III Elite League - Postseason | Ariel Zerquera maintains his momentum, Tailón Sánchez drives in five, and the Ciego de Ávila Tigers halt a late comeback to take Game 1 against Industriales
BaseballdeCuba- 25 minutes ago
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Ariel Zerquera (8-2) has unquestionably been the standout pitcher in the III Cuban Baseball Elite League (III LEBC). On Tuesday, during Game 1 of the postseason, the left-hander proved his excellence once again in front of a packed José Ramón Cepero park in Ciego de Ávila, securing a 10-9 win against Industriales.
With the tournament's best winning record (7) in 10 appearances as a starter, Zerquera pitched 5 2/3 solid innings against Industriales in Game 1 of the III Elite League semifinals, maintaining a slight edge to clinch the crucial first victory in a best-of-seven series.
Game 2 is scheduled for this Wednesday at 2:00 p.m., with right-hander José Ramón Rodríguez expected to pitch for Ciego de Ávila, and either Yadián Martínez or Raymond Figueredo likely to take the mound for Industriales.
Zerquera gave up just four hits, issued three walks, and struck out two, securing his first postseason victory in the Elite League. His only setback occurred in the fifth inning, when, despite holding a 4-1 lead, he allowed back-to-back home runs to Alfredo Rodríguez and Andy Cosme, narrowing the gap to 4-3.
Even though the Blues' dugout was energized by two hits, Industriales couldn't finish off the left-hander. Zerquera went on to retire the following five batters, including striking out Denis Laza at the beginning of the sixth inning. With two outs in the sixth, after giving a walk to Erisbel Arruebarruena, manager Danny Miranda decided to call in his bullpen.
Ciego de Ávila gained an early 1-0 advantage in the first inning against right-handed starter Pavel Hernández (5-3) with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Yordanis Samón. Zerquera conceded the tying run in the third inning, when his defense made one of the three errors they had in the game.
Cosme started the inning with a single to right field, and during his attempt to steal second, a throwing error by catcher Fernando de la Paz enabled him to advance to third base. Zerquera was unable to stop the tie when, shortly after, a ground ball by Ariel Sánchez allowed Cosme to score.
While Zerquera's start deserves praise, what can be said about the offensive impact of Pinar del Río shortstop Tailon Sánchez, who wasn't even part of the Tigres' plans just a week ago?
Tailon took center stage in the third inning, a pivotal moment when the Tigres decided the game, leading to the Industriales starter being pulled. Although more runs could have been scored if Pavel hadn't picked off Ronaldo Castillo at second base, the Ciego de Ávila team loaded the bases with a walk to Frederich Cepeda and back-to-back singles by Samón and Robert L. Delgado. This set the stage for Tailon to play a crucial role in the Tigres' victory, as the reinforcement from the Vegueros de Pinar del Río hit a double to center field, clearing the bases and putting the Tigres ahead 4-1. Ciego de Ávila maintained their lead on the scoreboard, despite a late scare with their bullpen in the final innings.
"I'm really pleased with how we started, both as a team and individually. Thank God everything went well for me," Tailon told Guillermo Rodríguez of Radio Rebelde after the game.
The double prompted Pavel's outburst, marking the seventh instance in Elite League postseason games where he failed to pitch five innings. This time, he lasted only 2 2/3 innings, giving up four earned runs on five hits, with four walks and two strikeouts.
The game turned in the seventh inning when the Tigres scored four runs against the Industriales bullpen. This was highlighted by Sánchez's second double of the game, bringing in another run, and concluded with a three-run home run by catcher De la Paz. Ciego led 8-3.
"The batting coach advised me to take a solid swing without being overly aggressive, which had been my approach in the earlier at-bats. Fortunately, he - the pitcher - left a pitch in the zone, and I managed to get a hit," De la Paz shared with Guillermo Rodríguez following the game.
In the eighth inning, Industriales added two runs when Yasmani Tomás hit a single with one out and was subsequently brought home by Erisbel Arruebarrena home run, narrowing the score to 8-5.
It appeared that Ciego de Ávila had secured the final score in the eighth inning, during which the Industriales defense made two errors. Tailon Sánchez achieved his fifth RBI of the game by drawing a walk with the bases loaded. Another RBI in the inning came from De la Paz, who brought Samón home with a sacrifice fly that seemed to seal the score at 10-5. However, Industriales was determined not to surrender.
The Tigres faced a last-minute challenge when Industriales staged a ninth-inning comeback, scoring four runs. In this inning, reliever José Isaías Grandales was hit hard with three hits, including an RBI double by Tomás, which, along with an error, resulted in the first two runs and forced Grandales out of the game. Industriales continued their push, and against the new reliever, right-hander Leonardo Moreira (5), Yasiel Santoya's single added another run, and a sacrifice fly by Alfredo Rodríguez brought them within one run. Nevertheless, Moreira remained composed and, with the tying run on second base, secured the victory for the Tigres with a strikeout against Cosme.
The two teams are set to meet again this Wednesday at 2:00 pm at José R. Cepero Stadium. Meanwhile, Santiago de Cuba and Las Tunas will compete in Game 1 of the other semifinal of this III ELCB at the same time, but further east at Julio A. Mella Park.
Player of the Game
Tailon Sánchez | Ciego de Ávila
3-for-4, 2 2B, R, 5 RBI, BB
Top Performers
Team Comparison
TEAMS | R | H | HR | TB | SB | LOB | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Industriales | 9 | 14 | 3 | 24 | 1 | 8 | 2 |
Ciego de Ávila | 10 | 14 | 1 | 22 | 0 | 11 | 3 |
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