The Wasps stormed the Latino; Lismay Ferrales blanked the Tigres; Pinar del Río rallied at the Mella; pressure, errors, and walks everywhere!
- Yirsandy Rodríguez Hernández
- Apr 24
- 6 min read
The battle for playoff qualification in the III Elite League is intensifying after Santiago de Cuba defeated Industriales, Granma triumphed over Ciego de Ávila, and Pinar del Río overcame Las Tunas. The third and fourth positions in the standings are likely to shift repeatedly in the upcoming hours, as four teams compete in this final phase of the regular season. Now, let's delve into Thursday's action.
Santiago de Cuba 11, Industriales 2
Lessons from Game 1: The Wasps' offense is relentless. Before stepping into Estadio Latinoamericano on Thursday, they topped the league in home runs (32), SLG (.466), OPS (.857), BB% (12.0%), XBH% (9.4%), ISO (.164), and OPS+ (115), among other statistics. After nine innings and 190 minutes, we witnessed some of these impressive numbers, which seem extraordinary for the most formidable lineup in this so-called "Elite League." However, they are indeed real. The traditional method to counter Santiago de Cuba, at least in this regular season, hasn't been through pitching. Instead, contact, speed, and the isolated power of some teams seem to be the best strategies for their opponents. The Wasps didn't begin this ninth four-game series at the bottom of the pitching division because there's a rotation that has intensified the chaos on the mound: the Granma Alazanes. Manager Ángel Ortega's pitching staff is recording a 5.88 ineffectiveness ratio (INR) for starters, a 6.35 in the bullpen, and a troubling 70 ERA+. Santiago de Cuba was in excellent form at +72. The Wasps have made 51 errors, and 55% of them have resulted in runs. At this rate, winning games and maintaining a record above .500 has been challenging. Nonetheless, there has been a balance between stress and satisfaction for manager Eddy Cajigal and his Wasps. The offensive power has maintained its destructive pace throughout almost the entire season.
Thursday afternoon, we witnessed another instance of this when they secured an early game victory in just four minutes. In his comeback for the Lions, right-handed pitcher Maykel Taylor—clearly missing his fastball strength and consequently his usual confidence in his range of secondary pitches—gave up a sweeping, devastating home run to Yoelquis Guibert, who sent the ball soaring into the second section of the right field bleachers at the "Colossus of the Hill."
On a 1-0 count, Guibert continued his trend in this Elite League by crushing various pitches, particularly those like the one Taylor threw: weak, defenseless, served up, and ripe for hitting. As Guibert rounded the bases at Estadio Latinoamericano, energizing the Santiago supporters present, the game was nearing its conclusion. It was 2:04 in the afternoon. Just four minutes had elapsed since the call to play ball was heard, and the Blues' initial 3-0 lead had already crumbled.
The effect was apparent on every face, from the dugout to the diamond. Indeed, it was. Both pessimists and dreamers were close to reality. Just two innings later, Eduardo García hit a two-run home run off Taylor, who had encountered Guibert at third—having doubled and stolen third—making the score 5-0.
It was the end.
Industriales managed to score just two runs in a play that started with the bases loaded and concluded without a hit during the crucial moments at the bottom of the fourth inning.
The following inning, with left-hander Carlos Benavides averaging 21 pitches per inning, the Leones were unable to mount a comeback. Manager Guillermo Carmona had selected an ideal lineup for a rally: Denis Laza and Yasiel Santoya, both with two runners in scoring position and fewer than two outs.
The uppercut swing that could have sent a fly ball far enough to score a run was nowhere to be seen. There wasn't the usual soft grounder to right field or a well-timed hit. Benavides sighed at the plate. He secured the crucial outs, and even though he didn't expect to win after pitching just four innings, he followed his manager's and teammates' advice from the right side of the dugout during his frequent challenges: "Throw it over there, you're winning 5-0."
After the fourth inning, the main narrative was Santiago de Cuba relentlessly dominating the Blues' pitching—particularly Fher Cejas, who pitched 3 1/3 innings without conceding an earned run—and overwhelming a comically poor defensive lineup that, by the end of the third inning, had more errors (5) than assists (3). Guibert, Yanki, and Eduardo García were responsible for six of the Wasps' 10 runs, but another crucial detail stands out: the batters from the seventh through second innings, in that sequence, accounted for seven of the 11 runs. Every player reached base, even Andy Rodríguez (0-4) and Maikol Poll (0-4), who did not get a hit.
Industriales recorded just six hits, all singles, going 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and leaving 10 runners stranded on base. Despite Santiago de Cuba's pitching giving up seven walks, the Leones failed to capitalize. Industriales' pitchers allowed 18 hits, excluding the five errors. Winning under these circumstances is challenging, especially against Santiago de Cuba's offense in this III Elite Baseball League.
The Wasps came to Havana with a series record of 2-2 against Industriales, trailing 37-32. They now hold a 3-2 lead, with a +4 differential. Three games are left to play.
Granma 4, Ciego de Ávila 0
Right-hander Lismay Ferrales needed only 118 pitches to achieve Granma's first shutout in Elite League history. Ferrales retired 12 batters in a row before giving up a single (his third hit of the day) to Greyson Bergery in the bottom of the ninth inning. Ciego de Ávila's hitters managed just 3 hits in 29 at-bats against his variety of pitches, striking out five times and drawing only two walks.
The game was primarily highlighted by pitching and defense, even though Ciego de Ávila's starter, Luis Alberto Marrero, faltered after just 4 ⅓ innings when the Alazanes initiated a three-run rally in the top of the fifth inning. This decisive rally was sparked by a single through the infield from Yulieski Remón, followed by a double from Alexander Pozo, and another hit by Darián Palma.
The Alazanes stranded six runners, missing the opportunity to capitalize on their three extra-base hits. Despite this, Ferrales dominated the game, achieving a shutout and becoming the eleventh pitcher to do so in the Elite Leagues. The Alazanes are still below .500 with a 13-16 record but continue to hope for a playoff spot. The upcoming weeks will be crucial, as Granma is set to play Las Tunas eight times.
Pinar del Río 11, Las Tunas 4
The Las Tunas Lumberjacks took a 2-1 lead in the inning with Yosvany Alarcón's pair of RBIs against right-hander Raicol Suárez. The Vegueros had managed to score once in the first four innings off right-hander Albert Valladares, but the "pativerdes" changed the momentum in the top of the fifth. Shortstop Dainel López started the inning with a solo home run. Lázaro Fernández drew a walk, Juan Carlos Arencibia sparked the game with a single to left and then stole second. Valladares attempted a comeback by striking out Eliser Arrechavaleta, but an error by Luis Vicente Mateo made the inning more challenging. Lázaro Emilio Blanco capped off the three-run rally with a grounder to second, bringing Arencibia home.
Following Valladares' departure, who conceded four runs (only one of which was earned) over five innings, the Vegueros overwhelmed the Las Tunas bullpen, adding five runs. Tailon Sánchez hit a bases-loaded double, and Yadier Guerra's single brought in the crucial run, scored by reliever Rubén Rodríguez. The Vegueros' leading lineup proved deadly, tallying six runs and six RBIs—Arencibia accounted for four of those runs.
Although the Leñadores managed to get 15 hits, they couldn't capitalize on them. They left 10 runners stranded and failed to deliver the crucial hits against starter Raicol Suárez—who pitched six innings, giving up 10 hits but only two runs—and reliever José Antonio Sánchez, who handled the last three innings. With this victory, Pinar del Río (14-19) held onto sixth place in the standings, keeping their hopes alive for entering the qualifying zone. This week will be crucial for the Vegueros, particularly if they can secure at least three wins against the Leñadores.
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