Wednesday:
Wilkinson AA debut: 4 innings, 1 run, 6 strikeouts.
Rusted reliever acquired for JRod 2 shutout innings.
Only 1 hit for the Ducks.
Bazzana hitless, now at 209 669 OPS
Watson 0-3 with 2 walks 184 663
Valera 0-4
Ingle another walk in 2 AB
In Lake County
Curley 2 for 5; Walton double and walk; Schubert 0-5; LaViollette on the bench; Chourio single, walk and steal
Justin Campbell 2 1/3 1 run 3 K
Low A:
pro debut for 5th round pick Keljo 4 shutout innings 2 hits, no runs, 1 walk, 6 K
Flroes 4 innings 1 hit no walks no runs 5K
Fernandez single walk 5th stolen base
Arias 2 walks, 2nd and 3rd steals
Caceres walk.
Re: Minor Matters
14057From the friendly guys at Next Year in Cleveland:
Scoreboard
Worchester Red Sox 8, Columbus Clippers 5 (Statcast)
Harrisburg Senators 4, Akron RubberDucks 2
Lake County Captains 4, Dayton Dragons 3 (F/10)
Hill City Howlers 5, Fredericksburg Nationals 0
Highlights
Dayan Frias (3B, Columbus): 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 SB - Frias was basically most of the Clippers offense, who continues to stick around as a utility guy hitting low in the order.
Angel Genao (SS, Akron): 0-1, 4BB - I never would have guessed Genao would have a four walk game. His approach isn’t bad, but he’s not a guy who walks a ton so that was pretty shocking on a slow day offensively.
Matt Wilkinson (SP, Akron): 4IP, 3H, ER, 2BB, 6K - Strong Double-A debut for Tugboat throwing 61% strikes despite the loss.
Justin Campbell (SP, Lake County): 2.1IP, 2H, ER, BB, 3K - Campbell was pushed to 40 pitches and into the third inning after just going into the second last time. He was about 94-96, although in the third inning we saw some 92-93, not a surprise given that he was pushed a little deeper this time. But he showed off a strong fastball with velocity, changeup, cutter, curve and slider. The arsenal and stuff, control and velocity are shocking for someone who hasn’t thrown a competitive pitch since 2022.
Campbell pushed into the 40s this time around and 2.1 IP as opposed to 2IP in his first outing. His fastball velo dropped a tad early in the 3rd inning from 94-97 to 92-94, which isnt shocking. But he finished throwing 95. The curve/slider/change/cutter all on display.
Nelson Keljo (SP, Hill City): 4IP, 2H, BB, 6K - A sterling pro debut for the Oregon State lefty who threw 40 strikes in 62 pitches. He was not a guy in college with a lot of control so that’s a nice development even if it’s just one game in Low-A so far.
Miguel Flores (SP, Hill City): 4IP, H, 5K - The 21 year old Flores followed Keljo with an equally impressive performance in his second time on the mount in Low-A.
Notable Performances
Kody Huff (1B, Columbus): 1-4, 2 RBI, BB, K - This has been a good season starting stretch for Huff, who is seeing a lot of time at 1B so far just due to Ingle’s presence and the lack other first base options besides Frias or Nunez.
Kahlil Watson (LF, Columbus): 0-3, 2BB - He’s not hitting a ton so far but you’ll take the two walks from Watson with his approach and needing to show more patience. That could pay off for him down the line.
Codi Heuer (RP, Columbus): IP, H - Ran his fastball up to 97 almost 98 and averaged almost 97 in the 12 pitch outing.
Steven Perez (RP, Columbus): 0.1 IP, H, 3 ER, 3BB, K - Perez managed five whiffs with a 95 MPH fastball but control eluded him just as I said the other day that he was starting to come around in Triple-A with the MLB baseball. Whoops.
Jaison Chourio (CF, Lake County): 1-5, 2B, BB, SB - Two times on base plus an extra base hit and steal is always a solid day from your leadoff hitter and we need to see more of this from Chourio, although he’s walked plenty in the past and the passive approach is something we need him to get away from.
Dean Curley (SS, Lake County): 2-5, 2K - It’s been a slow start offensively for Curley, and there have been some K’s, but a two hit day is hopefully a good jump point for him.
Aaron Walton (RF, Lake County): 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, K - Walton looks interesting so far, showing some decent gap pop, the ability to walk and some speed. He also made a great catch in RF too that looked easier than it should have. It’s a nice toolset to keep an eye on.
Bennet Thompson (C, Lake County): 1-3, RBI, 2BB - Thompson had a big hit late in the game to help in the comeback win. He hit pretty well in Low-A last year and I do think the age/level thing is helping him succeed but for now the results are good.
Dauri Fernandez (SS, Hill City): 1-3, BB, SB - A nice two time on base day for the young Fernandez and added a steal, what you’d like to see more of from him.
Yerlin Luis (LF, Hill City): 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, SB - Luis’ double was enough for Hill City and he added a stolen base to his line as he’s off to a nice start.
Robert Arias (CF, Hill City): 0-2, 2BB, 2 SB - Control and controlling the runner game in Low-A is often very dicey at best, so it’s hard to put stock into performances like this, but you have to give the young Arias credit for reaching base and trying to fill up the stat sheet without a hit.
Scoreboard
Worchester Red Sox 8, Columbus Clippers 5 (Statcast)
Harrisburg Senators 4, Akron RubberDucks 2
Lake County Captains 4, Dayton Dragons 3 (F/10)
Hill City Howlers 5, Fredericksburg Nationals 0
Highlights
Dayan Frias (3B, Columbus): 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 SB - Frias was basically most of the Clippers offense, who continues to stick around as a utility guy hitting low in the order.
Angel Genao (SS, Akron): 0-1, 4BB - I never would have guessed Genao would have a four walk game. His approach isn’t bad, but he’s not a guy who walks a ton so that was pretty shocking on a slow day offensively.
Matt Wilkinson (SP, Akron): 4IP, 3H, ER, 2BB, 6K - Strong Double-A debut for Tugboat throwing 61% strikes despite the loss.
Justin Campbell (SP, Lake County): 2.1IP, 2H, ER, BB, 3K - Campbell was pushed to 40 pitches and into the third inning after just going into the second last time. He was about 94-96, although in the third inning we saw some 92-93, not a surprise given that he was pushed a little deeper this time. But he showed off a strong fastball with velocity, changeup, cutter, curve and slider. The arsenal and stuff, control and velocity are shocking for someone who hasn’t thrown a competitive pitch since 2022.
Campbell pushed into the 40s this time around and 2.1 IP as opposed to 2IP in his first outing. His fastball velo dropped a tad early in the 3rd inning from 94-97 to 92-94, which isnt shocking. But he finished throwing 95. The curve/slider/change/cutter all on display.
Nelson Keljo (SP, Hill City): 4IP, 2H, BB, 6K - A sterling pro debut for the Oregon State lefty who threw 40 strikes in 62 pitches. He was not a guy in college with a lot of control so that’s a nice development even if it’s just one game in Low-A so far.
Miguel Flores (SP, Hill City): 4IP, H, 5K - The 21 year old Flores followed Keljo with an equally impressive performance in his second time on the mount in Low-A.
Notable Performances
Kody Huff (1B, Columbus): 1-4, 2 RBI, BB, K - This has been a good season starting stretch for Huff, who is seeing a lot of time at 1B so far just due to Ingle’s presence and the lack other first base options besides Frias or Nunez.
Kahlil Watson (LF, Columbus): 0-3, 2BB - He’s not hitting a ton so far but you’ll take the two walks from Watson with his approach and needing to show more patience. That could pay off for him down the line.
Codi Heuer (RP, Columbus): IP, H - Ran his fastball up to 97 almost 98 and averaged almost 97 in the 12 pitch outing.
Steven Perez (RP, Columbus): 0.1 IP, H, 3 ER, 3BB, K - Perez managed five whiffs with a 95 MPH fastball but control eluded him just as I said the other day that he was starting to come around in Triple-A with the MLB baseball. Whoops.
Jaison Chourio (CF, Lake County): 1-5, 2B, BB, SB - Two times on base plus an extra base hit and steal is always a solid day from your leadoff hitter and we need to see more of this from Chourio, although he’s walked plenty in the past and the passive approach is something we need him to get away from.
Dean Curley (SS, Lake County): 2-5, 2K - It’s been a slow start offensively for Curley, and there have been some K’s, but a two hit day is hopefully a good jump point for him.
Aaron Walton (RF, Lake County): 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, K - Walton looks interesting so far, showing some decent gap pop, the ability to walk and some speed. He also made a great catch in RF too that looked easier than it should have. It’s a nice toolset to keep an eye on.
Bennet Thompson (C, Lake County): 1-3, RBI, 2BB - Thompson had a big hit late in the game to help in the comeback win. He hit pretty well in Low-A last year and I do think the age/level thing is helping him succeed but for now the results are good.
Dauri Fernandez (SS, Hill City): 1-3, BB, SB - A nice two time on base day for the young Fernandez and added a steal, what you’d like to see more of from him.
Yerlin Luis (LF, Hill City): 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, SB - Luis’ double was enough for Hill City and he added a stolen base to his line as he’s off to a nice start.
Robert Arias (CF, Hill City): 0-2, 2BB, 2 SB - Control and controlling the runner game in Low-A is often very dicey at best, so it’s hard to put stock into performances like this, but you have to give the young Arias credit for reaching base and trying to fill up the stat sheet without a hit.
Re: Minor Matters
14058Scoreboard
Worchester Red Sox 5, Columbus Clippers 0 (Statcast)
Harrisburg Senators 12, Akron RubberDucks 1
Dayton Dragons 7, Lake County Captains 4
Fredericksburg Nationals 8, Hill City Howlers 3
Rehab
Hunter Gaddis (RP, Columbus): 1.0 IP, H, R, HBP - Gaddis continued his rehab stint and made his second rehab appearance of the week with an inning of work in the seventh. A hit by pitch and stolen base put a runner in scoring position for Worchester to plate one with an RBI single. His velos were down across all three of his pitches and he induced just one whiff on eight swings.
Highlights
Daniel Espino (RP, Columbus): 1.0 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BBs, 2 Ks - Espino came ready to throw with gas on Thursday with eight swings and misses out of ten swings. He threw a scoreless eighth inning and struck out two for four straight scoreless appearances to begin 2026.
Christian Knapczyk (2B, Akron): 1-4, R, HR, RBI, DP - Knapczyk hit his first homerun of the season and in Double-A off a former teammate in Alex Clemmey. His fourth-inning bomb was the lone run of the game for the RubberDucks in a blowout loss. The Louisville product has a hit in each of his first four games in 2026.
Jaison Chourio (RF, Lake County): 2-4, BB, 2 SBs - Chourio was one of two players to record a multi-hit game on Thursday with a pair of singles, including one on the first at-bat of the game. He also used his speed to his advantage to get into scoring position twice on his own and he has stolen four bases over his last three played. He reached base a third time with a ninth inning walk and he has now taken a base on balls in each of the first six games played to improve his on-base percentage to .448.
Jace LaViolette (CF, Lake County): 2-4, R, 2B, CS - After 13 straight outs to begin the 2026 season, 2025 First Round selection Jace LaViolette ripped a double to right for his first hit in his professional career. That would not be all for the Texas A&M alum as he singled to start the top of the fifth inning as well. The floodgates are hopefully open offensively for a young man with high expectations in the organization. He also laid out for a sliding grab in center to rob a Dragon of a hit.
Jose Pirela (CF, Hill City): 2-3, R, HR, RBI, BB - Pirela now has six hits and five RBIs in four games played with the Howlers and he is certainly leading the team offensively in the earlygoing of 2026. His longball was the only extra-base hit for the team in the loss.
Jervis Alfaro (RP, Hill City): 4.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BBs, 7 Ks, PO - In two appearances this year, Alfaro is averaging nearly two strikeouts per inning pitched. He sat down nine on strikes in his first appearance of 2026 and followed that up with seven K’s on Thursday. Alfaro allowed baserunners galore and needed those punchouts and a successful pickoff to leave runners stranded.
Notable Performances
Nolan Jones (LF, Columbus): 2-4 - Jones recorded two of the team’s four hits in the shutout loss and had the hardest-hit ball of the day at nearly 110 mph off the bat. He has been off to a red-hot start this season albeit against Triple-A pitching with hits in nine of ten games played.
Jose Devers (SS, Akron): 1-2, 2 BBs, E6F - Devers reached base three times from the nine-hole, a first for the 22-year-old this season, but he was charged with an error defensively which ultimately led to a run scored.
Khal Stephen (SP, Akron): L (0-1), 3.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, ER, 2 BBs, 5 Ks, E1T - It was an up-and-down day that saw Stephen get charged with the loss after traffic on the basepaths, some of which not his own doing but a throwing error himself didn’t aid his appearance, led to three runs in less than four innings. Seven hits was too much to overcome.
Zane Morehouse (RP, Akron): 1.0 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BBs, 2 Ks - Morehouse made it through an inning unscathed for the first time this year after two previous appearances resulted in runs scored. He fanned two of the four batters he faced.
Esteban Gonzalez (LF, Lake County): 1-5, 2B, RBI - Gonzalez was trending towards a poor performance on Thursday, but a run-scoring double in the eighth helped to give him something productive despite three strikeouts. Gonzalez and LaViolette instigated the two extra-base hits for the team.
Jackson Humphries (SP, Lake County): 5.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BBs, 4 Ks - The southpaw came out of Thursday’s game with a no decision after he made it through five innings and allowed three hits and three runs scored. He retired the first seven batters he faced and ran into trouble in the fourth where all three runs came around to score with two walks and two hits. He rebounded for a 1-2-3 fifth with a pair of strikeouts to end his outing on a positive note.
Cam Walty (RP, Lake County): 2.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BBs, 3 Ks, HBP, E1F - There was traffic all over the basepaths towards the end of the game, but all told, no further damage was done, and he did not walk any batters.
Luis De La Cruz (3B, Hill City): 2-3, RBI, BB - It was a two-hit day as well for the 19-year-old with a single that drove in a run in the seventh. He has shown a knowledge of the strike zone with six walks in five games thus far en route to reaching base three times for Hill City.
Wes Burton (RP, Hill City): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BBs, 0 Ks - After two walks in his first professional appearance, Burton peppered the zone (12 pitches, 9 strikes) and notched a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
Worchester Red Sox 5, Columbus Clippers 0 (Statcast)
Harrisburg Senators 12, Akron RubberDucks 1
Dayton Dragons 7, Lake County Captains 4
Fredericksburg Nationals 8, Hill City Howlers 3
Rehab
Hunter Gaddis (RP, Columbus): 1.0 IP, H, R, HBP - Gaddis continued his rehab stint and made his second rehab appearance of the week with an inning of work in the seventh. A hit by pitch and stolen base put a runner in scoring position for Worchester to plate one with an RBI single. His velos were down across all three of his pitches and he induced just one whiff on eight swings.
Highlights
Daniel Espino (RP, Columbus): 1.0 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BBs, 2 Ks - Espino came ready to throw with gas on Thursday with eight swings and misses out of ten swings. He threw a scoreless eighth inning and struck out two for four straight scoreless appearances to begin 2026.
Christian Knapczyk (2B, Akron): 1-4, R, HR, RBI, DP - Knapczyk hit his first homerun of the season and in Double-A off a former teammate in Alex Clemmey. His fourth-inning bomb was the lone run of the game for the RubberDucks in a blowout loss. The Louisville product has a hit in each of his first four games in 2026.
Jaison Chourio (RF, Lake County): 2-4, BB, 2 SBs - Chourio was one of two players to record a multi-hit game on Thursday with a pair of singles, including one on the first at-bat of the game. He also used his speed to his advantage to get into scoring position twice on his own and he has stolen four bases over his last three played. He reached base a third time with a ninth inning walk and he has now taken a base on balls in each of the first six games played to improve his on-base percentage to .448.
Jace LaViolette (CF, Lake County): 2-4, R, 2B, CS - After 13 straight outs to begin the 2026 season, 2025 First Round selection Jace LaViolette ripped a double to right for his first hit in his professional career. That would not be all for the Texas A&M alum as he singled to start the top of the fifth inning as well. The floodgates are hopefully open offensively for a young man with high expectations in the organization. He also laid out for a sliding grab in center to rob a Dragon of a hit.
Jose Pirela (CF, Hill City): 2-3, R, HR, RBI, BB - Pirela now has six hits and five RBIs in four games played with the Howlers and he is certainly leading the team offensively in the earlygoing of 2026. His longball was the only extra-base hit for the team in the loss.
Jervis Alfaro (RP, Hill City): 4.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BBs, 7 Ks, PO - In two appearances this year, Alfaro is averaging nearly two strikeouts per inning pitched. He sat down nine on strikes in his first appearance of 2026 and followed that up with seven K’s on Thursday. Alfaro allowed baserunners galore and needed those punchouts and a successful pickoff to leave runners stranded.
Notable Performances
Nolan Jones (LF, Columbus): 2-4 - Jones recorded two of the team’s four hits in the shutout loss and had the hardest-hit ball of the day at nearly 110 mph off the bat. He has been off to a red-hot start this season albeit against Triple-A pitching with hits in nine of ten games played.
Jose Devers (SS, Akron): 1-2, 2 BBs, E6F - Devers reached base three times from the nine-hole, a first for the 22-year-old this season, but he was charged with an error defensively which ultimately led to a run scored.
Khal Stephen (SP, Akron): L (0-1), 3.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, ER, 2 BBs, 5 Ks, E1T - It was an up-and-down day that saw Stephen get charged with the loss after traffic on the basepaths, some of which not his own doing but a throwing error himself didn’t aid his appearance, led to three runs in less than four innings. Seven hits was too much to overcome.
Zane Morehouse (RP, Akron): 1.0 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BBs, 2 Ks - Morehouse made it through an inning unscathed for the first time this year after two previous appearances resulted in runs scored. He fanned two of the four batters he faced.
Esteban Gonzalez (LF, Lake County): 1-5, 2B, RBI - Gonzalez was trending towards a poor performance on Thursday, but a run-scoring double in the eighth helped to give him something productive despite three strikeouts. Gonzalez and LaViolette instigated the two extra-base hits for the team.
Jackson Humphries (SP, Lake County): 5.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BBs, 4 Ks - The southpaw came out of Thursday’s game with a no decision after he made it through five innings and allowed three hits and three runs scored. He retired the first seven batters he faced and ran into trouble in the fourth where all three runs came around to score with two walks and two hits. He rebounded for a 1-2-3 fifth with a pair of strikeouts to end his outing on a positive note.
Cam Walty (RP, Lake County): 2.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BBs, 3 Ks, HBP, E1F - There was traffic all over the basepaths towards the end of the game, but all told, no further damage was done, and he did not walk any batters.
Luis De La Cruz (3B, Hill City): 2-3, RBI, BB - It was a two-hit day as well for the 19-year-old with a single that drove in a run in the seventh. He has shown a knowledge of the strike zone with six walks in five games thus far en route to reaching base three times for Hill City.
Wes Burton (RP, Hill City): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BBs, 0 Ks - After two walks in his first professional appearance, Burton peppered the zone (12 pitches, 9 strikes) and notched a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
Re: Minor Matters
14061
Logan Allen Strikes out Seven Red Sox Thursday
Published on April 10, 2026
WORCESTER, MA - Left-handed starter Logan Allen was impressive for Columbus in Thursday's away game, striking out seven over 4.2 innings of work. However his record would fall to 1-1 as the Clippers offense had a rare off-night. Worcester prevailed, 5-0.
Allen, who was won 23 games at the big league level for the Guardians, was touched up for three runs in the 2nd inning Thursday, and another charged to him shortly after departing in the 5th.
Nolan Jones stayed hot at the plate, singling twice to raise his average this season to .333. Newcomer Juan Benjamin, playing third base, collected his first career hit at the Triple-A level.
Final in Worcester. #ClipShow pic.twitter.com/0HaTMhe5bV - Columbus Clippers (@CLBClippers) April 10, 2026
The loss Thursday gives Columbus a record of 7-5 this season, while Worcester improves to 8-3.
The Clippers and Red Sox meet again on Friday. Columbus returns home for Tansky Tuesday Dime-A-Dog Night on April 14, first pitch is scheduled for 6:15pm.
Senators Deal Daytime Defeat to RubberDucks, 12-1
Akron second baseman Christian Knapczyk hit his first home run of the season, but the RubberDucks were limited to four hits and fell, 12 - 1, to the Harrisburg Senators in the third game of a six-game series Thursday afternoon at FNB Field. Harrisburg scored in five different innings, including a six - run fifth inning, to remain unbeaten on the season.
Turning Point
After Akron pulled within 3 - 1 on Knapczyk's solo home run in the fourth inning, Harrisburg responded with six runs in the bottom of the fifth. The Senators sent 10 batters to the plate, collecting five hits and taking advantage of two walks and two wild pitches to extend their lead to 9 - 1 and put the game out of reach.
Mound Presence
Akron right - hander Khal Stephen surrendered three runs - only one earned - on seven hits while striking out five over 3 2/3 innings in his second start of the season. Right-hander Jay Driver retired the lone batter he faced out of the bullpen. The Senators added nine runs off four Akron relievers, with nine hits and six walks over the final four innings. Outfielder Guy Lipscomb made his first professional mound appearance and struck out shortstop Seaver King in the eighth inning.
Duck Tales
Knapczyk accounted for Akron's lone run with a solo home run to right field in the fourth. First baseman Jake Fox, right fielder Alfonsin Rosario, and shortstop José Devers each recorded a hit, while designated hitter Angel Genao reached base twice after being hit by a pitch and drawing a walk. Genao has drawn seven walks in three games in the series.
Notebook
Knapczyk has hit safely in his first four games of the season...
Harrisburg collected 16 hits, including three doubles, and has outscored Akron, 29-15, in the first three games of the series...
Game Time: 3:17 (0:04 delay)...Attendance: 1,249.
On the Pond
The RubberDucks continue their series in Harrisburg at 7 p.m. Friday at FNB Field. Akron left-hander Josh Hartle (0-0, 1.93 ERA) is scheduled to face Senators right-hander Davian Garcia (0-0, 1.93 ERA). The game broadcast is on 640 WHLO, the 640 WHLO iHeartRadio channel, akronrubberducks.com, and the Bally Sports Live, MiLB and MLB apps. Tickets for RubberDucks home games are available on the MiLB app and akronrubberducks.com/tickets.
Sloppy First Inning Stiffles Howlers
Published on April 9, 2026
The Fredericksburg Nationals used a big first inning to down the Hill City Howlers on Thursday night, 8-3.
Luke Dickerson led the way for the Nationals with a three-hit, two-double performance. Jervis Alfaro added another seven strikeouts to bring his season total to 16 through two games.
The game unraveled in the first inning as the Nationals tacked four on the board courtesy of a pair of errors on the Howlers. Two more were added on in the second as Coy James broke out of his slump to push the needle to 6-0.
Luke Dickerson doubled in the top of the fourth inning to extend the lead even further. James followed with another RBI single, giving him three-RBIs on the night. The eight-run lead would prove to be more than the Nationals needed.
Jose Pirela put the Howlers on the board in the fifth with a solo home run to right center field for his first of the year.
In the seventh, Hill City loaded the bases with no one out, threatening to strike for a big inning. Luis De La Cruz drove home a run with a single to left before a walk to Yerlin Luis cut the deficit to five. That would be as close as the game would get as three straight strikeouts ended the inning to leave the bases loaded.
The Howlers picked up a pair of base runners in the ninth, but never got any closer, as they dropped to 3-3 on the year.
Hill City and Fredericksburg will square off again on Friday evening at City Stadium with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch.
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“Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over again. That's the way life is, with a new game every day, and that's the way baseball is.”
-- Bob Feller
Democracy Dies In Darkness - WAPO
-- Bob Feller
Democracy Dies In Darkness - WAPO
Re: Minor Matters
14062fRIDAY GAMES
Scoreboard
Worchester Red Sox 8, Columbus Clippers 5 (Statcast)
Akron RubberDucks 8, Harrisburg Senators 6
Dayton Dragons 7, Lake County Captains 3
Hill City Howlers 5, Fredericksburg Nationals 3
Rehab
George Valera (LF, Columbus): 1-4, R, HR, 2 RBIs, E7F - A two-run homerun in the sixth inning took the zero off the runs column for Columbus on Friday as Valera continued his rehab appearance. That is his second homerun in six games this season and he has reached base safely in all contests. He looked good with the bat in his hand but unfortunately was charged with a fielding error in left, one of five for the Clippers as a team in the loss.
Highlights
Alex Mooney (3B, Akron): 1-2, 2 R, HR, 3 RBIs, BB, SB - Mooney led the RubberDucks to victory on Friday with three runs batted in, all on his homerun in the midst of a four-run top of the fifth. The Nashville native has two homeruns and seven RBIs in this road series alone as he helped to tack the first loss onto Harrisburg’s record in 2026.
Ralphy Velazquez (1B, Akron): 2-4, 3B, RBI, HBP - The 2023 First Round selection Velazquez was the lone man with multiple hits for Akron on the day as the team plated eight runs on just seven hits. Along with his two hits, Velazquez drove in a run on a groundout for a productive at-bat despite returning to the dugout. He now has three multi-hit games on the year.
Bennett Thompson (C, Lake County): 1-1, R, RBI, 3 BBs, E2T, E2F - Thompson has had a great start to the 2026 season and reached base in all four plate appearances on Friday with one hit and three walks. The defense has been a bit of a struggle with four errors, including two in this game. Thompson has shown tremendous plate discipline with nine walks in five games this season.
Jacob Zibin (SP, Hill City): 4.0 IP, 4.0 IP, 3 H, R, BB, 5 Ks - Zibin got the game started for the Howlers on a positive note with four innings of work where he struck out five and allowed just one run. He retired the last eight batters he faced to show that he was able to power through some early struggles and in the second inning, things could have gone sideways, but the 21-year-old struck out two to get out of the inning and strand a runner in scoring position. He totaled 68 pitches, 45 of them for strikes.
[13 STRIKEOUTS IN HIS FIRST 7 2/3 INNINGS THIS SPRING]
Cannon Peebles (C, Hill City): 1-3, R, HR, 2 RBIs, 2 BBs, SB - A two-run bomb in the bottom of the third inning was the lone extra-base hit of the game for the Howlers and gave the team a 2-1 lead. He has three hits in five games, but all of them have gone for extra bases with a pair of doubles and this his first professional homerun. Peebles reached base three times in the game after he walked twice, the first walks he has drawn on the season as well.
Juneiker Caceres (CF, Hill City): 1-3, R, 2 RBIs, 2 BBs, SB - The 18-year-old played the hero on Friday with a two-run single that put the Howlers up 5-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning. Similarly to Peebles, Caceres reached base three times in total with two walks.
Notable Performances
Milan Tolentino (SS, Columbus): 1-4, R, HR, RBI, GIDP, 2 E6F - Tolentino launched a solo homerun in the eighth to draw closer at 7-3, but it was not enough to swing momentum fully in the direction of Columbus. A couple of errors put a damper on his day as a whole.
Travis Bazzana (2B, Columbus): 1-3, BB, SB - Bazzana was the lone man in the Clippers’ lineup to reach base twice with one hit and one walk and he stole his third base of the year.
Colin Holderman (RP, Columbus): 2.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 0 BBs, 5 Ks, HBP - Three runs came across to score combined in the seventh and eighth innings, but none of them fell directly onto the ledger of the 30-year-old. He touched 97.4 mph on the fastball and induced eight whiffs to get to five K’s.
Christian Knapczyk (2B, Akron): 1-4, R, BB - Along with reaching base twice in the win, Knapczyk also made a sliding catch to end the game on a ball up the middle.
ick Mitchell (CF, Akron): 1-3, 3 R, 2 BBs, SB - Mitchell made the Senators pay when he was on the basepaths and all three times he reached, he came around to score.
Jake Fox (DH, Akron): 1-2, R, 2 RBIs, 2 BBs, CS - Fox joined Mitchell as one to reach base three times and a pair of free passes helped to improve upon his day and OBP.
Aaron Walton (DH, Lake County): 2-4, RBI, GIDP - Walton extends his hitting streak to five straight games and was the only hitter for the Captains credited with multiple base knocks. His single in the first plated a run for the team.
Dean Curley (3B, Lake County): 1-4, R, 2B, BB - Curley drew a walk and came around to score in the first and slapped a double to center field to reach base twice for the Captains.
Jace LaViolette (CF, Lake County): 1-4, R, 2B, BB - LaViolette put up a similar stat line to Curley, with a walk and run scored in the first and then a sharply hit double to leadoff the fifth. [AND BY WAY 3 STRIKEOUTS]
Luke Hill (2B, Lake County): 1-3, RBI, BB, E4T, DP - Hill drove in a run with a two-out RBI single in the sixth and drew a walk to reach base twice in the game.
Angel Perez (RP, Hill City): S (2), 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BBs, 2 Ks - Perez has already made four appearances in the young season and locked up his second save of 2026 with a scoreless ninth on Friday. He walked consecutive batters with one out but rebounded for a strikeout and induced a lineout to conclude the game.
Scoreboard
Worchester Red Sox 8, Columbus Clippers 5 (Statcast)
Akron RubberDucks 8, Harrisburg Senators 6
Dayton Dragons 7, Lake County Captains 3
Hill City Howlers 5, Fredericksburg Nationals 3
Rehab
George Valera (LF, Columbus): 1-4, R, HR, 2 RBIs, E7F - A two-run homerun in the sixth inning took the zero off the runs column for Columbus on Friday as Valera continued his rehab appearance. That is his second homerun in six games this season and he has reached base safely in all contests. He looked good with the bat in his hand but unfortunately was charged with a fielding error in left, one of five for the Clippers as a team in the loss.
Highlights
Alex Mooney (3B, Akron): 1-2, 2 R, HR, 3 RBIs, BB, SB - Mooney led the RubberDucks to victory on Friday with three runs batted in, all on his homerun in the midst of a four-run top of the fifth. The Nashville native has two homeruns and seven RBIs in this road series alone as he helped to tack the first loss onto Harrisburg’s record in 2026.
Ralphy Velazquez (1B, Akron): 2-4, 3B, RBI, HBP - The 2023 First Round selection Velazquez was the lone man with multiple hits for Akron on the day as the team plated eight runs on just seven hits. Along with his two hits, Velazquez drove in a run on a groundout for a productive at-bat despite returning to the dugout. He now has three multi-hit games on the year.
Bennett Thompson (C, Lake County): 1-1, R, RBI, 3 BBs, E2T, E2F - Thompson has had a great start to the 2026 season and reached base in all four plate appearances on Friday with one hit and three walks. The defense has been a bit of a struggle with four errors, including two in this game. Thompson has shown tremendous plate discipline with nine walks in five games this season.
Jacob Zibin (SP, Hill City): 4.0 IP, 4.0 IP, 3 H, R, BB, 5 Ks - Zibin got the game started for the Howlers on a positive note with four innings of work where he struck out five and allowed just one run. He retired the last eight batters he faced to show that he was able to power through some early struggles and in the second inning, things could have gone sideways, but the 21-year-old struck out two to get out of the inning and strand a runner in scoring position. He totaled 68 pitches, 45 of them for strikes.
[13 STRIKEOUTS IN HIS FIRST 7 2/3 INNINGS THIS SPRING]
Cannon Peebles (C, Hill City): 1-3, R, HR, 2 RBIs, 2 BBs, SB - A two-run bomb in the bottom of the third inning was the lone extra-base hit of the game for the Howlers and gave the team a 2-1 lead. He has three hits in five games, but all of them have gone for extra bases with a pair of doubles and this his first professional homerun. Peebles reached base three times in the game after he walked twice, the first walks he has drawn on the season as well.
Juneiker Caceres (CF, Hill City): 1-3, R, 2 RBIs, 2 BBs, SB - The 18-year-old played the hero on Friday with a two-run single that put the Howlers up 5-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning. Similarly to Peebles, Caceres reached base three times in total with two walks.
Notable Performances
Milan Tolentino (SS, Columbus): 1-4, R, HR, RBI, GIDP, 2 E6F - Tolentino launched a solo homerun in the eighth to draw closer at 7-3, but it was not enough to swing momentum fully in the direction of Columbus. A couple of errors put a damper on his day as a whole.
Travis Bazzana (2B, Columbus): 1-3, BB, SB - Bazzana was the lone man in the Clippers’ lineup to reach base twice with one hit and one walk and he stole his third base of the year.
Colin Holderman (RP, Columbus): 2.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 0 BBs, 5 Ks, HBP - Three runs came across to score combined in the seventh and eighth innings, but none of them fell directly onto the ledger of the 30-year-old. He touched 97.4 mph on the fastball and induced eight whiffs to get to five K’s.
Christian Knapczyk (2B, Akron): 1-4, R, BB - Along with reaching base twice in the win, Knapczyk also made a sliding catch to end the game on a ball up the middle.
ick Mitchell (CF, Akron): 1-3, 3 R, 2 BBs, SB - Mitchell made the Senators pay when he was on the basepaths and all three times he reached, he came around to score.
Jake Fox (DH, Akron): 1-2, R, 2 RBIs, 2 BBs, CS - Fox joined Mitchell as one to reach base three times and a pair of free passes helped to improve upon his day and OBP.
Aaron Walton (DH, Lake County): 2-4, RBI, GIDP - Walton extends his hitting streak to five straight games and was the only hitter for the Captains credited with multiple base knocks. His single in the first plated a run for the team.
Dean Curley (3B, Lake County): 1-4, R, 2B, BB - Curley drew a walk and came around to score in the first and slapped a double to center field to reach base twice for the Captains.
Jace LaViolette (CF, Lake County): 1-4, R, 2B, BB - LaViolette put up a similar stat line to Curley, with a walk and run scored in the first and then a sharply hit double to leadoff the fifth. [AND BY WAY 3 STRIKEOUTS]
Luke Hill (2B, Lake County): 1-3, RBI, BB, E4T, DP - Hill drove in a run with a two-out RBI single in the sixth and drew a walk to reach base twice in the game.
Angel Perez (RP, Hill City): S (2), 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BBs, 2 Ks - Perez has already made four appearances in the young season and locked up his second save of 2026 with a scoreless ninth on Friday. He walked consecutive batters with one out but rebounded for a strikeout and induced a lineout to conclude the game.