Max Scherzer breezed through the first three frames on Saturday before
struggling in the fourth and fifth innings. He allowed two doubles to
first baseman Brandon Snyder of the Baltimore Orioles organization.
The outing was hardly a disaster for Scherzer, as he allowed seven base
runners in five innings and did not surrender a longball for the first time in
three starts. He kept the Desert Dogs in the ballgame and still led the
Arizona Fall League in both innings pitched and strikeouts through Sunday's
games.
Indeed, when Reid Mahon was called upon to pitch in the seventh, the Dogs
were staked to a 9-7 lead. Mahon retired the rafters in order, earning his
fourth Hold of the fall and lowering his AFL ERA to 1.80.
Three of the Desert dogs' runs came on a John Hester three-run homer in the
second inning off starter Willie Eyre. Eyre is the brother of World Series
participant Scott Eyre and belongs to the Texas Rangers organization.
Hester's batting average rose to .400 after the game, which included two hits,
two runs scored, and a hit by pitch, continuing the catcher's strong second half of the
regular season.
Evan Frey led off the game with a single and a stolen base, his third swipe
of the fall. He would score later in the inning. Frey did go hitless
in his next four at bats and did commit an error in the game, but that miscue
did not lead to any runs for the Rafters. His batting average remains at
.200 for the fall.
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