The Jaguares de Nayarit aren't the 1988 Baltimore Orioles, who famously lost 21 straight to start the season on their way to a putrid 54-107 record, neither literally nor figuratively.
They've won two games, so perhaps the situation in Nayarit doesn't feel quite as dire, but at 2-9, they're two games behind the three-way tie for seventh place between Los Mochis, Navojoa, and Mazatlan, but you do have to wonder if Luis Carlos Rivera's seat in the Jaguares dugout is beginning to feel warm.
A year ago, the Jaguares finished the regular season 40-28 in a four-way tie for the best overall regular season record and had the third-best team OPS and ERA in the league. Through 11 games this year, Nayarit's .675 OPS thus far is the third-worst in the league, and their team ERA of 6.96 is the league's worst.
Jaguares manager Luis Carlos Rivera was named Manager of the Year in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol, the country's summer league, on Monday after leading the Olmecas de Tabasco to the Serie del Rey, but you've gotta figure that if things don't turn around in Nayarit soon, he's going to be out the door.
Because of the league's unique playoff qualification structure where teams accrue points based on their finishes in each of the season's two halves, a bad start to the season isn't necessarily a disaster. The first-place finisher gets 10 points, second place gets nine, and so on down to fifth place, with points descending by 1/2 for sixth place and below. Thus, a 10th-place finish in either half gives a team three points towards playoff qualification, with 7 1/2 or more total points generally being enough to get a team into the postseason.
But a team that finishes last in the first half is, quite obviously, not a good ballclub. Unless the Jaguares can find some pitching, and soon, they're in trouble. They've walked 62 batters, the second most in the league, and struck out just 73, tied for the second-fewest. They've allowed 11 homers, tied for the most in the league, and allowed 73 earned runs, the most in the league and more than double the 32 allowed by league-leading Obregon. Combine that with 127 hits allowed, the most in the league, and the league's worst WHIP at 2.004, and you've got a team that desperately needs help if they want to salvage the season.
Elizalde Raking In the Fall - Obregon's Sebastian Elizalde leads the LMP with a 1.323 OPS, having appeared in 10 games thus far. In addition to six doubles and two homers, Elizalde has walked eight times and has a .545 on-base percentage, having gone 16-for-36 in 44 plate appearances.
Gonzo Start - Not only has Obregon's Felipe Gonzalez thrown the most innings thus far of any pitcher in the LMP with 17, but he's also got a 1.59 ERA and a 0.824 WHIP this season. The native of Guadalupe, Mexico had the best winter season of his career with Obregon last year, posting a .278 ERA in 71 1/3 innings across 13 starts for the Yaquis. He's allowed just nine hits and three runs thus far this season, and at age 34 and in his 14th winter ball season, Gonzalez is showing that experience can have value.
Tonight's LMP Games
All times Eastern Daylight Time
9:30 p.m. - Caneros de Los Mochis (4-7) at Charros de Jalisco (6-5)
10:10 p.m. - Tomateros de Culiacan (6-5) at Yaquis de Obregon (6-5)
10:30 p.m. - Venados de Mazatlan (4-7) at Naranjeros de Hermosillo (8-3)
10:30 p.m. - Mayos de Navojoa (4-7) at Algodoneros de Guasave (8-3)
10:30 p.m. - Aguilas de Mexicali (7-4) at Jaguares de Nayarit (2-9)
