B a s e b a l l
M e x i c o
January
10, 2 0 1 6
JUAREZ DELIVERS WALKOFF
SINGLE IN
MEXICALI's SEMI-OPENING WIN
Unheralded
Luis Juarez (pictured) was the man of the hour in Mexicali by
stroking a
two-out, bases-loaded single to drive in the winning run as the Aguilas
overcame an early 6-0 deficit to post a stunning 7-6 walkoff win over
the
Navojoa Mayos in Game 1 of their Mexican Pacific League semifinal
series as
17,000 fans looked on in La Nida in Mexicali. Despite starting an
hour
later than the Aguilas-Mayos game, Obregon's 4-1 Game 1 win in Mazatlan
was
concluded 15 minutes earlier.
MEXICALI
7-14-0, Navojoa 6-8-2
W-Caridad.
L-C. Bustamante (0-1). T-3:56. A-17,000.
The
Mayos plated three runs in the top of the fourth as Jesus Castillo
drilled a
two-run single up the middle to open the game's scoring. Jose
Amador's
RBI double and Victor Mendoza's run-scoring single paced a three-run
fifth to
make it a 6-0 Navojoa lead.
The
Aguilas finally broke through in the seventh, sending ten men up to bat
and
scoring five runs off five relievers to make it a 6-5 deficit as Chris
Roberson
poked a two-run single to right with two out. After a scoreless
eighth,
the Aguilas completed the comeback when DH Luis Juarez lined a two-out,
bases-loaded single to left that sent Yuniesky Betancourt scampering
home with
the winning run in the ninth.
Esmailin
Calidad pitched a 1-2-3 top of the ninth to get credit for the Mazatlan
win. Mayos
starter Jose Oyervides was dominant over six scoreless innings,
striking out
nine Aguilas batters, but the bullpen failed him. Carlos
Bustamante's
line on the ninth inning: 0.2 innings, 3 hits, 2 walks, 2 earned runs
and the
loss...not exactly "postcard to home" material. Roberson had
two hits, two ribbies and scored a run for the Eagles while Nate
Tenbrink and
Fernando Flores each had two hits for the Mayos.
Game
2 is Monday night in Mexicali.
OBREGON 4-6-0, Mazatlan 1-4-1
W-A.
Lopez (1-0). L-Alej. Soto (1-1). T-2:46. A-14,287.
Jeremias
Pineda led off the top of the first with a double and came around to
score on
Agustin Murillo's ground-out to give the Venados an early lead.
The
Yaquis came back with four runs in the bottom of the fourth, including
a
two-out, three-run homer to left by Carlos Valencia off MexPac ERA
champ
Alejandro Soto, who'd sailed through his first three scoreless innings.
Soto
lasted two more entradas but the damage was done.
After
his rocky start, Obregon starter Arturo Lopez settled down and tossed
five
scoreless innings before being pulled with one out in the seventh.
Justin
Greene finished with three hits and a run for the Yaquis, who outhit
the
Venados a 6-4 margin.
Game
2 is Monday night in Mazatlan.