Caracas.-The high-profile World Series between the Dodgers and the New York Yankees ended much sooner than expected, being decided in five games in favor of Los Angeles on Wednesday. That was the culmination of a playoffs of the Major League Baseball (MLB) that, once again, had Venezuelan prominence.
Up to 42 Creole players were eligible to participate in the Major League postseason. Here is a selection of lifetime statistical achievements, or in this edition, achieved by 10 of them:
1.43
Ranger Suárez only managed to have one appearance in this edition of the playoffs, but by working 4.1 blank innings, he improved his lifetime ERA in the stage to a brilliant 1.43, after 37.2 innings.
Among pitchers in MLB postseason history, with at least as many innings of work as the left-hander, his earned run average is the fifth-best in Major League history, according to Baseball-Reference.
Suárez compiles an ERA barely higher than Andrew Miller (0.93 in 38.2 IL), Blue Moon Odom (1.13 in 39.2 IL), Bill Hallahan (1.36 in 39.2 IL) and Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax (0.95 in 57.0 IL).
2
Jackson Chourio hit a pair of home runs for the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series against the New York Mets. In this way, he became the second youngest player in playoff history with a multi-flight game, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
At 20 years and 205 days old, the Zulian was barely older than Andruw Jones, who at 19 years and 180 days old also served two balls in Game 1 of the World Series with the Atlanta Braves, in 1996.
In addition, Chourio joined Evan Longoria (with the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the American League Division Series in 2008) as the only rookies to hit multiple home runs to tie or give their team a lead in a matchup. postseason.
3
Luis Arraez He hit a single in his first playoff at-bat with the San Diego Padres uniform and joined a group of 12 Venezuelans who have hit hits with three different uniforms in these instances, according to Baseball-Reference.
Of the total of 21 players who have appeared with at least three MLB clubs in the playoffs, only Víctor Davalillo, Bob Abreu, Asdrúbal Cabrera, Eduardo Escobar, Avisaíl García, Víctor Martínez, Ramón Hernández, Omar Infante, Alex González, Gerardo Parra, Dioner Navarro and now Arráez have delivered hits in each of them.
4 PER DOUBLE GAME
Robert Suárez recorded a four-out save for the San Diego Padres in Game 3 of the Division Series against the Dodgers. A success that united Ugueth Urbina and Francisco Rodríguez as the only Venezuelans with a rescue of such characteristics in the playoffs, according to Baseball-Reference.
The saves of both Urbina and the “Kid” were also four outs. The first was with the Florida Marlins, in the 2003 World Series; and the second with the Anaheim Angels, in an American League Division Series, in 2005.
But also, Maikel García, with the Kansas City Royals, went 4-for-5 in Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees, and equaled the record for most hits for criollos in a playoff game.
García joined Antonio Armas (in 1981 with the Oakland Athletics), Omar Vizquel (in 2001 with the Cleveland Indians), Edgardo Alfonzo (in 2003 with the New York Mets), Miguel Cabrera (in 2003 with the Marlins Florida), Pablo Sandoval (in 2012 with the San Francisco Giants), Alcides Escobar (in 2015 with the Royals), Marwin González (in 2018 with the Houston Astros), Ronald Acuña Jr. (in 2019 with the Atlanta Braves ), Avisaíl García (in 2019 with the Tampa Bay Rays) and Gleyber Torres (in 2020 with the Yankees), in the list of now 11 players who share the brand.
6
Salvador Pérez hit a solo home run for the Kansas City Royals in Game 2 of the American League Division Series, against the New York Yankees, and raised his lifetime total of full-round hits in the MLB postseason to six.
Perez, who had not played in the playoffs since 2015, moved into ninth place all-time among catchers with at least 80% of his games at the position at this stage, according to Baseball-Reference. He is halfway to the leader of the list, Hall of Famer Yogi Berra (12).
7
Carlos Mendoza’s Mets won seven games in their unexpected postseason trip to the National League Championship Series. Even though New York succumbed in six games against Los Angeles, the Venezuelan was in a very good place.
Such a number of wins represented the second highest number for a Venezuelan driver in a playoffs, only behind the 11 that Oswaldo Guillén had in 2005, when he became World Series champion, with the Chicago White Sox.
The other time that a countryman led in the phase was also Guillén, in 2008. But that time the whitelegs barely won a prize, being eliminated against Tampa Bay in the American League Division Series.
8
Brayan Rocchio built a streak of eight games with at least one hit and set a franchise record with the Cleveland Guardians (since 1901) with the longest string of hit games since the beginning of his playoff career, according to the analyst Sarah Langs.
The rookie, who left an astronomical offensive line of .407/.448/.593 during the series, was four games away from reaching the mark among fellow nationals, set by Elvis Andrus (12) with the Texas Rangers, in 2010, according to search engine Baseball-Reference.
37
David Peralta hit his first career MLB postseason home run during Game 2 of the National League Division Series for the Padres, against the Dodgers. At that time, at 37 years and 53 days old, he became the second oldest Venezuelan player to record a home run in the playoffs.
With the bombing against right-hander Jack Flaherty, Peralta was only younger than Andrés Galarraga, who served the ball at 37 calendar days and 115 days old with the Atlanta Braves, in the Championship Series of the old circuit, in 1998, according to Baseball-Reference.
In addition, Peralta tied the record among countrymen who have played with the most teams in the playoffs, with four (Arizona, Dodgers, Tampa Bay and San Diego). He registered his name next to utility man Miguel Cairo (Cincinnati, Yankees, Philadelphia and St. Louis) and pitcher Freddy García (Seattle, Yankees, White Sox and Atlanta), according to B-R.
105
José Altuve barely played two games, due to the Astros’ early elimination in the American League Wild Card Series. However, it was enough to raise his postseason total to 105 and climb to sixth place all-time in the MLB, leaving behind the future immortal Yadier Molina (104).
In addition, Altuve had a hit in the short series against the Detroit Tigers, and increased his total to 118, surpassing Manny Ramírez for third place in his career in the playoffs.
THE DATA
A total of five Venezuelans will receive a World Series ring with the Dodgers. In addition to Miguel Rojas, Brusdar Graterol y Edgardo Henriquezwho were part of the Los Angeles roster in the MLB postseason, also corresponds to Elieser Hernandez y Eduardo Salazarwho pitched in the regular season with the team.
