O’Neill continues to rake with second AFL homer

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Tyler O’Neill came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the ninth inning of Monday’s Arizona Fall League game between his Peoria Javelinas and the Glendale Desert Dogs. The Javelinas had just taken a 5-4 lead on a bases-loaded walk by the Reds’ Brandon Dixon and the first pitch from new reliever Ryan Brinley hit off the knob of O’Neill’s bat.

Home plate umpire Shane Livensparger initially ruled the pitch had struck O’Neill on his elbow pad and pointed him to first base. But O’Neill told Livensparger the truth, that it was actually a foul ball. Was it a fit of Canadian honesty from the British Columbia native?

“I just wanted to hit,” admitted O’Neill, who eventually grounded out to third to end the inning in a game that ended with that one-run difference, giving the Javelinas their third win in five games.

• Gameday

Who could blame O’Neill for wanting to continue swinging what has been a very effective bat for all of 2016? The Mariners’ No. 2 prospect (No. 59 on the overall Top 100 list) had already hit a long home run and opposite field double in the game, a continuation of his MVP campaign in the Double-A Southern League this year.

“When you’re hot, you want to keep going,” said O’Neill, who hit .293/.374/.508 with 24 home runs and 102 RBIs with Double-A Jackson during the regular season. “That’s exactly what’s going on. I just wanted to come out here and keep performing.”

He certainly did that with his first two trips to the plate against Glendale starting pitcher Austin Voth. Leading off the second inning, O’Neill fouled off Voth’s first offering, then absolutely crushed the next pitch into no-doubt-about-it land in left-center field. Outfielder Courtney Hawkins (White Sox No. 14), playing left for Glendale, didn’t even move.

“He hung me a little slider there,” O’Neill said …

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