Oscar Gonzalez (Columbus, RF): 2-4 – Gonzalez continues to rake at the Triple-A level, now batting .307 with an .833 OPS in 42 games as a Clipper.

Nolan Jones (Columbus, 3B): 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI – Jones’ two-run shot in the sixth proved to be the difference in the Clippers’ favor on Wednesday night in Memphis.  While it was only one hit, it was also a part of a recent trend of improvement for the highly-touted prospect, who is 8-for-26 (.308) with nine runs scored in his last seven games after 0-for-18 in his preceding six contests.

Connor Marabell (Columbus, LF): 2-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 K – Marabell has been stellar in his last eight games, going 14-for-29 (.483) with six multi-hit games, including his last three in a row.

Kirk McCarty (Columbus, SP): W (7-3), 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R (earned), 3 BB, 6 K – McCarty has been feast or famine, but the feasts have been absolute banquets.  The ceiling is there.  Can he bring his A game consistently?

Brayan Rocchio (Akron, SS): 2-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI – Rocchio homered in the game’s second at-bat to extend his on-base streak to 14 games (only extended by a walk once).

Steven Kwan (Akron, CF): 2-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 HBP – Kwan continues to rake, slashing .355/.443/.539 in 20 games this month and .337/.411/.528 in 47 games this season.

Jhonkensy Noel (Lake County, 3B): 2-3, 1 RBI,.1 BB, 1 CS – Noel’s two-hit game was his third in seven games since being called up from Low-A Lynchburg last week.

Petey Halpin (Lynchburg, CF): 2-4, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 BB – Halpin extended his in-base streak to eight games as he provided the offensive highlight of a night that included hitless non-complex debuts for RF Jorge Burgos and 2B Milan Tolentino.

Jordan Jones (Lynchburg, SP): L (3-7), 5.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R (all earned), 1 BB, 12 K, 1 HR allowed, 1 WP, 1 BK, 1 HBP – While this was not an impressive outing, 12 of 17 outs via strikeout is still notable, especially when you consider that the bullpen kept the ball out of play their entire time on the mound (Randy Labaut – 1.1 IP, 4 K, Cade Smith – 1 IP, 3 K) to make it 19 of 24 Cannon Baller outs coming as the result of Hillcat strikeouts.