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07/26/2004 Archived Entry: "Mexican League News : Pirates Go to Final Series, Beating Red Devils"
By Carlos Fragoso
Campeche Pirates did it, goes to final series against Saltillo
Pirates never give up to fight for the title, and beat the 2003 Mexican League Champions, the Mexico City Red Devils by a score of 10-4, counting on a splendid pitching performance by Javier de la Hoya, who passed his turn yesterday to a red hot Danny McGee, and tonight with one day more of rest he hold the local team to a 2 runs game.
De la Hoya, ´pitched 6 innings , allowing 6 hits, 2 Walks and 2 runs, and Frank Campos come up as a closer to zippered the game through the ninth where he accepted a 2 runs HR by Pedro Castellano, but not good enough to lose the lead.
Claudio Moreno, the loser for Mexico City,pitched 2.2 innings with 7 hits, 6 runs, Roberto Ramirez worked up the rest of the game.
Red Devils took the lead in the opener, scoring 2 runs,with a Sac Fly by Oscar Robles and solo HR by Roberto Saucedo.
Pirates,scored 5 in the second, where Emil Brown drove one in with a HR, and Roberto Vizcarra, a pair more with a single. They added a couple more runs in th 3rd ,thanks to a HR by Sergio Guerrero, to post a solid 7-2.
Red Devils scored two more in the bottom of the 9th, when Pedro Castellano get one out with Ray Martinez on.
Now, Pirates will play in Saltillo ,Wednesday in a best of 7 series, and look for their second title, which were obtained back in 1983, under same skipper Francisco "Paquin " Estrada.
They have participated in as many as, 11 Play Offs losing all of them, and one final who won in 1983.
In the other side, Saltillo has never won a title ,on a complete season eventhough their long Play Offs participation with 17, losing all, and 4 Championships series losing them all too, last one back in 1988 against Mexico City Devils.However they have a title under an asterisk in the 1980 season, shortened by a players strike, and only six teams continued to play and season ended after only 39 games played, and Saltillo was in first place, and was declared champions, so there was no play offs, so again they have not won any championship when the whole season an playing format has been completed.
Manager Estrada has been champion twice, with Campeche in 1983 and with Leon Braves in 1990, Saltillo´s skipper Derek Bryant has been champion twice as well, all with Monterrey in 1995 and 1996.
Odds are in favor of Saltillo, to break that jinx, and by the way all of their players and manager have remained unshaved since play offs started.
