Robinson Canó’s Major League baseball bat made an impression on his fall-winter baseball-tournament debut.
Canó hit a few home runs and drove in four runs to lead the Estrellas Orientales to an 8-4 victory over the Leones del Escogido in the first game of the miniseries that will define the fourth in the semi-fund series.
The winner of the miniplay-off, who agreed to the best of three matches, will face Gigantes del Cibao in the semi-finals, who takes first place in the regular series.
With a tie at 4, Eric Filia doubled, single to center Christian Bethancourt and Jeremy Peña sentenced with a home run by the producing center-back of two runs to end the three-round rally in the sixth inning for the Paquidermos .
Domingo Robles (1-0), in relief role, scored the victory by billing a three-inning work with a walk and a few strikeouts, while the reverse fell to Drew Carlton (0-1), who had three hits and three runs with walked in the third of an inning that was a strikeout.
Radhamés Liz covered the first three innings for the Stars. He gave up three hits, three touchdowns, walked one and struckout five. For the Lions, David Kubiak also went without a decision after two innings of five hits, four touchdowns, two walks and a strikeout.
A solo home run by Canó in the first inning put the Stars ahead, but the Lions tied the score in the second with a single to third by Jonathan Guzmán, who moved to third base with a line that shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. could not handle and the ball was he entered the left meadow. Guzmán scored with a sacrifice bunt to Iván Castillo’s pitcher.
The homeowners again took the lead in the third. Peña singled to the left, Tatis Jr. was hit by a pitch and Cano homered down the right field for three touchdowns.
The Lions added two more in the fourth with two singles, a pair of walks and a single, then tied the score in the fifth on two outs with Luis Liberato’s double and Estevan Florial’s RBI-single to the right.
The eighth All-Star career came in the eighth with a solo homer off wide receiver Christian Bethancourt.
For the Stars, who had 13 hits, Peña, 5-2 with two RBI’s and two runs; Cano, 4-2 with four RBI’s and two runs; Domingo Leyba, 3-2; Socrates Brito, 4-2; Filia, 2-1 with a ticket; Bethancourt, 4-2, with two runs and two RBIs; Gustavo Núñez, 1-1; Lewin Díaz, 2-1, and Tatis Jr., 2-0 with two transfers.
For the Lions, who had nine basehits, Estevan Florial, walked 3-3; Luis Liberato, 3-1 with a transfer; Jonathan Guzmán, 3-1; Julio Rodríguez, 2-1 with a ticket; Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 5-1.
The second game of the miniseries is next Monday at 6:00 am in the Quisqueya Juan Marichal Stadium.