(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen)
        One run enough for second win WildCats Curaçao in Caribbean Series
Nederlands
  CARACAS / MACUTO, La Guaira State (Venezuela) -
One run was enough for WildCats KJ74 to record its second win during the 65th edition of the Serie del Caribe (Caribbean Baseball Series) in Venezuela.
On Saturday (February 4), Day 3 of the event, the Curaçao-team won only 1-0 against Federales de Chiriquí, the champion of the Béisbol Profesional de Panamá.
There were two other close games on Saturday, as Tigres del Licey (Dominican Republic) won 6-4 against Indios de Mayagüez (Puerto Rico) and Cañeros de Los Mochis (Mexico) nipped Vaqueros de Montería (Colombia), 7-6.
The Colombians had staged a 4-run rally in the fifth inning and Mexicans trailed 6-3 halfway the eighth inning.
The team then came alongsode and scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth when Roberto Valenzuela was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and one out.
In the evening, Leones del Caracas (Venezuela) routed Agricultores (Cuba) with a big 20-3 score.
The Venezuelan team rallied for seven runs in the bottom of the first inning and with a 15-3 lead, it added five more runs in the bottom of the eighth.
The team collected 25 basehits, including two homeruns.
After Day 3, the representatives of Curaçao, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Venezuela now form the top-4, all with a 2-1 record.
On Sunday, WildCats meets the champion from Colombia.
The game was somewhat of a pitching-duel, but without really dominating pitchers.
Three Panamanian pitchers struckout six batters, but also walked nine and gave up six basehits.
Panama recorded five basehits, which were all recorded off of starter Jair Jurrjens.
The former Major Leaguer gave up the five hits in 3 2/3 inning, then three Curaçao-relievers did very well and held Panama hitless in the remainder of the game.
...Jair Jurrjens pitching for the Netherlands in 2017...
...during the World Baseball Classic...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Curaçao scored the lone run in the seventh inning and didn't had to do much to cross home plate, as it also was scored thanks to a hit batter.
Curaçao got a chance to open the score in the first inning off of starter Edison Frias, as it got the bases loaded with two outs.
Roger Bernadina led off with a single and advanced on a passed ball, then Ray-Patrick Didder was hit by a pitch.
Next batter Jonathan Schoop grounded into a double play, which moved Bernadina to third base.
The bases then got loaded when Wladimir Balentien and Sharlon Schoop both walked, but the at bat ended when Juremi Profar struckout.
The team was then retired in order in the next two innings.
Panama also immediately got into scoring position in its first at bat off of starter Jair Jurrjens, who pitched in the Major League for Detroit Tigers (2007), Atlanta Braves (2008-2012), Baltimore Orioles (2013) and Colorado Rockies (2014).
Since 2019, the righthander plays in Mexico.
In the first inning, Jurrjens gave up a lead-off single to Rodrigo Alexis Orozco, but he was caught stealing.
With two outs, an error and walk led to two runners, but Jurrjens closed with a strikeout.
Panama got runners at the corners in the second inning.
With two outs, Enrique Orlando Valdez singled, then stole both second and third base.
A walk led to the next baserunner, but a grounder ended the at bat.
Panama got another scoring opportunity in the bottom of the third.
Michael Wielansky then led off with a double and the next batter was hit by a pitch.
This time, a flyout and double play followed.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Curaçao-team left the bases loaded behind for the second time.
With one out, Sharlon Schoop singled and advanced on an outfield-error.
He then moved to third base on a following single by Juremi Profar and the bases got loaded when Darren Seferina walked.
But Dudley Leonora then grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Moments later, it was Panama that got another runner in scoring position.
Ariel Sandoval led off with a double, but he was picked off second base by Jurrjens.
With two outs, Jurrjens gave up a single to Enrique Orlando Valdez and then was relieved by Témesh Lourens.
He ended the at bat by picking off Valdez at first base.
...Darren Seferina scored the lone run...
...On the photo, he plays for Curaçao...
...during last year Baseball Week Haarlem...
...in the Netherlands...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
After Curaçao was retired in order again in the top of the fifth, Panama got another runner on third base moments later.
Lourens walked lead-off hitter Joshwan Wright, who then moved to second base on an errant pick-off.
With one out, Wright moved to third base on a grounder and Panama got another runner via a walk.
But Lourens then closed with a strikeout.
Curaçao then scored what would remain the lone run in the game in the top of the seventh inning.
Panamanian reliever Yusniel Padron-Artiles (who had entered in the previous inning) walked lead-off hitter Darren Seferina, then gave up a comeback infield-hit to Dudley Leonora.
That led to another pitching change.
Severino González took over and he saw the two runners advance on a sacrifice bunt by Dashenko Ricardo.
With first base open, a force play was set up by walking Roger Bernadina intentionally.
But hereafter, González hit next batter Ray-Patrick Didder with a pitch and that enabled Seferina to score!
A strikeout and grounder ended the at bat, but Curaçao was ahead, 1-0.
In the bottom of the seventh, Témesh Lourens retired the side.
In 2020, Lourens pitched in the Dutch big league for Quick Amersfoort.
Curaçao was then also retired in order in the top of the eighth by González.
In the bottom of the eighth, veteran reliever Kevin Kelly took the mound for Curaçao and also retired the side.
The pitcher of Dutch big leaguer Curaçao Neptunus struckout one batter.
In the top of the ninth, Curaçao got chance to take more distance, but for the third time, three runners were left behind.
Edmond Americaan led off with a single and with one out, he moved to third base on a single by Roger Bernadina, who himself moved into scoring position on the throw.
Next batter Ray-Patrick Didder was then walked intentionally to load the bases and create a force play.
With one out, González then struckout Major Leaguer Jonathan Schoop and got a grounder from former Major Leaguer and star in the Japanese big league, Wladimir Balentien.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Franklin Van Gurp took over the pitching for Curaçao.
Van Gurp, who last season played in the Dutch big league for L&D Amsterdam Pirates, began with a strikeout, but then got a baserunner on an error by Andrelton Simmons, who had just entered as new short stop.
But the inning and the game then ended when Johnny Yussef Santos grounded into a double play, that was started by Simmons.
Curaçao collected six basehits, including two by Roger Bernadina and Sharlon Schoop.
(February 5)
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