Pirates' Gonzales posts 4-hit day in AFL
Surprise 8, Scottsdale 2 Nick Gonzales collected four hits and drove in two runs, fellow Pirates farmhand Jacob Gonzalez knocked in two runs and scored twice as part of a multi-hit day and Rhett Kouba (Astros) logged four solid innings for his third AFL win as the Saguaros breezed in
Surprise 8, Scottsdale 2
Nick Gonzales collected four hits and drove in two runs, fellow Pirates farmhand Jacob Gonzalez knocked in two runs and scored twice as part of a multi-hit day and Rhett Kouba (Astros) logged four solid innings for his third AFL win as the Saguaros breezed in their regular-season finale. The offensive standout was Gonzales, who is putting the finishing touches on his second consecutive All-Star stint in the AFL. The Pirates' fifth-ranked prospect (93rd overall) connected for four hits on four swings, including run-scoring knocks in the fourth and fifth as Surprise pulled away in the middle innings. Gonzalez’s RBI double kick-started a five-run fourth, which Zach Daniels (HOU No. 29), Gonzales and Carlos De La Cruz (Phillies) later punctuated with big hits. Kouba held Scottsdale to little more than a solo homer by Justyn-Henry Malloy’s (ATL No. 11) through four frames, striking out the side in the second and fourth and finishing with seven whiffs. More >>
Justyn-Henry Malloy gets the Scorpions on the board with a bomb to the corner 💣 #AFL22 @Braves pic.twitter.com/9OXUeX2Cpn
— MLB's Arizona Fall League (@MLBazFallLeague) November 10, 2022
Peoria 4, Mesa 0
Playing to wrap up the AFL’s final playoff berth, the Javelinas got within two outs of a seven-inning perfect game before settling for a one-hit victory and a spot in Friday’s play-in game against Glendale. The winner of that game will play Surprise for the AFL championship. The near-perfect showing on the mound was a team effort, with four Peoria pitchers combining on the shutout. Guardians right-hander Hunter Stanley retired the game’s first six batters, Mets left-hander Josh Walker struck out the side in the third and Nationals righty Amos Willingham recorded the final three outs. In between, Adam Macko fanned five over three perfect frames. It was a turnaround outing for the eighth-ranked Mariners prospect, who had surrendered eight runs on 11 hits and 11 walks in his first 7 1/3 AFL innings. Fellow Mariners farmhand Spencer Packard provided all the offense Peoria needed with a three-run home run in the first. On the Mesa side, reliever Evan Reifert concluded a dominant fall by striking out the side in the seventh. The Rays righty was nearly unhittable in the Fall League, striking out 25 of 40 batters in 11 2/3 scoreless innings. More >>
Adam Macko was dealing for Peoria 💎
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) November 10, 2022
The @Mariners’ No. 8 prospect struck out five across three perfect frames in the @MLBazFallLeague! pic.twitter.com/is5rMqqqos
Glendale 5, Salt River 2
Austin Martin (MIN No. 12) and Alex Isola (Twins) delivered in Glendale’s five-run sixth as the Desert Dogs stormed back to finish the AFL regular season with their fourth straight win. Glendale ended the campaign two games over .500 and in second place in the six-team AFL; the Desert Dogs will play Peoria in Friday’s play-in game for the chance to face Surprise in the AFL title game. Glendale started to rally for its second straight come-from-behind win in the sixth, when Martin’s two-run single evened up the game. After Zavier Warren (Brewers) walked and Jose Ramos (LAD No. 8) was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Isola unloaded them with a two-RBI double. Second-ranked Reds prospect Noelvi Marte followed with a sacrifice fly for insurance, and Hyun-il Choi (Dodgers) clamped down the final three outs to send the Desert Dogs into the postseason on a high note. More >>
All tied up in Glendale on this Austin Martin 2-RBI base knock 🔥 #AFL22 @Twins pic.twitter.com/1e8Fsq0Icv
— MLB's Arizona Fall League (@MLBazFallLeague) November 10, 2022