Arizona Fall League Weekly Stats Update (through 11/6)

BATTERS            AVG  AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI   OBP   SLG   OPS
Nevin Ashley      .381  42 16  2  1  2  11  .417  .619 1.036
Cody Cipriano     .250   4  1  1  0  0   1  .250  .500  .750
Shawn O'Malley    .333  51 17  1  0  0   5  .433  .353  .786

PITCHERS           W  L   ERA  G GS SV   IP  H HR SO BB  WHIP  BAA 
Matt Gorgen        0  1 12.71  7  0  1  5.2 12  1  9  4  2.82 .444
Paul Phillips      0  1  6.14  7  0  0  7.1  9  0  3  4  1.77 .310
Heath Rollins      0  0  9.00  7  0  0  9.0 18  1  4  4  2.44 .462
Mitch Talbot       2  0  6.75  4  4  0 14.2 20  2  9  2  1.50 .339

Phoenix Desert Dogs fall to Scottsdale Scorpions 8-4

The Game: The Phoenix Desert Dogs fell to the Scottsdale Scorpions 8-4 on Friday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

Scottsdale took the lead in the second inning, posting two runs to the scoreboard. Wilin Rosario delivered a solo home run to score the first run. Hector Gomez followed with a double to left and then later scored on an error by Brandon Waring to take a 2-0 lead.

The Scorpions added another run in the third inning. Thomas Neal hit a double to right. Cole Gillespie followed with an RBI single to center to increase the lead to 3-0.

Scottsdale’s offense continued to dominate, striking again in the fourth inning. Pedro Ciriaco singled to left to lead off the inning. Troy Hanzawa then reached on an error. Ciriaco and Hanzawa then pulled a double steal to move both runners into scoring position. Jose Tabata followed with a walk to load the bases. Domonic Brown also drew a walk with the bases loaded to push across the fist run of the inning. Thomas Neal drove home another run with a ground ball to second, giving Scottsdale a 5-0 lead.

Phoenix ended the shut-out in the home half of the fourth inning. Danny Espinosa lead off the inning with a double to center. Espinosa advanced to third on a ground out by Brandon Snyder and then later scored on a passed ball for the Desert Dogs first run of the game.

Scottsdale answered with more runs of their own in the fifth inning. Wilin Rosario, Hector Gomez and Pedro Ciriaco delivered back to back to back singles to lead off the inning and load the bases. Troy Hanzawa drove home the first run with a sac fly. Then Chase d’Arnaud delivered a sacrifice for the second run and the lead increased to 7-1.

But Phoenix generated a few more runs in the bottom of the fifth to make things interesting. Brandon Warning led off the inning with a solo home run to left. Then Darn Mastroianni and Shawn O’Malley drew back to back walks. AJ Jimenez followed with an RBI double to score Mastroianni and move O’Malley to third. Matt Angle delivered a sac fly to score O’Malley and pull the Desert Dogs to within three runs of the lead 7-4.

Scottsdale added an insurance run in the eighth on an RBI single by Jose Tabata. The Scorpions held on for an 8-4 win.

Robert Ray suffered the loss for Phoenix, falling to 1-1 on the season.

Phoenix Desert Dogs Player of the Game: Toshiyuki Yanuki; two scoreless frames on the mound with two K’s, still holds 0.00 ERA in 8 1/3 innings this season.

Rays Organization Stats:
Shawn O’Malley; 1 for 2 with a run scored and drew a walk
Heath Rollins; 4 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits with 2 walks in 2 2/3 innings pitched.

A Look Ahead: The Phoenix Desert Dogs are off on Saturday for the Arizona Fall League’s Rising Star Game at Surprise Stadium. The game cane be seen at 8:00 ET on MLB Network. Matt Gorgen will be the lone representative for the Rays.

Phoenix Desert Dogs hold on to win slugfest against Peoria 12-11

The Game: Phoenix Desert Dogs were on the winning side of a high scoring shoot-out against the Peoria Saguaros 12-11 on Thursday in Peoria.

The Desert Dogs came out scoring in the first inning posting four runs on the scoreboard. Jemile Weeks singled to center to lead off the inning. Weeks then stole second and Danny Espinosa drew a walk to put runners on the corners. Brandon Snyder then delivered a two run triple to score Weeks and Espinosa. Chris Marrero followed with a sac fly that scored Snyder. Then Grant Desme hits a line drive double to left to put another runner in scoring position for Phoenix. Desme then advanced to third on a passed ball and later scored on a sacrifice by Nevin Ashley to give the Desert Dogs a 4-0 lead.

Peoria got on the scoreboard in the third inning as Mitch Canham led off the inning with a triple to center. Jose Vellejo drove Canham home with a single to second, bringing the Saguaros within three, 4-1.

Phoenix added another run in the fourth inning. Danny Espinosa was hit by a pitch to get things going. Espinosa then stole second and later scored on an RBI single by Chris Marrero to increase the lead to 5-1.

The Saguaros tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. Yonder Alonso and Brandon Hicks delivered back to back singles to lead off the inning. Jonathan Gaston then cleared the bases with a three run home run. Josh Rodriguez followed with a double and then later scored on a grounder by Tim Fedroff to tie the game 5-5.

Phoenix regained the lead in the sixth inning as Danny Espinosa singled to lead off the inning. Corey Brown later followed with an RBI single to score Espinosa and give them a 6-5 lead.

But the Desert Dogs lead did not last long as Peoria posted three more runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead. Josh Rodriguez and Mitch Canham delivered back to back singles with one out to get things started. Jose Vallejo then cleared the bases with a three run homer to give Peoria a 8-6 lead.

The Saguaros added an insurance run in the form of a solo home run by Matt McBride in the seventh inning. The homer increased the Peoria lead to 9-6.

Phoenix then mounted a two inning comeback that would eventually give them the win. The Desert Dogs struck for three runs in the eighth inning. Danny Espinosa lead off the inning with a double. Espinosa then scored on an RBI single by Chris Marrero. Corey Brown cleared the bases with a two run homer to tie the game.

The Desert Dogs rally continued into the ninth inning as they pushed across the go ahead runs. Nevin Ashley singles to left to get things started. Adam Loewen then drew a walk to put runners on first and second. Jemile Weeks then reached on an error to load the bases. Danny Espinosa followed with a two run single that scored Ashley and Loewen. Chris Marrero then walked to reload the bases. Weeks later scored on a passed ball and the Desert Dogs now had a 12-9 lead.

Peoria rallied in the home half of the ninth, posting two runs to the scoreboard on a an RBI single by Brandon Hicks and another by Mitch Canham. But the Desert Dogs held on for the win 12-11.

Drew Storen earned the victory, improving to 2-0 on the season. Josh Perrault picked up his first save of the season for Phoenix.

Phoenix Desert Dogs Player of the Game: Danny Espinosa; 3 for 3 with a double, 2 RBI’s, 4 runs scored and drew 2 walks, also picked up a stolen base.

Rays Organization Stats:
Nevin Ashley; 2 for 3 with an RBI and a runs scored with a walk and a strikeout at the plate, was 1 for 1 in throwing out base runners behind the plate.

A Look Ahead: The Phoenix Desert Dogs return home to Phoenix Municipal Stadium to play the Scottsdale Scorpions on Friday.

Venezuelan Winter League Recap from 11/5

Lara 11, Margarita 8
Ray Olmedo (Margarita); 1 for 4 with a home run, 2 RBI’s, 2 runs scored and a walk.

Zulia 6, Caracas 4
Joe Bateman (Caracas); no runs on 2 hits with a strikeout and a walk in 2/3 inning.

Dominican Winter League Recap from 11/4

Licey 7, Estrellas 2
Henry Mateo (Estrellas); 0 for 1
Willy Aybar (Licey); 2 for 5 with a double and an RBI

Venezuelan Winter League Recap from 11/4

Magallanes 6, Margarita 3
Carlos Hernandez (Magallanes); 2 runs on 6 hits with 2 K’s and a walk in 6 innings pitched

Caracas 14, Zulia 8
Rayner Oliveros (Caracas); 1 run on 2 hits in 1 1/3 innings.

Phoenix Desert Dogs fall to Peoria Saguaros 3-2

The Game: A late game rally fell short as the Phoenix Desert Dogs fell to the Peoria Saguaros 3-2 on Wednesday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Peoria broke the scoreless tie in the fourth inning as Chris Heisey delivered a solo home run to put the Saguaros ahead 1-0.

Peoria posted a second run in the fifth inning. Cedric Hunter singled to right to get things started. Hunter later stole second to move into scoring position. Brandon Hicks followed with an RBI single to score Hunter and increase the lead 2-0.

The Saguaros posted an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning. Lance Zawadzki double to center with one out to put a runner in scoring position. Zawadzki later scored on an RBI single by Carlos Rivero to give Peoria a 3-0 lead.

Phoenix rallied in the home half of the ninth. Brandon Waring singled to right to lead off the inning. Cory Brown and Darin Mastroianni then drew back to back walks to load the bases. Shawn O’Malley and Matt Angle were both struck by pitches to push across two runs and keep the bases loaded. But Jemile Weeks flew out to left to end the inning as the Desert Dogs fell short 3-2.

James Simmons suffered the loss for Phoenix, falling to 1-2 on the season.

Phoenix Desert Dogs Player of the Game: Sam Demel; 1 no hit inning out of the bullpen.

Rays Organization Stats:
Matt Gorgen; 1 hit and 2 strikeouts in 1 inning on the mound.
Shawn O’Malley; 1 for 2 with an RBI and a walk.
Paul Phillips; 1 run on 2 hits allowed in an inning worked.

A Look Ahead: The Phoenix Desert Dogs head to Peoria to rematch the Saguaros on Thursday.

Venezuelan Winter League Recap from 11/3

Caracas 5, Aragua 0
Joe Bateman (Caracas); 2 no-hit innings with 2 strikeouts.

Phoenix Desert Dogs suffer 6-5 extra innings loss to Surprise Rafters

The Game: The Phoenix Desert Dogs fell to the Surprise Rafters 6-5 in extra innings on Tuesday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. The Rafters took an early lead in the first inning as Nick Evans delivers an RBI double to score Daniel Descalso and give them a 1-0 lead.

Surprise added another run in the second inning. Daryl Jones led off the inning with a single to right and then advanced to second on a ground out by Jeff Bianchi. Marcus Lemon then hit an RBI single to left, scoring Jones and giving the Rafters a 2-0 lead.

The Desert Dogs cut the lead in half in the bottom of the second inning. Brad Emaus and Adam Loewen led off the inning with back to back singles. Shawn O’Malley followed with a sac bunt to move both runners into scoring position. AJ Jimenez then drove home Emaus with a sac fly to pull Phoenix within a run of the lead 2-1.

Phoenix tied the game in the third inning. Danny Espinosa collected a ground rule double to get things started. Josh Bell then singled to left to score Espinosa to tie the game 2-2.

The game did not stay tied long as Phoenix took the lead in the fourth inning. Shawn O’Malley drew a walk to lead off the inning. AJ Jimenez followed with an RBI triple to left, scoring O’Malley. Jimenez later scored on a sac fly by Darin Mastroianni as the Desert Dogs took the lead 4-2.

Surprise tied things back up in the top of the fifth inning. Doug Hogan led off the inning with a solo home run. Marcus Lemon followed with a single to third and then advanced to second on a throwing error. Lemon advanced to third on a sac bunt by Jarrod Dyson. Lemon later scored on a wild pitch by Heath Rollins to tie the game at 4.

Surprise regained the lead in the seventh inning. Jarrod Dyson tripled to left to lead off the inning. Daniel Descalso then drove him home with a sac fly, giving the Rafters the lead 5-4.

The Desert Dogs matched runs in the bottom of the seventh, adding a run of their own to tie the game once again. Grant Desme drew a walk to get things going. Desme stole second and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Shawn O’Malley then delivered an RBI single to score Desme and tie the game 5-5.

The game stayed tied at the end of regulation and forced extra innings. The 5-5 score held until the top of the eleventh inning. Jeff Bianchi led off the inning for Surprise with a single to center and then advanced to second on a fielding error by Darin Mastroianni. Bianchi later scored on an RBI double by Marcus Lemon, giving the Rafters a 6-5 lead. The Desert Dogs could not deliver a run in the bottom of the eleventh as the Rafters held on to win.

Josh Perrault suffered the loss for Phoenix, falling to 0-1 on the season.

Phoenix Desert Dogs Player of the Game: Shawn O’Malley; 1 for 2 with an RBI, run scored and drew 2 walks.

Rays Organization Stats:
Shawn O’Malley; 1 for 2 with an RBI, run scored and 2 walks.
Heath Rollins; 2 runs on 3 hits with a strikeout in 1 inning pitched, charged with blown save.
Mitch Talbot; 2 runs on 5 hits with 3 strikeouts in 4 innings pitched.

A Look Ahead: The Phoenix Desert Dogs face the Peoria Saguaros on Wednesday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

Phoenix Desert Dogs defeat Surprise Rafters 10-2

The Game: The Phoenix Desert Dogs defeated the Surprise Rafters 10-2 on Monday. The Desert Dogs took an early lead in the first inning and never looked back. Three consecutive walks loaded the bases for Phoenix. Chris Marrero then delivered a two run single. Grant Desme followed with an RBI single to score Daryl Jones and give the Desert Dogs a 3-0 lead.

Phoenix led of the third inning with back to back singles by Danny Espinosa and Brandon Snyder. Chris Marrero followed with a fly ball to right that moved Espinosa over to third base. Espinosa then scored on a wild pitch to increase the lead to 4-0.

Surprise reached the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth inning. Brandon Laird led off the inning with a double to center. Laird later scored on a ground out by Ruben Tejada for the Rafter’s first run of the night.

The Desert Dogs posted three more runs to their total in the sixth inning. Grant Desme and Josh Bell led off the inning with back to back singles. Corey Brown then drove home Desme with a ground ball to first. Nevin Ashley later followed with an RBI single to score Brown. Ashley later scored on a double by Jemile Weeks to give the Desert Dogs a 7-1 lead.

Surprise got another run in the eighth inning as Daryl Jones led off with a triple to right field. Jones then scored on a ground out by Ruben Tejada for the second run of the night for the Rafters.

The Desert Dogs posted another three run inning to close the game in the ninth inning. Jemile Weeks and Danny Espinosa picked up back to back singles to get things started. Brandon Snyder then drew a walk to load the bases for Phoenix. Chris Marrero followed with a 3 run double to give the Desert Dogs the 10-2 margin of victory.

Stephen Strasburg improved to 3-1 with his longest outing of his career, going five innings and allowing one run with six strikeouts. Matt Harrison was the losing pitcher for Surprise.

Phoenix Desert Dogs Player of the Game: Stephen Strasburg; improved to 3-1 by allowing 1 run on 4 hits with 6 K’s and a walk in 5 innings on the mound.

Rays Organization Stats:
Nevin Ashley; 1 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored.

A Look Ahead: The Phoenix Desert Dogs (12-6) rematch against Surprise Rafters (8-10) on Tuesday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Mitch Talbot (2-0) will be pitching against Aaron Crow (0-1).

Top 30 Prospects in Review: 16-30

We'll start our prospect coverage for 2010 in the next few weeks, beginning with some personal top 30s very soon. After that will come our top 15 hitters and pitchers, but right now we'll take one final look back at our rankings last year. Who should have been higher? Lower? Who will be moving up the list? And who did we completely miss on?

Today's look will be at the bottom half of our top 30. For reference:
16. James Houser
17. Kyle Lobstein
18. Joseph Cruz
19. Albert Suarez
20. Kyeong Kang
21. Reid Fronk
22. Ryan Reid
23. Jason McEachern
24. Jake Jefferies
25. Shane Dyer
26. Alexander Colome
27. Justin Ruggiano
28. Matt Gorgen
29. Ty Morrison
30. Ryan Royster

James Houser at #16 was obviously way off. We had him that high based on his proximity to the majors and 2nd-round pedigree, but he completely fell apart in 2009 to the point of the Rays releasing him. His 2.86 ERA in 2008 in Montgomery masked some of the warning signs, including a declining SO/BB rate for several seasons.

Kyle Lobstein finished strongly in 2009 with Hudson Valley, and will assuredly move up. Joseph Cruz had a bit of an under-the-radar season as the third banana in Bowling Green's rotation, but he probably won't be a big mover. Albert Suarez may have been ranked fairly, but his season was over after two starts, and he'll require Tommy John. He'll miss most, if not all, of the 2010 season and will have to re-establish himself once healthy to make his return to the list.

Like Lobstein, Kyeong Kang finished the year with a bang. Kang's August/September OPS was over 1.000, helping his season number finish at .880. In a system hurting for hitting depth, Kang emerged as a viable prospect, though still clearly a tier behind Desmond Jennings and Tim Beckham.

A pair of Reids, Reid Fronk and Ryan Reid, ranked back to back but neither found much success in 2009. Fronk couldn't get it going at the plate, finishing with a .201 batting average and just four homeruns after launching 17 a year ago. Ryan Reid, the righty reliever, simply hasn't shown the control he did in a stint with Vero Beach in 2008. He finished the year with an unremarkable 4.17 ERA for the Biscuits, and he no longer looks like a real prospect.

Jason McEachern and Alex Colome teamed up with Lobstein to form a strong Hudson Valley rotation. Colome has at least caught up to Lobstein, and arguably has passed him. McEachern's stuff isn't on the same level as those two, but he found similar success at the same level despite being a year younger.

Two 2008 draft picks, Shane Dyer and Jake Jefferies, met with mixed results in Bowling Green. Jefferies had the better season and figures to place on the 2010 version, but his .261/.326/.359 line doesn't stand out. Dyer got hit around to the tune of a 1-10 record with an ERA over 5. There's still hope for him but he'll really need to prove himself in a system with as much pitching depth as the Rays'.

Justin Ruggiano, like Houser, was placed based on how close he was to the majors. Technically, he didn't even maintain prospect status, and after an uninspiring season with Durham, he doesn't look to fit into the team's future plans at all.

Matt Gorgen is possibly the biggest riser, although he struggled after a promotion to Montgomery and has gotten beaten up in the Arizona Fall League. He seems to have a better profile than Ryan Reid, but he'll have to prove he can get more advanced hitters out the way he did in the Florida State League.

Ty Morrison had a strong showing in extended spring training, and put up decent numbers in Princeton. His athleticism is still his main tool, and we'll need to be patient to see if he can turn it into plus baseball skill. A good example of someone who didn't put things together is Ryan Royster, who has completely fallen off the map with two poor seasons after winning the system triple crown in 2007.

Mexican Pacific League Weekly Stats (through 11/1)

BATTERS            AVG  AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI   OBP   SLG   OPS
Jon Weber         .000   0  0  0  0  0   0  .000  .000  .000

Dominican Winter League Recap from 11/2

Escogido 10, Licey 1
Willy Aybar (Licey); 1 for 2 and drew a walk.

Venezuelan Winter League Recap from 11/1

Margarita 7, Lara 1
Ray Olmedo (Margarita); 0 for 2 with 2 K’s.

Caracas 9, Aragua 3
Joe Bateman (Caracas); 2 runs on 3 hits with a strikeout in 2/3 of an inning pitched.

Venezuelan Winter League Weekly Stats (through 10/31)

BATTERS            AVG  AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI   OBP   SLG   OPS
Jose Lobaton      .500  10  5  1  0  1   3  .500  .900 1.400
Dioner Navarro    .000   0  0  0  0  0   0  .000  .000  .000
Ray Olmedo        .261  69 18  4  0  0   9  .278  .319  .597
Justin Ruggiano   .000   0  0  0  0  0   0  .000  .000  .000

PITCHERS           W  L   ERA  G GS SV   IP  H HR SO BB  WHIP  BAA 
Joe Bateman        1  1  2.51  9  0  1 14.1 11  0 15  4  1.05 .216
Jason Cromer       0  0  0.00  0  0  0  0.0  0  0  0  0  0.00 .000
Carlos Hernandez   1  1  3.38  3  3  0 13.1 14  1  7  4  1.35 .269
Calvin Medlock     0  0  9.00  6  0  0  6.0 11  1  7  3  2.33 .379
Rayner Oliveros    1  0  1.29  4  1  0  7.0  3  1  5  4  1.00 .136
Doug Salinas       0  0  2.35  3  2  0  7.2 14  0  5  3  2.22 .400
Alexander Torres   0  0  0.00  0  0  0  0.0  0  0  0  0  0.00 .000

Dominican Winter League Recap from 10/31

Aguilas 10, Estrellas 6
Richard De Los Santos (Estrellas); 2 runs on 3 hits in 2/3 of an inning.

Gigantes 4, Licey 3
Julio DePaula (Gigantes); 1/3 inning pitched with a strikeout and a walk.
Willy Aybar (Licey); 0 for 4 with 3 K’s.

Venezuelan Winter League Recap from 10/31

Margarita 4, Lara 3 (Game Two)
Ray Olmedo (Margarita); 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Phoenix Desert Dogs defeat Mesa Solar Sox 4-3

The Game: The Phoenix Desert Dogs snapped out of their losing streak by defeating the Mesa Solar Sox 4-3 on Saturday at HoHoKam Park. With the win, Phoenix improved to 11-6 and ended their two game losing streak.

The Desert Dogs jumped out to take the lead in the second inning. Brad Emaus hit a one out double to left to get things going. Corey Brown followed with an RBI double to right, scoring Emaus and giving them a 1-0 lead.

Mesa tied the game in the home half of the second inning. David Cooper led off the inning with a double to center. Copper then advanced to third on a single by Luis Exposito. PJ Phillips followed with a sac fly to score Cooper and tie the game at 1-1.

The score did not stay tied long as Phoenix regained the lead in the third inning. Jemile Weeks singled on a bunt. Weeks then stole second base and later third to move closer to home. Grant Desme followed with an RBI single to score Weeks and give Phoenix a 2-1 lead.

Both clubs exchanged runs in the fourth inning. Brad Emaus scored on a ground out by AJ Jimenez in the top of the inning for Phoenix. Then it was an RBI single by Ryan Mount to score PJ Phillips in the bottom of the inning for Mesa. But the Desert Dogs still held the lead 3-2.

The Desert Dogs added an insurance run in the fifth inning. Jemile Weeks hit an line drive triple to lead off the inning. Brandon Waring then drove him home with a sacrifice fly to left, giving them a 4-2 lead.

Mesa pulled within a run of the lead in the sixth. Luis Exposito and Casey Kelly delivered singles to put runners on the corners for the Solar Sox. Then Ryan Mount drew a walk to load the bases. Greg Burns drew a two out bases loaded walk to score Exposito. But the Desert Dogs rallied to get the third out and end the scoring chance. They kept the Solar Sox scoreless for the final frames to take a 4-3 victory.

Robert Ray earned his first victory of the season and Drew Storen his second save for Phoenix. Steve Hirschfeld was the losing pitcher for Mesa.

Phoenix Desert Dogs Player of the Game: Brad Emaus; 4 for 4 with a double and 2 runs scored.

Rays Organization Stats:
Shawn O’Malley; 1 for 5 with 2 K’s.

A Look Ahead: The Phoenix Desert Dogs (11-6) are off on Sunday. They resume play on Monday against the Surprise Rafters (8-9). Stephen Strasburg (2-1, 6.97) is scheduled to pitch against Matt Harrison (1-1, 6.00).

Dominican Winter League Recap from 10/30

Licey 3, Aguilas 1
Willy Aybar (Licey); 1 for 3 with an RBI

Venezuelan Winter League Recap from 10/30

Aragua 7, Caracas 2
Rayner Oliveros (Caracas); 1 scoreless inning, allowing only 1 hit.
Jose Lobaton (Caracas); 1 for 2 with a home run, drew a walk.

Magallanes 13, La Guaira 5
Carlos Hernandez (Magallanes); 4 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits while striking out 3 and walking 2 in earning the win.

Dominican Winter League Weekly Stats Update (through 10/30)

BATTERS            AVG  AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI   OBP   SLG   OPS
Willy Aybar       .000   3  0  0  0  0   0  .000  .000  .000
Henry Mateo       .667   3  2  1  0  0   3  .667 1.000 1.667

PITCHERS               W  L   ERA  G GS SV   IP  H HR SO BB  WHIP  BAA 
Winston Abreu          0  0  0.00  0  0  0  0.0  0  0  0  0  0.00 .000
Chris Andujar          0  0  0.00  0  0  0  0.0  0  0  0  0  0.00 .000
Richard De Los Santos  0  0  7.71  2  0  0  2.1  4  0  2  1  2.14 .400
Julio DePaula          0  0 12.00  5  0  0  3.0  5  1  3  1  2.00 .357

Phoenix Desert Dogs rally falls short, lose to Peoria Javelinas 5-4

The Game: The Phoenix Desert Dogs lost their second consecutive game, falling to the Peoria Javelinas 5-4 on Friday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

The Javelinas took the lead in the second inning. Jonathan Lucroy delivered his second home run of the fall, a solo shot to left field that put the Javelinas ahead 1-0.

The Desert Dogs fought back to tie the game in the seventh inning. Chris Marrero picked up his third home run of the season with a solo blast to tie the game at 1-1.

The game did not stayed tied for long as Peoria posted four runs in the eighth inning to regain the lead. Lorenzo Cain led off the inning with a walk. Jordan Danks followed with a single to move Cain to second. Then Russ Mitchell drove home the first run with an RBI single, scoring Cain and moving Danks to third. Andrew Lambo followed with an RBI single to score Danks. Justin Sellers then singled on a bunt back to the mound, loading the bases for the Javelinas. Jonathan Lucroy then drove home two more runs with a single to center, giving the Javelinas the lead 5-1.

Phoenix mounted a comeback in the home half of the eighth inning. Nevin Ashley got things started with a one out triple to center. Darin Mastroianni followed with a double to right, scoring Ashley. Mastroianni later scored on an RBI single by Shawn O’Malley, with O’Malley advancing to second on the throw. Brandon Snyder then delivered an RBI double that scored O’Malley and pulled the Desert Dogs to within a run of the lead. But Grant Desme struck out to end the inning and the Dogs rally fell short 5-4.

Paul Phillips was tagged for four runs and suffered his first loss of the fall. Phillippe Aumont earned the win and Anthony Varvaro the save for Peoria.

Phoenix Desert Dogs Player of the Game: Chris Marrero; 2 for 4 with a home run.

Rays Organization Stats:
Nevin Ashley; 1 for 3 with a triple and a run scored, 2 for 3 in throwing out runners behind the plate.
Matt Gorgen; 1 no-hit inning with a strikeout and a walk.
Shawn O’Malley; 1 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored, 1 K.
Paul Phillips; suffered first loss, allowed 4 runs on 5 hits in 1/3 of an inning.

A Look Ahead: The Phoenix Desert Dogs (10-6) travel to HoHoKam Park on Saturday to play the Mesa Solar Sox (5-10). Robert Ray (0-0, 4.50) will be pitching for Phoenix facing Steve Hirschfeld (0-1, 20.77) for Mesa.

Venezuelan Winter League Recap from 10/29

Caracas 8, La Guaira 5
Joe Bateman (Caracas); 1.0 IP, 2 runs on 2 hits with a strikeout and a walk in recording his 4th hold of the season.

Arizona Fall League Weekly Stats Update (through 10/29)

BATTERS            AVG  AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI   OBP   SLG   OPS
Nevin Ashley      .375  32 12  2  0  2   9  .417  .625 1.042
Cody Cipriano     .250   4  1  1  0  0   1  .250  .500  .750
Shawn O'Malley    .333  36 12  1  0  0   2  .400  .361  .761

PITCHERS           W  L   ERA  G GS SV   IP  H HR SO BB  WHIP  BAA 
Matt Gorgen        0  1 19.64  5  0  1  3.2 11  1  6  3  3.82 .500
Paul Phillips      0  0  0.00  5  0  0  6.0  2  0  3  3  0.83 .100
Heath Rollins      0  0  8.44  5  0  0  5.1 11  0  3  2  2.44 .407
Mitch Talbot       2  0  7.59  3  3  0 10.2 15  2  6  2  1.59 .319

Phoenix Desert Dogs shut out by Peoria Saguaros

The Game: The Phoenix Desert Dogs saw two streaks come to an end as they were shut out by the Peoria Saguaros on Thursday at Peoria Sports Complex. The 4-0 loss saw the end of the Desert Dogs four game winning streak. Grant Desme also saw his eleven game hitting streak come to an end by going 0-4 at the plate.

Peoria broke the scoreless tie in the home half of the fourth inning. Carlos Rivero got things started with a one out double. Freddie Freeman followed with an RBI single to score Rivero and give the Saguaros a 1-0 lead.

The Saguaros added another run to their total in the fifth inning. Lance Zawadzki drew a walk to put a runner on the bases. Zawadzki proceeded to second on a stolen base and later scored on a triple by Jonathan Gaston, giving the Saguaros a 2-0 lead.

Peoria added two more insurance runs in the eighth inning. Carlos Rivero picked up his second double of the game to get things started. Matt McBride then drew a walk to put runners at first and second. Zach Cozart drove home the first run of the inning with a single to left that scored Rivero. McBride later scored on an error by Chris Marrero and the Saguaros held on for the 4-0 victory.

James Simmons suffered the loss, falling to 1-1 on the fall. Wilton Lopez was the winning pitcher for Peoria.

Phoenix Desert Dogs Player of the Game: Chris Marrero; only Desert Dog to record multiple hits by going 2 for 4.

Rays Organization Stats:
No Rays players made an appearance in today’s game.

A Look Ahead: The Desert Dogs (10-5) return home to Phoenix Municipal Stadium to face the Peoria Javelinas (9-6) on Friday. Brandon Erbe (0-0, 1.93) is scheduled to start for Phoenix and will pitch against Scot Drucker (1-1, 6.43).

Dominican Winter League Recap from 10/28

Licey 5, Toros 2
Willy Aybar (Licey); 0 for 3 with a K

Venezuelan Winter League Recap from 10/28

La Guaira 18, Margarita 17
Ray Olmedo (Margarita); 1 for 5 with a double, 3 RBI’s, a run scored and a stolen base.

Magallanes 6, Caracas 3
Rayner Oliveros (Caracas); 1.1 IP, 1 run on 2 hits with a strikeout.

A Whole Bunch Of Guys Released(featuring Glenn Gibson)

BaseballAmerica's latest transactions list brings the bad news for the following players:

RHP Jordi Amargos, RHP Kevin Boggan, RHP Jesse Darcy, RHP Diego Echeverria, RHP Bladimir Florentino, RHP Jose Mejias, RHP Juan Santana, LHP Glenn Gibson, LHP Ryan Morse, 2B Claudio Fukunaga, OF J.T. Hall, OF Astin Jacobo, OF Ramon Novas, OF Justin Reynolds

Jesse Darcy pitched really well for the 2008 Columbus Catfish, but he was old for the level couldn't follow it up with Charlotte in 2009. Diego Echeverria goes down as a failed experiment, as the Argentinian knuckleballer could never put it together consistently. He had an ERA over 8 with Bowling Green this year. Glenn Gibson was of course the player the Rays got back from Washington in return for Elijah Dukes. After a strong performance in the NY-P in 2007 with the Nats, Gibson battled mononucleosis and could never post an ERA under 6.50 between Hudson Valley(2008 and 2009) and Columbus(part of 2008).

Ryan Morse gave the Rays system some quality innings, making it as high as AA, but he'll turn 27 next year and I guess the Rays don't forsee having a spot for him next year. J.T. Hall also reached Montgomery, but he was eligible for minor-league free agency after six years in the system. Justin Reynolds was a mildly intriguing draft-and-follow back in 2006, but he posted a .619 OPS as a 22-year old with Bowling Green in 2009.

Phoenix Desert Dogs defeat Peoria Javelinas 11-6 in battle of the leaders

The Game: The Phoenix Desert Dogs were on the winning end of a match up that put the first place teams of each division head to head. In the end, it was the Desert Dogs defeating the Peoria Javelinas 11-6 on Wednesday at Peoria Sports Complex.

Phoenix took the lead early in the first inning and never looked back. Shawn O’Malley doubled to left to lead off the game. O’Malley advanced to third on a sac bunt by Jemile Weeks. Brandon Snyder then drew a walk to put runners on the corner. Grant Desme then cleared the bases with a three run home run, increasing his hitting streak to eleven games and giving the Dogs a 3-0 lead.

The Desert Dogs posted another run to the scoreboard in the second when Jemile Weeks doubled to center to score AJ Jimenez. They then added two more runs in the third. Grant Desme drew a walk to lead off the third. Brandon Waring followed with an RBI triple to score Desme. Waring later scored on an RBI single by Corey Brown increasing the Desert Dog lead to 6-0.

Peoria took their zero off the board in the bottom of the third inning. Lucas May doubled to left to lead off the inning. May was later erased from the base path as Cale Iorg reached on a fielders choice with May thrown out at third. Justin Sellers singled to right, advancing Iorg to second. Trayvon Robinson followed with an RBI single to score Iorg for the first run of the inning. Then Jordan Danks drove home the second run with a single to score Sellers. Casper Wells then cleared the bases with a three run home run to bring the Javelinas to within a run of the lead 6-5.

Phoenix added some separation in the fourth inning. Jemile Weeks was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Grant Desme and Brandon Snyder followed with back to back singles to load the bases. Corey Brown then hit a line drive that was deflected by the second baseman, allowing Weeks and Desme to score. Nevin Ashley followed with a sac fly to score Waring and give the Desert Dogs a 9-5 lead.

Peoria posted another run in the home half of the sixth. Andrew Lambo singled to right to lead off the inning. Joseph Dunigan doubled home Lambo to bring the Javelinas to within three runs of the lead, 9-6.

Phoenix added some insurance in the form of two more runs in the eighth inning. Shawn O’Malley led off the inning with a single. Jemile Weeks followed with an RBI double to score O’Malley, Weeks was out at third as he tried to stretch the double into a triple. Grant Desme then struck his second home run of the game, giving the Desert Dogs the 11-6 margin of victory.

Mitch Talbot improved to 2-0 on the season, earning the victory despite giving up five runs in the third inning. Josh Butler was charged with the loss for Peoria.

Phoenix Desert Dogs Player of the Game: Grant Desme; blasted 2 home runs in the game and went 3-4 at the plate with 4 RBI’s and 4 runs scored. Also improved his hitting streak to 11 games and now has 11 home runs and is 3 away from tying the season record of 14 set in 2005 by Brandon Wood.

Rays Organization Stats:
Shawn O’Malley; 3 for 6 with a double and 3 runs scored.
Nevin Ashley; 1 for 3 with an RBI.
Mitch Talbot; improved to 2-0 by throwing 4.0 innings allowing 5 runs on 6 hits with 3 strikeouts and a walk.
Health Rollins; pitched a no hit frame in the eighth.

A Look Ahead: The Phoenix Desert Dogs remain in Peoria to face the Saguaros on Thursday at the Peoria Sports Complex. James Simmons (1-0, 3.52) will toe the rubber for Phoenix against Wilton Lopez (0-0, 3.00) for Peoria.

Dominican Winter League Recap from 10/27

Aguilas 4, Gigantes 3
Julio DePaula (Gigantes); 0.2 IP, 2 runs on 2 hits with a strikeout.

Venezuelan Winter League Recap from 10/27

Margarita 6, La Guaira 3
Ray Olmedo (Margarita); 1 for 4 with a double and a run scored.

Caracas 5, Lara 4
Joe Bateman (Caracas); 2.1 IP, no runs on 2 hits with a strikeout.

Phoenix Desert Dogs hold on to defeat Surprise Rafters 7-6

The Game: The Phoenix Desert Dogs held off a late game rally by the Surprise Rafters to win 7-6 on Tuesday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

The Desert Dogs hit the scoreboard first in the second inning. Josh Bell was hit by a pitch and Grant Desme drew a walk to lead off the inning. Corey Brown followed with an RBI double to score Bell. Then Brad Emaus drove home Desme to give Phoenix a 2-0 lead.

Phoenix increased their lead in the fourth inning. Grant Desme walked to lead off the inning. Corey Brown cleared the bases with a two run home run to give the Desert Dogs a 4-0 lead.

Surprise reached the scoreboard in the fifth inning. Mike Moustakas led off the inning with a double to right. Marcus Lemon followed with an RBI triple to score Moustakas. Then Daryl Jones drove home Lemon to pull Surprise within two runs of the lead.

The Desert Dogs added three more runs to the scoreboard in the fifth. Danny Espinosa and Chris Marrero delivered back to back singled to get things going. Grant Desme continued his hitting streak with a two run double to left. Desme later scored on an RBI single by Brad Emaus and the Dog increased their lead to 7-2.

The Rafters began their comeback in the eighth inning as Jeff Bianchi led off with a single to left. Ike Davis drew a walk to follow, giving Surprise runners on first and second. Mitchell Moreland then struck an RBI double to score Bianchi and pull Surprise to within four runs of the lead.

The Surprise rally continued into the ninth inning. Tyler Henley doubled to left to lead off the inning. Marcus Lemon followed with a single, moving Henley to third and putting runners on the corners. Jeff Bianchi then cleared the bases with a three run homer off Matt Gorgen to pull the Rafters to within a run of the lead. But Sam Demel recorded the final two outs of the game to give the Desert Dogs a 7-6 win.

Steven Strasburg earned the win, his second of the season, allowing 1 run in 4 1/3 innings. Sam Demel picked up the save, his first of the season. Matt Harrison was the losing pitcher for Surprise.

Phoenix Desert Dogs Player of the Game: Grant Desme; increased his hitting streak to 10 games by going 1 for 2 with double, 2 walks, 2 RBI’s and 3 runs scored.

Rays Organization Stats:
Shawn O’Malley; 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Paul Phillips; 1 IP, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 K and 1 walk.
Matt Gorgen; 1/3 IP, 3 runs on 3 hits, 1 walk, 1 K and 1 home run.

A Look Ahead: The Phoenix Desert Dogs travel to Peoria to play the Javelinas on Wednesday at Peoria Sports Complex. Mitch Talbot (1-0, 5.40) will be on the mound for the Desert Dogs facing Josh Butler (2-0, 11.57) for the Javelinas.

Nevin Ashley Walk-Off Grand Slam Lifts Phoenix Desert Dogs over Mesa Solar Sox

The Game: A walk off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning by Nevin Ashley was all the Desert Dogs needed to defeat the Mesa Solar Sox 9-5 on Monday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

The Desert Dogs took the lead in the first inning, striking for three runs. Danny Espinosa drew a walk and Brandon Snyder followed with a single to put two men on base. Then Grant Desme continued his hot steak at the plate with a three run homer to put Phoenix ahead 3-0.

Mesa fought back in the second inning to pull within a run of the lead. Hank Conger doubled to right to lead off the inning. Steve Singleton followed with an RBI single to score Conger. Singleton later scored on an RBI single by PJ Phillips and the Solar Sox trailed by one, 3-2.

The Solar Sox tied the game in the fourth inning. Steve Singleton got things started with a single to center. PJ Phillips drove home his second run of the game with a single to center that scored Singleton and tied the game 3-3.

But the game did not stayed tied long as the Desert Dogs drove home two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Back to back RBI triples by Corey Brown and Jemile Weeks pushed across two more runs and the Desert Dogs regained the lead 5-3.

Mesa battled back to collect a run in the fifth and another in the ninth to tie the game once again. Hank Conger drove home Starlin Castro in the fifth. Then in the ninth, Bryan Peterson doubled to right to lead off the inning. Chris Parmelee later followed with an RBI single to score Peterson and tie the game 5-5.

But patience at the plate paid off for the Desert Dogs in the bottom of the ninth. Josh Bell singled to left to get things going. Then two consecutive walks to Cory Brown and Jemile Weeks loaded the bases. They would not stay loaded long as Nevin Ashley delivered a walk-off grand slam, winning the game for Phoenix 9-5.

Drew Storen was the winning pitcher for Phoenix, improving to 1-0 on the fall. Dustin Richardson was the losing pitcher for Mesa.

Phoenix Desert Dogs Player of the Game: Nevin Ashley; game winning grand slam.

Rays Organization Stats:
Nevin Ashley; 1-3 at the plate with only hit was a grand slam, struck out once

A Look Ahead: The Phoenix Desert Dogs will face the Surprise Rafters on Tuesday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Steven Strasburg (1-1, 10.50) will get the start for Phoenix facing Danny Gutierrez (2-0, 0.00) for Surprise.

Dominican Winter League Recap from 10/25

Gigantes 13, Estrellas 5
Julio DePaula (Gigantes); 1/3 no-hit inning

Venezuelan Winter League Recap from 10/25

Margarita 3, Aragua 1 (Game One)
Ray Olmedo (Margarita); 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Aragua 6, Margarita 2 (Game Two)
Ray Olmedo (Margarita); 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Caracas 7, Caribes 4
Jose Lobaton (Caracas); 2 for 4 with a double, RBI and a run scored, struck out once.

Oh, The Places They'll Go

Here's an early, early look at the 2010 affiliate rosters. It's tough to tell which guys will be let go or signed as minor-league free agents at this point, so I've only included prospects and fringe-prospects, meaning some positions aren't listed.

Durham Bulls
Catcher: John Jaso or Jose Lobaton - Both are on the 40-man roster, but neither figures to make Tampa Bay's roster.
Second base: Elliot Johnson
Shortstop: Reid Brignac - Rays will probably look to move either Brignac or Bartlett in the off-season.
Left Field: Justin Ruggiano
Centerfield: Desmond Jennings - If he hits as well as he did in 2009, he won't be in Durham for long.

Pitchers: Jeremy Hellickson and Heath Rollins

Notable absences: Sean Rodriguez, Matt Joyce, and Wade Davis all have inside tracks toward major-league jobs, while Mitch Talbot is out of options.

Montgomery Biscuits
Catcher: Nevin Ashley
Corner infield: Matt Sweeney
Middle infield: Shawn O'Malley - He's seen time at both SS and 2B in the Arizona Fall League, could play both in 2010 with the Biscuits.
Utility: Cody Cipriano - Ended the 2009 season in Montgomery; has worked as an infielder and outfielder.

Pitchers: Jake McGee, David Newmann, Alex Cobb, Alex Torres, Aneury Rodriguez, and Matt Gorgen

Charlotte Stone Crabs
Catcher: Jake Jefferies
First Base: Mike Sheridan - Tough 2009 season, but should get the promotion.
Shortstop: Tim Beckham - The next step up.
Outfield: Kyeong Kang - Finished the 2009 season very strongly; a big 2010 would establish himself as a real prospect.

Pitchers: Matt Moore, Nick Barnese, Joseph Cruz, Shane Dyer, Chris Andujar, Marquis Fleming

Bowling Green Hot Rods
Shortstop: Tyler Bortnick
Outfield: Brett Nommensen and Chris Murrill

Pitchers: Kyle Lobstein, Alex Colome, Jason McEachern, Zach Quate, Scott Shuman


As you can tell, it gets murkier the lower down you go. Projecting the short-seasons would be nearly impossible, as much of that depends on how players perform in extended spring training. Durham looks to be a relatively unexciting team prospect-wise outside of Desmond Jennings and Jeremy Hellickson, but the complement of veteran players should make for another relatively successful season. Jennings and Hellickson are on track for major-league roles by the end of the season, so the Durham roster could be pretty barren late in the year.

Montgomery really lacked in the prospect department when Jennings and Hellickson were promoted to Durham, but they should inherit much of the Charlotte Stone Crabs' 2009 pitching staff that got the Crabs within a game of winning the Florida State title. Jake McGee could skip over Montgomery and slide into Durham's bullpen with a strong spring. Even without McGee, the pitching of Alex Cobb, Alex Torres, David Newmann, and Aneury Rodriguez along with Matt Gorgen and Marquis Fleming in the bullpen should be strong. Rodriguez would be first in line for a promotion to Durham if he pitches well.

The Stone Crabs should have plenty in terms of "name" prospects, but that didn't necessarily equate to wins with Bowling Green last season. Matt Moore will headline the rotation while Nick Barnese will look to stay healthy for the season. Tim Beckham has a chance to quiet some of the critics, while Kyeong Kang could be primed for a breakout season.

Bowling Green should have a strong starting rotation for the second straight year. Kyle Lobstein and Alex Colome will certainly make the jump to full-season ball, but it remains to be seen how cautious the Rays will be with him. Unfortunately for the Hot Rods, they don't look to have the same caliber of hitting prospects that they had in 2009 with Beckham, Kang, etc. Zach Quate and Scott Shuman each had strong seasons of the bullpen in short-season ball in 2009. Quate could follow in Gorgen's footsteps and be skipped over low-A, while the reports on Shuman are positive enough that he could make the leap from Princeton to Bowling Green.

Projecting rosters is a wholly inexact science. If there's any players in particular you'd like to go more in-depth about, don't hesitate to leave a comment.

Dominican Winter League Recap from 10/24

Licey 5, Estrellas 1
Henry Mateo (Estrellas); pinch ran in the ninth, caught stealing on a pickoff

Venezuelan Winter League Recap from 10/24

Margarita 6, La Guaira 2
Ray Olmedo (Margarita); 2 for 5

Caracas 9, Magallanes 0
Joe Bateman (Caracas); 2 IP, 0 runs, 1 hit and a strikeout
Carlos Hernandez (Magallanes); 4.1 IP, 3 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits with 2 strikeouts and 2 walks, charged with the loss 0-1 on the season.

Phoenix Desert Dogs defeat Scottsdale Scorpions 7-3

The Game: The Phoenix Desert Dogs took over sole possession of first place with a 7-3 win over the Scottsdale Scorpions on Saturday night at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

Scottsdale took the lead early, striking for two runs in the first inning. Pedro Ciriaco led off the inning with a single to center. Ciriaco advanced to second on a steal and then to third on a single by Jose Tabata. Dominic Brown delivered a sac fly to score Ciriaco and put the Scorpions on the board. Then Brandon Allen struck an RBI double to right, scoring Tabata and giving the Scorpions a 2-0 lead.

The Desert Dogs rallied with two outs in the fifth inning to take the lead. Corey Brown and Brad Emaus got the rally started with back to back singles. Then AJ Jimenez delivered an RBI single to score Brown and advance Emaus to second. Matt Angle followed with an RBI single that scored Emaus. Danny Espinosa drew a walk to load the bases for Phoenix. Chris Marrero hit a single to left that scored Jimenez and Angle. Josh Bell then reached on an error to reload the bases for the Desert Dogs. Brandon Waring drew a bases loaded walk to push across the fifth run of the inning and give Phoenix a 5-2 lead.

Phoenix added two more runs in the seventh inning. Matt Angle and Danny Espinosa led off the inning with back to back singles. Angle then stole third base to put runners on the corners. Chris Marrero drew a walk to load the bases. Brandon Warning then followed with a two run double to score Angle and Espinosa, increasing the Desert Dogs lead to 7-2.

Scottsdale added another run to their tally in the eighth inning. Brandon Allen singled to left to put a runner onboard. Then Buster Posey hit an RBI double to right, scoring Allen. But they could not produce any more runs and the Desert Dogs held on to win 7-3.

Ryohei Tanaka picked up the win for Phoenix, his first of the fall. Cesar Valdez suffered the loss for Scottsdale.

Phoenix Desert Dogs Player of the Game: Matt Angle; 3 for 5 with an RBI, 2 runs scored and a stolen base.

Rays Organization Stats:
Heath Rollins; picked up his first hold of the fall, pitching 1 inning and allowing only 1 hit.
Matt Gorgen; pitched 1 no hit inning, striking out 2 of the 3 batters faced.

A Look Ahead: The Phoenix Desert Dogs and the rest of the Arizona Fall League are off on Sunday. Phoenix resumes play on Monday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium against the Mesa Solar Sox (4-7). Robert Ray (0-0, 3.00) will be on the mound for Phoenix facing Mike McCardell (0-0, 3.60) for Mesa.

Dominican Winter League Recap from 10/23

Estrellas 7, Licey 0
Henry Mateo; 0 for 1

Escogido 3, Gigantes 2
Julio DePaula; 2.0 IP, 0 runs, 1 hit, 3 K's in earning the victory (1-0)

Venezuelan Winter League Recap from 10/23

Margarita 5, La Guaira 4
Ray Olmedo; 2 for 5 with a run scored and 2 K's.

Caracas 9, Zulia 3
Jose Lobaton; 1 for 1
Calvin Medlock; 1 2/3 IP with 1 K earning a hold

Phoenix Desert Dogs fall to Surprise Rafters 15-12

The Game: The Phoenix Desert Dogs were on the losing end of a slugfest against the Surprise Rafters, with the Rafters holding on for a 15-12 win on Friday night at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Both clubs combined for thirty hits including four home runs. With the loss, the Desert Dogs fell to 6-4 and are tied for first in the Arizona Fall League Eastern Division.

The Desert Dogs took the lead in the home half of the first inning. Matt Angle singled to center to lead off the inning. Angle later advanced to second on a stolen base an then to third on a ground out by Shawn O'Malley. Brandon Snyder drove home Angle with a ground ball to third and the Desert Dogs took a 1-0 lead.

Surprise battled back in the top of the second inning. Brandon Laird singled to third to lead off then inning. Colin Curtis followed with an RBI double to center to tie the game. Then Jeff Bianchi tripled to right, scoring Curtis and giving the Rafters a 2-1 lead.

Phoenix answered back in the bottom of the second inning. Grant Desme singled to left and then later scored on an RBI triple by Jemile Weeks to tie the game 2-2. The Desert Dogs regained the lead in the third when Matt Angle drew a walk to lead off the inning. Angle then stole second and later advanced to third on a sac bunt by Shawn O’Malley. Brandon Snyder then drove home Angle to give the Desert Dogs a 3-2 lead.

The Rafters nodded things up again in the fifth inning. Daryl Jones went deep with a solo home run to right center, tying the game at 3-3. Surprise increased their lead in the sixth inning, striking for three more runs. Daniel Descalso drew a walk to start the inning and then advanced to second on a ground out by Mike Moustakas. Mitchell Moreland then drew a walk. Both runners advanced into scoring position on a balk by Justin Friend. Brandon Laird followed with a two run double to score Descalso and Moreland. Laird later scored on an RBI single by Colin Curtis and Surprise now held a 6-3 lead.

Then came the seventh inning, the inning where both teams struck for a combined sixteen runs. The Rafters got things going in the top of the seventh by posting their eight runs to the scoreboard. Daryl Jones doubled to right to lead off the inning. Daniel Descalso reached on an error allowing Jones to score. Mike Moustakas followed with a single to right, moving Descalso to second. Then Mitchell Moreland delivered an RBI single to right, scoring Descalso. Brandon Laird cleared the bases with a three run homer off Mickey Storney. The bases did not remain empty long as Colin Curtis singled and Jeff Bianchi double to put two more runners in scoring position. Bryan Anderson followed with an RBI single to score Curtis. Then Daryl Jones drove in another run with his second double of the inning, scoring Bianchi and moving Anderson to third increasing the Surprise lead to 14-3.

Phoenix matched with an eight run inning of their own in the bottom of the seventh. Nevin Ashley homer to left to lead off the inning for the Desert Dogs. Matt Angle and Shawn O’Malley followed with back to back singles, leaving runners on the corners. Brandon Snyder drew a walk to load the bases for the Desert Dogs. Chris Marrero grounds into a force out, scoring Angle but losing O’Malley at third on the force. Grant Desme then drew a walk to reload the bases. Josh Bell drove home two runs with a line drive to center, scoring Desme and Bell. Nevin Ashley the delivers an RBI single to center, scoring Brown. Matt Angle follows with a single to right, moving Ashley to third. Shawn O’Malley strikes for an RBI single, scoring his Stone Crabs teammate Ashley and pulling the Desert Dogs to within three runs of the lead 14-11.

Surprise added an insurance run in the eighth inning. Mike Moustakas drew a walk and Mitchell Moreland was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Colin Curtis then drew a walk to load the bases. Jeff Bianchi delivered a sac fly to score Moustakas and increase the Rafters lead 15-11.

The Desert Dogs posted another run to the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth inning on a solo home run by Grant Desme. But its wasn’t enough as the Desert Dogs fell 15-12.

Justin Friend suffered the loss, dropping to 2-1 on the season. Matt Harrison earned the victory and Grant Duff the save for the Rafters.

Phoenix Desert Dogs Player of the Game: Grant Desme; went 3 for 4 with a home run, RBI and 3 runs scored.

Rays Organization Stats:
Shawn O’Malley; 3 for 4 with an RBI.
Nevin Ashley; 2 for 4 with a home run, 2 RBI’s and 2 runs scored.

A Look Ahead: The Phoenix Desert Dogs will face the Scottsdale Scorpions on Saturday evening at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Brandon Erbe (0-0, 0.00) is scheduled to face Joe Martinez (1-0, 1.50).

Now Taking Requests

There isn't a whole lot happening right now, so I turn it over to you guys: What do you want to see on this site? We'll have our top 15 hitters and pitchers starting in mid-November after the Arizona Fall League, but until then, it's kind of a blank slate. So please, anything you want to see written about, let us know in the comments and we'll see what we can do.

Winter League Stats

Here are the early winter league numbers for players from the Rays organization, through Friday's games:

BATTERS           LG   AVG  AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI   OBP   SLG   OPS
Ashley, Nevin    AFL  .308  13  4  1  0  0   2  .308  .385  .692
Cipriano, Cody   AFL  .250   4  1  1  0  0   1  .250  .500  .750
Lobaton, Jose    VWL  .000   0  0  0  0  0   0  .000  .000  .000    
O'Malley, Shawn  AFL  .143   7  1  0  0  0   0  .250  .143  .393
Olmedo, Ray      VWL  .281  32  9  2  0  0   5  .303  .344  .647

PITCHERS          LG  W  L   ERA  G GS SV  IP  H HR SO BB  WHIP  BAA   
Bateman, Joe     VWL  0  1  3.00  3  0  0 3.0  2  0  7  2  1.33 .182 
Gorgen, Matt     AFL  0  0  0.00  2  0  1 2.0  3  0  3  1  2.00 .375 
Medlock, Calvin  VWL  0  0 32.40  3  0  0 1.2 10  1  3  2  7.20 .625 
Oliveros, Rayner VWL  1  0  0.00  1  0  0 2.0  0  0  2  0  0.00 .000 
Phillips, Paul   AFL  0  0  0.00  2  0  0 2.0  0  0  1  1  0.50 .000 
Rollins, Heath   AFL  0  0 45.00  1  0  0 1.0  4  0  1  1  5.00 .571 
Salinas, Doug    VWL  0  0  1.69  2  1  0 5.1  8  0  5  1  1.69 .348 
Talbot, Mitch    AFL  0  0  6.75  1  1  0 2.2  4  1  1  1  1.88 .364

AFL is the Arizona Fall League, VWL is the Venezuelan Winter League.

It's too early to draw any conclusions, but at least you can see who has played so far. There are also 3 more winter leagues that haven't started yet in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.

If you're into Twitter, you can follow the Arizona Fall League tweets @MLBazFallLeague.

Talbot Ineffective in AFL Debut

Mitch Talbot made the start for the Phoenix Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League yesterday, allowing two earned runs on four hits in 2.2 innings. He walked a batter and allowed both runs on a homerun. He threw 29 of his 45 pitches for strikes and got five outs on groundballs. Paul Phillips threw a scoreless inning in relief.

On a non-Rays note, Stephen Strasburg makes his AFL debut tonight with Phoenix.

Davis, Hellickson, and Brignac In The IL Top 10

BaseballAmerica has the International League top 20 today, and three Rays are on it: Wade Davis at #5, Jeremy Hellickson at #6, and Reid Brignac #10. In the free write-up, Josh Leventhal explains that Desmond Jennings finished 7 plate appearances short of qualifying; otherwise, he would've been in the running for the #3 spot. Here's a little tidbit from the three who did make it:

#5 RHP Wade Davis
The hulking power pitcher throws with an easy delivery and a steep downhill plane. He works off a heavy 93-94 mph fastball that sinks and fades in on lefthanders. Hitters can't sit on his heater, or else he'll put them away with a plus 77-81 mph breaking ball with three-quarters break.

#6 RHP Jeremy Hellickson
Improvements to his fastball command and his changeup were at the heart of his step forward. He now delivers his 90-93 mph fastball to both sides of the plate with plus sink, and his deceptive changeup with late fade has become his strikeout pitch.

#10 Reid Brignac
Once considered primarily an offensive shortstop, Brignac steadily has improved in the field and managers rated him the league's best defender at his position. He has good range and solid arm strength, and he can make both routine and highlight plays.

2009 Year in Review: Durham Bulls (Pitching)

This week we will continue our look back at the 2009 season by taking a look at the pitching leaders of each affiliate. Today we will focus on the pitching stats of the Durham Bulls.

ERA:
1. Winston Abreu (1.94 in 51.0 IP)
2. Jason Cromer (2.25 in 112.0 IP)
3. Dale Thayer (2.27 in 63.1 IP)
4. Jeremy Hellickson (2.51 in 57.1 IP)*
5. Calvin Medlock (2.98 in 51.1 IP)
6. Joe Bateman (3.02 in 62.2 IP)
7. Carlos Hernandez (3.29 in 112.0 IP)
8. Wade Davis (3.40 in 158.2 IP, eighth in INT)*
9. Randy Choate (3.72 in 19.1 IP)
10. Julio De Paula (3.87 in 79.0 IP)

Pitchers with less than five appearances have been removed from top ten. This includes; Paul Phillips (2 games, 0.00 ERA in 7.2 IP), Michael Wlodarczyk (1 game, 0.00 ERA in 2.0 IP), Craig Albernaz (1 game, 0.00 ERA in 1.0 IP), Matt Hall (1 game, 0.00 ERA in 1.0 IP), Scott Kazmir (1 game, 1.50 ERA in 6.0 IP) and Rayner Oliveros (2 games, 3.48 ERA in 10.1 IP).

Wins:
1. Wade Davis (10, tied seventh in INT)*
2. Jason Childers (9)
3. Jason Cromer (7)
3. Carlos Hernandez (7)
5. Jeremy Hellickson (6)*
5. Joe Bateman (6)
7. Andy Sonnanstine (5)
8. Calvin Medlock (4)
8. Mitch Talbot (4)*
8. James Houser (4)*

Saves:
1. Dale Thayer (17, tied fourth in INT)
2. Winston Abreu (15, eighth in INT)
3. Jason Childers (5)
4. Joe Bateman (4)
5. Dewon Day (1)
5. Julio DePaula (1)

Holds:
1. Jason Childers (9, tied seventh in INT)
2. Randy Choate (8)
3. Winston Abreu (7)
4. Jose Bateman (6)
4. Julio DePaula (6)
6. Calvin Medlock (4)
6. Jon Meloan (4)
6. Jorge Julio (4)
6. Chad Orvella (4)
10. Jason Isringhausen (3)

Strikeouts:
1. Wade Davis (140, second in INT)*
2. Carlos Hernandez (81)
3. Winston Abreu (77)
4. Jeremy Hellickson (70)*
5. Jason Cromer (67)
6. Joe Bateman (64)
7. Jason Childers (63)
8. Jon Meloan (60)
9. Julio DePaula (57)
10. Dale Thayer (44)
10. James Houser (44)*

WHIP:
1. Winston Abreu (0.76 in 51.0 IP)
2. Jeremy Hellickson (0.80 in 57.1 IP)*
3. Calvin Medlock (1.13 in 51.1 IP)
4. Dale Thayer (1.17 in 63.1 IP)
5. Joe Bateman (1.24 in 62.2 IP)
6. Wade Davis (1.25 in 158.2 IP, ninth in INT)*
7. Carlos Hernandez (1.27 in 112.0 IP)
7. Jason Cromer (1.27 in 112.0 IP)
9. Randy Choate (1.29 in 19.1 IP)
9. Jason Isringhausen (1.29 in 7.0 IP)

Pitchers with less than five appearances have been removed from top ten. This includes; Michael Wlodarczyk (1 game, 0.00 WHIP in 2.0 IP), Craig Albernaz (1 game, 0.00 WHIP in 1.0 IP), Scott Kazmir (1 game, 0.83 WHIP in 6.0 IP), Paul Phillips (2 games, 0.91 WHIP in 7.2 IP), Matt Hall (1 game, 1.00 WHIP in 1.0 IP) and Rayner Oliveros (2 games, 1.26 WHIP in 10.1 IP).

* denotes 2009 Rays Prospect Top Prospect

2009 Year in Review: Montgomery Biscuits (Pitching)

This week we will continue our look back at the 2009 season by taking a look at the pitching leaders of each affiliate. Today we will focus on the pitching stats of the Montgomery Biscuits.

ERA:
1. Jeremy Hellickson (2.38 in 56.2 IP)*
1. Matt Gorgen (2.38 in 22.2 IP)
3. Paul Phillips (2.43 in 37.0 IP)
4. Rayner Oliveros (3.25 in 69.1 IP)
5. Calvin Medlock (3.52 in 30.2 IP)
6. Heath Rollins (3.83 in 134.0 IP, tenth in SOU)*
7. Eduardo Morlan (3.99 in 70.0 IP)
8. Ryan Reid (4.17 in 58.1 IP)*
9. Brandon Mann (4.44 in 125.2 IP)
10. Aneury Rodriquez (4.50 in 142.0 IP)

Pitchers with less than five appearances have been removed from top ten. This includes; Jose Mejias (3 games, 0.00 ERA in 4.1 IP), Jason Isringhausen (4 games, 2.25 ERA in 4.0 IP), Alexander Torres (2 games, 3.12 ERA in 8.2 IP) and Chad Bradford (2 games, 4.50 ERA in 2.0 IP).

Wins:
1. Heath Rollins (9, tied seventh in SOU)*
1. Aneury Rodriguez (9, tied seventh in SOU)
3. Eduardo Morlan (7)
3. Brandon Mann (7)
5. Rayner Oliveros (5)
5. Brian Baker (5)
7. Ryan Morse (4)
7. Jason Cromer (4)
9. Jeremy Hellickson (3)*
9. Matt Gorgen (3)
9. Paul Phillips (3)
9. Chris Mason (3)

Saves:
1. Calvin Medlock (13, fourth in SOU)
2. Paul Phillips (7)
3. Michael Wlodarczyk (5)
4. Eduardo Morlan (4)
4. Matt Gorgen (4)
6. Brandon Mann (1)
6. Rayner Oliveros (1)
6. Neal Frontz (1)
6. Ryan Reid (1)*

Holds:
1. Michael Wlodarczyk (8, tied in eighth in SOU)
2. Eduardo Morlan (7, tied tenth in SOU)
2. Neal Frontz (7, tied tenth in SOU)
4. Ryan Reid (5)*
5. Chris Mason (3)
6. Calvin Medlock (1)
6. Paul Phillips (1)
6. Matt Gorgen (1)
6. Rayner Oliveros (1)
6. Heath Rollins (1)*
6. Jason Isringhausen (1)

Strikeouts:
1. Aneury Rodriguez (111, third in SOU)
2. Brian Baker (102, seventh in SOU)
3. Heath Rollins (83)*
4. Brandon Mann (72)
5. Eduardo Morlan (62)
5. Jeremy Hellickson (62)*
7. Rayner Oliveros (51)
8. Ryan Reid (50)*
9. Michael Wlodarczyk (46)
10. Neal Frontz (45)

WHIP:
1. Calvin Medlock (0.88 in 30.2 IP)
2. Jeremy Hellickson (0.97 in 56.2 IP)*
3. Paul Phillips (1.00 in 37.0 IP)
4. Rayner Oliveros (1.08 in 69.1 IP)
5. Aneury Rodríguez (1.27 in 142.0 IP, sixth in SOU)
6. Heath Rollins (1.34 in 134.0 IP, tied tenth in SOU)*
7. Matt Gorgen (1.37 in 22.2 IP)
8. Brian Baker (1.38 in 121.0 IP)
9. Eduardo Morlan (1.39 in 70.0 IP)
10. Neal Frontz (1.44 in 64.2 IP)

Pitchers with less than five appearances have been removed from top ten. This includes; Jose Mejias (3 games, 0.49 WHIP in 4.1 IP) and Alexander Torres (2 games, 1.38 WHIP in 8.2 IP).

* denotes 2009 Rays Prospect Top Prospect

Venezuelan Winter League And Mexican Pacific League Start Tonight

Two winter leagues begin play tonight, the Venezuelan Winter League and the Mexican Pacific League. Here are the players from the Rays organization that are listed on team rosters:

Venezuelan Winter League:

Bravos de Margarita - Ray Olmedo
Leones del Caracas - Joe Bateman, Jason Cromer, Calvin Medlock, Jose Angel Mejias, Rayner Oliveros, Jose Lobaton, Justin Ruggiano
Navegantes del Magallanes - Carlos Hernandez, Doug Salinas, Alexander Torres
Tiburones de La Guaira - Dioner Navarro

Mexican Pacific League:

Venados de Mazatlan - Jon Weber

The only one I question is Torres, after he threw 155.1 IP already this season as a 21 year-old.

Note: Some team's rosters aren't posted yet, some are incomplete, and all are subject to change. Let me know if you see anyone I missed.

Selig: Hard Slots And International Draft

John Manuel has the story at Baseball America:

Speaking on ESPN Radio’s "Mike & Mike" show, co-hosted today by ESPN baseball writer Buster Olney, Selig answered a question about the international draft by saying he wants one, and threw in hard slotting—as opposed to the current system, where the commissioner’s office recommends slots but has no real enforcement mechanism—as part of the equation.

"That’s one that there’s no debate in my mind," Selig said. "We need an international draft, and we need slotting. There is no question about it. I’ve had many clubs on all sides, small-market, big-market, medium-market—we’re going to have slotting, and we’re going to have an international draft. Those will be two of our great priorities in 2011. There’s no question about it. We need that. That is one that really exacerbates the differences (between organizations)."

A couple of thoughts/questions. The international draft is going to be a huge administrative and financial undertaking. How will MLB verify the ages and identities of thousands of players all over the world who might be drafted? How will this affect teams like the Rays who have already invested significant funds in academies in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Brazil? What will the age and eligibility requirements be for potential international draftees?

As to the hard slotting, can someone explain to me how the MLB Players Association can negotiate the salaries of individuals who are not members of said union? With the draft going international, are other countries going to allow Donald Fehr in New York to set the future salaries of their young citizens? Something tells me there will be a lawsuit or two over hard slots.