Shanghai Orcas take the advantage as CPB’s Game One turns wet and wild

The Shanghai Orcas had everything thrown at them in Game One of Chinese Professional Baseball’s Summer Games playoffs. Beijing CP Loongs’ pitchers had brought the heat early and the veteran slugger Alfredo Despaigne loomed with menace every time he walked to the plate. Even the heavens seemed to be plotting against the home side, with a gentle rain turning nasty right when it seemed everything was on the line.

But these Orcas, this season, always seem to find a way to win, and they walked away from their homefield on Saturday 11-1 to the good – and one win away from a title.

This time Shanghai were led by Diego Andres Infante Hernandez, with a triple to right field that saw Braulio Vásquez Morel and Henry Alexander Urrutia Rodríguez home, followed by a scamper across the plate from the man himself on a wild pitch from Beijing’s Carrillo Briceno. That gave Shanghai the lead in the sixth, 3-1

They were just warming up as the rain started to tumble down.  

Yankiel Mauris came in for Beijing in the eighth, and saw his second pitch launched over deep right centre by Urrutia, and there were three more runs to come, as the result was put beyond even Beijing’s reach.

“I just blocked everything out,” said Hernandez, who took the game MVP. “All I thought about was getting the hit, and bringing my teammates home. Tomorrow we have to bring the same energy. Play hard and try to bring home the win.”

The form guide coming into these best-of-three playoffs had suggested these two would be evenly matched. Beijing had simply overpowered last season’s champions Shenzhen, snuffing out the Bluesox’ hopes of a repeat with a barrage of hits. They’d started the season slowly, but built. Shanghai, for their part, had surprised the early title favourites in Xiamen, losing the first game of their first round but warming to the task behind a potent hit parade of their own.

So fireworks were expected out of both camps.

Four innings into the action at the Xuhui West Bund Baseball Field on Saturday and they had both started to produce sparks, at least, but somehow no one had made it home. Then came the fifth, and Beijing’s Jonathan Aldair Arauz Morales lit the fuse, blasting one deep out over right centre field. It was 1-0 Beijing. But then came that sixth – and the whole night changed. Hirama Rintaro took the win after striking out six; Shanghai took the lead, and the took all the momentum.

Game Two is set for 4.30pm Shanghai time of Sunday. To follow, head here