Guardians Baseball Insider

Scoreboard
ACL – Indians 3, White Sox 5
DSL – Red Sox Red 4, Indians Blue 5 (F/7)
DSL – Indians Red 6, Rays2 0 (F/7, Completion of August 13)
DSL – Indians Red 2, Rays2 5 (F/7)

Highlights

Will Dion (ACL Indians, SP): 3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, BB, 7 K – Dion continues to improve as his third appearance of 2021 was his best so far. He walked a batter between K’s in the first, then struck out all three batters in the second. His K streak reached six in a row in the third before he used a ground out to retire his final batter. He now has six innings pitched this year with 13 K’s, two walks and no runs or hits allowed.

Felix Polanco (DSL Red, RP): 3.1 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K (Game 1) – The Indians Red game against Rays2 on August 13th was initially suspended after two outs in the third, but Polanco picked up right where Austin Aldeano left off. Despite coming into the game with runners on second and third, he ended the third with a pick-off of the runner on third. He then threw a perfect fourth with one strike out, struck out two in the fifth before an error allowed his first base runner and allowed a single in the sixth before striking out his final two batters faced. He earned the win thanks to the backing of his offense behind this tremendous performance.

Best of the rest

Luis Durango (ACL Indians, RF): 1/3, 2 SB, R, 2B – Durango singled on a ball hit off the pitcher in the fifth, then had himself an ordeal. He stole second, then appeared to be inured when diving back into the base on a pick-off attempt that was thrown into center field. He stole third on the very next pitch, and again the throw sailed into the outfield and this time he was able to make it home for the Indians first run. He walked to reach again in the ninth, but was out on a double play.

Dayan Frias (ACL Indians, SS): 1/3, BB, 2B – Frias walked in the first, then doubled in the third. While it looked like this would bring home the first Indians run, Isaiah Greene was thrown out on a close play at home. He reached on an error in the sixth, but was stranded.

Esteban Gonzalez (DSL Red, LF): 2/4, 2 3B, 2 R, RBI (Game 1) – Gonzalez first reached with an RBI triple in the fifth, then scored on a single. He then added another triple in the seventh that ultimately turned into a little league inside the park home run when he scored on an error.

Wilmer Hernandez (DSL Red, C): 3/4, R, RBI (Game 1) – Hernandez singled to lead off the fourth, then advanced on two more singles before scoring on an error. He then knocked in a run in the following inning after Gonzalez tripled. He singled following a Gonzalez triple again in the seventh, but Gonzalez had already scored.

Simon Rodriguez (DSL Red, CF): 2/4 (Game 1) – Rodriguez singled in the first inning back on August 13th, one of only two hits prior to the suspension. He added his second hit of the game in the seventh to advance Hernandez although both were stranded.

Diego Navarro (DSL Blue, SP): 5 IP, 2 H, R, 2 K – Navarro got team Blue off to a strong start before the bullpen nearly blew it. He threw a perfect first and second, then allowed two hits and a run on a sac fly in the third. He was perfect again through the fourth and fifth innings to finish out with a 5-1 lead and earn the win despite three runs allowed in the seventh. Both of his strike outs came in his final inning.

Christopher Espinola (DSL Blue, CF): 1/3, R, 2 RBI – Espinola’s only hit was a big one as he knocked in two in the fourth to break the tie and give Blue a two run lead. He then scored when Miguel Lopez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Erick Caripa (DSL Blue, RF): 1/3, 2B, R – Caripa first reached on an error in the fourth and scored on an Espinola single. He later added a double in the fifth, but was stranded.