Arizona Fall League: Austin Gomber Started, Lost on Thursday

On Thursday afternoon, the Glendale Desert Dogs hosted the Surprise Saguaros at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona.

Saguaros 3, Desert Dogs 1

• Austin Gomber (SP): 5 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
• Rowan Wick (RP): 2 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 2 K
• Carson Kelly (C): 1-4
• Harrison Bader (RF): 0-3
• Paul DeJong (SS): 1-4, K

Three runs on five hits in the top of the first inning still stood strong following the conclusion of the bottom of the ninth inning, as the Saguaros’ early crooked number beat the Desert Dogs on Thursday afternoon, 3-1.

With the win, the Saguaros improved to a game over .500 -- a 13-12 record -- while the Dogs fell to 12-14 with their defeat.

Cardinals farmhand Austin Gomber, who entered Thursday’s start with an ERA of 1.99 through 22 2/3 innings this fall, was roughed up for a trio of tallies in his opening frame, which were each manufactured by a different member of the Saguaros’ batting order. Mauricio Dubon of the Red Sox, Mitch Garver of the Twins, and Mauricio Ramos of the Royals each drove in a run in the Saguaros’ big inning, accounting for their seventh, thirteenth, and sixth RBIs of the Arizona Fall League, respectively.

Even with the three-run inning, Gomber's statistics this exhibition season are still stellar, as the 22-year-old lefty is 4-1 with a 2.60 ERA over six starts.

Glendale’s lone run of the day came on an RBI hit off the bat of infielder Danny Hayes in the bottom off the third. Hayes, a White Sox product, cracked ten homers in 55 games this season as a member of the Sox’ Triple-A affiliation, the Charlotte Knights.

~

On Friday, the Desert Dogs will take on the Scottsdale Scorpions. As of Thursday evening, a starting pitching matchup for the contest that will start at 7:35 p.m. CT had not been announced publicly.