Cuban Raidel Martínez in the Japanese Baseball League. Photo: Prensa Latina

Martínez reaches 30 saves in Japanese baseball

Cuban Raidel Martínez reached 30 saves in the Japanese Baseball League this Thursday. Pitching a perfect inning in the Yomiuri Giants’ 2-0 victory over the Chunichi Dragons.

Martínez, who has now accumulated four consecutive seasons with at least 30 saves. Retired two of the three batters faced via strikes and lowered his ERA to 0.96 at the Vantelin Dome in Nagoya.

Another Latin American pitcher, Venezuelan Pedro Ávila, achieved his fourth win of the season. Allowing one unearned run and four hits in seven complete innings to lead the Yakult Swallows to a 2-1 victory over the DeNA Stars at Yokohama Stadium.

The South American right-hander won his second consecutive game. Improving his record to 4-6 and his ERA to 4.02 after starts.

His compatriot and teammate José Osuna failed to make four runs at the plate, striking out three, and lowering his average to .264.

At ZOZO Marine Stadium in Chiba, Dominican Oscar González went 3-for-5 with a double, two singles, and an RBI to support the Rakuten Eagles’ 8-5 victory over the Lotte Mariners, raising his average to .242.

His compatriot and teammate Maikel Franco didn’t hit a single in a pinch-hitting at-bat, lowering his average to .227.

For Lotte, Puerto Rican Neftalí Soto hit three times, walked one, and scored one run, raising his average to .229.

In another game, Dominican Ramón Hernández drew a bases-loaded walk in a pinch-hit appearance and drove in a run in the Hanshin Tigers’ 5-0 win over the Hiroshima Carp at Nishinomiya Koshien Stadium, dropping his batting average to .224.

For Hiroshima, fellow Dominican Sandro Fabián went 0-for-3 with a strikeout and a hit, lowering his batting average to .278, and fellow Dominican Elehuris Montero struck out in a pinch-hit appearance to lower his batting average to .257.

At the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Colombian Jordan Díaz had two hits in three plate appearances in the Orix Buffaloes’ 6-4 win over the Seibu Lions, raising his batting average to .252.

Also for Orix, Dominican Luis Perdomo allowed two scoreless hits in one inning of relief to improve his ERA to 1.93.

Additionally, Dominican Franmil Reyes singled once in four attempts and struck out twice in the Nippon Ham Fighters’ 5-4 win over the SoftBank Hawks at Es Con Field in Hokkaido, giving him a .284 average.

For SoftBank, Colombian Jeter Downs went 1-for-4 with one hit and two strikeouts to raise his average to .235, and Venezuelan Darwinzon Hernández struck out one of three batters in one inning of relief to improve his ERA to 3.92.

With information from Prensa Latina

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