Cardion Hroši Brno have a two-games-to-one lead over the defending champions Draci Brno, in a final series that will keep the national baseball title in Brno for another year.
So far, outstanding pitching and an extra inning have been the difference between the two local teams.
The series continues at the Draci home field in Komarov with Game 4 on Friday at 7 pm. Game 5 will be at the Jundrov field of Cardion Hroši Brno on Saturday at 2 pm. Game 6, if necessary, would be back in Komarov on Sunday at 1 pm.
A final Game 7 would be Wednesday in Komarov at 7 pm, because Draci had the best record in the regular season.
Draci have won the Czech championship 25 times, including last year with a 4-1 series victory over the much younger Hroši program, which was established in 2003 and is hungry for its first title.
So far, this rematch title series has featured lights-out pitching.
Game 1 on 29 August, set the tone when each team put a Lopez / López on the mound (one with an accent over the “o”, the other without).
Aliangel Lopez, a Venezuelan who pitches for Draci, gave up a double (and an unearned run) in the first inning, then a home run in the top of the ninth inning — and lost 2-1. The home run was hit by William Escala over the left-centerfield fence. It was a tough loss because Lopez had dominated with 19 strike outs and only one walk. Hroši’s Yaferson López also had a solid outing — no earned runs in six innings, with 12 strikeouts — but got the no decision. The two pitchers may face each other again in one of the forthcoming games.
Game 2 was a Draci 4-0 workman-like shutout by pitchers Filip Čapka (eight innings, five strikeouts) and Vojtěch Ventruba (one inning, one strikeout).
Game 3 had more offensive action, especially late. Draci extended their lead to two runs in the top of the ninth, only to have the home-team Hroši rally to tie it in the bottom. Hroši won the game in the first extra inning, 5-4.
This cross-town match-up will continue Brno’s run of sports success. HC Kometa (who start the new season on Wednesday) won the hockey championship last season. The Brno Sígrs beat their crosstown rival Brno Aligators for the second-league American football championship. And Basket Brno and Žabiny Brno both finished second in the men’s and women’s basketball leagues, respectively.
Furthermore, FC Zbrojovka are among the leaders in the Chance Národní Liga and SK Artis Brno (a.k.a. SK Líšeň) continue to make moves to challenge the top teams.
