Lara Cardenales come from behind to win seventh Venezuelan Professional League title
After falling 2-0 in the best-of-seven final series, Lara Cardenales defeated the Margarita Island Bravos in six games to win the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League 2024-25. It's their seventh league title. Lara lost the 2023-24 final series against La Guaira Tiburones.
Lara dominated Game Six with 11 hits, six off starter Jesus Vargas, a WBSC Premier12 alum, including a two-out and two-run homer by first baseman Rangel Ravelo in the bottom of the first.
The Cardenales opened the score with a five-run second at bat. Vargas left with one out and allowed all the runs.
Five pitchers limited the Bravos lineup to five hits. Starter Adrian Almeida went five innings, allowing three hits and three walks. Jesus Valles closed the sixth inning and Alex Scherff and Brian McKenna pitched scoreless seventh and eighth. Arnaldo Hernandez got the three final outs allowing two hits.
Lara second baseman and leadoff hitter Ildemaro Vargas earned the Robert Perez MVP Award. The 33-year-old veteran closed the series with 15 hits, including two home runs, a .556 batting average, eight runs scored and a .600 on-base percentage.
According to manager Henry Blanco, Vargas was instrumental in Cardenales' comeback: "He is the captain, and his leadership is the core of this team. Ildemaro combines discipline and enthusiasm. He knows how to deal with stress."
Led by WBSC Premier12 alumnus Felix Doubront and Jesus Vargas, the Bravos took a comfortable 2-0 lead in the series.
The top of the Cardenales batting order dominated Game Three. Ildemaro Vargas and Harold Castro got three hits, Gorkys Hernandez added two and Rangel Ravelo added a home run.
After earning the first win, Lara swept the rest of the series.
The Results
Bravos-Cardenales 4-2
Bravos-Cardenales 12-4
Cardenales-Bravos 9-2
Cardenales Bravos 8-2
Cardenales-Bravos 12-9
Cardenales-Bravos 9-0
"Only a team with such a big heart could have completed this comeback," added Blanco. "I want to share this emotion with everyone who supported us."
Cover photo by lvbp.com