Cubs Secure Postseason Spot in 64th Cuban Baseball Series

With their fourth loss to the Isle of Youth Pirates, 5-3 in ten innings, the Holguin Cubs said goodbye to Cristóbal Labra Stadium this Sunday. In what many consider their worst performance of the 64th Cuban National Baseball Series. Although they have already secured a postseason berth.

The starting pitchers engaged in a thrilling duel, with Holguin’s left-hander Uberleydis Estévez (6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 K, 1 B, 1 DB) pitching six consecutive scoreless innings. While the home team’s Yunier Gamboa (5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 2 B) notched five straight innings.

In the sixth inning, the Cubs opened the scoring with two runs. Combining a double by Luis Raúl Domínguez, an error by the shortstop, and RBI singles by Michel Gorgüet and Cristian Arévalo that chased Gamboa from the mound. With two runners on base, Raúl Guilarte came in to pitch and struck out Luis Miguel Santiesteban and Cristian Onofre, then got Nelson Batista to ground out to second.

Holguin’s lead was short-lived, as in the seventh, the home team scored three runs. Estévez led off with a double and gave way to Luis Cáser, who allowed a single to each of the three batters he faced. Leaving the mound without recording an out and with two earned runs.

The visitors had a chance to walk off in the ninth when Richard Oliva was hit by a pitch. Advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ernesto Torres, and then Domínguez was intentionally walked. Garay then brought in Javier Leyva, who got Bravo to fly out to center field for the second out. Leyva then walked Luis Laurence to load the bases, but struck out Marcos Fonseca.

In the tenth inning, with the tiebreaker rule in place, the Pirates scored twice without getting a hit. As the losing pitcher, Valido (1-2), issued two walks and a sacrifice fly, and fellow left-hander Dairián Batista entered the game on a bases-loaded walk.

In summary, the Pirates collected eleven hits and committed three errors. While the Cubs managed only six hits and played error-free.

This Sunday, the Matanzas Crocodiles blanked the Granma Alazanes 3-0 in Bayamo and moved within one and a half games of first place in the standings. In Cienfuegos, on September 5th, the Elephants avoided a sweep and snapped a six-game losing streak by defeating the Las Tunas Lumberjacks 13-7, a vital result to maintain their position in the playoff zone.

The Santiago de Cuba Wasps defeated the Mayabeque Hurricanes 10-8, and at their home stadium. The Avila Tigers stopped Industriales with a 9-5 extra-inning victory.

Also the Sancti Spiritus Roosters completed a sweep of the Guantanamo Indians, who have now lost 14 consecutive games, with an 11-1 knockout at Nguyen Van Troi Stadium, and the Villa Clara Leopards dropped the Artemisa Hunters to eighth place after defeating them 8-6 in extra innings at the “Sandino” Stadium. Finally, in Pinar del Rio, William Saavedra rocked Capitán San Luis Stadium with his fourteenth home run, this one a grand slam, driving in six runs in the Vegueros’ 19-3 rout of the Toros de Camagüey.

The top of the standings is as follows: Las Tunas (43-22), Matanzas (44-26, 1.5), Mayabeque (40-27, 4.0), Holguin (41-28, 4.0). Industriales (39-28, 5.0), Sancti Spiritus (39-31, 6.5), Cienfuegos (35-31, 8.5), and Artemisa (35-32, 9.0).

This week marks the start of the final games of the official series Schedule. With the Cachorros hosting the Tigres de Ciego de Avila. The other matchups will be Las Tunas vs. Guantanamo. Cienfuegos vs. Matanzas; Mayabeque vs. Sancti Spiritus. Pinar del Rio vs. Industriales; Isla de la Juventud vs. Artemisa. Villa Clara vs. Camagüey; and Granma vs. Santiago de Cuba.

Noire Aguilera Montaña
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