Pitchers rule day in Rising Stars Showcase

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- All it takes is a short memory to recall the days when the Arizona Fall League was considered a hitters' haven.

Last season comes to mind.

AFL teams combined to score more runs than ever, the league batting average was a record high, there were more home runs hit per game and the league ERA was the highest in the AFL's 14-year history.

But in Friday night's inaugural Rising Stars Showcase, the pitchers stole the show.

There were more strikeouts (23) than hits (15) and walks were minimal (five) as the East handed the West a 3-1 setback before 2,373 fans at Surprise Stadium.

"I thought it was going to be an offensive game, but it definitely was a pitchers' game," East manager Tony DeFrancesco said. "When you put a group like this together, the top pitchers in the league, they can impress a lot of people."

And impress, they did.

The deciding runs came with two outs in the seventh inning. Catcher Curtis Thigpen reached on a walk and scored on a double to right field by Jamie D'Antona. Eighteen-year-old Fernando Martinez, the youngest player in the AFL this season, delivered a run-scoring single up the middle.

"There has been a lot of offense in the league this year, but that was a well-pitched game -- by both sides," West manager Randy Ready said. "Some of the best pitchers in the league were out there tonight, and it showed."

The first three strikeouts of the game just might have been the most important ones all night.

Right-hander Mike Pelfrey, one of the Mets' top pitching prospects, found himself in a bases-loaded, no-out predicament in the first inning. After gathering his composure, he proceeded to strike out the next three batters.

"It would have been nice to scratch one across right there," Ready said, "but Pelfrey turned it up a notch and got out of it with no damage at all. We could have blown it open right there."

Francesco agreed.

"That was the game right there," he said. "I'm sure he was a little nervous when he first went out there. But he got his composure back and made some quality pitches."

The East scored the game's first run in the second inning, and was lucky to get it.

Center fielder Hunter Pence walked with one out and broke for second base an instant before left-handed Gio Gonzalez threw to first. Pence was caught in a rundown, but made it back to first base safely when the East team botched the rundown.

Pence stole second on the next pitch, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a passed ball. Gonzalez ended up with two strikeouts in the inning, but still surrendered a run.

But his team pulled even in the third when Amaury Marti singled, went to second on a walk and scored when shortstop Michael Garciparra bounced into a forceout at second base.

The West left the bases loaded in the first and seventh innings, stranding 12 overall.

"We just lacked the timely hit," Ready said.

The most timely hit came off D'Antona's bat in the seventh inning. He had replaced Scott Moore at first base in the sixth inning and came to bat with two outs and Thigpen on first via a walk.

"I was still a little cool coming off the bench and just wanted to make good contact," D'Antona said. "I didn't make good contact, but the ball went over his (first baseman Joe Koshansky's) head."

DeFrancesco had Thigpen running on the 1-and-2 pitch and the runner scored easily to put the East ahead to stay.

"Thiggy runs well for a catcher and with two strikes, I decided to put him in motion. That was a big play for us," DeFrancesco added.

And so was the ball Martinez slapped up the middle, driving in an insurance run off lefty reliever Tony Sipp, who had just replaced right-hander Devin Perrin, the losing pitcher.

"We had the matchup we wanted and the ball scoots under his (Sipp) glove for their third run," Ready said. "They pitched well, but we pitched well too. Everybody had good location and zip on their pitches.

"They made good pitches when they had to."

Right-hander Marcus McBeth pitched the ninth inning for the save. He struck out two.

It was that kind of a night. --Jim Street/MLB.com