<
Marte continues to roll in Leones' rout
Pirates prospect plates two, extends hitting streak to 10 games
Dominican Winter League
Escogido 8, Licey 2
Pirates prospect Starling Marte was 2-for-4 with two RBIs to lead the Leones to their sixth straight win. Marte, who is batting .333, extended his hitting streak to 10 games and Mauro Gomez, an International League All-Star for the Gwinnett Braves, slugged a two-run homer. Anderson Hernandez, who spent the 2011 season with the Astros' Triple-A affiliate, was 2-for-3 with a run scored for the Tigres.
Cibaenas 3, Cibao 1
Veteran catcher Mike Rivera (Brewers) slugged a two-run homer to pace the Aguilas' victory. Former Tigers prospect Angel Castro earned the win after fanning six and allowing a run on four hits over five innings while Omar Luna (Rays) was 2-for-3 with a double. Former Major Leaguer Aquilino Lopez was tagged with the loss, surrendering two runs on five hits while fanning five over six innings for the Gigantes.
Outfielder Starling Marte led the Eastern League with a .332 batting average for Altoona in 2011. (Kevin Pataky/MiLB.com)
Oriente 2, Este 0
Royals prospect Manauris Baez allowed two hits and struck out one over six shutout frames to earn his second win for the Estrellas. Veteran outfielder Felix Pie was 2-for-4 with a run scored and Eugenio Velez (Dodgers) had an RBI single. Astros farmhand Diory Hernandez had two hits in a losing effort for the Toros.
Venezuelan Winter League
Zulia 10, Aragua 1
Braves prospect Ernesto Mejia was 3-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored for the Aguilas. Gold Glove winner Gerardo Parra (D-backs) reached base twice and scored twice while Yankees farmhand Jose Pirela plated a pair of runs. Yorman Bazardo, who pitched for Triple-A Rochester in 2011, struck out three and gave up one hit over three scoreless innings of relief for the Tigres.
La Guaira 8, Caracas 2
Ehire Adrianza (Giants) homered and drove in two runs for the Tiburones. White Sox prospect Eduardo Escobar scored twice and former Pirates farmhand Rafael Alvarez smacked three doubles while plating two runs. Cardinals prospect Adron Chambers was 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs for the Leones.
Magallanes 4, Lara 2
Astros infielder Jose Altuve had three hits including a homer and drove in four runs for the Navegantes. Argenis Diaz (Tigers) was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and Pacific Coast League MVP Bryan LaHair (Cubs) reached base three times. Luis Antonio Jimenez, who spent the 2011 season in Seattle's farm system, doubled in a run for the Cardenales.
Anzoategui 4, Margarita 3, 12 innings
Angels prospect Alexi Amarista hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 12th inning for the Caribes. Amarista finished with two RBIs and Braves farmhand Stefan Gartrell had three hits and drove in a pair of runs. Former Major Leaguer Jose Castillo was 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs for the last-place Bravos.
Mexican Pacific Winter League
Obregon 10, Los Mochis 3
Ryan Spilborghs, who played 98 games for the Rockies in 2011, was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored for the Yaquis, who have won four straight. Veteran infielder Alfredo Amezaga was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored while Minor League free agent Marco Carrillo earned the win after allowing three runs on five hits over six innings. Tigers farmhand Jamie Johnson was 4-for-4 with two runs scored and fell a homer shy of the cycle for the Caneros.
Mexicali 4, Mazatlan 2
Marco Duarte, acquired in a trade by the Red Sox earlier this week, allowed two runs on five hits and struck out five over 6 2/3 innings to earn his fifth win for the Aguilas. Former Major Leaguer Geronimo Gil drove in two runs and Gil Velazquez (Angels) had an RBI single. Mets farmhand Carlos Vazquez fanned two and allowed one hit over two innings of relief for the Venados.
Guasave 6, Culiacan 4
Dodgers farmhand Luis Cruz slugged a pair of solo homers in a losing effort for the Tomateros. Veteran first baseman Daryle Ward was 3-for-4 with a run scored and Red Sox farmhand Tony Thomas drove in a pair of runs for the Algondoneros. Former Angels farmhand Rafael Cruz allowed two hits over 1 2/3 shutout innings of relief to earn the win for Guasave.
Hermosillo 12, Navojoa 6
Former big leaguer Humberto Cota was 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and four RBIs for the Naranjeros. Veteran infielder Jorge Cantu went deep and drove in two runs while Dodgers prospect Trent Oelten slugged a two-run homer. Braves farmhand Matt Esquivel homered and drove in three runs for the Mayos, losers of four straight.
<
<
Australian Baseball League
•Mitch Nilsson (DH, Brisbane Bandits): 1-for-4, R, HR, RBI, BB, K. Nilsson stuffed the stat sheet on Saturday night and ripped his first homer of the year. He is getting a chance to play a little more of late and in his last two games has connected for 2 extra base hits.
•Ryan Battaglia (3B, Brisbane Bandits): 0-for-0. We have a Battaglia sighting! Unfortunately it was only as a late game replacement at third base and he did not record an official at bat. This is just the second game he has played in the ABL and the first in a month. He has just one official at bat this offseason, so he is clearly there to watch and learn.
Colombia Winter League
•Giovanny Urshela (3B, Cartagena Tigres): 1-for-4, RBI, BB. Solid game for Urshela reaching base in 2 of his 5 plate appearances. In 11 games this winter he is 9-for-41 at the plate.
Venezuelan Winter League
•Asdrubal Cabrera (SS, Leones del Caracas): 0-for-1, 3 BB, 1 K. Cabrera did not put the ball in play in any of his 4 plate appearances, though he did a nice job setting the table by walking 3 times. He is only 3-for-11 in 4 games out in Venezuela so far, but has 4 walks which have him at a .500 on-base percentage.
•Jesus Aguilar (1B, Leones del Caracas): 1-for-4, R, 2B, K. Another game for Aguilar, another extra base hit. He now has 14 extra base hits in 28 games this offseason between the AFL and Venezuela.
