Winter Ball Roundup: Caguas Eliminates Santurce; Estrellas, Tiburones Win Again In Round Robins

Staff Reports
World Baseball Network

One run was all the Criollos de Caguas needed on Sunday to take game five of their LPBRC semifinal series from the Cangrejeros de Santurce and advance to the championship series.

Pedro Leon’s third-inning solo homer to left field gave the Criollos the only run of the game, a contest that saw them win despite mustering just two hits and five total baserunners. Vimael Machin had the Criollos’ other base hit, a single in the top of the ninth.

Eight Caguas pitchers combined to keep Santurce off the scoreboard despite allowing five hits and seven walks. The Cangrejeros were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

Ponce 3, Carolina 0 – A pair of fielding errors and a sac fly in the top of the seventh allowed the Leones de Ponce to get three runs, all they would need to defeat the Gigantes de Carolina in game five of their LBPRC semifinal series Sunday.

Yoanis Quiala threw 6.2 innings, allowing four hits, one walk, and striking out three to earn the win for Ponce.

Game six of the series is scheduled for Monday night at 6:10 p.m. EST. All LBPRC games are streamed via the league’s facebook page.

Eight Came Easy For Estrellas – The Estrellas Orientales continue to run away from the pack in the LIDOM round robin playoffs, improving to 8-1 after doubling up the Gigantes del Cibao 6-3 on Sunday night.

Miguel Sano had a pair of doubles for the Estrellas and catcher Webster Rivas was 1-for-2 with two RBI and a run scored. Starter Andy Otero allowed four hits and one run, one walk, and struck out two for the Estrellas.

The win reduced the Estrellas magic number to five, meaning that a combination of Estrellas wins and Leones del Escogido losses adding up to five would clinch the Estrellas a berth in the LIDOM championship series.

Leones 12, Tigres 8 – Jorge Mateo’s bat, hot through the playoffs so far, remained so on Sunday, as the Leones del Escogido second baseman went 4-for-5 with a triple, an RBI and two runs scored as the Leones improved to 4-5 with a win over the Tigres del Licey.

Mateo led off the top of the second inning with a triple, sparking the Leones to a six-run inning. They’d add three more in the fourth and insurance runs in the sixth, seventh, and eighth, never trailing.

Ramon Hernandez has a solo homer for Licey in the bottom of the second, and two batters later, Dawel Lugo launched a two-run shot. Robel Garcia hit a three-run homer in the top of the eighth, part of a five-run rally by the Tigres that fell short.

The LIDOM round robin continues with the Gigantes del Cibao facing the Leones del Escogido at 6 p.m. EST and the Tigres del Licey facing the Estrellas Orientales at 6:30 p.m. EST. All LIDOM games are streamed on MLB.tv with a paid subscription.

Tiburones Remain Unbeaten After 4-2 Win Vs. Leones – The Tiburones de La Guaira won their fifth straight in the LVBP round robin, securing the win when Leones pitcher Ricardo Rodriguez walked in a pair of runs in the top of the ninth.

Yasiel Puig, who has been hot at the plate for the Tiburones, went 2-for-4 with a walk and was thrown out trying to steal home to end the top of the ninth.

The Leones fell to 2-3 with the loss and are off on Monday.

The Tiburones play the Cardenales de Lara Monday night at 6 p.m. EST.

Cardenales 10, Tigres 3 – The Cardenales de Lara snapped a four-game losing streak with a 10-3 drubbing of the Tigres de Aragua on Sunday evening.

Rangel Ravelo went 2-for-4 with three RBI and a walk for Lara, and Gorkys Hernandez went 2-for-4 with a two-run single in the bottom of the fifth.

Yermin Mercedes drove in two runs for Aragua with a single in the top of the first. The Tigres stranded 10 runners on the basepaths and were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

The Tigres face the Bravos de Margarita on Jan. 8 at 6 p.m. EST.

All LVBP games can be streamed via Beisbolplay.com with a paid subscription.