Guardians Farm Report: Burns Shuts Down Richmond Offense in Leading Akron to Victory

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All four Cleveland Guardians full season minor league affiliates were in action on Wednesday night. The Arizona Complex League and Dominican Summer League teams completed their seasons on Tuesday.
Triple-A Columbus Clippers
Buffalo 6 Columbus 2
The Bisons touched up Clippers starter Konnor Pilkington early scoring all six runs off him in the first two innings of the game Wednesday. Pilkington did remain in the game and went five innings but saw his ERA balloon to 5.56 on the year with Columbus.
Kirk McCarty would come in for Pilkington and pitch well holding the Bisons scoreless over the final three innings allowing just two hits while striking out a pair.
The Clippers were held scoreless on three hits until the top of the ninth inning when George Valera would hit and ground rule double then two batters later Ernie Clement would drive him home on a two-run home run making it a 6-to-2 ballgame. The home run for Clement was his third since being optioned to Triple-A by Cleveland.
#Guardians INF Ernie Clement with a 2-run blast in the 9th inning gets Columbus its first runs of the game on his 3rd HR of the season with the Clippers.
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 25, 2022
@Ernieclem @CLBClippers #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/5qwsX6gBhk
The loss drops the Clippers record to 68-49 on the season.
Top Performers:
- Ernie Clement 1-4 R HR 2RBI
- George Valera 1-3 R 2B BB
- Bo Naylor 2-4 2B
- Nolan Jones 1-4
- Kirk McCarty 3.0(IP) 2H 0R 0ER 0BB 2SO
Double-A Akron RubberDucks
Akron 5 Richmond 2
Guardians 23-year-old right-handed pitching prospect Tanner Burns looked sharp in Wednesday's contest against Richmond in one of his best outings on the 2022 season.
Burns who has had an up and down journey this season dealing with some injuries held the Flying Squirrels scoreless over five and two thirds' innings allowing five hits and a pair of walks while striking out six batters in the game picking up the win.
On the year in 17 starts with the RubberDucks he has recorded 75 strikeouts over 69.2 innings to go along with a 3.49 ERA while holding his opponents to a .217 batting average.
#Guardians 23yr old RHP prospect Tanner Burns holds Richmond scoreless over 5.2 innings tonight for Akron while striking out six. Burns lowered his ERA to 3.49 on the year.
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 25, 2022
Line - 5.2(IP) 5H 0R 0ER 2BB 6SO (90 Pitches 57 Strikes)@TannerBurns_7 @AkronRubberDuck #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/CTlmBRmZPj
Akron on offense would score four runs in the fourth inning first on a two-run double by right fielder Jhonkensy Noel who would extend his on-base streak to 12 straight games.
The other two runs in the frame would come off the bat of recently promoted second baseman Angel Martinez on his first Double-A home run playing in just his third game. The two-run home run by Martinez was his 11th long ball oof the season overall.
#Guardians 20yr old switch hitting INF prospect Angel Martinez with his 1st Double-A HR! The 2-run shot was his 11th overall on the season and gives Akron a 4-to-0 lead over Richmond. @akmartinez03 @AkronRubberDuck #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/HrVx1ZlAxr
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 24, 2022
The RubberDucks would get an insurance run in the eighth inning on a solo home run by third baseman Daniel Schneemann his sixth on the year.
The Win improves Akron's record to 16 games above .500 at 66-50 on the year.
Top Performers:
- Angel Martinez 1-3 R HR 2RBI BB
- Daniel Schneemann 1-3 R HR RBI BB
- Jhonkensy Noel 1-4 R 2B 2RBI
- Jose Tena 1-3 R
- Johnathan Rodriguez 1-3 BB
- Julian Escobedo 1-4 R
- Tanner Burns 5.2(IP) 5H 0R 0ER 2BB 6SO (W)
High-A Lake County Captains
Lake County 10 Cedar Rapids 9 (11 Innings)
Trailing 8-to-5 in the ninth inning Lake County's first two base runners would reach base. The next man up and the number nine hitter left fielder Korey Holland would come up clutch launching a three-run home run to right center field to tie the game up at three-runs apiece.
The game would head to extra innings where both teams would plate a run in the 10th inning making it 9-to-9 contest. In the top of the 11th reliever Zach Hart would stay on for a second inning and hold the Kernels scoreless setting the stage for a possible walk-off win for Lake County.
With one out and a runner on second Captains second baseman Christian Cairo would come through with a double down the right field line to score the winning run on his third hit of the ballgame handing Lake County a 10-to-9 win over Cedar Rapids.
Cairo's opposite field walk-off double in the 11th inning!
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 25, 2022
🎥 via @LCCaptains Instagram @chriatiancairo2 #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/cKtMb8ccie
The Captains have now won four in a row and improve to a season best 18 games above .500 at 66-48 on the season.
Lake County center fielder Petey Halpin earlier in the game hit his sixth home run of the season finishing the game going 2-for-5 driving in three runs.
Top Performers:
- Korey Holland 2-5 R 2B HR 3RBI
- Petey Halpin 2-5 R HR 3RBI
- Christian Cairo 3-5 2B 2RBI BB
- Joe Naranjo 2-5 2R 2B
- Micael Ramirez 2-5 2R 2B
- Zach Hart 2.0(IP) 1H 1R 0ER 1BB 4SO (W)
Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats
Delmarva 8 Lynchburg 7
The Hillcats led the Shorebirds 6-to-5 through five innings thanks to a four run fourth with the big hit coming on a two-run double by catcher Victor Planchart.
#Guardians 21yr old switch hitting (C) prospect Victor Planchart with a big 2-run double down the right field line gives Lynchburg a 4-to-3 lead in the 4th inning over Delmarva. @LynHillcats #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/s9HoD73Sqg
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 25, 2022
Delmarva would plate three runs in the sixth inning of reliever Brauny munoz to take an 8-to-6 lead over Lynchburg.
The Hillcats would make it close in the top of the ninth when center fielder Jake Fox would hit his second double of the game driving in a run making it an 8-to-7 game. Lynchburg would then load the bases but with two outs Delmarva would get left fielder Isaiah Greene to pop up ending the comeback attempt.
#Guardians 19yr old INF/OF prospect Jake Fox with his 2nd double of the night cuts the Delmarva lead to one run at 8-to-7 in the 9th for Lynchburg! The two doubles tonight give Fox 21 on the season. @Jake_Fox8 @LynHillcats #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/JuN05rIQJ1
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 25, 2022
The loss drops the Hillcats record to 56-60 on the season.
Top Performers:
- Jake Fox 2-5 R 2(2B) RBI BB
- Victor Planchart 2-4 2R 2B 2RBI
- Dayan Frias 1-3 R RBI 2BB
- Isaiah Greene 1-5 R BB SB
- Junior Sanquintin 1-5 RBI BB
- Carson Tucker 0-2 RBI 3BB
- Tyler Thornton 0.2(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 1BB 0SO
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Todd Paquette is a Cleveland-area sportswriter and minor league insider who covers the Cleveland Guardians and their farm system. He has been writing professionally since 2014 and has worked for Cleveland Guardians On SI since 2021.