Tight squeeze in Caribbean Series

The Caribbean Series couldn't get any closer than it was after the first two of its six days.
Each team had a 1-1 record, acquired in a rock-scissors-paper manner. On Wednesday, Mexico defeated the Dominican Republic, which on Thursday beat Venezuela, which on Wednesday had defeated Puerto Rico, which scored its victory Thursday over Mexico.
The Mexico-Dominican Republic game was so close than it went 15 innings to a 4-3 decision. DR then won by a run, 6-5 over Venezuela. In that game, the Dominicans overcame two homers and three RBI by Venezuela's Luis Ramirez. The winners' Kevin Barker, a left-handed batter, also drove in three runs, including a homer against Marlins LHP Renyel Pinto. RHP Julio Manon saved the win by retiring 3B Luis Nunez, who represented the tying run after Jackson Melian had hit a two-out, two-run homer for Venezuela.
In Thursday's other game, host Puerto Rico defeated Mexico 7-3 after scoring five runs in the first inning against Roberto Valdez. For Puerto Rico, Juan Padilla pitched four scoreless innings in relief. Luis Figueroa paced the offense with three hits and two RBI.
One 7-3 victory deserves another, and Mexico turned the tables to get that one this afternoon over Venezuela. Marco Quevedo, who had pitched the Mexican representative into the Caribbean Series, was the winning pitcher with a line of 5 1/3 42202. The Dominican and Puerto Rican teams are meeting tonight.
In another Friday night game, LHP David Welch pitched a no-hitter to lead his hometown Sydney Blue Sox to an 8-0 victory over the Adelaide Bite in the first game of Australian Baseball League Round 2. His line was 90003 10. Welch pitched a seven-inning no-hitter and combined on another no-no while pitching in the Brewers' organization. Welch led the ABL during the regular season with a 1.44 ERA and two complete games.
2B Trent D'Antonio led off and led Sydney's offense with a homer and four RBI. The second game of the best-of-three series will be Saturday at 7:30 p.m. AET, or 2:30 a.m. EST. You might be able to watch the game at australianbaseballleague.com. The winner will meet Perth in next weekend's best-of-three championship round. Sydney took the regular-season championship by half a game over Perth.
With spring training barely a week away, you won't find many top prospects or good sleepers in these winter-league championships. The Dominican Republic has the most players (15) under contract to major league organizations of any of the Caribbean Series teams, but the most advanced is Dodgers RHP Ramon Troncoso. Puerto Rico's nine players in North American organized ball feature Nationals SS Alex Cora and Cubs OF Lou Montanez. Venezuela's players in organized ball include four from the Yankees organization, of whom C Gustavo Molina is the most advanced. Mexico has just four, including Padres SS Everth Cabrera.
Cora is one of a group of recent cut-rate free agents to sign with major league teams. Washington also has signed OF Laynce Nix and RHP Cla Meredith.
The Orioles had been the most active bottom feeder, signing LHPs Mark Hendrickson and Clay Rapada, OF Randy Winn, SS Nick Green and back-from-the-dead RHP Ryan Drese. Now Baltimore reportedly has agreed to terms on a one-year, $8-million deal with DH Vladimir Guerrero, pending a physical exam next week. If he has a season like 2010's, the O's might have been better off signing him for half a year and $4 million.
Other signings: Mark Kotsay, listed at first base, Brewers; 3B Pedro Feliz, Royals; RHP Juan Cruz and 2B Felipe Lopez, Rays; LF Lastings Milledge, White Sox, and LHP Yohan Flande, Braves. You probably haven't heard of Flande unless you live in Reading, Pa. The 25-year-old was 10-8 with a 4.38 ERA last year for the Double-A Reading Phillies, for whom he struck out barely four strikeouts per nine innings.
In a trade, the Yankees obtained OF Justin Maxwell from the Nationals for a Double-A pitcher named Adam Olbrychowski. Maxwell can play center field, and could be a useful extra outfielder with little fantasy value.
Yes, spring training is barely a week away. Florida and Arizona seemed to have missed the brutal winter weather that has struck most of the U.S. during the past week. Even the Rangers players who were scheduled for a caravan appearance in Fort Worth, one of dozens of events that were canceled in North Texas this week, will be looking forward to getting to warm weather.
For me, the worst weather in my six winters in North Texas, meant no wireless or cable for three days. Thus, I missed some blog days. I expect to make those up by making multiple posts some days.