NEW YORK-PENN LEAGUE Indians' Lawton with Scrappers for brief rehab stint

Thursday's 6-2 victory over Batavia was Mahoning Valley's third straight win.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- What do Chad Durbin, Chris Magruder, John McDonald and Paul Rigdon have in common?
They were Mahoning Valley Scrappers this season with major league baseball experience.
Now, you can add Matt Lawton to that list.
The Cleveland Indians outfielder was scheduled to arrive at Mahoning Valley today to continue his rehabilitation assignment from a dislocated finger.
Lawton, batting .248 with 15 home runs and 47 RBIs, played the past two games at Double-A Akron as the designated hitter.
He also will fill the DH role with the Scrappers over the next three days, the team said.
"That was the talk of the day in warm-ups and stretching," third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff said.
Having big-leaguers grace the Scrappers' clubhouse isn't intended, manager Ted Kubiak said, but it happens when players are injured and working their way back.
Still, it's beneficial for minor leaguers to see how major leaguers carry themselves, said Kubiak, who played for the Oakland Athletics.
"I know a lot of us hitters are excited to maybe sit down and pick his brain and see if we can learn anything," outfielder Ryan Goleski said of Lawton.
Winning track
Lawton will join the Scrappers during a winning streak that reached three games Thursday in a 6-2 victory over Batavia at Cafaro Field.
Kouzmanoff and Goleski, two of the Scrappers' most consistent hitters, highlighted the game with back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning.
"You don't see that very often, but it was pretty nice, especially in that inning to put us in the lead," Kubiak said.
Their solo shots were part of a six-run inning that propelled Mahoning Valley to its fourth victory in the last five games.
Brad Snyder added a two-run double and Jesus Colmenter a two-run single.
"If you come out here for BP [batting practice], we have some big, strong guys on the team," said the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Goleski. "Lately, we've really started to drive some home runs out. Hopefully it becomes contagious."
Battling back
The offensive outburst by Kouzmanoff and Goleski was notable, since both are coming off injuries.
Kouzmanoff missed two weeks with a hamstring pull, while Goleski was out for three games earlier in the week with a jammed thumb.
"It really didn't bother me when I came back. It actually felt good to get those three days off," Goleski said. "Going out there and playing fresh again was a good thing to do."
Scrappers pitchers Scott Roehl, Adam Hanson and Chip Southerland held Batavia to one earned run on four hits, with 10 strikeouts. Roehl earned his second victory of the season.
"We've stayed in games this year," Kubiak said of his team. "It's taken a while to get them to jell, but they've persevered."
BATAVIASCRAPPERS
abrhbiabrhbi
Moran cf3000Snyder cf4012
Bourn lf4100Conroy lf4000
Hansen 1b3010Kouzmanff 3b4111
Blalock rf4020Goleski rf4111
Foust dh4000Mulhern 1b3010
Norman 3b4000Garko c3110
Moss 2b3000Noviskey dh4110
Cortez c2100Cotto ss2110
Bramasco ss2010Colmenter 2b4112
Totals29240Totals32686
Batavia100010000--2
Scrappers00060000x--6
E--Snyder, Cotto, Moran, Bramasco. LOB--Scrappers 6, Batavia 4. DP--Scrappers 3, Batavia 1. HR--Kouzmanoff, Goleski. 3B--Blalock. 2B--Snyder. SB--Mulhern.
IPHRERBBSO
Batavia
Diefenderfer L, 4-63 2-356634
Overton2 1-320011
Withrow210000
Scrappers
Roehl W, 2-5532144
Hanson310004
Southerland100002
Umpires--John Tumpane, home; Darren Budahn, bases. T--2:34. A--4,841.
HOW THEY SCORED
FIRST INNING
BATAVIA 1, SCRAPPERS 0
Muckdogs: Scott Roehl pitching. Javon Moran walked, Michael Bourn hit into a fielder's choice, Moran out at second. Bryan Hansen singled to left center, Bourn scored on an error by center-fielder Brad Snyder. Jake Blalock singled to center, Hansen to second. Justin Foust hit into a 4-unassisted-3 double play. 1 run, 2 hits, 1 error, 1 left.
FOURTH INNING
SCRAPPERS 6, BATAVIA 1
Scrappers: Joe Diefenderfer pitching. Mike Conroy struck out. Kevin Kouzmanoff homered over the right-field wall. Ryan Goleski homered over the left center field wall. Ryan Mulhern flied out to right. Ryan Garko walked, Josh Noviskey singled to left, Garko to third. Luis Cotto walked to load the bases, Noviskey to second. Jesus Colmenter singled to right, Garko, Noviskey scored, Cotto to third. Brad Snyder doubled down the left-field line, Cotto, Colmenter scored. Brad Overton pitching. Conroy flied out to third. 6 runs, 5 hits, 0 errors, 1 left.
FIFTH INNING
SCRAPPERS 6, BATAVIA 2
Muckdogs: Roehl pitching. Zach Norman struck out. Tim Moss flied out to the catcher. Jose Cortez walked, Omar Bramasco singled to center, Cortez to third. Moran reached on an error by shortstop Luis Cotto, Cortez scored, Bramasco to second. Bourn struck out. 1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 2 left.
richesson@vindy.com