Los Campeones!!

TIGRES CRUSH ACEREROS 9-0 IN GAME 5
Alfredo Amezaga named "Jugador Mas Valioso", or MVP of the Serie del Rey for 2015

Alfredo Amezaga
Jugador Mas Valioso

Watch video highlights of the Championship game HERE.

The Tigres de Quintana Roo left no doubt as to the outcome of game 5 of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol Championship series. They jumped on top 2-0 after 2 innings, dealt the crushing blow with 5 runs in the 5th and added insult to injury with 2 more runs in the 7th without benefit of a hit.

Pablo "El Maestro" Ortega

Pablo Ortega was masterful, holding the Acereros scoreless on 3 hits during his 6 1/3 innings on the mound. The Tigres manager pulled Ortega after he gave up a walk and got the next batter to ground into a force out at second. Had the umpire gotten the call right, that play would have been ruled a double play and Ortega might have stayed in the game. As it was, reliever Arturo Barradas got the next hitter to ground into a double play and the inning was over. Barradas pitched 2 1/3 innings of no hit ball and gave way to closer Ramon Ramirez for the last out of the game.

Jose Oyervidez was tagged for 7 runs on 9 hits through 4 2/3 innings of work in the loss while striking out 5 Tigres. Oyervidez and 5 relief pitchers struck out 13 on the night but the Tigres collected 12 hits and were aided by 3 errors committed by the Monclova shortstop, Olmo Rosario.

And now to the game.

Jorge Cantu led off the top of the 2nd inning with a single and was forced at second on a ground ball by Greg Golson. Golson went to second on a throwing error by the Acereros shortstop and scored on a single by Alfredo Amezaga. Amezaga stole second and scored on a double by Iker Franco as the Tigres took an early 2-0 lead.

Eugenio Velez singled to start the 5th for the Tigres and went to second on a wild pitch, the Aceeros threw 3 wild pitches in the game. Carlos Gastelum sacrificed Velez to third and Velez scored on a double to right by Sergio Contreras. With two outs, Alfredo Amezaga singled to score Contreras. Iker Franco followed with a double to right center that score Golson and Amezaga. Esteban Quiroz singled to center to drive in Franco and the Tigres had built a 7-0 lead.

Alfredo Amezaga, Iker Franco and Esteban Quiroz began the 7th inning for the Tigres with walks to load the bases with no outs. Brandon Villarreal hit a slow roller to short that forced Franco at second but Amezaga scored. Eugenio Velez then struck out but the ball got past the catcher, Velez was safe at first and Franco scored just ahead of the tag at home to give the Tigres the 9-0 lead and the win.

There was an air of impending doom at Estadio Monclova from the beginning. 14,000 fans packed Acereros fell to the Tigres 7-4 in 10 innings. On Monday, the crowd was announced at 5,853 with plenty of empty seats. After the top of the 2nd inning the crowd was subdued and after the 5th, the crowd was silent. Even the stadium organ player was unable to get the fans excited.

Tigres - Los Campeones

the stadium on Sunday as the

The Tigres won their 12th LMB Championship, second only to the 16 Championships won by the Diablos Rojos del Mexico. Quintana Roo has now won 3 titles in 5 years, 2011, 2013 and this year.