Velasquez kept up Holguin’s good pace in the campaign. Author: Abel Rojas Barallobre
With no games, the Matanzas team retained their top spot in the Cuban baseball league standings as their nearest rival didn’t mess up this Friday.
It was a day when only four games were completed, half of those scheduled to start the ninth sub-series of the calendar, with wins for Holguin, Las Tunas, Pinar del Río and Granma.
The Cubs defeated Camagüey 5-2, inspired by the batting of Ernesto Torres (4-2, 2CI) and Jordan Manduley (3-2, 3CI), as well as the teamwork of pitchers Yusmel Velasquez (5.0 INN, 1Cl, 6H, 1K). and 2BB) and Louis Keyser (4.0 INN, 1CL, 3H), winner and rescuer respectively.
For the Bulls, Yordanis Samon recorded his 12th double of the season and 436 points in a lifetime, trailing one Michel Henriquez, second on the all-time list now led by Frederic Zepeda (441).
Returning to Julio Antonio Melle, the Legnadores beat Santiago de Cuba 11–0 over seven innings. Roberto Baldokin was a big offensive player (3-3, double and homer, 6 CIs) to adapt to the job of starter Yasel Labrada (5.0 INN, 2H, 3BB).
After losing all five of his games against Matanzas, Pinar del Río started by putting La Isla on the sidelines when he hit three times in the ninth inning to seal the score at 6–5.
Erlis Casanova worked hard and took his fourth tournament win and 95th win of his career, making him the closest to joining the 100 club.
Finally, Granma left the basement halfway after beating Guantanamo Bay, who recently lost another of their most talented pitchers, Alexander Valiente, who demanded to leave the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation for unexplained personal reasons.
The 7-5 victory had home runs from Alfredo Despain and Darian Palma, while Yoel Mogena (6.0 INN, 2CL, 6H, 1K and 2BB) hit the ground running and Cesar Garcia, returning from injury, took the final third and signed a save , although he gave up three earned runs.
The weather prevented the games, but there were other organizational and logistical reasons that deserve to be analyzed in order to minimize their impact on the tournament, which itself is not experiencing its best moments.
Table of positions: MTZ (24-16), ART (23-16), COL (23-17), SKU (23-18), IVH (22-18), LTU and PRI (21-18), MAY (21 -19), CAV (19-18), VCL (20-19), SSP (19-20), IND (17-23), CMG (17-24), GTM (16-24), GRA (16 – 25), KFG (15-24).
Source: Juventud Rebelde