Final Olympic baseball qualifier Day 1: DOM vs. VEN historical preview, starting pitchers

Final Olympic baseball qualifier Day 1: DOM vs. VEN historical preview, starting pitchers
22/06/2021
In their last meeting on 4 June in Florida, world No. 10 Dominican Republic defeated No. 8 Venezuela, 14-4, in the Super Round of the WBSC Americas Olympic qualifying event.

Dominican Republic and Venezuela will send right-handed starting pitchers Raynel Espinal (DOM) and Erick Leal (VEN) to the mound for the today's 5:00 p.m. (local time) opener of the WBSC Baseball Final Qualifier at Estadio de Béisbol Hermanos Serdán in Puebla, Mexico.

Espinal, 29, has started 8 games in AAA (Worcester Red Sox), posting a 6-1 record with a 3.60 ERA. He has struck out 42 in 45 innings of work. Espinel is a new addition to the Dominican National Team roster.

Leal, 26, has a 2-1 record and 3.38 ERA this year in the Mexican Baseball League (LMB) pitching for Rieleros de Aguascalientes. During the WBSC Baseball Americas Qualifier, he started one game for Venezuela, in his team’s victory against Colombia by 3-2. He pitched 6 innings of 2-hit ball with 6 strikeouts, but was left with no-decision. He also pitched 1.1 innings in relief against USA, giving up 1 hit and 1 run. He ended the tournament with a 1.23 ERA.

Historical Match-ups

  • Dominican Republic defeated Venezuela 14-4 on 4 June 2021 in the Super Round of the WBSC Americas Olympic qualifying event. The teams finished second and third respectively as United States secured the only qualifying place for Tokyo.
  • Dominican Republic recorded a 3-0 win against Venezuela in the second round of the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
  • Venezuela defeated Dominican Republic 8-6 in the first round of the 2015 WBSC Premier 12.
  • Dominican Republic's only Olympic baseball appearance was in Barcelona in 1992, the first time baseball was included on the Olympic programme.
  • Venezuela has never competed in baseball at the Olympic Games.
#Road to Tokyo 2020