The 64th National Baseball Series continues today with the start of its sixth particular subseries, in a week that promises to shake up the standings table with several direct confrontations in the privileged zone.
At the Victoria de Girón, the leading Matanzas Crocodiles (20-5) will host the Artemisa Hunters (15-7), the team with the most effective pitching in the tournament. This duel will pit the best collective glove against the most dominant arms, in a series that could redefine the podium.
The Santiago de Cuba Wasps (16-7), second in the table, will clash at the Cándido González against the Camagüey Bulls (13-12), leaders in collective offence.
The Santiagueros have 47 home runs and 212 runs scored, led by Yoelquis Guibert and Yoel Yanqui. The former leads in home runs (10), on-base percentage (.577) and slugging (.952) and the latter, in runs batted in (34). Meanwhile, the Camagüeyans set the pace with the 43 base hits and nine doubles of Leonel Moas Jr, the leader in both departments.
Another high-tension contest will be experienced at the Latinoamericano, where Industriales (15-7) will host Sancti Spíritus (14-11). Both teams possess quality pitching staffs, and the Lions, furthermore, are among the five squads with an offensive average above .300.
In Holguín, the champion Las Tunas Lumberjacks (14-8) will measure strength against the Holguín Cubs (15-9), in a confrontation that could also modify the vanguard group.
Further back in the table, the Mayabeque Hurricanes (11-13) will seek to take advantage of their home ground against the Isla de la Juventud Pirates (5-19), while the Cienfuegos Elephants (10-13), revitalised after winning four games against Santiago, will host the Pinar del Río Vegueros (10-14) at the 5 de Septiembre.
Completing the match day are the duels Granma (10-13)–Villa Clara (7-16) at the Augusto César Sandino, and Ciego de Ávila (9-13)–Guantánamo (4-21) at the Nguyen Van Troi, with several teams looking to escape the lower zone.
Collectively, the championship shows a collective offence of .286, average pitching of 5.15 earned runs per game, and a general defence of .970.
