Australian League Preview

The Australian League starts today.  Given the time difference, it already has started.  So, here's a brief overview of the league down under.

There are six teams in the Australian League.  The teams play a forty-two game schedule.  They play mostly Friday through Sunday, with an occasional Thursday or Monday game, until January, when they play Thursday through Sunday.

Three teams make the playoffs.  Based on last year, the second and third place teams play each other in a best-of-five playoff.  The winner then plays the first place team in a best-of-three playoff.  That seems kind of odd, but that's the way it was last year, anyway.

Here's a look at the teams:

ADELAIDE BITE

Manager:  Charlie Aliano.

Coaches:  Rick Knapp, Craig Watts

Names you might know:  Fu-Te Ni, Josh Cakebread, Stefan Welch

BRISBANE BANDITS

Manager:  Kevin Jordan

Coaches:  Gary Nilsson, Gareth Jones, Steve Livesey, Shane Watson

Names you might know:  Logan Wade, Alex Kaminsky

CANBERRA CAVALRY

Manager:  Michael Collins

Coaches:  Clayton McCullough, Michael Wells

Names you might know:  Brian Grening, Caleb Albrecht

MELBOURNE ACES

Manager:  Phil Dale

Coaches:  Phil Allen, Russ Spear, Stephen Black, Neil Burke, Mitsuharu Nagayama, Jonathan Schuerholz, Damian Shanahan

Names you might know:  Sam Gibbons, Lewis Thorpe, James Beresford, Justin Huber, Bubbie Buzachero

PERTH HEAT

Manager:  Steven Fish

Coaches:  Greg Jelks, Graeme Lloyd, Rick Steven, Marshall Yanzick

Names you might know:  Brendan Wise, Allan de San Miguel, Luke Hughes, Warwick Saupold

SYDNEY BLUE SOX

Manager:  Jason Pospishil

Coaches:  Darian Lindsay, Graheme Cassel

Names you might know:  Tim Atherton, Josh Guyer, Brad Thomas, Todd Van Steensel, Jacob Younis, Trent Oeltjen, Mitch Dening

Mexican League: Games of October 30

Two close games, one blowout.  The Fantastic Mr. Fox leads Los Mochis.

CULIACAN 2, OBREGON 1 IN OBREGON

Culiacan:  Andres Meza struck out five in 5.1 innings, giving up one run on six hits and one walk.

Obregon:  Karim Garcia was 2-for-4 with a double.  Rolando Valdez pitched six innings, allowing an unearned run on two hits and no walks with four strikeouts.

The game:  Culiacan scored one in the first; Obregon answered with one in the fifth.  In the seventh, a walk, a single, and an infield out plated the go-ahead run.  Obregon put runners on first and third with one out, but the last two batters fanned to end the game.

MEXICALI 4, NAVOJOA 3 IN MEXICALI

Navojoa:  Rolando Acosta was 2-for-3 with a walk, scoring once.  Rodrigo Aguirre was 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Jose Manuel Lopez struck out three in three shutout innings, giving up two hits and three walks.

Mexicali:  Ricky Alvarez was 2-for-4 with a double and a home run, his third.  Luis Suarez was 2-for-3 with two walks and a triple, scoring once.  Terry Doyle (Boston) struck out nine in six innings, allowing one run on six hits and three walks.

The game:  Navojoa scored one in the first, but Mexicali got two in the second to take the lead and added an insurance run in the fifth.  Navojoa tied it in the eighth with RBI singles by Aguirre and Fernando Flores.  Mexicali opened the ninth with a pair of walks and moved the runners up with a bunt.  An intentional walk loaded the bases and an accidental walk brought home the winning run.

LOS MOCHIS 12, MAZATLAN 4 IN MAZATLAN

Los Mochis:  Jake Fox (Arizona) was 3-for-4 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Yancarlo Angulo was 2-for-3 with a walk and a home run, scoring twice and driving in three.  Jesus Avila was 2-for-5 with two walks, scoring twice and driving in two.

Mazatlan:  Oswaldo Morejon was 3-for-4, scoring twice and driving in one.  Ryan Mulhern was 2-for-5.

The game:  Mazatlan scored one in the second, but Los Mochis got six in the third to take control.  Avila drove in two with a double and Angulo had a two-run single in the inning.  Mazatlan got single runs in the fourth and fifth to make it 6-3, but a three-run sixth by Los Mochis put the game out of reach.

HERMOSILLO AT GUASAVE

Rained out.

Dominican League: Games of October 30

A good day for Chris Herrmann.  Danny Santana gets Aguilas off to a good start.  Iwasaki puts on a good Sho for Aguilas.

ESCOGIDO 6, ORIENTE 5 IN ORIENTE (13 INNINGS)

Twins:  Jorge Polanco (Escogido) was 2-for-4 with three walks and scored twice.  Chris Herrmann (Orriennte) was 2-forr-2 with a walk, scorrinng onnce and drrivinng inn two.

Escogido:  Gregory Polanco (Pittsburgh) was 2-for-4 with three walks and a grand slam (his fourth homer), driving in five.  Julio Lugo was 2-for-7 with a run and an RBI.

Oriente:  Leandro Castro (Philadelphia) was 2-for-6 with a double and an RBI.  Bruce Billings (Oakland) pitched four innings, allowing one run on one hit and five walks with one strikeout.

The game:  Oriente led 4-1 after four, but Escogido came back with four in the fifth on the Gregory Polanco grand slam.  A sacrifice fly in the eighth tied the score for Oriente.  In the thirteenth, an RBI single by Lugo brought home what would turn out to be the winning run.  Oriente was retired in order in the bottom of the inning.

AGUILAS 8, ESTE 2 IN AGUILAS

Twins:  Danny Santana (Aguilas) was 1-for-5 with a triple, scoring once and driving in two.

Este:  Donell Linares was 2-for-3 with a run.

Aguilas:  Dan Black (White Sox) was 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, and a home run (his second), scoring three times.  Mike Bianucci (Texas) was 2-for-4 with a walk, scoring once and driving in two.  Sho Iwasaki pitched six innings, allowing an unearned run on two hits and no walks with five strikeouts.

The game:  Aguilas opened the scoring in the second when Santana hit a two-run triple and came around to score to make it 3-0.  Este got one back in the third, but Aguilas answered with a Bianucci RBI single.  Aguilas added single runs in the fifth and sixth and that took care of things.

LICEY 7, CIBAO 6 IN LICEY

Cibao:  Leury Garcia was 4-for-5 with a run and two RBIs.  Robinzon Diaz (Milwaukee) was 1-for-2 with three RBIs.

Licey:  Yamaico Navarro (Baltimore) was 4-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs.  Juan Francisco (Milwaukee) was 2-for-4 with two doubles, scoring once and driving in two.

The game:  Cibao led 3-2 after two, but Licey led 6-3 after four.  Cibao tied it up at six in the seventh on a Diaz RBI single.  In the eighth, Jurickson Profar (Texas) drove in the go-ahead run with a triple.  Cibao did not get the tying run past first in the ninth.

Venezuelan League: Games of October 30

Yorman Landa makes a perfect Venezuelan debut.  Zulia zooms on La Guaira boots.  Lots of blowouts.

MARGARITA 8, LARA 2 IN MARGARITA

Twins:  Antoan Richardson (Margarita) was 0-for-3 with a walk and scored once.

Lara:  Paulo Orlando (Kansas City) was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.  Jesus Montero (Seattle) was 2-for-4 with a double.

Margarita:  Gerson Montilla (Arizona) was 2-for-4 with a triple, scoring once and driving in two.  Adam Duvall (San Francisco) was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.  Danny Rosenbaum (Washington) pitched six shutout innings, allowing four hits and one walk with three strikeouts.

The game:  It was scoreless until the fifth, when Montilla hit a two-run triple.  He eventually came around to score and give Margarita a 3-0 lead.  Margarita added one in the sixth and two in the seventh.  Both Lara runs came in the eighth.

ZULIA 8, LA GUAIRA 2 IN ZULIA

Twins:  Yorman Landa (La Guaira) struck out two in two perfect innings.

La Guaira:  Luis Sardinas (Texas) was 2-for-3 with a walk and scored once.  Nick McCully (White Sox) struck out three in two shutout innings, giving up one hit and no walks.

Zulia:  Ernesto Mejia (Atlanta) was 2-for-4 with a home run (his third) and scored twice.  Henry Rodriguez (Cincinnati) was 2-for-4 with a run.

The game:  La Guaira scored two in the first, but then Zulia took over.  Two errors led to three Zulia runs in the second, and Zulia added five more in the fourth, aided by two more errors.  All four La Guaira errors were throwing errors.

ANZOATEGUI 14, MAGALLANES 6 IN MAGALLANES

Twins:  Eduardo Escobar (Anzoategui) was 1-for-4 with a walk and a double, scoring once and driving in two.

Anzoategui:  Gorkys Hernandez (Kansas City) was 3-for-5 with a walk and two doubles, scoring four times and driving in one.  Luis Nunez was 3-for-6 with a double, scoring once and driving in one.  Cory Aldridge was 2-for-4 with two walks and a double, scoring twice and driving in three.

Magallanes:  Lew Ford was 2-for-5 with a double, scoring once and driving in one.  Mario Lisson was 2-for-5 with two RBIs.  Eliezer Alfonzo (Dodgers) was 2-for-4.

The game:  Anzoategui led 3-1 after four.  A two-run error in the fifth made it 5-1.  A two-run double by Aldridge made it 7-2 in the sixth, and that was pretty much the ballgame.

Arizona Fall League: Games of October 30

Stefan Romero leads Peoria to a win over Glendale.  A Surprising defeat for Salt River.

PEORIA 7, GLENDALE 5 IN GLENDALE

Twins:  Eddie Rosario was 1-for-4 with an RBI.  Max Kepler was 0-for-4 with an RBI.  Trevor May pitched a scoreless inning, giving up one hit and no walks with one strikeout.

Peoria:  Stefan Romero (Seattle) was 2-for-5 with a double and a home run, driving in four.  Nolan Fontana (Houston) was 2-for-3 with two walks and scored twice.

Scottsdale:  Marcus Semien (White Sox) was 1-for-3 with two walks and scored twice.  Brent Keys (Miami) was 1-for-3 with two walks and scored once.

The game:  Glendale led 2-1 after one.  In the third, Romero hit a three-run homer to cap a four-run inning and give Peoria a 5-2 lead.  Glendale came back with single runs in the third and fifth to make it 5-4.  The teams traded runs in the sixth.  In the seventh Romero came through again, this time with an RBI double to make it 7-5.  A couple of two-out walks in the ninth put the tying run on base for Glendale, but that was it.

SURPRISE 12, SALT RIVER 6 IN SURPRISE

Salt River:  Andy Burns (Toronto) was 3-for-3 with a walk and two doubles, driving in two.  Kyle Parker (Colorado) was 2-for-5 with two doubles and scored once.  Sam Gaviglio (St. Louis) struck out six in five shutout innings, giving up two hits and two walks.

Surprise:  Travis Shaw (Boston) was 3-for-5 with a double and a grand slam (his fourth homer), scoring twice.  Tyler Naquin (Cleveland) was 2-for-4 with a walk and a home run, scoring three times.

The game:  Salt River led 6-0 after five innings.  Surprise got back in the game with three in the sixth and took the lead with five in the seventh.  The first two batters of the seventh went out.  Two walks and a single produced one run, a walk loaded the bases, and Shaw hit a grand slam to put Surprise up 8-6.  Surprise got four more in the eighth on two-run homers by Ryan Rua (Texas) and Naquin.

MESA 7, SCOTTSDALE 0 IN SCOTTSDALE

Mesa:  Brian Goodwin (Washington) was 2-for-5 with a double, scoring once and driving in one.  Tyler Collins (Detroit) was 2-for-4 with a walk and scored once.  Dallas Beeler (Cubs) pitched four shutout innings, giving up two hits and no walks with one strikeout.

Scottsdale:  Jarrett Parker (San Francisco) was 1-for-2 with two walks.

The game:  Mesa scored one in the first, two in the second, two in the fifth, and two in the sixth.

Mexican League: Games of October 29

All four games were decided by one run, one of them in extra innings.

NAVOJOA 3, MEXICALI 2 IN MEXICALI (15 INNINGS)

Navojoa:  Rolando Accosta was 4-for-7 with a double and scored twice.  Luis Fonseca was 3-for-7.  Alejandro Garrido struck out three in three shutout innings, giving up no hits and one walk.

Mexicali:  Oscar Robles was 2-for-4 with two walks.  Oscar Verdugo struck out four in three shutout innings, allowing no hits and two walks.

The game:  Navojoa scored two in the second and Mexicali tied it with two in the sixth.  It stayed there until the fifteenth, when Acosta hit a one-out double and scored on a Genaro Andrade single.

MAZATLAN 2, LOS MOCHIS 1 IN MAZATLAN

Los Mochis:  Saul Soto was 2-for-4.  Thomas Melgarejo pitched six innings, giving up two runs on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts.

Mazatlan:  Henry Mateo was 2-for-4 with a triple, scoring once and driving in one.  Mauricio Lara pitched six shutout innings, allowing two hits and two walks with two strikeouts.

The game:  Mazatlan took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on a sacrifice fly and got an insurance run in the fifth on an RBI triple by Mateo.  Los Mochis got one back in the eighth when Rodolfo Amador hit a pinch-hit RBI double.  That was as close as Los Mochis would come.

OBREGON 3, CULIACAN 2 IN OBREGON

Culiacan:  Alejandro Armenta pitched five innings, giving up two runs on four hits and four walks with three strikeouts.  Humberto Cota was 1-for-2 with two walks.

Obregon:  Christian Villanueva was 2-for-3 with a double and scored once.  Dan Robertson (San Diego) was 2-for-4 with a double.  Steve Hammond pitched five innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and three walks with four strikeouts.

The game:  Culiacan scored one in the first, but Agustin Murillo hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the first to make it 2-1.  An RBI groundout tied it at two in the fifth.  In the sixth, Carlos Valencia doubled in Villanueva to make it 3-2.  Culiacan did not get another man on base.

GUASAVE 5, HERMOSILLO 4 IN GUASAVE

Hermosillo:  Jesse Gutierrez was 2-for-4 with a double and a home run, his fifth.  Jose Aguilar was 2-for-4 with a double.

Guasave:  Jose Rodriguez was 2-for-5.  Zelous Wheeler (Baltimore) was 1-for-2 with two walks and a home run (his fourth), scoring twice.

The game:  Hermosillo scored single runs in the second, third, and fourth to go ahead 3-1.  Guasave tied it in the bottom of the fourth when Kailin Sams doubled to drive in two.  Guasave took a 4-3 lead in the fifth, but Hermosillo tied it in the sixth.  In the seventh, Wheeler walked, took second on an error, and scored on a single by Ivan Araujo to give Guasave a 5-4 lead.  Hermosillo got runners on first and third with one out in the ninth, but a double play ended the game.

Dominican League: Games of October 29

Singles night for Escogido and Cibao.  Homers decided things in Licey.

LICEY 7, AGUILAS 3 IN LICEY

Twins:  Danny Santana (Aguilas) was 1-for-2.

Aguilas:  Francisco Pena (Mets) was 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI.  Jonathan Villar (Houston) was 2-for-4 with a triple and a run.

Licey:  Juan Francisco (Milwaukee) was 3-for-3 with a walk, a triple, and a home run (his second), driving in three.  Carlos Triunfel (Seattle) was 2-for-4 with a triple and scored twice.  Chris Narveson struck out eight in five innings, allowing an unearned run on four hits and one walk.

The game:  Licey scored once in the third and Aguilas tied it at one in the fourth.  Francisco hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to put Licey up 3-1 and Yamaico Navarro (Baltimore) hit a three-run shot in the fifth to make it 6-1.  Aguilas never got back into the game.

ESCOGIDO 10, ESTE 5 IN ESTE

Twins:  Jorge Polanco (Escogido) was 1-for-4 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Aderlin Mejia (Escogido) was used as a substitute and did not bat.

Escogido:  Erik Gonzalez (Cleveland) was 3-for-5 with three RBIs.  Julio Lugo was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and scored twice.  Carlos Pimentel (Texas) pitched 3.2 scoreless innings, giving up three hits and no walks with one strikeout.

Este:  Jordan Pacheco (Colorado) was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.  Eugenio Velez (Milwaukee) was 2-for-3 with a walk and scored twice.

The game:  Escogido opened the game with a walk, four singles, a walk, and another single to go ahead 4-0.  Este cut it to 4-2 in the second, but Escogido put six more singles together in the third to score four more times and put the game out of reach early.

CIBAO 5, ORIENTE 2 IN CIBAO

Oriente:  Greg Smith (Philadelphia) pitched five shutout innings, giving up two hits and no walks with four strikeouts.

Cibao:  Moises Sierra (Toronto) was 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Rudy Owens (Houston) struck out six in 5.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits and two walks.

The game:  Oriente got one in the fourth and Cibao tied it with one in the sixth.  J. C. Linares gave Oriente the lead with a home run in the seventh.  Oriente got one in the eighth to tie it, but in the bottom of the eighth, Cibao scored three times to put it away.  RBI singles by Jimmy Paredes (Houston), Sierra, and Carlos Peguero (Seattle) produced the runs.

Dominican League: Game of October 28

Sorry I missed this game yesterday, but it was not on the schedule.  One of the frustrations of following winter ball is that accurate information on rosters and scheduling is hard to come by sometimes.

CIBAO 11, ESCOGICO 2 IN CIBAO

Twins:  Jorge Polanco (Escogido) was 0-for-4.

Escogido:  Brennan Boesch was 1-for-3 with a walk and a double.

Cibao:  Jonathan Diaz (Boston) was 4-for-4 with a double, scoring once and driving in three.  Moises Sierra (Toronto) was 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, and a home run (his third), scoring three times and driving in two.  Jeff Mandel (Washington) pitched four innings, allowing one run on three hits and one walk with two strikeouts.

The game:  Cibao scored five in the third and was never threatened.  They got two doubles, an error, two walks, a hit batsman, and a two-run single in the inning.

Venezuelan View: Games of October 29

Eduardo Escobar leads Anzoategui to victory.  LEWWWWW and some Lively pitching carry Magallanes.  Lara was Thurston for a win.

LARA 4, MARGARITA 2 IN MARGARITA

Twins:  Antoan Richardson (Margarita) was 1-for-5.

Lara:  Joe Thurston was 3-for-3 with two walks, a double, and a home run, scoring three times.  Anthony Vasquez (Seattle) struck out five in five innings, giving up one run on five hits and no walks.

Margarita:  Adam Duvall (San Francisco) was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.  Cesar Hernandez (Philadelphia) was 2-for-5 with a double and scored once.  Luis Chirinos struck out five in five innings, allowing one run on four hits and one walk.

The game:  Margarita scored one in the first and Lara tied it with one in the third.  It stayed tied at one until the eighth, when each team scored to tie it at two.  Paulo Orlando (Kansas City) and Robert Perez delivered RBI singles in the ninth to give Lara a 4-2 advantage.  Margarita got the tying run on base with two out in the bottom of the ninth.

MAGALLANES 5, CARACAS 2 IN CARACAS

Twins:  Deolis Guerra (Magallanes) struck out two in a scoreless inning, giving up one hit.

Magallanes:  Lew Ford was 3-for-5 with a double and a home run (his second), driving in three.  Frank Diaz was 2-for-3 with a walk and a double, scoring once.  Mitch Lively (San Francisco) pitched 5.2 scoreless innings, giving up three hits and four walks with four strikeouts.

Caracas:  Rico Noel (San Diego)was 2-for-2 with a double and two RBIs.  Tiago Da Silva struck out five in 2.2 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and no walks.

The game:  Magallanes scored one in the third and took control with four in the fourth.  An error brought home two runs and Ford hit a two-run homer to make it 5-0.  Caracas got both their runs in the seventh.  Caracas loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, but a double play ended the inning.

ANZOATEGUI 7, ARAGUA 1 IN ARAGUA

Twins:  Eduardo Escobar (Anzoategui) was 1-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs.  Jermaine Mitchell (Aragua) was 1-for-4.  Oswaldo Arcia (Aragua) was 0-for-3.

Anzoategui:  Cory Aldridge was 3-for-5 with a home run (his third) and three RBIs.  Jose Castillo was 2-for-4 with a double, scoring twice and driving in two.  Paulo Espino (Cleveland) struck out six in 5.2 innings, giving up one run on three hits and no walks.

Aragua:  Luis Maza was 2-for-4 and scored once.  Jan Granado pitched 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk.

The game:  Aragua got on the board in the first, but it was all Anzoategui from there.  Escobar hit a two-run triple to cap a three-run second to make it 3-1, and in the third Aldridge hit a two-run homer to make it 5-1.  Aragua did not get back into the game.

ZULIA 7, LA GUAIRA 3 IN ZULIA

La Guaira:  C. J. Retherford was 2-for-4 with a home run (his second) and two RBIs.  Miguel Gonzalez (White Sox) was 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Cesar Suarez was 2-for-4.

Zulia:  Freddy Parejo had a pinch-hit grand slam.

The game:  Zulia scored single runs in the second and third, but La Guaira came back with single runs in the fourth and fifth.  In the sixth, a bases-loaded walk put Zulia ahead 3-2 and a Parejo grand slam put the game out of reach.

Arizona Fall League: Games of October 29

Buxton goes deep again.  Zack Jones continues to struggle.  Who says there are no ties in baseball?

SURPRISE 5, GLENDALE 5 IN GLENDALE (11 INNINGS)

Twins:  Byron Buxton was 2-for-5 with a two-run homer (his fourth) and scored twice.  Eddie Rosario was 1-for-5.  Zack Jones pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up four runs on two hits and two walks with one strikeout.  A. J. Achter pitched a perfect inning with one strikeout.

Surprise:  Adam Weisenburger (Milwaukee) was 2-for-5 with an RBI.  Keone Kela (Texas) struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up two hits and two walks.

Glendale:  Jared Mitchell (White Sox) was 3-for-4 with a walk and a home run, his fourth.  Corey Seager (Dodgers) was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, his second.  Andrew Heaney (Miami) struck out five in four shutout innings, allowing three hits and two walks.

The game:  Glendale got two in the first and one in the second to go ahead 3-0, but Surprise came back with four in the fourth to lead 4-3.  Seager hit a two-run homer in the sixth to put Glendale ahead 5-4.  Surprise scored in the eighth on three consecutive two-out singles to tie it up.  Glendale had the bases loaded with one out in the ninth, but an attempted sacrifice fly by Buxton was foiled when Travis Mattair (Cincinnati) was thrown out at the plate.

Random:  This is Glendale's second tie of the season.  I have no idea what the record is.

PEORIA 3, SCOTTSDALE 2 IN PEORIA

Scottsdale:  Alen Hanson (Pittsburgh) was 2-for-4 with a double.  Jarrett Parker (San Francisco) was 2-for-3 with a walk.  Hansel Robles (Mets) struck out five in four innings, giving up one run on three hits and one walk.

Peoria:  Tommy Medica (San Diego) was 2-for-3 with a walk and a double and scored once.  Keyvius Sampson (San Diego) struck out three in three shutout innings, allowing three hits and one walk.

The game:  Peoria took the lead with one in the fourth, but Scottsdale tied it at one in the fifth.  In the seventh, Medica doubled, went to third on a bunt, and scored on an infield out to give Peoria the lead.  Peoria got an insurance run in the eighth when Cameron Rupp (Philadelphia) homered.  Scottsdale scored once in the ninth and got the tying run on first base with two out.

SALT RIVER 7, MESA IN SALT RIVER

Mesa:  Adrian Nieto (Washington) was 2-for-4 with a triple, scoring once and driving in one.  C. J. Cron (Angels) was 2-for-3 with a walk and scored once.

Salt River:  James Ramsey (St. Louis) was 4-for-5 with three doubles, scoring three times and driving in one.  Mike Freeman (Arizona) was 2-for-3 with a walk and scored once.  Grayson Garvin (Tampa) struck out four in 4.2 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and one walk.

The game:  A pair of RBI groundouts gave Salt River a 2-0 lead in the first.  A two-run single by Jacob Wilson (St. Louis) made it 5-0 after three, and Salt River was never threatened.  Mesa scored all its runs in the eighth.

Where They Stand

I don't know how interested anyone is in the standings of the fall/winter leagues.  But, since the Caribbean Leagues are taking the day off, I thought we'd take a look at them.

ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE

East

Mesa, 10-6-1
Salt River, 8-9
Scottsdale, 7-10

West

Surprise, 11-6
Glendale, 8-8-1

Peoria, 6-11

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

Magallanes, 11-5
Aragua, 10-5
Anzoategui, 10-6
Caracas, 10-6
La Guaira, 6-9
Zulia, 6-10
Margarita, 5-10
Lara, 4-11

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

Aguilas, 7-1
Licey, 6-3
Escogido, 5-3
Cibao, 3-5
Orient, 3-6
Este, 1-7

MEXICAN LEAGUE

Hermosillo, 12-1
Mazatlan, 9-5
Guasave, 8-6
Mexicali, 7-7
Los Mochis, 6-8
Culiacan, 6-8
Obregon, 4-10
Navojoa, 3-10

The Australian League begins October 31.  The Puerto Rican League begins November 1.

Arizona Fall League: Games of October 28

A solid game for Max Kepler.  Bryant man isn't enough for Mesa.

SURPRISE 8, GLENDALE 7 IN SURPRISE

Twins:  Byron Buxton was 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI.  Max Kepler was 1-for-3 with a walk and a double, scoring once.  Alex Meyer started and pitched five innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts.

Glendale:  Marcus Semien (White Sox) was 2-for-5 with two two-run homers.

Surprise:  Jonathan Schoop (Baltimore) was 2-for-3 with a walk, scoring twice and driving in one.  Joe Wendle (Cleveland) was 2-for-5 with an RBI.  Henry Urrutia (Baltimore) was 2-for-5.

The game:  Surprise led 3-0 after two, but Glendale led 5-4 after four.  Surprise regained the lead in the sixth on an RBI double by Tony Walters and an RBI single by Wendle.  They added to more in the seventh on a bases-loaded walk and a bases-loaded hit batsman.  Glendale came back in the ninth on Semien's second two-run homer, cutting the lead to 8-7, but they did not get the tying run on base.

SALT RIVER 3, MESA 2 IN MESA

Salt River:  Jake Lamb (Arizona) was 3-for-4 with a double and scored once.  Andy Burns (Toronto) was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.  Aaron Sanchez (Toronto) struck out four in 4.1 scoreless innings, giving up one hit and three walks.

Mesa:  Tommy Collier (Detroit) pitched five shutout innings, allowing three hits and a walk.  Kris Bryant (Cubs) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a tw0-run homer, his fifth.

The game:  It was scoreless until the seventh, when Burns singled in a run and later came around to score to make it 2-0.  They added an insurance run in the eighth and needed it, because Bryant hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to cut the lead to 3-2.  Mesa got a leadoff single in the ninth but did not advance him beyond first base.

PEORIA 4, SCOTTSDALE 0 IN SCOTTSDALE

Peoria:  Chris Taylor (Seattle) was 2-for-4 with two doubles, scoring once and driving in two.  Japhet Amador (Houston) was 2-for-4 with a double, scoring once and driving in one.  Matt Heidenreich (Houston) pitched three shutout innings, giving up one  hit and no walks with two strikeouts.

Scottsdale:  Cory Vaughn (Mets) was 1-for-2 with a walk and a triple.  Zack Thornton (Pittsburgh) pitched two perfect innings with one strikeout.

The game:  Taylor opened the scoring in the first with an RBI double, coming around to score on an Amador single.  Peoria added single runs in the fourth and ninth.

Mexican League: Games of October 27

Guasave remains Zelous.  No thrilling games, but hey, it's still baseball.

GUASAVE 6, LOS MOCHIS 2 IN LOS MOCHIS

Guasave:  Zelous Wheeler (Baltimore) was 2-for-2 with two walks, scoring twice and driving in one.  Jose Rodriguez was 2-for-5.  Juan Delgadillo struck out eight in 5.2 innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and one walk.

Los Mochis:  Jesus Avila was 2-for-4 with a home run.  Jesus Arredondo was 2-for-3.

The game:  It was close most of the way.  Guasave broke a 1-1 tie with two in the fourth, but Los Mochis got one back on an Avila homer in the bottom of the fourth to make it 3-2.  In the seventh, Mark Hamilton (Boston) and Wheeler each hit RBI singles to put Guasave in control of the game.

MAZATLAN 7, OBREGON 3 IN MAZATLAN

Obregon:  Agustin Murillo was 2-for-3 with a walk.  Barbaro Canizares was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.  Dan Robertson (San Diego) was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.

Mazatlan:  Mario Santana was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.  Henry Mateo was 3-for-4 with a walk and scored twice.  Alejandro Martinez struck out six in six shutout innings, allowing four hits and no walks.

The game:  Leading 3-0, Mazatlan scored four in the seventh to take control.  Two singles, a walk, and three more singles produced the runs.  Obregon got three in the eighth but never got the tying run up to bat.

MEXICALI 5, CULIACAN 0 IN MEXICALI

Culiacan:  Omar Espinoza pitched two shutout innings, giving up two hits and no walks.

Mexicali:  Ricky Alvarez was 3-for-4 with a home run, his second.  Luis Suarez was 3-for-4 with two RBIs.  Javier Martinez pitched 5.1 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks with four strikeouts.

The game:  Back-to-back homers by Mike Jacobs (Arizona) and Alvarez gave Mexicali a 2-0 lead in the second.  They added two in the fifth and one in the eighth.

HERMOSILLO 8, NAVOJOA 3 IN HERMOSILLO

Navojoa:  Genardo Andrade was 2-for-3 with a walk and a double, scoring once and driving in one.  Rolando Acosta was 2-for-3 with a walk and a double, scoring once.  Luis Fonseca was 2-for-5 with an RBI.

Hermosillo:  Jonathan Aceves was 2-for-3 with a walk and a double, scoring twice and driving in one.  Jose Aguilar was 2-for-3 with a double, scoring three times and driving in one.  Jerry Owens was 2-for-5 with a double, scoring once and driving in two.

The game:  A two-run homer by Jesse Gutierrez made it 3-0 Heromsillo in the third.  Navojoa got one in the fourth, but Carlos Gastelum delievered a two-run single in the bottom of the fourth to make it 6-1.

Dominican League: Games of October 27

A good day for Jorge Polanco.  Ynoa good hitter when you see one in Aguilas.

ESCOGIDO 6, CIBAO 3 IN ESCOGIDO

Twins:  Jorge Polanco (Escogido) was 2-for-4 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.

Cibao:  Maikel Franco (Philadelphia) was 2-for-4 with a double and scored twice.

Escogido:  Edward Valdez pitched five innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

The game:  Escogido scored three in the first and one in the second and was never threatened.  A two-run single by Bryce Brentz (Boston) was the key to the three-run first.

AGUILAS 6, ORIENTE 1 IN AGUILAS

Twins:  Chris Herrmann (Oriente) was 1-for-3 with a double.

Oriente:  Audy Ciriaco (Miami) was 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Felix Diaz pitched three shutout innings, giving up two hits and one walk with one strikeout.

Aguilas:  Juan Ligares (Mets) was 3-for-3 with an RBI.  Rafael Ynoa (Dodgers) was 2-for-4 with a triple, scoring twice and driving in one.  Chris Cody struck out five in 5.2 innings, allowing one run on three hits and three walks.

The game:  Three singles, a balk, and a sacrifice fly led to three runs in the first for Aguilas.  They got one more in the second and were never threatened.

LICEY 7, ESTE 0 IN ESTE

Licey:  Domingo Santana (Houston) was 2-for-5 with a home run (his second) and two RBIs.  Jurickson Profar (Texas) was 2-for-3 with two walks and a double and scored once.  Chris Volstad pitched five shutout innings, giving up three hits and no walks with three strikeouts.

Este:  Teoscar Hernandez (Houston) was 2-for-4.

The game:  Licey scored two in the third, one in the fourth, one in the fifth, two in the sixth, and one in the ninth.

Venezuelan League: Games of October 27

Aragua plays Twins baseball.  Eduardo Escobar leads Anzoategui to victory.

LA GUAIRA 3, ARAGUA 2 IN ARAGUA

Twins:  Ray Olmedo (Aragua) was 1-for-3 with a walk and scored once.  Edgar Ibarra (Aragua) pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up only a hit batsman.  Dakota Watts (Aragua) pitched a scoreless inning, giving up one hit and one walk.  Aaron Thompson (Aragua) struck out two in a perfect inning.

La Guaira:  C. J. Retherford was 2-for-2 with a walk and two RBIs.  Carlos Sanchez (White Sox) was 2-for-5 and scored twice.  Reynel Pinto pitched five innings, giving up two runs despite eight hits and five walks with four strikeouts.

Aragua:  Luis Maza was 2-for-4 with a walk and a double.  Carlos Colmanares was 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Erik Arnesen pitched three innings, allowing an unearned run on one hit and one walk with two strikeouts.

The game:  La Guaira scored single runs in the first, third, and fourth.  Aragua got single runs in the third and fifth to make it 3-2.  Aragua had the tying run in scoring position in the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth.  Aragua was 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position and stranded twelve men.

MARGARITA 5, LARA 4 IN LARA

Twins:  Antoan Richardson (Margarita) was 1-for-4 with a double.

Margarita:  Gerson Montilla (Arizona) was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs.  Breyvic Valera (St. Louis) was 2-for-4 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Alberto Gonzalez was 2-for-4 and scored once.

Lara:  Paulo Orlando (Kansas City) was 2-for-4 with a home run (his second), scoring twice.

The game:  Margarita led 3-0 after an inning and a half, but Lara scored single runs in the second, third, and sixth to tie it up.  Margarita went ahead in the seventh when Valera singled in Montilla.  David Peralta (Arizona) singled in Gonzalez in the eighth to provide an insurance run.

ANZOATEGUI 10, MAGALLANES 3 IN ANZOATEGUI

Twins:  Eduardo Escobar (Anzoategui) was 2-for-3 with a walk and a two-run homer.

Magallanes:  Carlos Zambrano pitched six innings, giving up two runs despite five hits and six walks with one strikeout.

Anzoategui:  Carlos Duran was 2-for-5 with a double and a triple, scoring once and driving in two.  Niuman Romero (Baltimore) was 2-for-4 with a walk and scored once.  Mark Serrano (Arizona) struck out six in five innings, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks.

The game:  Magallanes led 3-0 after five and a half.  Anzoategui broke through with two in the sixth and took command with seven in the seventh.  A double by Leslie Anderson tied the score and an error brought in the go-ahead run.  With two on and two out, Duran tripled, Jose Gil (Yankees) tripled, and Escobar homered to make it 9-3.

CARACAS 5, ZULIA 3 IN CARACAS

Zulia:  Jose Pirela (Yankees) was 3-for-4 with a double and scored twice.  Ender Inciarte (Arizona) was 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI.  Roy Merritt struck out six in 6.2 innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits and a walk.

Caracas:  Jesus Aguilar (Cleveland) was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, his sixth.  Daniel Mayora was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.  Collin McHugh (Colorado) struck out five in 4.2 innings, allowing one run on two hits and one walk.

The game:  Zulia took a 1-0 lead in the fifth, but Zulia tied it in the sixth.  Each team scored twice in the seventh.  In the eighth, Aguilar hit a two-run homer to give Caracas the lead it would not relinquish.

Mexican League: Games of October 26

Palindromes are popular in Mazatlan.  A pair of Soto home runs lead to a rout in Los Mochis.

MAZATLAN 3, OBREGON 2 IN MAZATLAN

Obregon:  Iker Franco was 2-for-4 with a double.  Arturo Lopez (San Diego) pitched 7.1 innings, giving up three runs on ten hits and one walk with three strikeouts.

Mazatlan:  Issmael Salas was 2-for-3 with a double and a run.  Oswaldo Morejon was 2-for-4 with a double.  Walter Silva pitched six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and five walks with three strikeouts.

The game:  It was tied at two after six.  In the seventh, Salas hit a two-out double and scored on a single by Jesse Castillo.  Obregon put runners on first and third with one out in the eighth.

CULIACAN 5, MEXICALI 2 IN MEXICALI

Culiacan:  Alex Liddi (Baltimore) was 2-for-4 with a double and a run.  Ali Solis (Pittsburgh) was 2-for-4 with a double and a run.  Amauri Sanit pitched seven innings, giving up one run on one hit and one walk with five strikeouts.

Mexicali:  Mike Jacobs (Arizona) was 1-for-4 with a home run, his fourth.

The game:  Jacobs hit his home run in the second to give Mexicali a 1-0 lead.  Three Culiacan singles tied it in the fourth.  In the sixth, Emmanuel Valdez hit a two-run homer to put Culiacan ahead 3-1.  Single runs in the seventh and eighth made it 5-1.  Mexicali scored once in the eighth and got the tying run up to bat with one out.  Four of the last five Mexicali batters struck out.

HERMOSILLO 6, NAVOJOA 0 IN HERMOSILLO

Navojoa:  Jose Oyervidez pitched five innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

Hermosillo:  Jose Aguilar was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.  Efren Navarro (Angels) was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs.  Hector Galvan pitched five shutout innings, allowing four hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

The game:  Hermosillo scored single runs in the first, fourth, and fifth.  Navarro hit a three-run double in the sixth to settle matters.

LOS MOCHIS 18, GUASAVE 4 IN LOS MOCHIS

Guasave:  Jesus Cota was 2-for-4 with a home run (his second), scoring twice and driving in two.  Jose Felix (Texas) was 2-for-4.

Los Mochis:  Sergio Perez was 4-for-4 with a double and a triple, scoring three times and driving in two.  Saul Soto was 2-for-5 with two home runs (his second and third) and five RBIs.  Francisco Cordova pitched five innings, allowing one run on two hits and one walk with three strikeouts.

The game:  Los Mochis led 2-1 after three, then scored seven in the fourth and six in the fifth.  Soto homered in both innings, a three-run homer in the fourth and a two-run shot in the fifth.

Dominican League: Games of October 26

No Twins played.  Lots of give-back runs in Cibao.

ORIENTE 3, LICEY 2 IN ORIENTE

Licey:  Juan Francisco (Milwaukee) was 2-for-4 with a double and scored once.  Hector Noesi (Seattle) pitched five innings, giving up an unearned run on two hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

Oriente:  Alfredo Marte (Arizona) was 2-for-4 with a double and a home run, his second.  Evan MacLane pitched four innings, allowing one run on three hits and one walk with two strikeouts.

The game:  Licey scored single runs in the second and fifth.  Oriente came back with single runs in the fifth and sixth.  In the seventh, a single, a bunt, and an error put Oriente ahead 3-2.  Licey briefly got the tying run on base in the ninth.

AGUILAS 5, ESCOGIDO 1 IN ESCOGIDO

Aguilas:  Jermaine Curtis (St. Louis) was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI.  Juan Lagares (Mets) was 2-for-4 and scored twice.  Lorenzo Barcelo struck out ten in six innings, giving up one run on four hits and and no walks.

Escogido:  Mauro Gomez (Washington) was 2-for-4.

The game:  Dan Black (White Sox) homered in the fourth to give Aguilas a 2-1 lead.  There was no more scoring until the seventh, when Aguilas added three to put the game out of reach.  There were RBI singles by Curtis and Juan Perez (San Francisco), with another run scoring on a passed ball.  Escogido loaded the bases with two out in the seventh but did not threaten after that.

CIBAO 12, ESTE 3 IN CIBAO (7-PLUS INNINGS--RAIN)

Este:  Jordan Pacheco (Colorado) was 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs.  Jose Ramirez (Cleveland) was 3-for-4 with a triple and scored once.  Willis Otanez was 2-for-4.

Cibao:  Maikel Franco (Philadelphia) was 3-for-4 with a run and three RBIs.  Moises Sierra (Toronto) was 2-for-3 with two walks and a two-run homer (his second), scoring twice.  Carlos Peguero (Seattle) was 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI.

The game:  A two-run single by Franco put Cibao up 3-1 in the first.  Este cut it to 3-2 in the top of the third, but Cibao got the run back in the bottom of the third.  Este cut it to 4-3 in the top of the fifth, but Cibao once again responded, as Sierra hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth to make it 6-3.  Cibao got one in the sixth and put it out of reach with five in the seventh.

Venezuelan League: Games of October 26

Eduardo Escobar and Deolis Guerra do well. In Lara, Orlando keeps the game from lasting till dawn. The remainder of the winter league reports will come either late this afternoon or tomorrow.

MAGALLANES 3, ANZOATEGUI 2 IN ANZOATEGUI

Twins: Eduardo Escobar (Anzoategui) was 1-for-3 with a walk. Deolis Guerra (Magallanes) struck out one in a scoreless inning, giving up one hit and no walks.
Magallanes: Wilfredo Tovar (Mets) was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Gustavo Chacin pitched five shutout innings, giving up four hits and one walk with three strikeouts.
Anzaotegui: Niuman Romero (Baltimore) was 2-for-5 with a home run, his third. Cory Aldridge was 2-for-4 with a double. Jose Castillo was 2-for-4.
The game: Tovar's two-run single capped a three-run third to put Magallanes ahead 3-0. It stayed that way until the seventh, when Romero homered and Gorkys Hernandez circled the bases on a double-and-two-errors to make it 3-2. Anzoategui got the tying run to second with two out in the eighth.

ZULIA 11, CARACAS 10 IN CARACAS (10 INNINGS)

Twins: Virgil Vasquez (Caracas) pitched 5.2 innings, giving up five runs (four earned) on ten hits and no walks with five strikeouts.
Zulia: Ender Inciarte (Arizona) was 3-for-5 with a double and scored twice. Jose Pirela (Yankees) was 2-for-4 with a triple and a home run (his second), scoring twice and driving in three. Felix Perez (Cincinnati) was 2-for-5 with a home run (his third), scoring twice and driving in three.
Caracas: Carlos Rivero (Washington) was 4-for-5 with a run and an RBI. Casper Wells was 3-for-5 with a double, scoring twice and driving in two. Jesus Aguilar (Cleveland) was 2-for-6 with a two-run homer (his fifth) and scored twice.
The game: Caracas scored two in the first to go ahead 2-0. Zulia came back with one in the second and three in the third to take the lead. Zulia eventually had leads of 6-2, 7-3, and 9-5. In the bottom of the eighth, Caracas scored four times to tie it up and had the go-ahead run on second with two out. Pirela hit a two-run homer in the tenth to give Zulia an 11-9 lead. Caracas scored once in the bottom of the tenth and had the bases loaded with two out.

LARA 10, LA GUAIRA 8 IN LARA (10 INNINGS)

La Guaira: Luis Sardinas (Texas) was 4-for-6 with an RBI. C. J. Retherford was 2-for-5 with a two-run homer and scored twice. Edgmer Escalona (Colorado) pitched seven innings, giving up three runs on six hits and four walks with three strikeouts.
Lara: Paulo Orlando was 2-for-6 with a two-run homer. Nick Buss was 2-for-5 with a double, scoring once and driving in one. Raul Rivero pitched 5.2 innings of relief, allowing one run on five hits and no walks with one strikeout.
The game: La Guaira scored three in the second to go ahead 3-0, but Lara tied it with three in the third. A Sardinas RBI single with two out put La Guaira back up 4-3. Each team scored three runs in the eighth. Buss came through with an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to tie it at seven. In the tenth, an RBI single by Andy Wilkins (White Sox) gave La Guaira an 8-7 lead. In the bottom of the tenth, Jesus Montero (Seattle) singled in Joc Pederson (Dodgers) with two out to tie it at eight and Orlando hit a walkoff two-run homer to win it for Lara.

MARGARITA AT ARAGUA

Rained out.

Arizona Fall League: Games of October 26

Not much Twins news. Some good pitching in the league. Salt River can definitely play in Peoria.

GLENDALE 5, SCOTTSDALE 2 IN GLENDALE

Twins: Byron Buxton was 0-for-4.
Scottsdale: Elmer Reyes (Atlanta) was 1-for-3 with a double.
Glendale: Travis Mattair (Cincinnati) was 3-for-4 with a home run (his second) and two runs.
The game: Glendale scored single runs in the first and second. Scottsdale got one in the third to make it 2-1. Glendale added one in the fourth. In the sixth, Chris O'Brien (Dodgers) hit a two-run double with two out to make the score 5-1.

SURPRISE 6, MESA 1 IN MESA

Surprise: Jason Rogers (Milwaukee) was 3-for-5 with a home run (his second) and two runs. Jorge Alfaro (Texas) was 3-for-5 with a double, scoring once and driving in two. Miguel Pena (Boston) pitched four innings, giving up one run on three hits and one walk with three strikeouts.
Mesa: Wes (Cubs) Darvill was 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
The game: Alfaro hit a two-run single in the first to cap a three-run inning to make it 3-0. Mesa scored once in the second, but a homer, two singles, and two doubles in the fifth made it 6-1.

SALT RIVER 20, PEORIA 0 IN PEORIA

Salt River: Cristhian Adames (Colorado) was 4-for-5 with a walk, a double, and a home run, scoring four times and driving in four. Dustin Garneau (Colorado) was 2-for-6 with a two-run homer and a grand slam. Bo Schultz (Arizona) struck out five in five innings, giving up two hits and no walks.
Peoria: Chris Taylor (Seattle) was 2-for-4.
The game: Salt River scored two in the second, one in the third, and three in the fourth to go up 6-0. They added two more in the sixth, five in the seventh, two in the eighth, and five in the ninth. Salt River had seventeen hits and drew nine walks.

Mexican League: Games of October 25

A big day for Bryan Petersen.  Los Mochis commits Burgamy.  Culiacan wins one late.

MAZATLAN 3, OBREGON 2 IN MAZATLAN (11 INNINGS)

Obregon:  Karim Garcia was 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs.  David Reyes pitched 6.1 innings, giving up one run on two hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

Mazatlan:  Bryan Petersen (Miami) was 3-for-5 with a double, scoring once and driving in one.  Yadel Marti pitched six innings, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

The game:  Obregon scored single runs in the second and fourth to go ahead 2-0.  Mazatlan got one in the fifth and tied it in the eighth on an RBI single by Petersen.  In the tenth, Petersen hit a one-out double and scored on a single by Issmael Salas to end the game.

LOS MOCHIS 6, GUASAVE 3 IN LOS MOCHIS

Guasave:  Jesus Lopez was 2-for-3 and scored once.  Mark Hamilton (Boston) was 2-for-5 with an RBI.  Gabriel Gutierrez was 2-for-4.

Los Mochis:  Brian Burgamy was 2-for-4 with a double and a home run (his fifth), scoring twice and driving in four.  Jesus Avila was 2-for-3 with a triple.  Jake Fox (Arizona) was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

The game:  Los Mochis scored two in the first, but Guasave got one in the third.  In the fifth, Burgamy hit a two-run double and Fox got a two-run single to make it 6-1.  Guasave got two in the seventh and got the tying run up to bat with two out, but a fly ball ended the threat and they never got that close again.

CULIACAN 5, MEXICALI 2 IN MEXICALI

Culiacan:  Alex Liddi (Baltimore) was 2-for-5 with a double.  Ali Solis (Pittsburgh) was 2-for-4 with a run.  Francisco Campos pitched six innings, giving up two runs on four hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

Mexicali:  Chris Roberson was 1-for-3 with a walk and a home run, his fourth.  Sergio Valenzuela pitched five innings, allowing one run on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

The game:  Mexicali led until the seventh, when Humberto Cota homered to tie the score at two.  In the ninth, Luis Cruz singled in the go-ahead run and Ronnier Mustelier came through with a two-run triple to put it out of reach.

HERMOSILLO 4, NAVOJOA 0 IN HERMOSILLO

Navojoa:  Alan Sanchez was 2-for-3 with a triple.  Eddie Gamboa (Baltimore) pitched seven innings, giving up three runs (one earned) on six hits and no walks with five strikeouts.

Hermosillo:  Heber Gomez was 2-for-3 with a walk and scored twice.  Jonathan Aceves was 2-for-3 with an RBI.  Ryan Verdugo (Kansas City) pitched six shutout innings, allowing five hits and one walk with three strikeouts.

The game:  Hermosillo got one run in each of the first, second, fourth, and eighth innings.  The closest Navojoa came to scoring was in the eighth, when Sanchez tripled with one out but was thrown out trying to score on an infield grounder.