Guardians Farm Report: Morris Has Been A Strikeout Machine For Triple-A Columbus

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

Author:
Todd Paquette
Aug 21, 2022 12:31 PM EDT

In this story:

All seven of the Cleveland Guardians minor league teams were in action on Saturday. High-A Lake County however would have their game suspended by rain in the sixth inning and will be completed on Sunday.

Triple-A Columbus Clippers

Columbus 2 Toledo 1

The Clippers pitching duo of Cody Morris and Tanner Tully combined Saturday night to hold the Mud Hens to just one run on four hits while striking out 13 batters in the game.

For Morris it was just his fourth outing with Columbus as he continues to build back up his innings and pitch count returning from a "lat" injury he suffered in spring training. Morris allowed one run against Toledo on two hits and a walk while striking out six over three and a third innings.

Morris has looked dominant so far in his short time with the Clippers striking out 24 batters over just 12.1 innings good for a 17.56 SO/9 inning rate. Opponents are only hitting .116 off him collecting just five hits in his four games. His time might be short at Columbus however as he could possibly get a look soon with the big-league club when rosters expand in September.

The other half of the pitching duo Tanner Tully earned the win coming on in relief throwing five and two thirds scoreless innings allowing just two hits and striking out seven. The win for Tully was his seventh on the season lowering his ERA to 4.19 on the year.

Columbus would get their first run on an RBI single in the first inning by catcher Bo Naylor that tied the game at one run apiece.

The second and winning run would come in the very next inning when left fielder Richie Palacios crushed his fourth home run of the season to right center field. Palacios would collect half the teams' hits in the game finishing 3-for-3 at the plate. He is now hitting .284 with Columbus with a .864 OPS.

The win improves the Clippers record to 67-48 on the year.

Top Performers:

Richie Palacios 3-3 R HR RBI
Bo Naylor 1-3 RBI
Will Brennan 1-4 R
Gabriel Arias 1-3
Cody Morris 3.1(IP) 2H 1R 1ER 1BB 6SO
Tanner Tully 5.2(IP) 2H 0R 0ER 0BB 7SO (W)

Double-A Akron RubberDucks

Akron 9 Erie 8

Akron was trailing Erie 8-to-2 heading into the top of the seventh inning Saturday when the offense would explode for a big five run inning with the big hit coming on a mammoth three-run home run off the bat of first baseman Micah Pries making it an 8-to-7 game. For Pries it was his 17th long ball on the season.

After holding the SeaWolves scoreless in the bottom half of the inning the Ducks offense would get right back to it in the top of the eighth taking the lead on a two-run blast by center fielder Julian Escobedo completing the comeback and giving them their first lead of the game at 9-to-8.

Akron would hold Erie scoreless over the final two innings to secure the win with reliever Mason Hickman picking up his second Double-A save setting the SeaWolves down in order in the ninth.

The win improves the RubberDucks record to 64-49 on te season.

Top Performers:

Julian Escobedo 2-3 3R HR 2RBI BB
Jose Tena 2-5 2R HR 3RBI
Micah Pries 1-5 R HR 3RBI
Ray Delgado 2-3 R BB
Jhonkensy Noel 1-4 R RBI BB
Carlos Vargas 2.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 2SO (W)

High-A Lake County Captains

Lake County @ West Michigan (Suspended)

Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats

Lynchburg 9 Fredericksburg 0

The Hillcats shut out the Nationals Saturday behind another outstanding start by 22-year-old left-handed pitcher Will Dion. Dion threw seven scoreless innings allowing just one hit and two walks while striking out seven in the start.

For Dion he now has 134 strikeouts on the season for Lynchburg which leads the Carolina League and is second to only fellow lefty and current Columbus Clipper Logan Allen's 141 in the Gurdians farm system. He lowered his ERA to 2.30 on the year which is currently second best in the Carolina League.

The offense was led by left fielder Cesar Idrogo who would hit three doubles in the contest driving in a pair of runs. Idrogo has been red hot at the plate reaching base in 20 straight games for the Hillcats hitting .385 during that span with a .481 OBP.

The only home run in the game came off the bat of switch-hitting shortstop Yordys Valdes on a two-run home run in the ninth inning. Valdes finished the game going 3-for-5 with three runs batted in.

Lynchburg improves to 56-57 on the season with the shutout victory.

Top Performers:

Yordys Valdes 3-5 R 2B HR 3RBI
Cesar Idrogo 3-4 2R 3(2B) 2RBI
Isaiah Greene 1-3 R 3B 2RBI 2BB
Richard Paz 1-3 R 2B RBI BB
Will Dion 7.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 2BB 7SO (W)

Arizona Complex League Guardians

ACL Reds 7 ACL Guardians 1 (Game 1)

The ACL Guardians were held to one run on eight hits in game one of Saturday's doubleheader vs the Reds. 18-year-old shortstop prospect Angel Genao would drive in the lone run on an RBI base hit in the sixth inning. Genao would collect two hits in the game and is now hitting .317 on the season.

The loss drops the ACL Guardians record to 26-23 on the year.

Top Performers:

Angel Genao 2-3 RBI SB
Jose Baez 2-2 BB SB
Maick Collado 1-3 BB
Lexer Saduy 1-4 SB
Angel Mendoza 1-3
Alberto Breton 3.2(IP) 3H 1R 1ER 2BB 1SO

ACL Reds 9 ACL Guardians 1 (Game 2)

Game two featured the Arizona Complex League debut by 18-year-old RHP prospect Austin Aldeano who was just promoted from the Dominican Summer League.

Aldeano who had a 2.31 ERA over 46.2 innings in the DSL did not disappoint throwing four scoreless innings allowing just two hits striking out five without allowing a walk.

The ACL Reds would take advantage of the Guardians bullpen as soon as Aldeano left the game platting nine runs in the fifth inning on four walks and six hits including two home runs.

The doubleheader sweep by the ACL Reds drops the ACL Guardians to 26-24 on the season.

Top Performers:

Manuel Mejias 1-3 RBI
Esteban Gonzalez 1-4 R 2B
Jose Pastrano 1-1 2BB SB
Simon Rodriguez 0-2 BB 2SB
Austin Aldeano 4.0(IP) 2H 0R 0ER 0BB 5SO

Dominican Summer League Guardians (Blue)

DSL Red Sox (Red) 6 DSL Guardians (Blue) 1 (7 Innings)

The DSL Guardians (Blue) squad fall to 31-27 on the year collecting only four hits and one run in a rain shortened affair against the Red Sox (Red) team Saturday.

17-year-old shortstop prospect Yorfran John had three of the teams four base hits in the game for the Guardians.

The DSL Guardians (Red) starting pitcher Frederic Garcia struck out five over his four innings of work allowing two runs. Garcia now has a team leading 61 strikeouts over just 41.1 innings pitched on the season.

Top Performers:

Yorfran John 3-3
Nelson Aranguren 1-2 BB
Jose Cedeno 0-2 R BB
Frederic Garcia 4.0(IP) 6H 2R 2ER 2BB 5SO

Dominican Summer League Guardians (Red)

DSL Guardians (Red) 4 DSL Athletics 3

The DSL Guardians (Blue) team improved to just 17-40 on the year win over the DSL Athletics.

The Guardians (Red) 19-year-old RHP Pedro Almanzar lowered his ERA to 3.57 on the season allowing just one run on two hits in his start.

18-year-old outfield prospect Christopher Espinola continued his outstanding season reaching base three times collecting two more hits and a walk. Espinola is now hitting .338 on the year with a .928 OPS over 39 games.