Cleveland Sports Forum

Danny Salazar was the scheduled starter for the Licey Tigers this evening. Maybe tomorrow!

SANTO DOMINGO-

Will have to wait a little longer to see Vladimir Guerrero in the field, but the wait will be worth it.

"I came to practice. I will now be ready to play on day four in November and I will play in every village so that all children can see me, "said Guerrero after exhausting training session at Estadio Quisqueya.

Although not yet at 100 percent physically, Guerrero said he feels pretty good, has been practicing every day at home after playing six weeks in the minor leagues with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Between Class A and Triple A Guerrero batted .358 with four homers, 12 RBIs and 12 runs scored in 53 innings and 12 games.

"I took practice times at first and in the outfield. I wanted to play in left field, but I think what they will do is play me in right field, "he said in a conversation with reporters.

He revealed that his interest is to return to organized baseball depending on how he does in the autumn winter tournament with Licey.

"It was a year of experience. Signing contracts did not happen, but we have to keep working," he said the native player of 37 years.

He said he'll be with the Tigers during the journey through the season except for a period between 25 and 28 December for a trip to the United States.

He was also in a position, if accompanying health, to participate both in the Caribbean Series and in the World Baseball Classic.

In 16 seasons in the majors with Montreal, the Angels, Texas and Baltimore, Guerrero is batting .318 with 449 homers, 1,496 RBIs and 1,328 runs scored.

He was elected as the Most Valuable Player in 2004 with the Angels when he hit .337 with 39 homers, 126 RBIs and 124 runs scored.

Depending on how well he performs this winter, I'd sign Guerrero to a minor league contract with an opportunity to make the team out of spring training. If he can still hit with authority, I'd sign him anyway.

Japan's Shohei Otani (above) is trying to do something unprecedented: sign with an MLB team right out of high school. (Getty Images)

October 25, 2012

Home or Away

By Jack Gallagher

TOKYO --

The plot surrounding Japanese high school phenom Shohei Otani took another turn on Thursday when the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters made the pitcher their first-round pick in the annual amateur baseball draft.

The 18-year-old Otani made waves on both sides of the Pacific on Sunday when he announced that he would be bypassing Nippon Professional Baseball to try his luck with a team in the U.S. major leagues. The highly touted right-hander from Hanamaki Higashi High School in Iwate Prefecture sports a 100 mile per hour fastball and stands 6-foot-4. He would be the first top draft choice in Japan to sign with a major league club in the U.S. straight from high school.

The Fighters, who will take on the Yomiuri Giants in the Japan Series starting Saturday in Tokyo, will retain the domestic rights to Otani through next March. Their selection does not restrict him from signing overseas.

With the advent of satellite television and the movement of Japanese pros to North America, beginning with Hideo Nomo in 1995, it is not unusual to hear a prep player here dream about playing in the U.S. majors. But for one to attempt it without going through the Japanese system is an entirely new proposition.

Otani announced his decision before more than 50 reporters last week, and revealed that in arriving at it he had gone against the wishes of his parents, something extremely unusual for a Japanese teenager.

"It was a difficult decision," Otani said. "There was a conflict of opinions between me and my parents and the people around me, and I was in two minds. I fretted about it, so I am relieved. I am glad I was able to stick to my guns."

A dozen MLB teams have scouted Otani, with the most ardent pursuers said to be the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles. The decision by the Fighters (the team once managed by former Kansas City Royals skipper Trey Hillman) to pick Otani is sure to exert pressure on the star.

Sources say that the Dodgers appear to be the most eager to sign Otani.

"I think I will start in the minor leagues, but I want to challenge in the majors," Otani said. "It has been my dream since entering high school. I felt that I wanted to go [to the U.S.] while I was still young. I have admiration for Japanese pro baseball too, but more so for the major leagues."

Lost among all the glare of the chase is the fact that Otani is considered a raw talent at best, and one who should not be classified as "can't miss." Despite being a fine athlete who hit 56 home runs in his career while also playing the outfield and designated hitter, the evaluation of a Japanese scout and an MLB scout on Otani's mound skills is not entirely glowing.

The scouts’ consensus: "Good build, throws hard, decent movement, good stuff, bad to very bad command. He's a project. Probably would go decently high if he was a U.S. high schooler entering the draft."

Despite previous disappointments that followed the high-profile signings of Hideki Irabu and Daisuke Matsuzaka by MLB clubs, there does not appear to be much hesitation in the pursuit of Otani. Irabu and Matsuzaka were top pros in Japan for several years preceding their moves; Otani has just finished high school ball, and the impact of moving overseas and away from everything he has ever known cannot be discounted in evaluating his ultimate chance for success.

At least he sounds like he has the guts, which puts him in a class with Nomo in fortitude -- someone willing to buck the system and let the chips fall where they may. But Otani will have to learn English and succeed in the minor leagues to achieve his dream.

* * *

The Fighters are reprising a ploy that was executed by the Seibu Lions with another pitcher at Otani's high school three years ago. Southpaw Yusei Kikuchi, who stated his intention to try and play in the U.S. in 2009, was courted by approximately 20 MLB and NPB teams. Kikuchi ultimately caved into the cultural pressure exerted by those close to him and chose to stay in Japan.

Pitcher Junichi Tazawa, who left his corporate league team here to sign with the Red Sox in 2008, was the first non-pro to head straight for the U.S. The fallout from the move was intense and resulted in the NPB taking action to penalize others who might be similarly inclined to make the jump.

"Tazawa went to the States against the wishes of many people," notes best-selling writer Robert Whiting, author of the classic "You Gotta Have Wa" and "The Meaning of Ichiro." "I don't know whether his family objected or not, but he went to America in the face of heavy criticism from the NPB and its supporters, and even caused NPB to change its draft eligibility rules. The new rule keeps players who circumvent the draft to go abroad ineligible for NPB play for three years in the event they decide they don't like life outside Japan."

This means once Otani signs with an MLB club, he can't play pro ball in Japan for another three years, even if he decides he wants to return and an NPB club wants to sign him.

The reality is that there is little the NPB can do to MLB clubs wishing to sign top Japanese amateur players.

"The impact of this is huge," said the GM of one NPB club, who requested anonymity, on Thursday. "I'm not sure how many will follow in the footsteps of Otani. I hope not many."

The GM pointed out the gentleman's agreement that NPB and MLB had first reached back in 1962, prohibiting the acquiring of amateurs by the other side. "When Tazawa went to the Red Sox, NPB protested and cited the agreement." he said. "But MLB said it never existed."

The GM boiled it down to Major League Baseball being in a position of power and holding all of the cards, with the NPB having almost no leverage. "It's the capitalist system -- the one with the power wins," he said.

One problem going forward for NPB teams is that they are limited to offering a ¥100 million ($1.2 million) signing bonus and ¥50 million ($600,000) in incentives, along with a first-year salary of ¥15 million ($180,000) to domestic prospects. U.S. teams are free to exceed those figures.

The only way for Japanese clubs to offset the advantage that MLB teams hold, according to the GM, would be to give them a dose of their own medicine by signing top amateur prospects from North America.

"If we went over and started offering $10 million to top amateurs -- guys who turn out like Buster Posey and Bryce Harper -- that would force the MLB and NPB to sit down and hammer out an agreement,” he said. “Until then, nothing will change."

"There is a clear and present danger of talent being hollowed out of our game," Yomiuri Giants team president Tsunekazu Momoi said on Wednesday. "We need to take this opportunity to discuss whether the existing rules are working, and how we can sell Japanese baseball to someone whose goal is to play in America."

NPB commissioner Ryozo Kato, a former Japanese ambassador to the U.S., believes that trying to make the game here more attractive would be more effective than punishing those players who wish to go to the U.S. majors.

"I think we should respect [Otani's] decision," Kato said. "If there is a proposal, I think it will be debated, but basically I believe that it is important that Japanese baseball becomes more attractive to players. Looking ahead at the future, I think all of the 12 teams must think about ways of making it more attractive."

* * *

Gallagher is the executive sports editor of The Japan Times in Tokyo. He has been a sports journalist in Japan for 18 years and has been honored for his writing both domestically and internationally. He was previously an executive in public relations for the NBA and NFL Europe.

Van Slyke, Tiburones slam Leones

Dodgers' No. 14 prospect cranks homer with bases loaded, scores twice in win

MLB.com | 10/26/12 2:32 AM ET
Venezuelan Winter League

La Guaira 6, Caracas 4

Dodgers' No. 14 prospect Scott Van Slyke slugged a grand slam and scored twice for the Tiburones. Fellow Dodgers farmhand Alex Castellanos hit a solo homer and Phillies prospect Darin Ruf scored a run. Astros prospect Brandon Barnes hit a two-run blast for the Leones.

Lara 4, Margarita 1

Mariners farmhand Yoervis Medina struck out three and allowed two hits over two scoreless innings of relief to earn the win for the Cardenales. Gabriel Noriega (Mariners) drove in a run and Johan Limonta, who spent time with Seattle's Triple-A affiliate in 2012, scored once for Lara. Mets' No. 3 prospect Wilmer Flores was 3-for-4 with a double for the Bravos.

Anzoategui 7, Magallanes 1

Brewers farmhand Donovan Hand struck out six and allowed a run on six hits over six innings, but did not figure into the decision for the Caribes. Jordan Brown (Brewers) was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs while Padres infielder Alexi Amarista reached base three times and scored twice. Former Major Leaguer Gustavo Chacin allowed a run on five hits over five innings for the Navegantes.

Mexican Pacific League

Guasave 5, Mexicali 1 (12 innings)

Orioles farmhand Zelous Wheeler was 3-for-5 with two doubles and plated three runs, including the go-ahead RBIs in the 11th for Guasave. Former Major Leaguer Andrew Sisco struck out six and allowed three hits over seven innings, but did not figure into the decision for the Algodoneros. Jesus Cota slugged a solo homer in the winning effort. Former Major League Chris Roberson singled home a run for the Aguilas.

Obregon 4, Los Mochis 1

Former Padres Minor Leaguer Rolando Valdez earned his second win after allowing an unearned run on four hits over 5 2/3 innings for the Yaquis. Barbaro Canizares hit a solo homer, giving him RBIs in three straight games, and Cubs prospect Christian Villanueva drove in a run. Dodgers prospect Juan Noriega fanned two over 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for the Caneros.

Mazatlan 4, Navojoa 3 (11 innings)

Former Braves prospect Ivan Terrazas hit a walk-off force out to lead the Venados to a win. Royals prospect Anthony Seratelli reached base five times and scored once and Jaime Trejo slugged a three-run homer. Kraig Binick collected four hits in the loss for the Mayos.

Hermosillo 11, Culiacan 10

Former Major Leaguer Humberto Cota homered twice and Alejandro Ahumada smacked a walk-off double as the Naranjeros rallied to victory. Free-agent outfielder Marlon Byrd slugged his fifth homer of the season, a three-run blast for the Tomateros. Former Tigers prospect Maxwell Leon hit a grand slam and Mario Valdez added a three-run homer for Culiacan.

Dominican Winter League

Aguilas at Toros, postponed
Estrellas at Escogido, postponed
Licey at Gigantes, postponed

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Venezuelan Winter League

•Jesus Aguilar (PH-1B): 0-for-1, 1 SO. Aguilar pinch hit for former Indians farmhand Raul Padron in the eighth inning and proceeded to do what he has done best in Winter League: strike out. He is up to 18 in 34 at-bats now and simply had a lot of trouble getting the bat on the ball.

•Gregorio Petit (SS): 0-for-3, 1 SO 1 SH. The fact that Petit currently owns a .136 batting average in so far really tells you all you need to know. Petit remains depth at best and someone the Indians probably will not feature in 2013.

By Jim Piascik

Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012
Men in charge: Fighters skipper Hideki Kuriyama and Giants manager Tatsunori Hara lead their respective teams into the Japan Series. KYODO PHOTOS

Fighters, Giants ready for championship showdown

By JASON COSKREY

For the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and Yomiuri Giants, it was business as usual on the eve of the 2012 Japan Series.

Expected starters: Giants southpaw Tetsuya Utsumi, a 15-game winner this season, and Fighters lefty Mitsuo Yoshikawa, who won 14 games, are the likely Game 1 starters in the Japan Series on Saturday at Tokyo Dome.
Both teams practiced for about two hours apiece at Tokyo Dome in anticipation of the title series, which begins Saturday at the Giants' home park with a scheduled 6:10 p.m. start time.

"It's a very unique atmosphere," Giants manager Tatsunori Hara said of the Japan Series. "Even though we might be feeling nervous going into tomorrow's game, we are up to the challenge."

Hara will be managing in his fourth Japan Series having won the title in 2002 and 2009. His Giants lost to the Seibu Lions in 2008.

Fighters manager Hideki Kuriyama took the reins in Sapporo this season and will be making his first appearance in the Japanese version of the Fall Classic.

"It's very special to have made it to the Japan Series in my first year as manager," Kuriyama said.

The managers decided against announcing starting pitchers prior to games during a meeting Friday afternoon. They also discussed potentially using a designated hitter during the games at Tokyo Dome.

The Central League doesn't use a designated hitter during intraleague play or interleague games in CL parks. The rules could have been amended if both Hara and Kuriyama had agreed to the change.

The managers ultimately decided against it, meaning pitchers will hit at Tokyo Dome and a designated hitter will be used at Sapporo Dome.

While the starters won't be announced, it's likely Giants left-hander Tetsuya Utsumi (15-6, 1.98) will face Fighters lefty Mitsuo Yoshikawa (14-5, 1.71) in Game 1.

"The starting pitchers tomorrow will of course be the ace pitcher for both teams," Hara said.

The teams split their four meetings during interleague play this year, each winning once in the other's home stadium. Nippon Ham outscored Yomiuri 15-13 in those games.

"I consider them to be different from the team we met during interleague," Hara said. "The same is true for us. Both teams have been evolving in the same way during the pennant race and Climax Series. Of course, I consider them to be a formidable opponent."

Kuriyama also acknowledged that the stakes are higher than they were during the summer

"Playing the Giants during the interleague season is much different than the postseason," Kuriyama said. "They showed what a strong team they are by coming back to win the Climax Series after falling behind three games to one (against the Chunichi Dragons)."

Fighters slugger Sho Nakata was 7-for-16 (.438) in those four meetings and enters the Japan Series after having hit .444 with an RBI during Nippon Ham's three-game sweep of the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks during the final stage of the CL Climax Series.

"He's got power, and he obviously hit a lot of home runs," said Yomiuri's D.J. Houlton, the pitcher who gave up the homer to Nakata during interleague play. "I have to be more careful with him in every at-bat."

The Giants and Fighters are meeting in the Japan Series for the third time. The Giants won both of their previous meetings, including a 4-2 series victory in 2009. Hara said the Kyojin have changed a lot since that triumph three seasons ago.

"I believe our players are younger and have more speed," the Giants manager said. "In that sense, our team has really changed."

Both teams enter the series riding three-game winning streaks.

Nippon Ham swept the Hawks in three games during the final stage of the PL Climax Series, while the Giants, pushed to the brink of elimination, won the final three contests of their series against the Dragons. The Fighters finished their series Oct. 19, while the Giants did not end the Climax Series until Oct. 22.

"Even though the Hawks had a difficult season, I did not expect we would beat them three straight," Kuriyama said. "I thought we would play at least four games and we were prepared to play all six. I was worried about my pitchers. The Giants did play all six games and had to go through their pitching staff."

The Kyojin looking to wrap up the season with the title, creating the perfect ending to a year during which they finished with the best record in Japan, won the CL by 10 1/2 games and became the first CL team to win the interleague title.

"Of course starting pitching is the key," Hara said. "But having said that, we had all of our players cover for each other. Even in the Climax Series, there were players who don't normally play a central role who stepped up, and we were able to win games using them."

The Fighters are probably slight underdogs, but have arrived in Tokyo ready to put on a show.

"We want to show the fans the kind of interesting and exciting baseball we have played all year and prove that we belong here and can hold our own against the Giants," Kuriyama said.

Sandy wipes out three more games tonight

ELVIS ARAUJO

Caracas

Aguilas de Zulia

Elvis Araujo received permission from the Cleveland Indians to pitch in Venezuela, Jorge Urribarri, sports consultant of the Aguilas said. Elvis Araujo is a southpaw of 21 years of age. The young pitcher worked in Class A, where he left with a 7-10 mark and 5.00 ERA in 135 innings of work. "Araujo is in the city of Maracaibo and can enroll in the roster next week," said the manager, through a media report of all marabino.

Giants, Fighters inch closer to Japan Series clash

By JASON COSKREY

The dust has settled on the 2012 season and only the Yomiuri Giants and Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters are still standing.

Question mark: Toshiya Sugiuchi hopes to be healthy enough to pitch for the Yomiuri Giants in the Japan Series. KYODO

These two clubs will slug it out in the season finale for the second time in four seasons, with the victor claiming the Japan Series title.

The Giants are baseball royalty and enter the Japan Series for the 33rd time with an eye on a record 22nd title, which also would be their first since 2009. The Kyojin won the Central League by 10½ games, but needed to rebound from a 3-1 deficit to see off the Chunichi Dragons in the CL Climax Series in order to reach the Japanese version of the Fall Classic.

Playing for the title is becoming a way of life for the Fighters, who are in the Japan Series for the fourth time in seven years.

Under first-year manager Hideki Kuriyama, the Sapporo-based franchise caged the Seibu Lions late in the season to clinch the pennant, then swept aside the defending Japan Series champion Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in three games in the final stage of the PL Climax Series.

Now the two teams who once shared a home, and still occasionally host games in one another's building, meet for NPB's top prize.

Here are five things to watch during the series:

Do the Giants have enough pitching?

The health of Fighters ace Yu Darvish was in question heading into the 2009 Japan Series. The shoe is on the other foot this time around with Yomiuri's Toshiya Sugiuchi (12-4, 2.04) on the shelf with a shoulder injury.

Yomiuri's pitching staff was stretched to the limit in the final stage of the CL Climax Series, with Tetsuya Utsumi and D.J. Houlton making starts on three days' rest, and Hirokazu Sawamura pitching in relief two days after a 108-pitch start.

Those three should form the crux of the rotation, but the pressure on a thin staff only increases if the Kyojin fall into a early hole the way the did against the Dragons in the Climax Series.

Rookie Ryosuke Miyaguni, who started Game 3 of the Climax Series, is likely in the mix again, and Dicky Gonzalez, yet to make an appearance this postseason, may be asked to shoulder some of the load either as a starter or in relief.

Travel days between Games 2 and 3, as well as between Game 5 and 6 also gives the Giants an assist.

Sugiuchi hopes to make it back in time to pitch in the series, but his status is up in the air.

Can Yoshikawa do it again?

Mitsuo Yoshikawa turned in an improbably amazing season for the Fighters, finishing 14-5 with a 1.71 ERA in 173⅔ innings, nicely filling the void left by Darvish. Opposing batters hit .171 against Yoshikawa, who finished second to Tohoku Rakuten's Masahiro Tanaka with 158 strikeouts in the PL.

He threw seven innings of two-run ball against the Hawks in the Climax Series, and the Fighters may need to squeeze one or two more solid starts out of their unlikely ace in order to cut down the Giants.

Yoshikawa beat Yomiuri during interleague play with seven-plus innings of one run ball in a 5-1 win at Sapporo Dome. In five starts against the similarly high-powered Seibu Lions, who finished second in Japan with 516 runs scored, he had a 2.45 ERA in 39-plus innings.

Yoshikawa should get the ball in Game 1 at Tokyo Dome with a chance to set the tone for Nippon Ham.

Have the Giants awoken?

Offense was main reason the Giants fell into a 3-1 hole against Chunichi in the final stage of the CL Climax Series.

The Kyojin stumbled out of the gate and were outscored 8-3 in Games 1 & 2 before their offense began to come around in a 5-4 loss in Game 3. The Giants then outscored the Dragons 10-5 over the last three games of the series.

It's possible rust played a role, as Yomiuri played a few Phoenix League games but was otherwise idle while the Dragons faced the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the first stage. So it's also worth noting that while Yomiuri needed six games to dispatch the Dragons, the Fighters needed just three to reach the Japan Series and have sat idle since Oct. 19.

There are few places to hide against the Giants lineup, and they're hard to stop once they get rolling. After shaking out the cobwebs against Chunichi, the Nippon Ham pitchers could have a dogfight on their hands.

Three the hard way:

Two of NPB's premier hitters will be occupying the three-hole for the Fighters and Giants.

Nippon Ham's Yoshio Itoi is coming off a monster performance in the final stage, hitting .333 with a pair of home runs and four RBIs against Softbank.

On fire: Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters outfielder Yoshio Itoi has blossomed into one of the best players in Japan. KYODO

Itoi has a good eye, a slick mix of power and speed, and ended the regular season with a .304 average, nine home runs, 48 RBIs, 22 stolen bases and a .404 on-base percentage, the second only to Shinnosuke Abe's .429 in the NPB.

The threat Itoi poses is even more menacing with the way cleanup hitter Sho Nakata played down the stretch and during the Climax Series.

The guy in the other dugout isn't so bad either.

Yomiuri's Hayato Sakamoto tied teammate Hisayoshi Chono for the CL lead with 173 hits and batted .311 with 14 homers, 69 RBIs, 16 stolen bases and a .359 OPS.

Sakamoto had a rough go of things in the Climax Series, but with Chono leading off and Abe batting fourth, he'll have the perfect opportunity to put his stamp on the series.

Takeda gets a second chance:

Few Fighters had a worse ending the 2009 Japan Series than closer Hisashi Takeda. Nippon Ham was poised to take a 3-2 advantage back to Sapporo when Takeda took the mound with a 2-1 lead in the ninth inning of Game 5 at Tokyo Dome.

Yoshiyuki Kamei sent Takeda's first pitch into the seats to tie the game, and Abe won it with a solo homer later in the inning.

Takeda enters this series having led the Pacific League with 32 saves and on the heels of recording the final out of each of the Fighters' wins over the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks during their Climax Series sweep of the defending champions.

He made 56 appearances during the regular season, allowing two home runs and finishing with a 2.32 ERA in 54⅓ innings. Takeda hasn't allowed a run in three innings of work during the postseason.

The Nippon Ham closer made three appearances at the Big Egg this year, leaving with a pair of saves and a spotless ERA in three-plus innings.

Takeda and the Fighters will hope the Tokyo Dome ghosts of Japan Series past remain dead and buried if he's pressed into action in the Giants' home park this time around.

Sandy is anything but Sandy

Melky is a favorite of Escogido fans

October 25, 2012, 7:48 PM

Mesa is committed to be a star Yankee
Melky Mesa with his aggressive and explosive batting is becoming an idol of Leones fans. The young outfielder is 25 years old, was signed at 16. "I'm happy with the opportunity to play and happy with the confidence that Ken Oberkfell manager has for me," said Cabrera. To date, Mesa is proving a player with 'five tools'. Impressive. In just six games with Escogido, Mesa has gotten into the hearts of the Leones fans with his .346 batting average, two homers, four RBIs and five runs scored. Not to mention his defense in the outfield, where he has shown a strong arm. "I go to the field every day to work hard in all aspects of my game," said Mesa. "It is what I have to do if I want to have a long and prosperous career."

Castellanos features in Tiburones victory

Dodgers' No. 10 prospect homers, drives in two; Salazar gives team win in ninth

10/26/12 11:59 PM ET
Venezuelan Winter League

La Guaira 4, Aragua 3

Dodgers' No. 10 prospect Alex Castellanos went 3-for-4, drove in two and missed the cycle by a triple to lead the Tiburones to victory. Despite the outfielder's big night, it still took an RBI single by Oscar Salazar in the top of the ninth to break a 3-3 deadlock. Twins' No. 5 prospect Oswaldo Arcia tied the game with a two-run homer in the seventh inning for the Tigres.

Anzoategui 3, Magallanes 1

Niuman Romero (Tigers) hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the sixth inning, and Gustavo Molina (Yankees) added insurance with a solo shot in the eighth to give the Caribes the 3-1 win. Starter Yadel Marti allowed a run on four hits in five innings but took the no-decision while Navegantes starter Eric Junge (Rockies) suffered the loss, despite giving up just one earned run on three hits in his five frames.

Caracas 2, Lara

Red Sox farmhand Ronald Bermudez entered the game as a pinch-runner in the seventh inning and went on to hit the game-winning RBI double in the top of the ninth for the Leones. Carlos Rivero (Nationals) went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored, while Jesus Sucre (Mariners) was also 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Cardenales starter Ryan Feierabend took a no-decision after surrendering one run on five hits over six innings.

Mexican Pacific League

Los Mochis 7, Guasave 5

Saul Soto drilled a tie-breaking three-run homer in the top of the ninth to give the Caneros the suspenseful win. Mendy Lopez and Carlos Orrantia also went deep -- both with solo shots -- in the victory. Algodoneros slugger Jose Rodriguez went 2-for-4 with a three-run blast of his own.

Hermosillo 1, Navojoa 0

Garrett Mock (Astros) tossed five two-hit innings and four Hermosillo hurlers combined on a three-hit shutout as the Naranjeros defeated Navojoa, 1-0. The game's only scoring came in the form of a Karim Garcia solo homer in the sixth inning off Mayos reliever Angel Araiza.

Mexicali 7, Culiacan 5

Chris Roberson led off the game with a homer and Roman Pena broke a 4-4 tie with an RBI triple in the sixth inning as the Aguilas racked up 17 hits in a 7-5 win over Culiacan. The Tomateros, who came in at a league-best 10-1, mounted a ninth-inning comeback -- Mario Valdez scoring pinch runner Ramiro Pena on a line-drive base hit -- but could not push the tying run across as Cory Aldridge (Angels) popped out to end the game.

Mazatlan 8, Obregon 5

An two-run single by Ivan Terrazas proved to be the difference for the Venados, who plated two runs in the top of the seventh and three more in the ninth to defeat Obregon, 8-5. Heber Gomez went 3-for-4 with an RBI in the leadoff spot for Mazatlan, and third baseman Jaime Trejo drove in a pair of runs. Barbaro Canizares paced the Yaquis with a two-run homer in the third, driving in former Major Leaguer Alfredo Amezaga.

Dominican League

All games postponed courtesy of Sandy

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No Indian players were in any of the lineups last night.

Rain wipes out Game 3 of Korean Series

Published : 2012-10-27 13:29

The third game of the South Korean baseball championship series was rained out Saturday here in Incheon.

The Korean Series matchup between the Samsung Lions and the SK Wyverns was pushed back by a day amid heavy downpours, the Korea Baseball said. The game had been scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. at Munhak Stadium, home of the Wyverns, just west of Seoul. It will instead be played at 2 p.m. Sunday at Munhak.

The fourth game will be back at Munhak on Monday at 6 p.m.

The Lions have won the first two games of this best-of-seven affair at their home in Daegu. This is the third straight Korean Series showdown between these two clubs, with the Lions prevailing in 2011 and the Wyverns coming out on top in 2010. (Yonhap News)

Joe, you haven't been blasting Lonnie for not going to winter ball. I'm surprised at you! I will have to stop by here from time to time to see what Araujo does. He had a pretty poor 2012 but still gets positive prospect reviews. Not surprising for a big solid LH pitcher.