The second private sub-series of the III edition of the Elite League of Cuban Baseball will begin today with three more duels, where Industriales and Ciego de Avila will try to stay on top of the standings by playing as hosts.
The capital’s Leones will host the Alazanes de Granma, a team that in the first four games averaged more at-bats than any other (.326), but their pitchers were the most ineffective, allowing more than seven clean runs every nine innings, in a decked-out Estadio Latinoamericano.
The felines’ mentor, Guillermo Carmona, has announced Matanzas reinforcement Denis Quesada to step up to the mound, while his counterpart Angel Ortega will rely on fellow Yumurano Pedro Mesa.
Industriales, in addition to being second in offence (.317), boast an excellent ERA of 2.83, first among all contenders, while the eastern horses will arrive at the game with several absences, most of them due to injury.
The Tigres avileños, third in batting (.294) and second in pitching (3.60 pcl), will be entrenched in their Estadio José Ramón Cepero to face the Vegueros de Pinar del Río, a squad that was unable to show its tools in its first presentations.
Kevin Soto, who in his first outing allowed five runs in four innings and suffered the only setback his team has suffered, will pitch for the central side.
Mario Valle will take the mound for the westernmost team, a squad that was unable to count on its two most important players at home: Alexei Ramírez and William Saavedra.
Finally, the Leñadores de Las Tunas, double national champions, will battle at their Julio Antonio Mella headquarters against the Avispas de Santiago de Cuba, top home run producers with seven.
The verdirrojos, first in defence with only one error in their previous sub-series, will have Eliander Bravo as starter, while the indomitable have designated veteran Alberto Bisset, who has already made one appearance as a reliever, where he accepted one run in two episodes of work.
The Elite League of Cuban Baseball shows Industriales and Ciego de Avila in first place with three hits and one loss, followed by Granma and Santiago de Cuba (2-2) and Pinar del Rio and Las Tunas (1-3).
