From MLB.com

The Rookie-level Indians were the top team offensively all season in the Arizona League. First baseman Bobby Bradley, the club's No. 20 prospect, won the circuit's Triple Crown (.361 batting average, eight home runs, 50 RBIs) and, as a team, they led the league in nearly every offensive category, from runs (332) to OPS (.745).

In the Arizona League championship game Monday, that offense led the Indians to the title. They scored 12 runs in the sixth inning and routed the Giants, 14-0.

The game was scoreless for four innings before the Indians scored a run in the fifth. They broke the game open the next inning, as they sent 17 batters to the plate and scored 12 runs on nine hits and two walks. The Giants used three pitchers in the inning, but couldn't find a way to slow the Indians bats until it was too late.

Bradley, the Indians' third-round pick in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft, finished the night 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI. Third baseman Yu-Cheng Chang went 4-for-5 with a double, a homer, two runs and two RBIs.

Five Indians pitchers combined for a six-hit shutout. Starter Shao-Ching Chiang picked up the victory after striking out five batters in five innings. Left-hander Justus Sheffield, the Indians' No. 7 prospect, followed Chiang and struck out two batters in one inning of work. Jared Robinson, Argenis Angulo and Yoiber Marquina each threw a scoreless inning of their own to complete the shutout.

The Indians went 20-5 [sic; actually it was 37-16, not sure where the other number came from] during the regular season and won the Arizona League Central Division. They received a bye in the first round of the playoffs and defeated the Rangers, 7-3, in Sunday's semifinal to reach the championship game.

MILB take:

Cleveland's Arizona League affiliate boasted the league's most potent offense and one of the best pitching staffs. On Monday evening in Goodyear Ballpark, the Indians utilized both strengths to cap off a near-perfect season with a championship.

Behind a 12-run sixth inning and five frames of three-hit ball from Shao-Ching Chiang, the Tribe's Rookie-level club won the AZL title with a 14-0 rout of the Giants.

"The guys went out there and got it done," Indians manager Anthony Medrano said. "It was amazing. A lot of hard work from those guys and now they're celebrating. They've got the music going and they're getting their rings sized. We played a very good game against a good team in the Giants. The first five innings it was 1-0, then [reliever Justus] Sheffield got us out of a jam in the sixth and then we scored 12 runs."

It caps a flawless season for Medrano and his team, who lost just 16 games en route to being crowned first- and second-half champions in the Arizona League Central Division. The Indians went 17-11 to seal a playoff berth before going 20-5 after the break to wrap up the circuit's best regular-season record and earn a first-round bye in the postseason.

The Indians led the circuit with a .269 team average, 35 homers and 332 runs scored in 53 games. The team's 3.51 ERA was second-best only to the Dodgers and their 74-run differential was the biggest of any club.

"I think we led the league in hitting and were second in pitching," Medrano said. "It was a combination of both because without one of those, it's hard to win. But the biggest thing was guys kept pulling for each other and never letting up."

On Monday, the hitting and pitching clicked in tandem once more.

Third baseman Yu-Cheng Chang, who homered in Sunday's semifinal, went 4-for-5 with a solo homer, a double, two RBIs and two runs scored as he missed hitting for the cycle by a triple. Second baseman Willi Castro and center fielder Bobby Ison collected two hits and three RBIs apiece out of the last two spots in the order.

First baseman Bobby Bradley, the league's Most Valuable Player and Triple Crown winner (.361 average, eight homers and 50 RBIs), added a pair of hits for the Indians, who won a league-best 12 games in the second half to advance to the postseason. Bradley crossed the plate twice in the sixth when the Indians sent 17 men to the plate and scored 10 of the 12 runs with two outs.

"It was so much fun," Medrano said. "Guys were up on the top step cheering every moment of it. It was a great atmosphere. The last inning they were saying, 'Three more outs, three more outs.' The atmosphere was amazing. Then they dogpiled on the mound and I was hugging all the coaches."

Here's some background on Chang. He came with some promise that he appears to be living up to.

The Indians have signed shortstop Yu-Cheng Chang, one of the top Asian amateur players on the market, for $500,000 out of Taiwan.

Chang, an 18-year-old out of Taichung Agricultural High, is 6-foot-1, 180 pounds and is a good athlete who has played all over the field. He has a compact stroke and solid swing mechanics from the right side of the plate. Scouts have said he’s strong, but with his flat bat path he’s geared more toward line drives than generating loft, so he projects to be more of a doubles hitter than a home run threat.

While Chang is athletic and has stood out for his hitting, he doesn’t have a plus tool right now, which leaves some scouts with questions about where he profiles. Several scouts said they believe Chang will end up moving off shortstop. He’s a 55 runner on the 20-80 scale and he has a good running gait, so some scouts think he has a chance to play center field with an average arm. Others think his body type will lead him to slow down, making him a better defensive fit at either third base, second base or a corner outfield spot.

At the 16U World Championship in Mexico in 2011, Chang played center field and made the all-tournament team along with Team USA’s Austin Meadows (the No. 6 prospect in Thursday’s draft), competing against players like Franklin Barreto, the No. 1 international prospect for July 2 last year who signed with the Blue Jays for $1.45 million, and Brazil’s Luiz Gohara, who signed with Seattle for $880,000. Chang led his team in batting average and slugging at the tournament, where he hit .414/.469/.690 by going 12-for-29 with three doubles, a triple, a home run, two walks and one strikeout.

Chang is the younger brother of Pirates catcher Jin-De Jhang, a 20-year-old who signed for $250,000 two years ago and entered the year as Pittsburgh’s No. 27 prospect after hitting .305/.382/.398 in 43 games in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2012.

The Indians have been one of the most active teams in signing players from Taiwan in recent years. Righthanded reliever Chen Lee, the organization’s No. 10 prospect entering the season, signed in 2008 and has reached Triple-A. Chun Chen, who signed as a catcher in 2007 and is now a 24-year-old first baseman in Triple-A Columbus, was another Cleveland signing from Taiwan. In 2011, the Indians paid $250,000 for righthander Shao-Ching Chiang. Last year the Indians signed righthander Ping-Hsueh Chen for $60,000 and catcher Li-Jen Chu for $40,000.

Let's hope Chang does not develop as his brother Jhang. This year the Pirate's catcher moved up to full season High A Florida State League and hit 219 with 564 OPS.

"If the Tribe wants to concentrate on IF defense, install Urshela at 3rd, Lindor at SS and Ramirez at 2B"

.....and Kipnis in RF or LF, switch with Brantley.

Yes, I agree with that. Maybe Naquin in a year or so, Zimmer in a year of so longer can become a good all around OF, offensively and defensively.

No games on Tuesday. This is the boring baseball season. Thankfully a few playoff games remain, with Captains, RDucks and Clippers all in action today. We won one championship in Arizona; others are longshots.

Guys our offense is already bad, now you want to make it one of the all time worst??? Kipnes has been hurt so I give him a pass but Swisher, Bourn and RF have just killed us. Dump Murphy and Bourn and pay half their salary and FORGET free agents!

The organization is really on the rise too bad attendance isn't. Love the 2014 draft! Love the pitching staff! Offense stinks so I take a page out of joez's book and go small ball. Rameriz, Lindor, Brantley, Swisher (DH), Gomes, Santana, Kipnes, Walters, Chiz is what I'm looking for next year and yes that means Kipnes in LF and Brantley in CF but keep Chiz at 3B.....

If we're playing small ball, we also need to be playing defense. Chiz needs to improve his defense plenty. And who's playing RF, Walters? Need someone who can catch and throw out there.

I've been clamoring for Holt to play more for months. He plays great D. And doubt seriously his offense would be much of a downgrade from the clowns Tito normally puts out there.

Murphy is a much better hitter. Raburn is, too, but only in odd-numbered years. Moncrief has a better minor league track record than Holt and is supposed to have a cannon arm, but not even sure if he's coming up after IL playoffs.

For the time being I can stand Holt in RF but I sure would have preferred a last minute deal for someone [not sure who]

Just in the little bit of time he's played Holt has already made several great plays on D. Plays that Rayburn, Murph, & Aviles never would have made.

Bourn is back now and Murphy soon so it won't matter before long. But during those injury riddled months I would definitely have played Holt more.

I see Walters is in RF tonight. I'm ok with that. Not as bad on D as the vets, good power, and finds a way to be clutch.

Another error in RF that Holt would not have made. Gives the Tigers two guys in scoring position. Hope it doesn't bite us.

Salazar pitches around it!

Back to the Minors:

Columbus and Lake County won their opening night playoff games, Akron a loser. Big hitting from Frazier and Zimmer and Ramsay and solid pitching from Mitch Brown.

Lindor had 3 singles, Ramsay a single and homer in Columbus victory. [Carson and David Murphy also homered] Armstrong a shutout innings; Scott Barnes off the DL faces two, retires none; DFA looming.

Erik Gonzalez and Alex Lavisky both singled and doubled in Akron extra inning loss. Soto one shutout inning, Louis Head 2 (with 4K), Araujo allowed the winning run.

Frazier two doubles and a homer; Zimmer triple, single, and walk. First round picks looking good.
Papi added two singles; Rodriguez one plus a walk.
Brown 5 2/3 3-2-2-1-6 [most runs allowed in quite awhile for Mitch]

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