AFL Update: Oct. 18, 2013
The Mesa Solar Sox refuse to lose, taking their seventh decision in eight games with a 6-1 win versus the Peoria Javelinas on Thursday night.
Four Nationals farmhands saw game action, starting with the man on the mound…
Matt Purke struck out the side in the 1st, walked a batter and hit a batter in the 2nd, struck out the side in the 3rd, got K no. 7 with the first batter of the fourth, then democratic with a pair of groundballs. He threw 54 pitches, 36 for strikes in his four no-hit innings for his second win in as many starts.
Brian Goodwin went 2-for-4 with a run scored to improve his BA to .364. The 22-y.o. from North Carolina played LF and made one putout.
Matt Skole started again at 3B and tossed across the diamond twice in the 6th for his two defensive chances. At the plate, he homered for the second time, walked for the fifth time and struck out for the third time to push his triple slash figures to .285/.474/.786.
Robert Benincasa is still in search of his first three-up, three-down inning but laid his first goose egg with a scoreless 9th as he allowed one hit and struck out one to close out the game.
The Solar Sox remain at home as they host the Saguaros this afternoon.
The Solar Sox are the GCL Nats of the AFL. They’re simply crushing their opponents. Their offense is the best in the league by nearly .100 OPS, and their pitching staff is the best in the league by over 1.50 ERA, in which the Nationals on the team have played a large part in creating such an dominant team in all aspects.
It’s nice to have some positive baseball news during the playoffs.
Anyone know what Nats (minor or major) are playing in the Winter Leagues? I read Zach Walters and Corey Brown, are there others?
Speaking for all Ex-po/Nats fans: after 35 years of the expos trying in vain to develop LHP pitching even after
the bum Dave McNally for Ken Singleton deal and the shortended RJ for Mark Langston deal- watching the depth chart
improve with SS and Purke develop in AFL is truly….happy…not to mention the guys behind them such as Mooneyham, Lee,
Joel B…anybody agree with this comment?????
by the way- good luck to Brent Strom who has done wonders in expo and Cards chains now taking on the same stagecall
in Houston!!!
Not just the LHP, the pitching overall. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by Jake Johansen and Austin Voth adding to A.J. Cole as promising RH power arms.
Should be interesting what with Ryan Zimm healthy in the shoulder as Matt Skole catches up in reps with the glove
and bat. We should not worry about LaRoche heir.
Some manager will have fun with Skole and Bluxom on the same squad to fill out the line-up card everyday/night in 2014.
Skole may enable his manager to play Cutter @ SS /2b more.