Y. Navarro

Batting and Pitching Leaders Winter 2013-2014

AVERAGE, Y. Navarro (L) .386, G. Polanco (E) .358, J. Díaz (GC) .341, E. González (E) .339, J. Profar (L) .328, J. Francisco (L) .328, JC: Pérez (AC) .326, M. Sierra (GC) .318, S. Halton (L) .313, M. Franco (GC) 313.

RUNS. J. Profar (L) 16. J. Díaz (GC) 14, G. Polanco (E) 13, Y. Navarro (L) 13, JC. Pérez (AC) 11, (Varios empatados con 10).

RBI. Y. Navarro (L) 21, G. Polanco (E) 13, S. Halton (L) 12, J. Francisco (L) 12, Alf. Marte (EO) 11, (Varios empatados con 10).

HITS. Y. Navarro (L) 22, E. González (E) 21, J. Profar 20, J. Francisco (L) 20, (Varios empatados con 19).

DOUBLES. S. Halton (L) 8, Alf. Marte (EO) 7; J. Francisco (L) 7, J. Ramírez (TE) 6, (Varios empatados con 5).

TRIPLES. A. Hernández (L) 2, E. Vélez (TE) 2, A. Valdez (EO) 2, A. Hernández (L) 2, (10 empatados con 1).

HOMERUNS. Y. Navarro (L) 4, G. Polanco (LE) 4, M. Sierra (GC) 3, (Varios empatados con 2).

STOLEN BASES. E. Vélez (TE) 6, D. Santana (AC) 5, JC. Pérez (AC) 4, F. Guzmán (E) 4, L. García (GC) 4, (Varios empatados con 3).

WINS. A. Castro (AC) 3-0, 1000, L. Barceló (AC) 2-0, 1000, G. Aquino (L) 2-0, 1000, Ch. Volstad (L) 2-0, 1000, A. Rodríguez (E) 2-0, 1000, R. Colón (GC) 2-0, 1000.

ERA. A. Castro (AC) 1.02, H. Noesí (EO) 1.15, L. Barceló (AC) 1.59, Y. Maya (L) 1.72, E. Villanueva (TE) 1.72, Ch. Volstad (L) 2.03.

STRIKEOUTS. JA. Contreras (L) 17, A. Castro (AC) 16, R. Owens (GC) 15, Ch. Narveson (L) 15, L. Barceló (AC) 15, (Varios empatados con 13).

SAVES. J. Asencio (L) 7, Ch. Martín (E) 5, M. Mateo (EO) 4, (Varios empatados con 2).

The manager of the Lions on Wednesday appealed to Jesus Aguilar to defend third base and move to shortstop Carlos Rivero

Injuries occur in the cave of the Lions

Dave Hudgens, the Lions manager, had on Wednesday to put Jesus Aguilar at third and move to shortstop Carlos Rivero

PUERTO LA CRUZ. -

The Caracas Lions not only lost Daniel Mayora for this week, but also on Wednesday received word that Luis Rodriguez has a slight pull of a muscle in the calf of the right leg and Eugenio Suarez has discomfort in the left hand.

Dave Hudgens said the loss of three infielders means changes that will limit both the defense and the offense. The manager appealled to Jesus Aguilar to defend third base and move to shortstop Carlos Rivero.

"Everyone needs time to recover and we do not know when they will return. We started Aguilar on a imited basis at third because I don't have many options, "said Hudgens. Aguilar had to took back a long time to remember when was the last time he played a full game at third base. "think it was in 2008 when I defended that position regularly but I'll try to do the job, "confessed the slugger, who noted that this year he defended one game late at third base in a game in double A.

Around the Farm: November 7, 2013
Joseph Colon

By Tony Lastoria

November 8, 2013

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Around the Farm (ATF) takes a quick look at some of the daily performances by Indians prospects. This is a special fall and winter ball version of ATF that recaps all the offseason action by Indians players in the Arizona Fall League and the Caribbean Leagues. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in the game.

Note: Both the Australian Baseball League and Dominican Winter League were in action, but no Indians players played.

Arizona Fall League

Tyler Naquin (CF, Surprise Saguaros): 1-for-4, 2 R, BB. Naquin has now recorded a hit in 20 of the 22 games he has played this offseason and reached base in all but one (Wednesday’s 0-for-5 effort). He has put on a clinic this fall with how to be a tablesetter by doing it with the bat (.351 average) and with the eye (9 BB, 11 K, .411 OBP).

Joe Wendle (2B, Surprise Saguaros): 2-for-4, R, HR, 3 RBI, BB, E. Wendle has not played a lot as he has only played in back to back games once this fall, but in the 13 games he has played he’s played well. His game on Thursday might be his best showing to date as he reached base three times and hit his first homer. The only negative was that he picked up his second error.

Puerto Rico Winter League

Carlos Moncrief (RF, Gigantes de Carolina): 1-for-3, E. Moncrief played in his first game in four days and had an unremarkable game managing just a single and recording his second error on defense in three games played. Something to note is he was pinch hit for in the eighth inning – which is hard to tell if it was for matchup or injury reasons.

Joseph Colon (SP, Cangrejeros de Santurce): 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 3 K. Colon made his 2013 winter ball debut and pitched a good one. He faced 18 batters, three over the minimum in his five innings of work. Hopefully he can stay healthy and made several more starts this offseason to make up some of the last innings due to injury this season.

Brett Brach (RP, Gigantes de Carolina): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K. Brach vulture another win and is now 2-0 in two relief appearances this fall. He has pitched 3.2 total innings and allowed 2 hits, no runs, no walks and has 1 strikeout. He is a guy looking to have a strong fall and improve his stock some going into next season.

Venezuela Winter League

Ezequiel Carrera (CF, Navegantes del Magallanes): 0-for-4. Even though he had an 0-fer on the night, Carrera has had a nice showing so far in 23 games this offseason as he is hitting a solid .281 with 10 stolen bases and a nice 13:14 walk to strikeout ratio.

Bryan Price (RP, Bravos de Margarita): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. Price set down all three batters he faced in the ninth inning and protected a 4-2 lead for his third save of his winter ball campaign. He has now made 10 total appearances and has a 2.84 ERA, and in 12.2 innings has a nice 3:13 walk to strikeout ratio. He’s really had a nice year overall.

Jesus Aguilar (3B, Leones del Caracas): 2-for-4. Aguilar had another good game with a multi-hit effort on two singles. But the story is his second straight start at third base. After some discussions with people in the know, he is playing at third base simply out of need for his winter ball team as they have several infielders banged up. The Indians have not requested he play third base, nor are they considering him there. He is a first baseman and that’s it. As Ben Kenobi would say, “Move along…nothing to see here.”

Elvis Araujo (RP, Aguilas del Zulia): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. Araujo made his fifth appearance this winter and he continues to get stronger each time out. This was his best outing, and he has now pitched 3.2 innings and allowed 1 run on 4 hits, no walks and 2 strikeouts.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

Dodgers' Gordon, Brewers' Francisco star for DR club

Speedster Dee Gordon, hitting .423 on the season, had another big night for Licey, as did third baseman Juan Francisco, who drove in four.

Winter League roundup: Gordon, Francisco star in DR

By Quinn Roberts / MLB.com | 11/7/2013 10:27 P.M. ET

Dominican Winter League

Licey 10, Gigantes 5

Dee Gordon and Juan Francisco led the way for Licey. Gordon went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored, while Francisco went 3-for-4 with two doubles and four RBIs. Yunesky Maya got his second win of the season, allowing three runs on six hits in five innings. Fabio Castro took his first loss of the season.

Aguilas 8, Estrellas 4

Scoring early and often, Aguilas plated six runs in the first four innings. Juan Lagares went 4-for-4 with one double and two RBIs. Andy Marte and Audry Perez each had two hits. Estrellas starter Frankie De La Cruz took his third loss of the season, allowing four runs (one earned) on three hits in 1 1/3 innings.

Venezuelan Winter League

Zulia 13, Caracas 1

Zulia dominated from the first pitch, belting 19 hits. Henry Rodriguez went 4-for-6 with one double and four RBIs. Freddy Galvis and Jose Pirela also had three hits. Roy Merritt got his second win of the season, allowing one run on four hits in six innings. Armando Galarraga took the loss, allowing four runs on six hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Margarita 4, Magallanes 2

The heart of Margarita's lineup did well, with Cesar Hernandez and Adam Duvall each picking up two hits and combining to score three runs. Caleb Joseph had one of the biggest hits of the night, belting a two-run double in the eighth. Reliever Amalio Diaz took the loss for Magallanes, allowing two runs on one hit in two-thirds of an inning.

Caribes 6, Lara 5

Catcher Jose Gil had a huge night, leading Caribes to the win. He went 4-for-4 with two RBIs. Cory Aldridge also had a solo home run in the ninth, his fourth of the season. Reliever Pedro Rodriguez got his fifth win, while Nestor Molina took the loss, allowing two runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning.

La Guaira 4, Aragua 1

Alex Cabrera led the way for La Guaira, belting a three-run home run in the third inning, his third homer of the season. C.J. Retherford also had a solo shot in the second, his third home run of the season. Aragua had four more hits in the game, but couldn't get the big hit when it counted. Yohan Pino took his third loss of the season, allowing four runs on four hits and four walks in five innings of work.

Puerto Rican Liga de Beisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente

Carolina 5, Santurce 3

Carolina's three-run seventh inning was the difference in the game. Ruben Gotay started it with a double, and Jesus Feliciano followed with a single. Anthony Garcia then belted a three-run home run, his second homer of the season. Reliever Brett Brach got his second win of the season.

Caguas, Mayaguez PPD (Rain)

Mexican Pacific League

Obregon 4, Guasave 3

A back-and-forth battle saw the deciding run come in the bottom of the eighth after Guasave had tied things up in the top half of the inning. Carlos Valencia hit a solo home run to left field, his third homer of the season. Obregon reliever Rett Varner got his first win, blanking Guasave for 1 2/3 innings.

Navojoa 10, Mazatlan 3

Navojoa hitters put on a show, belting 20 hits in Wednesday's contest. Jon Weber went 4-for-4 with three RBIs, and Wes Bankston went 3-for-5 and scored a run. Walter Silva took his third loss of the season, allowing four runs on eight hits in 2 1/3 innings. The Mazatlan bullpen also allowed six runs on 12 hits.

Los Mochis 10, Culiacan 4

In an 11-hit night, Los Mochis had seven starters with at least one hit. Jake Fox led the way, going 2-for-3 with a double and four RBIs. Saul Soto also went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs. Francisco Cordova took the win, allowing two runs on four hits in five innings.

Mexicali 7, Hermosillo 3

With seven runs in the first three innings, Mexicali sealed the victory early. All but two starters had hits, with Oscar Robles and Ricky Alvarez leading the way with two apiece. Kevin Kouzmanoff also had a solo home run in the contest. Edgar Osuna took the win, allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits in five innings.

Cron's big day helps Solar Sox hold on to division lead

C.J. Cron, the Angels' No. 2 prospect, went 4-for-4 with two RBIs to lead Mesa. Nats top prospect Brian Goodwin also added two RBIs in the win over Surprise.

Comfortably back at home in Arizona, playing 20 minutes from where he grew up, C.J. Cron is once again at home in the batter's box. The Solar Sox first baseman leads the Arizona Fall League with a .393 batting average and his 1.089 OPS ranks third.

Cron boosted those numbers Friday as he went 4-for-4 with two doubles and a walk, helping Mesa to a 6-1 victory against Surprise at Hohokam Stadium. The win snapped the Solar Sox's three-game losing streak.

Cron, the Angels' No. 2 prospect, had been in a groove at the plate during the Texas League playoffs when he hit .303 with four home runs in eight games. He said wanted to build on that performance when he came to the AFL.

"[I'm] just sticking to my approach and not trying to do too much," Cron said. "It's good to get out here and play with these guys. It's been fun."

Mesa scored three runs in the first inning to take control of the game. Cron hit an RBI double to drive in the game's first run. Second baseman Devon Travis capped the inning with a two-run, two-out single. The Solar Sox added two more runs in the fourth, again with the benefit of a double by Cron, and added another insurance run in the sixth.

Shortstop Addison Russell, the A's top prospect, went 3-for-5 with three runs and a triple. Center fielder Brian Goodwin, the Nationals' top prospect, went 3-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs.

The Solar Sox also benefitted from another strong start by left-hander Sammy Solis, the Nationals' No. 11 prospect. Solis allowed five hits and struck out five batters in 4 1/3 innings. He lowered his ERA to 2.25 and now leads the league in wins (four) and strikeouts (25).

Cron said the Solar Sox have come to expect that kind of performance when Solis is on the mound.

"He has a good tempo and he throws three or four pitches for strikes consistently," Cron said. "You know it's going to be a quick day when he's on the mound and he'll put up a lot of zeroes. That's what he did today."

Solis allowed just one run Friday. He was relieved in the fifth inning by left-hander Kenny Faulk with one out and two runners on base. Faulk issued back-to-back walks to Red Sox prospects Mookie Betts and Garin Cecchini, forcing in a run. But he escaped the inning without further damage.

Surprise, the league's highest-scoring team, was otherwise held in check by Mesa's pitching staff. Center fielder Tyler Naquin, the Indians' No. 5 prospect, was the only Saguaro to record multiple hits. He went 2-for-4, increasing his league-leading hit total to 35.

The victory kept Mesa a half game in front of Salt River in the East Division with five games to play. The winner of that race will play in next Saturday's championship game, likely against Surprise, which holds a commanding lead in the West Division.

Cron said the Solar Sox know they are in a tight race and want to make sure they have a chance to play for the AFL title.

"We want to win this thing," Cron said. "We've played a month and a half of baseball and no matter how short the season is, it [stinks] to lose. We're going out there trying to win a ring and have fun."

Around The Farm: November 8, 2013
Bryan Price

By Arthur Kinney

November 9, 2013

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Around the Farm (ATF) takes a quick look at some of the daily performances by Indians prospects. This is a special fall and winter ball version of ATF that recaps all the offseason action by Indians players in the Arizona Fall League and the Caribbean Leagues. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in the game.

ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE

Tyler Naquin (Surprise Saguaros, CF) - 2-4, 1 K - Naquin continues to hit well in the AFL with this effort as he raises his batting average to .357 (35-for-98). He also has 17 RBI in 22 games played.

Tony Wolters (Surprise Saguaros, C) - 1-4 - Wolters is just 8-for-40 (.200) on the fall season. He has split his time between shortstop and catcher, mostly to get at bats. Reports out of Arizona say scouts are impressed with his catching.

Shawn Armstrong (Surprise Saguaros, RP) - 1 IP, 1 BB, 2 K - Armstrong continues to pitch well in the AFL as he has held the opposition scoreless in eight of his nine outings. This is a good way to finish off a subpar year and hopefully is a sneak peak of what we may see out of him next spring and summer in the regular season.

VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE

Bryan Price (Bravos de Margarita, RP) - 1 IP, perfect, - Price pitched a perfect seventh to secure a win for the Bravos in the first game of a scheduled doubleheader (game 2 was eventually called off). Price is another pitcher who has generally performed well in offseasom competiton, holding the oppsing batters scoreless in nine of his eleven outings.

Ezequiel Carrera (Navegantes del Magallanes, CF) - 0-1, 3 R, 3 BB, 2 SB, 1 HBP - Carrera posts an unusual line as he picks up three runs and two stolen bases while posting a .800 single-game OBP while going hitless. Tonight's game raised his LVBP OBP to .404, his walk total to 19, and his hit by pitch total to three in 109 plate appearances.

Jesus Aguilar (Leones del Caracas, 3B) - 1-6, 1 2B, 2 K - Aguilar had an off night in the Caracas' 14-inning loss, but that still doesn't take away from the incredible winter season he is having in the LVBP. He is batting 350 with 8 HR amd 25 RBI in 25 Venezuelan League games this winter. In other words, the RBI Machine is still the RBI Machine.

DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE

Erik Gonzalez (Leones del Escogido, SS) - 1-2, 1 R, 1 Sac Bunt - Gonzalez has a productive night at the plate as he continues his strong LIDOM form (batting .344 in 17 games thus far this winter). This winter season has been enjoyable to watch in regards to Erik.

Jose Ramirez (Toros del Este, SS) - 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 K - J-Ram only manages one hit on the night, but makes it count with an RBI. Hopefully, he can continue those type of at-bats on a more consistent basis.

Colt Hynes (Estrellas Orientales, RP) - L (0-1), 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R (1 earned), 1 BB (intentional), 1 K - Hynes' streak of seven scoreless outings to start the LIDOM season ends at the worst possible time as he gives up the game winning runs in the 15th inning. While the defense did not exactly help either, this was by far Hynes' worst outing of the winter season thus far.

Dominant Nolin picks up first win with Escogido

Blue Jays No. 5 prospect Sean Nolin allowed two hits in six innings and was one of six pitchers who combined to blank Aguilas in the Dominican Republic

Dominant Nolin picks up first win with Escogido

By Cash Kruth and Quinn Roberts / MLB.com | 11/8/2013 6:03 P.M. ET

Dominican Winter League

Escogido 2, Aguilas 0

Freddy Guzman and Gregory Polanco each had big hits in Friday's contest, but much of the game came down to the pitching. Blue Jays No. 5 prospect Sean Nolin got his first win of the season, allowing two hits in six innings. Nolin, who was drafted by Toronto in the sixth round in 2010, struck out five and walked a pair. Angel Castro took his first loss of the season, allowing two runs on five hits in five innings.

Toros 2, Gigantes 1 (10 innings)

A tight game throughout, the difference proved to be a wild pitch. With Juan Ciriaco at third base, Ruben Mejia's errant pitch scored Ciriaco, a pinch-runner for Dan Butler, who had walked to begin the 10th.

[Although not a spectacular night for Jose Ramirez, he was involved in the two late inning Toros runs in the Toros 10 inning win.]

Toros Top of the 1st
Jose Ramirez lines out to right fielder Moises Sierra

Toros Top of the 3rd
Jose Ramirez grounds out to first baseman Maikel Franco.

Toros Top of the 5th
Jose Ramirez strikes out swinging.

Toros Top of the 8th
Hector Gomez walks.
Angelys Nina out on a sacrifice bunt
Jose Ramirez singles
Hector Gomez scores.
Jose Ramirez to 2nd on the throw.
Jim Adduci flies out to right fielder Moises Sierra.
Jose Ramirez to 3rd.
Donell Linares pops out to third baseman Jonathan Diaz.

Toros Top of the 10th
Dan Butler walks.
Jose Ramirez out on a sacrifice bunt,
Pinch-runner Juan Ciriaco replaces Dan Butler.
Jordan Pacheco flies out to center fielder Leury Garcia.
Juan Ciriaco to 3rd.
Ruben Mejia intentionally walks Jim Adduci.
With Donell Linares batting, wild pitch by Ruben Mejia, Juan Ciriaco scores.

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Licey 9, Estrellas 7, (15 innings)

It was a thriller between the two clubs Friday night. After Estrellas scored six runs in the first inning, they didn't plate another run until the final frame. Licey continued to peck away at the lead and got the win by scoring three runs in the 15th.

Venezuelan Winter League

Zulia 6, Caracas 5 (14 innings)

Ryan Lollis hit a game-winning RBI triple in the top of the 14th inning to score Felix Perez, who led off with a single. Jose Pirela and Henry Rodriguez each had three hits for Zulia, while J.D. Martinez went 3-for-5 with a home run for Caracas.

Margarita 6, Aragua 2

Margarita took advantage of a three-run fourth inning and three Aragua homers to earn the victory. Giants prospect Adam Duvall was 2-for-4 two two RBIs, while Max Ramirez was 3-for-4. Five Margarita pitchers held Aragua to two hits.

Caribes 11, Lara 1

Three Caribes pitchers held Lara to one run in nine innings, highlighted by seven shutout innings from Mark Serrano. Leslie Anderson went 3-for-4, with two RBIs, while Jose Castillo and Cory Aldridge also had two knocks and drove in a pair.

La Guaira 14, Magallanes 7

White Sox prospect Carlos Sanchez went 2-for-3 with four RBIs, while Miguel Gonzalez and Alex Cabrera also homered for La Guaira. Robinson Chirinos went 2-for-4 with four RBIs for Magallanes.

Puerto Rican Liga de Beisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente

Santurce 5, Caguas 3

Jeff Dominguez and Derrick Robinson led the way for Santurce. Dominguez went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs. Robinson went 2-for-4 with an RBI. James Houser got the win, improving to 2-0 with a 0.87 ERA on the season. He allowed two runs on three hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Mayaguez 3, Ponce 1

All but two starters had at least one hit, with Kennys Vargas and Luis Figueroa leading the way with two hits each. Rene Rivera also had a solo home run in the fourth inning, his first of the season. Yuki Egarashi took the loss, allowing three runs on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Mexican Pacific League

Guasave 3, Los Mochis 2

A three-run seventh inning for Guasave proved to be the difference in the game. Three straight singles from Baltazar Lopez, Gabriel Gutierrez and Jesus Lopez scored all three Guasave runs. Juan Delgadillo got his fifth win of the season, allowing just one run on five hits in seven innings.

Hermosillo 5, Mazatlan 4

In a back-and-forth battle, Hermosillo plated two runs in the bottom of the eighth to secure the victory. Jerry Owens and Jesse Gutierrez each had two hits for Hermosillo. Reliever Marcos Zavala got the win, allowing one hit in one inning.

Navojoa 5, Obregon 2

Each team had 12 hits, but it was Navojoa who got the hits when it counted. Jon Weber went 4-for-5 with a double, Wes Bankston went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Fernando Flores went 2-for-5 with three RBIs. Marco Carrillo took his third loss of the season, allowing four runs on 10 hits in five innings.

Culiacan 9, Mexicali 2

Once again, Amauri Sanit had a great night on the hill. He improved to 3-0 with a 1.31 ERA, allowing one run on five hits in six innings. Matt Angle also had a night to remember, notching two home runs and three RBIs.

(Jose Ramirez far right - front)

JAVIER JULIAN STADIUM

Bulls continue to improve; defeat Giants 2-1

Ciriaco makes the triumph in the tenth by wild pitch

San Francisco de Macoris

Los Toros del Este won by 2-1 last night ten innings against the Gigantes del Cibao in the continuation of Dominican professional baseball tournament.

The game was decided in that inning when the Bulls scored to break one run tie.

In the inning Dan Butler began receiving a walk off of pitcher Ruben Mejia. Butler was replaced by Juan Ciriaco and Jose Ramirez advanced Ciriaco to second on a sacrifice bunt.

Jordan Pacheco flied out to center and Ciriaco, advanced to third, from where he scored moments later on a wild pitch.

The Giants scored their only run in the fourth inning with a double to right field by Sierra Moses from where he scored on an RBI single to center by Oscar Tejeda.

In the eighth inning the Bulls tied the ball gamel Dan Butler walked. Jose Ramirez was out 1-3 on a sacrifice bunt. Ciriaco advanced to third when Jordan Pacheco flied out to center fielder Leury Garcia and scored on a wild pitch by Ruben Mejia.

For the Bulls standouts were Ricardo Nanita on offense with two hits, while Acosta, Ramirez, Jordan Pacheco, Jim Adduci and Pedro Feliz linked one hit per at bat.

Around the Farm: November 9, 2013
Jake Lowery

By Tony Lastoria

November 10, 2013

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Around the Farm (ATF) takes a quick look at some of the daily performances by Indians prospects. This is a special fall and winter ball version of ATF that recaps all the offseason action by Indians players in the Arizona Fall League and the Caribbean Leagues. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in the game.

Arizona Fall League

Tyler Naquin (CF, Surprise Saguaros): 1-for-4, R, 2B, BB. Naquin has now recorded a hit in 22 of his 24 games this fall and reached based in 23 of 24 games. He had another good night reaching base twice in five appearances. He has slapped the ball around the ballpark as just 5 of his 36 hits are for extra bases and he only has a .069 ISO which is not very good, but what I have been impressed with is the approach and discipline as he has a 10:12 walk to strikeout ratio. His discipline was clearly off this season, but his showing in the AFL against more advanced arms than he faced at High-A Carolina has quieted some of my fears about the strikeout concerns.

Joe Wendle (2B, Surprise Saguaros): 0-for-4. Wendle still has played in back to back games just once this fall, but he’s still done a nice job being ready when called upon and being productive. In 14 games he has compiled an .816 OPS, 6 of his 15 hits are for extra bases, and he has a solid 5:9 walk to strikeout ratio in 53 at bats.

Will Roberts (SP, Surprise Saguaros): 3.0 IP, 10 H, 8 R/ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 2 HR. This may be the final outing of Roberts’ AFL campaign, and if so, what a rough way to end it and his 2013 season. After a day off on Sunday, Surprise has just four more games so his turn in the rotation probably won’t come around again. Not much more you can say about this outing than to just acknowledge it and move on.

Tyler Sturdevant (RP, Surprise Saguaros): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 B, 0 BB, 1 K. This was only Sturdevant’s third outing since being added to the roster about 10 days ago in place of righty Trey Haley who had a sore shoulder. He’s had six days and four days rest between his previous two outings, so his exposure is obviously being strictly monitored. He was only 91-92 MPH with his fastball, but was efficient needing just 12 pitches (8 strikes) to complete his inning of work.

Jake Lowery (C, Peoria Javelinas): 1-for-4, RBI, K. Lowery has made the most of his limited playing time. He has a hit in 6 of his 7 games played, though has not recorded more than one hit in any game. He is hitting .286 with a .741 OPS with a nice 3:3 walk to strikeout ratio in 21 at bats.

Dominican Winter League

Erik Gonzalez (SS, Leones del Escogido): 1-for-4, 2 K. Gonzalez had a tough night, though he did get a hit. He’s done a nice job so far hitting in the nine-hole in the Escogido lineup and his strong play has allowed him to stay in the lineup and get more playing time. The 1:18 walk to strikeout ratio in 69 at bats is concerning, and unless he improves on his discipline is going to be what limits his major league future.

Jose Ramirez (2B-3B, Toros del Este): 1-for-4. An unspectacular line from the often spectacular Ramirez who is known for filling a box score. His showing to date in the DWL is not as sexy as last fall, but he has still had a solid showing hitting .286 with a .717 OPS in 16 games coming into Saturday night’s game. One thing that is of concern is the poor 2:13 walk to strikeout ratio in 67 at bats so far, which may be a sign he is pressing and trying to do too much.

Puerto Rico Winter League

Roberto Perez (C, Indios de Mayaguez): 0-for-0, R, HBP. Perez finally made his offseason debut, though had to wait until the ninth inning to come in as a defensive replacement. The game went extra innings and in his only plate appearance in the 11th inning he was hit by a pitch and later scored.

Venezuela Winter League

Ezequiel Carrera (CF, Navegantes del Magallanes): 0-for-5, RBI, 2 K. Not one of Carrera’s better nights this offseason, but he has still put forth a solid showing this offseason hitting .263 with a .754 OPS in 25 games, and has a nice 16:16 walk to strikeout ratio and 12 stolen bases.

Paolo Espino (SP, Caribes de Anzoategui): 5.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R/ER, 3 BB, 8 K, 1 HR. This might have been Espino’s best outing of the offseason so far as he’s had a lot of trouble getting outs and keeping teams off the scoreboard (24.0 IP, 19 R, 18 ER) in six starts. What has been impressive is he is getting some swing and miss as he has 31 strikeouts in those 24.0 innings.

One thing that is of concern is the poor 2:13 walk to strikeout ratio in 67 at bats so far, which may be a sign he is pressing and trying to do too much.

Or it could be that since March 2012 through November 2013, Ramirez has only had three weeks off in November of each of these years. Personally, I think he really does need some time off. I was hoping he would stay in Cleveland or Arizona for the first half of the winter ball season on some type of strength and conditioning program and then return to winter ball action in December. That would have still given Ramirez two months of ball........more if he makes it to the playoffs and the Series del Caribe once again this year.

Or it could be that the league is probably the strongest its been in years.

Rosario delivers at plate to lift Aguilas in DR

Rockies catcher Wilin Rosario provided a big RBI double to help Dustin Richardson earn the win as Aguilas knocked off Toros in the Dominican Republic

Winter League roundup: Rosario solid in DR

By Cash Kruth / MLB.com | 11/10/2013 1:45 A.M. ET

Dominican Winter League

Escogido 3, Estrellas 2 (10 innings)

Escogido's Pedro Ciriaco led off the bottom of the 10th with a double and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Pirates prospect Gregory Polanco. Ciriaco and Polanco had two hits, as did Brennan Boesch and Wilkin Castillo. Escogido's Edward Valdez allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and struck out nine in seven innings.

Aguilas 3, Toros 1

Colorado's Wilin Rosario had an RBI double and Dan Black drove in another run for Aguilas. Jim Adduci led Toros with two hits.

Gigantes 10, Licey 1

The Gigantes scored nine runs in the first three innings, seven off Chris Volstad. Phillies prospect Maikel Franco went 3-for-4 for the Gigantes, as did Marcell Ozuna. Jonathan Diaz and Moises Sierra also each homered for the Gigantes.

Venezuelan Winter League

Lara, Caracas -- PPD (RAIN)

Caribes 7, Zulia 3

Gorkys Hernandez and Oscar Salazar each drove in a pair of runs for Caribes, while Eduardo Escobar added two doubles and Jose Gil homered. Jose Pirela led Zulia with two hits and a walk while Jose Flores plated two.

Magallanes 5, Aragua 4

Magallanes stormed back to score four runs in the bottom of the ninth, capped by Adonis Garcia's walk-off, two-run double. Rangers prospect Rougned Odor went 3-for-4 for Magallanes, while Luis Maza, Ronny Cedeno, Guillermo Quiroz and Oswaldo Arcia all had two hits for Aragua.

La Guaira 13, Margarita 3

La Guaira scored six first-inning runs to open its romp against Margarita. C.J. Retherford went 3-for-4 with four RBIs, while Cesar Suarez was 2-for-4 with a grand slam and five RBIs. White Sox prospect Carlos Sanchez was one of four other La Guaira players to notch two hits.

Puerto Rican Liga de Beisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente

Caguas 3, Ponce 2

Aaron Bates' two-run double in the sixth put Caguas ahead, while Rey Navarro and Johnny Monell each went 2-for-4. Ivan De Jesus was 2-for-4 and Royals prospect Christian Colon had an RBI double for Ponce.

Mayaguez 5, Santurce 3 (11 innings)

Luis Figueroa drew a bases-loaded walk and Rene Rivera followed with a sacrifice fly to put Mayaguez ahead in the top of the 11th. Chris Curley and Jerry Sands had three hits for Mayaguez, while Michael Taylor added three knocks, one a solo home run. Cincinnati's Billy Hamilton and Astros prospect Jonathan Singleton had two hits for Santurce.

Mexican Pacific League

Los Mochis 8, Guasave 4

Los Mochis' Brian Burgamy and Ramon Orantes each launched two home runs. Burgamy went 3-for-4, while Jake Fox and Jamie Johnson added two hits. Zelous Wheeler led Guasave by going 3-for-4.

Mazatlan 12, Hermosillo 3

Mazatlan scored seven runs in the fourth inning and was led by Issmael Salas, who went 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Jesse Castillo and Erick Rodriguez also plated two, while Henry Mateo, Oswaldo Morejon and Blake Gailen had two hits.

Obregon 4, Navojoa 3

Daniel Castro paced Obregon's four-run second inning with a two-run single. Jose Chavez, Luis Fonseca and Wes Bankston each had two hits for Navojoa.

Mexicali 14, Culiacan 3

Former Major Leaguer Russell Branyan went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBIs to lead Mexicali's rout. Ben Guez and Oscar Robles each had three hits, while Guez and Chris Roberson went deep.

In Series 53, Freddy Asiel notches No-hit, No-Run # 53

by Danny Malas

November 9, 2013

-VCL SSP 0 1

Freddy Asiel Alvarez (2-0) was a colossus and got his first lifetime no hitter in style to be recorded at the expense of Sancti Spiritus in excellent fashion with a 1 - 0 win. A single walk in the second inning to Frederich Cepeda prevented the miracle of the perfect game. A double play ball forced Cepeda out at second base so Freddy faced the minimum 27 batters in the game.

Ángel Peña was a worthy opponent, because for 6 scoreless innings, he recored 5 strikeouts, 2 hits and 3 walks.

Standings and Leaders After First Week Of The Cuban Winter Ball Season
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Only the top 8 teams qualify for the second half of the season.

5 "reinforcement" players can be chosen from each of the disqualified teams to strengthen the top 8 teams if any of the teams choose to do so (which will be a certainty).
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Baseball / Japanese Baseball

Japan wins close contest in Taipei

Kyodo

Nov 9, 2013

TAIPEI –

Shogo Akiyama broke up a tie game in the sixth inning with his second RBI of the game as a young Japan team defeated Taiwan 4-2 in the first game of their three-game series.

With the game tied 2-2, Akiyama delivered a sacrifice fly that plated cleanup hitter Sho Nakata with the go-ahead run. Pinch hitter Ryosuke Hirata followed with an RBI double that completed the scoring as Japan capitalized on a pair of costly errors by the hosts at Taipei’s Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium.

Rookie right-hander Yasuhiro “Ryan” Ogawa, who led the Central League in wins while pitching for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows this season, allowed a run in four innings, while lefty Yudai Ono allowed a run in three innings.

The hosts got off the mark in the first as Chicago Cubs minor leaguer Chen Pin-chieh singled off Ogawa, stole second and scored on a two-out single by Texas Rangers farmhand Chiang Chih-hsien.

With one out and Akiyama on second in the fifth, Japan captain Motohiro Shima of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles connected on an RBI single and a 2-1 lead.

Ogawa allowed two hits and a walk, all in the first inning, while striking out eight. Ono, of the Chunichi Dragons, however, allowed the hosts to tie it in the bottom of the fifth.

Taiwan errors opened the door for Japan to take the lead again in the sixth. Back-to-back fumbles at short and third put runners on first and third with no outs. With one out, Akiyama flied to right to score Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters cleanup hitter Nakata, and the Dragons’ Hirata completed the damage.

The game marked the managing debut of former Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks slugger Hiroki Kokubo, who is expected to lead Samurai Japan to the next World Baseball Classic in 2017. With the exception of the 28-year-old Shima, Kokubo has selected a team of players aged 26 or under.

Baseball / Japanese Baseball

Tigers Messenger, Murton set to stay

Kyodo

Nov 9, 2013

NISHINOMIYA, HYOGO PREF. –

Both Hanshin Tigers outfielder Matt Murton and Tigers right-hander Randy Messenger are likely to return for a fifth year with the Central League club, team sources said Saturday.

Murton and Messenger are close to accepting offers to extend their contracts, the sources said.

This season, Murton, 32, had a league high 178 hits, batting mostly in the cleanup spot. It was the third time in his four years in Japan he recorded the most hits.

Messenger, 32, pitched Opening Day and went 12-8 with a 2.89 ERA.

[Before Murton left for Japan, I was hoping we would sign him. I saw him play quite a few ball games while he was with the Cubs and thought he might be worth a gamble.]