Arizona Fall League Eyewitness Recap: Game 2

Another Arizona Fall League eyewitness account from the Wonderful Wallee Wright ~

The Mark Appel show finally came to Scottsdale and it did not disappoint … and while the question ‘does good pitching beat good hitting’ still remains, there can be no doubt that bad defense loses ballgames. Appel threw an overpowering, if not masterful, three innings and this time the Rafters were able to overcome a three-error frame as they went on to win 6-3 at Scottsdale Stadium. And as a bonus, after 17 innings we finally had an Astro base hit … and it was from the normally light-hitting defensive wizard, Andrew Aplin.

Appel simply overpowered the Scorpion lineup, who rarely even offered at his pitches … and when they did the result was an assortment of foul balls, grounders, a weak fly ball and a well-struck ball misplayed for a double. Mark had difficulty consistently throwing strikes to the lefties … this must be the word on the street as well since the Scottsdale lineup featured three left-hand and two switch hitters. No matter, Appel powered through them and left after three having thrown forty-seven pitches, twenty-seven for strikes … Mark left with a 1-0 lead having given up one hit, no runs, and one free pass to go with his two strikeouts.

Then the clown show began in the fourth as the middle of the Rafter defense tried to outdo one another once again with absurd fielding and throwing, handing the Scorpions three runs for the second night in a row. And once again it was second, short and center field leading the way … of course the unanimous number one prospect in baseball pre-2014 is occupying centerfield for the Rafters – and now leading the AFL in errors. I recognize Byron Buxton is returning after missing most of the 2014 season with a wrist injury, but if he is a superior prospect to George Springer then we need to be examining those voters’ Cheerios for cannabis … Buxton makes Dexter Fowler look like Tarzan. Buxton is two-for-nine, both singles, with three strikeouts and two errors while misplaying at least one ball into double last night … not my number one.

While the defensive scuffling robbed Appel of a win, unlike the night before the Rafters did come back from this fourth inning fielding debacle on the back of two resounding home run balls from the two Diamondback bangers, DH Brandon Drury and C/1B Peter O’Brien, in the fifth and sixth innings respectively. O’Brien now has two no-doubters in two nights so his 34 in 106 games this past year in the Florida State, Eastern and Southern Leagues is looking less fluky … and the Kevin McCarthy trade with the Yanks that brought him to Arizona looks far less one-sided.

While Astro pitching has been golden – seven innings, five hits including a home run, eight strikeouts and a single walk – the Astro batters have had a little tougher time. Following Andrew Aplin’s base hit in the eighth, the stick side of the Astro contingent is now one for sixteen, with three bases on balls, five strikeouts and three runs scored … Rio Ruiz looks tired, and I’m wondering if the over 600 plate appearances in the California League this season haven’t worn this twenty-year-old down – there’s no pop in his bat right now, and that’s very un-Rio like. And for those who may wonder, Joe Sclafani was active but did not see action.

The Rafters are now 1-1 and travel to the Mesa Solar Sox tomorrow night. The Sox have a new, Wrigley-field lookalike, venue that should be far more fun for watching a game than tonight’s … Scottsdale Stadium is the oldest facility still active in Valley and the original home of the Chicago Cubs. There has been rain off and on again for the past 24 hours and there was a rainout at Mesa, the first since 2011, so I won’t risk getting wet by attending the game … in fact I won’t be attending another game until next Tuesday – the Rafters have been banned from Salt River Fields until the conclusion of something called OctoberFest. Probably another name for soccer or something odd like that.

~ Wallee Wright ~