CARIBBEAN LEAGUES ROUNDUP

Among the four leagues sending teams to February’s Caribbean Series, the Caracas Leones have perhaps been the strongest of the 28 teams battling for their respective pennants. The Leones lead the Venezuelan League with a 30-14 record (the best in winter ball), and are 4.5 games ahead of the 27-20 Lara Cardenales. Catcher Pablo Sandoval of Magallenes is having a solid season, leading the league with a .388 average and 11 homers. Caracas third baseman Jose Guzman has driven in a mind-bending 51 runs in just 44 games. David Austen of Zulia leads Venezuelan pitchers with five wins, while Caracas’ Juan Gutierrez is 4-0 with a 1.74 ERA and a shutout after nine starts.

The Ponce Leones are on top of the Puerto Rico League tables at 16-9, three games up on the 12-11 Arecibo Lobos. Ponce defeated Santurce, 7-5, Wednesday night as Mets prospect Michael Antonini allowed just one run over six innings for the Leones. Arecibo kept pace with a 5-0 shutout over Mayaguez. Lobos starter Bradley Mumma combined with three relievers on a one-hitter, while Nationals farmhand Jorge Padilla homered and had four RBIs. Padilla leads Puerto Rico League batters with 27 RBIs, five more than Caguas catcher Raul Casanova. Casanova leads the league with a .371 average.

In the Mexican Pacific League, the perennial powerhouse Mazatlan Venados are in a three-way dogfight for the second-half title with first-half champ Los Mochis and Guasave. Mazatlan is 30-22, a half-game ahead of 29-22 Mochis and a full game up on the 29-23 Algodoneros. Mazatlan lost to Guasave, 6-5, Wednesday night as Algodoneros outfielder Dionys Cesar cracked a pair of homers. Mochis missed on a chance to tie for first by losing to Hermosillo, 2-1, as Chris Roberson smacked a two-run homer while Elmer Dessens tossed six scoreless innings for the Naranjeros.

And in the Dominican League, only four games separate the top five teams. The 24-17 Cibao Gigantes lead the circuit, while fifth-place Escogido is one game below .500 at 20-21. Outfielder Victor Diaz of Cibaenas is having a monster season for the Aguilas, batting .318 with a league-leading 15 homers and 42 RBIs in 40 games. Licey’s Jorge Sosa has had a great year on the mound for the defending Caribbean Series champions, going 5-1 with a 2.11 ERA over nine starts. Sosa’s 17 strikeouts in 47 innings aren’t very impressive, but his 11 bases on balls are.