Cangrejeros fall to eventual champion in Caribbean Series semifinals

The Cangrejeros had cause for celebration during their Caribbean Series semifinal game against the Charros of Mexico, but in the end Puerto Rico came up short against the eventual series champions.

By THE STAR STAFF

The Caribbean Series ended last Friday for the Cangrejeros of Puerto Rico after the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League champions fell in the semifinals, 8-6, to the Charros of Mexico (Mexico Rojo) at Pan American Stadium in Zapopan in the Mexican state of Jalisco.

“It was a hard-fought game between both teams, where we wanted to do something different today,” Cangrejeros manager Omar López said in the post-game press conference. “We leave with a bittersweet feeling about how these guys, this group, represented Puerto Rico with pride, fighting until the end.  We even had the opportunity to tie the game in the last inning with two outs.”

Two strikeouts and a wild pitch after the Charros’ Mateo Gil drove in a run to tie the score at 6-6 with no outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, Leonardo Herás drove in two more runs to give Mexico Rojo a lead that it would not relinquish. After a three-up, three-down top of the eighth, Yohandy Morales doubled to right in the top of the ninth inning to keep Santurce’s hopes alive, but a groundout to shortstop ended the game and sent the Charros on to Saturday’s final, where they would defeat the Tomateros of Mexico, 12-11, in 10 innings for the series title.

Regarding Santurce’s effort in the semifinal, López said: “I don’t have many words to describe the game. We had a dream. Sometimes you create situations, you create plans. These can work out by making adjustments as the game progresses. I don’t have to say what we could have done differently.”

“Simply, the fight we put up until the end leaves us a little hurt. We leave with that bitter taste. They [each member of the team] have to be proud of themselves. I am proud of them because this is the third team I’ve managed in the winter league. I managed for six years in Venezuela, one in the Dominican Republic, and this is my second year in Puerto Rico,” said López, who will manage Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic in March. “I’ve been in baseball for 29 years. These guys, this group, the additions, the imports … they taught me to grow. They motivated me to fight for something, it’s incredible. We have to hold our heads high, be strong, come back next year to give it our all for a championship and come to the Caribbean Series.”

The game was a back-and-forth affair from the start. The Cangrejeros connected for 13 hits, while the Charros had 11. The first third of the game featured a flurry of home runs.

Morales was the first to go yard for the Cangrejeros, in the first inning. His home run cleared the left field fence to make it 1-0.

Puerto Rico’s lead didn’t last long as the Charros jumped on Cangrejeros starter Chávez Fernández in the bottom of the inning. Connor Hollis led off with a double to left field. Then, after the right-hander retired Julián Ornelas and Michael Wielansky on ground balls, he issued his only walk of the game. With runners on the corners, Gil singled in the tying run.

López promptly brought in Jordan Morales in relief of Fernández. The right-hander struck out Bligh Madris to stem the threat.

The Charros took the lead in the second inning when Connor Hollis homered to left with Herás on base, putting the Charros ahead 3-1.

In the next inning, it was Gabriel Cancel’s turn to show his power for Puerto Rico. The second baseman hit the third home run of the night to center field, bringing the Cangrejeros within a run. But the Charros responded in the bottom of the inning with another home run, this time a two-run shot off right-hander David Lebrón, to extend their lead to 5-2.

The Cangrejeros got two runs back in the fourth inning, taking advantage of miscues by the Charros. One batter after Emmanuel Rivera hit a line drive base hit to left field, Christian Vázquez hit a double to put runners on second and third, and a wild pitch by Mexico Rojo’s starter Manny Buñuelos brought in Puerto Rico’s third run. Next, Joneshwy Fargas laid down a perfect bunt, bringing in another run to make it 5-4.

In the fifth inning, the Cangrejeros took the lead, 6-5, on a single by Isán Díaz and a sacrifice fly by Rivera.

Two innings later, the Charros tied the score at 6-6 on Gil’s single, the third of three straight hits to lead off the bottom of the seventh.

The win went to right-hander Gerardo Reyes (1-0) after he pitched one scoreless inning in relief, allowing one hit and striking out two. Trevor Clifton earned his second save of the tournament. The loss went to Derek West (0-1) after he was responsible for three runs in two-thirds of an inning in the fateful seventh.