Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 5/22/24
MATTHEW KENNELL
MAY 2
Scoreboard:
Triple-A: Omaha Storm Chasers 9, Columbus Clippers 8 (F/10)
Double-A: Harrisburg Senators 6, Akron RubberDucks 5
High-A: Lake County Captains 12, West Michigan Whitecaps 3
Single-A: Fredericksburg Nationals 10, Lynchburg Hillcats 6
Rehab
RP Eli Morgan (Columbus): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BBs, K - The comeback by the Storm Chasers set up a high-leverage situation for the rehabbing Morgan. He would pitch the eighth in a tie game and go strikeout-flyout-flyout. He threw nine pitches (seven strikes) and induced a pair of swings and misses (one fastball and one changeup) with two balls considered not hard hit.
Highlights
1B Jhonkensy Noel (Columbus): 3-for-5, 3 R, 3 HRs, 3 RBIs - Talk about a power surge. Noel clubbed three solo homeruns in Wednesday’s extra innings loss. The first, third and seventh innings all resulted in homeruns from the 22-year-old, all of them registered at over 105 mph off the bat. His seventh inning shot was the farthest hit ball in all of Triple-A on the day at 465 feet.
C Bryan Lavastida (Columbus): 3-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBIs - Lavastida bumrushed the opposing pitching for three hits and a homerun. His solo shot in the top of the fourth put the Clippers ahead 7-4 early and an RBI single in the second helped improve his day at the plate.
SS Jose Tena (Columbus): 3-for-5, 2 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBIs, SB, CS, GIDP, E6F - Tena was a triple shy of the cycle and hit his second homerun in the last three games. Tena was one of four players to have three hits for Columbus. He is staying hot despite losing his on-base streak last week.
SS Khalil Watson (Akron): 3-for-5, R, HR, 2 RBIs, DP - Watson played hero momentarily for the RubberDucks when his two-run homerun capped off a five-run top of the eighth. After being shutout for the first seven innings, all of a sudden Akron had the lead. Unfortunately, the bullpen was not able to hold on, but the only extra-base hit of the game for the team gave them a chance. The hit streak is extended to seven for Watson but this is his first three-hit game of 2024.
LF Joe Lampe (Akron): 1-for-3, R, RBI, BB - Lampe got the scoring started for the RubberDucks with an RBI single with the bases loaded in the top of the eighth. The former Arizona State University Sun Devil hit one right back up the middle that deflected off the pitcher to allow him to reach. He would draw a walk as well earlier in the contest.
CF Connor Kokx (Akron): 1-for-3, RBI, HBP - Kokx kept the train moving in the crooked top of the eighth with a line drive RBI single to left. He helped set up the big inning by turning the lineup over with the bases loaded and nobody out. Kokx was hit by a pitch as well.
SP Trenton Denholm (Lake County): W (4-1), 8.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, BB, 0 Ks, HBP - The right-hander Denholm was prepared for a Whitecaps lineup that was ready to swing the sticks on Wednesday. He nearly went a complete game after allowing just one walk and did not strike anybody out. He threw 66 strikes in his 91 pitches and went through the order once with no problems in innings 1-3. Some extra-base hits allowed a few runs to score later in the game, but keeping the pitch count low gave the bullpen some rest heading into the weekend.
2B Nate Furman (Lake County): 4-for-5, 4 R, HR, RBI - A four-hit day that includes a homerun is quite the statement to make as you continue to rake at the dish. His .349 batting average after Wednesday’s game is second in the Midwest League only to his teammate Guy Lipscomb. In all four times Furman reached base, he came around to score. Batting from the leadoff spot, you are expected to get the first inning started, however he came up first in four different frames and would have led off the bottom of the ninth if needed. He had three hits in those opportunities.
SS Jose Devers (Lake County): 3-for-5, 2 R, 2 HRs, 4 RBIs - Two two-run homeruns off the bat of Devers highlighted his evening as he tripled his total for the season. He left the yard in the fourth inning to go up 3-1 and did the same in the midst of the five-run sixth inning for the Captains. It is the 21-year-old’s first three-hit game since May 1st and four RBIs is the most in a game this season.
CF Jake Fox (Lake County): 2-for-5, R, 2B, 3 RBIs - Fox made the most of his at-bats with runners on Wednesday with three runs batted in. Two of them came on his double in the bottom of the fifth to make the score 6-1 at the time. His groundout in the sixth plated an additional run for the team. This marks back-to-back games with three RBIs and nine in the last seven games. He added a web gem to his day as well.
RF Esteban Gonzalez (Lynchburg): 1-for-5, 2 RBIs - The 21-year-old had two run-scoring at-bats for the team on Wednesday. His lone hit was an RBI single to right that put the Hillcats up 3-2 early. He would drive in another run later in the game on an out, but in a diverse lineup with eight different players with hits, he was the only man to have two RBIs.
C Robert Lopez (Lynchburg): 1-for-4, R, 2B, RBI, DP - The lone extra-base hit for the Hillcats came off the bat of Lopez. He drove in a run with his RBI double in the top of the second. He plated the team’s first run of the game with that hit and came around to score later on.
CF Jaison Chourio (Lynchburg): 2-for-4, BB, SB - The 19-year-old had two singles for the Hillcats and added a walk and his 14th stolen base of the season in the loss. His successful steal puts him inside the top-10 of the Carolina League in stolen bases.
Notable Performances
CF Myles Straw (Columbus): 3-for-5, R, SB - For the first time since May 1, Straw had a three-hit game for Columbus, all of them singles.
2B Juan Brito (Columbus): 2-for-4, BB - Brito was able to reach base three times with a pair of singles and a walk.
RP Lenny Torres Jr. (Akron): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BBs, 2 Ks - Torres Jr. left an inherited runner stranded in scoring position when he entered the game in the fifth and went 1-2-3 in the sixth with a pair of punchouts.
RF Alexfri Planez (Akron): 2-for-5, SB - A multi-hit game for the Venezuelan and he swiped his first bag of 2024 in the loss.
C Cooper Ingle (Lake County): 1-for-4, 2 R, RBI, BB - The Lake County backstop reached base multiple times in the win and came around to score in each of his two appearances on base.
LF CJ Kayfus (Lake County): 2-for-5, R - The third multi-hit game in the last four for the Miami alum as he continues to put on a show in Lake County this season.
DH Johnny Tincher (Lake County): 2-for-5 - The first multi-hit game of 2024 for Tincher (12 games).
3B Tyresse Turner (Lake County): 1-for-4, BB, E5T - A single and a walk allowed the California native to reach twice.
3B Juan Benjamin (Lynchburg): 1-for-4, 2 R, RBI, SB - Benjamin drove in a run by reaching on a fielder’s choice and his single kept the comeback hopes alive in the ninth.
SS Angel Genao (Lynchburg): 1-for-5, RBI, SB - The RBI infield single by Genao highlighted the 20-year-old’s evening.
DH Wuilfredo Antunez (Lynchburg): 1-for-3, R, BB - Two times on base for the Venezuelan thanks to a hit and a walk.
<
Jhonkensy Noel blasts off for three home runs and Jose Devers hits two more
Cleveland Guardians minor league recap for Thursday, May 23, 2024
By Brian Hemminger@BrianHemminger May 23, 2024, 11:30am EDT
Columbus Clippers 8, Omaha Stormchasers 9 (F/10)
Clippers fall to 19-27
Have yourself a day Jhonkensy Noel. The slugging prospect hammered not one, not two, but three prodigious blasts on Wednesday. These homers were Statcast beauties, all with exit velocities of over 105.5 mph and all traveling at least 424 feet. If Noel can make more consistent contact, he may force Cleveland’s hand. He currently is batting .240 on the season with an .843 OPS.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1793462126042107968
Noel wasn’t the only member of the Clippers who had a monster game. A total of five players reached base safely three times, starting with Jose Tena, who went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and a stolen base.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1793435965580550206
Myles Straw also went 3-for-5 with a stolen base, while Bryan Lavastida went 3-for-4 with a home run.
Juan Brito also went 2-for-4 with a walk as his bat continues to heat up. Somehow, in all the offensive fun, Daniel Schneemann had a rare 0-fer on the day in five plate appearances.
Starting pitcher Conner Gillespie was knocked around for four runs (three earned) on seven hits with six strikeouts and a pair of walks in four innings.
The bullpen did its job except for one person, Doxakis, who allowed four runs on two hits and two walks in 1 1⁄3 innings pitched.
Nick Mikolajchak tossed a scoreless inning, Randy Labaut allowed an inherited runner to score but did no further damage in 2⁄3 of an inning a rehabbing Eli Morgan added a scoreless frame. Tanner Burns allowed the ghost runner to score with two outs in the 10th inning without giving up a hit or walk for the tough-luck loss.
Akron RubberDucks 5, Harrisburg Senators 6
RubberDucks fall to 25-16
Trailing 4-0, Akron rallied for five runs in the top of the eighth inning to take the lead, but it only lasted half an inning as the bullpen gave it right back in a gutwrenching 6-5 loss on Wednesday.
Kahlil Watson had an impressive day at the plate, going 3-for-5 with his sixth home run of the season. He also stole a base. He’s starting to heat up as a 21-year-old in Double-A.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1793452474721857962
Alexfri Planez went 2-for-5 while Aaron Bracho and Joe Lampe both singled and walked and Joe Naranjo and Micael Ramirez both walked twice. Planez and Naranjo also stole a base.
Starting pitcher Doug Nikhazy finally had his first outing where he looked human. He gave up three runs on five hits with two walks and a strikeout in 4 2⁄3 innings. It was the first time he’s given up any runs all year.
Lenny Torres Jr. continued his perfect 2024 season with another scoreless appearance out of the bullpen in 1 1⁄3 innings with a pair of strikeouts.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1793500368208367887
Unfortunately, Ross Carver blew the lead, giving up one run in the bottom of the seventh, then was sent back out for the eighth, where he gave up two more.
Lake County Captains 12, West Michigan Whitecaps 3
Captains improve to 23-18
At this point, I think Lake County should just permanently change its name to Rake County.
The Captains were on point Wednesday, blasting off for 12 runs on a ridiculous 18 hits.
Nate Furman led the way, going 4-for-5 with a home run and four runs scored. He’s now hitting .349 and has raised his OPS to an impressive .922 on the season.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1793450034324807867
Jose Devers also had a monster game, going 3-for-5 with two home runs.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1793435813398593906
The contributions didn’t end there, however. C.J. Kayfus went 2-for-5, Maick Collado went 2-for-5 with a double, Jake Fox also went 2-for-5 with a double, Johnny Tincher went 2-for-5 and both Cooper Ingle and Tyresse Turner went 1-for-4 with a walk.
The pitching was spectacular as well. Starting pitcher Trenton Denholm was extremely efficient, lasting into the ninth inning, when he finally was pulled after 91 pitches. His final line was 8 1⁄3 innings pitched with three runs allowed on five hits, one walk and zero strikeouts.
Zane Morehouse closed out the game with the final 2⁄3 of an inning and the only strikeout of the game for Lake County pitching.
Lynchburg Hillcats 6, Fredericksburg Nationals 10
Hillcats fall to 21-20
It’s hard to win a game when the starting pitcher can’t get out of the second inning. Prep prospect Jackson Humphries had a rough day, failing to get an out in the second inning before he was pulled.
His final line was six runs allowed (all earned) on three hits, four walks, two hit batsman and three wild pitches in one inning.
That was a pretty big hole for the Lynchburg offense to dig itself out of, but it didn’t stop the Hillcats from trying.
Jaison Chourio went 2-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base while Wuilfredo Antunez went 1-for-3 with a walk. Robert Lopez doubled and both Juan Benjamin and Angel Genao singled and stole a base, but it wasn’t enough.
Lynchburg would have been able to tie the game if six runs had been the extent of the damage, but all three members of the bullpen allowed at least one more run to score in a 10-6 loss.
<