Having emerged victorious in 13 out of their last 14 playoff games at home, the Las Tunas Lumberjacks have been on a winning streak. Prior to this postseason, they had already secured two out of three finals that commenced with a 2-0 lead.

In the ongoing 63rd National Series, the Leñadores are on track for another championship win as they once again kick off the Grand Final with a 2-0 advantage. This was confirmed after defeating the Vegueros of Pinar del Río 6-4 in ten innings during Game 2 this Tuesday.

This will be the first time the Lumberjacks play in a final at home with a 2-0 lead and the opportunity to secure the championship in front of their fans. The Vegueros are up against a tough challenge, as the unpredictable nature of baseball can heighten the pressure in various scenarios.

Lumberjacks: Halfway to the throne

In the first four innings, left-hander Branlis Rodríguez and rookie right-hander Yadier Zamora engaged in a scoreless duel. The Lumberjacks seized the lead in the top of the fifth inning through an RBI double by Héctor Castillo and a groundout to third by Yuniesky Larduet.

Speed played a crucial role in the Lumberjacks' initial two runs. Yordanis Alarcón began the inning with a walk, advancing to third on a wild pitch. Another significant factor was Castillo's aggressive baserunning, as he challenged third baseman Juan Carlos Arencibia when Larduet hit a grounder. Castillo swiftly ran towards home plate before the ball reached third base. Arencibia had to quickly field the ball and attempt a throw to the plate, but he struggled to release the ball from his glove in time. Consequently, he had to throw to first base, successfully retiring Larduet.

During the fifth inning, Luis Pablo Acosta walked and a throwing error by Rafael Viñales, who was attempting to put out Rolando Martínez after he sacrificed with a bunt, caused complications. Arencibia also executed a sacrifice bunt, putting Pinar del Río in a position to score once again. Despite leaving four runners on base in the first four innings, the team finally broke through offensively when Alexei Ramírez hit an RBI double, leveling the score at 2-2.

In the Grand Final, Leñadores manager Abeisy Pantoja showed confidence in rookie Yadier Zamora by allowing him to pitch to Lázaro Emilio Blanco following an intentional walk to William Saavedra. Blanco came in for Yasser Julio González, who was hit by a pitch from Zamora and had to leave the game in the fourth inning. This move provided the Vegueros with a prime chance to seize the lead in the game after 13 innings of offensive play.

Nevertheless, just like earlier in the afternoon, Pinar del Río failed to score the go-ahead run with runners in scoring position until Alexei Ramírez's double. Blanco hit a sharply grounded ball towards first base, but Rafael Viñales, the first baseman, fielded it skillfully, and Zamora covered first base promptly, resulting in an excellent out through the classic "3-1" route.

*The gestures of the first-class coach, Reinier León, spoke volumes without the need for words: León was urging Blanco to react and run faster towards first base, but it was already too late. It appeared that Blanco wasn't fully committed, or he might have believed the ball was foul, or he simply gave up prematurely. Ultimately, Blanco had three plate appearances in Game 2 and left five runners stranded. Pinar del Río suffered a two-run loss (6-4), where Blanco's lack of productivity was a contributing factor, although he shouldn't be solely blamed for the missed opportunities.

In the subsequent inning, the Vegueros pulled ahead for the first time in the Final, capitalizing on a run that came about due to an error in a throw to third base by catcher Yosvany Alarcón. The Lumberjacks persisted in their offensive against Branlis Rodríguez, who took the mound in the seventh inning and yielded a double to Yordanis Alarcón. Given the unavailability of left-hander Raudel Lazo in the bullpen, it made sense for Branlis to continue pitching. Jenier Álvarez entered the game as the first relief pitcher for the Vegueros, but he was unable to prevent Yudier Rondón from delivering an RBI single that leveled the score at 3-3.

The Vegueros offense failed to respond once more, stranding six runners on base as they faced the effective relievers Rodolfo Díaz (3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB) and Alberto Pablo Civil (2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 SO, 1 BB). Following a three-run deadlock in the seventh inning, the Lumberjacks clinched the game during the Tie Break. Yudier Rondón, the ninth batter in the lineup, had been the final out in the ninth inning. This set the stage for the Lumberjacks to seize a significant opportunity, which they capitalized on. Larduet executed a sacrifice bunt, Roberto Súlivan Baldoquín, who was 0 for 4, was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for the third batter, Yosvany Alarcón.

It was the ideal situation that Leñadores manager, Abeisy Pantoja, had been anticipating. Alarcón lived up to the expectations of the team by not letting them down. With the score at 0-1, Álvarez delivered a fastball right down the middle, and Alarcón took full advantage of it by smashing a double to deep center field to clear the bases. As the ball soared through the air, it appeared as though the Vegueros' aspirations were shattered at the Capitán San Luis stadium.

Ultimately, all of Pinar del Río's runs were unearned. If the game had gone into extra innings, it was due to left fielder Mario Sánchez preventing a two-run home run by Yordanis Alarcón in the ninth inning.

In the bottom of the tenth inning, Pinar del Río attempted to equalize the score, but Leñadores' closer Alberto Pablo Civil managed to strike out Frank Raúl González with the bases loaded. This marked a familiar pattern of dominance, as Las Tunas once again took a 2-0 lead in the Finals for the fourth consecutive time. While we will soon discuss the impressive performance of the Lumberjacks, the significance of this lead goes beyond just the numbers. The concerning aspect of falling behind 0-2 is not just the timing (after two home games) but also the manner in which it happened: Pinar del Río has only led on the scoreboard for one out of 19 innings in Games 1 and 2 of this crucial Final match.

There are numerous ways to achieve victory or suffer defeat in baseball. Some teams falter due to their inability to stage a comeback. Others begin the postseason strongly but struggle to sustain their winning streak. Additionally, there are rival teams that fail to put up a fight. The Vegueros of Pinar del Río have attempted to compete against the Leñadores de Las Tunas, the reigning champions, but they have not demonstrated the same dominance they exhibited during the regular season, where they led without losing any five-game series.

This marks a crucial juncture: the Vegueros of Pinar del Río have encountered limitations as a result of the collective impact of the Lumberjacks of Las Tunas. There are several arguments that could be put forward to substantiate this situation.

• The Vegueros have gone 2-for-18 (.111) with runners in scoring position during Games 1 and 2. The Lumberjacks? They are averaging .407 (27-11).

  
  

• Two-strike counts have been a serious problem: Pinar del Río is 3-for-21 with just one extra-base hit. Guess who? Of course: Alexei Ramirez's RBI double that tied the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning during Game 2.

  
  

• This is not something that was really expected: With one swing, Mario Sánchez (1-for-2) has had more hits than those combined by William Saavedra (0-for-6), Yasser Julio González (0-for-5), Lázaro E. Blanco (0-for-3), Rolando Martínez (0-for-3) and Frank Raúl González (0-for-3), who are 0-for-20 against the Las Tunas pitchers in the Finals.

  
  

• They have scored just two runs with less than two outs. Instead, all five times the Lumberjacks led off the inning by reaching their first batter between Games 1 and 2, they managed to score runs.

  
  

• On a day without the support of the bullpen's main relievers - although Jenier Álvarez has relieved effectively - the support of left-hander Branlis Rodríguez was decisive.

  
  

• The Vegueros have batted .185 with just one extra base hit in two games.

These key points have played a significant role in the Vegueros' initial two losses. While additional factors could be included, it is crucial to emphasize the troubling patterns: Pinar del Río has struggled to maintain a lead for more than a single inning. In the realm of baseball, the inability to outperform your adversary severely restricts your strategic options.

Coming back every day can be very difficult, especially when up against the current Leñadores team in the Cuban National Series. Their track record of success is impressive. The trend in the last four finals, all starting with a 2-0 lead, is evident: The Lumberjacks have not only won all eight opening games of the finals but have done so consistently.

Prior to the 63rd National Series, Las Tunas had been ahead on the scoreboard for 38 out of 54 innings in Games 1 and 2 of the four Finals they participated in. Holding the lead for 70% of the innings played is quite impressive, and this dominance is reflected in the remaining games of the series, showing a noticeable difference of 33%.

Based on the statistics, Las Tunas has emerged victorious in two out of three Finals mainly by taking an initial 2-0 lead. The sole defeat occurred in 2018, when the Alazanes de Granma rallied to claim the championship in Game 7.

Las Tunas has played in the last two Finals, winning 4-1 against Villa Clara in 2019 and 4-0 against Industriales last year. Despite any doubts about the odds, the Lumberjacks led for 48% of the innings against Villa Clara and an impressive 70% against Industriales the following year. Can you discern the factor behind Las Tunas' decisive sweep of Industriales?

The Lumberjacks are performing as anticipated, displaying the caliber of a reigning champion. Having suffered two defeats at home, Pinar del Río must bounce back and showcase the same resilience that propelled them to the top of the league prior to the current playoffs.