photo: Nathan Church (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The Glendale Desert Dogs held their playoff position by defeating the Surprise Saguaros on Tuesday. Nathan Church singled, doubled and walked with two runs scored. Alex Cornwell threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Cardinals Leonardo Bernal and Brycen Mautz also played.
Results from the Arizona Fall League game played Tuesday, November 12.
Glendale Desert Dogs 9 at Surprise Saguaros 5
The Desert Dogs beat the Saguaros by a 9-5 score on Tuesday. Four Cardinals participated. Nathan Church hit sixth in the starting lineup and played left field. Catcher Leonardo Bernal started in the seventh spot in the lineup. Alex Cornwell and Brycen Mautz pitched in relief.
Church singled, doubled and walked with two runs scored. In his first at bat in the second inning, he flied out to left field. In the fourth, Church doubled to center field and came home on a single by Bernal. He drew a walk in the fifth but was stranded.
Church hit an infield single to third base in the eighth and scored on a triple by Jake Gelof of the Dodgers organization. In his final at bat, Church struck out swinging to end the top of the ninth inning.
Bernal was 1-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored. In his first at bat in the second inning, Bernal lined out to second base. Bernal’s single to right field scored Church in the fourth inning. He was thrown out trying to advance to second base. In the fifth, Bernal lined out to the shortstop.
Bernal drew a walk in the eighth in his final at bat, and along with Church, scored on Gelof’s triple.
With two outs in the third inning and Glendale up by one, Cornwell entered with a runner on base. He walked the first batter, then retired the next one on a force out to end the inning and strand the inherited runner.
Cornwell returned for the fourth. He retired the first two hitters, on a ground out and fly out. He gave up a double to the next batter but retired the final hitter on a strikeout looking to end the inning. He received his fourth AFL hold.
Mautz entered the game to open the fifth inning, replacing Cornwell, with the Dogs up 6-1. He gave up a single to the first hitter and walked the next batter. The third hitter singled to plate a run. The next batter was retired on a ground out, but a run scored. Mautz allowed a double as a third run crossed the plate. He finished the inning by retiring the next two batters on a strikeout looking and a ground out to the shortstop.
Mautz was replaced for the sixth, with the Glendale lead reduced to 6-4.
Cornwell and Mautz each threw 25 pitches with 15 going for strikes. Cornwell gave up no runs but Mautz surrendered three.
No other Cardinal saw action.
Riding a three-game winning streak, Glendale is 16-12, tied with the Salt River Rafters for second place, one game behind Surprise with two games to play. Two games separate the two second place teams from fourth place and no playoff berth.
Wednesday’s game: at Mesa Solar Sox, Christian McGowan RHP (2-0, 5.40) vs. Grant Kipp RHP (2-2, 6.59) 7:30 CT.
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