Mexico beats Venezuela in crucial game

by Guille Esquivel

Ebeisbol.com Exclusive

 

Mexico beat Venezuela 3-2 in an extra innings nail biter.

Mexico and Venezuela were both facing a must win situation because a loss would dash their title hopes.

Leones del Caracas struck first when Michael Ryan took Juan Delgadillo deep to left for the solo shot to take the 1-0 lead in the second inning.

With two outs in the third, Erold Andrus and Luis Maza strung together a couple of hits and Oscar Salazar drove in Andrus to go up 2-0.

After allowing two runs early on to Venezuela Delgadillo buckled down and retired 13 batters in a row. Delgadillo pitched eight innings allowing two runs on six hits while striking out three.

Mexico got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning when Luis Garcia hit a grounder to third scoring Chris Roberson and they now trailed 2-1.

Mexican slugger Karim Garcia finally made it to the island in hopes of helping his team avoid elimination. The Naranjeros de Hermosillo were in dire need of a left handed bat in their line up and Garcia soon proved why. In the sixth inning he hit Jose Sanchez’s pitch deep to right for the solo home run and tied the game at 2.

Sanchez was the third starter to have eight strikeouts in a game and he accomplished it through five innings. Sanchez pitched six innings allowing two runs on five hits and leaving with a no-decision.

Mexico missed an opportunity to close it out in the ninth inning when they loaded up the bases. Luis Garcia opened up the inning with a double, Ruben Rivera was intentionally walked and Carlos Valencia bunted them over. Humberto Cota also drew an intentional walk and Saul Soto grounded into an inning ending double play to end the threat.

Heber Gomez opened up the tenth with a single off Elio Serrano. Gomez advanced to second on Roberson’s sacrifice bunt. Then Venezuela ’s manager made a questionable move by intentionally walking Garcia to face Vinny Castilla. Castilla then singled deep to left center scoring Gomez to win the game 3-2.

Mexico will face the Dominican Republic and they have to win in order to keep their hopes alive.

Puerto Rico will play against Venezuela in Saturday’s nightcap. Venezuela has a chance to play spoiler.