Twins in the Venezuelan League

The Venezuelan League season is over, so here's how Twins players there did.

The star was Luis Arraez.  In 182 at-bats he hit .335/.382/.445 with 22 RBIs.  Small sample size, but he had similar numbers in Cedar Rapids last year:  .347/.386/.444.  He probably should've been moved up to Fort Myers, but he wasn't.  He'll be twenty on April 9.

Reynaldo Rodriguez, who the Twins recently re-signed, also had a fine season.  He batted .309/.370/.536 in in 220 at-bats, hitting 12 home runs  with 41 RBIs.  Rodriguez is thirty, so he's not a prospect, but he'll help the Rochester Red Wings again.

Niko Goodrum put up solid numbers, too.  He batted .284/.354/.431 in 116 at-bats.  Those numbers are close to what he did in Chattanooga last season.  He'll be twenty-five at the end of February.

Eduardo Escobar got to Venezuela a week or so ago.  He went 4-for-13 in three games, giving him a batting average of .308.

Victor Tademo appeared in four games, each time as a pinch-runner.  He stole a base and scored once.  He did not get a plate appearance.

Ryan O'Rourke did not do well in Venezuela.  In thirteen games (16.2 innings), he went 1-1, 6.48, 1.80 WHIP.  He did strike out seventeen.  It probably won't have much impact on his future with the Twins, but it certainly didn't help.

Edwar Colina appeared in one game and pitched one inning, giving up two hits but no runs.

Confesor Lara spent most of the winter in the Dominican, but he appeared in one game in Venezuela.  He gave up no hits and a walk with one strikeout.

The Venezuelan League playoffs start next week.  Six teams go.  The first round is a best-of-seven series.  Here are the matchups.

Margarita v. Lara
La Guaira v. Anzoategui
Aragua v. Zulia

Games of December 29

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

MARGARITA 4, CARACAS 2 IN CARACAS

Margarita scored two in the eighth to break a 2-2 tie.  Breyvic Valera hit a home run for Margarita, his seventh.

ANZOATEGUI 4, MAGALLANES 1 IN MAGALLANES

Two singles, a walk, and another single produced two first-inning runs for Anzoategui and they led all the way.  Daryl Thompson pitched seven shutout innings, giving up seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

LARA 10, ARAGUA 7 IN LARA

Lara trailed 5-2, but a two-run fourth and a three-run fifth gave them a 7-5 lead and they were ahead the rest of the way.  Jairo Perez hit a home run for Lara, his fifth.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

PLAYOFFS--DAY THREE

AGUILAS 7, ESCOGIDO 4 IN ESCOGIDO

Zoilo Almonte's two-run double gave the Aguilas a 2-0 lead in the first and Jonathan Villar's two-run single in the sixth made it 7-4.  Danny Santana was 0-for-3 with a walk and a run for the Aguilas.  Jorge Polanco was 3-for-4 with a double for Escogido, scoring once and driving in one.  Almonte was 3-for-5 for the Aguilas.

LICEY 10, GIGANTES 7 AT GIGANTES

A single, a walk, and three doubles produced four runs for Licey, turning a 3-1 deficit into a 5-3 lead they kept the rest of the game.  Diory Hernandez was 3-for-4 with two doubles and a walk for Licey, scoring four times and driving in one.  Jason Rogers homered for Licey.

STANDINGS

Licey, 2-0
Aguilas, 2-1
Gigantes, 0-1
Escogido, 0-2

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

CAROLINA 4, MAYAGUEZ 1 IN MAYAGUEZ

Jeff Dominguez' two-run homer capped a three-run fourth that put Carolina up 3-0.  Benji Gonzalez was 1-for-3 for Mayaguez.  Kennys Vargas was 1-for-4 for Mayaguez.  Felix Ortega pitched five innings for Carolina, giving up one run on five hits and no walks with two strikeouts.

CAGUAS 4, AGUADILLA 2 IN CAGUAS

Rusney Castillo's RBI single in the sixth broke a 2-2 tie and Caguas added an insurance run in the eighth.  Orlando Roman struck out six in six innings for Caguas, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

CULIACAN 6, JALISCO 5 IN JALISCO

Joey Meneses' three-run homer in the seventh gave Culiacan a 6-4 lead and they held on.  Maxwell Leon was 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI for Culiacan.  Meneses' homer was his seventh.

NAVOJOA 12, LOST MOCHIS 7 IN LOS MOCHIS

Leading 4-3, Navojoa scored three in the fourth, highlighted by a two-run single by Quincy Latimore, to take control of the game.  Alan Sanchez was 5-for-5 with two doubles for Navojoa, scoring four times and driving in two.  Yosmany Guerra was 3-for-5 with two doubles for Navojoa, scoring once and driving in three.

OBREGON 11, MAZATLAN 4 IN MAZATLAN

Mazatlan led 1-0 through seven, but Obregon scored five in the eighth and six in the ninth to take control of the game.  Irwin Delgado struck out six in 5.1 innings for Obregon, giving up one run on four hits and a walk.

HERMOSILLO 8, MEXICALI 2 IN MEXICALI

Hermosillo scored seven in the fourth to take an 8-2 lead.  Jose Amador hit a grand slam in the inning.  Pablo Ortega pitched six innings for Hermosillo, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts.  Amador's home run was his fifteenth.  O'Koyea Dickson also hit a home run, his second.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE*

ADELAIDE 13, BRISBANE 10 IN BRISBANE

Adelaide saw a 9-1 lead shrink to 9-8 before scoring two in the seventh and two in the eighth to take control of the game.  Aaron Whitefield was 2-for-4 with two walks for Brisbane, scoring three times.  Logan Wade was 0-for-6 for Brisbane, dropping his average to .300.  Mitch Dening was 5-for-5 with three home runs (his fourth, fifth, and sixth) for Adelaide, scoring four times and driving in six.  Jordan McArdle was 3-for-5 with two runs for Adelaide.  Marcus Greene, Jr. hit a home run, his sixth.

SYDNEY 9, MELBOURNE 2 IN SYDNEY

Sydney had three doubles and a single in the first inning, producing a 3-0 lead which Sydney held the rest of the game.  Craig Anderson pitched five innings for Sydney, giving up an unearned run on four hits and a walk with three strikeouts.  Tucker Neuhaus was 3-for-4 with two doubles for Sydney, scoring twice and driving in one.

CANBERRA 4, PERTH 3 IN PERTH

Each team scored three in the first.  The only other run came in the seventh on back-to-back doubles by Robbie Perkens and Aaron Sayers.  Louis Cohen pitched seven innings for Canberra, giving up three unearned runs on four hits and three walks with five strikeouts.  Sayers was 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI.

*Games played December 30.  It's timey-wimey.

Games of December 28

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

MAGALLANES 9, ZULIA 3 IN MAGALLANES

Leading 4-3, Magallanes hit three doubles in a four-run fifth that put the game out of reach.  Endy Chavez was 3-for-4 for Magallanes, scoring twice and driving in one.

MARGARITA 3, CARACAS 1 IN CARACAS

Caracas got a run in the first, but Margarita came back with two in the third and one in the fifth.  Omar Poveda struck out six in five innings for Margarita, giving up one run on six hits and no walks.  Breyvic Valera was 3-for-4 with a double for Margarita, scoring once and driving in one.

ARAGUA 7, ANZOATEGUI 0 IN ARAGUA

Aragua scored three in the second and never trailed.  Eduardo Escobar was 2-for-5 with an RBI for Aragua and is batting .308.  Misael Siverio pitched 6.1 scoreless innings, giving up three hits and no walks with four strikeouts.

LARA 10, LA GUAIRA 1 IN LARA

Manny Pina hit a two-run triple to cap a four-run first that put Lara in control of the game.  Jorge Martinez pitched five innings for Lara, giving up an unearned run on two hits and two walks with one strikeout.  Ildemaro Vargas was 4-for-4 with a walk and three runs for Lara.  Luis Valbuena was 3-for-5 with a run and three RBIs for Lara.  Rangel Ravelo was 2-for-2 with a home run (his sixth) and a walk for Lara, scoring three times and driving in two.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

PLAYOFFS--DAY TWO

AGUILAS 7, ESCOGIDO 4 AT AGUILAS

Each team scored four in the first, the Aguilas scored three in the third, and that was it.  Neither team's starter made it out of the first inning.  Danny Santana was used as a pinch-runner for the Aguilas and did not bat.  Jorge Polanco was 2-for-4 with a walk and a run for Escogido.  Zoilo Almonte was 4-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs for the Aguilas.

GIGANTES AT LICEY

Rained out.

STANDINGS

Licey, 1-0
Aguilas, 1-1
Gigantes, 0-0
Escogido, 0-1

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

SANTURCE 1, MAYAGUEZ 0 IN SANTURCE

It was scoreless until the bottom of the ninth, when Neftali Soto hit a one-out walkoff homer.  Eddie Rosario was 0-for-3 with a walk for Mayaguez.  Kennys Vargas was 0-for-3 with a walk for Mayaguez.  Benji Gonzalez was 0-for-3 for Mayaguez.  Dereck Rodriguez struck out two in 1.1 innings for Mayaguez, giving up one run on one hit and no walks, making his ERA 1.02.  Reiner Roibal pitched four shutout innings for Santurce, giving up two hits and two walks with three strikeouts.  Soto's homer was his fourth.

AGUADILLA 3, CAROLINA 2 IN CAROLINA

A two-run double by Jorge Jimenez in the eighth turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead and an eventual win.  Tomas Santiago pitched 5.1 innings for Aguadilla, giving up two runs on five hits and four walks with three strikeouts.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

JALISCO 7, CULIACAN 6 IN JALISCO (12 INNINGS)

Culiacan led 2-1 until the eighth, when they scored four runs to take a commanding 6-1 lead only to see Jalisco get five in the bottom of the inning to tie it 6-6.  Jose Manuel Rodriguez led off the twelfth with a walkoff homer for Jalisco.  Miguel Chalas pitched 5.1 innings for Jalisco, giving up two runs on seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts.  Rodriguez was 3-for-6 and the home run was his seventh.  Jesus Valdez hit a home run for Jalisco, his sixth.

NAVOJOA 8, LOS MOCHIS 4 IN LOS MOCHIS

Alejandro Gonzalez hit a two-run homer in the fourth to break a 3-3 tie and put Navojoa in the lead to stay.  Quincy Latimore was 2-for-3 with a home run (his twelfth) and two walks for Navojoa, scoring twice and driving in four.  Gonzalez was 2-for-2 with two walks for Navojoa.  The home run was his second, as he scored twice and drove in two.

MAZATLAN 2, OBREGON 1 IN MAZATLAN

Mazatlan scored two in the first and made them stand up.  Felipe Gonzalez pitched six shutout innings for Mazatlan, giving up two hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

MEXICALI 8, HERMOSILLO 7 IN MEXICALI

C. J. Retherford hit a grand slam to cap a six-run eighth, bringing Mexicali back from a 7-2 deficit to win.  Retherford was 2-for-4 with a walk in addition to the home run, which was his thirteenth.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE*

ADELAIDE 8, BRISBANE 3 IN BRISBANE

Mitch Dening's two-run homer in the eighth put Adelaide ahead 4-3 and they added four in the ninth to put the game out of reach.  Aaron Whitefield was 0-for-5 for Brisbane.  Logan Wade was 1-for-5 with a double for Brisbane.  Dening was 2-for-5 and the home run was his third.  LeDarious Clark was also 2-for-5 with a home run (his second), as well as a walk.  Jordan Cowan was 2-for-5 with a home run and scored twice.

MELBOURNE 4, SYDNEY 3 IN SYDNEY

Cody Jones' RBI single with two out in the ninth put Melbourne ahead to stay.  Mark Hamburger struck out eleven in eight innings for Melbourne, giving up three runs on nine hits and no walks.

PERTH 8, CANBERRA 2 IN PERTH

With Perth already up 4-2 Joey Wong hit a three-run triple to put the game out of reach.  Matt Kennelly was 3-for-4 with a home run and a double for Perth, scoring three times.  Tim Kennelly was 2-for-3 with a home run (his third), a double, and a walk for Perth, scoring twice.

*Games played December 29.  It's timey-wimey.

Games of December 27

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

ZULIA 6, CARACAS 4 IN CARACAS

Trailing 3-1 through eight, Zulia scored five in the ninth to win.  Caracas scored one in the ninth and had the bases loaded when the third out was made.  Wilfredo Boscan pitched four shutout innings for Zulia, giving up two hits and two walks with two strikeouts.  Jose Flores was 3-for-4 with a double for Zulila, scoring once and driving in one.

MARGARITA 15, ANZOATEGUI 3 IN ANZOATEGUI

Margarita scored six in the second inning and was never threatened.  Breyvic Valera hit a two-run triple in the inning.  Randy Boone pitched six innings for Margarita, giving up two runs on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts.  Angelo Castellano was 3-for-5 with a double and a walk for Margarita, scoring twice and driving in three.

LARA 5, ARAGUA 3, IN ARAGUA

A walk was followed by four singles in the fifth inning, producing three Lara runs and breaking a 2-2 tie.  Eduardo Escobar was 2-for-4 for Aragua.  Rangel Ravelo was 3-for-5 with a double for Lara, scoring twice.

LA GUAIRA 2, MAGALLANES 1 IN MAGALLANES

In the first inning, La Guaira got three singles and two walks, producing two runs that turned out to be all La Guaira needed.  Jonathan Albaladejo pitched six innings for La Guaira, giving up one run on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

PLAYOFFS--DAY ONE

LICEY 4, AGUILAS 1 IN LICEY

Three singles and two errors produced two Licey runs in the first and Licey led all the way.  Danny Santana was used as a reserve for Licey and was 0-for-1.  Yohan Flande pitched 5.1 innings for LIcey, giving up one run on four hits and a walk with three strikeouts.  Diory Hernandez was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs for Licey.  Austin Wynns was 3-for-4 with an RBI.

ESCOGIDO AT GIGANTES

Rained out.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

CAROLINA 4, CAGUAS 3 IN CAGUAS

Carolina trailed 3-2 going to the eighth, but a strikeout/wild pitch, a double, and a throwing error brought home the tying and go-ahead runs.  Giovanni Soto struck out six in six innings for Carolina, giving up two runs on seven hits and no walks.  Jeff Dominguez was 4-for-4 with two doubles and a run for Carolina.  Both Giovanni Soto and Geovany Soto play for Carolina, which one would think must get confusing at times.

MAYAGUEZ 2, AGUADILLA 1 IN AGUADILLA

Mayaguez scored two in the first and made it stand up.  Eddie Rosario was 0-for-5 for Mayaguez.  Kennys Vargas was 0-for-3 with a walk for Mayaguez.  Benji Gonzalez was 0-for-3 with a walk for Mayaguez.  Jorge Lopez struck out six in four shutout innings for Mayaguez, giving up three hits and three walks.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

HERMOSILLO 6, LOS MOCHIS 2 IN HERMOSILLO

Efren Navarro's two-run triple brought home the go-ahead runs in a four-run fourth that broke a 2-2 tie.  Travis Blackley pitched 6.2 innings for Hermosillo, giving up two runs on ten hits and a walk with one strikeout.

NAVOJOA 8, JALISCO 1 IN NAVOJOA

Already leading 4-1, Navojoa scored four in the seventh to put the game out of reach.  Hector Velazquez struck out six in 6.1 innings for Navojoa, giving up one run on four hits and no walks.  Quincy Latimore was 2-for-4 with a home run (his eleventh) and a double for Navojoa, scoring twice.  Niko Vazquez hit a two-run homer for Navojoa, his eighth.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

Twins in the Dominican League

With the regular season over in the Dominican League, I thought we'd take a quick look at how Twins players did there.

The first thing to note is that the highest number of at-bats any Twin had in the Dominican League is 89, and the highest number of innings pitched was 23.2.  In other words, we're dealing with small sample sizes here, and it would not be wise to make too much of them.  The competition tends to be somewhat uneven as well.  Still, as I always say, it seems like it would be better to do well than to do poorly.

None of the batters exactly tore up the track.  The best was Jorge Polanco, who only batted .236/.317/.326 in 89 at-bats for Escogido.  His eleven walks gave him an almost-adequate OBP, but that was about it.

Next comes Daniel Palka, who had 80 at-bats, also for Escogido.  He batted .188/.258/.338.  He did hit three home runs, but he struck out thirty times.

Danny Santana had forty at-bats for the Aguilas.  He batted .200/.227/.200.

Leonardo Reginatto had forty at-bats for Este.  He batted .150/.209/.150.

Dan Rohlfing had only three at-bats for the Gigantes, going 0-for-3 with a walk.  That makes his numbers .000/.250/.000.

New Twin Ben Paulson had twenty-four at-bats for Escogido.  He batted .042/.117/.042, getting one hit and drawing two walks.

Did the pitchers do better?  Well, yes, a couple of them did.  The best was new Twin Justin Haley, who went 2-0, 0.38 in five starts (23.2 innings) for Escogido.  He struck out 14 while walking 4 and had a WHIP of 0.68.

Confesor Lara did okay for Oriente.  He was 1-0, 3.94, 1.38 WHIP in 16 innings (18 games).  He struck out only 5, though, and walked 8.

Nik Turley rounds out the pitchers.  He was 0-2, 4.11, 1.57 WHIP in 15.1 innings (5 starts).  He struck out 12 and walked 7.

So there you have it.  The Dominican League playoffs start today.  It appears to be an eighteen-game round-robin playoff.  The teams involved, in order of standing, are the Gigantes, Licey, the Aguilas, and Escogido.  How many Twins will be involved is hard to tell--players come and go in winter leagues, plus most of them allow what in amateur ball we used to call "pick-up players" from teams that didn't make the playoffs.  So, we'll have to wait and see.  I plan to do reports on the playoffs, so we'll find out together.

Games of December 24-26

GAMES OF DECEMBER 24

The only game played in any of the winter leagues was in the Dominican League.  It was a makeup game and it was the last game of their regular season.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

GIGANTES 5, ORIENTE 3 AT GIGANTES

A four-run sixth broke open a 1-1 tie and put the Gigantes in the lead to stay.  All the damage came with two out and no one on, as Oriente made two errors in the inning.  Aderlin Rodriguez was 3-for-4 with a run for the Gigantes.

GAMES OF DECEMBER 25

The only winter league to play games on December 25 was the Mexican League.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

OBREGON 6, MEXICALI 4 IN OBREGON

A three-run fourth put Obregon up 6-1 and the score stayed there until the ninth.  Mexicali scored three in the ninth and got the tying run up to bat with one out but could do no more.  Fabio Castro pitched 5.2 innings for Mexicali, giving up one run on three hits and four walks with four strikeouts.

JALISCO 10, NAVOJOA 1 IN NAVOJOA

Leading 1-0, Jalisco scored nine runs in the fifth to put the game out of reach.  Daniel Guerrero struck out five in five shutout innings for Jalisco, giving up five hits and two walks.  Jose Manuel Rodriguez was 3-for-4 with a double, scoring once and driving in two for Jalisco.

CULIACAN 2, MAZATLAN 1 IN CULIACAN

Mazatlan scored one in the third and it held up until the ninth.  A walk and a single-plus-error tied the score and put the winning run on third.  Joey Meneses then singled home that winning run.  Edgar Gonzalez pitched eight innings for Culiacan, giving up one run on eight hits and no walks with two strikeouts.

GAMES OF DECEMBER 26

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

ANZOATEGUI 5, MARGARITA 4 IN ANZOATEGUI

Trailing 5-2 after seven, Margarita scored two in the eighth and had the bases loaded with two out but could not get the tying run home.  Yeiper Castillo pitched five shutout innings for Anzoategui, giving up one hit and two walks with four strikeouts.

ARAGUA 5, CARACAS 1 IN ARAGUA

Renato Nunez hit a two-run homer in the first for Aragua and they led the rest of the way.  Eduardo Escobar was 0-for-4 for Aragua.  Yohan Pino pitched 4.1 innings for Aragua, giving up one run on seven hits and one walk with one strikeout.  Nunez' homer was his eleventh.

LA GUAIRA 6, MAGALLANES 3 IN LA GUAIRA

Jose Martinez hit a two-run double in a four-run third that broke a 1-1 tie and put LaGuaira in control of the game.  Edgmer Escalona pitched five innings for La Guaira, giving up two runs on six hits and a walk with four strikeouts.  Heiker Meneses was 4-for-4 with a triple and a double for La Guaira, scoring once and driving in two.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

AGUADILLA 6, CAGUAS 3 IN AGUADILLA

Ricardo Bautista's three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth broke a 3-3 tie.  Efrain Nieves pitched six innings for Aguadilla, giving up one run on four hits and a walk with four strikeouts.  Bautista's homer was his second.

CAROLINA 3, SANTURCE 1 IN CAROLINA

Carolina scored two in the sixth to break a scoreless tie.  Mario Santiago pitched 8.1 innings for Carolina, giving up one run on seven hits and a walk with five strikeouts.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

MEXICALI 4, OBREGON 1 IN OBREGON

Luis Juarez hit a two-run homer in the fourth to put Mexicali ahead 2-1.  Juarez hit another homer in the seventh, as did C. J. Retherford.  Edgar Osuna pitched six innings for Mexicali, giving up one run on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts.  Juarez' homers were his fourth and fifth and Retherford's was his twelfth.

LOS MOCHIS 1, HERMOSILLO 0 IN HERMOSILLO

J. C. Linares' RBI double in the third produced the game's only run.  Manny Bareda struck out nine in six no-hit innings for Los Mochis, walking three.  Hermosillo's only two hits came in the eighth.

NAVOJOA 3, JALISCO 2 IN NAVOJOA

Tony Thomas tied it with an RBI triple in the fifth and scored the go-ahead run later in the inning.  Ruddy Acosta pitched five innings for Navojoa, giving up two runs on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts.  Yosmany Guerra was 3-for-4 with a walk for Navojoa, scoring once.  Lance Zawadski hit a home run for Navojoa.

CULIACAN 5, MAZATLAN 4 IN CULIACAN (13 INNINGS)

With a man on second and one out, a wild pitch-plus-error allowed the winning run to score.  Jose Manuel Orozco hit a home run for Culiacan, his fifth.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

Games of December 23

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

CARACAS 4, LA GUAIRA 2 IN CARACAS

Trailing 2-1 in the eighth, Caracas got a walk, a single, and a walk to load the bases and Felix Perez delivered a three-run triple to bring in the go-ahead runs.  Henry Alejandro Rodriguez was 3-for-4 with a run for Caracas

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

ORIENTE AT GIGANTES

Rained out.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

SANTURCE 3, CAGUAS 2 IN SANTURCE (11 INNINGS)

Caguas got two in the first but could do no more.  Santurce tied it with one in the fifth and one in the sixth.  With two out and none on in the eleventh, a walk, a single, and an RBI single by Hector Olivera produced the winning run.  Andres Santiago pitched five innings for Santurce, giving up two runs on six hits and no walks with two strikeouts.

AGUADILLA 8, MAYAGUEZ 3 IN MAYAGUEZ

With the score tied 2-2, Aguadilla scored two in the sixth and two in the seventh to take control.  Eddie Rosario was 1-for-4 with a walk for Mayaguez.  Kennys Vargas was 0-for-4 for Mayaguez.  Benji Gonzalez was 0-for-4 with a walk for Mayaguez.  Jarret Leveret pitched five innings for Aguadilla, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts.  Ricardo Bautista was 4-for-5 with a double for Aguadilla, scoring once and driving in two.  Yariel Gonzalez was 3-for-4 with a triple and a walk for Aguadilla, scoring once and driving in two.  Alexis Pantoja was 3-for-4 with an RBI for Aguadilla.  Reymond Fuentes hit a home run for Aguadilla, his second.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

MEXICALI 1, OBREGON 0 IN OBREGON

A hit batsman, a single, and an error in the first inning produced the game's only run.  Miguel Pena pitched 7.2 scoreless innings for Mexicali, giving up two hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

LOS MOCHIS 12, HERMOSILLO 4 IN HERMOSILLO

Los Mochis got three in the second and two in each of innings three through five to take control of the game.  Yadir Drake was 4-for-5 with a walk for Los Mochis, scoring three times.  Jake Fox was 3-for-6 with a home run (his third) and two doubles for Los Mochis, scoring twice and driving in three.  Rodolfo Amador was 3-for-5 with a double and a walk for Los Mochis, scoring twice and driving in two.

CULIACAN 9, MAZATLAN 2 IN CULIACAN

Ramiro Pena hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Culiacan led all the way.  Daniel Rodriguez pitched seven innings, giving up two runs on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts.  Pena's home run was his fourth.  Iker Franco hit a three-run homer for Culiacan, his fifth.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

Games of December 22

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

ANZOATEGUI 4, ZULIA 3 IN ZULIA

Niuman Romero's sixth-inning RBI single tied it 3-3 and a wild pitch later in the inning brought home the go-ahead run.  Reynaldo Rodriguez was 1-for-4 with an RBI for Zulia and is batting .309.  Ehire Adrianza hit a home run for Anzoategui.

LARA 6, CARACAS 2 IN LARA

Gustavo Molina hit a two-run homer in a four-run third that put Lara ahead to stay.  Nestor Molina pitched five innings for Lara, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts.  Gustavo Molina's homer was his third.

MAGALLANES 4, MARGARITA 3 IN MARGARITA

RBI singles by Ronny Cedeno and Frank Diaz in the fifth inning put Magallanes ahead 4-3.  Mark Serrano pitched four innings of relief for Magallanes, giving up one run on two hits and no walks with three strikeouts.

ARAGUA 5, LA GUAIRA 4 IN LA GUAIRA

Trailing 5-2, La Guaira scored one in the eighth and one in the ninth but could not complete the comeback.  Lueris Gomez pitched five innings for Aragua, giving up two unearned runs on three hits and a walk with three strikeouts.  Hernan Perez was 3-for-4 with a double and a walk for Aragua, driving in three.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

AGUILAS 5, GIGANTES 2 AT GIGANTES

The Aguilas scored in four of the first five innings, building a 5-0 lead.   Danny Santana was 0-for-1 as a pinch-hitter for the Aguilas.  Dan Rohlfing was 0-for-2 with a walk for the Gigantes.  Angel Castro struck out five in five innings for the Aguilas, giving up two runs on five hits and no walks.  Jonathan Villar hit two home runs for the Aguilas.

ESCOGIDO 6, ORIENTE 4 IN ORIENTE

Escogido broke a scoreless tie with three in the third and never trailed.  Jorge Polanco was 0-for-4 for Escogido.  Chesny Young was 3-for-4 with an RBI for Escogido.  Erik Gonzalez hit a two-run homer, his third, for Escogido.

ESTE 3, LICEY 2 IN ESTE

Diory Hernandez' RBI single in the top of the ninth put Licey up 2-1, but Deibinson Romero delivered a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth to give Este the win.  Edwar Cabrera pitched six innings for Este, giving up one run on four hits and no walks with five strikeouts.  Eugenio Velez was 3-for-4 with a triple and a run for Este.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

MAYAGUEZ 3, CAROLINA 2 IN CAROLINA

Mayaguez got all three of their runs in the second inning.  Eddie Rosario was 2-for-4 with a walk for Mayaguez.  Kennys Vargas was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk for Mayaguez.  Benji Gonzalez was 0-for-1 as a reserve for Mayaguez.  Dereck Rodriguez pitched a scoreless inning for Mayaguez despite giving up two hits and a walk, lowering his ERA to 0.55.  Jonathan Sanchez struck out five in five innings for Mayaguez, giving up two runs on five hits and three walks.

SANTURCE 10, AGUADILLA 1 IN AGUADILLA

Already leading 4-0, Santurce scored five in the fourth to put the game out of reach.  Frank Del Valle pitched five shutout innings for Santurce, giving up three hits and a walk with four strikeouts.  Jose Lozada was 3-for-3 with a double, scoring three times and driving in three.  Neftali Soto was 3-for-5 with two RBIs for Santurce.  Christian Vazquez hit a home run for Santurce, his second.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

NAVOJOA 2, HERMOSILLO 1 IN HERMOSILLO (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

A double and three walks brought home the go-ahead run in the fifth inning.  Hector Velazquez pitched five innings for Navojoa, giving up one run on seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

NAVOJOA 5, HERMOSILLO 0 IN HERMOSILLO (GAME 2--7 INNINGS)

Alan Sanchez put Navojoa up 2-0 with a two-run single in the second, Jesus Castillo homered leading off the sixth, and Niko Vasquez hit a two-run homer later in the sixth.  Zack Dodson pitched a complete game for Hermosillo, striking out eight in seven innings while giving up three hits and two walks.  It was the seventh homer for both Castillo and Vasquez.

LOS MOCHIS 4, MEXICALI 3 IN LOS MOCHIS (13 INNINGS)

Mexicali led 3-1 after seven, but Los Mochis scored one in the eighth and one in the ninth to send it to extra innings.  A walk, a fielder's choice, a hit batsman, and a sacrifice fly scored the winning run.  Sergio Garcia hit a home run for Los Mochis, his second.

CULIACAN 4, OBREGON 2 IN OBREGON

Culiacan scored two in the seventh to break a 2-2 tie.  Patrick McCoy pitched six innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts.

JALISCO 3, MAZATLAN 1 IN MAZATLAN

Japhet Amador hit a two-run homer in the seventh to break a 1-1 tie.  Tyler Alexander struck out eleven in 7.1 innings for Jalisco, giving up one run on two hits and a walk.  Amador was 3-for-4 and scored twice.  The home run was his seventh.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

Games of December 21

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

ANZOATEGUI 1, ZULIA 0 IN ZULIA

The game's lone run came in the eighth on two singles and an error.  Reynaldo Rodriguez was 1-for-4 for Zulia and is batting .310.  Brian Burres pitched five shutout innings for Anzoategui, giving up five hits and a walk with two strikeouts.

MAGALLANES 4, MARGARITA 0 IN MARGARITA

Magallanes got two in the fifth and two in the eighth to take the win.  Alex Senabia pitched six shutout innings for Magallanes, giving up six hits and no walks with five strikeouts.  Jose Tabata hit a two-run homer, his fourth.

ARAGUA 16, LA GUAIRA 2 IN LA GUAIRA

Aragua scored four in the fifth and four in the sixth, and put an exclamation point on it with a six-run ninth.  Misael Siverio struck out five in 4.1 scoreless innings for Aragua, giving up five hits and no walks.  Alberto Callaspo was 4-for-6 with two doubles for Aragua, scoring once and driving in three.  Renato Nunez was 3-for-5 with a double for Aragua, scoring twice and driving in one.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

ESCOGIDO 6, GIGANTES 5 IN ESCOGIDO

Escogido led 6-2 after seven and held on.  The Gigantes had the tying and winning runs on base in the bottom of the ninth before falling.  The Gigantes out-hit Escogido 10-6 but stranded ten runners.  Jorge Polanco was 1-for-4 with a run and two RBIs for Escogido.

AGUILAS 3, ORIENTE 0 AT AGUILAS

Hector Luna singled in a run in the first and the Aguilas led all the way.  Francisley Bueno pitched six shutout innings for the Aguilas, giving up three hits and no walks with four strikeouts.  Danny Santana was 1-for-3 for the Aguilas.

ESTE 5, LICEY 2 IN ESTE

It was 2-2 through seven, but Hector Gomez delivered a two-run double in a three-run eighth that provided the margin of victory.  Christhian Adames was 3-for-4 with a double, scoring twice and driving in one for Este.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

SANTURCE 6, AGUADILLA 3 IN AGUADILLA

Hector Olivera hit a two-run double in the sixth that put Santurce up 4-1.  Reiner Roibal pitched five innings for Santurce, giving up one run on six hits and no walks with three strikeouts.  Jose Lozada was 3-for-4 with a double and a walk for Santurce, scoring twice.

MAYAGUEZ 4, CAGUAS 1 IN CAGUAS

A walk, a single, another walk, an error, and a wild pitch scored two for Mayaguez in the third, and that was all they needed.  Eddie Rosario was 1-for-5 with a run for Mayaguez.  Kennys Vargas was 0-for-3 with a walk and a run for Mayaguez.  Benji Gonzalez was 1-for-2 with a triple and two walks for Mayaguez, scoring once and driving in two.  Hiram Burgos struck out five in five innings for Mayaguez, giving up one run on two hits and two walks.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

MEXICALI 4, LOS MOCHIS 3 IN LOS MOCHIS

C. J. Retherford homered leading off the eighth to tie and later in the inning the go-ahead run scored on a double, a hit batsman, a walk, and another hit batsman.  Edgar Osuna struck out five in five innings for Mexicali, giving up an unearned run on three hits and two walks.  Retherford was 3-for-4 and the home run was his tenth.

CULIACAN 6, OBREGON 4 IN CULIACAN

Ronnier Mustelier hit a three-run homer in the first and Culiacan led all the way.  It was 6-1 after eight, but Obregon came back to score three in the ninth and load the bases with two out before a ground out ended the game.  Salvador Valdez pitched five shutout innings for Culiacan, giving up four hits and four walks with three strikeouts.  Mustelier's homer was his sixth.

MAZATLAN 1, JALISCO 0 IN MAZATLAN (12 INNINGS)

Mazatlan had lots of baserunners and Jalisco had few, but neither team scored until the twelfth, when a bases-loaded walk brought home the game's only run.  Felipe Gonzalez struck out five in five shutout innings, giving up two hits and one walk for Mazatlan.  Jeremias Pineda was 4-for-5 with a double and a walk, driving in one.

NAVOJOA AT HERMOSILLO

Rained out.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

TEAM AUSTRALIA 2, WORLD ALL-STARS 1

With two out in the ninth Trent D'Antonio singled, went to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a Stefan Welch single to give Team Australia the win.  Aaron Whitefield was 0-for-2 for Team Australia.  Logan Wade was 0-for-3 for Team Australia.

Games of December 20

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

CARACAS 3, ARAGUA 0 IN CARACAS (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

Caracas scored single runs in the second, fifth, and sixth.  Luke Irvine pitched six shutout innings for Caracas, giving up five hits and no walks with three strikeouts.  Jesus Aguilar hit a home run for Caracas, his tenth.

CARACAS 2, ARAGUA 0 IN CARACAS (GAME 2--7 INNINGS)

Caracas scored single runs in the first and fifth.  It was a bullpen game for Caracas, as they used seven pitchers and none pitched more than two innings.

ZULIA 5, LARA 4 IN ZULIA (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

Trayvon Robinson's RBI single in the seventh gave Zulia the victory.  Reynaldo Rodriguez was 3-for-4 with a double for Zulia, scoring once and driving in one.

LARA 9, ZULIA 4 IN ZULIA (GAME 2--7 INNINGS)

Zulia scored three in the first and stayed up 3-0 until the fourth, when Lara scored four runs to go into the lead to stay.  Lara scored four more runs in the fifth to put the game out of reach.  Jesus Montero was 3-for-4 with an RBI for Lara.  Rangel Ravelo hit a home run for Lara, his fifth.

MAGALLANES 3, MARGARITA 1 IN MARGARITA

Josmil Pinto's three-run homer in the fifth broke a scoreless tie and gave Magallanes all the runs it would need.  Eduardo Rodriguez struck out six in five shutout innings for Magallanes, giving up three hits and two walks.  Jose Tabata was 3-for-3 with a double and a run for Magallanes.  The home run was Pinto's third.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

ESCOGIDO 3, LICEY 2 IN LICEY

Erik Gonzalez' RBI single in the eighth broke a 2-2 tie.  Chris Leroux struck out six in six shutout innings for Escogido, giving up three hits and two walks.  Jorge Polanco was 0-for-3 for Escogido.

ESTE 5, ORIENTE 4 IN ESTE (10 INNINGS)

Eugenio Velez singled in a run in the seventh for Este to tie it 4-4 and Deibinson Romero hit a walkoff homer in the tenth to give Este the win.

GIGANTES 4, AGUILAS 1 AT AGUILAS

Moises Sierra hit a three-run double in a four-run first that gave the Gigantes all the runs they needed.  Terry Doyle pitched five innings, giving up one run on three hits and two walks with two strikeouts.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

MAYAGUEZ 5, CAGUAS 4 IN MAYAGUEZ

Mayaguez scored all their runs in the second inning, getting three singles, three walks and an error.  Emmanuel Rivera was 3-for-4 with a run for Mayaguez.  Eddie Rosario was 0-for-4 for Mayaguez.  Kennys Vargas was 0-for-4 for Mayaguez.  Benji Gonzalez was 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs for Mayaguez.  Dereck Rodriguez struck out two in 1.1 scoreless innings for Mayaguez, giving up a hit and a walk.

SANTURCE 4, CAROLINA 1 IN SANTURCE

Santurce scored single runs in the second, third, seventh, and eighth.  Adalberto Flores pitched five innings for Santurce, giving up one run on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.  Jose Lozada was 3-for-3 with a double and a run for Santurce.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

LOS MOCHIS 3, MEXICALI 1 IN LOS MOCHIS

Los Mochis scored single runs in the first, third, and eighth.  Guillermo Trujillo pitched six shutout innings for Los Mochis, giving up six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

NAVOJOA 2, HERMOSILLO 1 IN HERMOSILLO

Quincy Latimore's RBI single in the eighth broke a 1-1 tie.  Ruddy Acosta pitched five shutout innings for Navojoa, giving up three hits and four walks with two strikeouts.  Jesus Castillo was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI for Navojoa.

CULIACAN 3, OBREGON 2 IN CULIACAN (11 INNINGS)

Ryan Lollis homered in the bottom of the ninth to tie it 2-2.  With two out and none on in the eleventh, Culiacan put together three consecutive singles, the last by Issmael Salas, to win it.  Lollis was 4-for-5 with two home runs.  Oscar Robles was 3-for-4 with a walk for Culiacan.

MAZATLAN 10, JALISCO 3 IN MAZATLAN

Jose Aguilar hit a three-run homer in a four-run second that put Mazatlan ahead 5-1.  Jesus Sanchez pitched five innings for Mazatlan, giving up one run on five hits and a walk with three strikeouts.  Aguilar was 3-for-4 with a walk, scoring three times and driving in four.  The home run was his second.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

Games of December 19

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

CARACAS 3, MAGALLANES 2 IN CARACAS

With the score tied 2-2, Yandy Diaz double in the third and scored on a single by Henry Alejandro Rodriguez to give Caracas a 3-2.  Magallanes got the tying run into scoring position in four of the remaining innings, but could not tie it up.  Luis Diaz pitched 5.1 innings for Caracas, giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

LA GUAIRA 5, ARAGUA 3 IN ARAGUA

Aragua led 3-2 after eight, but Reegie Corona's two-run triple in the ninth put La Guaira in front to stay.  Edgmer Escalona pitched five shutout innings for La Guaira, giving up five hits and no walks with two strikeouts.

LARA AT ZULIA

Rained out.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

LICEY 2, AGUILAS 1 IN LICEY (11 INNINGS)

Yamaico Navarro singled in a run in the eighth to tie it 1-1 and Rymer Liriano singled home the winning run in the eleventh.  Danny Santana was 0-for-2 for Aguilas.  Yohan Flande pitched five innings for Licey, giving up one run on four hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

ESTE 2, ESCOGIDO 1 IN ESTE

Alen Hanson's two-run double in the second gave Este a 2-0 lead and their pitchers made it stand up.  Jorge Polanco was 0-for-4 for Escogido.  Cory Riordan pitched six shutout innings for Este, giving up three hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

ORIENTE AT GIGANTES

Rained out.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

Games of December 17-18

GAMES OF DECEMBER 17

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

LA GUAIRA 10, MAGALLANES 8 IN LA GUAIRA

Magallanes scored five in the seventh to take an 8-5 lead, but La Guaira came back with five in the eighth to win the game.  Yonathan Daza was 4-for-5 with a double for La Guaira, scoring three times and driving in two.  Heiker Meneses was 3-for-5 with three doubles, scoring twice and driving in two for La Guaira.

ARAGUA 7, MARGARITA 1 IN ARAGUA

Juan Graterol hit a two-run homer in a five-run seventh that put the game out of reach.  Leuris Gomez pitched four shutout innings for Aragua, giving up three hits and one walk with two strikeouts.

CARACAS 5, LARA 4 IN LARA

Jesus Aguilar hit a two-run homer (his eighth) in the eighth to give Caracas a 5-4 lead.  Aguilar was 2-for-3 with a walk and scored twice.

ZULIA 3, ANZOATEGUI 1 IN ANZOATEGUI

Zulia scored two in the third to take a 2-1 lead they would not give up.  Stephen Fife struck out six in six innings for Zulia, giving up one run on two hits and no walks.  Jesus Flores hit a home run for Zulia, his fifth.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

ESCOGIDO 5, ORIENTE 2 IN ESCOGIDO

Escogido scored four in the second on two singles, helped by two walks and two wild pitches.  Jorge Polanco was 2-for-4 for Escogido.  Nik Turley started but pitched only one inning, allowing three runs on two hits and two walks with one strikeout for Oriente.

ESTE 5, AGUILAS 3 IN ESTE

Abraham Almonte's two-run double in the sixth broke a 3-3 tie and gave the victory to Este.  Danny Santana was 1-for-4 for the Aguilas.

LICEY 2, GIGANTES 1 AT GIGANTES

Jhonatan Solano doubled and scored in the seventh to break a 1-1 tie.  John Lannan pitched five innings for Licey, giving up one run on six hits and a walk with two strikeouts.  Yamaico Navarro was 2-for-3 with a home run and a walk for Licey.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

SANTURCE 6, CAGUAS 1 IN SANTURCE

Santurce scored five in the fourth and was never challenged.  Bryan Escanio struck out five in four shutout innings for Santurce, giving up two hits and a walk.  Drew Ferguson hit a home run for Santurce.

AGUADILLA 3, CAROLINA 1 IN CAROLINA

Aguadilla got six singles and a walk in the first inning, and although they only scored three runs with them it was enough.  J. J. Fernandez was 2-for-4 with a run for Carolina.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

JALISCO 6, HERMOSILLO 2 IN JALISCO

Leading 3-2, Jalisco scored three in the seventh to put the game out of reach.  Tyler Alexander struck out nine in eight innings for Jalisco, giving up two runs on four hits and a walk.  Jose Manuel Rodriguez hit a home run for Jalisco, his sixth.

LOS MOCHIS 8, OBREGON 2 IN OBREGON

Lew Ford hit a two-run homer in the first and Los Mochis led all the way.  Manny Barreda struck out six in five shutout innings for Los Mochis, giving up two hits and three walks.  Ford was 2-for-3 with two walks.

MEXICALI 5, MAZATLAN 4 IN MEXICALI (11 INNINGS)

Mexicali scored two in the ninth to tie it and C. J. Retherford delivered a two-out RBI single in the eleventh to win it.  Yuniesky Betancourt was 3-for-5 with a walk and a run for Mexicali.

CULIACAN 4, NAVOJOA 1 IN NAVOJOA

Culiacan scored one in the second and two in the fourth and never trailed.  Daniel Rodriguez struck out seven in seven innings, giving up one run on seven hits and a walk for Culiacan.  Maxwell Leon was 3-for-5 with a double for Culiacan.

GAMES OF DECEMBER 18

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

ARAGUA 9, LA GUAIRA 2 IN ARAGUA

Hernan Perez hit a two-run homer in a four-run Aragua fourth that put them ahead 6-2.  Yohan Pino pitched five innings for Aragua, giving up two runs on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts.  Perez was 2-for-5 with two runs and the homer was his third.

CARACAS 6, MARGARITA 4 IN CARACAS

Jesus Aguilar homered in the seventh to break a 4-4 tie and Caracas added an insurance run in the eighth.  Danry Vazquez was 3-for-3 with a two-run homer (his third), a double, and a walk.  Yandy Diaz was 3-for-4 with a walk, scoring twice and driving in one.

ANZOATEGUI 10, ZULIA 9 IN ANZOATEGUI

Anzoategui led 8-5 after eight, but Zulia scored four in the ninth to take a 9-8 lead.  RBI singles by Niuman Romero and Ehire Adrianza won the game for Anzoategui in the bottom of the ninth.  Romero was 4-for-5 with a triple for Anzoategui, scoring twice and driving in one.  Oswaldo Arcia was 2-for-4 with a three-run homer (his third) for Anzoategui, driving in four.

LARA 4, MAGALLANES 3 IN MAGALLANES

Jesus Montero hit a three-run homer in the fifth to put Lara up 4-2.  Magallanes scored one in the ninth and had the tying and winning runs on base with one out but could not bring them around.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

ORIENTE 3, GIGANTES 1 IN ORIENTE

Oriente scored two in the first and never trailed.  Chris O'Grady struck out five in five innings for Oriente, giving up one run on five hits and two walks.

LICEY 10, AGUILAS 2 AT AGUILAS

Licey scored a total of eight runs in innings two through five to control the game.  Sergio Alcantara was 3-for-4 with a triple and a walk for Licey, scoring three times.  Emilio Bonifacio was 3-for-4 with a double and a walk for Licey, scoring once and driving in three.  Jason Rogers and Marco Hernandez each homered for Licey, with the Hernandez home run being his fourth.

ESCOGIDO 6, TOROS 1 IN ESCOGIDO

Ruben Sosa hit a two-run triple in the third and Escogido led the rest of the way.  Jorge Polanco was 1-for-4 for Escogido.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

CAGUAS 3, AGUADILLA 1 IN AGUADILLA (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

A walk, two singles, and a walk put Caguas ahead 2-1 in the fifth.  Orlando Roman pitched four innings for Caguas, giving up an unearned run on two hits and no walks with two strikeouts.

CAGUAS 7, AGUADILLA 4 IN AGUADILLA (GAME 2--11 INNINGS)

Caguas scored three in the sixth to tie it 4-4, then got three more in the eleventh to win it.  Aguadilla made two errors in the eleventh.  Andrew Velazquez was 4-for-6 for Caguas, scoring twice and driving in two.

SANTURCE 4, MAYAGUEZ 1 IN SANTURCE

Santurce scored three in the sixth to break a 1-1 tie.  Kennys Vargas was 1-for-3 with a walk for Mayaguez.  Benji Gonzalez was 0-for-4 for Mayaguez.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

HERMOSILLO 11, JALISCO 1 IN JALISCO

Hermosillo got four in the third and five in the fourth to go ahead 10-0.  Travis Blackley pitched seven innings for Hermosillo, giving up one run on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts.  Carlos Alberto Gastelum was 3-for-6 with two doubles for Hermosillo, scoring three times and driving in two.  Arturo Rodriguez was 3-for-5 with a run for Hermosillo.  O'Koyea Dickson hit a two-run homer for Hermosillo.

MAZATLAN 2, MEXICALI 0 IN MEXICALI

Mazatlan got single runs in the sixth and seventh.  Jeremy Kehrt pitched seven shutout innings, giving up six hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

LOS MOCHIS 3, OBREGON 1 IN OBREGON

Los Mochis scored two in the seventh to take a 2-1 lead an added an insurance run in the ninth. Roy Merritt pitched seven innings for Los Mochis, giving up one run on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts.  Juan Carlos Gamboa was 3-for-4 with an RBI for Los Mochis.

NAVOJOA 13, CULIACAN 6 IN NAVOJOA

Leading 5-3, Navojoa put together and eight-run inning in the sixth to take control.  Tony Thomas was 3-for-4 with a walk for Navojoa, scoring twice and driving in two.  Jesus Castillo hit a home run for Navojoa, his sixth.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

CANBERRA 7, PERTH 2 IN CANBERRA

Scott Kelly tripled and scored in the first and Canberra led all the way.  Sean Guinard pitched seven shutout innings, giving up five hits and two walks with three strikeouts.  Kyle Perkins hit a two-run homer for Canberra, his fifth.

MELBOURNE 5, SYDNEY 0 IN MELBOURNE

Allan de San Miguel hit a three-run homer (his fifth) in the first inning and Melbourne never trailed.  Jon Kennedy struck out six in five shutout innings for Melbourne, giving up three hits and two walks.

ADELAIDE 6, BRISBANE 4 IN ADELAIDE

Marcus Greene's RBI single in the fourth put Adelaide up 5-4, a lead they would keep the rest of the game.  Aaron Whitefield was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk for Brisbane, scoring once and raising his average to .301.  Logan Wade was 1-for-4 with a triple for Brisbane, scoring once and driving in one.  His average is now .329.

Games of December 16

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

ANZOATEGUI 9, ZULIA 2 IN ANZOATEGUI

Anzoategui scored seven in the second and was never challenged.  Yeiper Castillo pitched five innings for Anzoategui, giving up two runs on six hits and three walks with three strikeouts.  Balbino Fuenmayor was 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI for Anzoategui.

MAGALLANES 7, MARGARITA 1 IN MAGALLANES

Already leading 3-1, Magallanes scored four in the eighth to put the game out of reach.  Alex Sanabia pitched six innings for Magallanes, giving up one run on seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts.  Mario Lisson hit a home run for Magallanes, his eighth.

ARAGUA 8, CARACAS 6 IN ARAGUA

Aragua lost a 6-0 lead but Avisail Garcia's homer in the fifth put them back on top to stay.  Garcia hit two home runs in the game (his fourth and fifth) and went 3-for-4, scoring three times and driving in five.  Alberto Callaspo was 3-for-4 with two runs for Aragua.

LARA 5, LA GUAIRA 2 IN LARA

Carlos Rivero hit a two-run homer in a three-run first that was all Lara needed.  Jorge Martinez pitched five innings, giving up one run on seven hits and no walks with three strikeouts for Lara.  Rivero was 3-for-4 with two home runs (his sixth and seventh) for Lara.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

GIGANTES 6, LICEY 1 IN LICEY

The Gigantes scored in the first and led all the way, as Licey did not get on the board until the ninth.  Bryan Rodriguez pitched four shutout innings for the Gigantes, giving up one hit and two walks with one strikeout.

ESTE 6, AGUILAS 0 AT AGUILAS

Este scored three in the third and led the rest of the way.  Matthew Zielinski pitched five shutout innings, giving up six hits and one walk with one strikeout for Este.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

MAYAGUEZ 7, SANTURCE 0 IN MAYAGUEZ

Mayaguez scored two in the first and it was all they needed.  Kennys Vargas was 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI for Mayaguez.

CAROLINA 5, AGUADILLA 2 IN AGUADILLA

Kazuma Okamoto singled in a run in the eighth to break a 2-2 tie and Carolina added two more in the ninth.  J. J. Fernandez was 0-for-4 for Carolina.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

HERMOSILLO 5, JALISCO 4 IN JALISCO (12 INNINGS)

Hermosillo scored two in the twelfth to take the lead and then held on to win.  Jose Samayoa pitched six innings, giving up one run on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts for Hermosillo.  Brian Goodwin was 5-for-6 with three doubles and a walk for Hermosillo, scoring once and driving in one.

OBREGON 5, LOS MOCHIS 2 IN LOS MOCHIS

Jim Adduci hit a three-run homer in the fifth that turned a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead and an eventual win.  Marco Carrillo struck out six in 5.2 innings for Obregon, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk.  Adduci was 2-for-4 with two runs and the homer was his second.

NAVOJOA 9, CULIACAN 0 IN NAVOJOA

Leading 4-0 through seven, Navojoa scored five in the eighth to put the game our of reach.  Troy Marks pitched seven shutout innings for Navojoa, giving up seven hits and no walks with three strikeouts.  Alan Sanchez was 3-for-4 with a triple, scoring twice and driving in one.  Jesus Castillo was 3-for-5 with a double, scoring twice and driving in one.

MAZATLAN 6, MEXICALI 2 IN MEXICALI

A three-run sixth put Mazatlan up 5-1 and gave them control of the game.  Ernesto Zaragoza pitched six innings for Mazatlan, giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits and three walks with two strikeouts.  Jesus Fabela was 4-for-5 with a run for Mazatlan and Brian Hernandez hit a home run (his fifth) for Mazatlan.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE*

ADELAIDE 4, BRISBANE 3 IN ADELAIDE (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

Adelaide scored three in the fourth to go ahead 4-3, with Jordan Cowan singling in the go-ahead run.  Logan Wade was 1-for-4 with a run for Brisbane.  Aaron Whitefield was used as a pinch-runner for Brisbane.

BRISBANE 3, ADELAIDE 0 IN ADELAIDE (GAME 2)

Logan Wade singled in Aaron Whitefield for the game's first run in the third and Brisbane added two more in the sixth.  Daniel Nilsson pitched five no-hit, shutout innings for Brisbane, giving up three walks and striking out three.  Whitefield was 1-for-5 with a double and a run.  Wade was 1-for-5 with an RBI and is batting .333.

CANBERRA 5, PERTH 4 IN CANBERRA (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

Kyle Perkins hit a three-run homer in the sixth to tie it 4-4 and Scott Kelly's RBI double later in the sixth gave Canberra a lead to keep.  Josh DeGraaf pitched five innings for Canberra, giving up two runs on four hits and a walk with three strikeouts.  Kelly was 3-for-4 with two doubles, scoring once and driving in one.

PERTH 6, CANBERRA 4 IN CANBERRA (GAME 2--11 INNINGS)

Perth scored two in the ninth to tie it 4-4 and Sam Kennelly hit a two-run single in the eleventh that led to a Perth win.  Nick Veale pitched five innings for Perth, giving up two runs on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts.  After Veale, the next Perth pitcher was Cameron Lamb.

MELBOURNE 6, SYDNEY 2 IN MELBOURNE (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

Melbourne scored five in the first and was never threatened.  Keisuke Honda struck out six in five shutout innings, giving up three hits and six walks for Melbourne.

MELBOURNE 5, SYDNEY 0 IN MELBOURNE (GAME 2)

Melbourne again struck early, scoring three in the first with two of them coming on a home run by Allan de San Miguels.  Dushan Ruzic struck out seven in seven shutout innings, giving up four hits and two walks for Melbourne.  de San Miguel's home run was his fourth.

*Games played December 17.  It's timey-wimey.