Even if manny cant hit he would sell a few tickets which would mean more money in dolan's pockets and rusty would be happy.

Told you he loves me !

Major Leaguers continue adding to each team

Asdrubal Cabrera, Brayan Villarreal, Ramon Hernandez, Elvis Andrus and Gregor Blanco will play after the ninth week of championship

The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League strengthened with the addition of new major league class players.

Aguilas del Zulia

Enter: Elvis Araujo and Antonio Alvarez.
Leave: Jesus Yepez and Miguel Sulbaran.

Bravos de Margarita

Enter: Carlos Monasterios, Alberto Gonzalez and Martinez Yoffri.
Leave: Wilmer Flores, Geddy War and Jonathan Ramos.

Lara Cardinals

Enter: Romulo Sanchez and Oswaldo Navarro.
Leave: Clevelan Santeliz and Harvey Garcia.

Caribbean Anzoategui

Enter: Corey Thurman, Gerardo Avila, William Perez and Brayan Villarreal.
Leave: Yadel Marti, Ramon Ramirez, Emerson Landoni and Alexis Fields.

Leones del Caracas

Enter: Victor Garate, Ronald Uviedo, Edwin Moreno and Asdrubal Cabrera.
Leave: Leonardo Gil, Jhoulys Chacin, Armando Galarraga and Yoimer Camacho.

Magallanes Navigators

Enter: Elvis Andrus, Pedro Guerra, Mario Lisson and Ramon Hernandez.
Leave: Jesus Sanchez, Levi Romero, Francisco Martinez and Argenis Diaz.

La Guaira Sharks

Enter: Miguel Rojas, Gregor Blanco, Paul Estrada and Joseph Ortiz.
Leave: Junior Morillo, Arlett Mavare, Kender Villegas and Hector Mayora.

Aragua Tigers

Enter: Ronny Cedeno.
Retire: Edgardo Alfonzo.

http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com/ind ... -470509020

Carlos is having a tough time getting his stroke down. He's only hitting .200 (5-25), but 3 of those hits were doubles. He's stuckout 6 times and walked 4 times. He's 0-4 tonight with a strikeout.

Bowa talks about Team USA in Classic

By Barry M. Bloom | Archive

12/03/2012 7:57 PM ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn. --

Team USA has a manager and coaching staff, and the first two players committed to its roster for next year's World Baseball Classic were announced on Monday: Twins catcher Joe Mauer and Mets third baseman David Wright.

The others to comprise the 28-man list are to come in rapid succession before the Americans open camp in Phoenix around March 1. The U.S. is part of Pool D in the first round, with games taking place at Chase Field and Salt River Fields at Talking Stick from March 7-10. Its opponents are Canada, Italy and Mexico.

If Team USA survives, it's on to Miami and then perhaps the semifinals and finals in San Francisco. Japan won the first two Classics, and the U.S. has yet to even make it to the final game.

Larry Bowa was named the team's bench coach, handpicked by manager Joe Torre to help him through the tournament gauntlet. Torre, now Major League Baseball's executive vice president of baseball operations, managed the Yankees to four World Series titles and six pennants. He also led the Dodgers to the National League Championship Series twice before retiring after the 2010 season. Bowa was Torre's third-base coach in his waning years with the Yankees and for three years in Los Angeles.

Bowa made it plain in a lengthy interview with MLB.com what kind of Team USA his group would like to put together: young, eager and energetic.

"Two guys who would bring instant energy to this team are Mike Trout and Bryce Harper," Bowa said. "I hope they will play for us. That's the kind of people, the kind of stuff that we need. Those are the kind of players we're looking for: high-energy guys who get it. They respect the game. They understand what happened before they got here. It could be a lot of fun to be around those guys and just watch them play."

Torre and Joe Garagiola Jr., MLB's senior vice president of baseball operations and the general manager, are putting together a list of hopefuls and checking it twice.

In the meantime, Bowa -- a former manager, shortstop and third-base coach in town to add his perspective on the Winter Meetings for MLB Network -- told us what he expects from this team: to win.

MLB.com: Torre said he was going to bring back some familiar names. How did you joining the team come about?

Bowa: Since I was with him in New York and L.A., I've had a good relationship with Joe. He's good to work for and he asked me if I would be interested and I said, "Yeah." Without a doubt, you get tired watching other countries playing on the last day of that thing. I know it's a different situation with the U.S. These other nations really start playing in November, December and January. Hopefully, we'll get some guys who are relatively young. Once they realize who's going, they'll start working out.

MLB.com: You've been out of uniform since Torre retired. How does it feel to get back into it for even a couple of weeks?

Bowa: To me, it's an honor to be representing the United States. I try to put myself in the position of a player. When I was playing, if somebody asked me, I would have jumped at playing in this thing. I'm not just going there to hit fungoes. I want to win. We had a meeting in Las Vegas with all the coaches. They're all going with the goal of winning. If the players adopt that feeling and want to win as much as we do, maybe mentally and physically they'll empathize and that will happen.

MLB.com: What about the possibility of injuries?

Bowa: The bottom line is, if I was a GM, I would be concerned about somebody getting hurt. There's no question about that. But if you do it the right way and a player knows that he's going and starts preparing a month earlier, I don't see any reason why that should happen. I mean, a guy could get hurt working out. He could throw his back out. A guy could get hurt throwing long toss. You have to just hope these guys are ready to go. Spring Training starts early, around Feb. 22-23. So these guys are going to have played in some games before they come to us. If I was a GM, I'd be more concerned about my pitchers than my everyday players.

MLB.com: What do you think you bring to the table as a bench coach?

Bowa: I'm just basically there to remind Joe about situations and who's going to be coming up for the other team, what pitchers we have available. Hopefully, we'll have some athletes there who can hit-and-run and steal and not just wait for someone to hit it out of the ballpark. That was part of what we talked about when we went to Vegas. To have some guys we can do some things with, to have some flexibility. It's nice to have some guys who can hit home runs. But, to me, the players who play have to want it bad. If they say, "Yes," it's not a courtesy yes. That's the beauty of picking the team. We're trying to get guys we know really want to play in this thing.

MLB.com: This is not going to be a "Dream Team" concept?

Bowa: No, let's face it. When you bring two shortstops or third basemen who play every day, they're going to want to play. If they don't play every day when they go back to their ballclubs, they're not going to be ready to play. We want it to be like Spring Training as far as getting their work in. That's the biggest concern. General managers feel that their players are going to go backwards. Well, they're not going to go backwards, I can tell you that. When they come in there they're going to be working. It's not a matter of getting 28 superstars. We want backup guys who can play a lot of positions.

MLB.com: Having covered the first two Classics, the Japanese and Koreans outprepared the U.S. Those guys start training in January.

Bowa: That's what I'm saying. It's an attitude. And as far as starting up in January, if we pick a lot of young guys, why couldn't they start with the intensity program earlier and work out a little bit harder once they know they're selected? And since the games are staring early, they'll have five or six games before they come to us. They'll have some at-bats against live pitching. The pitchers will be able to start stretching their arms out. We'll then play three or four games against teams out in the valley there. I think, game-wise, they're going to be ready to play. Then pride should kick in. It's a very delicate balance.

MLB.com: Do you view Japan and Korea again as the prime opponents?

Bowa: Yeah, no question. They're the teams, as you said, that are always ready to go. And they take this thing personally. If I'm an American player right now, I've got to get a little bit tired of watching this. It's the American game and we're not even close to dominating it, let alone winning the tournament. You've got to hope that the guys we pick really want to be there and want to represent the country.

MLB.com: For you personally, are you done with being a coach or manager or do you want to piggyback into a full-time job after this?

Bowa: If the situation presents itself, I would like to be a bench coach. I still think I have a lot to offer. I did a couple of interviews this winter just to see what the feeling is out there. I just wanted know more about sabermetrics, to see the direction some of the young general managers are going in. One of them was in Houston, and I was really impressed by Jeff Luhnow. I like him. I liked him a lot. I don't think it's all sabermetrics with him. Anytime you can get information that can give you an edge or let you look through the crystal ball, that's good. But the human element is so important. You can't measure it.

The other was in Miami, and I only did that because (owner Jeffrey) Loria wanted to talk to me. But I think I'd be good at helping the manager out as a bench coach.

Torre eager for challenge to lead U.S. in Classic

By Paul Hagen / MLB.com | 12/03/2012 8:32 PM ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn. --

Joe Torre hasn't managed since stepping down from the Dodgers at the end of the 2010 season. Before that, he spent 29 years on the job with five different teams, most notably winning the World Series four times with the Yankees.

"I've been asked many times since I retired if I miss it. And I really can't say that I have," Torre said Monday during a news conference at the Winter Meetings. "I enjoy watching it. When I saw all the [Division] Series go five games, I didn't want to be in either dugout for Game 5, just because of the stress factor. The whole thing about it is, it's exciting when you win, it's devastating when you lose. And the devastation got a little bit too much."

Still, the allure of managing Team USA in the 2013 World Baseball Classic was too good of an opportunity to pass up. The complete 28-man roster will be revealed on Jan. 16, but it was announced on Monday that Mets third baseman David Wright and Twins catcher Joe Mauer will play for the United States.

A big reason Torre agreed to return to the bench is that the first game will be March 7, and if the United States goes all the way to the finals, it will end about three weeks later.

"It's kind of like having your grandchildren, and then at the end of three weeks, you turn them back over to their parents. And it's nice. You're going to enjoy them and you're going to love them, and hopefully, we all have a good time," he said with a smile. "This is something that's obviously different than managing 12 months a year. Because it's more than the [regular] season when you're a manager."

Torre acknowledged that the World Baseball Classic is invaluable in helping grow baseball around the globe. But that's not his primary goal.

"I think we certainly want to promote the game internationally. We have the best players in the world. I'm a little prejudiced in that regard," he said. "But you want to win. That's my mind-set. When we do finally nail down the players, that's going to be my conversation with every one of them. It's not that we're just going to go out there. It's something more than an All-Star team."

The United States has not reached the final in either of the previous two Classics. Torre thinks there are some reasons why.

"Some of the other countries like Japan and the Latin-American countries have played all winter long. And they're probably in better shape and that's probably our biggest challenge, is to get our team ready physically. And, of course, following the physical part is the mental part where you dig in," Torre explained.

"The interesting thing about our Spring Training in the U.S. is the fact that it's more of a physical grind than a mental grind. So that's why we'll have the names next month, so mentally, they can start getting ready to take on the competition the first week in March, which is a little different."

That doesn't change the fact that he is in it to win it.

"I'm under the assumption that anybody's who's going to put on the uniform for the USA team is going to be motivated to go out there and play to win," he said. "It's going to be a team that's hopefully put together with winning in mind. In other words, having your role-type players. I'm thinking of taking three, possibly, catchers. It's going to be [about] winning. There's no question. You put on the uniform and you're out there in front of the world, you certainly want to put your best foot forward."

At the same time, Torre will be mindful of the reality that these are players who will be in the early stages of Spring Training when the team assembles. They have full Major League seasons ahead of them. He will do everything he can to make sure they return to their teams healthy.

"We're certainly interested in having top-name players, but we're also interested in having 28 players, half of which will be pitchers, to make it work as a team. You can't just have everybody that would start at every position two or three deep," he said. "Because I don't think it would be fair, especially in Spring Training, where it's important to make sure we send the players back -- pitchers, certainly -- to make sure they're returned in shape to start the season.

"I think when we get our team together, [pitching coach Greg Maddux] will contact pitching coaches, and I'll contact managers and general managers on the use of their players. We certainly don't want to do anything they wouldn't do in their Spring Training."

In the end, how well the United States team fares shouldn't be too complicated.

"It's going to come down to how well you pitch and how well you catch the ball," he said. "That's basically what winning is about, in my opinion, in a short series."

Your insight is special joez!

Zambrano, Navegantes move closer to first

Marlins hurler allows an unearned run over five innings as Magallanes win third straight

12/03/12 11:38 PM ET

Venezuelan Winter League

Magallanes 2, Lara 1

Marlins hurler Carlos Zambrano allowed an unearned run on two hits and struck out four over five innings as the Navegantes won their third straight game. Veteran outfielder Juan Rivera, who spent the 2012 season with the Dodgers, was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI while Oakland prospect Darwin Perez singled and scored a run for Magallanes. Cubs farmhand Luis Valbuena had two hits, including a double, in the loss for the Cardenales.

Dominican Winter League

Licey 5, Escogido 4

Angels shortstop Erick Aybar hit a walk-off two-run single to rally the Tigres. Former Braves farmhand Donell Linares had three hits and scored a run while Pirates Minor Leaguer Anderson Hernandez drove in a run. Pirates outfielder Starling Marte was 2-for-4 with a run scored to raise his average to .320 for the Leones.

Aguilas at Gigantes, postponed

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Dominican Winter League

Carlos Santana (DH, Leones del Escogido): 0-for-4, K. Santana has now played in seven games this offseason and has been the designated hitter in each and every one of them. Whether by design to limit his exposure to injury, or if his Escogido club simply has better options at catcher and first base, it does not look like his usage in the field is going to change anytime soon. He is now hitting .200 (5-for-25) though 3 of his 5 hits have gone for extra bases and he has 4 walks.

By Tony Lastoria
December 4, 2012

Confirmed for Classic

Twelve Major League All-Stars are among the initial 32 players confirming early to represent their country in the World Baseball Classic in March.

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012

Samurai Japan unveils preliminary roster for 2013 WBC

By JASON COSKREY

Staff writer

Two-time defending World Baseball Classic champion Japan has released its preliminary roster for the 2013 edition of the tournament, and as expected manager Koji Yamamoto will be relying on a young, domestic-based squad as he attempts to guide Samurai Japan to a third consecutive title.

Samurai Japan manager Koji Yamamoto

Yomiuri Giants catcher and Central League MVP Shinnosuke Abe highlighted the list of 34 players that the manager announced on Tuesday at a Tokyo hotel.

"I'm appreciative of the players who accepted our invitation, Yamamoto said. "We have players who have experienced past WBCs and have those who will play on the international stage for the first time. We hope this experience will help shape these young players as well.

"When the WBC comes around in March, we would like to show Japan's brand of baseball."

Each of the 16 teams participating in the 2013 WBC will release their 28-man roster in mid-January.

Sitting alongside NPB commissioner Ryozo Kato, Yamamoto unveiled a roster that featured a number of young players — 20 of the 34 are under age 30 — and lacked a MLB presence. Yamamoto included 16 pitchers, three catchers, eight infielders and seven outfielders in his roster.

"A lot of young players' names came up in our staff meetings," Yamamoto said. "We considered their positions and spent a lot of time on that and carefully made our decision."

WBC Inc. played up the MLB flavor of the participating nations' rosters on its website Tuesday, but for Japan, Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles shortstop Kazuo Matsui is the lone player with major league experience. Japan's current crop of MLBers, including Ichiro Suzuki, Yu Darvish, Norichika Aoki and others declined invitations to play in order to focus on their preparations for the upcoming season with their respective clubs.

"We have to think about the condition of the players," Yamamoto said. "Some of them actually told us they wanted to play. It was a tough decision, but we have to think about their careers next year and further on. So we made the decision to play with players from inside the country."

With Darvish sitting out, Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles ace Masahiro Tanaka takes over as the most high-profile pitcher on the Samurai Japan staff.

The Eagles fireballer was the 2007 Pacific League Rookie of the Year and is a four-time All-Star. The right-hander is 75-35 with a 2.50 ERA and 1,055 strikeouts in four NPB seasons. He was a member of Japan's 2009 WBC team, making four appearances out of the bullpen and allowing one run on three hits in 2 1/3 innings.

Others who could be in line to be in Yamamoto's starting rotation are Kenta Maeda of the Hiroshima Carp, the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks' Tadashi Settsu, this season's Sawamura Award winner, and Yomiuri Giants lefties Tetsuya Utsumi, the 2012 Japan Series MVP, and Toshiya Sugiuchi.

Seibu Lions catcher Ginjiro Sumitani and the Tokyo Yakult Swallows' Ryoji Aikawa were named to the roster along side Abe.

Giants shortstop Hayato Sakamoto and third baseman Shuichi Murata were among the infield selections. Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters veteran Atsunori Inaba, the Hawks duo of second baseman Yuichi Honda and third baseman Nobuhiro Matsuda, as well as Hanshin Tigers shortstop Takashi Toritani also made the cut.

Young stars Hisayoshi Chono of the Yomiuri Giants and Yohei Oshima of the Chunichi Dragons were among the headliners in the outfield, and the Hawks' Seiichi Uchikawa and the Fighters' Sho Nakata were also named.

The absence of Japan's major-league contingent means Yamamoto may have to rely on a number of young players against the likes of Cuba and South Korea in the early rounds and possibly against a U.S. squad full of major leaguers in the semifinals or finals, should Japan make it that far.

Perhaps with that in mind, the former Hiroshima Carp manager included a smattering of veterans in the provisional squad such as 40-year-old Inaba, 37-year-old Matsui, Chunichi Dragons second baseman Hirokazu Ibata (37) and Aikawa (36).

"Our captain is Abe because he's got the numbers and especially this year he had a big year," Yamamoto said. "So we believe he can lead the team. We also have guys like Ibata and Inaba, who we think can support Abe. We think it's important to keep the team unified since we have a lot of young players."

Sixteen teams will compete for the WBC title when the tournament begins next year. The teams will be divided into four-team pools for the first-round, which will be held in a round-robin format.

Japan will be in Pool A, alongside China, Cuba, and Brazil. The defending champions will open their title defense on March 2, the opening day of the tournament, against Brazil at Fukuoka Dome. Japan will take on China on March 3 before wrapping up the first round against Cuba on March 6.

The winners and runners-up out of Pools A & B (which includes Australia, the Netherlands, Taiwan, and 2009 finalist South Korea) will face off in the modified double-elimination second round which takes place March 8-12 at Tokyo Dome. Teams from Pools C & D will compete in the second round at Marlins Park in Miami March 12-16.

The semifinals and final will be contested at AT&T Park, home of the 2012 World Series champion San Francisco Giants.

Staff writer Kaz Nagatsuka contributed to this report.

Preliminary roster

Pitchers:-

Toshiya Sugiuchi (Yomiuri Giants), Tetsuya Utsumi (Yomiuri Giants), Tetsuya Yamaguchi (Yomiuri Giants), Hirokazu Sawamura (Yomiuri Giants), Daisuke Yamai (Chunichi Dragons), Kazuki Yoshimi (Chunichi Dragons), Takuya Asao (Chunichi Dragons), Kenta Maeda (Hiroshima Carp), Takeru Imamura (Hiroshima Carp), Atsushi Nomi (Hanshin Tigers), Kazuhisa Makita (Seibu Lions), Hideaki Wakui (Seibu Lions), Tadashi Settsu (Softbank Hawks), Kenji Otonari (Softbank Hawks), Masahiko Morifuku (Softbank Hawks), Masahiro Tanaka (Rakuten Eagles)

Catchers:

Shinnosuke Abe (Yomiuri Giants), Ryoji Aikawa (Yakult Swallows), Ginjiro Sumitani (Seibu Lions)

Infielders:

Shuichi Murata (Yomiuri Giants), Hayato Sakamoto (Yomiuri Giants), Hirokazu Ibata (Chunichi Dragons), Takashi Toritani (Hanshin Tigers), Atsunori Inaba (Nippon Ham Fighters), Nobuhiro Matsuda (Softbank Hawks), Yuichi Honda (Softbank Hawks), Kazuo Matsui (Rakuten Eagles)

Outfielders:

Hisayoshi Chono (Yomiuri Giants), Yohei Oshima (Chunichi Dragons), Yoshio Itoi (Nippon Ham Fighters), Sho Nakata (Nippon Ham Fighters), Seiichi Uchikawa (Softbank Hawks), Ryo Hijirisawa (Rakuten Eagles), Katsuya Kakunaka (Lotte Marines)

Ryu encouraged by Kuroda re-signing

Ryu Hyun-jin watches an NBA game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets in Los Angeles, Sunday.
/ AP-Yonhap

By Kang Seung-woo

Ryu Hyun-jin’s road to Chavez Ravine is becoming clearer, as one potential rival for a rotation spot has been struck off the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lengthy wish list.

The New York Yankees officially re-signed Japanese right-hander Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year deal on Tuesday. The 37-year-old, who went 16-11 with a 3.32 ERA this past season, was one of the most coveted free-agent starting pitchers, one that the Dodgers had tried to land.

The Dodgers, who finished second in the National League West division in 2012, have a six-man rotation headlined by former Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw and former World Series MVP Josh Beckett.

However, Ted Lilly is coming back from shoulder surgery and Chad Billingsley’s season ended prematurely with a partial tear of an elbow ligament.

As a result, the new ownership group of the Dodgers fronted by Magic Johnson and Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walter has been chasing every premier free agent on the open market including top-tier starters Zack Greinke, Anibal Sanchez, Ryan Dempster and Kuroda.

Even though the Dodgers won the bid to exclusively negotiate for 30 days with the Korean southpaw by posting more than $25 million (27 billion won) two weeks ago, there is speculation that Los Angeles could let the 25-year-old return to the Korean league because the winter meetings are scheduled for Dec. 3 to 6 and the Dodgers could add free-agent hurlers available to them before making a final call on Ryu. The deadline for the Dodgers to sign Ryu is Dec. 10 and if an agreement is not reached, the Dodgers can get their money back.

However, as Kuroda has decided to stay with the Yankees and Greinke, the 2009 Cy Young Award winner and the highest-sought after free agent pitcher this winter, is seeking a six-year, $150 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers and the Dodgers pushing hard to land the right-hander, Ryu’s stock for the Dodgers appears to be rising.

The six-time World Series champions initially planned to wait until after the winter meetings to decide on Ryu, but unexpectedly, the club met with the Korean and his agent Scott Boras earlier this week to work towards a deal, according to Yahoo Sports, although it is not known what Ryu’s side is seeking.

Boras, better known in Korea as Park Chan-ho’s former agent, is comparing his new client to veteran lefty Mark Buehrle, who last winter agreed to a four-year, $58 million contract with the Miami Marlins and believes he could be a No. 3 starter in a big-league rotation.

Notable Asian players who have joined the majors through the posting system are the Texas Rangers’ Ryu Darvish and former Boston Red Sox Daisuke Matsuzaka, who agreed $60 million and $52 million contracts respectively.

Teheran untouchable on mound for Tigres

Top prospect tosses five no-hit innings; fellow Brave Francisco brings in six

12/05/12 1:53 AM ET

Dominican Winter League

Licey 11, Cibao 0

Braves' top prospect Julio Teheran didn't allow a single hit over his five innings on the mound as the Tigres breezed to victory over the Gigantes. Licey took the no-no into the seventh inning, when Jean Segura (Brewers) broke it up with a single off reliever Juan Sosa (Phillies). On the offensive side, Atlanta third baseman Juan Francisco led the charge, homering twice and driving in six runs. Anderson Hernandez (Pirates) and Yordany Ramirez also went deep for the Tigres.

Cibaenas 7, Este 4

Former American League MVP Miguel Tejada hit two solo shots for the Aguilas in the victory. The blasts were his second and third in 24 games in the Dominican Winter League. Veteran pitcher Miguel Batista improved to 2-1 after giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits in six innings. Cesar Puello (Mets) tripled, doubled and scored twice for the Toros.

Oriente 8, Escogido 6

Brad Snyder -- a free agent who played in the Astros system in 2012 -- launched the game-winning two-run homer in the top of the ninth as the Estrellas snuck past the Leones. Ramon Santiago (Tigers) went 2-for-5 with a double and three RBIs, while Justin Turner contributed a round-tripper and drove in three runs in the losing cause.

Puerto Rican Winter League

Carolina 7, Ponce 2

Padres outfielder Kyle Blanks, who missed most of the 2012 season after shoulder surgery, fell a triple shy of the cycle with three RBIs and two runs scored in the Gigantes victory. Hector Santiago (White Sox) earned his first win after allowing two runs on five hits over six frames. Royals prospect Christian Colon factored into both Leones tallies with a double, an RBI and a run scored from the top of the lineup.

Caguas 9, Mayaguez 2

Minor League free agent Andy Gonzalez homered, doubled twice and drove in three runs to lead the Criollos. Edgard Clemente and Johnny Monell (Giants) also hit solo shots, while Lou Montanez tripled and brought home a pair. Kelvin Villa scattered four hits and three walks over six shutout innings to move to 3-0 on the season. Kennys Vargas (Twins) launched a pinch-hit homer in the top of the ninth for the Indios.

Santurce 10, Manati 0

Luis Figueroa was a perfect 4-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored as the Cangrejeros leadoff man in the blowout win. Former Major Leaguer Felipe Lopez went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, and Luis Rivera and Yadiel Rivera (Brewers) also drove in a pair apiece. Joseph Colon (Indians) struck out six and allowed four hits in his five innings as Santurce starter.

Venezuelan Winter League

Zulia 3, Magallanes 0

Minor League free agent Josh Schmidt, who spent the 2012 season in the Marlins organization, struck out seven and allowed four hits and two walks in a complete-game shutout. Freddy Galvis (Phillies) went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored from the top of the Aguilas batting order. Gustavo Chacin took the loss, despite allowing three runs on five hits over 7 1/3 solid frames.

Caracas 10, Margarita 7

Henry Wrigley -- a free-agent outfielder who had spent his entire seven-year career with the Rays -- tallied five RBIs with a triple and a double for the Leones. Padres first baseman Jesus Guzman went a perfect 3-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and two walks. Jonathan Herrera (Rockies) went 3-for-5 with two RBIs as the Bravos' shortstop.

Lara 9, Aragua 6

Paulo Orlando (Royals) doubled, scored three times and drove in a run to lead the Cardenales. Jairo Perez lifted the game's only one home run in the win. Luis Maza went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs as the Tigres leadoff man.

La Guaira 9, Anzoategui 8

Javier Herrera slugged two longballs and added three RBIs in the slugfest. A grand slam by Hector Sanchez (Giants) highlighted a key six-run sixth frame in the victory. Cesar Suarez and Salvador Perez (Royals) added solo homers. Marlins outfielder Gorkys Hernandez was a perfect 5-for-5 with two doubles, three runs and an RBI for Anzoategui.

Mexican Pacific League

Guasave 4, Obregon 2

Algodoneros starter Andrew Sisco allowed two runs on seven hits over 8 1/3 innings to hold the Yaquis at bay. The left-hander improved to 5-1 with the victory. Sean Gleason earned his seventh save in 13 appearances. Eduardo Arredondo provided the margin of victory with a two-run double in the top of the ninth. Carlos Valencia brought in both Obregon runs with a homer off Sisco in the bottom of the final frame.

Navojoa 7, Mazatlan 1

Salvador Robles gave up five hits and a walk over six scoreless innings in the Mayos' win. Rolando Acosta went 3-for-4 with a double and three runs to lead the offense, and Amadeo Zazueta added a 2-for-4 two-RBI effort. Jesse Castillo drove in the Venados' lone run.

Culiacan 14, Los Mochis 2

Marlon Byrd homered twice and drove in six runs to highlight the Tomateros' offense. The outfielder is batting .348 with 15 homers and 41 RBIs in 41 games for Culiacan. Ramiro Pena (Yankees) added two doubles, four runs and two RBIs in a 3-for-4 showing. Alejandro Armenta allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits over six innings to improve to 4-1.

Hermosillo 4, Mexicali 3

Jose Amador and Edgar Quintero hit back-to-back homers in the second inning for the Naranjeros, while Luke Montz (A's) and Yunieski Betancourt went back-to-back for the Aguilas. Marco Tovar earned the win after allowing three runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings.

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Venezuelan Winter League

•Eric Berger (SP, Bravos de Margarita): 2.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R/ER, 1 K. This was definitely Berger’s roughest outing so far this winter. Up until Tuesday’s performance, Berger had not allowed more than three earned runs in any contest all winter. Even with the slip up, the left-hander’s ERA remains a solid 3.32.
•Hector Rondon (RP, Leones del Caracas): (W, 2-1), 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R/ER, 1 K. All good things must come to an end, and unfortunately that was the case Tuesday for Rondon. The right-hander allowed an earned run following 14 consecutive appearances of scoreless relief. Despite Tuesday’s hiccup, Rondon’s numbers remain impressive, and he now has a 3.71 ERA in 19 games and 17 innings this winter.

•Luis Hernandez (2B-SS, Tigres de Aragua): 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 BB. Hernandez continues to exceed expectations in winter ball. The switch-hitter has now recorded at least one hit in eight of his last nine games, and he currently holds a .389 average. Not too shabby for a minor league signing.

Dominican Winter League

•Jose Ramirez (2B, Toros del Este): 3-for-5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 K. As usual, Ramirez continues to hit and put up very impressive numbers in the DWL. His average now sits at .344 in 27 games this winter. He’s become the talk of IPI as of late, and it’s for good reason. It’s hard not to love the impressive offensive numbers that he continues to put up.

•Mike McDade (1B, Toros del Este): 1-for-1, 2 BB. This was a very nice game for the recently acquired McDade, especially because he has struggled to draw walks so far in the DWL this season. Overall, McDade has now gone 11-for-41 with three walks and 11 strikeouts this winter.

•Juan Diaz (SS, Estrellas de Oriente): 2-for-3, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 K. The switch-hitting Diaz continues to play just about every day in the DWL. He had a nice performance on Tuesday, and he now has gone 25-for-93 in 33 games this winter.

•Carlos Santana (DH, Leones del Escogido): 0-for-4. Santana has unfortunately had a tough start to his winter season. He’s hitless in his last three contests and has gone 0-for-10 over that span. Overall, the switch-hitter has gone 5-for-29 this winter.

Puerto Rican Winter League

•Matt Langwell (RP, Gigantes de Carolina): 2 IP, 1 H, 3 K. Langwell rebounded nicely from his last outing in which he allowed his first earned run of the winter season. Overall, Langwell now has 1.17 ERA in 7 2/3 innings of work this winter.

•Joseph Colon (SP, Cangrejeros de Santurce): (W, 2-2), 5 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K. Tuesday’s performance was easily Colon’s best so far this winter. Overall, the right-hander now has a 3.50 ERA in 18 innings pitched this winter.

•Roberto Perez (C, Indios de Mayaguez): 0-for-4. Perez’s modest three-game hit streak was snapped with his hitless performance on Tuesday. The right-handed hitter’s overall numbers are still impressive this winter as he has gone 11-for-39.

Jose Ramirez looks like he's just out of high school. Very young, very talented ballplayer. Jose has a single in three trips with a sacrifice bunt hitting (.344).

Meanwhile, across the field, Carlos Santana is having another ofer and hitting (.161).

Jimenez's blast wins pitchers' duel for Oriente

12/06/12 2:10 AM ET

Dominican Winter League

Estrellas 1, Gigantes 0

Oriente only managed two hits in Wednesday night's contest, but one of them left the yard to give the first-place Estrellas a narrow victory. Angels' No. 9 prospect Luis Jimenez launched a solo homer off reliever Kelvin Perez (Yankees) in the bottom of the eighth inning. Both starters were stellar, with Oriente's Manauris Baez scattering two hits and a walk over seven frames and Yankees' No. 13 prospect Jose A. Ramirez striking out seven over four one-hit frames for Cibao.

Toros 3, Leones 2

Yankees shortstop Eduardo Nunez went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs for Este, which rode a three-run first inning to victory. Pirates outfielder Starling Marte went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored to lead Escogido. Jairo Asencio pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up his 11th save of the season.

Aguilas 8, Tigres 7

A solo homer by Major League veteran Hector Luna in the bottom of the ninth allowed Cibaenas to remain within a half-game of first place. Six different Aguilas hitters drove in runs in the game, with Elian Herrera (Dodgers) and Efren Navarro (Angels) leading the way with two RBIs apiece. Braves third baseman Juan Francisco led Licey offensively with a three-run homer.

Puerto Rican Winter League

Leones 7, Criollos 6

Major League veteran Reggie Abercrombie homered, drove in two runs and scored twice to power last-place Ponce past league-leading Caguas. The Leones got on the board first with four runs in the top of the second and never trailed in the contest. Carlos Rivera led the Criollos offensively, driving in three runs with a bases-clearing double in the bottom of the third.

Cangrejeros 4, Gigantes 3

A solo homer by Luis Rivera (Mets) in the top of the fifth proved to be the winning run for Santurce. Former American League All-Star Scott Kazmir took the loss, surrendering four runs on seven hits over 4 1/3 innings. Designated hitter Sergio Miranda (Braves) smacked a two-run single in the third for the Cangrejeros.

Mayaguez at Manati, postponed

Mayaguez at Manati, makeup of 11/23 postponed

Venezuelan Winter League

Margarita 9, Caracas 0

David Peralta, Matt Clark and Dave Sappelt all homered and tallied multiple hits as Bravos blasted first-place Caracas. Sappelt, an outfielder in the Cubs system, went 3-for-4 with a solo homer, a double and a game-high three runs scored. Bravos starter Yusmeiro Petit (Giants) turned in his best performance of the season, allowing three hits and four walks over eight innings to pick up his first win.

Anzoategui 5, La Guaira 2

Cubs prospect Erick Castillo went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Matt Young (Angels) scored twice as the Caribes took down the Tiburones. Alex Cabrera drove in both of La Guaira's runs with a sacrifice fly in the first and an RBI single in the fifth.

Aragua 6, Lara 3

What started as a pitchers' duel turned into a slugfest as the two teams combined for 20 hits and all nine runs were scored in the final four innings. Twins' No. 6 prospect Oswaldo Arcia homered, doubled, drove in two runs and scored twice for the Tigres.

Magallanes 10, Zulia 0

The Navegantes sent 15 batters to the plate in the bottom of the sixth, plating all 10 of their runs with seven of their nine hits. Astros second baseman Jose Altuve led the offense, homering and doubling in the frame to drive in three runs. All nine Navegantes reached base and scored in the inning.

Mexican Pacific League

Mazatlan 7, Navojoa 5

The Mayos held a one-run cushion until the bottom of the eighth inning when Venados leadoff man Chris Walker cleared the bases with an inside-the-park home run. Walker finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Left fielder Ivan Terrazas also tallied three hits, driving in two runs and scoring twice. Wes Bankston capped a five-run third inning for Navojoa with a grand slam -- his seventh home run of the season.

Guasave 4, Obregon 2

A two-run double by Eduardo Arredondo and a solo homer by Japhet Amador gave the Algodoneros an early lead and Guasave withstood a late Obregon charge. Sergio Mora became the second hurler on the team to five wins, allowing a run on seven hits and two walks over 6 1/3 innings, and Sean Gleason (Orioles) pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up his eighth save. Jose Figueroa (Yankees) and Carlos Valencia homered for the Yaquis.

Culiacan 3, Los Mochis 1

Francisco Campos tossed 6 1/3 one-hit shutout innings, striking out six, to pick up his fifth win of the season for first-place Culiacan. John Lindsey opened the scoring with his first home run of the season -- a solo shot in the top of the second. The Caneros were held scoreless until the final frame, when Alexis Gomez homered off Tomateros closer Hassan Pena (Nationals).

Hermosillo 3, Mexicali 2

Carlos Gastelum snapped a 2-2 tie in the top of the ninth, singling home pinch-runner Eloy Gutierrez for a come-from-behind victory. Aguilas starter Jorge Campillo stymied the Naranjeros for five scoreless innings before Hermosillo broke through against reliever Jeff Mandel (Nationals). Angels reliever Ryan Brasier picked up his 12th save, setting Mexicali down in order in the bottom of the ninth.

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Venezuelan Winter League

•Jesus Aguilar (1B, Leones del Caracas): 0-for-3. Unfortunately, Aguilar was unable to record a hit on Wednesday. However, his performance was not all bad. Aguilar did not record a strikeout, which has to be considered a positive given Aguilar's high strikeout rate this winter.
•Luis Hernandez (SS, Tigres de Aragua): 3-for-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI. No Indians hitter, not even the popular Jose Ramirez, is hotter right now in winter ball than Luis Hernandez. Hernandez has now gone 24-for-59 this winter in 16 games (.407 average). He is really only regarded as organizational depth, but it's hard to not be excited by what he has been able to do in his playing time this winter.

Dominican Winter League

•Juan Diaz (SS, Estrellas de Oriente): 0-for-3, 1 K. Unfortunately, Diaz could not build off his two-hit performance on Tuesday night and went hitless on Wednesday. Overall, Diaz has now gone 25-for-96 this winter.

•Jose Ramirez (2B, Toros del Este): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 K. Ramirez did not provide the usual offensive fireworks that we're used to on Wednesday, but he still managed to record one hit. The young switch-hitter is now hitting .340 in 28 games this winter.

•Mike McDade (1B, Toros del Este): 0-for-4, 1 RBI. McDade has struggled somewhat at the plate this winter, but he managed to pick up his fifth RBI on Wednesday. Overall, McDade has now gone 11-for-45 in the DWL.

•Carlos Santana (DH, Leones del Escogido): 0-for-3, 1 BB, 1 K. Unfortunately, there has not been much to like about Santana's stint in the DWL so far. The switch-hitter has now played in nine games and has recorded only five hits over that span. Nine games is a very small sample size, so you can't really buy into the numbers too much, but it would still be nice to see Santana heat up at the plate.