Diablos Over Guerreros 9-4 in Game 4 of their Series

MEXICO EVEMS ZONA SUR CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES AT 2 GAMES APIECE

The Diablos Rojos del Mexico got to Guerreros starter Ruddy Acosta for 3 runs in the top of the 1st inning and went on to defeat Oaxaca 9-4 to even the Zona Sur Championship series at 2 games apiece.

Jesus Fabela

Mexico's Juan Fabela set the tone for the game, leading off the game with a double and taking third on a fielding error by the Guerrero's left fielder. Fabela scored on a fielders choice by Juan Carlos Gamboa that saw Gamboa safe at first on a late throw by the pitcher. Gamboa stole second and Luis Jimenez drew a walk. The Diablos loaded the bases on a single off the bat of Ivan Terrazas. Michael Choice hit a sac fly deep to center that scored Gamboa and Emmanuel Avila singled to drive in Jimenez. Mexico had a 3-0 lead before the Guerreros came to bat.

Oaxaca got a run back in the bottom of the 2nd on a single by Henry Urrutia, a one out walk to Julian Ornelas and a single by Alan Sanchez that scored Urritia.

Mexico scored twice in the top of the 5th as David Vidal scored on a ground out by Terrazas and a sac fly by Choice that scored Jimenez for a 5-1 lead.

Alan Sanchez singled to start the Guerreros half of the 5th and came around to score on a single by Alejandro Gonzalez. Erick Rodriguez scored on a ball four wild pitch for the second run of the inning as Oaxaca cut the Diablos lead to 5-3.

With the bases loaded in the top of the 6th, David Vidal hit a sinking line drive that got past the right fielder and caromed off the wall. 3 runs scored but Vidal was out at the plate trying for an inside the park home run. Vidal was out by so much that he never even attempted a slide. The Diablos led 8-3.

David Vidal

Michael Choice hit a ball out of the stadium to left in the top of the 7th. It was a towering fly ball, the type of home run ball where the fielder merely turns and watches the flight of the ball. Mexico led 9-3.

Alejandro Gonzalez lofted a fly ball to left center that was just out of the reach of a leaping Jesus Fabela and cleared the fence for a solo home run in the bottom of the 7th for the Guerreros cutting the lead to 9-4. Oaxaca couldn't get anything else going in the inning and went quickly in the 8th and 9th innings for the final score of 9-4.

6,050 fans filled Parque Eduardo Vasconcelos in Oaxaca de Juaruz hoping to see their home town heros take a 3 games to 1 lead in the series but the Diablos came out swinging and never let up, putting a damper on the crowd's enthusiasm. Game 5 will be played at the stadium on Thursday with game 6 to be played in Mexico City on Saturday the 29th of September.

Patrick Johnson (1-0) picked up the win in relief for Mexico while Ruddy Acosta (0-1) allowed 7 runs on 7 hits, walked 4 and struck out 3 in 5 1/3 innings to take the loss.

The 1 through 4 hitters for the Diablos were 7 for 16 with 3 RBIs and 7 runs scored. Luis Jimenez was 3 for 4 with a double and 2 runs scored.

Henry Urrutia was 2 for 3 with a walk for Oaxaca. Alejandro Gonzalez and Alan Sanchez were both 2 for 4.

Liga Mexicana de Beisbol Championship Series

SLATE OF GAMES FEATURE 8 LMB TEAMS

The 1st round of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol (LMB) playoffs began last night, September 10th, with the Sultanes de Monterrey taking on the Toros de Tijuana and the Acereros del Norte de Monclova facing the Tecolotes de Los Dos Laredos in the Zona Norte. The Diablos Rojos del Mexico square off against the Pericos de Puebla and the Leones de Yucatan meet the Guerreros de Oaxaca in the Zona Sur. Each is a best of 7 series.

Here is an encapsulated review of last night's games.

MEXICO 8     PUEBLA 4

Michael Choice

The Diablos tied the game at 4 all in the 4th and went on to beat the Pericos 8-4 to take a 1-0 lead in the series. Michael Choice, the Diablos DH, was 3 for 4 with 2 doubles, a home run and 5 RBIs for Mexico.Puebla managed 12 hits but a double by Antonio Lamas was their only extra base hit. Octavio Acosta (1-0) picked up the win in relief of starter Luis Mendoza, while Josh Outman (0-1) was charged with the loss.

OAXACA 4     YUCATAN 1

The Guerreros scored 4 times in the op of the 8th inning and cruised to a 4-1 victory over the Leones. Oaxaca leads this 1st round series 1 game to none. Yuniesky Betancourt went 1 for 4 with 2 RBIs for the Guerreros while Leo Heras was 2 for 4 for Yucatan in a losing effort. Alex Delgado (1-0) got the win and Carlos Felix was credited with a save. Arcenio Leon (0-1) took the loss for the Leones.

MONTERREY 7     TIJUANA 4 

Ramiro Pena was 2 for 5 with a home run and 3 RBIs for the Sultanes as they took a 1-0 lead in the Zona Norte playoff battle. Chris Roberson, Augustin Murillo and Jose Amador also went deep for Monterrey. Frederich Cepeda went 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 RBIs for the Toros. Rafael Ordaz (1-0) picked up the win in relief of starter Anthony Vasquez and Wirfin Obispo garnered a save. Carlos Hernandez (0-1) was charged with the loss.

Rafael  Ordaz

MONCLOVA 11     DOS LAREDOS 10 (10 innings)

The visiting Tecolotes scored 8 runs in the top of the 7th inning but couldn't hold on and fell to the Acereros 11-10 in 10 innings.Francisco Peguero hit the 1st pitch he saw with 2 outs in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Monclova the walk off win. Peguero was 3 for 5 with the home run and 4 RBIs. Josh Rodriguez, the Tecolotes shortstop, homered in the 9th inning to force extra innings. Rodriguez went 3 for 5 with 2 RBIs in a losing cause. Mario Morales (1-0) earned the win while Tyson Perez (0-1) was charged with a blown save and took the loss. Monclova takes a 1-0 lead in the Zona Norte playoff series.

Mayos Sweep Charros with 4-1 Win in Game 3

A MICHAEL CHOICE SAC FLY PROVIDES THE ONLY CHARROS OFFENSE

Michael Choice sac fly

The good news on the night was that the Charros scoreless streak stopped at 24 innings. The bad news is that, while the Charros scored a run, the Mayos de Navojoa scored 4 times to win the game 4-1. Navojoa swept the 3 game series and the Charros fell to 11-12 on the season.

Some additional bad news is that in the 3 games the Charros managed just 17 hits and 1 run. They also were 1 for 24 with runners in scoring position, an .041 batting average. Without providing key hits that produced runs, the excellent pitching by the Charros pitchers was wasted. The starters and relievers allowed just 8 runs in the 3 games.

Newly acquired starter, Matthew Zielinski (0-1) took the loss. He gave up 6 hits, including a home run, and 3 runs in the first 2 innings but settled down in his 5 innings on the mound.

Matthew Zielinski

Zack Dodson (1-2) allowed 1 run on 5 hits while striking out 6 in the win.

Humberto Sosa singled to right in the bottom of the 1st inning for Navojoa to drive in Yosmany Guerra and Randy Arozarena for the quick 2-0 lead. Again a lead off walk issued by the Charros pitching led to a run.

Diego Madero hit a solo hone run to deep left center in the second to add to the Mayos lead.

Cacao Valdez doubled in the 4th inning for Jalisco and advanced to third on a fielding error on the play. Michael Choice followed with a sac fly to put the Charros on the board and cut the Mayos' lead to 3-1.

Navojoa scored their final run in the bottom of the 6th on a double by Sosa, a ground ball out and a single by Fernando Flores for the 4-1 win.

Manny Rodriguez went 2 for 3 with a double for the Charros.

Manny "El Capitan" Rodriguez

Humberto Sosa was 2 for 4 with a double, 2 RBIs and a run scored for the Mayos. Yosmany Guerra was 2 for 3 and Diego Madero 1 for 4 with the home run for Navojoa.

Monday is an off day and the Aguilas de Mexicali arrive in Guadalajara for 3 games beginning on Tuesday the 8th of November.



IN OTHER LMP ACTION

Hermosillo 2, Mexicali 1

Dave Sappelt hit a solo home run for the Aguilas in the bottom of the 9th but it wasn't enough to overcome the 2 runs scored by the Naranjeros and Hermosillo won 2-1. Consecutive doubles by Carlos Gastelum and Jorge Flores put Hermosillo up after 7 inning. Jose Amador hit his 5th home run of the year in the 8th to give the Naranjeros a 2-0 lead. Manuel Valdez (1-0) got the win in relief and Paul Sewald his 7th save. Marco Quevedo (0-2) took the loss.

Los Mochis 2, Mazatlán 0

The Caneros scored twice in the top of the 1st and went on to beat the Venados by the 2-0 score. Julian Arballo (3-0) scatterd 5 hits, struck out 4 but walked 5 in getting the win. Jon Sintes earned his 7th save. Walter Silva (1-4) was charged with both runs in the loss. JC Linares was 1 for 3 with 2 RBIs for Los Mochis. Jason Bourgeois and Hector Paez were both 2 for 4 for the Venados who fell to 6-17 on the season.

Obregon 4, Culiacan 2

Arturo Lopez (4-0) gave up a run on 2 hits in 6 1/3 innings of work to get the win for the Yaquis. Craig Stem notched his 1st save for Obregon. Aaron Thompson (2-1) gave up the 4 Obregon runs on 6 hits in 3 innings to take the loss. The Yaquis scored 3 times in the 3rd and added a run in the 4th and held on to win 4-2. Leo Heras was 3 for 4 with2 RBIs for the Yaquis. Irving Wilson went 1 for 1 with a home run and Joey Meneses 2 for 4 with a triple and a run scored for the Tomateros.

Jalisco Tops Mexicali 5-4

MICHAEL CHOICE HOMERS IN THE WIN

Octavio Acosta on the Mound

The Charros got good pitching from starter Octavio Acosta, although Acosta did not figure in the win he allowed a single run on 2 hits and struck out 5 over 4 1/3 innings, and offense from Michael Choice to beat the Aguilas 5-4.

Julio Felix (1-0) got the win in relief and Aaron Kurcz notched his 4th save of the year, pitching the last 1 1/3 innings for Jalisco.

Miguel Pena (0-1) worked 2 2/3 innings for Mexicali giving up 3 runs on 3 hits, walking 4 and striking out 3. The Charros struck out 11 times against the Aguilas pitchers.

Choice sent a 1 out fastball deep to left center for a solo home run in the top of the 2nd inning that gave the Charros an early 1-0 lead.

Choice Homers in the 2nd

With 2 outs Jalisco loaded the bases in the 3rd inning on a walk to Carlos Figueroa, a single by Manny Rodriguez and an Agustin Murillo hit by pitch. Choice then drew a base on balls to plate Figueroa. Cacao Valdez followed that with the second of his four walks on the night to bring in Rodriguez for the 3-0 Charros lead.

Mexicali got a run back in the bottom of the 4th on an Adan Munoz double and a ground ball double play by Dave Sappelt that scored Munoz and cut the lead to 3-1.

Yunesky Betancourt hit a solo home run for the Aguilas in the bottom of the 6th inning to narrow the gap to 3-2.

Art Charles singled with 1 out in the top of the 7th and advanced to second on a fielding error by the Aguilas shortstop. After the second out, Cacao Valdez singled to drive in Charles. Jonathan Aceves walked to load the bases. The Mexicali pitcher then uncorked a wild pitch that got Murillo in for the 5-2 lead.

A walk to Humberto Cota started things off for the Aguilas in the bottom of the 7th. Ramon Urias followed with a double to left. Chris Roberson singled to drive in Cota and Ricky Alvarez hit a sac fly to score Urias. The lead was down to 5-4 but the Aguilas' bats fell silent over the last 2 innings and the Charros were 5-4 winners.

Charros Celebrate the Win

Agustin Murillo raised his batting average to .468 with a 2 for 4 night at the plate, Michael Choice was 1 for 4 with the home run and 2 RBIs and Cacao Valdez 1 for 1 with 4 walks and 2 RBIs for the Charros.

Adan Munoz went 1 for 3 with an RBI and Yunesky Betancourt 1 for 3 with a home run for the Aguilas.

This is the 1st series win in 4 attempts for the Charros. One more game in Mexicali and then a weekend series against the Venados in Mazatlán.

IN OTHER LMP ACTION

Hermosillo 6, Culiacan 3

Mallex Smith, Jose Amador and Jorge Flores homered for the Naranjeros as Hermosillo doubled up the Tomateros 6-3. Iker Franco homered for Culiacan. Fernando Miranda (1-0) got the win in relief and Paul Sewald earned his 5th save of the year while Francisco Campos (0-1) took the loss for the Tomateros. Matt Skole was 2 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored for Hermosillo while Joey Meneses and Issmael Salas were both 2 for 4 for Culiacan.

Los Mochis 6, Obregon 5

The league leading Caneros' Leandro Castro went 3 for 4 with a home run and 2 RBIs in the 6-5 win over the Yaquis. Obregon got a home run from Carlos Valencia and a triple from Leo Heras in the loss. Santiago Gutierrez (2-0) picked up the win in relief and Jon Sintes earned his 5th save of the season. Miguel Aguilar (0-2) took the loss.

Navojoa 6, Mazatlan 5

The Venados fell to the bottom of the LMP standings at 3-10 with the 6-5 loss to the Mayos. Navojoa scored 3 times in the top of the 9th inning to overcome a Mazatlán 5-3 lead. Luis De La O (1-0) got the win and Esteban Haro picked up his 1st save of the year. Benino Prueda (0-1) was charged with a blown save and the loss. Carlos Moncrief was 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored for the Mayos. Corey Brown had a home run and 3 RBIs in 3 trips to the plate for Mazatlán.

Charros Get 8-2 Win in Mexicali

SCORE 5 IN 5TH TO BREAK THE GAME OPEN

The Charros used a 5 run 5th inning to break open a close game and went on to beat the Aguilas de Mexicali 8-2 in the opening game of a 3 game series. The Charros improved to 6-6 on the year and reached .500 for the first time since game 2 of the season.

At the same time the offense was hitting on all cylinders, the pitching, led by starter Daniel Guerrero, was humming along nicely. Guerrero (1-1) worked 6 innings giving up a run on 3 hits and 2 K's in picking up the win.

Javier Solano (1-1), the Aguilas starter, lasted 4 1/3 innings on the mound while being tagged for 7 runs on 6 hits and walking 4 in taking the loss.

Figueroa and Rodriguez Score

Jalisco jumped out early, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the 1st inning. Carlos Fugueroa singled to lead off the game and went to second on a single by Manny Rodriguez. With 2 outs, Agustin Murillo drew a base on balls to load the bases. Michael Choice came through with a single that scored Figueroa and Rodriguez for the lead.

Amadeo Zazueta hit a sac fly to right to score Jonathan Aceves, who had singled, in the 2nd inning to build a 3-0 Charros lead.

The Aguilas scored in the bottom of the 3rd on a single by Yordany Linares who went to second on a walk to Xorge Carrillo. Linares scored on a double play ball by Ramon Urias to cut the Jalisco lead to 3-1.

Walks are the bane of every manager's existence. Mexicali's Solano walked Figueroa and Rodriguez to start the 5th inning. Art Charles doubled to right to score both Figueroa with Rodriguez stopping at third. Murillo followed with a single to drive in both runners and that was all for Solano. Cacao Valdez doubled off of reliever Juan Espinoza to score Charles. Fernando Valenzuela single to drive in Murillo and Valdez for the 8-1 Charros lead.

Charles and Rodriguez Score

Ricky Alvarez and Dave Sappelt singled for the Aguilas in the bottom of the 7th. After a double play, Xorge Carrillo struck out but strike 3 was a wild pitch that allowed Sappelt to score from second to make it an 8-2 game. After 2 singles loaded the bases, Charros reliever Adrian Guzman got Ramon Rios to pop up to second to end the threat and wrap up the Jalisco 8-2 win.

Agustin Murillo, Michael Choice and Fernando Valenzuela were all 1 for 4 with 2 RBIs for Jalisco.

Ricky Avarez was 2 for 4 for the Aguilas.

Two more games with the Aguilas before heading to Mazatlán for a weekend series with the Venados.

Choice and Aaron Kurcz Watch

IN OTHER LMP ACTION

Culiacan 3, Hermosillo 2 (11 innings)

Jose Manuel Orozco hit a 2 out walk off home run to right in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift the Tomateros to a 3-2 win over the Naranjeros. Antonio Lamas hit a solo home run for Culiacan in the 6th. Jose Amador was 3 for 4 and Carlos Gastelum 2 for 4 for Hermosillo. Francisco (1-0) picked up the win in relief while Demetrio Gutierrez (0-1) suffered the loss. Watch Orozco's home run here.

Los Mochis 5, Obregon 4

The Caneros scored all of their runs in the 5th inning and held on to beat the Yaquis 5-4. Roy Merritt (0-1) gave up 4 runs on 6 hits in 5 innings of work to get the win and Jon Sintes worked a perfect 9th inning to earn his 4th save of the year. David Reyes (0-3) gave up all 5 Caneros runs in the loss. The Naranjeros have lost 4 in a row after starting the season 6-1. Saul Soto was 1 for 4 with 2 RBIs and Juan Carlos 2 for 4 with an RBI for Los Mochis while Delino Deshields was 1 for 3 with 2 RBIs for Hermosillo.

Navojoa 9, Mazatlán 8

The Mayos scored 4 in the 3rd and 4 in the 5th while adding an insurance run in the 8th inning. They weathered a 2 run bottom of the 9th to outlast the Venados 9-8. Oscar Felix (1-0) picked up the win in relief and Kyle Grana got the save despite giving up 2 runs on 2 hits in the bottom of the 9th. Luis Heredia (0-1) lost in relief for Mazatlán. Alejandro Gonzalez was 1 for 4 with 3 RBIs for Navojoa while Esteban Quiroz went 4 for 5 with an RBI and 2 runs scored for the Venados.