Cubs Minor League News: Ed Howard trending upward as Solar Sox stay hot |
Dustin Riese
· · 4 hours ago
SURPRISE - Don't look now, but the Mesa Solar Sox are one of the hotter teams in the Arizona Fall League as they are creeping closer to the .500 mark. Sure, they are still 9-11 on the season, but considering how things started for this team, you have to give them a ton of credit for how they turned their season around.
Back on the road for the third time in as many days, it was the Solar Sox looking to rack up another win as they faced off against the Surprise Saguaros. Despite scoring eight runs in two innings, six of which came in the first, it was the Solar Sox who needed to fend off a late-game rally as they held on for the 8-7 victory. This was just the second time this season that Mesa was able to pick up a win without Owen Ayers in the lineup, as the Cubs catcher was given the night off after two consecutive rough nights at the plate. Cole Mathis, however, was back in the lineup as he was given Thursday off. Like Ayers, Mathis has suddenly hit a rough patch at the plate as he struck out twice as part of a 0-4 night. In the process, he has seen his average dip to .308, but it only takes one or two good games to turn things around. Although he has a long way to go in terms of having the season he wants, Ed Howard is trending in the right direction, which is all you can ask for as a fan. When you talk about a player bitten by some tough luck, Howard is one of the players that comes to mind, as the Cubs' former first-round pick has had a tough time staying on the field, dealing with several costly injuries throughout his career. That alone is why he has struggled across the Minor League landscape, as he hasn't been able to get into the rhythm you like to see. Even with a .207 average that is nothing to write home about, Howard has been seeing the ball much better as of late and is hitting near .300 over his last three starts. With one hit on Friday, he continued that trend as Howard has emerged as a far more consistent bat than earlier in the season. With none of the Cubs pitchers getting any time on the mound in this one, this was it when it comes to their prospects and the results on the field, as Friday was a quiet night overall. Look for Ayers to be back in the lineup Saturday, and the possibility of Matthew Peters getting some late-inning work.
