AFL Rising Stars Showcase Minute by Minute
Nov 9th, 2009 by Chuck Anderson
Thanks to the MLB Network anyone with a computer and a high-speed internet connection could tune in and enjoy the Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Showcase Saturday night. I have to give credit to the web tech team behind the site, the picture was sharp and I did not experience so much as a hiccup for the entire game even though I had multiple other windows open on my browser. The rosters are a combination of the highly regarded players and those that are producing well in the fall league, so most of the big names were in attendance. Starting with some brief pregame coverage:
8:21 An interview with Buster Posey is shown. He looks about 12. I’m feeling old.
8:31 Three run home run by Brandon Allen to dead center off lefty Mike Minor. He hit a fastball that was elevated and out over the plate. Quick 4-0 lead for the East.
8:34 Two more hard hits by Posey and Domonic Brown.
8:39 Minor is all kinds of out of whack. A walk then an errant pickoff throw makes it 6-0. Jose Tabata singles immediately after for a 7-0 lead and Minor is pulled.
8:46 Everyone tuning in to see Stephen Strasburg is disappointed as Tommy Mendoza of the Angels takes the hill as his replacement. He walks Dustin Ackley to start things. Strasburg is listed as day-to-day.
8:50 Chris Heisey crushes a home run to left.
8:51 Yonder Alonso gets greedy and Grant Desme throws him out attempting to advance to second.
8:57 Josh Fields of the Mariners cuts through the heart of the East order 1-2-3.
9:12 Jason Castro gets to show off his throwing arm, getting Domonic Brown stealing. (postgame note: Castro will sit out the last two weeks of the AFL to avoid fatigue.)
9:22 Toronto’s Reidier Gonzalez and the Dodgers’ Javy Guerra pitched scoreless frames. Carlos Triunfel, only recently playing again, homers off Danny Moskos to reignite the offense.
9:30 Yonder Alonso gets his double, and it drives in two runs
9:33 Daryl Jones doubles home Alonso and we have a game at 7-6.
9:43 Mike Leake is in to pitch, and if he fares as well as the other Reds tonight it will be a short inning.
9:55 Leake and Tampa’s Matt Gorgen are each scoreless in the fourth.
10:01 A strikeout, groundout, and flyout complete an easy frame for Tanner Scheppers. He showed the best fastball in tonight’s game.
10:09 Yonder Alonso is now 3-3 without any cheap hits.
10:15 Bryan Petersen tracks down a ball hit directly over his head in center field to save Dustin Richardson from any damage.
10:28 Andrew Oliver loaded the bases, but induced a popup from Rene Tosoni to escape.
10:55 Jumping to the bottom of the seventh, Blake Parker is the first pitcher to retire Alonso, and he does so with a strikeout.
11:14 Matt McBride blasts a two run homer off Drew Storen and the West has come all the way back to take the lead 8-7.
11:21 Craig Kimbral enters the game for a save chance. He could strike out the side or walk everyone.
11:29 Two flyouts and a strikeout seal it, a comeback 8-7 victory for the West Rising Stars.

