Tigres de Aragua Escape Ninth-Inning Rally to Beat Leones 9-8
Gorkys Hernández homered and Daniel Juárez struck out the final batter with the tying run at third as Tigres de Aragua beat Leones del Caracas 9-8.
World Baseball News Editorial Team , 1 min read 
Tigres de Aragua survived a three-run ninth-inning rally to beat Leones del Caracas 9-8 on Monday, October 26, at Estadio Monumental Simón Bolívar. With the tying run at third base, left-hander Daniel Juárez struck out Aldrem Corredor to finish a tense Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP) game that featured 29 hits and lasted four hours and eight minutes.
Hernández powers Aragua’s early response
Caracas struck first on a run-scoring single by Leandro Cedeño in the opening inning. Aragua answered with four runs in the second, with Lorenzo Cedrola delivering a key hit before veteran outfielder Gorkys Hernández launched a two-run homer to put the visitors ahead 4-1.
The Tigres continued to build their lead. Jesús Rodríguez added an RBI double in the fifth, and Aragua moved ahead 7-1 by the end of the seventh. The visitors had been swept by Cardenales de Lara over the weekend and appeared to be cruising back into the win column.
Leones threaten a dramatic comeback
Caracas refused to go quietly. The hosts scored three times in the eighth, including a run-producing hit by Corredor, before René Pinto’s sacrifice fly helped Aragua carry a 9-5 advantage into the bottom of the ninth.
Three more Leones runs cut the deficit to one. With the potential tying run standing 90 feet from home plate, Juárez recovered to strike out Corredor for the final out and record the save.
The result gave Aragua an 8-4 record and a second win in as many meetings with Caracas this season. Leones dropped to 4-7 despite nearly erasing a six-run deficit. For the Tigres, the narrow escape delivered an important response after their back-to-back losses in Barquisimeto.
