2104 Minor League Ball AFL Gameday, October 14th

Welcome back to the AFL Gameday folks. Four premier pitching prospects were tabbed with the start today, including a marquee match up of Archie Bradley vs Taijuan Walker for the second time in as many weeks. Enough chit chat, time to get to the good stuff.

Check out all the stats from yesterday's action in the link below along with the Game Recaps, Velocity Report, Probable Starters, and Standings further down.

Game Recaps from Monday, October 12th

Salt River 7 - Surprise 4

A huge six-run outburst from Salt River's offense in the 7th inning led the Rafters to a 7-4 victory of Surprise. C Peter O'Brien (SRR) was a key contributor in the innings, launching a RHP Tayron Guerrero (SUR) fastball to left-center field for a two-run homer with two down. CF Byron Buxton (SRR) picked up two hits with a double and a single, also working a walk, scoring once, driving in one and striking out. 3B Brandon Drury (SRR) also had a pair of base knocks picking up two singles while crossing the dish once and striking out as well. LF Eddie Rosario (SRR) had a nice day too, smacking a double for his only hit and driving in two with his fourth stolen base and two punch outs. DH Rio Ruiz (SRR) had the only other extra base hit, roping an RBI double for his only knock in the game with a strike out as well. The top of the Surprise line up did their part, going 6-16 in the game with lead off man CF Rusney Castillo (SUR) notching two doubles on the day with a run driven in and a run scored. 2B Jace Peterson (SUR) also doubled for his only hit, also bringing home one run with a sac fly. LF Nick Williams (SUR) reached base three times via two singles and a hit by pitch with an RBI while 1B Patrick Kivlehan (SUR) singled, worked a walk and struck out

RHP Taijuan Walker (SUR) threw an excellent game, working around two hits, two walks, and a hit batsmen to allow one run through five frames. He struck out six and as you can see further down, his fastball peaked at 98 mph. The opposing starter RHP Archie Bradley (SRR) only lasted three frames, allowing three earned on five hits and a walk with three punch outs. Neither pitcher factored into the decision as RHP Tayron Guerrero (SUR) was on the hook for the six-run seventh inning, being charged with all six runs and the loss on five hits and a walk with two wild pitches. RHP Nelson Gonzalez (SRR) was credited with the win after tossing two nearly perfect innings with two strike outs and just one hit allowed. RHP Kaleb Fleck (SRR) got the save with a scoreless ninth, allowing a hit and striking out two in the process.

***

Mesa - Scottsdale

In the rare pitchers duel in the desert, Scottsdale rode their hoss RHP Tyler Glasnow (SCO) for three scoreless innings, striking out three in the process and scattering two hits and a walk. LHP Dario Alvarez (SCO) earned the win with a pair of scoreless frames, allowing a hit and a walk with four punch outs. Another southpaw, LHP Steven Okert (SCO) worked the save with a strike out and a hit allowed in one inning. LHP Felipe Rivero (MSS) last 4.2 frames before leaving with two earned runs allowed on three hits and a walk with two strike outs.

The low scoring affair featured an RBI single off the bat of 1B Josh Bell (SCO) which drove home the winning run after CF Roman Quinn (SCO) scored on a passed ball. Bell also notched a double while Quinn singled and stole his fourth bag of the fall, also scoring a run. 2B Kelby Tomlinson (SCO) and LF Tyler Austin (SCO) also recorded stolen bases with Tomlinson reaching via a walk with a run scored and two punch outs. Austin reached on a single and struck out. The Solar Sox stretched their legs also, stealing three bases as a team with CF Dalton Pompey, DH Jon Berti, and LF Chad Hinshaw (MSS) each swiping a bag. Pompey walked and doubled in five trips to the plate, Berti was 2-4 with a pair of strike outs, and Hinshaw singled and struck out. C Spencer Kieboom (MSS) also registered a multi-hit game as he doubled, singled and drew a walk.

***

Peoria - Glendale

The Javelinas and Desert Dogs battled it out through 10 frames but were unable to determine a victor as the game concluded with a 2-2 tie. Oddly enough, all four runs scored in the game came via the long ball as 1B Nick Ramirez (GDD) and 3B Hunter Dozier (PEJ) each launched a two-run homer into the desert. Ramirez would also kick in a single and two strike outs while Dozier worked two walks and struck out once. SS Francisco Lindor (PEJ) knocked a double for his only base knock in five attempts and 2B Hector Gomez (GDD) also doubled and walked with two punch outs.

The real story of the game was not any sort of offensive attack, unless you count high 90's fastballs on the corners as the other kind of offensive. RHP Kyle Zimmer (PEJ) put together a start that will be very hard to beat, throwing five scoreless innings with just two hits and one walk allowed. Zimmer would strike out 11 men on the day with almost 67% of his pitches going for strikes. Unfortunately, RHP Nate Hyatt (PEJ) would blow the save in the 8th inning with the two-run homer by Ramirez. On the other side of the diamond, RHP Zach Davies (GDD) worked three innings with two runs allowed on three hits and two walks, striking out two in the process while allowing the bomb to Dozier. LHP Scott Snodgress (GDD), RHP Mychal Givens (GDD), and LHP Daniel Coulombe (GDD) each struck out two in one inning of relief work

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Velocity Report

Surprise Stadium, home of the Surprise Saguaro and the home field for the Peoria Javelinas, has pitchf/x installed so we can see velocity readings for each pitcher.

Salt River -

Player	FB	CB	SL	CH	CUT
Archie Bradley	92-96	80-83	-	87-88	-
Edgar Olmos*	90-94	-	77-80	82-87	-
Nelson Gonzalez	89-91	76	-	82-83	90
Zack Jones	93-96	-	75-78	-	94
Jimmie Sherfy	96-98	-	82-84	-	-
Kaleb Fleck	94-96	-	83-85	-	-

* denotes a left handed pitcher

Surprise -

Player	FB	CB	SL	CH	CUT	SPLIT
Taijuan Walker	94-98	72-76	-	89-91	85-90	88-90
Cody Kendall	88-91	-	-	82-83	-	-
Tayron Guerrero	91-97	-	83-86	84	-	-
Matt Brazis	91-94	-	82-84	87-88	-	-
Ryan Dennick*	89-91	-	80-83	82-83	-	-

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Minor League Ball AFL Gameday

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Hitting Performance of the Day -

Hunter Dozier (3B - Peoria) 1/3, HR (1), 2 RBI (5), R, 2 BB, K

Photo credit - Jen Nevius

Pitching Performance of the Day -

Kyle Zimmer (RHP - Peoria) 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R/ER, 1 BB, 11 K, 1:1 GO:FO

Photo credit - Mark Harrell

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Probable Starters

Scottsdale @ Mesa - 2:35 PM EST

Joely Rodriguez (LHP - SCO) vs Sean Nolin (LHP - TOR)

Glendale @ Peoria - 9:35 PM EST

Matt Magill (RHP - GDD) vs Jaime Schultz (RHP - PEJ)

Surprise @ Salt River - 9:35 PM EST

Keith Couch (RHP - SUR) vs Mark Appel (RHP - SRR)

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Standings

East Division
Team	W	L	T	GB
Salt River	5	1	0	-
Scottsdale	4	2	0	1
Mesa	1	4	0	3.5

West Division
Team	W	L	T	GB
Surprise	3	3	0	-
Peoria	2	3	1	0.5
Glendale	1	3	1	1