Miranda dominates from the mound and the Eagles are still alive in the fight for qualification

SANTIAGO.– Mexican Juan Carlos Miranda shone with a quality start and the Águilas Cibaeñas defeated the Gigantes del Cibao 5-4, in a game of the Round Robin held on Thursday night at the Estadio Cibao, remaining firm in the fight to advance to the final.

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Miranda was key in the ninth victory of the Aguiluchos, who now have seven defeats and continue immersed in a close battle for the second position of the Todos Contra Todos. With the triumph, the Eagles completed a perfect sweep against the Giants, winning the six matches played between both teams in the semifinal series. The Mexican right-hander threw six solid innings, allowing only one run and two hits, without conceding walks and striking out seven of the 20 batters he faced. The victory went to Miranda (1-0), while the loss fell on Cristopher Molina (0-1). Matt Foster earned the save (1) in his debut. The yellow relief responded accordingly, with Junior Fernández in the seventh episode, Richard Rodríguez in the eighth, and Foster closing the ninth inning.

For the Giants, Cristopher Molina could only work 1.2 innings, in which he allowed four runs and four hits, with one walk and one strikeout. The vinotinto bullpen used Blake Weiman, Frank Garcés, Wellington Díaz, Adisyn Coffey and Tayron Guerrero.

On the offensive for the Eagles, Cristhian Adames and Rodolfo Amador connected with a double and a single; Juan Carlos Gamboa and Geraldo Perdomo added two hits each, while Steward Berroa and Jerar Encarnación contributed a hit apiece. For the Giants, Deyvinson De los Santos led the attack with a home run and a double; Diego Hernández hit a home run and a single; Kelvin Gutiérrez added a home run, and David Bañuelos connected with a hit. The Eagles took control of the game in the second inning, when they combined a double by Amador, singles by Gamboa, Berroa and Perdomo, a walk to Leody Taveras and defensive errors by José Sirí and Gustavo Núñez, sending nine batters to the plate. In the third episode, Diego Hernandez hit a solo home run to bring the Giants closer 4-1, also breaking a streak of seven consecutive outs. The yellow advantage widened in the fifth inning when, after two outs, Adames hit a double and scored on a run-scoring single by Rodolfo Amador, putting the score at 5-1. The Giants reacted in the seventh with a double by De los Santos and a home run by Kelvin Gutiérrez, and tightened the game in the ninth inning when De los Santos punished again with a home run, leaving them only one run behind, although the Eagles' relief pitching managed to preserve the victory.