Guardians Baseball Insider

Photo credit: Jay Gehres/Courtesy Columbus Clippers

Scoreboard

Triple-A: Columbus Clippers 9, Louisville Bats 3
Double-A: Akron RubberDucks 2, Harrisburg Senators 1
High-A: South Bend Cubs 7, Lake County Captains 6
Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 10, Lynchburg Hillcats 7}
Rookie – Arizona Complex League Brewers Blue 4, Arizona Complex League Guardians 0
Rookie – Dominican Summer League Guardians Blue 7, Dominican Summer League Royals Stewart 1

NOTE: DSL Red had a scheduled off day.

Highlights

Joe Naranjo (1B, Lake County): 4-5, 2B, RBI – Naranjo has been up and down this year but his four hit night helped the Lake County offense stay competitive in their loss to South Bend. 

Will Brennan (RF, Columbus): 2-3, HR, 3 RBI, BB, K – Brennan hit a three-run homer and  increased his Triple-A OPS to .869 as he continues his scorching hot 2022 campaign.

Cade Smith (RHP, Akron): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 2 K – Smith put together another clutch two inning relief performance after he helped Akron to victory with a pair of scoreless innings on Tuesday.

Richard Paz (C, Lynchburg): 2-3, 3 RBI, BB – Paz hasn’t done a lot of damage offensively this year but he got on base three times and knocked in three runs on Friday. 

Isaiah Greene (CF, Lynchburg): 1-2, HR, 3 BB, R – Greene has had a disappointing year at the plate but he got on base four times in Lynchburg’s loss. 

Best of the Rest

Tyler Thornton (RHP, Lynchburg): 1.1 IP 0 H 0 R 3 K – Thronton was perfect in 1.1 innings of relief for Lynchburg

Yordys Valdez (SS, Lynchburg): 2-4,R, 2 BB, 2 K: Valdez also hasn’t done much damage offensively this year but he got on base four times in the Hillcats’ loss.

Angel Martinez (SS, Lake County): 1-4, 2 R, BB – Martinez got on base twice to push his OPS to .867. 

Milan Tolentino (3B, Lake County): 1-4, 2 RBI, BB – Tolentino picked up a pair of RBIs and got on base twice in Lake County’s loss. He hasn’t been as hot as he was in Lynchburg in high-A this year but his OPS sits at .744 for Lake County. 

Jose Tena (SS, Akron): 2-3 – Akron’s season hits leader picked up two more hits in the ‘Ducks win over Harrisburg

Gavin Williams (RHP, Akron): 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, BB, 3 K – Williams held Harrisburg scoreless before exiting after being hit with a comebacker. Akron manager Rouglas Odor says his injury isn’t serious. 

Carlos Vargas (RHP, Akron): 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 K – Vargas bounced back from giving up a grand slam on Tuesday to hold Harrisburg scoreless after Williams exited. 

Will Benson (CF, Columbus): 1-3, 2 BB – Benson is making a great argument for getting called up to the Guardians in the second half. He has a .956 OPS for the Clippers this year.

Bobby Bradley (1B, Columbus): 1-4, 2 RBI, HR, BB, 2 K – Bradley has had a poor stint in Columbus since getting sent down from Cleveland in April but he hit a homer in the Clippers’ win on Friday.

Bo Naylor (C, Columbus): 1-5, HR, 3 RBI, K – Naylor only had one hit on Friday but it was a big one. His three run homer put Columbus up in the fourth inning and his Triple-A OPS is now 1.002 in 25 games. 

Hunter Gaddis (RHP, Columbus): 6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K – Gaddis ran into a little bit of trouble but ultimately gave Columbus a solid six innings and earned the win in his second Triple-A start.

Maick Collado (ACL, 1B): 1-3, 1 BB 1 E – Collado has reached base in all 21 games he has played in this season after extending his hitting streak to 13 games in a game where he was the only A-Guard to reach base twice.

Wilmer Hernandez (ACL, backup C): 1-2 – Hernandez had the other hit.

Tommy Ventimiglia (ACL, RP): 2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K – After struggling to start his professional career, last season;s 18th round selection has not allowed a run in his last three outings (4.1 combined innings).

Alberto Mendez (DSL Blue, 3B): 1-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K – Mendez scored both times he reached base in his first game after seeing his six-game on-base streak end on Tuesday.  On an interesting note, his RBI came on a bases-loaded walk in the ninth, not his fourth-inning single, which led off the inning.

Gueile Borrome (DSL Blue, 2B): 4-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 CS – Borrome was the star of the day for the Guardians Blue with his best performance of his professional rookie season.

Jeffrey Merecedes (DSL Blue, SS): 2-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI – Mercedes was impressive in his first full game of the week.  Hopefully, his early-July slump is behind him.

Kenny Pinto (DSL Blue, SP): W (2-1), 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R (earned), 2 BB, 1 HBP – Pinto equaled his season long (also hurled five frames on June 25 against the Astros Orange) in his best outing of the season.  Control remains a concern, however (9:14 K:BB ratio this month).

Wagner Castillo (DSL Blue, RP): H (1), 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HBP – Castillo has allowed only one earned run in 7.2 innings in July and is the opposite of Pinto, control-wise, with a 21:8 K:BB ratio in his rookie season with only one of those walks coming this month.