Cubs host Alazanes at the start of the 64th National Baseball Series

This Tuesday marks the start of the 64th National Baseball Series. With its 75-game qualifying phase for each team and running until December 17th.

For the Holguin Cubs, this is their 47th appearance since their debut in the 1977-78 season. In these 46 appearances in the baseball classics, the Northeastern team has a record of 1,548 wins and 1,865 losses, for an average of 0.453.

The first success came from individual success by Humberto Vergara, from Banense, on Thursday, December 20th, 1977, during the 17th season, against Camagüey at the “Cándido González” stadium.

The Holguin Cubs’ debut this season will be against the Granma Alazanes, a team they have faced in these competitions 287 times. With the Granma team dominating 167 times to the home team’s 120. In fact, they are the Cubs who have defeated the Cubs the most times in the National Series.

These teams have been rivals to start the “Serie” on two occasions: in the 54th and 56th editions, and on both occasions the Alazanes won, with Lázaro Blanco as the victorious pitcher.

In the last contest, Granma’s dominance was felt again, with four wins in the five games played.

Holguin’s head coach, Lugdis Pineda, announced Wilson Paredes, Carlos Santiesteban, Jesús Enrique Pérez, Luis Cáser, and left-hander Uberleydis Estévez as the starters for the sub-series against the Alazanes.

The Cubs’ lineup for this matchup is as follows:

  1. Luis Raúl Domínguez – SS
  2. Marcos Fonseca Alcea – 2B
  3. Yasiel González – RF
  4. Michel Gorgüet – 1B
  5. Lázaro Cedeño – DH
  6. Luis Miguel Santiesteban – LF
  7. Nelson Batista – RX
  8. Edward Magaña – JC
  9. Richard Oliva – 3B
Meanwhile, Granma manager Marcos Fonseca López announced César García, Yunier Castillo, Sammy Benítez, Yoel Mogena, and Alexei Ricardo as starters for this first subseries.

The Alazanes’ strong lineup will be as follows:

  1. Yulieski Remón (2B)
  2. Osvaldo Abreu (3B)
  3. Alfredo Despaigne (DH)
  4. Guillermo Avilés (1B)
  5. Alexquemer Sánchez (RF)
  6. Darián Palma (CF)
  7. Ernesto Pérez (LF)
  8. Dairon Estrada (R)
  9. Leonardo Alarcón (SS)

Games will begin at 2:00 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, while Sundays will begin at 11:00 am. Next week, the Cubs will remain at Calixto García Stadium to host the Guantanamo Indians.

Translated by Aliani Rojas Fernandez

Noire Aguilera Montaña
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