Goodwin and Skole have RBI doubles, but Mesa drops Salt River 7-5

Brian Goodwin and Matt Skole smacked RBI doubles, but a four-run second inning set the tone as Mesa edged Salt River 7-5 in Arizona Fall League competition Friday afternoon. Batting leadoff as the designated hitter, Goodwin went 1-for-5, with a RBI double, a run scored and two strikeouts. His average is at .239. Skole, at first base, went 1-for-3 with a run-scoring double and a walk. His average is .302. Anthony Rendon, playing third base, went 0-for-4 and struck out twice. The Solar Sox struck out 13 batters in the victory. Cole Kimball came on in relief and fired two scoreless innings, with a walk, one hit and one strikeout. Kimball faced eight hitters, throwing 27 pitches, 17 for strikes. Instant analysis: Big hits again for Goodwin and Skole, but not much else. The Rafters came back to tie game at 4-4 before the Solar Sox rallied again. Great two innings for Kimball, dropping his ERA to 3.18. Pitching coach Mark Grater said Kimball is still not back to 100 percent health with his stuff so it is a step-by-step process, and this is certainly a nice step. You know the intensity and competitiveness will drive Kimball, and he will make it back to where he was before the shoulder surgery. Thanks to Scottsdale's five-game losing streak, the Rafters (13-12) still lead by 1 1/2 games in the AFL East. Salt River plays at Phoenix (10-13) today at 2:35 pm Eastern time, with a day off scheduled for Sunday. Jason Martinson gets to play today for Salt River.