The Diablos Rojos del Mexico celebrate their win in game one of the Serie del Rey. (Photo courtesy of the Diablos Rojos del Mexico)
Six different Diablos Rojos del Mexico batters had multi-hit games, including Jose Marmolejos, who went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBIs, as they torched the Sultanes de Monterrey pitching for 14 runs on 14 hits in a 14-6 victory in game one of the Serie del Rey.
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the second, the Diablos Rojos evened the game with a solo homer from Juan Carlos Gamboa. Three batters later, a sacrifice fly from Moises Gutierrez scored Aristides Aquino for a 2-1 Diablos lead.
After the Sultanes battled back, tying the game in the third with an RBI single from Asael Sanchez and putting up two more runs in the fourth, the Diablos scored five runs in the fifth, three in the sixth, and four in the eighth, shredding the Sultanes’ bullpen.
In the fifth, Patrick Mazeika led off the frame with a solo homer. Singles from Franklin Barreto and Robinson Cano followed, with Barreto scoring on a sac fly by Marmolejos. A two-out single by Gamboa chased Sultanes starter Julio Teheran from the mound after 4 2/3 innings that saw the former Major Leaguer allow six runs on seven hits, striking out four and walking three.
After Jorge Rondon took the mound for Monterrey, back-to-back RBI singles from Aristides Aquino and Diosbel Arias gave the Diablos a 7-4 lead.
Consecutive RBI doubles from Cano and Marmolejos in the sixth gave the Diablos a 9-6 lead, and Jose Pirela’s sac fly added another run before the inning ended, putting the game out of reach of the Sultanes.
Four Diablos relievers combined to allow just three Monterrey batters to reach base over the final 3 2/3 innings, with Tomohiro Anraku closing out the win in a non-save situation.
Game two of the Serie del Rey is Thursday night at 10 p.m. EDT, with Tyler Viza starting for Monterrey against Erick Leal for Mexico City.
