Jhonkensy Noel blasts off for three home runs and Jose Devers hits two more
Cleveland Guardians minor league recap for Thursday, May 23, 2024
Columbus Clippers 8, Omaha Stormchasers 9 (F/10)
Box Score · 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.
Jhonkensy Noel (@CleGuardians No. 26 prospect) LAUNCHES his third home run of the game 465 feet for the @CLBClippers! pic.twitter.com/R5jJQTYjAB
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 23, 2024
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.
JOSE TENA!!! Such easy power! pic.twitter.com/qxfWOzMSL1
— Zach (@PhenoMVP) May 23, 2024
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
Box Score · 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.
QUACK ON TOP!@KahlilWatson1's team-high 6th Western Reserve Distillers HOME RUN
— Akron RubberDucks (@AkronRubberDuck) May 23, 2024
100 mph 353 feet
TOP 8 | Akron 5 | Harrisburg 4 pic.twitter.com/cvFtzuuArV
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.
The streak continues! #Guardians 23yr old RHP relief prospect Lenny Torres Jr. struckout a pair of batters tonight for Akron over 1.1 scoreless innings of work. Torres Jr. has yet to allow a run in 2024 over 12 appearances on the season.
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) May 23, 2024
Line - 1.1(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 2SO… pic.twitter.com/7WNM1KpRaG
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
Box Score · 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.
#Guardians 22yr old INF prospect Nate Furman is on another planet right now collecting 4 more hits tonight (4-5 4R HR RBI) including this opposite field solo HR in the 7th inning for Lake County in their 12-to-3 win over West Michigan! The HR was his 6th of the year and he… pic.twitter.com/jpJ0g7vnie
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) May 23, 2024
Jose Devers also had a monster game, going 3-for-5 with two home runs.
... ANOTHER ONE, JOSE DEVERS IS ON pic.twitter.com/S3GYvbGSfP
— Lake County Captains (@LCCaptains) May 23, 2024
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
Box Score · 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.