Guardians Farm Report: Allen And Valera Propel Akron Into First Place With Fourth Straight Win

All seven Cleveland Guardians minor league teams were in action Thursday. One of the two of the organizations Dominican Summer league teams however would have their game suspended by rain and lightning and will be completed at a future date.

Triple-A Columbus Clippers

Columbus 10 St. Paul 1

Columbus up just 2-to-1 as both teams were actually locked in a pitcher's duel until the seventh inning when the Clippers would put up three runs including a two-run home run by the rehabbing Franmil Reyes.

#Guardians DH/OF Franmil Reyes with a 2-run bomb in his 4th AB today for Triple-A Columbus. Reyes is 3-4 in the game and just a triple short of the cycle.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/cilROHWU2J
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) June 16, 2022

Now up 5-to-1 in the in the eighth inning the Clippers offense would put the game out of reach scoring five runs that saw Will Benson drive in two in the on a base hit on his 24th birthday.

Nice bounce back start today for #Guardians 24yr old RHP prospect Peyton Battenfield today for Columbus. Battenfield lowers ERA to 3.05 on the season.

Line - 7.0(IP) 5H 1R 1ER 1BB 3SO (97 Pitches 59 Strikes)@PBattenfield @CLBClippers #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/aXr1l1VVAz
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) June 16, 2022

Clippers starter Peyton Battenfield would give the team seven innings of work allowing just the one run on five hits while striking out three earning his fourth win on the season.

Columbus moves to 11 games above .500 at 37-26 on the season.

Top Performers:

Franmil Reyes 3-4 R 2B HR 3RBI
Will Brennan 2-4 R HR 2RBI BB
Nolan Jones 2-4 R 2B RBI BB SB
Will Benson 1-4 R 3RBI
Tyler Freeman 0-2 2R 3BB
Trenton Brooks 2-4 2R 2B
Peyton Battenfield 7.0(IP) 5H 1R 1ER 1BB 3SO (W)

Double-A Akron RubberDucks

Akron 1 Hartford 0

The RubberDucks and Yard Goats were locked in a scoreless affair until one out in the top of the sixth inning when George Valera would send his 10th home run of the season over the left center field wall. The solo home run by Valera would be the only run scored in the game.

Holy George! Look where this one lands! #Guardians 21yr old OF prospect George Valera clobbers his 10th HR of the season to give Akron a 1-0 lead in the 6th inning.@GV13__ @AkronRubberDuck #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/gcUiRiQO1W
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) June 17, 2022

On the pitching side for Akron starter Logan Allen was dealing striking out a career high 11 over six scoreless innings of work allowing just two hits earning his fourth win.

#Guardians 23yr old LHP prospect Logan Allen was sensational tonight striking out a season high 11 batters over 6.0 scoreless innings for Akron!

Line - 6.0(IP) 2H 0R 0ER 1BB 11SO

Allen now has 93 strikeouts over just 66.0 innings on the year.@_Logan2Allen #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/nH36yFsjEJ
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) June 17, 2022

Allen now has 93 strikeouts on the season over just 66.0 innings pitched. The 93 strikeouts put in him second place currently for the most in all minor league baseball behind Braves prospect Royber Salinas who has 99 on the year.

With the win Akron has now won four straight games and jump into first place at 35-25 in the Double-A Eastern League Northern division.

Top Performers:

George Valera 2-3 R HR RBI BB
Bo Naylor 1-3 2B BB
Daniel Schneemann 1-3
Julian Escobedo 1-4
Logan Allen 6.0(IP) 2H 0R 0ER 1BB 11SO (W)
Jerson Ramirez 1.1(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1SO (SV)

High-A Lake County Captains

Beloit 3 Lake County 1

The Captains and Sky Carp held each other scoreless during regulation and would send the game into extra innings deadlocked at 0-0.

Beloit would take the first lead of the game scoring three runs in the top of the 10th. Lake County would get an RBI double from Alexfri Planez cutting the lead to 3-to-1. The Captains still with nobody out would get the tying runs on base after a Petey Halpin walk.

Unfortunately for Lake County the next three batters would go down in order as Beloit would end the comeback attempt.

#Guardians 23-year-old RHP prospect Mason Hickman was outstanding tonight for Lake County striking out 9 over 5.0 scoreless innings allowing just one hit vs Beloit.

Line - 5.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 1BB 9SO (73 Pitches 49 Strikes)@HickmanMason #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/17UaOumLNJ
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) June 17, 2022

Captains starter Mason Hickman delivered his best start of the season holding the Sky Carp scoreless over his five innings of work on just one hit while striking out a season high nine batters in the no-decision.

The loss drops Lake County to 31-28 on the year.

Top Performers:

Alexfri Planez 1-4 2B RBI
Petey Halpin 2-3 3B BB SB
Angel Martinez 2-4
Milan Tolentino 1-4
Mason Hickman 5.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 1BB 9SO
Randy Labaut 2.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 3SO

Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats

Down East 5 Lynchburg 2

The Hillcats would get another terrific outing from starter Will Dion who has been tremendous all season for Lynchburg. Dion allowed just two runs over seven innings of work striking out four Wood Ducks in the game. His ERA actually rose to 1.75 on the season.

Another solid outing tonight by #Guardians 22yr old LHP prospect Will Dion for Lynchburg as he goes seven strong vs Down East.

Line - 7.0(IP) 4H 2R 2ER 1BB 4SO

Season - 56.2(IP) 40H 18R 11ER 13BB 63SO 1.75 ERA@WDion22 @LynHillcats #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/LpZIAzP78O
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) June 17, 2022

Lynchburg was trailing 2-to-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning when right fielder Jorge Burgos would tie the game up at two runs apiece on his 12th double of the season scoring Yordys Valdes who had walked prior to his at bat.

#Guardians 20yr old OF prospect Jorge Burgos drives in his 33rd run of the season on his 12th double of the year tonight for Lynchburg that tied the game up at 2-2 at the time.@LynHillcats #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/eOdprw53Jl
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) June 17, 2022

Down East would respond right back in the top of the eighth inning plating three runs off Lynchburg reliever Damon Casetta-Stubbs. The Hillcats would fail to score over their final two at bats and fall be the final of 5-to-2.

Lynchburg falls to 31-29 on the year with the loss.

Top Performers:

Wilfri Peralta 1-3 R 2B RBI BB
Jordan Brown 2-4 R 2B
Jorge Burgos 1-5 2B RBI
Yordys Valdes 0-1 R BB
Will Dion 7.0(IP) 4H 2R 2ER 1BB 4SO

Arizona Complex League Guardians

ACL Guardians 5 ACL Brewers (Gold) 3

Tied at 2-to-2 in the seventh inning the ACL Guardians center fielder Wuilfredo Antunez would come up huge with his third hit of the game delivering a three run home run which would be the eventual game winning shot in the teams 5-to-3 win. For Antunez it was his first career home run playing in his 21st professional game.

#Guardians 20yr old OF prospect Wuilfredo Antunez with a 3-run HR in the 7th inning tonight in the Arizona Complex League. The HR for Antunez was the 1st of his career! #ForTheLand
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) June 17, 2022

ACL Guardians first baseman Marlin Made drove in the teams other two runs in the game on a RBI ground out and a solo home run. The home run for Made was his first of the season.

Starter Wardquelin Vasquez allowed just one unearned run over five innings striking out three Brewers in the game. Reliever Daniel Figueroa would earn his first save of the season. The ACL Guardians improve to 6-2 on the season with the win.

Top Performers:

Wuilfredo Antunez 3-5 2R 2B HR 3RBI
Marlin Made 1-4 R HR 2RBI
Jose Pastrano 1-3 R BB SB
Erick Caripa 1-1 R BB
Wardquelin Vasquez 5.0(IP) 2H 1R 0ER 2BB 3SO
Albert Breton 1.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 2SO

Dominican Summer League Guardians

DSL Astros (Blue) 5 DSL Guardians (Red) 1

The Dominican Summer League Guardians (Red) squad could only muster two hits and plate one run on Thursday falling to 4-5 on the season with the defeat.

The DSL Guardians (Red) team had been averaging almost nine runs a game heading into the game with the Astros (Blue) squad.