Glendale needs a late run to make the playoffs this season and they are doing their part over the last three games. After dropping to a 9-14 record on Tuesday, they have won three straight games, including a 12-7 victory on Saturday over Scottsdale. Taylor Hearn made his third AFL start and the entire batting order contributed on offense, picking up 16 hits and five walks. Both Mitchell Tolman and Logan Hill were in the lineup.
Hearn made his second start of the week on Saturday. He allowed one run over three innings on Monday. He started this game with a ground out to Mitchell Tolman at second base. The next batter lined out to center field, then Hearn served up a two-out single. He got a ground out to get out of the inning.
The second inning started with a hit batter, who was erased on a caught stealing. Hearn struck out the next batter, before getting a fly ball to center field to end the inning. The third inning was very quick, with three ground outs to retire the side in order. Hearn threw 37 pitches, with 23 going for strikes.
Hearn gave up four runs on October 20th, while recording just two outs. In his other six AFL appearances combined, he has allowed one run on six hits over 14 innings. Tim Williams recently wrote about the new slider that Hearn is throwing in the AFL.
Logan Hill started his day with a two-run double in the second inning, his fourth double of the fall. He flew out in the fourth, then lined out in the fifth. In the seventh, Hill singled up the middle, then scored two batters later. He grounded out to third base in the eighth inning, leaving him 2-for-5 on the day, with two runs scored and two RBIs.
Mitchell Tolman grounded out to second base to end the second inning. In the fourth, he singled on a line drive to center field. Tolman singled again in the sixth, then hit an RBI single in the seventh. He struck out swinging in the ninth, leaving him 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. He raised his average 41 points in this game by breaking a 3-for-32 slump over his last nine games.
** After an off-day on Sunday, Glendale will finish their season with two games against Mesa and two versus Salt River next week. If you need a baseball fix, the Peoria/Surprise game is on MLB Network tonight at 8 PM.