The Navegantes del Magallanes couldn’t have gotten more out of Leandro Cedeno Thursday night.
In the seventh, the Magallanes’ left fielder belted a two-run homer that cut the Caribes de Anzoategui’s lead to 9-5. Two innings later, with Carlos Sepulveda on first and the Navegantes down to their last strike, he launched a two-run homer, his seventh of the playoffs, to center field that made it a 9-7 ballgame.
But Angel Reyes, representing the tying run after Rougned Odor was hit by a pitch, grounded out to third to end the game, giving the Caribes their first win in the Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional championship series, which the Navegantes lead two games to one.
A two-run double from Tucupita Marcano got the Navegantes on the board in the fourth, and they added another on an RBI single by Wilfredo Tovar that scored Marcano.
Once the fifth inning came around, though, the Caribes never trailed again, scoring six to take a 6-3 lead, getting a two-run homer from Hernan Perez and a two-run single from Carlos Mendoza in the big inning.
“We needed that hit for the last two days. I got it today. And several other guys also came through with timely hits,” Pérez told the LVBP’s website following the game. “We have an immense hunger to come back and bring joy to all the people of Puerto La Cruz. We’re working hard, giving it our all.”
Perez was a key player in the Cardenales de Lara’s LVBP title in 2025 and is looking to win his second championship in a row in Venezuela.
Situational hitting was key for the Caribes on Thursday night, with the club going 5-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
“We talked about being a little calmer,” said Pérez. “The only exception was if we spotted pitches in the strike zone. I think we did a good job selecting our pitches.”
The Caribes and Navegantes will have Friday off before returning to action at 6 p.m. EST Saturday at Estadio Jose Bernardo Perez in Valencia, Venezuela, for Game 4.
Photo: Hernan Perez flips his bat after hitting a two-run homer in Game 3 of the LVBP championship series. (Photo courtesy of the LVBP)
