Arizona Fall League daily report
Published on November 1, 2008 under Arizona Fall League (AzFL) News Release
Player-of-the-Day
Peoria Saguaros LF Chad Huffman (SD) hit a grand slam yesterday in the second inning off Phoenix Desert Dogs starter Chaz Roe (COL) ... Huffman owns 9 runs, 2 home runs, and 13 RBI ... he leads the league in doubles (7) ... he also homered in last week's Rising Stars game.
Yesterday's Highlights
Peoria Saguaros 11, Phoenix Desert Dogs 3 - WP: Ottavino (STL) (2-1, 5.27), LP: Roe (COL) (1-2, 11.93)
Saguaros SS Ian Desmond (WAS) was a home run short of the cycle as Peoria won its third game in a row ... a quintet of relievers shut out the Desert Dogs over the final six innings and only allowed three hits to secure the victory ... Peoria LF Chad Huffman (SD) belted a grand slam home run in the second inning ... Phoenix 2B Chris Nelson blasted a two-run homer in the second inning.
Mesa Solar Sox 3, Peoria Saguaros 2 - WP: Estrada (CHC) (2-0, 4.30), LP: Reid (TB) (0-1, 5.79)
Jesse Estrada (CHC) threw 5.0 innings yielding five hits, one run, and striking out five for the win at home ... Matt Young (ATL) hit a solo home run in the fifth inning off Ryan Reid (TB) ... Greg Halman (SEA) homered for the Javelinas in the ninth inning off Casey Fien (DET) ... Logan Morrison (FLA) went 3-for-3 to raise his average to .453.
Scottsdale Scorpions 16, Surprise Rafters 6 - WP: Browning (LAA) (2-1, 10.13), LP: Lofgren (CLE) (0-3, 34.94)
Every hitter in the Scorpions lineup had a hit ... six players with two hits: Shelby Ford (PIT), Kevin Fransden (SF), Drew Sutton (HOU), Chris Johnson (HOU), Josh Reddick (BOS), and Jamie Romak (PIT) ... Johnson tripled and homered ... Wes Hodges hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning off Osiris Matos (SF) ... Matt Wieters (BAL) has doubled in consecutive games.
Around the Arizona Fall League
2008 AFL Tidbits
Second Annual Pat Tillman Foundation Benefit Night
The Arizona Fall League holds its second annual Pat Tillman Foundation Benefit Night at Scottsdale Stadium. Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Eric Byrnes will be joined by infielder Orlando Hudson and MLB Hall of Famer Frank Robinson to participate in the event that will feature a sports memorabilia auction before and during the game. Tillman Scholars also will be introduced. All proceeds from the sports memorabilia auction and one-half of the night's gate receipts will be donated to the Pat Tillman Foundation.
- Former major league umpire, Rich Garcia was honored as the 2008 recipient of the Arizona Fall League's Roland Hemond Award prior to the Rising Stars Game on Friday, October 24 at Surprise Stadium.
- Cleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame on Friday, October 17 at Scottsdale Stadium.
Player/Pitcher of the Week
Player Pitcher
Week One Saguaros ─ IF Shawn Bowman (NYM) Javelinas ─ RHP Phil Hughes (NYY)
Week Two Scorpions ─ IF Drew Sutton (HOU) Solar Sox ─ RHP Tommy Hanson (ATL)
Week Three Solar Sox ─ C Tyler Flowers (ATL) Saguaros ─ LHP Jason Vargas (NYM)
American Division
Mesa Solar Sox (15-6) ─ Jason Donald (PHI), Tyler Flowers (ATL), Tuffy Gosewisch (PHI), and Logan Morrison (FLA) are hitting over .400 ... Scott Cousins (FLA) and Morrison both went 5-for-5 during week three ... Flowers hit four home runs in week three ... Solar Sox had 82 hits in week three ... eight players have at least 10 hits in road games: Quintin Berry (PHI), Donald, Flowers, Jeff Larish (DET), Morrison, Will Rhymes (DET), Casper Wells (DET), and Matt Young (ATL) ... John Raynor (FLA) and Morrison hit for the cycle (week one and week four, respectively.
Peoria Saguaros (15-6) ─ Mike Baxter (SD) leading league in average (.485) and on-base percentage (.617) ... Baxter went 5-for-5 and Jordan Danks (CWS) went 4-for-4 earlier this week... Daniel Murphy (NYM) and Shane Robinson (STL) both have scored seven runs at home ... Saguaros have at least one two-out RBI in every game except one (10/18) ... 12-4 record in games under three hours ... Saguaros pitching did not allow a home run in 12 games ... four players with a four-hit game: Murphy, Cole Armstrong (CWS), Sean Kazmar (SD) and Danks ... Bobby Parnell (NYM) has not allowed a run or walk at home, striking out seven in 5.0 innings ... first three-game winner.
Scottsdale Scorpions (7-14) ─ Eammon Portice (BOS) joins the pitching staff today ... finished the 2008 season 4-4 (3.50 ERA) with 28 walks and 81 strikeouts in Class-A South Atlantic League ...yesterday, Scorpions scored team-high in runs (16), triples (2), home runs (2), and RBI (13) ... Shelby Ford (PIT) homered in consecutive games (10/28-10/29) ... Drew Sutton (HOU) had an extra-base hit in six consecutive games ... team has one stolen base or more in all but five games (10/15, 10/18, 10/22, 10/29, 10/30) ... Emmanuel Burriss (SF) and Kevin Fransden (SF) only Scorpions to have four-hit games (10/16 and 10/20, respectively) ... Kelvin Pichardo (SF) has not yielded a walk in 7.0 innings..
National Division
Peoria Javelinas (10-11) ─ IF Rhyne Hughes (TB) is tied for the AFL lead in hits (28) and triples (3) in addition to having a top-five batting average (.424) ... IF Sean Henry (CIN) is third in the league in stolen bases (6) ... RHP Kevin Whelan (NYY) is fifth in the league in ERA (0.90) ... Javelinas lead the league in saves (6) ... RHP Carlos Fisher (CIN) main cog with three ... 10/07: OF Austin Jackson (NYY) drove in a team-high four RBI ... 10/18: IF Kevin Russo (NYY) went 5-for-5 (all singles) ... Russo is hitting .442 with 19 hits and has the Javelinas' longest active hitting streak at 12 games ... 10/16: All 18 players in starting lineup between Mesa and Peoria collected at least one hit.
Phoenix Desert Dogs (12-9) ─ Since 10/11, OF Eric Young, Jr. (COL) has 27 hits with 22 runs and eight RBI during his AFL-leading 16- game hitting streak ... Young leads the league in stolen bases (12) and runs scored (25) and tied for first in hits (28) ... 1B Sean Doolittle (OAK) and C Michael McKenry (COL) share the league lead in home runs (6) ... Doolittle is second in the league in extra-base hits (10) ... C J.P. Arencibia (TOR) leads the AFL in throwing out base runners (.385) ... IF Steve Tolleson (MIN) is fourth in the AFL with a .438 batting average and is tied for the lead in hits (26) ... 10/28: Young inside-the-park grand slam against Surprise ... 10/27: C Michael McKenry (COL) hits three home runs and drives in seven RBI ... 10/21: Every player in the Desert Dogs starting lineup amasses at least one hit.
Surprise Rafters (4-17) ─ Rafters pitching staff leads the AFL in strikeouts (172), led by RHP Willie Eyre (TEX) who is second in the AFL with 23 strikeouts ... 10 pitchers have reached double digits in strikeouts ... IF Wes Hodges (CLE) leads the AFL in RBI (20), second in home runs (6), and fourth in hits (24) ... 10/28: Hodges drives in a team-high four RBI ... 10/14: IF Beau Mills (CLE) scores team-high three runs ... two players have collected four hits in a game (C Matt Wieters (BAL) 10/09 and IF Ivan De Jesus, Jr. (LAD) 10/13).
Arizona Fall League Stories from November 1, 2008
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