Hens' Moya breaks out with two homers

After leading all Double-A with 35 homers last season, Steven Moya seemed to have been on simmer since he got to Triple-A. But Monday, the pot started to boil.

The Tigers' top prospect clubbed two solo shots for his first multi-homer game of the season as the Mud Hens topped the Durham Bulls, 4-1, at Fifth Third Field.

Moya was retired in his first and final at-bats, but what he did in between really stood out. In the fourth inning, MLB.com's No. 84 overall prospect took the first pitch he saw to deep right-center field.

The 23-year-old right fielder continued to work quickly, slugging the second pitch of his at-bat in the seventh to left-center for the seventh multi-homer game of his career.

Moya had a late start to the season after injuring his foot in April. He hit three homers in nine rehab games with Class A Advanced Lakeland, but his transition to Triple-A has not gone as smoothly.

The Puerto Rico native is hitting .236 with eight homers in 61 games with the Mud Hens and is on pace to leave the yard 19 times this season. He was 6-for-36 slide in his last nine appearances coming into the contest.

Returning from his second Major League stint of the season, third-ranked Tigers prospect Buck Farmer (7-2) allowed a run on seven hits in seven innings. The 24-year-old right-hander tied a season high with eight strikeouts in his sixth quality start for the Mud Hens. Jeff Ferrell pitched a perfect ninth to secure the save in his Triple-A debut.

Bulls starter Everett Teaford (4-6) yielded three runs on five hits and a walk while striking out four in six frames.