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Guardians Farm Report: Valera Slam And Rocchio Near Cycle Not Enough For Columbus Friday Night

Here is a recap of what happened with the Guardians minor league teams last night
Todd Paquette|
Guardians Farm Report: Valera Slam And Rocchio Near Cycle Not Enough For Columbus Friday Night
Guardians Farm Report: Valera Slam And Rocchio Near Cycle Not Enough For Columbus Friday Night

In this story:

Cleveland Guardians

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

Triple-A Columbus Clippers

Iowa 9 Columbus 6

Columbus was down 5-to-0 against Iowa headed into the bottom half of the sixth inning Friday night. Four straight hits to open the inning would make it a 5-to-1 game and with nobody out and the bases loaded Guardians 21-year-old outfield prospect George Valera would step up to the plate.

Valera down in the count at one ball and two strikes would deposit a 99-mph fastball deep over the center field wall for a grand slam tying the game at 5-to-5. The slam by Valera was his fifth home run at the Triple-A level and 20th overall all on the season.

The Clippers would take the lead briefly in the seventh when shortstop Brayan Rocchio would hit a opposite field solo home run making it a 6-to-5 game. For Rocchio it was his third home run with Columbus and number 16 on the season overall. 

Rocchio would finish just a triple short of a cycle for the second time in the last three games. He is now hitting .280 over his first 11 games with the Clippers with five extra base hits.

Unfortunately for Columbus Iowa would plate four runs in the top of the ninth inning and hold on to win by a final of 9-to-6.

The late inning loss drops the Clippers record to 73-52 on the season.

Top Performers:

  • Brayan Rocchio 3-5 2R 2B HR RBI 
  • George Valera 1-4 R HR 4RBI 
  • Bo Naylor 1-4 R RBI 
  • Gabriel Arias 1-3 R BB 
  • Will Brennan 1-5 R 2B 
  • Andrew Misiaszek 2.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 2BB 0SO

Double-A Akron RubberDucks

Akron 8 Altoona 4

RubberDucks starter Gavin Williams would pick up his third Double-A win on Friday night striking out 10 Curve batters over six innings of work. Williams did allow four runs in the game on five hits and a walk including two home runs.

The 10 strikeouts now give Williams 140 on the season over just 106.0 innings pitched. His season ERA would climb to 2.04 on the year with the four runs allowed.

Akron Catcher Bryan Lavastida and right fielder Johnathan Rodriguez would each collect three hits in the game for the Ducks. Rodriguez who had been struggling since his promotion from Lake County would reach base five times adding a pair of walks to his three hits and drive in a pair of runs. 

RubberDucks left fielder Jhonkensy Noel would reach base two more times in the contest finishing 1-for-4 with a run scored and a walk. Noel who has been on fire of late extended his hitting streak to 12 straight games and now has reached base in his last 20 games.

Reliever Cade Smith would lock down the last three innings of the contest holding Altoona scoreless while striking out four and picking up his seventh Double-A save.

Top Performers:

  • Johnathan Rodriguez 3-3 R 2B 2RBI 2BB 
  • Bryan Lavistida 3-5 2R 2B 
  • Micah Pries 1-2 R RBI 2BB 
  • Jhonkensy Noel 1-4 R BB 
  • Gavin Williams 6.0(IP) 5H 4R 4ER 1BB 10SO (W) 
  • Cade Smith 3.0(IP) 2H 0R 0ER 0BB 4SO (SV)

High-A Lake County Captains

Great Lakes 1 Lake County 0

The Captains would get a tremendous start by 22-year-old left-handed pitcher Will Dion who was making his High-A debut just promoted from Lynchburg.

Dion who had a no-hitter through five innings would go on to strike out nine over six and two thirds' innings of work allowing just one run on four hits in the game. Dion now leads the Guardians farm system with 151 strikeouts on the year. He also would lower his ERA to 2.21 on the season.

The offense for Lake County could not do anything against four Loons pitchers who would shut them out on just four hits three of which would come off the bat of shortstop Yordys Valdes.

The loss drops the Captains to 72-50 on the year.

Top Performers:

  • Yordys Valdes 3-4 
  • Christian Cairo 1-3 BB SB 
  • Micael Ramirez 0-2 2BB 
  • Will Dion 6.2(IP) 4H 1R 1ER 1BB 9SO

Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats

Kannapolis 2 Lynchburg 1 (10 Innings)

Lynchburg would lead Kannapolis 1-to-0 over the first seven innings of the game Friday night thanks in large part to starting pitcher Alonzo Richardson who was sensational. 

The 19-year-old Richardson would tie a career high with seven strikeouts allowing just three hits and a walk over six scoreless innings. It was a much-needed outing from Richardson who had struggled over his last few starts with the Hillcats.

Unfortunately for Richardson he would get the no-decision as the bullpen would blow the lead allowing the Cannon Ballers to tie the game at one run apiece sending the game into extra innings.

Kannapolis would plate one run in the top of the 10th then shut down Lynchburg in the bottom half of the inning and pick up the 2-to-1 victory.

The Hillcats offense could only muster three hits on the entire evening one of which came off the bat of 18-year-old switch hitting highly regarded shortstop prospect Angel Genao. The hit for Genao was his first at Low-A ball playing in just his second game since his promotion from the Arizona Rookie League.

The extra inning loss drops the Hillcats record to 60-64 on the year.

Top Performers:

  • Marlin Made 1-4 R 
  • Will Bartlett 1-4 SB 
  • Angel Genao 1-4 
  • Isaiah Greene 0-3 RBI 
  • Jake Fox 0-3 2BB SB 
  • Alonzo Richardson 6.0(IP) 3H 0R 0ER 1BB 7SO

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Read More:

The Guardians Playoff Odds Look A Lot Different Now Then The Beginning Of The Season

Should The Guardians Listen To Jose Ramirez And His Request?

Guardians Farm Report: Martinez Homers Driving In Four Runs For Akron In Sunday Win

Is Andres Gimenez The Next Young Star To Get A Mega Contract?

Guardians Farm Report: Valera Hits Two Of Clippers Four Home Runs In Comeback Win

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Todd Paquette
TODD PAQUETTE

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.

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