Caribbean Series 2024: Brilliant debut of Yasiel Puig and Miguel Romero boost Venezuela's victory
“Play ball” has already been announced at the great Caribbean baseball festival! From February 1 to February 9, the champions of the main winter leagues in the region face each other at the loanDepot park in Miami in search of the 2024 Caribbean Baseball Series trophy.
In this 66th edition Naranjeros de Hermosillo (Mexico), Tigres del Licey (Dominican Republic), Tiburones de La Guaira (Venezuela), Criollos de Caguas (Puerto Rico), Curacao Suns (Curaçao), Federales de Chiriquí (Panama) and the Gigantes de Rivas, the first team that will represent Nicaragua in the history of the event.
Cuba has been one of those absent from this edition, but there will be a presence of Cubans in several of the competing teams. The right-handed pitcher from Havana, Odrisamer Despaigne, will defend the colors of Mexico. Outfielder Yadiel Hernández, pitchers Raúl Valdés and Jorge Alberto Martínez will defend the Dominican Republic jersey.
Meanwhile, star outfielder Yasiel Puig, right-hander Miguel Romero and left-hander Ariel Miranda will take to the diamond with the Venezuelan team. For Nicaragua, we will see Matanzas right-hander Yoanner Negrín in action.
Puig and Romero making an impact from the start
The Tiburones de La Guaira, led by Ozzie Guillén, who led them to end the 38-year drought without a title, relied on their brilliant combination of pitching and defense to beat the Tigres del Licey 3-1, the current monarchs of the Caribbean Series. Miguel Romero's work was masterful in a duel against another Cuban, the 46-year-old veteran, Raúl Valdés, who allowed one run in 4 ⅓ innings and came out the loser. Romero silenced the powerful Dominican offense in 5 ⅓ innings, where they hit only three hits and allowed one run, did not walk him and managed to strike out three opponents.
One of the most anticipated debuts on the opening day was undoubtedly that of Yasiel Puig. All the radars pointed towards the former major league media player who, although he had not set foot on the MLB field since 2019, continues to maintain his aspirations of being able to return to the big tent. And just as Venezuelan fans expected, the performance of the “Wild Horse” was decisive in the victory over the Dominican Republic.
The Venezuelans' offense was unleashed in the third inning with Alexi Amarista's RBI hit that brought the first run into the legs of Ramón Flores. In the sixth episode, an unstoppable hit towards the central field by Flores himself led to the second goal for the team of sharks.
The Dominicans showed signs of life at the end of the sixth inning with a sacrifice fly by Robinson Canó that made the game 2-1. However, Venezuela's rebound came at the beginning of the eighth inning, with a huge home run by Yasiel Puig to left field that definitively sealed the victory for the Tiburones de La Guaira.
“It was an honor to win the Championship in Venezuela with the Sharks after 38 years, but now the goal is to win the Caribbean Series, because Venezuela has not won it for 15 years,” Yasiel Puig told ESPN Deportes about his team's aspirations in this Caribbean classic.
The other Cuban who debuted was Matanzas outfielder Yadiel Hernández, but he was dominated in four visits to the batter's box.
Since 1991, a Caribbean Series has not been held on neutral territory. In this edition, 33 years later, the event is held again in a venue with these characteristics and again in La Ciudad del Sol, although with the great peculiarity of being played this time in an MLB stadium for the first time.
Without a doubt, this will be a great baseball party that will keep many fans expectant and in which we will also be closely following the performances of all the Cubans in their respective teams.