Santo Domingo, RD.
The Eastern Stars and Lions of the Chosen One will start the mini-series this Sunday at 3-2 to determine last place in the semi-finals of the professional baseball tournament in the Dominican Republic.
The pachyderms (15-15) and the scarlet (14-16) took fourth and fifth place respectively, sending them to this qualifying phase, the winner of which will be judged against the pioneering Gigantes del Cibao.
Las Águilas Cibaeñas, second classified; and Toros del Ese, national and Caribbean champions occupying third place, are the protagonists of the other key of the semifinals that start on January 2 with the best of a 7-4.
The regular round ended with a three-way tie at the top between the Giants, Eagles and Bulls, with numbers of 16-14, but the stallions won the respective series ahead of their rivals and were placed first in the table. The tigers were in the basement at 5-5pm.
As a post-season novelty, the Stars will have the integration of stars Robinson Canó, second baseman for the New York Metros, and Fernando Tatis Jr., short stop for the San Diego Padres, informed Fernando, player development vice president of the plow. Tatis father.
The Greens are convinced that Canó and Tatis Jr. will bring more respect and production to their lineup, with the powerbats of Domingo Leyba and Junior Lake, each with four homeruns in the regular season, although Lake will be unavailable due to an injury.
Additionally, Lewin Díaz, Socrates Brito and Rookie of the Year Jeremy Peña, fourth in at bat with .306, who sent three individual homers; Rainel Rosario hit two, and the American Eric Filia wakes up to the level he has shown in previous play-offs.
Canó competed with the Stars for the last time in a single game in the 2016-2017 regular series, serving a full penalty for the next Major League Baseball season for repeatedly using banned substances, after one of 80 matches. in 2018 with the Seattle Mariners.
Tatis Jr. was key in the elephants’ crown in the 2018-2019 season, which broke a more than 50-year drought where his father was the handler.
The green leader, Venezuelan José Alguacil, will send right-handed Radhamés Liz to the mound in the first game against the Reds, who had three starts without decisions and a 5.87 ERA in the regular season, followed by Panamanian Andy Otero (1- 2 , 1.10) and Edwin Uceta (0-1, 2.45).
The Scarlets will showcase an artillery command led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., averaging .359 and two home runs in 10 games of the regular.
Likewise, they will depend on the offensive contributions from Franchy Cordero, Estevan Florial, Luis Liberato, Wilkin Castillo and Aderlin Rodríguez, who has impressed with two homers, a pair of doubles and a single in three games and 14 at bats.
Lions general manager José Gómez Frías announced that North American righthanded David Kubiak (1-0), leader in ERA (1.73) and strikeouts (32), awarded Pitcher of the Year, will climb the mound against the East.
Enny Romero (0-2, 3.95) and Puerto Rican Miguel Martínez (0-1, 4.70) complete the rotation of red foreman, American Dave Jauss.
The hairy men arrive with fewer losses than their opponents at this stage due to injuries and other causes, such as the absence of Gregory Polanco, Otto López, Venezuelan Luis Rengifo and Americans Joe Dunand, third in innings with .319, and Brett Sullivan, among others pitchers and positioners.
The first game next Sunday will be at the Tetelo Vargas Stadium, in San Pedro de Macorís (East), and will continue on Monday at the Quisqueya-Juan Marichal Stadium, in Santo Domingo. If necessary, a third deciding match will return to Tetelo Vargas Park.