When the Arizona Fall League Rising Stars rosters were announced Alex Blandino was the only Cincinnati Reds player that made the squad. Phillip Ervin was up for the final vote though and after a few days of voting he wound up winning the final spot on the roster.
Neither player was in the starting lineup, but both would eventually make it into the game and make an impact on the game. Phillip Ervin entered the game in the top of the 6th inning as a pinch hitter and he would move into center field. The outfielder would single to left field, showing off good bat speed to pull a 96 MPH fastball. He would steal second base, giving him nine steals in ten attempts so far in the fall league.
Three batters later would bring pinch hitter Alex Blandino to the plate with Ervin still standing on second base. Blandino would ground to shortstop, but an error kept the inning alive and load the bases. Both runners would be stranded though. Blandino would take over at second base in the bottom of the inning.
In the top of the 8th inning Ervin would come up to the plate for the second time in the game, leading off the inning and he would line a slider into center field for his second hit of the game. Two batters later a single would bring Ervin across the plate to extend the West lead.
That would set the stage for Alex Blandino, who came to the plate with a runner on and two outs. After a pick off attempt, Corey Black hung a slider at the top of the zone and Blandino didn’t miss it. He would hit the ball an estimated 377 feet and it came off of the bat at 102 MPH, both according to the Statcast data.
The home run would cap off a strong night for the two Reds prospects. Blandino would finish 1-2 with a 2-run home run, a nice sign for the infielder after having struggles early on in the league. Ervin would wind up 2-3 with a stolen base and a run.