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Glendale Desert Dogs 6, Peoria Javelinas 2
Luis Robert (DH, batting fifth): 1-for-4, R, K
Zach Thompson (RP): 2 IP, 5 K, 28 pitches/20 strikes
While it wasn’t a high volume of Chicago White Sox prospects dotting the diamond in Peoria today, the two who played maximized their impact.
Let’s start with Thompson, who had about as good a couple of innings as a pitcher can have. He relieved starter Ben Holmes to start the fifth, and induced leadoff hitter Ray-Patrick Didder to fly out to left.
And that was the last ball put in play vs. Thompson.
The righty mowed down the next five Javelinas he faced, four swinging and one looking.
Robert also got back into action and singled right away, leading off the second inning. Two singles later, Robert had scored the first Desert Dogs run of the day.
Anecdotally, it seems like Robert has been pulling the ball a ton, with his hits and outs going to the left side so far in AFL play. So it’s either just dumb luck, or Brett, pay better attention, but perhaps it’s a nice sign that Robert’s subsequent outs in the game (line out to second in the third, fly out to right in the fifth, called out on strikes in the seventh, oops) were using more of the diamond.
Anyway, a tasty win for the Desert Dogs, who climb to 2-9 and sit just five games out of first, with an elimination number of ... oh, wait, this just in, being five games out just 11 games into the season sorta sucks ... 15.