Industriales in sole posession of third place, following their third straight win against Pinar del Río; the game between Santiago de Cuba and Granma was postponed due to rain

Yasiel Santoya homered again against Pinar del Río. (Photo by Boris Luis Cabrera)

Industriales managed to remain in sole possession of third place in the III Cuban Elite Baseball League (III LEBC) after their 6-4 victory over Pinar del Río, their third consecutive win in the four-game series that concludes this Saturday. Industriales, playing at Latinoamericano Stadium in Havana, benefited from an outstanding performance by right-hander Raymond Figueredo (2-3). He effectively controlled the Pinar del Río offense for seven innings, conceding only four hits for two runs—one earned—while recording two strikeouts and issuing one walk. Figueredo faced the minimum of batters in four of the seven innings he pitched, conceding one run in the first inning because of an error by his Team's defense. From the third to the sixth inning, he retired seven batters in a row. It wasn't until the eighth inning that he encountered more difficulties, when Lázaro Fernández started the inning with a single to center field, and eventually scored later, in an inning where the Vegueros tallied three runs. Following the single, the right-hander was replaced, and even though the capital team's bullpen seemed vulnerable, with Carlos M. Cuesta allowing three additional hits, including a two-RBI by designated hitter Yoán Rojas, right-hander Leodán Reyes (1) stepped in for relief and delivered an outstanding performance, pitching 1 2/3 perfect innings with a strikeout to secure the save. Industriales encountered a strong start from right-hander Raikol Suárez (0-3), who pitched four innings, striking out seven and giving up four hits, for two runs, ultimately leading to his defeat. In the second inning, Industriales leveled the score, when Yasiel Santoya, the Vegueros' nemesis in the series, hit his second home run in as many days, marking his sixth RBI in the series against Pinar. Up until the fifth inning, neither team gained an advantage, keeping the score even at one. However, in the fifth inning, Brandon Pérez and Alfredo Rodríguez started the inning with back-to-back singles, leading to Suárez's departure. Facing reliever José E. Santos, Ángel Hechavarría advanced Brandon to third base with a pop fly to right field, paving the way for Yasmani Tomás to bring in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly to right field. In the following inning, Industriales added two more runs. After two walks and a sacrifice and with the first base unoccupied, pinch-hitter Ariel Hechavarría hit a triple that drove in both runners, increasing the Industriales' lead to 4-1. In the seventh inning, Industriales clinched the win with two more runs. Ángel Hechavarría singled and was followed by a double from Dennis Laza that advanced him to third base. Yosvani Peñalver drove one run with a single, and facing a new reliever, Santoya hit a sacrifice fly, bringing in the final run for Industriales. Industriales win, combined with the postponed game between Santiago de Cuba and Granma, positioned Industriales solely in third place in this III LEBC, while Pinar del Río is now two and a half games away from the qualification zone.

Photos by Boris Luis Cabrera