The Solar Sox had a rough week going into the Fall Stars game, but Jonathon Long continues to shine.
Every Monday, we check in with the Boys of Autumn and the Cubs prospects playing for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League.
In case you’ve forgotten, the Solar Sox are the Cubs AFL affiliate and they play their home games at Sloan Park, the Spring Training home of the Chicago Cubs. Every year they are joined by the Athletics, who also train in Mesa and are always part of the Solar Sox. The other three teams that contribute players to the Solar Sox rotate, and this season the Cubs and A’s are joined by prospects from the Red Sox, Angels, and Rays.
It was a short and rough week for the Solar Sox who dropped into fourth place (and out of the playoffs) with a 1-3 week. Their overall record on the season is 13-13. They have four games left to turn things around.
The week was short because Friday and Saturday was reserved for the AFL Home Run Derby and Fall Stars Game. Moisés Ballesteros competed in the Home Run Derby on Friday and finished in a tie for third place with eight home runs. The Derby was won by Yankees prospect Garrett Martin.
The Fall Stars Game was won by the American League, 6-5. Moisés Ballesteros and Jonathon Long were named to the National League squad. Long started at first base in the Fall Stars Game and went 0 for 2 with a sacrifice fly and an RBI groundout before leaving after five innings. Ballesteros caught the fourth through sixth innings and went 0 for 1 with a sacrifice fly.
Here are the four regular season games the Solar Sox played this past week. The home team is listed last.
Monday, November 4: Surprise Saguaros 11, Solar Sox 3
Tuesday, November 5: Salt River Rafters 13, Solar Sox 11
Wednesday, November 6: Solar Sox 9, Rafters 6
Thursday, November 7: Solar Sox 1, Scottsdale Scorpions 6
Here’s how the Cubs prospects did this past week.
Catcher Moisés Ballesteros
Ballesteros had a down week, catching on Monday and Wednesday and going 1 for 8 with a sacrifice fly. He also scored one run.
Still, on the season as a whole, Ballesteros is hitting a healthy .309/.375/.574 with five home runs and 15 RBI. He’s also scored 14 times.
Here’s Ballesteros’ first round of the Home Run Derby on Friday. [VIDEO]
Corner infielder Jonathon Long
Long had another big week in the AFL. Besides starting at first base the Fall Stars Game, he played in all four games this past week: He was the DH on Monday and Thursday, third base on Tuesday and first base on Wednesday.
Long homered on Tuesday and Wednesday, giving him six home runs on the campaign. That’s a four-way tie for second in the AFL this year.
For the week, Long went 6 for 15 with a double, the two home runs and four walks. He scored five times and had five RBI. He was named one of the top performers of the week.
On the season, Long is hitting .348/.443/.667 with the three doubles and the six home runs. He has 19 RBI and 16 runs scored. He’s unlikely to be named league MVP—there are four or five players with better numbers—but he’s certainly looking at being named to the All-AFL team at the end of the year as long as he keeps it up over the final four regular season games.
Long’s home run on Tuesday [VIDEO]. Oppo taco.
His home run on Wednesday [VIDEO].
Infielder Benjamin Cowles
Cowles played shortstop on Monday and second base on Wednesday. He went 1 for 4 in both games. He scored once on Monday and had one RBI on Wednesday.
For the AFL season, Cowles is hitting .224/.316/.343 with six doubles, a triple and a stolen base. He’s scored seven runs and driven in seven runs.
Catcher David Avitia
Avitia was a midseason replacement for another catcher who withdrew and he got off to a great start last week, going 4 for 5 with a double in the one game he played. He played two games this week and didn’t do as well, going 0 for 8 with three strikeouts.
Right-hander Grant Kipp
Kipp started and got the win in Mesa’s only win this past week on Wednesday, but he didn’t exactly cover himself in glory doing it. Kipp pitched 2.2 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out four.
Kipp has made five starts and is 2-2 with a 6.59 ERA. Over 13.2 innings, Kipp has struck out 18 (very good) and walked ten (not so good).
Right-hander Shane Marshall
Marshall pitched the fifth inning of Mesa’s 11-3 loss to Surprise on Monday and was the only one of Mesa’s seven pitchers that day to not allow a run. Marshall gave up no hits and just a one-out walk blemished his inning. He struck out two.
Marshall needed that good inning because he’d been struggling in the AFL up to that point. He’s appeared in relief in six games and has pitched seven innings, getting tagged for 15 hits and 11 runs. That gives him a record of 0-1 with a 14.14 ERA. He’s struck out six and walked four.
Right-hander Vince Reilly
Reilly was one of those six pitchers who allowed a run on Monday. He pitched the seventh inning and was tagged for two runs on three hits and one hit batter. He struck out two and walked no one.
On the season, Reilly has pitched 7.2 innings over seven appearances. He’s 1-0 with a 4.70 ERA and two saves. Reilly has walked four and struck out six.
Right-hander Luis Rujano
Rujano pitched in relief in Thursday’s 6-1 loss to Scottsdale. He only threw one inning and it didn’t go well as Rujano gave up three runs on one hit and four walks. So he had trouble throwing strikes—45 pitches and only 20 strikes. Rujano did not strike anyone out.
For the fall, Rujano has pitched four times—two starts and two relief appearances. He’s 3-0 with a 6.75 ERA. In eight innings, he’s struck out 11 and walked nine.
Right-hander Sam Thoresen
Thoresen pitched the top of the ninth inning in Monday’s loss and got hammered for three runs on five hits. So he turned an 8-3 lead into an 11-3 lead. Thoresen did strike out two and he didn’t walk anyone.
Thoresen has pitched six innings over six relief appearances and is 0-1 with a 7.50 ERA. In those six innings, Thoresen has struck out seven and walked ten.