Tucupita Marcano’s three-run homer in the top of the fourth provided all the offense the Navegantes del Magallanes would need to take a two-games-to-none lead in the best-of-seven championship series in the Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional on Wednesday night.
Marcano’s homer, his third of the postseason, drove in Rougned Odor and Angel Reyes, giving the Navegantes a 3-0 lead, and the Magallanes relievers combined to allow four hits and six walks over four scoreless innings.
“I want to say something,” interrupted Ricardo Sánchez, the winning pitcher, interrupting the post-game interview with Marcano. “He told me he was going to put me in the lead and hit a home run.”
Marcano looked at the first three pitches he saw from Caribes starter Eduardo Salazar, then launched Salazar’s 2-1 offering over the wall to keep his word to Sanchez.
“I was very focused on that second at-bat. They were working me inside, but I stayed patient. I waited for the fastball and was able to connect,” said Marcano in the post-game broadcast interview. “This is just the beginning. They’re going to keep fighting, and so are we. It gives us a little more peace of mind because we’ll have the fans in Valencia starting tomorrow (Thursday). But we still have two more wins to go; it won’t be easy.”
Sanchez, the Magallanes starter, threw five scoreless innings, allowing one run on four hits, walking two and striking out three, including a key strikeout of LVBP MVP Balbino Fuenmayor, one of the Caribes’ most dangerous batsmen, in the fifth with the bases loaded and two outs.
“I worked him like it was the inning of the year,” Sanchez told the LVBP’s website, who was the LVBP’s pitcher of the year. Sanchez has made 17 starts between the regular season and the playoffs and has thrown at least five innings in 14 of them. “He’s the MVP. He deserves all the respect. My plan was to not throw him more than three pitches.”
He needed four pitches to fan Fuenmayor and preserve the lead.
Antonio Pinero’s RBI single in the sixth off Raffi Vizcaino scored Aldrem Corredor, a run that was charged to Sanchez, who walked Corredor to lead off the inning.
The series continues Thursday night at 6 p.m. EST when the Navegantes host the Caribes at Estadio Jose Bernardo Perez in Valencia, Venezuela. The game will be streamed live on BeisbolPlay with a subscription fee.
Photo: Ricardo Sanchez allowed one run over five innings for the Navegantes del Magallanes, who took a 2-0 series lead on Wednesday night. (Photo courtesy of the LVBP)
