Industriales, Matanzas and Ciego de Avila to Cuban Baseball Playoffs

With their most recent victories, the Industriales, Matanzas and Ciego de Avila teams secured tickets to the postseason of the Cuban National Series.

Industriales was able to come from behind to beat Isla de la Juventud 8x5, with a decisive five-run rally in the seventh, including a home run by catcher Oscar Valdes and a double by the shortstop Alfredo Hechavarria.

Meanwhile, the Crocodiles from Matanzas divided honors with Mayabeque, which won the first game (5x4) thanks to Adrián Sosa's tenth save.

Then, the Yumurino team took revenge (9x2), supported by the 19th home run of José Amaury Noroña, who confirmed himself as the leading runner (78).

Ciego de Avila also "split the point" in its doubleheader against Camagüey. Their victory with a 6x1 slate was scored as the ninth of Dachel Duquesne -tournament leader-, and then they gave up 1x2.

In the fight for the coveted eighth position for the playoffs, Guantanamo got the better part by defeating Santiago de Cuba twice and momentarily occupies that seat (eighth) alone.

In the first game they won 6x5, with Yoandri Daudinó's fourth win and Yorlis Rodríguez's bat, who hit 3-2, with a pair of RBIs, and in the second game the Indios del Guaso came out on top 11x7, backed by the 17th home run of their slugger Over Cremet.

Sancti Spíritus was barely able to develop one of the two scheduled games, in which it defeated Cienfuegos 5x2, with the twelfth save of the closer Yankiel Mauri, leader in that category.

The other game was rained out. Now the espirituanos are in ninth place, half a game behind Guantánamo.

In another result, Granma won the double game against the monarch exponent Las Tunas. The Alazanes started with a 10x5 success, in a game where the stellar Alfredo Despaigne hit his 20th home run (leader), and in the second game they were better 5x4. For Las Tunas Rafael Viñales hit his 17th round-tripper of the season.

The leader Pinar del Río beat Artemisa 3x0, with Branlis Rodríguez's fifth hit, and Villa Clara and Holguín also suspended due to rain.

After these results, seven teams have a safe place in the playoffs: Pinar del Río, Granma, Las Tunas, Santiago de Cuba, Industriales, Matanzas and Ciego de Ávila.

For the last place, there is still a tough battle between Guantánamo, Sancti Spíritus and Villa Clara.

Although some teams still have suspended games pending, the regular schedule of the Series will expire this week.