Cleveland Sports Forum

LUIS LUGO PICHER OF CARDENALES IN THE TRAINING OF THE CARDINALS OF LARA IN THE STADIUM ANTONIO HERRERA GUTIERREZ WITH A VIEW TO THE SEASON 2017 AND 2018 .DATE 25/09/2017. PHOTO LUIS SALAZAR

Luis Lugo motivated to face debut in LVBP

Left-hander Luis Lugo is one of the most important nuggets in Creole baseball and in this campaign he received permission from the Cleveland Indians to pitch with Lara's Cardinals.

Faced with the challenge of forming one of the most dominant rotations of the championship season, the left-hander stresses that he feels motivated which is why he came to camp early in the preseason.

"For me it is an honor to wear the Lara Cardinals' uniform because they give me the opportunity to pitch with them as a starter, a role that I have played in my career.

I hope to give my best in this first start and in the next, "said Lugo.

With the double A Akron Rubber Ducks scoring 8 wins and 7 losses in 26 games with a 4.35 ERA, struck out 93 opponents in 134.1 innings, plus a complete game. In his seven-year career in the minors he has 37 wins and 45 losses with a 4.15 ERA.

Grow as pitcher

The 23-year-old native said that in Venezuela he comes to help the team with the mission to grow as a starter for that reason these weeks will be crucial ton his career.

"I came to work on my pitching, mainly the breaking ones. The fastball is strong and I hope it will work here in the league added to the control that I have been gaining over the years. I feel good and that's important when starting a season, "said the left-handed pitcher.

The help of the veterans is crucial to the confidence of Lugo, who emphasized the good atmosphere here and the team is focused on classification.

Lexington’s Alsis Herrera Signs with Cleveland Indians

August 11, 2016/in News and Notes /by iclbaseball

Lexington left-hander Alsis Herrera signed with the Cleveland Indians last week. Herrera has pitched for the Blue Sox for the last two seasons and was a two-time ICL all-star.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Herrera appeared in a dozen games ICL games, making his debut on June 13, 2015 against the then Somerville Thunder. He posted a 4-2 record and struck out 69 batters in just 50.1 career innings. He last pitched for the Blue Sox on August 2 against the Chiefs.

Herrera earned second team NAIA All-America honors while pitching for The University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma this past spring where he had an 11-4 record with an ERA of 2.43. He struck out 143 batters in 112 innings.

Herrera was assigned to the Indians’ affiliate in the Arizona Rookie League. He made his professional debut on August 11th when he threw a scoreless inning against the Dodgers.

Escogido

2017 Draft Pick:

Vladimir Guerrero Jr
Oneil Cruz
Sandro Fabián
Ronny Agustín
Dalbert Siri Cleveland Indians
Henry Martínez Cleveland Indians
Adonis Uceta
Yoel González
Alsis Herrera Cleveland Indians
Vance Vizcaíno
Estarlin Arias
Xavier Batista
Algenis Martínez
Enmanuel Tapia Cleveland Indians
Huascar Brazobán
Nattino Diplán
Enoli Paredes
Wilfri De La Cruz
Robert Corniel
Bladimir Matos
Gabriel Ovalle

The list of attendees on the first day of practice:

Charly Valerio, Pedro Perez, Rafael Pineda, Wilfri de la Cruz, Orbandy Rodríguez, Yelmison Peralta, Alsis Herrera, Henry Martinez, Jose Rosario, Miguel Rosario, Enmanuel De Leon, Junior Rincon, Jose Batista, Anderson Polanco, Harold Guerrero and Nelson Gonzalez.

October 17, 2017

Alsis Herrera (RP, Leones del Escogido) 1.0 IP, 0 ER. Herrera had a literal perfect inning needing just three pitches to record three outs. This was his first appearance so far in the Dominican. He had a breakout season last year starting in Lake County and finishing in Akron.

Thanks Joe, that works great!

DOMINICAN LEAGUE (LIDOM)

Willi Castro (Leones del Escogido, SS) - 1-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 K - Castro continued his season-opening hitting streak on Sunday, extending it to seven games. In those seven games, his slash line stands at .444.483/.593 with five RBI. Hopefully, Willi can keep up this level of performance and use it as a springboard for a successful 2018, which will likely see him play for Double-A Akron.

Henry Martinez (Leones del Escogido, RP) - W (1-0), 2.1 IP, perfect, 2 K - Martinez remains unscored upon on one hit in 5.2 innings this Dominican season following this perfect outing.
VENEZUELAN LEAGUE (LVBP)

Yonathan Mendoza (Cardenales de Lara, starting 3B) - 0-2 - Mendoza remains hitless in limited at-bats (0-for-10 in six games). He has reached base twice via walk, however, and scored once.

The Lions go 2-0 against the defending Champs by beating the Tigers 5-2

SANTO DOMINGO.- Michael Almanzar drove in two runs and the Escogido relief corps gave up just one hit in the last five innings and a third in the Lions 5-2 win over the Licey Tigers in a game on Sunday at Quisqueya Stadium.

Almanzar finished 2-4 with a double and single helping Leones to achieve their fifth victory of the tournament, against two defeats, in addition to extending to three its winning streak. From their side the Tigers (2-5) fell for the third time in a row.

The Lions attacked the opening of the first inning when Willi Castro doubled and then scored after a Franchy Cordero hit.

The Tigers took command in the bottom of the fourth on a double by Anderson Hernandez that batted in Cam Gallagher from second and Osvaldo Abreu from first all that off of starter Kelvin Marte, who only could work 3.2 innings. The left-hander conceded nine hits, hit one and struck out two.

Leones took the lead in the fifth inning against Yohan Flande when Michael Almanzar doubled to left field that batted in Pablo Reyes from first. On the play there was an error by Hernandez allowing Almanzar to score.

In the seventh, and against Francisco Rosario, the reds extended the difference to three when Almanzar's hit to left recorded Aristides Aquino and Wilkin Castillo, respectively, both the responsibility of Ariel Peña.

The victory went to relief pitcher Henry Martinez who worked 2.1 perfect innings with two strikeouts. Rafael de Paula (1.0) and Tom Windle (1.0) worked the seventh, leaving the ninth to Rob Scahill, who retired three out of the four he faced for his third save was scored.

Flanders (0-1) was loaded with the loss after working five innings, three hits, three runs, one earned, a walk and a strike out.

In addition to Almanzar, Cordero also stood out for the Lions' offense by hitting 2-4 with a double. Aquino also had two hits in four at bats, and scored a run. For the blues, Yamaico Navarro, Gallagher and Abreu had two hits each.

Doosan Bears' Oh Jae-il hit a three-run home run in the top of the sixth inning during his team's Korea Baseball Organization League's second round postseason series at Masan Stadium in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Saturday. The Bears won 14-5. / Yonhap

Doosan reach Korean Series for 3rd straight year with Game 4 win over NC

By Baek Byung-yeul

Doosan Bears reach the Korean Series for third straight year, Saturday.

At Masan Stadium in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, the Bears claimed a 3-1 series win after defeating the NC Dino 14-5 in the Game 4 of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League's second round postseason series.

The Bears' first baseman Oh Jae-il was crucial in the Bears' win, hitting four home runs in one game. Batting fifth, Oh went 4-for-4 with a whopping nine RBIs and two walks. He was named MVP of the series after the game.

The Bears will play the best-of-seven Korean Series against the regular season champion Kia Tigers from Oct. 25.

Doosan Bears infielder Oh Jae-il rounds bases after hitting a three-run homer off NC Dinos starter Jung Su-min in the third inning of game four of the postseason at Masan Baseball Stadium in the southern city of Changwon. / Yonhap

Tigers, Bears vie for Korean Series title Posted : 2017-10-22 15:54Updated : 2017-10-23 01:06


By Kang Hyun-kyung

The regular season champion Kia Tigers will face the runner-up Doosan Bears in the best-of-seven Korean Series beginning Wednesday.

The Tigers have won the pennant 10 times since the Korea Baseball Organization League was founded in 1982 and this year's Korean Series will be their 11th championship bid. The Tigers have never been defeated in the series.

It remains to be seen whether last year's champion Bears will be able to break the Tigers' record. During the 2017 season, the Tigers and the Bears were neck and neck in their win-loss records. Of the 16 games they played against each other, the Bears won eight, lost seven and tied once.

On Saturday, Bears infielder Oh Jae-il powered his team to the Korean Series by producing four home runs in game four of the postseason.

The Bears, who had won games two and three, pounded the NC Dinos 14-5 in the game at Masan Baseball Stadium and won the ticket for the Korean Series.

Oh belted an upset three-run homer off Dinos starter Jung Su-min in the third inning, helping the Bears lead 7-4. He was unstoppable. Oh produced three more homers — another three-run home run in the sixth inning, a two-run homer in the eighth and a solo homer in the ninth. His nine RBIs were critical in helping the Bears rout the Dinos.

"Before the game, I tried to be relaxed as much as I could and told myself to do what I could do," he said in an interview after the game. Oh said he was happy for his team to clinch the critical game and added he and his teammates considered the Dinos a tough team to beat.

The Bears infielder broke postseason records in home runs and RBIs. Oh said he wasn't aware he set the records. Asked the secret to powering four home runs in a postseason game, he said he was lucky.

During the four games against the Dinos, Oh batted .600 with five homers and 13 RBIs. He won the postseason MVP Award.

Bears relief pitcher Ham Deok-ju is another hero behind the Bears' third consecutive advance to the Korean Series. He pitched a 6.2 scoreless innings during the four postseason games. Ham outdueled Dinos sluggers with fastballs in game four and won the MVP.

The young pitcher faced a media frenzy, partly because the Bears' starters — Dustin Nippert, Jang Won-jun, Michael Bowden and Yu hee-kwan — struggled in the postseason games against the Dinos. These pitchers were once called the "Fantastic Four" for their critical role in the club clinching the Korean Series title last year. The four pitched in all the postseason games but were replaced after allowing Dinos batters to produce several RBIs.

The postseason has been cruel to the Dinos. Since 2012, when the Masan-based club was lifted to the major KBO League, the Dinos have advanced to the postseason four times. Last year, the Dinos lost the Korean Series against the Bears.

Manager Kim Kyeong-mun has led teams to the Korean Series 10 times — six when managing the Bears and four after taking the helm of the Dinos. But under his leadership, his team has never won a pennant, so he has been depicted as an "unfortunate" manager. Kim was considered one of the KBO League's great managers after he led Korea to win the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics. But when it comes to the Korean Series, he has never been a winning manager. Dinos infielder Lee Ho-jun retired after game four. He batted .299 with seven home runs and 36 RBIs in 77 games during the 2017 season.

Yokohama's Masayuki Kuwahara hits a game-tying double in the fifth inning of the BayStars' 4-3 win over the Carp in Game 4 of the Central League Climax Series Final Stage on Monday in Hiroshima. | KYODO

BayStars push Carp to brink of elimination

HIROSHIMA – The Yokohama BayStars moved to within one win of their first Japan Series berth in 19 years with a 4-3 win over the Hiroshima Carp on Monday in the final stage of the Central League Climax Series.

In a game that was postponed for two days due to rain at Mazda Stadium, Joe Wieland worked five-plus innings, while reaching base three times, scoring a run and earning the win for the BayStars.

Wieland allowed three runs in the first, and after he ran into trouble, the BayStars bullpen, including a two-inning cameo from starting pitcher Shota Imanaga, slammed the door. The win gave the BayStars a 3-2 lead in the six-game final stage. As league champs, the Carp began with a one-win advantage, and won the opener 3-0, but have lost three straight since.

The stage winner will advance to the Japan Series against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, starting in Fukuoka on Saturday. Should the series end in a tie, the Carp will advance. If the BayStars win here, they will become just the second third-place team to reach the season finale.

Jose Lopez made up for a rally-killing double play by singling in the go-ahead run in the fifth inning off reliever Allen Kuri.

“We fell behind, but no one was putting their heads down,” Lopez said. “Prior to that (fifth-inning) at-bat, I hit into a double play with the bases loaded. I hoped for another chance and it came my way.”

In the bottom of the first, Hiroshima No. 3 hitter Yoshihiro Maru continued to own Wieland after hitting six home runs off him in the regular season. The left-handed hitter golfed a low-curveball off the end of his bat into the right field stands for a two-run homer.

Wieland threw a couple of high fat fastballs that Ryuhei Matsuyama and Takahiro Arai each hit doubles off to make it 3-0, but the right-hander continued to challenge hitters and got himself out of trouble. He gave up five hits and walked four, while striking out four.

The BayStars pitcher, who batted .229 with three home runs during the regular season, started a pair of scoring opportunities. Wieland singled to lead off the third, when Yokohama loaded the bases only to have the inning end with Lopez.

After Yoshitomo Tsutsugo put the visitors on the board with a leadoff homer in the fourth, Wieland drew a leadoff walk in the BayStars’ three-run fifth. No. 9 hitter Toshihiko Kuramoto hit a liner to the warning track that went for a double when right fielder Xavier Batista missed it.

Leadoff man Masayuki Kuwahara doubled in two runs to tie it and knock Kazuki Yabuta from the game. Kuri took over, and Lopez grounded a 2-2 pitch up the middle. Another hit followed, but Kuri stopped the bleeding with a double play.

Wieland was knocked from the mound in the sixth after a ringing single by Arai followed a leadoff walk. With no outs and the bases loaded, Tomoya Mikami struck out two before Edwin Escobar retired Tanaka.

The BayStars turned to Imanaga in the seventh and eighth, and the lefty retired all six batters he faced. Closer Yasuaki Yamasaki worked a perfect ninth to set-up an elimination game for the Carp on Tuesday.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE (LIDOM)

Ronny Rodriguez (Aguilas Cibaenas, RF-1B) - 0-4, 1 E - Ronny-Rod went hitless for the first time since a pair of games early in the season (his second and third appearances of the campaign) and committed his second error of the season.

Michael Martinez (Estrellas Orientales, 2B) - 0-4, 1 K - Martinez followed up Saturday's 1-for-2 season debut with this hitless effort in his first start and complete game of the LIDOM campaign.

Cole Sulser (Estrellas Orientales, RP) - L (1-1), 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (earned), 1 K, 1 HR allowed - Sulser, who has the decision in two of his three appearances despite only pitching one inning in each, allowed his first run of the season on Monday night.

The BayStars celebrate their Central League Climax Series Final Stage-clinching victory over the Carp on Tuesday at Mazda Stadium. Yokohama defeated Hiroshima 9-3 in Game 5 to earn a trip to the Japan Series. | KYODO

BayStars bash Carp, punch ticket to Japan Series

HIROSHIMA – The Yokohama BayStars hit five home runs, including a pair from cleanup hitter Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, to crush the Hiroshima Carp 9-3 on Tuesday and deny the Central League champion a second straight berth to the Japan Series.

The victory gave the league’s third-place team a 4-2 record in the CL Climax Series’ six-game final stage — where the Carp began with a one-win advantage by virtue of winning the pennant — and a ticket to the championship series for the first time in 19 years.

It is the first time in the CL for a third-place ballclub to advance to the Japan Series, and the second time in NPB history after the Chiba Lotte Marines achieved the feat in the Pacific League in 2010.

Hiroshima’s only win in the final stage, played entirely at Mazda Stadium, came on Oct. 18 in Game 1, which was called after five innings due to rain, and Yokohama took the next four games in a row over a span of six days after two rainouts.

As in the previous night’s matchup, the home team got on the scoreboard first in Game 5, with Kosuke Tanaka leading off with a double and coming home on Yoshihiro Maru’s RBI single and Xavier Batista doubling in Maru in the first inning.

CL batting king Toshiro Miyazaki hit a solo shot the next inning to cut the deficit to one run, and the BayStars pulled starter Kenta Ishida after just one inning and sent Kazuki Mishima to the mound where the right-hander tossed a 1-2-3 second.

Masayuki Kuwahara then belted a two-run home run off Carp starter Yusuke Nomura (0-2) to put the visitors ahead 3-2 in the third, before pinch hitter Seiya Hosokawa, a 19-year-old rookie out of high school, hit an RBI single the following inning.

Tsutsugo added three insurance runs on two home runs in back-to-back at-bats in the fifth and seventh, which sandwiched a solo clout by veteran Hiroshima slugger Takahiro Arai off reliever Tomoya Mikami.

Takayuki Kajitani capped the scoring with a two-run homer in the eighth as the BayStars rapped out 16 hits against the Carp’s nine.

After Mishima (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings, five relievers combined to limit Hiroshima’s offense to one run, Mikami becoming Yokohama’s only reliever to yield a run in the final stage.
Alex Ramirez busy getting Bay Stars ready for the Climax series

“So many things happened in these games … but our pitchers did a tremendous job and they kept us in the game,” said BayStars manager Alex Ramirez, who’s in his second season at the helm. “That’s the reason we were able to come back and score some runs.”

Yokohama will face the PL champion Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the best-of-seven Japan Series starting Saturday at Yafuoku Dome in Fukuoka.

“We’re going to be hoping that we’re going to win the Nippon Series, representing not only the Yokohama DeNA BayStars but also the Central League,” Ramirez said. “Every day is going to be a challenge for us and we’re going to try our best to win.”

The Eagles win against the Stars 3-1

SAN PEDRO DE M.-The Eastern Stars suffered their first home defeat by losing 3-1 against the Cibao Eagles in a winter baseball game this Monday at Estadio Tetelo Vargas in this city.

The encounter, characterized by dueling pitchers, was the second setback for the Orientals, who remain in the first place with a record of 5-2, in conjunction with the Giants of the Cibao and Leones del Escogido, while the "Cuyayas" are still in the fourth position with a 4-3 mark.

Right-hander Angel Castro (1-1) scored the win by pitching six four-hit innings, two walks and a pair of strikeouts, while the reverse was conceded to Cole Sulser (1-1), who allowed a solo homer by Jun Ho Kang in the seventh when the game was 0-0. Imported Josh Judy who overcame a threat in the ninth, when the Stars came to have two men on bases with one out scored the save.

Venezuelan League (LVBP)

D.J. Brown (RP, Tigres de Aragua) 1.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, BB, SO. Brown danced around three hits, but was the only one of five pitchers who did not allow an earned run for the Tigres. He was not as sharp Tuesday night as he usually is, but despite that he was able to remain perfect this fall. He has not allowed an earned run in 8.2 innings of relief in Venezuela.

Dominican League (LIDOM)

Willi Castro (SS, Leones del Escogido) 1-2, RBI. Castro remains scorching hot at the plate as he now has a hit in all nine games he has appeared in. He has not missed a beat from a very solid regular season with Lynchburg, and carried that momentum with him to the Caribbean. In 29 at-bats spanning eight games he is hitting .448 with one home run and six RBI.

Alsis Herrera (RP, Leones del Escogido) 0.1 IP, 0 ER. Herrera did his job Tuesday, getting the lone batter he faced to groundout. It was a case of being in the right place at the right time as the out positioned him to be the winning pitcher of record. The win gives him a 1-0 record in two appearances so far.

Michael Martinez (DH, Estrellas Orientales) 2-4, 2 RBI. Martinez appeared in his third game and recorded his first multi-hit outing. The veteran infielder also drove in a pair to give him a total of three RBIs.

Ronny Rodriguez (RF-1B, Aguilas Cibaenas) 3-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, SO. Rodriguez had a huge night capped off by him hitting a walk-off, two-run homer. He led his club with three hits and accounted for half of the team’s RBIs. Ronny-Rod has been starting to lock-in at the plate recording a hit in four of his last five games. In addition to that, he has also gone yard two of the last three games.

Joe Colon (RP, Aguilas Cibaenas) 1.1 IP, H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, 2 SO. Colon converted his first hold despite surrendering a pair of earned runs. This was just his second appearance in the Dominican after tossing a scoreless inning on October 21st.

Tigres claw their way against the Sharks and continue as leaders of the LVBP

The third week of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League began in the best way for the Aragua Tigers who beat the Guaira Sharks 11-10. Thanks to the triumph the ones managed by Buddy Bailey remain in the first position of the present campaign.

The key inning for Aragua was the fifth when they scored on six occasions with opportune batting, but in the lower part La Guaira showed that they would not let his opponent win easily by producing four runs.

In the sixth inning, Jose Vargas hit his sixth homer of the season to make it an 11-6 ball game.
The Sharks did not give up and in the eighth inning ambushed Raudel Lazo and Wanel Meza. The winning pitcher was DJ Brown (2-0) who pitched for an inning and two-thirds where he did not allow any runs, gave up three hits, also fanned an opponent and walked one. The defeat fell on Edmer Escalona (0-2).

Ronny Rodríguez walkoff homer leaves Licey on the field

SANTIAGO.-

The Cibao Eagles, with a dramatic homer from Ronny Rodriguez against Jose Domínguez in the ninth inning, defeated the Licey Tigers 5-3 at Cibao Stadium.

Jorge Lopez, in his third start, came out without a decision 0-0 and 1.84 ERA, with 14.2 innings pitched on 10 hits and 3 earned runs.

Cuban Oneli Garcia came into the game 0-0 with a 1.93 ERA, with three earned runs on 9 hits in 15.0 innings and left without a decision.

Los Toros lose a one run advantage and fail for the 8th time

LA ROMANA -

Michael Martinez capped a three-run rally in the eighth inning with a two-run single to guide the Eastern Stars to a 3-1 victory over the Eastern Bulls in the winter fall baseball game this Tuesday at the Estadio Francisco Micheli here.

The victory fell on Jose Fernandez (1-0), who struck out one in an inning. Veteran Wirfin Obispo closed out the ninth with a pair of walks and three strikeouts to score the save.

With the win, the Stars are 3-1 in games played on the road and dominate 2-0 the particular series against the Bulls, who now have a record of 0-8.

Both starting pitchers came out without a decision after starring in a pitching duel. For the Bulls, Raul Valdez's debut covered six five-hit innings, four walks and three strikeouts, while for the Stars, Alexis Candelario allowed an unearned run in five innings with two hits, two walks and four strikeouts.

For the Orientals, who fired eight hits, Junior Lake, 2-4 with a run scored; Michael Martinez, 2-4 with two RBIs; Socrates Brito, 1-4; Mike Ford, 1-3 with a walk; Fernando Tatis Jr., 0-2 and pair of walks.

For the Bulls, who had four hits, Jorge Mateo, 2-4 with a run scored; Deven Marrero, 1-3, and Steven Moya, 1-1.