D-backs Prospects Star in Salt River Win at Phoenix Municipal Stadium
In the first game of a triple-header at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, Deyvison De Los Santos and Cooper Hummel got starts at first base and catcher respectively for the Salt River Rafters. Salt River won on a two-hit shutout in seven innings and got solid contributions from the players representing the Arizona Diamondbacks.
In his first at-bat, De Los Santos was able to jump ahead in the count before hitting a single through the right side of the infield. He later scored on a triple down the right field line by Gage Workman, who played his college ball in the same stadium for Arizona State. In his second at-bat, he jumped ahead in the count 2-0 once again before hitting a ground ball to short and legging out a potential double play ball. In his final at-bat, he hit a slow ground ball up the middle that Angel Martinez was able to make a play on and throw him out at first.
His defense was a mixed bag. In the third inning he came off the bag on a potential inning-ending double play on a high throw from second base and then whiffed on a pickoff throw from pitcher Joey Wentz for an error. He made an impressive double play on a hard-hit ball near the first base bag, tagging first before throwing out the runner at second to thwart a scoring chance for Peoria.
Cooper Hummel's day got off to a rough start. He dropped a foul pop fly on the first pitch of the game, let a ball squirt under his legs on a wild pitch, then struck out on three pitches in his first at-bat. Hummel redeemed himself in his second at-bat with a sharp ground ball through the left side of the infield for an RBI single. In his final at-bat he grounded out to to second on a ball hit up the middle.
Justin Martinez came in with a 3-0 lead in the seventh inning to close it out. The 21-year-old fireballer and No. 29 prospect in the D-backs organization took care of business, retiring the three batters he faced easily on two weak fly ball outs to shallow right and this vicious strikeout of Guardians catcher David Fry.
