Criollos de Caguas defeated Carolinas Gigantes 5-3 in the best-of-nine final series to claim their 21st title in the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (LBPRC). They succeeded Indios de Mayaguez.
The Puerto Rican Winter League played its inaugural season in 1938.
Final Series results
Gigantes-Criollos 3-2
Criollos-Gigantes 13-4
Criollos-Gigantes 4-2
Gigantes-Criollos 10-4
Criollos-Gigantes 3-2
Criollos-Gigantes 4-1
Gigantes-Criollos 5-1
Criollos-Gigantes 4-1
In Game Eight, played in front of a crowd of 8,920 at Yldefonso Solá Morales Stadium in Caguas, six Criollos pitchers limited Gigantes to one run. Veteran right-hander Yacksel Rios, who has 92 Major League Baseball (MLB) games under his belt, pitched two scoreless innings out of the bullpen for the win, his second in the final, and 45-year-old Ricardo Gomez took care of the last three outs to collect his third save of the series.
Former major leaguer Vimael Machin went 2-for-4 with a home run. Cuban-born Houston Astros prospect Pedro Leon added a solo shot.
The Criollos manager and former MLB superstar, Yadier Molina, was ejected in the third after arguing on a pitch count with the home plate umpire. Molina suffered his first LBPRC ejection on the night he celebrated his first pennant as a manager.
Former major leaguers Danny Ortiz, who posted a .355 batting average, and Johneshwy Fargas (.350) led the Criollos offence.
JC Escarra of the Gigantes went 10-for-27, a .370 batting average, to become the best hitter of the series.
RJ Martinez pitched 12.1 innings for the Criollos without allowing a run.
