Sunday's minor league action was packed with power, patience, and a few painful pitching lines. Here's how the Guardians' affiliates fared on the diamond.
Columbus Clippers (20-20) Fall 10-5 to St. Paul Saints
Kahlil Watson is on an absolute tear. The infielder went 2-for-5 with a home run and a double, continuing his recent hot streak by obliterating baseballs. He launched a towering bomb to right field, proving he's locked in at the plate. Angel Genao also stayed hot at Triple-A, going 2-for-4 with a double.
On the mound, it was a rough outing for starter Ryan Webb, who was tagged for eight runs on six hits with three walks in just 0.2 innings. Tommy Mace provided 2.1 scoreless innings of long relief, and Jack Leftwich added 2.1 scoreless frames of his own, but the damage was already done.
Akron RubberDucks Shine Behind Velazquez's Power
Ralphy Velazquez is making a strong case for a promotion. The first baseman went 2-for-5 and crushed an opposite-field home run off a tough left-handed pitcher to the deepest part of Akron's ballpark. Velazquez is now slashing .312/.415/.520 with a .935 OPS, leaving little left to prove at Double-A.
Nick Mitchell also had a monster game, going 3-for-5 with a triple and a double. Jake Fox continued his resurgence, going 2-for-4 with a double and raising his average to .328—a massive improvement from last year's .197 mark. Wuilfredo Antunez reached base twice with a double and a walk.
Starter Cam Favors was solid, allowing just one run on seven hits with three strikeouts and one walk over five innings. Rehabbing reliever Shawn Armstrong struck out two in his lone inning of work, though he allowed one run on one hit and a walk.
Lake County Captains Show Patience in Win
The Captains' offense displayed impressive plate discipline, scoring nine runs on nine hits while drawing eight walks. Dean Curley went 2-for-4 with a home run and a walk, while Aaron Walton had a day to remember, going 2-for-3 with a home run, a stolen base, and two walks in what turned into back-to-back fireworks.