Pair of wins set up key clash of Mexico's clubs in Caribbean Series

GUADALAJARA, Mexico -- Pitching was the name of the game on Tuesday at the Caribbean Series, at Guadalajara’s Estadio Panamericano de Béisbol.

The first contest, featuring Tomateros de Culiacán (Mexico Green) and Panama’s Federales de Chiquirí (Panama), was a 2-1 victory for the host nation’s club. Former Major League hurler Odrisamer Despaigne threw six innings of one-run, five-hit ball for the Tomateros, with four strikeouts and one walk, to notch the win. Relievers Sasagi Sánchez, Rafael Córdova and Lupe Chávez Ayala then held Panama’s offense in check with one scoreless inning each.

Culiacán’s offense was provided by third baseman Rafael Amador, who drove in the club’s two runs with a single in the third frame off Federales starter Jorge García. Amador went 3-for-4 in the game.

With the win, the Tomateros went to 1-1 in the tournament and are firmly in the hunt for one of the two semifinal games scheduled for Friday. The Federales are now 0-2.

Tuesday’s second game was a 3-0 shutout win for the tournament’s host team in Guadalajara, Charros de Jalisco (Mexico Red), over Cangrejeros de Santurce (Puerto Rico). Once again, the winning club featured a dominant pitching performance, this time by right-hander Luis Fernando Miranda, who threw six scoreless frames, giving up just two hits, striking out five and walking one batter to pick up the win. That was followed by one scoreless inning each by relievers Gerardo Reyes, Matt Foster and Trevor Clifton, who notched the save.

On the offensive side, former Major League outfielder Billy Hamilton scored on a throwing error in the first inning. That was followed by two RBIs from red-hot Charros outfielder Michael Wielansky, who produced a run-scoring double in the third and a single in the fifth to drive in the club’s third run. For the tournament, Wielansky is 8-for-12 with two doubles, three runs scored and three RBIs after going 3-for-4 on Tuesday.

The Charros are now 2-1 in the Caribbean Series, almost assured of a spot in one of the semifinal contests. The Cangrejeros fell to 1-2 in the tournament.

Wednesday’s action will feature perhaps the most anticipated matchup of the round-robin phase, with both teams representing Mexico facing off in the second game (8 p.m. ET). The Tomateros-Charros contest will also be a rematch of the Mexican Pacific League championship series last month, which the Charros swept, 4-0.

Wednesday’s first game (3 p.m. ET) will have the Federales, seeking their first win in the tournament, against the Dominican Republic’s Leones del Escogido. At 2-0, Escogido is one win away from officially clinching a spot in the semifinals.