Criollos blank Indians, advance to winter league semifinals

A solo shot to right field in the seventh inning by MJ Meléndez (14) made it 4-0 Caguas.

By THE STAR STAFF

The Caguas Criollos secured the fourth and final spot in the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (LBPRC by its initials in Spanish) semifinals on Monday evening after defeating the Mayagüez Indians 4-0 at Yldefonso Solá Morales Stadium in Caguas.

With the win, the Criollos eliminated the Indians (Indios), ending their bid to repeat as champions and tie the Criollos as the franchise with the most titles in the league’s history, with 21.

Caguas (20-20) will face the regular season leaders, the Santurce Crabbers (Cangrejeros, 26-14), in the semifinals in a best-of-seven series set to begin this Friday.

The Criollos combined the pitching efforts of José de León, Luke Taggart and Yacksel Ríos to silence the Mayagüez offense, which was limited to just three hits throughout the game.

De León pitched 6.1 innings, allowed three hits, and struck out five batters to earn the win, while Taggart and Ríos closed out the game without allowing any runs.

Three of Caguas’ four runs came in the bottom of the fourth inning, driven in on a single from José Miranda, a fielder’s choice after a hit by Luis Vázquez, and a ground ball by Enmanuel Valdéz that brought Miranda home.

The fourth and final run came in the seventh inning on a solo home run by MJ Meléndez to right field.

Mayagüez left-hander Héctor Hernández took the loss after working 3.1 innings, in which he allowed three runs, two of them unearned.

The first game of semifinal A between the Criollos and the Crabbers will be held Friday at 7:21 p.m. at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan.