Exhausted Cubs with Key Absences Fall to Sancti Spiritus Roosters

With a depleted roster due to several players suffering from arbovirus and exhausted after a grueling journey caused by bus breakdowns. The Holguin Cubs fell 9-2 to the Sancti Spiritus Roosters at José Antonio Huelga Stadium on Tuesday. As the twelfth games of the 64th National Baseball Series began.

After a shaky start, allowing six hits, including a home run, and three runs. Left-hander Andriuw Valido rallied, pitching five consecutive innings against the Sancti Spiritus team. While Holguin scored one run in the third and another in the sixth.

In the bottom of the seventh, with the home team leading 3-2, Válido (1-1), the losing pitcher, allowed a single and issued a walk. Handing the ball to Jesús Quintán. Quintán got the third batter out on a sacrifice bunt and struck out the next batter. But then surrendered two consecutive singles that drove in three runs.

With the game slipping away, the team’s management pulled Quintán to preserve him for upcoming games and brought in position players like Jolber Naranjo, Raúl Pupo, and Arley Poll. Against whom the Gallos completed the 9-2 victory.

The Holguin team, which committed three errors, collected seven hits, highlighted by Adriel Hechavarría, who went 3-for-3 with a double. Ernesto Torres, who went 4-for-2 with a double and an RBI, and Lázaro Cedeño, who went 3-for-1 and drove in his 62nd run. Solidifying his position as the league leader.

The win went to starter José Luis Brañas (3-2), who pitched 5 1/3 innings. Allowing four hits and two earned runs. Yanquiel Mauris earned his seventh save, pitching 3 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up only three hits and striking out five.

The Gallos, who played error-free, collected 17 hits. Rodolexis Moreno and Rey Richard Ricardo each contributed three. While Lázaro Fernández, Yasser García, and Frederich Cepeda added two apiece. Cepeda’s home run was his sixth of the season, his 383rd in domestic competitions. He also drove in three runs, bringing his career RBI total to 1,513, surpassing the 1,511 RBIs held by Santiago native Orestes Kindelán.

On the same day, Matanzas took advantage of Holguin’s loss and defeated Camagüey’s Toros 10-6 at their home stadium. The Palacio de los Cocodrilos, moving within half a game of the top spot.

Silvio Iturralde, in relief, pitched 2.1 innings and earned his ninth win of the season. Leading the league in that category, while Yosney García recorded his ninth save, also leading the league in saves. At the Julio Antonio Mella Stadium in Las Tunas, the Artemisa Cazadores routed the Leñadores 14-4. A result that solidifies their hold on sixth place in the standings.

Industriales, firmly in fourth place overall, defeated Santiago’s Avispas 9-1 at the Latinoamericano Stadium. Further distancing them from the playoff positions. The Mayabeque Hurricanes defeated the Ciego de Avila Tigers 8-0 at Nelson Fernández Stadium and maintained their hold on seventh place in the tournament.

Finally, the Granma Alazanes kept their playoff hopes alive after defeating the Pinar del Rio Vegueros 6-0 at Campechuela’s Stadium. The National Baseball Commission reported that transportation delays prevented the Cienfuegos-Villa Clara and Isla de la Juventud-Guantanamo games from being played this afternoon.

After Tuesday’s results, the standings in the top division are as follows: Holguin (35-20); Matanzas (35-21, 0.5 games back); Las Tunas (31-20, 2.0 games back); Industriales (32-21, 2.0 games back); Cienfuegos (30-21, 3.0 games back). Artemisa (31-22, 3.0 ERA); Mayabeque (30-23, 4.0 ERA); and Sancti Spiritus (30-26, 5.5 ERA).