I believe that delving deeply into the 63rd National Series of Cuban baseball was not essential to understand that these two truths are indisputable:

(1) The Vegueros of Pinar del Río have been the most consistent team throughout the season, hence it was expected for them to make it to the final.

(2) The Vegueros are widely considered the top contenders for the championship title this season. Who could argue otherwise? Pinar del Río dominated the regular season with a remarkable 50-24 record, being the sole team to achieve 50 victories. They swept all five-game series in the regular season and went on to defeat Sancti Spíritus and Industriales in six games each during the Quarterfinals and Semifinals.

When it comes to determining the frontrunner for the throne, it's important to consider the following: the Lumberjacks of Las Tunas, the reigning champions, have once again demonstrated their dominance.

The initial warning signs emerged on Sunday at the Capitán San Luis stadium when the Leñadores triumphed over the Vegueros with a resounding 9-1 victory in Game 1 of the Grand Final. This surprising win highlighted the significant dominance of Las Tunas over Pinar del Río, as the Lumberjacks effectively targeted and neutralized the Vegueros at all crucial junctures.

Key 1: Starting pitcher Mario Valle was soon overpowered by the opposing team, facing only seven batters. This represented the first major challenge for the Las Tunas offense, which outperformed the Vegueros by tripling the number of hits, with 15 hits compared to their 5.

Key 2: Commencing with a series of three runs, they got off to a solid start that had the potential to pave the way for success. This early advantage enabled the southpaw starter Eliander Bravo to implement his strategic plan with less stress.

Key 3: Controlling Pinar del Río's lineup helped preserve the bullpen, marking a crucial moment for the Lumberjacks' rotation, which has been plagued by inconsistencies.

Key 4: The defense limited the Vegueros' hitting opportunities, reducing their chances to bat with runners on base.

Key 5: The assault continued until the pivotal shot was produced! By the seventh inning, the Leñadores were ahead 4-1, while Pinar del Río missed opportunities to score with four runners stranded in the sixth and seventh innings. Yudier Rondón's double in the eighth inning extended the lead to 6-1.

During the game, the duo of Eliander Bravo, a left-handed starter, and Rodolfo Díaz, a right-handed reliever, only allowed five single hits for the Vegueros. However, the Leñadores repeatedly came back by scoring six out of nine runs with two outs. A particular play that drew criticism from Vegueros fans early in the game was when catcher Yasiel Agete missed catching a foul fly ball.

Agete took over from Jorge Yoán Rojas in left field to enhance the team's offense, but a defensive problem surfaced when Agete failed to catch a foul fly ball that might have impacted the game's result.. Larduet getting hit by a pitch shifted the inning's momentum. Baldoquín and Alarcón singled to load the bases, and Viñales hit a line drive to short. Sánchez fielded the ball and threw quickly to second base.

Baldoquín failed to return promptly, leading Tailon to complete a double play alongside second baseman Rolando Martínez. This prompted many to recall Agete's error. Had Larduet been retired, the double play initiated by Tailon would have concluded the first inning without allowing a run.

Regardless, Valle was unable to prevent the disaster: the Lumberjacks scored three runs with three RBI singles and two outs, concluding the first-inning rally. Valle struggled after throwing only 18 pitches at the mound, and the manager's decision to call the bullpen did not signal a promising start for the "green sox." The first reliever, rookie left-hander Randy Román Martínez, gave up just one run during an extended 4 ⅔ innings in relief.

In the bottom of the second inning, Pinar del Río's offense showed a brief burst of productivity by scoring their sole run of the game. Jorge Yoán Rojas started with a single, followed by Yasiel Agete's skillful execution of a hit and run, advancing the runners to first and third base.

Rolando Martínez prevented a double play and drove in Rojas with a hit. Despite the promising moment for the Vegueros with two outs, Martínez was caught off guard by the left-hander Eliander Bravo. Pinar del Río only had two runners in scoring position for the remainder of the game. Bravo then proceeded to dominate his next 10 opponents, retiring 13 of the last 15 rivals he faced. When the Vegueros attempted to counterattack, Bravo effectively utilized his slow curveball and flawless defense.

Following a single by leadoff batter Juan Carlos Arencibia and a walk to Alexei Ramírez in the opening inning, Saavedra's strikeout was complemented by a crucial catch from Denis Peña in deep left field. Peña swiftly grabbed Yasser Julio González's fly ball and promptly threw to second base. The third out of the inning came from a fly ball to the catcher hit by Tailon Sánchez.

One of the crucial outs that highlighted Bravo's strong start was his effectiveness against the top hitters of Pinar del Río: the quartet consisting of Alexei Ramírez, William Saavedra, Yasser Julio González, and Tailon Sánchez, whom he held hitless at 0-for-10—and 0-for-14 in Game 1. Bravo recorded his only two strikeouts by repeatedly using his curveball against Saavedra in back-to-back at-bats.

Despite the Vegueros failing to get a hit in any of their six two-strike counts, the Leñadores demonstrated superior discipline and adaptability to sustain their offensive momentum during the game. A significant portion of their hits (5 out of 15) came with two strikes, and they managed to score six out of nine runs with two outs. Another noteworthy pattern was that Pinar del Río's pitchers struck out seven out of nine batters who led off the inning. While this was a promising beginning for most innings, the pitchers struggled to maintain the expected level of consistency.

On two occasions when the Lumberjacks got the lead-off batter on base, they managed to score three-run rallies. This happened in the initial inning following Valle's hit-by-pitch on Larduet, and in the ninth when Yúnior Josué Otero drew a walk. Denis Peña was responsible for four of these six runs, as he punished Valle with a single in the first inning. Then, in the eighth inning, he smashed a three-run homer, propelling the Lumberjacks to a 9-1 lead.

The Lumberjacks' offensive achievements were attributed to their efficiency. Despite missing opportunities to advance runners with no outs, they capitalized on game scenarios. Their performance with runners in scoring position was exceptional, going 7-for-14, whereas Pinar del Río struggled, finishing Game 1 0-for-7.

In this initial version of the swings presented by the Vegueros, a significant moment may have been when they began at a disadvantage in the count. Eliander Bravo and Rodolfo Díaz worked together to take the lead in the count in 23 out of 34 confrontations during the day. Although there were seven instances of being in a two-strike count, there were only two strikeouts, both by William Saavedra against Bravo. The Vegueros struggled to make necessary adjustments offensively. For Pinar del Río's offense to have a chance at defeating the Leñadores in the Grand Final, they must enhance their productivity.

Competing against the Lumberjacks lineup at the current level of the National Series is challenging from top to bottom. To illustrate, the ninth batter, Yudier Rondón, had a successful game, going 2 for 4 with a double, two RBIs, and reaching base three times. Héctor Castillo, the eighth batter, reached base on a walk and later scored. Jeans Lucas Baldoquín, the seventh batter, drove in a run with two outs in the first inning. Yordanis Alarcón, the sixth batter, had an outstanding performance, going 4 for 5 with a double, one run scored, three RBIs, and a stolen base.

Should we return to the previous topic? Larduet got on base three times, crossed home plate after surviving a foul fly that should have been caught, and successfully stole a base—despite being caught twice on overly ambitious attempts to reach second base. Roberto Súlivan Baldoquín, who exited the game in the seventh inning due to exhaustion, had hit a home run in each of his last three games.

Then we have the heart of the lineup, where it's never ideal to have the team's best hitters facing runners on base. Yosvany Alarcón, Rafael Viñales, and Denis Peña form a formidable trio that has been dominating pitchers in the postseason. Together, they have hit a total of 10 home runs, while all the hitters from Pinar del Río have only hit seven. Looking at Denis Peña specifically, his performance in the postseason has been exceptional, with five home runs to his name, surpassing the combined total of three home runs hit by all Pinar del Río (1) and Industriales (2) batters in 462 plate appearances during the Semifinals.

Peña has hit a home run in each of his last four games, putting him just one away from matching the playoff record set by Alexander Malleta (Industriales) back in the 2006 postseason.

It may come as a surprise, but Pinar del Río has lost their last eight Game 1s in National Series Finals. In contrast, the Lumberjacks have a perfect 4-0 record. While it's still early in the series, the situation for Alexander Urquiola's team at home could get tricky if they don't bounce back in Game 2. The question remains whether left-hander Branlis Rodríguez can contain the inspired and cohesive teamwork of the Lumberjacks.