PUERTO RICO WINS FIRST GAME IN SERIES, 3-0

 

By Guille Esquivel
Exclusive for www.eBeisbol.com

Puerto Rico finally broke through to record their first win in the Caribbean Series by beating the Dominican Republic 3-0. Josue Matos pitched five scoreless innings in the shutout and got the win. Dominican starter Julio Mateo was charged with the loss after pitching 5.1 innings and allowing three runs on five hits. Ivan Maldonado got the save for Puerto Rico.
Ponce got on the board early coming off the bat of Jose Feliciano who hit the ball to right for the solo shot. The Leones added two more including another solo shot by Andy Gonzalez in the sixth.

Aside from being winless through their first four games, Ponce had impressive pitching since the beginning of the series where they had allowed only 9 earned runs and had lost two of the games by only one run. With that win they also put an end to the Ponce losing streak that had reached eleven last night. Hermosillo holds the longest losing streak that stands at 12 games.
Games between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico always have something riding on them regardless if there is a crown involved or not. Eduardo Perez said that they would put a competitive team on the field regardless of the circumstances. “We are not going to give up,” Perez said.

The Dominican team suffered their fourth loss in five games and can only look to finish on a positive note when they face Mexico tomorrow in a game that can be important depending on the outcome of the matchup between Mexico and Venezuela.

MEXICO’S CHAMPIONSHIP HOPES ALIVE AFTER BEATING PUERTO RICO

 

By Guille Esquivel
Exclusive for www.eBeisbol.com

Venados de Mazatlan’s victory over the Leones de Ponce kept the Mexico’s hopes to win a title alive as they are the only ones who can dethrone undefeated Venezuela.

Mazatlan defeated Ponce 5-1 improving their record to 3-1 with just two games left in the series. With the game tied at 1 in the top of the twelfth, Mexico finally found their bats and broke it open scoring four. Christian Quintero singled in Miguel Ojeda, Freddy Sandoval later doubled to right pushing in two more and Edgar V. Gonzalez continued his hot hitting streak doubling to right allowing Freddy Sandoval to cross the plate.

After a night where 21 runs were scored in Thursday’s nightcap between Mexico and Dominican Republic the series reverted back to a pitching oriented battle and tonight was a flashback to game one where Mexico and Puerto Rico were locked in a low scoring battle through eleven innings.
In the third inning, Ponce’s Luis Figueroa was the first to cross the plate when he scored on a sac fly by Carlos Rivera to take the 1-0 lead.
Venados tied the game at 1 in the fifth when Edgar V. Gonzalez singled to get on base and Miguel Ojeda brought him in on a long single to right.

Puerto Rico threatened in the bottom of the ninth when a runner reached third base before Jose Luis Garcia struck out Rivera to end the rally and send the game into extra innings. Ponce was unable to bring any runs across the plate as they left 13 runners on base. “We had a chance to get runs, but leaving that many runners on base things don’t turn out the way we want,” Eduardo Perez said.
Venados loaded the bases in the eleventh, but Jon Weber hit a grounder to the first baseman to end the inning and the threat.
Mazatlan’s Pablo Ortega pitched 6.1 innings only allowing 1 run. Jose Luis Garcia pitched 2.1 innings in relief to get the victory. Ponce’s Bill Pulsipher pitched 6.1 innings only allowing 1 run and Juan Padilla took the loss.

Ponce extends their losing streak to eleven dating back to 1982. Even with their losing streak anything can happen on the field and they still have a chance to play a key role in this Caribbean Series with a chance to defeat Venezuela when they square off on Saturday. Perez made reference to the streak, “I am not focusing on streaks that we cannot control, but rather on getting this team to 1-4 or even 2-4.”
On Friday, Puerto Rico will face the Dominican Republic in a battle between eliminated teams who are mostly playing for bragging rights rather than a title. “We are motivated against the Dominican Republic and are rivals and we want to win,” Perez added.
Mexico will face off against unbeaten Venezuela in the nightcap. “We know that Venezuela is the team to beat and the revenge factor will definitely play a role in tomorrow’s matchup,” Freddy Sandoval said.

A victory for Aragua would give them their first title ever, three years after Caracas won Venezuela’s last title in 2006. That year Venezuela won the championship preceding the first ever World Baseball Classic and this time around they are looking like a potential champion on the eve of the second World Baseball Classic.

PUERTO RICO TODAVIA UN FACTOR DETERMINANTE EN ESTA SERIE DEL CARIBE

Por Humberto Charneco
Exclusivo de www.eBeisbol.com

Es francamente decepcionante la actuación de los Leones de Ponce en la Serie del Caribe, sin embargo debemos de recordar que matemáticamente este equipo todavía no esta eliminado y es mi humilde opinión que van a ser un factor determinante en quien se corona campeón de este torneo. Este equipo que en los últimos tres partidos ha corrido mal las bases, no ha fildeado y no ha bateado es conocido por su cría y temperamento de no darse por vencido. En la serie semifinal de la liga de béisbol puertorriqueña los Leones barrieron a los Indios Tiburones de Mayagüez Aguadilla en cuatro partidos pero este resultado no describe a cabalidad la serie ya que los Leones derrotaron a los Indios en dos partidos a entradas extras y en los otros dos ganaron viniendo de atrás hacia delante. En el último partido de la serie los Ponceños ganaron de forma dramática en la última entrada al anotar cinco carreras. Aunque la serie final no fue tan candente, lo cierto es que Ponce derrotó a los Lobos de Arecibo en dos oportunidades por el margen mínimo de una carrera. Sin lugar a dudas este es un equipo batallador que ha jugado sin suerte y que va dar de que hablar en el resto del torneo.

Si a esto le añadimos que en los primeros tres partidos los lanzadores boricuas han hecho un excelente trabajo al lograr una efectividad de 2.42 carreras limpias por juego permitiendo 7 carreras limpias, 21 incogibles, 7 bases por bolas y ponchar a 33 en 26 entradas. Esta efectividad es la segunda mejor del torneo detrás de los lanzadores venezolanos que han estado impenetrables. Son los relevistas medios los que le han fallado a los puertorriqueños en situaciones claves, sin embargo cuando uno estudia detenidamente este equipo uno llega a la conclusión que definitivamente su cuerpo de relevistas es una de las fortalezas de este equipo. Si los Leones juegan con un poco de suerte y comienzan a batear como ellos están acostumbrados es mejor que los contrarios se espabilen porque esta serie todavía no se ha terminado.