December 10, 2012 at 9:04 AM
Winter League Roundup: December 3-9
New faces joined the ranks of Red Sox prospects playing worldwide while Mauro Gomez, Reynaldo Rodriguez and Marco Duarte each had stellar weeks to highlight action.
Dominican Winter League
Mauro Gomez (pictured) continued to find his hitting stroke as he went 9 for 27 with two doubles, two home runs and six RBI in seven games this week. Gomez has caught fire after a slow start to the campaign and is now hitting .257/.379/.461 with six home runs and 28 RBI.
Alberto Rosario, who signed as a minor league free agent with the Red Sox on Wednesday, was 1 for 8 with two runs scored in limited action. The 25-year-old catcher is known for his defensive ability and is currently hitting .222/.344/.296 with seven RBI this offseason.
Tony Pena Jr. tossed 1 1/3 innings of relief, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out three in three appearances this week.
Roberto Clemente (Puerto Rico) Baseball League
Anthony Carter, who was signed as a minor league free agent this week, made just one appearance out of the bullpen this week against Caguas. He tossed 2 scoreless innings of relief, striking out three. Carter has compiled a 4.26 ERA in 12 2/3 relief innings.
Jose De La Torre continued to pitch well, winning Thusday's contest against Carolina with an inning of scoreless relief. He also hurled 2/3 innings of relief on Friday, allowing a hit and three walks.
Jeremy Kehrt had a rough outing on Tuesday against first place Caguas, allowing five runs on nine hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings pitched.
Jason Urquidez struggled in relief this week, allowing three runs on seven hits in 2 2/3 innings of relief across two outings.
After cooling off temporarily with an 0 for 3 against Santurce on Tuesday, Ivan De Jesus was 3 for 8 with two doubles in his other two games this week as he continued to wield a hot bat.
Henry Ramos had a quiet week, going 0 for 7 in four appearances.
Mexican Pacific League
Marco Duarte (pictured) had his second stellar outing in a row, tossing 6 shutout innings against Culiacan, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out six in the victory.
Oscar Villarreal, who signed as a minor league free agent at the beginning of the week, tossed 3 innings of relief, allowing one run on four hits while striking out three across three appearances. Villarreal has pitched well this winter, going 1-1 with a 1.07 ERA and 13 saves in 25 1/3 innings pitched.
Australian Baseball League
Boss Moanaroa had a tough week, going 0 for 11. Moanaroa is now hitting just .057/.214/.086 in 35 at-bats for the Sydney Blue Sox.
Daniel McGrath failed to record an out in his outing on Sunday against Adelaide, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks.
Venezuelan Baseball League
Yeiper Castillo's week was a tale of two relief outings. On Thursday against Lara, Castillo hurled 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, striking out one. On Saturday against Margarita, Castillo tossed 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on one hit and two walks.
Colombian Professional Baseball League
Reynaldo Rodriguez played in just two games this week, but had a major impact at the plate. Against Caimanes on Friday, Rodriguez went 1 for 3 with a triple and an RBI. Facing Caimanes again on Saturday, Rodriguez had a monster game, going 2 for 3 with two home runs, four RBI and three walks. Rodriguez is now hitting .333/.574/.769 with 4 home runs in 14 games played.
Liga Paralela-Boston
Much like last year, the Red Sox are fielding nearly an entire team in the Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional's minor league, the Liga Paralela. The players are all in the lower levels of the minor league system, with many of them still in rookie ball. Alixon Suarez, Oscar Perez, Heiker Meneses, Dreily Guerrero, and Keivin Heras are some of the more notable names on the team.
The team went 1-2-1 this week, and is now 12-23-4 on the season. To follow the large contingent of players participating in the league, check out the league's official website.
Photo Credit: Mauro Gomez & Marco Duarte by Kelly O'Connor