LMB regular season ends, Bravos at Veracruz for qualifier

2017 LMB batting champion Yadir "El Comandante" Drake

The Mexican League's 2017 regular season came to a close Wednesday and when the dust settled on the schedule, the bedraggled Leon Bravos were three games behind the Veracruz Rojos del Aguila, who finished fourth in the LMB's South Division, triggering a wild card qualifying game for the playoffs.  Leon came in at 45-60 while Veracruz was 48-57.  Liga rules state that whenever a fifth-place team finishes within three games or less behind the fourth-place team, a single game will be played to determine which team advances to the division semifinals.  Thus, the Red Eagles will host the Bravos Friday night at Estadio Universitario Beto Avila for the right to play LMB South-leading Yucatan in the first round, which starts Sunday.

The other three series are set in stone.  In the LMB North, the Aguascalientes Rieleros were able to hold off Union Laguna for fourth place by three-and-a-half games, meaning the Railroaders will travel to Tijuana for Sunday's opener against division kingpin Toros.  Monterrey came in second by a half-game over Monclova during the regular season, meaning the Sultanes will host the Acereros in Sunday's Game 1 of their best-of-seven opening round series.  Meanwhile, in the South, defending champion Puebla finished second and will welcome Quintana Roo to Estadio Hermanos Serdan Sunday for the inaugural game of their series.

After some initial confusion, former Durango outfielder Yadir Drake was awarded the batting title after batting .385 for the Generales prior to leaving for Japan in late June to play for the Nippon Ham Fighters.  The Cuban exile is finding the going tougher in the Pacific League, hitting just .185 with no homers and 2 RBIs after 18 games.  The LMB office initially gave the batting crown to Drake's former Durango teammate, Daniel Mayora, who hit .375 for both the Generales and Monterrey through his last game on July 20 (subsequent absence still unexplained), including a 35-game hit streak which fell one shy of the regular season record.  Once someone at the Liga determined that Drake's 300 plate appearances barely met the requirement of 299.7 plate appearances for the batting title, a correction was made and Drake's name was re-entered at the top of the list and Mayora's bumped to second.

No controversy arose in any other statistical category.  Saltillo's Rainel Rosario's breakthrough season, similar to fellow Dominican Diory Hernandez' year in 2016, concluded with a Liga-high 26 homers, two more than Corey Brown's 24 dingers for Tijuana.  Rosario, who hit .331, finished with 104 RBIs to come in second to Ricky Alvarez of Yucatan's Ricky Alvarez' 105.  Alvarez drove in two runs in the Leones' season finale against Quintana Roo to slip past Rosario and claim leadership of a category he'd led most of the season.  Mexico City infielder Ramon Urias led the circuit with 91 runs scored, two more than Justin Greene of Monclova (by way of Saltillo).  Greene, by the way, easily won the stolen bases title with a combined 51 swipes for the Saraperos and Acereros.  Monterrey's Chris Roberson was tops in doubles with 35 while Yosmany Guerra of Campeche led with 12 triples.

Nestor Molina, who finished 12-3 for Veracruz, had the lowest ERA among LMB starting pitchers with a 1.89 mark.  Molina allowed 13 earned runs in 31 innings over his last five starts after his ERA had been just 1.41 heading into a July 13 start against Monterrey.  Mexico City's Octavio Acosta, who began the year with a 3-5 record and 6.84 ERA in two previous Liga campaigns, ended up with a 14-1 record for the Diablos Rojos to lead the loop in wins, two more than Molina and Yohan Flande of Aguascalientes.  Acosta and Molina are the two top candidates for Pitcher of the Year.  While 2015 POY Josh Lowey of Monclova wasn't as dominant as he was in 2016 before heading off to South Korea in midseason, he did win his second consecutive strikeout title with 146 ponches in 127 innings.  Lowey finished 8-5 while his ERA was 2.69 (it was 1.65 last year), but the Floridian put together a string of eight strong starts to bring his ERA down from 4.14 in mid-June.  He'll likely be a factor in the postseason for the Steelers.

Among relievers, Monclova closer Chad Gaudin recorded seven saves in his last ten outings to finish with 29, one more than Tijuana's Jason Urquidez and Wirfin Obispo of Monterrey.  Gaudin let in seven earned runs over 9.1 innings for an ERA of 6.75 in that timespan, however, and will need to pick things up in the postseason, starting with the Acereros-Sultanes series.  In other pitching categories, Molina's 152.2 innings, 1.08 WHIP, 3 complete games and 23 starts (tied with Flande) were all most in the LMB, 2016 Pitcher of the Year Yoanner Negrin of Yucatan led with two shutouts, Tijuana middleman Juan Sandoval easily had the most holds with 29.  After putting that last sentence together, it'll be tough to not choose Molina as POY for this summer's BBM Awards even though Acosta lost only one of 15 decisions for a Mexico City team that failed to qualify for the playoffs a second consecutive season after 33 straight postseason appearances.

Note: Leon second baseman Carlos Valencia, a 17-year veteran who has played in several All-Star Games (winning the All-Star MVP trophy in 2009), was suspended for 100 games by the Liga after testing positive for amphetamines a second time in the past year.  The 37-year-old Valencia was suspended the first 50 games of the 2017 season and went on to hit .255 with 5 homers over the 45 games he did play.  For his Mexican League career, he has 237 homers and 951 RBIs in 1,510 games.  North American outfielder Jason Pridie of Puebla was suspended 50 games after testing positive for oxycodone.  Pridie, an All-Star in three leagues before moving south of the border, went 1-for-6 in two May games for the Pericos before being released one week after the team signed him as a free agent.

Five LMB players handed drug suspensions; Blackley, Hankerd under review

The Mexican League has given multiple-game suspensions to five players, including three members of the Tijuana Toros, for violation of Minor League Baseball's banned substance policy.  Two others, Puebla pitcher Travis Blackley and Mexico City first basemen Cyle Hankerd, will be reviewed by a committee.

The longest suspension belongs to Yucatan outfielder Albino Contreras, who will sit 100 games for use of amphetamines because it's his second such suspension.  Contreras will also be required to miss the playoffs shoud the Leones qualify.  The 36-year-old Obregon native hit .208 in 49 games last summer, his second in Merida after spending eight years in the Quintana Roo Tigres outfield.  Prior to that, Contreras was in Puebla from 2001 through 2006.  He's a career .294 batter over 15 Liga seasons with 82 homers.

Tijuana outfielder Olmo Rosario and pitcher Miguel Angel Gonzalez each received 50-game suspensions for amphetamine use while Monterrey pitcher Hassan Pena was docked 50 games after testing positive for marijuana.   The 36-year-old Rosario, who spent time in the Rays and Giants system as well as a number of years in independent leagues and two in Italy, batted .313 for the Toros in 2016 after hitting .343 for Monclova one year earlier.  Pena is a 31-year-old Cuban and former Nationals minor leaguer who was 5-1 with a 5.28 ERA in 30 outings for the Sultanes last summer.  Gonzalez, frankly, is a mystery to BBM.  There have been two pitchers named Miguel Angel Gonzalez in the Mexican League in past years, but half an hour of research has turned up no evidence that neither has thrown a pitch since 2012 while nobody by that name appeared in the LMB in 2016.  The only name on the Tijuana roster that comes close is 38-year-old Texan Michael Gonzalez, a former Major Leaguer who was 0-2 with five saves in 38 appearances for the Toros this year, but that's not the name on the press release put out by the LMB.

Contreras, Rosario, Pena and Gonzalez (by whatever name) will also be required to sit for the playoffs should they be on the roster of a team that qualifies for the postseason in August.  A fifth player, veteran second baseman Carlos Valencia (also of Tijuana) will miss 50 games in 2017 but allowed to appear in the playoffs.  Valencia, a 37-year-old veteran of 17 Liga seasons, is a career .284 batter with 229 homers who has played in four LMB All-Star Games, winning MVP honors in 2009.

The cases of Blackley and Hankerd are not so clear-cut.  Both tested positive for banned substances, but they are prescription-related.  As a result, the two extraneros will be interviewed by a committee of specialists who will determine whether the medications in question are enough to warrant the suspension of either player.  Blackley, 34, is a former MLB hurler went 8-8 for Puebla during the regular season before going on to be awarded Playoff MVP by the Liga as a key member of the Pericos postseason pennant run.  The 31-year-old Hankerd is a former USC Trojan and Diamondbacks farmhand who hit .322 with 16 homers for the Diablos Rojos while splitting time between first base and right field this summer after playing first base on Mazatlan's Caribbean Series champions last winter.

None of the players performing in the Mexican Pacific League this winter have received suspensions from that circuit, which operates independently from either the Mexican League or Minor League Baseball.

LMB Division Championships results, highlights for Thursday, September 1

The Tijuana Toros registered their second win in as many nights, beating Monterrey, 2-1, to tie their North Division Championship Series with the Sultanes at two games apiece in Mexican League playoff action in the border city.  In the LMB South DCS, visiting Yucatan pulled away from Puebla, 5-1, at Estadio Hermanos Serdan to avoid being swept in their second-round series after posting the Liga's best regular season record at 77-33.

Game Five in both series are slated for Friday night in Tijuana and Puebla, respectively, before Saturday's travel day.

TIJUANA 2-6-0, Monterrey 1-12-0 (Series tied, 2 games to 2)
W-H. Ramirez. L-J. Solano. SV-Urquidez. HR-none. T-2:42. A-15,891.
Carlos Valencia (pictured) singled Juan Apodaca in with the tying run with two out in the fifth inning, then scored the go-ahead run on Edson Garcia's double as the Tijuana Toros topped Monterrey, 2-1, at Estadio Gasmart in front of 15.891 fans to tied their series at two games apiece.  It was a tough loss for Sultanes starter Javier Solano, who went the distance and scattered six Toros hits while striking out 12 batsmen in eight frames.  Ex-Atlanta hurler Horacio Ramirez got the win for Tijuana as Monterrey failed to help themselves, scoring just one run on 12 hits and a walk.

Yucatan 5-11-1, PUEBLA 1-5-0 (Puebla leads series, 3 games to 1)
W-J. Castellanos. L-H. Garcia. HR-Serrano. T-2:43. A-12,112.
Jonathan Castellanos pitched 6.1 innings of four-hit, one-run ball and Ricardo Serrano belted a two-run homer in the eighth for insurance as the Yucatan Leones staved off elimination with a 5-1 win at Puebla's Estadio Hermanos Serdan Thursday night.  Jesus Valdez' groundout scored Corey Wimberly in the top of the first with the game's first run for the Leones, who never looked back.  Wimberly and Kevin Flores each had three hits for Yucatan, who avoided the series sweep. Daric Barton had two hits for Puebla, who will try again tonight to clinch a berth in the Serie del Rey.

Friday's Schedule
Yucatan (Negrin) at Puebla (O. Lara) 8:00pm EDT
Monterrey (E. Gonalez) at Tijuana (Enright) 10:35pm EDT

Astros, Padres split Mexico City Series; Valencia wins HR Derby

Major League Baseball held its first exhibition games in Mexico City since 2004 over the weekend, with the Houston Astros and San Diego Padres splitting two games at Estadio Fray Nano on Saturday and Sunday.

Festivities kicked off Friday with a home run derby won by Tijuana Toros second baseman Carlos Valencia at a makeshift diamond built on the city's Zocalo (pictured above), Mexico's largest public square and a ceremonial spot dating to the Aztec dynasty prior to the arrival of Hernan Cortez and the Spanish Conquistadores.

Valencia beat out Mexico City Diablos Rojos outfielder Ivan Terrazas and Quintana Roo Tigres teammates Jorge Cantu and Esteban Quiroz for the title.  In the first round, Cantu led all four batsmen with 10 homers, followed by Valencia at 8, Quiroz with 7 and 5 for Terrazas.  Hitting into a headwind in the final round, Valencia jumped out to an early lead over Cantu before the former MLB infielder started finding his groove, albeit a little too late as Valencia finished with 15 dingers to Cantu's 7.

Also on Friday, a clinic for young Mexican ballplayers was held, with former major league third baseman Vinny Castilla joined by ex-pitchers Esteban Loaiza and Ismael Valdez addressing the assembled youths. Oh, and they played a little baseball over the weekend, too.

On Saturday, Houston bombed San Diego, 11-1, behind the strong pitching of Chris Devenski.  An Astros farmhand ticket to start the season at Class AAA Fresno, tossed 4.1 shutout innings and struck out seven Padres batsmen.  The 2015 National League Rookie of the Year, Carlos Correa, joined with Tyler White to open the fourth inning with back-to-back solo homers to give Houston a 2-0 lead.  The Astros put two more scores on the board in the bottom of the sixth before pounding Padres pitching for seven runs in the seventh to put the game away as 5,602 onlookers watched at Estadio Fray Nano.  Mexican product Leo Heras went 2-for-3 for Houston, scoring once and driving in two more runs.

Saturday's contest was a pitcher's duel in comparison to what happened Sunday as San Diego roared back to cop a 21-6 victory in front of 6,143 fanaticos at Fray Nano.  This one was pretty much over after the first inning, with the Padres converting three-run homers by Jabari Blash and Jon Jay plus a two-run longball by Adam Rosales into a nine-run outburst.  The Friars got subsequent homers from Travis Jankowski and Casey McElroy in the blowout.  All the San Diego scoring would have obscured the work of Padres starting pitcher Cesar Vargas had he not been a native of Puebla, 85 miles south of Mexico City.  Vargas went three shutout innings and struck out five Houston hitters to earn the win.  Colin Moran went deep for the Astros, but this game belonged to the Padres from the get-go.

As good a weekend as it was for baseball fans in the capital city, it was at least as good for ticket resellers.  Ducats for the two games were originally priced at up to 1,800 pesos (US$103 at the current exchange rate), but scalpers outside Fray Nano (pictured right) were getting 3,500 pesos (US$206) for some tickets while being unbothered by law enforcement or stadium security officers.

MexPac Playoff Scoreboard: SUN, Jan. 17, 2016

Both the Navojoa Mayos and Mazatlan Veados won their Mexican Pacific League semifinal road games Sunday, forcing Game Sevens on Monday in Mexicali and Obregon. Navojoa overcame their own anemic offense with ten innings of shutout pitching and an opportunistic last frame in their overtime victory over the Aguilas while the Venados offense lit up Yaquis pitcher for 14 hits in their tilt.

Following Monday's games, the winning teams will take a two-day breather before opening the MexPac championship series Thursday.

Navojoa 1-4-0, MEXICALI 0-7-1 (10)
W-Moskos (1-0).  L-M. Lara (0-1).  T-2:53.  A-17,000.

After Friday night's comedy of errors, the Navojoa Mayos pulled it together Sunday with an error-free 1-0 win in ten innings at Mexicali in front of 17,000 spectators at La Nida to tie their series at three games apiece, setting up Monday's Game Seven.

Starters Hector Velazquez of Navojoa and Hector Daniel Rodriguez of the Aguilas locked into a pitcher's duel, as Velazquez allowed two hits and struck out seven Mexicali batsmen and walking none over seven innings on the mound while Rodriguez scattered three singles and one walk in 6.1 frames, whiffing eight.  Both bullpens came through as three Navojoa relievers combined for three scoreless innings and four more Aguilas hurlers went 3.2 frames and allowed one Mayos hit, but that safety ended up being the game's difference-maker.

Navojoa first baseman Jesus "Jesse" Castillo (pictured) led off the tenth by rapping a single to right field off Mauricio Lara, then advanced to second when Lara made a bad throw on Jose Guadalupe Chavez' sacrifice bunt back to the mound.  Nate Tenbrink followed Chavez with another bunt to the hill, but Lara was able to nip him at first while both runners advanced.  The call was disputed by Navojoa skipper Enrique "Che" Reyes, but replays upheld it.  Jose Manuel Lopez was brought in to pitch to pinch-hitter Fernando Flores, who lofted a fly ball to centerfielder Chris Roberson.  The 36-year-old Californian made the catch, but Castillo beat the throw to the plate to score the first and only run of the contest.  Mayos closer Daniel Moskos let up two singles in the bottom of the tenth before inducing Luis Juarez to hit into a 5-3 game-ending double play.

Eddie Gamboa will pitch for Navojoa in Monday's Game Seven.  Mexicali manager Edgar Gonzalez did not name his starter as of press time.  Marco Duarte started against Gamboa in Game Three for the Eagles but gave up four runs on two hits and three walks in 3.1 innings in a 6-3 losing effort.
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Mazatlan 6-14-0, OBREGON 3-7-2
W-A. Meza (2-1).  L-R. Valdez (1-2).  T-3:33.  A-15,133.

The Mazatlan Venados built themselves a 5-0 by the fifth inning and went on to down the Obregon Yaquis, 6-3, Sunday at a jam-packed Estadio Tomas Oroz Gaytan, leveling their MexPac semifinal series at three games each.

Mazatlan's Cyle Hankerd opened the scoring in the top of the fourth by singling in Agustin Murillo, then came in himself on Olmo Rosario's single to right, barely beating Dustin Martin's throw to the plate.  The call was disputed but upheld by replay officials.  The Venados plated three more runs in the fifth, two scoring on Esteban Quiroz' line-drive double to straightaway center field.  The Yaquis finally broke through with a run in the sixth and two in the seventh, but never came closer than two runs.

Mazatlan collected 14 hits for the game, including three for Rosario and two each for Hankerd, Murillo, Jeremias Pineda, Carlos Munoz and Paul Leon.  Rosario and Quiroz each drove in two runs. Yaquis second baseman Carlos Valencia jacked his fifth postseason homer in the fifth off Venados starter Andres Meza, who got the win after letting in all three Yaquis runs in 5.2 innings.  Justin Green went 2-for-4 for Obregon to raise his postseason batting average to .429 while Martin chipped in two singles.  Yaquis starter Rolando Valdez was ripped for eight hits and five runs before being yanked with one out in the fifth and took the loss.

Game Seven will be Monday night in Obregon.  Venerable Walter Silva will be on the mound for Mazatlan while the Yaquis will send David Reyes to the hill.

MexPac Playoff Scoreboard: THU, Jan. 14, 2016

Fans were treated to two close games Thursday night in Mexican Pacific League semifinal action, with attendees at Mazatlan's Estadio Teodoro Mariscal getting a bonus of heart-stopping, run-scoring plays in the ninth AND tenth innings as Carlos Valencia (pictured for the second day in a row, a BBM first) continued to swing a heroic bat for the Obregon Yaquis, although not in his expected fashion of late. The Navojoa-Mexicali was another knucklebiter, just not quite as dramatic.

Obregon 5-8-1, MAZATLAN 4-9-2 (10)
W-Judy (1-0).  L-S. Valenzuela (0-1).  T-3:36.  A-7,849.
This may have been the wildest game of the 2016 playoffs thus far, as one infield error lifted Mazatlan into a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the ninth inning to send the contest into overtime and  another infield error pushed the winning run across the plate for Obregon in the top of the tenth. This was not a textbook win for the Yaquis but it did put them in the driver's seat of their series with the Venados.
With Obregon leading, 4-3, in the bottom of the ninth, Mazatlan's Esteban Quiroz lined to third baseman Alfredo Amezaga for the second out, but Amezaga's throw to double up baserunner Jeremias Pineda at first instead sailed into right field and Paul Leon motored in from third with the tying run.  In the top of the tenth, Venados first baseman Cyle Hankerd misplayed a two-out Carlos Valenica grounder, allowing Alex Liddi to come steaming in from third for the Yaquis. Closer Josh Judy pitched a 1-2-3 tenth to nail down the win for Obregon.
Justin Greene had three hits for the Yaquis while Olmo Rosario had a trio of singles for the Venados, who now trail Obregon, 3 games to 1.  Game Five is Friday in Mazatlan.  The Venados will start 2015-16 ERA champ Alejandro Soto while Arturo Lopez gets the nod for Obregon.

NAVOJOA 3-7-1, Mexicali 2-9-0
W-Solis (1-0).  L-Marin (0-1).  T-3:11.  A-9,681.
Jesus Castillo bashed a three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning and that was all the Mayos would need for the win.  Mexicali put the first two runs of the game on the board in the second when Chris Roberson doubled in Yuniesky Betancourt with the game's first run; Roberson then came in on an error by Navojoa second baseman Carlos Orrantia.  Quincy Latimore and Carlos Moncrief were on base two innings later when Castillo went deep on Aguilas pitcher Terance Marin, who'd been working on a shutout before being rudely interrupted.
Marin had an otherwise flawless outing over six innings, small solace to a hurler who's been dogged by hard luck during the postseason and was tagged for the loss.  Tomas Solis earned the win with a good start for the Mayos, letting in one earned run over five frames of work.
The series is now tied at two games apiece.  Game Five is Friday night in Navojoa, when the Mayos send Juan Oyervides to the mound against the Aguilas and Javier Solano in what looks to be a great matchup.

MexPac Playoff Scoreboard: WED, Jan. 13, 2016

The Navojoa Mayos broke through for their first win in their Mexican Pacific League semifinal series with Mexicali, topping the Aguilas 6-3 Wednesday night behind the arm of Eddie Gamboa and the bats of Jesus Castillo an Jose Amador.  The Mayos dropped the first two games of the set in Mexicali Sunday and Monday.  Meanwhile, Obregon took a 4-2 win in Mazatlan to take a 2 to 1 lead in their series as Carlos Valencia (pictured) chopped a run-scoring single and knocked out a solo homer for the Yaquis to continue his playoff hot streak at the plate.

Thursday night will mark Game Four in both series, with the second of three Mayos-Aguilas contests in Navojoa while Obregon is at Mazatlan again.

NAVOJOA 6-8-1, Mexicali 3-8-0
W-Gamboa (1-1).  L-Duarte (1-1).  T-2:51.  A-8,747.
Jesus Castillo hit a two-run bases-loaded single in a three-run fourth inning to help Navojoa top Mexicali, 6-3, Wednesday night at home.  Jose Amador chipped in with a double and solo homer for the Mayos, while pinch-hitter Eliseo Aldazaba cracked a two-run homer to straightway center in the bottom of the seventh.  C.J Retherford homered and added a single for the Aguilas, but it wasn't Mexicali's night.
Eddie Gamboa had another good start for Navojoa in posting his first playoff win, going seven innings and allowing two earned runs.  Marco Duarte, on the other hand, was not long for this world in giving up four runs over 3.1 frames for the Aguilas.  The win was Navojoa's first of the semis after the Mayos dropped the first two contests in Mexicali.

Obregon 4-9-0, MAZATLAN 2-6-1
W-Reyes (1-1).  L-Silva (1-1).  T-3:14.  A-10,178.
Veteran second baseman Carlos Valencia continued his hot postseason at the plate by bopping an RBI single and belting a solo home run to pace Obregon to a 4-2 win at Mazatlan Wednesday.  Valencia now has an LMP-best four homers and 13 RBIs in nine playoff games.  Justin Greene aided the Yaquis cause by going 3-for-4 at the plate to bring his postseason average up to a cool .400  as Obregon took a 2-games-to-1 lead in the series while Alex Liddi had a run-scoring single and later came around to score on Valencia's single in the Yaquis' fateful three-run third inning.  Jeremias Pineda had a productive night at the plate for the Venados with two singles, two RBI's and an stolen base.
David Reyes turned in a good mound outing for Obregon, letting in two runs in six innings with six strikeouts.  Walter Silva took the loss for Mazatlan after coughing up four scores in six frames.

MexPac Playoff Scoreboard: SUN, Jan. 10, 2016

Unheralded Luis Juarez (pictured) was the man of the hour in Mexicali by stroking a two-out, bases-loaded single to drive in the winning run as the Aguilas overcame an early 6-0 deficit to post a stunning 7-6 walkoff win over the Navojoa Mayos in Game 1 of their Mexican Pacific League semifinal series as 17,000 fans looked on in La Nida in Mexicali.  Despite starting an hour later than the Aguilas-Mayos game, Obregon's 4-1 Game 1 win in Mazatlan was concluded 15 minutes earlier.

MEXICALI 7-14-0, Navojoa 6-8-2
W-Caridad.  L-C. Bustamante (0-1).  T-3:56.  A-17,000.
The Mayos plated three runs in the top of the fourth as Jesus Castillo drilled a two-run single up the middle to open the game's scoring.  Jose Amador's RBI double and Victor Mendoza's run-scoring single paced a three-run fifth to make it a 6-0 Navojoa lead.  
The Aguilas finally broke through in the seventh, sending ten men up to bat and scoring five runs off five relievers to make it a 6-5 deficit as Chris Roberson poked a two-run single to right with two out.  After a scoreless eighth, the Aguilas completed the comeback when DH Luis Juarez lined a two-out, bases-loaded single to left that sent Yuniesky Betancourt scampering home with the winning run in the ninth.
Esmailin Calidad pitched a 1-2-3 top of the ninth to get credit for the Mazatlan win.  Mayos starter Jose Oyervides was dominant over six scoreless innings, striking out nine Aguilas batters, but the bullpen failed him.  Carlos Bustamante's line on the ninth inning: 0.2 innings, 3 hits, 2 walks, 2 earned runs and the loss...not exactly "postcard to home" material.  Roberson had two hits, two ribbies and scored a run for the Eagles while Nate Tenbrink and Fernando Flores each had two hits for the Mayos.
Game 2 is Monday night in Mexicali.

OBREGON 4-6-0, Mazatlan 1-4-1
W-A. Lopez (1-0).  L-Alej. Soto (1-1).  T-2:46.  A-14,287.
Jeremias Pineda led off the top of the first with a double and came around to score on Agustin Murillo's ground-out to give the Venados an early lead.  The Yaquis came back with four runs in the bottom of the fourth, including a two-out, three-run homer to left by Carlos Valencia off MexPac ERA champ Alejandro Soto, who'd sailed through his first three scoreless innings.  Soto lasted two more entradas but the damage was done. 
After his rocky start, Obregon starter Arturo Lopez settled down and tossed five scoreless innings before being pulled with one out in the seventh.  Justin Greene finished with three hits and a run for the Yaquis, who outhit the Venados a 6-4 margin.  
Game 2 is Monday night in Mazatlan.

MEXPAC PLAYOFF SCOREBOARD: Friday, 1/1/16

Pitching was the order of the night for Friday's slate of Game One play in the Mexican Pacific League's first round of playoffs.

Javier Solano of Mexicali and Mazatlan's Walter Silva (pictured) both turned in top-notch starts for their teams while Navojoa's Eddie Gamboa and Jalisco's Terance Marin acquitted themselves decently, especially Marin.  However, the night ended with the swing of the bat from one of Mexico's most solid veteran second basemen, Obregon's Carlos Valencia.

MAZATLAN 4-7-1, Navojoa 1-5-0
W-Silva (1-0). L-Gamboa (0-1). T-2:46. A-12,436.
Cyle Hankard's two-run single in the bottom of the sixth inning broke a scoreless tie as the Venados went on to win Game 1.  Walter Silva pitched 7.1 shutout innings for Mazatlan, scattering three Mayos hits and striking out seven Mayos batsmen.  Quincy Latimore singled in Nate Tenbrink with Navojoa's lone run in the eighth, after Silva had already exited.

MEXICALI 2-6-0, Jalisco 1-5-1
W-Solano (1-0). L-Marin (0-1). T-2:28. A-14,917.
Javier Solano showed why he's a prime LMP Pitcher of the Year candidate by dominating Jalisco for the Aguilas, tossing seven innings and allowing one run on four hits, including an Alex Liddi solo homer in the fourth.  Xorge Castillo's RBI double in the second brought in what would prove to be Mexicali's winning run. Terance Marin had a solid start himself, going seven frames and giving up two runs on six hits for Jalisco.

OBREGON 7-10-1, Los Mochis 4-9-0
W-Adrian C. Ramirez (1-0). L-Avila (0-1). T-3:32. A-11,567.
Carlos Valencia blasted a three-run walkoff homer against Caneros closer Andres Avila in the bottom of the tenth inning to give the Yaquis an opening win.  D'Arby Myers scored from second on J.C. Linares' single for Los Mochis' go-ahead run in the top on the tenth.  Valencia earlier clubbed a two-run homer and added an RBI single.  Sebastian Valle socked a solo homer for the Caneros.

NOTE: BBM is posting final scores of each game immediately following the final pitch on both Facebook and Twitter throughout the playoffs and Caribbean Series.

VALENCIA DOUBLE PACES OBREGON WIN OVER ARAGUA

Carlos Valencia (pictured) sliced a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning to put Obregon ahead to stay as the Yaquis scored a 4-2 comeback win over Venezuela’s Aragua Tigres Saturday in the 2012 Caribbean Series. The win gives Obregon a 2-1 record after three games in the double round-robin tournament at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The Tigres took an early 1-0 lead when Cesar Suarez laid down a two-out bunt single in the top of the first inning that Yaquis pitcher Rolando Valdez threw past first baseman Sergio Contreras, allowing Suarez to advance to second. Adonis Garcia followed up with a single to center field on which Suarez was able to come around to score the game’s first run.

The two teams then swapped zeros until Obregon tied the game in the bottom of the fifth when Iker Franco lined a two-out double to left and then scored on a Contreras single. Aragua pulled into a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth when Guillermo Rodriguez came in from third on a Suarez grounder to third sacker Agustin Murillo, who threw to second to force Miguel Rojas.

In the pivotal bottom of the sixth, Chris Roberson led off with a bunt single for the Yaquis and moved to second on a bad throw by Aragua first baseman Hector Jimenez. Alfredo Amezaga then put down a sacrifice bunt that drew an error on the throw by Tigres pitcher Brian Sweeney, allowing Amezaga to arrive safely at first with Roberson advancing to third. Roberson then scored on Karim Garcia’s ground out while Amezaga scooted to second. Then, a Barbaro Canizares grounder to third baseman Luis Maza drew Aragua’s third throwing error of the inning, putting Canizares safe on first. Doug Clark then drew a walk from Sweeney, who was replaced on the mound by Pedro Rodriguez with the bases loaded.

The first batter Rodriguez faced was Valencia, who drilled a 2-0 to left for a double, scoring Amezaga and Canizares with the go-ahead runs. It was then left to Valdez and three relievers to shut out Aragua the rest of the way to seal the deal for the Yaquis.

After allowing that first inning tally, Valdez settled down to end up with seven strong innings for the win, allowing two unearned runs, striking out five Tigres hitters and walking none. Luis Ayala struggled through the ninth, allowing two late singles, but settled down to hold Aragua scoreless for his second save of the CS. The Yaquis collected seven hits for the game, including two safeties for Franco, but this was a game that hinged largely on the combined five errors among the two combatants, each of which led to a run being scored.

Obregon next takes on Dominican champion Escogido, who come into Sunday night’s game unbeaten at 3-0, meaning a Yaquis victory would create a tie at the top of the CS standings. Aragua takes an 0-3 mark into their afternoon contest against 1-2 Puerto Rican titlists Mayaguez.

VALENCIA BACK IN LINEUP FOR YAQUIS

It’s been a long year for second baseman Carlos Valencia, but after two surgeries on his knee and some rehab time in the Mexican Northwest League, the 31-year-old All-Star is back in action with his hometown Obregon Yaquis.

“It was very difficult and very frustrating,” Valencia said about the long road back to the playing field. “As a player you want to be on the field as soon as possible, but I also knew I had to be 100 percent to return and be useful to the team….The important thing is to be healthy and help the team in the playoffs.”

After hitting .311 with 14 homers and a Mexican Pacific League-best 63 RBIs last winter for the Yaquis, Valencia had a tough Mexican League season with the Mexico City Diablos Rojos as knee injuries limited him to 33 games and a .270 average with just five homers. He’d belted 121 homers in his previous seven Liga campaigns, including 32 longballs for Tijuana in 2005. and played for Mexico in the 2009 Baseball World Cup.

Valencia arrived home in Obregon after spending rehab time with the Diablos’ Tuxpan affiliate in the Liga Noroeste, where he hit .195 with no homers and five RBIs in 25 games.

DIABLOS RELEASE LIGA RUN-SCORING LEADER MATEO

When All-Star second baseman Carlos Valencia came back from an injury, it was a given that the Mexico City Diablos Rojos would release a player to make room for him while maintaining their current roster status. What may have been unexpected was that the Diablos let go former major league infielder Henry Mateo (pictured with Durham in 2009).

Valencia is one of the established stars of Mexican baseball, a perennial All-Star second baseman with a career .289 average and 135 careers homers in his tenth Mexican League season. He has also played for the Mexican National Team in the Olympics and Baseball World Cup. Valencia missed part of this season after undergoing surgery on his right tibia.

However, it’s not as if Mateo wasn’t getting the job done in Valencia’s absence. The ex-Montreal second baseman was hitting .338 at the time of his release, leading the Liga with 76 runs scored over 67 games for both Laguna and Mexico City. Mateo’s 21 stolen bases are second only to Alexis Gomez’ 29 swipes for Laguna.

One other reason for his release was the signing of Venezuelan reliever Francisco Butto, a former Phillies and Yankees farmhand who saved four games for the Caracas Leones in the 2009 Caribbean Series. Since LMB teams are limited in the number of import players they can carry, the Dominican Mateo became the odd man out with the Diablos.