Photo By Logan Barer/MMO

Arizona Fall League (AFL)

Mesa Solar Sox 1 – 0 Salt River Rafters
Peoria Javelinas 16 – 8 Surprise Saguaros
Scottsdale Scorpions 6 – 1 Glendale Desert Dogs

Things were pretty quiet in this game up until one out in the top of the fourth inning with the Desert Dogs leading 1-0. After a single by Taylor Trammell and a walk by Alonso, Houston’s Ronnie Dawson would rope a double into the right-center field gap to score Trammell to tie the game at 1-1. The next batter, Drew Ferguson, would drive in Alonso via a sacrifice fly to center to give the Scorpions the 2-1 lead.

This score would continue to hold up for most of the game. In the bottom of the sixth, right-hander Matt Blackham was called upon for the third time this season. He would toss a perfect inning, generating two flyouts while striking out one. After him, fellow Mets right-hander Joe Zanghi would also make his third appearance of the fall. He too, tossed a perfect inning of work generating a pop out and a fly out while striking out one as well.

In the top of the eighth inning, the Scorpions offense sprung alive. After an error and a single put runners on first and third to start the inning, right fielder Luke Williams would drive in a run via a fielder’s choice out at second base to extend the lead to 3-1. Two batters later, Peter Alonso would drive a ball the other way over the right field wall for a two-run home run to extend the Scorpions lead to 5-1. The team would score one more in the ninth and won 6-1.

The victory improved the Scorpions record to (3-3) on the season with the Desert Dogs falling to (0-6).

Mexican Pacific League (LMP)

Charros de Jalisco 9 – 8 Naranjeros de Hermosillo
Tomateros de Culiacan 6 – 1 Caneros de los Mochis
Venados de Mazatlan 4 – 1 Yaquis de Obregon
Mayos de Navojoa 3 – 1 Aguilas de Mexicali

Venezuelan Winter League (LVBP)

Tiburones de La Guaira 6 – 5 Caribes de Anzoategui
Aguilas del Zulia 2 – 1 Tigres de Aragua

Dominican Winter League (LIDOM)

Estrellas Orientales – Gigantes del Cibao [Postponed due to rain]
Aguilas Cibaenas 9 – 3 Leones del Escogido
Toros del Este 7 – 5 Tigres del Licey [19 innings]

Oh boy, where to begin with this game. Two Mets pitchers faced off against each other in this one as Jenrry Mejia made the start for the Toros and Nabil Crismatt made the start for the Tigres. Both guys performed pretty decently for their first appearances of the season but were certainly not perfect by any means. Mejia started the night in control generating three groundball outs and maxing out around 91 mph with his fastball. In the bottom half of the inning, Crismatt got into some early trouble allowing a double to Jordany Valdespin, followed by a walk to put runners on first and second with one out in the inning. He was able to get the ground ball he needed though as the Tigres turned a double play to get out of the inning unscathed.

In the second inning, the two pitchers traded scoreless innings with Mejia generating a pop out, single, caught stealing, and a groundout and Crismatt generating a fly out, line out, and a strikeout. In the third inning, Mejia started to air out the ball a little more reaching velocities of 92-93 mph, however, the command of his fastball/sinker also disappeared along with it. After a strikeout, single, and a groundout that advanced the runner to second base, Mejia would uncork two wild pitches to allow the runner the score and give the Tigres a 1-0 lead. He would eventually walk the batter but got out of the inning with no further damage. In fairness, both sinkers that bounced into the dirt could have certainly been blocked by a catcher who is more familiar with Mejia as the Toros had Oakland A’s #3 prospect Sean Murphy behind the plate.

Crismatt would give the run right back in the bottom of the third inning, although the run would be unearned as his defense failed to help him out. With one out and a runner on third with the infield playing in, Crismatt generated a soft ground ball to the shortstop, who had plenty of time to throw the runner out at home, but he sailed the throw way too far left of the catcher which allowed the run to score to tie the game at 1-1. Crismatt would get two more ground ball outs to get out of the inning. Mejia would come out to start the top of the fourth inning but after back to back singles to lead off the inning, his night would come to an end after 55 pitches (34 strikes). Right-hander Kendry Flores would come in for Mejia but only added to the mess walking the first batter he faced followed by a run-scoring sacrifice fly to give the Tigres a 2-1 lead. Thankfully lefty Fernando Abad would replace Flores and get the Toros out of the inning without further damage.

Crismatt would toss a perfect, three ground ball out fourth inning, but in the fifth inning his defense would fail him again. After a lead-off double by Jesus Sanchez, the next batter would attempt a surprise bunt but placed it right in front of the catcher Murphy. Murphy would make a strong throw over to third base and had the runner dead to rights, but, the third baseman, Jacob Wilson, completely whiffed on the catch putting runners on first and third with no one out and ending Crismatt’s night after 59 pitches (43 strikes). Both runners would come around to score later in the inning in addition to two more runs allowed by the bullpen to give the Toros a 5-2 lead.

The Toros would score three runs later in the game to tie it up at 5-5 which pressed Mets righty Tim Peterson into a pressure situation in the ninth inning to keep the game tied. He would have no problems though as he struck out three of the four batters he faced to keep the game tied. This one would go really late into the night lasting nineteen innings and eight-plus hours long. It included one inning of scoreless pitching performances each by position players Arismendy Alcantara, Anderson Hernandez, and Rymer Liriano, as well as four innings of shutout pitching by Jordany Valdspin who clocked in as high as 88 mph and registered three strikeouts versus only two walks during his time on the mound.

Roberto Clemente Puerto Rico League (LBPRC)

No Games Scheduled. The season will begin November 15, 2018