Leones, Tigers spit pair

Jose Mijares pitching at Terry Park in 2006

Aragua 2 at Caracas 3

W: C. Bohorquez (1-0, 0.00); L: Y. Pino (0-1, 6.75); SV: J. Plummer (1)

HR: ARA: M. Aviles (1).

The Leones de Caracas defeated the Tigres De Aragua 3-2 Friday in Venezuelan Winter League play.

Former Miracle pitcher Yohan Pino took the loss, giving up 1 run on 2 hits and 1 walk while striking out 1 in 1.1 innings worth of work.

Twin prospect Brian Bass took the start, working 4 innings for the Tigres. Caracas' Carl Loadenthai (Atlanta) singled on a ground ball to center to start out the Leones offense, then stole 2nd. Peeter Ramos (Philadelphia) ground out, but Loadenthai moved to 3rd. A passed ball by Raul Chavez (NY Yankees) saw Lodenthai across the plate for the first run of the game.

The Tigres answered back in the 3rd, when former Miracle Luis Maza (LA Dodgers) doubled out to right. He was followed onto base by Fort Myers Alumni Alex Romero (Arizona) who reached on a fielding error. Mike Aviles (Kansas City) sac-fly brought in Maza to give the Tigres their run. Twin prospect Brian Buscher singled, moving Romero to second, but Ramon Castro (f/a) ground into a force out to end the inning.

Bass final line would be 1 run, earned on 3 hits and no walks, while striking out 3 in 4 innings. Rosman Garcia (Baltimore) would replace him on the mound, getting into a jam in the 6th inning with 1 out. Again, it would be Loadenthai that picked up the run when he reached on a sac-bunt. He would again steal second, and would move to 3rd, this time on a fielder's choice that took Cesar A. Quintero (Houston) out at home. A pitcher change did not help, as he scored off Eduaro Perez's (LA Dodgers) single.

Aviles would homer for Aragua in the 7th. Pino would allow a double to Mario Lisson (Kansas City) in the bottom of the inning, and a fielding error by Jesus Feliciano (NY Mets) moved him to 3rd. He come home on Gregorio Petit's (Oakland) sac-bunt for the game winner.

Buscher would be 2-for-4 at the plate with Romero going 0-for-5 and Maza taking 2-for-5 with a run. Former Twins catcher Henry Blanco was 0-for-4 for the Leones. Former Miracle Jose Mirajes worked .1 innings in relief of Pino and Frank Mata finished up the game, allowing 1 hit and striking out 1 in 1 inning.

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Caracas 0 at Aragua 4

W: V. Moreno (1-0, 0.00); L: J. Cummings (0-1, 7.36)

HR: ARA: J. Martinez (1), R. Salazar (1).

The Tigers got out of the slump on Saturday, blanking the Lions 4-0 at home. Former Miracle Victor Moreno (Baltimore) picked up the win, working 1.2 hitless, walkless, innings while striking out 2. Rochester's Bobby Korecky threw 2 innings of relief ball, allowing 1 hit, walking 1 and striking out 1.

All in all, 6 Aragua pitchers held Caracas to only 3 hits and 1 walk in the game.

Alex Romero (Arizona) capitalized on a walk in the 4th, scoring on Jose Martinez's (St. Louis) home run. The Tigres also got runs from Ruben Salazar (f/a) and pinch runner Aarom Baldiris (f/a) who replaced designed hitter Alex Nunez (f/a) in the game.

Jeremy Cummings (Toronto), who spent time this last season in Rochester, suffered the loss for Caracas, giving up 3 runs (earned) on 5 hits and 1 walk in 3.2 innings worth of work.

Aragua host Margarita on Sunday for a 4:00 PM (Venezuelan local time) game.

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Log