Winter Leagues: Caguas Prevails Over Santurce in Puerto Rico Finals Opener

LBPRC.COM
Liga de Beisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

GAME ONE
Caguas Criollos             1

Santurce Cangrejeros   0

FINAL

from

HIRAM BITHORN STADIUM

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Los Criollos de Caguas followed up their semi-final clinching 1-0 whitewashing of los Indios de Mayaguez with yet another 1-0 shutout performance, this time in Game One of Puerto Rico's Liga de Beisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente championship series against los Cangrejeros de Santurce.

Five Criollos pitchers combined to limit top seeded Santurce to just four hits and two walks, while fanning six.  Despite failing to qualify for a victory, Caguas starter Orlando Roman tossed 4.2 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and a walk, and fanning four.  Four Criollos relievers then allowed los Cangrejeros just one hit the rest of the way.

CaguasCriollos.com

Caguas right fielder Jorge Padilla promptly led off the game with a double off Santurce starter Adalberto Flores, then scored on a two-out single by DH Randy Ruiz for the game's only run.

Santurce won their previous series (over los Gigantes de Carolina) in five games and were coming into Saturday's game off three full days of rest.  Or should we say rust?  Meanwhile, Los Criollos are now winners of five straight.

The series shifts from Hiram Bithorn Stadium 

to Caguas for Game Two on Sunday.

Estadio Yldefonso Sola Morales

Caguas, Puerto Rico

Santurce finished the regular season with a league best 28-12 record, two games ahead of second place Mayaguez.  Caguas on the other hand, posted a third place finish with a sub par 19-21 record, three games ahead of los Gigantes de Carolina.