(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Henk Seppen)
        Curaçao suffers small loss vs. Dominicans in Caribbean Series
Nederlands
 MIAMI, Florida (USA) -
On Tuesday (February 6), Curaçao Suns lost only 2-0 against Tigres del Licey, the champion of the Liga de Béisbol Profesional de la República Dominicana, on Day 6 of the 66th edition of the Caribbean Series (Serie del Caribe).
Curaçao had opened the annual event on Thursday with a 6-5 win against Naranjeros de Hermosillo from Mexico.
On Friday, the team lost 7-3 against Federales de Chiriquí from Panamá.
The next day, Curaçao lost 4-2 against Tiburones de La Guaira from Venezuela.
On Monday, Curaçao recovered and won 6-3 against Gigantes de Rivas from Nicaragua.
The four best teams will advance to the Semi-Finals.
Despite the loss, Curaçao still has a chance to advance to this next round.
However, in order to do so, the team has to win its final game in the preliminary round on Wednesday against Criollos de Caguas (Puerto Rico).
This year, the annual event is played in Miami, Florida (USA), where all games are played in LoanDepot Park, the home of Miami Marlins.
Seven teams participate in this years tournament, who all are the champions of their respective professional leagues: Criollos de Caguas (Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente, Puerto Rico), Curaçao Suns (Curaçao Professional Baseball), Federales de Chiriquí (Liga Profesional de Béisbol de Panamá), Gigantes de Rivas (Liga de Béisbol Profesional de Nicaragua), Naranjeros de Hermosillo (Liga Mexicana del Pacifico, Mexico), Tiburones de La Guaira (Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional, Venezuela) and Tigres del Licey (Liga de Béisbol Profesional de la República Dominicana, Dominican Republic).
...Robinson Canó accounted for an insurance...
...run for Licey against Curaçao...
...On the photo, he plays for the Dominicans...
...in the 2013 World Baseball Classic...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
On Tuesday, not much happened in the first three innings.
Curaçao left a baserunner behind on first base in the second and third inning.
The Dominican opponent got only one baserunner in its first three at bats.
With two outs in the first inning, Major League-veteran Robinson Canó doubled, but stranded on second base.
Curaçao-starter Cody Mincey retired the side in the next two innings.
After Curaçao was retired in order in the top of the fourth, the Dominican champion opened the score moments later.
Gustavo Nuñez led off the fourth with a single and moved on an one-out single by Ramón Hernández.
Nuñez then scored on a following single by Dawel Lugo.
A double play ended the at bat.
This run appeared to remain the lone one in the game.
After both teams were retired in order in the fifth, Curaçao got briefly into scoring position in the top of the sixth.
New Dominican pitcher Fernando Abad saw lead-off hitter Andrelton Simmons reach on an error.
Simmons moved on a following grounder by Roger Bernadina, but then was eliminated when he also tried to advance to third base.
Curaçao was then retired in order again in the seventh by new pitcher Neftalí Feliz.
After having given up the run in the fourth, Cody Mincey retired the side in the fifth and sixth inning.
The Dominicans got two baserunners in the seventh, but failed to score an additional run.
With one out, Mincey gave up a single to Dawal Lugo, which led to a pitching change, as Kevin Kelly took over.
With two outs, he hit Webster Rivas with a pitch, but then got an inning-ending comeback-grounder.
After Dominican reliever Neftalí Feliz got three grounders in the seventh, he struckout the side in the eighth.
The Dominican champion added a much-needed insurance run in the bottom of the eighth off of new pitcher Franklin Van Gurp.
With one out, he gave up singles to Emilio Bonifacio and Gustavo Nuñez, which led to runners on first and third base.
Hereafter, Shea Spitzbarth was inserted as new pitcher.
He saw Bonifacio score on a sacrifice fly by 41-year old Robinson Canó, who played in 17 Major League-seasons.
Canó played for New York Yankees (2005-2013), Seattle Mariners (2014-2018), New York Mets (2019-2022), San Diego Padres (2022) and Atlanta Braves (2022).
He played in 2,267 games, collecting 2,639 basehits, including 335 homeruns.
In 2013, Canó was the Most Valuable Player of the World Baseball Classic, which was won by the Dominican Republic.
Now with a 2-0 lead, closer Jairo Asencio took the mound in the top of the ninth for Licey.
With one out, he gave up a single to Roger Bernadina, who was Curaçao's first runner since the sixth inning.
He stay on the bases was brief, as next batter Jurickson Profar grounded into a double play.
And that ended the game.
(February 6)
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