Credited to Matanzas Crocodiles, Las Tunas Woodcutters and Holguín Cubs
Matanzas Crocodiles, Las Tunas Woodcutters and Holguín Cubs completed sweeps today, as the curtains fell on the second segment of the 64th National Baseball Series.
At their Victoria de Girón Stadium, the yumurinos won on a pair of occasions against Villa Clara to reach eight consecutive successes and remain as leaders of the tournament (9-1), with a one-game advantage over the tuneros, holguineros and santiagueros (8-2).
In that doubleheader, Matanzas won 17×10 the sealed game from this Saturday, supported by the bats of their experienced
Eduardo Blanco (4-4), José Amaury Noroña (6-2) and Yurisbel Gracial (5-3), who each connected a home run.
In the second game they won 5×0, with a two-handed shutout from Renner Rivero, who signed his second victory -the manager Armando Ferrer must be very happy with his return to daily play-, and the reliever Armando Dueñas.
The reigning champion Las Tunas Woodcutters, also as host, knocked out 11×1 the weak Isla de la Juventud Pirates (0-10), with a victory for Leandro Cañada, who pitched 6.0 innings with just one run allowed. There was a home run from Jean Lucas Baldoquín, who drove in two runs.
And at their Calixto García park, the Holguín Cubs dealt a 13×2 KO to the Guantánamo Indians, to complete the sweep. Offensively for the north-eastern squad, Yasiel González and Michel Gorguet stood out with home runs. Wilson Paredes obtained his second smile in the young campaign.
In another Sunday result, the Wasps knocked out 12×1 the Pinar del Río Vegueros, supported by five home runs: two apiece from Yoel Yanki and Francisco Martínez -who drove in six runs-, and another from Yoelquis Guibert, his fifth of the tournament to tie for that leadership.
Artemisa defeated Cienfuegos twice based on pitching (4×0 and 8×0), and Industriales did the same with Mayabeque, but that last duel was confiscated for using a non-enabled pitcher.
At their José Antonio Huelga stadium, the Sancti Spíritus Roosters defeated the Ciego de Ávila Tigers 9×7 and remain two games from the summit.
And the Camagüey Bulls overcame the Granma Alazanes 10×5, supported by the bat of the rookie Reinaldo Almanza -who went 4-3- and of Leonel Moas (5-2), who sent the ball over the fence and pushed across four runs.
