After starting the season 0-5, the Mesa Solar Sox played much better ball in the second week of the Arizona Fall League, winning three of their six games.
In Thursday’s win over the Peoria Javelinas, several Pirates Prospects came up big in the victory. Nathan Baker picked up the win after allowing just one hit over two scoreless frames, Mike Colla tossed a scoreless 9th to pick up the save. Robbie Grossman’s one out double started a three run rally in the 5th in which Jarek Cunningham drove in two of the runs in the 6-3 victory.
The Solar Sox (3-8) are last in the AFL East, six games back from the first place Salt River Rafters, who are 9-2.
Here are the individual stats from the Pirates players in the AFL:
- Left-hander Nathan Baker pitched two scoreless innings out of the bullpen on Thursday where he held the Peoria Javelinas to just one hit with one walk and one strikeout. Baker picked up the win for the Solar Sox. In his two appearances this season, Baker has allowed just one run on five this over 4.1 innings with four strikeouts.
- Right-hander Gerrit Cole made his professional debut in the AFL on Friday. Cole, who was the No.1 pick in the 2011 draft, allowed three runs on three hits over 2.1 innings.
Cole pitched a perfect 1st inning (all groundouts) before allowing a leadoff single to start the 2nd frame. Cole was able to get out of the inning unscathed by striking out the next two batters and induced a ground to end the 2nd.
However, the 21-year-old was unable to finish the 3rd inning. Cole allowed a leadoff single and a walk before Tim Beckham, the Tampa Bay Rays first round pick (first overall) in 2008, lined a two-run double to left field. Cole was replaced by reliever Casey Lambert, who with two outs allowed a RBI double to give the Saguaros a 3-2 lead. Cole, who threw 52 pitches, 35 strikes, was removed from the game due to pitch count.
It was reported by Keith Law of ESPN that Cole hit 100 mph twice and 99 once, which came in the third inning. His slider averaged 89-90 mph and his final pitch –the two run double– was 97 mph.
- Right-hander Mike Colla made two appearances out of the bullpen for the Solar Sox. On Monday, Colla tossed 1.2 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit with one walk and one strikeout. Colla followed that performance up with another scoreless inning on Thursday, where he picked up the save in the 6-3 victory. In three appearances (4.1 innings) Colla has yet to surrender an earned run with three walks and three strikeouts.
- Right-hander Phil Irwin was removed from the AFL roster and did not make an appearance this week. In his only outing, Irwin allowed two runs on three hits over 2.1 innings of relief. Both runs charged to Irwin came via the long ball. Irwin returned to Bradenton, Fla., with tightness in his right forearm.
- Infielder Jarek Cunningham appeared in four games this week where he went 3-for-14 (.214 avg) with a double, three walks and three RBI. In eight games this season, Cunningham is batting .172.
- Outfielder Robbie Grossman started in all six of the games this week where he went 10-for-26 (.384 avg) with two doubles, three RBI and four walks. Grossman also hit his third home run in 11 games this season with the Solar Sox. Overall, Grossman is batting .354 with an .426 OBP and a 1.030 OPS.
- Infielder Brock Holt, who injured his hamstring the day before he was schedule to fly into Scottsdale for the Fall League, tweeted this afternoon that he was en route to Arizona.
Photo credit: MILB
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