2014 Minor League Ball AFL Gameday, October 21st

Welcome back to the Minor League Ball AFL Gameday. Salt River outlasted Peoria for a 4-2 win, Surprise inked out a one run victory, 6-5 over Mesa, and Scottsdale beat Glendale 7-3.

Check out all the stats from yesterday's action in the desert in the link below along with the Game Recaps, Velocity Reports, Performances of the Day, and Standings further down.

Game Recaps from Monday, October 20th

Salt River 4 - Peoria 2

Despite a big game from star SS Francisco Lindor (PEJ), the Javelinas were unable to do much offensively in their loss to the Salt River Rafters 4-2. The Rafters took advantage of seven walks and three errors by Peoria, with four hitters reaching base twice. Lindor finished the game 3-4 with a double, stolen base, a run scored and he also made a bad throw for his first error of the Fall. 1B Ryan Casteel (SRR) notched the only extra base hit for Salt River, sending a double to left to lead off the 8th inning, coming in to score an insurance run. RF Edward Salcedo (PEJ) and 1B Cody Stanley (PEJ) each drove in one with a double and Stanley also went down swinging once. CF Byron Buxton (SRR) worked a walk and hit a single, driving in one and also stealing a base. LF Eddie Rosario (SRR) was also 1-4 with a walk and a single, scoring once and he was also caught stealing third base. SS Justin Bohn (SRR) drew a pair of walks, and C Peter O'Brien (SRR) singled, walked, and made his 5th error of the fall with bad throw on a stolen base attempt. 2B Jacob Wilson (PEJ) had the only other hit for the Javelinas while LF Jordan Smith (PEJ) swiped a bag after reaching on a walk, also scoring.

The two starting pitchers in this contest had completely different results with one breezing through five innings and the other struggling to find the strike zone. RHP Mark Appel (SRR) was on the greener side of things, allowing just two hits in five innings of work for the win, both to Lindor, while also striking out four with a fastball that ranged from 92-96 mph, sitting in the higher registers. Appel also worked a slider in the 82-86 mph range and an 85-87 mph change up. Salt River RHP's Jake Reed, Zack Jones, and Kaleb Fleck locked down the last three frames with no runs or walks allowed and just two base runners. Fleck took home the save while Reed and Jones were credited with holds. RHP Jaime Schultz (PEJ) looked like he couldn't buy a strike if he wanted to, walking six in 3.2 innings with one hit, three runs (one earned), four strike outs, and an error. He took his third loss of the Fall and sat 92-95 mph with his fastball, also showing a pair of breaking balls in the low-to-mid 80's and an 86-88 mph change up.

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Surprise 6 - Mesa 5

Surprise was able to hold off a late charge by the Solar Sox behind a big game from CF Nick Williams (SUR) to emerge victorious by a slim one run margin, 6-5. A hand injury by starting CF Rusney Castillo (SUR) in the 3rd inning brought Williams into the game and he did not disappoint, going 2-3 with a double, a two-run homer, and two runs scored. Castillo was 0-2 with a punch out before departing. The youngest player ever to participate in the AFL, SS Michael De Leon (SUR) led off for the Saguaros and tallied three singles with an RBI, and RF Hunter Renfroe (SUR) launched a double to to left and walked for the only other extra base knock for Surprise. 1B Kyle Waldrop (SUR) and DH Patrick Kivlehan (SUR) each racked up a pair of singles and drove in one while Waldrop struck out once and committed and error and Kivlehan also went down twice with a strike out. C John Hicks (SUR) didn't do anything with the lumber aside from plating one, but he did pick off a pair of runners on the base paths. RF Chad Hinshaw (MSS) reached base three times with a double, walk, and hit by pitch, also stealing a base, scoring twice and striking out once. DH Daniel Robertson (MSS) and 3B Kaleb Cowart (MSS) reached three times each as well with Cowart launching a triple, single and a walk, scoring once while Robertson walked, singled twice and drove in one. 1B Dan Vogelbach (MSS) drove in one with a sac fly, also doubling and working a walk. The Solar Sox did make four errors in the game, all on bad throws with one each from SS Addison Russell (MSS), 2B Tony Renda (MSS), and two pitchers.

Neither starter was particularly effective yesterday with RHP Keith Couch (SUR) emerging as the winning pitcher with four innings of work, allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk, striking out one and also hitting a batter. His opposition, LHP Sean Nolin (MSS) allowed two runs in as many innings, working around five hits and a walk with two strike outs and an errant throw on a pick off. RHP Roberto Osuna (MSS) was tagged with the loss as he also allowed two runs in two innings, allowing four hits and two walks with two punch outs as well. Osuna moves to 0-2 in the Fall with his second blown save. RHP Raisel Iglesias (SUR) made his AFL debut with a perfect inning of relief, striking out one. RHP Carlos Gonzalez (SUR) earned the save despite letting things get uncomfortably close with a run allowed on two walks and a hit in the 9th before C John Hicks (SUR) picked off PR Jon Berti (MSS) at second base for the third out to end the game. RHP Tanner Peters (MSS) was the other Solar Sox to make a throwing error during his two innings of work where he gave up two runs (one earned) after a batter reached on error and Nick Williams took him deep. Peters struck out two as well with three ground outs to zero fly outs.

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Scottsdale 7 - Glendale 3

In the only game under the lights, the Scorpions topped the Desert Dogs with a balanced attack where everyone in the lineup had a base hit and they took advantage of a great start from LHP Joely Rodriguez (SCO). Half of Scottsdale's hits went for extra bases, led by a solo shot from DH Greg Bird (SCO), and triples from 2B LJ Mazzilli (SCO) and C Elias Diaz (SCO). The homer was Bird's only hit while Mazzilli also walked, stole a base, struck out and scored twice, and Diaz also walked twice and scored once. 1B Josh Bell (SCO), and 3B Dan Gamache (SCO) each doubled for the Scorpions, with Bell scoring once and making a fielding error, and Gamache also driving in one, working a walk, and striking out. CF Roman Quinn (SCO) had the only multi-hit game with two singles and his league-leading eighth stolen base, also scoring once and driving in one. SS Tim Anderson (GDD) hit a two-run double and struck out twice in four trips to the dish. RF Steven Moya (GDD) also doubled, scoring once and striking out and LF Scott Schebler (GDD) drove in one with a walk and a strike out.

LHP Joely Rodriguez (SCO) went four scoreless for the win, striking out five while allowing three hits and a walk. He also hit a batter and picked a runner off. RHP Matt Magill (GDD) took the loss as he allowed five runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks, striking out three in 3.1 innings. He also gave up a homer to Bird and made a throwing error. RHP Chris Bassitt (GDD) followed with 2.2 scoreless innings of relief work, striking out three with two hits and two walks.

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Velocity Reports

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

Salt River -

Player	FB	CB	SL	CH	CUT
Mark Appel	92-96	-	82-86	85-87	-
Nelson Gonzalez	89-90	73-74	-	81-84	89
Jake Reed	92-95	-	77-80	-	-
Zack Jones	94-96	-	76-79	-	-
Kaleb Fleck	94-96	-	87	-	86

Peoria -

Player	FB	CB	SL	CH	CUT
Jaime Schultz	92-95	81-83	80-84	86-88	-
Mitch Harris	89-93	-	85	83-86	88
Grant Sides	90-93	-	82-85	85-87	-
Sam Selman*	91-93	74-76	80-83	-	-

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Minor League Ball AFL Gameday

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Hitting Performance of the Day

Nick Williams (CF - Surprise) 2/3, 2B (3), HR (1), 2 RBI (9), 2 R

Photo credit - Tracy Proffitt

Pitching Performance of the Day

Mark Appel (RHP - Salt River) 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 2:4 GO:FO

Photo credit - Jayne Hansen

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Probable Starters

Mesa @ Surprise - 3:35 PM EST

CJ Edwards (RHP - MSS) vs Justin Hancock (RHP - SUR)

Peoria @ Salt River - 3:35 PM EST

Aaron Northcraft (RHP - PEJ) vs Vincent Velasquez (RHP - SRR)

Scottsdale @ Glendale - 3:35 PM EST

Adam Morgan (LHP - SCO) vs Francellis Montas (RHP - GDD)

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Standings

East Division
Team	W	L	T	GB
Salt River	8	3	1	-
Scottsdale	6	6	0	2.5
Mesa	5	6	0	3

West Division
Team	W	L	T	GB
Glendale	5	5	1	-
Surprise	6	6	0	-
Peoria	3	7	2	2