MIAMI.- The set of Panama (Federales de Chiriquí) could not be stopped by anyone in the 66th edition of the Caribbean Series held at the Loan Depot Park, in the city of Miami.
The Isthmus exchanged hits and runs like two boxers can exchange blows in the ring, but they landed an accurate blow in the eighth with a double from Johan Camargo to beat Puerto Rico (Criollos de Caguas) 9-7.
Panama began by losing the match in the first episode, but in the second they showed that their good moment is not the product of a coincidence. They made a four-race rally and since then they were always ahead on the board.
The Puerto Ricans, reluctant to fall to the only one with a perfect rhythm, returned a couple of blows in the third inning but as if it were a mythical fight of Roberto “Manos de Piedra” Durán, those from the channel retaliated in the same inning with three certain impacts.
The Puerto Rican team seemed to be on the ropes, but in the sixth and seventh rounds they took a breather and put the game up by one run (7-6).
The undefeated team sought to strike the final blow in the eighth and achieved it with Camargo’s double, plus another run that came as a result of a touch by Joshwan Wgrith that left the Puerto Ricans, who botched three times in the match, on the canvas. although they threw a blow looking for a KO in the ninth.
“Very happy to get the victory and put my team in the semifinal,” said manager José Mayorga after the match at a press conference. “I give credit to the boys. “Everyone works very hard.”
Panama plays today against Venezuela and could qualify for the semifinals without losing a single game, after having previously defeated Curacao (7-3), Mexico (4-3) and Nicaragua (6-3).
“We know we are not favorites, but we play inning by inning,” the strategist continued. “We achieved the first step. We are going to play the same and hope that things happen. We are going to face the same, doing the things that are necessary. It is baseball and anything can happen. Let’s hope that we can be in the final and win it too.”
