The KC Royals were well-represented in the Caribbean Series, that concluded last week with an epic 18-inning final between Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Host Mexico won on a Doug Clark solo homerun.

So how did they get there?

The series began back on February 1st. Mexico beat Puerto Rico 3-0, behind the right arm of Luis Mendoza. He picked up the victory after pitching six shutout innings. He allowed three hits and walked two while striking out three. Mendoza threw 51 of his 85 pitches for strikes. Rey Navarro went 0-for-3 in the game with a walk and a strikeout while playing second base for Puerto Rico.

On the same day, the DR beat Venezuela, 7-2. New Royal Miguel Tejada played shortstop and went 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI.

The next day, Mexico fell to Venezuela, 4-3 after being down 3-1 heading into the 8th inning. Former Royal minor leaguer Mario Lisson went 2-for-4 with an 8th inning homerun off former big leaguer Oscar Villareal.

The DR improved to 2-0 after a 6-2 victory over Puerto Rico. Tejada went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, and a run scored while playing shortstop. Navarro played second base and went 1-for-4.

On February 3rd, the DR beat host Mexico, 6-5 in 11 innings. Mexico scored an unearned run in the 9th inning off TB Rays closer Fernando Rodney. Tejada went 2-for-4 while playing shortstop and hit a two-run homerun in the 2nd inning. Venezuela beat Puerto Rico to push them to 0-3.

The next day, Puerto Rico picked up their first victory with a ten-inning win over the Dominican Republic, 6-4. Navarro once again played second base and went 2-for-5 with four RBIs. He tied the game in the 8th inning and hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning for the win. Tejada played third base and went 2-for-4 with a walk. Mexico beat Venezuela, 2-0.

On February 5th, Puerto Rico made the standings interesting by picking up their second win, a 4-1 victory over Venezuela. Navarro went 0-for-4 with a stolen base. The DR beat Mexico, 11-6 to clinch a spot in the finals. Tejada was back at shortstop and went 2-for-5 with a homerun, two RBIs, and two runs scored.

» Continue reading “Caribbean Series Recap”

The Caribbean Series begins on February 1st, as the winners of the four major winter leagues (Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela) face off for supremacy. Escogido will be representing the DR, Obregon will be representing Mexico, Caguas will be representing Puerto Rico, and Lara will be representing Venezuela.

Four current KC Royals (and minor leaguers) were a part of getting their winter league team to the Caribbean Series.

Starter Luis Mendoza (who will be pitching for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic) made one start in the Mexican Pacific League finals. It came in Game 1 and he picked up the win. Mendoza allowed two runs on five hits and three walks over six innings. He struck out 11 and threw 64 of his 103 pitches for strikes. He allowed a solo homerun to former Royal Yuniesky Betancourt in front of over 17,000 fans.

Outfielder Paulo Orlando is also getting geared up for the WBC, but he will be playing for upstart Brazil. He helped Lara win the Venezuelan Winter League title. Orlando played centerfield, batted second, and hit .307 in the postseason (5-for-23 in the finals with seven strikeouts).

Jose Jimenez is Orlando’s teammate with Lara. In their first game, he pitched a perfect 1/3 of an inning. He picked up a hold the next day with 1/3 of an inning. Jimenez pitched another 1/3 of an inning in their Game Four loss.

The Puerto Rican League finals was a battle between Mayaguez and Caguas and a battle between Royals utility fielders Irving Falu and Rey Navarro. Navarro hit just .184 (5-for-26 in the finals) for champion Caguas while playing second base and batting second. Falu hit .229 (6-for-27 in the finals) while playing second base and batting leadoff for Mayaguez.

For more on the Caribbean Series, click HERE.

*The answer to Tuesday’s trivia answer is: SEVEN. The inductees were Whitey Herzog (1975-1979), George Brett (1973-1993), Orlando Cepeda (1974), Joe Gordon, (1969), Harmon Killebrew (1075), Bob Lemon (1970-1972), and Gaylord Perry (1983).

The host Dominican Republic didn’t even need to play on Monday night to clinch the Caribbean Series title. Already with a 4-0 record, they had clinched a share of the title on Sunday. What they needed to celebrate was a loss by Mexico.

The DR got some help from Puerto Rico, who trailed 3-0 early to Mexico even with veteran Nelson Figueroa on the mound. They still trailed 3-2 in the bottom of the 8th inning. Then things changed.

Veteran closer Luis Ayala entered the game for Mexico with nobody out and two men on base. After a sac bunt, he intentionally walked the next batter. Jorge Padilla drove in the tying run via a ground out.

In the bottom of the 9th inning, Ayala walked the first batter, pinch hitter Johnny Monell (SF Giants). KC Royals spring training invitee Irving Falu sacrificed him to second base. After another intentional walk, Luis Figueroa delivered the game-winning hit, a single to center field to set off the celebration.

Falu went 0-for-4 in the game, as he grounded out three times. He also committed an error (though no runs scored). His sac bunt though, led to the Puerto Rican victory.

The win improved Puerto Rico’s record to 2-3, but dropped Mexico’s to 2-3 with one game remaining. Thus the title to the Dominicans.

Despite clinching the title, there was still a game to be played at night. Venezuela continued their winning ways, as they beat the DR, 7-0. The Venezuelans’ big inning came in the 5th, when they scored four runs. The inning was capped by a two out, three-run homerun by Luis Jimenez.

There are still two games to be played today, mainly with pride on the line. Mexico will face Venezuela and the DR will face Puerto Rico at night. Mexico, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico have identical 2-3 records.

*It is the DR’s 13th title since 1990 and 19th overall.

Sunday was a day of pitching as Day 4 wrapped up in the Caribbean Series.

Venezuela, who had not won a game yet, used pitching and two big innings to defeat Puerto Rico, 7-0. Venezuela scored one run in the first inning, before scoring six runs over the 7th and 8th innings to win their first game.

It was a pitcher’s duel between Venezuela’s Yohan Pino and Puerto Rico’s Hiram Burgos over the first six innings. Venezuela and Puerto Rico are both 1-3 with two games to go before the championship.

KC Royals spring training invitee Irving Falu went 1-for-4 for Puerto Rico. He again led off the game with a single, but was thrown out at third base on a bad bunt. He did commit an error in the 7th inning that led to two runs scoring (two errors were made on the same play).

In the nightcap, the Dominican Republic clinched a spot in the championship, as they improved to 4-0 with a win over Mexico. Mexico dropped to 2-2 with two games left before the championship.

This game was also a pitcher’s duel between the DR’s Francisco Liriano (Minnesota Twins) and Mexico’s Edgar Gonzalez. The Dominicans won 2-0, as they scored a run in the first inning and a run in the 9th inning. Mexico collected just one hit after the 4th inning.

However Mexico had plenty of chances to score early against Liriano, as he walked three in the first inning before a double play ended the inning. In the second and third innings, they had runners at first and second with just one out but did not score.

Today, Mexico plays Puerto Rico in the first game and the Dominican Republic and Venezuela follow. If Mexico wins and Venezuela loses, Mexico will clinch the final spot in the championship.

Check out an article on the DR manager Ken Oberkfell.

After two days of pitching domination in the Caribbean Series, sloppy play emerged on Day 3.

Mexico defeated Venezuela, 4-2, as they scored three runs in the 6th inning on a Carlos Valencia two run double to take the lead in a game marred by errors (five total). Mexico improved to 2-1 in the tournament, while Venezuela dropped to 0-3.

Veteran Luis Ayala picked up the save despite an eventful 9th inning. He allowed a leadoff single, but induced a double-play grounder from veteran Edgardo Alfonzo to record two quick outs. Ayala then allowed a single, but Karim Garcia threw the runner out at second base trying to stretch the single into a double. That ended the game on a thrilling note.

After a delay to start the nightcap, host Dominican Republic beat Puerto Rico, 6-1. Philadelphia Phillies spring training invitee Raul Valdes allowed just an unearned run over six innings to pick up the victory. The DR has improved to 3-0, while Puerto Rico dropped to 1-2.

Irving Falu again led off for Puerto Rico while also playing shortstop (he went 1-for-4). He flied out in the first inning. He reached on a Julio Lugo error at second base in the 3rd inning. In the 5th inning, he singled but was stranded at third base. In his final at-bat, Falu grounded out in the 7th inning.

Today, it is a matchup of Day 1′s games. Mexico will try to avenge its loss to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico will try to get back on the winning track against Venezuela (who is just trying to win a game).

Rain delayed the start of the Mexico-Puerto Rico game to start Day 2 of the Caribbean Series. Once the tarp was removed, it was a beautiful day for baseball.

With Puerto Rico as the road team, KC Royals minor leaguer (and spring training invite) Irving Falu led off the  game with a double. However he was left stranded. Falu popped up in the 3rd inning, struck out in the 6th, and grounded out to end the 8th inning.

Puerto Rico recorded just four hits in the game against Mexico’s starter Randy Keisler. Mexico held on for the 2-0 victory as veteran Luis Ayala (who is auditioning for a big league job) earned the save with 1.2 hitless innings. He induced five ground outs in his effort.

Both teams are now 1-1 in the series.

In the nightcap, the Dominican Republic went up 2-0 in the series as they beat Venezuela, 5-2 in 13 innings. Venezuela dropped to 0-2.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Andy Dirks drove in the go ahead run in the top of the 13th with a single. Two batters later, Erick Almonte drove in two runs with a double. Venezuela went down in order in the bottom of the 13th.

Today, Venezuela and Mexico face off in the first game, with Puerto Rico and the DR playing the later game. ESPN3.com will be airing the games, though it is broadcast with their Spanish announcers.

The Caribbean Series in the Dominican Republic is underway, as Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic have taken the first games of the series. Both games were controlled by the pitchers, as hitters only collected a total of 27 hits over two games. The losing teams each scored just one run.

If you are interested, ESPN3.com (or Watch ESPN) will be televising the series (though it is through their Spanish speaking broadcasters). I will be trying to tweet throughout the series, especially when it concerns the KC Royals players.

In the first game of the day (Game 1 of the series), Puerto Rico defeated Venezuela, 3-1 behind the pitching of veteran Nelson Figueroa. He allowed one run on seven hits and two walks over 6.2 innings. He struck out eight. Figueroa allowed that run in the first inning.

Irving Falu led off in the Puerto Rican lineup and went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. He also played shortstop.

In the night cap, the host Dominicans beat Mexico, 2-1. Luis Mendoza started for Mexico and took the loss. He threw a lot of offspeed pitches and was in trouble most of the game. It didn’t help that his offense did not record a hit (or a base runner) after the third inning.

» Continue reading “Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic Take First Games of Caribbean Series”

The Caribbean Series begins today, as the champions from the four Caribbean winter leagues face off, first in a round robin format. Each team will face the other teams twice, with the top two advancing to the championship on February 8th.

So each team is guaranteed at least six games. There will be six straight days of doubleheaders at Estadio Quisqueya in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, with the first game beginning at 2pm.

Last year’s champion, Yaquis de Obregon, returns to defend its title as the Mexican Pacific League’s champion. If their roster stays the same, Obregon will have two KC Royals representatives in pitchers Luis Mendoza and Marlon Arias.

Leones del Escogido, the DR’s champion, won the title back in 2010. A team from the DR has won the Caribbean Series title 12 times since 1990 (18 titles since 1970).

Tigres de Aragua with Jose Mijares as the closer, won the Venezuelan Winter League title. Venezuela has won the title seven times, with two coming more recently (2006 and 2009).

Indios de Mayaguez is the Puerto Rican League champion. Puerto Rico has won the title 14 times overall, which is second to the DR. Irving Falu helped carry Mayaguez to the title, as he usually batted leadoff and hit over .300.

It is tough to tell what the four teams actual rosters will be, as they add a few players from other teams to strengthen the staff.

You can get you history lesson of the Caribbean Series HERE, courtesy of MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez, along with Cleveland Indians manager Manny Acta’s thoughts on the series.

After attending the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006 at the Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, I have always wanted to attend a winter league game. There, I had the opportunity to watch the DR and Venezuela compete on the very first day. I don’t know what was more entertaining: the game or the two teams fans.

In the first year of MLB Network, they televised the Caribbean Series. Unfortunately over the last two years, they have decided not to air it. It really is unfortunate because us Americans really are missing out.

Keep it here for your Caribbean Series updates, or you can check out the Caribbean Series website.

Obregon of the Mexican Pacific League advanced to the Caribbean Series, which begins on February 2nd, with a best-of-seven series sweep over Guasave. It is Obregon’s second straight title. As I mentioned in my last MPL update, it was a rematch of the first round of the MPL playoffs, as Obregon won that series 4-2.

Obregon has two members of the KC Royals on its roster: starter Luis Mendoza and reliever Marlon Arias.

Mendoza won Game 1 of the championship series, as he allowed just one earned run over seven innings while striking out five. If he heads to the Caribbean Series still with Obregon, I expect to see him start Game 1.

Arias made two appearances in the championship series. In Obregon’s Game 2 6-5 win, he pitched a scoreless inning of relief. In the Game 3 victory, he hit the only batter he faced in the 7th inning. That runner came around to scored on an RBI ground out.

The Game 4 clincher was a blowout, as Obregon won 19-0. They pounded out 25 hits. The big inning for Obregon came in the 7th, when they scored 11 runs off four Guasave pitchers.