Venezuela shuts out Dominican Republic for eighth Caribbean Series title — and first by Tiburones

BY JORDAN MCPHERSON FEBRUARY 09, 2024 11:03 PM

It had been nearly four decades since Tiburones de la Guaira represented Venezuela in the Caribbean Series. You have to go back to 1986 since the last time before this year that they won the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League and even then, Tiburones had never won the Serie del Caribe, the international tournament that features the winners of the Caribbean and South America’s winter ball leagues, in any of its first four attempts.

That finally changed on Friday.

Tiburones won its first Serie del Caribe title — and the eighth overall for Venezuela — with a 3-0 win over the Dominican Republic’s Tigres del Licey in front of a sold-out crowd of 36,677 at Miami’s loanDepot park.

It was the largest crowd ever for a Caribbean Series game, topping the crowd of 35,972 for the Dominican Republic-Puerto Rico game during the round-robin portion of the tournament on Saturday, and was a higher attendance than the 2023 World Baseball Classic championship game (36,098), which was also held at loanDepot park.

The victory marked the first time since 2009 that Venezuela won the Serie del Caribe in 66 editions of the tournament that began in 1949 (the tournament was not held from 1961-69 as well as 1981). The others titles claimed by Venezuela: 2006, 1989, 1984, 1982, 1979 and 1970.

On Friday, Tiburones sealed the tournament win with another stellar pitching effort and executing on a a couple of prime scoring opportunities.




Five pitchers combined to limit the Tigres to just six hits.

Ricardo Pinto struck out six over 5 2/3 innings before leaving with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth after giving up a single to Emilio Bonifacio, walking Robinson Cano and hitting Dawel Lugo. Jorgan Cavaniero entered and eliminated the threat by getting Yadiel Hernandez to ground out to shortstop.

Silvino Bracho, Anthony Vizcaya and Arnaldo Hernandez pitched the final three innings, with Hernandez earning the save and sealing the championship win.




After each team was held scoreless over the first three innings, Tiburones finally struck in the fourth. Yasiel Puig, who appeared to experience hamstring discomfort in the first inning, led off with a single before being removed for pinch-runner Odubel Herrera. Ramon Flores followed with a single of his own before Luis Torrens moved both runners over with a sacrifice bunt. The Tigres then intentionally walked Leonardo Reginatto to load the bases with one out, and nine-hole hitter Alcides Escobar responded with a sacrifice fly to right field to score Herrera.

Tiburones then scored two more runs in the fifth on a Wilfredo Tovar RBI triple and Herrera RBI groundout.

4th Escobar hit sacrifice fly to right, Herrera scored, Flores to third. 0 1

5th H. Pérez tripled to right, Tovar scored. 0 2

5th Herrera grounded out to second, H. Pérez scored. 0 3

VENEZUELA’S DOMINANT TOURNAMENT

Tiburones, managed by one-time Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen, was arguably the most dominant team of the seven-country tournament that also featured representation from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Panama, Curacao and Nicaragua.

The Venezuelan team went 5-1 in the round-robin portion of the tournament, capped by Angel Padron throwing the second no-hitter in Caribbean Series history in its 9-0 win over Nicaragua on Wednesday. The team’s only loss was a 6-2 defeat to Puerto Rico.




VENEZUELA CARIBBEAN SERIES CHAMPIONS BY SHUTTING OUT DOMINICAN REPUBLIC



COMPLETE GAME HIGHLIIGHTS

https://youtu.be/9ZDrTbiyZlY

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Yomiuri Giants Lose to Yokohama DeNA Baystars in Climax Series; Baystars to Face Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in Japan Series

The Yokohama DeNA Baystars beat the Central League champion Yomiuri Giants 3-2 in the final game of the Climax Series at Tokyo Dome on Monday, booking a ticket to their first Japan Series in seven years.

In the top of the 5th inning, Keito Mori hit an RBI triple and pinch hitter Mike Ford’s RBI single brought the game to a tie. The Baystars went to their bullpen in the middle of the 4th inning, keeping the Giants scoreless.

The Giants took a 2-run lead into the 4th on a Baystars’ error and a suicide squeeze.

However, the Giants’ Tomoyuki Sugano allowed the go-ahead RBI to Shugo Maki in the top of the 9th.

The Baystars will face off against the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in the Japan Series, which starts on Saturday at Yokohama Stadium.

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Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Kohei Arihara Shines in Hawks’ Victory in Japan Series Opener

 October 27, 2024

YOKOHAMA — Fukuoka Daiei Hawks manager Hiroki Kokubo had no doubts about who was going to get the ball to start Game 1 of the Japan Series.

“Through what he did during the season, he was the ace acknowledged by the fans,” Kokubo said of right-hander Kohei Arihara. “For this team at this time, that is the position he fills.”

Until a wild ninth inning after Arihara had left the game added some late drama, the veteran had lived up to the expectations and kept the opener against the Yokohama BayStars under complete control with a masterful performance.

Arihara allowed four hits over seven scoreless innings and, making a rare plate appearance, delivered a two-run single as the Hawks held on for a 5-3 victory at Yokohama Stadium on Saturday night.

“From the first pitch, I want to be able to throw my pitches,” said Arihara, the Pacific League-leader this season with 14 wins.

He gave up a hit and a walk in the first inning, but worked out of the jam by getting Toshiro Miyazaki to ground out to second. From there he found his rhythm, mixing up his cut fastball and slider.

“I had good control of my breaking pitches,” said Arihara, who particularly made things difficult for left-handed hitters by cutting the inside corner of the plate.

The hits that he allowed from the second inning on were harmless flies on jammed pitches or ground balls, and he continued to pile up the outs.

He struck out four and walked two, but his exploits were not limited to the mound. With the designated hitter not being used, he had to take his cuts at the plate. And for the Hawks, it was a good thing that he did.

The Hawks had runners on second and third with two outs in the second inning when the BayStars opted to give Takuya Kai an intentional walk to pitch to Arihara — who lashed a 150-kph fastball from Yokohama starter Andre Jackson to right field to drive in two runs.

“I just swung trying to get the bat on the ball,” Arihara said. “It was a miracle.”

Darwinzon Hernandez relieved Arihara in the eighth, giving up one hit in a scoreless inning.

The Hawks padded their lead with three runs in the top of the ninth, only to see the BayStars strike back before the home crowd of 33,147 with a rally against Roberto Osuna, who managed to limit the damage to three runs before finishing up the win.

The Hawks are aiming for the franchise’s 12th title and first since they won four straight from 2017-2020. The BayStars, who finished third in the Central League but worked their way through the Climax Series, are looking for their third title and first since 1998.

The 32-year-old Arihara spent six seasons with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, who made him their No. 1 draft pick out of Waseda University in 2014. He then made the jump to the major leagues, where he played two less-than-spectacular seasons with the Texas Rangers before returning to Japan by signing with the Hawks in 2023.

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"Chase DeLauter continues to prove why he's one of the best hitters in the Fall League."

[that's because he shouldn't be here again this year; if he'd bee n able to play in the summer he'd not need another fall in Goodyear]

Chase DeLauter, OF[sic], Guardians: DeLauter has plenty of talent. Now, he just needs to stay on the field. Injuries this past season have led to a second straight stint in the Arizona Fall League, and each time he’s proved to be one of the league’s best ball-strikers. He showed off those gifts again on Wednesday when he doubled twice—including once against Phillies righthander Andrew Painter, the league’s top pitching prospect—as part of a 2-for-3 day with two walks. For the fall, he’s hitting .346/.485/.577 with three doubles, a home run, nine RBIs and more walks (7) than strikeouts (3).

in Arizona on Thursday:

Huff a double in 5 at bats.
DeLauter with a not rare day off
Zak Kent, perhaps the oldest playier in the league, 4 1 1 1 2 5 homer
DeLuica 3 4 3 3 3 1
Misiaszek 1 0 0 0 0 2 0.00 in his handful of innings

Venezuelan League - Navegantes del Magallanes 3, Tiburones de La Guaira 2

Venezuelan League - Bravos de Margarita 2, Tigres de Aragua 1

Aaron Bracho (1B, La Guaira): 1-3, 1 2B - After only getting two plate appearances (both walks) total ìn his first four games this LVBP season, Bracho has reached safely in all four full games he has played, including on a hit in three of those contests. Fun Fact: Bracho’s three Venezuelan hits so far this season consist of one each of a single, double, and triple.

Alexfri Planez (CF, Aragua): 0-3 - Planez's Venezuelan campaign continues to be a disappointing one as he is now 0-for-14 (albeit with an RBI) in his last four games, bringing his slash line to .107/.219/.214. In winter ball, where results come first, last, and everywhere on the list in between, Alexfri has significant reason to be concerned about playing time going forward.
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Baseball: Hotaka Yamakawa powers Hawks to victory in Japan Series Game 2

October 27, 2024 (Mainichi Japan)

YOKOHAMA (Kyodo) -- Hotaka Yamakawa homered and drove in three runs to help send the Pacific League champion SoftBank Hawks home with a 2-0 Japan Series lead after they beat the Central League's DeNA BayStars 6-3 in Sunday's Game 2.

The Hawks' victory at Yokohama Stadium was their 14th straight in Japanese pro baseball's season finale, stretching back to 2018, a year after SoftBank vanquished DeNA in their previous postseason clash.

BayStars right-hander Shinichi Onuki recorded three swinging strikeouts in the first inning but allowed two singles and a two-out two-run home run to PL home run leader Yamakawa, who launched a hanging curve into the seats to open the scoring.

Yamakawa, who hit three homers and drove in six runs in SoftBank's three-game sweep of the Nippon Ham Fighters in the PL Climax Series final stage, went 3-for-4 to back lefty Livan Moinelo, who was razor sharp until struggling in the fifth inning.
"I was behind in the count but still looking for something good to hit," said Yamakawa, who said one highlight of his first Japan Series so far was the Yokohama fans.

"They are really something. I am personally fond of the supporters' song for (BayStars slugger Shugo) Maki."

The Hawks made it 5-0 in the third. Taisei Makihara singled in two runs to chase Onuki, and Hawks catcher Takuya Kai delivered a sacrifice fly.

An Ukyo Shuto double and a Yamakawa single made it 6-0 in the fourth, but DeNA's bullpen retired the last 16 Hawks.

The BayStars caught a fifth-inning break when Moinelo was hit by a batted ball and stayed in the game. The DeNA batters began stinging nearly every pitch and scored twice on Masayuki Kuwahara's double.

Moinelo was finally yanked after allowing a pair of two-out singles in the seventh that set the table for Maki to double in DeNA's third run.

CL batting champion Tyler Austin, who led DeNA with 25 home runs this season, did not suit up for the game after leaving Game 1 for a pinch-runner.

The BayStars, who finished third in the CL this year, are looking to win the Japan Series for the third time. They last won in 1998.

Yui Kamiji, Japan's Paris Paralympic wheelchair tennis double gold medalist, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

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Baseball: Kuwahara, Azuma earn BayStars' 1st Japan Series victory

October 29, 2024 (Mainichi Japan)

FUKUOKA (Kyodo) -- DeNA BayStars ace Katsuki Azuma allowed a run over seven innings, and leadoff hitter Masayuki Kuwahara sparked the offense in a 4-1 win Tuesday over the Pacific League champion SoftBank Hawks, who lead the best-of-seven Japan Series 2-1.

DeNA's victory at Fukuoka's Mizuho PayPay Dome snapped SoftBank's 14-game Japan Series winning streak, dating back to Game 3 in 2018, the year after these two teams last met in the postseason.

"This changes the complexion of the series," BayStars manager Daisuke Miura said. "Azuma made quality pitches when the pressure was on. Kuwahara was our sparkplug, offensively and defensively."

Kuwahara doubled to open the game and scored via a sacrifice and a groundout to give DeNA its first lead in the series. But DeNA's defense helped the Hawks to a run in the home half when two infield ground balls were not sharply played behind Azuma.

Good defense and strikeouts allowed Hawks starting pitcher Carter Stewart Jr. to hold DeNA to just one run over four perilous innings, only for the BayStars to take the lead in the fifth on Kuwahara's leadoff home run against reliever Ryosuke Otsu.

The BayStars followed by loading the bases with no outs, and Yoshitomo Tsutsugo chased Otsu with a sacrifice fly to the fence.

While the Hawks were dipping into the bullpen, Azuma, who strained a hamstring on Oct. 12, delivered an impressive outing in his Japan Series debut, rarely looking vulnerable despite allowing 10 hits. He struck out four and walked none.

"When he had runners on base, he was poised and precise and didn't give up a home run," Miura said of his ace.

BayStars catcher Yasutaka Tobashira doubled in an eighth-inning insurance run, and two relievers made short work of Japan's top offense for the last two innings.

Because of the designated hitter rule, both teams' top run producers were available to bat. SoftBank's Kensuke Kondo, nursing a sprained ankle, made his first appearance in the series, while DeNA's Tyler Austin returned after missing Game 2 with a bruised foot.

Each hobbled DH doubled in the first inning, with Kondo's two-out knock tying the game 1-1, and went 2-for-3 with a walk. Austin went 1-for-3 with two walks.

Miura said he would check Austin's condition again on Wednesday to see if he was fit to play in Game 4, when Anthony Kay will start for the BayStars against Shuta Ishikawa for the Hawks.

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Baseball: Kay, BayStars make statement in Fukuoka to tie Japan Series

October 30, 2024 (Mainichi Japan)

FUKUOKA (Kyodo) -- Anthony Kay threw seven shutout innings, and Tyler Austin homered to lead the Central League's DeNA BayStars to their eighth postseason road win, 5-0 over the Pacific League champion SoftBank Hawks on Wednesday to even the Japan Series at two games apiece.

After dropping Games 1 and 2 at home, the BayStars are 2-0 at the Hawks' Mizuho PayPay Dome in Fukuoka. Including the postseason, DeNA is now 34-39 at home but 45-34 on the road.

"There's no explaining it. It's weird," said Austin who is battling a foot injury as DeNA's designated hitter. "The noise, and things like that, doesn't bother us."

On the heels of seven innings of one-run ball from DeNA ace Katsuki Azuma on Tuesday, Kay held Japan's top offense scoreless for seven innings.

"This was the first time I faced these guys, so I just went after them, and it seemed like they didn't really adjust to the off-speed stuff, so I just threw two-seams and four-seams inside and sliders and cutters off of that," the left-hander said.

Kay easily retired the first nine batters he faced, striking out six of them, and Austin gave him a 1-0 lead with a fourth-inning home run off Hawks right-hander Shuta Ishikawa before DeNA broke the game open in the seventh against SoftBank's bullpen.

With Ishikawa out of the game, Toshiro Miyazaki homered to open the big inning. Masayuki Kuwahara, who homered to break up a 1-1 tie in DeNA's 4-1 Game 3 victory, doubled in two, and Austin completed the carnage with an RBI single.

Austin, who has been hurting since fouling a ball off his foot in Game 1, singled in the second and opened the scoring in the fourth with a good swing on a fastball that ran onto the barrel of his bat, launching it into the dome's "home run terrace" in right for an opposite-field homer.

Ishikawa allowed four hits and walked none while striking out four. With the exception of Austin, he had little trouble negotiating the BayStars' lineup and left when the DeNA designated hitter came up with two outs and a runner on in the sixth.

Reliever Shuto Ogata struck out Austin to end the inning, and rookie Yoshiyasu Sasagawa singled to open SoftBank's sixth, when Kay issued a one-out walk and looked vulnerable for the first time. But Kay stranded two runners, retiring PL home run leader Hotaka Yamakawa with a changeup.

"I only threw him one fastball all game and he hit it pretty hard," Kay said. "I was lucky he hit it into a glove."

Game 5 will be in Fukuoka on Thursday before the series returns to Yokohama on Saturday for Game 6.

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Baseball: Andre Jackson pitches DeNA to brink of Japan Series c'ship

October 31, 2024 (Mainichi Japan)

FUKUOKA (Kyodo) -- The DeNA BayStars moved to within one win of a come-from-behind Japan Series championship with a 7-0 Game 5 victory over the Pacific League champion SoftBank Hawks on Thursday to take a 3-2 series lead after dropping Games 1 and 2.

Right-hander Andre Jackson, working on four days rest after losing Game 1, struck out eight over seven scoreless innings at Fukuoka's Mizuho PayPay Dome, and Shugo Maki belted a game-breaking three-run fourth-inning home run for the visitors.

"This time of year, you are running on fumes anyway, so you just go out and do your best," said Jackson, who struck out the side in the first inning and then cruised until gutting out his final inning, when he was out of gas.

"Everything was clicking for me. I was laser focused and executing good pitches."

After stranding five runners over the first two innings against lefty Tomohisa Ozeki, the third time proved to be the charm for DeNA. Third-inning singles by Maki and Mike Ford set the table for Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, who broke the ice with a two-out RBI single.

"I haven't been hitting, and today I was focused on treating each pitch with the utmost concentration," Maki said. "It was good to get a meaningful home run for the team."

"But to be honest, I was probably more excited when I scored the first run to give us the lead."

The BayStars would leave the bases loaded for the second straight inning but were more efficient in the fourth against SoftBank's third pitcher, Jun Maeda.

After back-to-back no-out infield singles, Maki took Maeda deep for his first home run of the series.

Jackson became the BayStars' third straight starter to go seven innings. He allowed three singles, two walks and a hit batsman and lost his command in his final inning but got out of the jam.

After hitting the leadoff hitter in the seventh and issuing a one-out walk, BayStars pitching coach Shinji Ohara came to the mound, and Jackson informed the coach he was in no mood to leave his runners for another pitcher to deal with.

"I told Ohara, 'I'm not leaving this game with runners on base, so leave me in,'" said Jackson, who admitted he had nothing left in the tank when he got the final out.

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LVBP: La Guaira Sharks will soon incorporate an important major leaguer (+Video)

Gabriel Arias is close to joining the Tiburones de La Guaira to return to the LVBP

By Joshua Porras Estebanot

The team managed by Oswaldo Guillén has combined its explosive offense with a pitching that has been able to do the job in a great way, to truly show itself as a solid team and very difficult to defeat. But despite their great moment, the Sharks are not complacent.

Although they already have a sensational lineup, the Tiburones de La Guaira are still waiting for high-level additions, which will further increase the power of the current champions. One of those additions is the major league infielder Gabriel Arias , who seems to already have a debut date.

According to information provided by the general manager of Tiburones de La Guaira, Alberto Díaz , to the LVBP press team, the versatile infielder Gabriel Arias , who belongs to the Cleveland Guardians, should debut between November 10 and 15.

This would mark the return of the young hitter to our local baseball, where he only has one season of experience. Arias suited up with the Tiburones de La Guaira in the 2018/19 season, when he was only 18 years old. At that time, he took 59 turns in 24 games and hit .254/.323/.288/.611 . Now, with more maturity and experience, he will try to wreak havoc in the LVBP.

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One of the nicest things ever said about Gabriel Arias.
Logical guy to include in a trade this winter

Friday: Huff 1-4; Tolentino 0-4, 3 Ks; DeLauter in the whirlpool

Saturday Tolentino 1-5 and a walk and his 9th steal;
DeLauter DH 1-3 and 3 walks and his first 2 steals--- no doubt he's a very talented offensive contributor, just hope he can stay on the filed.
Abney 2/3 inning, 1 hit
Hernandez 1 1/3 1 0 0 1 2

Aaron Bracho (LF, La Guaria): 1-1, R - Ironically Bracho took over for Yasiel Puig in LF late. He did get a hit and I’ve never heard or see Bracho play outfield stateside for Cleveland. It doesn’t matter because I believe he’s a minor league free agent and there’s no sense for Cleveland to bring Bracho back unless they just need the body.