Glendale Desert Dogs howling into AFL postseason
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Don’t tell the Glendale Desert Dogs that the Arizona Fall League is a developmental circuit.
After using a seven-run eighth inning to come back and win on Wednesday, clinching a spot in the AFL play-in semifinal on Friday, the Desert Dogs kept their feet -- paws? -- on the gas pedal in Thursday’s regular-season finale. Glendale once again came back late, scoring five in the bottom of the sixth in a seven-inning game to beat Salt River, 5-2.
“Any time you can win more than you lose, guys start looking forward to coming to the ballpark every day and you stay away from counting days until the offseason,” Glendale manager Justin Jirschele said. “Guys are hungrier and looking to get their work in and setting themselves up to win every day.
“That was the message from the start: We’re going to be here every night and keep score so let’s do everything we can to win a ballgame.”
Winning games has become a theme for the Desert Dogs, who closed the regular season slate with four straight victories to finish two games over .500 and in second place in the six-team league. Glendale will play Peoria on Friday at 8:35 p.m. ET for the right to face Surprise in the AFL title game on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. ET.
“It’s exciting to finish the regular season strong,” Jirschele, a Double-A manager in the White Sox system, said. “We’ve been playing some really good baseball down the stretch and hopefully we can continue it and do some damage in the playoffs.”
Similar to Wednesday’s game, Thursday wasn’t looking too promising for most of the afternoon. Glendale was held hitless through the first four frames, finally breaking through on a single from No. 5 Reds prospect Matt McLain with one out in the fifth.
The Desert Dogs, trailing 2-0, flipped the script in the sixth inning. After Brewers prospect Je’Von Ward singled to lead off the inning and stole second base, his organization-mate Jeferson Quero, Milwaukee’s No. 7 prospect, doubled to right field to set up two men in scoring position with no outs.
“He’s just a guy who seems to have a knack for hits late in games and got another one today,” Jirschele said of the 20-year-old backstop. “He’s been a staple for us behind the plate, runs the pitching staff really well, can catch and throw, so he’s going to be a fun one to watch in the future.”
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With the tying runs on base, Austin Martin cashed in. The No. 12 Twins prospect, who has been one of the Fall League’s most consistent hitters throughout the six-week schedule, came through once again with a two-RBI single. After a pitching change, fellow Twins prospect Alex Isola doubled in two runs and No. 2 Reds prospect Noelvi Marte contributed a sacrifice fly.
“He’s been the table-setter for us at the top of the lineup,” Jirschele said of Martin. “Obviously what he’s been able to do with his legs on the basepaths, you know he’s going to cause havoc and the guys behind him are going to see some good pitches to hit.”
Martin finished second among AFL qualifiers with 31 hits and 23 runs scored, and third with 10 stolen bases and a .373 overall batting average. His Desert Dogs and Twins system teammate Edouard Julien (MIN No. 14) finished tied atop the league with a .400 average.
While the spotlight is on the development of players in the Fall League, most of them top prospects, the setup allows for the coaches to improve their craft as well. It’s a sentiment that Jirschele, who recently completed his sixth season as a Minor League skipper, emphasized.
“It’s just continuing to stay curious,” Jirschele said. “I like to watch how coaches on the other side do their thing on a nightly basis, and continue to learn the game of baseball. There are always things that come up where you can adapt. You pick up things one way or another to make yourself a better manager and communicator.”