YUCATAN WINS FIRST 2 ON ROAD IN LMB SOUTH FINALS

Yucatan outfielder Jonathan Jones

Over the years, the Yucatan Leones have traditionally been winners in Mexican League baseball because of timely hitting, consistent defense and top-notch pitching.  Power has rarely been a facet for the Merida team but 2019 has been a different year with the new Franklin ball and the Leones unleashed a barrage of homers over the weekend as the defending division champions socked eight homers while winning the first two games of the LMB South finals in Mexico City. 

Yucatan batters belted three homers Saturday against the Diablos Rojos before knocking out five roundtrippers in Sunday's Game Two 14-6 laugher, a game that was actually tied 3-3 until the Leones posted nine runs in the top of the third inning to break the contest wide open.  Three of those five Yucatan homers came in the third as two-run bombs from Sebastian Valle and Xavier Scruggs bookended a solo shot from Leo Heras.  Earlier, Alex Liddi and Luis Juarez went long for the Leones as each ended with three hits and two RBIs apiece.  Cesar Valdez was far from his best on the mound for the winners, giving up three runs on seven hits over five innings of work, but still got the win thanks to that nine-run gift in the third.  Diablos starter David Reyes was chased after allowing six runs (including three homers) in two-plus innings.

In Saturday's series opener, Leones starter Yoanner Negrin tossed seven strong innings, allowing just one run on three hits, while centerfielder Jonathan Jones cracked two solo homers and designated hitter Luis Juarez added a two-run shot in the seventh as Yucatan prevailed, 6-3.  That it was Jones who went deep twice was surprising, as the former Jays farmhand had homered just twice since late June, with his last four-bagger coming on August 6 en route to a career-high 10 homers.  Jones finished the night 4-for-4 at the plate and plated four runs.  Just to show the Leones haven't forgotten their roots, catcher Sebastian Valle (he of the 13 career stolen bases over as many seasons) swiped second base in the seventh off reliever Juan Robles.

The Leones reached the division title set by knocking out Oaxaca in five games in the first round, eliminating the Guerreros with a 3-1 win at home on Sunday, September 8 in Estadio Kukulkan as Cesar Valdez held Oaxaca to one run over seven two-hit innings and Juarez drove in the first Yucatan run with a double and later scored their second tally in the bottom of the first.  A stocky two-time All-Star out of Culiacan, Juarez batted .319 to top the .300 mark for the fourth season in a row (including twice last year) and hit 12 homers, driving in 65 runs despite two trips to the reserve list.

It was a tough way to end the season for Oaxaca outfielder Alonzo Harris, who followed up an MVP-worthy regular campaign (.343 with 39 homers, 45 stolen bases, 117 RBIs and a remarkable 131 runs over 119 games) with a .263 average in five postseason tilts during which he homered twice and scored three times in Game Four but was otherwise fairly quiet at the plate.  Guerreros catcher Erick Rodriguez, a seven-time All-Star (MVP of the 2015 ASG) likewise had a good regular season (.356/12/47 in 87 games) with another ASG appearance, but the 39-year-old Monterrey native faded in the playoffs by going only 3-for-17 with one run while playing all five games. He did steal a base in Game One after collecting only 15 swipes over his 19-year career, none since 2017.

Mexico City outfielder Carlos Figueroa

Mexico City advanced from the LMB South semis by topping Quintana Roo, 4 games to 3.  The Diablos were on the brink of elimination after five games before winning twice at home to send the rival Tigres home to Cancun (for now).  Last Tuesday's game at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu saw the home team come from behind with four runs in the bottom of the ninth, the last coming an a single up the middle by Carlos Figueroa off reliever Juan Noriega that was followed a throwing error by Tigres centerfielder Yordanys Linares, scoring two runs to seal a 5-4 walkoff win.  Quintana Roo starter Javier Solano had allowed run run in eight entradas before giving way to Noriega.  Game Seven on Wednesday was a slugfest, with the Diablos outlasting the Tigres, 13-11, behind Japhet Amador's 4-for-5 performance that included two doubles, three RBIs and two runs scored.  Ex-Twins minor leaguer Alex Robles had a great night in a losing cause for Quintana Roo, going 4-for-5 himself with a homer and seven RBIs, but an eight-run seventh for the Diablos gave the home team a 13-7 lead and the Tigres' four runs in the ninth weren't enough to catch up. 

Quintana Roo's defeat closes their season amid speculation that the Tigres may not be long for Cancun, a popular place for tourists but not so much for baseball fans (think Florida).  Owner Fernando Valenzuela got off to a rocky start shortly after buying the heritage franchise in February 2017 when five prospects who'd belonged to the Tigres before Valenzuela and wife Linda bought the team magically appeared on Mexico City's reserve list after the sale, a move that eventually became the Rookiegate scandal.  However, Cancun has never warmed to the team and rumors are that the Valenzuelas may move them to their historic home of Mexico City even though that could mean using 5,000-seat Estadio Fray Nano, which proved inadequate for AAA baseball over the five years the Diablos used it before opening their new state-of-the-art facility this spring.

MONCLOVA, TIJUANA ADVANCE TO LMB NORTH FINALS

Tijuana pitcher James Russell

It took them seven games to do it, but the Monclova Acereros finally knocked defending champion Monterrey out of contention for a repeat pennant by winning Game Seven of their LMB North semifinal series, 5-2, last Thursday in Estadio Monclova.  By reaching the division championships, the Steelers are facing Tijuana, who needed six games to dispatch a pesky Saltillo team few were receiving few playoff projections prior to the regular season but parlayed a second-half title into the fourth and final division seed.  

The Toros then began the division title series with two wins against Monclova over the weekend, including a 5-1 victory Sunday night in Tijuana that was a scoreless tie until the Bulls exploded for all five runs in the bottom of the sixth, highlighted by a two-run single by Ricky Alvarez and a two-run homer by Jesus "Cacao" Valdez.  Francisco Peguero got one run back for the Acereros with a solo shot in the top of the seventh but Monclova was unable to catch up before their 27 outs were used up.  Tijuana starter Horacio Ramirez, a former Mariners hurler, got the win by pitching 6.1 shoutout innings and allowing just three hits. 

The division title set began Saturday night in Tijuana as the host Toros shut out Monclova, 4-0, with TJ starter James Russell turning in a standout effort on the mound.  A reliever during his big league days with the Cubs, Braves and Phillies between 2010 and 2016, Russell (son of former MLB All-Star closer Jeff Russell) was signed by the Toros as a free agent in April and inserted into the starting rotation.  Although he pitched into the seventh inning three times in 18 starts and didn't compile enough innings to qualify for the ERA title, Russell had a solid campaign for Tijuana by going 8-4 with a 3.26 ERA (which would've ranked third in the LMB), striking out 66 and walking just 11 in 88.1 innings.  Facing a potent Monclova lineup that averaged .320 and a Liga-best 7.46 runs per game, Russell limited the Acereros to three hits in 6.1 shutout innings, whiffing 11 batsmen (including Chris Carter three times) and walking one before being pulled after 100 pitches.  Maxwell Leon and Isaac Rodriguez each had two hits and one run in support of Russell for the winners.

Monclova's Francisco Peguero and Chris Carter

Like Mexico City in their series with Quintana Roo, Monclova went into Game Six of their series with Monterrey trailing 3-games-to-2 after losing to the Sultanes, 5-4, last Monday as Yamaico Navarro's walkoff single in the bottom of the ninth drove in Tony Campana with the game-winning run.  Campana had two singles and a double as the ex-Cub scored twice for the winners.  The two teams then moved to Monclova for Wednesday's 10-1 Acereros' drubbing of the Fall 2018 champs, with Francisco Peguero clobbering two homers en route to a three-hit night in which he scored four runs and drove in three.  Monclova starter Conor Harber let in one Monterrey one by scattering eight hits and a walk over seven frames.  That brought things to a Game Seven last Thursday and Acereros slugger Chris Carter came up big with two homers and three ribbies as Monclova clinched the series with a 5-2 win.  The former National League HR champion lofted six circuit clouts in the series.  Former Rangers prospect Adam Quintana pitched six innings of scoreless ball for the Acereros, giving up three hits and striking out five.  Quintana finished the regular season with an 8-4 record after pitching out of the bullpen until new manager Pat Listach added him to the rotation in early July for the rest of the schedule. 

Tijuana had a slightly easier time of it in their series with Saltillo, who surprised observers with their second-half title under first-year helmsman Roberto Vizcarra, who has won wherever he's worked during his short managerial career.  The Saraperos trailed the Toros 3-games-to-2 after winning Game Six at home last Monday with a 5-0 shutout over the potent border team.  Former Red Sox pitcher Felix Doubront blanked TJ over 7.2 innings on six hits for the win while Juan Perez gave Saltillo a 4-for-4 night at the plate with a homer and three RBIs.  The series shifted to Tijuana for Game Six last Wednesday, and the Bulls responded with a clinching 6-4 win as Maxwell Leon, Jesus Valdez and Leandro Castro combined for six hits, two runs and four RBIs.  The Saraperos had a wide advantage in baserunners over the game, but the Toros went 5-for-7 with runners in scoring position while Saltillo were just 3-for-12 in similar situations.

While both Monterrey and Saltillo were knocked out of the playoffs last week, their respective managers may face entirely different perceptions from their team owners.  Saltillo's new managing partner Cesar Cantu has to be thrilled with both his team's unexpected on-field success and attendance increase from 4,439 per game last fall to 6,398 this year, so Vizcarra is as secure as any manager in the LMB, although skippers in Mexico may have the shortest leashes in baseball.  On the other hand, even though Sultanes skipper Robero Kelly is only a year removed from his team's first pennant since 2007 and coming off a 72-46 regular season (third-best in the Liga), co-owner Jose "Pepe" Maiz is not known for his patience in the best of times and the former Yankees outfielder may find himself on the hot seat, deserved or not.

MEX PAC TRAINING CAMPS OPEN; MEXICALI BALLPARK RENAMED

Guasave players on first day of training camp

While the Mexican League playoffs are entering their third week with four teams still playing, training camps for the Mexican Pacific League's 75th winterball season have been opening in September in preparation for next month's season openers.  The number of players and even managers reporting when camps open is typically low, but their ranks will swell in the days and weeks to come.  The revived Guasave Algodoneros, one of two new LMP franchises to join the league since last season, joined the Hermosillo Naranjeros as the first teams to open camp on September 9 at the Arturo Peimbert Camacho sports complex in the Sinaloa city.  

The Mex Pac's other expansion team, the Monterrey Sultanes, are coming into their first season with a long history in the summer game, a strong ownership in Grupo Multimedios, a veteran manager in Homar Rojas (Roberto Kelly will not manage winterball in Monterrey) and the country's largest ballpark to play in.  The Cottoneers, on the other hand, have been scrambling to assemble a team in the front office and on the playing field ever since the city of 271,196 (smallest in the LMP) was awarded a franchise after Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador leaned on league president Omar Canizales to help fulfill a campaign promise to return baseball to "The Agricultural Heart of Mexico."  

So far, so good with the Algodoneros as current Durango Generales owner Alfredo Aramburo was recruited to own the team and is said to be seeking to divest all interests in his Mexican League franchise, Rigo Beltran has been settled upon as field manager for the fledgling team, 20 players reported for the first day of training (including six catchers) and work continues to prepare 8,000-seat Estadio Francisco Carranza Limon in time for Guasave's October 13 home opener against Los Mochis.

Jalisco (and Mexico City) slugger Japhet Amador

Meanwhile, defending champion Jalisco's hopes for a repeat were dealt a blow when it was announced that slugger Japhet Amador will not be available to play for the Charros this winter.  The Mulege Giant is still playing for Mexico City in the Mexican League postseason, but will undergo surgery for an Achilles tendon injury at the conclusion of the Diablos' season and require six months to recover.  Amador hit .283 with six homers and 23 RBIs in 27 games for the Guadalajara team last season after being suspended from organized baseball for testing positive for a banned substance while playing in Japan for the Rakuten Golden Eagles.

Another massive longball hitter many had hoped would play in the LMP this winter, Chris Carter, may also end up skipping the Mex Pac campaign.  Carter was originally planning to spend the winter in Venezuela but conditions in that country have made that prospect unlikely.  Carter was picked by Obregon in July's foreigner draft and it was thought he might suit up for the Yaquis this season, but Monclova's MVP candidate (after leading the Mexican League with 49 homers and 119 RBIs) has not signed with Obregon and his LMP rights are thought to be up for trade.  The 6'4" Californian is reportedly drawing interest from teams in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball and could be held out from playing winterball if he signs with an NPB franchise for 2020. 

17,000-seat La Nida ballpark in Mexicali

Finally, the Mexicali Aguilas' ballpark has a new corporate name.  Known casually as La Nida ("The Nest") since its 1976 LMP debut, the 17,000-seat facility will be hosting Aguilas baseball for a 43rd season this winter and has been the scene of the 1985 LMP All-Star Game, the 2009 Caribbean Series and qualifying games for the 2017 World Baseball Classic.  La Nida originally held 9,000 seats but was expanded to its current configuration after remodeling in 2008.  The stadium has been named at times after a fan manufacturer, a housing development firm and (for the upcoming season) a pharmacy.  Since corporate stadium and arena naming rights payments are not extended to media covering the teams playing in them, the media is under no obligation to use those corporate names so, as a formal policy, Baseball Mexico won't...La Nida it is from this point forward.

RIELEROS’ VARGAS AT 26 HOMERS AFTER 3-HR GAME

Aguascalientes Rieleros 3B Jose Vargas

            Aguascalientes Rieleros third baseman Jose Vargas has opened a sizeable lead in the Mexican League’s home run title chase after a recent stretch during which the Californian crashed seven longballs in a six-game stretch last week, including three homers in a four-inning span against Leon last Saturday night in a wild 15-11 Railroaders loss to the Bravos.

           A gathering of 1,866 at Estadio Alberto Chavez Romo in Aguascalientes looked on at the Ventura College product and former White Sox farm hand socked a solo shot off Leon veteran Walter Silva in the fifth frame, followed by three-run dingers against Normand Mendoza in the sixth and Nicolas Heredia in the eighth, respectively, to run his season total to 26 homers to augment a .390 batting average with 50 RBIs over the first 44 games of the season as the Liga passed the first 1/3 of its 2019 schedule.

            Former Orioles five-tool prospect Felix Pie socked a pair of homers and drove in five runs for the Bravos, who won despite allowing 11 runs on 14 hits (which indicates exactly why the Bravos are just 19-25 on the season despite a starting lineup that boasts .300+ batters at all nine slots in the order.  Pie ended the weekend with a .461 average to top the LMB, his 16 homers are tied with teammate Matt Clark and two others for fourth in the circuit and his 57 RBIs are third in the league behind co-leaders Vargas and Clark.

Leon’s .330 team batting average trails only Monterrey’s .336 mark among the 16 Liga teams but the Bravos’ 8.15 team ERA is dead last and suggests that manager Tony Aguilera might be better served replacing his pitchers with a batting tee atop home plate while sending out a fourth outfielder instead (on either side of the wall.  The most effective Leon hurler thus far has been 38-year-old Manny Acosta, a onetime Braves and Mets pitcher whose 3-1 record and three saves suggest he’s throwing a little better than his 5.60 ERA indicates.

It’s been that kind of year in the LMB, which has apparently resurrected its longstanding reputation as a hitter’s have with 12 teams batting .304 or more and al but Tabasco averaging at least one homer per opening.  The offensive explosion has meant pitchers are proving Newton’s Third Law (“For every action…”) with 13 teams allowing five or more runs per game.  Even traditionally pitching-rich Yucatan has not been immune from the Curse of the Franklin Ball.  The Leones are usually hovering just above a 3.00 team ERA but this year the Merida club is showing a 5.38 ERA, and it’s a sign of the times that they’re still fourth in the circuit.  Fans who love 1-0 pitcher’s duels haven’t had much to cheer about in the 2019 version of the Mexican League.

MONCLOVA, OAXACA TAKE LEADS IN TIGHT LMB DIVISION RACES

            As the Mexican League approaches its ninth week of the current season, we’re starting to see some separation between contenders and pretenders for its eight playoff berths, with a couple of spirited battles for the LMB’s regular season division titles to spur fan interest. 

Campeche Piratas OF Jay Austin

The 32-13 Monclova Acereros stumbled a bit on the first leg of their six-game road trip in the South by losing two of three to Tabasco in Villahermosa before winning two of three in Campeche, including a 4-3 loss in the Walled City as Jay Austin’s walkoff single in the bottom of the ninth plated Jose Guadalupe Chavez with the game-winning run.  Despite the tough loss, the Steelers sport the Liga’s best record at 32-12 to hold a 1.5-game lead over 31-14 Tijuana in the LMB North.  Defending champion Monterrey sits two games behind the Toros at 29-16 while 26-19 Dos Laredos is fourth, four games up on 22-23 Saltillo.

            

            The 27-18 Oaxaca Guerreros have won five in a row (including three-game weekend sweep in Saltillo) to sneak past Mexico City in the LMB South to lead the 26-18 Diablos by a half-game.  Mexico City won two of three games apiece in series at Saltillo and Laguna during last week’s northern road trip but Friday’s defeat in Torreon was enough to drop the Red Devils out of first.  Puebla (25-20) sits two games out of the top slot and a nice battle has developed for the fourth and final playoff slot between 21-24 Yucatan and 20-25 Leon.

            Felix Pie of Leon is batting .461 to hold a commanding 52-point lead over Mexico City’s Emmanuel Avila.  Jason Vargas’ 26 homers for Aguascalientes are tops in the loop, four head of Monclova slugger Chris Carter’s 22.  The former NL home run champ went long once in both Tabasco and Campeche last week.  Leon’s Matt Clark has 61 runs batted in to lead Vargas by one.  Dos Laredos outfielder Johnny Davis has a good lead in stolen bases with 28, 12 more than Alonzo Harris of Oaxaca.  A darkhorse in the SB race is Leon outfielder Jeremias Pineda.  The speedy Dominican has only played 17 games for the Bravos after missing a month of the season, but he’s a perfect 12-for-12 in swipes over the 17 games he has played in to tie Campeche’s Jay Austin for fourth, but is a player who can pile up the SBs in a hurry.

 

Tijuana Toros P James Russell

           Both Josh Lowey of Monclova and Monterrey’s Edgar Gonzalez have eight wins to tie for the Liga lead in that category.  Lowey shut out Campeche over 5.1 innings in last Friday’s 4-2 Acereros road victory to go to 8-0 to match Gonzalez, who’d improved to 8-0 two nights earlier for the Sultanes in Cancun with a 4-2 triumph over the Tigres.  Yucatan’s Cesar Valdez is right behind the co-leaders with a 7-0 record.  James Russell of Tijuana blanked the Tigres over six frames in Cancun last Friday to lower his ERA to 1.94, making the son of ex-MLBer Jeff Russell the lone Mexican League starter at less than 2.00 while improving to 5-1.  Oaxaca’s Ruddy Acosta is 34 points back in second at 2.28, a rather remarkable figure for a starter with a 1-2 record for a division-leading team.  In fact, Acosta didn’t win his first game of the season until his 14-3 victory in Saltillo last Saturday, 44 games into the schedule.  Yasutomo Kubo of Leon still leads the LMB with 69 strikeouts, 13 more than Alex Delgado of Oaxaca.  Monclova’s Carlos Bustamante leads Saltillo’s Rafael Martin in saves, 13 to 12.

Cuarto Bat WRITER'S TOP 6 MEXICAN BALLPARKS (PART 5)

A writer for Mexican baseball website Cuarto Bat, Yasser Trujillo, posted a column in April about his picks for the top six ballparks in the Mexican and Mexican Pacific leagues.  Here is the third part of a series in which we bring you a translated version. You'll find their site at CuartoBat.com, where fans can download a free copy of their February magazine.

2.  NUEVO ESTADIO YAQUIS, OBREGON

Nuevo Estadio Yaquis, Obregon

            The contrast that exists in the Yaqui Territory is worth mentioning.  Once Ciudad Obregon ends and the visitor drives for five minutes on a small road, the home of the Yaquis is erected.  It is a majestic scenario surrounded only by an asphalt road, dirt and an occasional rancheria.  It is the ideal location to avoid conglomerations but, in turn, far from presuming surroundings that invite tourism.

           Possessing an impressive and original external metal design, it immediately refers to the one used at Estadio BBVA, home of Liga MX soccer’s Monterrey Rayados.  The front of the Tribe’s lair consists of eight columns that symbolize the seven Yaquis peoples of the region and the proud eighth: The Yaquis Nation.

            It has an internal corridor of 270 degrees, in which access to the outfield is not allowed unless you have a ticket for that section.  It has a huge official store where you can almost anything to do with the local team.  To access the ballpark, there are automated turnstiles to present your physical ticket or via your cell phone.  There are televisions in each column, a free Wi-Fi network, and a huge screen with 4K definition.  It also has a large food court consisting of about 30 stores with varied offerings, including two a la carte bars/restaurants overlooking the playing field.  There is also a Hal of Fame with legendary trophies and uniforms, luxury boxes and even a gym on the second floor.

            Obregon has in their ballpark a beautiful scenario endorsed by Major League Baseball where, win or lose, the team has hired a musical group for after each game.  So what happens on the ground will always stay there, while the dancing and parties always accompanies everywhere.  A serious candidate to be the best stadium in Mexican baseball.


NOTE: I'm in The Philippines until June 20 and the internet here is spotty, so BBM may be interrupted for the next three Monday.  However, as no less than Douglas MacArthur said a few years ago, "I shall return."  MacArthur was in the Philippines at the time, too, although the stakes were just a trifle higher for him.

TIJUANA, OAXACA CONTINUE TO LEAD LIGA DIVISIONS

Three weeks into the 2019 Mexican League season, both Tijuana and Oaxaca have led their respective divisions most of the way in the early going and while perennial power Yucatan is still dead last in the LMB South, the Leones are beginning to stir to life.

Tijuana's Ricky Alvarez looking to crush one

The Toros swept a three-game weekend series against Union Laguna in Torreon to run their record to 16-5, giving the border team a one-game lead over second-place Monterrey.  Tijuana was held scoreless for four innings Sunday by Algodoneros starter Frank Garces before Logan Watkins cracked a solo homer in the top of the fifth to give the visitors a 1-0 lead they built to 5-0 in the seventh before Laguna scored three times in the bottom of the frame to make it a two-run game.  Ricky Alvarez hit his second homer of the game in the top of the eighth to give TJ a little breathing room and another solo blast by Xorge Carrillo two batters later added to the cushion as the Toros went on to a 12-3 victory.

Tijuana starter James Russell was sharp, shutting out the Cottoneers on four hits and a walk over the first six innings to go to 2-1 for the year.  Alvarez finished the contest with a 3-for-5 day at the plate with two homers and a double, driving in five runs and scoring three times. Niuman Romero had three of Laguna's nine hits but the Algodoneros were unable to hold back Tijuana's potent offense after Watkins went deep.

Monterrey kept pace by scoring four late runs to pull away from Saltillo, 10-6, Sunday at home as 16,408 looked on at Estadio Monterrey.  The game was knotted up at 6-6 before Ramiro Pena swatted a three-run homer off reliever Jorge Ibarra in the bottom of the seventh to break the contest open.  Felipe Gonzalez was credited with the win for the Sultanes and closer Wirfin Obispo pitched a scoreless ninth as the defending champions wrapped up their fifth consecutive win to bring their ledger to 15-6 for 2019.  Monclova also won Sunday, 10-4, at Durango to raise their mark to 14-7 and maintain a solid early hold on third place in the LMB North.

Oaxaca lefty Alex Delgado shuts down Tabasco

Meanwhile, Oaxaca parlayed a good pitching performance from Alex Delgado into a 6-3 road triumph over Tabasco in Villahermosa Sunday.  Delgado took a 6-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning en route to his first win of the year in five starts. The lefty from Mexicali finished the game with three runs allowed in 7.1 innings of work, scattering seven hits and a walk along the way.  Omar Meza, who took over second base for the Guerreros after Jaime Brena retired earlier in the month, singled twice and walked to drive in three runs from his ninth position in the batting order, helping Oaxaca lift their record to 14-7, two games up on Mexico City and Puebla, who are both 12-9 in the LMB South.

At the other end of the South standings, Yucatan is uncustomarily in last place at 7-14 after dropping a 6-2 decision to Puebla Sunday in Merida at Parque Kukulcan.  Pericos starter Mauricio Lara picked up his first win against three losses by tossing six innings of one-hit, one-run ball. Luis Juarez' solo homer in the fifth was the only blemish on the scoreboard for the Hermosillo product, who celebrated his 40th birthday in early April.  Antonio Lamas had three singles for Puebla, scoring one run and driving in another.

It's hard to put a finger on Yucatan's slow start.  Their pitching has been less than its usual strong self with a team ERA of 5.02, but that figure ranks fifth in the Liga (which has been more hitter-friendly than usual with the new Franklin ball being used this year).  The Leones rank 12th in the LMB with a .292 team batting average and their 19 homers are 14th in the 16-team circuit. It's hard to imagine Yucatan remaining in the cellar, but the nature of Mexican baseball is such that improvement will need to come soon or new manager Luis Rivera may become an ex-manager.

ACEREROS' LOWEY, SULTANES' GONZALEZ BOTH GO TO 4-0

Josh Lowey of Monclova and Edgar Gonzalez of Monterrey are considered two of the top pitchers in the Mexican League, so it should come as little surprise that both hurlers have won their fourth game of the young season to tie for the LMB lead in that category.

Monclova's dominant righty Josh Lowey

In particular, Lowey has been arguably the best pitcher in Mexico over the past four summers.  After a decent 2014 debut with the Acereros in which he went 7-5 with a 4.11 ERA in 19 starts, the right-handed Floridian has gone 52-19 since 2015 while winning Pitcher of the Year honors in 2015 and 2018 while being selected to three All-Star Games; it likely would've been four had he not left Monclova for Korea just prior to the 2016 showcase event.  He was 13-3 at the time and still won the league strikeout title.

Now 34, Lowey has been getting plenty of rest between starts, all four of which have been wins including an 11-8 triumph at Aguascalientes last Thursday.  Despite the high score, Lowey pitched reasonably well in allowing three runs on eight hits in five innings while striking out eight Rieleros. Against an Aguascalientes team that has batted well so far this year, that's not a bad outing and it was good enough for Lowey to go to 4-0 with a 3.75 ERA (also not a bad number given the rapacious hitting LMB pitchers have faced this season).  His next start will likely be this Wednesday at home against Tabasco.

Edgar Gonzalez' 2003 rookie card

Monclova's (and Lowey's) top rival the last few years has perhaps been Monterrey, where last year the Sultanes won a Liga pennant that has thus far eluded the Acereros in their 44-year history, a fact that grates Steelers' owner Gerardo Benavides.  Monterrey is off to another good start in 2019 and pitcher Edgar Gonzalez has been both a reason and beneficiary for that 15-6 record. A righty, like Lowey, the 36-year-old Gonzalez is in his fifth year pitching for his hometown team after spending all or part of ten seasons in MLB between 2003 and 2012, going 17-27 with a 5.92 ERA in 121 appearances (including 47 starts).

After a rocky 2015 campaign for Monterrey, with just a 4-12 and 4.90 ERA, Gonzalez has gone 29-8 for the Sultanes, including his 4-0 mark thus far in 2019.  His most recent start came last Friday at home against Saltillo, when he beat the Saraperos by a 9-1 count while tossing six innings of four-hit ball for manager Roberto Kelly and lowering his ERA to 3.74 (.01 better than Lowey's).  Gonzalez' next start is likely to come this Thursday in Torreon against Union Laguna.

CUARTO BAT WRITER'S TOP 6 MEXICAN BALLPARKS (PART 1)

A writer for Mexican baseball website Cuarto Bat, Yasser Trujillo, wrote earlier this month about his picks for the top six ballparks in the Mexican and Mexican Pacific leagues.  Here is the first part of a series we'll use to bring you a loosely translated version. Sadly, the CuartoBat.com site has apparently been suspended, according to a Google search, but the hope here is that it resurfaces soon.  Similar in format to Puro Beisbol and Hitazo, Cuarto Bat had quickly become a favorite site here at BBM.

After almost half a year of waiting, the 2019 season of the Mexican Baseball League has begun. And with it, a new tenant has arrived: the Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium, the brand new new home of the Red Devils of Mexico. After its inauguration, the AHH has unleashed many conflicting opinions. But it has also awakened the eternal debate about which is the best stadium in Mexican baseball.

It should be noted that I have not visited all the Mexican baseball properties (they are so many that I think it would never end). However, I have been in all new and modern. Based on this experience as an fan, I have put together a short list in this category to find the best Mexican baseball stadium.

I have looked for the balance between facilities, environment, food offer, amenities, comfort, technology. But also a very important point that is rarely taken into account: the treatment of the visitor.

It should be noted that although several of these parks are approved by Major League Baseball in the initial MLB contract to bring official games to our country, only cities with airport, hotel, tourist and infrastructure capacity were considered to host a huge amount of visitors. So, for the time being, and in the first years of this contract, only Monterrey, Mexico City and maybe Guadalajara are candidates. A pity, because we have awesome scenarios!

So, without further ado, let's start looking for the best Mexican baseball stadium.

6. Estadio Monterrey (Sultan Palace)

The honorable mention of the ranking is for the largest baseball stadium in Mexico, the Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey. It is also the protagonist of one of the most spectacular and ambitious renovations in the sports venues of this country. Built at the end of the 80s, this building is the only stadium in Mexican territory that has hosted official major league series.

Despite the remodeling, the Sultans of Monterrey have an old stadium in their fortress. Its old structure can no longer compete with new places. And it lacks external design; it's just a large mass of concrete. There is no internal corridor, since you must leave the stands to go to the food or bathroom area. And also the tour is not free.

However, despite the above, its spectacular giant screens, the new seats that were placed in its entirety and its outfield area make it look better than ever. It is an iconic enclosure, a classic park which for the next generations could be a simile in Mexico of Wrigley Field or Fenway Park for its mysticism and classic design. Ahead of its time, for a couple of decades, the Sultan Palace was the best stadium in Mexican baseball.

SULTANES WIN LIGA FALL PENNANT; LMP SEASON OPENS

Sultanes 3B Agustin Murillo hoists the LMB title trophy

Ramiro Pena's walkoff single in the bottom of the ninth inning drove in Chris Roberson with the final run of the Fall 2018 season as Monterrey defeated Oaxaca, 3-2, last Tuesday in Game Six of the Mexican League's Serie del Rey.  The win clinched the Sultanes' eighth LMB pennant and Monterrey's tenth Liga flag overall since the northern city entered the circuit in 1939 (the former Industriales team won titles in 1943 and 1947).

Oaxaca took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when Alejandro Gonzalez' two-out single to right off Monterrey starter Anthony Vasquez brought in Game Five hero Samar Leyva from second to give the underdog Guerreros the early advantage.  Sultanes rightfielder Sebastian Elizalde's throw to the plate allowed Gonzalez to scamper to second base while Alan Sanchez moved 90 feet to third, but Vasquez got Erick Rodriguez to ground out to Pena at shortstop, ending the threat.

Monterrey came back two innings later with a run to even the score at 1-1.  Agustin Murillo, who had a splendid series, opened the bottom of the fourth by lining a double to left off Oaxaca starter Ruddy Acosta.  Murillo was able to go from first to third during a Felix Perez groundout to Guerreros first sacker Henry Urrutia, then plated the Sultanes' first score on a Roberson single.  The Oakland native was able to advance to third on a Ramon Rios single, but died 90 feet from paydirt when Elizalde lofted a fly ball to Gonzalez in right to end the entrada.

The two teams remained deadlocked until the top of the eighth.  Gonzalez led off by singling to left against Monterrey reliever Ozzie Mendez, moved to second on a Rodriguez sacrifice and took third on Jay Austin's groundout to Rios at second before Vasquez uncorked a wild pitch to Julian Ornelas, allowing Gonzalez to streak in with the Guerreros' go-ahead run.  The Sultanes came back in the bottom of the eighth to knot the game back up at 2-2 when Murillo's sacrifice fly to Ornelas in left brought in pinch-runner Marco Guzman (son of longtime LMB catcher and manager Marco Antonio Guzman) from third.  Monterrey closer Wirfin Obispo then came in to retire the Oaxacans without a score in top of the ninth, setting up the Sultanes' pennant-winning heroics.

Roberson started things off by doubling an 0-1 Samuel Zazueta pitch to right, then skipped over to third when Rios laid down a bunt in front of home plate that Zazueta could only throw to Urrutia at first for the out.  Monterrey manager Roberto Kelly brought in Yadir Drake as a pinch-hitter for Elizalde, but Zazueta intentionally walked the 2017 LMB batting champion to put Sultanes runners at the corners.  That was a temporary situation, as pinch-runner Leo German (in for Drake) stole second whil Zazueta was working on the next batter, Arturo Rodriguez.  At that point, Rodriguez was intentionally walked to load the bases with Julio Borbon coming up.  Zazueta struck out Borbon swinging on four pitches for the second out, but Pena grounded the first pitch he saw up the middle to score Roberson from third, ending the game and season to the delight of an Estadio Monterrey sellout crowd of 21,909.

Obispo was awarded his second win of the Serie del Rey for his one inning of work, but Vasquez (who allowed five Oaxaca runs on seven hits in 2.2 innings in Game Two) gave the winners eight solid frames of pitching, letting in two runs and scattering five hits while walking one.  Zazueta absorbed the loss after allowing the winning run on three hits and two walks, also in one frame.  The 21-year-old Obregon product pitched in every game of the finals for manager Sergio Gastelum's Guerreros and generally did well before wilting in Game Six.  Guerreros starter Acosta acquitted himself well, giving up one run and scattering four hits in 5.1 innings before being replaced by Mendez.

Murillo was named the Serie del Rey MVP after helping the Sultanes win their first pennant since 2007.  While the Tijuana-born third baseman's finals numbers of a .308 batting average with two homers and five RBIs are hardly off-the-charts, Guty's two-run game-tying homer in the bottom of the ninth in Game Two was a shocking blow the Guerreros never really recovered from while his Game Three performance (3-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 RBIs) was key in giving the Sultanes a series lead they never relinquished.


MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE OPENS 2018-19 CAMPAIGN

Mexicali P Javier Solano was dominant Friday

When Culiacan pitcher James Russell threw a pitch to Navojoa centerfielder Alonzo Harris at 8:10 last Friday night it marked the opening of the Mexican Pacific League's 2018-19 regular season.  Let the record show it was a ball, as Russell fell behind in the count 3-0 before eventually getting Harris to pop out to Tomateros third baseman Ronnier Mustelier in foul territory for the first OUT of the season.

Navojoa went on to beat defending champion Culiacan, 8-2, as a crowd of 19,210 jammed Estadio Tomateros.  The Mayos knocked Russell, who spent seven years in the majors for the Cubs and Phillies between 2010 and 2016, for six runs on seven hits over 4.1 innings.  The 32-year-old served up a two-run homer to Fernando Flores in the second and a solo blast to Harris (an ex-Mets farmhand) in the third as the Mayos outhit the Tomateros by a 13-7 margin, with four Navojoa players collecting two hits each

In Friday's other opener, Mexicali shut out Hermosillo, 3-0, as former MexPac pitching champion Javier Solano blanked the Naranjeros over six innings, giving up two hits, striking out 12 and walking none.  It was a vintage performance for Solano, who turned in a 10-6 record in the LMB last summer for Monterrey and Quintana Roo but had an ERA of 5.31 ERA over the two seasons.

Two more openers were played Saturday.  Visiting Mazatlan overcame a two-run sixth inning deficit to pull past Jalisco, 5-4.  The game lasted until a minute before midnight as a combined 15 pitchers took the mound for both teams.  Former Cubs prospect Anthony Giansanti went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs for manager Joe Alvarez' Venados and newcomer Quincy Latimore, who was dealt to the Deer by Navojoa in the offseason, also had three hits and scored twice.

Obregon got strong outings from starter Nate Reed (5 IP, 1 R, 2 H) and four relievers to earn a 4-1 road win at Los Mochis Saturday.  The Yaquis got a three-hit night from John Nogowski but it was a two-run single by number 9 batter Juan Carlos Gamboa that keyed a four-run Obregon fourth inning to in essence put the game away for the visitors.

Four more openers in the MexPac's traditional two-game, home-and-away series were played Sunday.  Mexicali went to 2-0 on the season with an 8-3 win at Hermosillo as Ricardo Serrano highlighted a four-run Aguilas second by slamming a three-run homer off Scott Copeland.  Mazatlan is likewise 2-0 after blanking Jalisco, 1-0, on a one-hitter spun by Venados starter Jose Hernandez and five relievers.  Visiting Culiacan topped the Navojoa Mayos, 2-1, as International League MVP and Triple Crown winner Joey Meneses singled in Dylan Moore with the tiebreaking run in the top of the ninth.  A Ramon Urias RBI single in the top of the eleventh brought in the go-ahead score as Los Mochis went on to an 8-6 triumph in Obregon.

In all, 120,705 fans attended the eight openers, an average of 15,088 per game as all contests sold out.  Ballpark renovations have not been completed in either Mazatlan or Los Mochis, but both projects are expected to be completed in time for the January playoffs.  In the offseason, the LMP expanded the limit of foreign players from eight to 14 per team in response to the Mexican League's expanded schedule.  While roster churn is an accepted fact of life in the circuit, the first half is expected to be more active than usual as domestic players who've been performing in the LMB playoffs will become available over the next few weeks.


 PITCHER ORTEGA RETIRES, WILL COACH IN OBREGON

Tigres P Pablo Ortega after his 2011 no-hitter

Pablo Ortega earned a living as a pitcher for nearly two decades by baffling opposing batsmen in both the Mexican and Mexican Pacific Leagues until he finally found someone he couldn't beat forever: Padre Tiempo (or Father Time).

Ortega, who turns 42 on November 7, has announced his retirement as a player after a forgettable Fall 2018 season with the Quintana Roo Tigres in which he went 1-5 with a 9.55 ERA in ten starts.  He'd had a respectable Spring campaign with the Tigres, going 3-2 with a 3.18 ERA in eight outings, including a May 10 complete game 5-0 shutout over Leon in Cancun, scattering five singles and throwing 63 strikes in the 93-pitch performance.  However, the wheels gradually fell off Ortega's wagon in the second season, one that saw the Tigres miss the postseason for the first time in years.  His final outing was an August 29 start against defending champion Yucatan in Merida, where he lasted 3.1 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits before QR manager Raul Sanchez replaced him with Luis Ivan Rodriguez, who'd just turned 22 and hadn't even been born when El Maestro began his career.

The Nuevo Laredo native made his Mexican League debut in 1995 with his hometown Dos Laredos Tecolotes as an 18-year-old.  Ortega didn't set the Liga on fire over his five appearances (two starts) that year, going 0-1 with a 5.93 ERA, but he showed enough to earn a contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who had not yet fielded a team at the Major League level.  The 6'2" righthander spent four years in the Rays system and turned in a 30-38 record, pitching once for AAA Durham in 1999 before returning south of the border the following year.

That was when his legacy as a Mexican baseball pitcher began as he was 11-3 for the Mexico City Tigres and was the championship series MVP for the 2000 LMB pennant winners, the first of six Liga titles Ortega would win (all for the Tigres).  Although he would spend all or part of 2002 and 2003 with the Puebla Pericos, Ortega would become a mainstay in the Tigres rotation during his career.  He reached double figures in wins nine times and was selected to at least six All-Star Games.  He was named the LMB Pitcher of the Year in 2003 and Comeback Player of the Year in 2011, a year in which he was 10-3 (including a no-hitter against Veracruz) for the Tigres after going 2-6 with an 8.24 ERA the previous summer.  For his Mexican League career, Ortega was 164-107 and he turned in a 4.34 ERA, a respectable figure for a hitter's league like the LMB.  He had 1,174 strikeouts in 2,191 innings pitched.

El Maestro didn't limit his skills to the Liga.  He spent 17 winters pitching in the Mexican Pacific League, pitching for three title teams, and also appeared in the Caribbean Series (winning the 2005 CS with Mazatlan) and was on the Mexican National Team for several international tournaments, including the World Baseball Classic, Olympic Games qualifiers, Pan American Games, Central American and Caribbean Games and Americas Cup competitions.

While Ortega was in training camp with the MexPac's Obregon Yaquis when he announced his retirement, he won't be stepping away from the game.  He'll stay on with the Yaquis this winter as a bullpen coach under new manager Oscar Robles, who faced Ortega as a batter several times over the years as a player in Mexico City Oaxaca and Tijuana.

Tijuana, Puebla both win series; Serie del Rey rematch set

The Tijuana Toros eliminated Monterrey from further contention for the Mexican League pennant by topping the Sultanes, 4-2, Thursday night in the border city to win their North Division championship series, 4 games to 2.  Manager Pedro Mere's club will advance to the Serie del Rey for a second year in a row against defending champion Puebla after the Pericos knocked out Yucatan, 4-3, Tuesday at home in Game Five of the LMB South finals.  Skipper Tim Johnson's Parrots will seek to bring Puebla its fifth Mexican League crown while the Toros are gunning for Tijuana's first-ever flag.

Since the Toros and Pericos were able to conclude their respective divisional championship sets in less than seven games, they'll be able to rest for four days before colliding in Game One of the Serie del Rey on Tuesday night in Tijuana.  Puebla defeated Tijuana in six games last year to win the pennant.

Jorge Cantu hoists LMB North title trophy
Photo courtesy of Rich McDaniel

TIJUANA 4-7-0, Monterrey 2-10-1
W-H. Ramirez (2-0).  L-A. Castro (0-2).         SV-Urquidez (2).  A-17,987.  T-3:03.

Tijuana starter Horacio Ramirez left the game in the sixth inning with a 4-2 lead and the Toros bullpen combined to hold Monterrey scoreless the rest of the way as TJ held off the Sultanes to clinch the LMB North title for the second year in a row.  A sellout crowd of 17,987 packing Estadio Gasmart was home happy after the home side concluded the set, 4 games to 2. Attendance was strong in this series, with 110,240 fans coming to the six games in both cities for an average of 18,373 per opening.

The Toros jumped on Monterrey starter Angel Castro early by scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning.  The first three Tijuana batters reached base as singles from Jose Guadalupe Chavez and Corey Brown bracketed a walk to Roberto Lopez.  Cleanup batter Cyle Hankerd dribbled a grounder to Sultanes third baseman Agustin Murillo, who tagged the base to force Lopez out as Chavez streaked 90 feet to plate the game's first run.  After a Castro wild pitch to Jorge Cantu sent Brown and Hankerd to third and second, respectively, Cantu lofted a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Brown.

Monterrey closed their deficit to 2-1 in the top of the second when Daniel Mayora lined a one-out homer over the left field wall, but the Toros responded with two more runs in the bottom of the third.  With one out, Castro plunked Hankerd, and then delivered a pitch to Cantu that the former big leaguer drilled into center field for a double.  Sultanes veteran Chris Roberson fielded the drive and sent in a throw to second sacker Ramon Rios, whose relay to the plate in an attempt to nail Hankerd at home sailed away from catcher Luis Flores' grasp to score both both Hankerd AND Cantu, who never slowed down after coming into second.  Monterrey manager Felix Fermin challenged the play but replays upheld home plate umpire Orlando Lopez' decision.  Castro was replaced on the hill later in the inning by Nick Struck, but the damage was already done and was later proved irreparable.

A Zoilo Almonte solo homer off Ramirez in the fifth brought the visitors to within two runs at 4-2, but relievers Mark Serrano, Juan Sandoval and closer Jason Urquidez held the Sultanes scoreless after Serrano took over for Ramirez in the sixth.  Serrano, Sandoval and Urquidez were all unscored upon over a combined 10.1 innings in ten appearances in the series.

It's been quite a year for Sandoval, a 36-year-old Dominican who was a AA Southern League All-Star n 2013 with Montgomery who led LMB pitchers during the regular season with 62 trips from the bullpen while his 28 holds were eleven more than Monclova reliever Arturo Barradas' 18.  After being touched for two runs in the second game of the Toros first round series with Aguascalientes on August 14, Sandoval has been unscored upon in his seven subsequent playoff appearances.  He didn't even allow a hit in that span until giving up an eighth-inning single to Murillo last night that was quickly wiped out on a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. Sandoval has a combined six playoff holds in eight appearances heading into the Puebla series.

Ramirez earned the win after giving up two runs on seven hits (including two homers) and two walks over 5.1 innings, striking out eight Sultanes batsmen, while Urquidez earned his second save of the series.  Castro took the loss in the wake of allowing four runs on five hits, two walks and hitting a batter while throwing 58 pitches in just 2.2 innings.  Struck's own remarkable run as a setup man for Monterrey came to an end.  The Oregonian went 3.1 scoreless innings to bring his playoff string to seven scoreless appearances over 16 innings, adding 15 strikeouts and only walking four.  All, ultimately, for naught as Struck and his Sultanes teammates will head home while Pepe Maiz' favorite team moves on.

PUEBLA 4-9-1, Yucatan 3-11-1
W-Meza (1-0).  L-J. Russell (0-1).                   SV-Heath (3).  A-10,712.  T-2:40.

This one started out as a pitchers' duel, with Puebla starter Andres Meza and Yucatan opener James Russell swapped goose eggs on the scoreboard through four innings, but it was a four-run Pericos outburst in the bottom of the fifth that erased a temporary 1-0 Leones lead and propelled the defending Liga champs to a 4-3 victory and a second consecutive LMB South title over Yucatan, 4 games to 1.  A crowd of 10,712 clicked the turnstiles at Estadio Hermanos Serdan, bringing the three-game total attendance in Puebla to 33,613 and the overall series turnout to 57,613 over five games, an average of 11,523 per contest.

While ex-Cubs hurler Russell sailed through the initial four frames for Yucatan, retiring the first nine Pericos he faced, Meza struggled a bit to hold the fort.  He survived a scare in the top of the second, when Sebastian Valle stroked a one-out double to right and went to third on Ricardo Serrano's single up the middle, putting runners on the corners with one out.  However, Meza was able to get out of that jam by inducing a 5-4-3 double play grounder to third by Jose Aguilar to end the threat.  Leones manager Chico Rodriguez appealed the out at first, but the call by umpire Alan Izaguirre was upheld after a replay review.

Yucatan woke up the scorekeeper in the top of the fifth by manufacturing a run without benefit of a hit. Leadoff hitter Ricardo Serrano reached base when second baseman Hector Garanzuay bobbled his grounder, moved to second when a Meza pitch to Aguilar got past catcher Cesar Tapia, scooted over to third on Aguilar's sacrifice bunt and came in to score on a Julio Borbon sacrifice fly to give the Leones a 1-0 advantage.

The Pericos replied by batting through the order in the bottom of the fifth and scoring four times.  Ricky Rodriguez opened with a single and moved to second when Russell walked Tapia.  Both came in to score when Garanzuay dragged a bunt single down the third base line that Serrano threw past first baseman Ricky Alvarez into right field foul territory while Garanzuay scampered to third.  After Sergio Perez singled in Garanzuay to put Puebla up 3-1 with no outs, Russell was pulled in favor of Yoanner Negrin, who'd pitched in relief for the first time in two-plus years two nights before.  After Alberto Carreon's sacrifice bunt sent Perez to second, Negrin gave up back-to-back singles to Borbon (scoring Perez to make it a 4-1 contest) and Endy Chavez.  That was enough for manager Rodriguez to bring out his hook again to bring in closer Ronald Belisario, who threw out Borbon at home on an Issmael Salas comebacker and got Jesus Arredondo to fly out to center to finally end the inning.

A former Dodgers reliever, Belisario turned in a standout performance by tossing 3.2 shutout innings the rest of the way for the Leones, allowing only a pair of seventh-inning singles.  The 34-year-old Venezuelan had a standout postseason, with a 0.68 ERA in 13.2 innings over seven appearances, picking up three saves. Interestingly, after striking out seven Leon batters over four innings in his first two times out in the Leon series, Belisario failed to whiff a batter in any of his subsequent five trips from the pen against either the Bravos or Pericos for a total of 8.2 innings.

Yuniesky Betancourt brought Yucatan to within a run by belting a two-run homer off Meza's 58th and final pitch in the top of the sixth, but the LMB South's regular season champions were unable to score the rest of the way off four Puebla relievers.  Pericos closer Deunte Heath, who gave up runs in his previous two appearances, went the final two entradas for his third save of the series, allowing no hits and striking out three.

Meza wasn't at his sharpest for the Pericos, giving up three runs (two earned) on eight hits over 5.2 innings, but it was good enough for the win.  Russell took the loss for Yucatan after letting in four runs (all in the fifth) on five hits and a walk after such a strong start.  Borbon finished with three hits and an RBI for Puebla while Chavez added a pair of singles.  The Leones, who outhit the host team by an 11-9 margin, got two hits apiece from Valle, Juan Francisco and Ivan Araujo.  However, Yucatan went just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position while Puebla was 3-for-6 in similar situations.

Ordinarily, without a break between games, Puebla manager Johnson (who took over the team after Von Hayes' midseason firing) might go with Josh Outman as his starter in the championship series against Tijuana while Johnson's counterpart with the Toros, Pedro Mere, would give the ball to Edgar Gonzalez.  However, with four days to rest all their pitchers, either manager might reshuffle their respective rotations prior to Tuesday's Serie del Rey opener in Tijuana.  We'll all see soon enough.

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