Baseball Mexico
by Bruce Baskin
Published on June 6, 2011 under Mexican League (ML)
AGUILAS WIN 2-0 THRILLER IN 11TH TO PULL INTO TIE FOR LMB SOUTH LEAD
Nobody has to tell Jose Chavez of Veracruz that good things come to those who wait. The Aguilas second baseman had to hold on until the bottom of the 11th inning before launching a walkoff two-run homer off Laguna reliever Julio Manon, giving the Eagles a 2-0 win over the Vaqueros Saturday night at Estadio Beto Avila in Veracruz.
The contest had been a scoreless tie until, with one out and Hector Hernandez in scoring position at second, Chavez patiently fouled off five balls in a row before poking the tenth Manon pitch of his at-bat over the right field wall to end the contest. Starters Demetrio Gonzalez of Laguna and Juan Acevedo both pitched brilliantly through seven innings and both bullpens got their jobs done before Manon's fateful pitch to Chavez, who had hit just three homers prior to his heroic blast.
With the win, the Aguilas pulled into a first-place tie in the Mexican League Southern Zone with Quintana Roo, who lost a 3-1 game at Campeche Saturday. That one was another scoreless tie through seven until the Tigres broke through in the top of the eighth by whacking a solo homer to right on a 1-2 pitch from Miguel Duarte. The Piratas fought back in the bottom of the frame when Manuel Lopez stroked a two-run double off Juan Sandoval. Lopez later came around to score on a single by timeless wonder Javier Robles to make it a 3-1 Campeche lead, leaving it to Jose Silva to hold the Tigres runless in the ninth for his 11th save of the year.
With the Veracruz win and Quintana Roo loss, both teams headed into Sunday's games with identical 37-27 records.
REYNOSA OUTLASTS PUEBLA IN 14 INNINGS TO MAINTAIN ONE-GAME NORTH LEAD
Rodrigo Aguirre's RBI double in the top of the 14th inning provided the Reynosa Broncos a 5-4 knucklebiter win over the Puebla Pericos Thursday night before 6,435 fans at Puebla's Estadio Hermanos Serdan. With the win, the 37-25 Broncos maintained their slim one-game lead in the Mexican League Northern Zone over 36-26 Mexico City.
The Pericos jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first, courtesy of two-run homers by All-Star Game Home Run Derby champ Mendy Lopez and Omar de la Torre off Broncos starter Rudy Gonzalez, but Reynosa scored two runs in the fourth when Marshall McDougall doubled in Eduardo Arredondo and came around to score on an Adan Munoz single, then tied the game in the seventh after Munoz scored on a Yurendell de Caster ground out and Jesse Gutierrez came in from third on a Domingo Castro single.
The two teams traded zeros until the top of the 14th, when Gutierrez led off with a single against Puebla reliever Adolfo Delfin, who had allowed one hit in three innings. Gutierrez was replaced by pinch-runner Eduardo Arroyo, who moved to second on a de Caster sacrifice bunt before scoring the go-ahead run on Aguirre's double. Francisco Rivera then retired Puebla 1-2-3 with two strikeouts in the bottom of the 14th to preserve the win, whiffing Lopez swinging to end the contest.
SOUTH CLOBBERS NORTH, 11-1, IN LIGA ALL-STAR GAME
Ruben Rivera, Erick Rodriguez and Doug Clark slammed home runs and nine pitchers combined to limit the Northern Zone to one run on six hits as the Southern Zone trounced the North, 11-1, on May 29 at the 79th Mexican League All-Star Game in front of 14,633 fans in Saltillo's Parque Francisco I. Madero.
Rivera opened the game's scoring for the LMB South when the Campeche outfielder belted a two-run, line-drive homer to left off North starter Andres Meza of Puebla. Meza had a tough outing, letting in three runs on four hits in his one inning of mound work. He was followed by eleven more pitchers for the North as the South offense racked up 17 hits.
Rivera ended up going 1-for-3 with two RBIs and was named the game MVP, a somewhat surprising pick since South teammate Doug Clark of Quintana Roo went 2-for-3 with three ribbies. Veteran Campeche star Francisco Campos earned the win with a 1-2-3 first inning, while Meza was tagged with the loss.
One day earlier, Puebla's Mendy Lopez outdueled Veracruz slugger Victor Diaz in the final round to win the Home Run Derby. Lopez also won the 2008 Home Run Derby in Tijuana while a member of the Monterrey Sultanes.
MEXICAN LEAGUE TEAM LEADERS (as of 6/4/11)
NORTHERN ZONE
Reynosa Broncos (39-29/.609/0.0GB)
BATTING: AVG-Yurendell de Caster .356; HR-Jesse Gutierrez 17; RBI-Marshall McDougall 56; SB-Eduardo Arredondo 29
PITCHING: ERA-Marco Tovar 3.04; W-Marco Tovar 6; SO-Marco Tovar 42; SV-Alan Guerrero 13
Mexico City Diablos Rojos (38-26/.594/1.0GB)
BATTING: AVG-Japhet Amador .423; HR-Luis Terrero 23; RBI-Luis Terrero 67; SB-Leo Heras 19
PITCHING: ERA-Roberto Ramirez 3.41; W-Marco Duarte 6; SO-M. Duarte 63/R. Ramirez 63; SV-Jean Machi 6
Monterrey Sultanes (35-29/.547/4.0GB)
BATTING: AVG-Edgar Quintero .355; HR-Edgar Quintero 21; RBI-Karim Garcia 53, SB-Chris Roberson 14
PITCHING: ERA-Walter Silva 4.01; W-Walter Silva 6; SO-Juan Delgadillo 44; SV-Oscar Villareal 11
Puebla Pericos (29-32/.475/8.5GB)
BATTING: AVG-Rene Reyes .345; HR-Mendy Lopez 20; RBI-Mendy Lopez 63; SB-Rene Reyes 8
PITCHING: ERA-Andres Meza 2.92; W-Andres Meza 8; SO-Mauricio Lara 54; SV-Luis Ramirez 7
Monclova Acereros (29-35/.453/10.0GB)
BATTING: AVG-Amaury Cazana .355; HR-Leo Arauz 9; RBI-Amaury Cazana; SB-Three players 4
PITCHING: ERA-Jasiel Acosta 5.00; W-Jose Cabrera 7; SO-Jasiel Acosta 51; SV-Jose Cabrera 7
Saltillo Saraperos (26-38/.406/13.0GB)
BATTING: AVG-Jose Amador .380; HR-Refugio Cervantes 14; RBI-Jesus Cota 46; SB-Jovanny Rosario 27
PITCHING: ERA-Hector Daniel Rodriguez 4.35; W-Five pitchers 3; SO-Hector Daniel Rodriguez 51; SV-Rafael Diaz 11
Laguna Vaqueros (22-42/.344/17.0GB)
BATTING: AVG-Jesus Romo .353; HR-Emmanuel Valdez 12; RBI-Emmanuel Valdez 59, SB-Dionys Cesar/Flavio Romero 13
PITCHING: ERA-Jose Oyervidez 3.86; W-Sergio Mora 4; SO-Sergio Mora/Jose Oyervidez 47; SV-Julio Manon 6
SOUTHERN ZONE
Veracruz Aguilas (37-27/.578/0.0GB)
BATTING: AVG-Francisco Mendez .284; HR-Jorge Guzman 26; RBI-Jorge Guzman 61; SB-Jose Chavez 13
PITCHING: ERA-Joel Vargas 3.01; W-Joel Vargas 8; Joel Vargas 49; SV-Hector Navarro 15
Quintana Roo Tigres (37-27/.578/0.0GB)
BATTING: AVG-Sergio Contreras .343; HR-Iker Franco 18; RBI-Iker Franco 54; SB-Willie Romero/Albino Contreras 10
PITCHING: ERA-Pablo Ortega 2.90; W-Sandy Nin 6; SO-Seth Etherton 51; SV-Sandy Nin 13
Oaxaca Guerreros (32-28/.541/2.5GB)
BATTING: AVG-Barbaro Canizares .390; HR-Barbaro Canizares 9; RBI-Kevin Barker 46, SB-Yancarlo Angulo
PITCHING: ERA-Victor Moreno 4.38; W-Victor Moreno 7; SO-Victor Moreno 59; SV-Francisco Butto 13
Yucatan Leones (32-32/.500/5.0GB)
BATTING: AVG-Fernando Valenzuela Jr. .366; HR-Sandy Madera 9; RBI-Sandy Madera 42; SB-Oswaldo Morejon 5
PITCHING: ERA-Oscar Rivera 3.62; W-Six pitchers 4; SO-Oscar Rivera 41; SV-Jose Vargas 11
Tabasco Olmecas (31-33/.484/6.0GB)
BATTING: AVG-Ramon Orantes .364; HR-Michel Abreu 12; RBI-Michel Abreu 49; SB-Henry Mateo 22
PITCHING: ERA-Leo Gonzalez 4.19; W-Leo Gonzalez 6; SO-Leo Gonzalez 43; SV-Francisco Villegas 9
Campeche Piratas (31-33/.484/6.0GB)
BATTING: AVG-Ruben Rivera .350; HR-Ruben Rivera 23; RBI-Ruben Rivera 60; SB-Luis Matos 13
PITCHING: ERA-Alejandro Armenta 3.54; W-A. Armenta/Carlos Elizalde 7; SO-A. Armenta 62; SV-Jose Silva 11
Minatitlan Petroleros (26-38/.406/11.0GB)
BATTING: AVG-Sharnol Adriana .353; HR-Hiram Bocachica/Rolando Acosta 12; RBI-R. Acosta 46, SB-Freddy Guzman 15
PITCHING: ERA-Tomas Solis 5.08; W-Juan Jesus Martinez 5; SO-Tomas Solis 40; SV-Alejandro Rios 3
Mexican League Stories from June 6, 2011
- Baseball Mexico - OSC Original by Bruce Baskin
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