Stephen Strasburg pitched into the fourth in his AFL debut, but was out (seemingly on a pitch count) after 3.1 IP as the 21-year-old right-hander allowed 2 hits, 1 walk and 0 ER with 2 K's and 2 DP grounders from the Scottsdale Scorpions' hitters, who ground out 8 times total, and fail to do any real damage to the Nationals' '09 No. 1 overall pick. Strasburg throws 50 pitches, 32 for strikes, (and hits 98 mph on the gun according to live reports from the Nats Farm Authority), before he's lifted in the fourth after giving up a leadoff single and getting a force at second with a groundout. Strasburg's replaced by O's prospect Eddie Gamboa, who gets a DP grounder out of Philles' OF prospect Domonic Brown to finish the frame...
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• DH Danny Espinosa.
• Long Inning For Storen.
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• DH Danny Espinosa. DC SS prospect Danny Espinosa wasn't in the field to help Stephen Strasburg last night, but he was in the lineup, serving as the Phoenix Desert Dogs' DH and going 0 for 2 with a run scored, 2 walks and 2 K's. Espinosa took the second of two back to back walks that started the Phoenix first, and scored on the second-straight single off Scottsdale Scorpions' starter Edgar Garcia.
• Long Inning For Storen.
Drew Storen took the hill in the eighth inning of last night's game with the Desert Dogs ahead 7-2 over Scottsdale, but the Scorpions, with the help of a two-out error by Phoenix shortstop Shawn O'Malley, were able to score two runs in the inning, though both were unearned. Storen got the first batter he faced looking for a backwards K and then got a groundout to short before surrendering a two-out single. The next Scottsdale hitter, Phillies' OF prospect Domonic Brown, hit a grounder to short, but an error on the throw to second gave the Scorpions a fourth out which they used to knock in two with back to back single to close the gap to 7-4. Storen's line: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 K's, 28 pitches, 20 strikes.
Final score, Desert Dogs 9, Scorpions 2 - MLB Gameday.
Desert Dogs now 3-1.