Caribbean Series Preview

The winter leagues move toward their conclusion.

There's a change in the Caribbean Series this year.  Instead of four teams, there are now five.  There are, of course, the champions of the four winter leagues we've been following all season--Magallanes from the Venezuelan League, Licey from the Dominican League, Mayaguez from the Puerto Rican League, and Hermosillo from the Mexican League.  The fifth team is Villa Clara, the champion of the Cuban Winter League.

Clearly, the addition team required a change in format.  So, we start out with a four-game, five-day round robin, in which each team plays each of the others once.  That will be played from Feb. 1-5.  At the end of the round robin, one team is eliminated and the other four go into a single-elimination tournament.  The semi-final round will be played Feb. 6 and the championship game Feb. 7.

Mexican League: Game of January 29

A seven-run inning carries Hermosillo into the Caribbean Series.

HERMOSILLO 8, NAVOJOA 3 IN HERMOSILLO

Navojoa:  Luis Fonseca was 2-for-4 with a walk and a two-run homer, his seventh.  John Lindsey was 2-for-4 with a double.  Chris Roberson was 1-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.

Hermosillo:  Jerry Owens was 3-for-5 with a double, scoring once and driving in one.  Zelous Wheeler (Yankees) was 1-for-4 with a three-run homer, his second.  Nathan Reed (Boston) struck out five in 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on four hits and five walks.

The game:  It was close most of the way.  There was no scoring until the third, when with one out Jon Weber walked and Fonseca hit a two-run homer to give Navojoa a 2-0 lead.  Hermosillo got on the board in the fifth on a single, a walk, and an RBI single by Jonathan Aceves.  It was still 2-1 until the bottom of the seventh, when Hermosillo exploded for seven runs to put the game out of reach.  Aceves again delivered an RBI single with one out to tie the score.  Owens singled in the go-ahead run.  A two-run single by Carlos Alberto Gastelum and a three-run homer by Wheeler made it 8-2.  Navojoa got a run in the ninth but did not threaten to get back into the game.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Hermosillo defeats Navojoa four games to three in the best-of seven.  This concludes our Mexican League reports for this season.  Hermosillo will go on to play in the Caribbean Series.

Australian League: Games of January 28

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

Mexican League: Game of January 28

Navojoa forces a deciding game seven.

NAVOJOA 5, HERMOSILLO 3 IN HERMOSILLO

Navojoa:  Luis Fonseca was 2-for-3 with two walks, a double, and a two-run homer (his sixth), scoring twice.  Chris Roberson was 2-for-5 with a double and a run.  Juan Delgadillo pitched six innings, giving up one run on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

Hermosillo:  Carlos Alberto Gastelum was 3-for-5 with two RBIs.  Heber Gomez was 2-for-4 with a double and a run.  Yunesky Sanchez was 0-for-3 with two walks and an RBI.

The game:  Each team scored once in the second to make the score 1-1.  It remained tied until the fifth.  In the top of the inning, Fernando Flores singled and Roberson doubled.  A wild pitch scored Flores to put Navojoa ahead 2-1 and Fonseca hit a two-run homer to make it 4-1.  Carlos Orrantia singled in a run in the eighth to make it 5-1 Navojoa.  Hermosillo tried to come back in the ninth.  A walk, two singles, and another walk cut the lead to 5-2 and loaded the bases with one out.  Following a popup, another walk made it 5-3 and moved the tying run into scoring position.  That was all there was, though, as a ground out ended the game.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Hermosillo and Navojoa are tied at three games each in the best-of-seven series.  The deciding game is scheduled for tonight.

Dominican League: Game of January 28

Licey takes the series in a tight game.

LICEY 3, ESCOGIDO 2 IN LICEY

Escogido:  Eury Perez (Washington) was 2-for-5 with two doubles and a run.  Ramon Santiago was 2-for-3 with an RBI.  Evan MacLane struck out six in six innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on two hits and one walk.

Licey:  Rene Rivera (San Diego) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a home run.  Lew Ford was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Francisley Bueno (Kansas City) struck out six in 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks.

The game:  Perez doubled, took third on a ground out, and scored on a wild pitch to give Escogido a 1-0 lead in the first.  Licey tied it in the second when Ford walked, took second on a ground out, and scored on an error.  Escogido went ahead 2-1 in the fourth on a pair of walks and a Santiago RBI single.  Rivera homered in the fifth to tie it back up at two.  Escogido loaded the bases in the top of the seventh with one out but could not score.  In the bottom of the seventh, a pair of walks and a two-out single by Emilio Bonifacio gave Licey its first lead at 3-2.  Escogido got a leadoff walk in the eighth and advanced him to third with two productive outs, but the runner could not go the last ninety feet.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Licey defeats Escogido in the best-of-nine series five games to three.  This concludes our Dominican League reports for this season.  Licey will advance to the Caribbean Series.

Venezuelan League: Game of January 28

Ramon Hernandez drives in six as Magallanes takes the series.

MAGALLANES 11, ANZOATEGUI 6 IN ANZOATEGUI

Twins:  Eduardo Escobar (Anzoategui) was 1-for-3 with a home run, his sixth.  Deolis Guerra (Magallanes) pitched a scoreless inning, giving up no hits and one walk with one strikeout.

Magallanes:  Ramon Hernandez (Kansas City) was 4-for-5 with two home runs (his fourth and fifth) and six RBIs.  Juan Rivera was 2-for-3 with a double, scoring three times and driving in one.  Endy Chavez (Seattle) was 4-for-6 with a double and a run.

Anzoategui:  Hector Gimenez was 2-for-4 (White Sox) with a double and a home run, scoring twice.  Niuman Romero was 0-for-4 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.

The game:  Alberto Callaspo homered and Hernandez had an RBI single to give Magallanes a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.  Anzoategui came back with three in the bottom of the first, scoring one on an error, one on a ground out, and one on a Cory Aldridge single.  Escobar homered in the second to make it 4-2, but Magallanes evened the score in the fourth on back-to-back homers by Hernandez and Robinson Chirinos.  Anzoategui went ahead 5-4 in the bottom of the fourth on a double, a hit batsman, a walk, and a ground out.  Gimenez homered in the sixth to make it 6-4 Anzoategui.  Magallanes cut the lead to 6-5 in the seventh when Rivera doubled and scored on a pair of ground outs.  In the Magallanes eighth, a walk, a single, and a walk loaded the bases.  With two out, a hit batsman tied the score, an error brought home two to give Magallanes an 8-6 lead, and Hernandez hit a three-run homer to put Magallanes in control.  Anzoategui did not threaten to get back into the game.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Magallanes defeats Anzoategui in the playoff series four games to one.  This concludes our Venezuelan League reports for this season.  Magallanes will advance to the Caribbean Series.

Australian League Playoff Preview

For once, I get a playoff preview done before the playoffs start.

As always, we start with the regular-season standings:

Perth, 32-14
Sydney, 23-23
Canberra, 22-24
Melbourne, 22-24
Adelaide, 21-25
Brisbane, 18-28

The top three teams go to the playoffs.  As you can see, there was a tie for third place.  Unfortunately, Australian League rules to not allow for a play-in game, although they'd have plenty of time for one.  Instead, Canberra was awarded third place based on head-to-head victories during the regular season.

It's a two-round playoff system.  In the first round (called the "preliminary final"), the second and third place teams play each other in a best-of-three series.  This year, that means Sydney plays Canberra.  The winner then takes on the first place team, Perth, in another best-of-three series to determine the league champion.  The preliminary final will be held this weekend, and the final final will be held the following weekend.

Mexican League: Games of January 27

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

Dominican League: Game of January 27

Felix gives an Oscar-worthy performance as Licey takes the series lead.

LICEY 3, ESCOGIDO 1 IN ESCOGIDO

Licey:  Felix Perez (Cincinnati) was 2-for-4 with a double and a triple, scoring once and driving in two.  Erick Aybar (Angels) was 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.  Yunesky Maya (Atlanta) struck out six in 4.2 innings, giving up one run on five hits and one walk.

Escogido:  Jordan Lennerton (Detroit) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a home run.  Pedro Ciriaco (Kansas City) was 3-for-5.  Edward Valdez pitched 5.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

The game:  With two out in the fourth, Perez doubled and Aybar singled him home to give Licey a 1-0 lead.  Lennerton led off the fifth with a home run to tie the score at one.  It was tied until the eighth, when a single and a hit batsman put runners on first and second with one out.  The next batter fanned, but Perez tripled to bring home both runners and put Licey ahead 3-1.  Escogido opened the ninth with a pair of singles, but a popup and a double play ended the game.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Licey takes the lead over Escogido in the best-of-nine series four games to three.

Venezuelan League: Games of January 27

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

Australian League: Games of January 26

A couple of back-and-forth games.  One shutout.

CANBERRA 5, BRISBANE 3 IN BRISBANE

Twins:  Logan Wade (Brisbane) was 1-for-4.

Canberra:  Mike Crouse (Toronto) was 3-for-5 with two RBIs.  Robbie Perkins (Colorado) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a home run, his third.  Aaron Thompson struck out three in three shutout innings, giving up one hit and one walk.

Brisbane:  Patrick Leonard (Tampa Bay) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a home run, his third.  Andrew Campbell was 1-for-3 with two walks and a run.  Casey Barnes pitched six innings, allowing an unearned run on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

The game:  There was no score until the third.  A walk, an error, and another walk loaded the bases, and Crouse singled to put Canberra ahead 1-0.  Brisbane tied it in the fourth on Leonard's homer and took the lead 3-1 in the fifth on two walks, a bunt single, a bases-loaded walk, and a run-scoring double play.  The lead held up until the seventh.  Canberra's inning started with a Perkins homer to cut the lead to 3-2.  A walk and two singles loaded the bases and a pair of sacrifice flies put Canberra ahead 4-3.  Brisbane put the tying run on third with two out in the bottom of the seventh, but could not score.  In the eighth Crouse singled in an insurance run.  Brisbane did not get the tying run on base after that.

MELBOURNE 2, SYDNEY 0 IN SYDNEY

Melbourne:  Ryan Casteel (Colorado) was 2-for-3 with a walk and a double.  Brad Harman was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Freddy Flores pitched seven innings, giving up three hits and two walks with two strikeouts.

Sydney:  Vaughan Harris pitched five innings, allowing one run on two hits and three walks with two strikeouts.  Luke Wilkins pitched two shutout innings, allowing one hit and no walks with one strikeout.

The game:  In the fourth, a walk, a double, and a wild pitch put Melbourne ahead 1-0.  Melbourne added a run in the second when Ryan Dale (Kansas City) walked, stole second, and scored on a Tyler Massey (Colorado) single.  Sydney's best scoring chance came in the eighth, when Michael Lysaught opened with a double and went to third on a ground out.  A strikeout and a ground out ended the inning.

PERTH 7, ADELAIDE 5 IN PERTH

Adelaide:  Ben Lodge was 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.  Byron Wiley was 0-for-3 with two walks, scoring once and driving in one.  T. J. Hose struck out four in three innings, giving up one run on four hits and one walk.

Perth:  Brandon Tripp was 2-for-4 with a grand slam, his tenth homer.  George Barber was 3-for-4 with three runs.  Zach Staniewicz (Baltimore) pitched six innings, allowing an unearned run on two hits and five walks with two strikeouts.

The game:  Perth got a run-scoring double play in the first to go ahead 1-0 and scored two in the second on a Tim Kennelly (Philadelphia) two-run homer to take a 3-0 lead.  Adelaide got on the board in the fifth on a walk, an error, and a sacrifice fly.  In the Adelaide seventh, a walk, a single, and another walk loaded the bases.  A walk made it 3-2, RBI singles by Lodge and Chris Jacobs (Dodgers) put Adelaide in the lead and a run-scoring double play made the score 5-3.  In the bottom of the seventh, Perth came back.  Two singles and a walk loaded the bases, and Tripp hit a grand slam to put Perth in front 7-5.  Adelaide did not get a man past first base after that.

Mexican League: Game of January 26

Hermosillo gets a big first inning and holds on to take the lead in the series.

HERMOSILLO 6, NAVOJOA 4 IN NAVOJOA

Hermosillo:  Jerry Owens was 2-for-5 with a home run (his second), scoring twice.  Carlos Alberto Gastelum was 2-for-3 with a home run.  Zelous Wheeler (Yankees) was 1-for-2 with three walks and a run.

Navojoa:  Jon Weber was 4-for-4 with a walk and a two-run homer, his second.  Carlos Orrantia was 3-for-4 with a home run, his second.  Ozzie Mendez pitched 3.2 scoreless innings of relief, allowing three hits and three walks.

The game:  Hermosillo opened the game with back-to-back homers by Owens and Gastelum.  That was followed by a single, a walk, an error, a sacrifice fly, and an RBI double by Heber Gomez, putting Hermosillo ahead 5-0 before Navojoa came to bat.  Navojoa came back, though, cutting the lead to 5-2 in the third on Weber's two-run homer and cutting it to 5-4 in the sixth on solo homers by Wes Bankston and Orrantia.  A pair of singles put the tying run on second with two out in the eighth, but a strikeout ended the inning.  In the ninth, an error, a bunt, and a Yunesky Sanchez RBI single gave Hermosillo an insurance run.  Navojoa got a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth, but no more.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Hermosillo leads Navojoa in the best-of-seven series three games to two.

Puerto Rican League: Game of January 26

Kennys Vargas hits a grand slam to carry Mayaguez to the Caribbean Series.

MAYAGUEZ 5, CAGUAS 1 IN MAYAGUEZ

Twins:  Eddie Rosario (Mayaguez) was 0-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Kennys Vargas (Mayaguez) was 2-for-4 with a grand slam, his third homer.  Daniel Ortiz (Mayaguez) was 0-for-2 with a walk.

Caguas:  Rey Navarro (Cincinnati) was 1-for-4 with a home run, his third.  Michael Nix pitched 4.1 innings, giving up one run on four hits and one walk with one strikeout.

Mayaguez:  Martin Maldonado (Milwaukee) was 1-for-3 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Ruben Gotay (Cincinnati) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Jorge Martinez struck out ten in eight innings, allowing one run on four hits and one walk.

The game:  There was no scoring until the fourth when a walk and a pair of singles, the last an RBI hit by Maldonado, put Mayaguez ahead 1-0.  Caguas tied it with Navarro's homer leading off the seventh.  In the eighth, Rosario walked with one out and took second on a ground out.  An intentional walk was followed by an accidental walk to load the bases.  Vargas then hit a grand slam to put Mayaguez ahead 5-1.  Caguas went down in order in the ninth.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Mayaguez wins the Puerto Rican League championship, defeating Caguas four games to two.  Therefore, this concludes our Puerto Rican League reports for this year.  Mayaguez will move on to the Caribbean Series.

Dominican League: Game of January 26

Escogido evens the series at three as a LEWWWWWW-led comeback falls short for Licey.

ESCOGIDO 9, LICEY 6 IN LICEY

Twins:  Dan Rohlfing (Licey) was used on defense but did not bat.

Escogido:  Gregory Polanco (Pittsburgh) was 1-for-2 with four walks, scoring three times and driving in one.  Jesus Feliciano was 2-for-3 with two walks, scoring once and driving in four.  Carlos Santana (Cleveland) was 1-for-3 with two walks and a double, scoring once and driving in one.

Licey:  Lew Ford was 2-for-3 with two home runs, scoring three times and driving in three.  Eugenio Velez (Milwaukee) was 1-for-2 with a walk and a double, scoring once.  Juan Sosa (Miami) struck out two in 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and three walks.

The game:  A two-run double by Santana and RBI singles by Feliciano and Ramon Santiago gave Escogido a 4-0 lead in the first.  Feliciano's two-run single in the second made it 6-0 and appeared to put Escogido in control of the game.  Licey got two in the bottom of the second on a Velez RBI double and a sacrifice fly.  Ford homered in the fourth to make it 6-3.  Ford struck again in the sixth with a two-run homer to cut the lead to 6-5, and a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly tied the score in the seventh.  In the eighth, however, Escogido went back in front 7-6 on a walk and a pair of errors.  Escogido got two more in the ninth on an RBI double by Jordan Lennerton (Detroit) and a run-scoring single by Polanco.  Licey did not bring the tying run up to bat in the ninth.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Escogido wins its third straight game.  Escogido and Licey are now tied in the best-of-nine series at three games each.

Venezuelan League: Game of January 26

After nine scoreless innings, Eduardo Escobar delivers a walkoff homer to keep Anzoategui alive.

ANZOATEGUI 5, MAGALLANES 3 IN ANZOATEGUI (10 INNINGS)

Twins:  Eduardo Escobar (Anzoategui) was 1-for-4 with a three-run homer, his fifth.  Deolis Guerra (Magallanes) struck out two in a perfect inning.

Magallanes:  Robinson Chirinos (Texas) was 1-for-4 with a three-run homer, his fifth.  Ezequiel Carrera (Detroit) was 2-for-4 with a double.  Dustin Richardson struck out five in 5.1 scoreless innings, giving up four hits and one walk.

Anzoategui:  Hector Gimenez (White Sox) was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.  Niuman Romero was 2-for-4 with two doubles.  Daryl Thompson pitched seven shutout innings, allowing three hits and no walks with one strikeout.

The game:  Oddly for a 5-3 game, there was no score for nine innings.  In fact, no one even reached third base.  In the tenth, with one out for Magallanes, Juan Rivera singled, Pablo Sandoval (San Francisco) walked, and Chirinos hit a three-run homer to give Magallanes a 3-0 lead.  It looked like that might mean a series sweep, but Anzoategui opened the bottom of the tenth with singles by Jose Castillo and Cory Aldridge.  Oscar Salazar walked to load the bases, Gimenez doubled in two, and Escobar hit a three-run homer to win the game.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Magallanes leads Anzoategui in the best-of-seven series three games to one.

Australian League: Games of January 25

A split in Brisbane.  Ex-Twin Allan de San Miguel is a hero for Perth.

CANBERRA 2, BRISBANE 1 IN BRISBANE (GAME 1--SCHEDULED 7 INNINGS)

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

Canberra:  Jeremy Barnes was 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs.  Jon Berti (Toronto) was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Ethan Cole pitched 6.2 innings, giving up one run on four hits and four walks with three strikeouts.

Brisbane:  Joshua Roberts was 1-for-3 with a walk and a double, scoring once.  Andrew Aizenstadt pitched five innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and four walks with three strikeouts.

The game:  Roberts doubled and scored on a David Sutherland single to put Brisbane ahead 1-0 in the first.  In the Canberra third, a single, a walk, a double steal, and a two-run single by Barnes put Canberra ahead 2-1.  And that was it for the scoring.  Brisbane did threaten twice.  In the fifth, a leadoff single and a pair of two-out walks loaded the bases, but a popup ended the inning.  In the seventh, a pair of two-out walks put the tying run in scoring position, but a fly out ended the game.

BRISBANE 3, CANBERRA 2 IN BRISBANE (GAME 2)

Twins:  Logan Wade (Brisbane) was 0-for-4.

Canberra:  Jon Berti (Toronto) was 2-for-5 with an RBI.  Clint Everts struck out eight in five innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and two walks with two strikeouts.  Jeff Lyman struck out two in two shutout innings, allowing one hit and one walk.

Brisbane:  Patrick Leonard (Tampa Bay) was 2-for-3 with a walk and a two-run homer, his second.  Justin O'Conner (Tampa Bay) was 2-for-4 with a home run, his third.  Ryan Searle (Cubs) struck out seven in six innings, allowing two unearned runs on five hits and one walk.

The game:  There was no score until the fifth, when Robbie Perkins walked, went to second on a bunt, and scored on a Berti single to give Canberra a 1-0 lead.  Brisbane came back to take the lead in the sixth on Leonard's two-run homer.  Canberra tied it back up in the seventh on an error, a single, another error, and a ground out.  In the eighth, Brisbane went into the lead to stay when O'Conner (Colorado) led off the inning with a home run.  Canberra went down in order in the ninth.

PERTH 4, ADELAIDE 3 IN PERTH (10 INNINGS)

Adelaide:  Brock Hebert (Seattle) was 1-for-2 with two walks and a double, scoring once.  Joe Sclafani (Houston) was 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI.  Darren Fidge pitched 5.1 innings, giving up three runs (one earned) on five hits and four walks with four strikeouts.

Perth:  Joey Wong (Colorado) was 4-for-5 with a run.  Corey Adamson (San Diego) was 2-for-6 with a run and an RBI.  Anthony Claggett struck out seven in six shutout innings, allowing four hits and five walks.

The game:  An RBI single by Brandon Tripp, a bases-loaded hit batsman, and a sacrifice fly scored three in the third to put Perth ahead 3-0.  It looked like that might hold up, but Adelaide scored on in the seventh on an error and tied it in the eighth on an RBI single by Adamson and a run-scoring ground out.  It went to an extra inning.  In the bottom of the tenth Allan de San Miguel (Colorado) singled, went to second on a bunt, and scored on Adamson's single to win the game.

SYDNEY 4, MELBOURNE 2 IN SYDNEY

Melbourne:  Ryan Casteel (Colorado) was 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Justin Trapp (Kansas City) was 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI.  Justin Erasmus struck out five in five innings, giving up two runs on eight hits and two walks.

Sydney:  Keon Broxton (Arizona) was 2-for-3 with a walk and a double, scoring twice.  Zach Shepherd was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.  Connor Whalen pitched eight innings, allowing one run on four hits and one walk with three strikeouts.

The game:  Broxton led off the second with a double and scored on a pair of ground outs to put Sydney ahead 1-0.  Melbourne tied it in the fourth on a walk, a wild pitch, and Casteel's RBI single.  In the fifth, three singles, the last an RBI hit by Mitch Dening, put Sydney back in front 2-1.  Shepherd's two-run double in the eighth gave Sydney a pair of insurance runs.  In the ninth, Trapp's RBI double cut the lead to 4-2 and put men on second and third with one out.  A popup and a strikeout ended the threat and the game.

Mexican League: Game of January 25

A pair of big innings pulls Navojoa even.

NAVOJOA 7, HERMOSILLO 3 IN NAVOJOA

Hermosillo:  Jerry Owens was 1-for-5 with a home run.  Luis Alfonzo Garcia was 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.  Jesus Castillo (Oakland) struck out four in 3.1 scoreless innings, giving up four hits and no walks.

Navojoa:  Jon Weber was 2-for-5 with a two-run homer and two runs.  Rolando Acosta was 1-for-1 with two walks and a two-run homer, his second.  Jose Manuel Lopez struck out three in two shutout innings, allowing one hit and no walks.

The game:  Navojoa got a pair of first-inning two-run homers, one by Weber and one by Acosta, to take a 4-0 lead.  Hermosillo got on the board in the fourth on an error.  Owens led off the fifth with a homer to cut the lead to 4-2 and later in the inning a walk and two singles, one an RBI hit by Garcia, brought Hermosillo within one at 4-3.  They would get no closer.  In the seventh, Chris Roberson doubled and scored on a Jose Guadalupe Chavez singled to make it 5-3 and a two-run homer by John Lindsey made it 7-3.  Hermosillo did not threaten to get back in to the game.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Hermosillo and Navojoa are tied in the best-of-seven series at two wins each.

Puerto Rican League: Game of January 25

Productive outs make the difference in a pitchers' duel.

MAYAGUEZ 2, CAGUAS 1 IN CAGUAS

Twins:  Eddie Rosario (Mayaguez) was 0-for-4 with a walk.  Kennys Vargas (Mayaguez) was 1-for-4.  Daniel Ortiz (Mayaguez) was 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Mayaguez:  Luis Montanez was 3-for-4.  Randy Ruiz was 0-for-2 with three walks.  Hector Hernandez (Arizona) pitched four innings, giving up one run on four hits and one walk with three strikeouts.

Caguas:  Andy Gonzalez was 2-for-4 with a run.  Ramon Castro was 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.  Efrain Nieves (Toronto) struck out six in six shutout innings, allowing three hits and two walks.

The game:  Gonzalez and Jeff Dominguez led off the Caguas second with singles.  They then pulled off a double steal and Gonzalez scored on a ground out to put Caguas up 1-0.  For a while it looked like that might hold up, because there was no more scoring until the seventh, when Martin Maldonado (Milwaukee) was hit by a pitch, went to third on a single, and scored on a ground out to tie it at one.  Mayaguez took the lead in the eighth, when Luis Figueroa singled, went to second on a passed ball, took third on a wild pitch, and scored on Maldonado's sacrifice fly.  Caguas got a pair of one-out singles in the ninth, but a fly out and a ground out ended the game.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Mayaguez takes the lead over Caguas in the best-of-seven series three games to two.

Dominican League: Games of January 25

There were no games played in the Dominican League on this date.  Licey leads Escogido in the best-of-nine series three games to two.

Venezuelan League: Game of January 25

A pair of three-run innings and some strong pitching put Magallanes in control of the series.

MAGALLANES 11, ANZOATEGUI 2 IN ANZOATEGUI

Twins:  Eduardo Escobar (Anzoategui) was 1-for-3 with a home run, his fourth.  Deolis Guerra (Magallanes) pitched a scoreless inning, giving up one hit and no walks with one strikeout.

Magallanes:  Robinson Chirinos (Texas) was 3-for-5 with two home runs (his third and fourth) and three runs.  Ronny Cedeno (Philadelphia) was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer (his fourth), scoring twice.  Lorenzo Barcelo pitched 5.1 innings, giving up two runs on two hits and no walks with four strikeouts.

Anzoategui:  Oscar Salazar was 1-for-4 with a home run, his third.

The game:  The first two Magallanes batters went out, but then Mario Lisson (San Francisco) singled and Juan Rivera doubled to give Magallanes a 1-0 lead in the first.  Chirinos homered with two out in the fourth to make it 2-0.  In the fifth, Pablo Sandoval hit a two-out, three-run homer to put Magallanes in control at 5-0.  Salazar homered to put Anzoategui on the board in the bottom of the fifth,  but Magallanes got three more in the sixth, one on a homer by Chirinos and two on a home run by Cedeno, to put the game out of reach.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Magallanes leads Anzoategui three games to none in the best-of-seven series.

Australian League: Games of January 24

A walkoff in Brisbane.  A comeback in Perth.  A big inning carries Melbourne.

BRISBANE 4, CANBERRA 3 IN BRISBANE (13 INNINGS)

Twins:  Logan Wade (Brisbane) was 1-for-4 with a walk and a run.

Canberra:  Mike Crouse (Toronto) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run homer, his eighth.  Jon Berti (Toronto) was 2-for-5 with a walk and a run.  Brian Grening struck out nine in seven innings, giving up three runs on four hits and two walks.

Brisbane:  Joey Rickard (Tampa Bay) was 3-for-6 with a double and a home run (his fourth), driving in two.  Justin O'Conner (Tampa Bay) was 1-for-5 with a home run, his second.  Mickey Jannis pitched seven innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and one walk with three strikeouts.

The game:  In the first, Crouse hit a two-run homer and Casey Frawley doubled and scored on a pair of ground outs to give Canberra a 3-0 lead.  Canberra would not score again.  In the third, Brad Dutton and Joshua Roberts doubled to cut the lead to 3-1.  It stayed 3-1 until the eighth, when O'Conner led off the inning with a home run.  Wade then walked, stole second, went to third on a ground out, and scored on Rickard's single to tie it at three.  They went in to extra innings, and Rickard led off the bottom of the thirteenth with a home run to end the game.

PERTH 5, ADELAIDE 4 IN PERTH

Adelaide:  Joe Sclafani (Houston) was 3-for-4 with a walk and a double, scoring once.  Stefan Welch (Boston) was 1-for-4 with a walk and a double, driving in two.  James Campbell (Dodgers) pitched five innings, giving up one run on two hits and four walks with two strikeouts.

Perth:  Corey Adamson (San Diego) was 2-for-4 with a walk and a triple, scoring once and driving in two.  Brandon Tripp was 1-for-2 with two walks and a run.  Brendan Wise struck out four in three shutout innings, allowing two hits and no walks.

The game: Chris Adamson singled in two in the second to give Adelaide a 2-0 lead.  Welch delivered a two-run double in the fifth to make it 4-0,  Perth started its comeback in the sixth on a Jesse Barron RBI double.  They added a run in the seventh on two singles, a walk, and a wild pitch to make it 4-2.  In the eighth, three singles, one of them a run-scoring hit by George Barber, cut the lead to 4-3 and Corey Adamson followed with a two-run triple to give Perth its first lead of the game at 5-4.  Adelaide put men on second and third with one out in the ninth but could not even the score.

MELBOURNE 6, SYDNEY 3 IN SYDNEY

Melbourne:  Ryan Casteel (Colorado) was 2-for-4 with a double and a grand slam, his eleventh homer.  Tyler Massey (Colorado) was 2-for-3 with two walks, scoring once and driving in one.  John Hussey (San Diego) struck out six in 6.2 innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks.

Sydney:  Joshua Dean was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI.  Mitch Dening was 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Matthew Rae struck out two in two shutout innings, allowing one hit and no walks.

The game:  There was no scoring until the fifth, when Melbourne put it away with a six-run inning.  A double, an error, and two walks scored the first run.  A sacrifice fly brought home the second.  Following another walk, Castell hit a grand slam to make it 6-0.  Sydney tried to come back, scoring single runs in the sixth, seventh, and ninth, but did not bring the tying run up to bat.

Mexican League: Game of January 24

Daryle Ward slams Hermosillo into the series lead.

HERMOSILLO 6, NAVOJOA 5 IN NAVOJOA

Hermosillo:  Daryle Ward was 3-for-3 with a walk and a grand slam, his fourth homer.  Luis Alfonzo Garcia was 2-for-4 with a triple.  Fernando Salas (Angels) struck out three in 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up no hits and two walks.

Navojoa:  Chris Roberson was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, his second.  John Lindsey was 1-for-4 with a walk and a home run, his sixth.  Salvador Robles pitched seven shutout innings, allowing four hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

The game:  Roberson hit a two-run homer in the third to open the scoring and give Navojoa a 2-0 lead.  Jose Guadalupe Chavez doubled in a run in the fourth and Carlos Orrantia singled in one in the fifth to make it 4-0 Navojoa.  In the seventh, Lindsey homered to increase the lead to 5-0.  With a seemingly comfortable lead, starting pitcher Robles was removed from the game even though he had thrown only seventy-seven pitches.  The move turned out to be disastrous.  Hermosillo opened the eighth with a walk and two singles to load the bases.  A force out brought home one, a walk re-loaded the bases, and another walk brought home a run to make it 5-2.  Ward then hit a grand slam to make it 6-5.  Navojoa got a pair of walks in the bottom of the eighth, but could not get a hit the rest of the game.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Hermosillo leads the best-of-seven series two games to one.

Puerto Rican League: Game of January 24

Mayaguez evens the series as all three Twins players make important contributions.

MAYAGUEZ 7, CAGUAS 4 IN MAYAGUEZ

Twins:  Eddie Rosario (Mayaguez) was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, his second.  Kennys Vargas (Mayaguez) was 1-for-3 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Daniel Ortiz (Mayaguez) was 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, and a two-run homer (his fourth), scoring twice.

Caguas:  Jeff Dominguez was 2-for-3 with two walks and a double, scoring once.  Juan Silva was 1-for-3 with a walk and a double, scoring once.  Miguel Abreu was 2-for-5 with two RBIs.

Mayaguez:  Randy Ruiz was 2-for-4 with a double and a home run (his second), scoring twice.  Ruben Gotay (Cincinnati) was 0-for-1 with three walks.

The game:  A Vargas walk, an Ortiz double, and a wild pitch scored the first run of the game, putting Mayaguez ahead 1-0 in the third.  A two-run single by Luis Mateo (St. Louis) and a one-run single by Abreu made it 3-1 Caguas in the fourth, but Ortiz hit a two-run homer in the fifth (scoring Vargas) to tie it at three.  Vargas delivered an RBI single in the sixth to put Mayaguez ahead 4-3 and Mayaguez scored three in the seventh to put the game out of reach.  Rosario hit a two-run homer in the inning and Ruiz followed with a solo shot.  Caguas got one in the eighth to make it 7-4 and brought the tying run up to bat with two out, but a fly out ended the inning and Caguas got no closer.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Caguas and Mayaguez are tied in the best-of-seven series at two games each.

Dominican League: Game of January 24

A shutout gets Escogido back into the series.

ESCOGIDO 8, LICEY 0 IN ESCOGIDO

Licey:  Maikel Cleto (Kansas City) struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up two hits and one walk.

Escogido:  Eury Perez (Washington) was 3-for-4 with a walk, scoring twice and driving in two.  Ramon Santiago was 2-for-4 with a walk and a double, scoring twice and driving in one.  Jon Leicester struck out six in six innings, allowing three hits and no walks.

The game:  A single, a walk, a pair of errors, and run-scoring singles by Julio Lugo and Santiago put Escogido ahead 3-0 in the first.  A walk, a single, and a sacrifice fly made it 4-0 after two.  There was no more scoring until the seventh, when Escogido scored three more to put the game out of reach.  Licey's biggest scoring threat came in the eighth, when a hit batsman and two walks loaded the bases with two out, but a ground out ended the inning.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Licey leads the best-of-nine series three games to two.

Venezuelan League: Game of January 24

Magallanes takes its second straight one-run victory.

MAGALLANES 6, ANZOATEGUI 5 IN MAGALLANES

Twins:  Eduardo Escobar (Anzoategui) was 1-for-3 with a double.

Anzoategui:  Jose Gil (Yankees) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a three-run homer (his second), scoring twice.  Gorkys Hernandez (Kansas City) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Ramon A. Ramirez pitched 3.1 scoreless innings, giving up one hit and no walks with one strikeout.

Magallanes:  Mario Lisson (San Francisco) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a home run (his twelfth), scoring twice.  Pablo Sandoval (San Francisco) was 3-for-4 with a run and two RBIs.  Ramon Hernandez (Kansas City) was 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI.

The game:  Lisson homered in the first and a single, two walks, and a ground out plated a run in the second to give Magallanes a 2-0 lead.  Gil hit a three-run homer in the top of the third to put Anzoategui ahead 3-2, but Magallanes got all three runs back in the bottom of the third on a two-run single by Sandoval and an RBI base hit by Hernandez to make it 5-3.  In the sixth, a walk, two singles, and a ground out produced two runs for Anzoategui to tie it at five.  Endy Chavez (Seattle) led off the Magallanes seventh with a single, went to third on a bunt-plus-error, and scored on a sacrifice fly to give Magallanes a 6-5 advantage.  Anzoategui never got the tying run past first base.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Magallanes leads the series, two games to none.

Australian League: Games of January 23

Sydney steals home with a win.  Perth withstands a late rally.

SYDNEY 4, MELBOURNE 3 IN SYDNEY

Melbourne:  Ryan Casteel (Colorado) was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI.  Jared Schlehuber (Kansas City) was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Joe Burns pitched seven innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on nine hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

Sydney:  Jacob May (White Sox) was 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run.  Trent Oeltjen was 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs.  Craig Anderson struck out seven in 6.1 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits and no walks.

The game:  Mitch Dening doubled in Oeltjen in the first to give Sydney a 1-0 lead.  Casteel singled in a run in the fourth to tie it at one.  Melbourne took the lead in the sixth on an RBI single by Justin Huber and a run-scoring double by Darryl George (Tampa Bay).  Oeltjen delivered a two-out two-run single in the seventh to tie it up again, this time at three.  Sydney took the lead in the bottom of the eighth on two singles and a straight steal of home by Trent D'Antonio (Miami).  The Melbourne pitcher, catcher, and manager were all ejected following the steal.  Melbourne went down in order in the ninth.

PERTH 4, ADELAIDE 3 IN PERTH

Adelaide:  Josh Cakebread was 3-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Brock Hebert (Seattle) was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.  Stefan Welch (Boston) was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Perth:  Corey Adamson (San Diego) was 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs.  Brandon Tripp was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.  Jack Frawley pitched six innings, allowing one run on six hits and no walks with five strikeouts.

The game:  Luke Hughes singled in a run in the first to give Perth a 1-0 lead.  Tripp's two-run single in the fifth increased the lead to 3-0.  Adelaide got on the board in the sixth with three singles, the last an RBI base hit by Welch, but Perth got the run back in the seventh on a run-scoring single by Tim Kennelly (Philadelphia).  In the ninth, three walks loaded the bases for Adelaide with one out.  A force out scored one and an Hebert single brought home another, making the score 4-3 runners on first and second with two down.  A strikeout preserved the win for Perth.

CANBERRA AT BRISBANE

Rained out.

Mexican League: Games of January 23

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

Puerto Rican League: Games of January 23

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

Dominican League: Game of January 23

Escogido uses errors and a balk to get the lead and hold on, getting its first win of the series.

ESCOGIDO 6, LICEY 5 IN LICEY

Escogido:  Carlos Santana (Cleveland) was 1-for-4 with a home run (his fourth) and three RBIs.  Jesus Feliciano was 2-for-3 with two walks and an RBI.  Evan Maclane pitched 6.1 innings, giving up three runs on eight hits and no walks with four strikeouts.

Licey: Juan Francisco (Milwaukee) was 3-for-4 with a home run.  Engel Beltre (Texas) was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.  Juan Sosa (Miami) pitched 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing no hits and one walk with one strikeout.

The game:  Two errors, a balk, and an RBI single by Feliciano gave Escogido a 3-0 lead in the first.  Francisco homered in the second to cut the lead to 3-1, but Escogido got two more in the third on Santana's two-run homer to make it 5-1.  Each team scored once in the sixth, leaving the score 6-2.  Licey then came back, getting two in the seventh on Beltre's two-run single and one in the eighth on a sacrifice fly to cut the margin to 6-5.  The tying run was on second with two out, but a ground out ended the inning and LIcey went down in order in the ninth.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Licey leads the best-of-nine series three games to one.

Venezuelan League: Games of January 23

Magallanes gets a lead and hangs on.

MAGALLANES 5, ANZOATEGUI 4 IN MAGALLANES

Twins:  Eduardo Escobar (Anzoategui) was 2-for-4 with a double and a run.

Anzoategui:  Alexi Amarista (San Diego) was 3-for-3 with a walk and a home run (his second), scoring twice.  Oscar Salazar was 1-for-2 with a two-run homer, his second.  Mayckol Guiape (Colorado) pitched two shutout innings, giving up one hit and no walks with one strikeout.

Magallanes:  Ramon Hernandez (Kansas City) was 3-for-4 with a home run (his third) and three RBIs.  Juan Rivera was 2-for-4 with a double and a home run (his fourth), scoring twice.  Carlos Zambrano pitched 5.1 innings, allowing one run on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

The game:  Amarista homered in the first to give Anzoategui a 1-0 lead.  Magallanes tied it on Rivera's homer in the second.  Hernandez hit a two-run homer in the fourth to give Magallanes a 3-1 advantage.  In the fifth, Mario Lisson (San Francisco) homered and Hernandez hit an RBI single to make it 5-1.  In the seventh, Escobar doubled and scored on a Gustavo Molina single to cut the lead to 5-2.  Salazar hit a two-run homer in the eighth to make it 5-4.  Cory Aldridge followed with a single, but a double play ended the inning and Anzoategui went down in order in the ninth.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Magallanes leads the best-of-seven series one game to none.

Australian League: Games of January 22

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

Mexican League: Game of January 22

John Lindsey has a winning campaign for Navojoa.

NAVOJOA 7, HERMOSILLO 4 IN HERMOSILLO

Navojoa:  John Lindsey was 3-for-3 with two walks and a home run (his fifth), driving in three.  Chris Roberson was 2-for-4 with a walk and a two-run homer, scoring twice.  Juan Delgadillo pitched 6.2 innings, giving up two runs on six hits and one walk with five strikeouts.

Hermosillo:  Jose Aguilar was 3-for-4 with a triple and a home run, scoring twice and driving in three.  Luis Alfonzo Garcia was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Jesus Castillo (Oakland) pitched two shutout innings, allowing no hits and one walk.

The game:  Lindsey hit a two-run homer in the first to give Navojoa a 2-0 lead.  Roberson hit a two-run homer in the second to make it 4-0.  Luis Fonseca homered in the top of the third and Aguilar homered in the bottom of the third to leave the score 5-1.  In the fourth, Navojoa finally scored without a home run, getting RBI singles from Jon Weber and Lindsey to lead 7-1.  Aguilar tripled and scored in the fifth to make it 7-2 and hit a two-run single in the eighth to cut the lead to 7-4, but Hermosillo did not get the tying run up to bat.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Navajoa and Hermosillo are tied in their best-of-seven series at one game each.

Puerto Rican League: Game of January 22

Two out of three Twins play well, but an ex-Twin comes through in extra innings.

CAGUAS 5, MAYAGUEZ 4 IN CAGUAS (11 INNINGS)

Twins:  Eddie Rosario (Mayaguez) was 0-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.  Daniel Ortiz (Mayaguez) was 2-for-5 with a home run (his third) and two RBIs.  Kennys Vargas (Mayaguez) was used as a pinch-hitter and was 1-for-1.

Mayaguez:  Irving Falu (Milwaukee) was 4-for-6 with two doubles and two runs.  Randy Ruiz was 1-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.  Jeremy Kehrt (Boston) pitched four innings, giving up one run on five hits and one walk with two strikeouts.

Caguas:  Ramon Castro was 1-for-2 with a walk and a two-run homer, his second.  Miguel Abreu was 4-for-6 with an RBI.  Andres Santiago (Dodgers) pitched 2.2 perfect innings with one strikeout.

The game:  Each team scored once in the second.  Mayaguez took a 2-1 lead in the third when Falu doubled, went to third on a bunt, and scored on a sacrifice fly.  Each team scored once in the fifth.  Mayaguez got an insurance run in the sixth when Ortiz homered to make the score 4-2.  As sometimes happens, their insurance was not enough to cover them, because Castro hit a two-run homer in the ninth to tie the score at four.  In the eleventh, ex-Twin Aaron Bates led off with a double and Edgardo Baez was used as a pinch-runner.  Abreu singled him home to win the game for Caguas.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Caguas leads the best-of-seven series two games to one.

Dominican League: Game of January 22

LEWWWWWW!

LICEY 1, ESCOGIDO 0 IN ESCOGIDO

Licey:  Lew Ford was 1-for-3 with a walk and a double, driving in one.  Esmil Rogers (Toronto) struck out five in 5.2 innings, giving up four hits and two walks.

Escogido:  Carlos Santana (Cleveland) was 1-for-2 with two walks.  Julio Lugo was 1-for-2 with two walks.  Chris Leroux pitched 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk with two strikeouts.

The game:  There was not even a threat to score until the fourth, when Escogido put men on first and third with one out.  A pop fly into short right field ended the inning when the runner from third tried to tag up and score and was thrown out.  Escogido put men on first and second with two out in the sixth, but a fly out ended the threat.  Licey got a man to third with two out in the seventh on a single and two ground outs, but a popup ended the inning.  Licey got two singles and a walk in the eighth with one out, but one man was thrown out on the bases and a ground out left the game scoreless.  In the bottom of the eighth, a single and a walk put men on first and second with two out for Escogido.  The next batter singled, but the runner from second was thrown out at the plate and there was still no score.  In the top of the ninth, Erick Aybar was hit by a pitch and stole second.  With two out, Lew Ford doubled to bring home the game's only run.  Escogido did not get a man past first in the bottom of the ninth.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Licey leads Escogido in the best-of-nine series three games to none.

Venezuelan League: Games of January 22

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

Australian League: Games of January 21

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

Mexican League: Game of January 21

Hermosillo takes game one of the championship series.

HERMOSILLO 4, NAVOJOA 0 IN HERMOSILLO

Navojoa:  John Lindsey was 2-for-4 with a double.  Rolando Acosta was 2-for-3 with a double.

Hermosillo:  Carlos Alberto Gastelum was 1-for-2 with three walks.  Zelous Wheeler (Yankees) was 1-for-4 with a walk and a double, driving in one.  Barry Enright pitched 6.2 innings, allowing seven hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

The game:  Hermosillo opened the scoring in the third when Jerry Owens reached on an error, stole second, and scored on a Wheeler double.  Another run scored in the fourth on two singles, a walk, and a force out.  Hermosillo added two in the fifth on a single and two errors to make it 4-0.  Navojoa made five errors in the game.  Navojoa's best scoring chance came in the second, when they got a pair of one-out singles, but a double play ended the inning.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Hermosillo takes a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven championship series.

Puerto Rican League: Games of January 21

Two Twins contribute as Mayaguez evens the series at one game each.

MAYAGUEZ 6, CAGUAS 4 IN MAYAGUEZ

Twins:  Eddie Rosario (Mayaguez) was 3-for-4 with a home run and scored twice.  Daniel Ortiz (Mayaguez) was 1-for-2 with a walk and a triple and scored once.

Caguas:  Jeff Dominguez was 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs.  Neftali Soto (Cincinnati) was 2-for-4 with a double and a run.  Derek Blacksher pitched two shutout innings, giving up two hits and no walks with one strikeout.

Mayaguez:  Martin Maldonado (Milwaukee) was 2-for-4 with a double, scoring once and driving in two.  Ruben Gotay (Cincinnati) was 1-for-2 with a walk and a triple, scoring twice.

The game:  Rosario homered in the first inning to give Mayaguez a 1-0 lead.  A walk, a single, a bunt, a sacrifice fly, and an RBI single by Angel Sanchez made it 3-0 after two.  An error, catcher's interference, and a two-run double by Maldonado made it 5-0 after three,  Caguas came back with two in the fifth on RBI singles by Luis Mateo (St. Louis) and Miguel Abreu and got two more in the sixth an Aaron Bates RBI single and a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 5-4.  They left the bases loaded in the sixth and got two on with none out in the eighth, but could not even the score.  In the bottom of the eighth, Ortiz tripled and scored on a Jose Morales single to make it 6-4.  Caguas went down in order in the ninth.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Caguas and Mayaguez are now tied in the best-of-seven series at one game each.

Dominican League: Games of January 21

Licey  goes up 2-0 in the series.

LICEY 5, ESCOGIDO 1 IN LICEY

Escogido:  Gregory Polanco (Pittsburgh) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a home run.

Licey:  Juan Francisco (Milwaukee) was 1-for-4 with a home run, his sixth.  Rene Rivera was 1-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.  Yunesky Maya (Atlanta) pitched seven innings, allowing one run on four hits and one walk with six strikeouts.

The game:  Polanco homered with two out in the first to put Escogido on the board with a 1-0 lead.  Licey opened the first with three singles, the third a run-scoring hit by Erick Aybar (Angels).  That tied it at one, and later in the inning a force out put Licey ahead 2-1.  It stayed 2-1 until the fourth, when Francisco opened the inning with a home run.  A pair of one-out singles later in the inning put two on, and a two-out double by Rivera made it 5-1.  Other than the Polanco homer, Escogido's only scoring threat came in the fourth, when a two-out single put men on first and third.  A ground out ended the inning.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Licey takes a 2-0 lead in the best-of-nine series.

Venezuelan League: Games of January 21

The last day of the round robin.  It's a grand day to be a Castillo.  Lisson to the sound of two-run homers.

ANZOATEGUI 11, ZULIA 7 IN ANZOATEGUI

Twins:  Oswaldo Arcia (Zulia) was 0-for-5.  Eduardo Escobar (Anzoategui) was 2-for-4.

Zulia:  Ali Castillo (Yankees) was 1-for-3 with a grand slam.  Freddy Galvis (Philadelphia) was 3-for-5 with a double and two runs.  Jose Flores was 3-for-4 with a double and a run.

Anzoategui:  Oscar Salazar was 3-for-4 with a triple and a home run, scoring three times and driving in four.  Alexi Amarista (San Diego) was 3-for-4 with a walk and a double, scoring three times.  Jose Castillo was 1-for-4 with a grand slam (his third homer) and five RBIs.

The game:  In the bottom of the first, Salazar singled in a run and Jose Castillo hit a grand slam to put Anzoategui ahead 5-1.  It was 8-1 after three, but Zulia came back with six in the fourth, getting a grand slam of their own from Ali Castillo.  That was the last hurrah for Zulia, though.  Anzoategui scored on a ground out in the fourth, a Salazar single in the sixth, and a sacrifice fly in the eighth.  Zulia did not get a man past first base after the fourth inning.

MAGALLANES 8, CARACAS 0 IN MAGALLANES

Twins:  Deolis Guerra (Magallanes) struck out two in a scoreless inning, giving up no hits and one walk.

Caracas:  Yangervis Solarte (Yankees) was 2-for-4 with a double.

Magallanes:  Mario Lisson (San Francisco) was 3-for-4 with two home runs (his ninth and tenth) and four RBIs.  Ronny Cedeno was 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI.  Dustin Richardson pitched six innings, allowing three hits and one walk with five strikeouts.

The game:  Lisson hit a two-run homer in the first to give Magallanes a 2-0 lead.  It stayed 2-0 until the sixth, when with two out and none on a single, a walk, and a Ramon Hernandez RBI single made it 3-0.  The first two Magallanes batters again went out in the seventh, but a walk, a single, and a wild pitch plated one and Lisson hit another two-run homer to put the game out of reach.  Caracas only once got a man to second base, when Solarte hit a two-out double in the third inning.

PLAYOFF STANDINGS

Magallanes, 11-5
Anzoategui, 10-6
Caracas, 9-7
La Guaira, 5-11
Zulia, 5-11

Magallanes and Anzoategui advance to the championship series.

Australian League: Games of January 20

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

Mexican League: Games of January 20

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

Puerto Rican League: Games of January 20

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

Dominican League: Game of January 20

Licey wins game one of the championship series.  LEWWWWW scores the winning run.

LICEY 2, ESCOGIDO 1 IN ESCOGIDO

Licey:  Lew Ford was 2-for-2 with a double and a run.  Erick Aybar (Angels)  was 1-for-3 with a walk and a triple, scoring once.  Mitch Atkins (Atlanta) pitched seven innings, giving up one run on four hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

Escogido:  Carlos Santana (Cleveland) was 0-for-2 with two walks and a run.  Elih Villaneuva (Miami) struck out five in 4.2 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and no walks.

The game:  Aybar tripled in the first and scored on a Juan Francisco (Milwaukee) single.  Escogido tied it in the second on a walk and two singles, with Jesus Feliciano driving in the run.  In the fourth, Ford singled, went to third on an error, and scored on a sacrifice fly to give Licey a 2-1 lead.  Licey's pitching took it from there, as Escogido did not get a man past first base the rest of the game.

PLAYOFF STANDINGS

Licey takes a 1-0 lead in the championship series.

Venezuelan View: Games of January 20

A home run for Eduardo Escobar.  A big comeback ends a wild game in Caracas.

ANZOATEGUI 6, ZULIA 1 IN ANZOATEGUI

Twins:  Oswaldo Arcia (Zulia) was 1-for-4 with a double.  Eduardo Escobar (Anzoategui) was 2-for-4 with a home run, his third.  Miguel Sulbaran (Zulia) pitched one inning, giving up one run on one hit and two walks.

Zulia:  Luis Ugueto was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run.

Anzoategui:  Cory Aldridge was 2-for-4 with a double and a two-run homer, his fifth.  Hector Gimenez (White Sox) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a double, scoring once.  Daryl Thompson pitched 4.2 innings, allowing four hits and no walks with one strikeout.

The game:  There was no score until the fourth, when Aldridge hit a two-run homer to put Anzoategui up 2-0.  Escobar homered in the fifth and a wild pitch scored a run in the sixth to make it 4-0.  Zulia's lone run came in the seventh on a Wilmer Oberto (Philadelphia) RBI single, but Anzoategui got the run back in the seventh and added one in the eighth.

CARACAS 14, LA GUAIRA 13 IN CARACAS

La Guaira:  Alex Cabrera was 4-for-6 with a double and four RBIs.  Breyvic Valera was 3-for-4 with three runs and an RBI.  Eduardo Figueroa (Cubs) pitched three innings, giving up an unearned run on two hits and two walks.

Caracas:  Bobby Abreu was 3-for-4 with two walks and a grand slam (his eighth home run), scoring twice and driving in six.  Jesus Guzman (Houston) was 3-for-5 with two doubles and a home run (his third), scoring twice and driving in three.  Jose Diaz (Cincinnati) struck out two in two shutout innings, allowing one hit and no walks.

The game:  La Guaira put together five singles, a hit batsman, and an error to score four in the second and take a 5-0 lead.  It was still 6-2 after three.  Caracas came back to score six in the fourth to take an 8-6 lead.  Abreu hit his grand slam in that inning.  La Guaira came back with six of their own in the fifth to go ahead 12-8.  They had five singles, two walks, an error, and a two-run double by Rene Reyes.  It was 12-9 after five and still 12-9 after eight.  Cabrera's RBI single made it 13-9 going to the bottom of the ninth.  Guzman's two-run homer cut the lead to 13-11.  Yangeris Solarte (Yankees) had an RBI single to make it 13-12 with one out.  Abreu came up with two out and the bases loaded and delivered a two-run single to end the game.

PLAYOFF STANDINGS

Magallanes, 10-5
Anzoategui, 9-6
Caracas, 9-6
Zulia, 5-10
La Guaira, 5-11