|
www.grand-slam.nl |
International Baseball |
| Headlines |
| Compiled and Copyright © 1997-2016 by Marco Stoovelaar |
 |
(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Henk Seppen)
    De Caster & Gigantes reach Final of Serie Latinoamericana after small win
Nederlands
 RIVAS (Nicaragua) -
On Thursday-evening (January 28), Gigantes de Rivas, the champion of Liga de Béisbol Profesional Nacional (Nicaragua) won only 1-0 vs. Tobis de Acayucan, the champion of Liga Invernal Veracruzana de Béisbol Profesional (Mexico) to close the preliminary round of the fourth edition of the Serie Latinoamericana.
Netherlands National Team-player Yurendell de Caster was 2-for-2 for Gigantes and walked once.
In the afternoon of Day 3, Caimanes Olímpica de Barranquilla, the champion of Liga Colombiana de Béisbol Profesional (Colombia) won 4-1 vs. Nacionales de Panamá, the champion of Liga Profesional de Béisbol de Panamá, which had won its first two games.
For Panamá, it was a costly loss.
After today's games, Nicaragua and Panamá ended in a tie for first place.
While Panamá had won against Nicaragua in the opening game, it was Nicaragua that secured itself tonight of a spot in the Final on Sunday.
However, the rules of the Asociacion Latinoamericana de Béisbol Profesional, which sanctions these international events, state that in case of a tie for first place, the host country is amongst them, it will automatically qualify for the Final.
With this, Nicaragua finished in first place and Panamá in second place.
When Panamá would have won in the afternoon, it would have been a finalist.
It also would have qualified for the Final in case México had won vs. Nicaragua.
In that case, Panamá and México would have tied for first place, but then the result of the head-to-head game would have been decisive and in favor of Panamá.
On Friday, México and Colombia will meet in the first Play-Off.
The winner of that game meets Panamá on Saturday to decide who the second finalist will be.
Last year, when the event was held in Panamá, three teams tied for first place, including Caballos de Coclé, which then represented the host country and automatically qualified for the Final.
It marks the first time that Gigantes will play in the Final of the tournament.
Two years ago, the team also participated, but then finished in fourth and last place.
Today's games were played at Estadio Yamil Ríos Ugarte in Rivas, the home of Nicaraguan champion Gigantes de Rivas.
From the stadium, there is a beautiful view towards rightfield of the impressive volcano Concepción, one of two volcanoes (the other being Maderas) that form the island of Ometepe, which is situated in the nearby Lago de Nicaragua (Lake Nicaragua), the biggest lake in Central America.
Concepción, which has a height of 5,280 feet (1,610 meters), last erupted in March 2010.
On the first two days, all games were played at Estacio Nacional Dennis Martínez in Nicaraguan capital Managua.
This will also be the site for the Play-Offs on Friday and Saturday and the Final on Sunday.
Before the game between Nicaragua and México in the evening, there was a nice ceremony in the stadium in Rivas.
After the Nicaraguan flag was carried to the infield with much ceremony and respect, both national anthems were sung live.
Hereafter, all players and coaches of México were presented with a gift on behalf of the city of Rivas.
(January 28)
Related Articles:
 Win for De Caster & Gigantes on Day 2 Serie Latinoamericana. (January 27)
De Caster & Gigantes open Serie Latinoamericana with loss. (January 26, 2016)
Caimanes capture title in professional Colombian league. (January 25, 2016)
Nacionales champion of professional league in Panamá. (January 25, 2016)
De Caster and Gigantes win Nicaraguan title; Vásquez MVP! (January 20, 2016)
|
Game 5 - Panamá vs. Colombia
In the afternoon, Caimanes Olímpica de Barranquilla (Colombia) defeated Nacionales de Panamá, 4-1, to register its first win of the event, while Panamá lost its first game.
With temperatures of 93 degrees Fahrenheit (33 Celsius), it was a hot afternoon in Rivas.
There was a bright sun, which also plays tricks on Panamanian rightfielder Rubén Rivera in the top of the first inning.
With one out, Efraín Contreras popped up the ball into rightfield, where Rivera momentarily lost it in the sun.
On the last moment, when the ball came down and while protecting himself against the sun, Rivera stretched his left arm and caught the ball just before it hit the ground.
The 42-year old Rivera is well experienced and has played nine years in the Major League for five teams.
Hereafter Adrian Sánchez doubled into left-centerfield, but was left behind.
American righthander Charles Gillies started for the Colombian squad and retired the side in the bottom of the first inning.
He was then supported with two runs with two outs in the top of the second at bat.
Gerson Montilla led off with a single off of starter Abdiel Velásquez, then Gerson Jiménez singled with one out.
After Velásquez struckout the next batter, he gave up a runscoring single to Cristian Cano, followed by an RBI-double by Fidel Peña.
That led to the early departure of Velásquez.
He was replaced by Humberto Mejia, but he began with a walk for Efraín Contreras that loaded the bases.
The three runners were left behind, as a flyout ended the inning.
Reliever Mejia also did well in the following innings.
He retired the side it the second inning, then gave up a single with one out in the third, but was supported with a double play.
In the fourth, he struckout two batters.
Colombian starter Gillies retired the first eight batters he faced.
With two outs in the third inning, he hit Jean Rodríguez with a pitch, but he was forced out.
After Colombia had turned a double play in the bottom of the fourth, he gave up his first basehit when Carlos Javier Quiroz connected for a single.'
A walk followed, but Panamá stranded two runners.
The Colombian defense turned another double play in the fifth.
The Colombian defense made some fine plays in the first five at bats, but an error in the bottom of the sixth led to the first Panamanian run and the departure of Gillies.
However, a very nice defensive play prevented Panamá to come alongside.
With one out, Eduardo Thomas grounded to short stop Ronald Ramírez, but he threw the ball into the ground in front of and passed first base.
That enabled Thomas to reach third base (!) and he scored moments later when Luis Castillo followed with a single.
After the latter advanced on a wild pitch, powerhitter Carlos Javier Quiroz was walked intentionally by Gillies, who was then relieved.
Erick Gonsalvez took over to face Rubén Rivera.
The veteran singled down the rightfield-line and Castillo was waved home for the tying run.
However, rightfielder Cristian Cano made a great throw to catcher Manuel Boscan, who tagged out the sliding Castillo.
Moments later, the inning ended with a force out, but Panamá had narrowed the deficit to 2-1.
Colombia added an insurance run in the top of the eighth inning.
Alberto Baldonado took over the pitching for Humberto Meija, who had done well since taking over in the second inning.
Baldonado gave up lead-off single to Adrian Sánchez, who advanced to second base on a failed pick-off (throwing error), moved to third on a single by Gerson Montillo and scored when the latter was forced out on second base on a grounder by Manuel Boscan.
Hereafter, Baldonado was relieved by Saul Gonzalez, who closed the at bat with a strikeout.
Panamá got two runners on base again with one out in the bottom of the eighth.
But after a pitching change, Colombia turned another double play.
In the top of the ninth, the Caimanes added another run.
Lead-off hitter Ronald Ramírez reached third base on a throwing error, then scored on a wild pitch to make it a 4-1 score.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Colombian defense ended the game with its fourth double play.
This was the tenth double play in three games for the Colombians, who played some fine defense during the event.
The team turned five double plays in its opener against México, then added one in the next game against Nicaragua.
Because of the loss, Panamá now had to wait for the result of the evening game between Nicaragua and México to see whether or not it had qualified for the Final.
Panamá would have qualified with a Mexican win.
But Nicaragua won and Panamá ended up in second place, based on the ruling that favors the organizing country in case of a tie for first place.
|
Game 6 - Nicaragua vs. México
In the evening, a well-played and suspenseful game followed with Gigantes de Rivas (Nicaragua) winning only 1-0 vs. Tobis de Acayucan (Mexico) to become the finalist of the tourmanent.
The lone run was scored in the eighth inning.
Gigantes was productive in each of the first three inings, but failed to open the score.
In the bottom of the first inning, off of starter Jorge Ibarra, Jimmy González led off with a single, but México then turned a double play.
In the second, Yurendell de Caster led off with a walk, then got into scoring position when next batter Luis Allen Salazar singled.
However, a pop-fly followed, then another double play ended the inning.
In the third, with two outs, González singled again and moved to second base on a failed pick-off, but stranded.
Gigantes-starter Jonathan Aristill encountered no problems in his first three innings.
The righthander gave up a 2-out single to Karim García in the first inning.
The veteran stole second base, but then was left behind.
In the third, Aristill gave up an one-out single to Rufino Candelario, but he was caught stealing.
In the top of the fourth, México got two runners in scoring position off of Aristill, but he escaped this situation unharmed.
With one out, Karim García walked, then Joan Carlos Pedroso doubled.
Moments later, García was eliminated at the plate trying to score on a grounder to short.
Pedroso advanced to third base, but stranded there when a flyout ended the inning.
In the fifth, México again had two runners in scoring position, but didn't score.
José Castañeda led off with a single and moved on a sacrifice bunt.
With two outs, Daniel Nuñez walked.
The two runners moved on a wild pitch, but stranded on second and third base when a foul pop-fly ended the at bat.
Both teams kept on playing well defensively and it took until the bottom of the seventh for the next runner to get into scoring position.
México turned its third double play in the bottom of the fifth and Nicaragua turned its first one in the top of the sixth.
...Yurendell de Caster...
...two hits, one walk...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Yurendell de Caster led off with a single, his second basehit in the game.
He then got into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Luis Allen Salazar.
Hereafter, De Caster was unable to advance on a grounder, but then moved on a wild pitch moments later to become the first runner of Gigantes to reach third base tonight.
But De Caster would strand on third base, as next batter Ramón Flores struckout on a check swing, which was ruled swing by Panamanian 1B Umpire Cesar Rodríguez.
After México was retired in order in the top of the eighth by reliever José Villegas (he took over in the seventh), the suspense rose in the bottom of the at bat.
José Perez took over the pitching for Mexican starter Jorge Ibarra, who had done very well.
Perez gave up a lead-off single to pinch-hitter Darrel Campbell, who then advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Iván Marín.
Another pitching change followed and Hugo Castellanos was brought in.
Campbell then stole third base and moments later, Jimmy González walked.
Hereafter, Ofilio Castro hit a soft grounder towards Castellanos.
This might have turned into an inning-ending double play, but in any case would have kept Campbell on third base.
However, Castellanos misplayed the ball and was just in time to retire Castro at first base, but it also enabled Campbell to score the first run.
In proved to be the first of two crucial moments in the game.
Castellanos was then relieved by Jonathan Sintes, who faced Wuillians Vásquez.
The Venezuelan lined out to end the inning, but Gigantes had taken the lead.
The suspense wasn't over yet.
In the top of the ninth inning, José Luis Sáenz became the new pitcher for the Nicaraguan squad.
He gave up a lead-off single to Yoan Carlos Pedroso, the third basehit for the Cuban in this game.
Eliezer Ortiz replaced him as pinch-runner and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Pedro Díaz.
Ortiz then stole third base and next batter Sergio Pérez walked.
The second crucial play then followed, as batter José Castañeda missed making contact in a squeeze play.
Ortiz was on his way towards home, but got in a rundown and was tagged out.
Pérez advanced to second base on the play and then became the next runner at third base moments later via a wild pitch.
But then Castañeda grounded out to end the game.
|
Thank you for visiting this site.
Mail your suggestions and questions to stoov@wxs.nl
Copyright © 1997-2016 Marco Stoovelaar / Grand Slam * Stats & News.
|
|
