GUTIERREZ WHACKS THREE HOMERS IN REYNOSA WIN OVER SALTILLO

If the Saltillo Saraperos are due any deference from opposing players, nobody told Jesse Gutierrez. The Reynosa third baseman showed the defending Mexican League champions no respect last Friday night, blasting three homers and driving in all eight runs during the Broncos’ 8-0 win in Reynosa.

Gutierrez bludgeoned Saltillo starter Efrain Navares with a two-out grand slam in the bottom of the first to put Reynosa up 4-0, then sent a solo shot off Navares over the left field wall in the fourth to stretch the Broncos lead to 5-0. After singling off Saltillo reliever Fernando Villalobos in the sixth, Gutierrez launched his third bomb of the night (all to left field) with two runners on base in the seventh to close the scoring for Reynosa as Broncos starter Alejandro Astorga combined with two relievers on a one-hitter.

The Broncos went on to defeat the Saraperos, two games to one, over the weekend to inch to within one game of third-place Guadalajara and Saltillo in the Zona Madero standings. Monterrey leads the LMB North with a 30-17 record despite dropping two of three weekend games at home against Mexico City. The Diablos Rojos are two games out of first at 28-19, followed by Saltillo and Guadalajara at 25-22, while Reynosa holds fifth with a 24-23 mark.