The Leones de Yucatan dispatched the #4 seed Piratas de Campeche 6-1 to take the Zona Sur divisional series 4 games to 3 and advance to the Championship round. Jonathan Castellanos pitched 7 innings of 5 hit ball, allowing 1 run while striking out 7 Piratas to get the win. RolandoValdez lasted just 2 innings and gave up 4 runs on 5 hits in the loss.
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| Valdez' 2 run home run in the 1st Leones Facebook |
Carlos Colmenares drew a 2 out walk from Leones starter, Jonathan Castellanos, in the top of the 3rd and scored on a triple by Adan Velazquez to cut the lead to 2-1 Leones.
Israel Nunez led off the bottom of the 3rd with a single. Corey Wimberly was hit by a pitch and Jose Aguilar singled to load the bases with no outs. Ricardo Serrano hit into a 1-2-3 double play that caught Nunez at home. The Piratas decided to intentionally walk Jesus Valdez to reload the bases for Hector Gimenez. Gimenez made them pay for that decision by hitting a single that, with the help of a throwing error by the right fielder, cleared the bases and left Gimenez on second base. Yucatan took a 5-1 lead.
After a walk to Jaime Pedroza was erased on a double play grounder by Kevin Flores in the 6th inning, Israel Nunez doubled and scored on a single by Corey Wimberly. Wimberly was thrown out at second trying to advance on the throw but the Leones had a 6-1 lead and the pitching staff made the lead stand up over the remaining 3 innings
Jesus Valdez was 1 for 2 with a home run, 2 walks, 2 RBIs and a run scored, Israel Nunez 2 for 3 with a run scored, Ricardo Serrano 2 for 5, Kevin Flores 2 for 4 and Corey Wimberly 1 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored for Yucatan.
Adan Velazquez was 2 for 4 with the lone RBI for the Piratas.
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| Jonathan Castellanos/Leones Facebook |
The Divisional Championship will begin on Friday the 28th of August with the Leones taking on the #2 seed Tigres de Quintana Roo, who beat the Guerreros de Oaxaca 6-3 in the other Zona Sur contest.
If the Leones should win that series, the LMB Championship series would be played in Merida.
IN OTHER LMB PLAYOFF ACTION
Tijuana 7, Mexico 6
Watch video highlights HERE.
The upstart Toros de Tijuana (54-53 on the season and 16 1/2 games behind the 73-39 Diablos) won their biggest game of the year on Wednesday, eliminating the Diablos Rojos del Mexico in game 7 of the Zona Norte divisional playoffs.
The Toros scored 5 runs in the 3rd, for a 7-2 lead inning and held on to beat the Diablos 7-6.
Barry Enright (3-0) pitched 5 1/3 innings, giving up 5 runs on 8 hits while striking out 5 and allowing 4 home runs in getting the win for the Toros. The Tijuana used 4 relief pitchers for 2 innings before turning the game over to Mario Mendoza for the final 1 2/3 innings. Mendoza shut down the Diablos bats on no hits and no runs to get the save.
David Reyes lasted 2 1/3 innings, gave up 6 runs on 4 hits and walked 3 in the loss.
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| Dustin Martin HR in the 1st Toros Facebook |
Jesus Fabela and Japhet Amador had home runs for the Diablos and Ivan Terrazas belted 2 more for Mexico on a 2 for 4 night at the plate with 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Japhet Amador was 3 for 4 with an RBI for the Diablos. Terraza and Cyle Hankerd combined for 24 RBIs in the series but that wasn't enough to overcome the Toros.
The Toros will take on the Acereros de Monclova, who won 11-3 over the Saraperos in their Zona Norte divisional playoff in a series that begins on Friday the 28th of August.
Monclova 11, Saltillo 3
Watch video high lights HERE.
The Acereros jumped in front of the Saraperos d Saltillo 9-0 after 4 innings and added 2 more runs in the 6th inning to top the Saraperos 11-3 in the Zona Norte divisional playoffs in front of 6,180 hometown fans. Monclova took the best of seven series 4 games to 3.
Juan Pena picked up the win, pitching 5 innings, allowing just 2 hits and striking out 1 while Michael Nix worked 3 1/3 innings and gave up 6 runs on 4 hits in the loss.
Monclova scored the 3 runs in the 2nd inning on 2 walks, a hit batter, a single and a sac fly by Carlos Penuelas for the 3-0 lead and the pitching staff did the rest.
Jose Ruiz was 2 for 3 with a 3 run home run, Hector Garanzuay 2 for 4 with an RBI, Brett Harper 1 for 3 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored and Eder Salcedo 1 for 2 with 2 RBIs for Monclova.
Jon Del Campo was 2 for 4 wit a 2 run home run in the 9th inning while Ramon Ortiz went 3 for 4 with a run scored for the Saraperos.
Monclova will take on the Toros de Tijuana in the Zona Norte Championship round of the playoffs beginning Friday the 28th of August in Monclova.
Quintana Roo 6, Oaxaca 3
Watch video high lights HERE.
The Tigres put away the Guerreros de Oaxaca 6-3 in game 7 of their Zona Sur divisional playoffs to earn the right to play the Leones de Yucatan, in Merida, for the Zona Sur Championship beginning Friday the 28th of August.
Arturo Barradas picked up the win in relief of Tigre starter Carlos Bustamante, pitching 2 1/3 shutout innings and Ramon Ramirez notched his 3rd save of the playoffs. Rodolfo Aguilar took the loss, giving up 2 runs on 1 hit in 1/3 of an inning.
Carlos Gastelum was 3 for 4 with an RBI, Francisco Peguero 2 for 5 with 2 RBIs, Jorge Cantu 3 for 4 with an RBI and Greg Golson 3 for 5 with an RBI for the Tigres.
Mike Jacobs went 2 for4 with an RBI and a run scored, Ronny Cedeno 1 for 4 with an RBI and Jaime Brena 1 for 3 with an RBI in the loss for Oaxaca.
