Hinshaw stays sizzling for Solar Sox

Chad Hinshaw hasn't felt as many nerves in his second stint in the Arizona Fall League, but that doesn't mean he hasn't been making a good impression.

The Angels prospect tallied four hits, scored once and drove in a run as Mesa dropped a 5-4 decision to Salt River on Saturday at Salt River Fields.

Hinshaw came into his second AFL go-round prepared for the intense scrutiny that accompanies playing in the offseason circuit. Thanks to a calm mental approach, the 25-year-old has been able to simply work on his game without trying to overdo it.

"I've been really working with [Brent] Del Chiaro, my hitting coach, who's here with me," Hinshaw said. "I've been working a lot with him and I'm just feeling relaxed and making sure I have a good approach at the plate and put some good swings on the ball.

"Again, just been putting in the work. Not doing too much at the plate and just knowing who I am as a hitter."

Hinshaw's second straight AFL appearance was necessitated by a thumb injury sustained in mid-May. The ailment caused the Illinois native to miss two months during the season, his first with Double-A Arkansas.

Still, the Illinois State University product finished the season strong upon returning from the injury. He hit .306/.389/.359 over the season's final three months with the Travelers and stole 22 bases.

The production has traveled with Hinshaw to Arizona. Through the season's first 10 games, he has collected seven hits in his first 14 at-bats in the Fall, though the centerfielder will be the first to admit that he's not a finished product.

"Everyone here is talented, just as talented if not more than me," he said. "I'm just continuing to polish, especially as a hitter. If there is a weakness, it's in the hitting category, so that's what I'm trying to develop and be as clean as a hitter as I can be.

"Then continue to polish defense, baserunning, everything. I mean, no one's perfect, especially not me, so I'm just trying to develop and continue to get more experience and at-bats."

Though the sample size remains small, the 2013 15th-round pick has still found the early results encouraging.

"So far, I'm happy with how things are going," Hinshaw said. "I just, as always, never get complacent and keep working and developing."

While Hinshaw stayed hot, 10th-ranked Rays prospect Casey Gillaspie came alive for the Solar Sox and went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI after beginning the AFL season 2-for-29 (.069).

Blue Jays No. 22 prospect Roemon Fields played the hero for the Rafters with a walk-off two-run triple in the ninth off 30th-ranked A's prospect Brendan McCurry. Nationals No. 21 prospect Spencer Kieboom added three hits and an RBI for Salt River.

In other Arizona Fall League action:

Surprise 18, Glendale 3

Brewers prospect Nathan Orf went 4-for-5 and plated four runs and Yankees No. 5 prospect Gary Sanchez doubled and blasted his fourth AFL homer while also driving in four. The top five spots in the Saguaros' lineup -- seventh-ranked Cardinals prospect Charlie Tilson, Orf, Jurickson Profar, Sanchez and No. 2 Brewers prospect Brett Phillips -- combined to go 13-for-23 with 13 RBIs and 14 runs scored in the rout. Gameday box score

Peoria 3, Scottsdale 1
Eighth-ranked Orioles prospect Chance Sisco broke out of a funk with two singles and scored on a wild pitch by Austin Kubitza while the Javelinas' bullpen worked five scoreless frames to lift the team back to .500 at 4-4. Second-ranked Giants prospect Christian Arroyo went 3-for-3 with an RBI in defeat for the Scorpions to raise his AFL average to .440 and Mariners' No. 3 prospect D.J. Peterson stayed hot by cranking out two more hits for Peoria. Gameday box score