November 14, 2022 at 7:00 AM
Fall/Winter League Roundup: AFL season ends, Rafaela debuts in Puerto Rico
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Arizona Fall League
In the final week of the AFL regular season, Niko Kavadas went 1 for 7 with one RBI, one walk, and three strikeouts over two games. Wilyer Abreu and Stephen Scott each got into one game and went a combined 0 for 6 with three strikeouts and two walks between them. Nick Yorke did not appear in a game for Scottsdale. Kavadas finishes the fall with a slash line of .239/.417/.435 to go along with two home runs and six RBIs in 15 games. Abreu, meanwhile, batted just .167/.275/.204 with two doubles and 10 RBIs in 17 games. Scott and Yorke were named AFL Fall Stars last week. The former slashed .298/.394/.614 with five homers and 16 RBIs in 15 games. The latter hit .342/.424/.526 with two home runs and a league-best 18 RBIs in 19 games.
On the mound, the pitching contingent of Aaron Perry, Thad Ward, Jacob Webb, and Ryan Zeferjahn got into one last game this past week. Ward struck out four across three scoreless innings in his final start for the Scorpions on Wednesday. Perry and Zeferjahn combined for three shutout frames of relief while Webb was charged with the loss after surrendering two runs in the ninth inning of the game Ward started. Ward, who was sidelined for nearly a month earlier this fall due to a left oblique strain, finishes with a 2.84 ERA and 15-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio in four appearances (three starts, 12 2/3 innings) for the Scorpions. Perry finishes with an ERA of 12.46, though he did not allow a run in his final three outings of the fall. Webb posted a 3.60 ERA and recorded three saves while Zeferjahn pitched to a 4.80 ERA.
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Dominican Professional Baseball League
According to The Boston Globe's Alex Speier, Triston Casas is not expected to return to the Tigres del Licey due to knee soreness he first experienced last month. Enmanuel Valdez was the only other position player who saw action last week, as he went 2 for 9 with an RBI, a run scored, and three strikeouts. On the other side of the ball, Franklin German appeared in three games for Aguilas and allowed one run on two hits, three walks, and six strikeouts over three innings of work. Victor Santos, meanwhile, yielded two unearned runs on two hits, one walk, and two strikeouts. He took the loss for Escogido on Sunday.
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Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
In three scoreless appearances out of the Lara bullpen, Darwinzon Hernandez scattered three hits and one walk to go along with five strikeouts across three innings of work. Fellow Cardenal Pedro Castellanos went 5 for 9 at the plate with two RBIs in three games. Brainer Bonaci made his winter ball debut for Caracas on Wednesday and went hitless in two trips to the plate.
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Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (Puerto Rico)
Ceddanne Rafaela made his highly-anticipated debut for the Criollos de Caguas on Sunday. The 22-year-old went 2 for 4 with a strikeout and stolen bases. Matthew Lugo hit his first home run for Caguas on Saturday and has gone 3 for 21 in his first seven games with the club. Like Lugo, Christian Koss went hitless on Sunday and is now batting .217 (5 for 23) for Caguas. Jeter Downs made his debut for Mayaguez over the weekend and is hitless in four at-bats. Nate Tellier tossed a scoreless seventh inning in his second appearance for Ponce on Friday. Fellow reliever Henry Nunez has allowed two runs through his first two outings for Ponce.
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Colombian Professional Baseball League
The 2022-2023 Colombian Professional Baseball League season began on Friday. Ronaldo Hernandez is Boston's lone representative. The right-handed hitting backstop celebrated his 25th birthday on Opening Day and has gone 4 for 11 with two doubles and two RBIs in his first three games with the Tigres de Cartagena.
Photo Credit: Ceddanne Rafaela by Kelly O'Connor