Solid pitching performance and productive offense led manager Pedro Jova’s troop to set their highest mark of consecutive successes in the last 13 years, because in the 48th National Series they stringed together eight wins, that time for the fourth time in history.
However, the disciples of Jova, multi-champion mentor in the nineties of the last century, are still far from the 18 duels without knowing the shadow of the setback that Villa Clara achieved in 1983, when he dressed as a monarch and left an impressive record of 41-8, under the guidance of coach Eduardo Martín.
In the game in question, right-handed pitcher Oscar Hernández (2-2, 6.2, 2C, 2CL, 5H, 5K, 3BB) had a quality start, walking 6.2 innings, with only a couple of runs, five hits, equal number of men retired by way of strikes and three walks, one of them intentional.
The winners also applauded the performance of reliever Randy Cueto (three, 2.1, 0C, 1H), who made the save his own after completing 2.1 scoreless innings, just one hit, three strikeouts and showing surgical precision in his delivery, because no rival entered circulation due to a tendency to lack control.
In front of their fans at the Augusto César Sandino stadium, the winning squad had 11 hits, although the loudest applause went to second baseman Magdiel Gómez (5-3, 2CI, 2CA, 1-3B, 1HR), left fielder Juan Carlos López (4-3, 1CA, 1CI) and catcher Julio Enrique Miranda (4-2, 1-2B).
Guantánamo, meanwhile, conceded its second defeat against the inspired Azucareros, while despite his creditable presentation, starter Daniel Blanco (1-6, 5.0, 3C, 6H, 1K, 3BB) endured his sixth defeat in a campaign that will extend the regular round until the middle of the coming month of May.
The competitive day also left the conquests of Pinar del Río, Las Tunas, Holguín, Matanzas and Santiago de Cuba over Camagüey (6-2), Artemisa (2-0), Mayabeque (17-4), Granma (5-4). and Cienfuegos (16-12).
Likewise, on the scheduled double date, Ciego de Ávila and Isla de la Juventud shared honors (2-5, 5-3) on the grass of Cristóbal Labra; while Industriales and Sancti Spíritus collide from 19:15, local time, in the Latin American park, in this capital.
After these scores, Matanzas (18-8) leads the standings, ahead of Santiago (17-10), Mayabeque (16-10), Villa Clara (16-10), Ciego (16-11), Artemisa (14- 12), Sancti Spíritus (13-12) and Industriales (13-12), owners of the places with access to the postseason.
msm/jdg
