photo: Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation
In the 2018 Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game, held Saturday evening, November 3 at Surprise Stadium, the home West topped the West, 7-6 on a walk-off home run.
As is my custom, I attended the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game, along with 6,883 paying fans at Surprise Stadium. Here are a few of my thoughts on the game.
In the anthem photo at the top, Cardinals pitcher Evan Kruczynski is at the lower right. The inset photo is when he was called out in the pre-game introductions.
Mets first baseman Peter Alonso clobbered a home run to center in the top of the first for the East, but struck out on an off-speed pitch a foot off the plate in his second at-bat. That is why they are prospects.
Houston’s Forrest Whitley is the top pitcher here in the AFL and showed why, with a 100+ mph fastball and good secondary pitches.
Kruczynski took over on the mound for the West following starter Nate Pearson in the second and the lefty stayed for the third inning as well. A number of balls were hard-hit, but right at his fielders, especially the shortstop, who started a double play that enabled Kruczynski to face the minimum six batters.
His fastball was 89-91 mph with his off-speed at 81-83. 11 of his 17 pitches went for strikes.
To say the 6-foot-5, 215-pounder’s motion is hard to pick up by the hitters is an understatement.
The top overall prospect in baseball, Surprise and Toronto third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., laced a ball to the left-field screen in the fifth, and when the throw was bobbled, the big man pleased the crowd with a head-first slide into third.
In the sixth, Cleveland second baseman Yu Chang laced a liner to right that the fielder could not quite reach. Chang’s two-run triple broke a 3-3 tie in favor of the home West.
Another go-ahead hit was struck in the top of the eighth by Phillies outfielder Austin Listi. His three-run homer to left turned a 5-3 deficit into a 6-5 lead for the visiting East.
The West had two on with one out in the eighth but Cole Tucker of the Pirates and Chang were both fanned by Brett Hanewich of the Angels.
Leading off the bottom of the ninth, Guerrero hit a one-hopper to short and took second on an errant throw by the shortstop. Down to his last strike on a full count with two outs, outfielder Buddy Reed of San Diego tattooed a ball to the center field wall for an RBI triple against Colorado reliever Justin Lawrence. Reed was named Player of the Game.
Meibrys Viloria of the Royals then blasted a two-run homer to right center that ended the game in a West walk-off followed by a hearty on-field celebration. Final score: West 7, East 6.
Had it been needed, the Robinson Rule would have been enacted in the extra innings – a runner placed on second base.
Miscellaneous notes
The designated hitter for the West was Luis Robert, who many may remember was a top free agent target of the Cardinals, but signed with the White Sox instead. Robert had a night to forget, going 0-for-4 including two strikeouts and leaving three runners stranded.
Another familiar name to Cardinals fans, pitcher Rob Kaminsky, had been named the West squad, but the Indians reliever was pulled from the game due to an injury to his glove hand sustained on a line drive last week. It has been 3 1/2 years since St. Louis dealt Kaminsky to the Tribe for first baseman-outfielder Brandon Moss.
The most popular individual in Surprise Stadium Saturday night was not a player, but none other than the San Diego Chicken, with his usual fan-pleasing shtick.
Related content for members of The Cardinal Nation
Cardinals Arizona Fall League Prospect Interview – Evan Kruczynski
What is next
Additional interviews coming in our annual audio series from Arizona for members will include Part 2 with Stubby Clapp, focused on the Memphis Redbirds’ strong finish to 2018, pitchers Connor Jones, Conner Greene and Will Latcham, plus infielders Tommy Edman and Andy Young, catcher Jeremy Martinez and outfielder Lane Thomas.
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Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian on Twitter.
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