The playoffs open.  A shutout in Escogido.  Beltre belts in two to lead Licey.

CIBAO 2, ESCOGIDO 0 IN ESCOGIDO

Twins:  Jorge Polanco (Escogido) was 1-for-3.  Pedro Florimon (Escogido) was 1-for-3.

Cibao:  Juan Silverio (Cincinnati) was 2-for-4 with a double and a run.  Mayo Acosta (Tampa Bay) was 1-for-3 with a walk.  Claudio Vargas pitched five innings, giving up three hits and one walk with two strikeouts.

Escogido:  Carlos Santana (Cleveland) was 1-for-3 with a walk.  Edward Valdez pitched six innings, allowing one run on four hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

The game:  Cibao got on the board in the first on an RBI single by Francisco Peguero (Baltimore).  They added a run in the seventh on a run-scoring single by Alexi Casilla.  Escogido only once got a man past first base, putting a runner on third with two out in the seventh.

LICEY 3, AGUILAS 2 IN AGUILAS

Licey:  Engel Beltre (Texas) was 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.  Emilio Bonifacio (Kansas City) was 2-for-4 with a double and a run.  Hector Noesi (Seattle) pitched six innings, giving up one run on five hits and one walk with three strikeouts.

Aguilas:  Zoilo Almonte (Yankees) was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs.  Hector Luna was 1-for-4 with a double.  Kelvin Villa pitched 5.1 scoreless innings of relief, allowing three hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

The game:  Beltre belted a double in the second to score two runs and put Licey ahead 2-0.  A sacrifice fly in the third made it 3-0.  Aguilas got on the board in the fourth when Almonte doubled and scored on a pair of ground outs.  Aguilas did not threaten again until the ninth, when a single and a double put men on second and third with none out.  A run scored on a ground out, but Aguilas could do no more.