ALGODONEROS WIN 2-1 SQUEAKER TO INCH CLOSER TO FINALS

Francisco Cordoba (pictured) and two relievers gave Guasave six superb innings of pitching Sunday as the Algodoneros slipped past the Culiacan Tomateros, 2-1, in Game Five of their Mexican Pacific League semifinal series in Guasave. Guasave leads Culiacan 3-games-to-2 in the set.

Cordoba went six-plus solid frames on the hill for the Cottoneers, giving up six hits (including a Jesus Cota solo homer) while striking out four. Guasave scored both their runs in the bottom of the third off Tomateros starter Matt Buschmann when Eduardo Arredondo and Leo Heras hit back-to-back singles, a Jose Rodriguez single to left scored Arredondo and advanced Heras to third, then a Marshall McDougall grounder to short was mishandled by Ramiro Pena, allowing Heras to plate what turned out to be the game-winning run. Cordoba got the win, Buschmann absorbed the loss and Alan Guerrero copped the save.

The series shifts to Culiacan for Game Six Tuesday night. Daniel Guerrero will be Guasave’s starting pitcher while Andres Meza gets the nod for the Tomateros. The winner of the series will move on to the MexPac finals against Obregon, who bested Los Mochis in the other semifinal.

XALAPA ONE WIN AWAY FROM LIV PENNANT

Francisco Cordova (pictured) turned in a strong pitching performance Sunday as the Xalapa Chileros tripped the Los Tuxtlas Brujos, 7-1, to take a 3-games-to-2 lead in their best-of-7 Veracruz Winter League championship Series. Cordova tossed seven shutout innings for the Chileros, allowing three hits and no walks while striking out five Brujos batters as Xalapa tries to prevent Los Tuxtlas from winning a third straight pennant.

Xalapa opened the scoring in the first when Jesus Romo scored on an Edgar Quintero single. The Chileros got what was to be the deciding run one inning later when Valentin Gamez launched a solo homer over the left field fence to make it 2-0. The home team would eventually stretch their lead to 7-0 before the Brujos’ Pedro Iturbe stroked a homer to right in the ninth inning to avert the shutout.

The two teams had split the first two games in Xalapa prior to Sunday’s contest. The series now shifts back to San Andres Tuxtla for Game Six on Tuesday night at 7:00 local time.

MEXICANS CRUSH CZECHS TO CLINCH SECOND ROUND BERTH

Mexico made it two consecutive dominant wins Friday by clobbering the host Czech Republic, 9-0, to go to 2-0 in Pool A play and punching their ticket into the second round of the tournament.

Starter Francisco Cordova (pictured) struck out nine Czech batsmen in six innings for the win, while Jaciel Acosta and Alan Guerrero combined to pitch three hitless innings as Mexican pitchers racked up 15 strikeouts and allowed just three hits and walked two.

Mexico broke open a scoreless tie with four runs in the bottom of the third inning as Sergio Contreras blasted a three-run homer to center field off Czech starter Martin Schneider. The Mexican put three more tallies on the scoreboard in the fifth when Edgar Quintero sent his second homer in as many games off Schneider over the right field wall to make it 7-0. Schneider absorbed the loss for the Czechs by allowing seven runs in five innings. The longball brought in two more runs one inning later when Ivan Terrazas conked a two-run homer to center field to end the scoring for the game.

Mexico will finish pool play Saturday with a game against Australia.