By Matthew Tallarini
World Baseball Network
Last night, Leones’s manager Jose Alguacil called upon starting pitcher Jhoulys Chacin to quiet the offense of Tiburones.
Chacin, a Major League veteran, pitched to Major League form last night, going five innings, allowing five hits, two earned runs, walking four batters, and striking out five as Leones de Caracas beat Tiburones de La Guaira to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Liga Venezolano Beisbol Professional championship series.
In the top of the second inning, Leones went on the board first as Gabriel Noriega drove a grand slam over the left center field wall scoring Jose Rondon, Orlando Arcia, and Juan Torres to put Caracas up 4-0.
Tiburones cut the lead to three in the bottom of the second inning as Ehire Adrianza clubbed a single to center field scoring Wilson Garcia for their first run of the game.
In the top of the third inning, Orlando Arcia drove a two-run single to center field, scoring Harold Castro and Isaias Tejada to extend the Caracas lead to 7-1. Tiburones starting pitcher Ramon Garcia was on a short leash last night, as he left in the third inning without recording a single out. Garcia pitched two innings, allowing five hits, seven earned runs and walking two batters.
Leones’s bullpen held their own after Chacin was taken out, only allowing one hit, no earned runs, no walks, and striking out four riding the course to being one win away from the 2023 Caribbean Series.
Game 6 will be played at Estadio Universitario in Caracas on Monday at 6 p.m.