Miguel Ojeda - Diablos Rojos de Mexico Manager 2015

Miguel Ojeda, manager of the Diablos Rojos del Mexico, began his major league baseball career with the San Diego Padres in 2003. Following the 2005 season, Ojeda was traded to the Colorado Rockies lasting one year. He spent some of 2006 year with the Texas Rangers but was designated for assignment in May of that year. During his years in Major League Baseball, Ojeda hit .224 with 15 home runs and 72 RBIs.     

Ojeda in his Major League Playing Days

 

Ojeda played for the Venados de Mazatlan in the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico. While playing for the Venados in 2005, Mazatlan won the LMP Championship and went on to win the Serie de Caribe. Ojeda represented Mexico in the 2009 World Baseball Classic

Ojeda during WBC 2009

Over his long career in the LMP, Ojeda hit .246 with 749 hits, 75 home runs and 347 RBIs. He retired from baseball in 2012. The Venados retired Ojeda's number 35 during this past season.

The Diablos Rojos de Mexico named Ojeda as their manager in 2013. In 2014 he led the Diablos to a 70-42 record and the Championship of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol with a four game sweep of the Pericos de Puebla in the final round.    

Coach Miguel Ojeda

Ojeda was hired as the manager of the Venados de Mazatlan in 2014 and led the team to the playoffs in his first year. His team was swept by the Charros de Jalisco in the first round of playoffs.

Jerry Royster - Tigres de Quintana Roo Manager 2015

As part of a series of posts about the 2015 Liga Mexicana de Beisbol, I will take a look at the managers of the 16 teams. The first manager article is about Jerry Royster of the Tigres de Quintana Roo.

Jerry was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1970 and started his first major league game in August of 1973. He had a career that spanned 15 years in which he played for 5 different big league teams. Jerry compiled a .249 batting average while hitting 40 home, driving in 352 and stealing 189 bases. He ended his playing career with the Atlanta Braves in 1988.

Jerry as a player

 

His coaching career began in 1993 as a third base coach for the Colorado Rockies but lasted 1 year. Jerry was out of baseball until 2000 when, as a bench coach for Davey Lopes of the Milwaukee Brewers, he was named interim manager after Lopes got off to a disastrous start. Although the interim tag was removed 2 weeks later, Royster was fired at the end of the year following a 53-94 record.

Before being named manager of the Dodgers Triple A affiliate, the Las Vegas 51's, in 2005, Royster had been the Dodgers infield coordinator for the 2003 and 2004 seasons.

In 2007, Royster was signed as manager of the Lotte Giants of the South Korean Baseball League. He became the first non-Korean to manage in the league. He managed the Giants until 2010. 


Royster as Lotte Giants Manager

Royster was the third base coach for the Boston Red Sox in 2012.

The Tigres de Quintana Roo hired Royster as their manager in 2014 where he led the team to a 65-48 record and 1st place in the Sur Division of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol. The Tigres lost to the Pericos de Puebla in the semi-final round of the divisional playoffs.

Royster Named Tigres Manager

45 Things That Never Happened In MLB History Until 2014

An interesting article by Bruce Herman of Athlon Sports about 45 things that happened in the 2014 MLB season that never occurred in MLB history.

Find out who accomplished these feats:

Who hit a grand slam for two different teams in the month of April?
Who stole 3 bases in a game while his team was being no-hit?
What player hit a solo home run, 2 run home run, 3 run home run and a grand slam sequentially in successive games?

What pitcher struck out the side, on nine pitches, with the bases loaded?
Who struck out 40 batters between his 1st and 2nd walks?
Who beat one team 3 times in one year pitching for 3 different teams?

If you know the answers to these questions...you are absolutely amazing but there are even more amazing facts in Herman's article here.

22 Charros Players To Join Liga Mexicana de Beisbol

22 players from the 2014-2015 Charros de Jalisco are listed on rosters for teams in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol that begin play in April of 2015.

The LMB consists of 16 teams divided into two 8 team divisions. The Norte Division will have teams from Tijuana, Mexico City, Monclova, Monterrey, Saltillo, Reynosa, Laguna and Aguas Caliente.

The Sur Division will consist of the following teams: Quintana Roo, Puebla, Campeche, Cd. Carmen, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Yucatan and Tabasco.

Here is a list of the Charros and the LMB team they will play for. As with any Spring roster, it is not unusual for changes to occur. I will keep watching and update this list as necessary.

Diablos Rojos de Mexico
Jesus Lopez
Japhet Amador
Carlos Vasquez
Gabriel Gutierrez

Sultanes de Monterrey
Marco Tovar
Oscar Villarreal

Vaqueros de la Laguna
Ivan Zavala

Saraperos de Saltillo
Jesus Cota
Jose "Manny" Rodriguez

Toros de Tijuana
Mario Mendoza
CJ Retherford
Eduardo Arredondo

Rieleros de Aguas Caliente
Orlando Lara

Tigres de Quintana Roo
Adrian Ramirez

Pericos de Puebla
Hugo Castellanos

Piratas de Campeche
Ivan Salas

Rojos Aguila de Veracruz
Manuel Flores

Leones de Yucatan 
Juan Delgadillo
Mario Meza
Israel Nunez
Edson Garcia
Fernando Valenzuela

Liga Mexicana del Pacifico Gold Glove Recipients Announced

The Liga Mexicana del Pacifico has announced the winners of the Gold Glove, by position, for the 2014-2015 season.

Fueron los mejores a la hora de estar a la defensiva, posición por posición y en base a las estadísticas oficiales. La Liga Mexicana del Pacífico da a conocer a los ganadores de los Guantes de Oro de su temporada BANORTE 2014-2015.

The Caneros de Los Mochis had 3 fielders win Gold Gloves followed by the Naranjeros de Hermosillo with 2 and the Charros de Jalisco, Yaquis de Cd Obregon, Tomateros de Culiacan and the Venados de mazatlan with 1 each.

The winners by position are: 1B - Jesus Castillo, Mazatlan .990   2B - Carlos Gastelum, Hermosillo .988   3B - Rodolfo Amador, Los Mochis .978   SS - Issmael Salas, Culiacan .986   OF - Jerry Owens, Hermosillo .994   OF - Justin Christian, Los Mochis .993   OF - Eduardo Arredondo, Jalisco .992   C - Said Gutierrez, Obregon .988   P - Jonathan Castellanos 1.000

Liga Mexicana Players Headed To Spring Training As Non Roster Invitees

The Liga Mexicana del Pacifico will send five players from the 2014-2015 to join MLB teams as non-roster players this spring training.

Xorge Carrillo, the 2013-2014 LMP Rookie of the Year, will report to the NY Mets training camp in Port St. Lucie Florida. Carrillo played for the Aguilas de Mexicali in 2014 where he hit .273 with 56 hits, 19 doubles, 9 home runs and 33 RBIs.

Walter Ibarra, also from the Aguilas de Mexicali, hit .291 with 68 hits, 9 doubles, 4 home runs and drove in 23. Ibarra will be in spring training with the Arizona Diamondbacks at their facility in Phoenix Arizona.

Rico Noel, who played for the League Champion Tomateros de Culiacan, is a non roster invitee of the San Diego Padres. Noel hit .233 on the year with 42 hits, 1 double, 1 home run and 16 RBIs.

Eric Farris, formerly a Tomatero, will attempt to make the Minnesota Twins team as a non roster invitee at their Ft. Myers Florida complex. Farris last season in the LMP,  hit .309 with 64 hits, 8 doubles, 3 home runs and 32 RBIs.

Brian Broderick, a member of the Charros de Jalisco and the 2013-2014 winner of the league's Isidro Marquez Trophy as Reliever of the Year, will join the World Series runner up Kansas City Royals in Arizona to try and crack the solid core of relief pitching that got the Royals to the World Series in 2014.

Broderick was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 21st round of the 2007 MLB Draft. He was picked up as a Rule #5 draftee by the Washington Nationals in 2011 but was returned to the Cardinals in 2012. Broderick was reacquired by the Nationals that same year and traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks before the start of the 2014 season. Brian signed with the Los Angeles Angels after the 2014 MLB season but was traded to the Kansas City Royals on the 19th of December of 2014.

Broderick's stats for the 2014-2015 LMP season were very impressive. He saved 16 games in 17 chances and had a won/loss record of 3-1. Broderick allowed just 2 walks in 26 innings pitched while striking out 23. His 0.68 ERA over that time was matched by his WHIP of 0.68. Opposing hitters managed to hit just .176 off of the masterful right hander.

WDBarrsports will keep an eye on these players during spring training. Most of the teams will start playing games on the 1st, 2nd or 3rd of March and we wish all of the players Good Luck in pursuing their dreams.

Charros Take 3 Awards For The 2014-2015 Liga Mexicana del Pacifico Season

The Charros de Jalisco were rewarded by the LMP for their outstanding 2014-2015 campaign that saw the team reach the Championship Series in their 1st year of competition in the league.

HECTOR ESPINOSO AWARD - Most Valuable Player  

Manny Rodriguez at the Plate

Juan Manuel "Manny" Rodriguez took home the Most Valuable Player Award for his outstanding, consistent and dominating performance during the year.

He finished the season with a .341 batting average (3rd), 93 hits in 67 games (1st), 23 doubles (2nd), 10 home runs (T3rd) and 48 RBIs (2nd). He led the league in Total Bases with 146 and had 33 Extra Base Hits. His .535 Slugging Percentage was also tops in the league.

Manny led all second basemen with a Fielding Percentage of .985, committing just 6 errors in 410 chances and started more double plays than any of second basemen in the league.

Japhet Amador, of the Charros, finished 2nd in the MVP balloting on the strength of his 13 home runs (T1st) and 51 RBIs (1st).

BENJAMIN REYES TROPHY - Manager of the Year

Juan Navarrate garnered 37 votes in the balloting for this award, more than twice that of his closest foe.
Navarrate piloted the Charros to a 42-26 record, finishing 2nd in the first half of the season and winning the second half to finish the year with the best record.

The Charros were the only team to finish with a winning record both home and away. Jalisco's longest losing streak was 3 games while they managed an 8 game winning streak during the season that was the longest of any team.

Navarrate was a coach for the Oakland Athletics from 1995 until 2005.

Coach Navarrate was inducted into the Mexican Baseball of Fame in 1998 after a career that saw him collect 2625 hits in 21 years of play. He played primarily at 2nd base but saw action at shortstop too.

ISIDRO MARQUEZ - Reliever of the Year

Brian Broderick was named as the inaugural Liga Mexicana del Pacifico's Reliever of the Year on his extremely efficient year in the closer role for the Charros.

Broderick had 16 saves in 17 opportunities with a 3-1 record. He issued just 2 walks in 26 innings pitched while striking out 23.

His 0.68 ERA led the league and his WHIP (Walks/Hits per Inning Pitched) was a miniscule 0.68. Additionally, he held opposing batters to a .176 batting average.

Serie de Caribe To Begin February 2nd

5 CHARROS CHOSEN TO JOIN TOMATEROS

The World Series of Caribbean Baseball is set to begin in San Juan, Puerto Rico on the 2nd of February. The Tomateros de Culiacan, by virtue of their championship season in the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico, will represent Mexico.

The other countries participating in the series are Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and The Dominican Republic. The rosters are expanded for the 5 teams and the Tomateros have chosen 5 Charros to help fill out their team. Manny Rodriguez, Marquez Smith, Terance Marin, Juan Delgadillo and Carlos Vasquez were selected to join the team in Puerto Rico.

The games begin on the 2nd of February and the finals are held on the 8th.

Mexico opens play against Cuba at 10:05 AM on the 2nd. They play again on the 3rd at 4:30 PM versus Puerto Rico. The team is off on the 4th but resumes play against the Dominican Republic at 4:30 PM on the 5th. The team's final game is with Venezuela at 10:05 AM on the 6th.

The 1st Semifinal game will be held at 10:05 AM on the 7th with the 2nd Semifinal game beginning at 4:30 PM.

The winners of those two games will meet in the Finals to be played at 2:30 PM on the 8th with the winner of that game crowned the Champions of the Caribbean.

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Tomateros Win LMP Championship 4 Games To 1

TOP CHARROS 4-3 IN GAME 5

With the exception of the first game, where the Tomateros de Culiacan used an offensive explosion, they used very good pitching to shut down the Charros' potent offense. Culiacan outscored the Charros in the series 28-17. It is often said that good pitching wins over good hitting in a seven game series. That adage holds true for this series.

Culiacan started the scoring in the bottom of the 3rd. Sergio Gastelum led off with a single to right, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ramiro Pena and scored when Rico Noel singled to center. Maxwell Leon followed with a single that moved Noel to third. Leon stole second and both runners scored when Eric Farris singled to right. The Tomateros led 3-0 after three innings.

Issmael Salas homered to left for the Tomateros in the bottom of the 4th to stretch the Culiacan lead to 4-0.

The Charros got on the board in the top of the 5th when Marquez Smith hit a solo home run to left to lead off the inning. The Culiacan lead was 4-1.

Jalisco scored again in the 6th. With one out, Eduardo Arredondo drew a base on balls and went to third on a single by Manny Rodriguez. Leo Heras grounded into a 4-6 fielder's choice to drive in Arredondo and narrow the Tomateros lead to 4-2.

CJ Retherford pinch hit for Amadeo Zazueta to lead off the 8th inning for the Charros and hit a long home run to deep center field to bring the Charros to within a run at 4-3.

Oscar Villarreal pitch a 1-2-3 ninth inning for the Tomateros to pick up the save and preserve the win for the Culiacan starter, Anthony Vasquez. Marco Tovar took the loss for the Charros.

The season was an exciting one for the fans of the Charros. They finished with the best record in the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico and Manny Rodriguez stands a very good chance to be named the MVP of the league. Japhet Amador tied for the league lead in home runs and led the league in RBIs. Congratulations on a fine season! Todos Somos Charros!

The Tomateros de Culiacan move on now to the Caribbean Baseball World Series to be played in Puerto Rico.  Congratulations to the Tomateros and the fans of the Charros wish you well in the World Series.

Tomateros de Culiacan Defeat Charros 3-1

TAKE COMMANDING 3 GAMES TO 1 LEAD

The Tomateros de Culiacan hold a 3 games to 1 lead in the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico Championship Series with their 3-1 victory over the Charros on Sunday.

The Charros had multiple opportunities to score as they loaded the bases 3 separate times during the game but were unable to capitalize. As a team, the Charros were 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 runners.

The Charros loaded the bases, with one out, in the top of the 1st on singles by Manny Rodriguez, Leo Heras and Marquez Smith. Japhet Amador then lofted a fly ball to left for the second out and Rodriguez was thrown out at home trying to score.

Culiacan took advantage of the Charros failure to score in their half of the 1st. Rico Noel bunted for a hit and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Maxwell Leon. Noel stole third and scored when Eric
Farris launched a home run to left. Culiacan went up 2-0 after one inning.

The Tomateros added to their lead in the bottom of the 4th. Dave Sappelt drew a lead off walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Issmael Salas. Arturo Rodriguez grounded out to the pitcher as Sappelt took third. Sergio Gastelum walked and went to second on a wild pitch by Charros starter Orlando Lara. Ramiro Pena reached base safely on a fielding error by CJ Retherford as Sappelt scored. The lead was 3-0 Culiacan.

Jalisco mounted a threat in the top of the 9th. CJ Retherford walked with one out and moved to second on a wild pitch. Sebastien Valle grounded out to second to advance Retherford to third. Pinch hitter Jesus Cota singled to drive in Retherford. The Charros loaded the bases with two outs but Leo Heras lined out to second to end the game and the Tomateros took the 3-1 win.

One game remains to be played in Culiacan. Should the Tomateros win, they become the League Champions. If the Charros win, the series returns to Guadalajara for game 6 and, if necessary, game 7.

Tomateros Win, Up 2 Games to 1 in Championship Series

CHARROS COMMIT 3 ERRORS IN 4-2 LOSS

The Tomateros de Culiacan took the third game of the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico Championship Series on Saturday, 4-2, with good pitching and good hitting. Arnold Leon pitched 8 complete innings for the win and Oscar Villarreal pitched the 9th for the save. Culiacan recorded 10 hits in the game while holding the Charros to 4 hits.

Culiacan opened the scoring in the bottom of the 1st on a double by lead off man Rico Noel, who went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Maxwell Leon and scored on a grounder to first by Eric Farris. The Tomateros had taken a 1-0 lead.

Issmael Salas led off the bottom of the 2nd with a home run to left that increased the Culiacan lead to 2-0.

The Charros scored their two runs in the 3rd inning. With one out, Jesus Lopez waited out a base on balls and scored on a double to right by Eduardo Arredondo. Manny Rodriguez followed with a double that scored Arredondo to tie the game at 2 apiece.

Rico Noel doubled with two outs in the 5th for Culiacan and scored on a single to center by Maxwell Leon as the Tomateros retook the lead 3-2.

Ivan Zavala started the 6th in relief of starter Ben Koslowski for the Charros and gave up a lead off double to Issmael Salas who advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Sergio Gastelum. After Carlos Vasquez came in to replace Zavala, Ramiro Pena drove in Salas with a sac fly to left. That would be all the scoring in the game and the Tomateros had the 4-2 victory.

Charros Even Championship Series At 1 Game Apiece

SHUTOUT TOMATEROS 5-0 BEHIND JUAN DELGADILLO

The Charros used strong pitching from starter Juan Delgadillo and relievers Terance Marin and Manny Acosta to shutout the Tomateros de Culiacan in the 2nd game of the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico last night and even the Championship series at 1 game apiece.

Delgadillo got the win by tossing six complete innings of 5 hit shutout ball, striking out 2 and keeping the Tomateros off balance all night. Terance Marin pitched 2 innings giving up 2 hits while holding Culiacan scoreless and Manny Acosta, who pitched the 9th inning for Jalisco, put a little scare into the fans, allowing 2 hits before getting the last out to preserve the win for Delgadillo.

The Charros scored in the bottom of the 1st on a single to left by Eduardo Arredondo, a walk to Leo Heras and a single to left by Japhet Amador that scored Arredondo for the early 1-0 Jalisco lead.

With two outs in the Charros half of the 4th, Jesus Lopez drew a walk and went to second as Eduardo Arredondo also drew the base on balls. Manny Rodriguez singled up the middle to load the bases on a ball that the Culiacan second baseman got to but couldn't turn into a force play at second. Leo Heras followed with a single to right that scored Lopez and Arredondo to open the lead to 3-0 Charros.

Jalisco scored twice in the 7th as Jon Weber singled with one out and scored in front of a home run to left by Marquez Smith as the Charros increased their lead to 5-0. When Manny Acosta got the third out in the top of the 9th, the Charros had the victory.

After a travel day on Friday, the series shifts to Culiacan for game 3 on Saturday, game 4 on Sunday and game 5 on Monday. If necessary, games 6 and 7 will be played in Guadalajara beginning Wednesday the 28th of January

Charros Fall To Tomateros 11-8

CULIACAN TAKES SERIES OPENER TO GO UP 1 GAME TO NONE

The Tomateros de Culiacan got the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico Championship Series off to a wild start with an exciting 11-8 victory over the Charros de Jalisco.  

Charros Starter Marco Tovar / Bonnie Garrison Photo

Ali Solis got things going for the Tomateros in the 3rd with a one out base on balls. Solis went to second on a single to center by Rico Noel. Solis moved to third on a ground out and following a walk to Eric Farris that loaded the bases, Joey Meneses singled to score Solis and Maxwell Leon for the 2-0 Culiacan lead.  

The Charros got those runs back in their half of the 3rd on a singles by Marquez Smith and Sebastian Valle. With one out, Eduardo Arredondo singled to right to score Smith and get Valle to third. Manny Rodriguez hit a sac fly to left to drive in Valle and the score was tied at 2 each.

Dave Sappelt led off the Tomateros' 4th with a single and went to second on a single by Sergio Gastelum. Ramiro Pena singled to left and when the Charros left fielder, Jon Weber, overran the ball, Sappelt and Gastelum scored. Pena wound up on third and scored on a sac fly to left by Ali Solis as Culiacan retook the lead 5-2.  

Jalisco used three pitchers in the 5th as the Tomateros exploded for 6 runs in the inning. Joey Meneses drove in a run, Dave Sappelt belted a two run home run to right, Ramiro Pena hit a sac fly for a run and Rico Noel tripled to drive in two for the 11-2 Culiacan lead.  

In the 6th for the Charros, Leo Heras singled and CJ Retherford waited out a walk. Both runners scored on a three run home run by Japhet Amador, a long home run to left that narrowed the lead to 11-5 Culiacan.

Jalisco chipped away at the lead in the 7th. Jesus Lopez doubled to begin the inning and went to third on a fly ball to right by Eduardo Arredondo. Manny Rodriguez doubled to center to score Lopez. The lead was 11-6 Culiacan.     

With two outs in the bottom of the 9th, Eduardo Arredondo singled to deep short and scored in front of a home run to left by Manny Rodriguez to bring the Charros to within three runs at 11-8. The next batter, Leo Heras, struck out to end this very exciting game.  

Manny Rodrigues Home Run / Straffon Images

The series continues today, Thursday, in Guadalajara with a travel day on Friday and games 3, 4, and 5 in Culiacan beginning on Saturday the 24th of January.

Tomateros Reach Liga Mexicana del Pacifico Finals Against Charros

TOP AGUILAS de MEXICALI 9-8 IN ELEVEN INNINGS

The Tomateros de Culican are in the finals of the Liga de Mexicana del Pacifico against the Charros de Jalisco by virtue of their 9-8 win over the Aguilas de Mexicali in 11 innings last night. The Tomateros squandered an 8-3 lead but held on to win on a throwing error by the Aguilas pitcher in the bottom of the 11th.

The Aguilas scored two in the 1st on a walk to Gil Velazquez and a home run to left by Humberto Cota that got Mexicli off to a 2-0 lead.

John Lindsey led off the 2nd for Mexicali with a solo home run to left to up the Aguilas' lead to 3-0.

Joey Meneses singled to lead off the Tomateros half of the 2nd. Russell Branyan then singled to left with Meneses going to third. Meneses and Branyan both scored in front of Oscar Robles' home run to right that tied the score at 3.

In the bottom of the 3rd for Culiacan, Eric Farris led off with a single and went to second on a single by Russell Branyan. Issmael Salas sent a shot to left for a home run that scored Farris and Branyan and increased the Tomateros lead to 6-3.

Culiacan scored twice in the bottom of the 4th. A single by Eric Farris, with two outs, started things off. Joey Meneses followed with a single that moved Farris to third. Russell Branyan then singled to score Farris with Meneses going to third. A passed ball scored Meneses and the Tomateros were ahead 8-3.

Dave Sappelt hit a three run home run for the Aguilas in the top of the 5th that scored Chris Roberson and Gil Velazquez to narrow the Tomateros lead to 8-6.

Mexicali scored a run in the 8th on singles by Humberto Cota and Luis Juarez and a sac fly to center by Ricardo Serrano that scored Cota. The Aguilas were now 1 run back at 8-7.

The Aguilas tied the score at 8-8 in the top of the 9th on Dave Sappelt's second home run of the night, a solo blast to left that tied the game and forced extra innings.

The Tomateros won the game in the bottom of the 11th when, following a double by Joey Meneses, the Mexicali pitcher threw wildly to first on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Sergio Gastelum that scored Meneses with the winning run.

The Tomateros now face the Charros de Jalisco in a best of seven championship series that begins in Guadalajara on Wednesday night

Charros Into Finals With 5-3 Win Over Obregon

TAKE SERIES 4 GAMES TO 2

12,347 Attended The 6th Game / Bonnie Garrison Photo

The Yaquis de Obregon got to the Charros starter, Ben Koslowski in the top of the 2nd. With one out, Sergio Contreras was hit by a pitch and Said Gutierrez hit a ball deep up the middle that the Charros shortstop threw away and the Yaquis had runners on second and third. Contreras scored on a sac fly to center by Esteban Quiroz and Gutierrez scored on a single by Daniel Castro to give Obregon the early 2-0 lead.

Israel Nunez led off the 3rd for Jalisco with a double and went to third on a single by Eduardo Arredondo. Manny Rodriguez then hit a ground rule double to center that scored Nunez with Arredondo forced to stop at third. CJ Retherford hit into a 6-4-3 double play that scored Arredondo and the game was tied at 2.    

Manny Rodriguz Double In The 3rd / Bonnie Garrison Photo

Jalisco added a run in the 4th on a double by Jon Weber, a single by Marquez Smith and a sac fly to left by Jesus Lopez. The Charros had the 3-2 lead.

Manny Rodriguez led off the 5th with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Leo Heras. Rodriguez scored on a sac fly to right by CJ Retherford for the insurance run and a 4-2 lead.

CJ Retherford Drives In The 4th Run / Bonnie Garrison Photo

With one out in the Charros 8th, Jon Weber tripled to deep right center and scored on a sac fly to right by Marquez Smith for a 5-2 Charros lead.

Obregon got a run back in the top of the 9th when Corey Wimberly singled, stole second and scored on a single to center by JC Linares but it wasn't enough as Charros closer, Manny Acosta, got the final two outs for the save and the Charros were into the finals against either the Tomateros de Culiacan or the Aguilas de Mexicali that begins on Wednesday night.

During the year, the Charros were 4-5 against the Tomateros and 6-5 against the Aguilas.

Terence Marin picked up the win in relief of starter Ben Koslowski and Manny Acosta got the save. Arturo Lopez was saddled with the loss for the Yaquis. 

Starter Ben Koslowski / Bonnie Garrison Photo

Manny Acosta Picks Up The Save / Bonnie Garrison Photo

     

Charros take 3 Games to 2 Lead in Liga Mexicana del Pacifico Semifinals

JALISCO TAKES NAILBITER FROM OBREGON 5-3

Obregon jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st inning. Corey Wimberly singled and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Jose Chavez. Wimberly stole third and scored on a single to right by Brad Nelson.

CJ Retherford tied the game for Jalisco in the top of the 2nd with his second home run of the postseason, a solo shot to left to bring the Charros back 1-1.   

CJ Retherford's Home Run in 2nd / Charros Facebook Page

=Obregon retook the lead in the 5th on a solo home run to left by Corey Wimberly, his second of this playoff series and his third hit of the evening.

Jalisco took the lead again in the top of the 6th on a single by Leo Heras and a single to right by CJ Retherford. Heras scored on a throwing error by the Yaquis right fielder as Retherford advanced to third. After Jon Weber popped out to second, Japhet Amador singled to center to score Retherford as the Charros took a 3-2 lead.

The Yaquis tied the game in the bottom of the 8th on a walk to JC Linares to begin the inning, a single by Brad Nelson and a ground out to second by Yunesky Sanchez that scored Linares to tie the game 3-3.

With two outs in the 9th for Jalisco, Eduardo Arredondo singled and went to third on a single to right by Manny Rodriguez. Leo Heras then singled to right to score Arredondo with the go ahead run and CJ Retherford singled to left to score Rodriguez with an insurance run. When Manny Acosta, who picked up the win, set the Yaquis down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 9th, the Charros had the 5-3 win and a 3 games to 2 lead in the semifinals.

Manny Acosta Warming Up / Charros Facebook

The series returns to Guadalajara on Sunday afternoon for game 6 of the series and a game 7 if necessary.

Obregon Ties Series At Two Games Apiece

DEFEAT JALISCO 5-1

The semifinal series between the Charros de Jalisco and the Yaquis de Obregon is tied at 2 games apiece following Obregon's 5-1 victory over the Charros on Thursday night.

The Yaguis opened the scoring in the bottom of the 2nd. Yunesky Sanchez led off with a single and stole second. Sergio Contreras singled to deep short that got Sanchez to third. Armando Araiza drew a base on balls to load the bases. Daniel Castro doubled to left to score Sanchez and Contreras. After a pitching change by the Charros, reliever Manuel Flores hit Corey Wimberly with a pitch to load the bases again. With one out, JC Linares singled to short to score Araiza and the bases remained full of Yaquis. Flores got Brad Nelson to pop out to short and Carlos Valencia struck out to end the inning but the damage was done and Obregon led 3-0 after two innings.

Corey Wimberly led off the bottom of the 4th for the Yaquis with a home run to right to give Obregon a 4-0 lead.

The Charros got on the board in the top of the 6th when Leo Heras took the Yaquis starter, Virgil Vasquez, deep to right for a solo home run that narrowed the Yaquis lead to 4-1.

Armando Araiza walked to lead off the Yaquis half of the 6th. Daniel Castro sacrificed him to second. Charros reliever, Terrance Marin, threw a wild pitch that moved Araiza to third and Araiza scored on a fielding error by the Charros shortstop to give Obregon a 5-1 lead and the game.

Orlando Lara took the loss for Jalisco and Virgil Vasquez picked up the win for the Yaquis. Both pitchers are 1-1 in the playoffs.

One more game in Obregon then the series will return to Guadalajara for game 6 on Sunday afternoon and, if necessary, game 7 on Monday night.

Good Pitching Gives Charros The Victory Over Obregon

FINAL SCORE CHARROS 4, YAQUIS 2

Juan Delgadillo got the win for the Charros on Wednesday, going 5 2/3 innings, giving up just 2 runs on 5 hits while striking out 4. Manny Acosta picked up his 2nd save of this postseason for Jalisco. Irwin Delgado took the loss for the Yaquis.

The Charros jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first on CJ Retherford's solo home run to left off of Yaquis starter Irwin Delgado.

In the 2nd, Jon Weber hit a one out single to right and went to third on a double by Jesus Lopez. Weber scored on a sac fly to left by Ivan Araujo to make the score 2-0 Charros.

Jon Weber drew a two out base on balls in the 4th and went to second on a single to deep short by Jesus Lopez. Weber scored on a single by Ivan Araujo to give the Charros a 3-0 lead after four innings.

The Yaquis fought back in their half of the 6th inning to cut the lead to 3-2. Carlos Valencia singled with two outs and scored in front of a home run by JC Linares.

Jalisco added an insurance run in the top of the 9th on a walk to Israel Nunez, a double by Leo Heras and a sac fly to left by Manny Rodriguez that plated Nunez and gave the Charros the final margin of victory at 4-2.

Obregon Takes 2nd Game of Semifinals

YAQUIS TOP CHARROS 6-5

The Yaquis de Obregon took game 2 of the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico semifinals on Monday in Guadalajara against the Charros on the power hitting of Carlos Valencia.

Jalisco opened the scoring in the bottom of the 1st. Eduardo Arredondo hit a ground rule double to right to lead off the inning but was thrown out at third on an infield single by Manny Rodriguez. The play was in front of Arredondo who should have held his position at second base. The Yaquis pitcher, Arturo Lopez, threw a wild pitch that moved Rodriguez to second. Leo Heras walked. Japhet Amador singled to shallow center and Rodriguez was cut down at the plate on a strong throw by Yaqui center fielder Corey Weber. The third base coach should have held Rodriguez at third because the ball was hit to shallow center and Wimberly was charging the ball. CJ Retherford then singled to left to score Heras and the Charros led 1-0. Those base running errors would have made the difference in the game for Jalisco. If the Charros expect to win the championship they must avoid these types of base running errors.

Obregon got that run back in the top of the 2nd on a solo home run by JC Linares that tied the score at 1 all.

Things were quiet until the top of the 6th when Obregon erupted for 4 runs. Daniel Castro hit a lead off double and went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Corey Wimberly. With two outs, Yunesky Sanchez drew a base on balls. Brad Nelson singled to score Castro and get Yunesky to third. Carlos Valencia then homered to drive in three and the Yaquis led 5-1.

The Charros answered in their half of the 6th on a one out single by Leo Heras. Japhet Amador singled to right to move Heras to third but Amador was thrown out at second trying to stretch his single into a double. Arturo Lopez the uncorked another wild pitch to score Heras from third as the Charros cut the Yaquis' lead to 5-2.

Jesus Lopez doubled with two outs in the 7th for Jalisco and scored on a single by Eduardo Arredondo. Following a pitching change by the Yaquis, Manny Rodriguez hit a two run home run to left to score pinch runner Edson garcia and tie the game at 5.

Obregon scored the eventual winning run in their half of the 8th. Brad Nelson doubled, went to third on a fly to right by Carlos Valencia and scored on a sac fly by Christian Villanueva. The final score was 6-5 Obregon.

The series shifts to Ciudad de Obregon tied at 1 game apiece. games 3, 4 and 5 will be played in Ogregon with games 6 and 7 played in Guadalajara if necessary.

Ohio State Wins College Football's National Championship

BUCKEYES DEFEAT OREGON 42-20

The Ohio State Buckeyes, of the Big 10, accomplished something not many, if any, college football team can say. Coming from what some said was a weak conference and using their 3rd string quarterback, the Buckeyes beat #1 Alabama 42-35 and #2 Oregon 42-20 on consecutive weeks.

The Buckeyes lost their starting quarterback in August, lost at home to Virginia Tech in September and lost their backup quarterback in November.

Despite these setbacks, the Buckeyes won the first ever College Football Playoff by running over, around and through the Ducks defense for 296 yards, 246 by Ezekiel Elliott, to win their 7th National Championship and their first since 2002.

Oregon had opportunities, thanks to 4 turnovers by the Buckeyes, but the Ducks couldn't convert those turnovers into touchdowns.

The key moment for Oregon, came in the 3rd quarter with the Buckeyes leading 21-17. Tyson Coleman, of the Ducks, sacked Cardale Jones for a 17 yard loss and forced a fumble recovered by Arik Armstead at the Buckeye 23 with 8:21 remaining in the quarter. The Ducks drove to the 6 yard line but the Buckeye defense held and Oregon settled for a 23 yard field goal by Aidan Schneider. Instead of the 24-21 lead, the Ducks were still trailing 21-20. They would not score again.

Marcus Mariota threw for 333 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 INT including a beautiful 70 yard catch and run to Byron Marshall that pulled Oregon to within 4 at 21-17.

Cardale Jones completed 16 of 23 passes for 242 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Jones also ran for a 1 yard touchdown.

The player of the game though, was Ezekiel Elliott, who rushed for 246 yards on 36 carries and 3 touchdowns. Elliott scored the final 3 touchdowns of the game as the Buckeye offensive line controlled the Duck's defensive line and opened big holes for Elliott.

Read the ESPN article here.