Guardians Farm Report: Valera Blasts Eighth Home Run Of The Season

All four Cleveland Guardians affiliates were in action Friday night including a double header for Akron and the completion of a suspended game by Lynchburg.

Triple-A Columbus Clippers

Columbus 10 Toledo 6

One night after putting 15 runs on the board Columbus comes back and hangs a 10 spot on Toledo for their second straight win. With the win the Clippers move to 10 games above .500 on the season at 31-21.

The Clippers would be led on offense by Alex Call who reached base five times on three hits and two walks including two doubles. Call would score twice, drive in three runs and steal a base as well on the night.

Columbus third baseman David Fry would have another nice game one day after hitting his eighth and ninth home runs of the season and driving in five runs. Fry would collect two hits in the game including a bases loaded double that platted three runs. He now has eight RBI's over his last two games.

The only home run for the Clippers would come off the bat of Will Benson. The home run for Benson was his ninth on the season

#Guardians 23yr old OF prospect Will Benson with his 9th HR of the season for Columbus! For Benson his next HR will make him the organizations 1st player this year with 10+ HR & 10+ SB. Benson currently has 12 steals.@_thekidbilly_ @CLBClippers #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/CW1VD0r7xE
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) June 4, 2022

Columbus reliver Aaron Pinto finished out the game with two scoreless innings while striking out three to pick up his first save of the season.

Top Prospects:

Alex Call 3-3 2R 2(2B) 3RBI 2BB SB
David Fry 2-5 2B 3RBI
Will Benson 1-4 R HR RBI
Jose Fermin 2-3 2R BB
Will Brennan 1-3 3R BB
Bobby Bradley 0-1 R 3RBI BB
Aaron Pinto 2.0(IP) 2H 0R 0ER 0BB 3SO (SV)

Double-A Akron RubberDucks

Akron 6 Richmond 2 (Game 1)

George Valera would help get Akron on the board first blasting a three-run home run in the third inning. Valera after a slow start to the year is now up to eight home runs and 30 RBI's on the year.

#Guardians 21yr old OF prospect George Valera puts Akron on top with a 3-run HR in the 3rd inning! For Valera it was his 8th HR of the year & he now has 30 RBI's.@GV13__ @AkronRubberDuck #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/xORn6HPU0h
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) June 3, 2022

RubberDucks starter Logan Allen was the other storyline of the game as he bounces back nicely after struggling some over his previous three outings.

Allen would fall one out short of pitching a seven-inning complete game shutout as he was removed with a runner on first due to his pitch count. The runner would come around to eventually score off the before Akron would get the final out of the game.

Despite losing the shutout Allen's performance was still tremendous throwing six and two thirds innings allowing just two hits and one run while striking out eight batters. He now has 73 strikeouts on the season which currently leads the farm system.

Mr. Allen is back! #Guardians 23yr old LHP prospect Logan Allen was one out away from a complete game 7.0 inning shutout but was removed due to his pitch count. He left with a runner on first.

Line - 6.2(IP) 2H 1R 1ER 1BB 8SO (98 Pitches 59 Strikes)@_Logan2Allen #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/yac4XXJs5Z
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) June 3, 2022

With the game one victory Akron improved to 28-20 on the year.

Top Performers:

George Valera 1-3 R HR 3RBI BB
Marcos Gonzalez 1-2 R 2B RBI BB
Bo Naylor 1-2 RBI BB
Brayan Rocchio 1-2 R
Logan Allen 6.2(IP) 2H 1R 1ER 1BB 8SO (W)

Richmond 6 Akron 4 (Game 2)

Richmond would get to Akron starter Luis Oviedo in game two of the double header scoring five runs off him knocking him out after just two and two thirds' innings pitched.

On offense Akron would get two hit games from George Valera and Jose Tena who combined collected four of the team seven hits in the game.

Outfielder Jonathan Engelmann would go deep hitting a solo home run in the second inning. For Engelmann it was his second home run on the season for Akron.

Rubberducks OF Jonathan Engelmann hits his 2nd HR of the year tonight for Akron in Game 2 of the double header.@JonnyNutCracker @AkronRubberDuck #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/b8J27Wr0F8
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) June 4, 2022

With the split of Friday's double header the RubberDucks record now stands at 28-21 on the year.

Top Performers:

George Valera 2-4 R
Jonathan Engelmann 1-3 R HR RBI
Jose Tena 2-3 RBI
Brayan Rocchio 1-2 R 2BB
Micah Pries 1-3 R 2B RBI
Robert Broom 2.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 2BB 0SO

High-A Lake County Captains

Lake County 2 Whitecaps 1

Captains Jhonkensy Noel would put give the team an early 1-to-0 lead crushing his organizational leading 12th home run of the season in the second inning.

Someone's starting to heat up! 🔥🔥🔥#Guardians 20yr old INF/OF prospect Jhonkensy Noel with HR's now in back-to-back games for Lake County! The solo HR tonight is his organizational leading 12th on the season.

🎥 @tNichols80 @jhonkensy15 @LCCaptains #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/nmzVAX4tfF
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) June 3, 2022

Lake County would get another sensational start for 22-year-old RHP Gavin Williams as he would allow just one run over six and a third innings walking just one and striking out eight. Williams would lower his ERA to 1.40 on the season but would end up with a no-decision leaving the game with the score tied at one run apiece.

#Guardians 22-year-old RHP Gavin Williams continued his domination over (High-A) Midwest League hitters tonight for Lake County. Williams lowers his ERA to 1.40 on the season!

Line - 6.1(IP) 5H 1R 1ER 1BB 8SO (90 Pitches 56 Strikes)#ForTheLand
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) June 4, 2022

Lake County in the seventh would score on a sacrifice fly by Mike Amditis plating Alexfri Planez who had singled earlier in the inning from third base with the eventual game winning run.

The Captains with the win improve to 25-23 on the season.

Top Performers:

Jhonkensy Noel 1-4 R HR RBI
Alexfri Planez 2-4 R
Ray Delgado 1-3 2B
Mike Amditis 0-2 RBI
Gavin Williams 6.1(IP) 5H 1R 1ER 1BB 8SO

Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats

Carolina 7 Lynchburg 4 (Completion of 6/2/22 game)

Lynchburg and Carolina would complete the final two innings of Thursday night's game that was suspended by rain in the top of the eighth inning.

The Hillcats and Mudcats were tied at 2-to-2 when Carolina would hang a five spot o Lynchburg in the top of the eighth.

Trailing now 7-to-2 with two outs in the ninth inning the Hillcats would get a two-run home run off the bat of Joe Donovan making it a 7-to-4 game. For Donovan his second home run of the season would come too little too late as Carolina would hold onto win getting the final out of the game facing the next Lynchburg batter.

#Guardians 23yr old (C) prospect Joe Donovan with his 2nd HR of the season a 2-run shot in the 9th inning of today's completion of yesterday's suspended game.@LynHillcats #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/iLawB7YFY2
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) June 3, 2022

The loss would drop the Hillcats to 26-21 on the year and a half game behind Carolina in the division for the time being.

Top Performers:

Jorge Burgos 2-4 2B RBI
Jake Fox 1-4 R 3B RBI
Isaiah Greene 1-4 R 3B
Joe Donovan 1-4 R HR 2RBI
Victor Planchart 1-3 R
Reid Johnston 4.2(IP) 4H 1R 1ER 2BB 5SO

Lynchburg 6 Carolina 1

The Hillcats dominated the schedule contest for Friday night scoring six runs on 10 hits holding the Mudcats offense scoreless for the first seven innings of the game.

Lynchburg's Isaiah Greene would hit the only home run of the game hitting his now team leading third big fly of the year in the sixth inning putting the team up 5-to-0 at the time.

#Guardians 20yr old OF prospect Isaiah Greene blasts his now team leading 3rd HR of the year in the 6th inning giving Lynchburg a 5-0 lead over Carolina!@Isaiah24greene @LynHillcats #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/7gPCiqgqnb
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) June 4, 2022

Hillcats starter Rodney Boone would throw six scoreless innings allowing just four hits and striking out six Mudcats in the game. Boone lowered his ERA to 1.85 on the season earning his third win. His 63 strikeouts on the season currently lead the Carolina League.

Lynchburg with the win leapfrogs Carolina to move back into first place by a half game now sitting at 27-21 on the season.