The Tiburones de la Guaira demonstrated their prowess as one of the favorites to win the Caribbean Series, defeating the Tigres del Licey 3-1 in the main match of the opening day. The Dominican Republic team stumbled in the tournament, held at the LoanDeport Park, home of the Florida Marlins, for the first time in a Major League stadium.
Pitcher Miguel Romero allowed only one run in five and a third innings, securing the victory for the Venezuelan team, while Raúl Valdés took the loss after allowing one score in four and a third innings. The Sharks took the lead with an RBI single from Alexi Amarista in the third inning, and Ramón Flores increased the lead with another timely single in the sixth. The Tigers closed the gap when veteran Robinson Canó drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, but former major league star, Cuban Yasiel Puig, sealed the victory for the Sharks with a solo home run in the eighth inning.
Puig expressed his pride in the team’s victory, stating, “It was an honor to win the Championship in Venezuela with the Sharks after 37 years, but now the goal is to win the Caribbean Series, because Venezuela has not won it for 15 years.”
The Dominican team will look to bounce back when they face Nicaragua on the second day of the tournament. Tigres driver Gilbert Gómez acknowledged the team’s talent and credited the Sharks’ pitching, expressing determination to make adjustments and compete for a win in the upcoming matches.