Cubs Minor League News: Owen Ayers powers Solar Sox to win with clutch homer |
Dustin Riese
· · 3 hours ago
MESA - After three days off due to weather and the Universal Day off on Monday, things picked back up on Tuesday as the Arizona Fall League rolls along. For the Mesa Solar Sox, they would like to establish some consistency, as the wins haven't come as frequently as they had hoped at the beginning of this season.
Back in Sloan Park to take on the Surprise Saguaros, it was the Solar Sox getting the job done as they held off Surprise 4-3 for their second win of the season. This was a very well-played game, start to finish, as one big inning was the difference between winning and losing. That inning came in the third when the Solar Sox pushed across three runs in that inning to erase an early 2-0 lead to jump in front 3-2 and never looked back. That score would hold until the eighth when the Solar Sox pushed across the eventual winning run, only to have Surprise battle back in the ninth with a run of their own before coming up short in the end. Fresh off his AFL player of the week honors from last week, Owen Ayers was at it again as the Cubs' young catcher has already made a case for player of the week honors for the second straight week. Ayers may have only had one hit in three at-bats, but it was a big one as he was responsible for all three runs in the third inning, using one big swing to connect for his second homer of the fall to put the Solar Sox on top for good. Ayers has made a significant impression thus far and has arguably stolen the show over the first two weeks of the season, as he wasn't expected to produce at this high a level so quickly. Someone who came into the season full of expectations was Cole Mathis, who spent most of the season recovering from Tommy John surgery before finally stepping onto the field in late August. Although limited in terms of the games he played, Mathis showed the Cubs organization why he is considered a top 10 prospect and produced at a high level with the chances he was given. Looking to get more reps in the AFL in an effort to position himself for a massive 2026, Mathis has come out swinging and ranks near the top of the league in hitting through one week. Despite going hitless on Tuesday, Mathis came through in the biggest way possible as it was his eighth-inning sacrifice fly that put the Solar Sox on top 4-2 and proved to be the game-winning run. While the Cubs hitters put on a show once again, it was Luis Martinez-Gomez who made a massive impression on the mound as he took the ball for the second time this season. After an up-and-down first outing where he didn't have his best stuff, Martinez-Gomez took the ball in the eighth for Mesa and went on to throw the game's final two innings to secure the save. It wasn't just earning the save that stood out, but how dominant he was in the process as Martinez-Gomez struck out five and walked one over his two innings of work as he had Surprise guessing from one pitch to the next. Should he continue to pitch like this the rest of the fall, Martinez-Gomez could be the next impact arm in what has been a line of impactful pitchers rolling through the system. THE REIGNING HITTER OF THE WEEK PULLS MESA AHEAD!!!
Owen Ayers crushes a three-run shot giving Mesa the lead. The Cubs prospect was named Hitter of the Week earlier today and continues to stay hot with a 422 foot blast pic.twitter.com/IMIk0NzL6P
