CLEVELAND, Ohio — Anyone who has watched the Guardians in the late innings in the Cactus League was not surprised at the outcome of Friday night’s Spring Breakout game against Seattle.
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The Guardians' top prospects finished with 12 hits in a 8-7 win over Seattle’s best prospects on a wet and chilly night at Goodyear Ballpark. Only this time they were on display for nine innings instead of entering Cactus League games in the late innings to relieve Cleveland’s big-league players.
Jaison Chourio, Cleveland’s No. 3 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, led the offense with three hits followed by Angel Genao and Brandon Ingle with two each. Genao and Ingle are rated as the Guardians' fourth and seventh best prospects, respectively, by MLB Pipeline.
Right-hander Jason Messick started and went three scoreless innings for the win. MLB Pipeline ranks Messick as Cleveland’s 14th prospect among its top 30 players.
The Guardians took an early 4-0 lead in the third.
Chourio opened the inning with a single. He went to third on a double by Alfonsin Rosario. Welbyn Francisca made it 2-0 with a double to right. Francisca is Cleveland’s No. 8 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.
Ralphy Velazquez and Angel Genao completed the scoring with RBI singles. Velazquez is the fifth best prospect in the organization, according to MLB Pipeline.
Seattle’s Jared Sundstrom made it 4-2 with a two-run homer in the fourth off Austin Peterson. The Guardians answered with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to make it 6-2.
Chourio singled in the fourth and advanced to third on a wild pitch and a balk. He scored on another wild pitch.
Velazquez walked in the fifth, took second on an error and scored on a Ingle’s single to left.
Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson started the sixth for the Guardians. Wilkinson, who led Cleveland’s minor league system in strikeouts last year, allowed a two-run homer to Tai Peete in the sixth to make it 6-4. Wilkinson struck out four and allowed three hits in the 2 1/3 innings.
Cleveland pushed its lead to 8-4with two runs in the seventh. Jacob Cozart reached on a fielder’s choice, took third on Joe Lampe’s single and scored on a wild pitch. Lampe, who stole second, took third on Chourio’s single and scored scored on a botched pickoff attempt.
A two-run triple by Seattle’s Michael Arroyo made it an 8-6 game in the eighth. The Mariners made it 8-7 in the ninth, but Magnus Ellerts relieved to get the final out for the save.
