In a meeting full of emotion and tension, the Estrellas Orientales showed their mettle by defeating the Gigantes del Cibao with a score of 4-3 in 12 innings. The game, played at the Tetelo Vargas Stadium, kept the fans on the edge of their seats until the last moment.
The decisive moment arrived in the bottom of the twelfth inning. With the bases loaded, Almonte, acting as a pinch hitter, received a walk against pitcher Routzahn, allowing the Stars to seal an important victory.
With this triumph, the Estrellas improved their record to 22-25, consolidating themselves in third place, tied with the Leones del Escogido. For their part, the Gigantes fell to 20-26, sharing position with the Tigres del Licey, who also achieved a victory in the day.
The victory went to Oddy Núñez (1-1), who pitched an inning allowing one hit and one unearned run, giving up one walk and striking out two batters. The loss fell to Yaqui Rivera (0-1), who couldn’t hold the lead in a third of an inning, allowing two runs, one of them earned.
Blazing Pitching Duel
The game featured a pitching duel between the starters Oscar de la Cruz, for the Estrellas, and Daniel Mengden, for the Gigantes. De la Cruz pitched five innings, allowing four hits, without giving up walks and striking out six batters. Mengden, for his part, also worked five innings, accepting four hits, conceding one base and striking out five.Featured Offensive Players
For the Giants, Luis García Jr. went 2-for-5 with a run scored; Nomar Mazara, 2-for-4; and Melvin Mercedes, 1-for-2 with a home run, a run scored, and two RBIs.
Regarding the Stars, Rodolfo Castro went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI; Vidal Bruján, 1-for-3 with an RBI; and Raimel Tapia, 1-for-5 with a run scored.Upcoming Matches
On Saturday’s game day, the Leones del Escogido will visit the Gigantes del Cibao at the Julián Javier Stadium starting at 5:00 p.m.; the Toros del Este will face the Tigres del Licey at the Quisqueya Juan Marichal Stadium at the same time; and the Águilas Cibaeñas will travel to San Pedro de Macorís to face the Estrellas Orientales from 7:30 p.m.
