Liberato home run sends Dominican Republic to a 5-2 win over Puerto Rico

In the first international baseball in over a year and a half, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico treated a raucous crowd to a tight thriller. Baseball is back.

Luis Liberato belted a tiebreaking homerun in the sixth inning, Julio Rodríguez scored two runs, and a star-studdedWorld No. 11 Dominican Republic roster outlasted World No. 11 Puerto Rico onMonday afternoon in Game 1 of the WBSC Baseball Americas Qualifier from CloverPark in Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA.

Liberato and Rodríguez were part of apotent 11-hit afternoon from the Dominican Republic’s offense that alsoincluded a 3-for-3 performance from Gustavo Nuñez, who tripled, scored a runand drove in another from the ninth spot in his team’s order. The DominicanRepublic took the game’s first lead in the bottom of the first inning on threestraight two-out singles by Rodríguez, six-time MLB All-Star José Bautista, andformer big leaguer Juan Francisco.

After Puerto Rico took a brief lead on atwo-run homer by Rey Navarro in the top of the second, the D.R. leveled thescore in the third. Again, it was Seattle Mariners prospect Rodríguez whosparked his team with a leadoff single, his second hit on a 2-for-5 day. Rodríguezscored three batters later on a two-out double by Diego Goris.

The Dominican Republic took over in thesixth when Liberato connected on his team’s first home run of the tournament, aone-out solo shot to right-center. Nuñez followed with a triple down the rightfield line and scored on Emilio Bonifacio’s double to center behind him.

Monday’s home team added its first runon an RBI single by Nuñez plating Goris in the eighth.

While offense headlined the day,
Dominican Republic starter Raúl Valdés starred on the mound. Over seveninnings, Valdés (1-0) allowed just two runs on three hits, striking out fivewith one walk. The 43-year-old threw 106 pitches, 64 for strikes.

Luciano was Puerto Rico’s offensivestar, going 3-for-4 with a pair of singles, a double and a run scored.

Despite allowing two runners aboard on singlesto open the ninth, Dominican Republic righty Jairo Asencio (S, 1) retired thenext three he saw, the final two via strikeout, to nail down the victory.