Means Dazzles in Rehab Start, Captains Win Fifth Straight in 6-5 Victory Over Chiefs
MWL Lake County Captains

Means Dazzles in Rehab Start, Captains Win Fifth Straight in 6-5 Victory Over Chiefs

Published on August 15, 2025 under Midwest League (MWL)
Lake County Captains News Release


EASTLAKE, Ohio - In the fourth game of a scheduled six-game series, the Lake County Captains (29-17, 64-48) defeated the Peoria Chiefs (17-28, 43-67) by a final score of 6-5 on Friday night at Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake.

In a night that featured an MLB rehab start for the Captains from Cleveland Guardians LHP John Means (ND), it was once again late-game heroics that gave Lake County its fifth straight win.

Means dazzled for Lake County, retiring eight of nine batters faced. The 2019 MLB All-Star threw three strikeouts in 38 pitches (30 strikes). His lone blemish was a one-out single by Chiefs 3B Jon Jon Gazdar in the top of the first inning

An RBI groundout off the bat of Captains 2B Garrett Howe in the bottom of the second inning started the scoring for the night, with Lake County gaining an early 1-0 advantage.

Two batters later, RF Ryan Cesarini would score on a passed ball, extending the lead to 2-0.

In the top of the fourth inning, Peoria took its first lead of the night when DH Josh Kross launched a three-run home run to right field. The Brunswick native's eighth long ball of the season put Peoria ahead 3-2.

The Chiefs would add a pair of insurance runs two innings later on a bases-loaded walk drawn by CF Won-Bin Cho and an RBI groundout into a double play by SS Anyelo Encarnacion. Heading into the bottom of the sixth, Peoria led 5-2.

In the bottom of the frame, Lake County would immediately respond with a two-run home run off the bat of CF Nick Mitchell. Mitchell's first round-tripper of 2025, and first as a Captain, cut the deficit to one with the Captains trailing 5-4.

An inning later, Lake County C Bennett Thompson would tie the game at 5-5 with an RBI double to left field.

With the score tied in the bottom of the eighth, CF Jaison Chourio, MLB Pipeline 's No. 6 Guardians prospect, plated the go-ahead run for the Captains with an RBI single to right field. With three outs to get, Lake County led 6-5.

RHP Jay Driver (W, 4-1) would slam the door shut in the ninth, capping off 2.1 innings of scoreless work. The right-hander earned the win for Lake County, his fourth of the season, throwing a pair of strikeouts and allowing just one hit.

Peoria RHP Domenic Picone (L, 0-2) suffered the loss, his second of the season, allowing the go-ahead run to score in the eighth inning. RHP Zeke Wood (BS, 1) was charged with the blown save, permitting two runs on three hits in 1.2 innings of work.

The fifth game of this week's scheduled six-game series between the Captains and Chiefs is scheduled for Saturday night at 7 p.m. It will be Celebrating the Magic: '95 Tribe Night at the ballpark, where the first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a Jim Thome bobblehead presented by Minutemen. The Captains will also be celebrating State Fair Weekend. The game will be broadcast on the Bally Sports Live App and MiLB.com, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on X and Instagram.

Notes to Know

- LHP John Means threw three strikeouts in 2.2 scoreless innings of work on Friday night. This outing marked the 32-year-old's first appearance in non-Bridge League action since May 22, 2024, when he started for the Baltimore Orioles on the road against the St. Louis Cardinals.

- OF Nick Mitchell hit his first home run as a Captain on Friday night, and first of the 2025 season across Lake County and Single-A Lynchburg. This marked the 21-year-old's first home run since Sept. 5, 2024 for the Dunedin Blue Jays (Single-A, Blue Jays) on the road against the Tampa Tarpons (Single-A, Yankees).

- OF Ryan Cesarini went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, two doubles, and two stolen bases on Friday night. The 2024 14 th -round pick out of Saint Joseph's is batting .400 (12-for-30) in his first eight games as a Captain with five extra-base hits (three doubles, one triple, and one home run), four RBI, five walks, five stolen bases, and a 1.167 OPS. He has also hit safely in each of his last nine games across Lake County and Single-A Lynchburg.

Check out the Lake County Captains Statistics

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