Toros on Verge of Copa Zaachila with 4-0 Shutout of Pericos

PUEBLA OFFENSE NONEXISTENT IN LOSS

The Toros de Tijuana are in charge of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol's championship after a 4-0 shutout of the Pericos de Puebla gave them a 3 games to none advantage.  Watch to final out here  After the 4th inning the crowd of 11,906 fans in Estadio Hermanos Serdan sensed impending doom and had little to cheer about.

Horacio Ramirez

Starting pitcher Horacio Ramirez pitched 7 2/3 innings of the shutout allowing just 5 hits. Although he didn't strike out a batter, in fact no Pericos fell victim to the strikeout all game, he walked only 2 and was around the plate all game, working the ball low and away to all batters. Juan Sandoval pitched the final 1 1/3 innings in the Toros win.

The Perico's starter, Josh Outman, went 5 1/3 innings, giving up all 4 Toros runs, striking 5 but walking 4 in taking the loss. His control problems kept him in trouble for all but the 1st inning. Three Puebla relievers held Tijuana to just 1 hit over 3 2/3 innings of work.

Cyle Hankerd led off the top of the 4th fir Tijuana getting hit by a pitch. Dustin Martin drew a walk one out later. Juan Apodaca reached safely on an error by the Pericos first baseman. The ruling was challenged by Puebla but the play was not overturned to load the bases. Alex Liddi followed with a 4-6 ground out that scored Hankerd for the 1-0 lead.

Tijuana scored twice more in the 5th inning on a solo home run by Roberto Lopez, a single and stolen base by Corey Brown and a single by Dustin Martin. 3-0 Toros.

Roberto Lopez Home Run 

Alex Liddi drew a lead off walk in the top of the 6th, advanced to second on a ground out, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Jose Guadalupe Chavez, Final score Toros 4, Puebla 0.

Game 4 is being played today with the Toros in the proverbial drivers seat, needing just 1 win to become the champions of the league, If Puebla wins, game 5 will be played on Sunday.