Dominican – The regular season is over in the Dominican League, with the 30-20 Ciboa Gigantes edging the 30-22 Este Azucareros for first place. The two teams will be joined by Licey and Cibaenas in the first round of the playoffs. After an 18-game round robin, the top two finishers will advance to the final series.

Oriente’s Pablo Ozuna led Dominican batters with a .390 batting average, while Victor Diaz of Cibaenas set a record with 17 homers.

Ponce Still On Top In Puerto Rico Winter League

PUERTO RICO – Carolina will need a strong showing from Williams if they hope to break into the Puerto Rico League’s playoff picture. Currently, Ponce leads the league with a 23-11, giving the Leones a comfortable five-game cushion over 17-15 Arecibo.

Ponce’s Andy Gonzalez leads Puerto Rico batters with a .385 average, while Arecibo’s Jorge Padilla continues his strong season with a .363 mark, 12 homers and 63 RBIs.

Caracas Continues To Dominate In Venezuelan League

VENEZUELA – Caracas continues to sit pretty in the Venezuelan League standings with a 38-19 record, five games ahead of 33-24 Aragua.

Pablo Sandoval of Magallenes leads Venezuelan batters with a .396 average, and Caracas’ Jesus Guzman continues his phenomenal campaign at the plate with a .363 average, 12 homers and 63 RBIs.

David Austen of Zulia is 7-2 with a 1.87 ERA, leading the league in wins and ERA.

Mazatlan And Guasave Battle For Top Spot In Mexican Pacific League

MEXICO – In the Mexican Pacific League, 19-8 Mazatlan is three games ahead of 17-12 Guasave in the second half standings with a week to go in the regular season.

Augie Murillo of Obregon leads the MexPac with a .356 batting average, while Arturo Lopez of Los Mochis is 6-2 with a 2.89 ERA. Among relievers, Tim Lavigne of Guasave leads the league with 19 saves. Lavigne is 3-0 and has a 1.80 ERA.

Courtesy of World Baseball Today

Tags: Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela