AFL Update: Oct. 28, 2023
Scottsdale scored steadily—five times in five innings—but only led once while Salt River put up four in the 4th and one in the 9th to edge the Scorpions, 6-5.
Three Nationals appeared in the game:
- Israel Pineda batted third as Scottsdale’s DH but went 0-for-4 with three whiffs.
- Trey Lipscomb manned third base and went 2-for-4 from the No. 7 slot in the lineup.
- Thad Ward was the first man out of the ‘pen and allowed all three runner he inherited to score in the 4th before getting the last out of the innings. He then allowed one unearned run of his own on two hits and two walks over the next three innings while striking out four.
The second-place Scorpions (12-9-1) close out the week with a trip to first-place Surprise (13-9) this afternoon.
they managed to hold on to Ward, now we won’t know what we’ve got until he takes the mound every fifth day for the Red Wings. he may have enough to be a 4-5 starter, he may be Corey Abbott 2.0. a legit piece either way
Agreed
Hope Lipscomb can end the fall with a little success. He’s still got to learn to take a walk. His defensive flexibility seems legit, and he has some power when he makes contact. I think we do forget that this year was his first full pro season, so not bad progress all in all.
I agree that Ward was worth the effort to stash. Still hard to have a good fix on his ceiling, though.
The end of this season and playoffs have shown how important it is now to build starter depth that goes at least eight deep. Injuries to starters contributed heavily to felling the Dodgers, Braves, and Astros in particular.