Reds Arizona Fall League updates

October 25th, 2019

Eight Reds prospects are playing for the Glendale Desert Dogs in the 2019 Arizona Fall League: Third baseman Jonathan India (No. 3, MLB No. 93), catcher Tyler Stephenson (No. 7), shortstop Jose Garcia (No. 9), outfielder Stuart Fairchild (No. 16), right-hander Jordan Johnson, right-hander Diomar Lopez, right-hander Dauri Moreta, and right-hander Cory Thompson.

Here’s a day-by-day look at how Cincinnati's AFL contingent is faring:

Oct. 25: Glendale 5, Surprise 3
Jose Garcia went 0-for-1, but he showed good plate discipline as he drew a pair of walks and scored a run. Diomar Lopez struggled in his final AFL outing, yielding two runs on four hits in his lone inning out of the ‘pen. Cory Thompson, needed just 10 pitches (six strikes) to retire the side in order as he threw a scoreless sixth inning.

Oct. 24: Glendale 2, Peoria 1
Stuart Fairchild has hit well throughout the Arizona Fall League, but his seven-game hitting streak came to a close with an 0-for-3 performance. Fairchild, who is batting .354, drew a walk and struck out three times.

Oct. 23: Glendale 6, Salt River 5
Tyler Stephenson and Stuart Fairchild’s combined 5-for-9 performance helped power Glendale over Salt River, 6-5, on Wednesday. Stephenson, the Reds’ No. 7 prospect, finished 2-for-5 after he put the Desert Dogs on the board in the first inning with an RBI double. The hit, Stephenson’s seventh AFL two-bagger, had an exit velocity of 100.6 mph, and he also posted exit velocities of 103.1 mph (groundout), 101 mph (groundout ) and 97.1 mph (single) on the three other balls he put in play. Fairchild went 3-for-4 with an RBI and paced Glendale’s offense with two runs scored. He also reached via a walk and swiped a bag. The 23-year-old outfielder is batting .387 through eight games and has now hit safely in seven straight. More »

Shortstop Jose Garcia went 0-for-5 to snap a seven-game hitting streak. Dauri Moreta allowed multiple runs for the first time in 10 Fall League relief appearances. He was tagged by Salt River for three runs on two hits and a walk and recorded just two outs in the fifth inning out of the Desert Dogs’ bullpen.

Oct. 22: Scheduled day off for all Arizona Fall League teams.

Oct. 21: Salt River 11, Glendale 7
Diomar Lopez allowed a hit and a walk during a scoreless inning out of Glendale’s bullpen. It was an encouraging performance by the 22-year-old right-hander considering he had recorded only two outs in his two previous outings, while giving up a combined six runs on six hits.

Oct. 20: Glendale 7, Scottsdale 2
Jordan Johnson allowed five runs in seven innings to start his AFL campaign, but he’s been phenomenal in his past three. On Sunday, he served up a solo homer to Mets prospect Andres Gimenez, but that was the lone run he allowed over five strong innings. In his past three outings, the 26-year-old has surrendered only two runs in 12 innings with nine strikeouts to one walk. Dauri Moreta hit a batter, but he finished out a scoreless ninth.

Stuart Fairchild has played only seven games this fall, and he already owns a six-game hitting streak after a two-hit day. One of the center fielder’s hits plated two runs on a single in the five-run fifth inning. Jose Garcia went 1-for-4 with a run scored as the leadoff batter.

Oct. 19: Glendale 5, Scottsdale 2
Tyler Stephenson, playing for the first time since homering in the Fall Stars Game, went 1-for-3 with a run-scoring single. Stephenson has fared well in Arizona and is batting .341 through 11 games. Jose Garcia also drove in a run as part of his 1-for-4 effort. Jonathan India’s struggles continued with an 0-for-3 night.

Oct. 18: Surprise 3, Glendale 1
Jonathan India’s struggles in the Fall League continued Friday as he went 0-for-3, lowering his average to .140. He was able to draw a walk in the sixth, which extended his on-base streak with Glendale to 11 straight.

Oct. 17: Scheduled day off for all Arizona Fall League teams.

Oct. 16: Glendale 8, Surprise 4
Jose Garcia singled to kick things off, extending his hitting streak to five games. He also drew a walk in the sixth, but was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning. Stuart Fairchild has now hit in six of the seven games he’s played in for the Desert Dogs. The center fielder went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored, bringing his average up to .304. 

Diomar Lopez has really struggled in his last two outings. On Oct. 11, he gave up four runs on four hits in just two-thirds of an inning. On Wednesday, he again recorded only two outs, yielding a pair of runs on two hits and a walk while striking out one. His AFL ERA is now up to 9.64. Cory Thompson fared much better coming in back of Lopez. He got out of the inning Lopez couldn’t finish, then tossed a scoreless eighth and allowed just one hit, a base runner who was erased in a double play.

Oct. 15: Glendale 4, Mesa 3
Jonathan India followed Blake Rutherford’s leadoff double with an RBI triple, his first in the Fall League, to give Glendale an early lead against Mesa, and Tyler Stephenson drove in the Desert Dogs’ second run of the frame when he plated India via a groundout. They finished 1-for-3 and 0-for-4, respectively. India, the Reds’ No. 3 prospect, has recorded an extra-base hit in four of his past five games, during which he’s hit all three of his AFL home runs. Stephenson had his five-game hitting streak snapped, but he owns a .341 average. Defensively, the 6-foot-4 backstop allowed four stolen bases in as many chances. Jose Garcia had a strong game on both sides of the field, going 1-for-3 with an RBI double and also made a pair of slick plays at shortstop. He’s batting .227 with four extra-base hits and seven RBIs through 11 games. Dauri Moreta tossed a perfect ninth inning to record his first AFL save.

Oct. 14: Glendale 9, Mesa 5
Jonathan India launched his third home run of the AFL season on Monday, a two-run shot in the top of the eighth that was part of Glendale’s big five-run inning. The Reds’ No. 3 prospect (No. 97 in MLB) finished the day 1-for-5 with two RBIs. Catcher Tyler Stephenson was the cleanup hitter, starting as the DH, and went 1-for-4 with a walk and a pair of runs scored. Right-hander Jordan Johnson got the start and gave Glendale four innings of one-run ball as he scattered five hits and struck out two. Johnson now owns a 3.86 ERA in the Arizona Fall League.

Oct. 13: Scheduled day off for all Arizona Fall League teams.

Oct. 12: East 4, West 2
Here's how every player performed in the Fall Stars Game. More »

Oct. 11: Peoria 8, Glendale 3
Cory Thompson worked 1 1/3 frames out of relief, allowing one run on two hits. Despite the run crossing the dish, Thompson was a victim of bad luck as the bright sky in Peoria led to a popup falling in and being scored as a hit. His sixth AFL appearance saw him strike out a batter and walk none. Diomar Lopez was an out away from escaping trouble Friday, but ultimately surrendered four runs with two outs, raising his ERA to 8.31 over seven appearances.

Oct. 10: Glendale 5, Peoria 2
Jonathan India, the Reds’ No. 3 prospect, launched his second home run of the fall season in the sixth inning as part of his 1-for-4 day. Tyler Stephenson (No. 7) also went 1-for-4 in the outing, as the catcher scored a run and lowered his fall average to .394. Jose Garcia doubled as part of a 1-for-5 afternoon. Stuart Fairchild (No. 16) hit his second AFL double, a go-ahead two-RBI smash down the left-field line in the ninth. He finished 1-for-4 with a run scored. Dauri Moreta came in for the eighth and earned the win, as the 23-year-old right-hander allowed one run on two hits in his frame, before the Desert Dogs rallied in the ninth.

Oct. 9: Salt River 6, Glendale 2
Jonathan India, the Reds’ No. 3 prospect (MLB No. 93), went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in Glendale’s loss against Salt River. He’s batting .119 through 13 games in the Fall League.

Oct. 8: Salt River 11, Glendale 10
Jordan Johnson put together his best outing of the AFL as he twirled three scoreless frames for Glendale. Johnson, who threw 32 of his 62 pitches for strikes, walked one and gave up two hits, but he also struck out three. Jonathan India got the start at third base, but he was taken out of the game in the third inning. He walked and scored in his lone plate appearance. Jose Garcia socked a two-run single to help spark Glendale’s rally in the second, as he finished 1-for-5 with three RBIs. Cincinnati’s No. 9 prospect entered the night with three RBIs through his first eight games.

Oct. 7: Scheduled day off for all Arizona Fall League teams.

Oct. 6: Scottsdale 6, Glendale 5
The two Reds prospects in the lineup for the Desert Dogs were responsible for half the team’s hit total on Sunday against Scottsdale. No. 7 prospect Tyler Stephenson went 3-for-5 with two doubles, and the catcher also drove in a run and scored one. Jose Garcia, No. 9 on the Top 30, had a 2-for-4 day.

Oct. 5: Glendale 2, Surprise 0
Jonathan India cranked his first AFL homer in the third, a solo shot. After a slow start to fall play, India turned in a three-hit game, which saw him lace a single in the first and single again in the sixth, a shot that was deflected by the shortstop. After two RBIs in his first nine games, India has four over his past two contests. Stuart Fairchild made his fourth AFL appearance and notched a double to leadoff the fourth, his third straight contest with a hit. Cincinnati’s No. 16 prospect has seen sparing action with Glendale, but owns a .267 batting average. Jose Garcia hit leadoff for Glendale and went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. He saw his average dip to .185 through his first seven games. More >>

Oct. 4: Glendale 7, Surprise 6 (11 innings)
Tyler Stephenson served as Glendale’s DH and delivered the go-ahead knock in the 11th to put the team ahead for good. He finished 2-for-5, notching his third multihit effort in the AFL while raising his batting average to .375 and his OPS to 1.006. Cincinnati’s No. 7 prospect is off to a torrid start in the fall, making his case for a quick ascension up the Reds’ Minor League ranks in 2020. Jonathan India has found himself in an early AFL malaise, but after entering as an injury replacement, he knocked a bloop two-run single in the sixth. The hit was only his second of the fall, but his three RBIs on Friday brought his total with Glendale up to five.

Oct. 3: Scheduled day off for all Arizona Fall League teams.

Oct. 2: Peoria 2, Glendale 0
Jose Garcia and Jonathan India were in a Desert Dogs lineup that was shut out by the Javelinas, with India, the Reds’ No. 3 prospect -- also No. 93 on the Top 100 -- going 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts, and Garcia, Cincinnati’s No. 9 prospect, going 0-for-4 out of the leadoff spot.

Oct. 1: Mesa 4, Glendale 0
Jonathan India drew a walk as part of an 0-for-3 performance Tuesday in Glendale’s loss to Mesa. The Reds’ No. 3 prospect (MLB No. 93) and 2018 first-round pick has gotten off to a slow start this fall, batting just .034 (1-for-29) over his first eight games. Tyler Stephenson (Reds’ No. 7), on the other hand, is batting .368 after finishing 1-for-3 with his third AFL double, which also accounted for the Desert Dogs’ lone extra-base hit. Stuart Fairchild (No. 16) collected half of Glendale’s hits in the loss, going 2-for-4 in his first Fall League multihit game.

On the mound, Jordan Johnson took his second loss in as many AFL starts after allowing three runs on four hits in four innings. The 26-year-old right-hander struck out six but also issued five walks in the outing while throwing 41 of 76 pitches for strikes. Johnson sports a 6.43 ERA in seven innings for Glendale.

Sept. 30: Scheduled day off for all Arizona Fall League teams.

Sept. 29: Salt River 4, Glendale 3
Jonathan India is on the board. The second baseman snapped an 0-for-23 skid in AFL play with an RBI double in the bottom of the third against Salt River. His finished 1-for-4 with two strikeouts and his second RBI in seven games. Stuart Fairchild collected a hit, his first of the season, and scored a run in four at-bats. Diomar Lopez struck out one in 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Dauri Moreta struck out one batter and allowed one run on one hit in one inning.

Sept. 28: Peoria 9, Glendale 4
Batting leadoff for Glendale, Jose Garcia launched his first AFL homer as part of a two-hit effort. The shortstop hit a solo blast in the seventh inning to go along with a double in the first, when he scored a run on a wild pitch. They were the first extra-base hits of the fall for the 21-year-old, who also drew a walk and stole two bases.

Cory Thompson struck out the side in a scoreless inning of relief, allowing just one hit. The 25-year-old threw 14 of his 18 pitches for strikes.

Sept. 27: Peoria 5, Glendale 2
Reds prospects had a bad day in the field on Friday, as third baseman Jonathan India committed a fielding error and catcher Tyler Stephenson was charged with a throwing error. Both players also hit into double plays. India finished hitless in four at-bats, while Stephenson walked twice and ended up 0-for-2.

Sept. 26: Glendale 5, Salt River 4
Diomar Lopez allowed three runs on four hits in an inning of work, issuing no walks and picking up one strikeout. Dauri Moreta fared a bit better, pitching a perfect inning while picking up a strikeout. Jose Garcia rolled into an RBI groundout, but finished 0-for-3. He walked and scored a run.

Sept. 25: Salt River 8, Glendale 4, postponed due to lightning
Reds No. 3 prospect Jonathan India (MLB No. 94) started at second base and batted cleanup for Glendale on Wednesday. He went 0-for-1 with a walk and a groundout at the plate and committed two errors in the field. He also made a nice sliding play to his forehand side in the fifth inning right before the game was postponed due to lightning.

Tyler Stephenson smashed a two-run double to right-center field to cap the scoring in Glendale’s four-run fourth inning. Jose Garcia went 0-for-1 with a walk and a run scored from the leadoff spot, and Stuart Fairchild was held hitless from the bottom of the lineup.

Glendale starter Jordan Johnson was tagged for five runs (four earned) on six hits in three innings. He struck out one batter and walked a pair.

Sept. 24: Glendale 7, Mexicali 2
Tyler Stephenson had a big day at the plate for Glendale on Tuesday. The Reds’ No. 7 prospect finished the day 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while also throwing out the one runner who tried to steal against him. Over 89 games in Double-A this season, Stephenson hit .285 with six home runs and a .782 OPS. Batting third, Jonathan India had a quiet night at the plate, where he finished 0-for-5 with a strikeout.

Corey Johnson tossed two innings for Glendale, and he was stung by a two-run double as part of three hits he allowed.

Sept. 23: Scheduled day off for all Arizona Fall League teams.

Sept. 22: Mesa 7, Glendale 6
Diomar Lopez tossed a pair of scoreless innings, allowing a hit and issuing a walk while striking out two. The 22-year-old pitched to a 2.72 ERA in 28 relief appearances this season for Class A Advanced Daytona. Jose Garcia collected a pair of hits in six at-bats, batting second and playing shortstop. He scored one run and stole a base but left eight runners on base, including five in scoring position, and committed a fielding error. Jonathan India went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts.

Sept. 21: Glendale 1, Scottsdale 0
After his 1-for-3 night on Saturday, catcher Tyler Stephenson is now 3-for-10 over his first three games in the Fall League. He could’ve easily had another hit, for extra bases, but was robbed by Phillies center fielder Mickey Moniak.

Right-hander Dauri Moreta, MLB Pipeline’s pick for the Reds AFL sleeper prospect, put up another zero. He did issue a walk, but not a hit, while striking out one in his second appearance for Glendale. In two innings, he’s given up no runs on two hits and a walk while striking out four.

Sept. 20: Scottsdale 3, Glendale 2
No. 3 prospect (No. 94 in MLB) Jonathan India made his third straight AFL start on Friday, hitting third and playing third (he’s also seen time at second base this fall) for Glendale. He went 0-for-3 but did drive in what was the tying run with a bases-loaded walk in the seventh inning. He’s now hitless over his first nine at-bats. No. 7 prospect Tyler Stephenson served as the Desert Dogs DH on Friday night and picked up his first two hits of the fall, going 2-for-4 with a double. The catcher is now 2-for-7 after a solid season in the Double-A Southern League. No. 9 prospect Jose Garcia is trying to build off a solid 2019 season where he showed more with the bat in his move up to the Florida State League. The 21-year-old played shortstop and hit eighth on Friday, going 1-for-4 (after an 0-for-3 in his AFL debut) and driving in Glendale’s first run of the game.

Right-hander Cory Thompson came in to relieve starter Griffin Roberts (Cardinals) and gave up a pair of runs on three hits in an inning of work.

Sept. 19: Peoria 10, Glendale 3
No. 3 prospect Jonathan India (No. 94 in MLB) played second base and hit third for Glendale on Thursday night. He turned in his second straight 0-for-3 showing, walking once and striking out once in each contest. Diomar Lopez, coming off of a solid year in Daytona’s bullpen in the Class A Florida State League, had to enter the game in the first inning on Thursday when White Sox prospect Bernardo Flores couldn’t finish the frame. Lopez went 1 1/3 innings, allowing a run on two hits. He didn’t walk a batter (he walked just 1.9 per nine during the season) and struck out a pair.

Sept. 18: Surprise 4, Glendale 2
Jonathan India went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout, batting second and starting at third for the Desert Dogs on Wednesday. Catcher Tyler Stephenson also went 0-for-3 with a strikeout and walk while calling the game behind the plate. Jose Garcia went 0-for-3 as the shortstop, batting ninth. Right-hander Jordan Johnson got the start for Glendale and went three innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out three and walking one. Three of the four hits he allowed were singles, but they were enough to give Surprise the early lead and hand Johnson the loss. Righty Dauri Moreta got the call in the top of the ninth and picked up three strikeouts, but also allowed a pair of singles, leaving a runner stranded at third to end the frame but allowing no runs.