Leones one paw away from dyeing the Clásico blue

The Industriales Leones moved one win away from qualifying for the grand final of the 62nd National Baseball Series (SNB).

The Blue Lions defeated the Avispas de Santiago de Cuba 3-2 in the fourth game of the best-of-seven semifinal play-off, thus forcing the Easterners to win all the remaining games of the series.

The Cuban team took the lead in the second chapter with a home run by first baseman and fourth lumber, Osday Silva, against the capital's starter Raymond Figueredo. They then extended the lead in the sixth by combining Yoelkis Guibert's double and right fielder Carlos Monier's infield single.

With a two-run lead, it seemed that the Avispas would equalize the semifinal, as the huge crowd at the Latinoamericano stadium (both teams' fans were very evenly matched) witnessed a beautiful pitching duel between Figueredo and the veteran Santiago native Alberto Bisset, who had been indecipherable for Guillermo Carmona's disciples.

In the closing of that chapter came the reaction of Industriales, combining connections of Yosvani Peñalver, Yasmani Tomás (1CI), Óscar Valdés (1CI) and Ariel Hechevarria (1CI), who made Bisset jump off the mound.

The win finally went to Frank Herrera and Juan Xavier Peñalver was in charge of the closing, who scored the point for the game saved. The Santiago starter took the setback, despite having done an excellent job in the first five games.

The semifinal is now 3-1 in favor of the Leones, and one more victory would assure their presence in the final.

For their part, the Santiagueros are obliged to come back from a 1-3 deficit, something that has rarely happened in our SNB. Precisely, the capital was the last team to see such an advantage vanish when they lost in this same instance against another historic team, the Vegueros of Pinar del Rio.

This Friday, the fifth game will be played at the Coloso del Cerro at 6:00 pm.  Industriales will be looking for the final blow, while the easterners will try to stay in the competition.