Vegueros de Pinar del Río defeated Holguín. Villa Clara still breathes. Matanzas secured their place for the Elite League.

Vegueros de Pinar del Río overcame Cachorros de Holguín 3×2 and moved even closer to the eighth and final ticket for the postseason of the 64th National Baseball Series.

Thus, they concluded with 40 victories in their 75 games of the regular season and knocked Cienfuegos out of the battle for that spot. But their advance was not yet confirmed, because Azucareros de Villa Clara also won this Sunday and still breathes.

At their home stadium, Capitán San Luis, the Vueltabajo troops of mentor Alexander Urquiola managed to score three times before the match was sealed. Two of them came from a double by Jorge Yoan Rojas and the other from a solo home run by Luis Pablo Acosta.

The international left-handed pitcher Randy Martínez threw 2.2 innings at a pace of four strikeouts and without allowing runs to take the victory. The two runs for the northeastern team, both unearned, were charged to reliever Frank Abel Álvarez, who claimed the save.

With this defeat, the cubs could not achieve the second direct place in the upcoming IV Cuban Baseball Elite League, which ended up in the hands of Cocodrilos de Matanzas.

For their part, visiting the José Ramón Cepero park, the Villa Clara players defeated the tigers 7×6. A home run by Mailon Tomás Alfonso tied the game in the ninth inning, and a single by Yuri Fernández laid their rivals out on the field.

Both hits came off the losing reliever Yunier Batista. This Monday, a second Villa Clara-Ciego de Ávila duel will be contested. And the Pinar del Río players will watch it closely, as an Avilanian victory would deliver their qualification to the postseason.