Tigers AFL update

[Dannomyte]

Vasquez back on track in AFL play

Looks like it took one game for Virgil Vasquez (1-1) to get loose and produce. As noted last week, Vasquez had a rough outing during his first start on Oct. 13, when he surrendered eight runs on nine hits, including two homers, in 1 2/3 innings.

In three outings since, Vasquez has struck out 10 batters in 13 scoreless innings. On Nov. 1, he pitched his first game out of the bullpen and turned in his second-best performance of the Arizona Fall League season.

After Phoenix's starter allowed five runs in two-plus innings, Vasquez entered in the third frame with no outs and a man on second and third and quickly retired the next three batters in order to avoid further damage. He tossed four hitless frames in all as the Desert Dogs rallied past the Peoria Saguaros, 10-7.

Here's how some other Tigers prospects fared in the various fall and winter leagues over the past week:

AFL Phoenix Desert Dogs
CF Brent Clevlen -- Clevlen is riding a five-game hitting streak. On Nov. 1, his two-run single capped a five-run fifth inning, forging a 5-5 tie.

3B Kody Kirkland -- Kirkland had his third multi-hit game on Oct. 30, going 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and two runs scored. In 15 games, he is 15-for-52 (.288) with two homers and 12 RBIs with 19 strikeouts.

LHP Corey Hamman -- Hamman (1-0) notched his first win by recording the final two outs on Nov. 1. He has gone two innings or fewer in each of his 10 relief appearances, allowing two runs on eight hits over eight frames.

RHP Preston Larrison -- The 25-year-old right-hander was charged with three runs on four hits in one inning of relief on Oct. 28. During his next outing, four days later, Larrison worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

RHP Jordan Tata -- Tata (0-1) turned in his worst outing on Oct. 26, surrendering four runs -- one earned -- in four innings. In three starts, he has yielded six runs -- three earned -- on seven hits over 10 innings.

Venezuelan Winter League
OF David Espinosa -- Espinosa drove in a run in five straight games from Oct. 25-29, but he has managed only one extra-base hit in 15 games for the Navegantes del Magallanes.

IF Juan Francia -- Francia is 2-for-17 with two RBIs and three runs scored in 17 games.

OF Jackson Melian -- Melian is hitless in his last eight at-bats and is 3-for-19 for the Cardenales de Lara.

Mexican Pacific League
INF Maxwell Leon -- Leon has been used primarily as a pinch-runner for the Tomateros de Culiacan. He is 0-for-2 with an RBI, two runs scored and a walk.

http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/NASApp/ml ... p&c_id=det

[Dannomyte]

Despite having his modest five-game hitting streak snapped on Nov. 2, Brent Clevlen bounced back by smacking his second home run of the AFL season in his next game. It was a seventh-inning three-run shot that broke a 2-2 tie, helping the Phoenix Desert Dogs rally for a 6-2 victory over the Scottsdale Scorpions.

Three days later, the 23-year-old right fielder turned in his second three-hit game with a pair of RBIs and a stolen base. With the Desert Dogs trailing, 5-4, in the eighth, Clevlen ripped a game-tying RBI single, sparking his team to another come-from-behind win.

Clevlen joins nine other Tigers prospects seeing action in either the AFL, the Venezuela Winter League or the Mexican Pacific League. Here's how the others fared during the week of Nov. 1-7.

Arizona Fall League
RHP Virgil Vasquez -- Vasquez (2-1) extended his scoreless-innings streak to 18 over his last four starts, scattering six hits and five walks while striking out 15.

3B Kody Kirkland -- Kirkland had two hits this week, dropping his average to .262.

LHP Corey Hamman -- Hamman (1-0) appeared in one game this week. On Nov. 6, he allowed two hits in a scoreless inning.

RHP Preston Larrison -- The 25-year-old right-hander appeared in two games this week and surrendered one run on three hits in one inning on Nov. 7.

RHP Jordan Tata -- Tata (0-2) continued to struggle on the mound. He allowed runs in each of his four starts. On Nov. 2. Tata yielded three runs -- two earned -- on five hits and a walk over four innings.

Venezuelan Winter League
OF David Espinosa -- Espinosa has one hit with five strikeouts in three games during the past week for the Navegantes del Magallanes. Over 18 games, he has one extra-base hit, a double.

IF Juan Francia -- Francia is 2-for-18 with two RBIs and five runs scored in 18 games.

OF Jackson Melian -- Melian ended an 0-for-10 slide by going 4-for-12 with two RBIs in three games from Nov. 4-8 for the Cardenales de Lara.

Mexican Pacific League
INF Maxwell Leon -- Leon hasn't played for the Tomateros de Culiacan since Oct. 19. He is 0-for-2 with an RBI, two runs scored and a walk.

Virgil Vasquez pitched another 6 scoreless innings last night extending his scoreless innings streak to 24.

[Dannomyte]

Virgil Vasquez named AFL pitcher of the week

Pitcher of the Week
Virgil Vasquez, Phoenix Desert Dogs
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 11.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO

On Oct. 13, Vasquez made his AFL debut against Scottsdale and was hit hard. The right-hander allowed eight runs on nine hits over just 1 2/3 innings and took the loss. Since then, however, Vasquez has been lights-out. The 24-year-old has pitched 24 consecutive scoreless innings since his debut, striking out 17 batters while walking just five. Opponents are hitting just .183 against him.

The seventh-round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers in 2003, Vasquez started twice last week and combined to allow just four hits over 11 shutout innings. On Monday against the Peoria Javelinas, the UC-Santa Barbara product struck out five batters over five innings and picked up his second win of the season.

Five days later, he faced the Peoria Saguaros and allowed just two hits over six innings. Vasquez ranks first in the AFL in innings pitched (25 2/3), second in ERA (2.81) and fifth in strikeouts (19). This season, he went 7-12 with a 3.73 ERA over 27 starts for the Double-A Erie SeaWolves.

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/app/ ... p&sid=l119

[Dannomyte]

Clevlen/Vasquez help Dogs win AFL Championship!

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The only team with a winning record during the Arizona Fall League's five-week regular season showed its superiority one more time Saturday afternoon at Scottsdale Stadium.

Kick-started by three unearned runs in the third inning, the Phoenix Desert Dogs captured their third straight AFL championship with a 6-2 victory over the Grand Canyon Rafters.

Four hits, solid pitching, spotless defense and excellent vision enabled the Desert Dogs to become the first team in the AFL's 15-year history to win four titles. Based on their 20-11 regular-season record, compared to Grand Canyon's 16-16 record, the best team emerged as champion.

"This is the first championship team I've been on in pro ball and it's pretty neat," Desert Dogs right fielder Brent Cleven said. "The season ended on a good note, which is always a good thing."

Clevlen, the Detroit Tigers' second-round draft pick in 2002, was the offensive star. He drove in two runs with a two-out, bases-loaded single in the fifth inning and slugged a leadoff home run in the eighth to put an exclamation point on Phoenix's victory.

"I think the single was a bigger hit than the home run," Clevlen said. "It came with two outs and put us up 5-1. That's a decent lead in the middle of the game." >p / Right-hander Virgil Vasquez, another of the Tigers' top prospects, retired the first 12 batters he faced, wobbled a bit the next two innings -- primarily because of cramps in his legs and fingers -- and departed with a lead that turned into a personal victory.

"We had a great team," he said. "I kept telling the guys that I wish we would have this team all the time. We had so much fun together."

It was a team that relied on good pitching and defense.

And if their opponents wanted to chip in an errant throw or run into a wild streak, the Desert Dogs gladly accepted the generosity.

The title game started out as a duel between Vasquez and Grand Canyon's A.J. Murray, a left-hander from the Rangers organization. The first 16 batters were retired, a streak that ended when Murray hit Kody Kirkland (Tigers) with one out in the third inning.

Another great game from Virgil Vasquez. His scoreless inning streak ended at 28 but he still got the W and only gave up 1 run in 5 IP with 4 K's and zero walks.

Clevlen had a huge game going 2 for 3 with a HR 3 RBI and a walk.