Guardians Farm Report: Dion Takes Over Farm System Lead In Strikeouts With Eight More For Lynchburg Friday

All four Cleveland Guardians full season minor league affiliates were in action on Friday night.

Triple-A Columbus Clippers

Buffalo 6 Columbus 0

The Clippers could only muster two hits against the Bisons in a shutout loss Friday night.

One of those two hits would come off the bat of 22-year-old catching prospect Bo Naylor leading off the first inning on an infield hit. The hit for Naylor extended his current hitting streak to six straight games. During the streak he is 8-for-23 with a home run and four runs batted in hitting for a .348 average.

#Guardians 22yr old (C) prospect Bo Naylor extended his hitting streak to 6 straight games tonight going 1-for-4 at the plate for Columbus.

During hitting streak:

8-23 3R 1(2B) 1HR 4RBI .348 AVG@_BoNaylor_ @CLBClippers #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/IBuhFry7wn
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 27, 2022

For Columbus starting pitcher Hunter Gaddis took the loss. Gaddis did not allow a hit over two and two thirds' innings pitched but gave up three runs on four walks while striking out three Buffalo batters.

Top Performers:

Bo Naylor 1-4
Brayan Rocchio 1-4
Trenton Brooks 0-1 2BB
Kevin Kelly 2.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 3SO
Adam Scott 1.1(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 3SO

Double-A Akron RubberDucks

Akron 4 Richmond 2

Akron got an early lead in the bottom of the first inning Friday night off the bat of left fielder Jhonkensy Noel as he would double down the left field line scoring shortstop Jose Tena.

The double extended Noel's hitting streak to six straight games during which he is hitting .417 with three doubles a triple a home run and eight runs batted in. Noel has also now reached base in 14 straight games.

#Guardians 21yr old INF/OF prospect Jhonkensy Noel stays hot with an RBI double in the 1st inning tonight for Akron. The double extends Noel's hitting streak to 6 games and he has now reached base in 14 straight games. @jhonkensy15 @AkronRubberDuck #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/pmHwCAWObe
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 27, 2022

Richmond would take a 2-to-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning only for Akron to return the favor scoring two runs on a base hit by third baseman Ray Delgado giving them a 3-to-2 lead.

#Guardians 22yr old switch hitting INF prospect Ray Delgado with a 2-run single in the 4th inning gives Akron a 3-to-2 lead over Richmond.@RayDelgado15 @AkronRubberDuck #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/XM00j4o9vM
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 27, 2022

Delgado would come through in the sixth inning providing the RubberDucks with an insurance run on an RBI double driving in his third run of the game.

Reliever Cade Smith would pick up his fifth Double-A save shutting down the Flying Squirrels getting the last four outs of the game.

The win moves Akron to 18 games above .500 at 68-50 on the year.

Top Performers:

Ray Delgado 2-4 2B 3RBI
Jhonkensy Noel 1-3 2B RBI BB
Jose Tena 2-3 R BB
Angel Martinez 2-4 R 2B
Micah Pries 1-4 R
Jordan Jones 2.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 2SO (W)
Cade Smith 1.1(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 2BB 2SO (SV)

High-A Lake County Captains

Cedar Rapids 5 Lake County 1

The Captains had their five-game winning streak snapped on Friday as Cedar Rapids would hold them to one run on three hits in the contest.

Lake County did avoid being shutout when right fielder Alexfri Planez would hit a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. The home run for Planez was his 18th on the season.

#Guardians 21yr old OF prospect Alexfri Planez with a solo HR in the bottom of the 9th inning tonight for Lake County prevents them from being shut out by Cedar Rapids. The HR was Planez's 18th on the year.#ForTheLand
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 27, 2022

Captains starter left-handed pitcher Rodney Boone would not pitch bad but took the loss allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out six batters over his five innings of work.

Top Performers:

Alexfri Planez 1-4 R HR RBI
Gabriel Rodriguez 1-3
Micael Ramirez 1-3
Rodney Boone 5.0(IP) 7H 3R 3ER 1BB 6SO
Davis Sharpe 2.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 2SO

Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats

Delmarva 4 Lynchburg 2

The Hillcats held a 2-to-1 lead over the Shorebirds until the bottom of the ninth inning when Delmarva first baseman Creed Williams with two runners on would end the game on a walk-off three run home run off Lynchburg reliever Tyler Thornton.

Guardians 22-year-old left-handed pitching prospect Will Dion continued his tremendous 2022 season with Lynchburg as he allowed just one run on a solo home run over five and two thirds' innings while striking out eight Delmarva batters in the game.

Dion leads the Carolina League in ERA at 2.26 and in strikeouts with 142 on the season. The eight strikeouts also moved him past fellow left-handed pitching prospect Logan Allen for the most strikeouts current in the Guardians farm system.

#Guardians 22yr old LHP prospect Will Dion allowed just one run over 5.2 innings while striking out 8 more batters tonight for Lynchburg. Dion now leads the Carolina League in ERA at 2.26 & strikeouts with 142.

Line - 5.2(IP) 4H 1R 1ER 1BB 8SO@WDion22 @LynHillcats #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/tZEcVrQh7o
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 27, 2022

Hillcats reliever Zach Pettway would come on for Dion and look just as dominate striking out six over just two and a third scoreless innings pitched including five straight punchouts at one point.

#Guardians 23yr old RHP prospect Zach Pettway was dealing tonight out of the Lynchburg pen striking out 6 including 5 in a row!

Line - 2.1(IP) 2H 0R 0ER 0BB 6SO

Pettway over last 5 appearances:

- 1SV 11.0(IP) 4H 0R 0ER 2BB 18SO 0.00 ERA@zachpettway @LynHillcats #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/wMYfshowAd
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 27, 2022

Pettway has not allowed a run over his last five appearances throwing 11.0 scoreless innings only allowing four hits while striking out 18 batters. He lowered his ERA to 2.18 on the season with Lynchburg.

The walk-off loss drops the Hillcats record to 57-61 on the season.