Astros Arizona Fall League Game 17 Eyewitness Report

Wallee Wright weighs in again with one of his excellent eyewitness reports of Arizona Fall League action ~

In the midst of Mark Appel’s widely-chronicled California League troubles one of the most frequently cited ‘proofs’ that Appel was an overrated bust in the making was the apparent absence of emotion when things were going badly … ‘he doesn’t even care enough to get upset.’ was the prevailing sentiment among the baseball ‘writers’ community. Well, he may not show the made-for-television ‘emotion’ they love at Fenway, but he does get genuinely upset … and the results are as predictable for a number 1-1 draft pick as they would be for a 40-30 selection.

After cruising through the first two innings Mark let a poor decision by his first baseman get to him in the third, opening the door to a two-run inning … in defense of his first sacker, he is another of the offensively talented but defense-challenged catchers getting time at another position this fall. The ball that resulted in a base hit was a skulled roller down the line that never even reached the bag - barely more than a drag bunt – that Appel was pursuing when Casteel called him off and attempted a scoop and tag play … and failed to come up with the ball. I don’t think Mark was upset with his first baseman so much as giving up a hit on a bleeder.

A sacrifice bunt and a ground out moved the runner to third and then Appel’s only tormentor this fall, Francisco Lindor, creamed a gapper between Astro shortstop/second baseman/third baseman (playing left field) Joe Sclafani and the Twins second baseman (playing center field) Eddie Rosario that became a triple … before the Rockies’ shortstop/third baseman (playing second base) Trevor Story, threw the relay into the dugout. Perhaps you’ve noticed the pattern here … the inning came to a merciful end three batters later when D-Backs outfielder, playing right field, Evan Marzilli made the first of two spectacular catches on balls that appeared to be destined for extra bases.

Sclafani and Rosario clearly had communication issues this afternoon … they played Alphonse and Gaston on a lazy fly ball to mid-left center field that dropped between the two of them for a ‘double’. A ground out and sacrifice fly and there’s one more ‘earned run’ for the Javelinas … Trevor Story redeemed himself briefly in the bottom of the inning with an RBI triple driving in Rosario, and then Sclafani and Rosario redeemed themselves in the bottom of the next inning with RBI singles to keep Appel from absorbing a loss in the game.

Today’s Rafters starting lineup included four Colorado Rockies, two Astros, and one each from Miami, Arizona and Minnesota … three of those four Rox contributed a total of nine strikeouts to the team’s total of thirteen – and two of the Rafter’s seven hits. I’m just sayin’ … there’s a reason the Rox lost four more games than the Astros while playing in the lamest division in baseball.

As you might have suspected by now, to these old eyes there was not a lot to like today from either our Astros or our Rafters … player of the game was clearly Evan Marzilli, who made two sterling defensive plays and went two-for-three with a double and a walk. Marzilli, who has not been getting the same playing time as the two ranked prospects, Drury and O’Brien, has nonetheless outplayed them both to date.

Just so you won’t think I’m just being a grump today, with nothing good to say about anything, I’d like to point out that they fixed enough of the centerfield scoreboard to display the score by the bottom of the first … he was 500 feet away, so I can’t be sure, but I don’t believe the man on the lift with the really cool tool belt was Tony LaRussa – but everyone else was out of position today so it may have been.

~ Wallee Wright ~