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Pirates’ Guerra realizes dream after 10 years

The Sports Xchange

July 01, 2015 at 4:19 am.

DETROIT — The 10-year journey was worth it to Deolis Guerra.

Deolis Guerra is living out his dream with the Pirates. (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)

Guerra, 26, signed out of Venezuela as a 16-year-old, spent a decade journeying through the minor leagues until getting called up recently by Pittsburgh.

In the last four days, Guerra pitched in his only three games in the majors.

And Tuesday night (actually the early hours of Wednesday morning) Guerra punched his ticket with his first major league victory.

Guerra worked the last three innings of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 5-4 14-inning win over the Detroit Tigers.

“It’s amazing,” Guerra said afterward. “I’ve waited for this for my whole life. It’s a dream come true.”

“Sometimes things don’t go our way, so it’s ‘So what, now what,'” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “And Guerra shows up.”

Guerra struck out one of his heroes, countryman Miguel Cabrera, Detroit’s first baseman, on a 1-2 fastball that was atop the strike zone.

“He’s one of my favorite players,” Guerra said. “It’s an amazing feeling. He’s one of the best in the game.

“I just trust my guys behind the plate. They know the (American) league, they know the hitters. I know if I do whatever they say, everything will turn out fine.”

It did, for one night anyway.

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