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.
Because something as important as the championships of the WBH should never have to go down without some sort of narrative, for posterity’s sake, here’s a rundown from the first week of championship playoff games.
USA LEAGUE:
San Lorenzo Legends leads AzuaTortugas, 2-1
Game 1 was a pitchers’ duel between Azua’s Christian Lewis and San Lorenzo’s Felix Casilla. Both pitchers tossed scoreless gems, leaving the bullpens to battle it out into extra innings. An walk-off RBI single in the 10th from Azua’s “Shotgun” Nozara was the lone score in the game, and Azua took the first contest by a score of 1-0.
Games 2 and 3 were decisive Legends victories. Game 2 belonged to Legends SP Hyung-gwang Kim, who shut down the Tortugas’ offense all the way to the 2nd out of the 9th inning; Pereira took the ball for the last out and the save. A 3-run homer from Legends C Mario Romero provided the bulk of the scoring in the 4-1 Legends victory. Game 3 was yet another pitcher’s duel, with Legends’ SP Erin Evenson pitching 8 scoreless innings, and Tortugas’ SP Keishi Aoki keeping it scoreless until giving up a run in the 7th. The Legends then broke it wide open with five runs versus the Azua bullpen in the 8th. Final score 6-2.
<more leagues below the jump>
With just a handful of games left to go in the 2018 season, let’s take a look at the division matchups and project the winners in each league division.
VEN - No mas. That’s what they’re saying in Venezuela after the dominant performances of Maracaibo and Oaxaca Nueve, who will meet for the VEN championship.
CAN - The Hong Kong Giants got some bad news when the team learned that Marc-André LaRouche was likely to be out for 11 months after he injured himself throwing a pitch in today’s game against the Edmonton Trappers. A round of tests by the team doctors revealed the injury to be a ruptured tricep tendon. Upon learning of their diagnosis, the Hong Kong manager told the press, “As you all know, we can’t control injuries — they are a part of the game. We just have to do the best we can until Marc-André is back in action.”
MEX - Panama City closer Hector Villalouous is making a strong bid for his first WBH Stopper of the Year Award. With almost half the season in the books, the 26-year old lefty has yet to give up a run, earned or otherwise. He has converted all 19 save opportunities, and his stat line looks like something out of a video game: 28 IP, 13 H, 3 BB, 27 K. Lefties are hitting a miniscule 087/160/087. That’s 2-23 with no walks and 2 HBP. He has only given up two extra-base hits all season, both doubles, and both to righties, who are hitting a “robust” 157/213/186 against the lefty flamethrower.
CHN - It’s starting to look like a two-team race in the LAD. Changsha and Wuhan are one game apart, while Philly and Shanghai are struggling.
USA - Motoshige Sanda was on fire and sparked his club to a 14-6 victory over the Fighting Jalapenos. The Mao catcher was a tough out and went 6 for 7 against Maracay in a fine hitting display.
JPN - Santiago de Cuba playing well on the road, going 16-5 to date.
PUR - Osan’s Han-su Yi extended his consecutive-game hitting streak to 21 games.
MEX - After injuring himself, Toucans starting pitcher Francisco Marroquín headed straight to the hospital. He was removed from the game as a precaution after throwing a pitch and the team’s worst fears were confirmed when it turned out to be a little more serious. Marroquín will miss at least 2-3 months with a torn back muscle.
JPN - Toeldo’s Robert Stroupe goes 4-4 with two HR and five RBI in 9-4 win over Tokorozawa.
I know I was asking myself that as I was going through this year’s awards ballot. I was shocked to find out that Pat, who received the fewest votes for hitter of the year of the candidates considered, set the WBH single season record for hits in a season.
CAN - Detroit and Xi’an have been battling for 1st place in the Canadian LAD all season. The series opener at Detroit went 16 innings and saw the Xi’an staff rack up 20 strikeouts in the win! Xi’an took 2 of the 3 games, with 28 strikeouts to only 7 walks.
USA - The Akashi Fordians have lost seven of their past eight games and are now three behind San Lorenzo in the LOD. They’ve scored a total of only three runs in their past five games. Slumps by 1B Hideaki Shimizu and RF Je-Ju Yi aren’t helping.
CUB - Toa Baja Coquis go 9-1 in their last 10 games.
JPN - Happy times in Tokorozawa as the Arsenal and star starting pitcher George Eames put the finishing touches on a $41,970,000 contract extension that will keep the 33-year-old in town 3 years longer. But, wait! This deal was a pre-req to a trade between the Arsenal and the Detoit Tigers. Yes, Eames is coming to Detroit, and here is the announcement…
CAN - The Tigers and Arsenal confirmed this afternoon that a trade had been agreed upon. In the deal, Detroit will get 33-year old starting pitcher George Eames, while Tokorozawa will receive 37-year old starting pitcher Jung-min Yu, 21-year old minor league shortstop Huang-fu Tsu, 22-year old minor league catcher Dalton Laporte and 20-year old minor league right fielder Won-sup Kim.