Dorado Proves Good as Gold on the Mound for Monroe

Monroe High’s Jorge Dorado dragged a rake behind him as he walked off the carefully groomed mound Tuesday, then took a look over his shoulder and asked his coach if the groundskeeping had been performed to his satisfaction.

Grounds for laughter, to be sure.

“It looks good, Jorge,” Monroe Coach Kevin Campbell replied, an eyebrow raised. “Go ahead and dig some holes if you want to.”

Dorado, at 5-foot-8 and 150 pounds, hardly looks like the type of guy who would kick dirt in the face of anyone, but for the second time this season, he bullied Birmingham. The sophomore right-hander threw a six-hitter and allowed just one runner past first base as the Vikings buried Birmingham, 8-0, in a Mid-Valley League game at Monroe.

None of this was a surprise to Birmingham Coach Dave Contreras, who calls a spade a spade and knows an ace when he sees one too.

“That guy owns us,” Contreras said. “The bottom line is, he’s a better pitcher than we are hitters.”

Dorado (6-1) beat Birmingham, 15-1, earlier in the season and his performance Tuesday not only lowered his earned-run average to 1.17, it put Monroe (11-6, 9-5 in league play) in the driver’s seat for its second Mid-Valley title in three seasons.

While defending league champion Birmingham (10-11, 8-6) plays host to Monroe on Friday and could again forge a tie in the standings with a victory, Monroe twice will play winless Canoga Park next week to close out the regular season. Monroe also has clinched the three-game season series with the Braves, which would decide the league’s top-seeded playoff team in case of a first-place tie.

Dorado struck out five and allowed his only walk in the seventh inning. Fearless with his curve, Dorado threw it when he was ahead in the count, behind, and dead even. And was it deadly.

“He’s getting to the point where he can throw it for strikes whenever he wants,” Campbell said.

Getting there?

“I’ve been doing all right,” said Dorado, who starts at shortstop when he isn’t pitching. “Coach Campbell calls the pitches. When he calls it, I throw it. I don’t shake him off.”

Dorado shook off the effects of a shaky start in which Birmingham leadoff batter Mike Malkin singled to open the game. Adam Kallen lined into a double play, however, and Dorado was off and running.

Birmingham never had more than one baserunner in any inning. Only in the third, when Brandon Bailey moved from first to third on a two-base throwing error by right-fielder Juan Navarro, did the Braves move a runner to second or beyond.

Monroe battered Birmingham starter Noah Kirshbaum (6-3) in the third inning, with Noel Toledo, Navarro and Dorado pounding consecutive pitches for hits to spark a three-run rally.

Monroe put the game on ice in the fifth, sending nine batters to the plate and scoring five times for an 8-0 lead. Marco Alvarado and Brian McComb each contributed two-out, two-run singles for Monroe.

Six players drove in runs for Monroe, which was much more production than Dorado would need.

His secret?

“I just throw strikes,” he said.

Dig it.