With the second half of the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico (LAMP) season halfway complete, the playoffs loom on the horizon.
The LAMP awards points to each team for their finish in each half of the season, with the first place team earning 10 points, the second place team earning nine, and so on, on down to the team that finishes last. At the conclusion of the second half, the teams are seeded based upon their total points earned in the regular season.
So how would the playoffs look if they started tomorrow?
The Naranjeros de Hermosillo, having finished fourth in the first half and currently leading the second half, would get the top seed with 17 points, and would face the Mayos Navojoa, who finished sixth in the first half and are eighth thus far in the second half, giving them the eighth seed.
The Caneros de Los Mochis would be the second seed by virtue of a second place finish in the first half and holding fourth place thus far in the second half, and they would face the Yaquis de Obregon, who would earn the seventh seed based upon their eighth place finish in the first half combined with a hold on seventh place in the second half.
The Charros de Jalisco would take the third seed if the playoffs started tomorrow, after finishing fifth in the first half and holding third place in the second half standings. Jalisco would face the Aguilas de Mexicali, who draw the sixth seed by virtue of a seventh place finish in the first half and fifth place in the second half.
Finally, the Algodoneros de Guasave would face the Tomateros de Culiacan in the fourth/fifth seed series.
Obviously, a lot can change between now and the end of the second half, as second place and last place are separated by just five games with 17 games remaining on the second half.
Naranjeros de Hermosillo 4, Algodoneros de Guasave 3 – Yadir Drake drove in two Guasave runs with a homer in the third inning, but Hermosillo chipped away at the Algodoneros lead in the seventh and pulled ahead in the eighth on an RBI single from Irving Lopez that scored Reivaj Garcia.
Tomateros de Culiacan 7, Aguilas de Mexicali 3 – Mexicali got out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Tomateros stormed back to get their first win under Roberto Vizcarra. Joey Meneses went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI and Sebastian Elizalde went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI for Culiacan.
Sultanes de Monterrey 3, Charros de Jalisco 2 – In the first, Alejandro Mejia’s RBI double and Ricardo Valenzuela’s two-run single gave Monterrey a 3-0 lead, and the Sultanes held on to edge Jalisco and improve to 6-11 in the second half. Faustino Carrera struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks.
Venados de Mazatlan 4, Caneros de Los Mochis 3 – Phillip Ervin’s RBI single in the top of the ninth completed the comeback for the Venados, who are 8-9 in the second half. Eric Filia went 2-for-3 with two walks and Justin Dean’s seventh homer of the year got Los Mochis out to a 2-0 lead in the second, but the Caneros couldn’t hold on.
Yaquis de Obregon 1, Mayos de Navojoa 0 – Jonathan Aranda’s one-out RBI single in the ninth was all the offense Obregon needed, as it got Victor Marquez home with the game’s lone run. Four Obregon pitchers combined to allow three hits and a walk in the shutout, while the Mayos mustered just four hits and two walks off the Mayos.
Transactions for December 11
Naranjeros de Hermosillo – Activated LHP Jorge Rodríguez, who may be activated December 12, and added RHP Enrique Castillo to the active roster. Retroactive to December 9, deactivated RHP Raúl Barrón, who may be activated December 16, and added RHP Aníbal Cervantes to the active roster.
Yaquis de Obregon – Fired coach Luis Borges and named Hector Alvarez to coaching staff. Retroactive to November 9, deactivated LHP Rubén Salinas, who may be activated December 12, and added LHP Michael Boyle to the active roster.
Mayos de Navojoa – Activated RHP Jorge Sauceda, who may be activated December 12, and added RHP Damián Mendoza to the active roster. Retroactive to December 6, deactivated LHP Daniel Zazueta, who may be activated December 12, and added LHP Luis Villavicencio to the active roster.
Caneros de Los Mochis – Activated RHP Víctor García, who may be activated December 12, and added RHP Omar Araujo to the active roster.
Algodoneros de Guasave – Deactivated RHP Alejandro Cervantes, who may be activated December 12, and added LHP Ariel Gracia to the active roster. Retroactive to December 6, deactivated IF José Andrés Villa, who may be activated December 12, and added IF Jorge Flores to the active roster.
Tomateros de Culiacan – Deactivated OF Dwight Smith Jr., who may be activated December 16, and added RHP Josh Green to the active roster.
Venados de Mazatlan – Deactivated IF Santiago Gómez, who may be activated December 12, and added OF Carlos Figueroa to the active roster. Deactivated RHP Óscar Rojas, who may be activated December 12, and added RHP Ernesto Borges to the active roster.
Charros de Jalisco – Deactivated RHP Edgar Manzo, who may be activated December 12, and added LHP Luis Ángel Rodríguez to the active roster.
Sultanes de Monterrey – Deactivated IF Mason Martin, who can be activated December 16, and added OF Donovan Casey to the active roster.
Tonight in the LAMP
All times Eastern Standard Time
8:30 p.m. – Mexicali at Culiacan
8:30 p.m. – Jalisco at Monterrey
9:30 p.m. – Mazatlan at Los Mochis
9:30 p.m. – Obregon at Navojoa
9:30 p.m. – Hermosillo at Guasave
Watch the LAMP all season on Youtube.
