Celestino and Castillo lead Toros del Este to a 10-3 victory over the Gigantes

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.