The Las Tunas Lumberjacks and the Santiago de Cuba Wasps will look to capitalise on any slip-up today from Matanzas, the leaders with ten consecutive victories, to close in on the top of the 64th National Baseball Series.

The previous day, both teams extended their good runs. Las Tunas defeated Granma 10-8 at the Mártires de Barbados and notched their eighth straight win, while Santiago de Cuba beat Guantánamo 7-5, with a fifth and sixth home run from Yoel Yanki and a seventh from Yoelkis Guibert, the tournament’s home run leader.

Matanzas maintained its firm pace by defeating the Mayabeque Hurricanes 6-1 at the Nelson Fernández, and decided the match in the tenth inning, after a cluster of five runs. Roilán Averohff pitched five and a third innings with just one earned run, and Armando Dueñas took the win. For Mayabeque, Yadián Martínez held out for seven scoreless innings, but the bullpen could not back him up.

In other duels, Artemisa and Pinar del Río shared the honours. The Hunters won the first game 6-0 with Alejandro David Hernández on the mound and fell 3-0 in the second, with a complete relief appearance from Frank Denis Blanco and a home run from Frank Raúl González.

Holguín fell 2-8 to Villa Clara, Ciego de Ávila beat Camagüey 7-4 and Cienfuegos overpowered Sancti Spíritus 9-1 with a home run from Maikel Borrel. Industriales and La Isla, who could not play yesterday, will contest a double-header today.