Sports Radio Service

Venezuelans had more opportune batting than the Cubans. Photo: Ricardo Lopez Hevia / Granma / Cubadebate

Sports Radio Service is the only Bay Area outlet to cover the Caribbean Series

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. 7. 10. 4

CUBA. 1. 10. 1

By Lewis Rubman

February 8, 2018

Zapopan, Jal., Mexico–The dramatic turnaround of events in the opening inning of last night’s contest between the Dominican Republic’s Aguilas Cibaeñas (Cibao Eagles) and Cuba’s Granma Alazanes (Sorres) gave a foretaste of the dramatic turns the game would take. The outcome determined that the Aguilas will face Puerto Rico’s Caguas Criollos (Creoles) tonight for the championship of Latin American baseball.

Cuba’s ace right hander, Lázaro Blanco, who started the evening with a 1-0, 3.00 record, was surprisingly wild out of the gate. He allowed the Dominicans to load the bases on two singles and walk before bearing down and striking out the numbers four, five, and six hitters. Edwin Espinal, Christian Bethancourt, and Ronny Rodríguez swinging. Yusenay Maya, making his first in this year´s Caribbean Series for the Dominicans, kept the Cubans from scoring in their half of the first by getting number three hitter Yurisbel Gracial to take a called third strike with two men on base and then getting Alberto Despaigne, who was making his first start since his injury in the opening game, to ground into a double play.

Granma chased Maya – or rather Maya chased himself – in the bottom of the second. He walked Guillermo Avelés, who promptly scored on Frederich Cepeda´ s triple to right.

Carlos Benítez folowed with a stand up double to right and scored on Raúl González´s single to left center. Santos made it safely to first on a fielder´s choice and González was safe at second on Maya´s errant throw. Ulises Joaquín came on to relieve Maya and keep the damage down to three runs.

Joaquín kept Granma in check for the Eagles until the fifth, and a series of three other Dominican relivers also kept their opponents scoreless through the seventh frame.

Blanco continued to blank the Dominicans, allowing only two more hits until Ronny Rodríguez came up with Junior Lake on third with two down in the top of the sixth.Blanco´s rocky start seemed a thing of the distant past. Then Rodríguez blasted Blanco´s first pitch into the left field night, and we were in a one run game with the Dominican Republic´s forces surging forward. Blanco walked Carlos Paulino and was yanked from the now vastly changed game. After sticking with his for five and two-third innings, Carlos Marté played whack-a-mole with his bull pen, using four relievers in the ensuing three and a third frames.

But it was in vain. The Aguilas tied the game in the seventh when, after Miguel Lahera after had given up a lead off single to Yefri Pérez and a walk to Abiatal Avelino, Raidel Martínez entered the game to face Gustavo Núñez, The latter lay down a bunt that first baseman Edwin Espinal bobbled and Martínez picked up and threw down the right field foul line. And when the dust had lifted, there was Núñez save at second and Avelino a-hugging third. Two batters later, Espinal singled the two of them in and there was joy in Santo Domingo as the Aguilas led 5-3.

They tagged on another run in the eighth, and Cepeda got one back for Granma in his team’s half of that inning with a lead off home run close to the left field foul pole, but it was all over but the shouting.

Ramón Ramírez won, and Miguel Lahera lost, both in relief. Josh Judy got the save, his second. Rodríguez and Espinal each drove in two runs for the Dominicans. Núñez and Junior Lake got one RBI a piece. Cepeda got two and González one for the Cubans.

The starting pitchers haven´t yet been announced for tonight´s Battle of the Antilles for the crown of the Caribbean Series.

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.