Winter League Highlights: Valbuena’s double carries Lara
(Photo by Dave Durochik)
With an increasing number of Cubs heading home from the winter leagues to prepare for the upcoming season, offseason highlights are at a premium. But Luis Valbuena‘s seventh inning output on Monday was more than deserving of mention in an 8-5 Cardenales de Lara win in the Venezuelan postseason.
With Valbuena’s team trailing 3-0 entering the bottom of the seventh, the 27-year-old drew a walk to start the inning and eventually scored from second. He came up again later in the frame with the Cardenales leading 4-3. With the bases loaded and two out, the infielder smacked a three-run double to put the game out of reach. He scored an insurance run when the next batter drove him in. He finished the day 1-for-3 with three RBI.
The win jumps Lara into a tie for first place in the round robin-style Venezuelan league playoffs, which wrap up January 21.
