Mexican Matchups: Games of 12/27

Five-run innings carry the day for Hermosillo and Navojoa.  A four-run inning is enough for Culiacan.

CULIACAN 7, OBREGON 3 IN CULIACAN

Twins:  Brad Boyer (Culiacan) was 0-for-3 with two walks and an RBI.

Obregon:  Doug Clark was 1-for-3 with a walk and a double, scoring once and driving in one.  Barbaro Canizares was 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Oscar Rivera pitched three innings, giving up one run on four hits and two walks.

Culiacan:  Felix Perez (Cincinnati) was 2-for-5 with a double and a three-run homer (his third), scoring twice.  Donell Linares was 3-for-5 with a double and a home run, scoring twice.  Andres Ivan Meza struck out six in six innings, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks.

The game:  Clark doubled in one and Canizares singled in another to give Obregon a 2-0 lead in the third.  Linares homered to lead off the fourth to cut the lead to 2-1.  In the fifth, a three-run homer by Perez put Culiacan in the lead.  Ramon Ali Solis (Tampa Bay) singled in a run later in the inning to give Culiacan a 5-2 lead.  A ground out cut the lead to 5-3 in the seventh, but Culiacan got two in the bottom of the seventh to put the game out of reach.

MAZATLAN 4, LOS MOCHIS 1 IN MAZATLAN

Los Mochis:  Brian Burgamy was 1-for-3 with a walk and a home run, his fifteenth.  Juan Carlos Gamboa (Mets) was 2-for-3 with a walk.  Francisco Cordova pitched five innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits and no walks.

Mazatlan:  Issmael Salas was 2-for-4 with a home run, his fourth.  Curt Smith was 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI.  Yadel Marti struck out seven in five shutout innings, allowing three hits and two walks.

The game:  Smith doubled in a run in the second and another came in on a ground out to give Mazatlan a 2-0 lead.  Mazatlan added a run in the fifth on a wild pitch and another in the eighth on Salas' homer.  Burgamy homered in the ninth for the lone Los Mochis run.

HERMOSILLO 8, MEXICALI 2 IN MEXICALI

Hermosillo:  Jose Amador was 3-for-5 with a double, scoring once and driving in two.  Jerry Owens was 2-for-5 with a run and two RBIs.  Edgar Gonzalez pitched five shutout innings, giving up five hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

Mexicali:  Brad Snyder (Texas) was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, his fourth.  Xorge Carrillo (Mets) was 2-for-4 with a run.  Gil Velazquez was 2-for-4 with a double.

The game:  Hermosillo opened the scoring in the fourth on an RBI single by Jesus Loya (Boston).  In the sixth, Hermosillo took control by scoring five times, all after two were out and none on.  Owens singled in two, Carlos Alberto Gastelum singled in one, and two more scored on an error.  Snyder hit a two-run homer in the seventh to cut the lead to 6-2, but that was as close as Mexicali would get.

NAVOJOA 8, GUASAVE 1 IN NAVOJOA

Guasave:  Jesus Lopez was 1-for-2 with a home run, his second.  Eduardo Arredondo was 2-for-4.  Alan Guerrero struck out two in 2.2 scoreless innings, giving up one hit and no walks.

Navojoa:  Carlos Orrantia was 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, and a two-run homer (his sixth), scoring twice.  Genaro Andrade was 2-for-3 with a double, scoring once and driving in two.  Hector Velazquez pitched six innings, allowing one run on five hits and no walks with four strikeouts.

The game:  Wes Bankston homered in the second to put Navojoa up 1-0.  Lopez countered in the third with a home run of his own to tie it at one.  Orrantia hit a two-run homer in the fourth to put Navojoa back in the lead at 3-1.  Navojoa then put the game out of reach with a five-run sixth.  Andrade doubled in two, Jose Guadalupe Chavez singled in one, Luis Fonseca doubled in the fourth run, and a sacrifice fly brought home the fifth.