Pirates Prospect Watch: Bowen Continues to Excel in AFL

Wednesday night, the Arizona Fall League continued with game number three. Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Jase Bowen was the lone position player to start the game for Salt River, and he had an excellent game.

In addition, Bowen registered five hits in three games so far in the Fall League

In Bowen’s first at-bat of the game, he was down 0-2 in the count. On the third pitch of the at-bat, Bowen poked a sinker left in the outer third to right field.

Bowen crushed a slider left up and into center field in his next at-bat, plating two runs for Salt River. In addition, Bowen’s two-run double went 103.3 mph and traveled 411 feet (the longest ball of the game).

Bowen’s lone out of the game came in the bottom of the sixth with a popup to the first baseman. Overall, Bowen put together an impressive game, going 2-3 with a double, walk, and two RBIs.

The Pirates had some other representatives enter the game with LHP Nick Dombkowski. The lefty entered the game in the fourth inning.

Dombkowski threw 24 pitches in two innings and leaned heavily on his slider (50% usage). His slider was effective for the most part; with five balls put into play, in addition, opponents averaged just 83.8 mph in exit velocity.

In addition, Scottsdale put eight balls into play with Dombkowski on the mound and averaged 86.1 mph in exit velocity. Dombkowski’s final line read 2.0 innings pitched, four hits, one run, no walks, and one strikeout.

The final Pirates representative to appear in the game was LHP Tyler Samaniego. Samaniego appeared in the top of the ninth with Salt River down 5-3.

Samaniego needed just 11 pitches to get out of the inning, and he used nearly an even mix of sinkers (six) and sliders (five). In addition, Samaniego had two balls put into play resulting in outs, while also striking out a batter for a perfect inning.

Unfortunately for Salt River, they fell 5-4 as they couldn’t get the tying run home.