Winter Leagues: Criollos de Caguas closing in on Puerto Rico league title

Liga de Beisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente

SERIE FINAL

Game One   Game Two   Game Three   Game Four   Game Five   Game Six

Hiram Bithorn Stadium

San Juan, Puerto Rico

GAME SEVEN

Caguas   4

Santurce 1

FINAL

With Sunday's 4-1 victory over los Cangrejeros de Santurce at Hiram Bithorn Stadium, los Criollos de Caguas are now just one victory away from capturing the club's second title in the last five years. 

They head back to Parque Yldefonso Sola Morales for Game Eight with hopes of dethroning the league's defending back-to-back champion in front of their home crowd.

Four Caguas relievers combined to protect a 4-1 lead with six scoreless innings of work in support of starter John Brownell.  Will Oliver gained the victory with 2.1 innings of two hit ball, with two strikeouts.  Ricardo Gomez earned his sixth save of the post-season.

At the plate, Caguas batters greeted Santurce starter Hiram Burgos with four first inning hits in taking an early 2-0 lead.  A one-out double by shortstop Jack Lopez in the top of the second, an RBI triple by catcher Jonathan Morales, and a sac-fly from right-fielder Jorge Padilla staked Caguas to a 4-0 lead.

Los Cangrejeros scored their only run of the game off John Brownell in the bottom of the second on a lead-off triple by right fielder Juan Silva, and a sac-fly from Christian Vasquez.

Caguas is now 3-1 this series at Hiram Bithorn Stadium.  Santurce would host Game Nine if necessary.

• Founded in 1939, los Cangrejeros de Santurce are 14 time league champions, and as previously noted, are still the reigning back-to-back champions until further notice.  This year's top regular season team, Santurce has gone on to win the Serie Caribe on five occasions.

• Founded in 1938, los Criollos are in search of their 17th league championship.  Their most recent came during the 2010-2011 and 2012-2013 seasons.  They have gone on to win three Serie Caribe titles in their history.

CAGUAS

1947-1948

CAMPEONES

Winter Leagues: Criollos fall to Cangrejeros; Series tied

Liga de Beisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

GAME TWO

Santurce  6

Caguas     3

FINAL

Los Cangrejeros de Santurce Outlast Andrew Barbosa; Bullpen Fails Punchless Criollos.

Now that each team has lost at home, let the series begin...

Caguas got yet another stellar performance from their starting pitching, only this time it went for not.

Andrew Barbosa kept los Cangrejeros de Santurce scoreless through six full innings pitched, facing twenty batters, allowing a lone hit and two walks, while fanning four.

But with los Criollos clinging to a slim 2-0 lead in the top of the seventh, Caguas manager Luis Matos relieved Barbosa with Jake Newberry.  Four batters later, Newberry was out of the game, charged with four earned runs on three hits and a walk, and inevitably, the loss.

• While still pitching at the time for Mayaguez, Andrew Barbosa allowed los Criollos one earned run on five hits and a walk, and fanned four during Game Four of the semis.  He was then smartly selected by Caguas in the roster fortification process.  Barbosa joins Orlando Roman, Jose de la Torre, and John Brownell, in los Criollos starting rotation.

• This best of nine series is now tied at a game apiece.  After a day off on Monday, the series shifts back to Hiram Bithorn Stadium on Tuesday for Game Three.

Hiram Bithorn Stadium

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Parque Yldefonso Sola Morales

Caguas, Puerto Rico

!Mi Rieno por un Hit!

My kingdom for a hit...!

Caguas has now been limited to three or fewer runs in seven of their eight post-season games played to date.  Their lone offensive outburst came during Game Three of the semi-finals when they posted a 5-4 victory over los Indios de Mayaguez.  However, despite advancing through the semis in six games, Mayaguez outscored los Criollos by a 14-15 margin.  Over all, Caguas has been outscored by an 18-21 margin through eight playoff games, averaging just 2.25 runs per game.

And there's the rub...

Caguas is now 5-3 in these playoffs.  They are 1-3 in games during which they surrendered four runs or more, but are 4-1 when they limit their opponent to a run or less.

During Game One's victory over Santurce, los Criollos went a mere 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position, and left nine men on base.  They fared no better Sunday in Game Two, going 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position, and leaving another nine runners on base.  In six games against Mayaguez, los Criollos batted just .180 (9 for 50) with runners in scoring position, and left an average of eight men on base.  That makes them .171 (12 for 70) in the playoffs with runners in scoring position.

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.