Guardians Baseball Insider

Scoreboard

Triple-A – Columbus Clippers 2, Memphis Redbirds 4
Double-A – Akron RubberDucks 4, Somerset Patriots 2
High-A – Great Lakes Loons 0, Lake County Captains 5
Low-A – Lynchburg Hillcats 5, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 11
ACL – Indians @ Royals Gold (Cancelled)
DSL – Indians Blue 5, Astros 2 (F/10, Completion of August 3)
DSL – Indians Blue 2, Astros 6 (F/7)
DSL – Pirates Black 5, Indians Red 2

Highlights

Aaron Civale (Lake County, SP): 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K – Even though he was on rehab assignment, Civale may have opened some eyes when he struck out the side to open up the game. He gave up his only hit in the second, but was perfect in the third, worked around an error in the fourth and was perfect again in the fifth, leaving the game with a 3-0 lead.

Hunter Gaddis (Lake County, RP): 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K – Gaddis jumped into the game in the sixth and nearly copied Civale’s start with three strike outs after allowing a lead off single. He allowed a single, wild pitch and walk in the seventh, but maintained the shut out. He walked a batter in the eighth and allowed a single in the ninth, but struck out eight overall in his four innings and finished out the game without allowing a run.

Best of the rest

Steven Kwan (Akron, DH): 2/3, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB, HR – Kwan homered to lead off the game on a full count, a decision that would ultimately lead the team to extra innings. He next reached with a single in the third that knocked home Marcos Gonzalez, then walked in the seventh. He was then hit by a pitch in the 10th and eventually scored on a wild pitch to give the Ducks a two run lead.

Adam Scott (Akron, SP): 6 IP, 4 H, R, BB, 7 K – Scott struck out one each in a perfect first and second inning before allowing his first hit of the night in the third, a double that later scored on a double error. He continued with a perfect fourth, but hit a batter and made a throwing error in a scoreless fifth. In his sixth inning, he allowed a single and a double, but George Valera saved the day with an assist at home to keep the run from scoring. He then allowed the first two batters to reach in the seventh before leaving the game.

Thomas Ponticelli (Akron, RP): 3 IP, H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K – Ponticelli came into the game in a difficult situation with two on and none out and immediately walked a batter. While he did allow one of Scott’s runs to score, he finished the inning with two strike outs to limit the scoring. He then struck out two more in a perfect eighth and allowed a walk and a hit in the ninth, but no runs to push things into extras.

Jose Tena (Lake County, SS): 1/2, 2 BB, HR, 2 RBI – Tena initially walked in the second, but was out on a double play. He walked again in the fourth, giving the Indians first and third thanks to a Wilfri Peralta steal, but was stranded. Tired of all the walking, Tena hit his 14th homer of the season in the sixth to give Lake County a five run lead.

John Rodriguez (Lake County, RF): 2/3, BB, R, 2B – Rodriguez singled in his first at bat, then eventually scored on a Wilfri Peralta single. He doubled in the third, but was stranded. He walked in the seventh and advanced on a balk, but was stranded again.

Alaska Abney (Lynchburg, RP): 2 IP, 0 BB, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K – After dropping ten in the first, the Hillcats pitching staff would likely have preferred this game be forgotten, but a man from Georgia who went to school in South Carolina named Alaska made his second A ball appearance and deserves some appreciation. He joined the game in the sixth with the Hillcats down ten and threw a perfect inning to start, finishing on a K. He then struck out two to start the seventh on his way to a second perfect inning. He has five strike outs, one walk and no hits or runs allowed over his first three innings in A ball.

Gabriel Rodriguez (Lynchburg, 3B): 3/4, 2 RBI – Korey Holland lead the game off with a triple and was brought home by Rodriguez’s sac fly in the first for the first run of the game. Rodriguez then singled in the third and again in the fifth, this time to load the bases. After three straight walks in the eighth, Rodriguez’s third single of the night knocked in two more runs, although one officially scored on an error.

Nolan Jones (Columbus, 3B): 2/4, R, 2B – Jones doubled to lead off the fourth, then scored on a Trenton Brooks sac fly. He then singled on a bunt in the eighth, because why not?

Oscar Gonzalez (Columbus, RF): 1/4, HR – Down by two in the sixth, Gonzalez did the best he could to come back with a solo home run, his 22nd on the season. It wouldn’t be enough as the Clippers lost by two.

Luis Almonte (DSL Blue, RP): 3 IP, H, BB, 0 R, 3 K – Almonte joined the game in the eighth with the game tied and retired three straight batters on fly balls to end the inning. He allowed a single in the ninth, then intentionally walked a batter after a bunt, but didn’t give up a run. After Blue scored three runs in the top half of the tenth to take the lead, Almonte used a fly out and two K’s to end the game and earn the win.

Angel Contreras (DSL Blue, 3B): 2/3, BB – While this game technically started on August 3rd, all of Contreras’ efforts came yesterday. He singled in the third and moved up on a balk, but was stranded at third at the end of the inning. He then walked in the fifth and, while he was out on a double play after, helped score team Blue’s first run. Contreras singled again in the seventh to reach for the third straight plate appearance.

Elian Quezada (DSL Red, SP): 3.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 K – While team Red took the loss yesterday, it fell much more on the defense than the pitching staff. Quezada threw a perfect first with a strike out, then allowed a single, but stranded the runner in the second. A single, steal and another single lead to his only run allowed in the third, after which he was hurt by an error. This error forced him to record an extra out and hit his pitch limit in the fourth after recording two more outs and allowing another single.