Charros Idle; Aguilas, Caneros And Yaquis Win

MEXICALI TROUNCES NARANJEROS 14-3

The game between the Aguilas de Mexicali and the Naranjeros de Hermosillo was close until the 5th inning. CJ Retherford provided Mexicali with a 2 run cushion with a 2 run home run in the top of the 2nd inning. The Aguilas would score 4 times in the 5th, 5 runs in the 6th and added 3 more in the 7th as they manhandled Hermosillo in a 14-3 win.

The Aguilas manager substituted liberally and got 15 position players in the game. Only starting catcher Xorge Carrillo failed to get a hit. Retherford and Walter Ibarra hit home runs and drove in 5 runs while scoring 5 times. Ricky Avarez went 3 for 5 with 3 RBIs while lead off hitter Wellington Dotel scored 3 runs on a 2 for 6 night.

Jose Amador had a solo home run in 4 trips to the plate for the Naranjeros while Sebastion Elizalde was 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs.

Edgar Osuna (1-0) worked 5 innings, allowing 4 hits in shutting down the Hermosillo batters to get the win. Juan Pablo Oramas (0-1) took the loss, giving up 6 runs on 8 hits, walking 3 and striking out 3.

IN THE REST OF THE LMP ACTION

Los Mochis 6, Mazatlán 4

The Caneros scored 4 times in the 5th inning and twice more in the 6th and held on to beat the Venados 6-4.

Saul Soto had a home run in 4 at bats and Jesus Arredondo drove in 2 with a double in 3 trips to the plate. Joan Pedroso went 2 for 4 with a run scored for the Caneros.

Esteban Quiroz was 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored for the Venados. Cyle Hankerd continued his hot hitting, going 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored.

Los Mochis used 8 pitchers in the game with starter Luis Niebla (1-0) picking up the win and closer Andres Avila notching the save.

The Venados used 7 hurlers with Walter Silva (0-1) taking the loss.

Ciudad de Obregon 6, Navojoa 5

Villanueva Home Run

The Yaquis scored 3 times in the last 2 innings to overcome a 5-3 deficit and top the Mayos 6-5. Dean Anna and Christian Villanueva each homered for Obregon in the win.

Navojoa scored 4 times in the bottom of the 7th inning to take a 5-3 lead but closer Gene Escat (0-1) was charged with a blown save and the loss when he gave up 2 runs on 1 hit and walking 1 in the 9th inning. Mark Hamburger (1-0) worked just 2/3 of an inning but got the win and Josh Judy worked a perfect 9th inning to pick up the save.

Anna was 2 for 5 with 2 RBIs for the Yaquis with Reynaldo Rodriguez 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs, Carlos Valencia 2 for 4 and Christian Villanueva hitting his second home run of the year in 3 trips to the plate.

Reynaldo Rodriguez Drives In 2

Designated hitter Quincy Latimore was 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs for the Mayos. Alejandro Gonzalez went 3 for 4 with a run scored and Diego Madero was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Charros Win Home Opener Over Tomateros 6-4

EVEN RECORD AT 1-1

Coaching Staffs

Charros Introduced

The Charros de Jalisco broke open a close game with 3 runs in the 5th inning to win their home opener with a 6-4 victory over the Tomateros de Culiacan. Marco Tovar (1-0) pitched 5 strong innings allowing 2 runs on 7 hits and Brian Broderick, the reigning "Reliever of the Year" notched his first save.

Marco Tovar

Hector Rodriguez (0-1) suffered the defeat for Culiacan.

Eduardo Arredondo led off the bottom of the 1st for the Charros with a double to right and scored on a double by Jesus Valdez. A passed ball advanced Valdez to third and he scored on a single by Japhet Amador. The Charros had the early 2-0 lead.

Consecutive singles by Joey Meneses and Ryan Lollis started the top of the 2nd inning for Culiacan. A passed ball by the Charros catcher moved both runners up. Sergio Gastelum fouled a pitch off of his foot and had to be helped from the field. Two batters later Ali Solis drove in Meneses with a ball to deep short and Lollis scored on a single by Luis Borges. The score was tied at 2.

Gutierrez Heads For 2nd

Gabriel Gutierrez doubled with one out in the Charros half of the 2nd and scored on a triple by Jesus Lopez as the Charros retook the lead 3-2.

Jesus Valdez drew a walk and went to second on a single by Japhet Amador to begin the bottom of the 5th. Max Muncy reached on an infield single to load the bases with no outs for the Charros. Manny Rodriguez doubled to left center to score Valdez and Amador. Alex Liddi followed with a single to drive in Muncy as the Charros upped their lead to 6-2.

Ryan Lollis hit a solo home run to right for the Tomateros in the top of the 8th to narrow the gap to 6-3.

With one away in the top of the 9th, Everth Cabrera singled and advanced to second as Nick Van Stratten waited out a base on balls. Nick Buss followed with a single to right that scored Cabrerea. Jorge Cantu struck out and when Joey Meneses hit into a 5-4 fielders choice, the game was over with the Charros prevailing 6-4.

Japhet Amador went 3 for 4 for the Charros with an RBI, Eduardo Arredondo 2 for 5, Jesus Valdez with an RBI and 2 runs scored and Jesus Lopez was 1 for 4 with a run scoring triple.

Ryan Lollis was 3 for 4 with a home run and 2 runs scored for Culiacan and Nick Buss 2 for 5 with an RBI.

IN OTHER LMP ACTION

Mazatlán 6, Los Mochis 5

Cyle Hankerd was 3 for 3 with a home run, 2 RBIs and 3 runs scored for the Venados in heir 6-5 win over the Caneros. Olmo Rosario added an RBI on a 2 for 4 night at the plate. Jesus Arredondo was 2 for 3 with an RBI and 2 runs scored for Los Mochis. Francisco Lizarraga (1-0) got the win and Steven Hensley picked up the save. Tony Cordova (0-1) took the loss for the Caneros.

Ciudad de Obregon 4, Navojoa 0

Sarter Rolando Valdez and 5 relief pitchers held the Mayos to 3 hits in the4-0 shutout. Victor Arano (1-0) picked up the win while Ruddy Acosta suffered the loss. Christian Villanueva had a 3 run home run for the Yaquis going 1 for 2 with 2 walks. Alejandro Gonzalez, Jesus Castillo and Diego Madera had the 3 Navojoa hits.

Mexicali 4, Hermosillo 1

The Aguilas #1 and #2 hitters, Wellington Dotel and Walter Ibarra had half of the Mexicali hits and were 4 for 7 with 2 RBIs and a run scored as the Aguilas topped the visiting Naranjeros de Hermosillo 4-1. Javiar Solano (1-0) pitched 5 innings for the win and Adam Reifer got his first save of the year. Edgar Gonzalez (0-1) suffered the loss lasting just 1 2/3 innings and giving up all 4 Aguilas runs.

Tomateros de Culican Defeat the Charros de Jalisco 2-0 In League Opener

2015-16 SEASON UNDERWAY

Pregame Festivities
in Culican

20,790 enthusiastic fans packed the BBVA Bancomer stadium in Culiacan to watch the defending LMP Champion Tomateros take on the league runner up Charros de Jalisco on Friday. They were not disappointed as the Tomateros got very good pitching from starter Salvador Perez (1-0) and 5 relievers to shutout the Charros 2-0. Oscar Villarreal worked the 9th inning to pick up the save.

Alex Sanabia (0-1) worked 3 1/3 innings for the Charros, giving up both runs, in taking the loss. Sanabia's only mistake was a 1-0 fastball that Nick Buss sent over the right field wall for a solo home run that gave Perez all the support he needed.

Salvador Valdez

Jorge Cantu singled to lead off the bottom of the 4th inning for the Tomateros but was forced at second on a ground ball by Ryan Lollis. Sanabia then threw a wild pitch that moved Lollis to second and he scored on a single to left by Joey Menese. That would be the extent of the scoring as the Tomateros opened the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico with a win.

Jesus Valdez had 2 of the 5 Charros hits while reigning League MVP, Jose "Manny" Rodriguez went hitless, with a walk, in 3 trips to the plate. Eduardo "El Mosco" Arredondo, Japhet "El Gigante" Amador and Alex Liddi had the other hits for the Charros.

Nick Buss Homerun

Nick Buss had the home run in 4 at bats, Lollis went 2 for 3 and four other Tomateros accounted for the 7 Culiacan hits.

"El Gigante" At The Plate

These two teams meet today in Guadalajara to continue their season series at the home of the Charros. The home opening ceremonies will begin at 5 PM and, although mostly sold out, there are still seats to be had.

AM 1370 from Tlaquepaque carries all of the Charros games and highlights of all LMP games can be viewed by going to the LMP website and signing up.

NFL Picks Week 5

This week is a difficult week to pick.

There are 5 undefeated teams each playing teams with 2-2 records. The Bengals, Packers and the Falcons are all playing at home while the Patriots and the Broncos are on the road. The Bengals will face the toughest competition in the Seahawks but the Rams could present trouble for the Packers. The Patriots face a "Romoless" Cowboys team that searches for a QB solution. If the Raiders can harass Manning that game could be very interesting.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are 3 contests showcasing teams with 1-3 records. The Bears face the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium in a game the Chiefs should dominate. The Saints take on the Eagles with the loser all but out of playoff contention, and possibly Chip Kelly facing an early exit from Philadelphia. The Browns, with their own QB problems, cruise into Baltimore to face a Ravens team that knows with a win they could still possibly challenge the Bengals for a Division Championship.

Here are my predictions. I was 9-6 last week and I am now 36-27 overall. A perfect week would be nice.

Indianapolis @ Houston   (W)Colts 21-17   Hasselback leads the Colts over the hapless Texans
Washington @ Atlanta   (W)Falcons 33-14   The Falcons should have an easy time of this one
Seattle @ Cincinnati   (W)Bengals 17-13   I like the Bengal's "D" and the 'Hawks "O" is struggling
St. Louis @ Green Bay   (W)Packers 21-19   Maybe different if played in STL
Buffalo @ Tennessee   (W)Bills 21-16   Tossup but Rex Ryan's QB is getting better every week
Chicago @ Kansas City   (L)Chiefs 28-12   Cutler picked off 3 times with 2 "Pick 6's"
New Orleans @ Philadelphia   (L)Saints 28-24   Eagles can't seem to get it together
Jacksonville @ Tampa Bay   (L)Jaguars 21-20    Bortles v Winston what a matchup!
Cleveland @ Baltimore   (L)Ravens 27-21   Flacco finally realizes preseason is over
Arizona @ Detroit   (W)Cardinals 41-14   Batted balls, stolen playbook, Lions lose
New England @ Dallas   (W)Patriots 28-17   NE comes out with "guns blazin"
Denver @ Oakland   (W)Broncos 21-13   Could easily be the biggest upset of the weekend
San Francisco @ NY Giants   (W)Giants 31-27   No way the Giants lose, right?
Pittsburgh @ San Diego   (L)Chargers 24-20   Vick is not the answer for the Steelers

Carolina, Minnesota, Miami and the NY Jets have the weekend off.

Finished 9-5 thanks to the Chiefs, Jaguars, Ravens and the Chargers really terrible defense.

Oh well...45-32 overall...I promise I'll do better this week.

NFL Picks Week 4

Well...the Cowboys didn't have enough adrenaline to hold off the Falcons, the Ravens defense couldn't stop the juggernaut that are the Bengals and the Colts recovered from their 0-2 record to top the Titans. I went 13-3 to improve my overall record to 27-21.

This week the Patriots and the Titans have the week off so I only get to pick 15 games.

Here they are:

Baltimore @ Pittsburgh   (W)Ravens 21-10   It'll be a dog fight against Vick and the Steelers "D"
NY Jets @ Miami   (W)Jets 28-24   Dolphins are not very good offensively
Houston @ Atlanta   (W)Falcons 24-10   Atlanta outruns the Texan's "D"
NY Giants @ Buffalo  (L) Bills 31-30   Ryan needs this win to stay relevant
Oakland @ Chicago   (L)Raiders 28-17   "I'm a Believer"
Kansas City @ Cincinnati   (W)Bengals 21-10   Bengals have a very good "D" and can score
Jacksonville @ Indianapolis   (W)Colts 28-20 Luck vs Bortles at home...revitalized
Carolina @ Tampa Bay   (W)Panthers 24-17   Cam is old enough to win this one
Philadelphia @ Washington   (L)Eagles 21-19   Kelly's heroes pick up steam
Cleveland @ San Diego  (W) Chargers 35-21   Who is "Da Man" in Cleveland?
Minnesota @ Denver   (L)Vikings 29-24   Vikes roll...Manning stumbles
St. Louis @ Arizona   (L)Cardinals 24-12   Offense too much for Rams
Green Bay @ San Francisco   (W)Packers 35-17   Maybe 5 more TDs for Rodgers
Dallas @ New Orleans   (L)Cowboys 24-20   Battle of QB backups
Detroit @ Seattle   (W)Seahawks 31-21   The 'Hawks already know the plays

Check back late Monday for the results. I should be 42-21 after then.

9-6 for the week. It took an overtime win by the Colts and a fumble at the 1 yard line by Calvin Johnson to get me to that. Of course the Eagles and Raiders didn't help.

36-27 overall. 4 teams with a by next week. Jets, Miami, Minnesota and Carolina all get to relax.

Do The MLB Playoffs Need To Be Changed?

The talk around major league baseball these days, mostly from Pirate and Cub fans, is the need to revamp the current playoff system to make it more "fair".

As it stands today, the Pirates and Cubs, the two wild card teams in the National League, will face off in a one game play-in to see who gets to continue on in the playoffs. These two teams have the 2nd and 3rd best records in the league, both records better than either the Mets and Dodgers, the Division Champions of the East and West. Alas, the rules were set up this way to give one more team a chance at the World Series.

Some call the current system a watered down version of what a World Series should be about, a wild card team with a low won/loss record can become the World Champs. We need to face reality. The only way to ensure that the best two regular season teams reach the World Series is to go back to, dare I say, the way it was when the winner of the American League faced the winner of the National League in the World Series. That will never happen again. Money, read TV contracts and additional gate receipts, has changed that forever.

My take on the playoff system is this. If the wild card is the best way, let's take the example of the NBA and take the eight teams with the best records and seed them accordingly. The plan I propose would have a best-of-three 1st round with the #1 seed taking on the #8 seed and so forth with all three games played in the ballpark of the team with the better record.

With single travel days between games of a series and playoff rounds, the World Series would still be decided within 31 days from the start of the first round.

To accomplish my idea, three teams would have to be added to the current format.

The National League has the controversy this year so I'll use them for my example. As it stands now the Cardinals, Pirates and Cubs all have better records then the Mets or Dodgers. Add the Giants, Nationals and the Diamondbacks to the playoffs to make an eight team playoff.

The teams would be seeded like this: Cardinals #1, Pirates #2, Cubs #3, Mets #4, Dodgers #5, Giants #6, Nationals #7 and the Diamondbacks #8. Yes, the Diamondbacks are under .500 but this can happen and must be allowed for the format to work.

The 1st round would be a best-of-three, all in the stadium of he team with the better regular season record. One would hope this scenario would keep all eight teams fighting to win the most games possible. This would also give the team with the better record a decided advantage.

One travel day would be allowed between the last game of the season an the start of the playoffs. The games in my fictitious playoff would begin on the 4th of October. The 1st round would be played on consecutive days. All teams, in both leagues would begin and end on the same days.

Television would have 6 regional games and 2 national games to broadcast on each day.

After completion of the 1st round on the 6th of October, or a day earlier if the series is won in 2 games, a travel day is scheduled and the 2nd round of the payoffs would begin on the 8th of October. These best-of-seven series would again give the advantage to the team with the better record. There would be 2 games at home, 2 games away and then 3 games, if necessary, at home. With travel days between the sets of games the series would be over by the 16th of October.

A league championship round would begin on the 18th and, with the same 7 game format, be concluded by the 26th of October.

The World Series would begin, after a travel day, on the 28th and the World Series Champions would be crowned no later than the 6th of November.

So what would this accomplish? First, the "wild card" teams would have a three game series rather than the current one and done concept. Secondly, the teams with 1 or 2 excellent pitchers cold have them pitch the first game of the 1st round and have them available to start the first game of the 2nd round and again in game four of that series. Thirdly, the fans would have playoff baseball almost constantly for a month. Fourth, this would eliminate the stupidity of the All-Star game deciding home field advantage for the World Series. And finally, the team with the better record would have more home games to eliminate the lower seeded teams.

There you have it. I only hope that Commissioner Manfred reads this and gets the team ownership, players association and television to institute my plan for the 2016 World Series. Not to worry Commissioner, just mention my name, and my blog site when you make the announcement.

Charros de Jalisco Prepare For 2nd Season In Guadalajara

The Charros de Jalisco will embark on their 2nd season of play in the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico, and their quest to capture the Championship, on the 9th of October with the opening game of the League's season against the Tomateros de Culiacan.

Read a link of my article for the Guadalajara Reporter, Mexico's largest English newspaper, HERE.

I'll be following the Charros' games on my blog with artiles of interest in the Reporter.

Follow me on Facebook at:  www.facebook.com/wdbarr
Follow me on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/wdbarr1

NFL Picks For Week 3

Okay...so Kansas City lost on a fumble for a touchdown with the score tied 24-24 and hardly any time left on the clock. That was a precursor for my 6-10 week. Come on, did anyone really think that the Ravens would lose to the Raiders? How about Johnny football throwing 50 and 60 yard touchdowns to beat Mariota?  Jacksonville beats the Dolphins? The Giants lost again on a last drive by their opponent. What has happened to the Texan's offense?  I'll try again. I'm 14-18 overall.

Washington @ NY Giants   (W)Giants 21-17   Lightning will not strike for the third time
Oakland @ Cleveland   (W)Raiders 28-10   Going with the Raiders...Browns not very impressive
Atlanta @ Dallas   (L)Cowboys 17-10   Cowboys use adrenaline to top listless Falcons
Indianapolis @ Tennessee   (L)Titans 21-20   Pagano can blame Luck all he wants
Pittsburgh @ St. Louis   (W)Steelers 28-17   Steelers looked good...Rams not so much
San Diego @ Minnesota   (W)Vikings 30-21   Probably to avenge Ragnar
Jacksonville @ New England   (W)Patriots 35-10   Patriots will deflate more than one team's hopes
Philadelphia @ NY Jets   (W)Eagles 21-17  Must win for the Eagles and Jets...tossup
New Orleans @ Carolina   (W)Carolina 20-10   As Brees goes, so go the Saints...I'm just sayin'
Cincinnati @ Baltimore   (L)Ravens 21-17   Baltimore HAS to be better than last week
Tampa Bay @ Houston   (W)Texans 21-10   The Texans have looked bad but they are at home
San Francisco @ Arizona   (W)Cardinals 35-27   I think the 49ers are pretty bad defensively
Buffalo @ Miami   (W)Bills 21-20   Suh gets ejected and the Bills kick 4 FGs plus a 2 point conversion
Chicago @ Seattle   (W)Seahawks 31-10   Bears were bad With Cutler...now?
Denver @ Detroit  (W) Broncos 28-21   Manning and Kubiak finally on the same page
Kansas City @ Green Bay   (W)Packers 28-21   Packers OR Chiefs give it away...I choose GB

I picked 11 home teams this week. Last week 7 home teams lost. I know the home teams will turn it around for me this week.

Pretty good week...finished 13-3...overall 27-21!!

NFL Picks Week 2

I finished with an 8-8 record in week 1...not bad considering the Seahawks OT loss to the Rams and the Chargers, in my opinion, surprising win over the Lions. I could have been 10-6...but alas...I wasn't.

Here are the picks for Week 2 in the NFL.

Denver @ Kansas City   (L)Chiefs 27-16   The Chiefs looked good in week 1, the Broncos not so much
New England @ Buffalo   (W)Patriots 35-28  Brady's offense over Ryan's defense
Arizona @ Chicago   (W)Cardinals 20-17   Cardinals fly under everyone's radar
San Diego @ Cincinnati   (W)Bengals 20-17   I kinda like the Bengals defense so far
Tennessee @ Cleveland   (L)Titans 28-17   Mariota will prove week 1 was no fluke
Detroit @ Minnesota   (L)Lions 24-13   Let's do a redo of week 1 Lions...Please
Tampa Bay @ New Orleans   (W)Buccaneers 14-10  Winston proves his toughness
Atlanta @ NY Giants   (W)Falcons 17-16   Giants just love 1 point last second losses
San Francisco @ Pittsburgh   (L)49ers 24-14  Steelers on the ropes
St. Louis @ Washington   (L)Rams 28-10  How can you pick against the Rams
Houston @ Carolina   (L)Texans 21-17   JJ needs to play both ways for Houston
Baltimore @ Oakland   (L)Ravens 35-10  The Raiders are just bad
Miami @ Jacksonville   (L)Dolphins 17-10   Suh intimidates everyone on the field
Dallas @ Philadelphia   (W)Cowboys 28-21   Kelly keeps Murray out of the game again
Seattle @ Green Bay   (L)Seahawks 21-17   The Packers are not the 2015 Rams
NY Jets @ Indianapolis   (L)Colts   21-16    The Colts were not just manhandled by the Bills right?

So...6-10 for week 2 and 14-18 overall. It's no wonder I write blogs and don't wager on professional sports.


FEEL FREE TO ADD YOUR TWO CENTS!!

Los Campeones!!

TIGRES CRUSH ACEREROS 9-0 IN GAME 5
Alfredo Amezaga named "Jugador Mas Valioso", or MVP of the Serie del Rey for 2015

Alfredo Amezaga
Jugador Mas Valioso

Watch video highlights of the Championship game HERE.

The Tigres de Quintana Roo left no doubt as to the outcome of game 5 of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol Championship series. They jumped on top 2-0 after 2 innings, dealt the crushing blow with 5 runs in the 5th and added insult to injury with 2 more runs in the 7th without benefit of a hit.

Pablo "El Maestro" Ortega

Pablo Ortega was masterful, holding the Acereros scoreless on 3 hits during his 6 1/3 innings on the mound. The Tigres manager pulled Ortega after he gave up a walk and got the next batter to ground into a force out at second. Had the umpire gotten the call right, that play would have been ruled a double play and Ortega might have stayed in the game. As it was, reliever Arturo Barradas got the next hitter to ground into a double play and the inning was over. Barradas pitched 2 1/3 innings of no hit ball and gave way to closer Ramon Ramirez for the last out of the game.

Jose Oyervidez was tagged for 7 runs on 9 hits through 4 2/3 innings of work in the loss while striking out 5 Tigres. Oyervidez and 5 relief pitchers struck out 13 on the night but the Tigres collected 12 hits and were aided by 3 errors committed by the Monclova shortstop, Olmo Rosario.

And now to the game.

Jorge Cantu led off the top of the 2nd inning with a single and was forced at second on a ground ball by Greg Golson. Golson went to second on a throwing error by the Acereros shortstop and scored on a single by Alfredo Amezaga. Amezaga stole second and scored on a double by Iker Franco as the Tigres took an early 2-0 lead.

Eugenio Velez singled to start the 5th for the Tigres and went to second on a wild pitch, the Aceeros threw 3 wild pitches in the game. Carlos Gastelum sacrificed Velez to third and Velez scored on a double to right by Sergio Contreras. With two outs, Alfredo Amezaga singled to score Contreras. Iker Franco followed with a double to right center that score Golson and Amezaga. Esteban Quiroz singled to center to drive in Franco and the Tigres had built a 7-0 lead.

Alfredo Amezaga, Iker Franco and Esteban Quiroz began the 7th inning for the Tigres with walks to load the bases with no outs. Brandon Villarreal hit a slow roller to short that forced Franco at second but Amezaga scored. Eugenio Velez then struck out but the ball got past the catcher, Velez was safe at first and Franco scored just ahead of the tag at home to give the Tigres the 9-0 lead and the win.

There was an air of impending doom at Estadio Monclova from the beginning. 14,000 fans packed Acereros fell to the Tigres 7-4 in 10 innings. On Monday, the crowd was announced at 5,853 with plenty of empty seats. After the top of the 2nd inning the crowd was subdued and after the 5th, the crowd was silent. Even the stadium organ player was unable to get the fans excited.

Tigres - Los Campeones

the stadium on Sunday as the

The Tigres won their 12th LMB Championship, second only to the 16 Championships won by the Diablos Rojos del Mexico. Quintana Roo has now won 3 titles in 5 years, 2011, 2013 and this year.

     

Tigres Capture Game 4 Over Acereros With 7-4 Win

USE 3 RUN 10TH TO SECURE WIN

Watch video highlights HERE.

The Tigres de Quintana Roo pushed across 3 runs in the top of the 10th inning to win game 4 of the Serie del Rey over the Acereros de Monclova by a 7-4 score.

Carlos Bustamante

Carlos Bustamante held the Acereos scoreless through 6 2/3 innings, giving up just 4 hits, walking none and striking out 6. Reliever Ramon Rameriz worked the final 3 innings and was charged with a blown save but picked up the win following the Tigres outburst in the 10th inning.

Josh Lowey

Josh Lowey, the rained out game 3 starter, came back to start game 4 and gave up 4 runs on 8 hits, walked 2 and struck out 3. Matt Nevarez took the loss for Monclova allowing 2 runs to score in the 10th without recording an out.

Quintana Roo started the scoring in the 2nd inning on singles by Alfredo Amezaga and Esteban Quiroz. Amezaga scored on a force out by Brandon Villarreal that put the Tigres up 1-0.

The Tigres added a run in the 3rd on singles by Carlos Gastelum, Jorge Cantu and Alfredo Amezaga that scored Gastelum for the 2-0 lead.

Esteban Quiroz singled to lead off the 4th for the Tigres and scored in front of a home run by Eugenio Velez that made the score 4-0 Tigres.

Monclova mounted a comeback in the bottom of the 8th inning. They scored 3 times to pull within a run at 4-3. Jose Amador was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch. Amador scored on a double by Hernando Arredondo for the first Acerero run. With one out, Antonio Lamas singled to score Arredondo. Walks to Carlos Penuelas and Hector Garanzuay loaded the bases and pinch runner, Miguel Guzman scored on a sac fly to right by Olmo Rosario for the third run of the inning.

Jose Amador hit a one out solo home run to left in the bottom of the 9th to tie the score and send the game into extra innings.

Jose Amador holds the runner

Alfredo Amezaga drew a walk with one out in the top of the 10th for the Tigres. Iker Fanco hit a ball deep in the hole at short for an infield single. After a pitching change for Monclova, reliever Juan Noriega uncorked a wild pitch to put the Tigres runners at second and third. Esteban Quiroz was intentionally walked to load the bases. Pinch hitter Raul Sanchez hit into a force play that scored Amezaga. Eugenio Velez then reached safely on an error by the Acereros shortstop that scored Franco. Carslo Gastelum singled to score pinch runner Hiram Martinez and the Tigres had the 7-4 win.

The Serie del Rey continues on Monday in Monclova. Should the Tigres win they would be crowned Champions of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol. If Monclova wins game 5, the series would return to Cancun for game 6 and game 7, if necessary.

Monclova Overpowers Tigres In 5-3 Win

ARREDONDO AND CORDOBA HOMER IN WIN

Watch video highlights HERE.

Game 3 Rainout on Friday

In the completion of the rain delayed 3rd game of the Serie del Rey on Saturday, the Acereros de Monclova scored early and withstood a Tigres rally in the 8th to take game 3 of the series.

The Acereros had taken a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the 2nd inning on a 2 run home run to left by Hernando Arredondo when the rains started falling. The game was suspended following the Tigres at bat in the top of the 3rd.

Josh Lowey had held the Tigres to no runs on 1 hit through 3 innings but was replaced on the mound by Anthony Capra. Capra got the win, limiting the Tigres to 2 hits while walking 4. Juan Noriega picked up his 4th save of the LMB playoffs.

Daniel Cabrera lasted just 2 innings and took the loss giving up the home run to Arredondo and 4 Acereros hits.

Francisco Cordoba hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 4th inning, after play had resumed, to give the Acereros 3-0 lead.

Brett Harper singled with one out in the bottom of the 5th and moved to second, one out later, on a single by Hernando Arredondo. Harper scored on a single by Francisco Cordoba to stretch the Monclova lead to 4-0.

Harper scores run #4

Iker Franco drew a lead off walk for the Tigres in the top of the 8th inning and went to third on a single by Alfredo Amezaga. Ricardo Vazquez walked to load the bases. Raul Sanchez singled to score Franco. Greg Golson followed with a single to right to drive in Amezaga and Vazquez as the Tigres cut the Acereros lead to 4-3.

Carlos Penuelas walked and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Flavio Romero in the bottom of the 8th for Monclova. Penuelas scored on a single to left by Olmo Rosario for the final score of 5-3 and the Acereros win.

Game 4 will be played in Monclova on Sunday the 13th with game 5 on Monday the 14th.

Tigres Take Game 2 Of The Serie del Rey 8-7

7 RUN 6TH DOES THE TRICK

Watch the highlights courtesy of the LMB HERE.

The Tigres sent 12 men to the plate in the bottom of the 6th inning and scored 7 runs to take the lead and held off the Acereros 8-7 to win the second game of the Serie del Rey in Cancun.

Jesus Barraza was the beneficiary of the 7 run outburst as he picked up the win in relief for the Tigres. Starter Wilmer Rios gave up 4 runs on 5 hits before being replaced on the mound Quintana Roo. Raul Barron took the loss for the Acereros.

Carlos Gastelum started the scoring for the Tigres in the bottom half of the 1st with a solo home run to right for the early 1-0 Tigres lead.

Carlos Penuelas led off the top of the 3rd for Monclova with a line drive home run to right that tied the game at 1 all.

Hector Garanzuay drew a 1 out walk to begin the 5th for the Acereros. One out later, Flavio Romero waited out a base on balls. Olmo Rosario singled to left to score Garanzuay. Jose Ruiz followed with a 3 run home run to right that scored Romero and Rosario. The Acereros had taken a 5-1 lead over the Tigres.

Estaban Quiroz

The 6th inning explosion for Quintana Roo started with a lead off walk to Esteban Quiroz. Greg Golson singled and Carlos Gastelum walked to load the bases with no outs. Sergio Contreras singled to score Quiroz and Golson. The Acereros relief pitcher uncorked a wild pitch that moved the runners to second and third. Jorge Cantu followed with a single to right that scored Gastelum and Contreras. Eugenio Velez reached base safely on a throwing error by the Monclova pitcher. Iker Franco walked to load the bases again, still with no outs. Alfredo Amezaga singled to drive in Cantu and Velez. Esteban Quiroz, the ninth batter of the inning, singled to right to score Franco and the Tigres had scored 7 runs to take an 8-5 lead.

"El Bronco"  Jorge Cantu

Monclova got a run back in the top of the 7th on a 2 out single by Flavio Romero, a walk to Olmo Rosario and a single by Jose Ruiz, 3 for 5 with 4 RBIs on the night, that scored Romero. The Acereros had narrowed the lead to 8-6.

The Acereros pushed across another run in the 8th on a double to left by Jose Amador, a single by Francisco Cordoba and a sac fly to right by Hector Garanzuay. Monclova had cut the lead to 8-7 but Ramon Ramirez, closer for the Tigres, got the Acereros to hit into 3 ground ball outs in the 9th to preserve the win for the Tigres in front of 9,476 hometown fans.

The Serie del Rey now shifts to Monclova for games 3, 4 and 5 with the Tigres holding a 2 games to none lead. Game 3 will be held on Friday the 11th of September.

Quintana Roo Takes Game 1 Of The LMB Championship Series 9-8

WALK OFF DOUBLE DECIDES GAME

Watch video highlights HERE.

The Acereros and Tigres combined for 23 hits, including 6 home runs and 5 doubles, and 17 runs in a game 1 slugfest to determine the 2015 Liga Mexicana de Beisbol Champion. There were 4 lead changes in the contest. The teams used 16 pitchers with Roman Ramirez being charged with a blown save and then picking up the win for the Tigres while Juan Noriega took the loss for Monclova.

Olmo Rosario was 2 for 3 with a home run and 3 RBIs for the Acereros as Jorge Cantu went 2 for 3 with 2 home runs and 3 RBIs for the Tigres.

Monclova started the scoring in the top of the 2nd inning. With 2 outs, Jose Amador walked and Hernando Arredondo doubled to left. Both runners scored on a single by Francisco Cordoba and the Acereros were up 2-0.

Jorge Cantu Home Run

Jorge answered for the Tigres in the bottom of the inning with a solo home run to left center. Iker Franco followed with a double and scored on a single by Alfredo Amezaga, who had 3 RBIs in the game for the Tigres, as Quintana Roo tied the score at 2.

With one out in the top of the 3rd, Flavio Romero singled and came around to score on a home run to left by Olmo Rosario. One out later, Brett Harper unloaded a deep drive to left for a solo home run and the Acereros had retaken the lead 5-2.

The Tigres got back to back doubles from Greg Golson and Carlos Gastelum in the 5th inning to score a run and narrow the Acereros lead to 5-3. Sergio Contreras followed with a single to put runners on first and third with no outs. Gastelum would score on a sac fly by Jorge Canto. Eugenio Velez singled and Iker Franco walked to load the bases.  Alfredo Amezaga doubled to right to score Contreras and Velez and the Tigres stormed back to take a 6-5 lead.

Jorge Cantu hit his second home run of the night in the 6th inning as the Tigres stretched their lead to 7-5.

Francisco Cordoba led off the top of the 7th for Monclova with a walk. Following a pitching change for the Tigres, pinch hitter Abraham Ramos drew a base on balls. Cordoba scored on single by Carlos Penuelas to cut the Tigres lead to 7-6. Flavio Romero sacrificed to move both runners up and Olmo Rosario singled to left to score Ramos with the tying run.

Esteban Quiroz hit a solo home run to right with one out in the Tigres half of the 7th as Quintana Roo took the lead again 8-7.

Esteban Quiroz Home Run

Carlos Penulas, who drove in 2 runs for Monclova, drove an 0-1 pitch over the wall in right leading off the top of the 9th for the Acereros to tie the score again at 8-8.

Brandon Villareal singled with one out in the bottom of the 9th for the Tigres and came around to score on the walk off double by Esteban Quiroz and Quintana Roo took the first game of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol Championship playoff by a 9-8 score.

Game 2 of the series will be played in Cancun on Wednesday the 9th of September.

Championship Run Over...Leones Drop Game 7 By A 5-4 Score

TIGRES TO FACE ACEREROS DE MONCLOVA IN LMB FINALS

Watch video highlights HERE.

Leones Acknowledge Their Fans

The Tigres scored 4 runs in the top of the 6th inning, all with 2 outs, and hung on to beat the Leones in game 7 of the Zona Sur Championship series. Yucatan relievers Miguel Aguilar and Oscar Verdugo gave up 2 walks, a hit and allowed 2 runs to score without recording the final out of the inning. Verdugo took the loss for the Leones and Daniel Cabrera picked up the win for the Tigres.

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.

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.

Leones Best Tigres 2-1

EVEN ZONA SUR CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES AT 3 GAMES APIECE

Large Leones Crowd

Marco Quevedo tossed 5 innings of 3 hit ball, allowing 1 run as the Leones de Yucatan topped the Tigres de Quintana Roo 2-1 in game 6 of the Zona Sur Championship Series. Adam Reifer pitched the 9th to preserve the win for Quevedo and record the save. 4 relievers kept the Tigres in check in the 6th, 7th and 8th innings on 2 hits and no runs.

Corey Wimberly led off he bottom of the 1st for Yucatan with a double to right and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Jose Aguilar. Ricardo Serrano drew a base on balls and ball four was a wild pitch thrown by Tigres starter Carlos Bustamante that allowed Wimberly to score from third and gave the Leones an early 1-0 lead.

Yucatan continued to play small ball in the 2nd inning. Jaime Pedroza singled to lead off the inning and Kevin Flores sacrificed him to second. With two outs, Corey Wimberly singled to left to score Pedroza as the Leones stretched their lead to 2-0. The Tigres reliever, Wilmer Rios, ended the inning when he kicked a ball hit back to him towards a charging second baseman for a 1-4-3 ground out.

Jorge Vazquez led off the top of the 5th for the Tigres with a long solo home run to left to narrow the Leones lead to 2-1. That was the only "bad" pitch thrown by Quevedo in an otherwise masterful outing.

Jaime Pedroza was 2 for 3 with a run scored, Corey Wimberly 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored and Jose Aguilar 2 for 3 for the Leones.

Leones Score 2nd Run

Carlos Gastelum went 2 for 3 and Jorge Vazquez 2 for 3 with the home run for the Tigres.

The Leones have won 3 consecutive games to tie the series at 3 games apiece after falling behind when the Tigres took the first 3 games. Game 7 will be played on Sunday in Merida with the winner taking on the winner of the Zona Norte Championship series between the Acereros de Monclova and the Toros de Tijuana.

IN OTHER LMB PLAYOFF ACTION

Tijuana 8, Monclova 4

Watch video highlights HERE.

The Toros de Tijuana exploded for 6 runs in the top of the 9th inning off of Acereros relieve Juan Noriega, who gave up 6 runs on 5 hits in 2/3 of an inning, to even the Zona Norte Championship series at 3 games apiece and forcing a game seven in Monclova on Sunday the 6th of September. The Toros scored all 6 runs with 2 outs in the inning.

Jose Oyervides, the Acereros starter, had held the Toros to 2 runs on 6 hits before being replaced on the mound in the 6th. Dennys Reyez was the beneficiary of the Toros outburst, picking up the win with 1 inning of relief.

Olivos 3 Run Single In The 9th

The big blow of the game was a bases loaded single to left that cleared the bases. The hard hit ball got by the left fielder and went to the wall and Olivo, who never slowed, raced home with the sixth run of the inning.

Mario Mendoza gave up a hit in the bottom of the 9th but struck out 2 batters including Francisco Cordoba to end the game preserve the win for Reyes.

Miguel Olivo was 3 for 5 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored, Lew Ford 2 for 5 wit an RBI and Luis Suarez 2 for 2 with an RBI for the Toros.

Olmo Rosario was 3 for 4 with 2 RBIs, Jose Ruiz 2 for 4 with an RBI, Carlos Penuelos 2 for 3 with an RBI and Hernando Arredondo 2 for 5 for Monclova in the loss.

NFL Picks Week 1

With much hemming and hawing I have made my picks for the 1st week of the NFL season. Deflate gate, Tim Tebow cut, Trent Richardson can't make the Raiders 73 man cut, domestic violence, Wilson's huge contract, Packers injuries, Jamies Winston, Marcus Mariota, Roger Goodell, Rex Ryan in Buffalo, Ndamukong Suh in Miami and Jerry Jones has made for an interesting off season...let's get going with the regular season...please!

Pittsburgh @ New England     (W)Patriots 21-17   They beat the NFL, the Steelers should be easy
Indianapolis @ Buffalo           (L)Colts 28-17   Without McCoy...no chance for the Bills
Green Bay @ Chicago             (L)Bears 20-17   Who knows with GB injuries
Seattle @ St. Louis                  (L)Seahawks 28-10   Big contract = Big wins
Cleveland @ NY Jets              (L)Browns 17-10   Neither team very good
Miami @ Washington             (W)Dolphins 17-6   Despite Suh Miami still needs to score
Carolina @ Jacksonville         (W)Panthers 28-24   Superman back to prove naysayers wrong
Kansas City @ Houston          (L)Texans 21-20   Defense wins games...We'll see
New Orleans @ Arizona         (W)Cardinals 28-14   Saints no longer rolling in
Detroit @ San Diego                (L)Lions 31-28   Stafford late to Johnson for the win
Baltimore @ Denver               (W)Broncos 28-21   Running game wins it
Cincinnati @ Oakland             (W)Bengals 30-10  Oakland is really bad
Tennessee @ Tampa Bay        (W)Titans 21-20   Mariota vs Winston...toss up
NY Giants @ Dallas                (W)Cowboys 35-17   Cowboys will "round up" the NFC East
Philadelphia @ Atlanta            (L)Eagles 23-16   Bradford likes change of scenery
Minnesota @ San Francisco     (L)Vikings 17-12   49ers still reeling from offseason

As you can see I finished 8-8 for the 1st week...I promise next week will be better as I absorb the losses of the Seahawks, Colts, Lions, Eagles and Texans!!

Yucatan Tops Quintana Roo 4-3 in 11 Innings

TIGRES LEAD SERIES 3 GAMES TO 2

Watch video highlights HERE.

Starter Yoanner Negrin
Leones Facebook

In a game that would never be confused with a pitchers duel, the Leones came out on top 4-3 in 11 innings. The teams combined for 19 hits while the pitchers issued 15 walks and hit 3 batters. The Leones tied the score in the top of the 9th inning with the help of 2 fielding errors by the Tigres right fielder.

In the bottom of the 1st, Sergio Contreras was hit by a pitch and stole second. Jorge Cantu drove him in with a single to right giving the Tigres an early 1-0 lead.

It took until the top of the 6th for the Leones to score but they took a 2-1 lead in the inning. Ricardo Serrano and Hector Gimenez drew walks and Luis Garcia singled to load the bases with one out. Jaime Pedroza struck out but Kevin Flores singled to center to score Serrano and Gimenez.

Francisco Peguero doubled and Alfredo Amezaga drew a walk in the Tigres half of the 6th. Esteban Quiroz singled to center to score Pequero to tie the score at 2 all. Corey Wimberly threw out Amezaga at third to prevent further Tigre scoring.

Eugenio Velez launched a solo home run to right in the bottom of the 8th inning for the 3-2 Quintana Roo lead.

Jose Aguilar led off the top of the 9th for the Leones and reached safely on a fielding error by the Tigres right fielder. Two outs later, Hector Gimenez was intentionally walked. Humberto Cota followed with a fly ball to right that was misplayed for the second error of the inning scoring Aguilar with the tying run.

Ricardo Serrano singled to lead off the 11th for Yucatan. Jesus Valdez walked and both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Hector Gimenez. With two outs, Jaime Pedroza was intentionally walked to load the bases. After falling behind in the count 1-2, Kevin Flores drew a base on balls to force in Serrano with the eventual game winning run as the Leones went up 4-3.

Adam Reifer got the win, pitching 3 innings of relief, allowing 2 hits but no runs. Daniel Cabrera took the loss for the Tigres. The two teams combined for 15 walks in the game. The Leones walked 6 and the Tigres pitchers walked 9 (2 intentionally) and the two teams hit 3 batters.

Kevin Flores was 3 for 4 with 3 RBIs for Yucatan, Jesus Valdez 2 for 5 and Ricardo Serrano 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Eugenio Velez went 2 for 5 with a home run, Esteban Quiroz 1 for 4 with an RBI and Jorge Cantu 1 for 6 with an RBI for the Tigres.

The series returns to Merida for game 6 of the Zona Sur Championship series on Saturday.

IN OTHER LMB PLAYOFF ACTION

Monclova 7, Tijuana 2

Watch video highlights HERE.

The Acereros scored 5 times in the 7th inning to break a 2-2 tie and went on to win game 5 of the Zona Norte Championship series with the Toros de Tijuana 7-2.

Monclova scored all 5 runs with 2 outs.

Olmo Rosario doubled, Brett Harper was intentionally walked and Jose Aguilar doubled to right to score Rosario. Jose Ruiz was intentionally walked to load the bases. Hernando Arredondo waited out a base on balls to plate Harper. Toros reliever Jesus Garcia then threw a wild pitch to bring home Amador. Francisco Cordoba singled to score Ruiz. Eder Salcedo doubled to center to score Arredondo and the Acereros led 7-2.

Josh Lowey picked up the win, going 7 innings, giving up 2 runs on 4 hits. Hugo Castellanos took the loss allowing 5 runs on 2 hits without recording n out.

Antonio Lamas

Antonio Lamas was 2 for 3 with a home run, Jose Amador 1 for 3 with an RBI and Hernando Arredondo 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an RBI and a run scored for Monclova.

Eduardo Arredondo led off the game for the Toros with a home run going 1 for 3 at the plate. Jose Chavez was 2 for 2 with a run scored and Lew Ford 1 for 4 with an RBI for Tijuana.

Game 6 of the series will be played in Monclova on Saturday

Leones Keep Tigres At Bay With 3-1 Win

TRAIL ZONA SUR SERIES 3 GAMES TO 1

Watch video highlights of the game HERE.

Juan Delgadillo / Leones Facebook

Juan Delgadillo, until yesterday, was listed on the Leones official roster as "reserve". Activated to take on the Tigres and their 3 games to none Zona Sur Championship lead, Delgadillo pitched masterfully. Allowing just 2 hits over 6 innings while walking 2 and striking out 2, Delgadillo held the Tigres scoreless in the "must win" game. Yucatan used 7 pitchers over the last 3 innings, with Adam Reifer notching the save. Pablo Ortiz gave up 2 runs on 6 hits, walked 3 and struckout 4 to take the loss for the Tigres.

Following a short rain delay, Ricardo Serrano led off the top of the 4th for the Leones with a single and scored on a double to center by Jesus Valdez for the 1-0 Yucatan lead.

Valdez doubled again in the 5th inning to score Jose Aguilar, who had singled with 2 outs, as the Leones increased their lead to 2-0.

Hector Navarro relieved Delgadillo in the 7th and, after getting Eugenio Velez to pop up to the third baseman, hit Francisco Peguero with a pitch. Miguel Aguilar was brought in to replace Navarro for the Leones and struck out Alfredo Amezaga for the second out. Leones manager, Wilfredo Romero changed pitchers again and the Tigre's Ricardo Vazquez drew a walk. Another pitching change, another walk and the Tigres had the bases loaded with 2 outs. The 5th pitcher of the inning for Yucatan, Manuel Rodriguez, threw a wild pitch that scored pinch runner Brandon Villareal with the lone run of the game for the Tigres who now trailed Yucatan by a 2-1 score.

Jaime Pedroza hit a solo home run to right in the top of the 8th inning to add an insurance run for the Leones and stretch the Yucatan lead to 3-1.

Adam Reifer came on to pitch for the Leones with one out in the bottom of the 8th inning and shut down the Tigres to get the save.

Jose Aguilar was 2 for 4 with a run scored, Jesus Valdez 2 for 4 with  doubles and 2 RBIs and Jaime Pedroza 1 for 3 with the home run and an RBI for Yucatan.

Greg Golson and Carlos Gastelum got the only hits for the Tigres, both singles as he Yucatan pitching did an excellent job of keeping runners out of scoring position.

The series continues on Thursday with the Tigres holding a 3 games to 1 lead in the best of seven playoff.

IN OTHER LMB PLAYOFF ACTION

Tijuana 6, Monclova 5

Watch video highlights of the game HERE.

The Toros de Tijuana scored 4 times in the bottom of the 1st inning and held on to beat the Acereros de Monclova 6-5 to tie the best of seven Zona Norte Championship playoff at 2 games apiece.

Jose Lopez picked up the win in relief of starter Logan Duran who gave up 5 runs on 5 hits in 4 1/3 innings of work. Mario Mendoza gave up 2 hits in 1 1/3 innings to get his 3rd save of the playoffs. Anthony Capra took the loss for Monclova, allowing 6 runs on 9 hits over 4 2/3 innings on the mound.

Dustin Martin was 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored, Luis Suarez 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs, Eduardo Arredondo 2 for 4 with a run scored and Miguel Olivo 1 for 2 with and RBI and 2 walks in the Toros win.

Hernando Arredondo, who entered to game as a pinch runner in the 2nd inning, was 2 for 3 with a home run for Monclova. Jose Amdor went 2 for 4 with a run scored and Flavio Romero 1 for 3 with an RBI.

Yucatan Advances To Championship Round In The Zona Sur

When hired by the Leones de Yucatan in September of 2014 the new manager, Wilfredo Romero, was quoted as saying “(w)e know what it takes to win and we will implement the changes necessary”.

2015 arrived and the Leones de Yucatan started off slowly but finished 1st in the Zona Sur division of the LMB, 1 ½  games ahead of the Tigres de Quintana Roo.

Romero led the Leones to a 66-46 record, a 20 game improvement over the 2014 season. If I had a vote, Romero would be the Manager of the Year in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol. As it is, Miguel Ojeda led the Diablos Rojos del Mexico to a 73-39 record this year, the most ever in LMB play. Ojeda will probably be the MOY for 2015.

The Piratas de Campeche took a different path to their meeting with Yucatan. Finishing the season with a 53-56 record, the Piratas had to defeat the Pericos de Puebla in a 1 game play-in for the chance to face the #1 seed Leones.

Once they got to Merida the Piratas gave the Leones all they could handle.

The Leones took game 1 of the divisional playoffs with Campeche by an 8-0 score leading some to believe the series was as good as over. Yoanner Negrin pitched well and the Leones hitters flexed their muscles in the win.

Game 2 saw the Leones limited to 5 hits in a 3-1 loss. This time the Piratas pitching was superb.

The bats came alive in game 3, in Campeche, as the Leones had 14 hits, including 5 home runs to top the Piratas 9-2. Jonathan Castellanos picked up the win. Jesus Valdez, Kevin Flores, Israel Nunez and Ricardo Serrano (2) all hit home runs for Yucatan.

Campeche started strong and got great pitching from Evan Maclane as the Piratas shut out the Leones 5-0 in game 4. There wasn’t much to cheer about for the Leones as the Piratas evened the series at 2 game each.

Game 5 was all Piratas as they topped the Leones 4-2. The Piratas took a 3 games to 2 lead in the best of 7 game series.

Back again in Merida, Luis Garcia was the hero of game 6 with a 3 run home run in the bottom of the 8th giving the win to the Leones. The series was tied at 3 games apiece.

The Leones left no doubt as to the outcome in game 7, building a 5-1 lead after 3 innings and coasting to the win. Jonathan Castellanos worked 7 very good innings for the win.

Yucatan now faces the Tigres de Quintana Roo in the Zona Sur Championship round. The series begins in Merida on Friday the 28th of August with the winner of that series paying the winner of the Zona Norte series between the Toros de Tijuana and the Acereros de Monclova.