Cleveland Sports Forum

Columbus 5, Indianapolis 4: OK, it wasn’t Willie Mays’ catch in the 1954 World Series, but it was a reasonable facsimile.

With the tying run at third, the bases loaded and a narrow one-run lead, Columbus’ center fielder Tyler Holt saved the Clippers with an improbable over-the-shoulder catch on the warning track. Holt actually almost overran the ball. As he fell to the ground, the ball hit his chest and bounced into his glove for a magical final out. The catch ended the game, gave Columbus a commanding 2-0 series lead in the best-of-5 series and kept Willy Garcia from what would have likely been a bases-clearing go-ahead hit.

Earlier, Adam Moore and Michael Choice each homered for the Clippers. They were also helped by a pair of errors by Indians first baseman Josh Bell. Bell failed to catch a throw on what would have been a Jesus Aguilar ground out which allowed Tyler Holt to score in the first. Holt later reached on a throwing error by Bell that allowed a second run to score.

While scouts have been impressed by Bell’s hitting, there is much more skepticism about what so far has been a rocky transition to first base. The two errors were Bell’s second and third of the playoffs.

The Indians trailed by three runs heading into the ninth but they made it interesting against a shaky Columbus’ bullpen. Closer Carlos Marmol allowed four of the six batters he faced to reach and his replacement Nick Maronde walked the only batter he faced. Dustin Molleken didn’t fare all that much better but he got the save thanks to Holt’s amazing catch.

Columbus’ idea of making the playoffs free for all to attend has paid off in outstanding crowds, which was true again on Wednesday. The Clippers drew 11,894 fans who left buzzing from an amazing finish.

Diaz, Walters and Choice all homered. Walters in fact hit for the CYCLE!

but Diaz error leads to 6-5 loss.

Some veteran named Grube on the hill tonight, Clippers ahead in the series 2-1.

Trashy bullpen costs Columbus the advantage in the governor's cup. AA closer Jeff Johnson had been doing OK for the Clippers until last night:

Pitching Change: Jeff Johnson replaces Jarrett Grube.
Offensive Substitution: Pinch-runner Steve Lombardozzi Jr. replaces Tony Sanchez.
Gustavo Nunez singles on a soft line drive to left fielder James Ramsey. Steve Lombardozzi Jr. to 2nd.
Alen Hanson singles on a line drive to left fielder James Ramsey. Steve Lombardozzi Jr. scores. Alen Hanson to 2nd. Gustavo Nunez advances to 3rd, on a throwing error by left fielder James Ramsey.
Jeff Johnson intentionally walks Gorkys Hernandez.
Josh Bell singles on a line drive to right fielder Michael Choice. Gustavo Nunez scores. Alen Hanson to 3rd. Gorkys Hernandez to 2nd.

Clippers win the International League playoffs behind another masterful performance by Mike Clevinger. Although he did allow a few hits this time, he again was scoreless through 7 innings. Great video of him in the first game clincher that I'll try to paste the line for. He's got some great movement on his pitches and although these were his only AAA games he could enter spring training in competition for the back of the rotation or at worst will be on call in Columbus.

The Governors' Cup has a new home, and it's a familiar one.

Adam Moore collected three hits and an RBI, and Mike Clevinger completed a dominant postseason with 7 2/3 scoreless innings Saturday as Columbus beat Indianapolis, 3-0, to win its third International League championship in six years.

Moore put the Clippers on the board with a run-scoring single in the top of the first inning. The 31-year-old catcher helped pad the lead in the fourth with a double as Jesus Aguilar came all the way around to score on an error by left fielder Keon Broxton.

"My No. 1 job is to run our pitching staff and to get them through innings and tough times on the mound. The bat is a bonus in my book," Moore said. "To go out there and contribute the way I did with the bat, it was a lot of fun and it felt good. I was seeing the ball well this series."

Making his first start in the Finals, Clevinger silenced the Indians on five hits and a walk while striking out seven.

"I felt like everything was working tonight," the Indians' 15th-ranked prospect said. "Changeup was definitely clutch. That was my big pitch tonight, the changeup."

Clevinger spent the regular season with Double-A Akron before joining the Clippers for the playoffs. In two starts, the 24-year-old right-hander gave up five hits and struck out 17 over 15 1/3 shutout innings, with both starts coming in decisive fifth games.

"The guy is fearless," Moore said. "He gets the ball, you call it, he pitches it. It makes our job as a catcher a lot easier, for a guy to have the kind of stuff he does and to be able to locate his pitches and not to rely on his fastball all night. For him to contribute the way he did, the two Game 5s in the playoffs, that says a lot about him and his character. He's a great pitcher and he's going to have a bright future, that's for sure."

C.C. Lee struck out the final batter in the eighth before giving way to Carlos Marmol, who worked around a hit and struck out one in the ninth to close out the Clippers' first title since repeating in 2011. For Moore, who spent part of the 2013 season with Pacific Coast League champion Omaha, this was his first Minor League title.

"It means a lot," the veteran backstop said. "It's a lot of fun. We had a great group of guys, we all stuck together through thick and thin, a lot of moves up and down, like any Triple-A club. Didn't matter. One through nine in that lineup, the five starters we had and the bullpen, we were all contributors. We all believed in one another. It was a complete team effort and it was a lot of fun. We had a blast playing for each other."

Clevinger echoed Moore's sentiments.

"I haven't been part of something like this before," he said. "I'm on cloud nine right now. I didn't expect to be coming up here. Coming up here, I had no idea what I was in store. They fought their butts off all season and that drove me to keep it going."

Michael Choice was named MVP of the Championship Series after going 9-for-14 with three homers and six RBIs.

"If I could name Mr. Clutch, it's Michael Choice," Clevinger said. "That three-run blast last night, I thought was the series sealer. He's been swinging the hottest bat I've seen. He's a great player and an amazing talent."

Erik Gonzalez slugged a solo homer for the Clippers.

Columbus will travel to El Paso on Tuesday to play the winner of the PCL Finals for the Triple-A National Championship.

this should get you to the videos of long-haired Clevinger at work in his AAA no-hit debut last weekend. He looks like a fun kid.

http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ym ... b&sid=milb

Clevinger is one of very few who need to be added to the 40-man roster. The top of our farm system is from the weak drafts of the pre-Lindor, pre-Frazier, pre-Zimmer days, so not much to lose in a Rule 5 draft except for some bullpen depth.

Indians add three ho hum relievers to their Arizona Fall League contingent: Antonio Romero, Grant Sides and Jacob Lee.

After looking through the rosters, a few more who will need to protected or could be lost in Rule 5:

Tyler Naquin sure to be protected
James Ramsey more likely than not, I'd guess, although not a very good year in AAA
Jeff Johnson, AA closer, and Josh Martin AA reliever. Maybe.

Columbus Clippers fall to Fresno, 7-0, in Triple-A Championship

Cleveland Indians minor-league affiliates

By Staff report, The Morning Journal
POSTED: 09/23/15, 12:55 AM EDT | UPDATED: 2 HRS AGO 0 COMMENTS
The Indians’ top affiliate Columbus found the going tough in the Triple-A championship game against Pacific Coast League title clincher Fresno, managing just three hits in a 7-0 setback.

Ryan Merritt was pulled after yielding five runs on seven hits and striking out none as the Clippers fell behind, 5-0, after two innings.

Erik Gonzalez, Michael Choice and Audy Ciriaco each had singles for Columbus, which did not advance a runner into scoring position and struck out 12 times. Joseph Colon tossed two shutout innings on relief, striking out one.

Fresno was paced by Chris Devenski, who yielded one hit in seven shutout innings, striking out nine. Alex Presley went 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI.

Columbus Faces Fresno For Triple-A National Championship
September 22, 2015 by John Manuel


3
EL PASO, Texas—For both the Columbus Clippers and the Fresno Grizzlies, this season constitutes a success.

Columbus, an Indians affiliate, battled Indianapolis all year in the International League’s West Division, tying for first in the division at 83-61, then having to meet Indy again in the IL’s Governors Cup finals, which went five games before the Clippers prevailed.

Fresno, in its first year as an Astros affiliate, had its best season ever. The Grizzlies clinched the Pacific Coast League’s North Division in August, winning their first division title since their inaugural 1998 PCL season. Then the Grizzlies beat El Paso and Round Rock to claim their first PCL title.

But neither team is done. They’re here, playing in the one-game Triple-A National Championship at Southwest University Park. Tonight’s game, airing on NBC Sports Network, is set for an 8:07 p.m. Eastern first pitch.

Both teams are using pitchers who spent most of the year at Double-A to open the game. Fresno manager Tony DeFrancesco set up his rotation for the PCL finals but plans to use righthander Chris Devenski for the start in the title game. Devenski spent the entire regular season at Double-A Corpus Christi and made one playoff start for the Hooks in the Texas League. He went 7-4, 3.01 in 120 regular-season innings, and DeFrancesco said he expects the 24-year-old to give him “three or four innings” before he turns to the bullpen.

Devenski has long been known for his changeup, which helped him strike out 16 in a complete-game no-hitter to end the 2012 season while with low Class A Lexington. His four-seam fastball has touched 94-95 mph in shorter stints; he also mixes in a two-seamer and throws a spike curveball. DeFrancesco hopes can get a lead to setup man Jordan Jankowski, who has developed a slider akin to that of the Giants’ Sergio Romo, De Francesco said, and closer James Hoyt, who has thrived of late with an improved breaking ball to go with his splitter and mid-90s fastball.

Columbus will go with lefthander Ryan Merritt, 23, who went 10-7, 3.51 in 22 starts at Double-A Akron before joining the Clippers’ rotation in August. He went 2-0, 4.20 in five starts, then won a playoff start against Norfolk. Change has been a feature of Columbus’ rotation this year, though; the Clippers have changed pitchers and pitching coaches, with Tony Arnold now filling a role that originally was manned by Carl Willis. When Willis left to join John Ferrell in Boston in early May, the parent Indians used stop-gaps such as rovers Tim Belcher and Charles Nagy before Arnold took the post.

“We’ve had a long but rewarding season,” Columbus manager Chris Tremie said. “We’ve had staff changes but everyone has contributed, and we’ve got a great clubhouse. (Catcher) Adam Moore and (first baseman) Jesus Aguilar have helped set the tone; they’ve done a nice job, but a lot of guys have.”

Both teams have compelling stories, and while they aren’t loaded with prospects, they do have solid future big leaguers on hand. The Clippers get a spark from center fielder Tyler Holt, who finished last season in Cleveland but spent just nine games in the majors this year, instead hitting .302/.386/.370 with 25 steals in 101 games for the Clippers. Holt also made a game-saving catch to seal a Game Two win in the Governors Cup finals.

“I’m a winner,” Holt said during Monday’s media session, tongue only somewhat in cheek. “One thing I don’t have is a national championship, and now we have that opportunity.”

Fresno no longer has righthander Mark Appel on its roster; the 2013 No. 1 overall pick struck out 10 in Game Five of the PCL playoff finale, so he wasn’t going to pitch in this game anyway. The Grizzlies have added the sixth overall pick in that draft, third baseman Colin Moran, who replaced PCL MVP Matt Duffy on the roster when Duffy got a major league callup. The Grizzlies led the PCL in runs (804), walks (606), on-base percentage (.357) and stolen bases (157), keyed by the likes of second baseman Tony Kemp (.273/.334/.362, 20 steals) and third baseman/DH Tyler White (.362/.467/.559).

“It’s been a lot of fun,” said Kemp, a former Vanderbilt star. “The fans in Fresno, they were with us every step, they were into every pitch. It reminded me of college.”

College also uses the “national championship” phrase, but Tuesday night, the Grizzlies and Clippers have one to play for of their own.

A one-game championship is kind of silly in baseball, but that means that the Indians can now recall some more RH bats if they're interested in adding to the bench: Aguilar and Holt and Choice; or add some pen depth with Lee or unlikely Merritt. The only one of those not on the 40 man roster is Choice

BA's Top 20 prospect lists and chats have started. Maybe my only regret of heading off on a two-week vacation from work, home, etc. is that I'll miss out on joining any chats. Here's the AZL report and if anyone else is a BA subscriber you can join the league chats as they roll out.

Hillman NO. 12
Mejia NO. 15

12. Juan Hillman, lhp, Indians

Age: 18. B-T: L-L. Ht: 6-2. Wt: 183. Drafted: HS—Orlando, 2015 (2). Video

The Indians went for young pitchers with their first three draft picks in 2015, signing second-rounder Hillman for $825,000. As a high school student athlete, he lived with former big league pitcher Tom Gordon, who eventually became Hillman’s legal guardian.

Hillman has an athletic body with plenty of projection. His fastball, which sits in the high 80s to low 90s, needs a velocity bump as he gets stronger. The pitch mostly is straight with a little tail, and he does a good job of hitting spots. He has good feel for an above-average changeup, and the curveball taught to him by Gordon has spin. Hillman has good athleticism, a quick arm and a clean delivery, though he still has room for improvement with his mechanics. He commands his pitches and shows good poise on the mound.

“He has a pretty good plan and sticks to it,” Indians manager Anthony Medrano said.

15. Gabriel Mejia, of, Indians

Age: 20. B-T: B-R. Ht: 5-11. Wt: 160. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2013.

Arguably the most electrifying player in the AZL this summer, Mejia signed with the Indians for the bargain price of $15,000 in 2013. The switch-hitter was on target to break the league stolen base record of 40 before being promoted to short-season Mahoning Valley in mid-August.

With top-of-the-scale speed and the ability to play center field, Mejia has a floor as at least a major league fourth outfielder. Despite his early departure, he still led the league in steals (34) and runs (41) and finished second in batting (.357) and on-base percentage (.438).

Mejia “knows himself as a player and will utilize his speed,” Indians manager Anthony Medrano said, and he consistently executes, bunting frequently and keeping the ball on the ground. He’s a gap-to-gap hitter with just enough power to keep the outfielders from playing too shallow.

Defensively, Mejia, who signed as a middle infielder, needs to improve his jumps and reads, and he took well to the Indians staff having him play a shallow center. At first he stole most of his bases on pure speed, but with more instruction he improved his jumps.

Here's a positive analysis:


Todd (Tallmadge, OH): Was Indians RHP Triston McKenzie considered for the top 20? I know he had a short sample of work but in 12 innings allowed just 1 run & struckout 17.

Bill Mitchell: McKenzie, picked by the Indians in the Compensation A round from his Florida high school, is a tall, extremely slender RHP who got just over $2.3 million to sign with the Tribe. He didn’t pitch enough innings to qualify for the list, but I think I’m safe in saying that he would have ranked in the AZL top 5 if eligible. With his advanced feel for pitching, I could see him making the jump to full-season ball next year.