MAZATLAN
Saturday
HERMOSILLO 1, MAZATLAN 0 IN HERMOSILLO (GAME 6)
The game's lone run scored in the second on two singles, a bunt, and a ground out. Mazatlan had seven hits and five walks but stranded nine and hit into two double plays. Ramon Rios was 2-for-4. Francisco Rios pitched seven innings, giving up four hits and two walks and striking out five.
Record: Mazatlan loses the best-of-seven series four games to two. Our reporting from the Mexican League is therefore at an end for this season.
GIGANTES
No games scheduled. The Gigantes will play Aguilas in a best-of-seven series for the Dominican League Championship starting Monday night.
LARA, GAME 38, 39, and 40
Saturday
LARA 4, MAGALLANES 2 IN MAGALLANES
Lara scored two in the seventh to take a 3-2 lead. Yojhan Quevedo was 2-for-2. Cesar Puello was 2-for-3 with two walks. Ex-Twin Rene Reyes was 2-for-4 with a home run, his second. Angelo Palumbo started and pitched three innings, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks and striking out one. Five relievers took it from there, pitching six shutout innings.
Sunday
LARA 11, ARAGUA 4 IN LARA (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)
Leading 4-2, Lara scored seven runs in the third to put the game out of reach. Ex-Twin Rene Reyes was 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, and three RBIs. Yonathan Mendoza was 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, and two runs. Raul Rivero pitched three innings, giving up two runs on four hits and no walks and striking out one.
ARAGUA 9, LARA 4 IN LARA (GAME 2--7 INNINGS)
Each team scored four in the third, but Aragua got two more in the fourth and three in the seventh. Jecksson Flores was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk to lead Lara. Francisco Arcia was 2-for-3 and Cesar Puello was 2-for-4. Josmar Cordero was 1-for-3 with a grand slam, his second homer. Leonel Aponte pitched 2.1 innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits and no walks and striking out one.
Stats: Ex-Twin Jermaine Palacios was 1-for-3 and is batting .500. Puello is batting .429. Cordero is batting .311. Ildemaro Vargas was 0-for-4 and is batting .308. Vicente Campos gave up three runs (one earned) in one inning and has an ERA of 2.00. Yapson Gomez gave up no runs in a third of an inning and has an ERA of 1.33.
Record: Lara is 25-15, in first place in the Venezuelan League West, 2.5 games ahead of Magallanes.
Next game: The mlb winter league website does not indicate when Lara's next game is. I suspect it will be a playoff game, but I don't know when it will start or who they will play.
MAYAGUEZ
Their series against Manati remains in limbo due to COVID concerns. If the series cannot be continued, Caguas will be the Puerto Rican League champions.
MELBOURNE
Saturday
CANBERRA 2, MELBOURNE 1 AT CANBERRA (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)
Canberra scored single runs in the second and third. Melbourne scored in the seventh and had the bases loaded with one out, but could not tie it up. Gift Ngoepe was 2-for-2. Tyler Beardsley pitched a six-inning complete game, giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits and no walks and striking out three.
MELBOURNE 3, CANBERRA 2 AT CANBERRA (GAME 2--7 INNINGS)
Melbourne scored two in the sixth to break a 1-1 tie. Canberra scored one in the seventh and had the tying run on third base with the game ended. Darryl George was 3-for-4 with a double. Chris Burke (not the guy from "Life Goes On") was 2-for-2 with a walk. Ex-Twin Delmon Young was 2-for-4 with a double. Gunnar Kines pitched 4.1 innings, giving up one run on four hits and a walk and striking out two.
Stats: Young is batting .395. George is batting .360. Damek Tomscha was 0-for-3 and is batting .317.
Record: Melbourne is 7-5, in second place in the Australian League behind Adelaide, which is 3-1. COVID concerns have played havoc with the Australian League schedule.
Next game: Melbourne's next scheduled game is Wednesday when they host Sydney.