Venezuelan League: Games of January 9

Day eight of the playoffs.  A big day by Oswaldo Arcia isn't enough for Zulia.  Walks and errors boost Magallanes.

CARACAS 8, ZULIA 4 IN CARACAS

Twins:  Oswaldo Arcia (Zulia) was 2-for-3 with a walk and two doubles, scoring twice.

Zulia:  Freddy Galvis (Philadelphia) was 3-for-5 with two doubles and a triple, driving in two.  Ender Inciarte (Arizona) was 1-for-2 with a run.  Juan Apodaca (Texas) was 1-for-4 with an RBI.

Caracas:  Aharon Eggleston was 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.  Jesus Aguilar (Cleveland) was 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs.  Yoanner Negrin (Cubs) pitched five innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

The game:  Galvis doubled in a run in the top of the first, but it was Zulia's only lead of the game.  An error in the bottom of the first tied the score and in the second Alex Romero singled in a run to put Caracas ahead 2-1.  In the third, Alex Gonzalez doubled in a run and Eggleston singled in another to make it 4-1.  Zulia scored single runs in the fifth and sixth to close to 4-3 and had the tying run on third, but in the bottom of the sixth a run-scoring ground out and a Yangervis Solarte RBI double put Caracas back up by three at 6-3.  Two more in the seventh put Caracas firmly in control of the game.

MAGALLANES 6, LA GUAIRA 4 IN MAGALLANES

La Guaira:  Rafael Alvarez was 1-for-3 with a walk and a double, scoring once and driving in one.  Carlos Sanchez (White Sox) was 1-for-5 with a run and an RBI.  Cesar Suarez was 1-for-5 with a double and a run.

Magallanes:  Endy Chavez (Seattle) was 3-for-4 with a walk and a double, scoring three times.  Adonis Garcia (Yankees) was 3-for-4 with three RBIs.  Sergio Perez pitched five innings, allowing two unearned runs on four hits and one walk with two strikeouts.

The game:  Alberto Callaspo (Oakland) hit a two-run double in the third to put Magallanes ahead 2-0.  La Guaira tied it in the fourth on a run-scoring single by Joe Thurston and an RBI double by Alvarez.  Garcia drove in a run with a single in the fifth to put Magallanes in the lead to stay at 3-2, and a three-run sixth put Magallanes in control.  Four walks, an error, and a two-run single by Garcia produced the runs.  Magallanes got back into it in the ninth, scoring twice and putting men on second and third with two out, but a strikeout ended the game.

PLAYOFF STANDINGS

Magallanes, 6-1
Anzoategui, 4-2
Caracas, 3-3
La Guaira, 2-5
Zulia, 1-5