Cardinals Arizona Fall League Notebook – October 20, 2024

photo: Matt Svanson (P.J. Maigi/Springfield Cardinals)

The Glendale Desert Dogs shut out the Salt River Rafters 1-0 in seven innings on Saturday. Nathan Church tripled and scored the only run. Trent Baker and Ixan Henderson combined for 5 1/3 scoreless innings and Matt Svanson earned his first AFL save.



Results from the Arizona Fall League game played Saturday, October 19.

Glendale Desert Dogs 1, Salt River Rafters 0 (seven innings)

The Desert Dogs shut out the River Rafters by a 1-0 score on Saturday.

Four Cardinals participated. Nathan Church was in the starting lineup hitting leadoff and playing in center field. Three Cardinals pitchers took the mound. Trent Baker started with Ixan Henderson and Matt Svanson pitching out of the bullpen.

Church went 2-for-3 with a run scored. In the bottom of the first inning, Church grounded out to the shortstop.  He singled to right field in the third inning but was caught stealing second base.

Nathan Church

Church came to the plate again in the sixth and hit a triple on a fly ball to center field. He scored the game’s only run on a single by teammate Colson Montgomery of the White Sox.

Baker started and pitched three scoreless innings with one hit allowed. In the first inning, he induced two ground outs and a fly out. In the second inning, all three batters were retired, on a ground out, a fly out, and a lineout.

Trent Baker

Baker’s final inning consisted of one single and three hitters retired on a lineout, a ground out and a pop out.

Henderson threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings of long relief. He allowed three hits, struck out four and walked one. In the fourth, the lefty struck out one, walked one, gave up a single and induced a fly out and a force out.

Ixan Henderson

In the fifth, Henderson struck out two, allowed a single and induced another force out. In the sixth, he gave up a leadoff single, then committed a disengagement violation that advanced the runner from first to second. He struck out the next batter and was then replaced.

Matt Svanson

Svanson pitched the seventh and was asked to get the final three outs. He struck out the first two hitters, then retired the final hitter on a ground out for his first AFL save after saving 27 games in 27 opportunities for Springfield in 2024.

No other Cardinals appeared in Saturday’s win.

Glendale is 7-4 in the AFL season.

Sunday’s game:  Off


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