Yaquis de Obregon (Mexico) 10, Criollos de Caguas (Puerto Rico) 0

Does Luis Mendoza understand the definition of pressure? Well, in 2012, he entered the season for the Kansas City Royals with his career on the line and delivered a nice season, going 8-10 with a 4.23 ERA, a 104-59 strikeout to walk ratio, and a 52.1% groundball rate in 25 starts, 5 relief appearances, and 166 innings pitched. But Wednesday verus Caguas was a different story. He was an established major leaguer on a team of has-beens. He was going to be fine no matter how he pitched. But that didn’t matter- his countrymen needed him, and he had to deliver. Mendoza proceeded to dominate the Criollos and a great offensive performance by the Yaquis made sure this one wasn’t even close as they won 10-0. Mendoza went 7.1 innings allowing just 2 hits, striking out 9 while walking 4 and posting an 11-2 groundout to flyout ratio. He had a no-hitter going through 7 innings, something even more impressive given the big layoffs he was experiencing as Obregon was scoring so many runs. Barbaro Canizares set the tone early for the Obregon offense with a 2-run homer in the second inning, Marlon Byrd had 2 doubles, a stolen base, 3 RBI, and 2 runs scored, and Iker Franco, who had been benched by the Yaquis after slumping in the Caribbean Series, was able to assuage some of his frustration with a 6th inning 2-run single. Obregon clinched a berth in the Caribbean Series championship game in resounding fashion. As a 3-3 team facing off against the 5-1 Leones de Escogido from the Dominican, it’s going to be a tough matchup, but after a game like this, the Yaquis’ confidence is sky-high and of course anything is possible in one game.

Leones de Escogido (Dominican Republic) 4, Navegantes de Magallanes (Venezuela) 2

Speaking of the Leones, they had already clinched an appearance in the championship game, but this game was very important because had Magallanes won, they would have to play a one-game playoff versus Obregon to see who would play in the championship game. It looked for a while like that happen, but the Leones showed off just how good they are with a late comeback as they came away with a 4-2 victory. The Navegantes got off a nice start in this one, taking a 1-0 lead in the 3rd when Cesar Suarez reached on a two-base error, stole third base, and then scored on another error, but Julio Lugo responded for Escogido with a solo home run. Suarez came up big again for Magallanes in the 5th, following up Renny Osuna‘s 2-out triple with an RBI single to give the Navegantes a 2-1 lead. But in the 7th, a huge error by Luis Nunez on a Hanley Ramirez groundball tied the game at 2. Through 7 innings, both teams had shown outstanding pitching. For Escogido, Carlos Pimental went 4 innings allowing just an unearned run on 2 hits, striking out 4 while walking 1, and then Lorenzo Barcel went 3 innings allowing 1 run on 2 hits, striking out 2 while walking none. Magallanes’ pitching was just as good as Sergio Perez went 5.2 innings allowing 1 run on 5 hits, striking out 5 while walking 1 before Gabriel Alfaro allowed an unearned run in 1.1 innings of work, although he did record 3 of his 4 outs via the strikeout. With 2 innings left in the game, the game was down to a battle of the bullpens with the question being who would wilt first. In the end, it the Dominicans who came through in the clutch in the end, with Mets catching prospects Francisco Pena slamming a go-ahead 2-run home run in the 9th inning before Jailen Peguero nailed down the save in the bottom of the inning as Escogido won 4-2 and finished the Caribbean Series with a 5-1 record, 2 games better than the second place Obregon squad. But you can throw that out the window as the Caribbean Series will come down to one game between the Leones and the Yaquis, and the Leones better hope the magic they have shown the last six games persists when it matters most.

Mexican Pacific League Playoffs: Algodoneros de Guasave 8, Aguilas de Mexicali 1

This was not the way that Mexicali wanted to start off the second round of the MPL Playoffs as Guasave, fresh off a sweep of Jorge Cantu‘s Hermosillo squad, continued its roll versus the Aguilas. This game was over quickly as Mexicali starter Sergio Valenzuela couldn’t get out of the second inning, allowing 5 runs in just 1.1 IP. One of the few things Mexicali could be happy was that Jon Weber and Wes Bankston both had good games after inconsistency throughout the Aguilas’ series versus Mazatlan. Weber went 1 for 3 with a walk and Mexicali’s only RBI while Bankston also went 1 for 3 with a walk.

Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (Puerto Rico) Postseason: Cangrejeros de Santurce 5, Gigantes de Carolina 1

Little went right for Carolina in this one as they suffered through a lifeless 5-1 loss to Santurce. Carolina starter Gaby Hernandez, a former top prospect for the Mets and Marlins, did not pitch effectively, allowing 4 runs in 5.2 innings, and the Gigantes went just 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position in the game. Leslie Anderson went 1 for 4, although he did double for Carolina’s only extra-base hit, and among the other ex-Rays, Jesus Feliciano went 0 for 3 with a walk for the Gigantes while Jose Ruiz went 0 for 3 with a walk and a run scored for Santurce.

Venezuelan Winter League Playoffs: Caribes de Anzoategui 5, Cardelanes de Lara 2

This game was not quite a blowout- but you knew pretty quickly the way it was going to turn out when Cesar Suarez set the tone in the first inning, drilling a 2-out solo home run off of Ken Ray (a former big leaguer for the Royals and Braves, but alas, not a former Ray). Suarez would have a great game, going 2 for 3 with the homer, a walk, and 2 runs scored, and his teammates would do the rest as the Caribes won 5-2. Anzoategui starter Andrew Baldwin, who was once traded for Jamie Moyer, tossed 5 shutout innings while Luis Nunez, a former Yankees prospect who spent 2012 in the Dodgers organization, went 3 for 3 with a homer, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Romulo Sanchez, who spent 2012 at the Rays’ Triple-A Durham affiliate, allowed a run in 1.2 innings in the loss for Lara.

Mexican Pacific League Postseason: Venados de Mazatlan 4, Aguilas de Mexicali 3

Devastating loss for the Aguilas as they blew a 3-0 lead after 6 innings as they allowed 4 runs in the 7th. Henry Mateo went just 1 for 4 for Mazatlan but made it count once again, coming through with a game-tying RBI single and proceeding to steal a base and score the go-ahead run. For Mexicali, Yuniesky Betancourt homered, but their 3-4 duo of ex-Rays minor leaguers Jon Weber and Wes Bankston could not do the job once again, going just 0 for 6 with 2 walks, both by Weber. Weber remains hitless in the postseason while Bankston is second on the Aguilas with a .313 average. For Mazatlan, Mateo leads players for either teams with an incredible .524 average. Mexicali once led this series 2-0, but Mazatlan has won 3 straight and looks to complete a trip to the MPL Championship Series later today.

Yaquis de Obregon 3, Algodoneros de Guasave 1

The Yaquis found a way to win and go up 3-2 in the series, although their three ex-Rays were not of much help as Juan Miranda and Iker Franco went a combined 0 for 5 with a walk and Jesus Colome tossed 0.2 innings allowing 2 hits, although he was able to escape unscathed. Obregon’s real hero was the Royals’ Luis Mendoza, who went 6 innings allowing just 1 run on 4 hits, striking out 8 while walking 1.

Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (Puerto Rico) Playoffs: Gigantes de Carolina 7, Cangrejeros de Santurce 6

Two homers in the 6th inning and a third one in the 8th made this one quite a satisfying win for Carolina. Felipe Lopez had a big game, going 3 for 5 to raise his playoff average to .313, while Jesus Feliciano, moved from the leadoff spot to the 3-hole, went 0 for 3 although he did walk twice. On the pitching side, Eddie Morlan bent but did not break, going 1.2 innings allowing 3 walks and 2 hits but not a single run.

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League Postseason: Leones de Caracas 5, Caribes de Anzoategui 3

4 innings of 1-hit baseball from the Caracas bullpen proved to be the difference in this game. Daniel Mayora went just 0 for 4 for the victorious Leones, but Cesar Saurez had a nice game in the loss for Anzoategui, going 2 for 4 with a stolen base and 2 runs scored. Suarez and the hitter hitting right behind him, Jose Castillo, notched 5 of the Caribes’ 8 hits, and 2 of the remaining 3 were by Numan Romero, who devastatingly was caught stealing twice to kill Anzoategui rallies.