By Robiel Vega/ @robielcuba87
Evening day that continues to make clear the low level of quality of the National Series; Games full of errors and many walks, together with an overwhelmed batting in most of the challenges, were the guidelines that marked the afternoon of Wednesday, February 23, in the 61st National Series.
Regarding the results: people from Holguin, Camagüey and Guantanamo took revenge for their previous defeats; while the Leopards, Pirates and Hunters, guaranteed their respective particular confrontations and will go for the sweep next Thursday.
Contreras is still UNSTOPPABLE and tamed the Alazanes who were lying on the grass
A pitching jewel in all the rule was what Juan Sebastián Contreras gave in the Cándido González when he left Granma’s strong slugger in six hits (three of them to the account of the first batter from Granma David Tamayo), they could barely make a dirty, he struck out nine and only gave away one walk. Contreras, who was recently the most voted by the fans for the MVP of the previous week, showed that his performance was no accident and he achieved his fourth victory with a solitary loss.
Yunier Castillo was a worthy rival and for six innings he left the Bulls with four hits, one clean, struck out four and gave three free walks. The defeat fell to the closer Carlos Santana when he allowed Alexander Ayala’s double between right and center that brought the second for the locals and decreed the end of the challenge.
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Leonel Moas hit his third homer of the season, the shot came in the bottom of the sixth and served to open the cellophane on the scoreboard. It was the victory number 10 with 12 defeats of the Camagüeyans, while for the Alazanes it was their eleventh setback with the same number of smiles. This success, moreover, served to tip the historical balance for Camagüey’s team, which now surpasses Alazanes by 112 victories by 111.
From the hand of Edilse Silva the Cubs REMOUNTED in the Mella
The offensive quality and power of the fourth bat from Santiago, now Holguín, Edilse Silva, was felt in the home of the Leñadores, Julio Antonio Mella; and with a couple of homers and six runs batted in, he was the driving force behind the visitors’ comeback against the once again weak pitching from Las Tunas; which ended with 10×8 board.
Despite the fact that Las Tunas fired three homers; to the account of the Alarcón brothers and Yudier Rondón; neither Yudier Rodríguez, excessively left in the box, nor reliever Yasel Labrada, were able to preserve an advantage that became 8×5 and was erased between the eighth and ninth when the Cubs made five runs.
Edilse went 4-for-5, with two home runs (second and third of the season), drove in six and scored three, to undoubtedly take the credentials of the most valuable of the match. Michel Cabrera, with long relief of 5.1 innings, took the victory (1-1), while Valera (1-2) was defeated; Uberleydis Estévez, who retired the ninth, took the save (2nd).
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Las Tunas saw their winning streak truncated, which was four and now they fell from ninth to 11th place, equaling the Toros and the Vegueros, with a balance of (10-12). For Holguín it was success number seven with 15 defeats and now they share 15th place with Elefantes de Cienfuegos. The historic result between Cubs and Lumberjacks was 121 to 111 in favor of those from the City of Parks.
Hurricanes couldn’t blow into the Labra and the Pirates clinched the series
With phenomenal pitching, especially from starter Dorvis Navarro (2-1) and closer Franklin Quintana (5 JS); and a consistent batting from his high batch: José Luis Bring, Luis Felipe Rivera and Aquimo Jiménez, who in total produced 13-8, with three trailers, the Pirates of the Island beat the Hurricanes of Mayabeque 5×2 and from that way guaranteed success in the particular engagement.
For Mayabeque his starting pitching failed, Antonio Baró (0-1) could not get past the fourth inning and left the game allowing seven hits and three earned. The relievers did their job and only allowed two more in the rest of the match, but the Mayabeque offense was subdued and they barely managed to connect three hits, two of them from their fifth bat Rafael Fonseca.
Dorvis Navarro worked the first two thirds of the game and withstood the two scored by his rivals, above all a victim of his control, since he gave away twice as many walks (4) than hits allowed (2). Finally Franklin Quintana got the last eight outs, did not allow hits or runs, gave away a base and struck out three.
Now the Island slipped into the top eight with 11 wins and 11 losses, equaling the Alazanes in eighth place, while the historical balance favors the pineros 25 wins to 12. The Hurricanes fell for the eighth time in 21 outings and occupy the third place. In this particular confrontation history has weighed heavily.
Azucareros defeated the Vegueros in a game of seven errors
Bad defense continues to be the order of the day and in the clash where two of the historic teams, Pinar del Río and Villa Clara, faced each other, no less than seven blunders were committed, ruining six of the 10 runs that were scored (7×3) were dirty. Four for the winners and three for the losing side was the negative balance left by both teams on the field.
Nothing went well for the locals, with a poor batting of six hits and the aforementioned errors to the field, they cannot aspire to victory and if we add to that that their pitchers allowed 11 hits and gave away five walks, I think that only a miracle would have brought about a different result.
No home runs were hit in the match and Villa Clara catcher Julio Enrique Miranda, 4-2 with a couple of RBIs, was the most decisive hitter of the match. The victory went to the account of the sugar starter Oscar Hernández (1-2), while Vladimir Baños (2-2) carried the reverse. Mailon Alonso, who got the last four outs of the game, earned the save (2nd).
Now Villa Clara is seventh in the standings with a balance of (11-10) and the historical balance between both casts is 88 to 70 in favor of those from the center of the country.
Guantanamo took revenge against the Tigers in an “uncontrolled” game
17 tickets were distributed in the José Ramón Cepero, one more than the number of total hits connected and in the midst of so much lack of control of the pitchers, the Indians took the best part by taking their eighth victory of the season with 14 losses by beating the Tigers seven runs for three.
Pablo Aníbal Salgado, despite allowing three cleanups and giving away five walks in six innings, took the victory (2-3), while the second reliever, Leonardo Reyes (0-1), took the loss when he could barely serve one out Yeudis Reyes, with another great relief of seven outs, finalized the victory, without allowing hits, although he did give away a couple of bases on balls, in addition to retiring a rival by way of strikes.
Eulogio Marcillí, 5-2 with two RBIs, and Rubén Valdés, 4-2, with a triple and three RBIs, were the best hitters for both teams. The Tigers are in sixth place with 12 wins and 10 losses.
Artemis’s ruthless attack KO’d the Elephants
11 runs and 16 hits in eight innings was enough for the Hunters to put out of action some Elephants who could barely connect two hits to the combined pitching of Manuel Murgado (1-3) and Israel Sánchez and ended up falling with a score of 11 ×1.
Henry Llorente, 3-for-4, with two doubles, his fourth homer of the season, three runs scored and five home runs, was the big man in Artemisa batting. He also shone with the wood at the ready Carlos de la Tejeda, 4-4, with an RBI four scored.
Cienfuegos starter Pedro Mesa was defeated (0-1), after a brief performance of two-thirds of an inning. The Hunters continue to climb positions and now occupy the tenth seat, with a balance of (10-11), half a game behind Alazanes and Piratas.
At night, the matches between Avispas and Gallos will be held at the José Antonio Huelga and Cocodrilos and Industriales, from the Latinoamericano stadium, the latter with Tele Rebelde broadcast.
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Errors and tickets STARRED the afternoon, Contreras gave the CHAIR and Edilse exceeded himself. Summary Series 61