Big Day For Indians Ink's No. 1 Prospect

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- Fans who got the Indians Ink annual prospects issue last month and wondered why Jordan Brown was on the cover as the organization's No. 1 should have seen him Monday. The 24-year-old first baseman/outfielder went 3-for-3 (all homers), with four RBI and one walk to lead the Buffalo Bisons to a 6-2 win over the Toledo Mudhens in a Triple-A exhibition game in nearby Lakeland.

Brown, a fourth-round draft choice out of Arizona in 2005, is coming off consecutive MVP seasons in the minors. He was the Class A Carolina League MVP in 2006 after hitting .290 with 15 homers and 87 RBI for Kinston, then earned MVP honors in the Double-A Eastern League a year ago after hitting .333 with 11 homers and 76 runs for Akron.

JORDAN BROWN IN 2007 & MINOR-LEAGUE CAREER

Team	G	AB	H	AVG	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO
Akron	127	483	161	.333	11	76	11	63	56
Minor Totals	271	1031	317	.307	29	170	17	117	122

Catcher Yamid Haad, who hit .267 this spring in 11 big-league exhibition games with the Indians, hit a solo homer in three at-bats for Buffalo.

Catcher Wyatt Toregas, serving as the designated hitter, went 3-for-4 with Buffalo's other RBI. Outfielder Jason Cooper was 2-for-3 with two runs for the Bisons.

Right-hander Adam Miller worked three innings, hitting a high speed of 92 on the radar gun. He gave up two hits, two runs and a walk, striking out three as he continues to progress after being sidelined a couple weeks with a blistered finger on his throwing hand.

Right-hander Edward Mujica gave up two hits over two scoreless innings, fanning one and hitting a top speed of 90 mph. Jeffrey Stevens, the right-hander acquired in the trade that sent second baseman Brandon Phillips to Cincinnati in 2006, pitched two hitless innings, walking one and fanning four with a top speed of 91. Rick Bauer, signed this offseason as a free agent, also hit 91 on the gun, striking out three and allowing only one hit over two innings.

Also at Lakeland, the Akron Aeros defeated Erie, 3-0, in a Double-A exhibition.

Outfielder Jose Constanza was 1-for-2 with an RBI and stolen base; 3B Jared Goedert and RF Nathan Panther each had single and scored a run.

Lefties Scott Lewis and Ryan Edell each gave up only one hit over four innings. Both threw first-pitch strikes to 10 of 14 batters faced. Lewis walked one and struck out three, hitting a top speed of 87; Edell topped out at 88, walking two and fanning two. Right-hander Sung-Wei Tseng got the save, giving up one hit in one inning, walking two and getting one strikeout.

On the back fields at Winter Haven's Chain of Lakes complex, Kinston lost to a team of Class A Tigers prospects, 5-4.

First baseman Todd Martin went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and left fielder Nick Weglarz continued his torrid hitting, tripling in two times up with a walk.

Starter Kevin Dixon was hit hard, allowing seven hits and five runs in two-plus innings. He struck out two and hit a top speed of 91 on the gun.

Reliever T.J. Burton also topped out at 91, walking two and giving up one hit over two scoreless innings; right-hander Erik Stiller continued to be impressive, fanning two over three hitless innings; and submarine-style right-hander Randy Newsom gave up a hit in one scoreless inning.

Lake County lost a "home" game to the Tigers' Class A farm team at West Michigan, 6-3.

Left-fielder Justin Jenkins doubled in both Captains runs and starter Hector Rondon was very sharp. The right-hander worked four perfect innings, fanning four. He hit 91 on the radar gun.

Jonathan Holt yielded four hits and two runs over two innings, topping out at 88; Dallas Cawiezell gave up seven hits and three runs over two innings, with a high speed of 92, but he threw first-pitch strikes to only four of 11 batters he faced; and Vincent Pestano allowed a run on two hits over one inning, fanning two with a top clocking of 88.

Mahoning Valley defeated the Tigers' Oneonta farm club, 5-3.

Infielder Isaias Velasquez had two of the Scrappers' eight hits, including a triple. Infielders Lurvin Basabe and Rafael Vera, outfielders Brock Simpson and Delvi Cid and catcher Chun Chen all doubled for Mahoning Valley.

Starter Ryan Miller fanned five over four innings, allowing three hits and two runs. He threw first-pitch strikes to only five of 17 batters faced and had a top speed clocking of 91.

Five others worked one inning apiece. Candido Jesus walked four to give up a run. Jose Jimenez, Jose Urena, Wilfredo Ramirez and Anillins Martinez also pitched.