Desert Dogs' infielder Danny Espinosa, a shortstop in the Washington Nationals' system, ended the day 3 for 4 with 4 RBI's as Phoenix clinched the AFL East with an 11-1 win.

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Desert Dogs Win AFL East...

With Phoenix's 11-1 win over the Mesa Solar Sox on Monday, the Desert Dogs clinched the AFL East, securing a spot in Saturday's AFL Championship by raising their record to 18-11 on the bats of the Mid-Atlantic combo of DC infield prospect Danny Espinosa and Baltimore Orioles' third base prospect Josh Bell, who were a combined 5 for 8 with 7 RBI's between them. Espinosa, the Nationals' '08 3rd Round pick out of Long Beach State University, (which DC GM Mike Rizzo once referred to in a Washington Post article by Jeff Nelson entitled, "Nats may have unearthed a gem", as 'a major league shortstop factory.'"), finished the game 3 for 4 with 4 RBI's, and the Orioles' Bell, acquired from the Dodgers (after four-plus years in LA's system), in a late July pre-deadline deal that sent George Sherrill out west, went 2 for 4 with a double and a 3-run HR in a 7-run 4th inning that started with the game tied at 1-1. Notes: The only other Nationals' prospect in action Monday was right-hander Josh Wilkie, who threw a 1-2-3 fifth for his first scoreless frame in his last four outings. The 25-year-old Clarksville, Tennessee native, and Chattahoochee High School graduate, who signed with DC as a free agent out of George Washington University and split the '09 season between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse is now (0-1) with a 4.63 ERA and 12 K's in 11.2 IP over which he's allowed 16 H, 12 R, 6 ER and 4 walks...

• The Desert Dogs have a 2:35 pm EST game with the Scottsdale Scorpions this afternoon. 

• As previously noted, the AFL Championship Game will be played this Saturday and broadcast live on the MLB Network, with '09 No. 1 overall pick Stephen(om) Strasburg scheduled to start for the Desert Dogs.