San Juan, Puerto Rico – Two days before game two of the Titanes del Caribe series, the president of the Tigres del Licey, Ricardo Ravelo, stated that the team would not participate in the series due to logistical problems and lack of accommodations for starting the second game of the Titanes del Caribe event at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
This prompted the event organizer, LatinEvents, to stop all ticket sales Thursday night. The following day, reports of a possible fine against Tigre del Licey and a new statement from the team stating that they would be traveling to San Juan. The first pitch was scheduled for 6 p.m. AST on December 7.
The Aguilas Cibaeñas came onto the field around 4:30 to warm up. World Baseball Network had the opportunity to talk with Aguilas Cibaeñas manager Yadier Molina before the second game at the 2024 Titanes del Caribe event.
Aguilas Cibaenas Manager Yadier Molina Speaks With Sanchez:
Q. How is the energy in the clubhouse after the short flight here?
A: We are good, we are positive, and we’re eager to get started.
Q. What are your expectations for this weekend?
A: Obviously, we come out here to win games, and we need to be confident to ensure that happens.
An hour before first pitch, it was announced that Licey would not make it in time for the scheduled 6 p.m. AST, when the game was supposed to start.
Sanchez spoke with Aguilas Cibaeñas catcher Brett Sullivan about the issues surrounding the start time of the first game in Puerto Rico.
Aguilas Cibaenas Catcher Brett Sullivan Speaks With Sanchez:
Q: Rumors are that Licey is late to the game. How do you feel about them showing up late? Will it affect you guys?
A: No, it won’t affect us; I think that’s standard Dominican time. We will be ready to go when they say,” Sullivan said to World Baseball Network.
First pitch came at 8:35 p.m. AST at Hiram Bithorn Stadium; over two and a half hours late, Licey and Aguilas were finally ready.
During the top of the second inning, Sullivan rocked a double that should have scored a runner if not for the lapse of judgment from the third base coach. Brett would ultimately reach home and score the first run of the game after an Alfredo Reyes bunt.
In the bottom of the third, Licey’s Allan Cerda got into scoring position with a hard-hit double. Next batter, Luis Barrera, hit a single that scored Allan and tied the game 1-1.
A few moments later, Aristides Aquino drew an RBI walk with the bases loaded, and Licey took a 2-1 lead.
Francisco Mejia hits an infield single and scores the runner on third, 3-1 Licey.
Robel Garcia starts the scoring in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single that brings in Francisco Mejia 4-1 Licey.
Licey would ultimately take a 9-1 Lead in the bottom of the sixth and end up with an 11-3 win.
Titanes Del Caribe December 8 – SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO
Game three had more scheduling issues. This time around, Aguilas Cibaeñas were nowhere to be found for the scheduled 1 p.m. AST start time. Sunday’s game was delayed three hours from the original start time due to reservation issues from the promoters.
The third and final game of the 2024 Titanes del Caribe event did not start until 4 p.m. AST due to the Aguilas Cibaenas having issues with checking into their hotel after the first game at Hiram Bithorn Stadium.
The first score of the game on Sunday came in the bottom of the second inning, when Licey’s Samuel Muñoz, the 20-year-old Los Angeles Dodgers prospect, swung out of his shoes and jolted a grand slam into the right field stands to help the Tigres del Licey take an early 4-0 lead.
In the top of the fourth inning, Sullivan cracked an RBI single up the middle to cut the deficit to 4-1.
During the top of the fifth inning, JC Escarra hit the left-center field gap for an RBI double to make it 4-2.
Shortly after, Bladimir Restituyo rocked an RBI single into center field, scoring Escarra to cut the lead to one at 4-3.
After winning both games in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Licey would hold on to the 4-3 lead and be crowned Titanes del Caribe Champions.
The Tigres del Licey won their first two games of the Titanes del Caribe event, which started in 2023, but they were swept by Aguilas Cibaenas in three games at Citi Field last November.
This was the third time that Tigres del Licey and Aguilas Cibaenas played out of the Dominican Republic prior with the Serie de Las Americas event in 2015 at loanDepot Park in Miami and the first year of the Titanes del Caribe in 2023 at Citi Field.
Latin Events were the promoters for the second consecutive year of Titanes del Caribe and had musical artists Pedro Zamora from Zamora Live and Felix Cabrera from Felix Cabrera Presents organized with attending the event.
La Mega Flagship and La Musica Presenta were the official sponsors of the Titanes del Caribe event for the second consecutive year.
Dominican Republic Hall-of-Famer David Ortiz was also in attendance at the 2024 Titanes del Caribe event in Puerto Rico.
Spanish music artists such as DJ Adoni, Elvis Crespo, Manny Manuel, Tono Rosario, Crazy Design, La Perversa, and El Chival De La Bachata were also in attendance for performances at Hiram Bithorn Stadium during the postgame celebration on the field.
The two games of the 2024 Titanes del Caribe event were moved from Yankee Stadium from November 8-9 because the promoters did not pay the New York Yankees two million to lease the stadium for those two days. As a result, other options were opened to move the rest of the series to Puerto Rico in early December.
The Tigres del Licey are currently 20-16 in second place in the 2024-25 LIDOM regular season, and the Aguilas Cibaenas are 18-18 in fourth place.
All of the 2024-25 LIDOM regular season games are streamed with a paid subscription service on MLB.TV until the final out of their best-of-seven championship series in mid-January, before the start of the 2025 Caribbean Series in Mexicali, Mexico, at El Nido de los Águilas.
*Matt Tallarini Contributed To This Article
