Sports Radio Service is the only Bay Area outlet covering the 2018 Caribbean Series

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: 6 | 15 | 2

PUERTO RICO: 3 | 11 | 2

By Lewis Rubman
Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico
February 4, 2018

Sports Radio Service is the only Bay Area outlet covering the 2018 Caribbean Series.

Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico–The Dominican Republic’s Aguilas Cibaeñas quickly bounced back from the 15-4 drubbing that the Caribes de Anzoátegui had administered to them yesterday afternoon by jumping all over Puerto Rico’s Criollos de Caguas and their left-handed starter Giovanni Soto, to score five runs in the first two frames and then hold on to preserve a 6-3 victory in this afternoon’s Game 5 of the sixtieth Caribbean Series.

The Dominican Republic played as the visiting team and unexpectedly hit first. Lead off batter Abital Avelino’s sinking line drive resulted in an infield single to second, the first of three singles that produced two runs for the Aguilas Cibaenas (Eagles from the Cibao Region). Juan Carlos Perez and Edwin Espinal provided singles to center and right, respectively.

In the second inning, the wheels fell off for the Criollos (the nickname refers to a breed of horses, not to any of the groups of people known by that name, the English version of which is Creoles).

The Eagles filled the bases on a single to left centerfield by Hector Gomez, who advanced to third on Carlos Paulino’s double down the right field line. Gustavo Nunez hit a grounder to third, and the time it took for Puerto Rico’s third baseman, David Vidal, took to check on Gomez’s intentions allowed the Eagles’ second sacker to reach first with a bases loading infield single. Avelino got his second hit in as many innings, this time to center field. The Aguilas were ahead 3-0, the bases still were loaded, and Soto was through for the afternoon.

Right hander Ivan Maldonado allowed a sacrifice fly to left off the bat of Juan Carlos Perez, increasing the Dominican Republic squad’s advantage to four runs. Junior Lake’s 1-0 single to left brought Avelino in with the fifth run charged Soto, who was eventually charged with the loss.

Puerto Rico didn’t mount a credible threat until the bottom of the sixth, when it almost turned the tables on the Dominican Republic. At the start of the inning, right handled Samuel Deduno replaced the Eagles’ left-handed starter, Francisley Bueno, who had held Puerto Rico to six hits and no runs over his five innings of work. Vidal greeted the reliever with a single to center and then advanced to third on Dameck Tomscha’s single to right. Dayrun Varona singled in Vidal home with Puerto Rico’s first run, and that was the end of Deduno’s day.

Ramon Ramirez, who relieved him, got Wilfredo Rodriguez to strike out swinging, but the two runners advanced a base each on an errant throw by catcher Paulino. Ramirez walked Wilfredo Rodriguez, and Irving Falu drove in Tomscha and Varona with a single. But Rosney Castillo ground into a rally, killing the double play, and Ramirez’s strike out of Jesmuel Valentin ended the Criollos’ scoring.

A second to short fielder’s choice Nunez scored Yefri Perez with an insurance run for the Dominican Republic in the eighth.

Bueno won, Soto lost, and Josh Judy got the save.

Both teams now have 1-1 records.

Venezuela plays Mexico in 15 minutes. It’s now 7:45 pm in Zapopan.