Guardians Farm Report: Valera Continues Offensive Onslaught in Akron Win

Only three of the four Cleveland Guardians affiliates were in action Thursday night as the Columbus Clippers were postponed due to rain.

Triple-A Columbus Clippers

Buffalo at Columbus (Postponed Rain)

Tonight’s game between Buffalo and Columbus has been postponed due to weather. It will be made up as part of a doubleheader Saturday, May 28th with the first pitch of game one scheduled for 5:05pm. Game two will start approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one. pic.twitter.com/2rQQU553mk
— Columbus Clippers (@CLBClippers) May 26, 2022

Double-A Akron RubberDucks

Akron 4 New Hampshire 2

Tied at 2-to-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning with one out Akron would get a walk from Brayan Rocchio putting the go-ahead run-on base. The next man up was George Valera who would promptly hit a two-run 472-foot prodigious blast that came off his bat at 110 mph to put the RubberDucks up 4-to-2 over the Fisher Cats.

For Valera it was his fifth home run over his last seven games. He also has a nine-game hitting streak in which he's hitting .395 during with 18 RBI's.

#Guardians 21yr old OF prospect George Valera continues his power onslaught with a 2-run HR in the 8th inning for Akron! He now has 5 HR's in his last 6 games and 7 overall on the season. @GV13__ @AkronRubberDuck #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/5n56bR4dJp
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) May 27, 2022

Akron now up 4-to-2 reliever Kyle Marman would come on in the ninth inning to get the final three outs of the game and earn his second save of the season. With the win the RubberDucks improve their record to 10 games above .500 at 26-16 on the season.

#Guardians 22yr old LHP prospect Joey Cantillo with five straight outings for Akron without allowing a run spanning 22.0 innings!

Tonight - 5.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 1BB 7SO

Last 5 - 22.0(IP) 10H 0R 0ER 3BB 33SO 0.00 ERA

Season - 33.0(IP) 19H 8R 7ER 14BB 52SO 1.91 ERA@joeyycantillo pic.twitter.com/y1Uc2J5bFp
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) May 27, 2022

Another storyline in the game was that of Akron starter Joey Cantillo who continued his incredible stretch of pitching. Cantillo would throw five more scoreless innings allowing just one hit while striking out seven batters in the game. Over his last five outings Cantillo hasn't allowed a run over 22.0 straight innings lowering his ERA to 1.91 on the season.

Top Performers:

George Valera 2-4 R HR 3RBI
Chris Roller 2-4 R HR RBI
Brayan Rocchio 1-3 2R 2B BB
Ike Freeman 1-1 2B 2BB
Micah Pries 1-3 BB
Joey Cantillo 5.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 1BB 7SO
Kyle Marman 1.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1SO (SV)

High-A Lake County Captains

Lake County 3 Peoria 2

Lake County now winners of three straight games would score all three of their runs in the fifth inning last night vs Peoria.

Petey Halpin who was celebrating his 20th birthday would get the Captains on the board with an RBI single with two outs in the inning. The hit for Halpin would extend his current hitting streak to seven straight games.

Halpin would be followed by first baseman Joe Naranjo who drive home two runs on his second triple of the season putting the Captains up 3-to-1 at the time. Naranjo after the triple now has a team leading 26 RBI's on the season.

#Guardians 21yr old (1B) prospect Joe Naranjo came up big tonight with a 2-run triple for Lake County in their 3-2 win. The triple was Naranjo's 2nd of the season. He now has driven in a team leading 26 runs on the year.@joenaranjo_ @LCCaptains #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/ua88JA2C1z
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) May 27, 2022

Captains starter Mason Hickman bounced back nicely from a rough outing on the mound last time out. Hickman would give earn his first win of the season allowing just one run on three hits over five innings while striking out five Chief batters.

#Guardians 23yr old RHP prospect Mason Hickman earned his first win of the season tonight allowing just one run over five innings while striking out five for Lake County.

Line - 5.0(IP) 3H 1R 1ER 1BB 5SO (65 Pitches 42 Strikes)@HickmanMason @LCCaptains #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/UAfHKgw34T
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) May 27, 2022

Peoria would cut to the lead to 3-to-2 in the eighth inning before Lake County closer Cade Smith would come on to get the final four outs of the game earning his 5th save of the season.

With the win Lake County improved to 21-20 on the year. It marks the first time all season all four Cleveland Guardians minor league affiliates all are above .500 on the 2022 season.

Top Performers:

Joe Naranjo 1-4 3B 2RBI
Petey Halpin 1-4 R RBI
Alexfri Planez 1-4 2B
Mason Hickman 5.0(IP) 3H 1R 1ER 1BB 5SO (W)
Cade Smith 1.1(IP) 2H 0R 0ER 1BB 3SO (SV)

Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats

Lynchburg 6 Columbia 0

Lynchburg and Columbia were locked in a pitchers duel with the game remaining scoreless until the Hillcats bottom half of the eighth inning.

Lynchburg would bust the game wide open in the eighth scoring six runs on just three hits with the big blow coming on a bases loaded double by Dayan Frias.

#Guardians 19yr old switch hitting INF prospect Dayan Frias with a bases loaded 2-run double in the 8th inning for Lynchburg in their 6-0 win tonight. For Frias it was his 6th double of the season.@FriasDayan @LynHillcats #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/gBdr81FHGt
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) May 27, 2022

The Hillcats would end up pitching a shutout holding the Fireflies to just two hits. Right-hander Trenton Denholm who started the game would throw five scoreless innings on just 52 pitches allowing just one hit while striking out four in a no-decision.

#Guardians 22yr old RHP prospect Trenton Denholm looked terrific for (Low-A) Lynchburg throwing five scoreless innings allowing just one hit while striking out four in his start.

Line - 5.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 1BB 4SO (52 Pitches 36 Strikes)@trent_denholm7 @LynHillcats #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/cim84riqX4
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) May 27, 2022

Three Hillcats relievers would finish the final four innings allowing just one hit while striking out seven. With the win Lynchburg improves to 23-18 on the year.