photo courtesy sportsonlinehq.com: Transmisión del Criollos de Caguas contra el Caribes de Anzoategui, Puerto Rico vs Venezuela, semifinales de la Serie del Caribe 2018, hoy, 7 de febrero

PUERTO RICO. 6. 7. 1

VENEZUELA. 5. 11. 1

By Lewis Rubman

February 7, 2018

Zapopan, Jal., Mexico–After five and a half innings of play, it looked like Puerto Rico’s Caguas Criollos weren’t going to advance in their bit to retain the Caribbean Series crown they had won so dramatically last year in Culiacán. But they pulled a rabbit out of their hat The man who pulled that rabbit was Irving Falú, a thirty-five year old veteran who played last year for the AAA Syracuse Chiefs and had a total of 130 plate appearance in three major league seasons, the last of which was 2014. The rabbit was Anthony García, a twenty-six year old outfield without big league experience who has a good chance of making the A;s roster when he takes spring training with them next month.

Venezuela’s Anzoátegui Caribes opened the scoring in this afternoon’s win or go home stage of the tournament by scoring a run in the bottom of the second inning against Caguas´s starter, righty Orlando Román, who hand set down the first four batters with effective slow breaking pitches, interspersed effectively with fast balls in the high 80´s to low 90s. But Román suddenly and briefly lost his control and walked Luis Jiménez and Luis Telis on a total of ten pitches before allowing a single to Williams Astudillo that loaded the bases. Alexi Amarista brought Jiménez home with a sac fly to center.

Venezuela threatened to extend its lead in their half of the fourth frame, putting runners on at the corners with one out. The next man up was Amarista, who had driven in the game´s first tally, but Román wiggled out of that situation by getting him to ground into a 6-4-3 double play.

After Román gave up a single to Luis Sardiñas to open the first, Rafael Ortega sent a chopper towards right field that bounced over first baseman Rubén Gotay´s head and into right for a hit that sent Sardiñas around to third. This was just one of many occasions in which the artifical turf at Charros Stadium caused problems for Puerto Rico´s defenders. Fernando Cruz came in to try to stop the attack, but Nieuman Romero drove in Sardiñas and moved Ortega up a base with a Texas League single to left. René Reyes´s double to deep left brought in Romero and Ortega to give the Caribes a four run lead. After Fernando Cruz got Balbino Fuenmayor out on a grounder to third, Luis Cruz came in and ended the inning.

Meanwhile, Venezuela’s Darryl Thompson had shut out the Criollos on one hit. Víctor Capellán, who had relieved until the veteran spark plug Falú set fire to the Caguas line up with one out in the sixth. He broke a full count with a single to left. Rusney Castillo also singled to left, moving Falú to second. Puerto Rico loaded the bases on Jesmuel

Valentín´s single, again to left, but Castillo almost was forced out at second when he jogged, instead of running, to the bag. Nestor Molina came in to face Anthony García, He blasted a grand slam to left center.

Venezuela reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the seventh when, facing Robby Rowland, who had replaced Luis Cruz, Castillo fumbled a single by Tells that had taken a high hop on the turf, allowed René Reyes to score from second.

Still, Puerto Rico fought back. This time facing Miguel Guaipe Falú again ignited a rally with a single, again to left. Castillo´s ground out to the mound sent Falú to second, and he moved on to third on a passed ball by Telis. It was a tough inning for Venezuela´s backstop, because not only did Falú subsequently score on Valentín´s single to right but Valentín eventually scored on a throwing error by Telis following a wild pitch by César Jiménez, who had relified Guaipe. Puerto Rico ended its eighth with a 6-5 lead that it was not to relinquish.

Three outstanding defensive plays saved the Criollos bacon in Venezuela’s last two frames. One was a startling dive by first baseman Gotay to field Amarista’s hard ground in the seventh and then beat him to tlhe bag. The other two were by Falú, who robbed Sardiñas in the seventh and made an inspired back hand catch and on his back to throw out Fuenmayor and end the game.

Rowland got the win in relief. Guaipe got the loss in relief. And Miguel Mejía got the six-out save, his second save of the series.

Tomorrow, Puerto Rico will face the winner of tonight’s battle between Cuba and the Dominican Republic. As always, game time is 8:00 here, where’s it’s now 7:40.