Guardians Farm Report: Valera Goes Deep As Columbus Splits Doubleheader With Toledo

Here is a recap of what happened with the Guardians minor league teams last night.

Author:
Todd Paquette
Sep 23, 2022 8:35 AM EDT

In this story:

The Triple-A Columbus Clippers remain the only Cleveland Guardians minor league affiliate still playing games as Akron, Lake County and Lynchburg all have finished their seasons.

Triple-A Columbus Clippers

Columbus 9 Toledo 8 (Game 1)

The Columbus offense got to work early against Toledo in the first inning Thursday night in game one of the doubleheader against Toledo.

With two men on and two outs' Guardians top outfield prospect George Valera would take a hanging curve ball and deposit it over the right center field wall for a three-run home run giving the Clippers a 3-to-0 lead. The home run for Valera was his ninth at Triple-A and 24th overall on the season.

Still in the first inning with two outs after an Oscar Mercado base hit Clippers catcher Bryan Lavastida would step in and hit a two-run opposite field home run to right field making it a 5-to-0 game.

Richmond would not be denied coming right back to score three runs in the first and two more in the second inning off Columbus starter Logan Allen tying the game up at 5-to-5 after two innings of play.

The game would remain tied at 5-to-5 until the top of the fifth inning when the Clippers would load the bases with one out setting the stage for Oscar Mercado. Mercado who would promptly line the first pitch, he saw in the at bat to center field clearing the bases giving Columbus an 8-to-5 lead.

Toledo would not give up chipping away scoring runs in fifth and sixth innings cutting the Columbus lead to 8-to-7 heading into the final inning of play.

The Clippers would plate an important insurance run in the top of the seventh inning as Bryan Lavastida would hit a sacrifice fly to right center field scoring Nolan Jones from third base who had reached on an error earlier in the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh the Mud Hens trailing now 9-to-7 would get a solo home run by Brandon Davis with one out in the inning off reliever Luis Oviedo.

Oviedo would stay in to get one more out then would be replaced by Kevin Kelly who would allow a double to the first batter he faced. Kelly however would strikeout the next Toledo batter to end the game earning the save and handing Columbus a 9-to-8 win.

The win improved the Clippers record to 81-61 on the year.

Top Performers:

George Valera 1-3 R HR 3RBI
Bryan Lavastida 1-3 R HR 3RBI
Oscar Mercado 3-4 R 2B 3RBI
Nolan Jones 2-4 3R 2B
David Fry 1-3 R BB
Kevin Kelly 0.1(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 1SV

Toledo 7 Columbus 2

Toledo led Columbus 1-to-0 after four innings of play in game two of the doubleheader until the Mud Hens would erupt for five runs in the fifth inning knocking Clippers starter Tanner Tully out of the game.

Tully would be yield three runs in the frame with Clippers reliever Eli Lingos giving up the other two coming on in relief.

Columbus now trailing 6-to-0 would finally break through when designated hitter Jose Fermin would drive home second baseman Mitch Tolman on an RBI double after Tolman had doubled to get on base in the prior at bat.

Two batters later still in the bottom of the fifth inning with one out shortstop Brayan Rocchio would drive home Fermin on an RBI base hit to right field for his second hit of the game cutting the Toledo lead to 6-to-2.

The Mud Hens would add one more run on a solo home run in the seventh inning while holding Columbus scoreless over the final two innings taking the second game of the doubleheader by a 7-to-2 final.

With the split of the doubleheader Columbus falls to 81-62 on the season.