Jacob Scavuzzo wins Arizona Fall League hitting challenge

Dodgers minor league outfielder Jacob Scavuzzo won the Bowman Hitting Challenge at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Saturday night, a new addition to the Arizona Fall League.

All teams were off on Saturday to make way for this showcase of sorts, a hitting contest with various targets around the field. Spencer Fordin of MLB.com has more details of the event:

He showed off that hitting stroke Saturday, when he scored a 50-point bunt hit, a 200-point home run and a 300-point home run. He also hit two balls off the 300-point Bowman cutout in the infield, a 700-point knockerball in the outfield and the final 800-point shot off the inflatable target in right field.

That final shot, the money ball, was where several players were guilty of overswinging. Scavuzzo said it's tough to hit the ball out when you're generating all the power, but he enjoyed taking a hack at it.

Congrats to Glendale's Jacob Scavuzzo (@dodgers) on winning NL portion of the @BowmanCards Hitting Challenge #AFL15 pic.twitter.com/XNfkIZrhGZ

— Arizona Fall League (@MLBazFallLeague) October 18, 2015

The 21-year-old Scavuzzo, drafted in the 21st round in 2012, hit .286/.337/.500 with 18 home runs and 32 doubles across two Class-A levels in 2015. He really blossomed down the stretch with Rancho Cucamonga, hitting .308/.376/.568 with 13 home runs and 18 doubles in 61 games, helping the Quakes to the Cal League title.

Scavuzzo played in one of three games this week in the Arizona Fall League, which started play on Tuesday. Scavuzzo played center field and went 3-for-4 with a run scored on Wednesday.

It was a good week for the Dodgers contingent on offense in the opening week in Arizona:

• Catcher Kyle Farmer was 4-for-9 (.444) with two doubles, a home run and five RBI in two games.
• Second baseman Brandon Dixon was 2-for-8 (.250) with a home run and two RBI in two games.
• Brandon Trinkwon played one game at third base, and was 0-for-3 with a walk.

On the pitching side, Jharel Cotton started at Mesa on Wednesday and allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk in 1⅔ innings, but three of his five outs recorded were by strikeout.

Other Dodgers pitchers this week:

• Ralston Cash pitched two scoreless innings in relief on Wednesday with two strikeouts, a walk and one hit allowed.
• Matt West pitched a scoreless inning at home against Mesa on Tuesday, with one hit and one strikeout.
• Rob Rogers allowed an unearned run on two hits in an inning on Thursday at Scottsdale, with one strikeout.

AFL teams are off on Sundays, but here is the Glendale schedule for the upcoming week:

Monday: at Peoria, 6:35 p.m. PT
Tuesday: vs. Peoria, 12:35 p.m.
Wednesday: vs. Salt River, 6:35 p.m.
Thursday: at Salt River, 6:35 p.m.
Friday: at Surprise (at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale), 12:35 p.m.
Saturday: vs. Surprise, 12:35 p.m.
Sunday: off day