Cleveland Sports Forum

ERIK GONZALEZ

Lions defeated by the Licey in rainy night

The Lions fell on Tuesday 6-0 before the Tigers of the Licey in a game shortened by rain that was concluded in the seventh entrance.

The game was called, when Licey had two outs and a man on first, then it started to rain and the game was stopped at the final decision of the referees.

Lions and Tigers were tied in fourth place with a record of 10-14, a game in front of the Toros del Este (9-15). The rivals face off again this Wednesday with the particular series now favoring the Tigers 3-2.

David Helrbut (1-0) limited the Lions in one hit and one walk with three strikeouts in the six innings that he worked.

The left-hander gave up a hit to the Lions' first hitter, debutant Erik Gonzalez, and retired the next 14 batters before walking Mauro Gomez with two outs in the fifth.

The defeat went to scarlet opener Franklyn Kilome (0-3). The right gave up four runs, eight hits and two tickets with four strikeouts.

The Tigers scored the first run in the second. After two outs, Engel Beltre and Sergio Alcántara hit singles and the first scored from second on a hit by Julio Borbón.

In the third, also with two outs, Dawel Lugo singled and advanced to third after a base hit by Miguel Gomez. Lugo scored on a base hit by Cam Gallagher.

The Blues scored three in the fourth. Alcántara singled, after one out, Borbón received a walk and Kilomé was replaced by Enmanuel de León. Emilio Bonifacio connected for a base hit driving in Alcántara, Yamaico Navarro hit a sacrifice fly and Jorge Bonifacio brought home the last run on a base hit.

In the sixth, Borbón hit a triple and scored on a single by Navarro.

Ramón García threw two innings of a run for the Reds and right-hander Reyes Moronta debuted by giving up one hit and retiring two in the seventh.

Bourbon had a triple and two singles with one RBI and two runs scored. Navarro drove in two with two singles and Emilio Bonifacio and Sergio Alcántara had two hits each. Erik Gonzalez had the only hit for the Lions and stole a base.

[Eric Haase batted fifth in the lineup and was hitless in two at bats.]

FRANKLIN GUTIERREZ

They incorporate El "Guti" to Leones

CARACAS.-

Franklin Gutiérrez expected to be at this point wearing the uniform of the Leones del Caracas. Unfortunately, health problems have delayed his arrival.

"Franklin should already be with us but he communicated with me to indicate that he unfortunately has health problems and has to get a medical checkup," said José Manuel Fernández, sports manager of Lions.

The "Guti" previously expressed that he hoped to join the Lions in November if everything "went well".

Gutierrez, who won the Gold Glove in 2010 with the Seattle Mariners, has had a tough battle in recent years with ankylosing spondylitis, a complex disease caused by bacteria in the intestine that causes the spine to lose flexibility.

To make matters worse, Gutiérrez also battle with a chronic arthritis that has been harming him since 2011. The Creole, 34, could only play 35 games with the Dodgers in 2017, being used mostly against left-handed hitters.

The outfielder played his last season with Caracas in 2014-2015.

OF INTEREST

Excellent work by left-hander David Hurlbut, who allowed a base hit to the first batter he faced (Erik Gonzalez) retired without problems the Lions lineup for six shutout innings. It's the second straight game (last night it was only a six inning game) that Licey's starting pitchers did not allow their rivals to score .

The only base on balls that Ronny Rodriguez has received was intentional. A super aggresive player, his entire on-base average depends exclusively on his batting and that's why his OBP is .333 .

Caracas
Bateadores
Robinson, T (CF)
Tovar (2B)
Perez, C (C)
Guzman (1B)
Perez, F (RF)
Rodriguez, Henry Ale (DH)
Palma (LF)
Petit, G (SS)
Castro, H (3B)

Comments from the Manager of Lions of Caracas before the game against the Sharks ...

Mike Rojas:

.- "Guzman is playing well, I'm going to give Yandy a day off, Palma is playing too"

Caracas hopes to have Jesús Aguilar next week

CARACAS.-

Milwaukee Brewers big league player , Jesús Aguilar, visited his teammates at the University Stadium this afternoon, prior to the meeting between Leones del Caracas and Tiburones de La Guaira.

Caracas hopes that by the end of next week the first baseman will be rostered.

"We are going to give him his time to take practice and maybe by the end of next week we can watch him play," said the president of the capital, Luis Ávila.

On the other hand, the big league expressed that they want to be on the team, but first they must face pitchers "I want to play at once but it is necessary to face pitchers".
If the lineup of Leones del Caracas has been able to respond in the last two weeks during this championship season with men like Carlos Pérez, Felix Perez, Jesus Guzman, Wilfredo Tovar, the youthful vitality of Alexander Palma, the Cuban Yandy Diaz, the team should be stronger when joined by the big league power hitter Jesús Aguilar.

"This team is the best team (of Lions) that I have seen in several years, "he said.

He met "Mini Aguilar"

Since the Lions came out of the cave during the preseason, one player excelled above the rest. Immediately Alexander Palma was baptized by his own companions as "Mini Aguilar", due to the physical resemblance and the texture very similar to those of Aguilar.

This Wednesday Jesús Aguilar had the opportunity to meet in person the player "sensation" he read about in the press and on television. "He's uglier," he said with a laugh, "I just met him and the truth is that he's helped a lot, that's what we want, that he produces and has fun when he comes out on the field. We expect a lot of things from him, "he said.

In his rookie year, in 2011-2012, Aguilar barely played 22 games. He connected 19 hits, batted in 14 and dispatched three homers, his average was .275. Regular numbers that are comfortably surpassed by rookie Palma, who hits .333 in the first 30 games he played in an uninterrupted manner with the team, added 41 hits and batted in 15 players. He also leads his team with 23 runs scored.

Your year in The Major

"It was a very positive campaign, it taught me a lot, to work, persevere and believe in routines. Believing in myself and focusing on what I had to do was the key, "he said.

For the first time he enjoyed the confidence of a manager to see action in a timely manner and responded as best he knows how to do it. His power was manifested by depositing 16 balls in the stands, batted in 52 and scored 40 times.

Now, with all the experience that involves being all year in the big leagues, hopes to bring what he learned to the lions squad. "It's the same baseball, for me it's not different. The different thing is the mentality, keep working hard. Now I have a little more capacity to make adjustments, "he reflected.

In the beginning he will play without any restrictions with the Lions, the Milwaukee Brewers will be watching his actions and determine if it is necessary to stop at any time during the campaign.

The exodus of Puerto Rican children to US schools grows

Orlando, Florida .

Anthony Valencia, a 10-year-old boy, says that after Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, he played video games for a whole month until he got fed up. Today he talks about going back to school, in the continental United States, and he does it with a tremendous smile from ear to ear.

"I really wanted to go back to school because without classes it's so ... boring," said the boy.

More than 140,000 Puerto Ricans have left the island since the category 4 hurricane struck on September 20, and experts estimate that another 300,000 will leave the territory in the next two years. Many have gone to Florida while others have gone to Pennsylvania, Texas, New York and New Jersey. Among them there are about 14,000 public school students, according to some estimates.

Like most schools in Orange County, Riverdale Elementary has opened its doors to students, receiving 27 of them while the county has accepted a total of 1,888.

Orange County schools have added 2,429 students since the hurricane. In neighboring Osceola County, the number of students has grown by 1,479 since Hurricane Maria, 1,352 of them from Puerto Rico.

Anthony seems to be enjoying the new experience. His mother, Arieliss Valencia, says that her two children get up with enthusiasm.

"They wake up and they want to go to class, they're making friends, they're really comfortable here," said the mother. "I think it's the best thing I could have done for them."

Venezuelan League

D.J. Brown (RP, Tigres de Aragua): 1 IP, 5 H, 3 R/ER, 0 BB, 1 K. After a dominant 11-game stretch to start his winter ball campaign, Brown has hit a bit of a snag over his last two appearances giving up four runs on eight hits over an inning and a third of combined work.

Las Tunas and Matanzas impose respect

The 57 National Baseball Series of Cuba completed the first three weeks of the second phase, with Las Tunas as leader and Matanzas a pleasant surprise after winning their fifth series since the acquisition of reinforcements .

On the other hand, who was going to predict it ?: The Industrialists went through a collective slump of (3-11), which indicates that some work has to be done to compete or return to the fight for the first place. However, the Havana teaml is only 2.5 games from the cut, while the Alazanes de Granma have advanced to be placed only half a game out of first place.

This week, Granma lost 1-2 against Pinar del Río, but then bombarded Las Tunas with two victories at the Julio Antonio Mella stadium. Now the current national champions, directed by Carlos Martí, have a record of 10 and 4 and are the team with the best record in this second stage.

What has been the key and the concern of this first three weeks of the 45 games on the way to the playoffs? Here is the temperature level of each team facing the second three weeks of this round:

Alazanes de Granma , record of the Second Phase: 10-4

The key: The pitching. The return of Lázaro Blanco (3-0, 2.00 ERA and 15 K) has strengthened the pitching staff - especially the starting pitchers - who have had four victories and four saves from the reinforcements. Another good news is that Yoelkis Céspedes is back, with 10 RBIs and just four strikeouts, vital in an alignment that has hit only .257 / .361 / .378.

The worrying thing: That Granma has a poor .286 BABIP, with bad averages with runners on base and in scoring position: .262 and .249, respectively.

Crocodiles of Matanzas , record of the Second Phase: 9-4

The key: The offensive power. A total of 12 home runs in 13 games is a fantastic offensive explosion for the Matanzas. That has helped them to have an average of 5.38 runs per game, which has allowed them to work ahead in the games and fewer pressure situations for the starters and the bullpen .

The worrying thing: For now, pitching. The only signs of trouble are the 12 pitcher-reliever walks in 30.2 innings, which could increase during the team's tour east.

Lumberjacks of Las Tunas , record of the Second Phase: 8-5

The key: Their line up , which has everything: power, contact and speed. Lead with .347 BABIP, when the average in this round is .297. With only four homers, three times less than the Matanzas leader, the Lumberjacks have managed to score 5.69 runs per game.

The worrying thing: Pitching in general. Their pitching for 4.29 ERA in this stage, with 29 extra base hits allowed. The starters throw for 4.90 ERA and 18 hits have been for extra bases, leaving the most alarming note.

Artemis Hunters , Second Phase record: 7-8

The key: Their hitters -including the reinforcements- have kept them in the fight. Power and speed have been present, with those 15 steals, 18 doubles and five triples.

The worrying thing: Vladimir Garcia has an 0-2 record and throws for 7.11 ERA. In addition, the defense is still a black spot, with 23 errors in 15 games.

Vegueros de Pinar del Río , record of the Second Phase: 5-10

The key: Although not with the brightness that was expected of the pitching, Erlis Casanova (2-1, 1.96 ERA) has been the staff leader, but the bullpen has squandered several quality starts, pitching for 7.65 ERA.

The worrying thing: The defense and the batting, especially of the reinforcements, with the exception of Frederich Cepeda. Averaging .226 with 3.07 runs per game, you can not go far with this production. And if we add that they field for .959, with 25 blunders in 15 games, it's difficult to preserve advantages.

Lions of Industrials , record of the Second Phase: 3-11

The key: Their excellent record of the first stage, of 33 wins and only 11 losses. If not for that, Industrialists would be far from the classification position.

The worrying thing: That they can not break the collective slump , and Artemisa or Pinar del Río come to discuss a fourth place in the classification. The Blues have been distant from their offensive shine, from their dominant pitching and defensive. Against Artemisa again showed signs of power, but lost a great game on Monday, 6-5.

Bateadores
Robinson, T (CF)
Tovar (2B)
Diaz, Y (DH)
Perez, F (RF)
Guzman (1B)
Rodriguez, Henry Ale (3B)
Cabrera, R (C)
Petit, G (SS)
Castro, H (LF)


1st: Yandy Diaz hit by pitch.

3rd: Yandy Diaz walked.
Felix Perez homered (3) to left. Yandy Diaz scored

5th: Yandy Diaz grounded out second to first.

7th: Yandy Diaz flied out to deep right field. Harold Castro to third.
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Korea to start hard-throwing right-hander vs. Japan to open the Asia Professional Baseball Championship at Tokyo Dome.

TOKYO --

South Korea will start a hard-throwing right-hander against Japan to open an inaugural baseball tournament this week.

South Korean manager Sun Dong-yol on Wednesday announced Jang Hyun-sik as the starter against Japan in Thursday's opening game of the Asia Professional Baseball Championship at Tokyo Dome.

The event features professional players from South Korea, Japan and Chinese Taipei under 24 years of age -- born on or after Jan. 1, 1993 -- or those with less than three years of professional experience.

South Korea will open the tournament at 7 p.m. on Thursday against Japan. It will then face Chinese Taipei at 7 p.m. the following day. After Japan plays Chinese Taipei on Saturday, the top two nations from the round robin action will square off in the final at 6 p.m. on Sunday. All games will be at the Tokyo Dome.

Jang, 22, went 9-9 with a 5.29 ERA in 31 appearances for the NC Dinos in the Korea Baseball Organization this year. Jang struck out 120 in 134 1/3 innings.

He made a stronger impression during the postseason, tossing seven shutout innings in a no-decision against the Lotte Giants in the second round of the playoffs last month.

Jang will go up against Kazuki Yabuta, right-hander for Hiroshima Toyo Carp in the Nippon Professional Baseball. In his third season for Hiroshima, Yabuta went 15-3 in 38 appearances, posting a 2.58 ERA across 129 innings.

Japan starter Kazuki Yabuta pitches against South Korea in the first inning of an Asia Professional Baseball Championship preliminary round game at Tokyo Dome on Thursday. | AFP-JIJI

Samurai Japan beats South Korea in 10-inning thriller in Atsunori Inaba’s debut as manager

Atsunori Inaba’s first game in charge of Samurai Japan had a little bit of everything. There were big plays, clutch hits and rallies in the bottom half of both the ninth and 10th innings.

The icing on the cake was Tatsuhiro Tamura’s sayonara double to win it.

Japan overcame a one-run deficit to tie the score in the ninth and got even in the 10th on a game-tying three-run home run by Seiji Uebayashi before Tamura’s game-winning double gave Inaba and Japan a thrilling 8-7 victory over South Korea in the opening game of the Asia Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) on Thursday night at Tokyo Dome.

“Inaba told me, ‘You finish it,'” Tamura said. “So I was determined to end it. I came up in the best situation and I appreciate Nishikawa for setting the table,” he added referring to the single Ryoma Nishikawa hit before his at-bat.

Things looked bleak for the Japanese after the Koreans scored three runs in the top of the 10th to take a 7-4 lead.

Japan, starting with runners on first and second under the extra-inning tiebreaker rules, was down to its final two outs after Hotaka Yamakawa, who hit a two-run homer earlier in the game, flew out to start the 10th.

Uebayashi, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks outfielder, breathed new life into the Japanese, and the fans who stayed long beyond the four-hour mark and past 11:30 p.m., with his dramatic shot to center.

“I wasn’t sure if it was gone, because I didn’t hit it perfectly,” Uebayashi said. “But since I hadn’t done anything, I’m pleased to have gotten a good result there.”

Nishikawa connected on a one-out single to right later in the frame, and Tamura won it with a hit that was ruled a double.

“It’s close every time Japan faces South Korea,” Inaba said. “But our players kept cheering so loud and I wanted to get a win for them.

“When we were down 4-1 (after the top of the fourth) and Yamakawa hit a homer. When someone who has good character like Yamakawa hits one, it completely changes the team’s mood. So Yamakawa’s homer was huge.”

The APBC is a three-nation competition between Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Each nation is fielding a team of players aged 24 and under, with the exception of the three overage players allowed on each roster (though the Koreans selected none).

The opening game also served as the managerial debut for Inaba, who helped Japan win the 2009 World Baseball Classic as a player. The former Yakult Swallows and Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters star served as a coach under Japan manager Hiroki Kokubo during this year’s WBC, and was named as Kokubo’s successor on July 31.

“Obviously you feel the responsibility of wearing the Hinomaru,” Inaba said. “But these young players didn’t look like they felt any pressure, and I was a little jealous of them.”

Uebayashi led Japan with three RBIs, while Yamakawa, who went on a tear for the Seibu Lions late in the NPB season, finished 2-for-5 with two runs driven in out of the cleanup spot. Chunichi Dragons rookie Yota Kyoda was also credited with an RBI after drawing a game-tying bases-loaded walk in the ninth.

Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters pitcher Mizuki Hori, the youngest player on the team at 19, earned the victory in relief.

It was a bitter ending for the young Koreans, who were two outs away from victory on two occasions before losing the lead in each instance.

“I told our players it was a good game,” said Korea manager and former Chunichi Dragons closer Sun Dong-yol. “It’s disappointing we came up short but it was a good experience for Korea’s young players.”

They nearly won it twice.

Japan trailed 4-3 in the ninth, but a pair of one-out walks drawn by Nishikawa and Tamura and a single by Masayuki Kuwahara loaded the bases. Kyoda drew the bases-loaded walk to tie the score before Korean reliever Ham Deok-ju retired the next two batters to end the frame.

The 10th began with the tiebreaker rules in effect, meaning the Koreans started the frame with runners on first and second. Katsuki Matayoshi retired the first batter of the inning to bring Ryu Ji-Hyuk to the plate. The Doosan Bears infielder connected on 146-kph fastball and hit a double off the wall that drove in one run and put Korea ahead. Ha Ji-suk then hit a two-run double to right to make the score 7-4.

Hanwa Eagles infielder Ha led the way for the Koreans with three RBIs. Lee Jung-hoo, a 19-year-old outfielder for the Nexen Heroes and the runaway KBO Rookie of the Year in 2017, drove in a pair of runs for Korea.

Lee Min-ho was charged with the loss after allowing the final run.

The Koreans will try to bounce back when they face Taiwan on Friday. Japan will then face the Taiwanese on Saturday.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE (LIDOM)

Erik Gonzalez (Leones del Escogido, SS) - 0-3, 1 K - Gonzalez followed up his 1-for-3 winter season debut with this hitless effort in a rain-shortened six-inning game. There's not much else to say at this point as it is too early to judge Gonzalez's LIDOM campaign due to a very small sample size.

Ronny Rodriguez (Aguilas Cibaenas, 2B) - 0-3, 1 BB, 1 E - Ronny-Rod's hitless effort, which cannot be blamed on a shortened game as all nine innings were played, was his first since November 4 and ended a seven-game hitting streak. Hopefully, this was merely a bad night and we don't have to talk about another Ronny-Rod slump this winter.

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE (LVBP)

Yandy Diaz (Leones del Caracas, DH) - 0-2, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP - Diaz reached base twice and scored once on Thursday despite not getting a hit. Even with this hitless effort, Diaz is off to a solid start in the LVBP this season. He is 3-for-8 (.375) with a triple, three walks, and no strikeouts in three games played. By the way, I'll save you the calculations, the above numbers result in a 1.208 OPS.

Korea took a first win at the Asia Professional Baseball Championship after defeating Chinese Taipei 1-0 in Tokyo, Friday.

Korea's starter Im Gi-yeong tossed scoreless seven innings and outfielder Lee Jung-hoo hit a game winning triple in the sixth inning for their team's first win in the inaugural baseball tourney.

With the win, Korea, who lost to Japan 8-7 on Thursday, could keep its title hope alive.

The baseball tournament features professional baseball players from Korea, Japan and Chinese Taipei under the age of 24 or those with under three years of professional baseball experience.

The three teams will play two round robin matches through Saturday and the two best teams will be in the final on Sunday. If Japan wins over Chinese Taipei in the final round-robin game on Saturday, Korea can earn a spot in the finals against Japan on Sunday. If Japan loses to Chinese Taipei, the standings will be determined by Team's Quality Balance (TQB), an index of (runs scored/innings the team batted)-(runs allowed/innings the team pitched). Under the tiebreaker rule, the two teams with the highest TQB will meet in the final.

At Tokyo Dome, the game started out as a pitching duel between right-hander Im and southpaw Chen Kuan-yu of Chinese Taipei as the two teams traded zeroes through five innings.

In the bottom of the first inning, Korea could put runners at second and third with one out, but squandered a scoring chance as cleanup hitters silenced.

After blowing the chance, Korea put runners on base until fourth inning, but couldn't deliver a critical hit.

However, Korea ended the string of zeros in the bottom sixth. With two outs, Kim Ha-seong drew a walk and Lee hit a triple off the right field wall to score Kim.

Korea's bullpen, who struggled hard against Japan, managed to keep the one run on the board this time.

Wilin Rosario

Some foreign-born players try to follow in his footsteps

Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Eric Thames has been the inspiration for foreign-born players in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League for his successful U-turn to the Major Leagues after a three-year stint with the NC Dinos.

Inspired by his successful return to major league baseball, Wilin Rosario and Roger Bernadina reportedly are looking to follow in the footsteps of Thames as they have become free agents after the 2017 season. Thames, who was once a mediocre player in the big leagues, transformed himself into a slugger after spending three successful seasons with the Dinos. He batted .349 with 124 home runs in the KBO League. He was the first KBO player to join the 40-40 club. In his first season after returning to the major leagues, he batted .247 with 31 home runs and 63 RBIs.

ESPN Sports writer Jerry Crasnick tweeted that Rosario and Bernadina are a couple of intriguing names on the FA market. "Both looking to take the Eric Thames route back to the States," he said.

Former Hanwha Eagles first baseman Rosario transformed himself into a slugger after he joined the KBO League. During the two seasons since he debuted in the KBO League in 2016, he batted .330 with 70 home runs. In the Majors, he played for the Colorado Rockies as a catcher for five seasons and batted .273 with 71 home runs.

The Japanese club Hanshin Tigers expressed their deep interest in the Dominican Republic-born slugger shortly after the 2017 season. An unnamed official of the front office was quoted as saying the club seeks a slugger and Rosario is one of the candidates.

So far, no Major League baseball clubs have offered a contract to Rosario, despite his reported interest in the majors.
Roger Bernadina

The situation facing former Kia Tigers outfielder Bernadina is no different. No big league club has expressed any interest in him.

During the 2017 season, Bernadina hit .320 with 27 home runs and 32 stolen bases. On Aug. 4, he joined the 20-20 club, a group of batters who have collected 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a single season. He reached the record a day after he hit for the cycle.

Since he debuted with the Washington Nationals in 2008, he had stints with the Philadelphia Phillies, the Cincinnati Reds and the LA Dodgers before he signed a one-year contract with the Kia Tigers.

Abraham Almonte

Bulls will be receiving integrations of Major League players

The Toros del Estes will be receiving important integrations of Major League players in the coming days, with a view to changing the course of the Romana season.

The baseball operations team, led by its vice president Stanley Javier , reported that Abraham Almonte reported to the Bulls offices on Tuesday and could be in play in November. The outfielder is recovering from an Achilles heel injury, but has been taking batting practice and doing certain activities related to baseball.

Likewise, Jefry Marte is still practicing with the Bulls every day and could be on the roster next week. Marte suffered a broken left foot in early September and could not conclude his season with his big league team the Angels.

The defender of the corner infield was declared ready to play and will be of great help for the bullfighting cause.

Another Major League player who will be joining the ranks of the Bulls is Alen Hanson , who spent the entire year in the majors with Pirates and mostly with the White Sox of Chicago.

Hanson played this season in all three outfield positions with the White Sox, as well as at second base, shortstop and first.

The Bulls will also be importing a first baseman that will be announced in the next few hours.