Cubs Minor League News: Offense explodes in Mesa’s wild 21-14 win over Scottsdale |
Dustin Riese
· · 5 hours ago
MESA - Whether it be New Year's Eve, Fourth of July, or, for the most part, any other American Holiday, our country is no stranger to fireworks. When you talk about fireworks, there were plenty of fireworks to go around on Tuesday night as the Mesa Solar Sox and Scottsdale Scorpions treated the fans to an offensive barrage at Sloan Park to kick off another week of Fall Ball action.
Despite only seeing four home runs hit in the game, the Solar Sox and Scorpions' offenses were alive and well, as 35 combined runs on 39 hits came from both sides, with pitching being nonexistent. This was a game that saw four innings of at least four runs being scored in an inning, including a pair of five-run innings by both sides. The Solar Sox also had a seven-run frame in the seventh to take the lead for good before adding on four more runs in the eighth. All in all, Mesa scored 14 runs from the sixth inning on, as that was the difference in an exciting, yet stressful 21-14 win. Given that we are in the middle of football season, it makes sense that an Arizona Fall League game ends in a football score, as the typical strong offensive numbers haven't always been there this season. Even with all the excitement from start to finish, it was an extremely light night when it comes to the Cubs prospects, as only two of them saw in-game action. Both of them came from the positional ranks, as we haven't seen as much of the Cubs' arms as of late. As has been the case more often than not this season, Owen Ayers was back in the lineup and making an immediate impact. Even when he isn't hitting for power, which he isn't right now, Ayers continues to put the bat on the ball and make solid contact as he reached base four times in this one, picking up three hits and working a walk. One of those hits brought home a run as his sixth inning RBI double sparked the comeback bid for Mesa and pulled the Solar Sox within 10-9 at that point as he pushed his average back to .379. After stumbling out of the gates and struggling to make any form of contact, Ed Howard has turned his season around, and it couldn't have come to a better person. Howard was a former first-round pick by the Cubs, but a massive rash of injuries and his inability to produce at the pro level have limited him to minimal production. The Fall League has continued to be a struggle for Howard, but entering the game with a .243 average and a near .400 average over his last five, things are trending in the right direction. That was until his 0-6 night at this dish, as Howard looked like the player from the first two weeks, as opposed to what he has done lately. With the win, Mesa has moved above .500 for the first time and is now sitting at 12-11. This was also the first of what will be three straight home games to begin the week, as this is their opportunity to make a late-season push.
