III Elite League Finals, Game 2 Recap | The Tigers, halfway through

Yordanis Samón hit the ball and time stopped for everyone for a few seconds this Sunday in the bottom of the seventh inning. Countless Tigers fans rose to their feet. Lumberjacks reliever Rodolfo Díaz hoped the depth of the fly ball wouldn't clear the left field wall.

Samón lifted his hands and remained focused as he observed his fly ball soar higher and gain momentum. Right at the moment of contact, he realized he had accomplished his goal. He aimed for a sacrifice fly to bring in a run and break the tie. Despite going 0-for-7 in this Final, baseball offered him a chance, and the strength of his swing resulted in more than just a sacrifice fly. The ball sailed over the left field fence, for a three-run home run that sent José Ramón Cepero Stadium into a frenzy.

Box score

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Yordanis Samón came alive and hit a game-winning home run against the Lumberjacks. (Photo by JIT)

Ciego de Ávila 6, Las Tunas 3. It was 4:22 p.m., and another deadly blow from the Tigers again heralded the end. In the next 25 minutes, the Lumberjacks' hopes were dashed. For the second day in a row, they couldn't mount a comeback, and the Ciego de Ávila Tigers secured a 6-3 victory, gaining a 2-0 advantage in Game 2 of the Final of the Third Cuban Elite Baseball League.

Ultimately, history repeated itself. The Tigers outperformed the Lumberjacks and are now halfway to securing the title. Although the Lumberjacks have conceded 17 runs and six home runs over two games, I believe the crucial factor has been the commanding performance of Ciego de Ávila's pitching. The Lumberjacks have struggled to take the offensive lead in their initial 16 innings of this Final.

The Tigres aggressively hit against right-hander Albert Valladares, scoring two runs in the opening inning. Valladares gave up two singles, issued two walks, and left the bases loaded. A walk to Cepeda brought in the game's first run, followed by right-hander Kenier Ferráz conceding a sacrifice fly to Leonelkis Escalante.

Ciego de Ávila initially led 2-0, but the Leñadores equalized with a single by Leonel Moas Jr. in the top of the fourth inning. This was the highlight of Las Tunas' offense against José Isaías Grandales, who had given up only one run in 18 ⅓ innings this season. Lázaro Ponce hit a single with two outs. Las Tunas managed to get four baserunners in the inning but couldn't score more than two runs. Héctor Castillo ended the inning with a grounder to second base.

Denis Laza put the Tigres ahead once more with a solo home run at the beginning of the bottom of the sixth inning, marking the only run given up by Ferráz during his impressive six-inning relief stint. The Leñadores responded by leveling the score at 3-3 in the seventh with a single from Yosvany Alarcón, who had been 0-for-6 with no runs produced, off reliever Yunier Batista. However, the game ultimately hinged on missed opportunities. The Leñadores lacked aggressiveness and clutch hitting: Yordanis Alarcón and Yudier Rondón both grounded out with two runners on base.

Batista continued to keep the game alive and, even though he allowed a baserunner he inherited, he managed to contain the Leñadores over the following two innings. Despite being hit hard, Grandales finished his performance with another solid outing against Las Tunas' formidable lineup. He gave up 10 hits (all singles), struck out two, walked two, and recorded a wild pitch and a balk.

The Lumberjacks managed to get at least two baserunners in three of the initial four innings. These innings had the potential to be significant, but two double plays diminished their scoring opportunities. In the first inning, Osvaldo Abreu was caught at second base following a line drive by Yosvany Alarcón to first. In the next inning, Lázaro Ponce hit into a double play. The Lumberjacks left five runners stranded on second base and one on third. Despite having enough chances, they lost by three runs.

So this is all that has happened in terms of positive and negative executions:

•  Negative: The Lumberjacks haven't hit in the clutch: they're 4-for-24 with runners in scoring position.

• Positive: In contrast to that .167 average, the Tigers have hit .333 with RISP.

• Negative: The Lumberjacks have hit one extra-base hit in 68 plate appearances during Games 1 and 2 of this Final. It was a double by Héctor Castillo off closer Yunier Batista in the top of the eighth inning with already two outs.

• Positive: The Tigers, who hit five home runs in five games in the Semifinal against Industriales, have hit six in two games against Las Tunas pitchers in this Final.

• Negative: Las Tunas' offense has completely fallen apart all year against Ciego de Ávila: they have hit only two home runs in 366 plate appearances. Las Tunas' lineup is missing its home run hitters: Rafael Viñales, who was removed from the team, and Roberto Súlivan Baldoquín, who is presently on the injured list.

• Positive: Dennis Laza, who is reinforcing the Tigres' lineup for this Final, has hit two solo home runs in his first eight plate appearances.

• Negative: The Lumberjacks stole seven bases in eight attempts against Santiago de Cuba in the Semifinal. They were unable to utilize their speed against the Tigers in these two games.

• Positive: The Lumberjacks have failed to steal a base this year in three attempts against the Tigers' defense. Catcher Fernando De La Paz has caught both baserunners who attempted to steal. But that hasn't been the only turning point for the Tigers' defense, preventing the Lumberjacks' speed: they have created 18 double plays against the Lumberjacks' offense in 10 games this year.

Manager Abeisy Pantoja commented, “they weren't productive.” Despite having 12 hits, they managed to score just three runs. Historically, in the Elite League, Las Tunas holds a 28-10 record in games where they achieve at least 12 hits. In the 38 games prior to this Sunday, they had only once scored fewer than six runs.

Efficiency on the field: That has been the key to the Tigers' 7-3 record against the Leñadores this year, with a run differential of plus-20 (61 to 41).

Their dominance in the regular season persists.

Game Summary

Final Score: Ciego de Ávila 6, Las Tunas 3.

Time: 2 horas, 47 minutos.

Attendance: ¡Al 100%!

Scoring Summary

• Bottom 1st inning: Frederich Cepeda walked. Yordanis Samón to second. Ronaldo Castillo to third. Rodolexis Moreno scored. Las Tunas 0, Ciego de Ávila 1.

• Bottom 1st inning: Leonelkis Escalante lined out to right. Yordanis Samón scored. Las Tunas 0, Ciego de Ávila 2.

• Top 4th inning: Leonel Moas Jr. hit a pop-up single to right field. Y. Alarcón scored. Luis V. Mateo scored. Las Tunas 2, Ciego de Ávila 2.

• Bottom 6th inning: Dennis Laza hit a home run with a fly ball to left field. Las Tunas 2, Ciego de Ávila 3.

• Top 7th inning: Yosvany Alarcón hit a ground ball single to left field. Osvaldo Abreu to second. Yuniesky Larduet scored. Las Tunas 3, Ciego de Ávila 3.

• Bottom of 7th inning: Yordanis Samón hit a three-run homer to left field. Ronaldo Castillo scored. Rodolexis Moreno scored. Las Tunas 3, Ciego de Ávila 6.

The MVP

Yordanis Samón, despite being 0-for-6 in the series, hit a crucial three-run home run.

What We Learned

Defense is often underestimated, but for the Tigers, it has been a crucial factor throughout the year. Game 2 reinforces this point: the Lumberjacks managed 12 hits, yet only a third of those occurred with runners in scoring position (3-18). Grandales was susceptible to hits all afternoon, but the Tigers' strategic defensive positioning was key in stopping runs.

Key Moment

Bottom of the seventh inning, one out, with runners on first and third, Yordanis Samón hit a three-run homer to break the 3-3 tie.

The Surprising Stat You Should Know

In their last 23 innings facing the Tigers, the Lumberjacks have managed to score only four runs, none of which came from extra-base hits. During the regular season, 58% of Las Tunas' RBIs were generated through extra-base hits.

Managers' Decisions

Leñadores manager Abeisy Pantoja faced criticism for pulling starter Albert Valladares after he faced four batters without securing an out. Nevertheless, Kenier Ferraz's six innings of relief pitching justified his decision.

Prior to this Final, the Leñadores had managed to score at least six runs in half of their games throughout Elite League history. Indeed, 50%! Therefore, the clear reason for their downfall in this Final was the lack of offensive output.

A Story to follow for Game 3

Numerous questions require prompt answers. Initially, the Leñadores must respond, and prevent the Tigers from taking a 3-0 lead. Next, will Las Tunas' offense come alive at home? Who will gain the upper hand in the battles of the third and fourth starters? These are the main expectations until the game starts.

The Ciego de Ávila Tigers announced right-hander Kevin Soto. This year, Soto has an 0-1 record with a 5.23 ERA in two starts against Las Tunas. Of the 10 hits he allowed, 80% were singles, resulting in a .270 batting average for his opponents. Meanwhile, against Ciego de Ávila, left-hander Eliander Bravo allowed six out of the 10 batters he faced to reach base and suffered a loss in his only decision. He will be the first left-handed pitcher the Tigers face this postseason. Ciego de Ávila has a well-rested bullpen, even though their primary reliever, Yunier Batista, pitched three innings in Game 2.

We'll see how those matchups play out.

(Photos by JIT)