Looks like lots happened for Lake County after I checked out last evening. Here are the Prospect lines from BA:

CLE AA Rodriguez, Ronny SS 3 0 1 0 .247 2B (2), BB (2), SB (3)
CLE HiA Lindor, Francisco SS 3 0 2 1 .351 2B (7), BB (11); Already a top prospect, but still underrated
CLE HiA Smith, Jordan RF 3 1 1 0 .237 2B (4)
CLE LoA Paulino, Dorssys SS 6 2 2 0 .218
CLE LoA Santander, Anthony RF 5 0 3 2 .455 2B (1), CS (2)
CLE LoA Brown, Mitch 2 4 6 6 1 3 11.49
CLE MAJ Allen, Cody 1 0 0 0 0 0 2.19
CLE MAJ Bauer, Trevor 5 1 0 0 6 5 2.70 W (1-1)

Around The Farm: May 1, 2013

Valerio's late-inning heroics highlight the night on the farm

May 2, 2013 ShareThis

By Jim Piascik IBI

Around the Farm takes a quick look at some of yesterday’s performances by Indians prospects throughout the system. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in yesterday’s game.

Charlie Valerio (C, Carolina): 1-for-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 3 SO.

The overall line on the night from Valerio may not jump off the screen, but timing is everything. Valerio launched a 10th inning home run to center field, giving the Mudcats a 3-2 lead on the road. Then, in the bottom half of the inning, Valerio threw out a runner attempting to steal second base for the final out of the game. Valerio is not a high profile prospect in the system, but he is one taking advantage of the catching issues throughout the system. You have to stand out when given the opportunity and Valerio did just that.

Chun-Hsiu Chen (1B, Akron): 1-for-3, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1 SB, 1 HBP

I know that Chen does not have a real position. I also know that his bat is very likely not good enough to carry him to the major leagues. Yet, as he continues to show that the power just make be back, I cannot help but get excited about what Chen is bringing to the table for the Akron Aeros. Even though this is his third time in the Eastern League, he is showing that he can get hits. I do not know how he will handle Triple-A, but it is time to find out.

•Mike Rayl (SP, Akron): ND, 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 1 HR. Rayl did not impress in his first Double-A start, but he did keep Akron in the game. That does count for something, if not much.

•Jordan Cooper (RP, Akron): W (1-0), 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO. Cooper's outing, however, impresses much more. The right-hander's first career action in Double-A saw him shut down Altoona and let the team get the win.

•Jake Lowery (C, Akron): 3-for-4, 1 R, 2 2B. Not bad for Lowery's first action in Double-A (sense a theme?). With the state of catching in the upper levels of the organization, there is an opening for Lowery to try to fill here if he can keep hitting.

•Tyler Holt (CF, Akron): 3-for-5, 1 R. Just your run-of-the-mill three-hit game for Holt, who has essentially erased all memories of his slow early season start. His line currently sits at .277/.371/.376

•Francisco Lindor (SS, Carolina): 2-for-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB. As someone who covers the Aeros, I see Lindor's .351/.425/.521 line and want to see what he can do in Double-A. It is too early to make rash judgments, but the organization's #1 prospect is making patience hard.

•Joseph Colon (SP, Carolina): ND, 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO, 1 HR. Colon may have made a mistake giving up a two-run homer in the second inning, but he was dominant past that.

•Grant Sides (RP, Carolina): 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO. Sides did not have a pretty start to the season, but he has pitched better of late. In his last four outings, Sides has only allowed one run in seven innings with a 10:3 SO:BB.

•Tyler Naquin (CF, Carolina): 0-for-4, 3 SO. Offense was down for the Mudcats, but no one was as down as Naquin. The outfielder is human after all, though he still sports a .304/.364/.469 line.

•Eric Haase (C, Lake County): 3-for-5, 3 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 SO, 1 E. Haase may need more work at the catcher position before he can be assured of sticking there, but the power looks good (three home runs and .233 ISO in 22 games). Some plate discipline is needed (27:5 SO:BB), but the start of something is there for the 20-year-old.

•Anthony Santander (RF, Lake County): 3-for-5, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 CS. Step one: be activated to a full season team at 18 years old. Step two: go 5-for-11 in your first three games. Step three: take over the world. Well, not quite, but Santander is off to a great start and should continue to impress in the months and years ahead.

•LeVon Washington (CF, Lake County): 2-for-4, 1 R, 2 BB. Say it with me: #WashTime. Washington is hitting .550 in the early going now that he is back from injury. What more do you want?

•Mitch Brown (SP, Lake County): ND, 2.0 IP, 4 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO, 2 HR. As a high school arm, Brown's assignment to Lake County was aggressive. Considering his 11.49 ERA, he may need a little time in Arizona to figure some things out.

•Felix Sterling (RP, Lake County): BS (3), L (0-4), 0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 1 HR. More struggles from Sterling, who really does not seem right anymore. His ERA has climbed from 3.16 to 4.12 to 5.65 to 14.40 over the years and he just cannot seem to stop the bleeding once things go wrong, giving up four or more runs in an inning or less three times so far in 2013.

Minor Happenings: Wash Time returns with a fury

By Tony Lastoria (IBI)

May 2, 2013 ShareThis

"Minor Happenings" is a bi-weekly column which recaps the important developments and news in the Indians farm system. Information in this report is compiled from my own research and through discussions with industry personnel inside and outside the Cleveland Indians organization. Unless otherwise noted, the intellectual property contained in this report is owned by IndiansBaseballInsider.com LLC, and any unauthorized reproduction of the information is prohibited.

In today’s week ending edition of Minor Happenings, I take a look at the blazing hot return of Low-A Lake County outfielder LeVon Washington, what the plan is for him, and what areas he is making some strides. I also recap Double-A Akron first baseman Chun Chen’s impressive month and look at when and how he can be promoted to Triple-A Columbus, share tons of comments from the front office on several position players at Akron, review the great Double-A debut by Will Roberts, the good recovery Tyler Holt has made after some early struggles, the growing legend of Anthony Santander, and more.

Onto the Happenings…

IBI Minor League Hitter of the Week

(for games from April 25th through May 1st)

LeVon Washington (Outfielder – Lake County)
.668 AVG (11-for-16), 8 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 SB, 1.722 OPS

He’s baaacck.

No, it’s not yet another Poltergeist movie. It is the return of Low-A Lake County outfielder LeVon Washington.

Washington, 21, made his return to the lineup a week ago Tuesday and played a few innings and got one at bat. He sat out the next game and then last Thursday played most of the game and got three at bats. His first full nine inning game in the field came on Saturday, and what a memorable game it was as he went 5-for-5 with a double and two RBI.

The Indians continue to be cautious with his return to game action as he has yet to play in back to back games in order to help ease him back into things after missing almost three weeks with a hamstring injury. The injury has lingered since spring training and they want to take the most cautious course of action in order to eliminate if for good so that he can finally get back to normal and play without any restrictions or concerns of it cropping back up again.

So far, Washington is off to a similar start he had last season at Lake County. In the first week of the season last year he hit .440 with a 1.043 OPS in six games before a hip injury cropped up and sidelined him for most of the rest of the season. This season he is hitting .550 with a 1.440 OPS in six games at Lake County, and he is showing the offense that the Indians want to see out of him.

Washington has really made some strides with his swing and is starting to look more like a baseball player when he hits rather than just a raw hitter that oozes athleticism at the plate. The offense is exciting in the early going, but the sample size is extremely small. That said, it is very encouraging to see not only the high batting average, but more importantly he has five walks and just two strikeouts in 20 at bats. Getting him more consistent with his approach and his swing are the two main things the Indians are focusing with him on, and the early returns are favorable.

The question now is how quickly the Indians may push Washington to High-A Carolina. At this time, they simply want him to settle in, play games, and prove he can play every day. It will take a few weeks for him to demonstrate he is completely healthy and also if he needs a challenge at a higher level. If he continues to perform over the next month and shows he is healthy, he could be in Carolina by month’s end.

Honorable mentions:

Jeremy Hermida (OF – COL): .273 AVG (6-for-22), 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 7 BB, 7 K, 1 SB, .903 OPS
Matt Lawson (2B – COL): .348 AVG (8-for-23), 3 R, 1 2B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 5 K, .814 OPS
Chun Chen (1B – AKR): .364 AVG (8-for-22), 4 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 5 BB, 5 K, 1 SB, 1.045 OPS
Tyler Holt (OF – AKR): .346 AVG (9-for-26), 6 R, 1 2B, 2 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 4 K, 2 SB, .875 OPS
Francisco Lindor (SS – CAR): .462 AVG (12-for-26), 3 R, 3 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 3 BB, 4 K, 1.226 OPS
Charlie Valerio (C – CAR): .348 AVG (8-for-23), 4 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 8 K, 1.027 OPS
Jordan Smith (OF – CAR): .385 AVG (10-for-26), 5 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K, .984 OPS
Tyler Naquin (OF – CAR): .304 AVG (7-for-23), 5 R, 3 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 6 K, 1 SB, .925 OPS
Leonardo Castillo (3B – LC): .278 AVG (5-for-18), 4 R, 3 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, .927 OPS
Erik Gonzalez (INF – LC): .385 AVG (10-for-26), 6 R, 2 2B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 SB, .890 OPS

Previous winners:

04/18/13 to 04/24/13 – Chun Chen (First baseman, Akron)
04/11/13 to 04/17/13 – Joey Wendle (Second baseman, Carolina)
04/04/13 to 04/10/13 – Francisco Lindor (Shortstop, Carolina)

IBI Minor League Player of the Month
(for April)

Chun Chen (First baseman – Akron)
.351 AVG (27-77), 12 R, 5 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 16 BB, 25 K, 1.027 OPS

This award could have very easily gone to High-A Carolina shortstop Francisco Lindor as his numbers were very close and he also added more to the team with the defense and base-running skills; however, Double-A Akron first baseman Chun Chen edged him out simply because of just a better overall performance offensively.

Chen, 24, is off to an outstanding start this season and is proving that he needs a challenge at the Triple-A level. This is now his third straight season playing at Akron as he has played all 224 of his games the last three seasons there and owns a career .291 average and .825 OPS at the Double-A level. His lack of versatility and defense has held him back from a promotion, but at the rate he is hitting combined with the lack of much offense from anyone at Triple-A Columbus it would appear the Indians will soon give him that opportunity to move up.

At the moment there are a few roadblocks preventing Chen from a callup. First off, Mike McDade is on the 40-man roster and currently is the everyday starter at first base in Columbus. He is not playing well hitting just .230 with 0 HR, 7 RBI and .597 OPS in 21 games, so it is possible that the Indians simply swap out McDade and Chen between Columbus and Akron. But, it remains to be seen if the Indians want to demote a player on the 40-man roster or if they may even be on the verge of designating him for assignment.

Another thing that affects a callup of Chen is that the designated hitter spot is being used a lot by Jeremy Hermida who is on the big league radar and considered to be the first callup option to Cleveland if an outfield need arises. Hermida has played 10 games as the designated hitter, and the other outfielders have rotated in at designated hitter when Hermida has been in the outfield. This means Chen has little chance of getting much time at designated hitter bases on the current outfield setup in Columbus; however, that could quickly change if the Indians end up calling up Hermida at some point.

The other thing is first baseman Matt LaPorta was just activated on the Columbus roster today. He had been slow to recover from offseason hip surgery and was making progress and playing in extended spring training games and is now back into the mix. This is probably the biggest reason why Chen has yet to get a call as with the activation of LaPorta it eats up any first base or designated hitter at bats the Indians might currently be able to get Chen if they were to consider promoting him.

All of this means that Chen may have to bide his time and just continue to perform in Akron. He is ready to move up and be challenged at a higher level, but as is often the case the needs of the Major League team dictate how things happen at the Triple-A level. With McDade, Hermida, and to an extent LaPorta all in the big league mix this season, the Indians want them to get the bulk of at bats at first base and designated hitter. But if Chen keeps performing and one of the other three scuffle, get hurt, or are called up, he should immediately be moved up to Columbus.

Honorable mentions:

Jeremy Hermida (OF – COL): .259 AVG (22-85), 11 R, 4 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 16 BB, 25 K, .847 OPS
Trevor Bauer (RHP – COL): 1-0, 2.50 ERA, 3 GS, 18.0 IP, 15 H, 5 R/ER, 2 HR, 6 BB, 24 K, .242 BAA
Carlos Carrasco (RHP – COL): 0-0, 2.04 ERA, 4 G, 17.2 IP, 10 H, 4 R/ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 17 K, .167 BAA
Preston Guilmet (RHP): 0-1, 1.46 ERA, 8 SV, 11 G, 12.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R (2 ER), 1 HR, 2 BB, 13 K, .136 BAA
T.J. House (LHP – AKR/COL): 2-1, 3.18 ERA, 5 GS, 28.1 IP, 25 H, 10 R/ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 34 K, .231 BAA
Danny Salazar (RHP – AKR): 1-3, 3.57 ERA, 5 GS, 22.2 IP, 21 H, 9 R/ER, 1 HR, 7 BB, 31 K, .244 BAA
Francisco Lindor (SS – CAR): .341 AVG (31-91), 12 R, 6 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 10 BB, 13 K, 7 SB, .911 OPS
Tyler Naquin (OF – CAR): .319 AVG (30-94), 18 R, 8 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 7 BB, 24 K, 3 SB, .868 OPS
Jerrud Sabourin (1B – CAR): .345 AVG (29-84), 10 R, 3 2B, 0 HR, 8 RBI, 13 BB, 11 K, .820 OPS
Cody Anderson (RHP – CAR): 3-0, 2.25 ERA, 5 GS, 28.0 IP, 20 H, 7 R/ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 18 K, .206 BAA
Jordan Cooper (RHP – CAR): 1-2, 2.19 ERA, 4 GS, 24.2 IP, 16 H, 7 R (6 ER), 2 HR, 7 BB, 17 K, .184 BAA
Michael Peoples (RHP – LC): 1-0, 1.20 ERA, 6 G, 15.0 IP, 15 H, 6 R ( 2 ER), 0 HR, 2 BB, 18 K, .250 BAA
Logan Vick (OF – LC): .303 AVG (20-66), 12 R, 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 14 BB, 14 K, 2 SB, .866 OPS

Director’s cuts

Indians Vice President of Player Development Ross Atkins shared the following comments on a few of the position players at Double-A Akron:

On Giovanny Urshela: “He is an exceptional corner infielder and could play defense in the major leagues right now. He is similar to Ronny in that he is very aggressive and has some raw power, so he is looking to make contact early. It is just really a difficult adjustment for young hitters that move quickly and are only 20-21 in Double-A already. He has great hand-eye coordination to the extent it is so good that it works against him because he can hit pitches that he can’t drive. He can make decent contact and has some success with that in the lower levels and it gets him in trouble. It is learning that if he waits for those pitches and can get deeper into counts and does not fear having two strikes on him, he is going to have a lot more production. It will happen for him eventually and hopefully it happens on our time schedule where he becomes a Cleveland Indian and a major league player. He has a ton of potential and like I said is a ridiculously good third baseman who could come play with just about anybody right now at third base because of those hands, the hand-eye coordination translating well there, and the athleticism. He is not very quick and that keeps him out of the middle, but he has incredible athleticism with a great feet and great hands. One of the things that stands out about any infielder is just their ability to throw the ball accurately with confidence across the diamond. It gives them the ability to slow the game down. They don’t feel like they are in a hurry because they know they are going to be able to accurately hit the guy in the chest. It slows down their transition, it slows down their feet, and really it slows down the pace of the game, and he does it well.”

On Jose Ramirez: “He has been great and has hit leadoff. He really is comfortable at the Double-A level after his experiences in winter ball and Major League camp. To see a 20-year old playing every day in the middle of the infield is very exciting for us – he played shortstop [the other] night and handled himself great. He is already shining on that team and league even though it is an early start. It is also interesting when you take a young player - whether he is out of Texas or the Dominican Republic - and often times when they come to Akron or Lake County it is the first time that have played in cold weather. He started last season in Arizona, so this is his first exposure to the 30 degree temperatures and snow and sleet. That is legitimate and he has handled that relatively well. For the first time you experience anything it is difficult, and as you know even at the major league level it can affect major league players. Nothing seems to affect the kid and nothing seems to faze him, and that may be his greatest attribute. Whether it is something great or something negative, it is immediately past him. That is not something you can teach. It is something you can hopefully help people to think that way, but it is a unique skill and one he benefits from greatly.”

On Ronny Rodriguez: “He has made a significant adjustment to his swing just to really be a little bit less selfish and use the whole field and using the middle of the field. Hopefully he will realize it will end up being not only being beneficial to the team but also to him. Every good hitter goes through it. Guys who have the power to yank the ball over the fence have a tendency to get a little overzealous. That is human nature. So it is about disciplining himself to think middle of the field and think opposite field. You can see it in his swing and see it in his approach as he is a very different hitter right now. Now, if we can get discipline into the mix – it is not a matter of taking pitches but is a matter of being aggressive on pitches that he can drive – then we could really have something in him. He knows what is behind him in Francisco Lindor.”

On Kyle Bellows: “Kyle is an interesting guy who has been a little bit hurt in his career and dealt with some injuries. When he is healthy he seemingly has some interesting trends where we get excited about him. He like Giovanny has a knack for playing defense that is very similar and it is his ability to throw and hit the guy in the chest routinely. He has good hands and therefore is extremely consistent and confident as a defender. As a corner infielder there is a little bit more demand on the bat, and it has sometimes been very good and sometimes it has not been very good. But there is a lot of excitement at different times with Kyle, so at 24-years old it is a matter of him putting it together not just a month or for two months, but putting it together for a year. It will be a challenge for him now as he is not going to have the everyday at bats at third, so he is going to DH and maybe have to be open minded about getting outfield at bats. It is not unlike a lot of players that faced that before. Kyle is a guy that our player development staff has always felt as though there is plenty there to like. He seemingly is one of those guys that our staff is always pulling for – not because he is a nice guy but because of the abilities.”

On the value of on-base percentage: “It is astonishing to us in professional baseball how difficult it is to have a young player to grasp a player the value of getting on base versus the value of getting a hit because your whole life you are trained to get a hit and to always make contact and it is certainly more fun than walking. But the value of getting on base is well above that to the extent that we post on-base percentage and don’t post batting averages. Younger players you are re-programming in some form.

Random notes

Double-A Akron outfielder Tyler Holt has really recovered from a slow start and is in the midst of having a good season. To date, the 24-year old is hitting .277 with 1 HR, 6 RBI, 5 stolen bases and .747 OPS in 25 games. Through April 16th, a span of 11 games, he was hitting just .156 with a .433 OPS; however, in the 14 games since he is hitting .350 with a .935 OPS. He does not have much power so it limits his potential as an everyday outfielder at the big league level, but at the same time he does not have a slap hitting approach as he actually takes a healthy cut and drives the ball well when he makes contact. Considering his good defense and abilities as a runner, the solid showing at the plate is great to see and has him on the map as a backup outfield option in Cleveland soon.

The Indians promoted right-handed pitcher Will Roberts to Double-A Akron on Wednesday and he made a spot start for them that same night and put forth his best outing of the last year-plus. He went 6.0 shutout innings and allowed 4 hits, 3 walks and had 4 strikeouts and threw 57 of his 90 pitches for strikes (63.3%). That is in stark contrast to the four outings he had at High-A Carolina this season where he put up a 6.10 ERA and in 20.2 innings had allowed 26 hits, 4 home runs, 4 walks and had 17 strikeouts. It remains to be seen if he will stick in Akron as he is still listed in the rotation and is the probable starter for Sunday’s game against Bowie. Chances are he will be sent back down and that Sunday start will go to Toru Murata who will probably come back down to Akron from Triple-A Columbus since Trevor Bauer has been optioned to Columbus and will rejoin the rotation. In any case, this was an encouraging outing for Roberts and hopefully he can use it as a jumping off point to a much better showing the rest of the season. The size and command are there, it’s just the quality of his stuff which has been lacking.

High-A Carolina outfielder Bryson Myles recently went on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. How the injury was sustained is unclear, but I heard it may have come from a collision with the outfield wall. The injury is unfortunate as it looks like he might miss some considerable time and is yet another injury that has cropped up that has prevented him from playing regularly and injury free. He actually suffered the injury a few weeks ago and tried to play through it, but his performance really tapered off after a hot start. The struggles the last several games dropped him to a .232 average and .706 OPS in 20 games.

The Indians promoted and activated outfielder Anthony Santander to Low-A Lake County this week. He was expected to open the season with Lake County but a hamstring injury early in spring training set him back a little and delayed the start of his season by about a month. In three games he is 5-for-11 with a double and three RBI. He is a player to watch and is one that has unlimited potential. Talking to some staff members, there is cautious optimism on him and a lot of people think he has been grossly overlooked because of all the attention that shortstop Dorssys Paulino has gotten over the past year. The Indians really believe they have something with him and he could end up not only the best power hitting prospect in the organization, but a good hitter and well-rounded player at that.

Aeros starter Danny Salazar allowed just one hit and fanned 12 Altoona hitters in a 4-1 win on Thursday. Salazar has thrown 17 consecutive scoreless innings over his last three starts (16.0 IP, 6 H, 4 BB, 30 K). (David Monseur/Aeros)


Salazar Sizzles as Aeros Take Series Finale, 4-1

By David Wilson / Akron Aeros

Altoona, PA -

Akron Aeros righthander Danny Salazar threw six shutout innings and struck out a career-high 12 batters Thursday afternoon as the Aeros defeated the Altoona Curve, 4-1, at People's Natural Gas Field.

It was the third straight win for the Aeros (13-14), who took three out of four from the Curve (11-16) in the series. The Aeros won five of seven games on the road trip.

Salazar, Akron's pitching ace and a member of the Indians 40-man roster, was in complete command of the game from the outset. He retired the first 12 batters he faced, including six straight strikeouts in the second and third innings. The perfect game was wrecked in the fifth when Altoona's Adalberto Santos reached on a slug-bunt single that rolled 30 feet up the third base line. Santos was caught stealing later in the inning.

Salazar (2-3) worked around a pair of walks in the sixth, and left after throwing 82 pitches, 53 of which were strikes. His 12 strikeouts were his personal career-high, and the most in a game by an Aeros pitcher this season.

The 23-year-old Dominican righthander lowered his ERA to 2.83. He extended his scoreless innings streak to 17. Thursday's effort was also his longest outing of the season. In his last three starts, Salazar has fanned 30 hitters, while walking only four.

Salazar lost to the Curve at home on April 9th, giving up four runs in 2 2/3 innings. On Thursday, the Curve saw a different version of the hard-throwing righthander.

Akron managed to back Salazar with two early runs before he ever took the mound. Facing righthander Jameson Taillon, a former number one draft pick and rising star in the Pirates chain, the Aeros struck for two runs in the first.

Tyler Holt tripled with one out and scored on a single by Chun Chen. Chen moved to third on a single by Carlos Moncrief, and came home on a RBI base hit by Quincy Latimore.

Akron extended the lead to 3-0 in the fifth when Moncrief scored from first on a dropped pop-up in right field off the bat of Roberto Perez.

Taillon (2-3) left after six innings and absorbed the loss in his first career start against Akron. He allowed seven hits, walked one and struck out six.

Salazar got relief help from Austin Adams in the seventh, but he shutout bid went by the boards. Adams gave up a double to Santos, but had two outs when a grounder by Jarek Cunningham went through the legs of third baseman Kyle Bellows for an error, allowing Santos to score.

Bryan Price and Jose Flores also worked an inning apiece. Flores posted his second save of the season. All four Aeros pitchers combined to strike out a season-high 17 batters.

Holt created an insurance run in the ninth for Akron. After he doubled, he stole third on reliever Nate Baker. Noticing too late that Holt was breaking for third, Baker stepped off the rubber and threw wildly past third. Holt scored to make it 4-1.

Chen was 2-5 on the day, and is now hitting .353. He entered Wednesday's game second in the league in hitting and could wake up Friday as the EL's top hitter.

The Aeros will return to Canal Park to open a six-game homestand beginning Friday night at 7:05 against the Bowie Baysox. LHP Jake Pettit (1-0, 4.18) will start for the Baysox, while LHP Matt Packer (0-3, 4.07) will get the starting nod for the Aeros. The game will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1350 AM, and online at http://www.sportsradio1350.com. For more information, please call the Aeros at 330-253-5151 or follow them on Twitter at @AkronAeros and on Facebook at facebook.com/TheAkronAeros.

Missed that outing by Salazar; he's getting better and better each time out. Very impressive. No team can have too many starting pitchers, and we have very few.

You are right about that Civ. Danny was my breakout pitcher three years ago.

Jordan Locks Down Mudcats as P-Nats Claim Series

May 2, 2013 - Carolina League (CarL) Carolina Mudcats

Woodbridge, Va. -

Taylor Jordan hurled eight scoreless innings as the Potomac Nationals came away with a 5-1 win over the Carolina Mudcats on Thursday night at Pfitzner Stadium. Carolina drops to 11-16, and finished a tough road trip 2-5. Potomac won three of four to claim the series, and the Nationals improved their record to 13-14.

Jordan (2-1) scattered five hits over eight dominant frames. The right-hander fanned four, and allowed one walk. Derek Self snuffed out a late rally by the Mudcats in the ninth for his second save.

Cody Anderson (3-1) suffered his first loss for Carolina. The righty from Quincy, Calif., surrendered a season-high five runs on 11 hits over six innings. He struck out five without a walk.

Potomac scored against Anderson in the opening frame when Jason Martinson scored Billy Burns on the third hit of the inning. The Nationals plated three in the second on four hits, including three straight to start the inning, for a 4-0 advantage. Khayyan Norfork polished off the P-Nats' barrage with a solo shot to straightaway center.

Trailing 5-0 in the ninth, the Mudcats attempted a comeback against reliever Greg Holt. Francisco Lindor beat out an infield single, and scored when Jerrud Sabourin lined a double to the left-center gap.

Jordan Smith followed with a single to put runners at the corners before Self entered the game. The right-hander induced a pop out to third by Charlie Valerio, and Smith was caught off first base for a double play. Luigi Rodriguez struck out after a lengthy battle to end the game.

Two of the best pitching prospects the Double-A Eastern League has to offer went head-to-head Thursday morning, and in the end Danny Salazar's Akron Aeros emerged triumphant with a 4-1 victory over Jameson Taillon and the Altoona Curve.


Salazar is MLB.com's eighth-ranked prospect in the Indians organization, while Taillon, the Pirates' first-round Draft pick in 2010, is ranked as his organization's No. 2. The latter worked six innings and took the loss, allowing three runs -- two earned -- on seven hits while whiffing six. Most of the damage was done in the first, as Taillon allowed two runs on four hits and handed Akron a lead it would not relinquish.

But while Jameson was on the rocks in the early going, Salazar's performance during this mid-morning matinee was another story. The 23-year-old Dominican right-hander was, in a word, overpowering, striking out a career-high 12 batters over six scoreless innings. He fanned six in a row over the second and third and took a perfect game into the fifth before yielding an infield single and two walks.

And though some pitchers might profess to not even notice who they're up against, Salazar readily acknowledged that facing a highly touted foe such as Taillon further increased his competitive drive.

"It does," he said with a chuckle. "I am always competing, but knowing that the other guy is good too makes me want to get that win even more."

His outing set the tone for the bullpen, as Austin Adams, Bryan Price and Jose Flores combined to strike out five more batters over the final three frames to bring Akron's strikeout total to a stratospheric 17. Never before had so many Curve batsmen struck out over the course of a nine-inning ballgame, as the previous record of 16 was set on August 13, 2008.

After compiling a 6.39 ERA over his first three starts of the season -- all losses -- Salazar has now hurled 17 consecutive scoreless innings en route to improving his record to 2-3. This recent triumvirate of dominating outings is no coincidence, he said.

"My first game I was physically and mentally good, but the next two games I felt good but was mentally not ready," he said. "I talked to my manager [Edwin Rodriguez] and he told me, 'You have to concentrate more because a big part of winning is getting ready mentally.'"

Salazar, therefore, has been more prepared in advance of his starts, having more thoroughly scouted the opposition to develop a plan of attack. This approach, in concert with his natural talent, is now paying dividends.

"Everything is working for me right now -- the fastball, change-up and slider," he explained. "Every single hitter, I'm trying to get ahead with that first pitch."

That said, Salazar claims he isn't necessarily going for strikeouts.

"I'm just try to make it through every inning throwing less pitches than the one I did before so I can go deep into games." said Salazar, who tied a season high with 82 pitches. "This is the first time I've thrown more than five innings, so I feel a little bit tired in my lower body."

Danny Salazar's stats for his last 3 games:

16 innings 6 hits 0 runs 4 walks 30 strikeouts

Wow!

All-Prospect Team for April, from BA

SS Francisco Lindor • Indians
High Class A Carolina (Carolina)

Any slick-fielding shortstop who can hit .300/.400/.500 for a month in the Carolina League at age 19 has to taken seriously as a prospect, and Lindor is no exception. He led the CL with 31 hits in April and contributes all sorts of secondary goodies, such as seven steals in nine tries and 10 walks in 24 games.
AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS GDP OBP SLG OPS
.341 24 91 12 31 6 3 1 10 10 13 7 2 1 .406 .505 .911

Yesterday's Notable Lines:

CLE AA Aguilar, Jesus 1B 5 0 2 0 .263 2B (4)
CLE AAA Diaz, Juan SS 5 1 2 0 .209 2B (4)
CLE HiA Smith, Jordan RF 4 0 2 0 .247
COL AAA McBride, Matt C 3 1 2 1 .355 HR (1) [this one's for Joe; some guys never go away but don't get far either]
CLE AA Adams, Austin 1 1 1 0 0 2 3.86
CLE AA Salazar, Danny 6 1 0 0 2 12 2.83 W (2-3); Prospect Pitcher of the Day

CLE AAA Barnes, Scott 2 1 0 0 0 2 3.72
CLE HiA Anderson, Cody 6 11 5 5 0 5 3.18 L (3-1)

Not surprising to find Danny on the Hot Prospect List. He slots at No. 2 and is the hottest pitcher of the week.


. Danny Salazar RHP, INDIANS
Danny SalazarTeam: Double-A Akron

Age: 23.

Why He’s Here: 2-0, 0.00, 11 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 21 SO [over the past week]

The Scoop: For the first five years of his career, Salazar never did much to generate attention in the scouting community. Part of that was due to injuries, including a Tommy John surgery that cost him nearly all of the 2010 and ’11 seasons. Last year his fastball rose up and started to peak in the high 90s. Now he’s taken the next step, missing more bats than ever as he’s dominated Double-A hitters. Through 28 2/3 innings, Salazar has a 2.83 ERA, 13.5 strikeouts and 2.8 walks per nine innings. The Indians don’t have much pitching in their system, so Salazar’s emergence could be huge for the organization.

And here again this week is Lindor who is moving ever higher on the Top Prospects radar.

9. Francisco Lindor SS, INDIANS
Francisco-Lindor-mug-2013Team: high Class A Carolina (Carolina)

Age: 19

Why He’s Here: .423/.500/.654 (11-for-26), 1 HR, 3 2B, 6 RBIs, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 SO, 0-for-1 SB

The Scoop: We’re only a month into the season, but it might be time to get excited about Lindor’s future. We mean, really excited. Franchise player excited. Beyond the surface numbers—he’s hitting .347/.418/.510 through 98 at-bats—Lindor has the underlying skills to back up this level of production. The 2011 first-rounder has a walk-to-strikeout ratio of 11-to-13 in 26 games to go with seven steals in nine tries.

Move the guy to Akron!

I would love to see that Lou! Lindor and Ramirez could be our keystone combination of the future and I would certainly like to see Ramirez and Lindor going #1 & #2 in that Akron lineup. I think the fo is waiting to see if Ramirez can handle shortstop right now thus alternating with Rodriguez. Once they determine he a viable solution as a backup there to Lindor, I think you'll be seeing Lindor moving on up the ladder. Actually! I've seen enough of Ramirez this winter to know he can handle shortstop so the wait may not be much longer. Ramirez and Lindor looked great this spring when they played in the major league games.