Tigres hang on to early lead for win

Ozzie Sosa

Aragua 5 at Caribes 4

W: O. Sosa (2-0, 6.43); L: A. Herrera (4-1, 5.01); SV: F. Butto (7)
HR: ARA: L. Rodriguez (1). ORI: E. Alfonzo (4), J. Gerut (4), R. Washington (4).

Oswaldo Sosa (Minnesota) picked up his 2nd win for the Aragua Tigres, pitching 2 innings and allowing 1 run on 1 hit while striking out 1. Eliezer Alfonzo (San Francisco) homered to right center field off Sosa in the 6th inning, one of 3 home runs the Caribes put on the board. But Aragua took an early lead and manged to hang on to pick up the win.

All of the Tigres run came off Caribe's starter Alexander Herrera (F/A) who only lasted 2 innings. Luis Rodriguez (San Diego) took a walk in the first with 1 out, then moved to 2nd on Mike Aviles' (Kansas City) ground ball single. Ruben Salazar's (F/A) line drive would score Rodriguez and a throwing error by Gorkys Hernandez (Atlanta) saw Salazar and Aviles pick up extra bases on the play. Martin Prada (Atlanta) would ground out, but that served to plate Aviles, giving the Cats 2.

Hernandez was part of the West Michigan Whitecaps team that captured the MWL title in 2007. He was traded from Detroit to the Braves at the end of the season.

Francisco Carabollo (Houston) doubled in the top of the 2nd then came in on an Alex Delgado (F/A) single. Following a Ronny Cedeno (Chicago Cubs) fly out, Rodriguez would homer to bring in 2 more.

Anzoategui started chipping way at the Cats lead in the bottom of the inning when Jody Gerut (F/A) drew a walk off Aragua starter Kyle Middleton (Houston) and came home on Alfonzo's double.

Gerut would hommer in the 4th off Middleton as well, while Rico Washington (St Louis) put one over the right field fence following Alfonzo's strike out, to add 2 to Caribe's total.

The 6th inning run off Sosa would be the last the Anzoategui squad would manage however. Jose Guanchez (F/A), Jason Karnuth (Detroit), Kevin Tolar (F/A) and Frank Butto (F/A) all combined to shut down home team.

The two teams play a twin bill on Saturday starting at 5:30 PM AST.

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