'We want to take that trophy': Behind clutch hitting, Venezuela advances to Caribbean Series Final

MIAMI -- Ozzie Guillén still believes his Tiburones de la Guaira are capable of hitting more. The champions of Venezuela's winter league will have a chance to prove it in the 2024 Caribbean Series final.

Buoyed at the plate by the trio of right fielder Ramón Flores, catcher Luis Torrens and first baseman Leonardo Reginatto, the Tiburones defeated the Curaçao Suns 6-2 on Thursday and will seek their first Caribbean crown when they face the Tigres del Licey (Dominican Republic) on Friday night at loanDepot park.

"I have a lot of confidence in my team. We've started to hit a bit better in the last few games and have had big hits. Today, we scored runs with two outs. We were looking at a very apathetic team in the early innings, and the lefty [Nelmerson Angela] did a tremendous job," said Guillén.

Venezuela fell fell behind 2-0 after three and a half innings, but that's when the bats came alive. With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Ramos broke through with the Tiburones' first hit, and left fielder Yasiel Puig responded with a walk. With runners on first and second, Flores hit a RBI single, slicing the deficit to one run. Torrens followed suit, singling to left to drive in Puig and Flores to give Venezuela a 3-2 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth with, again, two outs, Flores added to the lead with an RBI double. Two batters later, Reginatto hit a line drive that Curacao third baseman Didi Gregorius couldn't catch, doubling to bring in another two runs and give the Tiburones a 6-2 lead. From there, the bullpen took care of the rest.

"As I said before, if we get to the fifth or sixth with the lead, I have a lot of confidence in my bullpen, and that's what the players have to think ... score runs early and play ball," Guillén added.

Flores, who hit a two-run home run in the team’s first win over Curaçao in the qualifying round, ended up with an apt encore, finishing the night with two hits, two walks and two RBIs.

"I came to help the team, and that's what I'm doing. I'm focused to the max during the nine innings. Thank God things have been going well," said Flores. "I'm super happy. It has been a week of great joy for me and my family and the people of Venezuela. I hope that (Friday) we can achieve what we came to do and be champions."

Having achieved the goal of reaching the final, Guillén now hopes that his team can secure one more victory to lift the championship trophy.

"My focus is on winning [the title] not only for Venezuela but for ourselves, the players," Guillén emphasized. "If we win, we are heroes in Venezuela, and if we lose, well, you know. ... We want to take that trophy because our country needs that joy."

Guillén announced that veteran right-hander Ricardo Pinto will be tasked with facing Licey -- a team for which the Venezuelan manager showed great respect -- in the final game.

"From day one, I said there were no easy teams here. Obviously, to win, you have to beat the best," he noted. "The Dominican Republic, due to its track record in the Caribbean Series, the farm system it has had for many years, has always represented well."