Marlins' Dean provides spark in Fall League win

MESA, Ariz. -- Austin Dean has played more baseball in 2015 than ever before, but the Marlins prospect isn't letting fatigue get to him.

Instead, he's embracing it.

"I just look at it as getting ready to play 160 games in the big leagues," Dean said. "Playing 136 games this year was a little tough. [My] body was feeling a little worn down toward the end, but it's all about getting the body prepared and maintaining it and grinding through."

Dean appears to be handling everything just fine in the Arizona Fall League, as his efforts helped the Mesa Solar Sox snap a three-game losing streak with a 7-5 win over the Surprise Saguaros.

The No. 6 prospect in the Marlins organization went 2-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored Wednesday afternoon at Sloan Park.

"Nothing different, I treat this like any other game," Dean said. "There's going to be days where you get two hits and days where you get zero hits, it's baseball. I just try to stick to the same approach, stay calm and stay true up there."

The 22-year old hit .268 in a career-high 136 games with Class A Advanced Jupiter this season, and is hitting .327 through 14 AFL contests.

In addition to playing more games and preparing for life as a Major Leaguer, Dean is using his AFL stint to gain knowledge from all the players and coaches from the various organizations.

"Different coaches and different players have a lot of wisdom," Dean said. "I'm only 22 years old, I don't know everything so getting that extra bit of wisdom helps, every little bit helps."

Dean has a hit in five of his last six games and drove in Mesa's first run of the afternoon with an RBI triple that highlighted a three-run third.

"Just been trying to slow everything down and keep to my approach out here," Dean said. "It's really good to see the hard work paying off."

Dean, whom the Marlins selected in the fourth round of the 2012 Draft, reached base following all four of his plate appearances, and once he was there, Angels prospect Stephen McGee brought him home.

McGee went 3-for-4 with four RBIs on the afternoon, raising his batting average to .281.

Dean and McGee provided enough offense to come away with the victory, but the Surprise squad hit the game's two homers.

Yankees No. 5 prospect Gary Sanchez got the scoring started with his league-leading seventh homer, a two-run blast to left in the top of the first, and Cardinals prospect Aledmys Diaz contributed a solo shot in the fifth, after Mesa had already gone to the bullpen.

Rob Zastryzny, the No. 25 prospect in the Cubs' system, gave up the two run blast to Sanchez, but was otherwise strong on the mound.

The left-hander gave up two runs on three hits in four innings, lowering his ERA to 4.70.