The Wasps sweep the Leñadores, displacing Industriales and advancing to the postseason of the III Elite League of Cuban Baseball

Manager Eddy Cajigal was determined for his Santiago de Cuba Wasps to reach the postseason of the Third Cuban Elite Baseball League (III ELCB). With a powerful offensive display of 15 hits and two home runs, the team achieved a historic four-game sweep of the reigning two-time Cuban champions, the Las Tunas Leñadores, at the Guillermón Moncada Stadium on Monday. This victory propelled them into the decisive stage of the tournament, even moving the Industriales Blues out of third place.

While the game was closely contested during the first four innings, with Santiago de Cuba leading 5-2, largely due to Rolando Veranes' three-run homer in the third inning, the Santiago de Cuba team accelerated their efforts in the sixth inning. They clinched the game by scoring seven runs, thereby securing their place in the playoffs.

Until that inning, the Leñadores' starting pitcher, right-hander Rubén Rodríguez (2-3), had been enduring an attack of eight hits and five runs, attempting to match Santiago's starter Osvaldo Acuña, who conceded single runs in the second and third innings, which were the only runs Las Tunas scored in the game.

After Veranes hit a home run in the bottom of the third inning, changing the score to give the Wasps a 4-2 advantage, Las Tunas managed to get a runner into scoring position in the fourth inning with two outs. Coach Cajigal decided not to wait any longer, pulling Acuña from the mound after 3 2/3 innings. Acuña was responsible for the runner on base, and also for five hits, and the two runs that Las Tunas had scored thus far.

Right-hander Wilber Reyna led Santiago de Cuba to secure a spot in the III ELCB postseason with a one-hit relief performance. (Photo by Jit)

However, bringing right-hander Wilber Reyna (2-6) out of the bullpen was essential for the Wasps' decisive victory. Reyna stopped any further scoring in the inning by inducing Yuniesky Larduet to ground out to third base, starting a streak of nine consecutive batters retired.

As Santiago was already ahead on the scoreboard, 12-2 in the seventh inning with two outs, Reyna allowed Las Tunas' first batter, Larduet, to reach base after being hit by a pitch. Shortly after, he gave up the only hit of the afternoon, a left-field shot by Luis V. Mateo. During the most significant threat faced by the Santiago reliever in his 3 1/3 innings of work, he stayed calm, finishing the game by getting Yunier Rondón out with a line out to third baseman Andy Rodríguez. This play secured Santiago de Cuba's first-ever postseason qualification in an Elite League.

Third baseman Andy Rodríguez played a key role in the pivotal seven-run sixth inning, hitting a two-run homer that forced starter Rubén Rodríguez out of the game and increased the Wasps' lead to 8-2. This inning included an RBI single by catcher Alexander Llánes, a two-run double by Rolando Veranes, a run-scoring double by Edilse Silva, and a single by Luis O. Veranes that drove in the final run of the inning, all against Las Tunas' first reliever, right-hander Anier Pérez.

This marked the first occasion that Las Tunas was swept in a four-game series during a Elite League season. In the previous edition of these tournaments, in 2023-2024, Santiago nearly swept Las Tunas. Between December 12 and 14, 2023, they won the first three games of that series with scores of 12-1, 4-1, and 1-0. However, on December 15, Las Tunas scored two runs in the eighth inning against Monday's starter, right-hander Osvaldo Acuña, breaking a 4-4 tie and securing a 6-4 victory, thus avoiding a sweep they couldn't avoid on Monday.

Santiago concluded the qualifying stage of the III ELCB strongly, securing victories in seven of its final 10 games. In the last series, the team scored 49 runs across four games, bolstered by an offense that hit 13 home runs and averaged 16 hits per game, totaling 65 hits.

Las Tunas has much to consider, having lost seven of its last ten games. For the first time, the team was swept in an Elite League. Both its starting and relief pitchers were overwhelmed by Santiago's offense in this series, and they are likely to encounter the same opponent in the postseason.

Both teams now have to wait for their opponent, which will be determined from Wednesday to Saturday when Las Tunas plays against Granma in a four-game series. The only alteration in the standings, affecting the matchup of opponents, would happen if Las Tunas manages to sweep Granma. If not, the semifinals of the III Elite League postseason will feature Ciego de Ávila (1st) against Industriales (4th) and Las Tunas (2nd) against Santiago de Cuba (3rd).

Possible scenarios

• Las Tunas defeats Granma 4-0 in the series: With a 25-15 record, Las Tunas takes the lead, while Ciego de Ávila holds the second spot with a 24-16 record.

• Las Tunas defeats Granma in the series 3-1: Although both teams finish with identical records (24-16), Ciego de Ávila secures first place by winning the overall series between them, 5-3.

• Any other scenario, even if Granma sweeps, would result in Las Tunas finishing in second place.