Wrap-Up: Final Stats from the Winter Leagues

A listing of how our Twins lads fared in winter leagues.  I'm listing batters with at least thirty at-bats and pitchers with at least ten innings.  Batters are listed in order of OPS and pitchers are listed in order of ERA.

BATTERS

Kennys Vargas (Aguilas, Dominican and Mayaguez, Puerto RIcan):  .245/.394/.480 in 102 at-bats.
Logan Wade (Brisbane, Australian):  .282/.333/.523  in 149 at-bats.
Willians Astudillo (Anzoategui, Venezuelan):  .329/.371/.477 in 222 at-bats.
Gregorio Petit (Caracas, Venezuelan):  .299/.359/.449 in 107 at-bats.
Aaron Whitefield (Brisbane, Australian):  .292/.364/.425 in 106 at-bats.
Brock Stassi (Jalisco, Mexican):  .234/.387/.364 in 107 at-bats.
Leonardo Reginatto (Margarita, Venezuelan):  .285/.326/.331 in 172 at-bats.
Jermaine Curtis (Hermosillo, Mexican):  .161/.278/.226 in 31 at-bats.

PITCHERS

Tyler Kinley (Licey, Dominican):  2-1, 0.47, 0.84 WHIP in 19 innings.
Adalberto Mejia (Gigantes, Dominican):  2-0, 3.43, 1.33 WHIP in 21 innings.
Anderson Munoz (Zulia, Venezuelan):  1-0, 3.45, 1.34 WHIP in 15.2 innings.
Anthony Marzi (Margarita, Venezuelan):  0-2, 4.32, 1.41 WHIP in 33.2 innings.
Omar Bencomo (Margarita, Venezuelan):  5-7, 4.42, 1.51 WHIP in 75.1 innings.

This concludes our winter league coverage for this year.  Hope you enjoyed it.  It looks like minor league seasons begin April 5.  God willing, we'll be there to cover them.

Game of February 11

Congratulations to Brisbane!

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

Twins:  Aaron Whitefield (Brisbane) was 0-for-4.  Logan Wade (Brisbane) was 1-for-3 with a run.

BRISBANE 4, CANBERRA 2 IN BRISBANE

Adam Weisenburger hit a three-run homer in the second and Brisbane led the rest of the way.  It was 4-0 through six, but Canberra scored single runs in the seventh and eighth.  They did not, however, get the tying run on base.  Mitch Nilsson was 2-for-3 with a home run.  Travis Blackley pitched six shutout innings, giving up one hit and one walk and striking out two.  For Canberra, Kyle Perkins hit a home run and Steven Kent struck out six in 2.1 perfect innings of relief.

Brisbane wins the Australian League Championship, winning the series 2-1.  It is Brisbane's third consecutive ABL Championship.

Game of February 10

It goes down to the wire in the Australian League

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

BRISBANE 12, CANBERRA 2 IN BRISBANE

Twins:  Aaron Whitefield (Brisbane) was 2-for-4 and was hit by a pitch.  Logan Wade (Brisbane) was 0-for-4 with a walk.

Donald Lutz hit a two-run homer and Chih-Sheng Lin hit a solo shot in the first inning to give Brisbane a 3-0 lead.  Andrew Campbell and David Sutherland led off the second with back-to-back homers to make it 5-0 and the rout was on.  Campbell and Lin each had two homers in the game and Mitch Nilsson also homered.  Tim Atherton pitched seven innings, giving up one run on three hits and two walks.  For Canberra, Boss Moanaroa hit a home run.  No box score for the game was available.

Brisbane ties the series 1-1.  The third and deciding game is scheduled for today.

Game of February 9

The Australian League championship series begins.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

CANBERRA 5, BRISBANE 1 IN CANBERRA

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

Robbie Perkins hit a two-run homer in the second to give Canberra a 2-0 lead and they led the rest of the way.  Jay Baum was 3-for-4 with a double.  Perkins was 2-for-4 and also had a double.  David Kandilas was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer.  Brian Grening pitched 6.2 scoreless innings, giving up five hits and striking out three.

Canberra leads the series 1-0.

Game of February 8

Congratulations to Puerto Rico!

CARIBBEAN SERIES

PUERTO RICO 9, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 4 (PUERTO RICO HOME TEAM)

The Dominican Republic took a 4-1 lead in the fourth and held it through six.  In the seventh, however, Puerto Rico scored five times to take the lead.  They added three more in the eighth to put the game out of reach.  Jonathan Morales hit a three-run homer in the seventh to score the tying and lead runs.  Ruben Gotay was 2-for-4 with three RBIs for Puerto Rico.  For the Dominican Republic, Juan Perez was 3-for-4 with two doubles.  Raul Valdes pitched 6.1 innings, giving up three runs on two hits and two walks and striking out five.

Puerto Rico wins the Caribbean Series.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.  The championship series starts today.

Games of February 7

The Caribbean Series final is set.

CARIBBEAN SERIES

Twins:  Willians Astudillo (Venezuela) was 2-for-4.

PUERTO RICO 6, VENEZUELA 5 (VENEZUELA HOME TEAM)

Venezuela had leads of 4-0 and 5-4, but Puerto Rico scored two in the eighth to go into the lead to stay.  Jesmuel Valentin singled in the tying run and the lead run scored on a wild pitch.  For Puerto Rico, Anthony Garcia was 2-for-3 with a grand slam and a walk.  Orlando Roman pitched four innings, giving up two runs on five hits and two walks and striking out two.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 7, CUBA 4 (CUBA HOME TEAM)

Cuba scored three in the second to take a 3-0 lead.  It was still 3-0 after five, but the Dominican Republic scored two in the sixth and three in the seventh and led the rest of the way.  Edwin Espinal's two-run single brought home the lead runs.  Ronny Rodriguez hit a two-run homer.  For Cuba, Frederich Cepeda was 3-for-3 with a home run, a triple, and a walk.  Lazaro Blanco pitched 5.2 innings, giving up two runs on five hits and three walks and striking out five.

Puerto Rico will play the Dominican Republic today in the finals.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

Games of February 6

The semi-finals are set.

CARIBBEAN SERIES

Twins:  None

CUBA 6, PUERTO RICO 3 (PUERTO RICO HOME TEAM)

Raul Gonzalez' RBI double in the seventh broke a 3-3 tie and Guillermo Aviles' two-run single in the eighth provided some insurance.  Frank Morejon was 2-for-3 with a home run, a walk, and three runs.  For Puerto Rico, Anthony Garcia was 2-for-4 with a home run.  Dayron Varona also homered.

MEXICO 8, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 1 ( DOMINICAN REPUBLIC HOME TEAM)

Leading 3-1, Mexico scored four in the sixth to take control of the game.  Justin Greene was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and a walk.  Japhet Amador was 2-for-5 with a home run.  Sergio Mitre pitched six innings, giving up a run on six hits and a walk and striking out three.  For the Dominican Republic, Hector Gomez was 3-for-4.

Cuba, 3-1
Dominican Republic, 2-2
Puerto Rico, 2-2
Venezuela, 2-2
Mexico, 1-3

This sets up the semi-final round today.  Cuba plays the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico plays Venezuela.  The winners will play tomorrow for the championship.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

Games of February 5

CARIBBEAN SERIES

Twins:  None.

PUERTO RICO 12, VENEZUELA 7 (VENEZUELA HOME TEAM)

Puerto Rico scored four runs in each of the first two innings and led all the way.  Anthony Garcia was 3-for-4 with a home run and three runs.  Jonathan Morales was 3-for-5.  David Vidal was 2-for-2 with a home run, three walks, and four RBIs.  For Venezuela, Luis Domoromo was 3-for-5 and scored three times.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 7, CUBA 1 (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC HOME TEAM)

Already leading 3-1, the Dominican Republic scored four in the seventh to put the game out of reach.  Junior Lake hit a two-run homer.  Bryan Evans struck out eight in seven innings, giving up one run on five hits.  For Cuba, Roel Santos was 3-for-4 with a home run for the only Cuba run.  Bladimir Banos struck out four in three innings, giving up one run on four hits and two walks.

Cuba, 2-1
Dominican Republic, 2-1
Puerto Rico, 2-1
Venezuela, 2-2
Mexico, 0-3

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

Games of February 4

Another big day for Willians Astudillo!

CARIBBEAN SERIES

Twins:  Willians Astudillo (Venezuela) was 3-for-5 with a home run, scoring twice.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 6, PUERTO RICO 3 (PUERTO RICO HOME TEAM)

The Dominican Republic scored two in the first and three in the second to take a 5-0 lead.  Abiatal Avelino was 3-for-5.  Junior Lake was 3-for-5.  Francisley Bueno pitched five shutout innings, giving up six hits and two walks and striking out three.

VENEZUELA 6, MEXICO 4 (MEXICO HOME TEAM)

Willians Astudillo homered in the sixth to break a 2-2 tie.  It was 6-2 going to the bottom of the ninth, but Mexico scored twice and had the tying run on base when the game ended.  For Venezuela, Astudillo was 3-for-5 including the home run.  Luis Domoromo was 3-for-3 with a walk.  Nestor Molina pitched 5.1 innings, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk and striking out four.

Cuba, 2-0
Venezuela, 2-1
Dominican Republic, 1-1
Puerto Rico, 1-1
Mexico, 0-3

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

Twins:  Aaron Whitefield (Brisbane) was 0-for-3 with a walk.  Logan Wade (Brisbane) was 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI.

BRISBANE 9, MELBOURNE 8 IN BRISBANE

It was 4-1 Brisbane, 5-4 Melbourne, 8-5 Brisbane, and then was tied 8-8 before David Sutherland led off the bottom of the ninth with a home run to win it for Brisbane.  Sutherland was 2-for-2 and had three RBIs.  T. J. Bennett hit a three-run homer.  Chih-Sheng Lin was 2-for-4 with a home run.  For Melbourne, Darryl George was 3-for-5 with two home runs and three RBIs.  Tyler Neslony was 3-for-5 with a home run.  Delmon Young hit a two-run homer and also walked.  Ryan Dale was 2-for-4 with a home run.

Due to rainouts, the playoff was shortened from best-of-three to one game.  Brisbane will advance to the league finals.

CANBERRA 3, PERTH 1 IN PERTH

Canberra scored single runs in the first, fourth, and seventh.  Perth got on the board in the ninth but did not get the tying run up to bat.  Frank Gailey struck out twelve for Canberra in 7.1 scoreless innings, giving up three hits and five walks.  For Perth, Alex Hall hit a home run.

Canberra wins the series 2-1 and will advance to the league finals.

Games of February 3

A big day for Willians Astudillo.

CARIBBEAN SERIES

Twins:  Willians Astudillo (Venezuela) was 3-for-5 with a double, scoring once and driving in two.

VENEZUELA 15, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 4 (VENEZUELA HOME TEAM)

Venezuela led 6-4 going to the bottom of the sixth, then scored four in the sixth and five in the eighth to put the game out of reach.  Balbino Fuenmayor was 5-for-5 with two home runs, scoring three times and driving in five.  Rene Reyes was 3-for-4 with a home run and a walk, scoring four times.  Willians Astudillo was 3-for-5 with a double.  Rafael Ortega was 3-for-6 with a home run.  For the Dominican Republic, Christian Bethancourt was 3-for-4.  Hector Gomez hit a two-run homer.

CUBA 5, MEXICO 4 (CUBA HOME TEAM)

Mexico scored three in the fourth to take a 4-2 lead, but Cuba got two in the seventh to tie it and one in the eighth to win.  Both the tying and winning runs scored on sacrifice flies.  Raul Gonzalez was 2-for-3 with a home run.  Alain Sanchez pitched five innings of relief, giving up one run on four hits and striking out two.

Cuba, 2-0
Puerto Rico, 1-0
Venezuela, 1-1
Dominican Republic, 0-1
Mexico, 0-2

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

CANBERRA 6, PERTH 3 IN PERTH

Canberra scored four in the third inning and led the rest of the way.  Cameron Warner was 3-for-4 with a double.  Robbie Perkins hit a home run.

The series is tied 1-1.

MELBOURNE AT BRISBANE

Rained out.

This best-of-three series has had two days of rainouts.  It appears that, rather than make up the game, they will simply make it a one-game winner-take-all playoff.

Games of February 2

CARIBBEAN SERIES

Twins:  Willians Astudillo (Venezuela) was 0-for-4.

CUBA 6, VENEZUELA 4 (CUBA HOME TEAM)

Yurisbel Gracial's sacrifice fly in the fifth broke a 2-2 tie.  Venezuela got the tying run to second with two out in the ninth.  Gracial was 2-for-3 with three RBIs.  Lazaro Blanco pitched six innings, giving up two runs on five hits and three walks and striking out five.

PUERTO RICO 7, MEXICO 4 (MEXICO HOME TEAM)

It was 4-4 through seven, but in the eighth David Vidal hit a two-run double and later scored on a wild pitch.  Anthony Garcia was 3-for-5.

Cuba, 1-0
Puerto Rico, 1-0
Dominican Republic, 0-0
Mexico, 0-1
Venezuela, 0-1

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

PERTH 6, CANBERRA 3 IN PERTH

Perth scored four in the second and led all the way.  Tim Kennelly was 2-for-4 with a double and a home run.  For Canberra, Jay Baum was 2-for-4 with a double and a home run.

Perth leads the series 1-0.

MELBOURNE AT BRISBANE

Rained out.

Games of January 31

The Caribbean Series teams are set.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

Twins:  None.

AGUILAS 11, LICEY 5 IN LICEY

The Aguilas scored five runs in the third to take a 5-0 lead.  Licey cut the margin to 6-4 after seven, but the Aguilas got one in the eighth and four in the ninth to put the game out of reach.  Felix Perez was 2-for-4 with a walk and a home run.  Juan Perez was 2-for-4 with a double and four RBIs.  Juan Francisco hit a home run for Licey.

The Aguilas win the Dominican League championship, defeating Licey four games to three.

The Caribbean Series will begin Friday.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.