La Romana’s Toros win Dominican Winter Baseball crown

Santo Domingo, (EFE) .- Los Toros del Este were crowned Dominican baseball champions, beating Tigres del Licey 7-1, Tuesday night, in the eighth game of the final, played at the Quisqueya Juan Marichal Stadium, before nine thousand spectators.

The Bulls, who fired eleven undisputed, relied on the good work of their opener, the Panamanian Paolo Espino, who threw five innings and two thirds without allowing scores, to prove victory.

Espino’s work was completed by relievers Jarlin Garcia, Tim Peterson, Anthony Carter, Keury Mella and closer Ramón Ramírez, to leave the losers in five hits.

The series ended 5-3, fulfilling the forecasts given to the favored cattle to win the competition in eight games.

It was the third crown of those led by Puerto Rican Lino Rivera, in its history as a franchise in the baseball of the Caribbean country.

They won their first title in the 1994-95 campaign, against Águilas Cibaeñas, and the second came in the 2010-11 season when they beat Stars of the East.

The winners took control of the game (1-0) in the fourth episode, scoring a run against the starter Lisalverto Bonilla, the result of a simple bunt by the gardener Abraham Almonte.

The second round of the visitors was brought to the plate by the intermediary Alen Hanson, with a return in the seventh, before the deliveries of relief pitcher Brennan Bernardino.

The third run also scored in that episode, due to the wild launch of pitcher Alfredo Simón, who allowed Rubén Sosa to score from the antechamber.

The losing troop scored one in the seventh by single to the left-field of the emerging Carlos Franco, to discount advantage 1-3.

In that chapter, the locals got to have the tying run in the initial with one out, but Carter dominated the next batters, to keep the board 3-1.

However, the Mameyes scored another run in the eighth, by shortstop Jorge Mateo, to expand the score 4-1.

Mateo stole bases, ran to second, slid into third and then scored the fifth run on a single by Fernando Flores.

The sixth run was scored off a triple by the outfielder Junior Lake with one on base, who then scored the seventh high sacrifice of hitter Peter O’Brien.

It was the second title of the Puerto Rican Rivera as a leader in the Dominican professional ball, since he had directed the Águilas Cibaeñas, in the 2017-18 campaign.

The losing pitcher was Dominican Bonilla (0-1), who threw five innings of the game.

The Tigers, winners of 22 titles, have lost their last two final series since in the 2017-18 campaign they fell to the Eagles.

The crown was held by Eastern Stars, which last season defeated the Bulls, to end a 51-year-old chain without achieving a crown.

The Bulls will play in the Caribbean Baseball Series, to be played from February 1 to 7 in Puerto Rico, EFE.