Leones del Caracas celebrate 80-year history with 21st Venezuelan Professional Baseball League title

Leones del Caracas celebrate 80-year history with 21st Venezuelan Professional Baseball League title
31/01/2023
An 11th-inning solo home run by Harold Castro made the difference in a thrilling Game Six, played in front of over 20,000 fans at 'Estadio Universitario' in Caracas.

Leones del Caracas earned their 21st Venezuela Professional Baseball League (LVBP) title as they won the final series against Tiburones de la Guaira, four games to two. They succeed Navegantes de Magallanes.

Leones took a quick lead, winning the series' first two games. Tiburones came back to tie it, but Leones won the fifth and sixth games back to back and clinched the pennant.

Final Series results

Leones-Tiburones 8-6
Leones-Tiburones 8-5
Tiburones-Leones 7-1
Tiburones-Leones 8-2
Leones-Tiburones 7-2
Leones-Tiburones 7-6

Game Six, played in front of a crowd of 20,535 at Estadio Universitario in Caracas, proved a five-hour and 11-inning thriller. The two lineups combined 29 hits, including five home runs, against 15 pitchers. Harold Castro, the 29-year-old Leones' center fielder, went deep for the game-winning run against right-hander Johan Belisario.

"I failed to produce with runners on base tonight," commented Castro, pictured above. "But thank God I saved it all for that final swing."

Leones needed eight arms to win. Yoimer Camacho pitched one inning to open the game, and five more pitchers went one inning or less. Silvino Bracho pitched three scoreless innings to earn the win. He took the mound in the top of the ninth after Ricardo Rodriguez allowed a two-run homer to Tiburones right fielder Danry Vasquez, blowing a one-run lead in the top of the seventh. Bracho faced only 11 batters, allowing two hits.

"I didn't expect such a long outing," said Bracho, a late addition to the roster. "I felt well and tried to think pitch by pitch, inning by inning. I'm grateful for the chance to contribute to this win."

Arnaldo Hernandez gave up a 6-5 Tiburones lead in the bottom of the seventh, allowing the tying run on two walks and one hit.

Leones' first baseman Isaias Tejada earned MVP honours.

LVBP is a WBSC Associate Member.