Ricardo Pinto, the Most Valuable Player of the LVBP finals and the Most Valuable Player of the Caribbean Series, has become the hero of this historic season for Tiburones de La Guaira.
Pinto pitched five innings last Tuesday against Mexico and took on the responsibility of starting in the finals with only three days of rest.
«Since my previous start, I said that if we made it to the finals, I would pitch. So, I asked for the ball because I’m in a good moment,» Pinto declared to IVC.
«I didn’t think about how many innings I could pitch. I took it inning by inning, being aggressive with the batters and maintaining calm and confidence,» Ricardo commented on the key to his performance against the Dominican Republic.
With so few days of rest, Pinto managed to pitch five innings and two-thirds, facing some difficulties in the sixth inning and being substituted by Jorge Cavaneiro.
«In the sixth inning, when I got into trouble, I felt a bit tired due to the short rest and had some discomfort in my fingers. So, I thanked Ozzie Guillen for taking the ball from me,» he affirmed.
Ricardo ended up pitching a total of 10 innings and two-thirds in the series, allowing only one run and striking out 14 opponents, crowning a great start to the 2024 season after a remarkable performance in the LVBP finals as well.
Read also: Tiburones wins the Caribbean Series
«Before, I wanted to be a very perfect pitcher, and that wasn’t helping me. Now, I focused on being more aggressive against the batters, and that allowed me to achieve good results,» he asserted about his improvement this season.
Another key to his successful year with Tiburones was the arrival of catcher Luis Torrens to the team. «He is an outstanding catcher, he knows me like the back of his hand. I am super happy to have him and to know that he understands me,» he commented about the catcher.
After what he has achieved so far in 2024, Ricardo Pinto doesn’t hesitate to affirm that this is the best moment of his career. «I have never had so many beautiful moments like these, and I dedicate them to the fans and my family.»
«It’s something inexplicable that I’m experiencing, I am super happy. I was really exhausted, but I gave everything for this fanbase that supports us. I gave everything until the end,» he concluded.
