The leadoff: Another day of life

Pavel Hernández is not accustomed to losing focus on the ball, particularly when a batter connects with his pitch. Whether it's a soft grounder or a pitch that drops, causing a swing-and-miss, Pavel consistently aims to predict the play. However, this time he's savoring the moment differently. He leisurely stepped away from the mound, assured that he had regained control.

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Veteran Leonelkis Escalante's fly ball was effortlessly caught by center fielder Roberto Álvarez, who moved just a few feet to his left. This marked the 24th out of the game and set the stage for a victory that offered the Industriales a ray of hope in the semifinal of the Third Cuban Baseball Elite League.

Nearly 13 years later, which would have been the following Monday, May 26th, Industriales triumphed once more over Ciego de Ávila in a Cuban baseball postseason match. Baseball is filled with intriguing and occasionally inexplicable elements, as demonstrated by the fact that the hero for Industriales was a pitcher who was born in Ciego de Ávila.

Yes, surprised? It was right-handed pitcher Pavel Hernández, who relocated to Havana with his family a little over ten years ago. Pavel started honing his skills as a pitcher from his school days until he advanced to the National Series.

He made his debut with Industriales as a promising prospect in the 2016-2017 season, and by his third season, he had become a regular starter. Last year, he pitched the first nine-inning no-hitter by an Industriales pitcher in 42 years. I wrote a piece about that feat in my Substack column. It was a near-perfect gem at the “Coloso del Cerro” against the Holguín Cubs on May 7, 2024, during a 7-0 Industriales' victory.

*The previous no-hitter was thrown by Ángel Leocadio Díaz on January 16, 1982, at Estadio Latinoamericano, and, interestingly, it was also against Holguín, in a 2-0 victory.

In recent years, his ascent to the league's elite has established him as one of Industriales' most reliable pitchers. On a sweltering Saturday afternoon, with the "Coloso del Cerro" missing its usual fanfare for a playoff game, Pavel delivered an exceptional pitch that kept the Capital's Blues in the running. Following three straight defeats, the lack of spectators at Havana's iconic Latinoamericano Stadium was expected.

Pavel Hernández pitched a gem that kept the Capital City Lions hopeful in this semifinal. (Photo by Roberto Morejón/JIT)

Pavel's strong performance in the game was marked by his ability to hold the Tigres to only three hits over eight innings, allowing just one run. Industriales backed Pavel with four runs, though only two were necessary for victory. Ciego de Ávila briefly led 1-0 in the second inning after the Blues failed to capitalize on a bases-loaded situation in the first inning.

Leonelkis Escalante hit a double down the left field line after Frederich Cepeda struck out at the start of the second inning. Tailon Sánchez then got on base because of a fielding error by shortstop Erisbel Arruebarena, who failed to lower his glove enough to catch a routine ground ball. With runners on the corners, Pavel pitched a fastball to Fernando De La Paz with a 1-2 count.

De La Paz hit a grounder to third, almost resulting in a flawless double play, but Ángel Alfredo Hechevarría's throw to second was slightly high. This minor error led to second baseman Alfredo Rodríguez's pivot missing first baseman Yasmany Tomás.

Industriales manager Guillermo Carmona challenged the play, but the decision was upheld, confirming Escalante's score from third as official.

Pavel continued to pitch comfortably for the remainder of the game, but he had to exert extra effort on his pitches during the fourth and eighth innings. These innings presented crucial situations for Ciego de Ávila. In the fourth inning, the Tigers loaded the bases with one out. Pavel successfully handled the formidable Yordanis Samón, then walked Cepeda, allowed a single to Escalante, and issued another walk to Tailon Sánchez.

The Tigers, leading 1-0, were ready to go on the offensive. Pavel pitched three balls to De La Paz, struggling with control but maintaining his focus. Following a brief discussion on the mound, De La Paz decided to swing at three no-strike balls and hit a popup to center field. With a 1-2 count, Yoasán Guillén grounded out to second base, neutralizing the threat.

In the eighth inning, with Pavel nearing 100 pitches, the Tigers had another opportunity to at least even the score. They managed to get runners on first and second, but Cepeda and Escalante both grounded out with pop-ups.

Industriales, confronting a slight deficit, managed to respond against left-hander Ariel Zerquera over the course of a few innings, consistently with two outs.

At the bottom of the fourth inning, Ariel Sánchez hit a double that allowed Andy Cosme to score. Two innings after that, the Blues seized control for the rest of the game. With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Alfredo Rodríguez hit an important double. Rodríguez exited the game due to discomfort in his right knee, and Roberto Acevedo scored the leading run for the Leones on an RBI single by Ángel Alfredo Hechevarría.

Following his second hit of the afternoon, Hechevarría was thrown out at first in an unusual play: he was caught off the base, at the edge of the infield, after trying to advance to second. Denis Laza and Hechevarría himself drove in the next two runs for Industriales.

Laza welcomed reliever Yunier Batista with a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh, bringing the score to 3-1. In the eighth inning, Hechevarría hit a long single off the right field fences, allowing Dayron Miranda to score.

After starting the Semifinals 0-for-12, Hechevarría has achieved four hits in his last five at-bats. His performance was crucial, as he leads the team with 56 hits, a .313 batting average with runners in scoring position, 59 RBIs, 36 runs scored, and the lowest strikeout rate at only 7.5%. Nonetheless, he needs to concentrate more on his game to reduce his frequent mental mistakes and lapses in concentration, both on offense and defense.

Angel Alfredo's errant throw to second base in the second inning thwarted a double play, allowing Ciego de Ávila to avoid a scoreless inning. In the sixth, he stopped Ariel Sánchez from batting with two outs. In the eighth, he brought in the fourth run but could have comfortably made it to second base.

The second duel between Hernández and Zerquera met expectations following a Game 1 where 19 runs were scored in total, with 12 of those runs given up by the bullpens of both teams.

Zerquera pitched for 6 1/3 innings, conceding just two runs. Even though 11 batters reached base, he managed to navigate through challenging scenarios without any strikeouts. Having thrown 101 pitches, he would be ready if the series extended to Game 7.

Following an outstanding performance by Pavel Hernández, who was the first starting pitcher to deliver eight scoreless innings this postseason, José Ángel García sealed the win, leading the Blues to a promising 4-1 victory in Game 4.

For the moment, the series between the Lions and Tigers will continue with a Game 5 this Sunday at the Latinoamericano Stadium. After 13 years, the Lions have finally secured a postseason victory against Ciego de Ávila, ending an eight-game losing streak.

In the Elite League, no team has ever lost after taking a 3-0 lead. In the National Series, Industriales is the only team to have overcome a 0-3 deficit. This occurred just last season, when they made a comeback against Santiago de Cuba in the 62nd National Series.

In baseball, nearly anything can happen. Do you believe history will repeat itself?