:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55318489/LGT_minor_leagues_copy.0.png)
Columbus Clippers 8, Gwinnett Braves 2
Box Score · Clippers improve to 34-33
Hello there, winning record. The Columbus Clippers find themselves above .500 and just three games back of the International League West-leading Indianapolis Indians following their blowout win yesterday.
The Clippers were able to run up the score thanks in part to a huge grand slam from Tyler Naquin, who is now 3-for-10 since returning from a back injury earlier this week.
Naquin’s salami was his only hit of the game and it gave the Clippers a 4-2 lead in the fifth that they would never give back.
Matt Whitehouse turned in a solid 5.1 inning start, allowing one earned run off four hits and walking two. His earned run average in Triple-A sits at 12.00, however, due to an atrocious bullpen showing back in May where he allowed seven runs over 0.2 innings. Following that outing, his ERA was (and this is not a typo) 94.50, so going down to 12.00 is quite the achievement.
Akron RubberDucks 8, Portland Sea Dogs 3
Box Score · RubberDucks improve to 32-31
Who needs singles, anyway? Not Bobby Bradley. The slugging first baseman recorded three hits in the Akron RubberDucks’ 8-3 blowout yesterday — two doubles and mammoth solo home run. He finished with a team-high three runs batted in and was one of only three ‘Ducks batters to not strike out on the day.
Catcher Francisco Mejia raised his batting average to an incredible .371 with another two-hit day yesterday. He now has two or more hits in eight of his last 10 games. His slash line is almost unanimously the best in the Eastern League, only his .414 on-base percentage is second to Kevin Taylor by .001. But his .371 average and .623 slugging percentage are both best in the league by considerable margins.
Tanner Tully kept the opposition scoreless in his Double-A debut, striking out one and walking two in six innings of work. Perci Garner, who you may remember spent some time with the Indians last season, struck out five of the six batters he faced in relief.
Lynchburg Hillcats 12, Frederick Keys 5
Box Score · Hillcats improve to 40-28
The Lynchburg Hillcats have the best record in the Tribe organization and they showed why with a blowout win of their own over the Frederick Keys.
Sam Haggerty, Ka’ai Tom, Sicnarf Loopstok, and Martin Cevernka — the top four of the Hillcats lineup — all had multi-hit days. Tom, Loopstok, Cervenka, and Yonathan Mendoza all had one home run and Jodd Carter added two on his own. If you’re keeping track at home, that’s six home runs by Hillcats batters. On top of that, they also drew 10 walks.
Aaron Civale allowed two home runs in seven innings, but he also struck out eight and walked none.
Lake County Captains 5, South Bend Cubs 3 (F/10)
Box Score · Captains improve to 27-41
Logan Ice was the hero of the day for the Lake County Captains as far as game-winners are concerned, his 10th-inning home run gave them the final lead of the game as they march towards 30 wins.
But don’t let that distract you from the fact that Junior Soto his three home runs. Because the Lake County offense is not exactly great, all three of Soto’s dingers were solo, so he only finished three runs batted in, and the Captains required Ice’s heroics to win. But still, it’s a game Soto is unlikely to ever forget. He hit more home runs yesterday than he did in all of 2015 and 2016 combined.
DSL Indians 19, DSL Indians/Brewers 8
Box Score · Indians prove to 5-8 (Indians/Brewers fall to 6-7)
The Indians, uh... won? No wait, lost. I guess they technically won and also lost half a game. We’ll blame the Brewers half of the developmental team for the 19 runs allowed.
On the winning side of the game, Marcos Gonzalez went 4-for-5 in a game where everyone got a hit. Jonathan Lopez, Nehemias Celesten, Gaspar Palacio, Carlos Ventura, and Franklin Mateo all had two hits as well.