Baseball Mexico
by Bruce Baskin
Published on July 17, 2011 under Mexican League (ML)
DIABLOS, TIGRES CLINCH LIGA PLAYOFF BERTHS
Although they've taken decidedly different routes to identical records as of Thursday, both the Mexico City Diablos Rojos and Quintana Roo Tigres have become the first teams to clinch berths in the Mexican League playoffs this season.
The Diablos have fashioned a 57-36 record by essentially bludgeoning their competition into submission. Mexico City
is batting .330 as a team this year while belting an LMB-best 169 homers en route to scoring an average of 7.6 runs per game. Although Mexico City's pitching is showing a hefty 5.18 ERA, that's been more than enough to give the Diablos a five-game lead in the LMB North over second place Monterrey.
On the other hand, the Tigres offense is less than overwhelming with a .277 team average, 13th among the 14 Liga teams. The Cancun club is tied for third in the LMB with 113 homers (led by Iker Franco's 23 bombs and Doug Clark's 18), but this is a side that's 57-36 and six games ahead of Veracruz in the Southern Zone because of pitching. The Tigres have a 4.30 ERA (second among Liga teams) and their 1.46 WHIP is tops in the circuit. While there's no Bobby Cramer on the staff this year, crafty Pablo Ortega (9-2/2.91) leads a solid rotation and Sandy Nin has won or saved 30 games out of the bullpen.
While leading a division in July doesn't guarantee a pennant in August, a Finals matchup between these longtime Liga rivals may be looming.
CAN TERRERO WIN "SEXTUPLE CROWN?"
Even if his season ended today, Mexico City outfielder Luis Terrero has had one hell of a ride in 2011.
A 31-year-old Dominican who hit .234 with 14 homers in 243 games for three MLB teams between 2003 and 2007, Terrero bounced around the high minors before landing with the Diablos Rojos this year. The 6'3" right-handed batter was envisioned as a player who could give the Diablos a multi-talented player that could hit with power and run, but nobody expected him to have the kind of year he's having. Now the question may be whether Terrero can lead the Liga in six major offensive categories: Batting average, slugging average, homers, runs, runs batted in and stolen bases.
Consider that after socking a three-run homer Tuesday night in a 7-4 Mexico City win at Puebla, Terrero now leads the LMB in batting (.390), slugging (.751) and runs (96), holds second place in homers (33), and RBIs (98), and is fourth in steals (26). He's been see-sawing with teammate Japhet Amador for the batting title, has whacked five homers in July to close to within three of leader Jorge Guzman (who's hit one this month), is just three ribbies behind Puebla's slumping Mendy Lopez (.235 over 10 games), and steals leader Eduardo Arredondo (31 swipes) has been hurt for two weeks.
It's hard to envision anyone but Terrero as MVP this year (though few things are ever certain in the LMB), but with a break here and there, he may be on the verge of a truly historic season with a shot at leading in six offensive categories.
HEREDIA STRUGGLING TO FIND PLATE FOR CGL PIRATES
Pitching prodigy Luis Heredia is finding common ground with young hurlers everywhere throughout baseball history: No matter how hard you throw, you need to throw strikes.
Heredia absorbed his first loss in four starts for the Pittsburgh Pirates' Gulf Coast League rookie team on July 8, dropping a 5-2 decision to the Phillies. The 16-year-old righty only lasted 2.1 innings, letting in two runs on as many hits with five walks and only one strikeout.
The Mazatlan native has found home plate elusive thus far, with the 6'6" Heredia issuing nine bases on balls in nine frames to go with his six strikeouts. After giving up three free passes in 2.2 innings for his first pro outing against the Blue Jays on June 21, Heredia settled down in his next two starts and allowed just one walk with five whiffs over four stanzas before his control problems returned during last Friday's loss in his first decision of the year.
While his propensity for walks is probably a concern (but not a major crisis, since Heredia IS a 16-year-old away from home for the first time in a foreign country) and his 4.00 ERA won't knock anyone dead, one thing that probably has Pirates brass pleased is that while opponents are getting on base, they're not knocking him out of the box. Heredia, whose fastball can reach the mid-90's, has only allowed a .115 batting average and has given up just three hits over nine innings.
Mexican League Stories from July 17, 2011
- Baseball Mexico - OSC Original by Bruce Baskin
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
