AFL Game 13: Comeback City!
By Wayne Cavadi
It was a wild one in the desert. The Arizona Fall League had three games on the day-ball slate Tuesday, with the Scottsdale Scorpions and Glendale Desert Dogs winding up the most exciting. The Scorpions looked dead in the water (or sand as the case may be) but a late-inning rally sparked by Yankees’ prospect Tyler Austin propelled them to victory.
Austin started off the day for the Scorpions, driving in Roman Quinn, the Phillies center field prospect who seems to be on base every day. The Scorpions would take the 1-0 lead into the bottom of the second. That’s when the Desert Dogs exploded for four runs. They added two more in the bottom of the sixth. Trailing 6-1, the Scorpions chipped away at the lead scoring one run in both the sixth and the seventh.
More from Yankees Minor Leagues
- Yankees State of the Farm System Review: Josh Breaux
- Early prices for Yankees 2022 Bowman Draft cards are absurd
- Reflecting on the 2013 New York Yankees’ top 10 prospects
- Yankees add to championship core with Wilmer Difo signing
- Yankees’ Jasson Dominguez ranks in tough spot on Arizona Fall League Top Prospects list
Three of the first four batters in the top of the eighth inning would be Yankees’ prospects. All would come through in the huge comeback.Austin led off with a single and was followed by AFL Player of the Week Greg Bird with a single of his own. Josh Bell would deliver the third straight single, driving in Austin. Dante Bichette, Jr. would force an error and another run would cross before an out was made. Bell and DBJ would come around to score and the Scorpions would rise victorious.
Adam Morgan, the Phillies pitching prospect, did not fare well in his start. He allowed four runs over just 2.2 innings. Three Scorpion relievers would combine to pitch 4.2 shutout innings. Giants prospect Clayton Blackburn would pick up the win and Adrian Sampson of the Pirates picked up his first save.
The win brings the Scorpions to 7-6 and second place in the East Division. The Scorpions take on the Mesa Solar Sox on Wednesday. First pitch is 3:35 PM EST.