Aguilas defeat Tigres at "Nest"

Jose Mijares/Photo courtesy of los Tigres de Aragua

Aragua 3 at Zulia 7

W: J. Lopez (3-1, 1.73); L: B. Bass (3-3, 3.38); SV: R. Garces (13)
HR: ZUL: R. Ruiz (6).

Minnesota's Brian Bass has been on a losing streak of late, suffering his 3rd straight loss Saturday, this time to the Aguilas de Zulia. Bass lasted only 3.2 innings, allowing 4 runs, all earned on 5 hits while striking out 3.

The Tigres got onto the board first when Luis Rodriguez (San Diego) singled out to right field with 1 out. Mike Aviles (Kansas City) walked, but Mike Rivara (Milwaukee) struck out. Ruben Salazar (F/A) then walked to fill the bases, and a Willie Romero (F/A) hit to center to plated Rodriguez.

Randy Ruiz (San Francisco) homered in the bottom of the 2nd for Zulia, tying up the score.

With one out in the forth, Luis Maza (LA Dodgers) singled out center. After Alex Delgado (F/A) moved Maza to 2nd, Ronny Cedeno (Chicago Cubs) would double to bring him in,

The Eagles however, responded in the bottom of the inning. Andres Blanco (Kansas City) hit out to center, and Guillermo Rodriguez (San Francisco) moved him over to 2nd. Yurendell Decaster (Pittsburgh) hit into a double play, which left Blanco at 3rd. Ruiz brought Blanco home with a hit to center, and was followed onto the bags by Carlos Gonzalez (Arizona) who also found a weakness with Maza in center. Gerardo Avila (Seattle) hit to center as well, which lead to the removal of Bass in favor of favor of Jose Guanchez (F/A).

Frank Mata (Minnesota) was brought onto the mound for the bottom of the 5th. He walked Luis Bolivar (Cincinnati) to start, and then Bolivar stole 2nd. Alberto Callaspo (Arizona) doubled him in. Blanco's sac fly moved Callaspo to 3rd, G. Rodriguez connected for a single but Callaspo was taken out at the plate, to save a run. Ruiz then tripled, which led to Mata's removal, in favor of Jose Mijares, who did managed the 3rd out. Mata would finish up with 3 runs on 2 hits and 1 walk while striking out 1 in .2 innings.

Mijares would stay in for the 7th sixth inning and would keep Zulia off the board. Baltimore's Rosman Garcia would pitch the 7th and the 8th, allowing only 1 hit and 1 walk.

The Tigres would get one run in the top of the 9th, when Rodriguez walked off Albert Vargas (F/A) and moved to 2nd on a wild pitch. Aviles hit to center moved him to 3rd, and Rivera would drive him in, but that's all the Cats would get.

L. Rodriguez finish up 1-for-4 at the plate with a walk and 2 runs. Maza was 1-for-4 at the plate with a run.

The teams rematch on Sunday in Zulia at 4:00 PM AST.

All I can say is "thank you" to the Tigres for putting together a great website. MLB takes forever to get the scores up and then leaves out the Log half the time. The Tigres site is informative and interesting, with constant updates on the players, even if it is all in Spanish.

Boxscore
Invisible Log
Tigres de Aragua