(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Henk Seppen)
        Curaçao loses Semi-Final, will play for Bronze in Caribbean Series
Nederlands
 MIAMI, Florida (USA) -
Curaçao Suns failed to hold onto an early 2-0 lead and lost 6-2 against Tiburones de La Guaira from Venezuela in the Semi-Final on Thursday-evening (February 8).
With that, the team will play on Friday-afternoon in the Bronze Medal-game of the 66th edition of the Caribbean Series (Serie del Caribe).
Curaçao then meets Federales de Chiriquí from Panamá, which earlier on Thursday lost 4-1 in the first Semi-Final against Tigres del Licey from the Dominican Republic.
On Friday-evening, the teams from Venezuela and the Dominican Republic will face each other in the Final.
Curaçao 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.
On Wednesday, Curaçao recorded a 2-0 shutout against Criollos de Caguas from Puerto Rico to reach the Semi-Final.
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).
The teams from Puerto Rico, Mexico and Nicaragua were eliminated for the Semi-Finals.
Curaçao opened the score on Thursday in the first inning.
Lead-off hitter Roger Bernadina doubled off of starter Miguel Romero and scored on a following single by Jurickson Profar.
With one out, veteran Wladimir Balentien walked, but two flyouts followed.
...Roger Bernadina was 3-for-5...
...On the photo, he is with the Netherlands during...
...the 2022 Baseball Week Haarlem...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
In the second inning, Curaçao stranded another runner in scoring position.
With two outs, Andrelton Simmons doubled.
Roger Bernadina followed with another drive into the outfield, but this time, the ball was caught by rightfielder Yasiel Puig.
Both have played for Los Angeles Dodgers in the Major League and were teammates there in September 2014.
Puig played for the team in 2013-2018, Bernadina played his final nine games of his Major League-career for Los Angeles.
After Curaçao was retired in order in the third inning, the team added a run in the top of the fourth.
With one out, Ademar Rifaela singled and scored on a following double by Juremi Profar, who was left behind on second base.
Curaçao was then kept scoreless in the remainder of the game, while Venezuela turned the game around via two 3-run rallies.
Curaçao-starter Nelmerson Angela encountered no problems in the first three innings.
The lefthander walked a batter in the second and third inning and was supported with a double play in the third.
But with a 2-0 lead and after having thrown three hitless innings, Angela ran into problems with two outs in the bottom of the fourth.
After two quick outs, Angela gave up a single to Wilson Ramos and walked Yasiel Puig.
He then gave up a runscoring single to Ramon Flores, which also gave Venezuela runners on second and third base.
In this situation, Kevin Kelly took over the pitching, but he was greeted with a 2-single by Luis Torrens, which put Venezuela ahead, 3-2.
Curaçao was retired in order in the top of the fifth, then Venezuela reached base again moments later.
Kelly walked lead-off hitter Alcides Escobar and was then relieved by Shea Spitzbarth.
He was supported with a strikeout-caught-stealing-double-play and closed with a strikeout.
Curaçao got an opportunity to tie the score in the sixth.
With one out, Jonathan Schoop singled, which led to a pitching-change.
New pitcher Jorgan Cavanerio got a flyout, but then walked Juremi Profar.
A flyout ended the at bat.
In the bottom of the sixth, off of new pitcher Wendell Floranus, Venezuela rallied again for three runs to take more distance.
With one out, Floranus gave up a single to Wilson Ramos and with two outs, Ramon Flores delivered an RBI-double.
Hereafter, Franklin Van Gurp took over the Curaçao-pitching.
He walked Luis Torrens, then gave up a 2-run double to Leonardo Reginatto, which increased the lead to 6-2.
Curaçao got another runner in scoring position in the seventh.
New pitcher Silvino Bracho gave up an one-out single to Roger Bernadina and a 2-out single to Didi Gregorius, but a force out ended the at bat.
Curaçao got a final scoring opportunity in the ninth inning off of closer Arnaldo José Hernandez.
With two outs, Roger Bernadina (who was 3-for-5) and Jurickson Profar singled.
But the at bat and the game then ended with a grounder by Didi Gregorius.
(February 8)
|
