Surprise! Saguaros stun way to AFL title with late rally

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- All season long, Surprise manager Jesus Azuaje watched his players pick each other up. So when the Saguaros were down by four runs in the sixth inning of the Arizona Fall League Championship Game, he knew they’d just keep competing together.

The team made up of Brewers, Guardians, Phillies, Rangers and Royals prospects (plus one Giants pitcher!) did just that, completing the comeback victory and topping the Peoria Javelinas, 9-4, in Friday’s title game at Salt River Fields.

“I know we're coming from different organizations, but we were one team, and that's the message that I told them from Day 1,” Azuaje said. “We got to stick together, play together, pick each other up, and that's what they did all year.”

The Javelinas had the lead until the Saguaros posted a seven-spot in the bottom of the eighth to seal their third title in four years and their fourth championship overall.

Here’s a breakdown by organization of how each player contributed to the championship:

Brewers
Milwaukee prospects took a starring role in the title game with Josh Adamczewski delivering a two-run game-tying double in the eighth. The club’s No. 13 prospect also singled, walked and scored a run. First baseman Luke Adams (MIL No. 8) reached base four times with three walks, an RBI and a run while Dylan O’Rae singled and stole a base. Jesús Broca was the first man out of the bullpen for Surprise, utilizing his offspeed stuff to strike out three while allowing a run on two hits and a walk in two innings. He also picked off speedy Mariners prospect Jonny Farmelo (SEA No. 7/MLB No. 75). Anthony Flores yielded two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out three with his slider in two innings. Edwin Jimenez closed out the victory with two punchouts in two one-hit frames.

Giants
Logan Martin made his organizational debut after being traded from the Royals for Mason Black on Nov. 11. Although San Francisco prospects were on the Scottsdale squad, Martin remained with his Surprise teammates for the final week of the campaign and just swapped jerseys. The 24-year-old right-hander yielded a hit and a walk to start the game, but locked in to induce a forceout then got top Reds prospects Alfredo Duno (CIN No. 2/MLB No. 48) and Cam Collier (CIN No. 6/MLB No. 94) to strike out.

Guardians
Third baseman Juan Benjamin came up clutch, driving a two-run single to give Surprise the lead for good, then stealing a base. Joe Lampe made a catch in right field and struck out twice while getting a successful challenge in the second at-bat.

Phillies
Dylan Campbell (PHI No. 28) -- who led the team in the regular season with a 1.044 OPS -- scored the go-ahead run after singling, walking twice and lacing a sacrifice fly to keep the game close. Dante Nori (PHI No. 6) battled in an eight-pitch strikeout and drilled a 105.1 mph groundout to second base before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the fifth. Out of the bullpen, 26-year-old right-hander Daniel Harper relied on his cutter as he worked around a walk with two strikeouts in a hitless frame. Curacao native Jaydenn Estanista notched a punchout while allowing a walk in a hitless seventh.

Rangers
Dylan Dreiling (TEX No. 15) and Chandler Pollard served as a second wave of help with the former entering defensively and the latter pinch-hitting in a related move. Both prospects went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

Royals
MLB’s No. 62 overall prospect Blake Mitchell (KC No. 2) ripped a sacrifice fly in the sixth, then singled and scored the tying run in the eighth. After being a key part of the Surprise offense all season, Daniel Vazquez knocked a base hit and scored twice. He also had a 105.4 mph groundout that was the hardest-hit ball of the game.