Astros Arizona Fall League Recap with a Look Forward

Dustin is still out of commission. Wallee's piece below was intended to be a companion piece to the recap. Since my time is at a premium, here is a VERY brief recap of Monday's game. Salt River was down 4-1 going into the 7th inning, but the Rafters had a surprise for the Surprise relief corps, putting up six runs in the frame, capped by a Rio Ruiz RBI double for the final run of the inning. That was the only hit of the game for Ruiz to go with a strikeout and he was the only Astro to see action in the game. The win, with a final score of 7-4, gives the Rafters a 5-1 record and puts them in first place in the East Division, one game in front of Scottsdale.

Now let's hear from Wallee ~

It’s not D-Day all over again, or War of the Worlds, nor is it Horns vs Aggies football … but these next two nights will lend an insight into who might be crowned the Arizona Fall League champions. The best hitting team thus far, with an astounding team .819 OPS and averaging eight runs per game versus the AFL’s best pitching, your Salt River Rafters with a 2.60 team ERA and 1.22 WHIP … does good pitching really beat good hitting?

Well, it did Monday afternoon as the Rafters came back from three runs down, on the road, to top the Surprise Saguaros 7-4. But that doesn’t begin to tell the story of this game … it is clear that not only do the Rafters have a target on their back, but that they also have the chops to beat the best the competition can throw at them.

How badly did the Surprise team want this game? Well, for starters let’s look at their starter … Taijuan Walker, he of eight appearances and five starts for the Seattle Mariners, with a complete game and a 2.61 ERA with a 1.289 WHIP this past season. The norm in the Arizona Fall League is for pitchers to do two or three innings per game as every team in baseball has contributed four or more hurlers to the team rosters … Taijuan started and went five for Surprise today.

But it’s offense that makes the Saguaros tick, so how’s this for a lineup? Leading off and playing center field is this twenty-seven year old Cuban fella … Boston’s $70 million investment in international good will, Rusney Castillo. Rusney didn’t sign until August 23rd, but he did manage to squeeze in ten games and forty plate appearances for the Bosox … did okay, a .333/.400/.528 slash with 3 BB, a double and two home runs.

Jace Peterson of the Padres was at second, batting second … didn’t do too hot in his twenty-seven games and fifty-eight plate appearances with San Diego this year but this isn’t the Major Leagues – or is it?

Patrick Kivlahen, the number seven-ranked Mariners product was at first base, batting third … Nick Williams, the #84 prospect in MLB Top-100, and number four Rangers prospect was in left field and batted clean-up. In right field batting fifth was Hunter Renfroe, the #71 prospect in MLB Top-100 and fourth-ranked San Diego prospect who offered protection for the Mariners D.J. Peterson, the #49 prospect in MLB Top-100, playing third base and batting sixth.

Catching Walker was John Hicks, the Mariners 20th ranked prospect, and today’s designated hitter was Boston’s tenth-ranked prospect Deven Marrero … the Rangers’ seventeen-year-old sensation at shortstop, Michael De Leon, batted ninth. Just your average Arizona Fall League lineup!

The Rafters starter, Archie Bradley, number nine in the MLB Top-100 and Arizona’s number one prospect, had another ineffectual appearance … though he is not walking an inordinate number of batters Bradley’s control has been shaky and has led to his delivering too many hitters pitches in hitters counts – he threw 36 strikes and 26 balls while giving up three runs on five hits, all but one hit in the third inning. His relief, Miami’s Edgar Olmos, was no breath of fresh air. After walking the lead-off batter in the fourth then sending him to third on a bad pick-off attempt Olmos then plated him one out later on a wild pitch.

But the next five innings saw four Rafter relievers shut down the Saguaros on just three hits and no walks while striking out five … good pitching, emphasis on good, does top good hitting, sports fans – at least it did Monday afternoon. We’ll see about tonight.

~ Wallee Wright ~