Madero HR paces Yucatan win; TJ bops Sultanes again

Diego Madero cracked a three-run homer to key a five-run outburst in the sixth inning as the Yucatan Leones defeated the Puebla Pericos, 7-6, Friday night at home to even their Mexican League South Division championship series at one game apiece.  In the LMB North title series, Horacio Ramirez pitched seven innings of one-run, four-hit ball as his Tijuana Toros pulled away from the Monterrey Sultanes, 7-1, in the border city, giving the Bulls a 2-0 lead in their best-of-7 set.

Saturday will be an off day as both series shift to Puebla and Monterrey, respectively, for Game Three action Sunday.  No pitching matchups have been announced for either contest.


YUCATAN 7-9-1, Puebla 6-14-1
W-Fr. Rodriguez (1-0).  L-Morales (0-1).  SV-Belisario (1).  A-12,000.  T-3:30.

Puebla took an early lead with two runs in the top of the first inning and built their advantage to 5-2 until the bottom of the sixth, when Yucatan scored five runs to go ahead, and the Leones never looked back in a 7-6 win over the defending champs in Merida Friday.  The Pericos had won Game One at Parque Kukulkan on Thursday.

The Pericos got things going early, scoring runs on doubles by Issmael Salas and Ricky Rodriguez in the first off Leones starter James Russell to go up, 2-0.  Yucatan got one run back in the second on Juan Francisco's leadoff homer and one more in the third on Diego Madero's RBI single to knot the score in the third, but the visitors plated three tallies in the fourth to regain the lead.  Puebla loaded the bases with one out against Russell, who gave up a go-ahead single to Alberto Carreon before being replaced on the mound by Alejandro Soto, making his first appearance for Yucatan since July 29.  After Julio Borbon brought in Jon Del Campo with a sacrifice fly, Soto hurt his own cause by dropping a two-out popup by Carreon as Sergio Perez (who was running on the pitch) motored in from third.

Puebla held their three-run lead until the sixth, when the first three Yucatan hitters got on base to chase Pericos starter Josh Outman.  Reliever Mario Morales was welcomed into the game by a two-run double by Sebastian Valle, bringing in.  With two on and two out, Diego Madero lofted a homer to left, giving the Leones a 7-5 lead.  The visitors closed the gap to one run in the eighth when a fielder's choice grounder to second by Carreon scored Cesar Tapia, but Yucatan closer Ronald Belisario got the final out of the inning and pitched a scoreless ninth with Jesus Arredondo grounding into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.

Onetime Angels reliever Francisco Rodriguez, who's been a starter in Yucatan this year, pitched three scoreless innings out of the bullpen to earn the win for the Leones while Morales' bad fifth inning tagged him with the loss.  Madero finished the night with three hits and four RBIs for the winners while Valle had a pair of hits, two ribbies and a run.  Salas had three hits for Puebla, scoring one run and driving in another, and Del Campo contributed two doubles and a run for manager Tim Johnson's Pericos.

With the series tied at one game apiece, the two teams will play Game Three Sunday in Puebla.


TIJUANA 7-10-0, Monterrey 1-5-0
W-H. Ramirez (1-0).  L-A. Castro (0-1).  A-17,021.  T-2:57.

The Toros registered their second one-sided win over visiting Monterrey Friday, but this one was closer than the final score implies.  Tijuana starter Horacio Ramirez fell behind, 1-0, in the top of the first inning when Ramon Rios scored for the Sultanes on a Luis Juarez sacrifice fly, then settled into a pitchers duel with his Monterrey counterpart, Angel Castro, as Rios' counter stood as the only score of the game heading into the bottom of the sixth.  Then the potent Toros offense went to work.

Isaac Rodriguez led off the frame with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jose Guadalupe Chavez and scampered to third when Castro uncorked a wild pitch to Roberto Lopez.  Castro then plunked Lopez to put runners at the corners, bringing up Corey Brown, who singled Rodriguez in to tie the game while Lopez moved to second.  Castro walked Cyle Hankerd to fill the bags and Jorge Cantu followed with a two-run single to left, giving the home team a 3-1 lead.  That was all for Castro, who was replaced by Nick Struck on the hill.  The Oregonian rewarded Monterrey skipper Felix Fermin by retiring Dustin Martin and Juan Apodaca to end the inning.

Tijuana essentially put the game away with a four-run eighth inning against Sultanes closer Wirfin Obispo.  Apodaca hit a two-run, ground-rule double with one out, then scored himself when Alex Liddi belted a two-run homer to left, bringing the score to 7-1.  It was left to Toros closer Jason Urquidez to take the mound in the top of the ninth, and while the Californian did allow a two-out double to Juarez, he induced Daniel Mayora into a groundout to Chavez at short to end the contest.

Ramirez earned the win for Tijuana as the ex-MLBer went seven innings and only allowed that single run in the first, scattering four hits and one walk while striking out four.  Castro was saddled with the loss, showing three earned runs on five hits for his 5.1 innings of work.  Rodriguez had three hits for the Toros while Brown had two hits, scored twice and drove in a run.  Juarez had two of Monterrey's five hits, including a double and his RBI sac fly.  A Tijuana crowd of 17,021 looked on, giving the Toros over 30,000 in attendance for Games One and Two.

The series shifts to Monterrey for Sunday's Game Three as the Sultanes try coming back from a 2-games-to-0 deficit.

Yucatan beats Leon in 11 on Francisco HR, lead series 2-0

Yucatan Leones designated hitter Juan Francisco

Designated hitter Juan Francisco was hitless as he approached the plate for what turned out to be his final at bat of the night, but the former Atlanta Braves infielder more than made it for it by belting a two-run homer in the bottom of the eleventh inning to give his Yucatan Leones a 5-3 win over the visiting Leon Bravos in their Mexican League South Division semifinal playoff series game in Merida.  The LMB South regular season champs now have a 2-0 lead in their best-of-7 set as the two teams move to Leon for at least two more games.

In the other LMB South semi Monday night, defending champs Puebla defeated Quintana Roo, 5-2, to go up 2-0.  In the LMB North opening round, Tijuana rebounded to beat Aguascalientes, 6-3, to even their series at 1-1 while Monterrey held off Monclova, 6-5, taking a 2-0 lead in that series.  Tuesday will be a travel day as all eight participants shift to ballparks in the cities of the lower-seeded teams for their respective Games Three on Wednesday night.

YUCATAN 5-8-0, Leon 3-10-0 (11)
W-Belisario (1-0).  L-F. Quintero (0-1).  T-9,682.  A-3:41.
Visiting Leon was able to build a 3-0 lead after Junior Lake scored from third base on a Niko Vasquez infield single in the top of the fourth inning, followed two frames later when Dan Johnson singled in Gilberto Mejia and a Vasquez sacrifice fly plated Lake.  Yucatan narrowed the gap to 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh when a groundout to first by ex-MLBer Juan Francisco brought in Diego Madero from third to break up Bravos pitcher Guillermo Moscoco's shutout bid.  Leon held their two-run advantage until the bottom of the ninth, when Ronnier Mustelier's run-scoring single to left brought in Leo Heras and a Francisco sac fly plated Diego Madera with the tying run, sending the contest into extra innings.  In the eleventh, Mustelier line a single to right, setting the stage for Francisco against incoming reliever Sergio Alvarado.  Francisco drove an Alvarado delivery over the left-field wall for the walkoff triumph.  Former Dodgers reliever Ronald Belisario tossed three perfect innings for the win, striking out four, as the Leones took a 2-0 series lead.  Game Three is in Leon Wednesday.

PUEBLA 5-10-1, Quintana Roo 2-5-1
W-Outman (0-1).  L-Ortega (0-1).  A-7,305.  T-2:16.
Puebla broke a scoreless tie by putting three runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning and the Pericos went on to a 5-2 win over visiting Quintana Roo Tigres, taking a 2 games to 0 series lead in the process.  Starting pitchers Josh Outman of Puebla and venerable Pablo Ortega of the Tigres swapped zeros until the fourth, when an Issmael Salas double was followed by a homer to right by Jesus Arredondo to give the Parrots a 2-0 lead.  Ricky Rodriguez then hit a ground-rule double over the center-field wall and scored from second one out later on Hector Garanzuay's single to right.  Salas finished the night with two doubles and a single, scoring once and driving in two, while Garanzuay contributed a pair of singles to give the Pericos middle infielders five of Puebla's ten hits between them. Former MLB hurler Outman went eight innings for the win, giving up one earned run.  Deunte Heath, another ex-big leaguer, pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the save.  Ortega, who turns 41 in November, let in five runs on nine hits in five innings for the loss.  Game Three is Wednesday in Cancun.

TIJUANA 6-8-1, Aguascalientes 3-9-1
W-M. Pena (1-0).  L-Flande (0-1).  A-15,327.  T-3:46.
Tijuana leadoff batter Jose Guadalupe Chavez collected three hits, scoring twice, and the Toros posted four runs (three unearned) in the bottom of the third inning to take a lead they'd never relinquish as the LMB North's top seed beat Aguascalientes, 6-3, Wednesday as 15,327 fans watched at Estadio Gasmart.  The Toros' win evened their series with the visiting Rieleros, 1 game to 1.  Aguascalientes took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third when Dave Sappelt's two-out double up the middle brought in Eliezer Ortiz from first.  Things got rugged for Rieleros starter Yohan Flande in the bottom of the third as he walked Roberto Lopez to open the frame, committed a fielding error on a Chavez bunt and walked Dustin Martin to load the bases after striking out Isaac Rodriguez.  Flande then served up a two-run single to Cyle Hankerd. A Corey Brown sacrifice fly scored Martin with TJ's third run and Alex Liddi's single brought in Hankerd with a fourth score.  Miguel Pena pitched five strong innings for the win while Flande took the loss.  Game Three is slated for Wednesday night in Aguascalientes.

MONTERREY 6-14-2, Monclova 5-8-2
W-A. Castro (1-0).  L-R. Verdugo (0-1).  A-18,543.  T-3:22.
The Monterrey Sultanes built up a 6-1 lead in the fifth inning, then had to hold on for dear life to outlast the Monclova Acereros, 6-5, Monday to take a 2-0 lead in their series.  Jesus Montero's RBI single put the Sultanes ahead, 1-0, in the bottom of the first but it was a four-run third inning, keyed by Luis Juarez' three-run homer, that provided most of the Monterrey cushion.  Trailing 6-1 late, Monclova shaved one run off their deficit when Ruben Rivera belted a solo homer to lead off the eighth, but it was the ninth when things really got interesting.  Sultanes closer Wirfin Obispo replaced starter Angel Castro and gave up a leadoff walk to Carlos Quentin before striking out Matt Clark.  Quentin stole second uncontested with Tim Torres at the plate and scored on Torres' single to center.  2016 All-Star Game MVP Jose Amador then belted a two-run homer to make it a 6-5 contest before Obispo got the final two outs to end the game, then making an obscene gesture toward the Monclova dugout.  Montero and Zoilo Almonte each had three hits for the Sultanes, who travel to Monclova for Wednesday's Game Three.

WEDNESDAY'S SCHEDULE
Yucatan at Leon (Yucatan leads series, 2 games to 0)
Puebla at Quintana Roo (Puebla leads series, 2 games to 0)
Tijuana at Aguascalientes (Series tied, 1 game to 1)
Monterrey at Monclova (Monterrey leads series, 2 games to 0)

Monterrey, Yucatan continue to lead LMB divisions

It's been a long time since BBM has done a team-by-team weekly wrap.  Five interrupted hours and 1,600+ words after starting to write this, I remember why. It takes a pretty fair amount of time to write capsules for 16 baseball teams.

Even so, it was fun to take a closer look at who's been doing well (or not so well) in the Mexican League as it approaches the midpoint of the 2017 season, with the All-Star Game in Campeche just three weeks away.  Monterrey and Yucatan continue to lead their respective divisions (with both teams opening their leads a bit), there are still 60 games to go in the regular season schedule and if there's anything to be learned about baseball in Mexico in general, it's to expect the unexpected...in other words, there's a lot of season left to play.

With that in mind, let's look at who's doing what at the 50-game mark of the LMB season:

LMB NORTH

MONTERREY (36-13) won 4 of 6 road games in Puebla and Leon to stretch their lead over second-place Tijuana to 4.5 games.  CF Chris Roberson (.380/10HR/35RBI) continues to hit well, as does LF Zoilo Almonte (.361/10/38).  3B Agustin Murillo is batting .360 in 25 games after an injury delayed his season debut until April 28.  Angel Castro beat Leon Saturday to run his LMB-best record to 8-0.  He's won eight straight starts but allowed four earned runs in each of his last three outings.

TIJUANA (32-18) continues to hold second place after winning two of three against the Tigres in Cancun over the weekend.  OF Cyle Hankerd (.339/10/42) is quietly putting together a very strong year in the shadows of Toros power hitters OF Corey Brown (.312/13/51) and 3B Alex Liddi (.269/12/44).  Brown still leads the LMB in homers despite not hitting one out in two weeks.  Tijuana leads the LMB in team ERA without a dominant pitcher, although closer Jason Urquidez (2-0/0.47) is 10-of-10 in save situations.

MONCLOVA (29-21) has won 7 of 8 games since manager Wally Backman was replaced by Jorge Loredo, including two of three in Puebla last weekend.  SS Amadeo Zazueta leads Acereros batters with a .358 average.  2B Manny Rodriguez (.351) has 6 homers, 48 RBIs and 11 steals.  Monclova has four pitchers with 4 wins each.  Jose Oyervides (4-1/3.52) and Mauricio Lara (4-3/3.64) have looked good, but Josh Lowey (4-4/4.58) has won just 1 of his past 5 starts.  Chad Gaudin has 15 saves and a 2.06 ERA.

LAGUNA (29-22) is on a five-game win streak after sweeping Campeche over the weekend.  1B Ricky Alvarez (.332/10/57) had a 4-hit night Friday and leads the LMB in RBIs, but 2B Anderson Hernandez (.344) is just 6-for-37 over his past 10 games.  OF Ethan Chapman (.265/14 steals) is writing a season diary for Sports Spectrum, a Christian magazine.  P Dustin Crenshaw (6-2/4.03) lost at Veracruz last Tuesday, but pitched well his last three start. Edgar Osuna is 0-3 this month after winning his first five starts in April.

AGUASCALIENTES (27-24) split their six-game homestand against Oaxaca and Veracruz last week, beating the Rojos Aguilas two of three in a weekend series.  1B Jesse Castillo (.373) has hit .335 or better the past three seasons with the Rieleros and is among the LMB leaders in homers (12) and RBIs (52).  OF Dave Sappelt has hit .365 in 21 games after he was released by Tabasco in April.  P Roy Merritt (4-1/3.10) has been solid and ex-MLB P Jose Valverde (2-2/2.70/8 saves) has shored up the Aguascalientes bullpen.

MEXICO CITY (27-24) has gone 3-6 over their last three series after threatening to move up in the standings earlier this month.  Vet OF Ivan Terrazas (.343) is looking to top .320 for the eighth time in sine summers with the Diablos while SS Ramon Urias (.326/9/41) is in the midst of a career year.  Ace P David Reyes (3-5/4.88) and former Rookie of the Year Juan Pablo Oramas (1-2/5.84) have both struggled but unsung Octavio Acosta (5-1/3.21) and vet Arturo Lopez (5-1/4,37) have picked up some of the slack.

SALTILLO (21-28) manager Orlando Sanchez was fired earlier this month.  The Saraperos won four games at home against Veracruz and Oaxaca last week under new skipper Fernando Elizondo.  2B Luis Borges (.374) has cooled considerably after leading the Liga with a .417 average two weeks ago but 1B Max Ramirez (.397) is second in the LMB. OF Justin Greene (.343) leads the league with 25 steals.  Ps Frankie de la Cruz (4.29) and Danny Rodriguez (4.63) each have 5 wins, Neither has set the world on fire.

DURANGO (21-30) has won 9 of their last 12 games, winning all four series in the process.  The Generales blew out Tabasco, 23-5, Friday night at home as DH Jairo Perez (.352) went 5-for-6 with two homers and nine RBIs.  OF Yadir Drake (.401/11/45) leads the Liga in hitting as the Cuban refugee is becoming the LMB's feel-good story of the year.  Closer Tiago da Silva (2.28/18 saves) has been the only consistent Durango pitcher as fans across Mexico have apparently embraced the hard-luck team.


LMB SOUTH


YUCATAN (31-18) took 2 of 3 against both Tijuana and Mexico City last week in Merida to strengthen their grip on the Southern Division, drawing nearly 34,000 for the Diablos series.  LF Jesus "Cacao" Valdez (.356) and 2B Jordany Valdespin (.349) top the team's batting table, but this is a typical Leones club with more pitching and defense than offense.  P Yoanner Negrin (6-2/3.79) hasn't dominated as he did in 2016, but Jose Samayoa (6-0/2.25) has been a revelation, winning four straight starts since joining the rotation.

PUEBLA (25-26) dropped a pair of important home series to Monterrey and Monclova to go 2-4 last week. Former A's 1B Dan Johnson (.375) has hit 5 homers in 12 games while ex-MLB OF Endy Chavez (.355) and last year's bat champ C Cesar Tapia (.349) are hitting well but pitching has been problematic, Josh Roenicke (5-3/3.20) notwithstanding. Former Monclova manager Wally Backman is now Von Hayes' bench coach.  The Pericos would be seventh in the LMB North, which says it all about the LMB South.

QUINTANA ROO (23-25) is hard to figure out.  In the past two weeks, the Tigres have swept a series in Monclova, dropped three in Monterrey, won two at home against rivals Mexico City and lost two to Tijuana in Cancun.  Q-Roo's offense is anemic: Last in the LMB with 22 homers, last at 3.94 runs per game and 15th with a .262 average. 3B Brian Hernandez (.339/4/35) and 2B Carlos Gastelum (.333) need help. The pitching's fine, though, fourth in the Liga with a 4.07 ERA. Ageless Pablo Ortega (5-2/2.89) continues to amaze.

VERACRUZ (23-27) lost 4 of 6 games in Saltillo and Aguascalientes last week, but the Rojos Aguilas have won 12 of their last 19 games to climb to fourth.  One reason is newcomer 1B Balbino Fuenmayor (.335/9/32 in 32 games), who's injected power into a lineup of slap-hitters.  Another is RF Luis Suarez (.310), a 20-year vet and lifetime .321 hitter coming off a pair of .242 seasons.  3B Juan Martinez (.324/5/26) has helped, too.  P Nestor Molina (5-1/2.33) leads the Liga in ERA to lead an overmatched mound staff.

OAXACA (22-28), owner Alfredo Harp Helu's "other" team (and, like their counterparts in Mexico City, fielding an all-Mexican roster), hit a rough patch earlier this month by losing 8 of 10 contests between the 11th and 21st before splitting six games last week.  CF Alan Sanchez (.330/4/23), C Erick Rodriguez (.326) and vet DH Mario Valenzuela (.274/6/22) head the offense.  Irwin Delgado (7-2/2.39/69K) has been the top pitcher, with 6'6" Ruddy Acosta (2-3/2.23) throwing well this month after coming off the disabled list.

CAMPECHE (21-30) has lost five in a row (all on the road, including a sweep in Laguna) after starting last week with a win in Durango.  SS Paul Leon (.353/4/24) and 2B Yosmany Guerra (.306) give the Piratas a good keystone duo while 1B Frank Diaz (.302/9/38) and 3B C.J. Retherford (.282/6/26R) provide power from the infield corners.  The pitching no better than so-so.  Rolando Valdez (4-3/3.97) has been the best starter with Francisco Campos (0-2/3.55) hurt most of the year and Oscar Rivera (0-6/6.17) ineffective.

TABASCO (17-33) hasn't done any better under manager Marco Antonio Guzman than they did under Che Reyes.  Waiving OF Dave Sappelt while adding ex-MLB IFs Ronny Cedeno and Carlos Triunfel didn't work out. Signing free agent 2B Jordany Valedspin (.372/32R in 33 games) HAS worked, while OF Alex Romero (.368) and DH Sandy Madera (.340/5/29) are having good years.  None of the 24 pitchers who've thrown for the Olmecas have won more than twice.  In short, another long year in Villahermosa.

LEON (17-34) lost six in a row before surprising LMB-best Monterrey, 6-4, Sunday at home as 2B Carlos Valencia homered after coming off a 50-game drug suspension.  Vet 3B Miguel Torrero (.293) and ex-Phils OF prospect Leandro Castro (.279/10/33) are hitting well and SS Niko Vazquez (.297) has been solid after missing three weeks to injury.  P Mitch Lively (4-1/1.88) was inexplicably moved to the bullpen by manager Luis Rivera after one bad start.  Walter Silva (3-4/2.83) has pitched better than his record shows.

Wally Backman fired in Monclova; will Tim Johnson take over?

When Wally Backman was hired last winter to manage the Monclova Acereros, all that was missing was a betting line from Las Vegas oddsmakers on how long the former Mets infielder would stay.  Speculation was that Backman, who's had success managing teams (including Vegas) in both affiliated and independent minor leagues, was viewing Monclova as little more than a placeholder until he got another offer from a team in the States.

USA Today writer Bob Klapisch quoted Backman at the time as saying, "I would take it in a minute.  What I'm worried about is being out of sight, out of mind.  If I go to Mexico, I'll be out of sight from the people I'm trying to connect with."  After new Acereros owner Gerardo Benavides transferred several key players to Monclova from his 2016 champions in Puebla, the Steelers were considered a favorite to win the Mexican League's North Division title and contend for the city's first LMB championship.  As manager, Backman was obviously a major component of Benavides' win-now philosophy.

Backman has indeed left Monclova less than two months into the season, but not the way a lot of people (including himself) expected after he was fired last Friday with the Acereros holding a 22-20 record and fifth place in the LMB North.  In his defense, the team was not playing all that badly in what has been a very competitive division over the first eight weeks of the season, neither winning more than three consecutive games once nor suffering longer than one three-game skid either while averaging about six runs per contest with a team ERA of 4.43.  

However, there were two problems the fiery Oregonian couldn't overcome.  One was his inability to speak Spanish, something that can be a detriment to effectively managing a baseball team in Mexico (let alone writing about Mexican baseball, believe me).  Another is that while Benavides has spared little expense in collecting enough talent to elicit title talk among Liga observers, he is also a native of Monclova who now owns the team his grandfather, Harold Pape, formed in 1974 and keenly aware that no pennant flag has ever flown atop Estadio Monclova.  Managers in Mexico typically face much more pressure than their counterparts in other Class AAA leagues because the latter group are less concerned with winning than player development, but Backman worked under less margin for error than the 15 other Liga skippers who opened the season.

Although Backman has been replaced at the helm in Monclova by Jorge Luis Loredo, who hit .247 with 24 homers as an infielder for five LMB teams between 1987 and 2000 before embarking on a coaching career, at least one Puro Beisbol columnist has speculated that another former big league infielder, Tim Johnson, may end up with the Acereros job.  It's far from a far-fetched notion.  Benavides has shown a proclivity for hiring ex-MLBers to manage his teams (Cory Snyder and Von Hayes in Puebla, Backman in Monclova), Johnson has had success managing Toronto to an 88-74 record in 1998, copped two winterball titles for Hermosillo in the early Nineties and won the 1999 Liga pennant with Mexico City in his LMB debut.  He's currently managing in the Northern Mexican League's San Luis Algodoneros, who are 22-19 in the LNM and conveniently a farm team for both Benavides LMB clubs.  Johnson has effectively been blackballed from organized baseball after stories he told Blue Jays players about his exploits during the Vietnam War were proven false, but both his MLB playing and managing experience plus his track record in Mexico may be attractive to Benavides, who didn't hesitate to hire another controversial manager in Backman.  Time will tell.

The Acereros will have to pick up the pace soon, no matter who their helmsman is.  Monterrey has won three straight game (and 8 of their last 10) to run their LMB-best record to 30-11 under yet another former big league infielder, Felix Fermin.  Tijuana has stumbled a bit by losing four of their last ten contests to fall three-and-a-half games behind the Sultanes at 28-15.  After a halting start to their season, the Mexico City Diablos Rojos (with an all-Mexican roster) have won eight eleven games to pull into third place with a 25-20 mark.  There are a number of reasons, but the season shortstop Ramon Urias is having may the the biggest.  Although he won't turn 23 until June 3, Urias is in his fourth season with the Diablos after spending two summers in the Rangers organization as a teen.  After an injury-plagued 2016 campaign, the 150-pound Sonora product is hitting .331 with nine homers in 43 games.  The Red Devils are battling Monclova, Union Laguna and Aguascalientes (who released last year's RBI champ and BBM Summer Batter of the Year Diory Hernandez last week without explanation and no more notice than a line on the Transactions list) in the middle of the pack.  Saltillo and Durango are both more than 14 games out of first in the LMB North.

Yucatan has leveled off a bit, winning five of their last ten, but that early cushion they build has come in handy as the Leones still have a five-game lead in the LMB South over Puebla with a 27-16 mark.  The 23-22 Pericos have gone 7-3 over their past ten tilts to take over second place from Quintana Roo (20-21).  The defending champs are 16-11 away from home (including a three-game sweep in Tijuana last week in a rematch of last year's Mexico Series) but only 7-11 in Estadio Hermanos Serdan.  Steadily-improving Veracruz, Campeche and Oaxaca are all within eight games of Yucatan with Leon and Tabasco bringing up the rear.

Saltillo's six-time All-Star second baseman Luis Borges leads the Liga with an even .400 average, ten points ahead of Monterrey centerfielder Chris Roberson (himself a four-time LMB All-Star and the 2014 Caribbean Series MVP).  Tijuana outfielder Corey Brown has homered just once since his two-dinger game at Aguascalientes on May 4, but his total of 13 roundtrippers is still tops in the loop by two over the Rieleros' Jesus Castillo and Toros teammate Alex Liddi.  Castillo's 49 RBIs top that category, with Laguna's Ricky Alvarez second at 47.  Justin Greene of Saltillo has 19 stolen bases, five more than Quintana Roo's Freddy Guzman.  Guzman's 14 swipes have come in 25 games since signing with the Tigres as a free agent April 23.

Monterrey pitcher Angel Castro survived a so-so start (4 earned runs, 11 hits over 7 innings) on Saturday at home against the Tigres to lift his perfect record to 7-0, becoming the first hurler to reach seven victories.  Dustin Crenshaw of Laguna tossed five shutout frames at Oaxaca last Tuesday to go to 6-1 for the season.  Durango won four of six games last week, all saved by Tiago Da Silva (as he has for every Generales victory in 2017).  Da Silva's 16 saves leads the LMB, four up on Monclova's Chad Gaudin and Jairo Asencio of Yucatan.  Mitch Lively and Walter Silva continue to do well for a weak Leon club.  The Bravos' 16-18 record hasn't prevented the pair from posting the top two ERAs in the Liga, with Lively at 1.98 and Silva registering a 2.15 on the scale.  The tandem has gone 7-4 for the newcomer team, who continue to struggle at the gate with an average attendance of 2,300 through 13 openings (15th in the 16-team circuit).  Conversely, Durango has overcome a myriad of problems, including a delayed home opener of their own, to draw an average of 3,616 to place eighth on the turnout table.

There'll be a pair of matchups highlighting upcoming midweek series when Monterrey visits Puebla and Tijuana travels to Yucatan Tuesday through Thursday.  Attention will be maintained on Puebla next weekend when the ascendant Pericos play host to Monclova in a duel between the two Benavides-owned ballclubs.

Sultanes win eighth straight as Castro goes to 6-0

The Monterrey Sultanes bashed Durango pitchers for 24 hits and put together a seven-run fourth inning en route to a 15-9 win over the Generales Sunday afternoon at Estadio Francisco Villa in Durango.  The win was the eighth in a row for the Sultanes, who swept the series to take sole possession of first place in the Mexican League North Division with a 28-9 record, including a current win streak of eight games in a row.  Durango fell further into last place in the LMB North at 12-27.

Monterrey starter Angel Castro (pictured), who briefly pitched for Oakland in 2015, picked up the win to go to 6-0 on the season, becoming the first LMB pitcher to cross the six-win threshold.  Castro fairly sailed through the first five innings, tossing shutout ball over the first four frames before giving up a single run in the fifth.  At that point, however, the Sultanes had scored 11 runs so there was little to worry about.  Monterrey had sent twelve batters to the plate in that big fourth inning, scoring seven runs on six singles, two errors and a walk in a baseball version of death by a thousand cuts.  However, Castro ran into his own troubles in the bottom of the sixth, an inning in which eleven Generales hitters came up to bat and plated eight runs to close Durango's deficit to two.

Daniel Mayora opened the sixth by homering off Castro to straightaway center field.  After Jairo Perez reached base on a fielding error by Monterrey third baseman Moises Gutierrez, Yadir Drake singled Perez to second and Jesus Loya's safety up the middle brought Perez home to make it an 11-2 game.  Castro struck out Humberto Castro (no relation) swinging for the first out, then was replaced by Edgar Torres with two runners on after tossing 104 pitches in Castro's first start after a 135-pitch complete game against Laguna on May 9.  Torres continued the struggle, giving up two run-scoring singles, hitting a batter, tossing a wild pitch and serving a three-run homer to Henry A. Rodriguez without recording an out before Monterrey skipper Felix Fermin had seen enough and waved in Marco Carrillo, who got the final two outs after the Sultanes' lead had been cut to 11-9.  A four-run ninth inning keyed by Said Gutierrez' two-run double brought Monterrey's advantage to 15-9 and it was left to closer Wirfin Obispo to retire the Generales without a run in the bottom of the ninth for his sixth save in seven opportunities.

Castro's stat line was anything but pretty (5.1 innings, 8 hits, 2 walks, 4 earned runs), but he got the one stat that trumps anything a sabermetrician can come up with: The W, his sixth of the campaign.  Five other LMB pitchers have five wins.  Yucatan ace Yoanner Negrin, Laguna teammates Dustin Crenshaw and Edgar Osuna were unable to pick up a win last week with a similar fate befalling Saltillo's Frankie de la Cruz (who has lost his last two decisions after starting out 5-0).  Negrin's Leones moundmate, Juan Delgadillo, earned his fifth win last Tuesday by hurling five shutout entradas at Campeche to go to 5-1.

Among other LMB pitchers, Leon teammates Walter Silva and Mitch Lively have pitched better than their seventh-place team's record (15-24) indicates and hold the top two berths on the ERA table, Silva at 1.62 and Lively at 1.98 as the only two starters in the Liga with a sub-2.00 ERA.  They've combined for a 7-3 record, which at least implies where the Bravos would be without them.  Oaxaca lefty Irwin Delgado struck out seven Puebla batters over six innings in a loss to the Pericos last Thursday to maintain the lead in strikeouts with 50 in as many innings.  Monclova's Josh Lowey turned in a standout start against a powerful Laguna lineup Saturday night in Torreon, whiffing six Vaqueros over seven shutout innings of three-hit ball to bring his K total to 47 in 44 frames.  Yucatan closer Jairo Asencio has caught up to tie Durango's Tiago da Silva for the saves lead with 12 apiece.  Asencio made 43 appearances out of the bullpen for four MLB teams between 2009 and 2013, but was 0-for-1 in saves opportunities.

One has to feel for da Silva, who's saved every win Durango has picked up this season but hasn't had much opportunity for that with the cellar dwellers.  One bright spot for the Generales is that despite the myriad of problems the franchise faced after moving to Durango from Ciudad Carmen in the offseason (many of them self-inflicted), the team has drawn better than expected crowds since finally playing their first home game two weeks ago after playing their first 27 games on the road.  The Generales drew 11,327 fans for their three-game home set with Monterrey over the weekend to bring their season total to 32,547 over nine games, an average of 3,616 that ranks eighth in the 16-ream circuit.  Conversely, the LMB's other newcomers in Leon rank next-to-last on the attendance table with an average of 2,300 per opening.

Luis Borges of Saltillo has overtaken Monterrey's Chris Roberson for the top slot in the LMB batting race.  The veteran second baseman went 2-for-4 against Tijuana Sunday to raise his average to .417 for the season, two points ahead of Roberson's .415.  Union Laguna second sacker Anderson Hernandez is third at .387.  Tijuana's Corey Brown hit his first homer in ten days Sunday at Saltillo to bring his Liga-leading total to 13, two more than teammate Alex Liddi and three up on both Roberson and Jesus Castillo of Aguascalientes.  Brown has also been duelling with Laguna's Ricky Alvarez for the RBI lead, with the latter holding a 46-45 advantage after the weekend.  Castillo is just behind in third with 44 ribbies.  Saltillo outfielder Justin Greene had a great week on the basepaths, stealing six bases over his last six games to bring his season swipes total to 17, well ahead of the 10 apiece by Laguna's Ethan Chapman, Quintana Roo's Freddy Guzman, Dustin Martin of Tijuana and Saltillo shortstop Christian Zazueta.

While Monterrey holds first place in the LMB North with a 28-9 record, Tijuana is only a game-and-a-half behind at 27-11.  The two combatants have created a bit of breathing room between themselves and the rest of the pack, with Monclova and Union Laguna seven games out of the lead at 22-17.  Five of the LMB North's eight teams have winning records while Aguascalientes is a game below .500 at 19-20.  In the LMB South, on the other hand, Yucatan is the only team with more wins than losses.  The Leones have won seven of their last ten games to bring their season mark to 25-13, good enough for a seven-game bulge over 18-20 Oaxaca and 17-19 Quintana Roo.  Defending champion Puebla and Campeche are tied for fourth with identical 18-21 records.

In upcoming games, the biggest midweek series will feature a battle of divisional leaders when Yucatan visits Estadio Monterrey for three games against the Sultanes.  The Leones will move to Monclova Friday to open a series against the Acereros in what looks to be the most intriguing set next weekend.

MEXICAN LEAGUE STANDINGS (as of May 15, 2017)
LMB NORTH: Monterrey 28-9, Tijuana 27-11, Monclova 22-17, Union Laguna 22-17, Mexico City 21-18, Aguascalientes 19-20, Saltillo 15-22, Durango 12-27
LMB SOUTH: Yucatan 25-13, Oaxaca 18-20, Quintana Roo 17-19, Campeche 18-21, Puebla 18-21, Veracruz 17-21, Leon 15-24, Tabasco 12-26