Josh Naylor Postgame Comments July 14, 2022

Guardians Farm Report: Benson Homers In Second Straight Game Extending His On Base Streak To 28 Games

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

Author:
Todd Paquette
Jul 15, 2022 12:35 PM EDT

In this story:

All seven Cleveland Guardians minor league teams were in action on Thursday including a double header for Double-A Akron.

Triple-A Columbus Clippers

Columbus 7 Indianapolis 0

Cleveland Guardians 24-year-old RHP prospect Peyton Battenfield was sensational Thursday night for Columbus in his best outing of the season. Battenfield threw eight scoreless innings allowing just three hits striking out six and did not walk a single batter. He would pick up his sixth win on the season and lower his ERA to 2.91 on the year.

The Clippers were led on offense by Will Benson who would drive in two runs on the day on three hits including a double and his 16th HR on the season. Benson has now reached base in 28 straight games. During that span he's hitting .307 with a .486 OBP including 7 home runs and 35 walks.

Clippers left fielder Richie Palacios would also homer in the game going 1-for-4 with a pair of runs driven in. For Palacios the home run was his third of the year with Columbus and would extend his hitting streak with the team to 11 straight games.

The shutout win moved the Clippers record to 49-38 on the year.

Top Performers:

Will Benson 3-4 2R 2B HR 2RBI SB
Richie Palacios 1-4 R HR 2RBI
Tyler Freeman 1-4 RBI
Trenton Brooks 1-3 R BB
Jose Fermin 1-4 R
Peyton Battenfield 8.0(IP) 3H 0R 0ER 0BB 6SO (W)

Double-A Akron RubberDucks

Bowie 2 Akron 0 (Game 1)

Akron was held to just one hit in their shutout loss in Thursday's first game of their double header against Bowie.

The lone bright spot was 23-year-old RHP Tanner Bibee who was making his second start for Akron since his promotion from Lake County.

Bibee would go the distance pitching a complete game allowing two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out six. In his two starts with the RubberDucks Bibee has a 1.64 ERA allowing just two runs over 11.0 innings striking out 12.

The game one loss dropped the Ducks record to 44-38 on the season.

Top Performers:

Tanner Bibee 6.0(IP) 4H 2R 2ER 1BB 6SO
Julian Escobedo 1-2

Erie 9 Akron 1 (Game 2)

Game two did not go much better for Akron as they would only muster one run on just four hits in the game. The lone run would come off the bat of shortstop Brayan Rocchio who would hit his ninth home run of the season for Akron.

Four Akron pitchers would allow nine runs on eight hits four of which were home runs and six walks to Bowie in the game.

The Ducks fall to 44-39 on the year with the game two loss.

Top Performers:

Brayan Rocchio 2-4 R HR RBI
Julian Escobedo 1-2 BB
Ray Delgado 1-3
Cade Smith 1.1(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 3SO

High-A Lake County Captains

Lake County 3 Dayton 2

The Captains trailed 2-to-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. Both Milan Tolentino and Joe Naranjo would lead off the inning with back-to-back base hits. The next two batters however would strike out.

Now with two outs in the inning left fielder Johnathan Rodriguez would step up and hit a huge three-run home run to give Lake County the lead. The home run was Rodriguez's 10th on the season and prove to be the game winning hit.

Lake County starter 21-year-old RHP Aaron Davenport got off to a shaky start allowing a two-run home run in the first inning to Dayton but would settle in and pitch terrific over the next five innings.

Davenport would tie a career high with nine strikeouts allowing just the two runs on four hits over six innings of work.

The comeback win improves the Captains record to 44-39 on the year.

Top Performers:

Johnathan Rodriguez 2-4 R HR 3RBI
Joe Naranjo 1-3 R BB
Milan Tolentino 1-4 R
Petey Halpin 2-4 SB
Aaron Bracho 1-4 2B
Aaron Davenport 6.0(IP) 4H 2R 2ER 1BB 9SO
Raymond Burgos 2.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 2SO (W)

Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats

Lynchburg 5 Charleston 3

The game was tied at two runs a piece heading into the bottom of the eighth inning with two on and one out 20-year-old switch hitting shortstop Dayan Frias would come up clutch driving a three-run home run over the right field wall giving Lynchburg a 5-to-3 lead.

The home run for Frias was just his second of the season with the Hillcats but prove to be the game winning hit as Lynchburg would allow one run in the top of the 9th to Charleston but hold onto win by the final score of 5-to-3.

Top Performers:

Dayan Frias 1-4 R HR 3RBI
Luis Durango 1-3 R 3B BB SB
Isaiah Greene 0-2 2R 2BB SB
Junior Sanquintin 1-2 2BB
Jorge Burgos 2-4 SB
Damon Casetta-Stubbs 2.1(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 1BB 1SO

Arizona Complex League Guardians

ACL Brewers (Blue) 14 ACL Guardians 4

The ACL Guardians actually led the game 4-to-0 against the Brewers after three innings of play.

Guardians' starter 20-year-old RHP Wardquelin Vasquez would strikeout a career high eight batters over five innings of work allowing just one unearned run on just three hits.

Vasquez would lower his ERA to 2.28 on the season which is now second best in all of the Arizona Complex League. He only trails his fellow teammate 19-year-old RHP Alonzo Richardson's 2.00 ERA for the league lead.

After Vasquez departed from the game the Guardians bullpen would allow 13 runs nine earned over the sixth and seventh innings on nine hits, three walks and two hit by pitches.

The loss dropped the ACL Guardians record to 18-10 on the year.

Top Performers:

Angel Mendoza 1-2 R 2B RBI
Angel Contreras 1-2 RBI BB
Simon Rodriguez 0-1 R 3BB
Juan Benjamin 1-4 R
Wardquelin Vasquez 5.0(IP) 3H 1R 0ER 2BB 8SO

Dominican Summer League Guardians (Red)

DSL Mets (2) 8 DSL Guardians (Red) 7

The DSL Guardians (Red) squad would fall to 9-20 on the season dropping a close affair against the DSL Mets (2) on Thursday.

Guardians 17-year-old outfield prospect Jaison Chourio remained scorching hot at the plate reaching base three more times in the game on a double, triple and a walk. Chourio would also score a run, drive in two and steal a base in the game. He is now 9-for-15 over his last four games with seven runs batted in.

Top Performers:

Jaison Chourio 2-3 R 2B 3B 2RBI BB SB
Yanki Jean-Baptiste 1-2 2R BB SB
Emelio Taveras 1-2 R RBI
Rafael Ramirez 0-2 R 2BB
Felix Polanco 2.1(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 1BB 2SO

Dominican Summer League Guardians (Blue)

DSL Guardians (Blue) 5 DSL Mets (1) 4

The DSL Guardians (Blue) team would hold onto win defeating the DSL Mets (1) squad winning their sixth straight game improving their record to 17-13 on the season.

The team was led on offense by right fielder Carlos Gutierrez and first baseman Oscar Cedeno with each batter collecting two hits and driven in a run in the contest.

Right-handed pitcher Yonaiker Garcia would pick up the win pitching in relief throwing two scoreless innings striking out a pair.