The Cubs’ shortstops come into a new year hot while two young right-handers have impressive starts.
All this and more in this week’s Down on the Farm report … Dominican Winter League
Escogido
Starlin Castro stayed hot, batting .363 with four RBI for the week. His best game was on December 27. He went 2-for-4 with a double, a stolen base, and two RBI in a 10-5 loss to Gigantes. Click here for box score.
Luke Sommer pitched 2.1 innings this week, with no earned runs, two strikeouts, and a hold. His appearance in a 4-2 win over Gigantes on December 29 included 2 innings pitched, one strikeout and a hold. Click here for box score.
Estrellas
Bryan LaHair struggled this past week, going only 1-for-6. Polin Trinidad, a 26-year old left-hander signed as a minor league free agent from the Astros organization, had an appearance in a 5-4 loss to Toros on December 27. Trinidad pitched one inning, with no earned runs and a strikeout. Click here for box score.
Marcos Mateo continued to perform well, with two innings pitched, no earned runs, and three strikeouts for the week. In a 9-0 win over Gigantes on December 30, he pitched one inning, had no earned runs and three strikeouts. Click here for box score.
Toros
Nelson Perez went 1-for-1 in a pinch-hitting role in a 9-2 loss to Estrellas on December 29.
Venezuelan Winter League
Caracas
Marwin Gonzalez continued his blistering pace, with a.444 average and .667 OBP for the week. On December 27, he was 1-for-2, with three walks and a stolen base in a 6-5 victory over Lara. Click here for box score.
Marwin Gonzalez then went 3-for-5, with a walk and five RBI in an 18-5 win over Magallanes on December 29. Gonzalez played both positions on the left side of the infield … shortstop and third base. Click here for box score.
Caribes
Eduardo Figueroa pitched two innings, allowed one earned run and picked up the blown save in the process on December 30. However, Figueroa was the pitcher of record for a 2-1 win over Magallanes. Click here for box score.
Mexican Pacific League
Mexicali
Matt Camp continues his offensive struggles, but shows signs of breaking out of his slump. He was 3-for-12 for the week, with a double and a stolen base.
Obregon
Marco Carrillo, a 23-year old right-hander who had stints with Daytona and Iowa last summer, had an appearance on December 30. Carrillo threw one inning, did not allow an earned run and struck out one in a 9-0 win over Gigantes.
Puerto Rican Winter League
Caguas
Aaron Shafer went six innings, with an earned run and two strikeouts to get the win in an 8-2 victory over Mayaguez on December 29. The 24-year old right-hander pitched for Daytona last year. Click here for box score.
Australian Baseball League
Brisbane
The ABL started up again this past week, with Ryan Searle going 3.1 innings, with one earned run and two strikeouts in a 3-1 win over Melbourne on December 31. Searle, a 21-year old right- hander, pitched mainly with Peoria last season. Click here for box score.