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Aguilas de Zulia� 5,� Tigres de Aragua� 4 -- Los Tigres had a 4-1 lead after 4 innings, but Los Aguilas got 2 runs back in the 6th and another in the 7th to tie the game.� Then with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, a single and a stolen base put the winning run on second base.� After an intentional walk, DH Tony Alvarez lined a single to right, scoring the runner from second base.� Hector Gimenez, behind the plate tonight, had the first of two walks to lead off the 3-run 2nd inning, then scored on 1B Ramon Castro's 3-run homer.� DH Raul Chavez doubled in the 6th, but was left on base.
Navegantes del Magallanes� 7,� Cardinales de Lara� 6� -- Magallanes also broke a tie with a run in the bottom of the last inning.�� In this case it was the 10th, and Argenis Diaz scored the winning run in his first appearance for Magallanes.� Diaz entered the game as a defensive replacement at shortstop in the top of the 7th, and of course the first batter of the inning grounded right to him (easy out).� He lined out to right field in the 7th inning.� With the score still tied at 6-6, Jean Machi pitched a scoreless top of the 9th, and Los Navegantes went down in order in the bottom of the frame.� Machi returned the favor, with three straight ground outs in the top of the 10th.� Then in the bottom of the 10th, with one out, Diaz singled into center field.� Another single pushed Diaz to second base, and LF Johermyn Chavez singled into left field, and the speedy Diaz raced around from second base to score the winning run.� Machi earned the win, his first of the winter season.� DH Mike Ryan went 0-for-4 at the plate (unusual for him, with his .357 average), and walked and scored in Magallanes' 5-run 6th inning.
Caribes de Anzoategui� 6,� Leones de Caracas� 0� -- Los Leones managed 8 hits, but could not get any runs across the plate.� C Carlos Maldonado had two of those hits, a single and a double.� Los Caribes scored 3 runs on 2 homers in the 1st inning, then two more runs in the 3rd inning.� Former Pirate farmhand Ronald Uviedo came on in relief for Caracas in the bottom of the 7th, when he got two outs to end the inning.� Then he gave up the final Caribes' run in the bottom of the 8th, on two singles and a double.
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MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE
Naranjeros de Hermosillo� 12,� Yaquis de Obregon� 8� -- Former Pirate CF Jeff Salazar went 3-for-4 with a walk and an RBI in Obregon's losing effort.� Another former Pirate, C Humberto Cota, singled and homered -- a 3-run homer in the 5-run 6th inning.
Venados de Mazatlan� 7,� Aguilas de Mexicali� 6� -- Mazatlan took the lead with 4 runs in the 3rd inning, then kept ahead of Mexicali with another run in the 5th and two more in the 7th.� RF Rogelios Noris went 0-for-4 for Los Venados.
The Solar Sox and the Javelinas passed the lead back and forth this afternoon in Arizona Fall League play, but the Solar Sox were able to hold on in the bottom of the 9th to secure the win.
After both teams stranded two baserunners in the 1st inning, the Solar Sox were the first to dent the scoreboard in the 2nd.� 1B Ryan Flaherty (Cubs) led off with a walk, and LF Josh Harrison singled, moving Flaherty to third base.� A grounder to short by C Kai Gronauer let Flaherty score easily from third base.� The Javelinas responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning, tying the score on back-to-back doubles by 1B Koby Clemens (Astros, of course) and 2B Jason Kipnis (Cleveland Indians).
The 1-1 tie lasted until the bottom of the 5th.� Jake Muyco (Cubs) pitched 3 innings in his start for Mesa.� He had to work around baserunners again in the 3rd inning, finishing with one run on 4 hits and 2 walks, and escaped the 3rd with the help of his teammates.� RF Andrew Lambo's excellent throw in from the outfield cut down 3B Cord Phelps (Team USA and Cleveland) when he tried to stretch a single into a double, and Gronauer threw out another runner trying to steal third base.� Tyson Brummett retired the side in order in the 4th, but gave up a run in the 5th on a double, a ground out, and a fielding error by 2B Jordany Valdespin (Mets).
The Solar Sox answered that with 3 runs in the top of the 6th, as they batted around.� Lambo led off with a single through the hole into left field, then 3B Josh Vitters (Cubs) lined a single into left and Flaherty worked a walk to load the bases.� Harrison and Gronauer both struck out, but Valdespin brought in both Lambo and Vitters with a line drive into right field for a single.� DH Andrew Romine (Angels) also singled, plating Flaherty.� Romine stole second base and CF Jeremy Moore walked, but a new Javelina pitcher got SS Brandon Wood (Angels) to pop out to end the inning.� The Solar Sox had a 4-2 lead.
Which didn't last long.� Nicholas Carr (Mets) relieved Brummett to begin the bottom of the 6th, and he gave up a walk, a single, a walk, an RBI single, and a bases-loaded walk, bringing in two runs for the Javelinas, to tie the score at 4-4.
The 7th was quiet, as the Solar Sox went down in order, and David Cales (Cubs) relieved Carr and worked around a lead-off single to maintain the tie.� The Solar Sox broke the tie in the top of the 8th, when Harrison led off with a double lined into right field, and Gronauer followed with a triple also into right field, scoring Harrison.� They added an insurance run in the top of the 9th.� Wood reached base on missed-catch error by Clemens at first (of a grounder to third).� Lambo worked another walk.� Vitters blooped a single into right field, and Wood raced around from second to score.� Solar Sox leading, 6-4.
They needed the insurance in the bottom of the inning.� Cales had pitched another scoreless inning in the 8th.� 1B Flaherty made an error at first, but a double play got Cales out of that, then Cales worked around another single.� Eddie McKiernan (Angels) came on to pitch the bottom of the 9th for the Solar Sox.� Phelps greeted McKiernan with a triple into right field.� McKiernan struck out the next two batters, then ran the count full on LF Eric Thames.� Then McKiernan threw back-to-back wild pitches.� The first scored Phelps from third and was ball four for Thames.� The second wild pitch put Thames on second base.� Finally, McKiernan settled down and got Clemens to ground to third for the final out of the game.
Cales earned the win, and McKiernan was credited with the save.� Lambo went 1-for-3 with 2 walks.� Harrison boosted his batting average with two much-needed hits (single and double) in 5 at-bats (now hitting .174).� Lambo's average is .296.
Both the Venezuelan League and the Mexican Pacific League are off today.
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Peoria Javelinas� 4,� Mesa Solar Sox� 2
The Javelinas rallied for 2 runs in the top of the 10th, and the Solar Sox could not respond in this afternoon's Arizona Fall League action.
The Solar Sox had a 2-1 lead going into the top of the 9th.� Steven Geltz (Angels) had just taken the mound in relief for the Sox.� He got one out, then gave up a single to 3BLF Nate Tenbrink (Mariners).� The next batter, CF Jay Austin (Astros), grounded to first, but a fielding error by Mesa 1B Matt Rizzotti (Phillies) put Austin safely at first and sent Tenbrink to third.� Another grounder to first by 3B Matt Lawson (Mariners) let Tenbrink score the tying run (unearned).
The Solar Sox went down in order in the bottom of the 9th, including two strikeouts.� Rizzotti was one of the strikeouts, and he must have said the wrong words to the umpire, because he was ejected in the middle of the frame.
The 10th inning began with Robert Fish (Angels) on the mound for Mesa and Ryan Flaherty (Cubs) taking over for Rizzotti at first base.� Fish began the inning by giving up a single and hitting a batter with a pitch.� A double play, fielded by SS Jordy Mercer, who stepped on second and threw on to Flaherty at first, gave Fish two outs, but put the lead runner on third.� Fish could not take advantage of that good fortune, though.� He walked the next batter, then gave up an RBI single to SS Jose Iglesias (Red Sox), driving in the go-ahead run from third.� Another walk, to Tenbrink, loaded the bases, and a second run scored when Fish threw a wild pitch.� A ground out to first ended the inning.� Once again, the Solar Sox could not respond, going down in order in the bottom of the 10th.
Brad Holt (Mets) made the start for Mesa.� He pitched 3 innings, and allowed the Javelina's first run (also unearned) in the 3rd inning� Holt worked around a single and a walk in the 1st inning, and another single by Tenbrink in the 2nd.� (Tenbrink had 3 hits in the game.)� The run in the 3rd scored when Holt walked LF JB Shuck (Astros), then made a throwing error on a pick-off attempt, allowing Shuck to advance to third base.� A sacrifice fly drove in Shuck to give Peoria a 1-0 lead.
The Solar Sox had only two base runners over the first five innings -- CF Jeremy Moore (Angels) singled in the 1st inning and stole second base, then RF Kirk Nieuwenhuis (Mets) singed in the 5th, but was thrown out trying to steal second.
C Tony Sanchez finally got the Solar Sox' bats going in the 6th, when he led off with a single bounced off the Peoria third baseman's glove and into left field.� 2B Jordany Valdespin (Mets) followed with a double into right, putting Sanchez on third base.� LF Josh Harrison's sacrifice fly drove in Sanchez, and Moore's sacrifice fly brought in Valdespin.� The Solar Sox had a 2-1 lead.
But the Solar Sox couldn't keep the momentum going.� Rizzotti singled in the 7th and Valdespin singled in the 8th, but neither could come around to score.
Aaron Pribanic relieved the starter Holt for the 4th inning.� Pribanic pitched 2 scoreless innings, allowing only a walk in the 5th.� BJ Rosenberg (Phillies) also contributed 2 scoreless innings, giving up only a double to Tenbrink in the 7th.� Eric Niesen (Mets) pitched a scoreless 8th, though he had to work out of a jam that was not entirely his own fault.� He gave up a single, then had a runner reach on a fielding error by Mercer, then walked a batter, loading the bases with one out.� The next batter bounced right back to the mound, and Niesen flipped the ball back to Sanchez for the force out at the plate.� A fly out ended the inning, leaving the bases loaded.
Geltz was charged with the Blown Save, and Fish was charged with the loss.� Harrison went 0-for-3 with the sacrifice fly.� Mercer went 0-for-4, and Sanchez had the one hit and scored in 4 trips to the plate.
A few updates on the manager search:
-Eric Wedge was officially named the manager of the Seattle Mariners today, after rumors broke over the weekend...
Caribes de Anzoategui� 5,� Bravos de Margarita� 0 -- Los Bravos were held to just 5 hits, and Los Caribes scored 4 of their runs in the 2nd inning on back-to-back lead-off homers plus two triples.� But, 3B Andy LaRoche had the day off.
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Tiburones de La Guaira� 3,� Tigres de Aragua� 0� -- Los Tigres out-hit Los Tiburones 6-4, but Aragua's pitchers helped out by throwing wild pitches that contributed to two of the runs.�� Aragua's 1B Alex Nunez went 3-for-3, but never came around to score.� DH Hector Gimenez singled and C Raul Chavez tripled for Aragua.
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MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE
Algodoneros de Guasave 4,� Venados de Mazatlan 1� -- RF Rogelios Noris lifted his average to .308 with two singles tonight for Los Venados.� Guasave starter Daniel Guerrero retired the first 13 Mazatlan batters of the game, then hit LF Matt Clark with a pitch, but retired the next two batters to get out of the inning.� Guerrero also retired the first two batters of the 6th, then gave up a solo home run to 3B Elliot Johnson for Mazatlan's only run of the game.� After a walk, Guerrero was relieved, and while they didn't score again, Los Venados did post some hits in the last three innings.� Mazatlan loaded the bases in the 7th on two singles, one by Noris, and a walk, but a double play ended the inning.� They had one single in the 8th, then a pair of two-out singles in the 9th, including Noris' second hit of the game.� Guasave scored one run in each of the 3rd and 5th innings, then two more in the 7th.
