The seemingly perennial contest between the Azua Tortugas and San Lorenzo Legends has been decided, and this one belongs yet again to the Legends, who took four of six games from Azua to claim the top prize in the WBH for 2018 and their second straight USA championship.
Playoff wrap-ups for the USA league and all other leagues below the jump.
USA LEAGUE:
San Lorenzo Legends defeats Azua Tortugas, 4 games to 2.
San Lorenzo took a 2-1 series lead into Game 4, and both squads handed the ball to their Game 1 pitchers; the Legends to their closer-turned-starter Felix Casilla, and the Tortugas to Christian Lewis. Casilla pitched 6.1 innings of brilliance, allowing 1 hit, no walks, and striking out six. Meanwhile, Christian Lewis, the hard-luck loser of Game 1, couldn’t get the redemption he wanted, giving up four runs in 7 innings, passing the ball in the 8th to MR Andres Tobor, who gave up two more. Azua made it interesting in the bottom of the 9th; MR Nicolas Sotello gave up three runs courtesy of a Shotgun Nozara RBI double, an Octavio Maes sacrifice grounder, and an RBI single from Juan Neurrez, making it a 2-out save situation for closer Mario Pereira, who shut down the rally with a three pitch strikeout. Legends win, 6-3.
With Azua against the ropes, they needed a blowout in Game 5 to energize the team and bring up morale - and they got their blowout. The Tortugas scored agressively on starter Hyung-gwang Kim, thanks in large part to Azua CF “Reptile” Mikami who knocked in a two-run single in the 1st and another RBI single in the 3rd. Azua starter Rodolfo Casoillas kept the Legends bats mostly quiet, giving up only a lone run in the 6th courtesy of a sacrifice from RF Dustin Goyer. Top of the 7th, Azua chased Kim out of the game leaving runners on first and third; MR Ernesto Reyes came on in relief and Azua punished him with a single from “Shotgun” Nozaro and a pair of two-run homers from “Reptile” Mikami and Juan Neurrez. The mop-up corps came out to finish out the laugher; Azua wins 10-1.
Game 6 was the kind of nail-biter championship playoff fans love to see - a bona-fide pitchers’ duel between San Lorenzo’s Erin Evanson and Azua’s Keishi Aoki. Both starters kept the opponent offense shut down for seven straight edge-of-your-seat innings. In the top of the 8th inning, Ha-ro SunRomero came on in relief of Aoki, and Legends catcher Mario greeted him with a solo homer. This would be all San Lorenzo would need to seal the deal; four pitchers came on in the final two innings to keep Azua from tying the game, the last being 1.1 innings from starter Jermayne McTary, who picks up his first career save with the final pitch to the 2018 season. Legends win, 1-0.
JAPAN LEAGUE:
Maracaibo Jackals defeats Santiago de Cuba Rough Riders, 4 games to 2
Maracaibo went into Game 4 down agains the Rough Riders 2 games to 1, seeking a win to tie it all. The game was a rematch of Game 1, between Jackal Antonio Valverde and Rough Rider “Big Dumb” Palmier, which was won the first time by Palmier. Both pitchers kept it close for most of the game, each giving up one run in the 3rd to keep it tied 1-1 until the top of the 7th inning, when Palmier got chased out of the game with a solo homer from SS Sergio Trevino. The Santiago de Cuba bullpen clearly wasn’t up to the task - the Jackals scored three more in the seventh (two from a homer by C Chi-eun Sin) and four more in the eighth (two from a homer by 1B Bartoli Salinas). Jackals take Game 4, 9-3, tying the series at 2 games all.
Game 5 starter for the Jackals, Cesar Anaya, was obviously looking for redemption for the Game 2 loss, and he got it. Anaya kept the Rough Riders to a single run in seven innings, giving up 7 hits and striking out eight. Meanwhile Maracaibo scored a pai of runs in both the 1st and 3rd innings, led by a RBI single and a sacrifice grounder from 3B Andres Mariota. Rough Riders SS Enrico Quezana finally got to Anaya in the 7th, sacrificing to score Ramon Clenega, but this would be all the noise the Santiago de Cuba bats would make. Maracaibo wins, 5-1.
With Game 6, the tables had been turned, and now it was Maracaibo going in for the kill. Jackals starter Tavio Soravilla, who pitched eight scoreless innings in Game 3, pitched a repeat of his previous stellar performance. Soravilla kept the bats quiet through seven innings, giving up only two hits, two walks, and striking out two. Santiago de Cuba starter Agustin Santana pitched a gem of his own, but the run that made the difference was scored in the 1st inning - Sergio Trevino led off the inning with a double, and crossed the plate on a Bartolo Salinas single. Four Jackal relievers, including closer Jose Soto in the 9th, pitched two scoreless innings to give Maracaibo the game and the championship, 1-0.
CUBA LEAGUE:
Mao Dadaistas defeats Xi’an Kylin, 4 games to 0.
Down three games in the series, the Xi’an Kylin needed Game 4 to be the first in a string of miracles. By the 3rd inning, it became apparent the miracle wasn’t going to happen. Xi’an starter Shu-de Tei came apart in the 3rd, giving up an RBI single to LF Quinto Userin, walking Francisco Benigue with the bases loaded to score Mao starter Ricardo Alonso, and then giving up a three-run jack to 1B Jorge Hueca. Mao’s Alonso pitched just well enough, giving up just three runs (two unearned) in 7.2 innings, getting a hold from Lawrence Gannon and a save from “Lobste” Tsukamoto. Mao wins, 5-3, picking up the sweep and the Cuba league trophy.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC LEAGUE:
Pacora Jaguars defeats Tocumen Pollo Diablo, 4 games to 1.
Tocumen started Game 4 with their ace pitcher, Alejandro Asrreaza, who only lasted three innings in his Game 1 outing versus Pacora. Asrreaza put in the plus performance Tocumen needed, giving up one run and six hits in eight innings, but Pacora’s Zavier Paredez and four relievers combined to keep Tocumen’s offense limited to one run (courtesy of a solo HR from CF Alejandro Rueira) and only three hits. The score was tied 1-1 in the ninth, but that didn’t last long; Pacora broke the tie with a 2-run homer from SS Teo Maradinga off MR Alfonzo Ontiveros. Pacora closer “Franchise” Takashita closed out the game and saved the 3-1 win.
Game 5 once again belonged to the domination of Pacora starting pitching. Pacora’s nigh-unhittible youngster, “Bul” Recimos, was on the mound for the Jaguars and pitched six innings of two-hit ball, with no walks and 4 KOs. The game’s first score came in the 4th when Tocumen starter Pedro Mayorga gave up an RBI double to RF Manuel Niavez and a single to LF German Coronel to give Pacora a lead they would never lose. Pacora would go on to score a couple more runs off the Tocumen bullpen. In the ninth, with the score 4-1, Tocumen made some noise against MR Curro Casillas, scoring an RBI single from 2B Jose Cisneros, bringing “Franchise” Takashita into the game once again. Takashita gave up a sacrifice to C Jose Trujillo, but stopped the bleeding and got the final out of the game. Pacora wins, 4-2, taking the Dominican Republic championship.
SOUTH KOREA LEAGUE:
Suwon Samsung Lions defeats Asahikawa Green Guild, 4 games to 3
With the Green Guild ahead 2-1 in the series, Asahikawa pulled out the big gun, SP Richard Rand, who had been nearly unhittable during the regular season. He responded by pitching a complete game, nine-hit shutout, striking out four with no walks. Suwon started the less untouchable Seok-heung Li, who gave up five runs in the first three innings (two of those courtesy a first-inning homer from Green Guild LF “Torch” Bejar). Another two-run homer in the 7th from 1B Guillermo Manuel added unnecessary insult to injury; the game decisively belonged to Asahikawa all the way, 8-0.
Game 5, as would be all the remaining games, would be a must-win for Suwon. Asahikawa struck first with a “Torch” Bejar solo homer in the 2nd, answered in the 5th by a Suwon RBI single from LF Kyung-nam Yu to tie it. The Green Guild appeared to break the logjam in the top of the 6th, scoring two, but the true turning point of the game ended up being the bottom of the 7th, when the Suwon lineup got to Green Guild reliever “Litt” Kim for three runs, giving Suwon a lead their bullpen could keep. Asahikawa’s Yoichi Gato connected for a solo homer in the 8th to keep the lead to one run, but it was enough for closer Gi Kim and Suwon took the game, 5-4.
Game 6 was the beginning of the end for Asahikawa, the first of two fantastic pitching efforts from Suwon starters. Starter “Little BVu” Kwak limited the Green Guild to four hits in eight innings, making only one big mistake in the form of a two-run double to C Pyeong-chu Mangchol in the 4th inning. The Samsung Lions pummeled Asahikawa starter Ramon Alona, with back-to-back 2nd inning homers from 1B Aberto Ruiz and SS Eun-Bum Chon contributing to four runs in the first two innings. Alona gave up 5 runs and 12 hits in six innings, more than enough to maintain a healthy lead for Kwak and closer Gi Kim. Suwon wins 5-2 to even the series.
The Game 7 starters would be Lu-po-teh Yap for Suwon and Katsumi Kawaguchi for Asahikawa. Both pitchers kept it interesting until the top of the sixth inning, when Suwon, already up 2-1, scored three off Kawaguchi in the form of three singles, a triple and a sacrifice grounder. Suwon took the decisive lead and never looked back, emphasizing the point in the top of the 9th by scoring four off “Litt” Kim, including a two-run dinger from 1B Aberto Ruiz, forcing Asahikawa to bring in their closer Carlos Gallo just to stop the bleeding. Suwon wins the game in a 10-2 laugher, giving Suwon the championship and perhaps the most impressive come-from-behind victory of the championships.
VENEZUELA LEAGUE:
Oaxaca Nueve Guerros de Jaguar defeats Tokyo Tankui, 4 games to 2.
Game 4
Game 5 featured Oaxaca starter Kyuso Kaku looking for revenge after getting blown out in the late innings in Game 1, and Tokyo Tankui starter Hidetada Sato making his postseason debut. Tokyo started the 1st inning with a two-run homer from Sukejuro Nakamura, and Oaxaca tied the game with a two-run double from 1B Ramon Gomez in the 3rd. Tokyo took the lead for good with an RBI single in the 5th from “Banzai” Fujitate and added another in the 7th from Tadayoshi Sato. Oaxaca had a chance in the 7th to tie but could only manage to score Gervaso Ureclay on a sacrifice grounder. “Dagger” Pak was able to save the one-run lead for Tokyo, and they took the Game 4 match, 4-3.
Game 6 was all Oaxaca; specifically, all starter Dan McRae, who shut out Tokyo for 7.2 innings, giving up five hits, seven strikeouts and one walk. Tokyo’s ‘Clodhopper’ Alipaz did a good job of keeping the ball off the Oaxaca bats (only 4 hits given up in 5 innings, with nine strikeouts) but got into trouble with walks (5 total) and timely hitting from RF Adelmo Segobiano and 2B Hidehira Nii were enough to score three runs off Alipaz and give Oaxaca just enough offense to lead comfortably throughout the game. Oaxaca wins, 4-0, to take the championship for Venezuela.
CANADA LEAGUE:
Changsha Dragon Riders defeats Vancouver Venture Brothers, 4 games to 3.
With the series tied 1 game to 1, Changsha put Ho Zhao on the mound versus Vancouver’s Bobby Blain. The VBs scored a quick two runs in the first courtesy of a home run from RF Juan Sauzo, but Changsha’s Tong Jian knocked an RBI single in the 1st, and later tied it in the 3rd by scoring on a Jose Bringuez single. Blain left after the third after tweaking a hamstring, handing the ball to Tokuma Shibaguchi, who gave up a run in the 4th to give Changsha the lead until the seventh inning, when the wheels finally fell off the Ho Zhao express. Zhao gave up three home runs in the seventh: solo homers from Nathan Hebert and Carlos Loizu, and a two-run bomb from Montes Morrero. That would give Vancouver a three-run lead they kept until the inevitable “Dr.” McTavish save. Vancouver wins, 7-4.
The hot Vancouver bats kept swinging in Game 4. Changsha starter Guo-qing Hu didn’t stand a chance, lasting only 1.1 innings, giving up six runs. Vancouver 2B Hector Inistera hit a homer for two of the five runs scored in the 1st inning; Juan Sauzo followed up in the 2nd inning with a solo homer, and Hu hit the showers. This was more than enough wiggle room for Vancouver starter Mao Sun, who gave up three runs in seven innings and took the easy win. Vancouver wins, 9-5, taking a series lead of 3 games to 1.
Game 5 had all the earmarks of a killing blow for Vancouver. Despite Changsha’s first strike — a two-run homer from 3B Felix Martinez off VB starter “Critter” Stalker, Vancouver once again teed off on Changsha pitching, punishing Shi-fu Li in the fourth inning with a two-run homer from CF Bob Rose, a single from SS Raul Cruz, and a three-run triple from Nathan Hebert. But Changsha would not go quietly, and the Venture Brothers lost focus. Stalker would load the bases with a single, an infield error and a hit by pitch, then let three of those runs score by throwing a 1-0 wild pitch to SS Cisco Finones, followed by a 2-0 hanging slider that Finones roped for a double. Changsha still trailed 6-5 after the fourth inning, but it would be yet another two-run homer in the sixth from Felix Martinez off Vancouver reliever Ramon Ferbadez that gave Changsha the 7-6 lead they’d carry all the way to the end of the game. Changsha pulled off the upset to live another game.
Changsha, being in a must-win situation, gambled and started Ho Zhao on four day’s rest for Game 6. Zhao only faced two batters, however, before aggravating a blister on his pitching hand and had to be removed from the game. Definitely not what the Dragon Riders had in mind. Luckily, six Changsha bullpen pitchers combined to limit the Venture Brothers to only three runs on three hits and five walks. Meanwhile Changsha was busily getting what they needed off Vancouver starter David Gorman, scoring four against him in a three-inning outing; a Jose Bringuez RBI single in the first, and three in the third courtesy of RBI singles from LF Zhong-yan Juan and Ye Hu, plus a wild pitch to Felix Martinez. Carlos Loizu made some seventh-inning noise with a solo homer for Vancouver, but with the score 5-3 in the 9th, Vancouver reliever Ramon Ferbadez gave up singles to Finones and “Maverick” Jung forcing the VBs to bring on closer McTavish to try to keep them within striking range. It didn’t work. Catcher Masujiro Hotsuda knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly, and two walks later, pinch hitter “Hippo” Hor sent the first pitch to the corner for a two-run double. All chances of rally dead, Changsha won, 8-3, forcing a decisive Game 7.
For Game 7, Changsha at last showed the dominant pitching that contributed to their 2018 league-leading 3.73 team ERA. Taking the mound would be Guo-qing Hu, who blew out of Game 4 early as the victim of a Vancouver offensive onslaught. This time, however, it would be Hu with the upper hand, giving up no runs, three hits and a walk in six innings. Vancouver’s Bobby Blain pitched a decent game but was not nearly as dominant; Changsha scored in the first off a Bringuez sacrifice fly and again in the 6th off a “Maverick” Jung triple. Vancouver would not score until Hu left in the seventh; pitching in relief of Hu, Tse-peng Kang gave up a single to Carlos Loizu to score Brad Southorn. Changsha answered immediately with a Tong Jian solo homer in the 8th. The two-run lead would be preserved until the 9th, and reliever Zhao-ying Jin provided the save in the ninth to win it for Hu, 3-1, and to complete Changsha’s comeback story, giving them the championship series 4 games to 3.
PANAMA LEAGUE:
Nagasaki Blues defeats Ciudad Bolivar Liberators, 4 games to 1
Both sides kept the scoring low in Game 4, with a solo homer from Liberator RF Mario Bonefont off Nagasaki starter Krang-rak Hwang being the only run scored in the game until the 7th inning, when Blues LF Fu-chi Qiu connected for a three-run homer to give the Blues the lead. Hwang pitched 8 innings and then handed the ball to closer Sung-your Ch’ang for his third playoff save. Blues win the game 3-1 to go up three games to one.
Game 5 saw the Liberators putting their survival hopes in the hands of starter Pedro Ceguera, while Blues starter Manny Llaguno, who narrowly missed winning Game 1, was looking for redemption. The Blues struck first with a two-run single in the 3rd from 3B Karim Garza, which the Liberators answered with a C Bartolo Bernard RBI double in the 3rd. Garza and 2B Shotaro Ishii later added to the Nagasaki lead, knocking in two in the 5th, but Llaguno pitched himself into trouble in the 6th, and SS Mauro Valdevez made him pay with a three-run homer to tie the game. The tie breaker would come in the 7th with a pinch-hit single from 1B Tsukasa Yanagimoto followed by a pinch-runner stolen base from Mitsushika Tomimoto. This set the table for C Hector Campos who doubled off Yoriyuki Wada to get the 5-4 lead. For the fourth time, the Blues handed a close lead to Sung-your Ch’ang. Ch’ang would give up a leadoff single to Yeong-kil Yi, but would force CF Ruddy Lorega into a double play to earn the last two outs of the championship. Nagasaki wins, 5-4, and earns the crown in Panama’s farewell series.
PUERTO RICO LEAGUE:
Osan Flying Squid defeats Roswell Invasion, 4 games to 3.
Having been held down to only ten total runs over the first three games of the series, Osan wanted a big offensive performance in Game 4, and they got it. Osan started out the top of the first with a two-run homer from catcher Diego Sanchez, and later in the third Roswell starter Orlando Agure had trouble throwing strikes, walking two and then giving up a single and a sacrifice to plate both the walks. Agure lasted only 2.2 innings before handing it to the bullpen. In the fifth, the Squids teed off on Roswell’s Cheol-chung Son, pummeling him for five runs (three courtesy a 3-run homer by SS Han-su Yi). It was never close after that. Osan starter Raul Hernandez and four others would combine to hold Roswell to three runs (two earned), four hits, and four walks. Osan wins, 10-3.
The story of Game 5 was Osan starter Selby Valance, who despite having a modest 4.32 ERA in 23 starts in the 2018 regular season, managed to shut out the Invasion in eight innings, scattering four hits and four walks. Roswell’s starter, “Tro” Mendez, had in many ways a much more dominant pitching performance, allowing only three hits and three walks, with seven strikeouts compared to Valance’s three; unfortunately, a hanging fastball to Diego Sanchez was deposited over the fences for two Osan runs, and later in the seventh Gilberto Bertot parlayed a no-outs triple into an insurance run. Sanchez would homer again in the ninth (a solo jack) to keep the game well out of reach. Osan wins, 6-0.
Game 6 was an evenly matched battle between Osan starter Octavio Gomez and Invasion starter “Fiasco” Maginn. Roswell scored two in the early innings - one being a double from Maginn himself - but Osan climbed back into the lead with a double from Diego Sanchez and a triple from “Raptor” Vargas. It would not last long. The Invasion scored three in the seventh off an RBI single from Geunhye An followed by a two-run homer from C Raul Perez to put them back in the lead. Gomez would give up five runs and 11 hits total in his 6.1 inning losing effort. Roswell wins, 7-3, to tie the series and force a Game 7.
For the final battle of the championship, Roswell once again chose Game 4’s loser Orlando Agure, and Osan chose their Game 2 starter, Dong-yu Pak. Agure pitched much better than his game 4 fiasco, lasting 5.1 innings, giving up six hits, three walks and three earned runs, all inflicted by Osan’s Gilberto Bertot, who hit a two-run double in the first and a solo home run in the 3rd. Dong-yu Pak, meanwhile, was brilliant, limiting Roswell to one run, three hits, a walk and six strikeouts in eight innings. The only mistakes Pak made all game were in the sixth, where a balk and a wild pitch contributed to Roswell’s one and only run. With the Squids smelling blood, Diego Sanchez would go on to score two more on a double in the seventh to put this game well out of reach. Osan wins the game, 7-1, and the championship 4 games to 3.
MEXICO LEAGUE:
Tijuana Grasshoppers defeats Valencia Cerveceros, 4 games to 3
Game 4 of the Mexican League Championship was a 14-inning, nearly five hour grind that would see the lead change seven times before the end. Neither Tijuana starter Vinny Trujillo nor Valencia’s Juan Ordonez put together a dominant start; Trujilo lasted 5.2 innings, giving up six hits, six walks, and seven strikeouts, yet miraculously managing to give up only four runs. Ordonez, on the other hand, was dismal: twelve hits and eight runs in 6.1 innings. Valencia appeared to break it open with a four-run seventh inning (three of those courtesy of a three-run homer from RF Wilson Jiminez), but Tijuana battled back with three in the bottom of the seventh (Daniel Nunnalay RBI single followed by a two-RBI double from Ernesto Nuncil) and one more in the eighth ( an RBI single from 3B Antonio Camunas) to give Tijuana the one-run lead. Tijuana closer Ricardo Pedreyra came within an out of saving the game, but with a runner on third and two outs, Pedreyra sent a 1-0 fastball to Ivan Ahumada sailing over the catcher’s head, blowing the save and scoring the tying run. Five innings later, Cerveceros batter Tokuhei Minobe singled to score Ahumada, and Valencia reliever Maximo Gonzalez held on in the bottom of the 14th to save his own win. Valencia wins, 10-9 to tie the series at two games all.
Tijuana starter Pancho Molina started Game 5 for his second attempt at a post-season win, facing Valencia’s “Ugly” Sanchez. The Grasshoppers’ bats chipped away at Sanchez, spreading five earned RBIs among five different batters over the first six innings. Valencia on the other hand could only touch Molina in the fourth inning, when Molina allowed a pair of baserunners and 1B Eugenio Slessor knocked them both in with a bloop single to left. Molina lasted eight innings, giving up only two runs and six hits, striking out five. Closer Ricardo Pedreyra redeemed himself by striking out the side in the 9th. Tijuana wins, 5-2.
Down three games to two and in their home stadium, Valencia called on Game 1’s winner Salvador Mata, while Tijuana, seeking a quick end to the series, chose Ricardo Amaya, who pitched a Game 2 complete game shutout. Amaya pitched well, but in the second inning gave up a solo homer to Eugenio Slessor — then, with two outs, Tijuana shortstop Alberto Lopez botched a routine defensive play that kept the inning going and led to a 2-RBI double from Sancho Alfonso. The Grasshoppers tried to rally in the 7th with back to back solo homers from Daniel Nunnalay and 1B Einar Veve, but with a swing of the bat in the bottom of the seventh, Wilson Jiminez erased Tijuana’s gains with a two-run homer. Valencia’s offense being too much for Tijuana, they win the contest, 7-2.
The seventh and final match would be decided by Valencia starter Bo Woo (Game 2’s loser) and Tijuana’s Pat Dooley, who pitched a good game to no decision in Game 3. Woo clearly did not have his “A” stuff; after giving up a couple runs in the 1st and 2nd innings, Tijuana scored two in the 3rd off a solo homer from “The Br” Maldonado and a double from Daniel Nunnalay. The Valencia management had clearly seen enough, and pulled him for Juan Solarzano in the 4th, whom The Br proceeded to touch up for a two-run homer, putting Tijuana up by 6. Pat Dooley held the Valencia bats to two runs (one earned) four hits and a walk with five strikeouts. Up 7-2, Tijuana reliever Jose Flores pitched into trouble in the eights, allowing two to score via singles from SS Valentin Jeria and Ivan Ahumada. Closer Ricardo Pedreyra came on to get the last out of the 8th, and pitched a scoreless ninth to hand Tijuana the 7-4 victory and the Mexico championship.
CHINA LEAGUE:
Rizao Rally Cats defeats Wuhan Blackhawks, 4 games to 2.
With Rizao desiring a win to keep from going into a 3-1 series hole, they went to “Barbarian” Holloway on the mound versus Wuhan’s Hong-bin Wang. Both teams went to the homer early; Barbarian gave up a 2-run homer in the first inning to Chien-sheh Quan, followed by a solo homer to Armando Rochet in the second. Rizao countered with solo homers from Luis Sendejas and Alberto Anruvio in the first and second innings, giving Wuhan the early 3-2 lead. Holloway took control for the rest of the game, keeping Wuhan’s offense down while the Rally Cats rallied to chip away at the Wuhan lead. In the fifth, and RBI single by 2B Yong Tsao tied the game at three-all, where the score would remain until the ninth. Wuhan brought in closer Cai-fei Ching in a non-save situation, who allowed runners on first and third with one out, setting the table for the Angel Diaz pop fly to score the winning run on a walk-off sacrifice fly. Rally Cats win, 4-3.
Game 5 was a nail biter, with both starters Cheng-en Chen for Rizao and Miguel Gonzalez getting chased out of the game before the end of the third inning. The Rally Cats scored 3 off Gonzalez in the first inning, followed by a Luis Sendejas triple in the 2nd to score Bernardo Gradega. But in the top of the third, the four-run Rizao lead turned into a 5-4 Wuhan lead, starting with a Gallard Cargill sacrifice fly, then back-to-back 2 RBI doubles from Armando Rochet and 2B “Porky” Razatos. That was enough to knock Chen off the mound, and the game became a battle of the bullpens. The two teams slugged it out until the end, where finally Wuhan found themselves with a 9-7 lead in the bottom of the ninth and closer Segundo Taladay on the mound; a two-run homer from Charlie Cosman blew the save and sent the game into extra innings. An inning later, Rizao would win it with a walk-off single from Yin-fat Jue. Rizao wins, 10-9.
Game 6 would see Rizao starter Yasojiru Minoru, who pitched a gem of a win in Game 2, face off against Julcir Tavora who prevailed in Game 1. This matchup was all Minoru. In six innings of work, Minoru allowed 10 hits and 2 earned runs, but also struck out ten, pitching himself out of jams more often than not. Rizao broke out against Tavora in the fourth, with an RBI single from Francisco Quian, a two-run triple from Yong Tsao and a sacrifice fly from Yin-fat Jue. Minoru gave Rally Cats some fuel for gasping in the seventh, pitching two wild pitches in one at bat to allow Chua-kah Gui to score all the way from second and bring the Blackhawks to within 1. But in the top of the ninth, with Segundo Taladay in for Wuhan to try to keep it close, Rizao added two insurance runs in the form of a Francisco Quian double. Rally Cat reliever Ed Maybry came on for the sloppy but still scoreless save. Rizao wins, 6-3, taking the China League championship in six games.