MIAMI.- Ángel Padrón immortalized his name in Caribbean baseball. The Venezuelan starter (Tiburones de La Guaira) became the second pitcher to throw a game without a hit or run in the history of the Caribbean Series.
The left-hander needed pitches to achieve the feat against the Nicaraguan bats and thus be filled with glory in the game in which the Sharks sealed first place by winning 4-0.
The Venezuelan thus joins the American Thomas Fine, the only one who had achieved a no hitter. The American right-hander did it on February 21, 1952 and moved away from the perfect score by three tickets, two more than those awarded tonight by Padrón
Fine achieved that historic game with the Leones de La Habana against the Cervecería Caracas team (currently Leones del Caracas).
Padrón began his journey towards history by dominating Benjamín Alegría with a ground ball in the infield, Emanuel García with a line to the waiter and Francisco Reguero failed on route 53.
In the second inning Raudy Read was retired by route 63, Melvin Novoa failed with a fly ball to center and Cheslor Cuthbert to the right field.
He controlled the next inning after forcing Elián Miranda to fly out to first base, Jesús López to fly out to center and Jauris Richards to fly out to the first baseman’s glove.
In the second round of Nicaragua’s offensive, Benjamín would miss with a line drive to center field, García with a fly ball to the same spot on the field, and Francisco Peguero struck out.
The Venezuelan bats produced in the fourth inning. After two outs and with the bases loaded, Ramón Flores – a fundamental piece in the defensive feat – hit to drive in the runs.
The Angel’s dominance of the mound continued. Read grounded out the pitcher on his second trip to the plate, Novoa struck out and Cuthbert hit a harmless grounder that third baseman Hernán Pérez caught to end the inning.
Padrón continued his perfect path in the sixth by retiring Miranda through route 63, López with a fly ball to the shortstop and Richards with a harmless connection to left field. In the episode, one more arrived for Venezuela, which allowed him to work more freely.
The lucky seventh was with Flores. A solid connection by Peguero, which seemed to end the left-hander’s feat, was saved by a play by Ramón in the centerfield to end the inning. Previously, Alegría had failed to fly out to right field and García struck out swinging at him.
Venezuela continued adding in the seventh and Padrón looking for perfection with four back-up runs.
The ticket that separated him from the Perfect Game
The eighth episode was full of tension. Read battled his turn and managed to be the only Nicaraguan batter to touch first. But immediately the pitcher’s best friend appeared, a double play to put things back in order when Novoa grounded out for second without problems for the Venezuelan gloves.
The “not perfect” was avenged
The Venezuelan bats attacked the Nicaraguan pitching with a five-run rally against the bullpen as revenge for what happened a chapter earlier.
Padrón came out for the ninth Elián Miranda struck out swinging at him. Jesús López missed with a line drive to the second baseman and Richards missed on route 63 so that the Venezuelan left-hander was filled with Glory.
