Cuban pitcher supports the Miami-Dade cause to win the first game of the season

Andy Rodríguez has already taken his first bite as a Shark. Although the Cuban left without a decision, he left the best impression with the Miami-Dade College team in the 2-1 win over the Manatee-Sarasota team at Terry Park Stadium in Fort Myers.

The Cuban, who for days had been chosen to command the rotation of the group known as Los Tiburones, did not make the institution look bad and was an integral part of the first success of the season for that level of baseball that will take it to the Draft June University.

Miami-Dade prevailed thanks to a home run by Korean Wooyeoul Shin – he hit four hits in five at-bats – to leave the rival team on the field. Receiver Loidel Rodríguez did not line up and is expected to make his debut during Saturday’s game.

Rodríguez, who in his tour of the National Series was almost always used as a closer, left without a decision after pitching for four complete innings in which he allowed two hits, gave away three walks, struck out five and allowed no runs.

The Havana native used a total of 81 pitches (probably the most he has thrown in a long time), of which 53 were strikes and the maximum speed recorded was 93 miles per hour, although he remained between 91-92 for most of the game. of the encounter.

Perhaps the cold – some 15 degrees Celsius of temperature – influenced Rodríguez not to enjoy his best night, Rodríguez was able to work four innings, which although they are not enough to aspire to victory, they served to demonstrate the class of the Cuban in boxing .

Without a doubt, Rodríguez was struggling with himself in long periods of the game, not being able to comfortably dominate the breaking shipments, but the experience of the Cuban – who has worked in international events with the Cuban national squad – helped him get out of the bad moments during the game, something that got the 20-plus scouts behind home plate talking.

Now, Rodríguez – who decided to stay in the Capital of the Sun before going to play in Japan – will return to the mound next February 2, but this time it will be at home, when Florida Southwestern State College visits the Kendall Campus in Miami Dade.