The two teams will measure their strength in the first subseries of the Cuban baseball postseason
Eight men on the Roosters team hit over 300; Rodolexis Moreno accumulated 368. (Photo: Alien Fernández/Escambray).
In natural terms, a tsunami is usually more impactful—and more destructive—than a hurricane.
The comparison is worth illustrating what can be experienced this afternoon at the Capitán San Luis stadium, when at two in the afternoon Sancti Spíritus and the hosts from Pinar del Río begin the play-off party for the 63rd campaign of the National Series.
It will be a duel between two teams that came along completely different paths. The Pativerdes (50-25) won the championship and got the first ticket, thanks, above all, to an indomitable battery and, in fact, they were the only ones to complete 50 wins.
The Roosters (40-35) had to sweat their shirts and had to wait until the last out to get on the train of eight, after staging an epic comeback in the last 21 games, of which they won 18. That reaction forced them to play in play off mode every day, after almost being ready to pack my bags.
That combativeness and determination that they should have displayed are now the best weapons to fight against a rival that looks and is superior. Lázaro Martínez’s team has nothing to lose and the play-off erases everything to start from scratch.
But before reaching that point, the campaign wrote a story that we now give you in numbers, which always help to compare and fuel forecasts.
Pinar surpassed the Gallos throughout the line. In batting they were second, with 329, thanks mainly to a long-range offense, to the point of setting a record for home runs for a 75-game season, with a total of 87.
Eleven of his men finished above 300, with veteran William Saavedra as the leader of the hitters (411).
With the lift at the end, the Roosters surpassed the 300 barrier on a collective level (305), in seventh place and above the competition average. Eight of his men hit more than 300. Rodolexis Moreno accumulated 368 (eleventh among all hitters) and leader in hits of the tournament (107); Yunier Mendoza was fifth (385); Alexis Miguel Varona (348) was the one who produced the most runs (38 runs scored and 51 RBIs); Frederich Cepeda compiled 333, led in walks with 98, was second in OBP (557) and compiled 572 in slugging; Lázaro Fernández hit 312 and was the second who produced the most runs (45 runs scored and 42 RBIs); Dunieski Barrosos averaged 337 and was the top pusher (52), Daniel de Jesús González averaged 307; and Miguel Martínez, 300.
In pitching, the Pinareños were second with 4.33 PCL to the Gallos’ 4.80, who rose to sixth. A positive injection was received by the Sancti Spiritus box with Yohanny Diosmel Hernández Cruz, who became an effective starter after several years as a reliever. The left-hander was tenth in PCL of the campaign (3.81) and was the one who contributed the most wins to the team (7). Invaluable was the work of Yankiel Mauris, leader in saves in the series with 12, in addition to five wins, and also Yanielquis Duardo, who before being injured made eight saves. They are joined by the six hits by Fernando Betanzos, the five by Isaías Grandales, Carlos Michel Benavides and Alex Guerra, and the four by José Eduardo Santos.
The defense of the returnees was not as effective, with 965 (tenths), in a campaign that was discreet with an average of 967, but that of the Gallos was worse (957). We must highlight, however, the work of Yadiel Guerra Cabello, leader in catches stealing among receivers (31).
For this start of the play off, the people from Sancti Spiritus will be missing three pitchers: Alex Guerra, affected by a virus, José Isaías Grandales due to injury, and Yankiel Maris due to visa procedures for his contract with the Canadian league
In postseason history, the Pinar del Río team also has an advantage: In the six subseries they have held, they have won four, with a balance of 20 wins and 14 losses, a difference that, however, does not seem abysmal. The people from Sancti Spiritus won in the semifinal of Series 41 (4-2), when they were ultimately runners-up after losing in the final against Holguín, and in the quarterfinals of Series 61 (4-3), when they finished with bronze. when they were defeated by Matanzas in the semifinals.
This year, in almost all close matches, the Westerners took the match 3-2.
The quarter-finals are scheduled for seven games, best of four.
According to the calendar, Thursday and Friday will be played at Captain San Luis starting at two in the afternoon; Saturday will be a transfer and the Huelga will be played on Sunday starting at four in the afternoon, and Monday and Tuesday starting at six thirty. If there is no definition, the actions are moved back to the turn-down stage.
The Pinareños are one of the so-called big four of Cuban baseball and the Gallos are in the play off for the sixteenth time.
Will the power of the Pinar del Río tsunami prevail or will the Sancti Spiritus hurricane destroy the logic of nature? What do you think?
