Phils prospects Randolph, Green deliver in AFL

November 14th, 2017

MESA, Ariz. - A pair of Phillies prospects provided the offensive firepower as Glendale topped Mesa, 5-1, in the Arizona Fall League on Tuesday afternoon at Sloan Park.
Cornelius Randolph and Zach Green combined to go 5-for-8 with four RBIs as the Desert Dogs came away with their fifth straight win.
"[We're] just relaxed," Randolph said of the team's current win streak. "We're just having fun and playing."
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Randolph, who finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs, got things going early as he had a two-run single in the first and collected another hit in the third. The Phillies' No. 12 prospect hasn't fared particularly well this fall, so the fast start was big for both him, as well as the Glendale squad.
"I was just trying to put something in play, hit something hard and it ended up getting through," Randolph said. "It's big to start off with a great start."
While Randolph got the Desert Dogs rolling early, Green did his damage late.
Green, 23, doubled and scored in the fourth, hit a solo homer in the sixth and collected an RBI single in the eighth on his way to a 3-for-4, two-RBI performance at the plate.
"I felt kind of rushed early in my [at-bat], so I just tried to see a fastball up and I got into a hitter's count and let loose a little bit," Green said of his second AFL homer.

Both Phillies prospects have dealt with injuries during their career -- although Green's injury history is a bit more extensive. Green, a third-round pick from the 2012 Draft, has played in just 384 games in his career, including 57 during the 2017 season.
While the barrage of injuries has been frustrating, Green is healthy now and relishing the opportunity to make up for lost time in Arizona.
"It's great," Green said. "Out here pain free and able to compete when you've gone through nagging injuries like that, it's hard to compete and get better, so that's probably what I'm most excited about."
Meanwhile, Randolph, a first-round pick in 2015, missed two months with a shoulder injury in 2016, but played in 122 games with Class A Advanced Clearwater this year.
Randolph hit .250/.338/.402 with the Threshers and has hit .209 across 18 games in the Arizona Fall League.
While Randolph was healthy all year -- a fact he's certainly pleased with -- his numbers haven't been ideal. However, the 20-year-old feels he's been hitting balls well -- as he did Tuesday -- and that the results will come.
"I've been barreling balls, the end results is not really happening the way I want," Randolph said. "I'm hitting balls at people, the numbers are not the greatest, it is what it is."
Indians prospect Sean Brady also turned in a good performance for Glendale as he gave up one run -- a solo homer to (Athletics No. 14) in the first -- on three hits in four innings.
Brady has thrown well during the Fall, posting a 2.78 ERA through six starts and giving up one earned run or less in four of those starts.