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M e x i c o
Monday,
January 2, 2023
LOS MOCHIS WINS SECOND HALF, MEX PAC PLAYOFFS UNDERWAY
It took a 1-0 win on the last day of
the regular season and a little mathematics, but Los Mochis emerged as the
champion for the second half of the Mexican Pacific League's 2022-23 season.
Despite having an identical record as the Caneros over the final half,
Hermosillo was awarded second place because in head-to-head competition, Los
Mochis had a better record than the Naranjeros.
The Caneros sealed the second half
title by holding off archrival Guasave, 1-0, on Thursday night in front of
7,923 fans at the Algodoneros' Estadio Francisco Carranza Limon. The game was a
scoreless tie going into the top of the fifth when Los Mochis' Alejandro Urias
hit a one-out single, advanced to third on a Justin Dean single and then came
in to score on an Ivan Izaguirre wild pitch to Rudy Amador. Omar Araujo pitched
three innings of scoreless relief to earn the win as seven Caneros hurlers
combined on the four-hit shutout. Izaquirre took the loss for Guasave, who
likewise brought seven pitchers to the mound including starter Jesus Broca,
who'd tossed three scoreless frames with four strikeouts. With the win, Los
Mochis finished the second half with a 22-11 record.
Hermosillo likewise ended the half
at 22-11 after blanking visiting Mexicali, 2-0, while 16,065 spectators looked
on at a packed Estadio Sonora. Although this one was another pitcher's duel, it
was decided on one swing of the bat when Alejandr Mejia launched a two-run
homer (only his second of the season) to score Angel Camacho in the bottom of
the third of Aguilas starter Onelki Garcia, a former Dodgers and Royals pitcher
who otherwise had an exemplary outing over five innings but fell to 0-3 with
the loss. Although Naranjeros starter Jose Samayoa pitched two perfect innings,
it was reliever Anibal Cervantes who got the win after tossing three scoreless
entradas himself and allowing no hits and one walk.
Even though the Caneros won the
second half on a tiebreaker to collect the 10.0 playoff points that go with
their first-place finish, don't feel too sorry for Hermosillo. The Orangemen
did pick up 9.0 points of their own for finishing in the runners-up position
and their season playoff points total of 19.0 (on an LMP-best 43-25 record)
were enough to ensure the number one seed in the playoffs. Los Mochis finished
with a 41-27 overall record and 17.0 points to snag the second seed.
Tiebreakers were applied to three other ties in the final standings.
Here is a look at the second-half
standings and points, followed by the overall standings and points for the ten
teams, both determined by points:
LMP
SECOND HALF STANDINGS (POINTS)
Los
Mochis 22-11 (10.0), Hermosillo 22-11 (9.0), Obregon 19-14 (8.0), Monterrey
16-17 (7.0), Guasave 16-17 (6.0), Mexicali 15-18 (5.5), Navojoa 15-18 (5.0),
Jalisco 14-19 (4.5), Mazatlan 14-19 (4.0), Culiacan 12-21 (3.5).
LMP
2022-23 OVERALL STANDINGS (POINTS)
Hermosillo
43-25 (19.0), Los Mochis 41-27 (17.0), Obregon 38-30 (16.0), Guasave 36-32
(15.0), Monterrey 32-36 (11.5), Mexicali 31-37 (10.5), Navojoa 31-37 (10.5),
Mazatlan 33-35 (10.0), Jalisco 29-39 (8.5), Culiacan 26-42 (7.0).
With defending champion Jalisco and
defending runners-up Culiacan both on the outside looking in, the four first
round playoff series got underway Sunday night:
#1 Hermosillo held off #8 Mazatlan,
2-1, as a Luis Alfonso Cruz double tied the score in the bottom of the seventh
and a sacrifice fly by the next batter, Irving Lopez, pushed Angel Ramirez in
with the go-ahead run.
A throwing error by reliever Edwyn
Valle in the top of the eleventh allowed Brayan Mendoza to score the
game-winner from third as #2 Los Mochis snuck past #7 Navojoa, 2-1.
#3 Obregon scored seven runs in the
bottom of the sixth as Carlos Sepulveda stroked a three-run double en route to
a 9-4 win over #6 Mexicali.
Francisco Hernandez singled in Joey
Terdoslavich in the bottom of the tenth to hand #4 Guasave a 2-1 win over #5
Monterrey. All four series are set for their respective Game Twos on Monday at
the home ballparks of the higher seeds.
As expected, Monterrey's Roberto
Valenzuela won the batting title with a .365 average, well in front of Justin
Dean of Los Mochis (.343) and Jalisco's Francisco Villegas (.337). The home run
derby ended in a three-way tie with 10 apiece for Yasmany Tomas (Los Mochis),
Anthony Giansanti (Mexicali) and Jese Castillo (Guasave) as none of the trio
went deep over the final two weeks of the regular season. Tomas won the RBI
crown with 57, ahead of Victor Mendoza of Obregon's 50 and the 42 apiece for
three players: Fernando Perez (Monterrey), Christian Villanueva (Jalisco) and
Yadir Drake (Obregon). Jose Cardona of Hermosillo won the stolen base race with
29, three up on Mazatlan's Randy Romero (26) while Dean finished with 16 swipes
for the Caneros.
Wilmer Rios of Hermosillo won his
final start of the regular season to finish with a 9-2 record and the wins
title while three pitchers (Obregon's Faustino Carrera, Hermosillo's Elian
Leyva and Mazatlan's Juan Tellez) recorded seven wins each. Luis Miranda of Los
Mochis closed out his season-long dominance in the ERA race with a 1.07 mark,
trailed by Mazatlan's Braulio Torres-Perez (1.49) and Rios' 1.84. The strikeout
battle was entertaining and when the smoke cleared, Guasave's Matt Pobereyko
(73) had beaten out Manny Barreda of Culiacan (71) for the title while Javier
Solano of Jalisco (67) placed third. There was another close races for the
saves leadership, with Mazatlan's Elkin Alcala (20) nudging Brandon Koch of
Guasave (19) for the title while Monterrey's Joe Riley finished third with 15.
SIXTEEN PLAYERS PICKED IN FIRST LMP REINFORCEMENT DRAFT
At the conclusion of the Mexican
Pacific League regular season, the first annual Reinforcement Draft was held via
teleconference during which the eight LMP playoff qualifiers were allowed to
select up to two players each off the rosters of the two non-postseason teams,
Culiacan and Jalisco.
While the teams still playing will
add both players they chose to their respective rosters (LMP rights to those
selected remain with the clubs they were picked from), only one can be added to
an active roster at each stage of the postseason. A similar draft will be held
each stage of the playoffs.
The first Reinforcement Draft was
carried out Friday among the presidents of the qualified teams and chaired by
Mex Pac president Carlos Manrique and LMP sports director Christian Veliz. The
picks were said to be taken in order of team positions in the general
standings, although the draft order would suggest other considerations were
taken, since overall leader Hermosillo had the sixth pick in the first round.
1
- OBREGON
The Yaquis chose first and took
Culiacan starting pitcher Manny Barreda, who was second in the LMP in strikeouts
with 71, finishing with a 3-6 record and a 2.93 ERA. Barreda, who made his
first MLB start with Baltimore in 2021 after 15 years in the minors, is a much
better pitcher than his record would suggest and he'll solidy the Obregon
rotation.
The second pick of the Yaquis was
Tomateros left-handed reliever Óliver Pérez, a cagey 41-year-old middleman with
20 years of MLB experience.
2
- MAZATLAN
The Venados chose Jalisco infielder
Christian Villanueva, who tied for third in RBIs with 42 to augment a .288
average with 6 home runs and a .794 OPS number. Villanueva hit 20 homers for
San Diego as a rookie in 2019 and also spent two seasons in Japan. The
31-year-old will likely split between first base and designated hitter for
Mazatlan.
In the second round, the Deer took
reliever Luis Iván Rodríguez, also of Jalisco. Like Villanueva, Rodriguez is a
Guadalajara native. He can throw strikes as a setup man.
3
- MEXICALI
The Aguilas reinforced their
outfield with Culiacan's Sebastián Elizalde, the winner of the Héctor Espino
Trophy as MVP for 2020-21. Elizalde had an off year (.264/1/25) for the
Tomateros but he hit .385 for Monterrey in the LMB last summer and remains a
dangerous man at the plate capable of getting hot.
The second selection of the Eagles
was Culiacan third baseman Emmanuel Ávila, who also had a down season
(.244/2/7) but is a career .322 hitter in ten LMB summer seasons.
4
- LOS MOCHIS
Further addressing their solid
Mexican base, the Cañeros acquired Rookie of the Year candidate Fernando Villegas,
who finished third in batting at .337 for Jalisco with five homers. Calling
Villegas a “rookie” is a bit of a stretch, however, since he spent two years in
the Pirates system and had played 48 games in three previous winters for the
Charros.
The second reinforcement is reliever
Karch Kowalczyk, a five-year Dodgers minor leaguer who was 0-0 and 3.31 in 34
appearances for Jalisco.
5
- NAVOJOA
The Mayos reinforced their bullpen
with reliever Sasagi Sánchez, who turned in 7 holds and 5 saves for Culiacan
this campaign with a 1.73 ERA while allowing just three walks in 26 innings.
Sanchez only had five saves in nine years prior to the current LMP season but
may serve as a closer for Navojoa's bullpen by committee
The Mayos also took another
reliever, David Gutiérrez, who was 0-2 with one save for the Tomateros but also
had a 1.96 ERA after helping Yucatan win the LMB pennant in 2022.
6
- HERMOSILLO
The leaders of both points and
general standings opted for Jalisco lefty Tyler Alexander, who finished third
in wins with six and had 49 strikeouts in 64 innings. However, the former
Brewers farmhand had a 5.20 ERA for the Charros and will need to step it up in
joining a rotation already featuring Wilmer Rios, Elian Leyva and Juan Pablo
Oramas.
Hermosillo took Jalisco reliever
Jared Wilson as a second option. Wilson was just 1-5 for the Charros but had a
solid 1.95 ERA with four saves in 22 appearances.
7
- GUASAVE
The Algodoneros broke the trend for
pitching and chose two outfielders, including Jalisco's Julián Ornelas in the
first round. Ornelas hit .292, led the Charros with eight homers, was third on
the team with 28 RBIs and held down center field. He's capable of playing all
three outfield slots and can steal a base for you as well.
Guasave's second pick was Jalisco
gardener, José Juan Aguilar, a 32-year-old who's lost a step after 13 seasons
but hit .296 as a part-timer, strikes out rarely and gets on base.
8
- MONTERREY
The Gray Ghosts chose Culiacan
starting pitcher Kurt Heyer with the eighth pick. A former Cardinals minor
leaguer out of Arizona, Heyer was 2-4 with a 4.09 ERA for the Tomateros,
allowing just six walks (but also six homers) in 61.2 innings pitched. Nothing
spectacular but Monterrey needs pitching.
Which is why the Sultanes picked Jalisco's
vet righty Javier Solano in the second round. Solano was 2-6 and 3.80 this
winter but is 55-44 lifetime and knows how to win.
MEXICAN WBC TEAM ADDS FIVE MORE COACHES
While names of players have been
trickling in regarding Mexico's entry in March's World Baseball Classic, the
Naitonal Selection Commission has been busy filling out the coaching staff for
manager Benji Gil. Late last month, team general manager Rodrigo Lopez
announced the addition of five members to Gil's coaching staff, including a
pair of fellow ex-MLBers as pitching coaches. The commission consists of Lopez
along with representatives from both the Mexican Baseball Federation (FEMEBE)
and the Mexican League.
Rigo Beltran and Elmer Dessens will
pair up in handling Gil's mound staff while brothers Ever and Bobby Magallanes
will be joined by Jacob Cruz as batting coaches in Phoenix, where the Verdes
Grande will play first-round games in Group C over five days beginning March 11
at the Arizona Diamondbacks' home stadium.
Beltran was a lefty pitcher who
spent all or part of five seasons in the majors between 1997 and 2004 with St.
Louis, the New York Mets, Colorado and Montreal as well as a stint in Japan
with Hiroshima and with the LMB's Saltillo Saraperos (for whom he was 13-4 in 2005).
After retiring as an active player, the Tijuana-born Beltran has coached in
Minor League Baseball and was pitching coach with AAA Columbus the past two
years and he'll be Terry Francona's bullpen coach in Cleveland next season. He
was also pitching coach for Mexico in the 2017 WBC.
Dessens spent 14 seasons in MLB
between 1996 and 2010, pitching for nine teams along the way and going 52-64
with a 4.44 ERA in 441 appearances (including 140 starts), winning 21 games for
Cincinnati between 2000 and 2001, pitching for Mexico in both the inaugural WBC
in 2006 and in 2009. The Hermosillo product also spent 1999 in Japan with the
Yomiuri Giants and hurled four winters with his hometown Naranjeros before
wrapping up his playing career in the LMB with Mexico City in 2011. He's spent
the past two summers as pitching coach for the Reds' Arizona Complex League
rookie team.
Bobby Magallanes spent three years
as an infielder in the Mariners system between 1990 and 1992, never batting
higher than .216 for a season, then played several campaigns in independent
leagues and in the Mexican League before wrapping up his playing career with
the Mexico City Tigres and Puebla of the Liga in 2001. His coaching experience
includes time with the Mexican National Team at the Central American &
Caribbean Games at Veracruz in 2014, serving with Mexico along with Beltran in
the 2017 World Baseball Classic and as an assistant batting coach for the 2021
World Series champion Atlanta Braves.
Ever Magallanes managed Mexico in
the 2014 Central American & Caribbean Games while serving as a coach for
Mexico in both the 2009 and 2013 editions of the WBC while managing several
years in MiLB (including last summer with the Angels' Indland Empire affiliate
in the Class A California League). As a player, the elder Magallanes attended
Texas A&M before embarking on a pro career in 1987 that would last 19
seasons, the last 11 in the Mexican League. He went hitless in three plate
appearances for Cleveland in 1991.
Jacob Cruz hit .241 with 19 homers
over 409 games for five teams in bits and pieces of nine MLB seasons between
1996 and 2005. The well-traveled Oxnard, California native also played in South
Korea, Taiwan and Mexico before retiring after the 2010 season. Over the past
five years, Cruz has been an offensive coordinator with the Chicago Cubs
(2018), an assistant batting coach in Pittsburgh (2019), an assistant hitting
coach in San Francisco (2020) and has served as the Giants' minor league
batting coordinator over the past two summers.
The five join Vinny Castilla, Tony Perezchica and Gil Velazquez, who were named to Gil's coaching staff earlier in December. Mexico will open Pool C play on March 11 against Colombia at 12:30PM local time. They'll also face the host United States, Great Britain and Canada that week.