National Series: Holguín Picks Up the Pace and Holds onto the Lead

The Holguín Cubs, hosting at the Calixto García stadium, once again staked their claim in the 64th National Series with another convincing victory over the Santiago de Cuba Wasps to maintain their leadership.

The Holguín squad swung the bat without hesitation and dismantled the Santiago pitching with a barrage of 18 hits, enough to secure a 12-2 win.

Lázaro Cedeño again made his presence known with his 14th home run and 58 RBIs, numbers that are becoming staggering. Christian Onofre also sent the ball traveling and drove in four runs to complete the offensive showcase.

On the opposing side, only Harold Vázquez and Carlos Monier managed to slightly offset the defeat with solo home runs, the only ones allowed by Luis Caser in another composed starting performance.

Results from the Rest of the Diamond

The Matanzas Crocodiles bit Industriales 6-3 at the Victoria de Girón, thanks to a dual effort from Esteban Terry, who first tied the game with a powerful hit and then drove in the decisive lead with a single. Silvio Iturralde, sharp as a knife, pitched 3.2 perfect innings to earn his eighth win.

The Las Tunas Lumberjacks once again silenced the Cándido González stadium, this time with a 4-0 win over the Camagüey Bulls. Yudier Rondón led the production with three hits, and Yosmel Garcés pitched seven innings with authority.

Cienfuegos continued its overpowering pace by subduing La Isla 13-9, and has now tallied six consecutive wins, backed by three RBIs each from Erick Acevedo and José Manuel Oramas.

In Pinar del Río, Mayabeque once again complicated matters for the Vegueros with a 5-4 victory in 10 innings. Meanwhile, Artemisa hunted Sancti Spíritus in a doubleheader with wins of 9-7 and 4-2, both marked by character and a firm closing.

Guantánamo repeated the dose and edged out Villa Clara 6-5. The clash between Ciego de Ávila and Granma was called due to darkness, ending in a 4-4 tie after nine innings.

Standings Update

Today's standings reaffirm Holguín (33-18) at the summit, followed by Las Tunas (30-18), Industriales (31-19), and Matanzas (32-21), while Cienfuegos, Artemisa, Mayabeque, and Sancti Spíritus remain in pursuit within the hot zone.