Watch video highlights HERE.
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| Leones Acknowledge Their Fans |
The Leones started fast, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the 1st inning. Jose Aguilar singled with one out and scored when Ricardo Serrano's line drive was misplayed by the Tigres left fielder and went to the wall. Serrano wound up on third. Jesus Valdez singled to left to score Serrano and Yucatan was up 2-0. Hector Gimenez walked. Luis Garcia singled to drive in Valdez but Gimenez was thrown out at third for the second out. Jaime Pedroza struck out to end the inning but the Leones were up 3-0 after 1 inning.
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| Serrano Scores |
The Tigres answered with a run in the top of the 5th off of Yucatan starter Jonathan Castellanos. Greg Golson led off with a single to center and scored on a double to right by Esteban Quiroz.
With two outs in the top of the 6th for the Tigres, Jorge Cantu and Jorge Vazquez singled. That was all for Castellanos who was replaced by Aguilar. Sergio Contreras singled to drive in Cantu. Greg Golson then reached on an error by the Leones shortstop that scored Vazquez to tie the game at 3. Alfredo Amezaga walked to load the bases and Iker Franco walked on 5 pitches to force in Contreras with the go ahead run. Demetrio Gutierrez came in to pitch for the Leones and walked Esteban Quiroz to force in Golson and the Tigres had a 5-3 lead.
Israel Nunez and Corey Wimberly singled in the bottom of he 7th for Yucatan and Nunez scored on a sac fly by Jose Aguilar to narrow the Tigres lead to 5-4.
There would be no more scoring in the game and the Leones, after winning 3 consecutive games, dropped the all important game 7 to the Tigres by that final 5-4 score.
The Yucatan pitching staff, which led the league in ERA for the 2015 season, came up short in the final game of the year for the Leones and the hitters, who hit .291 on the year, came up 1 run short.
There is blame enough to go around, starting with the 2 losses at home to begin the series, but the Leones as a team never quit and brought exciting baseball back to Merida, something that had been missing for some time.
The Tigres will now face the Acereros de Monclova in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol Championship round set to begin in Cancun on Tuesday the 8th of September.
IN OTHER LMB PLAYOFF ACTION
Monclova 2, Tijuana 1
Watch video highlights HERE.
The Acereros scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 2nd inning on singles by Jose Amador and Hernando Arredondo, a ground rule double by Francisco Cordoba and a ground ball out by Hector Garanzuay and the pitching staff did the rest as Monclova beat the Toros 2-1 to win the Zona Norte Championship.
Anthony Capra pitched 5 innings and gave up the lone run on 4 hits while walking 2 and striking out 4. Josh Lowey, normally a starter for Monclova, pitched the final 3 1/3 innings to pick up the save. Lowey didn't allow a hit and struck out 3 in his time on the mound. Walter Silva pitched well over his 6 innings, giving up 2 runs on 5 hits, but the Toros bats were held in check and Silva was saddled with the loss.
Francisco Cordoba and Hector Garanzuay drove in the runs fo Monclova while Oscar Robles drove in the only run for the Toros.
Monclova moves on to face the Tigres de Quintana Roo in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol Championship set to begin on Tuesday the 8th of September.
