Culiacan Bests Hermosillo 3-1 in 11 Innings

TOMATEROS SCORE TWICE IN THE 11th TO TAKE THE WIN

Ronnier Mustelier singled to begin the 2nd for the Tomateros and promptly stole second. Two outs later Ali Solis singled to center to drive in Mustelier for the 1-0 lead.

There were two outs in the bottom of the 7th when Francisco Peguero singled to center. Danny Espinosa waited out a walk. Newly reactivated Jose Amador singled to left to plate Peguero as the Naranjeros tied the game at 1.

Luis Cruz

Rico Noel singled with 1 out in the top of the 11th for Culiacan and stole second. Luis Cruz singled to score Noel as the Tomateros took a 2-1 lead. Blake Gailen was intentionally walked. After a strikeout, Mustelier singled to drive in Cruz and increase the Culiacan lead to 3-1.

Hermosillo managed a single in their half of the 11th but Peguero ground out 4-3 and Espinosa stuck out swinging and Culiacan had the extra inning win.

Amilcar Gaxiola (0-1) got the win in relief and Casey Coleman earned his 8th save of the season. Kyle Finnegan (0-2) was responsible for the 2 runs in the 11th and took the loss.

The Tomateros are now tied with the Venados and the Charros atop the LMP standings with identical 12-10 records.

Culiacan Topples Navojoa 10-7

7 RUN 4TH INNING TOO MUCH FOR MAYOS

Issmael salas

Issmael salas hit a 3 run home run in the 2nd inning for the Tomateros and Ronnier Mustelier added a solo home run in the 7 run 4th as Culiacan built a 10-1 lead after the top half of the 4th and held on the beat Navojoa 10-7. Culiacan improved to 7-5 on the season and the Mayos fell to 5-6.

Jovan Rosa had a 2 run home run for the Mayos in their half of the 4th and Alejandro Gonzalez added a 2 run shot in the 5th to cut the lead to 10-5.

Jovan Rosa

A double, a hit batter, a walk and 2 singles scored 2 more runs for Navojoa in the bottom of the 7th to make the score 10-7. The Mayos had runners in scoring position in the 8th but couldn't score and went down in order in the 9th to give Culiacan the 10-7 win.

Aldo Montes

Although he gave up 5 runs on 4 hits in 5 innings on the mound, Aldo Montes (1-0) picked up the win and Casey Coleman pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn his 4th save of the season. Enrique Oquendo (0-2) allowed 4 runs on 2 hits over 3 innings of work in taking the loss.

Charros Sweep Venados 4 Games to 0

JALISCO ADVANCES TO SECOND ROUND OF PLAYOFFS

Jalisco is into the second round of the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico playoffs with the four game sweep of the Venados de Mazatlan. Orlando Lara pitched an outstanding game, going 7 innings, scattering 5 hits, walking 1 and striking out 5 to earn the win. Timely hitting by the offense turned 8 hits into the 4 runs scored for the victory.

The Charros scored early, plating 2 runs in the 2nd on a single to center by Jon Weber and a home run to left by Marquez Smith. Jalisco took the lead 2-0 and coasted to the win.    

Marquez Smith Home Run/Straffonimages

Jalisco added to their lead in the top of the 5th. Gabriel Gutierrez singled with one out and moved to second when Eduardo Arredondo was safe at first on an error by the Venados third baseman, Ronnier Mustelier. Manny Rodriguez came through with a single to center that score Gutierrez for the 3-0 lead but Arredondo was thrown out at third for the final out of the inning. Arredondo was hurt on the play and left the game to be replaced by Edson Garcia. No word was given on the extent of the injury to Arredondo.

Leo Heras walked to lead off the 8th for the Charros. He moved to second on an errant pick off attempt, moved to third on a ground out by Japhet Amador and scored on a single to right  by CJ Retherford. The insurance run had the Charros up 4-0.

Arredondo Injury/Straffonimages

With one out in the Venados half of the 8th, Paul Leon singled to center. Jesus Fabela followed with a single with Leon stopping at second. Ronnier Mustelier singled to score Leon as Mazatlan cut the lead to 4-1.

The Venados threatened in the bottom of the 9th when Blake Gailen and Heber Gomez led off with back-to-back singles. Charros reliever, Manny Acosta got Erick Rodriguez to hit into a double play and Jesus Castillo to ground out to second to end the game.

This series was a team effort from the first game. The pitching was unbelievably good by all four Charros starters but Marquez Smith started the scoring in all four games, either drawing a walk and coming around to score or the home run in game 4. Marquez Smith is my choice for the Most Valuable Player in the first round series.

Playoff Baseball Returns to Guadalajara

CHARROS TOP VENADOS 4-1 TO TAKE GAME 1

The 2014 Liga de Mexicana del Pacifico regular season has come to an end and the Charros de Jalisco have finished as the top seed in their first year in the league. Jalisco started off the post season with a 4-1 win over the Venados de Mazatlan to go up 1 game to none in the best of seven series.

Marquez Smith got things going for the Charros in the bottom of the 3rd by drawing a lead off walk. Gabriel Gutierrez followed with a double to move Smith to third. Jesus Lopez then hit a sac fly to center that scored Smith and moved Gutierrez to third. Gutierrez scored when the Venados third baseman threw wild to first on a ground ball off the bat of Manny Rodriguez. The Charros led 2-0 and never looked back.

The Venados got a run back in the top of the 4th on a double by Ronnier Mustelier and a single by Olmo Rosario to cut the lead to 2-1 Charros.

Jalisco scored in the bottom of the 6th on singles by Leo Heras and Japhet Amador and a single by Charros newcomer, Jon Weber, formerly of the Mayos de Navojoa, that scored Heras for the 3-1 Jalisco lead.

The Charros scored their final run on a lead off, solo home run by Marquez Smith in the bottom of the 7th for the final score of 4-1.

Starting pitcher for the Charros, Marco Tovar, picked up the win, going 6 innings while scattering 7 hits, walking 1 and striking out 3. Mario Mendoza notched the save by pitching a perfect 9th inning.

Gabriel Gutierrez was 3 for 3 with a double and a run scored. Marquez went 1 for 3 with the home run, an RBI and 2 runs scored while Jon Weber was 1 for 4 with an RBI

Charros Come from Behind to Beat Venados 12-7

Hugo Castellanos recorded the win for Jalisco on Sunday over the Venados de Mazatlan as the Charros took game two of the final series of the year by a score of 12-7. The game was all Venados until the Charros exploded for 7 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning.

Mazatlan jumped on Charros starter Marco Tovar for 3 runs in the top of the 1st. Blake Gailen hit a solo home run to right with one out. Ronnier Mustelier, who had doubled, scored in front of a home run by Olmo Rosario to give the visiting Venados a 3-0 lead.

The Charros fought back in their half of the inning. After Eduardo Arredondo and Manny Rodriguez fouled out, Leo Heras walked, Japhet Amador singled and CJ Retherford drew a base on balls to load the bases. Gabriel Gutierrez came through with a double to score Heras and Amador to cut the Venados lead to 3-2.                                                               

Japhet Amador  Scores Courtesy of Carros Jalisco Beisbol

Jalisco tied the score in the 3rd when Eduardo Arredondo tripled with two outs and scored when the Mazatlan shortstop botched a ground ball by Manny Rodriguez.

Ronnier Mustelier doubled with one out in the 3rd for Mazatlan and scored on a single by Heber Gomez as the Venados retook the lead 4-3.

The Venados added to their lead in the 4th on a triple by Jesus Fabela and a single by Blake Gailen to increase the Venados lead to 5-3.

Jesus Fabela singled with one out in the 6th and scored on a double by Blake Gailen. Oswaldo Morejon's single scored Gailen and Mazatlan extended their lead to 7-3.

Eduardo Arredondo singled to lead off the Charros 7th and scored on Manny Rodriguez' eighth home run of the year as Jalisco kept fighting to narrow the lead to 7-5 Mazatlan.          

Rodriguez Home Run Courtesy of Charros Jalisco Beisbol

The 8th inning was all Charros. CJ Retherford singled to lead off the inning and went to second on a single by Gabriel Gutierrez. Marquez Smith drew a free pass to load the bases. After a pitching change for Mazatlan, Jesus Lopez singled to score Retherford. Edson Garcia hit a sac fly to right that scored Gutierrez. Eduardo Arredondo then singled to reload the bases. Manny Rodriguez drilled a single to left to score Smith and Lopez and the Charros had their first lead of the game at 9-7. After Jalisco pulled off a double steal, the Venados chose to walk Leo Heras to load the bases and bring up the league leader in RBIs, Japhet Amador. Amador delivered a single that scored Arredondo and Rodriguez for an 11-7 lead. CJ Retherford hit into a 6-4 fielder's choice that gave the Charros a 12-7 victory over Mazatlan.

Eduardo Arredondo was 2 for 5 with a triple and 2 runs scored while Manny Rodriguez had a home run and 4 RBIs as he went 2 for 5. Gabriel Gutierrez went 3 for 5 with a double and 2 RBIs. Japhet Amador drove in 2 runs, his 53rd and 54th on the season, going 3 for 5 while scoring a run.

Jalisco is a league best 42-25 overall and 21-11 in the second half. They have clinched the best record in the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico as the Tomateros de Culiacan are 4 1/2 games back with one game to play.

Charros Smother Venados de Mazatlan 9-4

The Venados de Mazatlan came to Guadalajara for the final 3 games of the regular season and lost the first game to the Charros by a 9-4 score.

The Charros opened the scoring in the bottom of the 4th on a single by CJ Retherford, a sacrifice bunt by Edson Garcia and a double by Gabriel Gutierrez that scored Retherford for the 1-0 Jalisco lead.

Jalisco scored again in the bottom of the 5th on a throwing error, a fielder's choice that the Venados pitcher threw away and a single by Manny Rodriguez that scored Jesus Lopez for a 2-0 lead.

With one out in the Charros 6th, Edson Garcia doubled to right and scored on a Gabriel Gurierrez single. The Charros were up 3-0 after 6 innings.

The Venados would score two runs in their half of the 7th. Jesus Castillo doubled, Heber Gomez walked, and a single by Erick Rodriguez scored Castillo. A sac fly to center by Hector Paez scored pinch runner Paul Leon and the Vendados had cut the Charros lead to 3-2.

Eduardo Arredondo singled to lead off the home half of the 7th, stole second and scored on a double to left by Leo Heras. Japhet Amador was walked intentionally and CJ Retherford flew out to right to get Heras to third. Mazatlan reliever, Francisco Felix, then threw a wild pitch that scored Heras and moved Amador to second. After Edson Garcia and Gabriel Gutierrez walked, Fernando Valenzuela doubled to right to score Amador and Garcia for the 7-2 Charros lead.

Manny Rodriguez connected for his 7th home run of the year in the Jalisco 8th, a two run shot to left that scored Eduardo Arredondo to increase the Charros lead to 9-2.

Mazatlan refused to give up. In the top of the 9th, after Ivan Salas replaced Adrian Ramirez for the Charros, Jesus Fabela and Hector Paez singled. With one out, Oswaldo Morejon singled to score Fabela with Paez stopping at second. Ronnier Mustelier singled to plate Paez but Sean Gleason got Olmo Rosario to ground into a 6-4 fielder's choice that ended the game with the Charros 9-4 victory.

Manuel Flores picked up the win for Jalisco to improve to 2-1 on the year. Flores went 6 innings, scattering 6 hits while striking out 3 and holding the Venados scoreless. Fredy Quintero dropped to 3-4 with the loss.

Manny Rodriguez was 3 for 5 with the home run, 3 RBIs, giving him 40 on the year, and a run scored as he raised his batting average to .335. Gabriel Gutierrez went 3 for 4 with a double and 2 RBIs. Leo Heras had a double and a single in his 5 trips to the plate with an RBI.

The Charros are now 41-25 overall and 20-11 in the second half. The Venados de Mazatlan fall to 30-35 overall and 14-17 for the second half.

Charros take Series From Tomateros With 6-5 Win

The Charros de Jalisco baseball team is interesting to say the least. Starter Marco Tovar gave up four hits in the bottom of the 1st, all of them solo home runs. The Charros did not make a pitching change until the 3rd inning after Tovar gave up 2 walks and a single to load the bases with no outs.

Four relief pitchers for the Charros held the Tomateros scoreless until the bottom of the 8th on two hits and one walk.

Jalisco started to climb out of the four run hole in the top of the 4th. Leo Heras led off with a walk and Manny Rodriguez doubled. With runners at 2nd and 3rd, Japhet Amador singled to score Heras with Rodriguez stopping at third. Marguez Smith then grounded out to third as Rodriguez scored. The Charros were on the board but were still down 4-2.

The Charros scored a run in the 5th when Jesus Lopez scored on an Eduardo Arredondo single to narrow the score to 4-3 Tomateros.

With one out in the top of the 6th, Cory Vaughn was hit by a pitch. After Gabriel Gutierrez flew out to center, Vaughn scored on a double by Jesus Lopez that tied the score at 4.

Jalisco scored two more runs in the 7th. Eduardo Arredondo and Leo Heras walked. Japhet Amador drove in Arredondo with a single. Cory Vaughn walked to load the bases and Gabriel Gutierrez waited out a walk to force in Heras with the second run of the inning and the 6-4 Charros lead.

The Tomateros tried to mount a comeback in the bottom of the 8th. With one out, Arturo Rodriguez singled. Ronnier Mustelier also singled to put runners on the corners with one out. Rodriguez scored on a ground out to second off of the bat of pinch hitter Refugio Cervantes to make it a one run ball game, 6-5. Pinch hitter Oscar Robles then grounded out to first to end the inning.

Neither team would score in the 9th and the Charros won their fifth game against three losses.

Japhet Amador and Manny Rodriguez were both 2 for 5 with Amador driving in 2 runs and Rodriguez scoring 1. Jesus Lopez was 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored. Eduardo Arredondo went 1 for 4 with an RBI.

Carlos Vazguez got the win for the Charros while Brian Broderick picked up his third save of the year.