Guardians Farm Report: Arias Homers Twice In Columbus Win Over St. Paul

Six of the seven Cleveland Guardians minor league teams were in action Thursday with Low-A Lynchburg's game at Charleston being postponed by rain.

Triple-A Columbus Clippers

Columbus 8 St. Paul 6

The Clippers offense had the long ball working on Thursday going deep four times in the game with two coming off the bat of Guardians 22-year-old shortstop prospect Gabriel Arias his ninth and 10th of the season.

#Guardians 22yr old (SS) prospect Gabriel Arias with a massive 2-run bomb to left field puts Columbus up now 7-to-3 in the 6th inning! The HR for Arias is his 9th of the season with the Clippers. @CLBClippers #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/KDgfiPYJug
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 12, 2022

Arias has been red-hot at the plate over his last 11 games at Columbus hitting .368 with four home runs, nine RBI's over that span.

He did it again! #Guardians 22yr old (SS) prospect Gabriel Arias goes deep for the second time tonight for Columbus! This time a solo shot to deep center for his 10th long ball of the season.@CLBClippers #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/vwIZtC5mvd
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 12, 2022

Columbus left fielder Oscar Mercado and first baseman Trenton Brooks would also homer in the game. Mercado with a three-run shot in the sixth inning for his fourth of the season. For Brooks it was a two-run shot in the second inning his seventh on the year.

Clippers catcher Bo Naylor would finish the game 2-for-5 with a double to extend his on-base streak to 12 straight games.

Columbus improves to 63-43 on the season with the win.

Top Performers:

Gabriel Arias 2-5 2R 2HR 3RBI
Oscar Mercado 2-4 R HR 3RBI
Trenton Brooks 2-3 2R HR 2RBI BB
Bo Naylor 2-5 2B
Jose Fermin 1-4 R
Jake Jewell 1.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 2SO
Tim Herrin 0.2(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 2SO (SV)

Double-A Akron RubberDucks

Bowie 4 Akron 2

Akron would not get a comeback walk-off win for the third straight night against Bowie as their five-game win streak would come to an end.

Ducks catcher Bryan Lavastida would collect two hits in the game driving in one of the teams two runs in the contest. Lavastida has really picked things up at the plate of late hitting .387 over his last eight games with a .457 OBP.

#Guardians 23yr old (C) prospect Bryan Lavastida drives home Jose Tena from second base with his 2nd hit of the game to get Akron on the board in the 5th. Rubberducks now trail 3-to-1 in the top of the 6th.@Lavastida_ @AkronRubberDuck #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/Bcm8CCKn1c
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 12, 2022

Akron right fielder Jhonkensy Noel would drive in the teams other run on a double in the eigth inning. Noel would finish 1-for-4 in the game.

#Guardians 21yr old INF/OF prospect Jhonkensy Noel rockets a double to left field to score Pries from second for Akron cutting the Bowie lead to 4-to-2 in the 8th inning. @jhonkensy15 @AkronRubberDuck #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/vfYak6dwOS
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 12, 2022

RubberDucks first baseman Micah Pries would extend his on-base streak to 18 straight games finishing 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Pries with the two hits also extended his current hitting streak to six straight games.

The loss drops drops Akron's record to 57-46 on the year.

Top Performers:

Bryan Lavastida 2-4 RBI
Micah Pries 2-4 R 2B
Jhonkensy Noel 1-4 2B RBI
Chris Roller 1-3 BB
Thomas Ponticelli 4.0(IP) 4H 3R 2ER 2BB 5SO
Brett Daniels 2.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 2SO

High-A Lake County Captains

Lake County 6 Fort Wayne 1

Guardians left-handed pitching prospect Doug Nikhazy gave himself a nice 23rd birthday present striking out 10 TinCap batters allowing just one run over six and two thirds innings earning the win Thursday.

It was the third time this season he has struck out 10 or more batters in a game. Nikhazy now has 101 strikeouts on the year becoming the ninth Guardians minor league pitcher to reach that mark in 2022 which leads all other organizations in. minor league baseball.

What an outing for #Guardians LHP prospect Doug Nikhazy who records 10 strikeouts on his 23rd birthday for Lake County tonight! Nikhazy now has three 10+ strikeout games on the year.

Line - 6.2(IP) 4H 1R 1ER 3BB 10SO (91 Pitches 56 Strikes)@Dougnikhazy @LCCaptains #ForTheLand
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 12, 2022

Lake County right fielder Alexfri Planez would hit the teams only home run in the game in the seventh inning a three -run shot over the left field bleachers. The home run for Planez was his 16th on the season.

#Guardians 20yr old OF prospect Alexfri Planez with a 3-run HR in the 7th inning for Lake County gives the Captains a 6-to-1 lead over the TinCaps. For Planez the HR was number 16 on the season.#ForTheLand
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 12, 2022

Captains left fielder Johnathan Rodriguez continues to impress adding three more hits in the game including his 16th double of the year. He would score twice and drive in a run.

The win extends Lake County's win streak to six straight games improving their record to 58-45 on the season.

Top Performers:

Johnathan Rodriguez 3-4 2R 2B RBI
Alexfri Planez 1-4 R HR 3RBI
Gabriel Rodriguez 2-4 R 2B
Joe Naranjo 1-3 2R BB
Aaron Bracho 1-4 RBI
Doug Nikhazy 6.2(IP) 4H 1R 1ER 3BB 10SO (W)

Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats

Lynchburg @ Charleston (Postponed)

Today's game has been postponed. It will be played as a double header tomorrow starting at 4:30pm. Gates will open at 4PM. The second game will not start before 7:05PM. pic.twitter.com/7C0cQZCm4p
— Charleston RiverDogs (@ChasRiverDogs) August 12, 2022

Arizona Complex League Guardians

ACL Athletics 6 ACL Guardians 1

ACL Guardians right-handed pitcher Wardquelin Vasquez would dominate the A's in one of his best starts of the season throwing six scoreless innings allowing just three hits while striking out five batters in the game. Vasquez would lower his already impressive ERA to 2.28 on the year.

Outstanding start tonight for #Guardians 21yr old RHP prospect Wardquelin Vasquez throwing 6.0 scoreless innings tonight striking out 5 against the A's in the Arizona Complex League. Vasquez lowers his ERA to 2.28 on the season.

Line - 6.0(IP) 3H 0R 0ER 0BB 5SO#ForTheLand
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 12, 2022

Unfortunately for Vasquez he would not factor in the decision as the bullpen would allow six runs in the seventh inning as soon as he would depart.

The Guardians offense was held in check collecting just five hits four of which came of the bats of shortstop Juan Benjamin and right fielder Esteban Gonzalez who had two apiece.

The 6-to-1 loss drops the Guardians record to 24-40 on the season.

Top Performers:

Juan Benjamin 2-4
Esteban Gonzalez 2-5
Jose Pastrano 1-4 R
Lexer Saduy 0-3 BB SB
Wardquelin Vasquez 6.0(IP) 3H 0R 0ER 0BB 5SO

Dominican Summer League Guardians (Blue)

DSL Twins 4 DSL Guardians (Blue) 2

The DSL Guardians (Blue) squad could not take advantage of another strong start from 18-year-old right-handed pitcher Austin Aldeano against the Twins Thursday. Aldeano lowered his ERA on to 2.31 on the season throwing four and two thirds scoreless innings striking out four walking just one batter.

#Guardians 18yr old RHP prospect Austin Aldeano with another scoreless outing today in the Dominican Summer League lowered his ERA to 2.31 on the season.

Line - 4.2(IP) 6H 0R 0ER 1BB 4SO

Season - 46.2(IP) 43H 17R 12ER 12BB 33SO 2.31 ERA#ForTheLand
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 12, 2022

On offense the Guardians (Blue) team would be held in check scoring just two runs on six hits. Second baseman Guiele Borrome and center fielder Moises Molero would lead the way with two hits apiece.

The DSL Guardians (Blue) fall to 26-22 on the season with the loss.

Top Performers:

Guiele Borrome 2-4 R
Moises Molero 2-4 3B
Samuel Parra 1-3 2B
Brayan Guedez 1-4 SB
Austin Aldeano 4.2(IP) 6H 0R 0ER 1BB 4SO

Dominican Summer League Guardians (Red)

DSL Royals (Glass) 7 DSL Guardians (Red) 2

The DSL Guardians (Red) drop to 15-34 on the year with the loss to the DSL Royals (Glass) squad on Thursday.

The Guardians (Red) team would commit five errors in loss. Second baseman Emerson Purroy would drive in one of the teams two runs finishing with two hits in the game.