Baseball: Alazanes and Gallos Storm the Eastern Summit

The Alazanes of Granma and the Gallos of Sancti Spiritus took advantage of this Friday afternoon’s action. To catch up with Santiago de Cuba at the top of the eastern standings in the 65th National Baseball Series.

All three eastern teams now hold a record of seven wins and four losses. Following Granma’s 14-10 victory over the Santiago Avispas at Guillermón Moncada Stadium. Sancti Spiritus’ 7-3 win against Ciego de Avila at the José Antonio Huelga stadium.

The matchup between Granma and Santiago was defined by powerful hitting. With Alexquemer Sánchez, Ernesto Pérez, Leonardo Alarcón, and Raico Santos all launching home runs for the visiting team.

Edilse Silva, Eduardo García, and Harold Vázquez responded with home runs for the hosts. Also who have now tallied 31 homers—leading all teams in that offensive category.

For the Gallos, relief pitcher Daniel Reyes secured his third win of the season (with no losses). Supported by an offense that racked up 10 hits, including a home run by Lázaro Fernández.

The Leñadores of Las Tunas also had reason to celebrate, defeating the Toros of Camagüey 12-6 at Cándido González Stadium. This result keeps them among the pack of teams chasing the leaders in the eastern zone, with a record of six wins and five losses.

Yordanis Alarcón and Henry Quintero hit home runs for the victors. Quintero connected for two, bringing his season total to five. At the other end of the competitive landscape, the Vegueros de Pinar del Rio reaffirmed their status as leaders in the west by defeating the Cazadores de Artemisa 5–3 at the 26 de Julio Stadium. The victory was fueled by a home run from Ronaldo Pérez—with a runner on base—and a winning relief performance by Yancarlos García.

The Pinar del Rio squad now holds a record of nine wins and two losses, keeping them ahead of Matanzas (6–4). While Cienfuegos, Industriales, and Mayabeque follow, all tied with a 5–5 record.

At the Nguyen Van Troi Stadium, the Cubs de Holguin and the Indios de Guantanamo split their games. The visitors took the first matchup 11–1 via a mercy-rule (knockout) victory. Tallying 12 hits—including a home run by Andry Agüero, who also drove in four runs.

Pitcher Wilson Paredes worked all five innings of the contest, allowing only one hit: a double by Carlos Suárez that accounted for Guantanamo’s lone run.

The hosts bounced back in the second game with a 5–2 win, secured by a three-run home run from Yeimer Félix. While Rolando Veranes also hit a home run for the Holguin side.

In the Western Zone, following Pinar del Rio are Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Industriales, Mayabeque, Artemisa, Villa Clara, and La Isla. Meanwhile, in the Eastern Zone, the leaders share the top spot, with Ciego de Avila, Holguin, and Las Tunas trailing by just one game.

The day’s results served as a reminder that, in this still-early stage of the season, any outcome can shift the foundations of the standings. Turning the battle for the top positions into a race with no clear, definitive leader.

With information from Prensa Latina