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The Sagauros ran their win streak to four with a 5-1 win over the Javelinas.

Two Nationals were in the starting lineup:

• Jackson Cluff (right) continues to swing a hot bat [Insert Michael Scott joke here] as he went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, and a stolen base. He scored twice to take the AFL lead (11) despite having played just seven games. Defensively, Cluff had four assists and putout while turning a double play.
• Israel Pineda (below) was taken out of cold storage (last appearance Oct. 21) to serve as the Surprise DH. The 21-y.o. showed a little rust, going 1-for-4 to lower his Fall line to .455/.417/.636 in 12 PA’s

Surprise returns home this afternoon to host Salt River.

Surprise got two in the 1st and never trailed as they took their third straight AFL contest, 8-3 over Scottsdale.

Drew Millas (pictured) was the sole National to appear in the game. The 23-y.o. draft pick by… wait for it… the Athletics in 2019 was the Saguaros backstop and batted fifth in the lineup.

At the plate, Millas went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI. Behind it, he had eight putouts but had three bases stolen against him without anyone caught stealing.

First-place Surprise (8-3) travels to third-place Peoria (4-7) this afternoon.

Perhaps it’s fitting that the two pitchers who went unscathed got the “W” and the “SV” as the Saguaros outslugged the Solar Sox, 16-15 yesterday afternoon. Jackson Cluff was once again the sole Nats position player in the starting lineup. The 24-y.o. from Colorado went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, and three runs scored. …

Jackson Rutledge was able to limit the damage early but faltered again late as Surprise saw its modest three-game win streak end with a 9-2 loss to Glendale. Rutledge gave one in the 1st and four in the 5th and needed 70 pitches to get 12 outs. He was charged with the loss, along with …

Scottsdale answered Surprise’s field goal in the 2nd with a safety in the 3rd to make it 3-2. After that, it was all Sagauros as the Nats’ AFL entry stung the Scorpions for fourteen unanswered runs in a 17-2 rout on Thursday afternoon. Three of “our guys” were in the starting lineup: Donovan Casey led …

Surprise rallied for two in the 6th to tie and single runs in the 7th and 9th to take the Monday afternoon game, 5-3. The win stopped a two-game slide.

Jackson Cluff was the sole position player in the Saguaros starting lineup. He led off and went 1-for-5 with a double, a run scored, and two whiffs. In the field, he had four assists with no errors.

Cole Henry was the second man out of the Surprise ‘pen and pitched two and a 1/3rd inning, allowing an unearned run on a double and two walks. He struck out four.

Evan Lee got the last two outs of the 4th inning but allowed the run he inherited from Henry and walked two of the five batters he faced.

Surprise is off today and travels to Salt River tomorrow.

In what very well may be the opening salvo for the upcoming CBA talks, multiple outlets are reporting that MLB plans to announce the requirement of teams to provide housing to minor-leaguers, beginning in 2022. Like many things MLB and MiLB and its financial dealings, details are sketchy. Whether the requirement will mean housing stipends …

Glendale put up crooked numbers in three straight innings to erase an early 2-0 deficit and take this one from Surprise, 6-4.

Three Nats prospects were in the Saguaros starting lineup.

Donovan Casey led off and played CF. He went 0-for-1 with two walks and a sacrifice fly and had two RBI. He was caught stealing and fielded two singles.

Drew Millas was behind the plate and batted 7th. He went 1-for-4 and had four putouts, including a foul popup.

Jackson Cluff (pictured) manned shortstop and singled in four trips to the plate, scoring a run, and striking out three times. He registered two putouts and had three assists.

Surprise drops to 2-2 and heads back out on the road tomorrow for a grueling 17-minute drive to Peoria to take on the Javelinas.