As Will Benson circled the bases for the fourth time Thursday, he felt shivers throughout his body. Even with 44 career dingers under his belt, he -- or anyone in Class A Lake County history, for that matter-- had ever experienced a night like this.

"To look into the eyes of my teammates and to see that they were amazed, that's what made it, 'Oh, this is legit,'" Benson said. "Most homers are cool, but this time, everyone's faces were different. It was nice."

Cleveland's No. 25 prospect [he should be climbing back up to among our top prospects now] collected a career-high four long balls -- including a grand slam -- to power the Captains past South Bend, 12-6, on Thursday at Classic Park. In the first four-homer game in the Minors since 2014, Benson set a professional best with eight RBIs.

With the slugger's 55-grade power and the wind blowing 19 mph out to the outfield, all the ingredients were there for an historic evening. Even coming into the game with a .564 slugging percentage, Benson said there was no thought that anything like it was in the offering.

But in quick succession over six innings and four long balls later, he had a 300-point uptick in his slugging percentage.

"I do the same thing every day, I get the approach from my first swing I take in the cage," Benson said. "When it comes to game time, I just trust my approach, and whatever happens after that, happens."

In three of the four at-bats in which Benson went deep, he fell into two-strike counts before barreling up. There wasn't anything in particular that differed in his approach in those spots. The 20-year-old just found pitches to hit and did plenty of damage. The only time he couldn't muster up a long ball was in his final at-bat in the eighth, when he struck out on eight pitches.

"With two strikes, you're pretty much in battle mode -- you're just trying to win pitch by pitch," he said. "Thankfully today, other than the last at-bat, I was able to win in those two-strike situations. Even still in the last at-bat, I still got it to 3-2, so it was a good day with two strikes."

2019 Minor League milestones

Benson got things rolling in the first inning against South Bend starter Eury Ramos with a two-run homer to right field. Two frames later, he mashed the first offering from the right-hander for a solo roundtripper over the fence in right-center. Benson said he didn't see anything in particular in the first at-bat that tipped the scales in the hitter's favor, he just stuck with his plan he had from the outset of the night.

Switching gears against reliever Zach Mort in the fourth, the Atlanta native had an at-bat he said he won't soon forget. Up 2-1 in the count with the bases full against the righty, Benson fouled off six consecutive pitches. On the 10th offering, Benson spotted a changeup and deposited it over the wall in right-center.

Benson said almost nothing can compare to that sequence.

"Honestly, that's probably my favorite at-bat of my whole life," he said. "The only thing that I vividly remember is that it was just a battle. I was on the fastball. Yeah, that'll probably be the at-bat that I'll remember for the rest of my career. That was awesome. ... There's not at-bat that I've had that equals that at all."

With the game still in the early stages and Benson already the sixth player in the Minors this season with a three-homer game, his teammates took note of what was at stake.

"I remember after the grand slam, I think it was Tyler Freeman joked, 'We're only in the fourth inning,'" Benson recalled. "I said, 'Oh shoot, you're right.' I mean I was like, 'I need to stay locked in, this game ain't over.'"

Keeping that focus, Benson led off the sixth, going to a full count against Jeffrey Passantino. In 2018, Benson had gone 0-for-7 with four strikeouts against the righty. In the outfielder's words, Passantino had "eaten my lunch pretty good." But with one hand this time, Benson took the seventh pitch and slugged it over the much-visited fence in right-center.

According to SABR, that marked the first time since Garrett Jones completed the feat for Quad Cities in 2002 that anyone in the Midwest League homered four times in one night.

"Once I hit it, I was like, 'Wow, that's incredible," Benson said. "I was just thanking God all around the bases. ... I'm just very thankful and blessed to go out there and do that. I don't want to say it was a dream come true, but it's something that you'll never forget."

2019 MiLB include

He had a chance to make it five-dinger night in the eighth, but was retired for the first time by righty Dalton Geekie. The Captains in the dugout didn't give him any ribbing following the punchout.

"They patted me on the back," Benson said of his teammates. "They didn't give me hard time [for the strikeout]."

It was the second time in the young season that a player went deep at least three times against South Bend. Dodgers prospect Niko Hulsizer blasted three homers against the Cubs on Monday.

In his first full professional season in 2018, Benson bashed a Midwest League-best 22 long balls with a .180 average in 123 contests. Back on the circuit this year, the 2016 first-round pick has upped his average to .341 while collecting six dingers through the first 12 contests. He surpassed his previous career high of five RBIs, which he accomplished twice in 2018. Benson has six career multi-homer games over three-plus pro seasons.

Mike Ford of Class A Charleston was the last Minor Leaguer to park four in a single game on May 25, 2014. Jon Griffin of Double-A Mobile had done likewise just four days before that.

"I'm very blessed and very thankful it was me," Benson said. "It was cool, it was all hard work. I've been putting in time and the results are showing, it was nice."

Indians Prospective @indiansPro

Clippers 8 Bats 5

Peoples 6.0(IP) 10H 2R 2ER 1BB 6SO
Lindor 3-4 3R 2B HR RBI BB
Flaherty 2-4 2R 2HR 4RBI
Haase 3-4 R 2B HR RBI

-

RubberDucks 7 Baysox 4

Solter 5.0(IP) 4H 1R 1ER 0BB 10SO
Johnson 1-4 R HR RBI
Longo 1-4 R 3B 2RBI
Monasterio 3-5 R

-

Pelicans 9 Hillcats 0
Jones 2-3 BB
Kwan 3-5
Loopstok 2-4
Broom 1.1(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 2SO

-

Captains 12 Cubs 6
Benson 4-5 4R 4HR 8RBI (4 HR team Record)
Nelson 2-4 2R HR 2RBI
Berardi 2-4 2RBI
McCarthy 6.0(IP) 4H 1R 1ER 1BB 4SO

- -

Akron RubberDucks transaction

RHP Nick Sandlin promoted from extended spring training
RHP Matt Solter sent to extended spring training
INF Ernie Clement placed on the 7-day IL
C Daniel Salters activated to roster

Columbus Clippers transaction

INF Yu-Chang placed on the 7-day IL
OF Mike Papi activated off the IL

What a historic night for #Indians 20yr old OF prospect Will Benson as he slugs a Lake County record 4 HR's tonight vs South Bend including a Grand Slam! Benson also added 8 RBI's if that wasn't enough. It was the 1st time a MiLB player had a 4 HR game since Mike Ford 5/25/15.

Including his (4) HR game tonight Indians 20yr old OF prospect Will Benson now has hit (10) HR's over his last 17 games w/ the (Low A) Lake County Captains dating back to the end of the 2018 season:
23-65 20R 3(2B) 1(3B) 10HR 24RBI 12BB 4SB .354 AVG .455 OBP

It looks like former #Indians minor league pitcher of the year RHP Michael Peoples might be finally healthy. Peoples has struggled w/ injuries the past couple of seasons. He has been terrific over his first three outings of 2019.
- 15.2(IP) 17H 3R 3ER 3BB 15SO 1.72 ERA

RubberDucks RHP Matt Solter was outstanding tonight in Akron's 7-4 win over Bowie. Solter struckout 10 batters over just 5 innings of work.
Tonight - 5.0(IP) 4H 1R 1ER 0BB 10SO (86 pitches 57 strikes)
Season - 9.0(IP) 7H 1R 1ER 2BB 14SO 1.00 ERA

Akron RubberDucks RHP James Karinchak struck out (3) more hitters tonight in his only inning of work. Karinchak over his six relief appearances has recorded every out except one via strikeout 17 of 18 over his 6 innings!
- 6.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 2BB 17SO 0.00 ERA 25.50 SO/9 #Indians

#Indians 23yr old RHP prospect James Karinchak over his first 58 career outings spanning 78.0 innings pitched over that time has struck out 129 batters. Career 14.8 SO/9 innings pitched average.

Lost in the (4) HR game from Will Benson tonight for the Captains was RHP Shane McCarthy w/ his 3rd straight strong start for Lake County.
Tonight - 6.0(IP) 4H 1R 1ER 1BB 4SO (78 pitches 50 strikes)
Season - 16.0(IP) 9H 6R 3ER 6BB 18SO 1.69 ERA

Columbus Clippers (C) Eric Haase has homered in (4) straight games. Haase's (5) HR's on the year only trails Will Benson's (6) over all #Indians minor league players early on in the season. Last 4 games:
6-16 4R 1(2B) 4HR 6RBI 1BB .375 AVG .412 OBP

Akron RubberDucks 23yr old OF prospect Daniel Johnson is currently riding a 4 game hit streak. Johnson over the streak:
8-17 3(R) 3(2B) 2(HR) 10(RBI) 1(SB) .471 AVG

Columbus Clippers 24yr old OF prospect Oscar Mercado extended his hitting streak to (6) straight games tonight vs the Loiusville Bats.
11-25 4R 4(2B) 1(3B) 3RBI 2BB 4SB .440 AVG .500 OBP

I know it's been said but you'd think Ryan Flaherty, veteran utility infielder in MLB and with a ton of SS at bats in the big leagues would be the obvious backup in Cleveland.

And Mercado??? No brainer, get him up. He tore up spring training and still doing so. Silly speed.

Mercado plays great defense in CF too. The other night I saw him rob a HR. He ran back to the wall on a full sprint then jumped at the wall and reached over to make the catch. Not often you see a guy on a dead run jump up to rob a home run. They usually stop then jump. Or slow down to time it right. You know? But this was on a dead run. Very impressive.

He bats right handed too so at the very least he could platoon with Leonys. And defensive replacement everywhere.

And your James Karnichak Update

2nd save, 1 inning, 3 k's 1 BB

6 ip total and 17ks and 2 walks at double a.

Still a small sample size but impressive.

impressive is an understatement!

Like most of us I like Greg Allen but he stinks this year, at the plate that is. He could use a refresher in Columbus and Mercado could take his place and get baptism in the majors. First time does n't always work out but let's get him his first crack now; at worst it will be a learning opportunity for Mercado

Exactly. I think both guys have multiple option years so seems a natural.

Tell you what, with their lack of lineup crunch this year they have been scratching and clawing runs in different ways. Mercado if he gets on base could really add to that with his speed.

BA does a preseason Top 20 for the Dominican Summer League. We get one guy. The list is alphabetical so no ranking offered.

Jose Tena, SS, Indians
Age: 18 | B-T: L-R | Ht: 5-9 | Wt: 160 | Signed: Dominican Republic, 2017.

The Indians had a promising group of DSL talent last year, starting with shortstop Brayan Rocchio, who went to the United States last year and ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Rookie-level Arizona League. They also had Tena, a nephew of former Indians shortstop Juan Uribe, who signed with Cleveland for a $400,000 bonus in 2017 after training with Franklin Ferreras. He's a smaller-framed shortstop who projects to stick at the position. He has good defensive instincts, fielding the ball with soft hands and getting rid of it quickly with a tick above-average arm. Tena has easy actions in the field and in the batter's box, with a loose, simple stroke from the left side. Tena doesn't have much power and probably never will, but he has good bat control and doesn't strike out much.

Hillbilly wrote:Mercado plays great defense in CF too. The other night I saw him rob a HR. He ran back to the wall on a full sprint then jumped at the wall and reached over to make the catch. Not often you see a guy on a dead run jump up to rob a home run. They usually stop then jump. Or slow down to time it right. You know? But this was on a dead run. Very impressive.

Some guys hit the wall on the dead run, like Zimmer. Careful what you wish for.

Wasn’t like that.

Marcos Gonzalez has been placed on 7 day DL with hamstring strain.

Guess who led off the BA Prospect Report?

Will Benson, OF, Indians. Pro baseball has not been easy for Benson so far. Going back to his high school days, he’s shown outstanding tools, including great power, but with contact issues because of a less-than-ideal swing. Benson spent a year in the Rookie-level Arizona League, then a year in short-season ball and he’s now repeating the Midwest League for the second time [no he's repeating it for the first time]. So Benson’s on a slow track. But yesterday, he had one of the best days you’ll ever see in the minors. Benson homered in each of his first four at-bats before striking out in his bid at a fifth at-bat. Benson had 8 RBIs to go with his four home runs.

And these lines:

CLE AA Johnson, Daniel RF 4 1 1 1 .302 HR (3)
CLE AAA Bradley, Bobby 1B 3 1 2 0 .283 2B (6), BB (5)
CLE AAA Haase, Eric C 4 1 3 1 .244 2B (1), HR (5)
CLE AAA Mercado, Oscar RF 5 0 2 1 .313 3B (1)
CLE HiA Jones, Nolan 3B 3 0 2 0 .280 BB (14)
CLE LoA Benson, Will RF 5 4 4 8 .341 4 HR (6)
CLE LoA Freeman, Tyler SS 4 2 0 0 .289 SB (5)
CLE LoA Holmes, Quentin CF 4 1 1 0 .171 SB (3)
CLE LoA Naylor, Bo C 3 0 1 0 .200 3B (1), BB (7)

Pitching lines that I don't think HB posted, but if he did here they are again:

Clippard for the Clippers, 1 inning. First of the season

Akron: I'll repeat Karinchak's season totals 6 0 0 0 2 17

Lynchburg: Hillman 5 9 7 3 3 2 2 homeruns didn't think he'd keep his Zero ERA
Robert Broom 1 1/3 no hits or walks 2 K his ERA stays at Zero'' 7 1/3 innings 13K 2 walks That's not quite Karinchak territory but pretty impressive

Lake County, McCarthy 6 4 1 1 1 4 1.69
Their Zero ERA reliever: Skyler Arias faced 3 struck out 3 8K 4 walks in 6 innings.

Rain rain rain washed out three games as well as the Indians'. Only the Clippers got one in. They rallied 3 in the 9th to tie and won in the 10th in a real pitchers' duel, 11-10

The bad pitching was by:
Jefry Rodriguez 4 2/3 3 5 5 4 5
Nick Goody 1 1/3 3 4 4 2 1 home run He's been awful 10.80 ERA
Henry Martinez 2 2 1 1 1 2 He's been pretty bad too 7.36

The good hitting was by:
Mark Mathias 4 1 2 6 2 doubles overall hitting 216 OPS 610
and we have 3 big stars with AAA OPS over 1000:
Flaherty 1.119 for the day 4 2 1 1 2 walks
Luplow 5 3 2 0 a walk [and 3K]
and the very promising Stamets 1.024 5 1 1 0 a walk [3K]