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The Cuban outfielder Andy Pagés became one of the heroes of the Los Angeles Dodgers after making a spectacular catch that saved his team in the seventh game of the World Series, preventing the Toronto Blue Jays from winning the title and taking the game to extra innings.
During the nine regulation innings, Pagés was away from the action, but his moment came when manager Dave Roberts decided to replace Tommy Edman and put him in center field in a critical situation: bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Toronto was winning 4-3 and was just one hit away from the championship. Then, the batter Ernie Clement hit a powerful fly ball to left-center that seemed impossible to catch.
The Rogers Centre, filled with more than 40,000 fans, was gearing up for the title shout, but Andy Pagés appeared like lightning, crossing the field to make an impressive catch that left the Canadian crowd in silence and the Dodgers still in the game.
Finally, the Dodgers won 5-4 to secure their second consecutive championship.
From "villain" to hero
The play marked a sports redemption for Pagés, who had not had a good postseason with the bat. He entered the game with a batting average of only .080, resulting from 4 hits in 50 at-bats, with one run batted in and two scored.
In this World Series, his offensive numbers were modest (1 hit in 15 at-bats), but his defensive contributions at the most critical moment changed the course of the championship.
With this victory, Pagés joins a select historical group, becoming the second player born in Cuba to win two World Series rings in his first two MLB seasons, after Orlando "El Duque" Hernández (1998-1999).
Cuban pride with a history in MLB
With this consecration, Andy Pagés, from Pinar del Río, continues to carve his name among the most successful Cuban players of the new generation in Major League Baseball.
His performance recalls the emergence of Orlando Hernández, who also won consecutive titles in his first two seasons with the Yankees in the late '90s.
The young Cuban, who made his debut with the Dodgers in 2024, is establishing himself as a key player in a franchise filled with stars, and his spectacular catch is already shaping up to be one of the most memorable in the modern history of the World Series.
A play, a leap, a moment. Andy Pagés proved once again that the heart of Cuba also beats in the Major League diamond.
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