Ryan Mullins
Peo Javelinas 4 at Phoenix 13
W: R. Mullins (1-0, 2.84); L: J. Woerman (2-2, 6.86)
HR: PEJ: M. Tuiasosopo (1). PDD: R. Sweeney (1).
The Phoenix Desert Dogs turned into an offensive machine Wednesday afternoon at the Phoenix Municipal Stadium, pounding the Peoria Javelinas 13-4. Peoria's loss, coupled with the Rafters win, means that the Dogs will face Surprise in the Championship Game on Saturday (which is probably not much of a surprise to anyone).
Peoria got onto the board first when Brett Gardner (NY Yankees) singled to start out the game and moved to 2nd on Dexter Fowler's (Colorado) sac-bunt. Following Jordan Schafer's (Atlanta) strike out and a walk to Justin Maxwell (Washington), Kory Castro (Washington) would reach on a fielding error by Minnesota's Matt Macri which would also bring Gardner home. Starter Ryan Mullins (Minnesota) would get Devan Ivany (Washington) out on strikes to end the inning.
The Dogs then surprised Peoria. With one out, Cliff Pennington (Oakland) singled and Nolan Reimold (Baltimore) and Ryan Sweeney (Chicago White Sox) both drew walks. Jason Delaney's (Oakland) line drive would plate Pennington. Macri would strike out swinging, but a Chris Getz (Chicago White Sox) walk forcing in Reimold. Drew Butera's (Minnesota) fly ball single then brough in Sweeney and Delaney to make it 4-1 Dogs.
In the top of the 3rd, Gardner walked and moved to 3rd on Schafer's single to 2nd. After Maxwell took a walk off Mullins to load the bags, Castro ground into a force out to score Gardner. Ivany would again end the inning for the Javelinas, this time on a fly out.
Delaney walked to start the bottom of the 3rd, but he was taken out at 2nd on Macri's force out. Getz and Butera both took walks off Seattle's Joe Woerman to fill up the bases again. Blake Davis' (Baltimore) sngle to right brought in Macri and Gets. Nyjer Morgan (Pittsburgh) would get plunked by a pitch. Pennington would hit a sac-fly to bring in Butera, but the Dog's were not yet done. A wild pitch by Woerman moved David and Morgan, and the pair would score on Reimold's grounder to left field, making the score 9-2.
Matt Tulasosopo (Seattle) would homer off Mullins in the top of the 4th as the Javelina's chipped away at the Dogs' lead.
Adam Russell (Chicago White Sox) would relieve Mullins in the top of the 5th, getting Fowler out on strikes before giving up back-to-back singles to Schafer and Maxwell. Castro would take a walk to load the bags and Ivany would single to bring in Schafter. But Tulasosopo ground into a double play to end the inning and the Javelina's scoring threat.
A pair of singled by Morgan and Pennington and a Reimold double saw the Dogs take another point at the bottom of the 6th.
Phoenix was not through though, as Morgan reached on a fielding error in the 8th and Pennington would walk, before Sweeney hit a Darren Clarke (Colorado) pitch over the right center-field fence to finish off the Dog's definative statement.
Mullins final line score would be be 3 runs (2 earned) on 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3 in 4 innings, picking up his first win of the AFL season. Eddie Morlan (Minnesota) worked the sixth inning, allowing only 1 hit during his 1 frame on the mound.
Macri would go 1-for-5 at the plate with 1 run, while the scrappy Butera was 1-for-3 with a walk, a run, and 2 RBIs.
The Rafters would edge out the Saguaros 6-5 with Michael Aubrey (Cleveland) and John Mayberry (Texas) each picking up their 5th home run of the AFL season for Surprise. That win gives them a 2 game lead over the Javelinas with one left to play, locking up their playoff berth. Scottsdale would edge Mesa, 1-0, with Milwaukee's Steve Hammond taking the hard luck loss in the game.
The AFL regular season concludes on Thursday with Surpise hosting the Desert Dogs in a preview of Saturday's Championship game at 12:35 pm.
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