Monterrey, Nuevo León.- The Leones de Yucatán are champions for the fifth time in the Mexican Baseball League.
Tonight, after winning the sixth match a day earlier, they won the seventh of the King’s Series over the Sultanes de Monterrey 6-1.
José Cafecito Martínez went 3-for-4 with a full-round stick and drove in five runs in support of Henderson Álvarez’s serpentine.
The winning pitcher pitched 8.0 innings of one run and seven hits, did not give walks and struck out three to give the long-haired crowd the fifth championship in its history.
The long-haired 2022 edition join the glories of 1957, 1984, 2006 and 2018.1 to leave behind two consecutive defeats in the King’s Series. Those commanded by Roberto Vizcarra defeated the Sultanes de Monterrey 6-1 at the Mobil Super Stadium to be crowned after seven games. The ‘Chapo’ managed Yucatan in 2018, for which he adds his second Zaachila Cup with the peninsulars.
Originally from Valencia, Venezuela, Henderson Álvarez III continued with his great work on the pitch. In Game 3 of the current King’s Series presented by G500, he had already thrown 7.2 innings in which he did not allow runs and the 8.0 episodes of one run and seven hits from Game 7 were added to be named the Most Valuable Player by the specialized press. of the 2022 King Series.
Less than 200 kilometers to the East, in La Guaira, and less than two years ago, the other long-haired Venezuelan hero was born: ‘Cafecito’ Martínez, who had only produced one career in the duels for the title, was uncovered to driving in five runs in the fifth title game in Lions history.
Life had already brought together ‘Cafecito’ Martínez and Henderson Álvarez in 2013-2014 and 2017-2018 with the Tiburones de La Guaira in their native country and baseball brought them together again this year in the Yucatan Peninsula to fill with joy a ball-loving hobby.
It was the dawn of the game and what better than a ‘Cafecito’ to wake up. José Martínez produced the race of the pool with a double that took Norberto Obeso to the register. The damage could have been greater: with a full house and two outs, Yohander Méndez dominated Sebastián Valle with a strikeout.
The alarms went off immediately. Henderson Álvarez suffered after a pitch after a shot by Ramiro Peña.
In the fifth reel the formula was repeated: the ‘Cafecito’ boosted Obeso but this time with a single. Roberto Kelly used the crane to enter Jake Sánchez in the last third of the fifth inning.
The fans of Leones de Yucatán were supporting in bleachers from left field to the rhythm of percussion to cheer on his team. They ran into a wall when listening to the whistle of the local public that fell silent before the streamers of Henderson Álvarez.
Just below the long-haired was Zoilo Almonte who caught the ball on the fence in the sixth high after a powerful hit by Sebastián Valle. In the lower part, Cristhian Adames, with a brushstroke in the short stops, avoided the damage of the Monterrey players to put an end to the second third of the game.
The ‘Cafecito’ became a ‘Señor Café’ with the best aroma in the country with a home run to left field for three more lines. 5-0 and all produced by Don José Martínez. He finished with a 4-3 night, his five RBIs, his bat back, a double and a run scored.
Henderson Álvarez left for the ninth inning, but Zoilo Almonte greeted him with a solo homer that sent him to the showers after a superb performance of 8.0 innings of one run and seven hits, did not grant walks, prescribed three chocolates and made a total of 102 pitches, 71 of them were strikes.
Álvarez III (Valencia, Venezuela, 1990) was the MVP of the series. He had a dream first season with Leones de Yucatán. The Venezuelan pitcher played two seasons with Tigres de Quintana Roo (2018 and 2019) and for this 2022 he signed with the long-haired.
With this title, Leones reaches five and equals Tecolotes as the fifth club with the most pennants. Roberto Vizcarra climbs in the record books as the third manager with the most titles in the LMB, reaching four (2013, 2015, 2018.1 and 2022), only below Lázaro Salazar and Benjamín ‘Cananea’ Reyes.
PG Henderson Alvarez (2-0, 0.57)
PP Yohander Mendez (1-1, 2.45)
HR: YUC Jose Martinez (1), Walter Ibarra (1); MTY Zoilo Almonte (2)
Information: Mexican Baseball League.
