October 10th, 2012 at 9:05 am 
by Ron Cervenka Dodgers second base prospect Rafael Ynoa went 2 for 4 with an RBI for the Mesa Solar Sox in a very well played 6-5 losing effort in Tuesday evening’s AFL season opener against the Salt River Rafters at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Ynoa, one of nine Dodgers prospects selected for the Arizona Fall League, also made several outstanding defensive plays and played the entire game at second base.
Although top Dodgers outfield prospect Joc Pederson, who started the game in left field for the Solar Sox, went 0 for 4 on the night, he made an absolutely outstanding throw from deep in the left field corner that would have nailed a Rafters DH Corey Dickerson on a double had Ynoa not had the ball knocked out of his glove by the sliding Dickerson.
Dodgers left-handed pitching prospect Eric Eadington was called upon in the 5th inning to preserve a 4-2 lead but surrendered two solo home runs for a blown save. Eadington did, however, pick off a runner at first base in between home runs which prevented an additional run from scoring.
Catching prospect Gorman Erickson took over catching duties in the 7th inning for the Sox and made several great blocks, but unfortunately the damage was done when the Rafters scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning after the Sox had regained the lead in the top half of the inning.
Noticeably missing from the Solar Sox roster was top Dodgers outfield prospect Yasiel Puig, who was scratched from roster earlier in the day due to a staph infection in his throwing arm that required emergency surgery. It is unlikely that the recent $42 million Dodgers signee will return before the conclusion of the AFL but is expected to be ready for spring training in February.
Right-handed starter Andres Santiago is schedule to make his AFL pitching debut on Friday. At the time of this writing, I have no information as to when left-hander Chris Reed, right hander Onelki Garcia, or right-hander Red Patterson will pitch but suspect that it will be within the next day or two.
Posted in 
Ynoa is an interesting player – not so much a late bloomer but more so just continuous progress.
Reed and Patterson had a good inning today. Griff one AB. They threw fewer pitches in their inning than did the other Mesa pitchers.
Chris Reed hit the very first batter he face on the very first pitch he threw but settled down after that. Red Patterson was very good. I have yet to see Onelki Garcia and wonder if he is here.
I see Ynoa had a second very good game: 2/2 plus two walks. Joc is having a difficult time. Griff had a hit. Eadington got a save but looks like a difficult one with two hits but he definitely threw strikes.
Eric gave up back-to-back singles to lead off the bottom of the 9th and a stolen base put runners at second and third with no outs. Eric then struck out the next two batters and induced a game-ending pop up to short for the save. He was struggling until those two huge strikeouts, so perhaps he is turning things around.
Griff has been great behind the plate and finally got a hit today.
Joc is really pressing. He is swinging at the first pitch in almost every at bat and seems to be pulling his head. That said, I am confident that he will get back on track soon.
Rafael has been lights out on both sides of the ball and has very good range at second base. I am very impressed with him thus far.
Eric, 24, was signed by the Dodgers as an undrafted free agent in 2011. I see that Raul Mondesi Jr. was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Brewers. He just turned 20. Seems like one the Dodgers would have secured but that was in McCourt days.