MIAMI.- The Tigres del Licey, current monarchs of the Caribbean Series, will seek to defend their title in Miami 2024. The cats, although they lost the opening game against the Tiburones de La Guaira, know that they can overcome that to be at the top next week. They know that time is of the essence in this tournament and they beat Nicaragua 5-4 by coming from behind on the scoreboard.
The Dominican team experienced a similar situation last year in Caracas, when they lost 5-4 to the Cañeros de los Mochis (Mexico). However, they overcame the situation and ended up qualifying for the semifinals with a 4-3 record, and then won their 11th crown in the Caribbean.
This year, in the final of Lidom they had to overcome a 0-2 series against the Estrellas Orientales to be able to obtain the 24th title in their country and the ticket to Miami.
“We have to know how to learn from what we did yesterday and we have to try to come out with better spirits. We have to play the game that we know how to play. There is no weak country here,” said this Friday Emilio Bonifacio, who singled in the eighth inning to tie the game and then the go-ahead run.
The captain of the blue team and who spent four years with the Miami Marlins and knows LoanDepot Park, although he found different things.
“When I played here there was natural grass and now there isn’t, I felt a little uncomfortable and afraid because I didn’t know how much the ball could bounce, but it is very similar to natural grass,” continued the Licey outfielder. “It feels good to be back. Yesterday I sat in what was my looker.”
Bonifacio knows that he cannot think that all the tournaments will be the same, but he waits for the team’s reaction for the upcoming games.
“Now the game (against La Guaira) is in the past and we have to try to do better. You don’t have much time to think about negative things and we have to stay as we Dominicans are, the happier we are we will stay more focused” , he concluded.
