Maybe I’m a fish out of water on this one, but I love a good idiom. That should be evident from my last post. It’s probably why I love writing about the Colorado Rockies and their farm teams – there’s a virtual fountain of plays on words available because of creative names like the Albuquerque Isotopes, Colorado’s Triple-A affiliate, and the Salt River Rafters, the team’s Arizona Fall League co-op club. And that’s where today’s river flows.
Earlier in the week we traversed the choppy waters endured early in the AFL schedule by Colorado’s two left-handed prospects, Kyle Freeland and Sam Moll. Freeland’s first AFL start put quite the wet blanket on the beginning of the short season; he was in over his head and failed to escape the first inning, allowing six runs and home runs while earning just two outs. Moll didn’t fare much better, soaking up two runs on three hits in one inning of relief work.
Wednesday’s efforts, however, washed away any disappointment from those tough first outings. Consider those appearances water under the bridge.
Freeland got in some hot water during his three innings pitched, allowing five hits and two walks, but like water off a duck’s back, he didn’t surrender a run. His control was a concern, throwing just 36 strikes on 66 pitchers, but he managed to keep his head above water, striking out three, in what turned out to be a game decided in the final frame.
Moll pitched the seventh and eighth for the Rafters, and it was smooth sailing for the lefty who spent time with Modesto and New Britain last year. He allowed just one walk in two innings of work before giving way to Washington’s Nick Lee, who eventually wet the bed and gave up the winning (and only) run in the bottom of the ninth.
Neither Freeland or Moll will likely get a long drink of water through the fall league – it’s designed to let players dip a toe in the water against different, often better, competition. Several of the names Freeland and Moll will face this October and November will be on Major League rosters for at least part of next season, so it’s a chance for the Rockies to see if these talented young prospects sink or swim against next-level talent. They’ll continue to sip from the fountain, getting two or three innings with each outing.
Freeland and Moll will get to test the waters with work every six to seven days, more than enough to and determine if they’re both ready to carry water full-time with New Britain next year. As two of the top left-handed arms in the organization, the Rockies are hoping those waters will run deep.
