Jose Luis Lopez | LVBP Press.- Caracas.- Navegantes del Magallanes arrived in Puerto La Cruz forced to win two games to seek the 2021-2022 championship. And this Monday night he successfully fulfilled half of the mission by whitewashing Caribes de Anzoátegui 6-0 to provoke the seventh and decisive game of the Grand Final. The left-hander Yohander Méndez with a jewel of seven innings with only two hits allowed, was the architect of such an important victory for the ship.
Mendez (1-0) faced 27 batters and struck out a third of them. His work was 123 pitches, the most extensive in his professional history. The only time he exceeded a hundred pitches, he added 101 on June 1, 2018, when he was wearing the uniform of the Round Rock Express, a Triple A affiliate of the Texas Rangers in the now defunct Pacific Coast League. On that occasion, he covered five three-run innings against the Nashville Sounds, according to Baseball Reference.
Méndez’s pitching cap in a challenge in his LVBP career had been reached against Leones del Caracas last Tuesday, January 4, when he needed 97 pitches to cover five blank innings at the University Stadium. In addition, with the four strikeouts that he had prescribed in the second game of this decisive series, tonight he became the first pitcher with 13 strikeouts in this phase since right-hander Mike Romano did it in the 2003-2004 campaign, as a member of Tigres de Aragua against the Caribes themselves. In that battle, the American left a balance of 2-0 and a 2.03 ERA in two starts, to win the Most Valuable Player award.
After leaving Méndez la loma, with a strikeout to Luis Sardiñas, Anthony Vizcaya and Bruce Rondón entered the scene, respectively in innings eight and nine to complete the shutout, against a team that had unleashed a ferocious offensive just the night before in Valencia. 20 hits and 15 runs
This result forces to go through the complete calendar of the Grand Final. All his games proved necessary. This Tuesday from 7:00 p.m. at the Alfonso “Chico” Carrasquel Stadium in Puerto La Cruz, the seventh game will be played, the beauty of this confrontation to elucidate the champion of the 2021-2022 season of the Venezuelan Baseball League. and consequently the representative of our country in the Caribbean Series, to be held from Friday the 28th in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
It will be the 20th Final Series that is defined in seven games. The last one that was decided in the maximum number of challenges was in 2019-2020, when Cardenales beat Caribes 4-3.
For his part, Magallanes has played five decisive series that have extended to the top: in 1970-1971 he lost against Tiburones de La Guaira. In the 1993-1994 they beat the Leones del Caracas. In the 1995-1996 they beat Cardenales de Lara. In 2009-2010 they succumbed to Leones, and in 2013-2012 they dominated Cardenales. As far as Anzoátegui is concerned, he has twice gone to the limit in decisive challenges. The first time was in 2010-2011 when he won his first title with Tigres de Aragua as victims. He would later go down against the Red Birds a couple of seasons ago.
The setback was for Henry Centeno (0-1), who needed the help of seven relievers, in this game that lasted 4 hours 21 minutes. Magallanes dispatched seven hits and left 10 runners waiting for tow, while playing in the shadow of an error. Caribes only managed to get two hits against the brilliant three-arm pitching piece presented by his opponent. As he received six walks and a pitch he was able to leave eight men in circulation. The Tribe recorded two errors in its defense.
Magallanes was in charge of mobilizing the scoreboard in the fourth against starter Henry Centeno. Alejandro De Aza walked, Leonardo Reginatto singled to right and Pablo Sandoval followed suit to drive in De Aza and put Reginatto at third. Angel Reyes sacrifice fly to center to push the Brazilian in for 2-0.
In the fifth, Magallanes pulled away 3-0. Alberto González reached base on a fielder’s choice and Cade Gotta immediately unloaded a double to center, his third in the final to drive in González and exploit Centeno.
Magallanes added two more in the following episode to raise the difference to 5-0. Pablo Sandoval was hit by a pitch from reliever Ángel Guillén. His namesake Ángel Reyes struck out with a fan, but Jesse Castillo walked. Guillén jumped off the hill and Rayder Ascanio released unstoppable to the left, to receive Jean Toledo, a connection that put outfielder Oswaldo Arcia in trouble, a circumstance that Sandoval took advantage of to score. Arturo Nieto continued the navigating approach with a single to the right to fill the bases. Alberto González came out with a short line to the left, but Gotta took a ticket to force Castillo’s run.
In the ninth, the Navegantes stepped on the plate again, before the arms of Iván Medina and Liarvis Breto. After two outs, Reginatto was walked and Breto came to face Pablo Sandoval, who reached base on an error by third baseman Niuman Romero, unable to control a ground ball. Juan Infante ran for the “Panda” and Breto incurred a wild pitch. As the runners advanced, they finished passing batter Ángel Reyes to congest the bases. Castillo also took out a ticket to force the final 6-0 in Reginatto’s legs.
After the meeting, Wilfredo Romero, helmsman of the ship, gave his impressions to Simple TV.
“Yohander (Méndez) was impressive. He gave us a big breather in a great 123-pitch effort. He was able to get to that number because his arm was really strong. In the seventh inning, when he missed a ball that almost hit Asdrúbal Cabrera, he tried to break his concentration by yelling at him. So I went out to talk to Yohander to remind him not to lose focus. I told him to finish serving the inning, I think I said the right words to him. For tomorrow with César Jiménez as starter, all the bullpen pitchers will be available”, indicated the Magallanes manager.
Yohander Méndez also had words for the Simple TV microphones.
“I am proud of my victory. This was my game. I managed to place my pitches well. I couldn’t fail. Caribes tried to take me out of the game, but manager Romero calmed me down. Tomorrow we will have to go out and play baseball in order to be crowned”, said the hero of the match, who had never gone seven innings on the circuit before.
