Diablos Move to Championship Round of the Zona Sur with Series Win over Pericos

BEST PERICOS TWICE ON SUNDAY TO TAKE SERIES 4 GAMES TO 1

The Diablos got solid pitching and timely hitting in their 3-1 win in the 5th game of the series. Mexico recorded just 5 hits but made the most of them, scoring 3 runs on 3 hits off of the Pericos starter.

Mexico moves on to the Zona Sur Championship round to face either the Leones de Yucatan or the Guerreros de Oaxaca in a best of seven series. At the time of this article, Oaxaca was leading the Leones in the bottom of the 6th inning.

Carlos Figueroa started the game by drawing a walk. Juan Carlos Gamboa, the second batter, also waited out a base on balls to put runners on first and second with no outs. Yeison Asencio hit a fly ball to left that advanced Figueroa to third. Luis Jimenez singled to drive in Figueroa for the 1-0 Diablos lead.

Mexico added 2 runs in the 3rd inning. With one out, Juan Carlos Gamboa drew a walk but was forced at second on a ground ball by Yeison Asencio. Asencio scored in front of a towering home run to left off of the bat of Luis Jimenez. Diablos 3-0.

Luis Jimenez

The Perico's bats were held in check, 5 hits through 6 innings. In the bottom of the 7th, Michael Crouse hit a lead off single and advanced to second 2 pitches later on a wild pitch. Daniel Sanchez hit a grounder to short that moved Crouse to third. Oscar Sanay then singled to bring in Crouse but that would be all the scoring for the Pericos in the 3-1 loss.

Luis Mendoza (1-0) scattered 7 hits over 6 2/3 innings allowing 1 run, walking 2 and striking out 4 in recording the win. Manny Acosta earned his 2nd save of the series allowing one base runner in the 9th.

Josh Outman (2-0) pitched well except for the home run he allowed to Jimenez. He gave up all 3 runs on 3 hits, walking 3 without recording a strikeout in the loss for Puebla.

The hitting hero for Mexico was Luis Jimenez who went 3 for 4 with the home run and 2 singles, driving in all 3 runs for the Diablos.

Sergio Perez went 3 for 4 and Michael Crouse 2 for 3 with a walk, in the loss. Oscar Sanay had the only RBI for the Pericos.

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.