Moya homers, sparks Desert Dogs to win

Steven Moya's stint in Arizona has provided him with some ammunition for next spring.

The Tigers' No. 7 prospect went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and three runs scored on Saturday night to lead Glendale to a 9-4 Arizona Fall League triumph over Surprise.

The Desert Dogs had a 2-0 lead in the third inning when Moya sent a 1-2 pitch from Mariners right-hander Stephan Landazuri (1-3) over the left-field wall at Camelback Ranch. He also singled and is batting .303 with eight RBIs in eight AFL games.

"It feels good," the 23-year-old outfielder said. "I'm not really not trying to hit home runs, but it still feels good. The first one feels really good."

Moya was named Eastern League MVP after setting team records with 35 homers and 105 RBIs for Double-A Erie. He's hoping to use the Fall League campaign to hone his offensive game and turn himself into a more complete hitter.

"Just recognizing pitches and getting better at recognition of the strike zone is what I'm working on right now," Moya said. "Just cutting down on strikeouts. That's about it."

The Puerto Rico native made his Major League debut last month and is hoping for a longer stint in Detroit next season. To that end, Moya believes that facing elite pitching prospects in Arizona can only help him reach that goal.

"Everybody here is good, every pitcher is good," he said. "This is the best staff from every team. And it's good because everybody out there in the big leagues is good, too. So if I'm facing the best staffs here, I should be able to do it there, too."

Zach Davies, the Orioles' eighth-ranked prospect, struck out seven over four two-hit innings en route to his first AFL win.

Dodgers No. 9 prospect Scott Schebler went 3-for-3 with a pair of RBIs for Glendale.

Jesse Winker, the Reds' No. 2 prospect, also finished with three hits and drove in a run for the Saguaros, while Mariners No. 2 prospect D.J. Peterson chipped in two RBIs for the Saguaros.