Bazzana's four-RBI night powers Clippers past Buffalo, 12-6

Travis Bazzana gave Columbus the kind of night that can reshape a box score and a prospect timeline at the same time. The Guardians’ No. 1 prospect finished with two doubles, four RBIs and two runs scored as the Clippers rolled past Buffalo 12-6 at Sahlen Field.

The win started with a burst that Buffalo never fully erased. Columbus scored five times in the second inning and later pushed the margin to 8-0 before the Bisons began to collect some damage of their own. By then, the Clippers had already done the work that mattered most, forcing Buffalo to chase the game and then layering on more offense when the opening appeared.

Bazzana was central to that pressure. He entered the night as MLB Pipeline’s No. 17 overall prospect, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft and the player who signed for a franchise-record $8.95 million bonus. On the field, he looked every bit like a hitter trying to turn Triple-A into the final checkpoint rather than a destination. His two doubles pushed him to 10 for the season, good for the International League lead at the time, and his four-run production kept Columbus in command even as the inning count climbed.

C.J. Kayfus matched Bazzana with four RBIs of his own, giving Columbus another middle-of-the-order threat. Juan Benjamin added the first Triple-A home run of his career, a shot that came after Columbus had already built a 10-3 lead and further stretched a night that had already slipped away from Buffalo. The Clippers did not need one big swing to win; they kept finding ways to score in bunches.

On the mound, Trenton Denholm worked 4.0 innings and allowed six hits and three earned runs with one walk and three strikeouts. Andrew Walters, on a rehab assignment from the Guardians, handled the fifth inning and earned the win. Will Dion covered the sixth and seventh, allowing three earned runs on five hits while striking out four, and Jake Miller finished the final two frames. Chad Dallas took the loss for Buffalo after allowing six runs in three innings.

Buffalo’s recap noted a season-high eight extra-base hits, including seven doubles, but most of that came after Columbus had built the early cushion. That is the developmental point Cleveland wants to see from Bazzana: not just a loud line, but a complete night that changes the game early, keeps changing it and travels with consistency. If he keeps pairing extra-base power with run production and pressure on opposing pitching, the MLB conversation around him will only get louder. Columbus moved to 13-12, Buffalo fell to 12-13, and the clubs were set to close the series with a doubleheader on Sunday, April 27, before the Clippers returned home to face Toledo on April 28.