Venezuelan Winter League
RHP Paul Estrada: pitched 2.2 scoreless innings this week with 3 punchouts. The reliever now has pitched 7.1 scoreless frames with 8 whiffs in playoff action for Magallanes. Has a win and 3 saves over the 7 games he’s pitched in, putting him among the saves leaders in the playoffs. Going back to the regular season, Estrada hasn’t allowed a run to score over his last 9.1 IP. (Update: Estrada saw his scoreless streak come to an end when he allowed a run in a third of an inning over the weekend, finishing the semi-final round with a 1.17 ERA in 7.2 IP.)
C Hector Gimenez: in pinch-hitting and DH duties, is 1-6 over the last 2 games for Magallanes. Those were the first games he’s played in in nearly two months. (Update: hitless in 1 PH opportunity over the weekend, finishing the semi-finals at 1-7. Also, a recent report noted that Gimenez has been suffering from a “tender” right shoulder which caused him both to miss playing time and subsequently be limited to PH/DH duties. Another report indicated it was his elbow rather than his shoulder.)
RHP Juan Gutierrez: his third playoff start for Caracas was also a struggle, allowing 4 earned runs on 5 hits over 4 innings. Over his three starts in the playoffs, Guti has fashioned a 5.17 ERA with 16 hits allowed in 14 IP and just 4 strikeouts. Including his two starts in the regular season, Juan has just 5 whiffs in 21 IP.
OF Richard Hidalgo: hit one more longball during the week and is currently at .404/.460/.895 thru 14 playoff games for Magallanes with 8 home runs and 13 RBIs. (Update: went 1-4 without a longball or RBI in a pair of weekend games, ending with .393/.448/.869 marks over the semi-final round.)
RHP German Melendez: after having not pitched previously in the playoffs, hurled 1.1 scoreless innings this week for Magallanes while striking out three of the four batters he faced. (Update: in Sunday’s game, nicked for a run in 2 innings of work to finish the semi-final round with a 2.70 ERA in 3.1 IP.)
RHP Felipe Paulino: saw his first action of the post-season as well in a game for Caracas over the weekend, yielding 3 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks in 3 IP. He did strike out 5, however.
C Humberto Quintero: didn’t play.
LHP Stephen Randolph: somehow managed to allow just one earned run despite giving up 6 hits and 5 walks over 4.1 innings in his start for Aguilas this week. Over a total of 3 playoff starts, been banged around for 17 hits in 13.1 IP while walking 12 and striking out just 8. He has a 4.05 ERA. (Update: had his best outing of the winter with 6 scoreless innings on Saturday, whiffing 11 and walking a mere 1 batter. Finished the postseason with a 2.79 ERA, giving up 19 hits in 19.1 IP with 19 K’s and 13 BB’s.)
RHP Jose Rodriguez: hit hard in a relief appearance for Magallanes, allowing two runs on three hits in just an inning. Now has a 9.82 ERA in just 3.2 frames of postseason work. (Update: finished the semi-final round with a 7.94 ERA as a result of a 1-run/2-inning performance over the weekend.)
Puerto Rican Winter League
RHP Raymar Diaz: due to rain cancelling games on several of the days he was scheduled to pitch, Diaz apparently didn’t see any action for Arecibo in the playoff series against Caguas.
SS Edwin Maysonet: with stats and box scores unavailable, only mention of Maysonet in game reports was in game #5 where he helped Arecibo to the 5-1 win with a 2-RBI single and an “electrifying” defensive play which shut down a threat by Caguas.
Dominican Winter League
LHP Wandy Rodriguez: didn’t pitch for Aguilas this week.
Playoffs and other notes:
- Manager Al Pedrique’s Magallanes club went 4-1 during the week to extend their overall record to 12-2 in the semi-final round of the VWL playoffs and have qualified for the finals which begins next week. Aguilas is 6-8 and will finish no better than third and thus will not advance. Also not advancing is Caracas which is 3-10 and in last place.
(Update: Magallanes lost both games over the weekend to finish the semi-final round with a 12-4 record. Aguilas did end up in 3rd place with an 8-8 mark. And Caracas took the cellar at 3-13.) - In Puerto Rico postseason action, Arecibo defeated Caguas in the semi-finals 4 games to 2 and will play Carolina in the best-of-seven finals.
- Aguilas finished first in the DWL semi-finals with a 12-5 record. They’re currently playing Licey in a best-of-nine finals, with Aguilas taking the first game by a 9-3 score on Friday night.
- Updating the former Astros: in his 4 playoff starts for Aguilas in the semifinal round, Jose Lima was 3-0 with an 0.95 ERA and an 0.85 WHIP in 28.1 IP. Lima started that first game of the finals with Licey, going 6.2 innings and allowing all 3 runs on 6 hits.