Again, coming from behind, again with decisive home runs, and once again with good work of its bullpen, the Las Tunas team defeated Matanzas 5-3 on Monday, taking the commitment 4-1 and consolidating as the absolute leader of the 62nd Cuban National Baseball Series.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- With their 15th win in the last 17 appearances, the Lumberjacks reached 39 victories with 26 losses and now lead Santiago de Cuba Wasps by 1.5 games.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- Today's clash at the Victoria de Girón Park was yet another example of the virtues that have accompanied Abeysi Pantoja's team in this spectacular comeback that has led them from being outside the qualifying zone, on May 21, to breathing with tranquility at the top of the qualification when only one subseries remains for the regular phase to conclude.
Very early in the goodbye game in Matanzas lands, the team from Las Tunas showed the mettle to handle delicate situations and a pinch of fortune to escape potential headaches almost unscathed. Just in the first inning, left-hander Eliánder Bravo was ambushed, after the Crocodiles scored a run and loaded the bases with no outs.
Bravo, however, managed to stop the bleeding and overcome obstacles to walk into the sixth inning with three runs allowed, two of them earned.
From that moment on, another of the great strengths of the green-red squad entered the scene: its bullpen. The right-handed Anier Pérez threw a high-class relief and achieved his fourth victory; while Alberto Pablo Civil knew how to deal with a complex ninth inning against the bests at-bat and scored his twelfth save, to become co-leader of the championship.
Before, in the seventh episode, a pair of consecutive home runs had been the turning point of the match. The Crocodiles were winning 3-2 at the hands of reliever Henry Moyet, when Dailier Peña drove in his eighth run in five games against Matanzas with a long solo homer to the right field. A minute later, Denis Peña took it out of the line through the left field and put his team ahead with a score that would be decisive.
Already in the top of the ninth inning, before the pitches of the fast Armando Dueñas, shortstop Yúnior Josué Otero drove in the fifth of the visiting team.
Starting next Wednesday, Las Tunas Luberjacksnwill try to prolong their good moment when they visit the Sancti Spíritus Roosters, at the José Antonio Huelga Stadium.
