Dominican baseball is in Tokyo 2020; defeats Venezuela in a comeback
An RBI double from Diego Goris’ tying lap capped a thick six-run rally in the fourth inning, and the Dominican Republic advanced to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games baseball tournament, with its victory over Venezuela eight laps to five.
The Hermanos Serdán stadium was the scene where the Dominicans won the ticket undefeated by beating the Venezuelans twice and the Netherlands (Holland) once.
With its triumph, the Dominican team won the last ticket to the Olympic Games baseball tournament, Tokyo 2020. Japan is classified as the host country, South Korea and Mexico, who won the ticket in the Premier 12; Israel for Africa-Europe and the United States in the Americas qualifier.
A home run by Venezuelan Diego Rincones with two men on base, in the top of the second inning, marked the opening laps of the game. In the third, a home run by Melky Cabrera with one on board in the third brought the score closer and left Venezuela with a minimum advantage of one run.
A Diego Goris double drove in the tying lap in the fourth inning, to cap off a six-lap cluster for the Quisqueyanos, who took 8-3 leads on the scoreboard.
In the top of the seventh, the Venezuelans scored their fourth run of the match. In the 9th inning, they scored their last run of a home run.
Dominican Marcos Diplán shot the eighth without allowing a score, helped by the spectacular defense of Julio Rodríguez in the right field. With a man at first, Diego Rincones hit a line that Rodríguez caught by diving headfirst to his right, considered among the best plays of the tournament.
Reliever Jairo Asencio came in to pitch the ninth and although he allowed a run, he sentenced the game by retiring Alexander Palma with a second shot. After the last out fell, the Dominican Republic national team shook the “Green Nest” with a joyous celebration of jumping, tears, and hugs.
The victory went to Luis Felipe Castillo, in work that included two strikeouts and no walks. The loser was Chirinos, after allowing four earned runs and not retiring any batters.