Reliever Gabriel Arias got off to an emergency start and put on a hero costume as he pitched 5.0 solid innings to headline a two-round shutout of the Tigres del Licey over Estrellas Orientales on Saturday night, the 19th, at the stadium in Tetelo Stadium. Vargas of San Pedro de Macorís.
On the offensive side, Licey’s last import, Wynton Bernard, hit a round at home and alone, scoring both rounds, and Emilio Bonifacio led in the first with a sacrifice fly and was the winner of Arias (2-1) Dany Jiménez and Lisalverto Bonilla, who allowed nine shots but did not go and the defense was impeccable, for the second Bengal victory in a row, both against the Greens, after six consecutive losses.
The rest of Saturday night’s Dominican winter baseball 20220-21, Don José Manuel Fernández, In Memoriam, the Giants of Cibao defeated Toros del Este 10-1 in San Francisco de Macorís; and Águilas Cibaeñas won a career 11-9 against Leones del Escogido in the Capital.
The Tigers’ tenth victory (10-15) keeps them with a breath of life in their thin aspirations to qualify, but they can’t afford to lose one of the five remaining games.
Now, instead of the Giants (12-12, equal to the Stars in the third), it is the Chosen One (14-15) that Licey should pass in his attempt to reach the fifth place, less than three games from the fourth, to go to a mini playoff. The Blues are at 2.0 games behind the Reds, who have their last match this Sunday against the Bulls in the Capital. Águilas and Toros draw level at the top at 15-12.
Licey has a crucial double game against Águilas in Santiago this Sunday from 2:00 pm, for which he will send veteran Ervin Santana up the hill in the first and young Jean Carlos Mejía in the second.
The game
The coaching staff led by Luis Sojo had called on Deivi Garcia to face the Greens on Saturday, but had to turn to veteran Gabriel Arias, who allowed just four shots, hit one and did not transfer. In the fifth he had the biggest difficulties, when, with one exit, he allowed one, he withdrew the next one and then they tied a shot inside, but they dominated the next one. Dany Jiménez took the lead in the sixth, was tagged with one shot in each half, but hit four, two in the half. Lisaberto Bonilla allowed two shots in eight and one in nine, but without consequences. He aired two for his first save of the season.
The Bengals scored their first in the third half, when Wynton Bernard hit a home run for the third, defender Ronnier Mustelier made a throwing error and the batter came in second. He advanced to third place with a kick from Sergio Alcántara and scored with a sacrifice by Emilio Bonifacio.
In the fifth, with two beats out, Bernard hit a massive four-cornered stick over the center field fence against All-Star holder and player Andy Otero to set the final score. Otero threw 5.0 innings of three shots and two shots. Forrest Snow with a 2.0 inning, Ergar E. Garcia (1.0) and Diógenes Armengó (1.0) finished from the eastern mound and hit seven in the last four innings.
Sergio Alcántara and brothers Emilio (the captain) and Jorge Bonifacio completed the five hits that Licey was able to connect, apart from home and Bernard’s single.
Between Rainel Rosario and Ronnier Mustelier, they rented six of the nine Star collectibles, three each. Domingo Leyba, Lewin Díaz and Gustavo Núñez did the rest. All nine were simple.