Viva Los Toros: Tijuana Toros Weekly Recap #6
Just before the Tijuana Toros started a six-game road trip in Campeche, a couple of rosters moves took place. Venezuelan Alex Romero came over from the Rojos del Águila de Veracruz and an old face was brought back by the Toros. Romero is one of eight players to play in every one of the sixty games so far in the current season. He has a batting average of .278 with 13 doubles and 29 runs batted in.
The 33-year-old Romero took the place of Max Ramirez, who was placed on waivers. In a second move, pitcher Alex Sanabia was activated again to the roster and was set to start a game for Tijuana in Ciudad del Carmen over the weekend. He is 5-1 in the first month of the season after joining the Chicago Cubs Triple-A club, Iowa. He pitched there in six games, five of them starting and ending up with a 2-2 record. The 27-year-old played in the Majors with the Marlins in 2010, 2011 and 2013. He was born in San Diego.
On Saturday the team announced the incorporation of Jorge Cantu, the former big leaguer that played the last three years on the Quintana Roo Tigres in the Mexican League and was in Major League Baseball for eight seasons.
The “Bronco” Cantu will help the Toros offense and since his always been a fan favorite in the country, expect big crowds at Gasmart Stadium for the rest of the season. He is expected to make his debut in Tijuana on Tuesday.
At Campeche
Game 1: Snapping the losing streak
Home runs by Juan Apodaca, Roberto Lopez and Olmo Rosario helped the Toros beat the Campeche Piratas 10 -3 as the “Bulls” saw a great performance on the mound by Miguel Pena in the first game at Nelson Barrera Stadium.
Pena worked seven complete innings in which he allowed three runs on seven hits, struck out seven and didn’t walked anybody. With the win he improved his record to 4-1 on the season, however he saw a 19 scoreless inning streak snapped. But most important, Tijuana snapped a four game losing streak.
Game 2: Taking the series with two games
Olmo Rosario and Alex Romero had four hits each and another solid performance by Horacio Ramirez helped secured the series for the Toros as they won 9-3. Tijuana was down 3-0 in the second inning, but a run in the third and then a three-run rally in the fifth and a five-run rally in the sixth was enough. Horacio Ramirez earned his first win of the year after five quality innings, he allowed three runs on five hits, walked one and punched out three. Toros took the series in two games.
Game 3: Rained out
The third game of the series was cancelled due to bad weather in Campeche and the Toros swept what would be a two game series instead if three.
At Ciudad del Carmen
Game 1: More batting for the “Bulls”
After starting the game on the wrong side of the score, the Toros touched home plate seven times to get a 7-1 win in the first game of the series against the Delfines. Dustin Martin got his eleventh dinger of the year to help his team and the return of Alex Sanabia proved to be very important for the rotation. Sanabia was in the mound for six strong innings in which he allowed just an unearned run in only a pair of hits striking out five hitters.
Game 2: The “Dolphins” tie it up
Barry Enright and Oscar Armenta were involved in a pitcher’s duel for four innings after being scoreless, but then the bats came out. Roberto Lopez hit his sixth home run of the year but it wasn’t enough. The Toros lost 6-3 in the second game of the series. Enright was in the mound for six and two third innings allowing just a run but the losing pitcher was Gerardo Sanchez. Armenta also earned only a run on five innings of work but the winner was Adrian Garza for the Dolphins.
Game 3: Tijuana ends it with a “W”
The Toros witnessed another strong performance by Miguel Pena as Tijuana took the series on a shutout.
Pena threw for eight and a third innings without allowing a run or walking anybody, he received seven hits but also struck out seven. The “Bulls” won it 5-0 over the Delfines and took two out of three from Ciudad del Carmen. Now Tijuana awaits the Toros debut by Jorge Cantu on Tuesday at Gasmart.
A reporter for EVT in the region, also for Síntesis TV in Baja California and a correspondent for ESPN México. A sports freak, crazy about the teams in San Diego and Tijuana. My goal is to provide information for the people by always being a fan. Understanding the point of view of the players and organizations and with that to tell the truth with an objective approach.