Arizona Fall League/Mesa Solar Sox update

The Arizona Fall League enters its final week and the Mesa Solar Sox are in great shape, leading the East Division with a 2½-game lead with only four games left to play. Should the Solar Sox win their division, they will play in the AFL Championship Game on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. Central Time on MLB Network, probably against the Peoria Javelinas.

Since our last update, the Solar Sox have gone 3-2-1 and have a league-best record of 15-10-1.

Hitters:

David Bote: Bote hasn’t been able to keep up the torrid pace he started the AFL season. But his overall numbers are still good, as he’s hitting .333/.395/.438 with four home runs and 14 RBI. Bote has only played two games since our last update. He went 2 for 10 in those game and both hits were singles. However, he did drive in three runs in those two games.

Charcer Burks: Burks had a big game on Saturday, going 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. Since our last update, Burks has gone 4 for 18 with two doubles and four walks. He did strike out six times in those five games. Burks overall line this season is .254/.343/.356 with two steals, 11 runs scored and seven RBI. He’s been much better since a rough start to the Fall campaign.

Ian Rice: Rice is one of those part-time players in the AFL and he’s only played one game since the last update. On Friday, he went 1 for 4 with a double and he scored once. Overall this season, Rice has hit well, putting up a line of .297/.422/.432 in 11 games.

Jason Vosler: Vosler has played in four games since the last update and he’s gone 3 for 13, all singles. However, Vosler has walked three times as well. His overall line in the AFL is a bit disappointing at .229/.349/.371 with two home runs and 12 RBI.

Pitchers:

Adbert Alzolay: Alzolay has made only one appearance since the Halloween nightmare when he was torched for six runs in two-thirds of an inning. On Thursday, Alzolay pitched one inning of relief and allowed a run on two hits. Overall, Alzolay has made seven appearances and has an 0-1 record and 6.17 ERA, but most of that is that one game. In 11.2 innings, Alzolay has struck out 13 batters and walked only three.

Pedro Araujo: Araujo has two relief appearances since the last update. In the first, he pitched a scoreless inning, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out two. In the other one, Araujo allowed two runs, one earned, over two innings of work, both in extra innings, on Friday. He gave up one hit, walked one and struck out two. However, because he pitched in extra innings, a runner started both innings on second base, so his results should be taken in that light. The two runs in the 11th meant that the game ended in a tie.

Overall, Araujo is putting up some numbers in the AFL that will get him noticed. Over 9⅓ innings in eight appearances, Araujo has struck out 13 batters and walked just two. He has a 1.93 ERA and two saves.

Alec Mills: Mills started Friday’s game and allowed just one run over four innings. He surrendered two hits, he walked one and struck out two. After a poor first start in the AFL, Mills has pitched well and sports a 1-3 record with a 3.91 ERA. Over 23 innings in six starts, Mills has struck out 20 and walked six.

Jake Stinnett: Stinnett pitched one inning since the last inning, pitching the fifth inning of Friday’s tie. He faced three batters and retired them all, two by strikeout.

Overall, Stinnett has allowed two runs over 8⅔ innings in six relief appearances, which works out to a 2.08 ERA. Stinnett has struck out 12 and walked three overall.