Santiago de Cuba knocks Ciego de Ávila off the top spot; Las Tunas wins and is the new leader...by average; Pinar del Río defeats Granma again
- BaseballdeCuba
- Apr 21
- 5 min read
A 12-8 victory by Santiago de Cuba over Ciego de Ávila, combined with Las Tunas' second consecutive win over Industriales, moved Las Tunas to the top of the standings in the III Cuban Baseball Elite League (III ELCB), closely followed by the Ciego de Ávila team in second place. Meanwhile, Pinar del Río strengthened its hold on fifth place in the tournament after extending its current winning streak to three consecutive victories, this time 8-4 over Granma.
Santiago de Cuba 12, Ciego de Ávila 8
Santiago de Cuba had an impressive fifth inning, scoring seven runs to seize control of their Sunday afternoon game at José R. Cepero Stadium, ultimately winning 12-8 against Ciego de Ávila. The Santiago team capitalized on poor pitching from the Ciego de Ávila pitchers, who allowed a total of 13 walks, with six of them given up by the starting pitcher and loser, José I. Grandales (2-2). In the pivotal fifth inning, Santiago took command of the game by capitalizing on the Ciego de Ávila pitchers' lack of control, drawing exactly four walks, along with three hits and an error. This allowed them to secure a lead they maintained for the rest of the game. Among the three hits in that inning, Edilse Silva's was the first, driving in one run, followed by a double from catcher Harold Vázquez, which added two more runs. Just before that, a fielder's choice and an error by the Ciego de Avila defense on a ground ball hit by Eduardo García to third base resulted in two more runs. During the inning, starter Grandales exited after Silva's single, completing 4 1/3 innings and giving up 8 runs, five of which were earned. Veteran right-hander Danny Betancourt (2-1) took the mound for Santiago and secured the win, despite giving up six runs over 5 2/3 innings. Betancourt had cruised through five innings, allowing six hits, including a two-run homer by Ronaldo Castillo in the third inning, which brought Ciego within 3-2. However, in the sixth inning, he gave up four more hits and issued a walk, leading to an inning where Ciego de Avila attempted a comeback, scoring four times, and prompting Danny to be pulled from the game. Despite this, the right-hander secured the win, marking his 170th career victory in National Series baseball, just two wins shy of tying Mantua's left-hander, Faustino Corrales, for the historic 14th spot. Betancourt was aided by an excellent closing performance from Islay Sotolongo (1), who prevented Ciego de Ávila from scoring further, pitching the final two scoreless innings with a single, a walk, and a strikeout to earn his first save of the season. The loss caused Ciego de Ávila to drop from first place in this III ELCB by win-loss average, now second with .654 (17-9) to Las Tunas' .667 (12-6).
Las Tunas 5, Industriales 3
Las Tunas secured their second straight weekend win against Industriales with a 5-3 victory, achieved in just the first inning during a game at Julio A. Mella Park in Las Tunas. The team's offense was powered by two home runs off right-handed starter Andy Vargas (2-2), which accounted for all five runs in the decisive first inning. A single by Yudier Rondón, followed by a home run from Yosvani Alarcón after the second out of the inning, swiftly set the score to 2-0 against Vargas. Shortly after, consecutive singles by Roberto Baldoquín and Leonel Moa Jr., along with a three-run home run by Jean Baldoquín, completed the five runs inning that turned out to be pivotal. After a shaky first inning, the right-hander from the capital bounced back, pitching another six strong innings in which he conceded only two hits in the fourth, along with four walks and five strikeouts, delivering a commendable performance. However, he still ended up with the loss. Industriales tried to back him up offensively, but they were held scoreless in the initial four innings by right-handed starter Alejandro Meneses (2-2), who managed to avoid any runs despite allowing four hits and giving up four walks. However, in the fifth inning, three hits loaded the bases with only one out. Yasiel Santoya managed a sacrifice fly to the outfield, bringing in one run, while catcher Andrys Pérez ended the inning with a strong line drive to right field, but it was caught. Facing reliever Keniel Ferráz, Industriales managed to score a run in the sixth inning by stringing together four hits and capitalizing on an error. Then, in the eighth inning against Wilson Paredes, the Lions recorded three more hits, highlighted by an RBI double from Ángel Hechavaría, securing the third and final run for the capital team in the game. Veteran right-hander Alberto P. Civil (3) handled the rest, pitching the eighth and ninth innings without giving up a run, allowing two hits, and striking out two to secure his third save. Las Tunas' victory temporarily moved them to the top of the III ELCB standings, thanks to a better win-loss average over Ciego de Ávila.
Pinar del Río 8, Granma 4
Right-hander Yunieski García (2-4) delivered a strong performance, and with support from 14 hits, the Vegueros de Pinar del Río secured an 8-4 win over Granma, extending their winning streak in the III ELCB to three games. This victory also kept the Pinar del Río team in fifth place in the tournament, just one game shy of the qualifying zone. García pitched seven strong innings to secure his second victory of the tournament, giving up just four hits. One of these was a two-run homer by Alexquemer Sánchez in the second inning, putting the Granma team ahead 2-0 early on. These were the only runs the right-hander conceded, as he finished with seven strikeouts and one walk. Pinar del Río swiftly took charge of the game in the third inning against starter Sammy E. Benítez (3-1). In this inning, after one out, Lázaro Fernández and Juan C. Arencibia each hit singles, and an error by third baseman Andrés de la Cruz loaded the bases. At that point, Lázaro Acosta hit a single to center field, driving in two runs to tie the game. Following the second out of the inning, a single by catcher Yadiel Guerra brought in the run that gave the Vegueros a 3-2 lead. Sammy managed to escape the tough situation by delivering three consecutive scoreless innings, maintaining the score despite allowing four hits, which included doubles by Lázaro Blanco in the fifth inning and Dainier Gálvez in the sixth. However, the right-hander returned unnecessarily for the seventh inning, and Pinar capitalized by scoring three more runs against him, ultimately deciding the game. That inning began with Tailon Sánchez' single to right field, and after Acosta was out and an error advanced Sánchez to second, Blanco was given a controversial intentional walk. That was when Guerra hit a double to center, increasing the score to 4-2. Another intentional walk to Frank González loaded the bases and led to the Granma starter being pulled from the game. Pinar completed the three-run rally when reliever Juan D. Pérez walked Yasiel González, making it 5-2, and a fielder's choice on a grounder by the newly substituted shortstop Dainiel López extended the lead to 6-2. Against Pérez, Pinar added two more runs in the eighth inning, driven in by singles from Guerra and Frank González. In the ninth inning with two outs, Pinar's reliever Jenier Álvarez issued two walks and allowed a single by Andy Cosme, which brought Granma closer by driving in a run. Following the second run, scored via a single by De la Cruz to left field, Pinar del Río's manager, Alexander Urquiola, decided to act by bringing in the experienced right-handed closer José A. García (7). García secured the victory by striking out Yulieski Remón, earning his seventh save in this III ELCB, leader.
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