2005 Arizona Fall League Daily: Games Of October 25

Edited by Chris Kline
October 26, 2005

Mesa 7, Peoria Saguaros 5

Peoria Saguaros 12, Mesa 6

Two-run doubles by Don Kelly (Tigers) and Justin Knoedler (Giants) highlighted a five-run second inning as the Solar Sox defeated the Saguaros in the first game of a doubleheader on Tuesday.

Kelly, an eighth-round pick in 2001, put the Solar Sox on the board with a bases loaded ground-rule double that plated Ryan Garko (Indians) and Matt Murton (Cubs). Knoedler followed suit, lacing a double that brought home David Espinosa (Tigers) and Kelly. Chris Denorfia (Reds) knocked in Knoedler with a third double to cap the scoring in the frame.

Mesa added what proved to be two crucial insurance runs in the sixth inning, as Brad Snyder (Indians) knocked in two runs with a bases-loaded single.

Reds righthander Allan Simpson (3-0) earned the victory, allowing two hits over two shutout innings while striking out two. The 28-year-old has yet to allow a run over five appearances this season. Lefthander John Koronka (Cubs) tossed a scoreless seventh frame to earn his third save, running his streak of innings without a run to nine.

David Murphy (Red Sox) went 2-for-3 with a first-inning home run to lead Peoria. Larry Broadway (Nationals) contributed a sacrifice fly in the third, while Josh Fields (White Sox) and Blue Jays prospects Adam Lind and Guillermo Quiroz each knocked in a run during a three-run sixth.

Lefthander Corwin Malone (White Sox) took the loss. The 25-year-old allowed five runs--four earned--on four hits over two innings. Righthander Sean Tracey (White Sox) followed with two frames of scoreless relief before Bubbie Buzachero came on and allowed two runs over three innings of work.

In the second game of the doubleheader, Brad Eldred's two-run single highlighted a seven-run second inning as the Peoria Saguaros earned a split with Mesa on Wednesday.

Eldred (Pirates), the ninth batter of the inning, drove home Blue Jays prospects Erik Kratz and Ryan Roberts with his single to left field. The Saguaros sent 11 men to the plate in the inning, nine of which reached base safely before Ryan Zimmerman (Nationals) was thrown out at home to end the frame.

Robert Valido (White Sox) contributed a two-run triple in the fifth inning before coming around to score on a wild pitch, while Chris Young (White Sox) homered in the sixth.

White Sox lefthander Paulino Reynoso (1-0) earned the win, despite allowing two runs on six hits over his 2 2/3 innings of work. Righthander Charlie Zink (Red Sox) lasted 4 1/3 frames, yielding two runs on six hits.

Joey Votto (Reds) contributed an RBI single in the second inning and an RBI double in the sixth to lead Mesa. The 21-year-old first baseman had entered the game without an RBI or an extra-base hit on the season. Matt Murton (Cubs) went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run, while Brandon Sing (Cubs) blasted a solo homer in the fourth.

Giants righthander Brian Wilson (1-1) suffered the loss, giving up seven runs--five earned--on seven hits and two walks. Righthanders Bubba Nelson (Reds) and Adam Peterson (Tigers) combined to allow five runs over three innings of relief.

Peoria Javelinas 8, Surprise 4

Peoria Javelinas 12, Surprise 2

Michael Johnson (Padres) slugged three home runs to lead the visiting Javelinas past the Scorpions in the first game of a doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon.

Johnson, a second-round pick in 2002 who hit 21 homers in 73 games this season at high Class A Lake Elsinore, gave the Javelinas an early lead with a solo homer in the top of the first. Two innings later, he ripped an RBI double to make it 3-0. In the fourth, the power-hitting first baseman clubbed a two-run shot to open up a 7-2 lead, and he capped the scoring with a leadoff blast in the seventh. Johnson finished the day with five RBIs, four runs scored and 14 total bases.

Jeff Salazar (Rockies) and Val Majewski (Orioles) each had two hits for Peoria, while Nick Markakis (Orioles) had a triple and scored a pair of runs. George Kottaras (Padres) singled in a run.

The Javelinas (11-6) extended their winning streak to six games, surpassing the Desert Dogs and Scorpions (10-7) for the longest in the league this season.

Johnson's homers overshadowed another outstanding start by Orioles lefthander Adam Loewen (2-0), who allowed his first two runs--one earned--of the season when Alex Gordon (Royals) reached base on an error to lead off the bottom of the third and Ryan Hubele (Orioles) followed with a homer. Loewen surrendered three hits and a walk over five innings as his league-leading ERA rose to 0.53.

Royals righthander Brian Bass (1-1) suffered the loss, giving up seven runs on 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Howie Kendrick (Angels) went 2-for-4 for the Scorpions to raise his average to .431, second in the league to Peoria Saguaros third baseman Brendan Harris (Nationals), who entered the day at .524.

In the second game, righthander Clint Nageotte (Mariners) allowed one hit over five innings as the Javelinas pounded the Scorpions to complete the sweep.

Nageotte (1-1) celebrated his 25th birthday by striking out six, walking just one and lowering his ERA to 1.59. The lone hit he surrendered was a one-out single in the bottom of the third inning.

The Javelinas exploded for seven runs in the top of the first. After Adam Jones (Mariners) led off with a homer, the next seven batters reached base, including Tripper Johnson (Orioles) and Jeff Clement (Mariners), who delivered back-to-back RBI doubles. Gary Harris (Mariners), the No. 9 hitter and the only one without one of Peoria's 16 hits, accounted for the first two outs in the big inning when he bounced into a run-scoring 6-4-3 double play.

Johnson, who finished 3-for-3 with four RBIs, slugged a two-run homer in the sixth inning to push the score to 12-0. Nick Markakis (Orioles) also went 3-for-3, while Clement was 3-for-4 with three RBIs.

Astros lefthander Philip Barzilla (2-1) took the loss, allowing eight runs on nine hits and two walks in 1 1/3 innings. The 26-year-old out of Rice's ERA jumped from 5.23 to 10.80.

Peoria (12-6) extended its league-high winning streak to seven games to move into a first-place tie with Phoenix in the National Division. Meanwhile, Surprise (10-8) lost its fourth straight, but remained in first place in the American.

Grand Canyon 10, Phoenix 3

Yankees infielder Eric Duncan contributed a pair of two-run singles to lead visiting Grand Canyon past Phoenix on Tuesday.

Duncan reached base in all five of his plate appearances, collecting four singles and a walk to raise his average to .403. The 20-year-old third baseman drove in four runs and scored three. Reggie Abercrombie (Marlins) added an RBI double in the fifth inning, a sacrifice fly in the seventh and an RBI single in the ninth, while Denard Span (Twins) went 3-for-5 with an RBI.

Marlins righthander Nic Ungs (1-0) earned the win. The 25-year-old allowed one run on four hits over five innings to raise his ERA to 1.06. Righthanders Logan Kensing (Marlins) and T.J. Beam (Yankees) combined for 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, while lefthander Ricky Barrett (Twins) was touched for two eighth-inning runs.

Jonathan Schuerholz (Braves) put the Desert Dogs on the board with an RBI single in the fifth inning. Phoenix added two more runs in the eighth inning, as Andre Ethier (Athletics) drew a bases-loaded walk and Tony Abreu (Dodgers) scored on a wild pitch.

Diamondbacks lefthander Bill Murphy (2-1) took the loss, allowing five runs on five hits and three walks over 4 1/3 innings. The 24-year-old struck out seven to raise his season total to 23, tying him with Phillies righthander Scott Mathieson for the AFL lead. The Desert Dogs bullpen offered little relief, as four hurlers combined to allow five runs on 10 hits over the game's final 4 2/3 innings.

Courtesy of milb.com.