The Avispas of Santiago de Cuba left the Leones de Industriales lying on the grass of the Guillermón Moncada stadium with a final score of 6-4 in the first game between both squads in the postseason of the LXIII National Baseball Series.
This Thursday, a home run by Harold Vázquez with a teammate on base off a pitch from reliever Leodan Reyes put an end to a close fight marked by the packed stands of the famous eastern venue.
The capital team managed to score four runs against Santiago starter Danny Betancourt, three of them in the fourth inning on home runs by Ángel Alfredo Hechavarria and Yasmani Tomás, the latter with two bases loaded.
Andy Vargas did a good job during six innings where he accepted a couple of runs, one of them driven in by a double by Alexander Llanes in the second inning, but he walked an opponent before going to the dugout in the seventh inning where Eddy Cajigal’s team tied the score.
With a double by Luis Veranes and a run-scoring rocket by Adriel Labrada that was combined with an error in the field, all off the pitches of reliever Leodan Reyes, the hosts earned a hug before delivering the final blow.
Reyes allowed a connection of two bases by Eduardo García and the full return hit by Vázquez that went crazy in the stands and defined the so-called Classic of Cuban baseball.
This Friday, at the same venue and at the same time slot (6:30 pm), both teams will face each other again in a best-of-seven series that will award a ticket to the semi-finals.
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