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Tag: Quincy Latimore

Winter League Playoff Wrap Up

Catching up with a few days' worth of winter league playoff results:

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE
Criollos de Caguas  7,  Leones de Ponce  5  --  
Los Criollos won the Puerto Rican League championship with a win in Game 7 of the series.  Los Leones got onto the scoreboard first, scratching out a run in the top of the 1st.  Los Criollos took a 4-1 lead in the 3rd, with an RBI double and a 3-run homer.  Ponce answered with their own 3-run homer in the top of the 4th, tying the game.  Each team scored one run in the 5th.  Ponce loaded the bases with a walk and two singles, then had their run forced in with a walk.  Los Criollos scored when SS Luis Figueroa led off with a single, raced to third on another single, and scored on a sacrifice fly.  After two quiet innings, Los Criollos rallied again in the bottom of the 8th.  A single and a fielding error put two runners on base, and a fly out and a stolen base moved both runners into scoring position.  A line drive into right field for a single drove in the go-ahead run and an insurance run.  


MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE
Algodoneros de Guasave   5,  Yaquis de Obregon  4  --  
Los Yaquis took the early lead with a 2-run homer in the 2nd and a solo homer in the 3rd.  They scored a 4th run in the 5th inning.  Guasave got their offense going in the 5th inning with 2 runs, then tied the score with a pair of solo homers, including one by 1B Yurendell de Caster in the 8th.  De Caster also singled in the game.  In the top of the 9th, Gusave scored the winning run on a throwing error by the Obregon shortstop.  That tied the series at 3 games each, and forced a seventh game.

Yaquis de Obregon   5,  Algodoneros de Guasave  2  --  A 4-run 4th inning pushed Los Yaquis over Guasave.  A lead-off homer, plus 3 more runs and a 2-RBI single drove in those 4 runs.  Both of Guasave's runs came on solo homers by Marshal McDougall.  The win gave the championship to Obregon.  

RBIs For Milledge and Gimenez; Two Homers For Latimore

Ten weeks until Opening Day for the minor league season....  just in case anyone besides me is counting.

Three playoff games on Wednesday evening, plus the Australians begin their playoffs early on Thursday morning.  I'll be away from the computer for a couple of days, but we'll catch up after that.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE
Criollos de Caguas  7,  Leones de Ponce  2  --  
Los Criollos forced a seventh game with a win over Los Leones.  Caguas broke a 1-1 tie with 2 runs in the top of the 4th, on a hit batter and a pair of RBI doubles.  That 3-1 score lasted until the top of the 9th, when JR Rodriguez took the mound in relief for Ponce.  Rodriguez had an uncharacteristically tough night, giving up a single and a walk, and then having a batter reaches on a fielding error to load the bases.  Then Caguas' 3B Rey Navarro smashed a grand slam to seal Los Leones' fate.  Ponce added one more run with a single, a walk, and a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 9th.  The final game of the series will be played on Friday night.

 
VENEZUELAN LEAGUE
Tigres de Aragua  8,  Caribes de Anzoategui  4  --  
Los Tigres won their first game of the championship series tonight, with both LF Lastings Milledge and 1B Hector Gimenez contributing an RBI.  The game began in a shaky way for Los Tigres, as the first three Caribes' batters in the top of the first all walked, then a run scored on a sacrifice fly.  A solo home run began the top of the 2nd for Los Caribes, and a single and a double added another run.  Los Tigres got going in the bottom of the 2nd with a double and a   fielding error, then an RBI double by Milledge and a sacrifice fly by Gimenez.  Aragua tied the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the 5th with two walks, including one by CF Jorge Cortes, and an RBI single.  Los Caribes went ahead with a solo homer in the top of the 6th, but Los Tigres tied it again in the bottom of the frame with three singles, one by Gimenez.  Aragua took a definitive lead in the 7th with a 3-run homer, then added an insurance run in the 8th with a walk, a hit batter, and an RBI single.  Wil Ledezma came out to pitch the top of the 8th for Aragua.  He walked the first batter he faced, then got a strikeout, then another walk, and was removed.  Another reliever came on to strike out the next two batters to end the inning.  

Ciriaco Gets A Key Hit, Good Outing For Ascanio

Lots of playoff action in the winter leagues on Friday night:

DOMINICAN LEAGUE
Toros del Este  2,  Estrellas de Oriente  1  -- SS Pedro Ciriaco, 
who has not been in Los Toros' recent playoff games, started off the scoring in this game.  He singled to lead off the 3rd inning, and moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt.  He stole second base, and scored on an RBI single.  Ciriaco also reached base on an error in the 5th, and made it as far as third base, but did not score.  Los Toros scored again on a walk and two singles in the 7th inning.  Los Toros' starter Fernando Abad pitched 6 no-hit innings, including 6 strikeouts.  The only runner to reach base against him got there on a fielding error in the 6th, and Abad finished the inning with two grounder force outs.  Reliever Jairo Asencio followed Abad with 2 perfect innings.  Los Estrellas' only hit and only run came in the top of the 9th, when reliever Julio Manon gave up a walk and a double, and the runner from third base scored on a wild pitch.  Los Toros have won the first three games of this 9-game series.


PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE 
Leones de Ponce  1,  Criollos de Caguas  0  --  
Pitching ruled in the Puerto Rican League also.  Ponce starter Willie Collazo pitched 9 shut-out innings, allowing just 2 singles and 2 walks.  SS Luis Figueroa walked in the 1st inning, and he was Los Criollos' only base runner for the first 6 innings.  Collazo allowed a single and a walk in the 7th, and another single in the 8th.  Los Leones posted 7 hits and had 5 walks, but they fell victim to 4 double plays, and left 8 runners on base.  The only run scored in the 2nd, when the inning opened with a double and two singles.  One of the double plays cut the rally short.  This series is now tied at one game each.  

Two Hits For Cortes, And A New Catcher

The Pirates have added a minor league catcher, Kawika Emsley-Pai, to the fold.  The Washington State native was the Diamondbacks' 10th round pick in the most recent (2010) draft, signed out of University of Texas.  He made his pro debut with the Yakima Bears in the Northwest (short season) league, where he caught a bit more than half of the Bears' games.  In his 42 appearances, Emsley-Pai hit .167, with 3 doubles and 8 RBI.  He made just one error behind the plate and had 8 passed balls.  Base runners had about a 50-50 chance against him -- 17 stolen bases allowed, and 19 runners thrown out.  The 22-year-old was released by the D'backs, but the Pirates think he will be able to fill in, probably either at State College or West Virginia.  

On to the winter league games:
VENEZUELAN LEAGUE
Bravos de Margarita  9,  Leones de Caracas  5  --  
Los Bravos scored 5 runs in the 7th inning, to put them out of reach for Los Leones.  Los Leones scored early, with a 2-run homer in the top of the 1st, and 2 more runs on a single and four walks in the 3rd.  C Carlos Maldonado had an RBI walk in that inning.  Margarita got onto the scoreboard with a run in the bottom of the 3rd, on a single, a triple, and a sacrifice fly.  An error, two singles, and a wild pitch gave Los Bravos 2 more runs in the 5th, to tie the score.  In the 7th, Los Bravos pounded out a double, three singles, and a grand slam to take the lead.  Jean Machi took the mound for Margarita for the final two innings.  He struck out the side in the 8th, then struck out 2 more in the 9th, but also gave up a solo homer, and a single and a walk after the homer.  LF Mike Ryan went 0-for-4 for Caracas.   

Tigres de Aragua  3,  Aguilas de Zulia  2  --  A pair of doubles began the bottom of the 11th for Los Tigres, for the walk-off win.  Neither team had a hit for the first 3 innings of the game.  Zulia scored their 2 runs in the 6th, beginning with a single, a bunt, and an RBI single.  Wil Ledezma came on in relief for Aragua, and he gave up an RBI double, to give Zulia a 2-0 lead.  Los Tigres tied the score in the 7th inning when LF Lastings Milledge reached base on an error, and came in on a 2-run homer.  Both teams threatened in the 8th, but neither scored, and then the bats were mostly quiet until the 11th inning.  CF Jorge Cortes singled into left field in the 5th for Los Tigres, but was out when he tried to reach second base.  Cortes also doubled in the 8th inning, and was replaced by a pinch-runner, who got as far as third base but did not score.  

In the Dominican championship series, Los Toros del Este took a 2-game-to-0 lead with a 3-1 win over Los Estrellas de Oriente.  Two runs in the top of the 8th broke a 1-1 tie and gave Los Toros the win.  The Puerto Rican League had a night off from their playoff series.  The Mexican Pacific League will begin their championship series on Friday.   

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE
Canberra Cavalry  5,  Sydney Blue Sox  1  (Thursday)  --  
The Cavalry scored 3 runs in the 5th, giving them plenty of insurance over the Blue Sox, who were held to just 3 hits.  Jarryd Sullivan pitched 3 scoreless innings for Sydney, allowing only one hit.  He gave up a double in the 6th, then retired the side in order in the next two innings.

Adelaide Bite  12,  Brisbane Bandits  0  (Friday)  --  The Bite chomped on the Bandits, in a game that ended early, due to a 12-run lead after 6.5 innings.  Back-to-back homers gave the Bite 5 runs in the 2nd inning -- a grand slam by 3B Stan Welch (Mets), then a solo blast.  Another solo homer began the 3rd inning, and another grand slam, by 1B Tom Brice, came in the 4th.  Two singles, a walk, and two RBI ground outs finished the scoring in the 5th.  DH Quincy Latimore went 0-for-3 with a walk for the Bite.  After a dribbly little hit down the third base line by the Bandit's lead-off hitter, Bite starter Brandon Maurer (Mariners) retired the next 21 batters he faced, including 8 strikeouts.  
The Bite finish the season with a double-header against the Bandits on Saturday.  They are currently a half-game behind league-leading Perth Heat in the standings.  The Heat are scheduled to play a double-header against the Melbourne Aces on Saturday.  
 

Roster Updates And Playoff Games

An update on some recent roster moves by the Pirates:

Pitcher Jose Veras took a few days, but did sign a minor league contract with the Pirates.  Veras is a 30-year-old who was first signed by the Rays in 1998.  He began playing in the US in 2002, and split both the 2003 and 2004 at the AA and AAA levels.  He was granted free agency after 2004 and was signed by the Rangers for 2005, spending that season at the AAA level, where he made 57 relief appearances with a 3.80 ERA.  Veras signed with the Yankees after that, and pitched in their organization for the next 3+ seasons.  He split that time between the AAA level (2.56 ERA in 95 innings, with 115 strikeouts) and the major league club (4.50 ERA in 102 innings, with 94 strikeouts).  The 2008 season was his best of those, with 60 relief appearances for the Yankees and 3.59 ERA and a 5-3 record.  In 2009, the Yankees traded Veras to the Cleveland Indians, where he finished the last 3 months of the season.  The Dominican native made 22 relief appearances for Cleveland with a 1-2 record and a 4.38 ERA, with 22 strikeouts.  He signed with the Marlins for 2010 and began the season in AAA New Orleans.  He began the season slowly, but got better in May and was tough in June:  a 1.80 ERA in 10 innings (10 games) with 12 strikeouts.  That earned him a promotion to the Marlins, where he finished the season with 48 relief appearances.  In 48 innings, he earned a 3-3 record and a 3.75 ERA with 54 strikeouts.  Veras did not play winter ball this off-season.  The righty will be competing for a spot in the Pirates' bullpen

C Wyatt Toregas has also been inked to a minor league contract.  He was the Cleveland Indians' 24th pick in the 2004 draft, and began his pro career in 2005, reaching the AAA level in 3008 and the major leagues in 2009.  Toregas hit .284 for the Columbus Clippers (AAA) in 60 games in 2009, with 7 homers and 69 RBI.  In 19 appearances for the Indians in that season, he hit only.176 with 6 RBI.  The Virginia native was still on the Indians' 40-man roster at the beginning of 2010, but spent the entire season in the minor leagues, possibly battling injuries.  At AA Akron, he got into just 17 games, hitting .203 with one home run and 6 RBI.  At AAA Columbus, he was in just 14 games and hit .200 with 2 homers and 6 RBI.  He has a slim chance of sticking with the Pirates out of spring training, but will more likely be in Indianapolis to begin 2011.

In addition to Veras and Toregas, a few other minor leaguers have been invited to big league camp for spring training:  catchers Tony Sanchez and Eric Fryer, infielders Chase d'Arnaud and Brian Friday, and outfielder Andrew Lambo.  


Tough Outing For Ramos; Latimore Back In Action

The winter league playoffs are winding down.  The Puerto Rican League championship series (best of 7) between Los Criollos de Caguas and Los Leones de Ponce will begin on Wednesday.  The Dominican League championship series will be played between Los Estrellas de Oriente and Los Toros del Este, and that series (best of 9) will also begin on Wednesday.  

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE 
Caribes de Anzoategui  4,  Bravos de Margarita  2  --  Jean Machi pitched a perfect top of the 9th inning for Margarita, but it was too late.  Los Bravos scored first, with a solo homer in the 4th.  Los Caribes tied the score in the 6th with a run on a single and a double.  They added 2 unearned runs in the 7th, started with a fielding error and a bunt.  With two outs, Jhonathan Ramos came on in relief for Margarita, but he gave up a double and a single, each of which drove in a run.  Another solo home run gave Los Caribes an insurance run in the top of the 8th.  Los Bravos rallied in the bottom of the 8th, scoring on three doubles, but the rally ended there, giving Los Caribes the win.

Tigres de Aragua  4,  Aguilas de Zulia  2  --  LF Lastings Milledge started Los Tigres' 3-run rally with a lead-off single in the 2nd inning.  A sacrifice bunt with a throwing error and a single with a fielding error brought in two runs, and a sacrifice fly added the third run.  CF Jorge Cortes also doubled for Aragua in that inning.  Milledge worked the second of two walks in the 5th inning, and an insurance run came in on an RBI single.  Milledge also walked in the 3rd inning.  Zulia scored one run in the 6th on a double, a single, and a sacrifice fly, and they also collected a solo homer in the 8th.  


MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE
Algodoneros de Guasave  8,  Tomateros de Culiacan  2  --  
Guasave had two big innings in their win.  The 5th began with a solo homer, then a hit batter, two singles, and a ground out added 2 more runs.  They scored 4 more in the 7th, after two outs had been recorded.  A hit batter and two singles brought in one run.  Another hit batter loaded the bases, and an RBI single plated a run.  1B Yurendell de Caster drove in 2 more runs with a double.  SS Luis Cruz went 0-for-4 for Culiacan.  The win gives Guasave the series win (4 games to 2) and advances them to the championship round, where they will face Los Yaquis de Obregon, beginning on Friday.


AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE
Adelaide Bite  6,  Brisbane Bandits  1  --  
DH Quincy Latimore was back in action in Australia early on Wednesday morning with the Bite.  He walked in his first at-bat, then in his second trip to the plate, he drove in the Bite's first two runs with an RBI double.  Two walks and a wild pitch had given the Bite two runners in scoring position in the top of the 3rd, ready for Latimore to bring them in.  The Bandits got one run back in the bottom of the 4th.  Adelaide came back with another run on a hit batter, a walk, and a double in the 6th.  The Bite added 3 more runs in the top of the 9th, beginning with a solo homer.  A double, two singles, and a sacrifice fly plated two more runs.  Latimore reached base on an error in the 8th, and was replaced by a pinch-runner.  





Save For Rodriguez, Win For Machi

A few signing notes for former Pirates, all minor league contracts:  
1B Brad Eldred signed with the Giants,  P Ian Snell and INF Ramon Vazquez signed with the Cardinals, and OF Matt Kata signed with the Rangers.  


Cheering for a few Pirates' players and friends in the winter league playoffs....

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE
Leones de Ponce  2,  Criollos de Caguas  1  --  
RJ Rodriguez earned his 3rd save of the playoffs with a perfect 9th inning of work.  Los Leones scored their runs in the 4th, on three straight hits -- a single and two doubles.  Los Criollos' only run came in the top of the 6th, on a double, a ground out by SS Luis Figueroa which moved the runner to third, and a RBI single.  3B Ramon Vazquez singled to lead off the 5th for Los Criollos, but he was caught stealing second base.

Gigantes de Carolina  5,  Senadores de San Juan  4  --  Benji Gonzalez made the start at second base for Los Gigantes, and he scored their first run.  In the bottom of the 1st, Gonzalez singled, advanced to third on a throwing error, and scored on a sacrifice fly.  San Juan scored 3 runs in the top of the 2nd, and Los Gigantes countered with a run in the bottom of the 3rd, on 3 singles.  They tied the score in the 7th with a double, a hit batter, and an RBI single.  The tie continued into the top of the 10th, when Los Senadores took the lead with a single and a double.  But four singles in the bottom of the inning drove in 2 runs to give Los Gigantes the win.

Sullivan Earns A Win

The Dominican and Puerto Rican Leagues wind up their round-robin playoff series this weekend, while the Venezuelans continue theirs for another week or so.  

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE
Criollos de Caguas  5,  Gigantes de Carolina  2  --  
Los Criollos began the scoring with a fly out-RBI for 3B Ramon Vazquez after two singles.  An RBI single gave them a run in the 3rd, and a 2-run homer made it 4-0 in the 5th.  Los Criollos wrapped it up with a run in the top of the 7th, on two singles, a walk, and a throwing error.  Carolina scratched out a run in both the 7th and 8th innings.  SS Luis Figueroa singled and walked for Los Criollos, but did not score.

Leones de Ponce  7,  Senadores de San Juan  2  --  A 4-run inning in the top of the 8th gave Los Leones the win.  San Juan out-hit Ponce, 10 - 9, but they couldn't bring the runners around, leaving 11 on base.  RJ Rodriguez pitched the bottom of the 9th for Ponce, but gave up three consecutive singles to open the inning, which drove in one run.  He struck out two, then loaded the bases with another single, then ended the inning with a grounder force out.


VENEZUELAN LEAGUE
Aguilas de Zulia  7,  Bravos de Margarita  4  --  
Los Bravos got the game started with 3 runs in the top of the 1st, on three singles and two throwing errors.  But Los Aguilas scored a run in the bottom of the 1st, another in the 3rd, and took the lead with a 3-run homer in the 5th.  They added a run on a double and a triple in the 6th, and their 7th run on a double, a hit batter, and a single in the 7th.  Jhonathan Ramos came on in relief for Los Bravos after that run scored in the 7th, and he ended the inning with a ground out.  Ramos came back out to begin the bottom of the 8th.  The first batter of the inning reached on a fielding error, then Ramos gave up a single.  A ground out and a line out followed, and then Ramos was relieved.  Another ground out ended the inning without a run scoring.  

Caribes de Anzoategui  6,  Leones de Caracas  5  --  This one took 13 innings to decide.  Los Leones broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the 8th when C Carlos Maldonado started a rally with a single.  He was replace by a pinch-runner, who scored on an RBI single.  Los Caribes tied the score again with a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 9th, and the game went into extras.  Neither team could get much going in the 10th or 11th, and though Los Caribes threatened in the bottom of the 12th, they still could not get a run across.  Los Leones broke the tie in the top of the 13th.  A double, an intentional walk, and a fielder's choice loaded the bases.  A grounder to third was fired back to the plate, for a force out at home.  Then LF Mike Ryan, who had already singled twice and walked three times in the game, grounded to second base.  The runner going from first to second was out, but Ryan was able to beat out the throw to first, and a run scored.  But Los Caribes were not done yet -- a single and two walks loaded the bases in the bottom of the frame, and a line drive single into left field drove in two runs for the win.  Jose Ascanio pitched a perfect inning in the bottom of the 8th for Caracas.

Uviedo Wins, Gimenez Homers

Not many winter league playoff games today, but a few player moves:
LHP Wil Ledezma had been DFA'ed right before Christmas, and yesterday he was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays.
Both INF Delwyn Young and RHP Brian Bass signed minor league contracts with the Phillies today.  
Earlier in the week, RHP Joe Martinez, who had also been DFA'ed by the Pirates shortly before Christmas, was traded to the Blue Jays for cash considerations.


VENEZUELAN LEAGUE
Leones del Caracas  11,  Bravos de Margarita  3  --  
Los Leones posted 14 hits, which was enough to make up for their 3 errors.  Three singles and a Bravos' fielding error gave Los Leones their first 3 runs in the 2nd inning.  In the third, the first six Caracas batters reached base -- a double, two singles, and three walks (including a walk by LF Mike Ryan) -- then a sacrifice fly and another single gave Los Leones 5 runs.  A 3-run homer in the 8th capped their scoring.  Margarita scored one run in the 6th, with the help of one of those errors.  An error by Ryan in left field, plus a walk and two singles (one by C JR House) brought in two more runs in the 9th.  Ronald Uviedo earned the win for Caracas, going 6 innings and allowing only the unearned run in the 6th inning, on 3 hits and a walk, with 5 strikeouts.  

Caribes de Anzoategui  5,  Tigres de Aragua  4  --  New Blue Jay Wil Ledezma came into the game for Los Tigres in the 6th inning with one run in and runners on the corners.  Ledezma gave up a single, which broke a 4-4 tie, and eventually gave the win to Los Caribes.  Ledezma also retired the side in order in the 7th.  Los Caribes started the game with 3 runs in the bottom of the 1st, on a single, a double, an error, and a sacrifice fly.   Los Tigres scored one run in the 2nd, when 1B Hector Gimenez walked, then scored on an RBI double.  Gimenez added a 2-run homer in the 4th, and another homer in the 5th gave Aragua their 4 runs.  LF Lastings Milledge singled and stole second base in the 6th, and advanced to third base on another single, but he got no further.  C Raul Chavez went 0-for-3 for Los Tigres. 

Thompson Boosting Los Gigantes

A few Pirates' players and friends appeared in Wednesday's winter league playoff games:

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE 
Leones del Caracas  2,  Aguilas de Zulia  0  (Game 1)--  
Another pitching duel tonight, with each team posting just 5 hits each.  Los Leones scored a run in the 6th on a single, a bunt, a ground out, and an RBI single.  They added another run in the 7th, on a ground-rule double, a sacrifice bunt by LF Mike Ryan (who was shifted over from Los Navegantes del Magallanes) and an RBI ground out.  Jose Ascanio pitched the top of the 8th for Caracas.  He gave up a lead-off single, but got the next batter to line into a double play at first base, and another line out ended the inning.  

Leones  14,  Aguilas 5  (Game 2)  --  Oh, that's where all the hits went -- to the second game, with 13 hits for each team.  Three Leones' batters collected 3 hits each.  C Carlos Maldonado singled twice and walked, scoring twice for Los Leones.  LF Mike Ryan also scored twice, with a single and a walk.  The 6-run 6th inning pushed Los Leones over the top, and it included 3 walks, a triple, a double, and Maldonado's RBI single.  

Tigres de Aragua  4,  Bravos de Margarita  1  --  Los Tigres' pitchers held Los Bravos to just 3 hits, and the only Margarita run came on two errors and an RBI single in the 5th.  Aragua scored their first run in the 3rd inning on a single and a double.  Four singles, including one by 1B Hector Gimenez, brought in 2 runs in the 5th.  A single, a stolen base, and an error gave Los Tigres their last run in the 8th inning.  LF Lastings Milledge and CF Jorge Cortes also had a single each in the game.   


DOMINICAN LEAGUE
Estrellas de Oriente  2,  Toros del Este  1  --  
A double, a bunt, and an RBI single in the top of the 10th broke a 1-1 tie to give Los Estrellas the win.  A double, a bunt, and an RBI ground out brought in Los Estrellas' first run in the 6th.  A pair of singles around a ground out pushed in a run for Los Toros in the 8th.  DH Ronny Paulino singled twice and walked for Los Estrellas, but was out at second base twice and left on base once.

Gigantes del Cibao  9,  Leones del Escogido  6  --  CF Rich Thompson is looking like a strong addition to Los Gigantes for their playoff drive.  He contributed a single, a double, 2 RBI, and a run in tonight's win.  The game began with Thompson's double, and a bunt and a throwing error allowed the speedy Thompson come around to score.  A ground out and a wild pitch gave Los Gigantes a second run in the top of the 1st.  Los Leones tied the score in the bottom of the inning.  Thompson gave Los Gigantes the lead again in the top of the 2nd, with an RBI ground out that followed 3 singles.  Escogido took the lead back in the bottom of the frame with 3 runs, for a 5-3 score.  Los Gigantes tied the score at 5-5 with two singles and two doubles in the 4th.  Then they recaptured the lead in the 5th, scoring 3 runs on a pair of two-out singles and a pair of fielding errors.  Thompson drove in Los Gigantes' final run in the top of the 7th, with an RBI single following a double.  


Tough Inning For Singh

The Mexican Pacific League started their playoffs on New Years' Day.  Los Tomateros De Culiacan beat Los Venados de Mazatlan 4-3, and Rogelios Noris did not get into the game.  It took 11 innings for Los Caneros de Los Mochis to beat Los Algodoneros de Guasave 7-6.  Yurendell de Caster singled in a run for Guasave in the 6th.  More playoff games, including Puerto Rican and Dominican games, on Sunday.  

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE
Adelaide Bite  12,  Canberra Cavalry  1  --  
This game ended after the top of the 7th, with the Bite ahead by more than 10 runs (international rules).  The Cavalry started off well, with a run in the top of the 1st on an error and an RBI double.  But that was the only hit and the only run they would get.  Bite starter Darren Fidge pitched 5 innings and struck out 7 batters, while allowing the one run, one hit, and one walk.  Two relievers each pitched a perfect inning.  The Bite started scoring in the bottom of the 1st, loading the bases with a single and two walks.  Quincy Latimore, in center field today, struck out swinging, but strike three was a wild pitch, which allowed the runner from third base to score.  An RBI ground out brought in a second run.  The Bite powered up in the 4th inning, with three home runs -- a solo homer, a double followed by a 2-run homer, and a batter reaching on an error, followed by another 2-run homer.  Latimore also walked in that inning, after all the homers, but was left on base.  The Cavalry changed pitchers, bringing Rinku Singh on to pitch the 5th inning, but he did not have much better luck.  A single, a walk, and another single loaded the bases.  An RBI single and an RBI ground out drove in one run each, and another came in on a throwing error.  Latimore also grounded out to drive in a run, and Singh was charged with 4 runs (3 earned) on 3 hits and 2 walks.  The Cavalry tried another pitcher for the bottom of the 6th, and he got one out, then walked three consecutive batters.  A wild pitch must have bounced just right, because the Cavalry catcher and pitcher were able to tag the runner from third out at the plate.  They were not as lucky with the next wild pitch, as the Bite scored their final run.  

Sydney Blue Sox  10,  Perth Heat  3  --  The Blue Sox took an early lead with 4 runs in the 1st and 3 runs in the 2nd.  Then they added 2 more in the 5th and one in the 6th.  Perth scratched out a run in the 5th and 2 runs in the 6th.  Jarryd Sullivan pitched the bottom of the 9th for the Blue Sox.  He walked the first batter of the inning, then got a grounder force out, a strikeout, and a fly out to end the game.  
 

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!
The Australians have started the new year with some baseball, early Saturday morning for the rest of us.  The Caribbean leagues will be in playoff mode now.  The Dominicans have already started their round robin style playoff tournament.  The Mexican Pacific League begins their playoffs tonight, and the rest will be in action on Sunday.


Adelaide Bite  5,  Canberra Cavalry  2  --  Not a lot of hits for either team.  The Cavalry had 6 hits, and two of them were solo home runs, one in the 7th and one in the 8th inning.  That was all of their scoring.  The Bite needed only 2 of their 5 hits to score 5 runs in the 7th.  The inning began with a walk and a hit batter.  A sacrifice bunt moved the runners into scoring position, and an RBI ground out brought in the first Bite run.  A pair of walks loaded the bases, and the Cavalry changed pitchers.  But the new pitcher walked LF Quincy Latimore to force in the second run of the inning.  Two singles drove in 3 more runs, and the Bite had all they needed.  Latimore also singled in the 4th and stole second base, then walked in the 6th.  Jackson Lodge pitched the top of the 9th for the Bite, and gave up a single, while striking out two batters, to earn his first save.
 


Just in case you were wondering for the new year....  96 days until the Indy Indians (and the rest of the minor leagues')  Opening Day.