Winter Wonderland: Games of December 28

MAZATLAN

LOS MOCHIS 7, MAZATLAN 5 IN LOS MOCHIS

A five-run seventh gave Los Mochis a 7-3 lead.  Juan Uriarte hit a three-run homer in the inning.  For Mazatlan, Carlos Munoz was 2-for-4 with a home run, his sixth.  Jose Luna also hit a two-run homer.

Stats:  Isaac Paredes was 0-for-3 and is batting .383.  Jose Augusto Figueroa was 0-for-5 and is batting .300.  Alejandro Soto pitched two shutout innings and has an ERA of 2.89.

Record:  Mazatlan is 27-29, tied for seventh with Culiacan in the Mexican League, nine games behind Obregon.  They are 1.5 games behind sixth-place Jalisco.

Next game:  Mazatlan is again at Los Mochis tonight.

GIGANTES

The Gigantes will play Estrellas is the playoff semi-finals.  That series will start January 2.

LARA

LARA 4, MAGALLANES 0 IN MAGALLANES (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

Lara led 2-0 when Yonathan Mendoza's two-run homer put it out of reach.  It was Mendoza's second homer.  Yordanys Linares also homered, his fourth, and Osman Marval was 2-for-3.  Nestor Molina pitched five shutout innings, giving up two hits and two walks and striking out two.  His ERA is 2.45.

MAGALLANES 3, LARA 2 IN MAGALLANES (GAME 2--7 INNINGS)

Osman Marval's two-run homer in the sixth cut the Magallanes led to 3-2, but Lara could do no more.  It was Marval's first homer.  Lara went with a bullpen game, using four pitchers for less than two innings each.

Stats:  Ildemaro Vargas was 1-for-2 and is batting .341.  Gorkys Hernandez was 0-for-3 and is batting .323.  Carlos Rivero was 0-for-2 and is batting .306.  Vicente Campos pitched a scoreless inning and has an ERA of 1.64.

Record:  Lara is 17-12, in first place in the Venezuelan League West, a half game ahead of Magallanes.

Next game:  Lara hosts Magallanes tonight.

MAYAGUEZ

Did not play.  Mayaguez remains 12-4, in second place in the Puerto Rican League, one game behind Caguas.  They are at Caguas tonight.

MELBOURNE

Did not play.  Melbourne is 2-2, tied for first in the Australian League with Canberra and Sydney.  Their next game is tomorrow, when they host Perth.