It might be the fall, but there's no sign Bobby Dalbec's bat is going to cool off any time soon. The sixth-ranked Boston prospect homered and drove in four runs as part of a three-hit effort to lead Mesa in an 18-2 thumping of Surprise at Surprise Stadium. Dalbec has seven
It might be the fall, but there's no sign Bobby Dalbec's bat is going to cool off any time soon.
The sixth-ranked Boston prospect homered and drove in four runs as part of a three-hit effort to lead Mesa in an 18-2 thumping of Surprise at Surprise Stadium. Dalbec has seven hits in the past three games and is batting .304 overall in the young Arizona Fall League season.
Gameday box score
With the Solar Sox already up, 5-0, in the second inning, the 2016 fourth-round pick capped a six-run frame. With two runners on, Dalbec was down in the count, 0-2, against Nate Pearson before slugging the fourth-ranked Blue Jays prospect's third offering over the center-field wall for his first long ball of the fall.
One inning later, Dalbec battled against Joe Barlow for eight pitches, eventually cashing in with an RBI single into right.
No. 6 Cubs prospectNico Hoerner , who came into the game with one RBI this fall, plated three runs for Mesa. The club's 2018 first-round pick out of Stanford delivered a two-RBI single in the first and brought home a run on an infield groundout in the eighth. Out of the leadoff spot, 16th-ranked Cubs prospect D.J. Wilson singled, walked three times and scored four runs.
No. 30 A's prospectSkye Bolt collected his second on a three-run shot and P.J. Higgins (Cubs) belted his first homer of the fall to round out the 15-hit attack.
On the mound, Mesa kept Surprise out of the hit column for the first 6 2/3 innings until Charles Leblanc (Rangers) blooped a single into center. Chicago's Justin Steele (1-0) and Oakland's Jake Bray both threw three scoreless frames with two strikeouts apiece.
Andy Young ended the shutout bid with a run-scoring single in the seventh. The Cardinals infield prospect is hitting .412 through his first five AFL contests.
In other AFL action:
Scorpions 8, Javelinas 0
Eighth-ranked Astros prospect J.B. Bukauskas (1-0) tossed four scoreless innings, yielding two hits and a walk with four strikeouts in Scottsdale's seven-hit shutout. Darick Hall (Phillies) backed the pitching with two hits and three RBIs to improve to .263 this fall. No. 11 Mets prospectDesmond Lindsay added two hits, a walk and a run scored in his second AFL game. Ninth-ranked Rays prospectLucius Fox collected two base knocks out of the leadoff spot for Peoria. Gameday box score
Rafters 2, Desert Dogs 1 (10 innings)
Salt River rallied for two runs without a hit in the 10th as No. 2 Nationals prospectCarter Kieboom scored the game-winning run on a balk by Kyle Zurak (Yankees). Second-ranked Dodgers prospectKeibert Ruiz broke a scoreless tie in the 10th with an RBI double to right. The knock was just the seventh total hit for both sides. Top D-backs prospectJon Duplantier headlined a pitchers' duel with five strikeouts over three one-hit innings for Salt River. Nationals left-handers Ben Braymer and Jordan Mills combined for seven whiffs over four scoreless frames in relief for the Rafters. Duplantier was matched by Indians righty Justin Garza, who yielded a hit and four punchouts in 3 2/3 innings. Gameday box score
