Goedert All At the Clip Joint

Earlier today, I looked up "en fuego" in my Spanish/Enlglish phrasebook and, sure enough, right there was this big picture of Jared Goedert.  To call the 27 year old a prospect at this point might be a bit of a stretch, but he has certainly established himself as an alternative to Matt LaPorta.  Goedert (.333), forced to begin the year at AA due to organizational depth and an injury plagued 2011, has certainly re-opened a lot of eyes this season.  Anyone who thought that the 1.089 OPS that he posted with Akron was that best he could do would be flat out wrong.  Jared went deep for the 4th consecutive game and, after posting 17 RBI in 35 games with the Aeros, has driven home 15 in 7 AAA contests.  Perhaps most impressive is that he has significantly improved his strikeout to walk ratio.  After averaging 1.96 K/BB for the two previous seasons, Goedert has dropped that number to 1.05 in 2012.  As opposed to LaPorta, who has been given ample opportunity to hit big league pitching and failed colossally at every turn, Jared yet to see any MLB time.  A whisper away from a call-up in late 2010 and a strong contender for the third base job coming into the spring of 2011, Goedert has the type of right handed pop that the floundering Indians could sorely use.  Should Travis Hafner land on the disabled list, do not be surprised if it is Jared Goedert, and not Matt LaPorta, who takes the ride north on I-71.

The Clippers took their second straight from the Chiefs in Syracuse on Saturday night, both by identical 9-6 scores.  In addition to Goedert's offensive heroics, Russ Canzler (.283) doubled twice on a 3 hit night and drove home a run.  After a lackluster start, Canzler has batted .421 over his past 10 games and bashed all 3 of his home runs in May, while driving in 10 of his 14.  The aforementioned LaPorta (.322) singled twice and scored both times last night, but might have seriously become a true AAA career player.  Matty is 3rd in AAA in home runs (13) behind just Brad Eldred's mythic season and Cubbies first bagger of the future Anthony Rizzo.  It is not enough to get him back to Cleveland because LaPorta has not advanced at all as a hitter.  While I have no idea whether he is simply incapable of making contact with a slider or if he has just settled into a comfortable rut with the Clippers, Matt is just as likely to look like the chaff as the wheat in any AAA plate appearance.  It's difficult for a player to post a 1.048 OPS and not impress the scouts, but, in true LaPortian fashion, Matty has gotten it done.

Corey Kluber (4-4, 4.41) earned the win, rebounding nicely from a pair of horrendous starts.  In his previous two outings, Kluber had allowed 12 earned on 16 hits, including 3 home runs, in just 5 innings (21.60 ERA).  Last night, Corey returned to form, allowing just 2 earned on 6 hits in 6 and two thirds innings pitched.  He walked just one and fanned six.  Dan Wheeler (4.76) continued an inconsistent sequence with the Clippers, throwing well this time.  Danny threw an inning and third scoreless allowing 2 hits and striking out one.  Cody Allen (3.95) surrendered a 9th inning run, but do not discount him as a Major League relief option deeper into the season.

I'm flying blind here, but let's go ahead and pencil in Zach McAllister (3-1, 2.83) on his 5th day.  The last game in New York is scheduled for a 6:30p first pitch.

Other Minor Points of Interest --

Akron
All three of the right handed relief prospects pitched, to differing levels of success.  Throwing for just the second time since returning from the disabled list, Bryce Stowell (1.00) allowed his first run of the season in the 7th, but did punch out a pair.  Stowell has struck out 19 in 9 frames this season against zero free passes and will be in line for a promotion should he remain healthy.  Rob Bryson (2.74) also allowed a run, thanks to a pair of 8th inning walks.  Control has been Bryson's issue this season.  Despite allowing just 17 hits in 23 innings, he has also walked 16, nearly doubling his WHIP.  On the plus side, Rob has fanned 26.  Only Bryan Price (2.84) escaped unscathed, hurling a clean 9th.  Price has notched 27 strikeouts in 25.1 innings this year while holding the opposition to a .220 average.

Carolina
Tony Wolters (.224) seems to have finally acclimated to High-A pitching.  Wolters, who scorched 3 hits tonight, is batting .467 (14-for-30) over a 7-game hit streak that has also included his first 4 stolen bases of the season.  After batting .130 in April, Tony is hitting .301 in May.

Lake County
Francisco Lindor (.291) has hit the skids and I do mean hard.  Lindor tallied another 0-fer tonight and is hitting a lowly .080 (2-for-25) over his last 6.  Alex Lavisky, on the other hand, is red hot.  After struggling for most of the season, Lavisky has come alive over the past 10 days, hitting .429 (9-for-21).  Today, he stroked 3 hits, including an 8th inning home run, and drove home all four of the Captains runs.

Cheers.