VSL playoffs review: Tigers capture title

They do it the old-fashioned way down in Venezuela. The top two teams in the summer league squared off to determine the champion. No semifinals. No Wild Card. No frills. Just a best-of-3 Championship Series.

Of the five Venezuelan Summer League teams playing in 2014, the VSL Tigers almost lapped the field, finishing with a 45-23 record thanks to a 27-7 mark at the club's home in Los Guayos. The Detroit affiliate finished nine games ahead of the Phillies (36-32), who held off the Mariners (34-34) by two games to take up the second spot in the Finals, which began Aug. 5.

The following is a rundown of what happened in the Venezuelan Summer League Finals:

Game 1

Phillies 3, Tigers 0: Despite coming into the opener with the poorer record and a losing mark on the road as well, the Phillies pulled off the Game 1 upset behind a big-time pitching performance from Victor Delgado. The 19-year-old right-hander, who went 5-6 with a 3.15 ERA during the regular season, scattered four hits and struck out three over eight innings in the shutout.

The Phils got all the offense they needed on an RBI single by Luis Medoza in the third inning. They tacked on some insurance runs when Tigers reliever Jesus Paricaguan committed a throwing error with the bases loaded in the seventh that allowed two runs to score.

Tigers left-hander Eudis Idrogo, the league's ERA leader during the regular season with a 0.91 mark in 13 games, suffered the loss after allowing one run on six hits over 5 2/3 frames.

Game 2

Tigers 4, Phillies 2: The Phils, now at home, carried their momentum into Game 2 by putting two runs on the board in the first on an RBI double by Jesus Alastre and a run-scoring single by Lucas Rojo. Then it was all Tigers. Junell Ledezma collected an RBI double in the third and they got two more tallies in the sixth -- Andres Sthormes was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Luis Torrealba scored on Eliezer Castillo's forceout. Sthormes added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Right-hander Angel Vasquez earned the win after giving up two runs over six frames. After allowing three singles in the first, he gave up only two hits over his final five innings. Right-hander Carlos Indriago suffered the loss for the Phillies. He allowed three runs -- two earned -- on eight hits in his five frames.

Game 3

Tigers 3, Phillies 2: The winner-take-all Game 3 at the home of the Tigers, which was delayed a day due to rain, started off similarly to the previous affair with the Phillies jumping out to a 2-0 lead, this time in the second inning.

The Tigers didn't get on the scoreboard until an adventurous seventh. Junnell Ledezma got plunked by Phillies left-handed starter and All-VSL Team member Ranger Suarez and Torrealba followed with a single. Sthormes moved both runners into scoring position with a bunt, and they came around to score on a fielding error by shortstop Jose Antequera off Castillo's bat to knot the game, 2-2.

Then it was time for the celebrations in the ninth with Castillo again up to bat. Ledezma started the inning with a single up the middle and moved to second on a bunt by Torrealba. The Phillies intentionally walked Sthormes to face Castillo with runners at first and second with one out. The Tigers third baseman hit the ball to his counterpart at the hot corner, Alexander Perdomo, who tried to start the around-the-horn double play. However after getting the out at second, second baseman Daniel Romero committed a throwing error on the pivot, allowing Ledezma to score the game-winning and championship-clinching run.

Castillo finished the game 0-for-4 but played a role in two of the game's biggest at-bats. Suarez was left without a decision, despite allowing two runs -- one earned -- on five hits over eight impressive innings.