.png)
MIAMI (AP) - Ricardo Pinto shone on the mound, Hernán Pérez drove in one run and scored another, and Venezuela shut out the Dominican Republic 3-0 on Friday, securing their eighth title in the history of the Caribbean Series.
The La Guaira Sharks claimed their first-ever title as a franchise and the eighth for Venezuela, marking their first Caribbean crown since 2009 when the Aragua Tigers took home the trophy.
La Guaira achieved this feat under the leadership of Ozzie Guillén, a specialist in breaking droughts. Guillén previously led the Chicago White Sox to a World Series title in 2005, ending a championship drought that lasted since 1917. He led La Guaira to the Caribbean Series after a 38-year championship drought in the Venezuelan league.
Guillén has now joined the ranks of Tom Lasorda as the only managers to win both the Fall Classic and the Caribbean Series. Lasorda achieved this feat with Licey in 1973.
"With a winning mindset, you did the job, all of you," Guillén told his ecstatic players in the Marlins Park clubhouse. "Thanks to you, everything that has been achieved was possible, especially to the players who came from other teams, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts... Now we go to Venezuela with our heads held high."
Thousands of jubilant fans await them. Celebrations erupted in La Guaira, a city about 30 kilometers north of Caracas, with people taking to the streets, honking their car horns, despite a torrential downpour.
Pinto pitched five innings and two-thirds without allowing any runs to win the game. He only gave up four hits and struck out six.
Supported by the recently retired star Miguel Cabrera in the stands, Venezuela took the lead in the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly by Alcides Escobar and secured the victory in the fifth when Pérez drove in a run with a triple and later scored on a groundout by Odúbel Herrera.
"I wouldn't trade this joy for anything. Truly, this is already a dream come true," said ElÃas Saba, president of the Sharks. "We did it... It's the first time the Sharks have become champions of the Caribbean Series," emphasized ElÃas Saba, president of the newly crowned champions.
The Licey Tigers failed in their attempt to win back-to-back Caribbean Series titles and could not extend their franchise-leading 11 championships or the Dominican Republic's record of 22.
Panama overtakes Curacao to claim third place
A home run by Iván Herrera crowned Panama's comeback on Friday as they defeated Curacao 5-4, securing the third spot in the Caribbean Series.
The Curacao Suns had taken the lead in the third inning when Roger Bernadina drove in a run with a single. Jonathan Schoop followed with a two-run homer, putting the Curacao team ahead 4-1.
Trailing by three runs in the fourth inning, the Chiriquà Federals closed the gap thanks to a groundout by Ricardo Céspedes, allowing Rubén Tejada to score, and a run-scoring single by Joshwan Wright.
The tie came in the sixth inning when Wright responded with a sacrifice fly. This set the stage for Herrera to hit a home run in the seventh inning.
The St. Louis Cardinals player hit a solo home run, his third in the Caribbean Series, securing the victory for Panama.
"We are satisfied with this 6-2 record; obviously, we knew the competition system, and we lost a decisive game yesterday," said Panamanian manager José Mayorga. "But we leave with great experience and the pride that we did everything in our power; we fell short of what we wanted, but we competed the entire tournament."