Only one of the mid-week sub-streaks can end in a win, and if Sancti Spiritus wins this Friday against Industriales, it will be the first major 5-0 game of the young Cuban baseball season.
Los Gallos have risen to the top spot in the league after a 3-2 win over the Blues today, with Yankiel Mauris (3.2INN, 1CL, 2H, 4K) holding game three.
Although Lazaro Fernandez and Yunier Mendoza each had two hits, it was Delvis Fernandez and Kevin Arevalos who led the race for their team.
For the Lions, who are temporarily led by Alexander Malleta while Guillermo Carmona recovers from surgery, this is the fifth loss in a row and they have sunk to the bottom of the standings.
With this win, those led by Lazaro Martinez add six successes in nine games, the same balance as Villa Clara, Las Tunas and Guantanamo.
Leopardos Ramona More lost to Ciego de Ávila 5-1 and even in their personal duel, which they will decide in the fifth and last clash, agreed like the other games on Friday at ten in the morning.
A flock of Tigers awarded the bout in the eighth with three points.
Traditionally, Freddy Asiel Álvarez recorded a good opening (6.0 INN, 1CL, 6H, 3K and 3BB), but he left the score lower and his teammates never came back, so he accepted the loss.
Between Luis Alberto Marrero (6.0 INN, 1CL, 3H, 4K) and Osvaldo Cardenas (3.0 INN, 3K and 1BB) tightly controlled the sugar bat, signing the win and blocking respectively.
The people of Las Tunas hung on the arm of their ace Carlos Juan Viera (5.0 INN, 3H and 2K) and Pablo Alberto Sivilla (2.0 INN, 1H, 1K and 1BB) to defeat Artemisa 9-1 and already secure a two-way match in the absence of a match.
With Yunieschi’s wood, Larduet (5-4, 2CI) as well as Danel Castro and Alejandro Avila, both 4-2 with two trailers, led the Leñadores attack.
Danel already has 2424 hits, and each time his result is further away from the rest of the players. In 46 years and 29 seasons played, there is no end in sight for the consistent athlete from Las Tunas.
Guantanamo Bay also scored their third win over La Isla, 13-6. Shortstop Andres de la Cruz had a perfect day, 3 of 3, three RBIs and the same number of runs scored. Ronielkis Ferran (5.2INN, 1CL, 3H, 2K and 2BB) won the relay.
In another game with more runs, champion Granma secured the match against Mayabeque. The Alazans won 13–11, aided by Yosbanis Millan’s grand slam and the far post after Alfredo Despain’s bout: Alekskemer Sánchez produced 5–4 including tubi and chartered a man for the rubber.
Rangel Ramos and Osmel Cordero also beat Michael Gonzales’ Hurricanes 5-4, while Johan Kolomina rode four runs with a pair of tubes.
The Camagüey Bulls beat the Cienfuegos 11-1 in seven innings, a splendid day for pitcher Jose Ramon Rodriguez (6.0 INN, 4H, 3K and 1BB) and five RBIs from Alexander Ayala, who added 890 lifetimes and 159 home runs -runs off one this Thursday.
Just like a knockout in two innings to the limit, Santiago de Cuba beat Vegueros de Pinar del Río (12-1). It was the seasoned Danny Betancourt’s first win (5.0 INN, 3H and 5K) and his 156th national win against José Ramón Riskart and Yovani Aragon in 16th place historically, according to Benigno Daquinta’s stats.
Holguin’s team also equalized with Matanzas after a 9-7 win and the third time Norvis Entensa is relevant to a sub-series result: he accumulates one save and two losses. Shortstop Luis Raul Dominguez (4-3, 2CI) and Jorge Luis Peña, Oscar Lopez and home run hitter Edward Magaña with the same number of RBIs led the Cubs’ attack.
After this Friday’s morning games, the transfer date will come and the campaign will resume on Sunday.
Source: Juventud Rebelde