Baseball Mexico
by Bruce Baskin
Published on August 8, 2011 under Mexican League (ML)
SUNDAY, August 7: LMB NORTHERN ZONE FINALISTS SET
The Mexican League Northern Zone finalists have been determined. Mario Valdez swatted a walkoff two-run homer to give Mexico City a 7-5 victory over Puebla Saturday, handing the Diablos a 4 games to 2 win in their series. Mexico City will face Monterrey, who dispatched Reynosa, 8-4, in Game Six on Saturday thanks to a four-run ninth keyed by Chris Roberson's two-run single.
In the LMB South, Ruben Rivera's grand slam helped Campeche take a 9-5 win at Veracruz Saturday after Hector Hernandez' RBI single in the ninth gave the Aguilas a 3-2 win Friday. The Piratas lead 3 games to 2 going into Monday's game in Campeche. Oaxaca stayed alive with a 2-1 win over Quintana Roo Friday as Sergio Gastelum homered. The Tigres are up 3 to 2 as the teams meet today in Cancun.
FRIDAY, August 5: CRUZ HITS THIRD HOMER, DIABLOS WIN AWAY FROM DIVISION FINALS
Mexico City leads Puebla, 3 games to 2, after beating the Pericos 8-5 Thursday night with Luis Alfonso Cruz belting his third homer in the series, a three-run shot in the top of the second off Andres Meza. Puebla took a 7-5 win Wednesday, overcoming a 5-3 deficit with four sixth-inning runs as Serafin Rodriguez' two-run single put the Pericos ahead.
Reynosa broke open a tie with five runs in the top of the ninth to outlast Monterrey, 14-9, Thursday night. Marshall McDougall hit two homers and doubled for the Broncos, who trail the Sultanes in the series, 3 games to 2. Monterrey copped a 7-2 win Wednesday as Sandy Madera homered, doubled and singled for the Sultanes.
Quintana Roo held off Oaxaca, 5-3, Thursday to go up 3 games to 1 in their set. Enrique Legucha pitched six innings of one-run ball for the TIgres while Willie Romero homered and drove in two. The Guerreros overcame a 3-1 deficit with four unanswered runs in a 6-3 win over the Tigres Wednesday night. Kevin Barker was 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIS.
Campeche won a 7-5 nailbiter at Veracruz Thursday despite being outhit by a 16-9 margin. The Piratas scored four in the ninth to go up 7-2, and then held on as the Aguilas scored three of their own to close the gap before they ran out of outs. Veracruz still leads their rain-delayed series, 2 games to 1.
WEDNESDAY, August 3: GUTIERREZ HITS 3-RUN HOMER AS REYNOSA STAYS ALIVE
The Reynosa Broncos averted a potential sweep in their first round series by scoring seven third-inning runs en route to a 10-8 road win in Monterrey Tuesday night. Marshall McDougall's two-run double was followed by a Jesse Gutierrez three-run homer two batters later as the Broncos pulled to within 2 games to 1 of the Sultanes, who host Game 4 tonight.
Mexico City took a 2-games-to-1 lead over Puebla by posting four runs in the top of the first (with Luis Alfonso Cruz cracking a two-run homer) and backing up a solid start from Nerio Rodriguez in Tuesday's 4-1 win in Puebla. Rodriguez tossed seven innings of four-hit, one-run ball against the Pericos as the Diablos took a 2-to-1 series lead.
Veracruz and Campeche finally got the first games of their series in. The Aguilas opened with a 10-4 victory Monday night in Campeche as Jorge Guzman and Victor Diaz cracked two of four homers on the night for Veracruz to support Joel Vargas for the win. On Tuesday, Enrique Quintanilla hurled four scoreless innings in relief to combine with six other Veracruz pitchers on a seven-hitter in a 4-2 Aguilas win. The series moves to Veracruz for the next three scheduled games.
Meanwhile, Game 3 of the Quintana Roo-Oaxaca series was postponed by rain Tuesday night. They'll try again Wednesday night with the Tigres holding a 2-games-to-0 lead in the set.
MONDAY, August 1: CLARK HOMERS IN TWO GAMES AS TIGRES TAKE 2-0 LEAD OVER GUERREROS
Veteran outfielder Doug Clark homered in two games as the Quintana Roo Tigres took wins in both contests at home in Cancun.
Clark socked a three-run homer and Carlos Gastelum belted a solo shot Saturday in Quintana Roo's 8-3 triumph over Oaxaca as Ortega scattered four hits and one run in six innings for the win. Clark and Albino Contreras rapped homers off Guerreros starter Sergio Valenzuela in Sunday's 4-2 Tigres win behind 5'7" starter Jose Ramirez.
In the LMB North, Puebla and Mexico City split two games at Foro Sol. The Pericos clobbered the Diablos, 16-9, Saturday as Luis Suarez had four hits for Puebla and Mexico City starter Roberto Ramirez gave up nine runs in 2.2 innings. The Red Devils took a 9-2 win Sunday with Luis Terrero's two-run homer highlighted a four-run Diablos second inning.
Sandy Madera's three-run homer in the seventh was a key blow in Monterrey's 6-2 win in Reynosa Saturday night as Broncos starter Marco Tovar was touched for six runs in seven innings, while Chris Roberson and Sergio Perez each had four hits in the Sultanes' 9-2 victory Sunday as Francisley Bueno tossed seven frames of one-run ball for Monterrey's second win.
While the other three series all got their first two games in, the Veracruz-Campeche first round was washed out both nights in Campeche. They'll try to get a game in Monday night while everyone else is taking the day off to travel to the lower seed cities.
Mexican League Stories from August 8, 2011
- Baseball Mexico - OSC Original by Bruce Baskin
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