(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Henk Seppen)
        Curaçao shuts out Puerto Rico to reach Play-Offs in Caribbean Series
Nederlands
 MIAMI, Florida (USA) -
On Wednesday (February 7), Curaçao Suns recorded a 2-0 shutout against Criollos de Caguas, the champion of the Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente in Puerto Rico.
With that, the team of Manager Hainley Statia did what it had to do on the final day of the preliminary round of the 66th edition of the Caribbean Series (Serie del Caribe).
With the victory, Curaçao qualified for the Semi-Finals that will be played on Thursday.
It marks the first time that Curaçao advanced to the Championship Round.
Last year, the team of WildCats KJ74 failed to make the next round and finished in seventh place.
In the final game of the preliminary round, history was made by Venezuelan pitcher Ángel Padrón, as the lefthander thew a No-Hitter in a 9-0 win against Nicaragua.
Padrón almost was perfect, allowing only one player to reach on a walk in the eighth inning.
This is only the second No-Hitter in Caribbean Series-history, which began 75 years ago.
The first No-Hitter was thrown 72 years agon on February 21, 1952 during the fourth edition by Tommy Fine for Leones del Habana from Cuba in an 1-0 shutout against Cervecería Caracas from Venezuela.
Fine, who was an American, played in five seasons in the Cuban league.
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.
On Tuesday, Curaçao lost only 2-0 against Tigres del Licey from the Dominican Republic.
The four best teams will advance to the Semi-Finals.
With the win, Curaçao moved into a tie for fourth place with Puerto Rico.
In the following game on Wednesday, the Dominican Republic was to play against leader Panama, which suffered its first loss on Tuesday-evening.
In case, the Dominicans would end up losing this game, it would create a 3-way tie for third place with Curaçao and Puerto Rico.
The Dominican team of Licey had won against both teams, meaning it will finish in third place.
And as Curaçao had won against Caguas from Puerto Rico, it will finish in fourth place.
Licey indeed ended up short and lost 3-1 to Chiriquí to finish in third place.
In the evening, Tiburones de La Guaira from Venezuela recordes a 9-0 shutout against the Nicaraguan champion, which ended in last place without a victory.
La Guaira finished in a tie with Chiriquí and ended up first based on the head-to-head win against the Panamanian squad.
On Thursday-afternoon, Licey will meet Chiriquí in the first Semi-Final.
In the evening, Curaçao meets La Guaira.
The winners will meet in the Final on Friday-evening, the losers will play for the Bronze Medal in the afternoon.
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).
...Winning pitcher Juan Carlos Sulbaran...
...Above, he pitches for the Netherlands...
...in the 2023 World Baseball Classic...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
In a suspenseful game on Wednesday, Curaçao scored a run in the fourth and ninth inning.
The team collected eight basehits, while the Puerto Rican opponent was limited to only five hits by four pitchers.
In the top of the first inning, lead-off hitter Roger Bernadina grounded out and sustained an injury and had to leave the game.
With one out, Jurickson Profar singled, but he stranded on first base.
Curaçao was retired in order by starter Daryl Thompson in the second inning, then got runners as the corners in the third.
Juremi Profar led off with a single, but he was forced out on a grounder by Edmond Americaan, who had replaced Bernadina in the bottom of the first inning.
Americaan moved to third base on a single by Jurickson Profar, but they were left behind.
Curaçao-starter Juan Carlos Sulbaran retired the first seven batters he faced and had a strong outing.
With one out in the third, the righthander gave up a single to Jonathan Morales, but then was supported with a double play.
Curaçao then opened the score in the top of the fourth, but failed to add an additional run, leaving runners behind on second and third base.
Wladimir Balentien led off with a single and Jonathan Schoop followed with a double.
With two runners in scoring position, Alex Claudio took over the pitching and got a grounder from Ademar Rifaela.
A force play was then set up by walking Hendrik Clementina intentionally.
Instead of a force play-grounder, a hit into centerfield followed by Juremi Profar, which became a sacrifice fly, as Balentien scored.
Schoop and Clementina were able to advance to second and third base.
Another pitching-change followed.
Angel Torres took over and got a grounder from Andrelton Simmons, meaning two runners were left behind in scoring position.
In the bottom of the fourth, Nelson Velazquez doubled for Puerto Rico with two outs, but stranded on second base.
Sulbaran then retired the side again in the fifth.
More suspenseful innings followed.
Curaçao left runners behind on first base in the fifth and sixth inning.
Puerto Rico got another runner on second base in the sixth off of new pitcher Wendell Floranus.
He began with a strikeout, but then gave up a double to Jack López.
A flyout and groundout followed.
Both teams came close to a run in the seventh inning.
Facing new pitcher Lincoln Henzma, Andrelton Simmons led off for Curaçao and reached on a throwing error.
He moved on a sacrifice bunt by Edmond Americaan.
Hereafter, Jurickson Profar also reached on a throwing error.
While trying to advance to third base, Simmons was eliminated.
In the mean time, Profar advanced to second base, but was left behind there.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Puerto Rico got another opportunity to come alongside.
Nelson Velazquez led off with a single.
Shea Spitzbarth then took over the Curaçao-pitching and gave up an one-out single to Juan Escarra, which led to runners at the corners.
After Spitzbarth had followed with a strikeout, Escarra stole second base.
This time, Puerto Rico left runners behind on second and third base.
In the previous game, Curaçao faced an 1-0 deficit against the Dominicans, who then added an insurance run in the eighth inning.
Today, it was Curaçao that scored an insurance run in the top of the ninth.
New pitcher Endrys Briceno gave up a lead-off single to Juremi Profar.
His pinch-runner Darren Seferina advanced to third base when a throwing error was made on a sacrifice bunt by Andrelton Simmons, who ended up on second base.
Briceno followed with a strikeout for Edmond Americaan and then was replaced by Danny Wirchansky.
He issued an intentional walk to Jurickson Profar, which loaded the bases.
Moments later, Seferina scored on a sacrifice fly by Didi Gregorius to double the Curaçao-lead.
With a 2-0 lead, Anthony Herrera took the mound for Curaçao in the bottom of the ninth.
He retired the side to secure the win.
And with that, Curaçao qualified for the Play-Offs!
(February 7)
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