Astros Arizona Fall League Game 8 Recap: Eyewitness Report

Wallee braved crosstown traffic during rush hour to bring you this recap. Ummm, maybe he should have saved the gas.

If I were to guess, Vincent Velasquez’ instruction this evening was to get ahead in the count early … to just throw strikes. At least I hope that was the plan because that is exactly what he did … unfortunately this is not High-A ball, and the Glendale Desert Dog hitters caught on to the plan in the second inning and began to lay some wood on the ball early in the count from then on. Whether it was bad execution, a bad plan, or bad pitch calling, the results were entirely forgettable and our Rafters fell to the Desert Dogs 7-5 on the road last night.

Velasquez finished the evening having given up five earned runs on six hits in his three innings worked … he did not walk a soul and struck out two, including California League nemesis Corey Seager, but he also gave up home runs to a pair of Brewer prospects, Clint Coulter and Hector Gomez, good for all five runs – both coming with two outs in the inning.

The Rafters did come back from a 5-0 deficit to score three in the seventh and two more in the eighth … but a Twins prospect, Jason Adam, continued his own profligate ways giving up his fifth and sixth runs of the fall on a homerun to the Chisox’ number two prospect, Tim Anderson.

The good news about the two Rafter’s runs in the eighth is that they came on a Joe Sclafani dinger to left center field … Joe was batting ninth tonight and playing left field – that will teach him not to get involved in four double plays the next time he gets a shot at second base. Joe was one-for-four with the run scored and two RBIs … a decent nights work for a super utility player.

The Rafters fall to 6-2 with the loss, but by virtue of the Scottsdale Scorpions falling to the Surprise Saguaros by a two-point conversion this evening, Salt River remains in first place in the AFL East. The Rafters will be seeking revenge on the Desert Dogs at Salt River Field this evening.

~Wallee Wright ~