Tigres roll to 5th straight win as Cabrera joins team

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La Guaira 3 at Aragua 4

W: V. Moreno (4-1, 3.28); L: G. Casadiego (2-2, 1.59); SV: F. Butto (14)
HR: LAG: A. Freire (2).

Los Tigres de Aragua extended their winning streak on Tuesday against los Tiburones de La Guaira, moving into 2nd place in the League standings, 4 games back with 7 left to play.

Minnesota's Yohan Pino worked 2.1 innings in the starting roll, allowing only 1 walk to La Guaira and striking out 4. Oswaldo Sosa (Minnesota) followed up with 2.2 innings, allowing 1 hit and 1 walk.

Los Tiburones would finally get to Aragau in the sixth inning when Danny Sandoval (Philadelphia) ripped a triple out to right field off reliever Frank Mata (Minnesota), then scored on Luis Hernandez (Baltimore) sac-fly.

In the Seventh, Ron Acuna (F/A) took a walk off Victor Moreno (Baltimore) and was plated when Aljandro Freire (F/A) went yard.

Los Tigres finally answered back in the bottom of the inning. Luis Maza (LA Dodgers) tripled out to right. Following a Martin Prado (Atlanta) strike out and a Alex Delgado (F/A) fly out, Luis Figueroa (San Francisco) plated Maza with an infield hit. After a pitching change for the Sharks with saw starter Willie Collazo (NY Mets) exit the game and Gerardo Casadiego (Colorado) enter, Ronny Cedeno (Chicago Cubs) doubled. Miguel Cabrera (Detroit) making his first Venezuelan Winter League appearance walked to fill the bases. Hector Gimenez (Houston) entered the game as pinch hitter and took a ball deep into center for a double, clearing the bases to make it 4-3 Tigres.

Cabrera finished up 2-for-3 with a walk and a run. Maza was 3-for-4 with 1 run, falling just a home run shy of the cycle.

Morena took the win improving his record to 4-1. The former Miracle worked 1.1 innings and allowed 2 run (earned) on 1 hit and 2 walks.

Agarua faces los Cardenales de Lara on Wednesday and then plays three against La Guaira starting on Thursday.

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Tigres general Manager Dr. Rafael Rodríguez Rendón moved heaven and earth to get permission from Detroit to allow Cabrera to play according to an article at tigresdearagua.net.

"I am happy to play here in my country with the Tigers," Cabrera said in the article. "We fight for a place in the playoffs and need to win more games. We look forward to achieving a new championship for all our fans."

"Earlier when belonged to the Florida Marlins, the Venezuelan star has shown an improvement in his performance with his participation in the local tournament," the article goes on to say. "Given that affects your body and skills with a view to spring training and therefore has always reflected a big first month season in the major."

Tigres double up Cardenales

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Lara 3 at Aragua 6

W: F. Mata (3-1, 3.07); L: S. Kahn (0-2, 6.48); SV: B. Korecky (1)
HR: LAR: S. Langaigne (5), J. Lopez (4). ARA: H. Gimenez 2 (2).

Los Tigres de Aragua stayed in the win column Monday, taking a 6-3 victory over los Cardenales de Lara. Minnesota's Frank Mata picked up his 3rd win of the season, while Bobby Korecky (Minnesota) recorded his first save.

Former Miracle Luis Ugueto (F/A) started out with a double for the Red Birds and moved to 3rd on Asdrubal Cabrera's (Cleveland) ground out. Adam Jones (Seattle) plated him with sac-fly to right field.

Lara extended their lead in fourth on a pair of solo home runs, one by Jose Celestiano Lopez (Seattle) and the other by Selwyn Langiagne (F/A). The Cats though coughed up one of their own when Hector Gimenez (Houston) when yard in the bottom of the inning.

Cardenales starter Giovanni Carrera (LA Dodgers) worked 5.1 innings, allowing 6 hits and 1 walk while striking out 2. It would be the sixth inning that caused him problems.

Gimenez would connect for his second home run of the night with one out, and Martin Prado (Atlanta) would get on base with an infield single before Carrera was taken from the mound. Alex Romero (Arizona) would record the second out off reliever Roger Luque (F/A), who was then replaced with righty Stephen Kahn (Seattle). Luis Maza (LA Dodgers) drew a walk, followed with a single to center by Raul Chavez (Pittsburgh) to bring in Prado. Alex Nunez (F/A) connected to bring in Maza, and Chavez scored off a Luis Figueroa (San Francisco) single to left. Ivan Blanco (Seattle) would finally come into the game for the Red Birds, and issued a walk to Ronny Cedeno (Chicago Cubs) before he could get to Mike Aviles (Kansas City) for the 3rd out.

Chavez would drive Gimenez in during the 7th inning for the final run.

Maza would strike out 1 over 1.1 innings, Jose Mijares (Minnesota) allowed a walk before issuing a strike out for .1 inning, and Korecky struck out 1 and walked 1 in the final 1.2 innings.

Hector Estrada (F/A) worked 5.2 innings for the Cats allowing 3 runs on 5 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4.

Ugueto was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run for the Red Birds, while Romero went 1-for-3 with a walk and Maza was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run for the Tigres.

The Cats play host los Tiburones de La Guaira on Tuesday before heading over to Lara to face the Cardenales again on Wednesday.

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Tigres make it 3 in a row

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Caracas 1 at Aragua 3

W: J. Karnuth (2-1, 1.35); L: R. Sanchez (0-2, 8.22); SV: F. Butto (13)
HR: None.

Los Tigres de Aragua made it 3 wins a row, defeating los Leones del Caracas in a battle feline Sunday.

Los Leones got on the board first, with Jesus Guzman (Seattle) knocking a triple off Aragua starter Henry Bonilla (LA Angels). A single by Marco Scutaro (Toronto) served to plate him. It would be all the Leones could get though, as Bonilla worked through 6 innings, allowing 7 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3.

Aragua however found themselves limited by Caracas' Brian Slocum (Cleveland) who held the Tigres to 3 hits and 1 walk over 6.1 innings while striking out 5.

One of those hits would be a single by Wilfredo Romero (F/A) in the 7th inning. Alex Romero (Arizona) reached on a fielding error and a sac-bunt by Luiz Maza (LA Dodgers) moved the pair around. A solid hit to center field by Alex Delgado (F/A) brought in the duo, giving the Tigres the win.

Martin Prado (Atlanta), pinch hitting for Romero, would bring in Mike Aviles (Kansas City) in the 8th for the insurance marker.

Romero finished off 0-for-2 at the plate with a run, while Maza was 1-for-2. Former Twins catcher Henry Blanco (Chicago Cubs) was 2-for-4 for los Leones with a double and walk.

The Tigres face los Cardenales de Lara Monday at 8:30 PM AST, and los Tigurones de La Guaira on Tuesday at 7:30 PM AST.

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Left handed pitcher Dave Gassner, a member of the Rochester Red Wings for the past four season was not offered a new contract by Minnesota, becoming a free agent. Gassner posed a 6-12 record with a 4.95 ERA for the Twins AAA affiliate in 2007, with 83 strike outs, issued 42 walks and allowed 17 home runs.

Tigres take pair from Lara

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Aragua 6 at Lara 4

W: J. Guanchez (1-1, 2.08); L: S. Kahn (0-1, 4.32); SV: F. Butto (12)
HR: None.

Los Tigres de Aragua swept a double header Saturday against los Cardenales de Lara, pounding out 11 hits in each game against Red Bird pitching.

In the first game, los Cardenales jumped out to an early lead with former Miracle Luis Ugueto (F/A) drawing a walk off Tigres starter Kyle Middleton (Houston) to open the game. After striking out Asbrudal Cabrera (Cleveland), Adam Jones (Seattle) was also walked. Robert Perez's (F/A) line drive to center plated Ugueto. Bryan LaHair (F/A) drove in Jones with a hit to left field.

The game was suspended by rain at that point. When it resumed, Wilfredo Romero (F/A) and Alex Romero (Arizona) got on base with back-to-back hits. Luis Maza (LA Dodgers) then sent Wilfredo home with a hit out to left field.

The Tigres would tie the game up in the 3rd. Ronny Cedeno (Chicago Cubs) walked with one out, then stoled 2nd base. Following a Mike Aviles (Kansas City) strike out Lara's Marcos Carvajal (Florida) unleashed a pair of wild pitches that brought Cedeno home.

Perez doubled in the bottom of the inning, then moved to 3rd on a LaHair single. A fielding error by Cedeno led to Perez crossing the plate, and put Lahair at 3rd. A Jose Lopez (Seattle) double brought in the runner to make it 4-2 Lara.

Alex Romero walked in the 4th, then moved to 2nd on a Jose Martinez (St Louis) hit out to center. A double by Alex Delgado (F/A) served to score the pair, tying up the game again.

Hector Gimenez (Houston) doubled out to left, but Wilfredo hit into a force out which took Gimenez down at 3rd. Alex Romero singled his way onto the bags and a double by Maza brought the pair home.

Minnesota's Bobby Korecky and Jose Mijares each worked 1 inning in relief, with Korecky allowing 1 hit, and Maza striking out 2.

Romero was 2-for-3 with a walk and 2 runs, and Maza as 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs. Ugueto was 0-for-3 with a walk and a run for los Cardenales.

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Aragua 6 at Lara 1

W: R. Garcia (2-2, 2.41); L: R. Duarte (0-4, 5.45)
HR: LAR: J. Lopez (3).

In the nightcap, los Tigres took a 3 run lead in the 3rd and never looked back, burying los Cardenales 6-1.

Luis Maza (LA Dodgers) started off with a hit off to left. Raul Chevez (Pittsburgh) moved him around with a single. Jose Martinez (St Louis) connected for a single, but Maza was called out a home. The play however put runners at 2nd and 3rd, and a hit by Luis Figuroa (San Francisco) loaded the bases. Following a Ronny Cedeno (Chicago Cubs) strike out, Mike Aviles (Kansas City) drove in a run. Hector Gimenez's (Houston) single to right served to plate Martinez and Figueroa.

Gimenez tripled in the 6th inning, and was brought home by a Martin Prado (Atlanta) single. Gimenez then connected for a double in the 7th inning with brought in Figueroa and Aviles who had singled their way onto base.

The Red Bird's only run came on a last chance home run by Jose Celestino Lopez (Seattle).

Rosman Garcia (Baltimore) earned the win, allowing 3 hits in 5 innings while striking out 2. Kevin Tolar (F/A) and former Miracle Victor Moreno (Baltimore) closed out the game.

Luis Ugueto (F/A) was 1-for-3 in the second game for Lara, while Maza was 1-for-3 for the Tigres. Alex Romero (Arizona) hit 1 for-2 in the 2nd game of the Twin bill.

These two teams rematch on Monday for an 8:30 PM AST game. The Lions and Tigers battle on Sunday night at 6:00 PM AST.

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Zulia shuts out Aragua in 10 inning contest

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Zulia 2 at Aragua 0

W: N. Darley (1-0, 0.84); L: J. Karnuth (1-1, 1.59); SV: R. Garces (17)
HR: None.

Cory Bailey (Chicago Cubs) and three relievers, including Minnesota's Jose Mijares and Yohan Pino would hold los Aguiles de Zulia scoreless through nine innings Friday, but los Tigres de Aragaua still fell, 2-0.

Francisisco Plasencia (Washington) drew a walk off Jason Karnuth (Detroit) in the top of the 10th, and moved to second on a Luis Oliveros' (Seattle) sac bunt. Gerardo Perra's (Arizona) single plated Plasencia to break the 9 inning deadlock for the game winning Zulia run. The Aguiles were then helped when Karnuth mis-threw a pick off attempt that put Parra on 2rd. Parra would then steal home, and the Tigres would turn to former Miracle Victor Moreno (Baltimore) to get the last two outs, which he did by getting Juan Diaz (F/A) to hit into a double play.

Four Zulia pitcher held the Tigres to only 5 hits and 2 walks in the game. Luis Maza (LA Dodgers) had one of those hits, going 1-for-4 at the plate.

Mijares pitched .1 inning, issuing a strike out, and Pino allowed 2 hits in .0 innings.

Aragua travels to Lara on Saturday, looking for a turn of fortune on the road. The Tigres play Sunday against los Leones del Caracas, and Monday against los Cardenales de Lara for the make up of the rained out game earlier in the season.

Aragua is in 4th place, 7 games behind the league leading Caribes. It seems unlikely that they will be repeating as Venezuelan Winter League Champions at this point.

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Former Twins prospect Luis Rodriguez (San Diego) left the team to travel to the United States to be with his wife for the birth of their child. He is expected to return after the happy event.

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed former Twins prospect Luis Rivas (Cleveland) to a one-year contract. He was one of four Venezuelans added to the Pirates system this week. Tigres catcher Raul Chavez, formerly of the NY Yankees organization, was also inked by the Pennsylvania team.

The Twins signed former Houston Astro Mike Lamb to a 2-year, 6.6 million dollar deal with an option for 2010. Lamb is expected to fill the hole at 3rd, a problem since Corey Koskie left in the 2004 season. The 32-year-old Lamb batted .289 with 11 homes and 40 RBIs in 311 at bats for the Astros last season. Lamb has played both third base and first base in four seasons with the Astros. He was entrenched behind Morgan Ensberg at third for much of that time and never really had a chance for a full-time role. Lamb is expected to compete against minor league slugger Brian Buscher for the position in Spring Training, but there's a good chance that Lamb will lock up the job quickly.