Guardians Farm Report: Rodriguez Homers Again In The Captains Win Over The Cubs

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

Author:
Todd Paquette
Jul 31, 2022 12:52 PM EDT

In this story:

Five of the Cleveland Guardians seven minor league teams were in action on Saturday. The organizations Arizona Rookie League team was postponed by lightening while the Dominican Summer League (Blue) squad had their game suspended by rain.

Triple-A Columbus Clippers

Louisville 3 Columbus 2

Columbus lost a heartbreaker Saturday night after tying the game up at 2-to-2 in the top of the ninth inning only to lose on a walk-off base hit in the bottom half of the inning.

Clippers starter Peyton Battenfield had a nice bounce back start from a rough last outing. Battenfield went six innings only allowing two runs on just four hits while striking out three Bats hitters on the night.

On offense Will Brennan stayed red hot reaching base four more times on three hits and a walk including a triple. For Brennan he extended his hitting streak to 10 straight games. He is now hitting .343 with Columbus over 52 games.

Tyler Freeman was able to extend his on-base streak to 13 straight games finishing 1-for-5 with a run in the game. Freeman is hitting .423 with a .508 OBP during the streak. Will Benson also extended his hitting streak to 12 straight going 1-for-5 at the plate. Benson has a .404 AVG with a .456 OBP over the 12 games.

The loss drops the Clippers record to 55-42 on the year.

Top Performers:

Will Brennan 3-4 R 3B BB
Gabriel Arias 1-3 2RBI BB
Oscar Mercado 2-3 BB SB
Bo Naylor 1-4 SB
Tyler Freeman 1-5 R
Payten Battenfield 6.0(IP) 4H 2R 2ER 2BB 3SO

Double-A Akron RubberDucks

Akron 4 Harrisburg 3

The Harrisburg Senators scored one run in the top of the eighth inning to tie the game at three runs apiece. Akron would respond however with a clutch two out base hit off the bat of Jhonkensy Noel that would score the go ahead and eventual game winning run from second base.

Ducks RHP Thomas Ponticelli would stay on for a second inning of relief and pick up the win holding the Senators scoreless in the ninth inning. The win improves the Rubberducks record to 50-43 on the season.

For Akron LHP Joey Cantillo made his first start in over a month and picked up right where he left off throwing three scoreless frames allowing just one hit while striking out four on the night. Cantillo lowered his ERA to a ridiculous 1.93 on the season. He's only given up 38 hits in 60.2 innings pitched on the year.

Top Performers:

Jhonkensy Noel 2-4 2RBI
Brayan Rocchio 2-4 2R 2B
Oscar Gonzalez 1-3 R RBI BB (Rehab)
George Valera 1-3 R BB
Joey Cantillo 3.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 2BB 4SO
Manuel Alvarez 2.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1SO

High-A Lake County Captains

Lake County 7 South Bend 2

Lake County would take a 4-to-0 lead in the first inning and never look back taking down South Bend and improve to 51-42 on the season.

The big blow in the four run first came off the bat of 22-year-old Johnathan Rodriguez who would absolutely crush a three-run home run to dead center over the batter's eye. For Rodriguez it was his 14th long ball of the year now doubling his previous career high of seven from 2021 in 16 less games.

Rodriguez has been on an absolute tear in his breakout season over his last 27 games he's hitting .367 with 10 doubles 12 home runs and 28 runs driven in. On the year overall now he's hitting .283 with a .870 OPS over 66 games played.

The other offensive star for the Captains on the night was 20-year-old Milan Tolentino who launched his second home run of the season with Lake County and third home run overall in the ninth inning of the game topping off his big night.

Tolentino stuffed the stat line collecting two hits, two walks while scoring three times, driving in a run and stealing tow bags.

The bullpen duo of Davis Sharpe and Mason Hickman would through four and a third scoreless innings of relief with Sharpe picking up the win.

Top Performers:

Milan Tolentino 2-3 3R HR RBI 2BB 2SB
Johnathan Rodriguez 2-5 R HR 3RBI
Alexfri Planez 1-4 R 2RBI
Gabriel Rodriguez 2-4 R
Joe Naranjo 1-4 R
Davis Sharpe 2.1(IP) 2H 0R 0ER 0BB 1SO (W)
Mason Hickman 2.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 2BB 3SO

Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats

Delmarva 5 Lynchburg 4

Lynchburg's struggles continued Saturday as the team is playing shorthanded with multiple players inactive due to covid.

Hillcats catcher Joe Donovan did his best to keep the team in the game driving home two runs in the contest on a double and a home run. The home run was Donovan's fourth of the season.

The Hillcats actually held a 4-to-2 lead after five innings but were blanked over the final four frames as the Shorebirds would come back and outscore them 3-to-0 in that span to take the win.

The loss drops Lynchburg to 46-49 on the season.

Top Performers:

Joe Donovan 2-4 R 2B HR 2RBI
Yordys Valdes 2-4 R
Isaiah Greene 1-4 RBI SB
Lexer Saduy 1-4 R
Victor Planchart 1-4 R
Miguel Vinicio 1.1(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 3SO

Dominican Summer League Guardians (Red)

DSL Guardians (Red) 8 DSL Marlins 2 (6 Innings)

The DSL Guardians (Red) team was able to end their losing streak Saturday in a rain shortened affair with the Marlins. The win improved the teams record to just 11-29 on the year.

In the game 18-year-old INF/OF prospect Yefri Rivera extended his hitting streak to 11 straight games going 1-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and a stolen base. He also has reached base now in 16 straight games.