Host Venezuela among Caribbean Series winners on Day 1

The champions of Colombia (Vaqueros de Montería), Cuba (Agricultores), Curacao (Wildcats KJ74), the Dominican Republic (Tigres del Licey), México (Cañeros de Los Mochis), Panama (Federales de Chiriquí), Puerto Rico (Indios de Mayagüez) and Venezuela (Leones del Caracas) are vying to win the championship of the first Caribbean Series played in Venezuela in nine years.

The series features a seven-game, single round-robin schedule for each team. The top four clubs in the standings will advance to a single-elimination semifinal, followed by a championship contest on Feb. 10. There will also be a third-place game between the two teams eliminated in the semifinals.

Here’s a recap of the series-opening action Thursday at Estadio Monumental de Caracas Simón Bolívar — also known as Estadio de La Rinconada — and Estadio Jorge Luis García Carneiro:

Cuba 3, Curacao 1 (10 innings)
This game was a taut pitcher’s duel between Cuba, a team that returned to the Caribbean Series after a five-year hiatus, and Curacao, making its Caribbean Series debut. Right-hander Cody Mincey tossed seven scoreless innings for Curacao, while Cuba’s starter, righty César García, nearly matched him zero for zero. García yielded just one run over seven strong innings of his own. The game ultimately was decided late — Cuba’s Andrés De La Cruz launched a solo home run to tie the contest in the eighth before Guillermo Avilés delivered a go-ahead single in the top of the 10th. Right-hander Andy Vargas pitched the final three frames for Cuba, including a 1-2-3 bottom of the 10th to close it out.

México 5, Dominican Republic 4
Down 4-1 after six innings, México came back with a run in the seventh and three in the eighth. Reynaldo Rodríguez belted a solo homer to open the seventh, and the three-run eighth featured a trio of doubles. Jose Cardona hit a one-out double to right field, one of three Cardona hits on the night. Two batters later, Roberto Valenzuela drew a two-out walk. Rodríguez then doubled home Cardona, and that was followed by a two-run double from Irving Lopez to give México a one-run lead.

Colombia 7, Puerto Rico 1
Jordan Díaz, the Athletics’ No. 9 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer to lead Colombia. Gustavo Campero opened the scoring for Colombia with an RBI double in the top of the third. Díaz launched his three-run shot in the fifth, and Francisco Acuna added on with an RBI double in the sixth. Colombia tacked on two more in the ninth on a Campero double and a bases-loaded walk by Dilson Herrera.

Venezuela 5, Panama 2
Host team Venezuela opened the Caribbean Series on a high note with a victory, thanks in large part to Ali Castillo’s 3-for-3, two-RBI performance. Castillo led off the game with a walk and scored later in the first inning on a Hernán Pérez single. Castillo walked again in the fourth to force in a run to tie the game, 2-2. Castillo also delivered three singles, including an RBI single in the eighth. José Rondón added an insurance run for Venezuela with a sacrifice fly in the ninth. Venezuela starter David Ramos yielded two runs in the second — one unearned — but threw three scoreless frames after that, finishing with one walk and four strikeouts. Relievers Miguel Socolovich, Arnaldo Hernández, Ricardo Rodríguez and Anthony Vizcaya combined for four scoreless frames to close out the victory.