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.

AP-style recaps, as we try to get caught up.

MAZATLAN

Wednesday

MAZATLAN 8, OBREGON 2 IN OBREGON (10 INNINGS)

Mazatlan broke open a 2-2 tie with a six-run tenth.  They scored the runs on four singles, a walk, a hit batsman, and an error.  Matt Gage pitched seven innings, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk and striking out three.  Jose Augusto Figueroa was 2-for-3 with a triple and a double.

Thursday

No game.

Friday

MEXICALI 6, MAZATLAN 2 IN MAZATLAN

Mexicali scored two in the third to take a 2-1 lead and led the rest of the way.  Maxwell Leon was 2-for-2 with a double and two walks and Isaac Paredes was 2-for-2 with two walks.  Ricardo Valenzuela hit a home run, his sixth.

Saturday

MEXICALI 2, MAZATLAN 1 IN MAZATLAN

Xorge Carrillo's two-run single in the ninth gave Mexicali the victory.  Irwin Delgado pitched 5.1 scoreless innings, giving up four hits and two walks and striking out three.  Isaac Paredes and Ricky Alvarez were each 2-for-4.

Sunday

MAZATLAN 10, MEXICALI 9 IN MAZATLAN

Mazatlan led 6-1, trailed 7-6, and led 9-7, but it was tied 9-9 going to the bottom of the ninth.  Maxwell Leon singled home the deciding run with two out.  Ramon Rios was 3-for-5.  Jose Augusto Figueroa was 2-for-5 with two doubles and Carlos Munoz was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs.

Record:  Mazatlan is 27-28, tied for seventh place with Culiacan in the Mexican League, nine games behind Obregon.  They are a half game behind sixth-place Jalisco.

Next game:  Mazatlan is at Los Mochis tonight.

GIGANTES

Wednesday

GIGANTES 4, TOROS 2 AT TOROS

A three-run second carried the Gigantes to victory.  Two of the runs scored on wild pitches.  Richelson Pena pitched four shutout innings, giving up four hits and four walks and striking out three.  Kelvin Gutierrez was 2-for-4.

Thursday--Sunday

Did not play.

Next game:  The Dominican League playoffs have started.  It's a five-team playoff with a play-in round to drop it to four.  The Gigantes are the number-one seed in the playoffs, and so have a bye past the play-in round.  They will play the winner of Estrellas/Escogido.  It appears that series will start on January 2 and is a best-of-seven series.

LARA

Wednesday

CARIBES 4, LARA 1 AT LARA

Caribes scored two in the fourth and two in the eighth, while Lara's lone run came in the fifth.  Nestor Molina pitched five innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on two hits and two walks and striking out two.  Gorkys Hernandez was 1-for-4 with a double and drove in the lone run.

Thursday

No game.

Friday

No game

Saturday

ZULIA 4, LARA 3 IN ZULIA

Zulia scored two in the seventh to take a 4-3 lead.  Ex-Twin Alex Romero doubled home the tying run and the deciding run scored on an error.  Lara put men on second and third with one out in the eighth but could not tie it up.  Carlos Rivero was 3-for-4 with a walk and all three RBIs.  Jecksson Flores was 3-for-3.

Sunday

LARA 5, CARIBES 4 IN LARA

Trailing 4-2, Lara scored three in the ninth to win it.  Yordanys Linares had a two-run double to tie it and Gorkys Hernandez singled home the deciding run.

Record:  Lara is 16-11, in first place in the Venezuelan League West, a half game ahead of Magallanes.

Next game:  Lara is at Magallanes for a doubleheader this evening.

MAYAGUEZ

Wednesday

RA12 1, MAYAGUEZ 0 AT RA12

The game's lone run scored in the third inning on a sacrifice fly.  This was RA12's first win of the season.  Kenny Hernandez pitched five innings, giving up one run on two hits and a walk and striking out four.

Thursday and Friday

No games.

Saturday

MAYAGUEZ 10, RA12 1 AT MAYAGUEZ

Mayaguez scored three in the fifth, aided by four walks, to take a 3-1 lead.  They then put it away with two in the seventh and five in the eighth.  Eric Stout struck out eight in five innings, giving up one run on four hits and two walks.  Xavier Fernandez was 3-for-5 with a home run (his second), a triple, and five RBIs.

Sunday

MAYAGUEZ 8, CAGUAS 1 AT MAYAGUEZ

Emmanuel Rivera and ex-Twin Danny Ortiz hit back-to-back homers in the first to give Mayaguez a 3-0 lead.  It was Rivera's third and Ortiz' second.  Ivan De Jesus also homered.  Ortiz was 3-for-3.  Luis Medina struck out seven in five innings, giving up one run on three hits and two walks.

Record:  Mayaguez is 12-4, in second place in the Puerto Rican League, one game behind Caguas.

Next game:  Mayaguez is at Caguas on Tuesday

MELBOURNE

Wednesday through Friday

No games.

Saturday

CANBERRA 8, MELBOURNE 4 IN CANBERRA

Trailing 4-3, Canberra scored five runs in the eighth.  They had just two hits in the inning, both singles, but got the benefit of three walks and a throwing error.  Gunnar Kines pitched five innings, giving up two runs on three hits and four walks and striking out one.  Blake Gailen hit a three-run homer, his first.

Sunday

MELBOURNE 8, CANBERRA 2 IN CANBERRA

Damek Tomscha homered in the sixth to break a 2-2 tie.  Melbourne then scored five in the seventh to put the game out of reach.  Ex-Twin Delmon Young was 2-for-4 with a double.  Brian Flynn pitched three shutout innings of relief, giving up a hit and a walk and striking out two.

Record:  Melbourne is 2-2, tied for first in the Australian League with Canberra and Sydney.  COVID concerns are playing havoc with the early season schedule.  The three teams listed above are the only teams that have played games.  Canberra and Sydney are each 1-1.

Next game:  Melbourne is scheduled to host Perth on Wednesday afternoon.

MAZATLAN, GAME 51

OBREGON 9, MAZATLAN 2 AT OBREGON

Batting star:  Edson Garcia was 2-for-3 with two runs.

Pitching stars:  Ignacio Marrujo pitched four shutout innings of relief, giving up four hits and a walk.  Fernando Burgueno pitched a scoreless inning, giving up one hit.

Opposition stars:  Martin Carrasco pitched six innings, giving up one run on three hits and a walk and striking out one.  Carlos Sepulveda was 4-for-4 with a walk and two runs.  Sebastian Valle was 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs.  Jesus Valdez was 3-for-4.  Alejandro Gonzalez was 2-for-3 with a walk.  Marco Guzman was 2-for-4 with a home run (his third) and two runs.  Issmael Salas was 2-for-5 with a double, two runs, and four RBIs.

The game:  It got late early, as Obregon scored seven runs in the first two innings to take a 7-0 lead.

WP:  Carrasco (1-1).  LP:  Francisco Rios (6-3).  S:  None.

Stats:  Isaac Paredes was 0-for-3 and is batting .379.  Burgueno's ERA is 1.64.

Record:  Mazatlan is 25-26, in eighth place in the Mexican League, nine games behind Obregon.  They are a half game behind seventh-place Mexicali.

Next game:  Mazatlan is again at Obregon tonight.

GIGANTES, GAMES 18 AND 19

GIGANTES 9, ESTRELLAS 8 AT GIGANTES (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Kelvin Gutierrez was 3-for-3 with a home run (his second), a double, a walk, two runs, and three RBIs.  Ronald Guzman was 2-for-3 with a home run (his fifth), a walk, and two runs.  Jose Siri was 2-for-4 with a home run (his third), a double, and a walk.  Abiatal Avelino was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.

Pitching stars:  Jesus Reyes struck out two in 1.1 scoreless innings, giving up one hit.  Chris Smith and Ryan Kussmaul each pitched a perfect inning and each struck out one.

Opposition stars:  Ex-Twin Lewin Diaz was 2-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs.  Eric Filia was 2-for-4 with a walk.  Jeremy Pena was 2-for-5 with two runs.

The game:  Estrellas had leads of 3-0, 7-3, and 8-5.  The Gigantes scored two in the fifth to make it 8-7 and won it with two in the seventh.  Gutierrez' homer tied it 8-8 and Oniel Cruz scored from first on Siri's double to win it.

WP:  Kussmaul (3-2).  LP:  Matt Pobereyko (0-1).  S:  None.

ESTRELLAS 5, GIGANTES 4 AT GIGANTES (GAME 2--7 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Logan Moore was 2-for-3 with a home run (his second), a double, and two RBIs.  Kelvin Gutierrez was 2-for-3.  Ronald Guzman was 2-for-4.

Pitching stars:  Miguel Del Poza retired all four men he faced, striking out one.  Jose Cisnero and ex-Twin Fernando Romero each pitched a scoreless inning.

Opposition stars:  Jeremy Pena was 4-for-4 with a triple, two runs, and two RBIs.  Radhames Liz pitched four shutout innings, giving up three hits and a walk and striking out three.  Ramon Santos struck out four in two shutout innings, giving up two walks.

The game:  Estrellas scored three in the sixth to break a 2-2 tie.  Pena had a two-run single in the inning.  The Gigantes scored two in the bottom of the sixth and had the bases loaded with one out, but a double play ended the inning.  They went down in order in the seventh.

WP:  Franco Terrero (1-0).  LP:  Domingo Tapia (0-1).  S:  Santos (1).

Stats:  Gutierrez is batting .388.  Guzman is batting .361.  Moore is batting .333.  Del Pozo, Tapia, and Romero each has an ERA of zero.  Tapia gave up the three runs in the sixth, but all were unearned.

Record:  The Gigantes are 15-14, tied for third in the Dominican League with Estrellas, one game behind Este.

Next game:  The Gigantes are at Este tonight.

LARA, GAME 24

LARA 8, CARIBES 6 AT CARIBES (10 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Gorkys Hernandez was 4-for-5 with two home runs (his third and fourth), three runs, and four RBIs.  Osman Marval was 2-for-5 with a double.  Yonathan Mendoza was 2-for-5 with two runs.

Pitching stars:  Yapson Gomez retired all four men he faced.  Vicente Campos and Pedro Rodriguez each pitched a scoreless inning.

Opposition stars:  Andruw Monastario was 2-for-4 with a home run, his second.  Niuman Romero was 2-for-5 with a home run (his second) and two runs.  Minnesota Twin Willians Astudillo was 2-for-5.  Luis Sardinas was 2-for-5.  Andres Machado pitched five innings, giving up one run on four hits and three walks and striking out two.

The game:  Lara scored two in the ninth to tie it 5-5.  They then scored three in the tenth, with Hernandez hitting a two-run homer in the inning.  Caribes loaded the bases with none out in the bottom of the tenth, but a double play took them out of the inning.

WP:  Rodriguez (1-1).  LP:  Henry Martinez (1-1).  S:  Ricardo Gomez (2).

Stats:  Monasterio is batting .375.  Astudillo is batting .347.  Sardinas is batting .346.  Romero is batting .333.  Tomas Telis was 0-for-3 and is batting .309.  Rafael Ortega was 1-for-5 and is batting .300.  Gomez has an ERA of zero.  Campos' ERA is 1.13.  Gomez gave up an unearned run in one inning and has an ERA of 1.00.

Record:  Lara is 15-9, in first place in the Venezuelan League West, 1.5 games ahead of Margarita.

MAYAGUEZ, GAME 13

MAYAGUEZ 2, RA12 0 AT RA12

Batting stars:  None.  Mayaguez had just two hits.

Pitching stars:  Luis Medina struck out ten in 4.2 innings, giving up two hits and a walk.  Nick Travieso pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, walking one and striking out one.  Nefi Ogando, Jacob Condra-Bogan, and Nicholas Padilla each pitched a scoreless inning.

Opposition stars:  Juan Aponte pitched six innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on one hit and three walks and striking out three.  Henry Nunez pitched two shutout innings, giving up a hit and two walks.

The game:  Mayaguez scored in the fourth on a walk, a wild pitch, and an error.  They scored in the fifth on a walk, a wild pitch, a ground out, and a sacrifice fly.  RA12 had just one hit, a one-out single by Roby Enriquez in the second inning.

WP:  Travieso (3-0).  LP:  Aponte (0-1).  S:  Padilla (3).

Stats:  Henry Ramos was 0-for-3 and is batting .364.  Ex-Twin Danny Oritz was 0-for-3 and is batting .304.  Medina, Travieso, Condra-Bogan, and Padilla each has an ERA of zero.  Ogando's ERA is 1.50.

Record:  Mayaguez is 10-3, in second place in the Puerto Rican League, two games behind Caguas.

Next game:  Mayaguez is at RA12 again tonight.

MELBOURNE

Melbourne did not play.  They remain 1-1, tied for second place in the Australian League, a half game behind Perth.  Their next game is at Canberra on Friday.

MAZATLAN, GAME 50

OBREGON 9, MAZATLAN 8 IN OBREGON

Batting stars:  Anthony Giansanti was 2-for-4 with a double.  Hector Mora was 2-for-4 with a double.  Carlos Munoz was 2-for-4.  Maxwell Leon was 1-for-5 with a two-run homer, his fourth.

Pitching stars:  Irwin Delgado struck out three in two innings, giving up an unearned run on no hits and two walks.  Ivan Zavala pitched a perfect inning and struck out one.

Opposition stars:  Carlos Sepulveda was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs.  Victor Mendoza was 2-for-4.  Sebastian Valle was 2-for-5 with a double.  Hector Velazquez pitched three shutout innings, giving up no hits and one walk and striking out two.

The game:  Obregon scored six in the third to take a 6-0 lead, but Mazatlan came back with eight in the fourth to go up 8-6.  That was as good as it got, though.  Obregon got one in the fifth, tied it on Sepulveda's RBI double in the eighth, and won it in the ninth on Jonathan Aranda's run-scoring double.

WP:  Mario Meza (3-2).  LP:  Gabino Avalos (1-1).  S:  None.

Stats:  Isaac Paredes was 1-for-3 and is batting .388.  Jose Augusto Figueroa was 1-for-4 and is batting .304.  Marco Antonio Rivas did not allow a run in two-thirds of an inning and has an ERA of 1.44.  Roberto Espinosa allowed a run in an inning and has an ERA of 1.86.  Avalos allowed a run without retiring anyone and has an ERA of 1.80.

Record:  Mazatlan is 25-25, in sixth place in the Mexican League, eight games behind Obregon.  They are a half game behind fifth-place Culiacan.

Next game:  Mazatlan is again at Obregon today.

GIGANTES, GAME 27

GIGANTES 6, TOROS 2 AT GIGANTES

Batting stars:  Kelvin Gutierrez was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.  Ronald Guzman was 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs.  Moises Sierra was 2-for-4 with a home run (his third), a double, and four RBIs.  Oneil Cruz was 2-for-4.  Jose Siri was 2-for-5.

Pitching stars:  Scott Harkin struck out four in three shutout innings, giving up two hits and two walks.  Marcos Molina struck out five in three innings, giving up a run on no hits and two walks.  Yerry De Los Santos and Wily Peralta each pitched a scoreless inning.

Opposition star:  Peter O'Brien was 1-for-4 with a home run, his fourth.

The game:  The Gigantes scored two in the second and three in the fifth to take a 5-0 lead.  Sierra hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning.

Stats:  Guzman is batting .347.  Gutierrez is batting .326.  Alfredo Marte was 0-for-4 and is batting .300.  Molina has an ERA of 2.61.  De Los Santos and Peralta each has an ERA of zero.

Record:  The Gigantes are 14-13, tied for third place in the Dominican League with Estrellas.  They are a game and a half behind the Toros and Aguilas, which are tied for first.

Next game:  The Gigantes host Estrellas for a doubleheader today.

LARA

Lara did not play yesterday.  They remain 14-9, in first place in the Dominican League West, a half game ahead of Margarita.  Their next game is at Caribes tonight.

MAYAGUEZ

Mayaguez did not play yesterday.  They remain 9-3, in second place in the Puerto Rican League, two games behind Caguas.  Their next game is at RA12 tonight.

MELBOURNE

Melbourne did not play yesterday.  They remain 1-1, tied for second place in the Australian League with Sydney, a half game behind Perth.  Their next game is at Canberra Friday afternoon.

Shorter, AP-style recaps today:

MAZATLAN, GAMES 48 AND 49

Saturday

NAVOJOA 7, MAZATLAN 3 IN NAVOJOA

A three-run third gave Navojoa a lead they would not give up.  They had a hit batsman and four singles in the inning.  Anthony Giansanti was 2-for-3 with a walk.  Isaac Paredes was 2-for-4 with two doubles.  Ignacio Marrujo struck out four in 2.1 scoreless innings.

Sunday

MAZATLAN 4, NAVOJOA 0 IN NAVOJOA

Mazatlan scored single runs in the first, third, seventh, and ninth.  Juan Augusto Figueroa was 2-for-4.  Alejandro Soto pitched five shutout innings, giving two hits and one walk and striking out three.

Record:  Mazatlan is 25-24, tied for fifth with Culiacan in the Mexican League, seven games behind Obregon.  They are 1.5 games behind fourth-place Jalisco.

Next game:  Mazatlan is at Obregon this afternoon.

GIGANTES, GAMES 24, 25, AND 26

Saturday

GIGANTES 10, TOROS 1 AT GIGANTES

Moises Sierra and Alfredo Marte homered in a three-run first for the Gigantes.  Juan Francisco hit a three-run homer in the sixth to put an exclamation point on it.  Jose Siri was 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs, and two RBIs.  Luis Marte was 2-for-4.  Abiatal Avelino also homered.  Dustin Crenshaw pitched five innings, giving up one run on four hits and two walks with no strikeouts.

Sunday

GIGANTES 3, ESTRELLAS 2 AT ESTRELLAS (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

Alfredo Marte's two-run homer in the sixth turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 victory.  It was Marte's third homer.  Ronald Guzman was 2-for-3.

ESTRELLAS 7, GIGANTES 4 AT ESTRELLAS (GAME 2--7 INNINGS)

The Gigantes led 4-1 after four, but Estrellas scored six in the fifth to take the game.  Ex-Twin Lewin Diaz had a two-run single and Jeremy Pena had a three-run single in the inning.  Ronald Guzman was 2-for-3.  Juan Francisco hit a two-run homer, his seventh.

Record:  The Gigantes are 13-13, tied for third with Estrellas in the Dominican League, two games behind Este.  They are 1.5 games behind second-place Aguilas.

Next game:  The Gigantes host the Toros tonight.

LARA, GAMES 21, 22, AND 23

Saturday

MARGARITA 13, LARA 6 IN MARGARITA (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

Lara led 5-0 going to the bottom of the third, but Margarita scored six in the third, four in the fourth, and three in the fifth.  Margarita had just eleven hits, but benefited from seven walks and three errors.  Carlos Rivero led Lara, going 3-for-4 with two home runs (his third and fourth), three runs, and three RBIs.  Yordanys Linares was 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

LARA 12, MARGARITA 4 IN MARGARITA (GAME 2--7 INNINGS)

Lara scored five in the second to break a 1-1 tie and got four in the seventh to put it out of reach.  Gorkys Hernandez was 3-for-4 with a walk, four runs, and two RBIs.  Osman Marval was 3-for-5 with two RBIs.  Ildemaro Vargas, Carlos Rivero, and Rene Reyes were each 2-for-4.  Yordanys Linares was 2-for-5.

Sunday

LARA 14, CARACAS 5 IN LARA

Lara scored eight runs in the third to take a 9-0 lead.  Gorkys Hernandez hit a three-run triple in the inning.  Gabriel Moreno was 4-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs.  Carlos Rivero was 2-for-3 with a home run, his fifth.  Hernandez was 2-for-4 and had four RBIs.  Rene Reyes hit a home run.  Raul Rivero struck out five in five innings, giving up one run on four hits and two walks.

Record:  Lara is 14-9, in first place in the Venezuelan League West, a half game ahead of Margarita.

Next game:  Lara is at Caribes Tuesday.

MAYAGUEZ, GAMES 10, 11, AND 12

Saturday

MAYAGUEZ 3, MANATI 2 AT MAYAGUEZ (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

Mayaguez led 3-0 after four and held on.  Ex-Twin Kennys Vargas homered in the first inning to give Mayaguez the lead.  Hector Hernandez struck out five in five innings, giving up two runs on four hits and a walk.

MAYAGUEZ 3, MANATI 1 AT MANATI (GAME 2--7 INNINGS)

T. J. Rivera's RBI double in the sixth broke a 1-1 tie.  Ex-Twin Kennys Vargas singled home an insurance run in the seventh.  Rivera was 2-for-3.  Antonio Velez pitched five innings, giving up one run on four hits and no walks and striking out two.

Sunday

MANATI 12, MAYAGUEZ 2 AT MANATI

Leading 4-2, Manati scored eight runs in the eighth to put it away.  They hit four home runs in the inning:  Jan Hernandez, Roy Morales, Irving Falu, and ex-Twin Juan Centeno all homered, with Centeno's being a three-run homer.  Ex-Twin Danny Ortiz was 2-for-4 for Mayaguez.  Eric Stout struck out five in five innings, giving up one run on four hits and a walk.

Record:  Manati is 9-3, in second place in the Puerto Rican League, two games behind Caguas.

Next game:  Mayaguez is at RA12 Tuesday.

MELBOURNE

The Australian League is dealing with COVID-related complications to its schedule.  There were no games played over the weekend.  Melbourne remains 1-1, tied for second place with Sydney, a half game behind Perth.  The Australian League only plays on weekends, so Melbourne's next scheduled game is Friday in Canberra.

MAZATLAN, GAME 47

MAZATLAN 9, NAVOJOA 4 IN NAVOJOA

Batting stars:  Isaac Paredes was 4-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs.  Anthony Giansanti was 3-for-4 with a home run (his fifth), a double, a walk, and three runs.  Daniel Sanchez was 3-for-5 with a two-run homer, a double, and two runs.  Edson Garcia was 2-for-5.

Pitching stars:  Juan Ramon Noriega, Marco Antonio Rivas, and Roberto Espinosa each threw a scoreless inning.

Opposition stars:  Jorge Sesma was 3-for-4 with a double.  Jorge Flores was 2-for-4 with a double.  Alonso Gaitan was 2-for-4.  Josuan Hernandez was 2-for-4.

The game:  Navojoa took a 2-0 lead in the first, but it was 3-3 after five.  In the sixth, Maxwell Leon broke the tie with an RBI double and Paredes had a two-run double, putting Mazatlan up 6-3.  They led the rest of the way.

WP:  Matt Gage (3-0).  LP:  Octavio Acosta (3-4).  S:  None.

Stats:  Paredes is batting .391.  Jose Augusto Figueroa was 1-for-3 and is batting .301.  Noriega's ERA is 3.00.  Rivas is at 1.54.  Espinosa is at 1.67.  Jesus Pirela gave up a run in one inning and has an ERA of 1.83.

Record:  Mazatlan is 24-23, tied for fifth place with Culiacan in the Mexican League, six games behind Obregon.  They are 1.5 games behind fourth-place Jalisco.

Next game:  Mazatlan is again at Navojoa this afternoon.

GIGANTES, GAMES 22 AND 23

GIGANTES 6, TOROS 1 AT TOROS (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Alfredo Marte was 3-for-3 with a double.  Jose Siri was 2-for-4 with two doubles, two runs, and two RBIs.  Juan Francisco was 2-for-4 with a home run (his fifth) and three RBIs.  Ronald Guzman was 2-for-4.

Pitching stars:  Chris Ellis struck out seven in five innings, giving up one run on five hits and a walk.  Ryan Kussmaul and Ramon E. Ramirez each pitched a scoreless inning.

Opposition star:  Miguel Andujar was 1-for-2 with a double and a walk.

The game:  Francisco hit a two-run homer in the third to give the Gigantes a 3-0 lead.  They scored three in the fourth to put the game out of reach.  Siri had a two-run double in the inning.

WP:  Ellis (1-0).  LP:  Carlos Hernandez (0-2).  S:  None.

TOROS 6, GIGANTES 5 AT TOROS (GAME 2--8 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Moises Sierra was 2-for-4.  Jose Siri was 1-for-3 with a home run (his second) and a walk.

Pitching star:  Domingo Tapia struck out two in a perfect inning.

Opposition stars:  Miguel Andujar was 3-for-4 with a double.  Jorge Mateo was 2-for-3.  Peter O'Brien was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, his third.

The game:  The Gigantes led 4-2 after six.  An error with two out in the seventh brought home two runs and tied the score.  O'Brien hit a walkoff two-run homer in the eighth.

WP:  Keury Mella (1-0).  LP:  Juan Minaya (0-1).  S:  None.

Stats:  Alfredo Marte was 0-for-2 and is batting .438.  Ronald Guzman was 0-for-4 and is batting .326.  Richelson Pena gave up two runs in 4.2 innings and has an ERA of 2.84.  Edgar Santana retired the only man he faced and has an ERA of 3.00.  Tapia has an ERA of zero.  Wily Peralta gave up two runs in an inning but both were unearned, so he still has an ERA of zero.

Record:  The Gigantes are 11-12, in fifth place in the Domincan League, 2.5 games behind Este.  They are 2.5 games behind fourth-place Escogido.  The games behind numbers look odd because weather has cause a number of postponements, so that the teams have played a very dissimilar number of games.

Next game:  The Gigantes host the Toros this afternoon.

LARA, GAME 20

LARA 7, ZULIA 3 IN LARA

Batting stars:  Yordanys Linares was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.  Osman Marval was 3-for-4 with a walk and two runs.  Gorkys Hernandez was 3-for-5 with a triple and a double.

Pitching stars:  Wilking Rodriguez retired all five men he faced, striking out two.  Jesus Sanchez pitched 1.1 scoreless innings.  Yapson Gomez and Ricardo Gomez each pitched a scoreless inning.

Opposition stars:  Ex-Twin Alex Romero was 2-for-4 with a double.  Humberto Arteaga was 2-for-4.  Daniel Brito was 1-for-3 with a home run (his third) and a walk.  Carlos Betancourt pitched three shutout innings, giving up three hits and no walks and striking out one.

The game:  Zulia led 3-2 through six, but Lara scored five in the seventh to take control of the game.  The last two runs scored on an error.

WP:  Rodriguez (1-1).  LP:  Arcenio Leon (0-1).  S:  None.

Stats:  Ildemaro Vargas was 1-for-4 and is batting .382.  Josmar Cordero was 0-for-3 and is batting .373.  Yonathan Mendoza was 1-for-4 and is batting .313.  Linares is batting .308.  Hernandez is batting .306.  Jecksson Flores was 0-for-4 and is batting .302.  Yapson Gomez has an ERA of zero.  Ricardo Gomez has an ERA of 1.29.

Record:  Lara is 12-8, tied with Magallanes for first place in the Venezuelan League.

Next game:  Lara plays a doubleheader in Margarita today.

MAYAGUEZ

Their game at Manati was postponed.  Mayaguez remains 7-2, in second place in the Puerto Rican League, 1.5 games behind Caguas.  They will play a doubleheader against Manati today.

MELBOURNE, GAME 2

MELBOURNE 4, SYDNEY 2 IN SYDNEY

Batting stars:  Blake Gailen was 3-for-5 with two doubles.  Ex-Twin Delmon Young was 2-for-4 with a double.  Darryl George was 2-for-5.  Damek Tomscha was 1-for-4 with a home run.

Pitching stars:  Drew Anderson struck out five in two shutout innings, giving up one hit.  Cameron Gibbens struck out all four men he faced.  Mitch Ellis pitched a scoreless inning despite giving up two hits and two walks.  He struck out one.

Opposition star:  Matthew Rae struck out four in four innings, giving up one run on five hits and no walks.

The game:  Gailen singled home a run in the seventh to tie it at two.  Tomscha homered leading off the eighth to give Melbourne the lead.  Young doubled and scored later in the inning to provide an insurance run.

WP:  Gibbens (1-0).  LP:  Zac Shepherd (0-1).  S:   Anderson (1).

Stats:  Gailen is batting .625.  Young is batting .571.  Jarryd Dale was 1-for-3 and is batting .333.  George is batting .300.  Ellis, Gibbens, and Anderson each has an ERA of zero.

Record:  Melbourne is 1-1, tied for second place with Sydney in the Australian League, a half game behind Perth.

Next game:  Melbourne is again at Sydney for an afternoon game.

MAZATLAN, GAME 46

MAZATLAN 9, LOS MOCHIS 2 IN MAZATLAN

Batting stars:  Isaac Paredes was 3-for-3 with a home run (his fourth), a double, two runs, and four RBIs.  Anthony Giansanti was 1-for-2 with a home run (his fourth), two walks, and two runs.

Pitching stars:  Francisco Rios struck out seven in five innings, giving up one run on two hits and four walks.  Roman Pena struck out three in two shutout innings, giving up one hit.  Igancio Murrujo pitched a perfect inning and struck out one.

Opposition stars:  Amilcar Gomez was 1-for-3 with a home run (his fourth) and a walk.  Hector Soto retired all eight men he faced, striking out one.

The game:  Mazatan scored three in the first, three in the second, and three in the fourth.  Ricardo Valenzuela hit a three-run double in the first inning to get Mazatlan going.

WP:  Rios (6-2).  LP:  Cristian Castillo (0-3).  S:  None.

Stats:  Paredes is batting .371.  Carlos Munoz was 1-for-2 and is batting .306.  Gabino Avalos gave up a run in one inning and has an ERA of 0.96.

Record:  Mazatlan is 23-23, tied for fifth in the Mexican Pacific League, six games behind Obregon.  They are 2.5 games out of fourth place.

Next game:  Mazatlan is at Navojoa this afternoon.

GIGANTES

No game scheduled.  They remain 10-11, in fifth place in the Dominican League, 2.5 games out of first, one game out of fourth.  They are at the Toros del Este for a doubleheader today.

LARA, GAME 19

MAGALLANES 5, LARA 3 IN LARA

Batting stars:  Gorkys Hernandez was 3-for-4 with a home run (his second) and a double.  Ildemaro Vargas was 2-for-4.

Pitching stars:  Maximo Castillo struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up three hits and a walk.  Leonel Campos retired all four men he faced, striking out one.

Opposition stars:  Yordan Manduley was 3-for-4.  Carlos Perez was 1-for-4 with a grand slam, his second homer.  Ex-Twin Yohan Pino pitched five innings, giving up one run on five hits and no walks and striking out three.

The game:  Perez' grand slam broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth.  Three singles had loaded the bases.  Lara scored single runs in the eighth and ninth to make it 5-3.  They had the tying run up to bat in the eighth and on base in the ninth, but could not bring them in.

WP:  Pino (1-1).  LP:  Ex-Twin Logan Darnell (0-2).  S:  Jorge Rondon (5).

Stats:  Josmar Cordero was 0-for-4 and is batting .396.  Vargas is batting .392.  Jecksson Flores is batting .333.  Yonathan Mendoza was 1-for-1 and is batting .318.  Castillo's ERA is 1.86.  Campos' ERA is 1.93.

Record:  Lara is 11-8, in second place in the Venezuelan League West, a half game behind Margarita.

Next game:  Lara hosts Zulia tonight.

MAYAGUEZ, GAME 9

CAGUAS 8, MAYAGUEZ 1 IN MAYAGUEZ

Batting stars:  Alan Marrero was 3-for-4 with two doubles.  Khalil Lee was 2-for-4 with a double.

Pitching star:  Yacksel Rios struck out two in a scoreless inning, giving up a walk.

Opposition stars:  Jose Miranda was 3-for-5 with a double.  Jonathan Morales was 2-for-2 with a walk and two runs.  Edwin Diaz was 1-for-3 with a two-run homer (his second) and two runs.  Johneshwy Fargas was 1-for-5 with a three-run homer, his third.

The game:  Diaz' two-run homer in the fifth started the scoring.  It was 4-1 until the ninth, when Fargas hit a three-run homer in a four-run inning that put the game out of reach.

WP:  Giovanni Soto (2-1).  LP:  Kenny Hernandez (0-1).  S:  None.

Stats:  Marrero is batting .571.  Henry Ramos was 0-for-4 and is batting .424.  Emmanuel Rivera was 1-for-4 and is batting .306.  Ex-Twin Danny Ortiz was 0-for-4 and is batting .306.  Nefi Ogando gave up a run in two innings and has an ERA of 1.80.  Rios has an ERA of zero.

Record:  Mayaguez is 7-2, in second place in the Puerto Rican League, one game behind Caguas.

Next game:  Mayaguez is at Manati this afternoon.

MELBOURNE, GAME 1

Our randomly selected team in the Australian Baseball League, which started last night, is Melbourne.

SYDNEY 12, MELBOURNE 6 IN SYDNEY

Batting stars:  Ex-Twin Delmon Young was 2-for-3 with three RBIs.  Blake Gailen was 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and two runs.

Pitching star:  Jon Kennedy pitched a scoreless inning, giving up one hit and striking out one.

Opposition stars:  Trent D'Antonio was 3-for-4 with a walk.  Carlos Cortes was 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, and two RBIs.  Michael Campbell was 2-for-3 with two doubles and three runs.  Connor McDonald was 2-for-5 with a home run, a double, and three RBIs.  Ex-Twin Jacob Younis was 2-for-5.  Josh Guyer struck out seven in six innings, giving up two runs on four hits and a walk.

The game:  Sydney scored seven runs in the second inning to take a 9-2 lead.  Sydney had two walks and two hit batsmen in the inning and McDonald had a three-run homer.

WP:  Guyer (1-0).  LP:  Daniel McGrath (0-1).  S:  None.

Stats:  Gailen is batting .667.  Young is batting .667.  Chris Burke was 1-for-3 and is batting .333.  Jarryd Dale was 1-for-3 and is batting .333.  Scott Mitchenson retired both batters he faced and has an ERA of zero.  Kennedy has an ERA of zero.

Record:  Melbourne is 0-1, in sixth (last) place in the Australian League, one game behind Sydney.

Next game:  Melbourne is again at Sydney today.