MEXICALI, Mexico – The Japan Breeze, a team comprised mostly of former Nippon Professional Baseball minor leaguers and Japanese industrial league players, will get to gauge themselves against a pitcher with extensive Major League Baseball experience when they open their Caribbean Series schedule tomorrow.
At the press conference following the Caribbean Series opener, Dominican Republic manager Albert Pujols named Johnny Cueto his starter for the D.R.’s game against Japan, which is tomorrow’s matinee.
Cueto saw limited action in winter ball, making three starts for LIDOM’s Aguilas Cibaenas, posting a 5.40 ERA in three starts, but was stellar in the LIDOM championship series, making two starts and posting a 1.00 ERA.
By putting Cueto, easily the pitcher with the best resume at the Caribbean Series this year, Pujols is looking to get his club out to a 2-0 start and potentially set up Cueto to start the championship game should the D.R. make it there.
Endersby Will Start For Venezuela Vs. Mexico – Following the 2-0 loss in the opener, Cardenales de Lara manager Henry Blanco announced Jimmy Endersby as the starter for tomorrow’s nightcap against Mexico. Endersby was originally signed by the Houston Astros as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and made 49 appearances with Triple-A Sugar Land in 2022 and 2023, posting a 6.43 ERA over 112 innings of work. He pitched at Double-A Tennessee in the Chicago Cubs organization last summer, making 12 appearances and posting a 4.42 mark over 56 1/3 innings.
Take a Guess – Neither Mexico manager Benji Gil nor Puerto Rico manager Wilfredo Cordero named a starter for their team’s next game. Mexico will face Venezuela Saturday evening at 8:50 p.m. EST, while Puerto Rico is off on Saturday. They’ll face Japan on Sunday at 3:50 p.m. EST.
Honoring Fernando – Prior to the nightcap between Mexico’s Charros de Jalisco and Puerto Rico’s Indios de Mayaguez, Mexico’s greatest pitcher to play in Major League Baseball, Fernando Valenzuela, was honored. During a light and drone show, drones formed the outline of a pitcher and mimicked Valenzuela’s distinctive windup, and first pitches were thrown out by Valenzuela’s son, Fernando Jr., who wore his father’s No. 34 Los Angeles Dodgers jersey and also mimicked the Valenzuela windup. Hall of Fame announcer Jaime Jarrin, who has broadcast Dodgers baseball in Spanish since 1959, and Steve Garvey, Valenzuela’s teammate in Los Angeles, also threw out first pitches. Valenzuela Sr. passed away Oct. 20, 2024 at age 63.
Photo: Dominican Republic manager Albert Pujols named Johnny Cueto his starter for the club’s second game of the Caribbean Series against the Japan Breeze on Tuesday. (Photo Courtesy of the CBPC)
