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

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

Author:
Todd Paquette
Aug 26, 2022 10:11 AM EDT

In this story:

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

Triple-A Columbus Clippers

Columbus 9 Buffalo 6

Columbus fought their way back from a 5-to-0 deficit after the first inning Thursday after Buffalo would knock out Clippers starter Logan Allen after just two thirds of an inning pitched.

The Clippers would outscore the Bisons 9-to-1 over the final eight innings of the game. The teams nine runs would come on 16 hits including four home runs.

Two of those four home runs would come off the bat of Guardians 21-year-old outfield prospect George Valera who reach base four times in the game on three hits and a walk including the pair of solo shots.

After a slow start since his promotion Valera has really picked it up over his last six games at Columbus going 9-for-23 for with two doubles, four home runs and four runs batted in while hitting for a .391 average during that span.

Nolan Jones would homer for the second time in just three games since being optioned back to Triple-A. His two-run HR was his only hit of the game and his fifth on the season with the team.

Clippers first baseman Trenton Brooks would extend his hitting streak to seven straight games on his eighth home run of the season a two-run shot in the second inning. Brooks is hitting .333 with a pair of home runs and five runs batted in during the streak.

The Clippers bullpen was huge holding the Bisons to just one run on three hits over the final eight and a third innings after Allen's departure. Left-handed reliever Tim Herrin was one of five relievers for Columbus to pitch in the game. Herrin would throw two and a third innings not allowing a runner to reach base while striking out three.

The comeback win moves Columbus back to 20 games above .500 at 69-49 on the season.

Top Performers:

George Valera 3-4 2R 2HR 2RBI BB
Will Brennan 2-5 R 2B 2RBI
Nolan Jones 1-5 R HR 2RBI
Trenton Brooks 1-5 R HR 2RBI
David Fry 3-5 R 2(2B)
Brayan Rocchio 3-5 R
Gabriel Arias 2-5 RBI
Tim Herrin 2.1(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 3SO

Double-A Akron RubberDucks

Akron 5 Richmond 2

RubberDucks starter 23-year-old right-hander Tanner Bibee continued his dominance at the Double-A level on Thursday tying a career high with 10 strikeouts over six innings of work allowing just one run on three hits and a walk earning the win.

Bibee has allowed two runs or less in all nine of his starts for Akron since his promotion from Lake County. He has a 1.45 ERA over 49.2 innings with the Ducks striking out 52 batters while only giving up eight walks.

First baseman Jhonkensy Noel would drive in four of the teams five runs in the game three of which would come on his 29th home run of the season a three-run shot in the first inning. The home run for Noel was his first since July 28th ending an almost month-long drought for the young slugger.

Noel would also add an RBI triple later in the game. He now has a five-game hitting streak and extended his current on-base streak to 13 straight games.

RubberDucks shortstop Jose Tena would also have a standout game on offense going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI while scoring two runs. Tena extended his current hitting streak to six straight games in which he is hitting .385 with seven runs batted in that time.

Akron's record now sits at 67-50 after the win.

Top Performers:

Jhonkensy Noel 2-4 R 3B HR 4RBI
Jose Tena 3-4 2R 2B RBI
Ray Delgado 1-3 R 2B
Bryan Lavastida 1-4 R
Tanner Bibee 6.0(IP) 3H 1R 1ER 1BB 10SO (W)
Mason Hickman 1.1(IP) 3H 0R 0ER 0BB 2SO (SV)

High-A Lake County Captains

Lake County 8 Cedar Rapids 4

The Captains won their fifth straight game putting up eight runs on 13 hits without hitting a home run against Cedar Rapids Thursday.

Six different players would drive in a run for Lake County in the game led by center fielder Petey Halpin who would finish the game 2-for-5 with a pair of runs batted in.

Second baseman Aaron Bracho would extend his hitting streak to 10 straight games going 1-2 with two walks including his 13th double of the season. He would score one run and drive in a run as well. During his hitting streak Bracho is hitting .378 with six doubles a home run and seven RBI's while sporting a .452 on base percentage.

Captains left fielder Connor Kokx would extend his own hitting streak to seven straight games with an RBI triple in the sixth inning which put Lake County up 8-to-0 at the time. Kokx also extended his on-base streak to 12 straight games.

Lake County starter Tommy Mace shut out Cedar Rapids over the first six innings of the game before finally allowing two runs on a home run in his final inning of work in the seventh. Mace would pick up his first win of the year and his career with the strong outing.

The teams fifth straight win vaults their record to a season best 19 games above .500 at 67-48 on the year.

Top Performers:

Joe Naranjo 3-5 2R RBI
Petey Halpin 2-5 2RBI
Korey Holland 2-4 2R 2(2B)
Alexfri Planez 2-5 R RBI
Milan Tolentino 1-4 2R RBI BB
Aaron Bracho 1-2 R 2B RBI 2BB
Tommy Mace 7.0(IP) 3H 2R 2ER 2BB 2SO

Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats

Lynchburg 7 Delmarva 3 (10 Innings)

The Hillcats trailed 3-to-2 with two outs in the 9th inning when they would get a double by center fielder Jake Fox his 22nd two bagger of the season.

The very next batter third baseman Dayan Frias would lace a single back up the middle to tie the game at three runs apiece and send the game into extra innings. Frias would reach base five times in the game on four hits and a walk including two runs batted in.

Lynchburg would plate four runs in the top of the 10th inning off Delmarva on a fielder's choice an RBI single by right fielder Cesar Idrogo and two wild pitches to take a 7-to-3 lead.

Hillcats reliever Franco Aleman would stay on for his third inning of work and hold the Shorebirds scoreless in their half of the 10th inning. Aleman earned the win with three scoreless of work allowing just one hit while striking out three Delmarva batters.

The win moves Lynchburg to 57-60 on the season.