caribes de anzoaquegui passes for the final on lvbp

[- !el Catire *O*]

Puerto La Cruz.- Caribes de Anzoátegui is a finalist for the sixth time in its history and fifth in the last 10 years. And he achieved it by defeating Tiburones de La Guaira in an exciting match, on a tight 5-4 board, at the Alfonso “Chico” Carrasquel Stadium, to sweep the semifinal in four challenges.

The fate of the Indians was decided at the close of the seventh chapter, when, with the bases full, Denis Phipps received a ticket from reliever Hassan Pena, which allowed the advance to the home of Willians Astudillo, who scored the fifth and final indigenous hairline. A turn in which the temper of the Dominican played a determining factor.

“It was a very difficult turn. There were two outs and, of course, I wanted to hit the ball. But I know the (Hassan) Pena shipments. I knew I was not going to pitch in the middle and I had patience on the plate and it worked. Sometimes you win this way and I'm happy about it, ”Phipps said at the end of the challenge.

Although the path of victory was marked by the novel Christian Pedroza. After two outs, "Balín" shook a triple sound in the first episode itself, before the shipments of Felix Droubont, with which he brought the first three lines of home. The infielder confessed that he was looking for a hit of that nature, as it would give rise, in an entry that had the complicity of a mistake by shortstop Heiker Meneses.

“I wanted to hit the ball, I wanted to help the team. I was studying Droubont pitching and I knew I was going through the middle and I could hit him. I really wanted it and I was happy to have given that connection, which helped us to be in the Grand Final, ”said Pedroza.

In the third episode, Balbino Fuenmayor repeated the dose from the previous night. He hit a home run, this time around the central garden, which traveled more than 400 feet away, to move the board 4-0 away. A solid advantage, which made the winning Tribe feel.

“Of course I was looking for the home run, that's what fans always expect from me (laughs). Thank God, I could do it, ”said the first baseman. “Very happy for this victory, for how things happened and, in my case, for having contributed to be in another final. Something that excites me a lot. ”

However, La Guaira did not sit idly by. At the bottom of the room they began to approach on the scoreboard, product of a long and undisputed sound to the right of Edgar Durán, who brought the first two stripes of the salted ones.

At the beginning of the seventh, Durán again punished aboriginal pitching. With another pair of men on the pads, another strong firecracker shook again, this time towards the central meadow, to tie the actions 4-4, before the reliever Yender Cáramo.

Until that time, Anzoátegui's bullpen had 22.1 innings in which he had barely accepted a clean hairline.

But at the close of that entry, the problems of lack of control of the relievers of La Guaira reappeared, which allowed the bases to be filled due to a single and pair of tickets. Then the selective Phipps appeared, which put the home up again on the board.

In the midst of that fateful entry for the sharks, manager Renny Osuna was sent off by the main umpire, Carlos Leal, after angrily protesting the count of balls and strikes. Osuna got out of his boxes and not only insulted the officer, but spit on him. Once he seemed calm and on the way to the clubhouse, he made a claim to the receiver Luis Villegas and almost got hit by blows.

It was the beginning of an unfortunate epilogue, for the club that finished first in the tie and for Osuna, who won the Manager of the Year award.

La Guaira threatened in the ninth episode to tie the game, after placing men in first and second. However, there were a couple of outs and Jorge Rondón dominated Héctor Sánchez, who raised it to the rightfield, where Oswaldo Arcia caught the ball in the safety zone, to decree the end of the game.

“I am very happy for the boys. They never gave up, not only tonight but the whole season, ”said manager Jackson Melián, with tears in his eyes. “That's how Caribes played all year and here the fruits of those results. It was a difficult series, well played, but, fortunately, things went well for us. The goal is to continue this way. This is not over. Days of many strategies and meetings are coming, we must think very well what we need in the Substitution Draft and, of course, analyze the opponent well, no matter who it is ”.