photo: Jake Walsh, Andre Pallante, Zack Thompson, Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
In Monday AFL action, St. Louis Cardinals prospects Lars Nootbaar (2 RBI), Zack Thompson (3 SO IP) and Jake Walsh (save) led Glendale to a come-from-behind road win.
Results from the game played Monday, November 1, 2021.
The Glendale Desert Dogs (9-7) mounted an 8-5 come-from-behind road victory over the Rafters (6-9) at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Thursday afternoon.
St. Louis Cardinals prospects contributed both at the plate and on the mound. Lead-off batter Lars Nootbaar did the most damage of any Desert Dog, singling and doubling in four at bats with a sac fly, two runs scored and two driven in.
The right fielder came to the plate in the third with the sacks jammed and his team trailing 5-0. A balk brought the first of five Glendale scores across home before a sac fly drove in tally number two. A fielding error by the Rafters’ left fielder allowed Nootbaar to reach second on the play, after which he raced home on second baseman Jose Rodriguez’ (CHW) single to center. Rodriguez eventually scored via a wild pitch, knotting the game at 5-5.
The tie remained until the fifth when Nootbaar lined a double to right with one away, his fifth two-base hit of the AFL season. Designated hitter James Outman’s (LAD) two-out double drove in the right fielder for a 6-5 advantage.
Noot can not be stopped, the @Cardinals promising big leaguer now leads the Arizona Fall League in extra base hits after this booming double! @CardsPlayerDev pic.twitter.com/EwTUPGAvMB
— MLB's Arizona Fall League (@MLBazFallLeague) November 1, 2021
Glendale’s final two tallies were generated in the sixth. A sac fly by Angels’ catcher Anthony Mulrine brought left fielder Yoelqui Cespedes (CHW) who reached on a double. Nootbaar followed Mulrine’s action with his own RBI when he singled to short, bringing centerfielder Pedro Leon (walk) across home.
The only other Cardinals position player to see action was Juan Yepez, who manned first base. Glendale’s clean-up hitter was hitless in four at bats but did work a free pass.
The Desert Dogs used six hurlers to navigate nine frames, including two Cardinals. Zack Thompson was credited with his second victory against no losses, holding his opponents to a hit and base-on-balls over three innings, covering the fourth through sixth.
One of his two base runners was caught stealing while he picked his other runner off first, leaving the lefty facing the minimum during his stint. Thompson threw 33 pitches, 17 for strikes.
Tasked with protecting the one-run lead, Jake Walsh tossed the ninth, retiring Salt River’s eighth and ninth hitters on a fly out and 6-3 ground out. The 26-year-old gave up a hard single to right but regrouped to record a 4-3 ground out for his third AFL save.
Tuesday’s game: at Solar Sox (7-8), 12:35 pm MST/1:35 pm CT, RHP Landon Knack (1-0, 5.59) (LAD)
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