Gilberto Celestino leads the Toros del Este to an agonizing victory over the Estrellas
In an emotion-filled duel at the Francisco A. Micheli Stadium, the Toros del Este achieved an electrifying 5-4 victory against the Estrellas Orientales, thanks to a timely hit by Gilberto Celestino in the tenth inning.
The match, which kept fans on the edge of their seats, was decided in the final inning. With the Stars up 4-3, the Bulls began their comeback with Wilmer Difó as the ghost runner. After a key single by Juan Brito, Celestino played the hero by hitting a double between center and right field, driving in the two runs that walked off the visiting team.
A brilliant debut and a necessary victory
The Toros’ starting pitching received a boost with the debut of Deyni Olivero, who had an impeccable performance by pitching four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and issuing no walks. Although the bullpen allowed four unearned runs, Lucas Sims was credited with the win (1-1), while Jhan Mariñez (0-2) took the loss after allowing the decisive hit.
The win puts the Toros at a 7-11 record, placing them just half a game behind the Estrellas (7-10) in the fight for the fourth qualifying position of the season.
Match development
- Initial lead: The Toros took an early advantage with sacrifice flies from Ronny Simón and Bryan De La Cruz in the third inning.
- Bull power: Francisco Urbaez stood out with an impressive 418-foot solo home run in the fourth inning.
- Green reaction: The Estrellas took advantage of a defensive error in the fifth inning to tie the score 3-3.
- Dramatic finish: César Prieto put the Estrellas ahead in the tenth, but the Romanense offense responded immediately to seal the victory.
Offensive leaders
Francisco Urbaez was the standout performer at the plate, finishing 4-for-3 with a double and a home run. Meanwhile, Gilberto Celestino finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a stolen base. For the Estrellas, José Tena and Josh Lester each managed to collect a pair of hits in the losing effort.
The Toros del Este will continue their schedule this Monday, when they host the Leones del Escogido at the Francisco A. Micheli Stadium at 5:00 in the afternoon.
