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(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Henk Seppen)
     Venezuela, México open Serie del Caribe with small win
Nederlands
 SANTO DOMINGO DE GUZMÁN (Dominican Republic) -
The 58th edition of the annual Serie del Caribe (Caribbean Series) went underway on Monday (February 1) with the match-up between the representatives of Venezuela and Puerto Rico.
In the afternoon, Tigres de Aragua, the champion of the Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional (Venezuela), only 2-1 vs. Cangrejeros de Santurce, the champion of the Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente (Puerto Rico).
In the evening, Venados de Mazatlán, the champion of the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico (México), won with a 3-2 score against home-playing Leones del Escogido, the champion of the Liga de Béisbol Profesional de la República Dominicana (Dominican Republic).
Tigres de Ciego de Ávila, the champion of the 2014-2015 season of the Serie Nacional de Béisbol (Cuba), will its first game on Tuesday.
This years Serie del Caribe is dedicated to Juan Marichal, the first Dominican to be elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983.
The 78-year old Marichal played in the Major League in 1960-1975 for San Francisco Giants (1960-1973), Boston Red Sox (1974) and Los Angeles Dodgers (1975).
He was a ten-times All Star and pitched an No-Hitter in 1963.
The stadium in Santo Domingo is named after the legendary pitcher.
Between the two games of today, starting an hour before the evening game, the Opening Ceremony took place with all five teams line up around the infield.
A huge children's orchestra then played the official baseball-hymne of the Confederación de Béisbol Profesional del Caribe (CBPC) followed by the National Anthems of the five participating countries, while the flags were raised.
After the teams had left the field, Leonardo Matos Berido, the President of LIDOM (the professional baseball league of the Dominican Republic), welcomed everyone.
Next, Juan Marichal was introduced and threw the ceremonial first pitch to officially open the event.
All games will be played in Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, which last hosted the Serie del Caribe in 2012.
It marks the tenth time that the event takes place in the Dominican Republic and the ninth time that Santo Domingo will be the playing site.
Last year, the event was held in San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico.
It was won by Vegueros de Pinar del Río, the champion of Cuba, which then won the Final vs. Tomateros de Culiacán (México) with a 3-2 score.
Through the years, Dominican clubs have won the tournament the most times with 19 titles, followed by Puerto Rico (14), México (8), Cuba (8), Venezuela (7) and Panamá (1).
The most successful club is Tigres del Licey from the Dominican Republic, which won ten Series del Caribe.
(February 1)
Related Articles:
 Serie del Caribe opens Monday in Dominican Republic. (January 31)
De Caster wins Final Serie Latinoamericana with Gigantes! (January 31)
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Game 1 - Venezuela vs. Puerto Rico
In the opening game, Tigres de Aragua (Venezuela), initially trailed 1-0, but won 2-1 vs. Cangrejeros de Santurce (Puerto Rico).
39-year old righthander Freddy García started for the Venezuelan squad.
The veteran pitched 15 years in the Major League (1999-2013) for seven clubs, including six with the Seattle Mariners.
In 2005, he won the World Series with Chicago White Sox.
Last year, he played in México and Venezuela.
In November last year, García participated in the Premier12 with the National Team of Venezuela.
In the top of the first inning, García gave up a lead-off triple to Ruben Sosa, who then scored the first run on an one-out single by Neftali Soto, who played 34 games in the Major League for Cincinnati Reds (2013-2014).
After giving up the run in the first inning, García held Puerto Rico scoreless in the next five innings and struckout four batters.
In the top of the second, he was supported with a great defensive play by Cuban third baseman Adonis García, who made a diving catch on a line drive by Henry Ramos.
García is a prospect with the Atlanta Braves and made his Major League-debut last year.
Righthander Adalberto Flores started for Puerto Rico.
He also is a veteran hurler and plays professionally since 2005.
Flores played in the minor league for Florida Marlins, Texas Rangers and Houston Astros through 2012.
Since 2008, he plays in the Puerto Rican Winter League and in recent years, he also played in México during the Summer.
Flores was supported with a double play in the bottom of the first inning, but then gave up two runs in the second at bat.
He walked lead-off hitter Felix Pérez, then Dariel Alvarez reached on an infield-hit.
Both scored when José Martínez followed with a triple that gave Venezuela a 2-1 lead.
Last year, Martínez played in Triple-A for the Kansas City Royals.
Puerto Rico left two runners in scoring position in the next two innings.
In the top of the third, with one out, Ruben Sosa hit the ball into leftfield, where José Martínez misjudged it and went over his head for a double.
Sosa advanced on a grounder, but then stranded.
In the fourth, T.J. Rivera hit a pop-up into short left field.
There, the second baseman, short stop, leftfielder and centerfielder all went after the ball, which landed on the ground in the middle of them for a double.
But Rivera also was left behind.
After giving up the two runs in the second inning, Puerto Rican-starter Adalberto Flores encountered no problems in the next three innings.
In the third at bat, he was supported with another double play.
In the fourth, he began with a walk for Felix Pérez, but then picked him off first base moments later.
Both teams were retired in order in the fifth, then reached base again in the sixth.
For Puerto Rico, Neftali Soto walked with one out, but was left behind.
For Venezuela, Adonis García singled with one out off of reliever Joseph Colon.
During a pick-off attempt on first base by Colon, García got in a rundown (and probably would have been tagged out), but at the same time, Dominican 2B Umpire Felix Tejada called a balk.
That led to protests.
The 6-man umpire crew got together, reversed the call (it indeed was no balk) and send García back to first base.
When the game resumed, leftfielder Ruben Sosa made a nice catch on a line drive by Felix Pérez.
Dariel Alvarez then reached on an error, but Venezuela stranded two runners.
After stranding a runner on second base in the top of the fourth inning, Puerto Rico was silenced by the Venezuelan pitching.
The team was retired in order in the fifth and seventh inning.
In the sixth, it left a runner on first base.
In the eighth, with one out, Ruben Sosa walked, but he then took off on a pop-fly to second baseman Hernan Pérez and was simply tagged out to complete an unassisted double play.
In the top of the ninth, with Venezuela still leading only 2-1, Neftali Soto led off with a single off reliever Alexix Candelaria, who had taken over in the seventh inning.
Hereafter, the Dominican pitcher was replaced by 31-year old veteran lefthander José Mijares, who had pitched six seasons in the Major League, including four with the Minnesota Twins, appearing in 324 games as a reliever.
Mijares' job was to retire powerhitter Kennys Vargas, who in the last two years played in 111 Major League-games for the Minnesota Twins.
Mijares did what he had to do and on his fifth pitch, Vargas popped out into foul territory to first baseman Luis Ugueto, who had just entered the game.
Mijares was replaced by Renee Cortez, who needed only three pitches, as next batter T.J. Rivera grounded into a game-ending double play to secure the minimal lead.
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Game 2 - Dominican Republic vs. México
In the evening, the game also ended in an one-run score, as Venados de Mazatlán (México) defeated host Leones del Escogido (Dominican Republic) with a 3-2 score.
Starting for the Dominican home team was American righthander Greg Reynolds, who in 2008, 2011 and 2013 pitched in the Major League for Colorado Rockies in a total of 33 games.
He retired the side in the first inning, but got himself into problems in the next at bat.
The righthander gave up a lead-off single to American Cyle Hankerd, who played in Independent Leagues, Venezuela and México in the past three years.
In 2006-2013, he played in the minor leagues, mostly for Arizona Diamondbacks.
Reynolds then walked Cuban Yuniesky Betancourt, who played in the Major League in 2005-2013.
A force out followed on a grounder by Esteban Quiroz, but that brought Hankerd to third base.
Next batter Esteban Quiroz then grounded back to Reynolds for a possible double play-grounder.
However, Reynolds threw the ball past second base into centerfield and that enabled Hankerd to score the first run.
Lefthander Hector Daniel Rodríguez started for the Mexican squad.
He also retired the side in the first inning.
In the second at bat, he walked lead-off hitter Diory Hernández, but then picked him off first base moments later.
Hernández played 75 games in the Major League for Atlanta Braves in 2009-2011.
A single by Zoilo Almonte followed, but he stranded on first base.
México doubled its lead in the third inning.
With one out, American Justin Greene singled.
Greene also is a veteran professional and played in the minors for Chicago White Sox in 2008-2012.
Hereafter, 36-year old Chris Roberson also singled.
Roberson is another American on the Mexican roster and he played in 85 Major League-games for Philadelphia Phillies in 2006-2007.
The bases then got loaded when Cyle Hankerd walked.
México then again scored a run on a force out-grounder, this time by Yuniesky Betancourt, but also left two runners behind.
...Fernando Rodney pitching for the...
...Dominican Republic...
...at the 2013 World Baseball Classic...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
In the bottom of the third, the Dominicans also got on the scoreboard.
With one out, Pedro López singled, then Leury García lined the ball in right-centerfield, past a diving centerfielder Justin Greene.
The ball went all the way to the wall and García circled the bases with a 2-run, inside-the-park-homerun to tie the score.
In the last three seasons, García played in 112 Major League-games for Chicago White Sox after having made his debut with Texas Rangers (25 games) in 2013.
México re-took the lead in the top of the fifth.
Justin Greene and Chris Roberson led off with singles and that led to a pitching change, as Edgar García took over for Reynolds.
With one out, a grounder by Yuniesky Betancourt led to a force out, but in an attempt to complete a double play, a throwing error followed, enabling Greene to score.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Dominican Republic got runners on second and third base with one out, but failed to score.
Carlos Paulino led off with a single and moved on a sacrifice bunt.
A pop-fly into rightfield by Leury García was then missed, resulting in runners on second and third base.
Two former Major Leaguers were the batters hereafter.
First, pitcher Hector Daniel Rodríguez struckout Dominican Junior Lake, who played in 201 ML-games for Chicago Cubs and Baltimore Orioles in 2013-2015.
Next batter was 39-year old American Lew Ford, who played for Minnesota Twins in 2003-2007 and for Baltimore Orioles in 2012.
But he flied out to end the inning, meaning the two runners were left behind and México stayed ahead.
The Dominicans got another scoring opportunity in the bottom of the seventh.
Lead-off hitter Carlos Paulino led off with a strikeout, but reached after a wild pitch, while it appeared that the throw to first base was just in time.
He moved on a sacrifice bunt, then Leury García walked.
However, a double play ended the inning.
Veteran pitcher Fernando Rodney took the mound for the Dominicans in the top of the ninth.
The 38-year old righthander pitched in the Major League in 2002-2003 and 2005-2015, including seven years with Detroit Tigers.
He became a Free Agent in November.
Rodney retired the side and with that, the final 13 Mexican batters had been retired in order by four Dominican pitchers!
The Dominicans got several chances of turning the game in its own favor, but were left empty handed.
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