Two exponents qualified for the finals

Cubay Venezuela showed power by qualifying two men to the final of the home run derby of the Baseball All-Star Series 2024 program, which is being held in the province of Matanzas.

The derby took place at the Victoria de Girón stadium, with the participation of eight players distributed in two by the four teams participating in the Series, namely Mexico, Venezuela, Estrellas-LEBC and Matanzas.

With pure power, the member of the Cocodrilos de Matanzas Yordanis Samón disappeared 10 balls, the same number as the Tunero Rafael Viñales, member of the Estrellas team and winner of the last edition of the home run derby on the Island.

Venezuelan Juan Carlos Torres, with eight home runs, qualified third for the final, which will be held on Tuesday. His teammate José Tello occupied the fourth and final qualifying spot.

Tello hit five home runs in the first round, as did Mexico’s Aldo Flores and Alan Espinosa, and Cuba’s Denis Laza, but in the tiebreaker round, he earned his place by hitting three home runs, unreachable for his opponents.

José Amaury Noroña also competed in the qualifying stage, which had a two-minute interval per batter, plus a 30-second rest period.

The outfielder, with four home runs, was left out of the final and could not demonstrate the strength at bat that catapulted him as one of the leaders in that department in the qualifying phase of the recently concluded II Elite League of Cuban Baseball.

This Tuesday, the Victoria de Girón stadium will host the final of the derby at 18:30 local time, in which Viñales will seek to maintain its hegemony while Samón, Torres and Tello will fight for the title.

The derby is included among the collateral activities of the All-Star Series, which started in Matanzas last Sunday and is led by the Estrellas team with two victories without defeats.