[j.tom]

WWoB News 01.12 - 01.18.60


The playoffs arrive this week in Liga Brasil and Liga Gran Colombia, and they are fast approaching in the LL and SAL. So, for the next few weeks we'll be focusing less on the news, and more on the baseball, but first...



WWoB Player of the Week (01.05-01.11.60)
1B Ming Ou-yang 🇨🇳 -- Medellin Carpinteros (LL)





Worldwide News

01.12

Liga Brasil -- Three-way tie for the final playoff spot after Brasilia wins, Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte lose.



Liga Gran Colombia -- Guayaquil, Cali, and Maracay, ranked 3-4-5 in the GCL, each lose, dropping Guayaquil's magic number to one with three games left to play.



Liga Gran Colombia -- Cali Sultanes 1B Israel Garcia 🇨🇴 is out for the season with a fractured hand.





01.13

Liga Brasil -- Belo Horizonte falls behind, Brasilia and Sao Paulo deadlocked for 4th.



Liga Gran Colombia -- A win and a loss by Cali keeps Maracay alive in the playoff race.




01.14

Liga Brasil -- Wins by Brasilia and Belo Horizonte, losses by Sao Paulo and Rio set up a tense final day of the BZL regular season.



Liga Gran Colombia -- In the GCL, 3 out of 4 playoff spots are now spoken for, with Cali and Maracay needing wins in game 60.




01.15

Liga Brasil -- A Rio loss earlier in the day sets up a 'win and you're in' scenario between Belo Horizonte and Sao Paulo for a chance at a tiebreaker versus the Carnavais. Lifted by Zozimo Balduque's 🇧🇷walk-off grand slam, Sao Paulo sends Belo Horizonte to the couch. Brasilia picks up a win to avoid a 3-way tiebreaker scenario.



Liga Gran Colombia -- Maracay chokes away their opportunity, being shutout by the worst team in the GCL, but are bailed out by a Cali loss. The two teams will meet in a regular season tiebreaker game.




01.16

Liga Brasil -- The Rio Carnavais are headed to the playoffs! A heroic 3-run homer by Alberto Navio 🇧🇷 in the bottom of the 7th is enough to beat Sao Paulo for the final playoff spot.


Rio will face Salvador in the Semifinais, while Fortaleza faces Brasilia.



Liga Gran Colombia -- In the Liga Gran Colombia tiebreaker, Maracay smokes Cali in a game that could have been an email. Cali spent the last portion of the regular season rolling over and dying, they continue the trend in game 61 by giving up 13 before the 50/50 drawing.


Maracay will take on top-seed Cucuta in the Semifinales, Ibague and Guayaquil will also face off.




01.17

Liga Brasil -- Today is an off day in the BZL and GCL, so lets take a look at some of the stats leaders this season.


BZL Batting title: 1B Zozimo Balduque 🇧🇷 -- Sao Paulo Industriais


BZL Home run title: OF Takeshi Lehrfel 🇧🇷🇯🇵 -- Salvador Tucanos


BZL ERA title: RHP Jonas Stilwell 🇧🇷 -- Fortaleza Palmeiras




Liga Gran Colombia GCL stats leaders:


GCL Batting Title: OF Victorino Vioso 🇧🇷🇯🇵 -- Cucuta Centinelas


GCL Home run Title: OF Alberto Sanchez 🇨🇴 -- Guayaquil Piratas


GCL ERA Title: RHP Raul Aguilar 🇪🇨 -- Ibague Musicales




01.18 -- BZL & GCL Semifinals: Game 1

Liga Brasil -- Opening the BZL Semifinais, two excellent games to end the week. In Brasilia, the Gatos Pretos escape after a huge comeback in the 9th inning by Fortaleza, via a walk-off double by C Jorge Andrades 🇧🇷.

Meanwhile in Salvador, the #1 seed Tucanos were shocked by Rio in game one, letting the floodgates open with a top of the 9th Olivio Torro 🇧🇷 3-run homer to give Rio a 1-0 series lead.



Liga Gran Colombia -- Guayaquil goes up a game on Ibague after an offensive shootout, winning with help from a pair of Laurent Carlier 🇫🇷 homers.

Cucuta takes care of business to open up their series against Maracay, with the Centinelas pitching staff combining for a 5-hit shutout.



Suid-Afrikaanse Liga -- With just a few days to go in the SAL season, here's how the playoff race stands. Extended coverage of the SAL begins next week and will run through the postseason.