SAN FRANCISCO DE MACORÍS.- Gilberto Celestino and
Iván Castillo led a 13-hit offensive to guide the
Toros del Este to a 10-3 victory over the
Gigantes del Cibao, in a game held this Friday at the
Julián Javier stadium.
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Celestino, center fielder and candidate for the Most Valuable Player award, connected three hits —including two doubles— and drove in three runs. Castillo had a perfect night, batting 3-3, with two doubles, a walk, three runs scored and four RBIs.
Yairo Muñoz contributed two doubles, scored twice and drove in one, consolidating himself as the tournament leader in doubles.
With the triumph, the Bulls added their
third consecutive victory, improved their record to
23-17 and consolidated their position in
second place, approaching the postseason classification. The Giants, for their part, fell for the fourth game in a row and were left with a record of
17-23, although they remain in fourth place in the standings.
The Taurino pitching was key in limiting the Giants to bat
2-for-11 with runners in scoring position, as well as leaving them with
10 men on base. The victory went to
George Soriano (1-0), who pitched 1.1 innings without allowing runs. The loss fell on
Shane Greene (1-2), punished with four runs (one earned) in 1.2 innings.
The races
The Bulls took control early with a four-run rally in the second inning. After two outs, Jeimer Candelario received a walk and scored on a double by Yairo Muñoz, who then crossed the plate on an RBI single by Ronaldo Hernández. Consecutive doubles by Iván Castillo and Gilberto Celestino extended the lead to 4-0.
In the fifth, Celestino and
Bryan De La Cruz‘s doubles put the score at 6-0. An inning later, Hernandez led off with a double and scored on Castillo’s hit. The Giants scored three runs in the sixth, driven in by
Nomar Mazara‘s double, a selection play by
Deyvison De los Santos, and a run-scoring single by
Gary Sánchez.
The Bulls scored three more in the eighth:
Ronaldo Hernandez drove in one,
Ivan Castillo added a run-scoring double, and
Gilberto Celestino closed the account with a single to center field.
On the offensive for the Toros, Celestino went 5-3, with two doubles and three RBIs; Castillo, 3-3, with two doubles, three runs scored and four RBIs; Muñoz, 4-2, with two doubles; Hernández, 5-2, with a double and three runs scored; and De La Cruz, 5-2, with one driven in. For the Gigantes,
Gary Sánchez hit 3-2 with one RBI and
Nomar Mazara, 4-1 with one run scored and one RBI.
The Toros return this
Saturday to
La Romana to receive the
Tigres del Licey at
7:30 at night in the stadium
Francisco A. Micheli.
