MAZATLAN

MAZATLAN 3, LOS MOCHIS 1 IN LOS MOCHIS

Mazatlan scored all three runs in the first inning, and it was enough.  Edson Garcia led off with a home run, a run scored on an error, and a third scored on a bases-loaded walk.  Garcia was 2-for-5 and the home run was his second.  Francisco Hernandez was 2-for-2 with a double and two walks.  Brayan Quintero was 2-for-4.  Marco Antonio Duarte pitched five shutout innings, giving up two hits and a walk and striking out four.

Stats:  Isaac Paredes was 1-for-2 and is batting .379.  Marco Antonio Rivas gave up an unearned run in one inning and has an ERA of 1.88.  Roberto Espinosa pitched a scoreless inning and has an ERA of 1.67.  Jesus Pirela pitched a perfect inning and has an ERA of 1.85.

Record:  Mazatlan is 28-30, in eighth place in the Mexican League, nine games behind Obregon.  They are one game behind seventh-place Culiacan.

Next game:  It appears that the regular season is over, and that the playoffs will start January 2.

GIGANTES

The regular season is over.  The Gigantes host the Estrellas in the first game of the Dominican League playoff semi-finals on January 2.

LARA

CARIBES 4, LARA 3 AT CARIBES

Osman Marval's RBI single for Lara in the eighth tied it 3-3, but a bases-loaded walkoff walk won it for Caribes.  For Lara, Carlos Rivero was 2-for-4 and Ildemaro Vargas was 2-for-5.  Raul Rivero pitched five innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits and no walks and struck out two.

Stats:  Vargas is batting .345.  Josmar Cordero was 0-for-1 and is batting .328.  Gorkys Hernandez was 1-for-3 is batting .323.  Carlos Rivero is batting .316.  Yapson Gomez gave up a run in one inning and has an ERA of 1.53.  Ricardo Gomez gave up a run in a third of an inning and has an ERA of 1.74.

Record:  Lara is 17-13, in third place in the Venezuelan League West, a half-game behind first-place Margarita.

Next game:  Lara does not play today or tomorrow.  They will host Margarita on January 2.

MAYAGUEZ

MAYAGUEZ 6, CAGUAS 3 IN CAGUAS

Mayaguez scored two in the third and led the rest of the way.  They had three singles and a sacrifice fly in the inning.  Jesmuel Valentin and Vicente Conde were each 2-for-4 with a double and two runs.  Xavier Fernandez was also 2-for-4 and Ivan De Jesus was 2-for-5.  Hector Hernandez struck out three in three shutout innings, giving up one hit and three walks.  Mayaguez used six relief pitchers for an inning each.  Caguas used ten pitchers, with only one, Luis Cruz, pitching more than one inning (he pitched 1.1).

Stats:  Brian Navarreto was 0-for-1 and is batting .412.  Fernandez is batting .317.  Hernandez has an ERA of 1.29.

Record:  Mayaguez is 13-5, in second place in the Puerto Rican League, one game behind Caguas.  It looks like that ends the regular season, and that the playoffs will start January 2.

MELBOURNE

MELBOURNE 1, PERTH 0 IN MELBOURNE

Melbourne scored the game's lone run in the eighth.  They scored it with classic small ball:  a walk, a stolen base, a sacrifice bunt, and a sacrifice fly.  Melbourne had only three hits, all singles, while Perth had five hits, two of them doubles.  Daniel McGrath struck out six in five shutout innings, giving up two hits and a walk.  Jon Kennedy and Drew Anderson each pitched two shutout innings.

Stats:  Ex-Twin Delmon Young was 0-for-3 and is batting .389.  Daryl George was 0-for-3 and is batting .318.  Blake Gailen was 0-for-3 and is batting .316.  Kennedy has an ERA of 1.80 and Anderson has an ERA of zero.

Record:  Melbourne is 3-2, in first place in the Australian League, a half game ahead of Canberra and Sydney.

Next game:  Melbourne is scheduled to host Perth again this afternoon.