Triunfel homers in Fall League Rising Stars game
Published 9:29 pm Saturday, November 7, 2009
Mariners shortstop prospect Carlos Triunfel hit a home run to help the West come from behind tonight to beat the East 8-7 in the Arizona Fall League’s annual Rising Stars game in Surprise, Ariz.
Triunfel went 1-for-2 and his homer was part of the West’s four-run third inning after the East scored all of its runs in the first inning off left-hander Mike Minor, a first-round draft pick of the Atlanta Braves. Triunfel, who joined the Peoria Javelinas a little more than a week ago after strengthening the leg he broke in April, has a .111 average in 18 Fall League at-bats.
Dustin Ackley, who the Mariners drafted with the second overall pick, started in center field and went 0-for-1 with a walk, a strikeout and a run scored tonight. Ackley is batting .295 in 44 Fall League at-bats for the Javelinas.
Josh Fields, the Mariners’ first-round draft pick a year ago, continued his solid relief pitching this fall. He relieved Minor with two outs in the first inning and retired all four hitters he faced. Fields has a 2.57 ERA in seven relief appearances for the Javelinas, having struck out six in seven innings.
Right-hander Phillippe Aumont, who has a 14.14 ERA after two brutal outings among his seven innings of work for the Javelinas, didn’t play tonight.
One rising star who didn’t appear tonight was Stephen Strasburg, the first overall pick of the Nationals who was supposed to start for the East but was scratched because of a muscle strain in his neck. He’s 3-1 with a 5.28 ERA in four starts for the Phoenix Desert Dogs.
The Mariners also had another emerging star — literally — when Quinn Branyan was born Friday morning. Quinn is the third child, and second daughter, of Russell Branyan and his wife, Jill. Russell is hoping to re-sign with the Mariners for next season.
