Ben Ross Racks Up Hits, Kala'i Rosario Defends Home Run Crown in Week 5 of Arizona Fall League

Game Results:
Monday, 11/4 | Glendale 11, Salt River 13
Tuesday, 11/5 | Salt River 13, Mesa 11
Wednesday, 11/6 | Mesa 9, Salt River 6 (7 innings)
Thursday, 11/7 | Salt River 3, Peoria 10
Saturday, 11/9 | Fall Stars Game: American League 6, National League 5

With it being All Stars Week in the Arizona Fall League, the Salt River Rafters only played four games, going 2-2 on the week to finish it out at 14-12 overall. Minnesota Twins pitchers had a bit of a rough week, regressing to the mean as far as the league is concerned. The hitters, on the other hand, continued their solid play, with one launching a home run and the other being one of the toughest outs on the circuit for the week. The weekend also saw the American League face off against the National League in the Fall Stars Game with one Twins pitcher making an appearance, and a hitter attempting to defend his Home Run Derby title from last year.

OF Kala’i Rosario
Week: 3-for-10, 5 R, HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 3 K, SB (3 games)
Overall: .296/.388/.451
Rosario opened the week as the designated hitter, batting seventh in the Rafters lineup on Monday in their win over the Glendale Desert Dogs. While he had just one hit in the game, it was a big one, as his home run in the bottom of the third inning closed the Desert Dogs lead to just one. The ball left his bat at 108 MPH and traveled 426 feet.

Rosario also drew a walk to start the bottom of the second inning, and later stole third base for his third swipe of the season. He would score a run that inning on a balk. Then, in both the fourth and fifth innings, Rosario drew bases-loaded walks to pick up two more RBIs. He finished 1-for-2 with two runs scored and four RBIs.

In Tuesday’s victory over the Mesa Solar Sox, Rosario moved back up to the cleanup spot in the lineup and roamed right field. He didn’t reach base in his first two at-bats, but picked up a single in the sixth to start a Salt River rally. Later, with the bases loaded, Rosario scored from third on a single to put them in front 5-2. Rosario reached on a fielder’s choice in the seventh, and later scored again on a double. He finished his day by drawing another walk in the eighth, and later scored the Rafters' 12th run of the game.

After a day off on Wednesday, Rosario was back in right field and batting sixth for the Rafters. It took him until the eighth inning, but he was able to extend his hitting streak to five games with a single up the middle.

While he hasn’t hit as many home runs this time around as he did last year, Rosario also got the opportunity this week to defend his Home Run Derby crown from last season. He had another strong showing, but the eventual winner, Garrett Martin of the New York Yankees, edged him out to reach the final with a tally of 16-to-15.

IF Ben Ross
Week: 7-for-11, 3 R, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB, K (3 games)
Overall: .269/.385/.397
Ross appeared in three of the Rafters' four games on the week, and was a menace to opposing pitchers, batting .636 in his 11 at-bats. In the Rafters' 13-11 victory over Mesa on Tuesday, Ross played shortstop and batted behind Rosario. He grounded out in the top of the second, but singles in each of the fourth, sixth, seventh, and eighth innings led to his three runs scored in the game. His single in the top of the eighth also drove in two to make it 12-6, giving the Rafters what would turn out to be the winning run.

On Wednesday, the Rafters again took on the Solar Sox, and Ross was at short again, batting fifth in the lineup. His single in the bottom of the first put the first run of the game on the scoreboard, and before the inning was over Salt River had an early 3-0 lead. He also drew a walk in the sixth inning to reach base multiple times.

Batting seventh in the lineup and playing center field on Thursday, Ross led off the top of the second inning with his third double of the AFL season, but ended up being caught in no-man's land between second and third and wasn’t able to score a run. He led off the fourth inning with a walk and this time would end up stranded. He finished off this game with an infield single in the top of the eighth inning, but the Rafters would again leave him stranded as they finished this game 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

IF Danny De Andrade
Week: Did not play.
The Venezuelan infielder hit .243/.333/.359 in 29 games with the Cedar Rapids Kernels before injuring his ankle all the way back in May. He spent the rest of the season on the injured list and the hope was he would be able to make up a few at-bats in the Arizona Fall League. Unfortunately, that has not happened.

RHP Devin Kirby
Week: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (1 appearance)
Overall: 1-0, 8.00 ERA, 2.00 WHIP, .219 BAA, 11 BB, 6 K (9 IP)
Kirby’s knuckleball saw action in just one game on the week, as he pitched the seventh inning of Monday’s win over Glendale with the score 12-8 Salt River. The first four batters of the inning reached base (two walks, two singles) leading to a pair of runs before he got the innings first out with a fly ball. From there, his knuckler danced quite well, as he finished his outing with a pair of swinging strikeouts.

RHP Jack Noble
Week: 1/3 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, BB, K (1 appearance)
Overall: 1-1, 5.56 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, .282 BAA, 7 BB, 10 K (11 1/3 IP)
While Noble only made one (forgettable) appearance for the Rafters on the week, he also was the sole Minnesota Twins prospect to make the American League Fall Stars team.

In Wednesday’s loss to Mesa, Noble was the first reliever summoned from the Salt River bullpen to begin the third inning. The Rafters had a 3-0 lead at the time, but they’d be behind by the time Noble was lifted. He recorded just one out after giving up a leadoff single, walk, and three-run home run to tie the game. He then picked up a strikeout for his only out, before giving up a pair of doubles and being sent to the showers. In total, he was charged with five earned runs on four hits and a walk, ballooning his ERA from sub 2.00 all the way to above 5.00. Such is the nature of the AFL and stat lines sometimes.

But before that blowup, Noble had been good enough to earn his spot in the bullpen on the American League Fall Stars team; that showcase game was played on Saturday at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ.

With the game tied 5-5, Noble came on to start the bottom of the eighth inning. He got the first batter on a fly out to center, but then gave up a single to put the go-ahead run on base for the National League squad. He got a groundout from the next hitter that moved that runner to second, and Noble was lifted after recording two outs. The AL team would go onto win 6-5 thanks to a solo home run in the top of the ninth.

LHP Kade Bragg
Week: 2 1/3 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, K (1 appearance)
Overall: 0-1, 4.50 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, .143 BAA, 10 BB, 11 K (12 IP)
Bragg's lone appearance of the week came in Tuesday’s win over the Solar Sox, when he came into the game to start the fifth inning. He put up zeroes in each of the fifth and sixth frames, allowing just a single and a walk in each. Back out for the seventh, however, he got into a bunch of trouble with the score 9-2 in favor of the Rafters. A single and a pair of walks loaded the bases with one out, and he gave up a grand slam to make the score 9-6 before being removed from the game. Although he gave up those four runs, he was credited with a hold for his efforts.

RHP Jacob King
Week: 2 1/3 IP, 7 H, 7 R (4 ER), 3 BB, K (2 appearances)
Overall: 0-1, 7.04 ERA, 1.96 WHIP, .324 BAA, 4 BB, 6 K (7 2/3 IP)
King was the only pitcher to see action in multiple games for Salt River during the week, but he’d rather move onto the final week and forget these. 

In Monday’s win over Glendale, he was the first reliever to come out of the Rafters bullpen, in the middle of the second inning. The Desert Dogs had already scored three runs to tie the game, but King was able to get a lineout to end any further threat. Back out for the third inning the first three hitters reached base on a double and a pair of walks, before he got a force out at home for the first out. He followed that up with a strikeout to give himself a chance at getting out unscathed, but an earlier error led to a bases clearing double to put the Desert Dogs out front 6-3 before he could. He recorded three outs in this one, and was charged with three unearned runs on two hits and two walks.

In Thursday’s loss to Peoria, King was again the first reliever summoned for Salt River, and again in the middle of the second inning with multiple runners on base. He hit his first batter to load the bases, then allowed a two-run single to tie the game at three before getting the final out. In the third he loaded the bases with a walk and a pair of singles before giving up a grand slam of his own and the Javelinas a 7-3 lead. After that he worked around a single to finish the inning, but the damage was done.

RHP Liam Rocha
Week: 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (1 appearance)
Overall: 1-0, 4.35 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, .250 BAA, 8 BB, 9 K (10 1/3 IP)
Rocha’s single appearance of the week came in Wednesday’s loss to Mesa, and he was the pitcher to come in and clean up Noble’s mess in the top of the third inning. With the score 4-3 Mesa and one out, Rocha allowed an RBI double to the first hitter to score an inherited runner, before picking up a pair of strikeouts to escape the jam.

Back out for the fourth, he walked the first two hitters and then let up an RBI double that made it 6-4 Solar Sox. A sac fly extended that lead to three, but he got a fly out and ground ball around a hit batter to limit any further scoring and finish the inning.

Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the prospects playing in the AFL this week!

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