Surprise downs Peoria in Fall League

Early on in Arizona Fall League action, it appeared as though top-hitting team Peoria would run away with a division crown.

Surprise has something to say about that.

The second-place Saguaros (9-7) earned a 4-1 victory over the favorite Javelinas (11-6), which have dropped two straight games for the first time.

Saguaros starter Boone Whiting (2-1) scattered four hits and a walk over four scoreless innings. The Cardinals farmhand induced ground-ball double plays to end three of his four frames and struck out four batters.

His relief corps fell two outs short of the club's second shutout thanks to Javelinas second baseman Cory Spangenberg (Padres) taking Ryan Fraser (Mets) deep in the ninth.

Peoria entered Saturday with the best team batting average (.309) in the Fall League.

Javelinas starter Kyle Simon (1-2) was charged with two runs -- one earned -- on four hits over 2 2/3 innings. His defense committed three fielding errors.

Chris McGuiness (Rangers) singled home the second of those two runs in the third inning. The cleanup-hitting first baseman went 2-for-4, raising his AFL average to .292.

Ninth-place hitter Mike O'Neill (Cardinals) also contributed to the cause, going 3-for-3 at the plate, including an RBI single in the sixth.