Red Devils sweep Sultanes of Monterrey

When a decade has passed without feeling the euphoria of a championship, there is something like a contained impatience. Not unbridled, because that meant the risk of making expensive mistakes, that is why Diablos Rojos del México tried to maintain the serenity of someone who has a clear idea of ​​what they want: to win their 17th title in the Mexican Baseball League.

A dream that took ten years to come, but they conquered it. But what a ninth inning, an inning of scarlet anguish that seemed like it would not be achieved at least this Monday night at the Sultanes stadium.

They beat Monterrey with a score of 4-2 and with the forcefulness of a sweep, four consecutive victories that left no doubt that the Rojos came with the inspiration of the monarchs.

First inning and those Pingos didn’t want to wait for the engines to start burning. A home run by José Marmolejos, named the most valuable player of the night, drove in the three runs in the opening game with Franklin Barreto and Robinson Canó. They were on the ball, apparently.

When the signs also send powerful messages, there is something that tricks reason and whispers in the ear of superstition, that hidden logic that moves the hearts of fans. If not, you have to see when Julián Ornelas came to bat and produced the run that Juan Carlos Gamboa scored. Yes, the same Haper who on September 11, 2014 dressed as a hero by giving Diablos Rojos what would be their last title for a decade.

In that fourth game at the Foro Sol, the shortstop hit a home run to sweep the Pericos de Puebla in the tenth inning. Then came a ten-year drought that has been the second longest for the scarlet team, only surpassed by the 16 years that passed between their arrival in the League in 1940 and the first championship they won in 1956.

On the Sultans’ mound, Julio Teherán had the face of someone who sees his nightmares come true. The visit to the mound made evident what everyone assumed, that he had to get off because he had lost control. Jared Lakind took charge of the pitches. The relievers did their job with discipline and did not allow any more damage, because that had already been done.

Sultanes are called the grey ghosts, but in this King’s Series they were just ghosts and in this cluster of four games they didn’t even appear. And that was how it was until the last roll, when they made the red team and their patient and loyal fans sweat.

The Sultans went 29 innings without scoring, but they created drama in the ninth inning when the Devils’ closer, Japanese Tomohiro Anraku, was hit with a welcome single by Ramiro Peña.

Then came the incredible with the reliable Robinson Cano, who made an error that allowed Jermaine Palacios to get on base. Then the chaos occurred, the pitcher threw terribly and got away to third base and Asael Sanchez broke the shutout by driving in Peña. The Japanese pitcher looked very worried, and a force out drove in Monterrey’s second run and the score was 4-2.

Sultanes batter José Cardona was fighting a life-or-death duel against Anraku, who had a score of 2-2, but with two men on base, one at first base and another at third. The flip was possible, but the hitter hit a fly ball and this time Canó cleaned up his error and caught the last out, the one of the scarlet championship that took ten years to arrive.