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Staff Reports
World Baseball Network
The Estrellas Orientales and the Tigres del Licey have reached the LIDOM championship series, with both teams winning on the final day of the 18-game round robin.
The championship series will start Saturday, Jan. 20 at 6:30 p.m. EST when the Estrellas travel to Santo Domingo to face the Tigres at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal. All LIDOM games are streamed on MLB.tv with a paid subscription.
The Estrellas shut out the Leones del Escogido 4-0 on THursday to capture first place in the round robin. Wilin Rosario clubbed a two-run homer in the bottom of the first and had an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth, going 2-for-3 with a walk, a run scored, and three RBI in the win.
Jorge Martinez threw five innings for the Estrellas, allowing four hits and striking out three. Three Estrellas relievers combined to allow just one baserunner over the final four innings.
The Tigres del Licey clinched a berth in the final series with a 4-3 win against the Gigantes del Cibao on Thursday night. Dawel Lugo drove home the winning run in the bottom of the eight for Licey, ripping a double to center that scored Luis Barrera. Six Licey relievers combined to allow four hits and one walk, shutting out the Gigantes over the final six innings.
With a berth in the final, the Tigres del Licey have a chance to win their 24th LIDOM championship and defend their title from last year, while the Estrellas, ever the little brother in Dominican baseball, hope to win their fourth title in the league and first since 2019.
Cardenales Closer to LVBP Championship Series – With a 5-3 win against the Bravos de Margarita on Thursday, the Cardenales de Lara improved to 8-6, giving them a 2.5-game lead on the Bravos as the 16-game round robin winds down.
Angel Reyes went 3-for-4 with a solo home run for the Cardenales, and Carlos Narvaez clubbed a grand slam in the bottom of the third.
The Cardenales have two games remaining to play, both against the Bravos, and can clinch a berth in the championship series by winning both games.
Should the Cardenales and Bravos split their two remaining games, the door would be open for the Leones del Caracas to get into the final. Caracas would need to win all three of its remaining games, which would give the Leones a 9-7 record. A split with the Bravos would give the Cardenales a 9-7 record as well.
If the Cardenales lose their final two games, they would have an 8-8 record and Margarita would have a 7-8 record going into the final day of the round robin. Should Lara lose both games, if Caracas beats Aragua Friday night and La Guaira on Saturday, Sunday’s game between the Bravos and the Leones would be for a spot in the championship series.
Notebook: The Tigres de Aragua beat the Tiburones de La Guaira 3-0 Thursday night in a game that had no import for the round robin. Angel Guilar hit a two-run homer for Aragua in the fifth and Yasel Santana allowed three hits and a walk over five shutout innings.