MIAMI.- Venezuela and the Dominican Republic will have revenge. Representatives of the countries in which their inhabitants say the most baseball is played in the Caribbean region will measure strength for the second consecutive year in the final of the Caribbean Series, held at the LoanDepot Park in Miami.
Luis Torrens hit a two-run single in the fourth inning to support the pitching outing of Cuban Miguel Romero and Venezuela (Tiburones de La Guaira) came back with timely hitting to beat Curacao (Suns) 6-2 and get their ticket to the final, in which they will seek the first title for the country in 15 years and take revenge for what happened in the edition held in Caracas in 2023, when the Tigres del Licey – once again a finalist and in search of the two-time championship – defeated the Leones from Caracas.
The last time a Venezuelan team won the regional event was in 2009, when the Tigres de Aragua lifted the trophy in Mexicali.
Torrens, a fundamental reinforcement to break the 37-year drought of sharks in his country, sent Yasiel Puig and Ramón Flores to the rubber, who also scored a couple of lines and accumulates a performance that could give him – from Venezuela – the Most Valuable Player award of this Caribbean Series.
In the same fourth inning, Flores hit a single to shorten the lead and at 2-1 leave the table to Torrens and turn LoanDepot Park into Venezuelan territory. Screams, cheers, drums, llanera music and the national flag waving in a good part of the venue, in addition to the iconic “Eh La Guaira, Eh La Guaira”, could resemble the atmosphere of the former Venezuelan baseball, with the University stadium filled with fans supporting their team. equipment.
Flores started the three-run rally of the Venezuelan bats in the sixth so that the excitement of the southerners was once again unleashed. A single from the left-hander sent Wilson Ramos to the rubber, while Leonardo Reginatto would join the party with a double that would lead to victory.
Cuban Miguel Romero went from strength to strength and left his line in 5.1 innings of work, with two runs, six hits, one walk and one strikeout. The right-hander allowed runs in innings one and four.
This is the fourth time that a Venezuelan team reaches the final stage since 2013two of those three previous games for the championship were lost against teams from the Dominican Republic, which with its World Baseball Classic title in 2013, makes Dominican fans claim that they are the most baseball-loving nation in the Caribbean.
But Venezuela could end up with an inspired Sharks who are inspired after finishing first in their country’s round robin, breaking the 37-year drought and having won six of their seven games. But now he has to win the one that is most important for his franchise and at this moment for Venezuelan baseball.
