Around the Farm: June 10

Matt McBride
 (photo: Akron Aeros)

Around the Farm takes a quick look at some of yesterday's performances by Indians prospects throughout the system. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in yesterday's game.

Matt McBride: RF, Akron: 2-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 5 RBI:

Yesterday's game in Akron was the Matt McBride show.  The right fielder belted a grand slam in the third inning that gave the Aeros a 7-5 lead, after they had fallen behind 5-0 in the first inning.  He then followed that up with a solo shot in the ninth inning, to give the Aeros their final 9-5 tally.  McBride has been floating around in the system seemingly forever.  The former second round pick in 2006 has been a consistent performer since 2006, but has never really showcased second round ability.  His average has never been below .272, or above .287, but his power has really improved over the past three seasons.  In Kinston and Lake County two years ago, McBride has his first double-digit homer season when he hit 18 homers and drove in 99 runs.  He followed up with 21 homers and 75 RBI last season in Akron and Columbus.  Still, the 26-year old found himself back in Akron this year as the odd man out.  So far this season, the outfielder has 11 homers and 38 RBI.

• Tim Fedroff: LF, Akron: 0-4, 1 BB, 2 K: Fedroff is in a free fall after one of the hottest months in the organization.  He's 0-16 in his last four games, and 1-21 in his last five.  His average is still a solid .335, but he's gone cold after scorching Eastern League pitching for much of the month of May.
• Beau Mills: 1B, Akron: 1-5, 1 R, 1 RBI: Mills continues to produce, upping his hit streak to eight games.  He's scored runs in six of the last seven games (8 total), and has nine RBI in his last ten games.  Perhaps Mills is beginning to showcase first round ups.
• Kyle Bellows: 3B, Akron: 2-2, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 BB: Bellows has struggled all season for Akron, hitting below the Mendoza line from the start.
• Austin Adams: SP, Akron: 5 IP, 5 H, 5 R/2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, W (5-5): Adams struggled out of the gate, but wasn't helped by his defense.  An error in the first which would have ended the inning with Adams only giving up a run. Still, Adams didn't have his best stuff, giving up baserunners in every inning but his last. 
• CC Lee: 2 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 2 K: Lee continues to impress.  Aside from some control issues, Lee continued his scoreless inning streak to 8 1/3 innings, and dropped his ERA to 2.25 on the season.
• Matt Langwell: 2 IP, 2 K, S (3): Langwell has been dominant this season, continuing a trend from his past two seasons. Langwell has a scoreless innings streak of 10 1/3 innings, and dropped his ERA to 1.27 on the season in getting his third save.  In 2009, Langwell had a 1.97 ERA in Lake County, and followed it up with a 2.41 ERA in Kinston in 2010.  Langwell still remains under the radar in the system, but continues to produce big numbers in a set-up role.
• Bo Greenwell: 2-4, 1 R: Greenwell has struggled for much of the 2011 season, but seems to be warming up a bit of late.  He has hits in six of his last seven games.
• Abner Abreu: 2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI: Abreu's double in the seventh inning broke up a no-hitter by Robbie Ross in the seventh inning, and he'd eventually score Kinston's first run in the inning.  Abreu's single in the eighth inning scored Bo Greenwell to give the Indians a win against first place Myrtle Beach. Second place Kinston now finds themselves three-games back thanks to the enigmatic Abreu. Summer is closing in, and Abreu is a notorious slow starter, so perhaps Abreu can start using some of that vast potential we keep talking about.  He currently has a season-high five game hitting streak.
• Marty Popham: SP, Kinston: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, 5 K, 1 HR: Popham makes a spot start, and is brilliant.  Not sure what the plans are for Popham.  The Indians moved him to the bullpen full-time this year, but he seems to thrive out of the starter role.
• Tyler Sturdevant: RP, Kinston: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R/ER, 1 K, W (4-2): Sturdevant has been solid all year, but not last night.  Still, he was at the right place, at the right time of a K-Tribe rally, and gets the win.
• Preston Guilmet: Closer, Kinston: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K, S (14): Ho-hum, Guilmet is rock solid again, getting his league-leading 14th save in 14 opportunities.
• LeVon Washington: CF, Lake County: 1-3, 2 BB, SB (8): Washington continues to take baby steps in the right direction.  While he had a hit and a stolen base, the big thing to take note of are his two walks. His OBP over the last ten games is an impressive .444, and that's what made the Indians pick him in the second round last season.
• Jordan Cooper: SP, Lake County: 5 2/3 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR: A nice start for Cooper, who has struggled with inconsistency since becoming a full-time starter for the Captains.
• Nick Sarianides: RP, Lake County: 3 1/3 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 1 K: Sarianides gave up the tying run, but overall pitched very well in long relief.
• Rob Bryson: RP, Lake County: 2/3 IP, 1 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 1 K, L (0-1): Nothing but struggles for Bryson in his two-thirds of an inning. He gave up a hit, a walk and hit a batter in getting the loss. It was his first rough outing since making his return.

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Posted in: Around the Farm,Matt McBride