Glad to finally be “home”

He has spent the last two years in the sun, but the Cuban Yordan Manduley has never forgotten Quebec. In the endless wait for his visa, the powerful striker followed on the web the performance of the team he was so eager to find.

“The wait was tiresome, but I really wanted to come back. I want to win a second championship with this team [après 2017] “, said the shortstop player, Friday, through the translator of the Capitals, Raymond Boisvert.

“Les Capitales is the first professional team with which I played outside Cuba, recalls Manduley. I have always loved playing here. We won a championship. I feel at home and I feel like an important part of this team. »

In Venezuela and Cuba

A week ago Manduley arrived in Quebec with his compatriot Yoelkis Guibert.

If he dreamed of finally starting this sixth season under the orders of Patrick Scalabrini, the latter was also starting to be rather anxious to see them in town, his two Cuban players announced … in April.

COVID-19 having forced the Capitals to cancel the 2020 campaign, then to set up, with the Aigles de Trois-Rivières, Team Quebec for the 2021 season, Manduley has played in Venezuela and in his native country for the past two years. .

In 70 games last year with his hometown team, Holguin, the 36-year-old veteran posted an impressive .361 batting average.

Manduley played Friday his second match with the Capitals since his return. Neither he nor Guibert made the trip to Sussex County due to an administrative problem.

slow beginnings

The veteran is yet to hit goals since his return; Scalabrini is not worried, however.

Same thing with Guibert, 27, who played in Santiago de Cuba, and who was therefore Manduley’s rival before the two arrived with the Capitals.

Also considered very talented, the outfielder hit once in his first eight at bats.

pitchers, reminds their coach. Also, it throws harder in the Frontier League than in Cuba, where it’s more spin balls. »

« I know it’s going to take an adjustment, but I also know they’re going to be able to adjust because they’re two very good hitters, » he added.

The Capitals sunk by a rain of circuits

The first game in three years between the Capitales and the Aigles de Trois-Rivières took on the appearance of a home run contest on Friday, and this long-ball duel was not in favor of Quebec, which lost by the scores 7 to 4 at Stade Canac.

It was in the fourth inning that everything fell apart for Patrick Scalabrini’s squad. Imperial so far, already counting six strikeouts on his record, right-hander Michael Austin (4-2) allowed three homers, including a three-run one to Elliott Curtis.

The American allowed two of those three slaps when there were already two outs in the inning.

His night’s work ended there, and the Capitals, who had led 3-0 before the disaster, now saw themselves trailing by four points.

“We had had a big run before, which we thought was going to give us some momentum, pointed out the manager Patrick Scalabrini after the meeting. But you have to give them credit, they adjusted very quickly to what Mike was doing and it hurt us a lot. »

McAdams recovers

Due to the pandemic, the two Quebec teams had not faced each other since 2019. Last year, they had joined forces to set up Team Quebec.

But on Friday the rivalry resumed and after a difficult trip to Sussex County, it was Josh McAdams who opened hostilities in the second leg for the locals, who played Friday in red, on this Canada Day, in front of the nearly 2300 spectators.

The designated hitter slammed the offer of Sam Belisle-Springer (6-2) far behind the fence to left field, allowing Kyle Crowl and Jonathan Lacroix to cross home plate.

But Martinez imitates him

Carlos Martinez, however, did the same two sets later, sending the ball almost to the same place.

Then, Canice Ejoh and Curtis put the game out of reach for Quebec.

Kyle Crowl hit the long ball well in the fourth, but it was the Capitals’ final blow in this confrontation.

« Collectively, it’s been a bit complicated to generate offense for a while, » commented Scalabrini. But we have confidence in our men and we know that their pitchers are in the bottom of the league for earned runs, so we are confident to scratch and be able to go for runs. [dans le reste de la série]. »