Cubs Minor League News: Jonathan Long homers for fourth time in AFL |
As good as the Mesa Solar Sox have been in the past week, they do have a tendency to lay an egg every now and then, which can kill their momentum in the long run. You saw that last night against the Surprise Saguaros, who came into Sloan Park, racked up 20 hits, and dominated the Solar Sox 14-4.
Nine of those 14 runs came in the first five innings, including four runs in the fourth to break the game open at 9-3 before tacking on three more runs in the seventh and then two in the ninth to cruise to the win. When you look at the box score, you immediately notice that Ben Cowles and Moises Ballesteros were out of the lineup. Having Cowles out of the lineup is one thing when you look at his overall struggles this Fall, but not having Ballesteros in the lineup is a completely different story. He has been the best hitter on the team by far. His mix of power, average, and the ability to take pitches is a rare mix, especially when you consider that he is only 19 years old. The Cubs have a lot of decisions to make about him and his future. However, after a few days off, Jonathon Long returned to the lineup, hoping to get back to doing what he does best: making hard contact. For whatever reason, Long has been out of the lineup the past few games, leading many to believe he was injured. That wasn't the case, as the AFL is one of those leagues where a player may not get all the plate appearances you expect them to get as often as possible. In his return to the lineup, Long managed to grab one hit in his five plate appearances, but it was a big one as he connected for his fourth homer of the season in the fourth to pull Mesa within 5-3 at the time. It was also his 14th RBI, keeping in the running for the team lead as he is not hitting a solid .318 for the Fall, but has cooled off significantly after his fast start. While he was the only Cubs prospect seen at-bats on the day, the Cubs did have a pair of relievers getting some work on the mound, which all started with Sam Thoresen. Another one of the many surprise pitchers this Fall, Thoresen emerged as one of the better relief-only prospects in the Cubs system this year and was counted on a lot by the Tennessee Smokies. Since getting to Arizona, Thoresen has continued to build on that. One bad outing spoiled his Fall, and his ERA is now 3.60. Last night, however, Thoresen made quick work of things, scattering just one hit in a scoreless inning, and continues to prove he is capable of handling any type of relief role given to him. The final player to see action on the night was another reliever Sh,ane Marshall, who may be having the worst Fall of anyone on the team. Marshall was one of those guys who came out of nowhere in the second half for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, and because of that, the Cubs wanted him to get more work to see what could become from the right-hander. What they have gotten is a struggling pitcher who is losing confidence by the day. His ERA has risen to a team-worst 16.50 for the Fall. It continued to rise after another shaky outing on Tuesday, as Marshall allowed two runs on four hits in two innings and didn't strike out a man.
