Venezuelan League: Games of December 28

Aragua twice loses two-run leads.  Big innings carry Anzoategui and Caracas.  Errors and wild pitches are important in Margarita.

LA GUAIRA 5, ARAGUA 4 IN ARAGUA (10 INNINGS)

Twins:  Oswaldo Arcia (Aragua) was 1-for-4 with a walk and a double, scoring once.  Edgar Ibarra (Aragua) faced two men and gave up hits to both of them, but was not charged with any runs.

La Guaira:  C. J. Retherford was 3-for-5 with two doubles and a home run (his eleventh), scoring three times.  Jamie Romak (Dodgers) was 1-for-2 with a double and two RBIs.  Heiker Meneses (Boston) was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run.

Aragua:  Ramon Castro was 2-for-4 with a home run.  Wilson Ramos (Washington) was 1-for-5 with two RBIs.  Yangervis Solarte was 3-for-4 with a run.

The game:  Ramos' two-run single put Aragua up 2-0 in the first inning.  A sacrifice fly put La Guaira on the board in the second and Retherford's homer tied it after four.  Castro homered to give Aragua a 3-2 lead in the fifth and a wild pitch made it 4-2 after six.  In the seventh, Romak delivered a two-run double to tie it again.  Each team put a man on third in the eighth but could not score him.  In the tenth, Hector Sanchez came through with an RBI single to give La Guaira its only lead of the game at 5-4.  Arcia led off the bottom of the tenth with a double, but the next three batters struck out.

ANZOATEGUI 11, LARA 3 IN ANZOATEGUI

Twins:  Eduardo Escobar (Anzoategui) was 0-for-2 with two walks, scoring twice and driving in one.

Lara:  Elvis Escobar (Pittsburgh) was 2-for-5 with a home run.  Mario Martinez (Boston) was 1-for-4 with a double, scoring once and driving in one.  Deryk Hooker (Oakland) pitched two perfect innings.

Anzoategui:  Gustavo Molina was 2-for-4 with a three-run homer (his third) and two runs.  Niuman Romero was 3-for-4 with a walk and scored three times.  Jose Castillo was 4-for-5 with two RBIs.

The game:  Elvis Escobar led off the game with a homer to put Lara up 1-0.  It was their only lead of the game.  Castillo's two-run single made it 2-1 Anzoategui after one.  A sacrifice fly and a three-run homer by Oscar Salazar made it 6-1 after two.  In the sixth, Martinez had an RBI double and Gabriel Lino (Philadelphia) a run-scoring single to cut the lead to 6-3, but in the eighth, Anzoategui got a three-run homer by Molina and a two-run single by Luis Nunez to put the game out of reach.

ZULIA 4, MARGARITA 0 IN MARGARITA (GAME 1--SCHEDULED 7 INNINGS)

Zulia:  Jose Pirela (Yankees) was 2-for-3 with a triple, scoring twice and driving in one.  Freddy Galvis (Philadelphia) was 2-for-3 with two runs.  Alex Torres (Tampa Bay) pitched six innings, giving up two hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Margarita:  Wilfredo Tovar (Mets) was 1-for-2 with a double.

The game:  In the fourth, Pirela tripled in a run and scored on an Ernesto Mejia (Atlanta) single to give Zulia a 2-0 lead.  They scored two more in the sixth on two wild pitches.  Margarita's biggest threat came in the third when Tovar led off with a double, but he did not advance past third.

ZULIA 3, MARGARITA 2 IN MARGARITA (GAME 2--SCHEDULED 7 INNINGS,--ZULIA WAS DESIGNATED THE HOME TEAM)

Margarita:  Junior Sosa (Pittsburgh) was 1-for-3 with a triple and a run.  Gerson Montilla (Arizona) was 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

Zulia:  Hernan Perez (Detroit) was 1-for-2 with a walk and a double, scoring once.  Luis Ugueto was 1-for-3 with a double and a run.  Yeiper Castillo pitched three innings, allowing one run on one hit and no walks with two strikeouts.

The game:  Margarita made two errors in the first inning, allowing Zulia to get a pair of RBI ground outs and take a 2-0 lead.  Montilla doubled in a run in the fourth to cut the lead to 2-1, but a Juan Apodaca (Texas) RBI single made it 3-1.  Sosa tripled and scored on a ground out to make it 3-2 in the fifth, but Margarita did not get another man on base the rest of the game.

CARACAS 15, MAGALLANES 3 IN CARACAS

Magallanes:  Carlos Maldonado was 1-for-3 with a walk and a home run, scoring twice.  Endy Chavez (Seattle) was 1-for-3 with two RBIs.  Adonis Garcia (Yankees) was 2-for-4 with a double.

Caracas:  Alex Gonzalez was 4-for-4 with a double, scoring twice and driving in five.  Henry Alejando Rodriguez (Cincinnati) was 1-for-5 with a walk, scoring four times and driving in one.  Victor Garate struck out six in five innings, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk.

The game:  Gonzalez singled in a run in the first to give Caracas a 1-0 lead.  A four-run fourth made it 5-0.  Magallanes got two in the fifth on Chavez' two-run single, but Caracas scored nine in the bottom of the fifth to put the game out of reach.  They got three singles, two doubles, three walks, and a two-run homer by Gregorio Petit.

Australian League: Games of December 27

A bad inning for Lewis Thorpe.  Good days for Jack Frawley and Casey Frawley--no word about William Frawley.

SYDNEY 3, BRISBANE 2 IN SYDNEY

Twins:  Logan Wade (Brisbane) was 0-for-2 with a run.

Brisbane:  Justin O'Conner (Tampa Bay) was 1-for-3 with a run.  Marcus Bradley was 2-for-4.  Alex Kaminsky pitched three shutout innings, giving up one hit and one walk with one strikeout.

Sydney:  Mitch Dening was 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Jacob May (White Sox) was 1-for-4 with a run.  Craig Anderson pitched 7.1 innings, allowing two unearned runs on eight hits and no walks with four strikeouts.

The game:  It was scoreless until the fifth, when Sydney got all three of its runs.  The first run scored on an error, Dening singled in the second, and the third scored on another error.  Brisbane got both of its runs in the eighth, one scoring on an error and the other coming in on a ground out.  Brisbane had the tying run on third, but their last six batters were retired.

PERTH 6, MELBOURNE 1 IN PERTH

Twins:  Lewis Thorpe (Melbourne) started and struck out six in 4.1 innings, but gave up five runs on six hits and two walks.  It was better than it sounds--he had given up only one run through four, then smacked into the wall in the fifth.

Melbourne:  Tyler Massey (Colorado) was 1-for-4 with a run.  Brad Harman was 2-for-4 with a double.  Corey Kimes pitched two shutout innings, giving up two hits and no walks.

Perth:  Brandon Tripp was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, his fourth.  Tucker Nathans (Baltimore) was 1-for-3 with a double, scoring once and driving in two.  Jack Frawley pitched seven innings, allowing one run on eight hits and one walk with five strikeouts.

The game:  Perth got on the board in the second with a squeeze bunt.  A sacrifice fly in the third tied it at one.  In the fifth, Perth scored five times to take control of the game.  Nathans had a two-run double, Luke Hughes drove in one with a double, and Tripp hit a two-run homer.  Melbourne did not get a hit after the sixth.

CANBERRA 3, ADELAIDE 2 IN ADELAIDE

Canberra:  Casey Frawley was 1-for-2 with two walks and a double, scoring twice.  Jeremy Barnes was 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Brian Grening struck out nine in seven innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits and one walk.

Adelaide:  Brock Hebert (Seattle) was 1-for-3 with a double, scoring once and driving in one.  Ben Lodge was 2-for-4 with a double.  Matthew Williams struck out five in four innings, allowing one run on five hits and two walks.

The game:  Each team scored once in the third inning.  Canberra took a 2-1 lead in the fifth on a sacrifice fly/double play.  Shane Opitz (Toronto) singled in a run in the seventh to make it 3-1.  A sacrifice fly in the eighth cut the lead to 3-2.  Adelaide got the tying run to third with one out in the ninth, but their last two batters fanned to end the game.

Mexican League: Games of December 27

Five-run innings carry the day for Hermosillo and Navojoa.  A four-run inning is enough for Culiacan.

CULIACAN 7, OBREGON 3 IN CULIACAN

Twins:  Brad Boyer (Culiacan) was 0-for-3 with two walks and an RBI.

Obregon:  Doug Clark was 1-for-3 with a walk and a double, scoring once and driving in one.  Barbaro Canizares was 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Oscar Rivera pitched three innings, giving up one run on four hits and two walks.

Culiacan:  Felix Perez (Cincinnati) was 2-for-5 with a double and a three-run homer (his third), scoring twice.  Donell Linares was 3-for-5 with a double and a home run, scoring twice.  Andres Ivan Meza struck out six in six innings, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks.

The game:  Clark doubled in one and Canizares singled in another to give Obregon a 2-0 lead in the third.  Linares homered to lead off the fourth to cut the lead to 2-1.  In the fifth, a three-run homer by Perez put Culiacan in the lead.  Ramon Ali Solis (Tampa Bay) singled in a run later in the inning to give Culiacan a 5-2 lead.  A ground out cut the lead to 5-3 in the seventh, but Culiacan got two in the bottom of the seventh to put the game out of reach.

MAZATLAN 4, LOS MOCHIS 1 IN MAZATLAN

Los Mochis:  Brian Burgamy was 1-for-3 with a walk and a home run, his fifteenth.  Juan Carlos Gamboa (Mets) was 2-for-3 with a walk.  Francisco Cordova pitched five innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits and no walks.

Mazatlan:  Issmael Salas was 2-for-4 with a home run, his fourth.  Curt Smith was 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI.  Yadel Marti struck out seven in five shutout innings, allowing three hits and two walks.

The game:  Smith doubled in a run in the second and another came in on a ground out to give Mazatlan a 2-0 lead.  Mazatlan added a run in the fifth on a wild pitch and another in the eighth on Salas' homer.  Burgamy homered in the ninth for the lone Los Mochis run.

HERMOSILLO 8, MEXICALI 2 IN MEXICALI

Hermosillo:  Jose Amador was 3-for-5 with a double, scoring once and driving in two.  Jerry Owens was 2-for-5 with a run and two RBIs.  Edgar Gonzalez pitched five shutout innings, giving up five hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

Mexicali:  Brad Snyder (Texas) was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, his fourth.  Xorge Carrillo (Mets) was 2-for-4 with a run.  Gil Velazquez was 2-for-4 with a double.

The game:  Hermosillo opened the scoring in the fourth on an RBI single by Jesus Loya (Boston).  In the sixth, Hermosillo took control by scoring five times, all after two were out and none on.  Owens singled in two, Carlos Alberto Gastelum singled in one, and two more scored on an error.  Snyder hit a two-run homer in the seventh to cut the lead to 6-2, but that was as close as Mexicali would get.

NAVOJOA 8, GUASAVE 1 IN NAVOJOA

Guasave:  Jesus Lopez was 1-for-2 with a home run, his second.  Eduardo Arredondo was 2-for-4.  Alan Guerrero struck out two in 2.2 scoreless innings, giving up one hit and no walks.

Navojoa:  Carlos Orrantia was 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, and a two-run homer (his sixth), scoring twice.  Genaro Andrade was 2-for-3 with a double, scoring once and driving in two.  Hector Velazquez pitched six innings, allowing one run on five hits and no walks with four strikeouts.

The game:  Wes Bankston homered in the second to put Navojoa up 1-0.  Lopez countered in the third with a home run of his own to tie it at one.  Orrantia hit a two-run homer in the fourth to put Navojoa back in the lead at 3-1.  Navojoa then put the game out of reach with a five-run sixth.  Andrade doubled in two, Jose Guadalupe Chavez singled in one, Luis Fonseca doubled in the fourth run, and a sacrifice fly brought home the fifth.

Puerto Rican League: Games of December 27

Good games for all the Twins.  Corporan takes sole proprietorship of a win for Carolina.  A pair of big innings take care of things for Mayaguez.

CAROLINA 8, PONCE 4 IN CAROLINA

Twins:  Josue Montanez (Ponce) pitched a perfect inning.

Ponce:  Jonathan Mota (Cubs) was 2-for-4 with a home run, his third.  Henry Ramos (Boston) was 2-for-5 with a home run, his fourth.  Reymond Fuentes (San Diego) was 3-for-5 with a double, scoring once and driving in one.

Carolina:  Osvaldo Martinez (Dodgers) was 3-for-4 with a homer and two runs.  Carlos Corporan (Houston) was 1-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs.  Joe Testa struck out two in 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing no hits and no walks.

The game:  Enrique Hernandez tripled in a run in the first to give Carolina a 1-0 lead.  Ponce went in front with two in the second on back-to-back homers by Mota and Ramos.  Carolina took the lead back in the third, tying the score on a bases-loaded walk and taking a 4-2 lead on a two-run single by Corporan.  A sacrifice fly made it 5-2 after four.  Each team scored once in the sixth and Carolina put it out of reach with two in the seventh.

MAYAGUEZ 11, SANTURCE 3 IN SANTURCE

Twins:  Kennys Vargas (Mayaguez) was 3-for-5 with a double and two runs.  Eddie Rosario (Mayaguez) was 2-for-5 with a double and a run.  Daniel Ortiz (Mayaguez) was 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs.

Mayaguez:  Luis Figueroa was 1-for-4 with a grand slam, his second homer.  Dee Gordon was 3-for-4 with a run and two RBIs.  Hiram Burgos pitched five shutout innings, giving up three hits and no walks with three strikeouts.

Santurce:  Neftali Soto (Cincinnati) was 1-for-4 with a three-run homer, his fourth.  Jeff Dominguez was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Bryan Escanio struck out three in two shutout innings, allowing three hits and no walks.

The game:  Mayaguez opened the scoring with four in the second, as Ortiz and Gordon each had a two-run single.  They put it away with seven in the fourth.  Irving Falu (Milwaukee) singled in one, Randy Ruiz singled in two, and Figueroa killed the rally with a grand slam to put Mayaguez ahead 11-0.  Santurce scored all three of its runs on Soto's three-run homer in the sixth.

Dominican League: Games of December 27

The playoffs open.  A shutout in Escogido.  Beltre belts in two to lead Licey.

CIBAO 2, ESCOGIDO 0 IN ESCOGIDO

Twins:  Jorge Polanco (Escogido) was 1-for-3.  Pedro Florimon (Escogido) was 1-for-3.

Cibao:  Juan Silverio (Cincinnati) was 2-for-4 with a double and a run.  Mayo Acosta (Tampa Bay) was 1-for-3 with a walk.  Claudio Vargas pitched five innings, giving up three hits and one walk with two strikeouts.

Escogido:  Carlos Santana (Cleveland) was 1-for-3 with a walk.  Edward Valdez pitched six innings, allowing one run on four hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

The game:  Cibao got on the board in the first on an RBI single by Francisco Peguero (Baltimore).  They added a run in the seventh on a run-scoring single by Alexi Casilla.  Escogido only once got a man past first base, putting a runner on third with two out in the seventh.

LICEY 3, AGUILAS 2 IN AGUILAS

Licey:  Engel Beltre (Texas) was 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.  Emilio Bonifacio (Kansas City) was 2-for-4 with a double and a run.  Hector Noesi (Seattle) pitched six innings, giving up one run on five hits and one walk with three strikeouts.

Aguilas:  Zoilo Almonte (Yankees) was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs.  Hector Luna was 1-for-4 with a double.  Kelvin Villa pitched 5.1 scoreless innings of relief, allowing three hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

The game:  Beltre belted a double in the second to score two runs and put Licey ahead 2-0.  A sacrifice fly in the third made it 3-0.  Aguilas got on the board in the fourth when Almonte doubled and scored on a pair of ground outs.  Aguilas did not threaten again until the ninth, when a single and a double put men on second and third with none out.  A run scored on a ground out, but Aguilas could do no more.

Venezuelan League: Games of December 27

Petit was grand for Caracas.  A literal walk-off in La Guaira.  Not much good Twins news to report.

ANZOATEGUI 6, LARA 5 IN ANZOATEGUI

Twins:  Eduardo Escobar (Anzoategui) was 0-for-4.

Lara:  Paulo Orlando (Kansas City) was 1-for-4 with a three-run homer, his fourth.  Luis Valbuena (Cubs) was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, his fourth.  Guilder Rodriguez (Texas) was 0-for-2 with two walks and two runs.

Anzoategui:  Gustavo Molina was 2-for-3 with a walk and a home run (his second), scoring twice.  Jackson Melian was 2-for-2 with a two-run homer.  Jose Castillo was 2-for-4 with a run.

The game:  Valbuena hit a two-run homer in the first to give Lara a 2-0 lead.  Anzoategui got one back in the second on a sacrifice fly and too the lead in the fifth when Molina homered to tie it and the go-ahead run scored on a wild pitch.  Lara went back on top in the sixth when Orlando hit a three-run homer to make it 5-3.  An error cut the lead to 5-4 in the seventh  Lara still held the lead in the bottom of the ninth, but Melian hit a two-run homer with one out to end the game.

CARACAS 4, ARAGUA 1 IN ARAGUA

Twins:  Oswaldo Arcia (Aragua) was 0-for-4.  Edgar Ibarra (Aragua) pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up one run on one hit and one walk.

Caracas:  Gregorio Petit was 2-for-4 with a walk and two home runs, driving in four.  Alex Gonzalez was 2-for-4 with a walk and a double, scoring once.  Franklin Morales (Colorado) pitched seven innings, giving up one run on five hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

Aragua:  Luis Hernandez was 1-for-3 with a double and a run.  Guillermo Rodriguez was 1-for-3 with a double.

The game:  Petit hit a two-run homer in the second to give Caracas the early 2-0 lead.  Aragua scored on an error in the third to make it 2-1, Petit homered again in the fourth to get the run back.  A bases-loaded walk in the seventh brought home the last run of the game.  The last eight Aragua batters were retired.

LA GUAIRA 5, MAGALLANES 4 IN LA GUAIRA (13 INNINGS)

Magallanes:  Ezequiel Carrera was 2-for-5 with a walk and a home run, his fourth.  Endy Chavez (Seattle) was 3-for-6 with three doubles and an RBI.  Orangel Arenas (Angels) pitched 3.2 innings of relief, giving up an unearned run on one hit and six walks with two strikeouts.

La Guaira:  Rene Reyes was 1-for-4 with a walk and a home run, his second.  Carlos Sanchez (White Sox) was 2-for-4 with two walks and a triple, scoring once and driving in one.  Alex Cabrera was 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.

The game:  Each team scored twice in the third and once in the fourth.  In the fifth, Sanchez tripled and scored on Cabrera's single to give La Guaira a 4-3 lead.  It held until the eighth, when Eliezer Alfonzo singled in the tying run.  There was no more scoring until the thirteenth.  A walk, a bunt, an intentional walk, and an error loaded the bases with one out.  With two down, a bases-loaded walk brought home the winning run.

ZULIA AT MARGARITA

Rained out.

Australian League: Games of December 26

There were no games scheduled in the Australian League on this date.

Mexican League: Games of December 26

Teams say "Oy veh" when they face Oyervidez.  Delgadillo pitches a dilly of a game.  Yes, these lines are getting worse and worse.

CULIACAN 5, OBREGON 1 IN CULIACAN

Twins:  Brad Boyer (Culiacan) was 1-for-4 with an RBI.

Obregon:  Agustin Murillo was 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Alfredo Amezaga was 2-for-4 with a run.  Bobby Cramer pitched three perfect innings with two strikeouts.

Culiacan:  Roman Ali Solis (Tampa Bay) was 1-for-2 with a walk and a double, scoring twice.  Adan Amezcua was 2-for-3 with two runs.  Alejandro Armenta struck out seven in six shutout innings, allowing five hits and no walks.

The game:  A two-run single by Sergio Gastelum and an RBI single by Boyer made it 3-0 Culiacan in the second.  They added two in the fourth to put the game out of reach.  Obregon's lone run came in the ninth.

NAVOJOA 1, GUASAVE 0 IN NAVOJOA

Guasave:  Juan Delgadillo pitched seven innings, giving up one run on five hits and two walks with six strikeouts.

Navojoa:  Luis Fonseca was 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.  John Lindsey was 1-for-4 with a double.  Jose Oyervidez pitched seven innings, allowing four hits and no walks with three strikeouts.

The game:  Fonseca singled in the game's lone run in the third inning.  Guasave did not get a man past first base until the ninth, when a single, an error, and a sacrifice bunt put men on second and third with one out.  The next two batters grounded out to end the game.

MAZATLAN 3, LOS MOCHIS 2 IN MAZATLAN

Los Mochis:  Gilberto Mejia was 3-for-4 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Jake Fox was 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.  Abraham Rivera pitched 2.2 scoreless innings, giving up two hits and two walks with one strikeout.

Mazatlan:  Ivan Terrazas was 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.  Carlos Rodriguez was 2-for-2 with a run.  Mauricio Lara struck out five in five innings, allowing two runs on eight hits and three walks.

The game:  Fox singled in a run in the first to give Los Mochis a 1-0 lead.  Mazaltan came back with all three of their runs in the second, getting an RBI single by Henry Mateo and a two-run double by Terrazas.  An RBI ground out cut the lead to 3-2 in the fourth, but that was all Los Mochis could do.  The closest they came to tying it was the fifth, when Fox was thrown out trying to score from second on a single.

HERMOSILLO 3, MEXICALI 2 IN MEXICALI

Hermosillo:  Jerry Owens was 2-for-5 with two runs.  Jose Amador was 1-for-3 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Juan Pablo Menchaca struck out six in 6.1 innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and one walk.

Mexicali:  Chris Roberson was 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI.  Francisco Mendez was 1-for-2 with a walk.  Edgar Osuna pitched six innings, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk with two strikeouts.

The game:  RBI singles by Daryle Ward and Edgar Quintero put Hermosillo up 2-0 in the first.  Mexicali got one in the fourth on a wild pitch and tied it in the fifth on Roberson's RBI double.  It was tied until the eighth, when Amador delivered a run-scoring single to give Hermosillo a 3-2 lead.  The last seven Mexicali batters were retired.

Puerto Rican League: Games of December 26

A homer ignited a rally in Santurce.  It got late early in Ponce.

SANTURCE 3, CAGUAS 0 IN SANTURCE

Caguas:  Rey Navarro (Cincinnati) was 2-for-3 with a walk and two doubles.  Andy Gonzalez was 1-for-3 with a walk and a double.  Andres Santiago (Dodgers) pitched two shutout innings, giving up one hit and no walks.

Santurce:  Neftali Soto (Cincinnati) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a home run, his third.  Luis Rivera was 2-for-3 with a run.  Victor Mateo (Tampa Bay) struck out seven in 5.1 scoreless innings, allowing five hits and two walks.

The game:  All the runs were scored in the fifth.  Soto led off the inning with a homer.  Later on, Dickie Thon (Toronto) singled in a pair of runs.  The biggest Caguas scoring threat came in the seventh.  A one-out double was followed by a pair of two-out walks to load the bases, but a strikeout ended the inning.

PONCE 8, CAROLINA 1 IN PONCE

Carolina:  Luis Matos was 1-for-3 with a double.  Yoshitaka Hashimoto struck out three in three shutout innings, giving up four hits and no walks.

Ponce:  Jordan Lennerton (Detroit) was 2-for-4 with a walk and a double, driving in one.  Benji Gonzalez (Pittsburgh) was 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs.  Logan Williamson struck out seven in six shutout innings, allowing three hits and one walk.

The game:  Lennerton doubled in a run in the first to put Ponce on the board.  A six-run second then put the game out of reach early.  Reymond Fuentes (San Diego) doubled in two of the six runs, with two more scoring on a Gonzalez single.  The lone Carolina run came in the seventh.

Dominican League Playoff "Preview"

"Preview" is in quotes because the playoffs have actually started.  However, because I'm still a ways behind in reporting the games, I have not reported on any of the playoff games yet.  If I was caught up, this is where the playoff preview would have gone.  So, here it is.  I'll be brief.

Four teams make the playoffs, based on the regular-season records.  This year, Escogido and Aguilas tied for first with records of 31-19.  Escogido was apparently awarded first place based on a tie-breaker.  Licey finished third at 29-21 and Cibao was fourth at 22-28.

Everyone goes back to 0-0 in the playoffs, though.  Assuming it's the same as last year, it will be an eighteen-game round robin.  The top two teams in the round-robin will then play a best-of-nine series for the championship.

Puerto Rican League: Games of December 24

There were no games scheduled in the Puerto Rican League on this date.

Venezuelan League: Games of December 26

Only one game, but it was quite a game.  A rough day for Deolis Guerra.

ANZOATEGUI 11, MAGALLANES 8 IN ANZOATEGUI

Twins:  Eduardo Escobar (Anzoategui) was 0-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Deolis Guerra (Magallanes) pitched one-third of an inning, giving up four runs on three hits and one walk.

Magallanes:  Adonis Garcia (Yankees) was 3-for-5 with a two-run homer, his eighth.  Argenis Diaz (Cincinnati) was 2-for-4 with a double and a triple, scoring once and driving in one.  Endy Chavez (Seattle) was 2-for-4 with a walk and a double, scoring once and driving in three.

Anzoategui:  Alexi Amarista (San Diego) was 3-for-4 with a walk, a double, and a home run (his second), scoring twice and driving in four.  Jose Castillo was 3-for-5 with four RBIs.  Adam Loewen was 1-for-4 with a home run.

The game:  Castillo singled in two in the first inning to give Anzoategui a 2-0 lead.  Diaz tripled and scored in the top of the third to make it 2-1, but Amarista hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the third to give Anzoategui a 4-1 advantage.  Each team scored once in the fifth.  Garcia hit a two-run homer in the sixth to cut the lead to 5-4.  In the seventh, Chavez doubled in a run to tie it and Ezequiel Carrera singled in a run to give Magallanes its first lead at 6-5.  Castillo singled in a run to tie it at six, but in the eighth, Carlos Maldonado singled in the go-ahead run and a bases-loaded walk put Magallanes up 8-6.  In the bottom of the eighth, however, Anzoategui scored five times.  Loewen singled to lead off the inning, Jackson Melian singled in a run to tie the game, and a bases-loaded single-and-error by Amarista brought home three to give Anzoategui an 11-8 lead.  Magallanes got only one baserunner in the ninth.

Australian League: Games of December 25

There were no games scheduled in the Mexican League on this date.

Mexican League: Games of December 25

Another good day for Brad Boyer.  A first-inning run was enough for Mazatlan.

CULIACAN 3, OBREGON 1 IN CULIACAN

Twins:  Brad Boyer (Culiacan) was 2-for-4 with a home run.

Obregon;  Barbaro Canizares was 1-for-4 with a home run, his eleventh.  Sergio Contreras was 1-for-3 with a walk.  Arturo Lopez struck out five in 5.2 innings, giving up one run on six hits and two walks.

Culiacan:  Ronnier Mustelier (Yankees) was 3-for-4 with an RBI.  Joey Meneses (Atlanta) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Rodrigo Lopez pitched 5.2 innings, allowing one run on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts.

The game:  Boyer homered in the third to give Culiacan a 1-0 lead.  Obregon tied it in the fourth on a Canizares homer.  There was no more scoring until the seventh, when Culiacan loaded the bases with one out.  An infield out brought home the go-ahead run and an insurance run scored on Mustelier's single.  Obregon managed to get the tying run up to bat in the eighth, but their last six batters were retired.

MAZATLAN 1, LOS MOCHIS 0 IN MAZATLAN (7 INNINGS--RAIN)

Los Mochis:  Ramon Orantes was 2-for-3.  Tomas Solis pitched 6.2 innings, giving up one run on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Mazatlan:  Jeremy Acey was 1-for-2 with a walk and a double.  Henry Mateo was 1-for-4 with a triple and a run.  Walter Silva pitched seven innings, allowing four hits and one walk with five strikeouts.

The game:  The lone run scored in the first when Mateo led off with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly.  The biggest Los Mochis threat came in the seventh, when they got two singles to put runners on first and second with two out.

GUASAVE 4, NAVOJOA 3 IN NAVOJOA

Guasave:  Jesus Cota was 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs.  Brent Clevlen was 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI.  Japhet Amador (Houston) was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run.

Navojoa:  Abel Martinez was 2-for-4 with a double and a run.  Luis Fonseca was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Hugo Gutierrez pitched two shutout innings, allowing one hit and no walks with one strikeout.

The game:  Guasave got single runs in the second and third, scoring in the second on a sacrifice fly and in the third on a Clevlen single.  A two-run double by Cota in the fifth made it 4-0.  Navojoa came back in the sixth, getting a two-run double by John Lindsey and scoring on an infield out to cut the lead to 4-3.  They had the tying run on third both in that inning and in the eighth, both times with two out.

MEXICALI 10, HERMOSILLO 3 IN MEXICALI

Hermosillo:  Daryle Ward was 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run homer, his fourth.  Edgar Quintero was 2-for-4 with a double and a run.  Jesus Loya (Boston) was 1-for-4 with a walk and a triple.

Mexicali:  Russell Branyan was 2-for-2 with three walks and a two-run homer (his tenth), scoring twice.  Francisco Mendez was 1-for-2 with three walks and a run.  Juan Omar Espinoza pitched five innings, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

The game:  Xorge Carrillo (Mets) doubled in one and Ricky Alvarez singled in another to give Mexicali a 2-0 lead in the first inning.  They then took control of the game early with five in the third.  Branyan hit a two-run homer, a run scored on a sacrifice fly, and Chris Roberson delivered a two-run single.  Hermosillo scored two in the fourth but did not get closer than five runs.

Puerto Rican League: Games of December 25

There were no games scheduled in the Puerto Rican League on this date.

Dominican League: Games of December 25

There were no games scheduled in the Dominican League on this date.

Venezuelan League: Games of December 25

There were no games scheduled in the Venezuelan League on this date.

Australian League: Games of December 24

There were no games scheduled in the Australian League on this date.

Mexican League: Games of December 24

There were no games scheduled in the Mexican League on this date.

Dominican League: Games of December 24

There were no games scheduled in the Dominican League on this date.

Venezuelan League: Games of December 24

There were no games scheduled in the Venezuelan League on this date.

Australian League: Games of December 23

There were no games scheduled in the Australian League on this date.

Mexican League: Games of December 23

There were no games scheduled in the Mexican League on this date.

Puerto Rican League: Games of December 23

A back-and-forth game in Santurce.  Errors, wild pitches, and passed balls decide things in Carolina.

PONCE 4, SANTURCE 3 IN SANTURCE

Ponce:  Jose Lozada (Washington) was 1-for-3 with a triple, scoring once and driving in one.  Jordan Lennerton (Detroit) was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.  Reymond Fuentes (San Diego) was 1-for-4 with a triple and a run.

Santurce:  Jonathan Rodriguez (St. Louis) was 1-for-4 with a home run, his second.  Angel Morales was 2-for-4 with a double.  Jorge Martinez pitched 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on four hits and no walks with four strikeouts.

The game:  Lozada tripled in a run and scored on a ground out to give Ponce a 2-0 lead in the first.  They held the lead until the fifth, when Santurce scored three on Rodriguez' home run, an RBI single by Jack Lopez (Kansas City), and a run-scoring double by Christian Vazquez (Boston).  That lead, in turn, held until the eighth, when the tying run scored on an error.  In the ninth, Greg Rohan (Cubs) had an RBI single to give Ponce a 4-3 lead.  Santurce went down in order in the bottom of the ninth.

CAROLINA 6, CAGUAS 4 IN CAROLINA

Caguas:  Rey Navarro (Cincinnati) was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.  Ramon Castro was 2-for-4 with a double and a run.  Fernando Hernandez pitched 5.2 innings, giving up two runs on four hits and no walks with three strikeouts.

Carolina:  Ruben Gotay (Cincinnati) was 1-for-3 with a double.  Osvaldo Martinez (Dodgers) was 1-for-2 with two walks and a run.  Gaby Hernandez struck out four in three shutout innings, allowing two hits and no walks.

The game:  Jorge Padilla singled in the first run in the second, and a run scored on a ground out later in the inning to give Caguas a 2-0 lead.  They held the lead until the sixth, when an RBI ground out and a run-scoring wild pitch tied it at two.  In the seventh Carolina went ahead to stay, scoring one run on a passed ball and two more on an error to go ahead 5-2.  It was 6-2 going to the ninth.  Caguas scored twice in the ninth and had the bases loaded with two out, but a strikeout ended the game.

Dominican League: Games of December 23

There were no games scheduled in the Dominican League on this date.

Venezuelan League: Games of December 23

There were no games scheduled in the Venezuelan League on this date.

Australian League: Games of December 22

Welch provides the juice for Adelaide.  See-saw games in Melbourne and Canberra.

ADELAIDE 5, BRISBANE 1 IN ADELAIDE

Twins:  Logan Wade (Brisbane) was 0-for-2 with a walk.

Brisbane:  Joshua Roberts was 2-for-4.  Andrew Aizenstadt struck out three in two perfect innings.

Adelaide:  Stefan Welch (Pittsburgh) was 2-for-3 with a walk and a double, scoring once and driving in two.  Joe Sclafani (Houston) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a double, scoring twice.  Kyle Brueggemann struck out six in 6.1 innings, allowing one run on five hits and one walk.

The game:  A wild pitch put Brisbane on the board in the top of the first, but Adelaide got the run right back on Welch's RBI double.  Adelaide took the lead in the third on Welch's RBI single.  A run-scoring single by James Baldwin and a Cannon double that produced a run gave Adelaide a 4-1 lead in the fourth.  Brisbane brought the tying run up to bat in the fifth but never threatened after that.

MELBOURNE 4, SYDNEY 3 IN MELBOURNE

Sydney:  Trent Schmutter was 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI.  Mitch Dening (Boston) was 3-for-4 with a double, scoring once and driving in one.  Vaughan Harris pitched five innings, giving up one run on five hits and one walk with three strikeouts.

Melbourne:  Jared Schlehuber (Kansas City) was 3-for-4 with two RBIs.  Justin Trapp (Kansas City) was 1-for-4 with a double and a run.  Freddy Flores struck out three in 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and no walks.

The game:  Schmutter's double put Sydney up 1-0 in the top of the second, but a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second tied the score.  It was tied until the fifth, when a Keon Broxton (Arizona) RBI single put Sydney back in the lead at 2-1.  The lead held up until the seventh, when Schlehuber's two-run single gave Melbourne a 3-2 advantage.  A run scored later in the inning on an error to make it 4-2.  Sydney came back to score one on a sacrifice fly in the ninth and put the tying run on second base with two out, but could do no more.

CANBERRA 5, PERTH 3 IN CANBERRA

Perth:  Joey Wong was 2-for-3 with a walk and a home run, his second.  Brandon Tripp was 1-for-4 with a double.  Tucker Nathans was 1-for-4 with two RBIs.

Canberra:  Casey Frawley was 3-for-4 with two doubles, scoring twice and driving in two.  Jeremy Barnes was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs.  Steven Chambers pitched 6.1 innings, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

The game:  An RBI double by Frawley and a run-scoring ground out put Canberra ahead 2-0 in the first.  Wong's homer put Perth on the board in the second and Perth took a 3-2 lead in the fifth on a two-run single by Nathans.  Canberra got the lead right back in the bottom of the fifth when Frawley doubled in the tying run and Barnes singled in the go-ahead run to make it 4-3 Canberra.  Barnes had an RBI double in the seventh to provide an insurance run.  The last seven Perth batters were retired.

Mexican League: Games of December 22

A good day for Brad Boyer.  A big comeback for Hermosillo.  Odrisamer Despaigne makes his debut in these reports.

CULIACAN 6, MAZATLAN 1 IN CULIACAN

Twins:  Brad Boyer (Culiacan) was 2-for-5 with a double, scoring twice and driving in one.

Mazatlan:  Alberto Carreon was 2-for-4 with two doubles and a run.  Ivan Terrazas was 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Julio Montoya pitched four innings, giving up one run on three hits and one walk with two strikeouts.

Culiacan:  Ronnier Mustelier (Yankees) was 2-for-4 with a double, and two RBIs.  Sergio Gastelum was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI.  Amauri Sanit pitched five innings, allowing one run on six hits and one walk with one strikeout.

The game:  Culiacan scored one in the first, then took control early with four in the second.  The first run scored on a wild pitch. Boyer doubled in the second, Gastelum singled in the third, and Mustelier doubled in the fourth.  Mazatlan got one in the fifth but never threatened to get back into the game.

OBREGON 3, GUASAVE 1 IN OBREGON

Guasave:  Brent Clevlen was 1-for-3 with a walk.  Marco Tovar struck out six in six innings, giving up three runs on five hits and three walks.

Obregon:  Barbaro Canizares was 2-for-3 with a walk and a home run, his tenth.  Albino Contreras was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, his third.  David Reyes pitched seven innings, allowing one run on one hit and three hits with six strikeouts.

The game:  Canizares homered in the second to give Obregon a 1-0 lead.  Contreras hit a two-run homer in the sixth to make it 3-0.  The lone Obregon run scored on a Jesus Lopez RBI single in the eighth.  They had runners on first and third with two out, but the last four Obregon batters were retired.

HERMOSILLO 9, LOS MOCHIS 5 IN HERMOSILLO

Los Mochis:  Ramon Orantes was 3-for-4 with two doubles, scoring twice and driving in one.  Sergio Perez was 2-for-2 with two walks and a double, driving in two.  Brian Burgamy was 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs.

Hermosillo:  Jerry Owens was 2-for-5 with a triple, scoring twice and driving in three.  Daryle Ward was 2-for-3 with a walk and a double, scoring once.  Yunesky Sanchez was 1-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs.

The game:  Sanchez singled in a run in the second to start the scoring.  In the fourth, Orantes doubled in one and Perez doubled in two to give Los Mochis a 3-1 lead.  Yancarlo Angulo had a two-run single in the sixth to make it 5-1, but then Hermosillo started its comeback.  An RBI single by Jose Aguilar, a bases-loaded walk, and a run-scoring ground out made it 5-4 after six.  In the eighth, Heber Gomez delivered an RBI single to tie the score and Owens came through with a bases-loaded triple to give Hermosillo and 8-5 lead.  A wild pitch made it 9-5.  Los Mochis did not threaten in the bottom of the ninth.

NAVOJOA 6, MEXICALI 1 IN MEXICALI

Navojoa:  Luis Fonseca was 3-for-4 with a double and two home runs (his seventh and eighth), driving in three.  Jose Guadalupe Chavez was 1-for-2 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Florencio Bustillos pitched two shutout innings, giving up one hit and no walks with one strikeout.

Mexicali:  Oscar Robles was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.  Odrisamer Despaigne pitched four shutout innings, allowing two hits and two walks with two strikeouts.

The game:  Mexicali started the scoring with Robles' RBI double in the third.  A sacrifice fly in the fifth tied it.  Fonseca opened the sixth with a home run to give Navojoa a 2-1 lead.  A bases-loaded walk and an RBI ground out made it 4-1 after six.  Fonseca hit a two-run homer in the ninth to put the game out of reach.

Random:  I see a lot of names doing all these recaps, but "Odrisamer Despaigne" still stands out.

Puerto Rican League: Games of December 22

Each Twins player got one hit.  Figueroa figures in all the Mayaguez runs.

MAYAGUEZ 3, PONCE 1 IN MAYAGUEZ

Twins:  Kennys Vargas (Mayaguez) was 1-for-4.  Eddie Rosario (Mayaguez) was 1-for-4 with a double.  Daniel Ortiz (Mayaguez) was 1-for-3 with a run.

Ponce:  Reymond Fuentes (San Diego) was 2-for-4 with a triple and a run.  Giancarlo Alvarado pitched six innings, giving up one run on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts.

Mayaguez:  Luis Figueroa was 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs.  Irving Falu (Milwaukee) was 1-for-3 with a double and a run.  Hiram Burgos (Milwaukee) pitched six shutout innings, allowing two hits and no walks with three strikeouts.

The game:  Figueroa singled in a run in the fifth to break a scoreless tie.  He doubled in two in the seventh to make it 3-0.  The lone Ponce run came in the ninth when Fuentes tripled and scored on a ground out.  Ponce did not get the tying run up to bat.

CAGUAS 3, CAROLINA 1 IN CAGUAS

Carolina:  Jobduan Morales (Houston) was 2-for-3 with a walk and a double.  Anthony Garcia (St. Louis) was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Raul Rivera (Houston) pitched five innings, giving up an unearned run on three hits and one walk with five strikeouts.

Caguas:  Juan Silva (Dodgers) was 1-for-2 with two walks and a run.  Roberto Pena (Houston) was 1-for-4 with a double.  Michael Nix pitched 5.1 innings, allowing one run on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts.

The game:  In the third, Silva singled, stole second, and scored on a throwing error to put Caguas ahead 1-0.  Robinson Cancel cancelled that lead in the sixth with an RBI single, but Caguas got it back in the bottom of the sixth Johnny Monell (Baltimore) drove in a run with a single to make it 2-1.  Pena's RBI double made it 3-1 after eight.  Carolina brought the tying run to bat in the ninth, but never got him on base.

Dominican League: Games of December 22

A shutout in Este.

AGUILAS 3, ESTE 0 IN ESTE

Aguilas:  Rafael Ynoa (Colorado) was 2-for-3 with a run.  Audry Perez (St. Louis) was 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Anthony Fernandez (Seattle) pitched 4.2 scoreless innings, giving up two hits and no walks with one strikeout.

Este:  Oliver Dominguez was 2-for-4 with a double.  Claudio Vargas pitched five innings, allowing one run on four hits with no walks and one strikeout.

The game:  In the second, Eudy Pina singled, stole second, and advanced on two ground outs to score the first run of the game.  RBI singles by Perez and Keury De La Cruz (Boston) made it 3-0 in the sixth.  The only time Este had more than one man on base was the seventh, when they put runners on first and second with two out.

Venezuelan League: Games of December 22

Eduardo Escobar goes deep.  La Guaira gets all the runs it needs in the first inning.  Scoring first does Aragua no good.

LA GUAIRA 4, ANZOATEGUI 3 IN LA GUAIRA

Twins:  Eduardo Escobar (Anzoategui) was 1-for-4 with a home run, his fourth.

Anzoategui:  Jose Castillo was 1-for-4 with a home run, his ninth.  Oscar Salazar was 2-for-4 with a double.  Carlos E. Rojas pitched two shutout innings, giving up one hit and no walks.

La Guaira:  Alex Cabrera was 2-for-4 with a grand slam, his twenty-first homer.  Salvador Perez (Kansas City) was 2-for-4 with a run.  Henderson Alvarez pitched six innings, allowing one run on six hits and no walks with two strikeouts.

The game:  A walk, two singles, and Cabrera's grand slam gave La Guaira all the runs they would need before anyone was out in the first inning.  Anzoategui got one in the third on an Alexi Amarista (San Diego) RBI single, one in the seventh on the Escobar homer, and one in the ninth on Castillo's home run.  Anzoategui got the tying run on first with one out in the ninth.

ZULIA 7, ARAGUA 3 IN ZULIA

Twins:  Oswaldo Arcia (Aragua) was 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

Aragua:  Yangervis Solarte was 1-for-2 with a walk and a double, scoring once and driving in one.  Ronny Cedeno (San Diego) was 2-for-4 with two runs.  Alex Romero was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Zulia:  Ernesto Mejia (Atlanta) was 2-for-3 with a walk and a home run (his twelfth), driving in two.  Jose Pirela (Yankees) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run homer (his fifth), scoring twice.  Cesar Valdez struck out seven in seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk.

The game:  Aragua scored first on an RBI single by Romero in the first inning.  Zulia came back with two in the bottom of the first on a run-scoring single by Mejia and a wild pitch and never lost the lead.  Pirela hit a two-run homer in the fourth to make it 4-1 and Zulia added two more in the fifth to go ahead 6-1.  Aragua never got closer than four runs.

LARA 3, MAGALLANES 0 IN LARA

Magallanes:  Reegie Corona was 2-for-3 with a double.  Frank Diaz was 2-for-4 with a double.

Lara :  Mike Moustakas (Kansas City) was 1-for-3 with a double and a run.  Gabriel Lino (Philadelphia) was 2-for-2 with a walk and an RBI.  Roenis Elias (Seattle) struck out eight in six innings, allowing three hits and two walks.

The game:  An RBI groundout and a squeeze bunt scored two in the second for Lara.  Lino singled in a run in the fourth to make it 3-0.  Magallanes did not get a hit until the sixth.  Their biggest threat came in the seventh, when they put men on second and third with two out.

Australian League: Games of December 21

Another good outing for Lewis Thorpe.  A Justin Huber sighting.

ADELAIDE 4, BRISBANE 1 IN ADELAIDE (GAME 1--SCHEDULED 7 INNINGS)

Twins:  Logan Wade (Brisbane) was 1-for-3 with a run.

Brisbane:  Marcus Bradley was 2-for-4 with a double.  Craig Goodman struck out four in two shutout innings, giving up one hit and no walks.

Adelaide:  Chris Adamson was 1-for-2 with a walk and a double, scoring once.  Chris Jacobs (Dodgers) was 1-for-3 with a double and three RBIs.  Richard Olson pitched five innings, allowing one run on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

The game:  Adelaide scored all four runs in the third inning.  The first scored on a bases-loaded walk and the other three on a three-run double by Jacobs.  Brisbane's lone run came in the fifth, but they never got the tying run up to bat and their last nine men were retired.

BRISBANE 3, ADELAIDE 1 IN ADELAIDE (GAME 2)

Twins:  Logan Wade (Brisbane) was 1-for-5 with a run.

Brisbane:  Ryan Battaglia (Cleveland) was 2-for-3 with a walk and a home run, his sixth.  Joey Rickard (Tampa Bay) was 3-for-5.  Ryan Searle (Cubs) struck out nine in a complete game, giving up an unearned run on three hits and two walks.

Adelaide:  Chris Jacobs (Dodgers) was 1-for-3 with a walk.  Fu-Te Ni struck out three in 2.2 scoreless innings, allowing no hits and one walk.  Darren Fidge pitched 2.1 scoreless inning, allowing three hits and one walk with two strikeouts.

The game:  Brisbane scored once in each of the first three innings, scoring in the first on a balk, in the second on Battaglia's home run, and in the third on a homer by Joshua Roberts.  Adelaide got on the board in the fourth on an RBI ground out.  Adelaide loaded the bases in the seventh with two out, but their last seven batters were retired.

SYDNEY 3, MELBOURNE 2 IN MELBOURNE (GAME 1--SCHEDULED 7 INNINGS)

Sydney:  Jacob May (White Sox) was 2-for-4 with a double and a run.  Joshua Dean was 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs.  Connor Whalen struck out five in 5.1 innings, giving up two runs on five hits and one walk.

Melbourne:  Ryan Casteel (Oakland) was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.  Justin Trapp (Kansas City) was 1-for-2 with a walk and a run.  John Hussey (San Diego) pitched six innings, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts.

The game:  An RBI groundout and a run-scoring single by Zach Shepherd gave Sydney a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.  Casteel doubled in a run in the bottom of the first to make it 2-1.  A Joey DeMichele (White Sox) single drove in a run in the third to give Sydney a 3-1 advantage.  Justin Huber's RBI single made it 3-2 after four.  Melbourne put runners on first and second with one out in the sixth, but could do no more.

MELBOURNE 4, SYDNEY 0 IN SYDNEY (GAME 2)

Twins:  Josh Guyer (Sydney) pitched a scoreless inning, giving up two hits and one walk.  Lewis Thorpe (Melbourne) started and pitched five shutout innings, giving four hits and three walks with four strikeouts.

Sydney:  Trent Schmutter was 1-for-2 with a walk.

Melbourne:  Ryan Casteel (Oakland) was 1-for-3 with a two-run homer, his eighth.  Brad Harman was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Scott Wearne was 1-for-3 with a double.

The game:  Casteel's two-run homer in the first put Melbourne in front 2-0.  They added single runs in the fourth and fifth.  Sydney loaded the bases with none out in the second, but a strikeout and a double play ended the threat.  The only other Sydney threat came in the fifth, when they put runners on first and second with one out.

CANBERRA 6, PERTH 1 IN CANBERRA

Perth:  Brandon Tripp was 1-for-3 with a home run, his third.  Corey Adamson (San Diego) was 2-for-4 with a walk.  Mike Ekstrom struck out seven in six innings, giving up three runs on twelve hits and one walk.

Canberra:  Shane Opitz (Toronto) was 4-for-5 with a double and two runs.  Jeremy Barnes was 4-for-5 with an RBI.  Ethan Cole pitched seven innings, allowing one run on nine hits and one walk with three strikeouts.

The game:  Tripp's homer leading off the fourth put Perth ahead 1-0.  It was the only lead they would have, and it didn't last long.  Casey Frawley doubled in two in the fifth to put Canberra in front 2-1, and an RBi single by Barnes later in the inning made it 3-1.  Canberra added a run in the seventh and two more in the eighth.  Perth did not get a man past first after the sixth inning.

Mexican League: Games of December 21

Brad Boyer gets a key hit.  Wheeler is Zelous in pursuit of victory.  Brian has another day that will live in Burgamy.

CULIACAN 7, MAZATLAN 5 IN CULIACAN

Twins:  Brad Boyer (Culiacan) was 1-for-5 with a run and two RBIs.

Mazatlan:  Orlando Hudson was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs.  Ivan Terrazas was 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs.  Ivan Gamero was 1-for-2 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.

Culiacan:  Emmanuel Valdez was 1-for-2 with two walks and a two-run homer (his seventh), scoring twice.  Felix Perez was 2-for-4 with a double, scoring twice and driving in one.  Jorge Reyes pitched two shutout innings, giving up two hits and no walks.

The game:  Valdez hit a two-run homer in a three-run first to give Culiacan a 3-0 lead.  Mazatlan got on the board in the second, tied the score on a two-run Terrazas double in the third, and took a 4-3 lead in the fourth on an RBI single by Erick Rodriguez.  Gamero's RBI single made it 5-3 in the top of the sixth, but Culiacan struck for four in the bottom of the sixth to get in the lead to stay.  Boyer had a two-run single to put Culiacan in front.  Mazatlan had the tying run on base with one out in the seventh, but their last eight batters were retired.

GUASAVE 5, OBREGON 2 IN GUASAVE (14 INNINGS)

Guasave:  Zelous Wheeler (Yankees) was 3-for-7 with a three-run homer, his tenth.  Leonardo Heras was 2-for-6 with a walk and a double, scoring once.  Jeff Bennett pitched seven innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

Obregon:  Dan Robertson (San Diego) was 3-for-6 with a run.  Barbaro Canizares was 1-for-4 with a home run, his ninth.  Rolando Valdez pitched six innings, allowing one run on eight hits and no walks with three strikeouts.

The game:  Canizares homered in the second inning to give Obregon a 1-0 lead.  Each team scored once in the sixth, leaving Obregon ahead 2-1.  The lead held until the ninth, when a Gabriel Gutierrez RBI single tied the score.  It was tied until the fourteenth, when Wheeler hit a two-out three-run homer.  Obregon went down in order in the bottom of the fourteenth.

LOS MOCHIS 3, HERMOSILLO 2 IN HERMOSILLO

Los Mochis:  Brian Burgamy was 1-for-2 with two walks and a two-run homer, his fourteenth.  Emmanuel Avila was 3-for-4 with a run.  Jonathan Castellanos pitched six innings, giving up one run on seven hits and no walks with two strikeouts.

Hermosillo:  Stefan Gartrell was 3-for-4 with a double and a run.  Jerry Owens was 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Nathan Reed pitched six shutout innings, allowing two hits and one walk with five strikeouts.

The game:  Heber Gomez had an RBI single in the second to give Hermosillo a 1-0 lead.  It stayed 1-0 until the seventh, when Owens singled in a run to double the Hermosillo advantage.  Los Mochis got on the board in the eighth on two singles and a squeeze bunt.  In the ninth, Burgamy hit a two-run homer to give Los Mochis its first lead of the game at 3-2.  Hermosillo went out in order in the bottom of the ninth.

MEXICALI 3, NAVOJOA 1 IN MEXICALI

Mexicali:  Jon Weber was 1-for-3 with a walk and a double.  Alejandro Gonzalez was 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.  Carlos Orrantia was 1-for-2 with two walks and a run.

Navojoa:  Oscar Robles was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.  Xorge Carrillo (Mets) was 2-for-3.  Terry Doyle struck out seven in six innings, allowing one run on four hits and three walks.

The game:  Mexicali scored all three of its runs in the third, two on a Robles single and one on a sacrifice fly.  Navojoa got its only run in the fifth.  They had the tying run on base in both the sixth and the ninth, both times with two out.

Puerto Rican League: Games of December 21

Errors and wild pitches help decide games.

CAGUAS 3, PONCE 1 IN PONCE

Caguas:  Aaron Bates was 2-for-4 with a run.  Andy Gonzalez was 1-for-4 with a walk and a run.  Efrain Nieves (Toronto) pitched 4.2 innings, giving up one run on five hits and two walks with one strikeout.

Ponce:  Jonathan Mota (Cubs) was 2-for-4 with a triple and a home run, his second.  Jordan Lennerton (Detroit) was 1-for-3 with a walk.  Logan Williamson pitched six innings, allowing two unearned runs on five hits and one walk with five strikeouts.

The game:  Mota homered in the third to give Ponce a 1-0 lead.  They held the lead until the sixth, when Bates circled the bases on a two-run single-and-error-and-error.  Ponce got the tying run to third with two out in the bottom of the sixth, but came no closer.  Caguas added an insurance run in the ninth.

SANTURCE 6, CAROLINA 4 IN SANTURCE

Carolina:  Anthony Garcia (St. Louis) was 2-for-3 with a walk and two doubles, scoring once.  Robinson Cancel had a two-run pinch-hit homer.  Willie Collazo struck out six in 6.1 innings of relief, giving up one run on six hits and no walks.

Santurce:  Luis Rivera was 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs.  Neftali Soto (Cincinnati) was 2-for-3 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Victor Mayo (Tampa Bay) pitched six innings, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

The game:  Santurce scored two runs on wild pitches and a third on an error, taking a 3-0 lead in the first inning.  Soto and Jose Morales delivered RBI singles in the second to make it 5-0.  Carolina got on the board in the third on a two-run homer by Ruben Gotay, but Rivera homered in the sixth to put Santurce up 6-2.  It stayed there until the ninth, when Cancel hit a two-run homer with two out.  The tying run did not come up to bat.

Dominican League: Games of December 21

Not much good Twins news.  Kameron made it a Loe-scoring game in Cibao.

ESCOGIDO 2, CIBAO 0 IN CIBAO

Twins:  Jorge Polanco (Escogido) was 0-for-4.  Deibinson Romero (Escogido) was used defensively but did not bat.  Aderlin Mejia (Escogido) was 1-for-4.

Escogido:  Starling Marte was 2-for-3 with a walk and a double.  Kameron Loe pitched six innings, giving up five hits and no walks with four strikeouts.  Roberto Nova struck out four in two innings, giving up two hits and no walks.

Cibao:  Guillermo Pimentel (Seattle) was 1-for-3 with a double.  Aderlin Rodriguez was 1-for-4 with a double.  Miguel Batista pitched two shutout innings, allowing no hits and one walk with one strikeout.

The game:  It was scoreless until the ninth, when a pair of errors plated one run and Kevin Pillar (Toronto) singled in another to give Escogido a 2-0 lead.  Cibao did not advance a man past second base.

AGUILAS 3, ORIENTE 1 IN ORIENTE (10 INNINGS)

Aguilas:  Francisco Pena (Kansas City) was 2-for-4 with a home run, his third.  Diego Goris (San Diego) was 1-for-2 with a double, scoring once and driving in one.  Chris Cody struck out eight in 6.1 innings, giving up an unearned run on five hits and one walk.

Oriente:  Mario Mercedes was 1-for-1 with a walk.  Evan MacLane pitched six innings, allowing an unearned run on three hits and no walks with three strikeouts.

The game:  Pena's homer in the fifth broke a scoreless tie and put Aguilas ahead 1-0.  A run-scoring infield out in the sixth tied it up.  It stayed tied until the tenth, when RBI doubles by Goris and Keury De La Cruz (Boston) gave Aguilas a 3-1 lead.  Three walks loaded the bases with two out in the bottom of the tenth, but a strikeout ended the game.

LICEY 4, ESTE 0 IN LICEY

Este:  Angelys Nina (Colorado) was 2-for-4.  Oliver Dominguez was 1-for-4.  Miguel Sanfler pitched two shutout innings, giving up one hit and no walks.

Licey:  Erick Aybar (Angels) was 2-for-3 with a double and a triple, scoring once and driving in two.  Victor Diaz was 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.  Esmil Rogers (Toronto) struck out five in 5.2 scoreless innings, allowing six hits and no walks.

The game:  All four runs scored in the third, one on a ground out, two on a two-run triple by Aybar, and one on a single by Diaz.  Este did not get a man to third base until the ninth, when a double put runners on second and third with two out.