Almora off to torrid start for Solar Sox

Two games into the Arizona Fall League, Albert Almora is quickly proving to be a player as hot as the desert.

The Cubs' No. 2 prospect smacked a three-run triple as Mesa routed Salt River, 8-1, on Thursday.

Almora, who finished with two hits in five at-bats and scored twice, cleared the bases with his three-bagger in the top of the five-run Solar Sox ninth inning.

Thursday's performance gave the 2012 first-round pick a .600 average and six RBIs in his first two Arizona Fall League contests. Almora homered and plated three runs in the season opener Tuesday.

MLB.com's No. 21 prospect is coming off a strong season, his first as a professional. Playing exclusively in Class A Kane County, Almora batted .329 with three homers and 39 runs scored in 61 Midwest Leagues games. He missed the first six weeks of the season with a broken bone in his left hand.

C.J. Cron, the Angels' No. 2 prospect, tied the game, 1-1, with an RBI triple in the fourth -- the first three-bagger in the fall this year, and fellow Angels farmhand Taylor Lindsey drove in two runs. Brian Goodwin, Washington's top prospect, plated a pair of runs

Matt Purke, the Nationals' No. 8 prospect, gave up an unearned run on two hits and fanned two over three innings for Mesa to pick up his first win.

James Ramsey, the Cardinals' No. 10 prospect, was 3-for-3 with a walk and a run scored for the Rafters.

Rays' No. 8 prospect Mike Montgomery was tagged with the loss after allowing three runs on five hits over 1 1/3 innings for Salt River.