LAMP: With End of First Half In Sight, Crucial Week Ahead For All 10 Teams

As you likely know by now, the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico divides the 68-game regular season into two halves for purposes of seeding the playoffs

Teams are awarded a number of points based upon where they finish in the standings in each half, with first place getting 10 points, second place getting nine, and so on down to fifth place, and teams finishing in sixth through ninth place getting returns diminished by half a point with each lower position in the standings.

After the second half of the season is completed, the teams are seeded in order of total points for the playoffs, with the team with the highest number of points being seeded first, the team with the eighth-most points seeded eighth, and the teams with the ninth- and 10th-most points missing the playoffs. The eight playoff teams then play traditional best-of-seven series until the championship is awarded.

With 29 games in the books thus far, this Saturday’s action will mark the end of the first half of the season. Each team has five games to play before the end of the first half. Here’s a look at each team’s path to the end of the first half in order by their place in the standings.

Yaquis de Obregon (18-11) – The Yaquis have had a solid first half, though they’re on a three-game skid heading into the first half’s final week. Luckily, they’ll have a chance to bounce back against Guasave, which holds a one-game lead on ninth place over the Venados de Mazatlan. They’ll close the first half with games on Friday and Saturday against Mazatlan, so a good week will likely give the Yaquis first place for the first half and 10 points towards the playoffs.

Charros de Jalisco (17-12), Caneros de Los Mochis (17-12), Naranjeros de Hermosillo (17-12) – These three teams are one game back of Obregon and tied for second place, though the league examines head-to-head records as the tiebreaker. Jalisco has a 2-1 record against Los Mochis and a 3-0 record against Hermosillo, which gives them possession of second place going into the final week of the first half, and Hermosillo has a 2-1 record against Los Mochis, giving them possession of third place.

The Charros host the fifth-place Jaguares de Nayarit to start the week and end the first half with two games against Guasave. The Caneros and Naranjeros will face off Tuesday through Thursday in Los Mochis in what will be a crucial series for both teams. Hermosillo will play two games against Tucson at home to end the first half, while Los Mochis will play two games at Nayarit.

Jalisco has the easiest path to second place, as they’ll play three games against one of the league’s worst teams, while the Naranjeros and Caneros have to face each other. Hermosillo will have two home games against Tucson, which has struggled as their forced road trip has gotten longer and longer.

The Caneros play five games in the top half of the standings to close out the first half in what will undoubtedly be a gut check for Felix Fermin’s squad, which has succeeded with pitching, but needs help on offense.

Jaguares de Nayarit (16-13), Tomateros de Culiacan (16-13) – The Jaguares face Jalisco and Los Mochis, as noted above, which is a tough week at any point in the season, but tougher still when those five games stand between them and a potential first-half title.

The Tomateros, who started off slowly but have gone 9-4 at home thus far, start the week at home with three games against last-place Mazatlan before traveling to Mexicali for the weekend. They’re only two games back of first place Obregon, and a sweep of Mazatlan could put them in the hunt for the first half title.

Aguilas de Mexicali (14-15) – New manager Pat Listach needs to get more out of a team that, on paper, has a ton of offensive potential and trots out three of the league’s top starters in David Reyes, CJ Van Eyk, and Fernando Lozano. They open the week with a three-game road series against Tucson that will be played in Mexicali due to the Baseball Team’s ongoing visa difficulties before hosting Culiacan. If the Aguilas can sweep Tucson, a top-three first half finish is possible.

Tucson Baseball Team (11-18) – Facing Hermosillo and Mexicali as the long, strange trip continues, if the Baseball Team can win five straight, they’ll finish in the top half. More likely, Tucson will finish between sixth and eight hand have to just keep truckin’ on and on.

Algodoneros de Guasave (10-19) – They start the final week of the first half against first-place Obregon and finish it at home against Jalisco. Finishing 3-2 in the last five games of the first half would go a long way.

Venados de Mazatlan (9-20) – JJ Pacho’s club plays Culiacan on the road before coming home to finish the first half against Obregon. At this point, both Guasave and Mazatlan need a good second half to make the playoffs.

RJ Alaniz Joins Yaquis de Obregon – Former Cincinnati Reds and Seattle Mariners reliever RJ Alaniz has signed with the Yaquis de Obregon, the team announced yesterday. Alaniz started the winter season in the Dominican Republic with the Toros del Este of LIDOM, but had a rough go of it, allowing eight runs on eight hits in 2 1/3 innings. He last appeared in the LAMP with Hermosillo in 2020-21, allowing five hits in 11 2/3 shutout innings. In total, Alaniz has thrown 116 1/3 innings in winter ball, appearing with Hermosillo, the Toros del Este, and the Leones del Caracas in the Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional, posting a 2.55 ERA with 105 strikeouts. In 18 1/3 innings in the Major Leagues, he has an 8.35 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 15 appearances.

Miles Simington Makes Winter Ball Debut – Simington, 25, had a great season in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol, splitting the summer between Yucatan, Aguascalientes, and Quintana Roo, batting .332 with six homers and 35 RBIs. He played his first game for the Venados de Mazatlan on Sunday, going 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.

Player of the Week – Jesse Castillo of the Jaguares de Nayarit won the LAMP Player of the Week award, hitting a homer and driving in nine runs for the Jaguares while batting .550 in six games last week. Also nominated were Willie Calhoun of the Naranjeros de Hermosillo who hit three homers and drove in eight runs in six games, Orlando Martínez of the Tomateros de Culiacán, who also hit three homers and drove in six runs, and Mateo Gil of the Charros de Jalisco, who batted .500 for the week and drove in eight runs.

Pitcher of the Week – Jose Urquidy of the Venados de Mazatlan was spectacular this week, posting a 0.82 ERA in two starts for the Venados, throwing 11 1/3 innings and striking out 12. Also nominated were Touki Toussaint of the Naranjeros de Hermosillo, who threw seven shutout innings with five strikeouts in his lone start of the week, and Wilmer Ríos of the Naranjeros de Hermosillo who allowed one run and struck out five in his start against Mazatlan.

Reliever of the Week – Jesus Cruz of the Aguilas de Mexicali, who leads the LAMP in holds with 11, won the Reliever of the Week after making four appearances and recording three holds and a save, striking out four and not allowing a run. Also nominated were Manuel Chávez of the Yaquis de Obregón, who had three holds and didn’t allow a run in three innings of work, and Trevor Clifton of the Charros de Jalisco, who converted both his save opportunities and didn’t allow a run in 1 1/3 innings.

Tuesday’s LAMP Schedule
All times Eastern Standard Time
8:30 p.m. – Jaguares de Nayarit at Charros de Jalisco
9:05 p.m. – Venados de Mazatlan at Tomateros de Culiacan
9:10 p.m. – Algodoneros de Guasave at Yaquis de Obregon
9:30 p.m. – Naranjeros de Hermosillo at Caneros de Los Mochis
10:30 p.m. – Aguilas de Mexicali at Tucson Baseball Team – Played in Mexicali

Photo: Jesse Castillo of the Jaguares de Nayarit won the LAMP Player of the Week award, hitting a homer and driving in nine runs for the Jaguares while batting .550 in six games last week. (Photo courtesy of LAMP)