Seattle has replaced RHP Taijuan Walker on the roster of the Surprise Saguaros with LHP Scott DeCecco … as previously noted, AFL hitters were overmatched with Taijuan in the two games he started – nine innings, two runs, seven hits, two free passes and eleven strikeouts for a 2.00 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. It seems Walker, 22, made the decision himself to go home, not the Mariners … though Taijuan had a shoulder issue last year that delayed his 2014 season start to June, the M’s reported he is in good health – a young man from Louisiana would find little to like in the deserts of Arizona, and that is particularly true of shrimp and seafood - I’m sure the AFL hitters will heartily endorse Taijuan’s return home for a little gumbo and some LSU football.
With Taijuan gone fishing, the Peoria Javelinas’ and Kansas City’s Kyle Zimmer was the last remaining challenger to Mark Appel for King of the Mountain, or Desert in this case … but in the first inning of Saturday’s start Kyle tweaked the shoulder he had injured earlier this season and now the Arizona Fall League Week Two Pitcher of the Week is shut down for the remainder of the AFL season – this after striking out eleven in a five inning stint last week. That is no typo folks … and while your Salt River Rafters/Astros wish Kyle a rapid recovery I’m confident they won’t miss the opportunity to face him this fall. And that brings us to our man, Mark Appel …
Following a third consecutive outstanding performance, each building upon the previous, one can’t help but wonder what more Mark Appel has to prove this year … though I’m sure his detractors will note that Mark didn’t throw a 96MPH fastball until the fifth inning yesterday – what the hell, it was only ninety degrees for his 12:30 local time start. Appel needed only 54 pitches in his five innings work to dispatch a very good Peoria team … in three appearances Mark has now thrown twelve scoreless innings, allowing four hits and three bases on balls while striking out twelve – that’s a 0.00 ERA and 0.58 WHIP for those of you who rely upon those measures. It might be fair to ask at this point if it is worth the risk of injury to keep rolling Mark out when it has become quite clear that Appel is best pitcher still in Arizona.
Vincent Velasquez threw again today … and it was the antithesis of his only previous start in Glendale last Wednesday. The AFL had not been a pleasant experience for the 22-year-old California League strikeout artist who had given up two home runs in his four innings of work prior to this afternoon’s start … Velasquez carried an 11.25 ERA and 2.25 WHIP into today’s start and was in the unenviable position of having to follow Appel’s beat down of a Peoria Javelinas team starting three MLB Top-100 players. No problems today Astros fans … four innings, twelve batters, fifty pitches – thirty-one for strikes – and Houston, we have a winner. It was not the same guy I drove eighty miles round trip to see get creamed by a 5-6-1 Glendale Desert Dogs team … Vincent was completely in charge today and his teammates appeared genuinely excited for him.
Good hitting requires many things but very few of these can be more important than confidence … and right now Andrew Aplin could use a little of that commodity. After leading the AFL in hitting for ten days Andrew suddenly cannot buy a hit, going oh-for-nine and striking out four times since last Friday … his batting average has dropped from .529 to .346 with this slump which began when he fouled a pitch off home plate and into his nether regions. Hopefully a day or two off will give Andrew a chance to regroup, refocus, and get back into the batting title race.
Tyler Heineman continues to get the short end of the stick in the four-way battle for time behind the dish … yesterday the Arizona Diamondback’s Peter O’Brien caught Mark Appel, taking with it the one opportunity every week that Tyler had to play. It’s obviously a conspiracy … O’Brien and Miami’s Chad Wallach have caught eight of the twelve games thus far while Colorado’s Chris O’Dowd, a Taxi Squad member of the roster, has the other two starts – I also have the straight poop on Area 51 and the shooter on the knoll, but the authorities won’t allow me to divulge my sources. Tyler is a 23-year-old switch hitter who has two hits and two walks in his seven plate appearances … however, when he returns home to California and he’s asked how the Fall League went he can truthfully say: ‘I raked it – a .400/.579/.400 slash line’.
If Tyler has been short-changed this Fall, Rio Ruiz has not … Rio has started nine Rafters games at either 3B or DH and has been one of the few reliable gloves in a very porous infield for the Rafters. And now his bat is beginning to show some life. Ruiz got the start today at third, batting sixth, and hit well as Dustin will inform you … he’s making very solid, loud, contact now as opposed to ground balls of two weeks ago. Nothing close to going deep as yet, but Salt River Field is no grade school playground … 345-390-410-390-345, left to right – or right to left if you read that way.
Tyson Perez handled the ninth inning is very typical Tyson style … here it is, hit it if you can boys. Ten pitches, eight strikes … .000 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, seven strikeouts and one stinkin’ walk in seven innings to date. Tyson is so automatic he’s almost boring … good times are coming folks, just you wait and see.
Gonna take a pass on the bobble-head giveaway in Surprise Wednesday afternoon, so I’ll check back with you on Friday with my perspective on Thursday’s game with the Saguaros. But fear not, Dustin is back!
~Wallee Wright~
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