Yepez, Nootbaar continue to rake in desert

Glendale 9, Surprise 2

A pair of top St. Louis talents, Lars Nootbaar and Juan Yepez, led the charge for the Desert Dogs with a homer and a double apiece. Nootbaar launched a 463-foot three-run to right field in the eighth and led off the game for Glendale with a two-bagger to center. It was the fourth Fall League dinger for the 24-year-old. Yepez, No. 27 Cardinals prospect, crushed a solo shot to left in the seventh and cleared the bases with a three-run double to center in the fourth.

#STLCards’ Juan Yepez, riding a six-game hitting streak, goes deep to left for his second AFL homer.

2-for-4, HR, 2B, 4 RBI today for Glendale pic.twitter.com/3a0GX5NMVN

— Sam Dykstra (@SamDykstraMiLB) October 22, 2021

Nootbaar added a walked to bring his slash line up to .273/.429/.864 in six AFL games. Yepez led Cardinals Minor Leaguers with 27 homers in 2021 and finished with a .286/.383/.586 slash line in 111 games between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis. James Outman (LAD No. 27) also found the seats for Glendale as part of a two-hit game, and top Astros prospect Korey Lee finished with a pair of knocks as well. Ezequiel Duran was a bright spot for Surprise as the seventh-ranked Rangers prospect finished with three hits – falling a homer shy of a cycle. It was the third straight multihit game for the 22-year-old. More »

Rangers No. 7 prospect Ezequiel Duran picks up his second hit of the day — a double down the line.

That’s three straight multihit games for the 22-year-old infielder. pic.twitter.com/cDFxaOiCpb

— Sam Dykstra (@SamDykstraMiLB) October 22, 2021

Peoria 10, Scottsdale 8
Jeter Downs pulled back into a tie for the Fall League homer lead with his fourth long ball of the campaign for the Scorpions. The fifth-ranked Red Sox prospect crushed a three-run blast 424 feet to left-center with a 104 mph exit velocity in the third inning. The 23-year-old found the seats 14 times in 99 games with Triple-A Worcester this season. San Francisco’s Will Wilson (No. 15) connected with his first AFL dinger as part of a two-hit night. Two Philadelphia prospects helped lift the Javelinas as Bryson Stott (MLB No. 97) and Simon Muzziotti (No. 16) combined on a pair of hits and five RBIs. Stott laced an RBI double to center in the third and lifted a sacrifice fly in the eighth. Muzziotti plated a pair with a base knock back up the middle in the fifth and added an RBI fielder’s choice in the final frame. Phillies No. 4 prospect Hans Crouse took the hill for Peoria and whiffed seven of the first eight batters he faced, including the first five in a row. The right-hander was tagged by Downs on his three-run tater late in the outing and exited after allowing three runs on three hits and a walk while fanning eight over three frames. More »

We have some #RedSox offense … in Scottsdale.

Jeter Downs crushes his fourth homer with the Scorpions, putting him in a tie for the Arizona Fall League lead.

It’s a three-run blast, as well. pic.twitter.com/1VM1oVeLQK

— Sam Dykstra (@SamDykstraMiLB) October 23, 2021

Mesa 9, Salt River 5
Joey Wiemer continued his scorching run at the plate with a four-hit performance, reaching base five times for the Rafters. The 23rd-ranked Brewers prospect singled to left in the first, doubled and scored in the third, led off the fifth with a base knock through the left side of the infield, was hit by a pitch in the seventh and laced another two-bagger with two outs in the ninth. The 22-year-old is sporting a .364/.481/.636 slash line through his first seven AFL games. Colorado’s Ryan Vilade (No. 5) drove in a run with a double in the fourth for Salt River. Nelson Velazquez connected on his first long ball of the Fall League with a solo shot in the third for the Solar Sox. The 29th-ranked Cubs prospect added an RBI knock, a walk and a run scored. Baltimore’s Yusniel Díaz (No. 12) drove in a team-best three runs after notching an infield double, a bases-loaded walk and a ground out to short. Austin Beck (OAK No. 28) finished with a pair of hits, an RBI, a walk and two runs scored. More »