Luis Alfonso Cruz hit a home run among his three hits and led the attack with which Toros de Tijuana defeated Rieleros de Aguascalientes 8-4 to equal a win by side in the first round of playoffs in the friendly confines of Chevron Stadium.
The convoy took the lead in the first inning and just by the fourth pitch they were leading 1-0 with a double by Jay Austin to start the game and Leonardo Reginatto with an RBI single.
One more the visit was scored in the third act with a solo board by Henry Rodríguez, but at the end the Bulls turned the board with a three-run attack.
Junior Lake and Leandro Castro tied the tie with hitters tied and Lake scored the third line by stealing the Pentagon in an oversight by the starter.
The fourth round came with runs for both sides as Rieleros balanced the balance with a home run by Francisco Córdoba, but the hosts separated with a sacrifice fly from Peter O´Brien that made Luis Alfonso Cruz score from “step and run” and immediately José Guadalupe Chávez sounded a double that gave Gabriel Gutiérrez wings for the 5-3 set.
The visit did not lower their hands and approached with a producer double by Henry Rodríguez in the fifth inning, a play in which Junior Lake was injured and forced the Tijuana high command to move their lineup and “kill” the designated hitter, a situation that allowed them to see hitting pitchers Jesus Pirela, Josh Corrales and Michael Tonkin in later innings.
The “bureles” put the game in the freezer at the end of the sixth round with a solo homer by Luis Alfonso Cruz and later José Guadalupe Chávez rang with a double by Isaac Rodríguez. Rodriguez himself singled out Cruz in the eighth for the final cards at 8-4.
The series to win four games was tied at one win per side.
El “Cochito” Cruz was the spark plug in the Tijuana offense by adding three hits, including his board through right field and scoring two runs.
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