2005 Arizona Fall League Daily: Games Of October 26

Edited by Chris Kline
October 27, 2005

Grand Canyon 5, Surprise 4

Lastings Milledge (Mets) crushed a three-run, walk-off homer to send the Grand Canyon Rafters past the Surprise Scorpions on Wednesday.

The Rafters trailed 4-2 entering the ninth inning against Phillies righthander Brian Sanches (0-2). Chase Lambin (Mets) worked a one-out walk and Denard Span (Twins) reached on an infield hit with two outs. Milledge followed by drilling a 2-0 pitch to left-center field for his third AFL home run.

Billy Butler (Royals) went 2-for-4 and factored in three Scorpions runs. He tripled and scored in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Angels first baseman Kendry Morales, then doubled in a run in the sixth to tie the score at 2-2.

In the seventh, Surprise's Josh Anderson (Astros) scored when Butler reached on a throwing error by Lambin at third base. Morales added an RBI double later in the inning.

Lambin and fellow Mets farmhand Andy Wilson each drove in a run for Grand Canyon, while Eric Duncan (Yankees) and Span collected two hits apiece.

Marlins lefthander Taylor Tankersley (2-1) retired the side in order in the top of the ninth to pick up the win.

Jonah Bayliss (Royals) allowed one hit over 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, but Surprise suffered its fifth straight loss.

Mesa 8, Peoria Javelinas 5

Mesa staged its own home run derby as four players hit homers to lead the Solar Sox over the Peoria Javelinas on Wednesday.

The loss ended the Javelinas' AFL season-high seven-game winning streak.

Reds outfielder Chris Denorfia started the barrage with a one-out solo shot in the top of the first inning. Two innings later, Ryan Garko (Indians) hit a three-run homer to give the Solar Sox a 4-0 lead. Brandon Sing (Cubs) and Kevin Howard (Reds) struck for back-to-back blasts in the fifth off Javelinas reliever Chris Buglovsky (Mariners).

The fifth-inning homer highlighted a perfect night for Howard, who went 4-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base. Garko and Sing doubled, while leadoff man Eric Patterson (Cubs) went 3-for-5 with a double and a stolen base.

Indians righthander Brian Slocum (1-1) earned his first AFL win with two perfect innings, striking out three out of the bullpen. Righthander Humberto Sanchez (Tigers) got the start and allowed three runs on three hits and four walks through 4 1/3 innings, striking out five.

Brandon Fahey (Orioles) starred out of the leadoff spot for Peoria, going 2-for-5 with a personal AFL-best four RBIs. Rockies righthander Ramon Ramirez (2-1) took the loss after surrendering four runs on five hits and two walks over three innings.

Mesa has won three of its last four and trails first-place Surprise by one game in the American Division. The Javelinas fell one game behind first-place Phoenix in the National Division.

Phoenix 7, Peoria Saguaros 3

Dodgers first baseman James Loney homered and drove in three runs to lead Phoenix past the Peoria Saguaros on Wednesday.

Loney led off the bottom of the second inning with his fourth AFL home run, giving Phoenix a 2-0 lead. The 21-year-old added an RBI single in the fourth to forge a 3-3 tie, then lifted a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

Stephen Drew (Diamondbacks) chipped in his fifth homer, a solo shot in the bottom of the first that opened the scoring. Jonathan Schuerholz (Braves) had two hits and two RBIs for Phoenix, which has won three of its last four games to grab sole possession of first place in the National Division.

Braves righthander Paul Bush (3-1) became the AFL's third three-game winner after allowing three runs on five hits over five innings. He walked two and struck out three. Casey Hoorelbeke (Dodgers), Beau Dannemiller (Dodgers) and Glenn Tucker (Braves) combined on four innings of one-hit relief. Tucker retired all six batters he faced for his first save.

Pirates righthander Landon Jacobsen (0-1) took the loss in his AFL debut, yielding two unearned runs in the fifth on a hit and two walks.

Peoria did all of its scoring in the fourth on solo homers by Brad Eldred (Pirates), 2005 first-round draft pick Ryan Zimmerman (Nationals) and Neil Walker (Pirates).

Zimmerman and Walker each had a pair of hits for the Saguaros, who have lost six of their last eight games and own the league's worst record (4-15).

Courtesy of milb.com.