Article: AFL Recap Week 5: Bullpen Dominates

[Steve Lein]

Twins prospects in the Arizona Fall League are playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions this season, and they started off the week with three consecutive wins, scoring twenty-two runs in the process. They hit a wall on Thursday however, and lost the last three games of the week, scoring only once in each game. At this point of the season Scottsdale leads the East division with a 16-10 record.Twins hitting prospects didn’t have much success on the week, but the bullpen again displayed some dominance. Read on to check out how they all did in week five of the 2015 Arizona Fall League season!

 

(links provided to each player’s overall stats by clicking their name)

 

Adam Brett Walker – 4 games, 3-14, 2 R’s, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 7 K’s.

 

Walker played in four games on the week, collecting one hit in three of the games, including a two-run home run in Wednesday’s 7-5 win. His blast got the Scorpions on the board and closed the lead to 3-2. He drew his only walk of the week in the fourth inning to load the bases, but all runners ended up stranded.

 

His RBI single in Monday’s 10-8 win over Salt River came in their five-run eighth inning to make the score 5-3. He came around to score the tying run and the game went extra innings before Scottsdale came out on top. He also struck out three times on the day.

 

In Thursday’s 2-1 loss, Walker singled to lead off the third inning, but was erased on a Stuart Turner double play ball. He struck out two more times.

 

On Friday Walker was held in check with an 0-3 day that included two more strikeouts, and was in the on-deck circle with the score 2-1 when a double-play ended the game.

 

Stuart Turner – 2 games, 0-8, 1 RBI, 2 K’s.

 

Turner again started two games at catcher during the week, but didn’t make much noise as he was held hitless.

 

One of the times he did put the ball in play however, he picked up an RBI as he reached base on a throwing error.

 

In Monday’s game, Turner allowed two steals, but cut another runner down on Thursday.

 

Mitch Garver – 3 games, 1-9, 1 R, 3 K’s.

 

Garver made the start at catcher in three games this week, and didn’t have much success at the plate either.

 

His only hit on the week came in Tuesday’s 5-4 win, when he led off the three-run fifth inning with a single. He then came around to score from second on an infield single that was deflected by the pitcher.

 

Garver cut down the only runner to attempt a steal on him during the week in Tuesday’s win.

 

Nick Burdi – 2 games, 2 IP, 0 R’s, 0 H’s, 0 BB’s, 2 K’s, 0.00 ERA.

 

Burdi made two appearances on the week, and continued his AFL dominance, though both of those appearances came in losing efforts.

 

On Thursday Burdi pitched the ninth inning to finish the game, and set down in order the Surprise lineup that included Jurickson Profar and Gary Sanchez. He struck out one and got the latter two hitters to tap out to first base.

 

In Saturday’s 5-1 loss, Burdi pitched the eighth inning, again finishing the game for the Scorpions. He again set the hitters down in order, bookending this one-two-three inning with strikeouts.

 

Trevor Hildenberger – 2 games, 4.0 IP, 0 R’s, 3 H’s, 0 BB’s, 4 K’s, 0.00 ERA.

 

Hildenberger also saw action in two games on the week, going multiple innings in each appearance.

 

He was the first pitcher in relief after Taylor Roger’s start in Monday’s game, allowing three hits but no runs in two innings, helped by a runner who was caught attempting to stretch a single into a double. This resulted in a triple later in the inning resulting in no damage on the scoreboard. He struck out two.

 

He was again the first pitcher summoned after the Scorpions starter was done on Friday. He made quick work of his opponents, setting them down one-two-three in each of the sixth and seventh innings. He struck out two in the sixth on six pitches, and needed only one more for the third out.

 

Jake Reed – 2 games, 1 Win, 1 Save, 2.0 IP, 2 R’s (0 earned), 2 H’s, 0 BB’s, 2 K’s. 0.00 ERA.

 

Reed managed to keep his ERA at a perfect 0.00 on the AFL season thanks to his defense in Monday’s extra inning win.

 

He came on for the eleventh inning, and the leadoff man reached on an error. This runner and a second came around to score after Reed got the next two outs, resulting in each run being unearned. The walk-off home run from the Scorpions Sam Travis gave Reed his first AFL win.

 

In Wednesday’s 7-5 win against Glendale, Reed picked up his third AFL save with a one-two-three ninth inning, striking out the last hitter of the game to slam the door.

 

Taylor Rogers – 2 games started, 8.0 IP, 4 R’s (3 earned), 7 H’s, 4 BB’s, 7 K’s. 3.38 ERA.

 

Starts from Rogers bookended the week for the Scorpions, and he went four innings in each contest.

 

On Monday, after a Snapper-Mow-Em-Down first inning, Rogers got into trouble by walking the first two hitters of the second inning. A passed ball from Turner put a runner on third and a sac fly brought him home for the unearned run and an early 1-0 lead.

 

In the third inning, a walk and stolen base put a runner in scoring position, and a two-out single brought in the second run of the game for Salt River. Rogers allowed a single in the fourth inning, but struck out one and escaped with no further damage.

 

On Saturday, Rogers again started the game with a one-two-three first inning, and escaped a second and third threat after consecutive errors in the second inning. In the third, Mesa loaded the bases with two outs, but Rogers again got out of the jam with a ground ball to end the threat. They finally got to him in the fourth after he started the inning off with two strikeouts. A hit-by-pitch, single, and double to the next three hitters brought in two runs, but with the help of Garver’s heads up play, the third out was made at third base after the throw home on the double wasn’t in time.

 

QUICK HITS

 

-Nick Burdi is catching the eyes of a lot of people in the AFL. Check out this video of one his K’s on the week.

 

 

Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week!

 

Click here to view the article

[clutterheart]

Dan Palka is in the AFL and on the Twins.

[Seth Stohs]

Good point... Steve, you should add him... 

[Kirbek]

I can't wait to watch the Burdi live.

 

[David HK]

Burdi's 8th inning was all the more impressive-  1-2-3 inning, 2 K's  7 pitches, 7 strikes!  Ho----ly Cow!  I'd like to see what the gun had to say on those pitches, too.

 

I hope he can keep it up, and get up with the big club this year!

[Seth Stohs]

 

Burdi's 8th inning was all the more impressive-  1-2-3 inning, 2 K's  7 pitches, 7 strikes!  Ho----ly Cow!  I'd like to see what the gun had to say on those pitches, too.

 

I hope he can keep it up, and get up with the big club this year!

 

This is what he CAN be, and that is incredible.... We (myself and many here, I'm sure) probably were a little unrealistic last year. Burdi and the Twins have both said that his struggles this year may be the best thing for him... Hard to disagree.

[Steve Lein]

 

Dan Palka is in the AFL and on the Twins.

 

I saw him in the boxscores, I just forgot by the time I got through everybody else and I was tired from being up north in the woods all weekend!

 

He plays on the Salt River Rafters roster. Played 5 games on the week: 6-23 (had three two-hit games and two 0-fers), 2 R's, 3 2B's, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB's, 4 K's. Is hitting .301/.359/.482 on the AFL season.

[Steve Lein]

 

 

Burdi's 8th inning was all the more impressive-  1-2-3 inning, 2 K's  7 pitches, 7 strikes!  Ho----ly Cow!  I'd like to see what the gun had to say on those pitches, too.

 

I hope he can keep it up, and get up with the big club this year!

 

He was my Adopt a Prospect this year and I got to catch him in Cedar Rapids in 2014 right before he was promoted to Fort Myers, I was impressed: http://twinsdaily.com/_/minnesota-twins-news/minnesota-twins-minor-leagues/color-me-and-joe-mauer-impressed-r2962

 

He had a big problem with walks in AA this year, but he's not showing any signs of that in the AFL!!!

[TRex]

Has anyone improved their standing since July 18th than Trevor Hildenberger? It seemed like he was destined to be stuck in CR (no offense, SB) all season. Then he was finally moved up to FM and had some success, and is now pitching some of his best ball at the end of a long season that has seen him throw >75 innings.

 

Today's game is at Peoria, complete with PitchFX. While his fastball doesn't light any radars up, he has a tremendous amount of break on it. His other pitches seem to have a lot of movement as well (although he was up in the zone too much).

[Steve Lein]

Has anyone improved their standing since July 18th than Trevor Hildenberger? It seemed like he was destined to be stuck in CR (no offense, SB) all season. Then he was finally moved up to FM and had some success, and is now pitching some of his best ball at the end of a long season that has seen him throw >75 innings.

 

Today's game is at Peoria, complete with PitchFX. While his fastball doesn't light any radars up, he has a tremendous amount of break on it. His other pitches seem to have a lot of movement as well (although he was up in the zone too much).

 

Hildenberger was fantastic all season... He was the Twins Daily MiLB Relief Pitcher of the Year and lights out for Cedar Rapids for most of it (0.80 ERA, 0.64 WHIP). He wasn't as good in his 19 innings at Fort Myers, but still fantastic (3.32 ERA, 0.90 WHIP).

 

I think his stint in the AFL is a measure of if what he's done to this point at the lower levels of the system is sustainable for him as he moves up. So far so good.