Spanish
Santo Domingo.- The Tigres del Licey achieved a shutout victory over the Gigantes del Cibao tonight, a triumph that their manager, Gilbert Gómez, defined as a clear demonstration of the strength, resilience, and "competitive DNA" of the blue team.
Gómez valued the collective work and, especially, the pitching's ability to dominate close situations.
"It's a very close match, but the team's ability to take the hit, doing what it has to do, was really a great job. That says a lot about the DNA this team has," he expressed after the end of the match.
Albert Abreu is still on fire: “We are getting the best out of him”
The leader especially praised pitcher Albert Abreu, who has shown a notable improvement in his recent outings.
Gómez explained that 25% of his pitches were "strange", generating a 44% missed swing rate.
"His command was quite good. Casadiego, our pitching coach, who already had a previous relationship with him, has worked to bring out the best in Albert, and right now he's in an excellent place with his fastball, his changeup, and his curveball," he detailed.
Abreu is going through a “pretty positive stretch”, after a recent performance of 10 strikeouts against the Toros del Este.
JC Mejía and his availability
Regarding reliever JC Mejía, who pitched on consecutive days, Gómez said they will evaluate whether he will be available for tomorrow's game.
"There's a high possibility it doesn't have the label, but we'll see if it needs to rest for a day and then we'll resume," he explained.
Ronny Mauricio will play tomorrow
Gómez confirmed that Ronny Mauricio will return to the lineup this Friday as part of his "return to play" process.
"Ronny comes from practically doing nothing and is going through his progression. Tomorrow he definitely plays," he assured.
Status of Carl Stevenson, Jonathan Aro, and Ramón Hernández
Jonathan Aro hasn't pitched in a game since November 21st, but he is 100% healthy. "The opportunity just hasn't presented itself, but we know how important he is and he will contribute when the time comes."
Ramón Hernández continues to have discomfort in his lower right leg. He remains in rehabilitation and is on the 50-man roster.
"We hope he'll be available in one of the next three games, but we don't want to rush anything."
Regarding Carl Stevenson, he indicated that the analysis continues and it is still uncertain if he will return to the team.
Key defense in the victory
The leader highlighted the defensive plays that sustained the shutout.
"Today Hensley made a tremendous play getting us out of an inning that seemed to be getting complicated, Adames with an important play and several double plays from the infield," said Gómez.
He added that, although Michael missed a ground ball in the ninth, he fully trusts his ability: “If the play repeats itself, he would be right there.”
Brooks Halls and his preparation
Finally, the leader confirmed that Brooks Halls is still training with the intention of being included in the list of imported players.
"He is here to get ready. We want to integrate him when he is in optimal condition," he said.
The Tigers, who climbed to third place in the tournament, will travel on the road with a view to continuing their good moment, backed by solid pitching, efficient defense and the imminent reincorporation of key figures such as Ronny Mauricio.
