Turns out that even in mid-November, there are baseball games with playoff implications.
A home run from Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Andy Pages in Wednesday’s Arizona Fall League game between Glendale and Mesa put the Desert Dogs into Friday’s play-in game.
The winner of that game will face the Surprise Saguaros on Saturday for the league title contest. The Solar Sox can make it a rematch with a win over the Peoria Javelinas in the regular-season finale on Thursday.
“We all definitely want to make it to the playoffs,” Pages through translator Annalee Ramirez. “We’re amongst a lot of talented players and prospects that are here so it’s definitely something that we want. To be able to say I hit that home run benefited our team in that way, absolutely, I’m excited.”
Pages’ fifth AFL home run was immediately followed up by a solo homer by fellow Dodgers prospect Jose Ramos, highlighting a seven-run eighth inning rally that snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Dodgers pitching prospect Tanner Dodson closed the game with a perfect inning of work.
Pages, ranked as the Dodgers’ No. 5 prospect, finished the minor league season with 26 home runs, 80 RBIs and an .804 OPS in Double-A Tulsa. He hit 31 homers the previous year in High-A Great Lakes. He has batted .296 with a .904 OPS in the AFL.
Pages said he is focusing on improving his mental approach to the game and is taking advantage of playing in a low-stakes developmental showcase.
“I’m definitely taking advantage of the fact that it’s the Fall League and not like a bigger game during the regular season,” Pages said. “Taking my time and looking for it there so that when it does come time to be important or key at high level, it’s at the point where I want it.”
Pages signed with the Dodgers in October 2017 after leaving Cuba. He nearly became an Angels prospect as part of a trade that would have sent Joc Pederson and Ross Stripling to Orange County in 2020. for Luis Rengifo and Taylor Ward. The trade got nixed by the Angels last minute and now the Dodgers get the benefit of avoiding seller’s remorse.
