Choque de Gigantes began play on November 8. Three of the four teams in action were from Venezuela in Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional. The Dominican Republic also had a team with Estrellas Orientales in LIDOM.
Estrellas Orientales broke up a Venezuelan party in Pool A with a 10-1 rout of Cardenales de Lara in the first game at loanDepot Park in Miami. They played the first game at 3 p.m. ET, and the ballpark was packed with fans with Dominican and Venezuelan flags in the stadium.
Estrellas Orientales was in control of the whole game and was led by shortstop Jose Barrero three hit and five RBI performance. His two-run double in the third gave Estrellas Orientales a 6-0 run lead, effectively putting the game out of reach. Miguel Sano added a two-run home run in the eighth to make it an 8-0 game. Starting pitcher Oscar De La Cruz had a strong performance with five scoreless innings and five strikeouts against Cardenales de Lara.
Cardenales de Lara was eliminated from Choque De Gigantes with the loss.
This event brings together Latin countries during the MLB offseason and excites baseball fans in Miami. At 6 p.m., Latin musicians Adelmo Gauna and Sus Cokis performed a concert before the second game of the day.
Things were dialed up for the Pool B Venezuelan showdown between Navegantes Del Magallanes and Leones Del Caracas. The nightcap drew 31,508 fans, leaving the LoanDepot park around five thousand fans short of a sell-out. This is a pretty stellar turnout for a night game in Miami in November.
The fans were rewarded with a much more competitive game than the opener: a 4-2 win that saw Navegantes Del Magallanes win with a two-run ninth inning against their Venezuelan rival, Leones Del Caracas. Catcher Ramon Cabrera made a huge difference, going 3-for-4 with two RBI in the ninth inning. His RBI double gave Navegantes Del Magallanes a 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth.
Wilkins Rodriguez struck out the side in the ninth, got the save, and preserved the win to push Navegantes Del Magallanes into the winner’s bracket against Estrellas Orientales on November 9 in Pool C.
The fans’ celebration continued outside the stadium late into the Miami night, with fans chanting and playing music.
These countries and teams are fighting for bragging rights. On November 9, two Puerto Rican teams from Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente will play their first game in Pool D. Cangrejeros De Santure will play Criollos De Caguas for the right to advance to the finals on November 10, with the loser playing in the third place game. The Loser of Estrellas
Orientales and Navegantes Del Magallanes will play in the third-place game on November 11.
Schedule- Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024
Pool C Game – Semi Final 1 – Estrellas Orientales vs. Navegantes Del Magallanes 1 p.m EST.
Pool D Game – Semi-Final 2 – Cangrejeros De Santurce vs. Criollos De Caguas 6 pm. EST.
Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024
Third Place – Pool B Loser vs. Pool D Loser 1 p.m. EST.
Final Match – Pool C Winner vs. Pool D Winner 6 p.m EST.
