AFL Update: Oct. 28, 2012

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Oct 282012
 

The Salt River Rafters scored in six of nine innings on Saturday to double up the Mesa Solar Sox 12-6 for their third straight win.

Highlights from the four Nats that saw game action…

…Paul Demny got right back on the horse and tossed a scoreless inning in the 7th, though he gave up a hit and a walk.

…Jason Martinson singled, walked, and scored a run while playing third base (no defensive chances).

…Matt Skole was on the other side of the diamond on defense (five putouts) and drew two walks and scored twice, going 1-for-2 before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the 8th.

…Brian Goodwin pushed his average to .349 with a pair of triples. He scored twice and drew two walks while playing centerfield, where he snagged three flyouts.

Salt River resumes play with a visit to Phoenix tomorrow afternoon. Ryan Perry is expected to get the start.

AFL Update: Oct. 27, 2012

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Oct 272012
 

Three big innings carried the Rafters past the Javelinas as Salt River held off a late charge from Peoria for an 8-7 win yesterday afternoon.

Just two Nationals got into the game.

Anthony Rendon batted fifth in the lineup and played third base. He drew a walk in the and stole second, scoring a run as part of Salt River’s three-run outburst in the first. He drove in a run on a sac fly in the 5th and doubled in the 7th for a 1-for-2 afternoon. Defensively, he had busy day — six assists, including a 5-4-3 DP in the 4th and a bunt attempt in the 6th.

Aaron Barrett (pictured above) gave up a leadoff single in the 8th but had it erased with a double play on the next batter. The fortune quickly became misfortune after another single then a home run cut the three-run lead Barrett was protecting to one. He still earned the hold by getting third out on another grounder.

With the win, Salt River returns to first in the AFL East with an 8-7 mark. They close out the week with another day game this afternoon, visiting the Mesa Solar Sox.

AFL Update: Oct. 26, 2012

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Oct 262012
 

It was another four-run 6th, but this time the Salt River Rafters put the hurt on with a 6-3 win over the Phoenix Desert Dogs.

Brian Goodwin once again led off and played centerfield and doubled twice while going 3-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored to push his batting line to .333/.409/.667 for the fall. Defensively, he had one putout.

Matt Skole’s rough patch continued with an 0-for-5 afternoon with three whiffs, as the 2011 fifth-rounder has gone 1-for-10 this week with eight K’s. He turned in another error-free game at first base, handling all nine chances.

Anthony Rendon (pictured above) had an RBI double while going 1-for-4 and put the tag on an attempted steal of third for his lone putout.

Cole Kimball, who was featured by Byron Kerr on MASN earlier this week, turned in high-wire inning by loading the bases on three consecutive singles in the 7th, but got the goose egg with a lineout to short and double-play ball in his sole inning pitched.

With the win, the Rafters float back to .500 at 7-7, but still remain a ½ game out of first place behind the Scorpions in the AFL East.

AFL Update: Oct. 25, 2012

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Oct 252012
 

A dropped popup in the 6th proved to be an incredibly costly error as the AFL-best Peoria Javelinas took full advantage to score four in the frame and take a 6-5 lead en route to a 7-6 win over the Salt River Rafters.

Jason Martinson was the sole National to get the start, but broke up his hitless streak with a two-run double while going 1-for-4 from the #7 slot in the lineup. Defensively, the 24-year-old handled both defensive chances at third base, including turning a 5-4-3 double play in the 4th.

Paul Demny made an appearance in relief and gave up an unearned run on two walks and a hit while pitching the 7th inning.

Matt Skole and Brian Goodwin were both called on to pinch-hit in the 9th but neither made it to first base safely.

With the loss, Salt River drops below .500 at 6-7 and into second place in the AFL East, a ½ game behind Scottsdale. The Rafters play host to Phoenix this afternoon and Peoria tomorrow before finishing the week in Mesa.

AFL Update: Oct. 24, 2012

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Oct 242012
 

Brian Goodwin and Matt Skole both homered but a bases-loaded walk in the 10th — the third in a row with two outs — upended Salt River as the Rafters fell in extras, 5-4.

Three position players and Washington’s sole starting pitcher appeared in the game.

• Ryan Perry threw four perfect innings in his third fall start, striking out four. He needed just 42 pitches to retire the 12 batters he faced.

• Goodwin led off and played centerfield, going 3-for-4 with a walk, a run scored, a stolen base, and his third home run for the Rafters. He made one putout on defense.

• Skole drove in two from the three-hole and drew a walk but went 1-for-4 to lower his AFL batting average to .400. He played error-free ball at first base, with 10 putouts and an assist to the pitcher covering in the 8th.

• Anthony Rendon drew a walk but went 0-for-3 for the game batting sixth. He handled both defensive chances at third base, combing with Skole for a pair of 5-3 groundouts.

The loss drops Salt River to .500 at 6-6 but the Rafters remain atop the AFL East by a ½ game over Scottsdale. They travel to the AFL-West leading Peoria Javelinas this afternoon for the first of five straight day games on the schedule.

AFL Update: Oct. 23, 2012

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Oct 232012
 

After blowing a 4-1 lead in the 9th, the Salt River Rafters got a walkoff solo shot from the White Sox’s Andy Wilkins in the bottom of the 10th for a 5-4 win over the Mesa Solar Sox. The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for Salt River and extended Mesa’s to seven.

The starting trio of Brian Goodwin, Matt Skole, and Anthony Rendon were in the starting lineup while relievers Cole Kimball and Aaron Barrett turned in an inning of work.

Goodwin led off and played left field, singling off the second baseman’s glove in the Rafters’ two-run third. He would draw a walk in the 9th but was gunned down trying to steal. He finished the game 1-for-4 with a run scored and a putout on defense.

Skole returned to earth with an 0-for-4 night as the Salt River DH and No. 5 batter, striking out three times.

Rendon batted eighth and went 1-for-4 with a run scored. His sole defensive chance at third base was the front end of a 5-4-3 double play that eclipsed the Solar Sox 10th inning.

Kimball was the first reliever out of the ‘pen in the 5th but was touched for a run on a leadoff double followed by a groundout, a walk, and a sac fly.

Barrett gave up a pair of two-out singles in the 7th, but struck out Matt “Can I Buy A Vowel?” Szczur to strand them both.

With the win, Salt River improves to 6-5 and reclaims first place in the AFL East by a ½ game over Scottsdale. Ryan Perry is scheduled to make his third start this evening against the Surprise Saguaros.

AFL Update: Oct. 21, 2012

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Oct 212012
 


The Scorpions stung the Rafters with a three-run 3rd and added single runs in the 5th and 7th innings en route to hand Salt River its third straight loss, 5-3.

Matt Skole singled, doubled and scored a run while batting third and playing first base, where he took part in four double plays — including an unassisted twin-killing in the 7th.

Anthony Rendon had his on-base streak stopped with an 0-for-4 effort and committed two errors (one fielding, one throwing).

Jason Martinson struck out twice in three hitless at-bats, but combined with Skole for other three DPs.

Paul Demny let in a run on two hits — a double and a single — and struck out a batter in the 7th, raising his ERA to 4.05 in four appearances.

With the loss, Salt River falls to 5-5, a ½ game behind Scottsdale in the AFL East Division.

AFL Update: Oct. 19, 2012

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Oct 192012
 

It was a pitcher’s duel in the desert with the Salt River Rafters falling to the Peoria Javelinas, 3-1.

Four Nationals saw game action:

  • Brian Goodwin led off and played left field, but went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. He had two putouts in the field.
  • Matt Skole batted third and played first base, going 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. He handled all eight defensive chances without an error.
  • Anthony Rendon had his hit streak stopped at five with an 0-for-3 game, batting from the #7 spot while playing 3B. He snagged three foul pops and threw out a runner at first.
  • Cole Kimball threw a scoreless inning and allowed his first hit of the fall. He issued no walks and struck out none.

The Rafters finish out the week with another pair of games at and versus the Scottsdale Scorpions tonight and tomorrow evening.

AFL Update: Oct. 18, 2012

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Oct 182012
 

Salt River rallied from a 7-1 deficit, scoring 11 unanswered runs before holding off a late charge from Peoria in a 12-9 victory yesterday.

Anthony Rendon, serving as the Rafters DH in the cleanup spot, doubled in two during a four-run rally in the top of the 9th. He finished the afternoon with a mark of 2-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBI.

Jason Martinson batted eighth and played third base but remains hitless this fall after an 0-for-4 game. He drove in a run with an RBI groundout in the 5th and laid down a sacrifice in the 6th. Defensively, he had an error and two assists.

Ryan Perry got the start, but was knocked around for five runs over the first two innings on four hits and two walks, including a three-run shot in the 1st. Paul Demny was the first man out of the ‘pen but was also ineffective, giving up two runs on three hits and a walk over the next two frames. Both Perry and Demny struck out two.

The win improves Salt River to 5-2 for the season, 2½ games up in the AFL East. The two teams rematch at Talking Stick tonight.

AFL Update: Oct. 17, 2012

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Oct 172012
 

The Salt River Rafters and Phoenix Desert Dogs played to a 3-3 tie over 11 innings last night.

Three Nats farmhands played in the contest:

  • Brian Goodwin was the DH and led off, but went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts.
  • Matt Skole batted third, played first base, and went 1-for-3 with two walks.
  • Aaron Barrett tossed two scoreless innings, giving up two hits, but striking out three

Defensively, Skole played error-free in nine chances and even turned a 3-6-3 DP — not bad for a guy new to the position.

Barrett was the subject of Byron Kerr’s latest missive on the minors, but I have a feeling folks might be more interested to learn that Kerr has confirmed what has long been suspected: Matt Purke has had shoulder surgery.

I’ve put in a couple of questions regarding a couple of other pitchers (Josh Smoker, Manny Rodriguez), though I suspect one or both has been released and the other, if not released, has had surgery.

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Winter leagues have begun in Venezuela, Mexico and the Domnican Republic over the last few days. The Australian Baseball League begins its preseason tomorrow, regular season in 10 days while the Puerto Rican League starts three weeks from tomorrow. I’ll begin weekly updates on the stats for all the offseason leagues starting next week. In the meantime, here’s a look at the Nats players that have been spotted thus far (excluding players that did not play in the Washington minors this past summer):

Venezuela Dominican Republic
• Carlos Rivero • Manny Mayorson
• Tanner Roark • Erik Davis
Mexico • Pat McCoy
• Zech Zinicola • Kevin Pucetas
• Hassan Pena • Atahualpa Severino
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