Guardians Farm Report: Planez Extends Hitting Streak to 21 Games With Clutch HR for Lake County

All four full season Cleveland Guardians minor league affiliates were in action on Sunday with the three rookie league teams having the day off.

Triple-A Columbus Clippers

Columbus 5 Nashville 3

Columbus came into Sunday's game dropping the first five games of the series to Nashville. The Clippers had not held a lead at any point in the series.

With the Sounds up 1-to-0 in the second inning Columbus catcher Bo Naylor would give the team their first lead of the series with a two-run homerun. The homerun for Naylor was his fourth at Triple-A with Columbus and 10th overall on the season. He is now hitting .309 through his first 15 games with the Clippers.

#Guardians 22yr old (C) prospect Bo Naylor with a 2-run HR in his first AB today for Columbus! Naylor now has 4 HR's in Triple-A and 10 HR's overall on the season. He is hitting .308 since his promotion to the Clippers.@_BoNaylor_ @CLBClippers #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/RULUo4fYHp
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 10, 2022

Nashville would take a 3-to-2 lead scoring two runs off Columbus starter Tanner Tully in the fifth inning. Tully pitched well giving up three runs on eight hits over six and two thirds' innings while striking out eight on the day.

The Clippers would get their first two runners on in the bottom of the seventh inning when right fielder Will Benson would step up and drill his 14th homerun of the season over the right field wall giving Columbus a 5-to-3 lead.

#Guardians 24yr old OF prospect Will Benson extended his hitting streak to 11 straight games today w/ a 3-run HR for Columbus in the 7th inning! For Benson it his 14th HR of the season & he now owns a .906 OPS over 75 games.@_thekidbilly_ @CLBClippers #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/CFZSSg4Zqg
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 11, 2022

The home run would be the difference in the game handing Columbus their first win of the series and improving their record to 47-37 on the year.

Top Performers:

Bo Naylor 2-4 R HR 2RBI
Will Benson 1-3 R HR 3RBI BB
Trenton Brooks 1-3 R 2B
Jose Fermin 1-2 R
Will Brennan 2-4
Tanner Tully 6.2(IP) 8H 3R 3ER 1BB 8SO (W)
Justin Garza 1.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1SO (SV)

Double-A Akron RubberDucks

Altoona 11 Akron 1

Akron's starter Gavin Williams would only allow two runs on two hits in the game, but he had to deal with a small strike zone Sunday vs Altoona which would lead to three walks and a high pitch count. That high pitch count led to an early departure as he would throw four and two thirds' innings striking out five on 91 pitches.

#Guardians 22yr old RHP prospect Gavin Williams had to deal w/ a tight zone today which ran up his pitch count early. William's allowed 2 runs on 2 hits while striking out 5 over 4.2 innings.

Line - 4.2(IP) 2H 2R 2ER 3BB 5SO (91 Pitches 57 Strikes)@16gavinwilliams #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/s2XCh0CI2x
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 10, 2022

The Ducks bullpen would yield nine runs to the Curve over the final four and one third innings pitched on eight hits and five walks handing Altoona an 11-to-1 victory in the series finale.

On offense the only run Akron would score came in the sixth inning after a Bryan Lavastida triple first baseman Micah Pries would drive him home on a groundout to second base.

Top Performers:

Bryan Lavastida 1-4 R 3B (Rehab)
Brayan Rocchio 2-4
Chris Roller 1-3 BB
Ray Delgado 1-4
Jose Tena 1-4
Gavin Williams 4.2(IP) 2H 2R 2ER 3BB 5SO

High-A Lake County Captains

Lake County 5 Fort Wayne 2

Captains starter Tommy Mace would hold the TinCaps to just two runs on three hits over five and two thirds inning striking out six batters on Sunday. For Mace it was one of his better outings on the season which has been a bit of a roller-coaster ride for the 2021 second round pick.

Nice outing today for #Guardians 23yr old RHP prospect Tommy Mace as he allows just 2 runs on 3 hits over 5.2 innings striking out 6 for Lake County against Fort Wayne.

Line - 5.2(IP) 3H 2R 2ER 1BB 6SO (82 Pitches 57 Strikes)@LCCaptains #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/L0I4aiTTlB
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 10, 2022

Trailing 2-to-1 in the seventh inning Lake County's Johnathan Rodriguez who had already homered in the game in the fourth inning stepped up and would go deep again to tie the game up at two runs apiece. For Rodriguez the two solo home runs now give him nine long balls on the year, and he extended his hitting streak to 15 straight games.

#Guardians 22yr old OF prospect Johnathan Rodriguez is some kind of hot right now! Rodriguez hits his 2nd HR of the game for Lake County. The HR was his 9th on the season and 7th during his current 15 game hit streak. @jjrodz55 @LCCaptains #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/PYicrrVGfj
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 10, 2022

Captains Alexfri Planez had failed to extend his 20-game hitting streak in the game striking out all three times heading into the eighth inning. With two runners on base and one out Planez would step up and not only extend his hitting streak to 21 straight games but blast his 11th home run of the season over the fence to give Lake County a 5-to-2 lead!

Unreal! #Guardians 20yr old OF prospect Alexfri Planez extends his hitting streak to 21 straight games with a 3-run HR in the 8th inning to give Lake County a 5-2 lead. For Planez he now has 11 HR's & 25 XBH on the season in just 45 games!@ajplanez33 @LCCaptains #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/J5MgaJvbJr
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 10, 2022

Planez who had missed time earlier in the season to a wrist injury now has an incredible 25 extra base hits in just 45 games on year. His 21-game hitting streak is the longest of the year in the Midwest League and the Guardians farm system.

The win improves Lake County's record to 42-39 on the year.

Top Performers:

Johnathan Rodriguez 2-4 2R 2HR 2RBI
Alexfri Planez 1-4 R HR 3RBI
Angel Martinez 1-4 R 2B BB
Petey Halpin 0-2 2BB SB
Tommy Mace 5.2(IP) 3H 2R 2ER 1BB 6SO
Raymond Burgos 2.1(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 1BB 2SO (W)

Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats

Fredericksburg 7 Lynchburg 2

Not many highlights on the Hillcats side of things in their latest loss to the Nationals on Sunday as they fall below .500 on the season at 40-41.

The two runs Lynchburg did score came both on sacrifice fly's as they would only collect four hits in the contest.

Starting pitcher Will Dion would suffer the loss on one of his toughest outings on the season. Dion allowed five runs over four and two thirds inning walking four and striking out three on the day.

20-year-old shortstop Yordys Valdes who is known for his tremendous defensive ability made a sensational barehanded play in the eighth inning cutting the runner down at first base on a weakly hit groundball.

Remarkable barehanded play by #Guardians 20-year-old switch hitting (SS) prospect Yordys Valdes on Sunday for Lynchburg. @7Yordysvaldes @LynHillcats #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/FQAlw2erfo
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 11, 2022