The pitching of Yuniesky Maya and the offense work of Félix Pérez were key in the fourth victory of the Tigres del Licey over the Leones del Escogido, in the final series of the Dominican Winter League. This result placed the team coached by Jose Offerman just one game away from clinching the ticket to the upcoming Caribbean Series, to be held at the Nueva Esparta stadium in Margarita Islands, Venezuela, from Saturday February 1. Now the play off, played to the best of nine games, favors the Licey 4-3.
That playoff series began with three consecutive wins by Licey , which made many predict the biggest surprise of the Caribbean circuit this season. The Leones del Escogido did not give credit to those adverse predictions, and rallied to win the following games to tie the series three wins a piece. The scene was then ready for the seventh game held yesterday, in which the performance of Maya and Felix was instrumental in the success of the Tigres.
Felix Perez was without doubt the most valuable player of the game. In the fourth inning he hit a double against starter Edward Valdes. He then scored the first run of the game, batted in by Erick Aybar’s single. The game was tied 1-1 till the beginning of the eighth. The Licey then had in base Eugenio Velez and Juan Francisco by hit and dead ball respectively. With one out came the highlight of the night, when the Cuban batted both in with a long triple that gave them a two-run lead. To ensure the triumph relievers Carlos Marmol and Juan Carlos Cruz were commissioned. The latter was able to overcome the threat of the Leones in the ninth, which managed to put runners on first and second with no outs.
Meanwhile Maya made his second start in the series. For 4 and 2/3 he held down the inspired line up of the Elegido . He allowed five hits, walked one and struck six. The only run that the Leones scored out of him came in the fifth inning thanks to a homer by Jordan Lennerton . Now Yuniesky accumulates two outings in the finals with a balance of one win and no loss.
During the 2013-2014 season several Cubans have worn the shirt of Licey. In addition to Maya, in the regular stage, José Ariel Contreras, Franscisley Bueno and Leonys Martin played for them. This last one was for a short time because he was quickly called back by his big leaguer organization, the Texas Rangers. For the round robin the Licey incorporated as reinforcement Santiago de Cuba’s Ronnier Mustelier from the Mexican Pacific League, and Felix Perez arrived from Venezuela where he was with the Aguilas de Zulia.
The eighth game of the Dominican playoffs will be played Tuesday at 7: 30 pm in the Quisqueya stadium. A victory by Licey assures them the title and the passage to Margarita Island. Should the Elegido triumph they will have to play the ninth game.
