Yaquis Score Twice in the 9th To Top Naranjeros 5-4

JUAN CARLOS GAMBOA'S 2 OUT DOUBLE THE BIG HIT

Juan Carlos Gamboa

The Yaquis had built a 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of the 8th. The Naranjeros scored first on a double by Francisco Peguero that scored Eric Young but the Yaquis took the lead in the 3rd on home runs by Tomo Otosaka and Leo Heras. Obregon added a run in the 6th when Armando Araiza scored on a wild pitch.

The wheels fell off the wagon, so to speak, for Obregon in the bottom half of the 8th. Fernando Perez led off with  single but was forced at second bu Jasson Atondo. Sergio Burrell followed with a single. Young singled to drive in Atondo. Young stole second to put runners at second and third. Cedric Hunter walked to load the bases. Peguero was hit by a pitch to force in Burrell. Pinch hitter, Rolando Acosta, reached on a fielding error that scored Young for the Hermosillo 4-3 lead.

In the top of the 9th, Jesus Valdez singled and pinch hitter Moises Gutierrez drew a walk. With 2 outs, Juan Carlos Gamboa stroked a 1-0 pitch to deep center for a double, scoring Valdez and Gutierrez for the 5-4 lead and the win.

Otosaka was 2 for 4 with a walk and a home run while team mate Heras went 1 for 4 with a home run for Obregon. Young was 3 for 6 with an RBI and 2 runs scored for Hermosillo.

Brandon Brennan (1-2) was charged with a blown save yet got the win Kyle Finnegan (0-1) took the loss for putting runners in scoring position but Wimer Rios was charged with a blown save.

The Yaquis de Obregon improve to 7-7 while the Naranjeros de Hermosillo fall to 5-9 on the young season/

Obregon Wins At Home 4-3 Over Navojoa

4 RUN 3rd INNING PROVES TO BE THE WINNER

The Mayos de Navojoa scored 3 runs in the top of the 1st to take the lead. The Mayos got 4 of their 11 hits on the night, all singles, in the inning and it looked as if this would be a high scoring game.

Leo Heras Singles

Obregon scored all of their runs in the bottom half of the 3rd. Jose Felix led off with a single. Emmanuel Avila followed with a single of his own. A passed ball moved both runners up a base. Felix scored on a ground ball out. With 2 outs, Leo Heras singled to drive in Avila and went to second on the throw home. Jesus Valdez doubled to drive in Heras and a single by John Nogowski plated Valdez for the 4-3 Yaquis lead and the eventual win.

Sean Nolin, the Yaquis starter, gave up the 3 Mayos runs on 9 hits through 3 1/3 innings but 6 relief pitchers held Navojoa scoreless on 2 hits over the remaining 5 1/3 innings. Jesus Anguamea (2-0) got the win in relief with Kyle Bird notching his 2nd same of the season.

Enrique Oquendo (0-1) gave up the 4 Yaquis runs on 5 hits in 2 2/3 innings of work to take the loss.

The Yaquis improved to 3-4 on the year while the Mayos fell to 3-3

Mazatlan Remains Undefeated with 5-1 Win Over Obregon

SEBASTIAN VALLE HOMERS IN CONSECUTIVE GAMES

Sebastian Valle

Sebastian Valle homered for the second time in two games, this one a a 2 run shot to left with Asael Sanchez aboard, as the Venados improved to 4-0 on the year with their 5-1 win over the Yaquis de Obregon. The Yaquis fell to 1-3 with the loss.

The Venados used a run scoring single by Alex Liddi, a sac fly to left by Jose Luna and a single by Kenny Wilson to build a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the 2nd inning.

Obregon would score it's lone run in the top of the 8th inning. Leo Heras doubled to begin the inning and went to third when the Venados' right fielder misplayed to ball. Heras scored on a ground ball out by John Nogowski for the final 5-1 score.

Eduardo Vera (1-0) pitched 5 innings of shutout baseball, giving up 2 hits while striking out 7 to get the win. Joe Van Meter (0-1) allowed all 5 runs, including the home run to Valle, on 7 hits in 3 1/3 innings of work to take the loss.

Eduardo Vera

Oaxaca Need 11 Innings to Beat Leones de Yucatan 5-2

GUERREROS ADVANCE TO ZONA SUR CHAMPIONSHIP WITH EXCITING GAME 7 WIN

The Guerreros de Oaxaca needed 11 innings to overcome the Leones de Yucatan but the wait, and the excitement were worth it. With the 7th game win, the Guerreros move on to face the Diablos Rojos del Mexico in the Zona Sur Championship round of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol  (LMB)

The teams combined used 16 pitchers, 7 by Oaxaca and 9 by Yucatan. These pitchers threw 368 pitches (240 for strikes), gave up 21 hits, surrendered 2 doubles, a triple and 2 home runs while striking out 25 opponents. They had good control of those pitches, walking just 5 over 22 innings.

Carlos Felix

Carlos Felix was the beneficiary of the runs scored by Oaxaca in the 11th inning, having worked the final 2 1/3 innings, holding the Leones hitless while striking out 2.

Andres Meza (0-1) took the loss. He worked the final 1 2/3 innings for the Leones and allowed 3 runs on 3 hits, including a home run in the 11th inning.

Singles by Henry Urrutia and Dustin Geiger started the top of the 2nd inning for the Guerreros. Julian Ornelas' sacrifice bunt was misplayed by the Leones first baseman to load the bases. Samar Leyva hit a sac fly to left to drive in Urrutia and give the Guerreros a 1-0 lead. Oaxaca loaded the bases again in the inning but were unable to score.

Julian Ornelas singled to begin the top of the 4th, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a single by Alejandro Gonzalez. Oaxaca led 2-0.

The Guerreros loaded the bases again in the top of the 5th but couldn't push any runs across.

Leo Heras hit a 330' home run to right just inside the foul pole to start the bottom of the 5th for Yucatan that cut the lead to 2-1.

Leo Heras

Ricardo Serrano singled in the bottom of the 7th. Diego Madero was inserted as a pinch runner for Serrano. Madero moved to second on a sacrificed bunt and scored on a single to right by Heras.

There was no scoring by either team until the 11th inning.

Samar Leyvetripled to lead off the top of the 11th for Oaxaca. One out later Leyva scored on a single by Alan Sanchez. Following a strikeout by Yordanys Linares, Jay Austin, hitting just .200 for the series, launched a 2 run home run to right center that put the icing on the cake for Oaxaca and a dagger to the heart of the Leones.

Jay Austin

Oaxaca took this hard fought series from the Leones in 7 games and will now face the Diablos Rojos del Mexico in a best of 7 series for the Zona Sur Championship and the right to face the winner of the Zona Norte series between the Acereros de Monclova and the Sultanes de Monterrey.

Leones Top Guerreros 10-5 to even 1st Round Zona Sur Series at 2 Games Apiece

FINAL 3 INNINGS TOO MUCH FOR OAXACA

The Leones de Yucatan started early, with 2 runs in the top of the 1st innibg, and finished strong with 6 runs over the final 3 innings in beating the Guerreros de Oaxaca 10-5. With the win, the Leones evened their Zona Sur 1st round  playoff series at 2 games apiece.

Yucatan pounded out 17 hits in the contest, with each starter getting at least 1 hit. The 1 through 5 hitters were 11 for 21, a .524 clip, with 3 extra base hits and 6 RBIs.

Oaxaca held a 5-4 lead after 5 innings but Yucatan scored 6 unanswered runs over the last 3 innings to take the win.

Leo Heras Home Run

Walter Ibarra and Leo Heras homered for the Leones and accounted for 3 RBIs and 6 runs scored in the game. Heras also walked twice. The patient Yucatan hitters drew 6 walks in addition to their 17 hits in the game. Ibarra was 2 for 6 and Heras 2 for 4. Humberto Sosa went 3 for 4 with 3 RBIs and a rub scored while Jose Aguilar and Everth Cabrera were both 2 fr 5 for Yucatan.

Samar Leyva saw his batting average rise to .308 on a 2 for 3 night with 3 runs scored for Oaxaca and Julian Ornelas was 2 for 5 with a run scored for the Guerreros.

The Leones, after falling behind 5-4, scored twice in the top of the 7th inning. With 1 out, Luis Juarez singled and Humberto Sosa doubled to put runners on second and third. Eric Aguilera struck out but Jose Aguilar singled to drive in Juarez. Sebastian Valle followed with a single  to score Sosa and the Leones had the lead for good at 6-5.

Two runs in the 8th inning and 2 more in the 9th put the game away.

Arcenio Leon (1-1) got the win in relief for Yucatan and Juan Lopez (0-1) took the loss for Oaxaca

Arcenio Leon

Jalisco Pitching Stops Venados Offense in 3-1 Win

COMBINE FOR 2 HITTER IN VICYORY

Aaron Kurcz Earned His 5th Save

Tyler Alexander (1-0) worked 5 1/3 innings for the Charros allowing a home run and 1 other hit in the 3-1 Jalisco win. Aaron Kurcz earned his 5th save of the year as the Venados offense was stymied all night by the Charros pitching.

Nick Strunk (0-1) took the loss striking out 4 and giving up a run in 4 innings. Mazatlán reliever Ernesto Zaragoza gave up 3 runs on 3 hits in relief of Strunk.

With 2 outs in the top of the 4th for Jalisco, Carlos Figueroa singled on a ground ball to the pitcher and went to second as Strunk's throw went wide of the bag for an error. Figueroa scored on a single to center by Amadeo Zazueta for the 1-0 early Charros lead.

Jalisco added 3 runs in the 5th inning. Agustin Murilllo drew a lead off walk and went to second on a single by Michael Choice. Both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Cacao Valdez. The Venados pitcher issued an intentional walk to Art Charles to load the bases. Alan Espinoza singled to left to score Murillo. (watch Espinoza's single here) Figueroa hit a ground ball force out that plated Choice and Zazueta singled to left to drive in Charles with the third run and a 4-0 Jalisco lead.

Tyler Alexander

Tyler Alexander, the Charros starter, gave up a 1 out solo home run to Esteban Quiroz in the bottom of the 6th that cut the lead to 4-1 but the Venados would not score again and Kurcz worked a 1-2-3 9th inning to preserve the win for Alexander.

Zazueta was 2 for 5 with 2 RBIs, Figueroa 1 for 5 with an RBI and a run scored and Alan Espinoza 1 for 4 with an RBI for Jalisco.

Esteban went 1 for 4 with the home run and Cyle Hankerd 1 for 4 with the second hit by Mazatlán.

The series concludes with the rubber match on Sunday. Monday is a travel day before the Naranjeros de Hermosillo arrive in Guadalajara for a 3 game set beginning on Tuesday the 1st of November. Come out and support the team. Todos Somos Charros!!

Figueroa Celebrates

IN OTHER LMP ACTION

Mexicali 4, Obregon 3

Edgar Osuna (1-0) gave up 2 runs on 5 hits to get the win and Jake Sanchez recorded his 5th save in the 4-3 win for the Aguilas over the Yaquis. Rolando Valdez (0-3) took the loss. Ramon Rios was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI and Adan Munoz 1 for 4 with 2 RBIs for Mexicali. Leo Heras was 2 for 5 with a double and a run scored while Nelson Perez went 2 for 3 with a triple and 2 RBIs for the Yaquis.

Navojoa 5, Culiacan 4

Alan Sanchez homered and scored twice for the Mayos in their 5-4 win over the Tomateros. Randy Arozarena and Jesus Castillo were both 2 for 3 with an RBI for Navojoa. Jose Orozco was 2 for 4 with 2 home runs and 3 RBIs for Culiacan in the loss. Hector Velazquez (3-0) went 7 innings, striking out 9 and giving up 3 runs on 5 hits for the win. Esteban Haro picked up his 2nd save. Gerardo Sanchez (0-1) took the loss.

Hermosillo 4, Los Mochis 3 (14 innings)

The Naranjeros loaded the bases with 1 out in the bottom of the 14th inning on a triple by Eric Young Jr. and intentional walks to Jose Amador and Matt Skole. With David Washington at the plate, Jesus Verduzco in corked a wild pitch that brought in Young for the 4-3 win. Verduzco (0-1) was charged with the loss while Raul Barron (1-1) picked up the win. Jorge Flores was 3 for 6 with an RBI and a run scored for Hermosillo. Isaac Rodriguez went 2 for 6 with an RBI for the Caneros.

Jalisco Falls To The Venados 5-4

TITO POLO'S WALK OFF SINGLE WINS IT

Japhet Amador Returns to the Lineup

The Venados de Mazatlán topped the Charros last night on a 2 out single by Tito Polo that drove in Roberto Valenzuela with the winning run in the bottom of the 9th inning for the 5-4 win.

Benino Pruenda (1-1) got the win in relief and Edwin Salas (1-1) took the loss.

Mazatlán scored in the 1st inning when the Charros starter, Manuel Flores, threw a wild pitch that scored Brian Hernandez to give the Venados a 1-0 lead.

Jalisco tied the game in the top of the 2nd. Japhet Amador singled to lead off the inning. Agustin Murillo and Michael Choice walked to load the bases and Cacao Valdez singled to score Amador with the tying run.

Cacao Singles to Drive in a Run 

Five singles in the bottom of the 3rd inning led to 3 runs for the Venados and a 4-1 lead.

Japhet Amador drove in 2 runs with a single in the top of the 5th. The Charros scored 3 runs in the inning to tie the game at 4 all.

The game remained scoreless until Polo's single in the bottom of the 9th won the game for Mazatlán

Amador was 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs and a run scored in his return to the Charros while Amadeo Zazueta was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Polo was 2 for 5 with an RBI and a run scored and Cyle Hankerd 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored for the Venados.

Figueroa Steals 2nd

Two more contests in Mazatlán before the Charros return home to face the Naranjeros de Hermosillo beginning on the 1st of November.

IN OTHER LMP ACTION

Hermosillo 9, Los Mochis 4

The Naranjeros scored 4 runs in the 1st and 5 more runs in the 6th inning to beat the Caneros 9-4.  Roberto Ramos hit a grand slam and drove in 6 for Hermosillo to lead the way. Jose Amador was 2 for 2 with 2 RBIs for the Naranjeros. Yadir Drake homered for the Caneros. Marco Rivas (2-0) picked up the win and Manny Barreda (1-2) took the loss.

Culiacan 8, Navojoa 4

The Tomateros scored 5 times in the 3rd inning and coasted to an 8-4 win over the Mayos. Joey Meneses hit a 3 run home run in the inning to lead the charge. The bottom of the Mayos lineup, Victor Mendoza, Diego Madero and Alejandro Gonzalez were a combined 6 for 12 with 2 RBIs and 3 runs scored for Navojoa. Salvador Valdez (2-1) was the winning pitcher and Salvador Robles (0-2) took the loss.

Mexicali 10, Obregon 8

 The Aguilas got home runs from Ramon Rios and JC Linares to out slug the Yaquis 10-8. Justin Greene, Leo Heras and Nelson Perez homered for Obregon. Francisco Rodriguez (2-0) picked up the win and Jake Sanchez earned his 4th save. Matias Carrillo (0-1) was charged with a blown save and the loss.

Venados Tie Series at 3 With 6-3 Win In Obregon

YAQUIS 0 FOR 7 WITH RUNNERS IN SCORING POSITION

Andres Meza gave up 3 Yaquis runs on 6 hits to get the win for the Venados on Sunday as Mazatlán battled back to tie the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico semifinal playoff round at 3 games apiece. Sergio Valenzuela pitched the final 1 1/3 innings to pick up the save. Rolando Valdez went 4 1/3 innings allowing 5 runs on 8 hits to take the loss for the Yaquis.

Agustin Murillo singled to lead off the 4th inning for Mazatlán, stole second an scored on a single by Cyle Hankerd for a 1-0 Venados lead. Carlos Munoz singled to left to put runners on first and second. Olmo Rosario singled to score Hankerd and a 2-0 Mazatlán lead.

Paul Leon began the 5th inning for Mazatlán with a single and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jeremias Pineda. Murillo followed with a single to deep short. Leon and Murillo both scored on a double to left center by Esteban Quiroz. With 2 outs, Carlos Munoz drew a walk. Ball 4 was a wild pitch that got Quiroz to third. Rosario singled to score Quiroz and the Venados led 5-0.

Carlos Valencia Home Run

The Yaquis closed the gap to 5-1 on a solo home run to left by Carlos Valencia in the bottom of the 5th inning.

Justin Greene singled to lead off Yaquis half of the 6th inning and scored on a triple by Leo Heras. Alex Liddi followed with an RBI ground out to second that scored Heras and the Yaquis were down 2 at 5-3.

With 1 out in the top of the 7th inning, Cyle Hankerd doubled to left center and scored when the next batter, Munoz, singled to center for the final run of the game and the 6-3 win for Mazatlán.

Game 7 will be played on Monday with the winner advancing to the Championship round of the LMP Playoffs to face either the Mayos de Navojoa or the Agulas de Mexicali. That series is set to begin on Wednesday the 20th of January.

Rosario was 3 for 5 with 2 RBIs, Munoz 2 for 4 with an RBI, Quiroz 1 for 4 with 2 RBIs and a run scored and Cyle Hankerd 2 for 5 with an RBI and 2 runs scored for the Venados.

Valencia went 1 for 3 with the home run, Heras 1 for 4 with a triple, an RBI and a run scored and Greene 2 for 4 for the Yaquis.

Leo Heras Triple

Yaquis Advance in LMP Playoffs

TAKE GAME 6 OVER CANEROS 4-3

The Yaquis de Obregon scored twice in the bottom, of the 1st inning and held on to beat the Caneros de Los Mochis 4-3 and advance to the semifinal round of the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico playoffs.

David Reyes started the game for Obregon and went 5 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits over that span. The Yaquis manager pulled out all the stops, using 6 relief pitchers over the final 4 innings to preserve the win. Adrian Ramirez picked up the win in relief and Josh Judy worked a perfect 9th inning to get the save. Tomas Solis threw 5 1/3 innings for the Caneros giving up 3 runs in the loss.

Obregon's Alfredo Amezaga singled with one out in the 1st inning and went to third on a double by Leo Heras. Both runners scored on a double by Max Ramirez that put the Yaquis up early 2-0.

Los Mochis tied the game in the top of the 5th inning on a single by Rudolfo Amador, who later scored on a throwing error by the Obregon left fielder on a grounder by Yancarlo Angulo. Angulo went to third on the throw. Jesus Arredondo reached base safely on an error by the shortstop that scored Angulo for a 2-2 tie after 5 innings.

Carlos Valencia doubled to lead off the Obregon half of the 6th inning but was thrown out at third on a fielders choice ground ball by Christian Villanueva. Said Gutierrez singled and David Castro singled to left to score Villanueva. Justin Greene then hit a sac fly to right that scored Gutierrez to put the Yaquis up 4-2.

JC Linares drew a 2 out walk and went to second on a single by Emmanuel Avila in the top of the 8th inning for the Caneros. Antonio Lamas singled to left to score Linares to cut the lead to 4-3 but the scoring was complete and the Yaquis de Obregon took the series 4 games to 2 to advance in the LMP Playoffs.

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Charros Lose At Home To Aguilas 3-2

LEO HERAS 3 FOR 4 IN LOSS

Juan Navarrete, the Charros manager, tried to shake the offense up last night. The struggling Manny Rodriguez was dropped from his usual 2nd spot in the order to 5th. Leo Heras was inserted in the 2 hole and Alex Liddi, with his .387 batting average, moved from 5th to 3rd.

The changes produced hits, the 1 through 4 hitters going 8 for 16 on the night, but few runs. The 5 through 9 spots were just 1 for 13. The Charros were just 3 for 11 with runners in scoring position.

Starter Terance Marin

Terance Marin (0-1), the Jalisco starter scattered 10 hits over 5 innings on the mound, giving up all 3 Mexicali runs to take the loss. The Aguilas offense was 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position and they pounded out 14 hits against Marin and 4 relief pitchers.

Juan Espinoza (1-0) replaced the Aguilas starter, Stephen Landazuri in the 5th inning and picked up the win as Esmailin Caridad notched his 1st save of the year.

Wellington Dotel singled to lead off the game for Mexicali and went to third on a single by Walter Ibarra. Dotel scored on a ground out to third by Yuniesky Betancourt to give the Aguilas an early 1-0 lead.

The Aguilas added a run in the top of the 3rd inning as Betancourt lead off with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch by Marin. CJ Retherford's single scored Betancourt and Mexicali led 2-0.

Angel Chavarin got things started for the Charros in the bottom of the 3rd inning with a lead off single. Chavarin moved to second on a ground ball out and advanced to third on a wild pick off attempt by the Mexicali pitcher. Chavarin scored on a single by Eduardo Aredondo to cut the lead to 2-1 Aguilas.

Yuniesky Betancourt hit a one out solo home run, on the 1st pitch he saw from Marin, in the top of the 5th to increase the Mexicali lead to 3-1.

Leo Heras Strokes a Double

Eduardo Arredondo was ruled out at first leading off the bottom of the 5th on a challenge by the Aguilas. This would prove crucial as the next batter, Leo Heras doubled to left and Alex Liddi followed with a single. Heras scored on a single by Japhet Amador to make the score 3-2 but Manny Rodriguez lined into a double play to end the inning with the score 3-2.

The Charros were unable to score in their last 4 at bats and the Aguilas (15-9) held on to beat the Charros (11-13) by that 3-2 score. The Charros have dropped 5 games in a row.

IN OTHER LMP ACTION:

Culiacan 7, Mazatlán 5

The Tomateros used a 4 run 4th inning to top the Venados 7-5. 38 year old former big league pitcher Dennys Reyes (1-1), picked up the win in relief and Ryan Buchter notched his 6th save. Starter Alejandro Soto (2-1) gave up 6 runs on 8 hits while striking out 3 in the loss. Joey Meneses and Sergio Gastelum homered for the Tomateros. Gastelum was 3 for 4, Meneses 2 for 3 and Ali Solis drove in 3 runs on a 1 for 4 night for Culiacan. Jose Ruiz had a home run, went 2 for 3 at the plate, drove in 2 and scored 3 for the Venados.

Ciudad de Obregon 5, Hermosillo 3

Obregon scored twice in the top of the 8th inning off of losing pitcher, Eric Fornataro (0-1) to edge the Naranjeros 5-3. Mark Hamburger (3-2) was charged with his 3rd blown save of the year but got the win in relief. Victor Arano got his 1st save of the year for the Yaquis. JC Linares was 1 for 4 with 2 RBIs for the Naranjeros and Hernando Arredondo went 2 for 5 with the other Hermosillo RBI. Reynaldo Rodriguez was 2 for 4 with his 7th home run of the season, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored while Luis Urias went 2 for 5 with an RBI for the Yaquis. Obregon improved to 12-12 on the year while the Naranjeros fell to 8-16.   

Charros Defeat Yaquis 4-3

3 RUN 6TH INNING SEALS THE WIN

Alex Sanabia On The Mound

The Charros scored 3 runs in the 6th inning to overcome a 3-1 deficit and defeat the Yaquis de Obregon 4-3.  Alex Sanabia (1-1) pitched 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits as he kept Jalisco in the game until the bats woke up. Brian Broderick picked up his 6th save of the year on a night when his parent club, the Kansas City Royals, were beating the NY Mets to take a 2 games to none lead in the World Series.

Mark Hamburger (1-2), of the Yaquis, did not record an out while giving up 2 runs on 3 hits in the 6th. He was also charged with his 2nd blown save of the season.

Amadeo Zazueta got things going for the Charros with a lead off single in the top of the 3rd, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Eduardo Arredondo and scored on a single by Manny Rodriguez that put Jalisco up 1-0.

Rodriguez RBI Single

Obregon quickly answered in their half of the 3rd inning when Iker Franco led off the inning with a solo home run to left center that knotted the score at 1 all.

Roman Pena drew a lead off walk for the Yaquis in the bottom of the 5th and moved to second on a bunt single by Iker Franco. Both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Luis Urias and scored on a single to left by Luis Durango as the Yaquis took a 3-1 lead.

Heras Lead Off Double

Leo Heras doubled leading off the top of the 6th for the Charros and Japhet Amador followed with a base on balls. Cacao Valdez singled sharply to left to load the bases with no outs. Alex Liddi followed with a single to center that scored Heras. Marquez Smith singled to score Amador and the bases remained loaded with no outs. One out later, Zazueta singled to right to score Valdez for the 4-3 Charros lead and the final score.

Alex Liddi was 2 for 3 with an RBI, Cacao Valdez 3 for 4 with a run scored and Amadeo Zazueta 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored for the Charros.

Luis Durango went 2 for 2 with a walk and 2 RBIs and Iker Franco 2 for 2 with a walk, an RBI and 2 runs scored for the Yaquis.

The Charros improved to 9-7 on the season while the Yaquis fell to 8-8.

IN OTHER LMP ACTION:

Culiacan 4, Navojoa 2

The Tomateros scored 3 runs in the 2nd inning and held on to top the Mayos 4-2. Jaime Pedroza hit a solo home run for Culiacan in the 8th inning to cement the win. Ryan Lollis added a run scoring triple in 4 trips to the plate and Nick Buss went 1 for 3 with an RBI for the Tomateros. Glynn Davis was 1 for 4 with 2 RBIs, Jose Chavez and Carlos Orrantia were both 2 for 4 with a run scored for the Mayos. Hector Rodriguez (1-2) pitched 6 innings of shutout ball on the way to the win and Ryan Buchter notched his 3rd save. Ruddy Acosta (0-2) gave up 3 runs on 4 hits over 5 innings to take the loss for Navojoa.

Mexicali 6, Hermosillo 5

Mexicali improved to 12-4 on the year jumping out early with 4 runs in the bottom of the 1st and held on to beat the Naranjeros 6-5. Alfredo Aceves (0-3) gave up 6 runs on 7 hits in 2 1/3 innings on the mound to take the loss for Hermosillo. Javier Solano (3-1) allowed 2 runs on 5 hits in 6 innings of work to get the win and Jake Sanchez recorded his 3rd save. DH Francisco Mendez was 3 for 3 with a home run and 3 RBIs, CJ Retherford 2 for 4 with an RBI and Wellington Dotel 3 for 4 for the Aquilas. Sebastian Elizalde was 1 for 3 with a 2 run home run and Carlos Gastelum 1 for 5 with 2 RBIs for the Naranjeros.

Los Mochis 4, Mazatlán 3 (10 innings)

The Caneros got a walk off single by Saul Soto in the bottom of the 10th that scored Sergio Garcia to best the Venados  4-3 in 10 innings. Los Mochis had to score 2 runs in the inning because the Venados had taken a 3-2 lead in the top of the 10th. Steven Hensley (1-1) was charged with a blown save and took the loss for Mazatlán. Reliever Isaac Jimenez (2-0) recorded the final out in the top of the 10th and was the winner for the Caneros after the walk off by Soto. Emmanuel Avila was 2 for 5 with an RBI and Soto 3 for 5 with 2 RBIs and a run scored for Los Mochis. Cyle Hankerd was 2 for 5 with2 RBIs and Harold Ramirez 3 for 4 for the Venados.

Charros Drop Game 3 To Aguilas 9-7

LEO HERAS HOMERS IN LOSS

On a night when neither team pitched very well, the Aguilas de Mexicali scored 6 runs in the bottom of the 4th inning and held off the Charros 9-7 in front of 13,783 hometown fans.  The Charros had 10 hits including 3 doubles, a triple and the home run by Heras but could not overcome the Mexicali 4th.

The Charros are now 8-6 following a 6-1 start to the year while the Aguilas improved to 11-3.

The Aguilas jumped on top in the bottom of the 1st inning. Wellington Dotel led off the inning with a solo home run to right. Walter Ibarra and Yuniesky Betancourt followed with singles and CJ Retherford hit a sac fly to center to score Ibarra for the 2-0 Mexicali lead.

Heras Home Run at bat

Leo Heras got the Charros on the board with a one out solo home run to cut the lead to 2-1 Mexicali.

The Aguilas exploded for 6 runs in their half of the 4th. CJ Retherford was hit by a pitch to get things started. One out later, pinch hitter Ramon Ruiz doubled to center as pinch runner Ramon Urias scored from first. Pinch hitter Francisco Cordoba became the second player for the Aguilas to be hit by a pitch in the inning. Missael German doubled to score Rios and after a fly ball out, Dotel singled to score Cordoba and German. Walter Ibarra followed with a home run and the Aguilas led 8-1.

The Charros' Marquez Smith hit a one out single in the top of the 5th inning and went to second as Amadeo Zazueta reached on a fielding error by the Mexicali shortstop. Edson Garcia singled sharply to left to load the bases with 2 outs. Fernando Valenzuela Jr. waited out a walk to bring home Smith as the Charros cut the lead to 8-2.

Jesus "Cacao" Valdez hit a one out single in the 6th inning and went to third on a double by Alex Liddi. Marquez Smith then tripled to drive in Valdez and Liddi. Angel Chavarin hit a sac fly to center to score Smith and get the Charros to within 3 runs at 8-5.

The Aguilas answered with a run in their half of the 6th. Missael German singled, stole second, went to third on a ground out and scored on a single by Dotel. 9-5 Mexicali.

Edson Garcia doubled to lead of the Charros' 7th inning, went to third on a single by Valenzuela Jr. and scored on a passed ball to make the score 9-6.

Zazueta Double

Amadeo Zazueta doubled in the 9th for Jalisco, got to third on a fly ball to right by Garcia and scored on a ground ball to first for the final score of 9-7 Mexicali.

Orlando Lara (1-1) lasted 3 innings on the mound, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits to take the loss. Carlos Vazquez, who relieved Lara, threw 2/3 of an inning and gave up 5 runs on 4 hits including the 2 run home run to Ibarra.

Charros Starter Orlando Lara

Stephen Landazuri (2-1) went 5 1/3 innings for the Aguilas to get the win and Jake Sanchez picked up his 2nd save.

IN OTHER LMP ACTION:

Los Mochis 4, Ciudad de Obregon 3

The Caneros scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 5th inning, 2 on a triple by D'Arby Myers, to take a 4-2 lead and held on to beat the Yaquis 4-3 for a sweep of the 3 game series. Tomas Solis (1-0) gave up all 3 Yaquis runs on 5 hits but benefited from the 3 run 4th for the win. Andres Avila pitched a perfect 9th inning to pick up his 6th save. Ramon Delgado (2-1) took the loss. Juan Carlos Gamboa hit a home run in 4 trips to the plate and Gilberto Galavis was 2 for 3 with an RBI for the Caneros. Luis Urias was 1 for 3 with 2 RBIs for the Yaquis.

Navojoa 3, Hermosillo 2 (1st game, 8 innings)

Navojoa tied the game in regulation on a 2 run home run by Jose Chavez and got a walk off single by Carlos Rodriguez in the bottom of the 8th for the win. Carlos Bustamante (2-0) picked up the win in relief and Ronnie Shaban (0-1) suffered the loss. Chavez was 1 for 4 with the home run and Rodriguez 2 for 2 with the game winning RBI for the Mayos. Roberto Ramos was 1 for 2 with an RBI and Jose Cardona 1 for 1 with an RBI for the Naranjeros.

Navojoa 1, Hermosillo 0 (2nd game, 7 innings)

Hector Velazquez (2-0) pitched 5 1/3 innings of 3 hit shutout baseball, Oscar Felix threw 2/3 of an inning of scoreless ball and Luis De La O picked up his 1st save in the 1-0 win. The Mayos swept the double header in front of 7,312 delighted hometown fans. Alan Sanchez was 1 for 2 with a double, driving in the lone run of the game for Navojoa. Jerry Owens, Sebastian Elizalde and Jose Amador were all 1 for 3 for the Naranjeros in the loss. Marcos Rivas (0-1) took the loss for Hermosillo.

Mazatlán 6, Culiacan 3

The Venados took 2 of 3 from the Tomateros with the 6-3 win on Sunday. Mazatlán got home runs from Carlos Munoz and Esteban Quiroz as the Venados pounded out 13 hits, 6 for extra bases. Luis Heredia (1-0) picked up the win in relief and Felipe Arredondo (0-2) gave up 5 runs on 7 hits in just 3 innings on the mound to take the loss for the Tomateros. Quiroz was 2 for 5 with the home run, Munoz 2 for 3 with the home run and 2 RBIs and Erick Rodriguez 3 for 4 with an RBI for Mazatlán. Ryan Lollis and Jaime Pedroza were both 2 for 4 for the Tomateros and Jorge Cantu had the lone RBI for Culiacan. (their other 2 runs were unearned)

Charros Continue Winning; Shutout Hermosillo 3-0

ORLANDO LARA TOSSES 5 STRONG INNINGS

The Charros got a strong outing from Orlando Lara and the bullpen worked 3 scoreless innings giving up just 1 hit, walking none and striking out 2 in beating the Naranjeros de Hermosillo 3-0

Orlando Lara

Lara (1-0) got the win and Brian Broderick, LMP Reliever of the Year in 2014,  picked up his second save of the young season as the Charros improved to 3-1 on the year.

Nate Reed (0-1) pitched 5 innings for Hermosillo in the loss, allowing 3 runs on 8 hits while walking 1 and striking out 2 Charros.

Baseball Brings Out The Best

The Charros have played errorless ball through the first four games, a total of 35 innings. The combination of good pitching, good hitting and excellent defense should win many games for Jalisco this year.

Leo Heras got things going for the Charros in the top of the 2nd inning with a one out double to right. Heras stopped at third on a single by Jesus Lopez and scored on a perfectly executed squeeze bunt by Eduardo Arredondo to give the Charros a 1-0 lead.

Japhet Amador singled with one out in the 3rd and went to third on an infield error by the Naranjeros first baseman on a ball hit by Max Muncy. Amador scored on a double to left center by Alex Liddi with Muncy stopping at third. Muncy scored on a grounder to second by Leo Heras and the Charros led 3-0. The last 6 innings were scoreless and the Charros won the game by that score.

Pitching Change For The Charros

Japhet Amador raised his batting average to ,500 by going 3 for 4 on the night with a run scored. Alex Liddi, Leo Heras and Eduardo Arredondo had the 3 RBIs for the Charros.

Sebastion Elizalde went 1 for 4 for the Naranjeros and is hitting .500 for Hermosillo.

IN OTHER LMP ACTION

Los Mochis 8, Culiacan 5 (10 innings)

Yoan Pedroso Home Run

The Caneros scored 3 runs in the 9th inning to tie the game and 3 more times in the 10th to top the Tomateros 8-5. Yoan Pedroso went 2 for 5 with a 3 run home run in the 10th for Los Mochis. Ali Solis and Jorge Cantu homered for the Tomateros. Juan Noriega (1-0) got the win and Andres Avila his second save for the Caneros while Jesus Castillo took the loss for Culiacan. Oscar Villarreal was charged with a blown save.

Navojoa 6, Mazatlán 5 (10 innings)

Navojoa scored 4 runs in the 5th inning to tie the game and needed a run in the bottom of the 9th to send the game into extra innings. Glynn Davis' squeeze bunt went for a singled with one out in the bottom of the 10th to score Alan Sanchez for the walk off win. Ozzie Mendez (1-0) got the win while Manny Delcarmen (0-1) took the loss. Steven Hensley was charged with a blown save. Fernando Flores went 3 for 5 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored and Lance Zawadski hit a home run for the Mayos. Carlos Munoz was 2 for 4 with a double and a home run for the Venados.

Mexicali 8, Ciudad de Oregon 7

Yunesky Betancort Home run

The Aguilas erupted for 5 runs in the 7th inning and held on to beat the Yaquis 8-7. Jose Lopez (1-0) was credited with the win and Adam Refer got his second save of the year for Mexicali. The teams combined to use 16 pitchers in the game.The Aguilas used 9 pitchers while the Yaquis used 7. Mark Hamburger (1-1) was charged with a blown save and took the loss. Yunesky Betancourt went 2 for 5 with a home run and 3 RBIs while Wellington Dtel was 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs for the Aguilas. Asael Sanchez was 3 for 5 with a triple and 2 RBIs for the Yaquis and Roman Pena was 2 for 3 with an RBI.

Jose Lopez Gets The Win

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 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.

Charros Score 5 Runs in 7th, Top Obregon 6-1

JALISCO TAKES 1 GAME TO NONE LEAD IN SEMIFINALS    

Marco Tovar

Marco Tovar pitched an outstanding game going 6 2/3 innings, allowing just one unearned run, scattering 7 hits but left with the score tied 1-1. Mario Mendoza got the win in relief of Tovar with the help of a 5 run Charros 7th. Manny Acosta worked the 9th for the Charros. Jose Pina took the loss for the Yaquis de Obregon.

There was playoff electricity in the air from the 12,005 people in attendence at the stadium as Marco Tovar set the Yaquis down in order and the Charros came to bat. The Charros would score in the bottom of the 1st. Manny Rodriguez was hit by a pitch. Leo Heras and Japhet Amador drew walks and Jon Weber singled to right to score Rodriguez for the early 1-0 Charros lead.                                                               

Manny Rodriguez Hit by Pitch

One of the strangest plays of the year happened in the bottom of the second. Gabriel Gutierrez was hit by a pitch with one out. Jesus Lopez singled with Gutierrez stopping at second. Eduardo Arredondo then hit a ball that he thought went off his foot that would have been a foul ball. No foul call was made by the home plate ump and the ball went to the pitcher who threw to the shortstop covering second to force out Lopez. The relay to first went wild but because Arredondo was hobbling at home and didn't run, the Yaquis retrieved the errant throw and got Arredondo at first to end the inning.

JC Linares drew a base on balls to lead off the 5th for Obregon. Two outs and a sacrifice bunt later,  Said Gutierrez reached safely on an error by the Charros CJ Retherford that scored Linares with the tying run. Corey Wimberly then doubled down the line in left. A fan in the seats along the wall grabbed the ball for a fan interference ground rule double. Tovar then got Jose Chaves to ground out to second to end the inning, but the score was tied at 1.

The Yaquis threatened in the 7th when Corey Wimberly and Jose Chaves singled with two outs. Mario Mendoza came on in relief of Tovar and struck out Yunesky Sanchez to end the inning.

Jesus Lopez reached for the Charros in the bottom of the 7th when the Yaquis left fielder dropped Lopez' fly ball. Lopez was not running on the fly ball and only reached first when he should easily have been on second. Eduardo Arredondo then hit into a 6-4 fielder's choice that cut down Lopez at second. Manny Rodriguez singled to put runners on first and second with one out. Japhet Amador singled to score Arredondo and Jon Weber followed with a single to right that scored Rodriguez and Heras. CJ Retherford waited out a walk to load the bases again for Jalisco and Marquez Smith came through with a two run single that plated Amador and Weber. The Charros had scored 5 runs and had a 6-1 lead. Mario Mendoza and Manny Acosta did the rest.    

Marquez Smith 2 Run Single

Charros Sweep Venados 4 Games to 0

JALISCO ADVANCES TO SECOND ROUND OF PLAYOFFS

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

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

Marquez Smith Home Run/Straffonimages

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

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

Arredondo Injury/Straffonimages

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

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

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