Guardians Farm Report: Lavastida Stays Red Hot Homering In Back-To-Back Games Now In Akron Win

Here is a recap of what happened with the Guardians minor league teams last night

Author:
Todd Paquette
Aug 18, 2022 11:17 AM EDT

In this story:

Cleveland Guardians

The Cleveland Guardians had all four full season minor league affiliates in action on Wednesday while the three rookie league teams had the day-off.

Triple-A Columbus Clippers

Toledo 4 Columbus 0

Columbus was shutout Wednesday collecting just four hits in the game dropping their record to 65-47 on the season.

Two of the Clippers four hits would come off the bat of left fielder Richie Palacios who also reached base on a hit by pitch. Palacios is just coming back from a knee injury that caused him to miss the past couple weeks of action.

For Columbus left-handed pitcher Logan Allen started the contest allowing three runs on six hits and a walk over five and two thirds' innings while striking out five.

Top Performers:

Richie Palacios 2-3
Oscar Mercado 1-3
Bo Naylor 1-4
Logan Allen 5.2(IP) 6H 3R 3ER 1BB 5SO
Kirk McCarty 2.2(IP) 2H 1R 1ER 3BB 4SO

Double-A Akron RubberDucks

Akron 10 Erie 4

Akron led Erie by just one run heading into the top of the 9th inning Wednesday before exploding for five runs with the big blow coming on a three-run bases loaded double off the bat of third baseman Ray Delgado.

Delgado reached base four times in the game on a pair of hits and a pair of walks driving in four runs.

The RubberDucks collected 16 hits in the game but only one home run. That home run came off the bat of catcher Bryan Lavastida on a solo shot to left field in the third inning. For Lavastida he has now homered in back-to-back games and has seven on the season.

Lavastida has really picked it up at the plate of late. He currently has reached base in 10 straight games during which he is hitting .342 with three home runs and nine runs batted in. He has also walked five times and has a .422 OBP during the streak.

Ducks shortstop Brayan Rocchio collected four hits in the contest including his 21st double of the season and drove in two runs.

Reliever Mason Hickman who was just promoted from Lake County pitched the final two innings of the game holding Erie scoreless and picking up his first Double-A save.

The win improves Akron's record to 62-47 on the season.

Top Performers:

Ray Delgado 2-2 2R 2(2B) 4RBI 2BB
Bryan Lavastida 1-3 R HR 2RBI 2BB
Brayan Rocchio 4-6 2B 2RBI
Daniel Schneemann 3-5 2R 2(2B)
Micah Pries 2-6 R RBI
Mason Hickman 2.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1SO (SV)

High-A Lake County

West Michigan 10 Lake County 2

Lake County got a second straight tremendous start from 23-year-old left-handed pitcher Doug Nikhazy on Wednesday night. Nikhazy would just allow one run on two hits while striking out seven West Michigan batters over six innings in the game.

Nikhazy has 17 strikeouts over his last two starts allowing just two runs over 12.2 innings sporting a 1.43 ERA. Nikhazy left the game with the Captains holding a 2-to-1 lead over the Whitecaps.

Unfortunately for Lake County the bullpen could not duplicate the success that Nikhazy had over the West Michigan offense as the Whitecaps would explode for nine runs over the seventh and eighth innings taking a 10-2 lead which would be the final score of the game.

The Lake County offense who had scored two runs in the first inning was shutout over the final eight innings collecting only five hits in the game.

One of those hits came off the bat of 20-year-old top infield prospect Angel Martinez who would extend his on-base streak to 26 straight games on a opposite field base hit to right field in the first inning.

The 10-to-2 drubbing drops the Captains record to 61-47 on the year.

Top Performers:

Petey Halpin 1-4 RBI
Joe Naranjo 1-4 R
Christian Cairo 0-2 R 2BB
Korey Holland 1-3
Doug Nikhazy 6.0(IP) 2H 1R 1ER 3BB 7SO

Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats

Fredericksburg 3 Lynchburg 1

Lynchburg was held scoreless for the first eight innings of the game Wednesday night against Fredericksburg. The Hillcats would push across a run in the ninth inning but would have their comeback fall short falling by a final score of 3-to-1. The loss drops the teams record to 53-57 on the season.

Lynchburg would only collect four hits in the game one of which came off the bat of shortstop Yordys Valdes leading off the game. Valdes would reach base two times in the game also recording a walk extending his on-base streak to 18 straight games.

One bright spot was the performance of the Hillcats bullpen duo of Zach Pettway and Tyler Thornton who would combine to hold the Nationals scoreless over the final five innings of the game allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out nine.