Today, a new particular subseries begin in the 64th National Baseball Series, with the peculiarity that the eight teams in the qualification zone will measure themselves as visitors against the most lagging teams in the table.
At the Nelson Fernández stadium, the leading Matanzas Crocodiles (9-1), owners of eight consecutive triumphs and a demolishing start, will measure themselves against the Mayabeque Huracanes (4-5), a squad whose poor offensive average of .217 has been one of the negative points of the tournament.
The Capitán San Luis will host the pulse between Artemisa (6-1), a squad that exhibits the best pitching of the championship with barely 1.67 clean runs allowed per game, and the Pinar del Río Vegueros (4-6), national runners-up, weighed down this time by a pitching corps with an ERA of 9.64.
At the Mártires de Barbados in Bayamo, Las Tunas (8-2), which arrives with six victories in a row, will face Granma (4-6). The Woodcutters, reigning champions, seek to consolidate their ascending step against a rival that has not quite started.
The Augusto César Sandino in Santa Clara will be the scene of the duel between Holguín (8-2), which accumulates five consecutive triumphs and whose pitchers stand out for control (3.25 walks every nine innings), and the Villa Clara Leopards (1-9), who suffer the worst defence of the tournament with a .946 average and 18 errors in just 10 games.
At the Nguyen Van Troi, the Santiago de Cuba Wasps (8-2), owners of the most fearsome offence of the contest —.366 average, 20 home runs and 121 runs scored in 10 games—, will visit Guantánamo (2-8), another of the weakest squads on defence.
The Industriales (6-4), who are leading the championship in strikeouts with 76 served, will travel to the Cristóbal Labra to face the Isla de la Juventud (0-10), sunk by a pitching that admits more than 11 clean runs per encounter and poor control (eight walks every nine episodes).
Finally, at the José Ramón Cepero, Camagüey (6-4) will play against Ciego de Ávila (3-7). The Bulls will seek to consolidate themselves in the privilege zone with the impulse of pitchers like José Ramón Rodríguez, strikeout leader with 15.
Until now, the Series shows clear contrasts: the solidity of squads like Matanzas, Artemisa, Holguín, Santiago and Las Tunas against the evident weaknesses of Isla, Villa Clara and Guantánamo.
The Crocodiles exhibit a comprehensive balance in batting (.320), pitching (3.68) and defence (.980), while Santiago impresses with its artillery and Artemisa with its hermetic pitching staff.
On the individual level, the Camagüeyan Eglis Eugellés shines, leader of the batters with an astronomical .692, the home run hitters William Saavedra (Pinar) and Yoelquis Gibert (Santiago) with five home runs each, the latter also the leader in runs batted in (20).
From the mound, Fernando Betanzo (Sancti Spíritus) and Osvaldo Acuña (Santiago) stand out, both with three victories, in addition to the Holguín player Michel Cabrera with three saves and the Artemiseño Yunieski García, who has accumulated 13 innings without allowing runs.
The tournament, however, does not escape shadows: indisciplines, expulsions, mental errors and questionable tactical decisions from several strategists tarnish the spectacle in a start marked by the imbalance between offence and pitching. The key will be in who manages to correct those mismatches to stay on the route towards qualification.
