The Rieleros de Aguascalientes (“Railroaders”) split a Mexican League double-header at home against the Saraperos de Saltillo (“Serape Makers”) on May 15. The Rieleros won the first game 7-3, and lost the second game 10-4. A double-header (two seven-inning games) was played because of a rainout the previous night.
First game: The starters were Fredy Quintero for the Rieleros, and Victor Garate for the Saraperos. Quintero was in the Dodgers organization in 2008 and 2009. Garate, a Venezuelan left-hander, made four appearances for the Nationals in 2009. He was in the Astros, Dodgers, and Brewers organizations from 2005 to 2012.
Neither of the starters lasted very long. The Saraperos opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly by CF Jesus Cota in the top of the first. The Rieleros answered with an RBI single by CF Rene Reyes and a two-RBI double by 1B Willis Otanez. (Otanez played three games for the Orioles in 1998, and split the 1999 season between the Orioles and Blue Jays; he hit seven home runs in 1999.)
In the top of the third inning, Rufino Candelario reached first on an error with one out. He was forced out at second when 3B Henry Mateo hit a ground ball, and Mateo reached on a fielder's choice. (Mateo is a Dominican Republican who played six seasons with the Expos/Nationals.) The Saraperos then executed a perfect hit-and-run. Daniel Castro hit a slash bunt toward the shortstop, and Mateo had a good enough head start so that there was no play. A walk loaded the bases, but a fly out ended the inning with the bases loaded.
The Rieleros got the rest of their runs in the bottom of the third. 3B Mendy Lopez led off with a triple down the right field line; the right fielder, Carlos Penuelas, made a good effort, got a glove on the ball, but couldn't hold on. Lopez scored on a single by Reyes. Otanez hit a single, then DH Jose Amador hit a three-run home run. This was the end of Garate's day. He was replaced by Jose Pina, who was greeted with a single and a double, but got out of the inning without further damage.
The Saraperos completed their scoring in the top of the fourth. C Jonathan Aceves was out trying to stretch a single into a double. DH Noe Munoz drew a walk, and went to second on a single by LF Jose Bernardo Lopez. However, he injured a leg going to second, and was replaced by a pinch-runner. SS Rufino Candelario hit an RBI single, and Castro drew a bases-loaded walk.
Jose Lopez Cruz, a 6' 3” right-hander, pitched the fifth and sixth innings for the Rieleros, got the win. He allowed one hit, and helped his cause with a good defensive play in the sixth inning. With runners at first and third and one out, the batter hit a slow grounder down the third base line. Cruz moved quickly to field it, and threw to the catcher to get the out at home. Box score play-by-play
Second game: The starters were Sergio Mora for the Rieleros, and Daniel Guerrero for the Saraperos; Guerrero spent six years in the Reds organization. The Rieleros led this one until the seventh inning. LF Leobardo Arauz hit a single in the bottom of the first, and Mendy Lopez walked. Reyes hit a single that scored Arauz, and moved Lopez to second. Otanez (the DH in this game) drew a walk to load the bases. 1B Baltazar Lopez hit a fly ball to left field that was very close to a grand slam, but was a sacrifice fly instead. The Saraperos got a run in the top of the second on an RBI double by Pedro Diaz. The Rieleros extended their lead to 4-1 in the fourth with a two-run home run by Arauz.
The Rieleros got a double play in the top of the fifth, followed by a good by by SS Mendy Lopez for the third out. Then came the top of the seventh. The Riereros brought in closer Sammy Gervacio, a right-handed Dominican Republican and a crowd favorite, to relieve Mora, who went six innings, allowed one run on seven hits. Gervacio made 35 appearances for the Astros in 2009 and 2010. He hit the first batter he faced, and the second one, 1B Pedro Diaz, hit a single. Gervacio recorded a strikeout, then there was a long turn at bat by Jose Bernardo Lopez. Gervacio was ahead in the count, but one possible strike three was called a ball instead. After several foul balls, Bernardo Lopez took a swing at a low outside pitch, and the umpires ruled that he didn't go around. Bernardo eventually hit an RBI single, making the score 4-2. The next batter, Mateo, singled in another run, and it was a one-run ball game.
The next batter, Castro, hit a ground-rule double, tying the game. Castro would have gotten an additional RBI if the ball had not bounced over the fence, but it didn't matter. After an intentional walk to load the bases, Gervacio was replaced by Victor Capellan, who gave up two consecutive two-RBI doubles, by C Genaro Andrade and Carlos Eduardo Gonzalez (who entered the game as a pinch-runner for Pedro Diaz earlier in the inning), before finally ending the inning with a couple of ground outs and nine runs scored. Adalberto Flores came in to pitch a three-up, three-down bottom of the seventh. Edwin Salas, who pitched the sixth inning, got the win, and Gervacio got his first loss of the season. Pedro Diaz went 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Attendance: 2,524. Box score play-by-play
Aguascalientes is in Mexico's Central Highlands, five hours north of Mexico City. (Saltillo is 5 1/2 hours further north, or three hours south of Laredo, TX.) The Rieleros play their home games at Parque Alberto Romo Chávez, a high-quality ballpark that was remodeled in 2004. It has a Jumbotron that isn't in use yet. It's a pitcher's ballpark; the foul lines are 340 feet, and dead center is 400 feet. There is a lot of room in foul territory. The crowds there are enthusiastic and courteous, and the entertainment includes a dance team and a mascot.